Damon laughed. "Hah! Names are all the same. They're all just syllables. But you are here now, a mere Birthright rank. Your abilities really leave much to be desired!""That's not up for you to decide." Frank sneered, his eyes red—he could not hold back against an opponent who was a full rank higher, or he would get killed."Very well." Damon smiled. "It seems you're ready to put your life on the line… Though you have been a constant thorn to the side for us Lionhearts, I shall be getting rid of you once and for all. Remember—when the reaper asks, it's Damon Lionheart who sent you!"Suddenly, a gust of violent pure vigor erupted away from him, almost knocking Frank off his feet."So this is the power of peak Ascendant ranks…?" Frank muttered to himself.While Ciril Janko was a peak Ascendant rank individual as well, Frank fought him under unusual circumstances, and Ciril was barely going all out.And now that Frank was facing one who was not holding back, he was certainly pressur
A old man in Draconia's military uniform emerged from the darkness, laughing raspily. "Hehehe…""What…" Frank struggled to get up despite the agony of his broken ribs, as he recognized the geezer right then.He was Frank's father, worshiped and admired across Draconia, and the bane of Talnam—the Lord of the Southern Woods!"What are you doing here?!" Damon was actually panicking, even fearful as he stared at the rows of military medals adorning Godwin Lawrence's jacket.It was certainly unusual for a peak Ascendant rank to react like that, especially when he was so nonchalant when he first showed up.And he was a man whose power was above question, too!"Hehe. I'm just taking a stroll before I kick the bucket," Godwin said calmly, a slight smile showing on his lips as if recounting the good old days with a friend.Damon kept backing away until he felt his back reach a wall. "Don't you remember the agreement you signed three years ago?!" Damon snapped, but he was glaring warily
Frank struggled to look up just as the scarlet lion shot past him, his pupils dilating when he saw what happened.Damon, who thoroughly overwhelmed him and unleashed such a frightening technique at Godwin, was caught by the neck, his feet dangling and kicking in the air.It was such a plain counter, as if Godwin did not use an ounce of pure vigor."What the…" Frank was actually left murmuring out loud in disbelief. "Watch closely now, brat," Godwin said calmly. "This is called the Lioncrusher—your grandfather taught me that, and it's used specifically to crush Lionhearts."On the other hand, Damon's eyes were starting to roll up into their sockets even as he flailed around, his entire body feeling like it was being jolted persistently."I know what you're going to say." Godwin chuckled. "Why is it called the Lioncrusher, no?"Damon gasped. "You wouldn't dare…"Splat!Suddenly, Damon's body bloated like a balloon before blowing up in a large puff of bloody mist. His blood spla
Vicky breathed a sigh of relief when Frank appeared, but Jet and the other Turnbull blackguards were immediately snapping at him."What have you been doing, Frank Lawrence?!""Why weren't you protecting Ms. Turnbull?! What were you doing down there by yourself?!"Frank was so shocked by their accusations that his vigor churned, aggravating his blood and causing him to cough out a mouthful of blood."Are you alright, Frank?!" A petrified Vicky hurried to his side before wheeling on Jet and the other Turnbull blackguards with a furious glare."How many times do I have to tell you?!" she bellowed. "Frank was fighting one of the Lionhearts' best, and none of you helped him! And you're now snapping at him after he won?!""Forgive me, Ms. Turnbull, but we're supposed to prioritize your safety," Jet replied, frowning and clearly upset that Frank was alive.In fact, Frank vaguely sensed his look of disappointment when he stepped out of the elevator."Heh. Well, that's not important." F
"Oh, what a pathetic bunch…" Vicky sighed as she suddenly remembered everything Sif said to her downstairs."The geezers of the Turnbull family would never dare turn against us Lionhearts! I've looked into your family—none of them would even give a damn if you die here. All they care about is protecting their precious wealth, while living in fear of the day we Lionhearts would come for them!"Vicky's heart bled even as she laughed at the thought—how could her family be so short-sighted? Endless compromising and never stepping up against their enemies, all in the name of self-gain. What was that if not handing their enemies rope to hang them with?They felt nothing even if Titus was exposed for his savage ambition, rather living one day at a time.Likewise, they never showed any gratitude, not even if Frank saved them from the literal lion's jaws."Mongrels," Vicky swore under her breath."What was that?" Jet thought he misheard."I called you a mongrel!" Vicky snapped at him i
