"Is that so?"The security guard appeared stunned and glanced at his partner, surprise showing on both men's eyes."I didn't think you'd be that competent for a mutt!"Then, the security guard actually praised Peter. "Impressive! Just so you know, Mr. Jameson told us to kick your ass when the deadline arrived. You've really spared us the effort now.""Hehe… Just doing my job." Peter nodded repeatedly in acceptance."Alright, you can go in now." The security guard then stepped aside and pointed at the golden elevator at the corner of the lobby."Thanks, brother… Thank you very much." Peter kept nodding and bowing humbly in gratitude."Who the fuck is your brother?" The security guard snorted, not playing along at all. "You're just a lapdog Mr. Jameson keeps around, and you're calling me your brother?""Oh, right. Sorry…" Peter kept nodding and smiling without an ounce of dignity.Still, just as Frank was about to follow Peter inside, both security guards stopped him with each h
As the elevator reached its destination and jingled, Peter clenched his knuckles as he growled viciously under his breath, "At the very least, I will die a man, and not a dog."Frank did a double take even as he stared at the man.-Soon, Peter and Frank were striding down a hallway.When they opened the huge doors of Kit's office, they found over twenty burly bodyguards standing on either side of the desk in the middle of the office, as if they had been waiting.Behind the desk sat a man who resembled Larry Jameson but was clearly a few years younger."Hehehe…" He chuckled with a pipe between his lips, watching Peter and Frank coolly. "Welcome, head of Lanecorp's health and security department, was it? I heard you were coming to see me?" "You're Kit Jameson?" Frank remained undaunted despite the towering, menacing security guards around them, even slowly walking up to Kit's desk."Indeed, I am." Kit nodded."I've come to tell you two things.""Really? Do tell," Kit replied,
Frank shook his head. "No, this has nothing to do with the Turnbulls. I'm simply a man who always pays his debts. Your brother was conspiring with Peter here to hurt me, and your brother almost defiled my woman. That's why I'm here now to settle this grudge!""Impressive!" Kit laughed despite himself. "I know you're a martial artist, and that you're better than the Hansen brothers… but it's not just the Blood Wolves here. Our friends are here too!"He pointed at a well-concealed trap door just then, which quietly opened to reveal another room.A burly man in shades strode up, followed by eight martial artists with tattoos of different designs.Two of them were Ascendant ranks, while the rest were Birthright ranks!"Hah! Some manwhore actually came to challenge us!"The man in shades chuckled. "You're really trying to get yourself killed!"Frank was surprised for a moment, but he instantly did the math. "So, the Bleeders and the Wolvens made up?""I guess there's a thing or thre
In fact, Frank had already decided that he needed to strike first when he heard that Larry had a younger brother.As for the Blood Wolves' infighting? It was none of his business."Boltshredder!" One of the tattooed martial artist whipped out a machete and swung it at Frank's face.Even as Peter looked on in shock, Frank calmly reached out, as if to catch the razor-sharp blade that was augmented by pure vigor.He felt a chill down his spine right then. "Shit… His hand would be cut in two!"After all, it was common sense that flesh would never stop a steel blade swung so violently! Peter thought Frank's hand was definitely coming off, until he saw Frank catching it between his thumb and index finger.In fact, the tattooed martial artist was using both hands and pushing the machete so hard that his face flushed, but it was just not cutting into Frank's hand."What…?"Even as Peter gaped, Frank turned his wrist, and the shiny steel machete snapped into two like a cookie!"What?
"Hmm?"Frank frowned slightly as he watched Kit quickly take out what looked like a vest from under his desk and put it on.Blade, the Wolvens' boss, was immediately flustered. "What are you doing, Kit?!""What, you ask?"Kit sneered even as he walked backward toward the curtain wall. "Did you really think this partnership is the real thing, Blade?""What?!"Blade froze, but quickly understood—Kit planned to kill him too!As things developed, Kit's plan was to work together with Blade to neutralize the Blue Fangs before dealing with Lanecorp, and lastly, Blade himself!"The Blood Wolves don't need two bosses, get it?" Kit said coolly before turning and laughing at Frank. "I set up this trap for him, but since you're here anyway, you can all die with him!"And with that, he jumped, crashing through the curtain wall and out of Zomber Tower.The forty-story building stood over 200 meters, but Kit had also arranged for a special material on the curtain wall of his office so that
"Isn't it too late?!" Peter kept ranting. "We're both going to die here!""That might not be the case." Frank chuckled coolly.With his Transcendent rank physique, he would not even fear a missile, let alone a bomb.That was why he was calm, even intent on testing whether Peter had the resolve to be true to his word.Lifting him by the collar with one hand, Frank brought him to the broken glass, asking, "Tell me, Peter—are you afraid?""What?! Of course I am!" Peter shrieked, since Frank looked like he was ready to throw him off the building.Frank continued, "Then do you want revenge against the man who treated you like a dog?!""Of course! Even in my dreams!"Peter bellowed, clenching his knuckles. "It's those brothers who set me up and made me like this! My life would mean something if I could kill Kit Jameson!""Alright, you said it!" Frank laughed and kicked Peter out of the fortyish floor."Wooooahhh!!! Fuck!!! Frank Lawrence—!!!!" Peter screamed hysterically even as
