Whoosh!Frank swung the machete downward but stopped sharply just in front of the goon's face.The goon was immediately terrified and wet himself right then."Get out!" Frank then bellowed, looking around—he only stopped because there were plenty of students around, and he would traumatize them if he went on a killing spree.And having seen what happened, the goons understood that Frank could fight and could even be a martial artist.Small fries like them would never pose a threat to him and would only get crippled for life.With that in mind, every hired goon began to flee, not bothered by Bill screaming at the top of his lungs, "Stop, you pricks! I didn't pay you to be cowards! Get him!"He even caught one of the fleeing goons, clenching on his sleeve and refusing to let him run.The goon was left staring as Frank started toward him and glowered viciously."I can't beat him, but I can beat you!" he bellowed and swung his machete at Bill, leaving a bloody gash.Bill screamed
"Frank…"Winter suddenly wobbled to Frank, leaning against him and clenching on his arm as she panted and pleaded, "C-Calm down, Frank… You will get into trouble… if you kill him—"Even before she could finish, her eyes closed, and she dropped to the floor, unconscious."Winter!"Seeing Winter fainting, Frank certainly had no time for Bill—throwing him aside, he picked up Winter and closed his eyes to feel her.Soon, he felt the fire flaring up inside her body and was at first puzzled. Still, he soon remembered Bill forcing her to drink that wine, which must have been drugged with something that excited the body."You bastard!" Frank could certainly tell what Bill was up to and was at once incensed. But with so many eyes watching, he could not cure Winter on the spot and was forced to spare Bill's life.Still, even as he carried Winter out of the hall, he stomped Bill in the groin.Bill screamed deafeningly like a gutted pig and bled profusely into his pants. Either way,
"You were drugged. Just bear with it—I'll help you once we get home."Frank gritted his teeth to resist the softness while keeping his eyes on the road."Oh… Okay…" Winter moaned as she nodded tamely.When they finally made it back to Skywater Bay, he carried Winter to her room.Thankfully, there was no one else in the mansion.Carol Zims was busy at her snackbar, while Noel York and Kat Yego had headed back to Noel's office after their performance at the convocation and were not back yet.It was a rare opportunity…Frank slapped himself and chuckled bitterly—rare opportunity?! What was that?!He prepared a bath, dissolving an antidote into it and charging the solution with his pure vigor.Soon, a fresh aroma wafted from the bathtub."Alright, Winter. Now—"Frank turned to find that Winter only had her underwear on and was flashing a silly drunken smile at him when she saw him appearing so shocked. "It's too hot, so I took them off. It's fine if you look anyway, right?""Ye
Frank then scooped Winter out of the bathtub and placed her on the bed.He would have left her just like that, but seeing that she was sound asleep and thoroughly soaked, he gave in after a long while of hesitation.She would definitely catch a cold if she kept sleeping like this, and she would not know anything as she was asleep.Wiping her down, Frank took her clothes from her wardrobe and helped her get changed.He did his best not to look, but he saw anyway.It was awkward, but he got it done in the end and breathed a sigh of relief as he fled Winter's room.-Frank was afraid to stay at Skywater Bay too, since things would get awkward when Winter woke up, which was why he fled Riverton in the night.The next day, he showed up at Lanecorp's offices in Zamri, punctually reporting in to work.Still, as the head of Lanecorp's health and security department, he basically had nothing to do.All of Lanecorp's operations were on the right track, and Helen's safety was assured, s
Peter was clearly trying to shirk responsibility.However, Kit sprang to his feet, striding up to Peter and seizing him by the collar as he spat, "It was all your idea! Swindling your mommy with that land to get her money—well, shit! All you've done now is to throw them money!"Flinging Peter on the couch, he bellowed, "You have three days. Get that land back at the price you sold it, or your head will roll!""Security!"As Kit slammed his hand on his desk again, the doors of his office opened.Two muscular bodyguards who stood over two meters strode in, as Kit pointed at Peter and snapped, "Throw him out of here!""Yes, Mr. Jameson," the bodyguards replied, then picked Peter up as if he were a cat and flung him out on the street."That's out of line!"Peter snapped even as he pushed himself to his feet, dusting his clothes and yelled at Zomber Group's office building, "How could I have known that Zamri would build a highway that just happens to pass through that area?! It's al
Gina's face fell as soon as she saw Peter, and she bellowed, "You prick! The audacity you have to show your face here!"Peter had certainly taken her for a ride. Indeed, it would have been very terrible if Frank did not end up as the sucker buying that rotten plot of land off Gina's hands in the end.Being chased around by loan sharks and losing Lane Manor? The very thought left Gina cringing.She was certainly shaking with rage even as she glared at the culprit and pointed at Peter's nose as she snapped, "You despicable sack of shit! Were you trying to get your own mom killed?! And you still have the cheek to come here?!""Come on, Mom. That's too much." Peter scratched his head and smiled apologetically.He tried to put the bouquets he bought on Gina's overbed table, but she swiped them away, sending everything to the floor as she bellowed, "Get out! I don't want to see you! I have no son—not one who tries to screw over his own mother!"Peter's face fell, but remembering how mu