Sif kept bellowing, "You, Vicky Turnbull… Everyone around you! None of them will be spared, I swear!"Her threat left Frank incensed, and he turned to bellow at Jet, "You heard that, didn't you?! Aren't you blackguards supposed to protect the Turnbull family?! Sif is threatening to hurt them, and you're just standing there?! Is your brain smooth or something?!"Jet, however, remained unmoved. "That's your personal grudge against Ms. Lionheart. I'm afraid you've made the wrong move if you're planning to use us against her.""Shit!" Frank bellowed furiously, wanting nothing less to round up the Turnbull blackguards and burn them. "You're not going to fight back even if your enemy has a blade against your neck?! When are you going to do it—after they stab you half to death?!"His words did not sway Jet at all, and he even shook his head. "The blackguards carry out orders of the Turnbull family—not you, a person of no consequence. If I were you, I'd really stop flailing around like you
"Shut the fuck up!"Sif almost choked at her bodyguard's suggestion and pointed at the oncoming thugs. "Do they look like they wouldn't hurt me?! You know what's going to happen if you leave me!"The bodyguard scowled miserably at Sif's threat.He really could have gotten away if not for the dead weight that was Sif.Naturally, he would not dare to leave Sif either, because it was a death sentence even if the thugs somehow spared Sif.Even as the thugs charged toward them menacingly, he could see that he would not survive this either.He steeled himself and whipped out his weapon. It was death either way—so be it!Naturally, the thugs cut him into mincemeat in an instant.Just then, several cars screeched to a halt nearby, and Jet and the Turnbull blackguards leapt out, turning around when they saw the commotion."W-What's going on here?!" Jet bellowed."None of your business! Fuck off!" Frank bellowed at them right away, his heart almost caving when he saw that the Turnbull
"Hux… Nevermind."Frank grinned—he certainly could see that Hux was ready to flee. "You won't regret this.""Oh, I hope so." Hux flashed a terrible smile before fleeing with his men, leaving Jet and the Turnbull blackguards, and what remained of Sif and her bodyguards.Jet charged toward Frank right then and seized Frank by the collar as he bellowed, "Who were those people?! Tell me right now!!!"He would not be surprised if the fallout of Sif's death fell upon him and the Turnbull blackguards, since no one would believe some thugs passing by would suddenly murder a Lionheart.If anything, they would be further convinced it was the Turnbull blackguards, and Frank's move had undoubtedly landed them in hot water. None of them could explain themselves, especially if the Turnbull elders questioned them!"Hahaha…"On the other hand, Frank was laughing gleefully at Jet's flustered face, shaking his head. "Used to being a loser, aren't you? Do you think everyone's the same as you sucke
Frank's tone was calm, as if he was merely stating a fact. "What's there to deny? Even if I spilled my guts, do you stand a chance against me? See, no one does!"The man was furious—he had met plenty of conceited individuals, but Frank definitely took the crown!And seeing that Frank was not even in his thirties and was definitely small fry, he did not hesitate to slam his palm on the ground, which promptly started to move! "Interesting!"Frank stood his ground instead of leaping away, staring cooly at the molehills that streaked toward him. Even as the molehills were reaching Frank's feet, the man was left wondering why Frank did not dodge when the unexpected happened.The molehills struck the brat, but he remained unscathed!Earthbending was their cabal's signature technique, capable of causing seismic tremors—even if it was no match for real earthquakes, most people would still have trouble dealing with it.They were either torn into pieces by the shockwave, though the mor
Frank waited for a taxi and headed to his destination. Soon, the taxi stopped outside a dilapidated apartment.As Frank alighted and stared at the cracks on every block or the shaky foundations, even he could tell that it was in such a bad state it must be demolished. Shaking his head, he sighed in exasperation and entered the fifth unit on the sixth floor of Block D.He knocked on the door, and a smiling geezer opened it as he studied him. "What can I do for you, sir?"Able to tell right away that he was special, Frank asked, "Let's just call it a visit. I heard you could craft mystic items?"The geezer laughed right then. "I knew it. The nail that sticks out really gets hammered! I just want to keep my head down and live out my days, but you found me anyway.""Please don't misunderstand, sir," Frank quickly said. "I'm no robber, and I'm not going to steal from you. As long as you assist me, I can do anything for you.""Let's talk inside." The geezer stepped aside to let Fr
