Every person with a conscience amongst the restaurant's patrons clenched their fists. None of them dared to confront the group of men because they were members of the Great Apothecary Guild. Amidst the chaos, Mia's clothes were torn apart, and the men ogled her greedily. A flurry of perverse whistles and jeers echoed across the room. That was the final straw for Larissa.Grabbing a wine bottle from the table, she smashed it over one of their heads. "Argh!" Along with an agonizing scream, his head began to bleed. The sudden twist of events left the men dumbfounded. They could no longer bother Mia, their heads simultaneously snapping in Larissa's direction. They were eager to find out which bastard had the gall to interrupt their fun. Yet, all of them stilled once they laid eyes on Larissa. She was absolutely gorgeous. Her ethereal beauty was the last thing they'd expect in this isolated area. As the men exchanged glances, a lecherous glint flickered across their eye
Before Larissa left with Mia, she warned Gary not to bully women, or he'd pay a heavy price. He remained rooted in his spot, and it wasn't until she disappeared out of his sight that he finally burst into a fit of rage. "Fucking bitch! She's going to suffer once she gets to Phantom Island. With her mediocre skills, she's bound to be murdered by the Great Apothecaries. One thing's for certain, there are people with weird fetishes who will definitely fancy her—"Gary stopped abruptly. He realized everyone was staring at him strangely. "What're you all looking at?" He froze in place, calculating the possibility of Larissa's return. He spun around anxiously and was relieved to catch no sight of Larissa. Yet, he still felt like something was amiss.Something warm trickled down his face. He brushed a hand across his face, and his palm was covered in blood. He was stunned for a few seconds before returning to his senses.Fuck! When did his face start bleeding? The scorching pai
Larissa's expression turned grave. "First, let me set things straight. You'll have to obey my orders once we're on Phantom Island. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless. If you can't accept that, you can leave now."Mia and Terry exchanged glances. Nodding, they both agreed to her conditions. Once everything was settled, they headed toward the dock. The ship bound for Phantom Island was moored at the edge of the shore.Without hesitation, Larissa promptly bought three tickets for first-class cabins. "Actually, I don't mind buying an economy-class ticket," Mia said sheepishly. "We're a team. Since we don't know what's ahead of us, we have to rest well to tackle the coming obstacles." Larissa dismissed her nonchalantly, but Mia was moved. They soon realized that the first-class cabins were packed with people from the Great Apothecary Guild, who were very distinctly dressed. Judging by the rich medicinal scent wafting through the air, Larissa presumed they were either
As time went by, Terry's thoughts became muddled. The stairs were neverending and grew steeper as they ascended them—each step a staggering height of 20 inches. The more they climbed the stairs, the heavier their legs felt, as if made of lead.Initially, several groups of people teamed up to climb the stairs, but the distance between them eventually grew wider as time passed.Vincent and Birdie led the team, with Mia and Terry in the middle and Larissa trailing behind them. Grabbing onto the railing, they threaded their way up the steps as they reached the particularly steep portion of the stairs. The incline was so severe that it seemed perpendicular to the ground.Mia staggered, and she almost fell—but Terry caught her in the nick of time. After expressing her gratitude, fatigue weighed on her steps as she ascended the stairs. The fear of tripping to her death kept her cautious. Larissa quipped, "Don't be afraid. You won't die even if you fall. The worst that could hap
"Mommy, let MAVIS go up to check first," said Vincent.Larissa nodded. "Okay."Vincent activated his watch and entered the command. Under Vincent's control, the robot swiftly transformed into a drone with wings and ascended into the sky.Vincent stared at the screen on his wrist. Suddenly, a black figure flashed by, causing the scene to blur. He struggled to discern the identity of the fleeting shadow.Vincent exclaimed as he rushed over without hesitation, "MAVIS!" MAVIS was Vincent's best friend. Vincent couldn't ignore it when his good friend was in danger.A giant wild goose flew toward Vincent.Despite the danger, Vincent remained calm, placing his hands on his hips. He shouted, "Mommy!!"It was a common instinct in every child to call for their mothers when faced with trouble.At that critical moment, a figure sprang out from behind Vincent. She jumped high and hurled an army knife, instantly piercing through the wild goose's body.The huge body crashed to the ground
Larissa made a decision after a moment of contemplation."Mia, you're in charge of treating the poisoned patients. Create the antidote using the herbs we obtained in the second stage."Mia initially believed she had limited knowledge and could only assist in a supportive role. However, to her surprise, Larissa assigned her a task, making her fully responsible for a patient on her own.Mia was overwhelmed with pride as she clenched her fist in determination. She said excitedly, "Alright, I'll definitely cure the patient without causing you any trouble."Next, Larissa turned to Terry. "Terry, you're in charge of the patient with ocular trauma. Clean the wound thoroughly to prevent infection."Terry nodded repeatedly. "No problem!"Larissa's delegation of tasks seemed reasonable. Knowing Mia's proficiency in treating poisoned patients, Larissa deemed it fitting to assign such cases to her.Their initial encounter at a bar—where Mia sold her a homemade antidote—left Larissa convince
