Novel's Extra: I Awakened The Strongest Physique From The Start-Chapter 205 - 206 - Confrontation 2.

Alex followed Barbara down the dimly lit corridor, his sharp gaze flickering across the familiar and unfamiliar faces of her subordinates.

Visit freewёbnoνel.com for the best novel reading experience.

Unlike last time, they weren’t hiding this time. All her subordinates were either walking along with them or standing in the hallway.

Alex could hear the murmurs of tension that hung in the air.

Some were talking about why he was here, while others wondered if they were going to fight soon. None of them, however, seemed welcoming—except a few girls.

[Looks like you aren’t famous among these people.] Sophie chuckled, causing him to raise his brow before he winked at one of the girls in the crowd.

’Give it a minute. Some admirers take time to process greatness,’ he smirked as he saw the girl’s face turning beet red.

Barbara, however, remained composed despite a faint flicker of annoyance passing through her eyes when she saw Alex’s action. Her emerald eyes flicked toward Alex as they walked, reading his every movement, every subtle twitch of expression.

"You seem awfully interested in this city’s affairs," she remarked, her voice deceptively light. "I wasn’t aware you had such a... civic-minded nature."

Alex smirked slightly, not missing the way she chose her words carefully. "A place like this holds many secrets. Wouldn’t you agree?" Read exclusive content at novelbuddy

Barbara didn’t falter. "Secrets, yes. And secrets should stay where they belong."

Alex chuckled under his breath. "That depends on whether those secrets interfere with my business."

Barbara stopped at a heavy wooden door and turned to face him. "And what exactly is your business, Alex?"

As soon as Alex heard those words, a glint flashed through his eyes.

[Alex...] Sophie’s voice grew serious as she noticed the same thing.

’I know,’ nodded Alex before he answered Barbara’s question, his tone now carrying a subtle edge. "I’ve heard rumors of outsiders arriving in the city. Two of them."

Barbara raised an eyebrow, feigning mild interest. "Is that so?"

Alex watched her closely. "I assume you’ve already heard about it."

Barbara let out a small, dismissive hum. "People come and go. If you’re referring to those two fools who stumbled in without knowing where they were, then yes, I’m aware of them. But what does that have to do with you?"

Alex leaned slightly against the doorframe, his posture deceptively relaxed. "That depends on who they are."

Barbara tilted her head, her lips curling ever so slightly. "And why does it matter to you?"

Alex’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. "I like knowing who I share space with."

Barbara scoffed. "And I like keeping my people’s matters private. You may be strong, Alex, but that doesn’t mean you get to pry into things that don’t concern you."

Alex let the silence linger for a moment before speaking again, his tone measured. "If it didn’t concern me, I wouldn’t be here."

Barbara crossed her arms. "And if it did concern you, I would expect you to be more direct."

Alex observed her for a moment, then chuckled. "Fair enough."

The door behind her creaked open slightly, and one of her subordinates stepped in, glancing quickly between the two. Alex caught the flicker of wariness in the man’s gaze before he bowed his head slightly toward Barbara.

Barbara turned back to Alex, her expression shifting into something more diplomatic. "Look, I understand you’re looking for someone, but if they were here, I would know. And as far as I’m aware, no one particularly interesting has entered my domain."

Alex narrowed his eyes. "So, you’re saying the newcomers are irrelevant?"

Barbara gave an indifferent shrug. "More or less."

Alex sighed as if disappointed. "That’s unfortunate. I was hoping for a more... interesting conversation."

Barbara smirked. "You have a habit of making things interesting regardless."

At that moment, one of the warriors behind Barbara shifted ever so slightly, their grip tightening around their weapon. It was subtle, but Alex noticed. His eyes flickered with amusement.

"I don’t want to do it, you know..." he mused.

"I wish you go and do what you came to this city for and not interfere with my business as well," Barbara said, her smile vanishing. "I told you—secrets should stay where they belong."

The tension in the room thickened, the air heavy with unspoken threats. Alex straightened, his expression unreadable as he took a slow step forward.

"I hate liars, Barbara," he purred, his posture relaxed, but Barbara felt that he was more alert than ever.

Barbara’s fingers twitched near her side, but she remained calm. "I never lied."

Alex’s gaze turned cold as he leaned forward. "Do you not know anyone called Karyu?"

The moment those words were heard, Barbara’s expression cracked just for a second, anger flashing past her eyes. "Why are you bringing that name up here?"

Barbara was someone who had lived in the demon empire. She knew of people in the empire, especially the princes and princesses.

Keryu was the name of one of the princes, one who was famous for being a waste of the imperial bloodline.

Alex’s smirk widened ever so slightly at the flicker of anger in Barbara’s expression.

It was a small thing, a fleeting crack in her otherwise composed demeanor, but it was clear that she didn’t like the name. To be more accurate, she didn’t like the family the name was attached to.

Barbara quickly controlled her features, turning neutral, but Alex had already seen what he needed to see. He let the silence stretch, watching her closely, waiting for her to choose her next words carefully.

Seeing that Alex wasn’t replying and instead waiting for her answer, she finally spoke. "Keryu is a name from the Empire."

Barbara’s tone was even, but there was an underlying tension that hadn’t been there before. "Now tell me why you brought that name up here."

Alex chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. "Firstly, I wanted to check if you were a noble from the empire as you seemed," he mused, and seeing Barbara’s jaw grinding, he added, "Secondly, because I wanted to tell you something people think wrong about him."

Barbara frowned, her gaze sharpening. "What are you getting at?"

Alex exhaled slowly, then tilted his head slightly. "He is someone who likes to manipulate people." He took a step forward, watching the way her warriors tensed ever so slightly.

His voice remained casual, but there was an unmistakable sharpness beneath it. "He manipulated the whole world in thinking that he was useless so that he could safely enter the best academy in the world, and once he did, he revealed his powers."

Barbara didn’t respond, but her fingers twitched at her side. She could understand what Alex was saying and what he was getting at, even though her subordinates, most of whom had never left this city, couldn’t.

"You might not know much about him. I bet you have never even seen him, so you probably don’t know how he looks, but I do, so let me tell you," Alex continued, his voice almost amused. "He has black hair and purple eyes. His looks, although not as good as mine, are still one of the best in the academy."

[Narcissist,] Sophie remarked, causing him to shrug inwardly.

’It’s the truth,’ he replied before his attention returned to Brabara, and he went on.

"If he were here, he would probably have the intention of taking this place as his." Pausing, Alex observed Barbara’s reaction.

Her emerald eyes had darkened, and her fists were clenched tightly.

Alex could already see doubt and anger in her eyes, making him smirk on the inside. ’Time to hit the last nail in the coffin.’

"If I were you, I would keep a lie detector while asking short and precise questions with one-word answers because they know how to manipulate the truth." With those words, he waved his hand, making a transparent sphere appear in his palm, which he passed on to Barbara.

"Take it as my first gift," he said, adding, "It’s a lie detector."

By now, Barbara had calmed down, and looking at the lie detector, she closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she nods her head.

"I don’t think I would need this, but I will keep it." Staring into Alex’s eyes, she asked, "Would you mind leaving us alone now?"

Alex stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. The silence between them grew heavier, stretching until it felt like the very walls were pressing in.

Then, slowly, a smirk curled on his lips, but this time, it lacked humor. "I really do hate liars, Barbara."

With that, he turned on his heel and strode away without another word, leaving behind only the lingering weight of his presence and the beeping of the lie detector as it blinked with green color.