The motel owner thought Frank was trustworthy and told him everything he knew."Good. Thanks for cooperation—now do it yourself."Frank snapped his fingers again, and the mystic gun returned, lying quietly beside the motel owner as if it never disappeared."What? You're a martial elite! Don't you think people would talk behind your back about our deceit?!"The motel owner thought Frank was joking, but his expression was not.As such he pinned his hopes on emotional blackmail, but Frank was impervious to that too, even chuckling. "What's there to worry about? It'd just be hearsay, and they would be gone a couple of centuries later."Also, everyone would only find out if I spared you instead of avenging your victims. Now that's proper evil. You're naive if you think that I'm not the scourge of injustice. You won't be getting any chances from me."Even as reality sank in for the motel owner, he cried, "Y-You can't do this! We had an agreement!"Frank shrugged. "First of all, I onl
The motel owner snorted. "You're all so ignorant! It's true that most guns are pointless against Ascendant ranks, but this is no ordinary gun—it's a mystical item refined by a master craftsman."Not only are the bullets much faster, the gun's penetration power is even more formidable. I used it to bury many while I was young—even martial elites like you!"Everyone became restless at those.However, while Drunken Moon and the others were worried, Frank was actually excited.Mystic items were a quintessential part of high fantasy, and he might reach a treasure trove through the master craftsman whom the motel owner spoke of."Aren't you scared?" the motel owner asked just then, puzzled seeing that Frank was fearless, even smiling.Frank chuckled. "Why should I worry about a mere toy? Start shooting if you want—I'm sure everyone's busy and has better things to do."The middle-aged man snapped, "You're getting too full of yourself, brat! That thing has clearly seen plenty of action
Drunken Moon was definitely not going to tolerate that, and she snapped, "What are you going to do if I don't apologize?"The motel owner growled coolly, "I've already shown you what I can do, and I don't mind showing it again. Don't take me for some angel—push me too far, and I'll even make you my slave."Drunken Moon was simply amused. "Then show me what you've got to grow as conceited as you are!"The middle-aged man was snapping at Drunken Moon even before the motel owner could. "Bitch, you can't even win against my friends! What, do you think you can challenge me just because you have your boy toy?"He's quick, but so what?! Speed is pointless against absolute power!"The motel owner certainly felt buoyed by the flattery. After all, one would never look a gift horse in the mouth, and there was no one who despised being praised.Spreading his arms, he laughed. "Come on—seeing those pretty cheeks of yours, let me give you a nice hug.""Go fuck yourself!" Drunken Moon snapped,
Frank gestured at the door with his chin, and everyone turned to see a diminutive man.Despite his small frame, his eyes made it clear he was no average Joe. There was also a spring in his step—clearly having treated himself physically."Hello, everyone. I'm the owner of this premises!"The owner was clearly not inclined for matters to escalate, which was why he never intervened.That was until the manager accidentally touched the pendant!It was a family heirloom that, according to the owner's forebears, had the power to eat through everything—it just had yet to be proven.Horrified, the manager told the owner everything, and he came over to check out the situation. He would deal with Frank and the rest of the troublemakers, only to run into the troublemakers first."You're no slouch yourself!"Cyclops was delighted and lunged straight at the owner without hesitation, his hands outstretched like talons.The owner did not even seem to move, but Cyclops somehow missed."Fall."
Drunken Moon laughed coolly. "You're the one who kept bragging so much at first, saying that the strong decide on justice. And now that I've beaten you, it makes everything I said right, no?"The middle-aged man smirked. "Really? You're good, but not that good—if you're that brave, let me go, and I will call in my boys so we can have a rematch!"Drunken Moon laughed. "Why would I be afraid of that? Though I'm sure you're just going to bail and never come back."The middle-aged man snapped, "Do you think everyone's like you?! If you're afraid, just say it out loud!""Fine, then go. Why are you still here?"Drunken Moon shrugged, even moving aside for him.The middle-aged man smirked as he pushed himself to his feet and fled—the bitch chose this, and she would only have herself to blame for it!The bellgirl was concerned and came over to Drunken Moon. "Priestess, are you sure this is going to be alright?"Drunken Moon laughed. "Don't worry—even if you doubt me, know that the boy
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