"Well…"Frank murmured awkwardly, shooting a glance at Rory as she stood in the distance."Hmm…?"Gene quickly caught his meaning and waved Rory off for her to leave.A hint of annoyance showed on Rory's face for an instant, and she was staring thoughtfully at Frank even as she headed into her bedroom.With her gone, Gene asked, "Alright, you can speak freely now, Mr. Lawrence. Does my illness have something to do with Rory?"Frank nodded slightly. "Actually, I need you to stay calm and listen to what I have to say to you now, Mr. Pearce.""Tell me." Gene's mood dampened even as he saw the scowl on Frank's face."Someone is growing Chestbursters inside you… Actually, there are three of them, each half a meter long. Once they mature, they will tear a hole out of your ribcage."Gene's face fell even though Frank had warned him to stay calm.He started panicking even though he almost could not, and he seemed to see the worms squirming around even as glanced at his abdomen.Stil
Gene had his hunches before, but all his doubts were erased thanks to Frank's hint as he realized who the culprit was.He had no heirs, so he wrote a will early on, stating that both Zorn and Rory would jointly inherit his estate."Rory Thames… Zorn Woss…" Gene's face contorted in rage even as he clenched his fist.He already had the feeling that Zorn and Rory were more than 'close', and if anything, they should be hostile against each other over his estate if he died.Weirdly however, they were even more friendly than before, showing no signs of discord.Gene thought that they were trying to keep things peaceful for his sake before his death, but now the whole thing was simply suspicious.He certainly did not want to admit it, but he was now dead sure that those two were working together to kill him for his money!Frank could see various expressions alternating over Gene's face, and he could see that the man had realized who the culprit was.He certainly did not need to say an
Zorn then pulled Rory toward himself, grinning. "No one would ever come between the two of us.""But… I'm worried." Rory frowned, glancing at the direction where Frank and Gene were. "Noel York worships Frank Lawrence. He's not much of a looker, but I've been to his farm resort in Riverton. It's really as amazing, and—""That's enough!"Zorn's expression became stern, but he assured her, "Since you hate him that much, I'll just have to come up with a subtle plan to get rid of him. I'm Birthright rank, y'know—dealing with some brat couldn't be easier!"Rory beamed right then. "Alright, you promised!""Hehe, of course." Zorn smiled. "As long as it makes you happy, I'd brave hell and high water—""Ahem!" Frank suddenly cleared his throat resoundingly."Huh?!" Zorn promptly turned in Frank's direction, at once wary.However, there was a wall between them, and Frank should be busy treating Gene, so Zorn was convinced that Frank could not hear him whispering with Rory.In reality
Gene worked hard for over a dozen minutes and suddenly yelled, "Argh!!!"Rory and Zorn hurried toward the washroom, but Frank raised a hand, stopping them.He walked up and knocked on the door with a smile. "How did it go, Mr. Pearce?""Mr. Lawrence, it's amazing! Y-You're…" Gene had obviously seen what just came out of him and was left flabbergasted."Haha!" Frank chuckled. "I shall excuse myself now that you're fine, Mr. Pearce… but may I ask when I could expect payment?""Tomorrow—wait, argh!!! No!!!! Mr. Lawrence, help… it's the pain again! It's worse! Argh!!!"Frank had presumed that Gene was fine and was ready to leave, only for the man to start screaming again!"What?!" He exclaimed in shock—did he miss something?Without another word, he rushed into the washroom and found Gene leaning on the wall.Gene still appeared weak, but he did not appear to be in pain like his screams suggested.In fact, he had a finger on his lips—a gesture for Frank to stay silent.Frank u
Zorn watched as Frank left, his lips curling into a sneer. "So, he's done for tomorrow? Fate is really on my side…" "Rory… Zorn…"Gene called out feebly from the toilet just then.Zorn and Rory traded a gleeful smile just then but quickly composed themselves to look worried as usual.-After Frank took a cab back to Lanecorp, he found Cindy throwing a major tantrum in one of the hallways.Picking up a vase, she threw it at Will and screamed, "You promised you'd help Helen get those land lots! Well, look what you've done now, not getting even one after I bragged so much! Do you know how that makes me feel?! I can't even bear to face Helen!"Her outburst was naturally drawing a crowd, even as Will dodge the oncoming vase.He had come to talk to Frank and explain himself, only to run into the crazy bitch who snapped at him before he could say a word.He really would have slapped her twice if he did not have to keep pretending to be her boyfriend!"What's happening here?" Frank
Helen continued, "And Gene is buying all those land lots on a blank check. Is Lanecorp supposed to spend every last capital to outbid the richest man of the east coast? You might as well demand that we go bankrupt directly!"Every staff member of Lanecorp was nodding repeatedly. Helen was right—Gene had nothing but money, and it was suicidal to compete against him in that front."Hah! I don't care!" Nonetheless, Kallum rolled his eyes and laughed—he could not care less about anything and was even more radical after his son's death. "That still meant you failed to achieve the second task I asked, no?"Helen frowned. "It's true, but—""No buts." Kallum sneered. "All I care about is results. You failed, and that's it. Hell, I don't mind telling you how much money I've siphoned off this company now… It's twelve billion dollars!"The Lanecorp staff around them gasped right then.They were aware that Kallum had been embezzling company money… But twelve billion was still a dizzying nu