Peter continued gloating, "Just let her stick with Frank all she wants. They'll fuck up eventually and come crying to us, begging!""Well said! My son is finally shaping up!" Gina was certainly relieved to hear such words, though her face soon fell awkwardly. "That said… I've already sold that land.""What?!"Peter jumped like a cat having its tail stepped on. "Mom… What? You've sold it already?! Who could have bought it from you?!" Gina scratched her head awkwardly, feeling her conscience gnawing because of her son's overreaction. "I was a little worried after we couldn't reach you on the phone, so I sold it to Frank.""Frank?! You sold it to Frank?!"Peter could blow up right then.Still, he clung on to his last hopes and forced a smile while asking calmly, "How much did you sell it to him?""Five hundred million." Gina was grinning smugly even as she held up her fingers. "It's fine, Peter. He wants to be a sucker, so let him be. His money would go to waste anyway—when Cin
Cindy raised all her fingers as she cried, "Ten times, Aunt Gina! No, it might even be more than that! We sold it at 500 million, but it's now worth five billion dollars! Five billion, Aunt Gina!"Hearing the number, Gina froze even as she sat up on her bed, unable to manage words."Quick… Quick!" she cried after spacing out for a long while, holding out a hand at Cindy. "Bring me my phone. I'll call Frank!""Alright!" Cindy was certainly enthusiastic—she would definitely get a cut if Gina took back that land lot.However, even as Gina got her phone and scrolled through her contact list to Frank's name, she froze before she could dial his number."What's wrong, Aunt Gina? Call him!" Cindy cried, clearly more anxious than Gina.Peter was the same as well, urging Gina right then, "Call him, Mom. Why are you hesitating?""I…"Gina was stumped even as she turned awkwardly toward Peter and Cindy, stammering, "A-Actually, Frank did call me previously…""He did?" Peter was taken ab
Frank snorted. "Alright, I'm hanging up. I'm getting started over here soon.""Yeah. Good luck," Jouri replied.Hanging up, Frank looked up at the waterfall overhead, and then at Skyler, who was standing beside him. "So? Is it time yet?""Almost… Now!" Skyler's eyes were glowing even as she stared at her watch."Alright."Frank looked up just as the skies abruptly darkened. "Ah, there it is—the eclipse."The sun seemed to disappear, and the world was suddenly shrouded in darknesses.And beside him, a stone door imbued with the power of the spiritron vein also rumbled as it parted."Got it!" Frank rushed inside without another word as soon as he saw it."Hmph. I'm surprised that you could reach this place." A cold, wrathful voice resounded inside even before Frank got a hold of his surroundings.Looking up, Frank found a youth in a black cossack and sporting grey-white hair, standing upon a cliff as he looked down on him.Frank chuckled. "Hehe. Like I said, I've come to kill
Frank narrowed his eyes. "Is that so?'Crane shrugged. "I don't mind giving it to you straight—members of Torrent are actually… Ahem. A part of Torrent himself."Frank paused. "What's that supposed to mean?""You don't get it, do you?" Crane grinned. "Then let me put it to you this way—every member is a clone of Torrent.""A clone?" Frank gasped in realization."Yes," Crane nodded. "That's why I believe that challenging Crane is just suicide. You have no idea how powerful he is—only death awaits you down that path."Frank smirked. "Oh, but I don't think so."Crane rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever—now listen closely. You will find Torrent in the Mystic Trail, but you would only find that place when the sun and moon coincide, and the entrance is beneath the waterfall south of Horton."As he finished, he snorted coldly. "I have no idea if you can actually do it, but I'm hoping you do kill him… Heh. I'm getting tired of being stuck under his control for so long."Then, waving off
Frank abruptly turned, immediately noticing one of the Cranes crouching, ready to spring forward and blindside him."Got you!" He laughed."Hah! You fell for it!"Just as Frank swung a punch to pulverize that Crane, he suddenly burst into pus that splashed at Frank's face."Damn it!" Frank took a step back, surprised that the clone's presence was identical to the real Crane, and a trap on top of that!"Die!"The Cranes around him each whipped out a dagger, all of them stabbing at Frank at the same time."Get off!" Frank bellowed, unleashing a shockwave that sent all the Cranes flying across all directions."Frank! Above you!" Skyler suddenly shrieked."Yes! I'm right here!" A strange laughter sounded above Frank just as he wiped the pus off his face.Crane was suddenly directly above him, launching an aerial kick straight at Frank's head, and Frank had no time to dodge!"Die!" Crane's smile curled into a twisted angle as he saw that too.He was very confident with this kick