"Losers have no right to speak to me."Larissa cast a disdainful look at the lead surgeon, not attempting to hide her contempt. She felt there was no reason to show respect to a mediocre doctor who jeopardized lives.The lead surgeon briefly faltered before stating, "This is my patient…"Unaware of Larissa's intentions, he was guided by an instinctual fear to prevent her from doing whatever she was about to do.Larissa sneered and retorted, "The patient is yours, but the corpse isn't! I am fulfilling the patient's final wish. It's none of your business!" She ignored him after finishing her words. The lead surgeon flushed red after being scolded by Larissa.Larissa's movements with the scalpel were precise and swift. Onlookers were left astonished as they observed her actions.After a few seconds, the onlookers snapped out of their amazement. "Is she going to extract the eyeballs?""Could she be dealing with a patient who has an injured eye over there?" "Eye transplantation i
After losing the competition, Qwin was forced to change his name and was subsequently expelled from the Great Apothecary Guild.The incident from years ago was likely more complicated than initially thought.Larissa wondered how the flammable and explosive chemicals were applied to the test tubes. Looking at the chaotic remnants before her, Larissa was convinced that there was another story behind the incident.The truth had remained concealed for over a decade.Had Larissa not discovered evidence here, Qwin would have never been able to unravel the emotional knot.Larissa gathered the test tube's fragments, intending to take them back for Qwin to examine. She was determined to reveal the real reason behind the explosion years ago.An hour later, all the teams gradually completed the challenges. Servants came to invite everyone to the Great Apothecary Guild's banquet. It was time to formally meet the Great Apothecary Guild's members.Larissa took a moment to observe her surr
Ambrose faced his back to Larissa.She tried to conceal her grievance and anger, shouting, "Aren't you leaving? Leave then!"He kept his back to her, not daring to turn around.Despite her efforts to suppress her emotions, he detected a touch of grief in her voice.Ambrose was frightened of turning around and seeing her tears.As long as he saw those eyes, he would be unable to resist the temptation to be selfish once again, to stay by her side at all costs.He gradually tightened his gloved hands.No. He couldn't be so selfish. He had become a monster, unworthy of her!He wanted to escape, hide, and not let Larissa see his monster appearance. However, he couldn't move at all. His feet stubbornly stayed in place, as if rooted.She walked up to him. She stared attentively at him for a moment before slowly reaching out to hold his hand.Just as her fingertips were about to touch his hand, Ambrose suddenly returned to his senses.Damn it! What was he doing? How could he let Lar
Max's treatment of external injuries was professional.He gently patted the wolf cub's head and said, "Bye."The wolf cub's eyes were full of gratitude. It looked at the humans deeply before running away without looking back.Larissa and her team continued to search for traces of the werewolf in Northernmost.However, they didn't find any useful clues. Max couldn't help but ask, "Madam, do you think there would be werewolves here?"She replied, "Although Jackie lied about the wolf cub, I believe he saw something real. No matter what, I'll find him, even if we have to turn Northernmost upside down!"On a mountain several miles away, a tall figure stood against the wind. He stood firm amidst the snowy landscape like a sturdy tree.The wolf cub approached him and affectionately rubbed against his trousers. He lowered his head, giving it a faint glance. "Little fool, don't get caught in human traps again."His tone was stern, with a hint of teaching. The wolf cub lowered its head i
There were no cameras in the hotel room, but there were in the corridor.In a fleeting moment, Larissa finally noticed something wrong.She rewinded the video and played it back slowly several times. Finally, she confirmed what she had seen.She slumped into the chair, completely lost.She knew that something must have happened to Ambrose.Although the footage got grainy right away, Larissa still saw it—Ambrose's hand had undergone some sort of transformation.What on earth had happened? She must find him as soon as possible!Everything was fine last night. Ambrose set off fireworks for her and even used drones to write his vow in the sky.He had done so many romantic things for her. Why did he change overnight? What was wrong with his hand?Larissa's mind was in chaos, unable to make sense of anything. After thinking for a moment, she called Max."Max, send a ship to pick me up... No, send me a helicopter. I have to go back right away."After returning, she immediately aske
