From Outcast to Overlord The Unyielding Heir (Leander Ashcroft) novel Chapter 499

Outside the airport hall, Leander stood tall, a plain baseball cap pulled low over his head. Dressed in casual sportswear, he looked like a laid-back hip-hop boy.

Celia, in a cool summer outfit, stood gracefully beside him. While everyone else ran off to chase Maeve, only the two of them walked out first.

"Master Leander, the Hermit could be waiting anywhere to assassinate you. Shouldn't you keep some distance from your friends?"

Remembering the Hermit's sudden appearance on the plane today, Celia asked.

"No need."

Leander smiled and shook his head. "Meeting the Hermit once was enough to understand him. His cultivation is stronger than the Blood Demon's. At his level, he is not interested in killing; he wants a worthy opponent.

"He wants to prove himself against an equal. And I'm the opponent he's chosen."

Leander lifted his gaze toward the blazing sun.

"He's on the verge of the King Phase and needs me for that breakthrough. Only I am his target—no one else is in danger."

Celia looked at Leander, stunned by the overwhelming confidence on his face.

This man truly was the strongest she had ever seen. In talent, intelligence, and willpower, everything about him far surpassed ordinary men.

Again, she felt grateful for choosing to follow him. Only by staying close could she witness every step he took on his path.

After a moment, she spoke again.

"So, Master Leander, you mean the Hermit isn't hunting you for revenge, but trying to use you to reach the King Phase?"

Leander nodded slightly, hands in his pockets.

"Not entirely. He wants to use me to ascend and make Netherweb famous. He is their top assassin, a Heaven-Rank operative. If he kills me, there is no better way for Netherweb to make the world tremble.

"And since I'm ranked first on the International Combat Units, if the Hermit kills me, it would mean that for the next twenty years, the assassin world would overshadow the martial world."

Once again, Celia was shaken. She had thought about the meaning behind Leander and the Hermit's battle, but never this far-reaching.

Just as she was about to ask further, Aurora walked out.

"Leander, do you know Maeve?"

Wearing denim shorts that showed off her fair legs, she deliberately stood closer to him as she asked casually.

"Sort of."

Leander replied lightly, nothing more. The distance in his attitude made Aurora's chest tighten with frustration.

Throughout the trip, she had tried countless topics to chat with him, but his responses remained calm and detached—always keeping a polite distance.

She gritted her teeth silently.

After waiting at the entrance for ten minutes, Nathan and the others finally returned. Livia, Yulia, and the other two women each held a CD like a precious treasure.

"Leander, this trip was totally worth it!"

Nathan was thrilled.

Traffic was jammed outside the entrance, camera shutters clicking everywhere.

"No way… Maeve is staying at the Yelem Hotel, too?"

Livia trembled with excitement.

Getting Maeve's autograph earlier already felt like unbelievable luck, but now, staying at the same hotel meant countless more chances to see her.

Celia, who initially had little interest in Maeve, now looked on with curiosity.

Rumor had it that at many public events, wealthy young heirs openly confessed to Maeve, but she always remained distant, untouched by the decadence of the entertainment world. That purity was rare.

Recently, Maeve had released a new album titled 'Return to You', a piece Celia had looped many times. Its poetic imagery drew her in and stirred curiosity about the star.

As everyone focused on Maeve, Leander looked elsewhere—toward a young man in a suit standing beside a Bentley at the far edge of the crowd.

The young man was handsome, clearly a local of Yelem, with an exotic charm. He was dressed head-to-toe in Enatria handmade attire—his entire outfit worth nearly a million.

But that wasn't what drew Leander's attention.

What mattered was the faint energy emanating from him.

It was an aura Leander knew very well—one identical to the Hermit he had met on the plane.

"Is it him?"

Leander's eyes sharpened instantly.