"Pfft…"Cindy was the first to break the silence, sneering at Frank as she asked sarcastically, "Are you alright, Frank? Do you need to get your brain checked? The richest man on the east coast would just hand over tracts of land to a nobody like you, just because you asked… What, are you his son, grandson, or perhaps… lover?"Frank did not bother responding to her insults. Instead, he calmly turned toward Helen and said, "Don't worry. The issue is settled—we just have to go to Drenam Limited tomorrow with the transfer agreement.""Really…?" Helen was caught off guard by the abrupt news and unsure how she should react.After all, she was despairing… only to feel hope now.It was certainly a rollercoaster of emotions, and she was certainly overwhelmed, pressing a hand over her chest."Of course." Frank grinned. "When have I ever lied to you?""Frank, y-you're so… so…" Helen could not find the words to describe how she felt.Beaming in delight right then, she threw herself into F
The next day, Frank and Helen were already prepared early in the morning and drove to Drenam Limited's office.Cindy had insisted on following, throwing a tantrum as she claimed she wanted to see what Frank could actually do to take those land lots from Gene.To no surprise, Drenam Limited was just a small local construction company that Gene had bought out to be an intermediary."Hello. Looking for someone?" Rob, a thuggish youth with a toothpick between his teeth, strode up to them, stopping them.He looked between them, not even stopping to take a second look at Cindy, as he soon gaped at Helen, dropping his toothpick."Shit!" He cursed even as he spaced out."What's going on here?" Bob, a pudgy man strode up to them as well, frowning. "If you're here to talk shop, I'm sorry, but we were just bought out and… Shit!"He reacted no different from Rob when he saw Helen and barked, "Quit gawking! Don't just let her stand there—go get a chair and some tea!""Oh, yeah, yeah," Rob t
Her skin and fingers were rotting where the motel manager touched the pendant, as if being corroded by acid at a visible rate. Worst of all, she could not even feel any pain from it!"W-What's going on here?!"Horrified, the motel manager turned and ran.Drunken Moon was ready to give chase, but Frank stopped her. "She's not going to have it easy without her fingers. Let her go."Drunken Moon nodded and pointed at the pendant on the floor. "What the heck is that?"Frank then told her about Reverend Quietus, to which Drunken Room exclaimed, "You meant to say that there are bodies of energy that are basically identical to the paranormal that people speak of?"Frank nodded. "I'm sure it's not just rumors, with the way it remained over a thousand years—things like that do exist. But in the end, it's no different from a spell, and you can handle it if you're strong enough."Drunken Moon smiled. "That only applies to you. I don't know about anyone else, but I really can't deal with th
After she calmed down, the bellgirl took an interest in Frank. "Is he the one who could beat you?"It was the new age—ladies were not shy, and the bellgirl actually liked lookers like him."Hello." Frank greeted her, and she smiled in turn. "Sorry for having to bother you, handsome."She would really have asked for his number if circumstances allowed.That was when footsteps could be heard, and Frank glanced sideways outside as he told Drunken Moon, "Now's your chance for revenge. Don't hold back now.""You don't need to worry about that!" Drunken Moon exclaimed as she flexed her muscles—she was waiting for this moment.The motel manager led several burly men inside, standing at the center proudly like she owned the place. "That's for insulting me, bitch! Go! Show her who she was messing with!"Though the motel manager did not hesitate to send her men after Drunken Moon, Drunken Moon smirked, waiting until the bouncers were about to reach before punching them.Soon, they wer
Frank chuckled. "As for what actually happened to him, I'll get someone to keep tabs and maybe record a video. It shouldn't be difficult."Drunken Moon flashed a thumbs-up at him. "You're really the best when it comes to cruelty. Simply different."They shared a smile, and soon, Jouri's people came to take the white-haired youth away.Later, Frank and Drunken Moon headed to a motel, as the latter received a call from a geezer who said his granddaughter was being harassed and needed help.She had no fear with Frank at her side anyway, so she went.As soon as they entered, they found a twentyish, slightly short bellgirl wiping the tears off her face.Nearby, the motel manager was pointing at her and ranting, spouting plenty of expletives!Drunken Moon naturally would not just sit by. Striding up, she pushed the manager away and snapped furiously, "What's the meaning of this?! There's no reason to go that far even if she messed up!"The manager was equally furious, however, and sn