"Disgusting…" Skyler murmured through her hand.Despite being skinned and scalped, the women were all still alive and singing to the music that was playing despite their anguish."Talk about a terrible fetish."Frank was scowling too—why were all the members of Torrent such sick deviants? It seemed like his plan to wipe them out was absolutely correct!"So, you killed my clone?"The lanky man on the couch slowly turned to level his bloodshot eyes at Frank.His lips were wet with bed as they curled upward into an eerie smile."Clone?" Frank narrowed his eyes."Hehe. It's a sage art."Crane shrugged as he stood up and wiped the blood off his lips. "It's only natural that you don't understand… Still, you deserve praise. If you can kill my clone, that means you're not just slightly stronger than Ghost."Naturally, the man was none other than the real Crane.Still, as Skyler studied him from a corner, even she could notice the strange twitch of his fingers, and his veins were pro
Even as Crane ran, he was looking over his shoulder, his heart pounding. "No… I won't win in a one-on-one!"No, as long as I get back to my real body… we can do this together!" He frowned, having seen how Frank sliced off the pinkies of those hood rats. It hence quickly dawned on him that Frank was not just slightly stronger than Ghost, as Torrent had put it!"Almost there!" He gasped when he saw the signboard of Pegasus Showtown in the distance. "As long as I get there and rendezvous with my real body, that brat will lose—"That was when he turned and saw that a shadow had caught up with impossible speed."What?!" Crane's eyes almost popped out in bewilderment. "What speed is that?! Are you kidding—"Even as he spotted the shadow, the shadow turned into a youth with an impassive visage.His fist outstretched, he was clearly punching toward Crane's forehead!"Argh…"Even as Crane looked on, the youth's punch slowed down by tenfold, but his fist kept closing in.Then, whe
Seeing Skyler sigh, the tattooed thug presumed that his extortion worked.He strode up, grabbing Frank's shoulder. "No one's gonna help you, boy. Pay up, or you're not leaving.""Exactly! You're not getting away!" the crowd of hood rats hollered. "Last chance."Frank's eyes were cold and fixed on Dani, however. "Are you going to intervene? If you do, you can keep that check. If you don't…""Ugh. Fuck off! I don't care!" Dani spat, her expression smug as she folded her arms before her chest. "Who do you think you are to threaten me?!""Exactly! Pay up, and you can leave!""Yeah! Ten grand, at least!""You probably don't know my boss Wyvern, but when he's here, you won't get away with just ten grand!"Even as the crowd closed in, Frank shook his head. "Well, you had your chance. Don't blame me for what happens next.""You're giving us a chance?! Hah! Who—argh!"Even before Dani could finish gloating, Frank was suddenly in front of her, grabbing her viciously by the wrist."Arg
"Five grand?! Did you hear that?! He just threw five grand!""Must be a rich kid coming here for a secret rendezvous, out of prying eyes? Those types are the easiest mark!""Fuck! And Dani got one of us… It hurts me more than losing at the races!"Frank could hear the buzz around him but ignored it as he strode past the men flanking him and headed toward the street that stank of blood."Stop!" A big tattooed man grinned sinisterly as he intercepted Frank.As his buddies encircled Frank as well, Frank snorted—it seemed that they took his reaction for a sign of weakness and thought that he could be cowed.The tattooed man rubbed his chin as he leered at Skyler's voluptuous figure, chuckling. "Look, boy. I'm short on cash, so let me take a loan. I'll pay you back some other day, how about that?"His friend laughed. "Exactly! You just gave Dani five grand, and we won't ask for more… just four, how about that?"Skyler scowled in turn and glanced worriedly at Frank beside her—was he
Frank himself had just stepped out of the nightclub when his eyes narrowed."Blood," he murmured, his nostrils twitching."Blood?"Skyler sniffed the air, puzzled. "I can't smell it.""It's from the opposite street… I smell the blood of over a dozen people.""A dozen?!" Skyler did a double take.He could identify the number of people who were killed?! That was just ridiculous!"Come on, let's take a look."Just as Frank led the way toward the source of the stench, a woman suddenly came up, catching Frank off guard and throwing herself into his arms."Hmmm?" He looked down to see that she had thick makeup, average looks, and a rather pudgy belly."Argh! He touched me!" she pointed at Frank and shrieked even before he realized what was happening."What?!" Skyler was staring at the woman too, mystified."Oh, sister! You just didn't see it!"The woman kept hollering, pointing at Frank's face. "Your boyfriend grabbed my ass! Is that how you teach him manners?!""Teach him ma
Wyvern screamed even as he clutched the stump that was his hand, screaming so shrilly one might mistake his voice as inhuman."Oh, just shut up." The lanky man glowered and launched a kick, reducing Wyvern into puddles of blood and pieces of innards, splattering all around the lobby. "Argh!!!" the devilish lady screamed as she watched the carnage unfolded."Another sound, and you'd end up just like him." The lanky man turned and frowned at her impatiently."Hngh…" The devilish lady promptly clasped a hand over her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes as she trembled."What the hell?!"Outside, Wyvern's lackeys heard the screams and ran inside, looking for him. "Hey, where's Wyvern?!"However, the lobby was too dimly lit for them to notice the blood and guts scattered around the walls, and they only sensed that terrible stench."Hngh…" The devilish lady was too scared to speak, and tears trickled out of her eyes."Fuck!"One of the lackeys strode up and seized the lanky man