Ambrose's pupils shrank.His right hand had completely transformed into the shape of a wolf claw.The mutation continued to spread up his arm, resulting in a thick layer of wolf fur.Dawn was approaching. A faint light shone on the horizon. The distant sea was tumultuous with no end in sight.Ambrose stood on the balcony, his black hair fluttering in the sea breeze.He cautiously lifted his right hand. At this moment, his hand could no longer be called a hand.From his fingertips to his arm, it had fully transformed into a wolf's paw. Even more terrifyingly, the mutation was still spreading toward his shoulder.His time was running out.Ambrose stared at his right hand intently for a long time. Until the cold air covered his long eyelashes with a layer of frost, he put on his gloves again, hiding the mutated hand.He returned to the bedroom, where Larissa remained asleep. She appeared to be having a beautiful dream, smiling as she slept.Ambrose sat down by the bed, gazing at
Larissa didn't notice Ambrose's abnormality. She thought he was preparing a surprise for her."Then hurry up, Mister!" She tiptoed and kissed his face before running out with a smile.His gentle smile disappeared after she left.Ambrose stared at his mutated right hand, his expression gradually darkening.He didn't want to appear so hideous in front of Larissa. So, he put on a pair of black gloves, intending to hide it from her.Larissa waited outside, kicking the ground with boredom. After a while, Ambrose came out."Mister!" Larissa dashed for him like a lively bird.He hugged her as he had done countless times before. She hooked her arm around his, and they walked out together.When the restaurant doors slowly opened, Larissa noticed the pink rose petals scattered all over the floor.It was so beautiful!It was evident that Ambrose attached great importance to their wedding anniversary tonight.She stared at his strikingly gorgeous profile. He turned and showed her a doti
A week later, Birdie awoke.She burst into tears upon seeing Larissa. "Ms. Larissa, those people beat me so badly! I thought I'd never see you again!"Larissa tenderly hugged Birdie and patted her back to comfort her. "It's fine now. Don't be afraid. I've already avenged you."Vincent stood nearby. He tightly pursed his lips, believing that the punishments meted out to those people were too light.After Birdie had stopped crying, she looked at him and asked, "Vince, why are you still so short?"He felt like he'd been struck by lightning.Birdie was a year older than Vincent. Girls at this age tended to be taller than boys, causing Vincent to be a head shorter than Birdie.He pursed his lips and quietly put away the small cakes he had prepared for her. It took him a lot of effort to snatch it from Victor.Even if he gave it back to Victor, he wouldn't give it to the ungrateful Birdie!Larissa could tell Vincent's thoughts and nearly came out laughing. She barely managed to hold
Larissa observed Fernando, feeling increasingly familiar with his appearance."Hmm... aren't you the guy who owes me a hundred thousand dollars in medical expenses? Have your injuries healed?"It was simple for a person to leave a lasting impression on her. He only needed to owe her money.When Fernando heard the familiar voice, he finally confirmed she was the one who saved him."It's me. I'm really sorry..."He didn't hide anything and confessed all of his wrongdoings. After speaking, he nervously waited.Larissa might criticize him harshly, hit him, or even trample on his dignity as Nayla did. Everything was his fault. He was willing to face the consequences.But...She pondered for a moment and suddenly asked, "You're quite skilled, huh?""Uh..." Fernando didn't expect her to ask such a question out of the blue. He paused for a moment before nodding.Larissa waved. "Join the Hamiltons as a bodyguard then! If you perform well during the three-year testing period, we'll pro
As the Daltons' men surrounded Max, Nayla managed to flee."Damn it!" He gritted his teeth and glanced at Fernando. "Since you didn't join Nayla in harming Ms. Zoey, I'll let you go. You may leave!"However, Fernando didn't do so. He seemed to have made a certain determination and bent toward Max. "Please allow me to stay by Ms. Zoey's side. I'm willing to spend the rest of my life protecting her."Max squinted. "Do you think I'll still believe you?"Fernando remained bent over. It was a posture of persistence rather than reverence. "I won't give up even if you disagree.""Whatever!" Max turned around indifferently and led the Hamiltons' guards away.Fernando soon straightened up. He appeared resolute. Even if Max barred him from entering the Hamilton residence again, he would silently protect Zoey....Nayla stitched up her face at the Dalton residence, her hands trembling violently."Damn it!" She let out a shrill roar and hurled the needle holder violently to the ground.H
Fernando became more certain of the truth when he saw Nayla's panicked expression."Do you want me to believe you? Then show me how you used the silver needles to save me.""I—" Nayla bit her lip tightly. "You hurt me, Fernando. Have you forgotten that I saved your life? You promised to repay me. How could you doubt me?"He returned to his former coldness and stepped closer to her."You're not the one I owe gratitude to. When I was severely injured and unconscious, I couldn't see who had saved me. I'd even forgotten her voice. Fortunately, I've recalled it. Or I'd have no idea how much longer you'd deceive me!"During this period, the humiliations he had endured from Nayla were vivid and echoed in his mind.He had also doubted how a kind woman who would help a stranger could become so cruel.Nayla explained that her parents had abandoned her since birth. Larissa had also caused the death of her grandmother, who had raised her.After returning to her biological family, Larissa r