"The nail that sticks out gets hammered! I'm sure you'd die horribly soon enough!"The white-haired youth's futile efforts at threatening Frank only made him smirk. "What's it to you, even if I or Drunken Moon died? She still won't be interested."The white-haired youth snorted, but soon sighed. "Fine, do it!"Drunken Moon wagged her finger at him. "Why should we make it quick? He's actually right—death is a reward for people like you."That's why I'll treat your leg and sell you as a slave to some third-world country. Trust me, it's not just the ladies who are popular there—they like a pretty boy too."The white-haired youth smirked. "Quit trying to scare me. Do you think that crippling my cultivation would stop me from talking? As long as you don't, I'll find a way to free myself. Let's see what you can do then!"That was when Frank butted in. "Actually, I do have a solution."With just a thought, the white-haired youth's leg was as good as new.As soon as he saw that, the wh
Speed is the one unbreakable law of martial arts, and someone quicker than the naked eye would never lose.To think that the man who seemed to have nothing going for him aside from his looks was this powerful!Frank chuckled and turned to the biker. "You should leave. It's not a pretty sight when blood starts spilling."The biker was quite compliant from the start and turned to run. "Thank you for saving me. May we meet again!"On the other hand, Frank leapt over the railing and dropped to a squat in front of the white-haired youth. "Go on, tell me why you introduced Drunken Moon to someone else."The white-haired youth was taken aback but soon said, "So you're the brat who's not to be underestimated? That's why your fellow martial artists think so highly of you.""I appreciate their flattery, but I'm afraid I might fall short." Frank chuckled coolly. "And you could stop fawning over me and answer my question."The white-haired youth's eyes widened. "Who do you think I am?"Fra
Frank chuckled. "Who do you think? The man who tried to kill you just now.""What?!"The biker was even more shocked, as the Lamborghini was reduced to a marble. Would the driver even survive that?"Ignoramus! I'm not so easily killed!"A figure strode out of the grass nearby, and it was none other than the white-haired youth who drove the Lamborghini!"When did that happen?" the biker exclaimed.He definitely did not see the Lamborghini's doors opening or anyone jumping out when it was crushed into a ball, so how did that man escape?"Go on. Show us how much quicker you can be!" Frank beckoned at the white-haired youth.Perplexed, the white-haired youth asked, "I'm curious. How did you know about my powers?"Frank pointed at his eyes, "Thanks to certain assistance, I've improved my further abilities and can now identify anyone's abilities.""Really? But identifying wouldn't be enough—you gotta be good enough to handle me!"Readying himself as if for a sprint, the white-hair
Seeing Frank chasing her down, the beggar said, "I really can't elaborate. You know about the group already, don't you? Go and deal with them—use your wisdom to see through everything and solve the riddle."And with that, she left without a care.This time, Frank did not stop her—if anything, he had no reason to do so.Her point was simple: there was just so much involved that even she had not the faintest idea. Sighing, Frank called Jouri and told her to search for Sanne Quess and Reverend Quietus."The latter is impressive," he said. "She even sealed the power of the spiritron vein!'"What?!"Jouri was shocked—that was impossible, as the spiritron vein was invincible as far as she was concerned.But a mere reverend subdued it?!"Do you have further details?" she pressed.Frank shook his head. "She can use talismans. That's about all I know about her."Jouri sighed wryly. "Then looking into her will be difficult—I'd focus on Sanne Quess instead. Who is he?"Frank told her
Baldie dropped to his knees with a thud.Not only did Frank possess superior abilities, but he had a functioning moral compass too?He certainly deserved the power of the spiritron vein!Baldie then said, "I guess I should warn you that there are people who keep their hands clean. They would do anything to further their mysterious goals, so you should watch out."Frank chuckled. "Don't worry. I never hold back when I should kill—just listen to the reverend, and leave if there's nothing else, or I might change my mind."At those words, Baldie turned to run without lingering another second. Frank then turned toward the beggar. "Is this what you want?"The beggar nodded, clearly not bothered to hide anything. "To be honest, I've been considering an issue—do all the people who gain superpowers deserve it? The dragon inside you, for example… I can't say that it's anything good."Frank nodded, smiling—she was right about that, as he thought the same himself.After all, it had done
Frank smiled, shaking his head. "No, you misunderstand. What I mean is that she's right. The paranormal, your mystical artifact—it all works using the same principle: You're all just a little stronger than the average martial artist."However, when you're up against the real deal like me, you're relatively weak and easily dealt with."Baldie was left flabbergasted. "No, no, no… That's impossible! We're not the same as martial artists. None of you stand a chance against us!"Frank shook his head. "What you're saying is impossible. Your kind is simply more gifted, while martial artists are less, and that's the only reason you're stronger than most martial artists."Baldie dropped to his knees with a thud, shaking his head repeatedly as there was nothing more that could tear him up inside.He had always believed that even if he was not divine, he was still an envoy among the mortals like the priests and monks in fiction. Naturally, he was convinced that the day would come when he tra