Terry and his boys quickly knocked several men to their feet.Curiously, they were not hostile—instead, they were intent on fleeing, as if the devil himself was on their heels."Stop!" Terry barked at his boys. "What the hell is going on here…?!"He looked at the people in confusion—they were all from the Bleeders or Zomber Group.For some reason, they were not rallying for a fight, despite Terry and his boys showing up. Instead, they were fleeing for their lives!"Bro, maybe your Haki scared them off?" one of his men flattered."Shut up!" Terry snapped angrily and glanced at a square in the distance. "They were fleeing the building… if they were scared, they should be running in all directions. But they are all heading in a single direction—they had clearly planned this!""Well, what should we do? Go in?" the thugs asked Terry."Urgh, fine!"Terry bellowed after some thought. "Mr. Lawrence is inside, and we are his backup. Let's go!"Still, just as Terry was about to lead th
"Bravo!" "Amazing!"Even the people from Zomber Group were clapping in excitement when they saw what happened.Terry's men did the same too with worshipful looks in their eyes but stopped awkwardly when Terry glared at them. "Quit clapping already. We're going to meet Mr. Lawrence!" he yelled and led his men toward the two figures who had just landed and were caught under the parachute."Frank Lawrence?!" Kit was terrified even as he crawled out from underneath the parachute.As he jumped off the building, he watched as Frank did the same, sliding down along the crumbling walls.Was that possible for a human?! Kit was certainly skeptical. He doubted that even the Hansen brothers could do it, and they were once the strongest duo in Zamri!Was Frank really just a martial artist, and not some supernatural entity?!Even as the curious thought plagued him, he started running. "As long as I can reach them…" He could see the hundreds of Zomber Group employees and Bleeders g
As it turned out, the white-clad geezer did not return for revenge.People change as they age, along with their mindset, and develop a longing for their hometown.In fact, the white-clad geezer had returned to make peace with his family, and died in their company.Naturally, he was furious to hear that someone was using his name to bluff their way out and abduct his niece, the hag.And so he came with the rest of them, looking for Frank.After all, if Frank was not sent by the white-clad geezer, the only other person would be…-Back at the present, the white-clad geezer growled icily, "Where is my niece?"Frank smirked. "She paid the price for her crimes. What, do you want revenge?""A life for a life," the white-clad geezer growled. "That's the one rule that has never changed since olden times!"His entourage roared in approval. "Don't get so full of yourself, brat! He is different from the rest of us, and he can kill you anytime!""Really?" Frank simply snorted nonchalant
As the geezer spoke, he opened the rosewood box and put an ashtray in it. "I actually don't have any abilities—everything I make is produced from this box. With its help, I can imbue any object with an enchantment beyond human comprehension. See for yourself!"He closed the box and held it by its sides as the box glowed in a rainbow gradient.Frank felt a sense of familiarity as he watched, as the energy signature resembled the spiritron vein, but one different from the meteor.So what the heck was going on?While Frank was left surprised, the geezer stopped and opened the box, handing Frank the ashtray.As Frank held the ashtray, he saw that it really was altered—it could carry more now!The geezer then passed him a yellowed old book. "This is how you can use it!"Frank frowned. "Why are you giving it to me? I can't take it, or people would just say that I stole it from you when they find out."The geezer smiled in wry amusement. "It's yours either way, kid! And after you've d
To be honest, the hag really had not considered that question and was just playing along to her own whims, never once considering why she was such a philanderer.Frank then pressed his advantage. "Your so-called love is but a manifestation of your lust. It seems noble, but it has no warmth or color, and the world has no way of determining if it exists."If I want it, I can do what you do too. Heck, I'm sure that's the same for everyone else—they're just kind people who know that they shouldn't hog the limited resources of mental asylums.""Insolence!"The hag lunged at Frank as she realized that he was mocking her, but Frank was already prepared and pinned her to the floor with his telekinesis."Alright, you can quit hollering now. The more you do, the more you're just proving that you've lost!"Crouching in front of the hag, Frank growled coolly. "Did you think I'd only rely on brute strength to force your compliance? You're kidding—I don't even need to do that with someone like
It was just as the geezer had said—the hag had been pampered for so long that she could not tell right from wrong.In fact, in her mind, everything she did was never wrong and was even reasonable!That was what frustrated the geezer the most, and he simply stopped arguing and started whipping her with his belt.Pain really clears the mind, and the hag was no exception. In fact, she thought for a split second that she might have made a mistake.However, it only lasted for that split second—a little whipping was never really going to correct a lifetime of distorted beliefs!"I don't get it!" she cried. "Why do you treat my love with such disdain?! You don't have to love me, but you have to respect me!" The geezer laughed coolly and continued to whip her as he snapped, "That's true! But now, what I say goes—that's all there is to it!"That was when Frank suddenly reached out and caught the belt.It stunned the geezer, who quickly checked Frank's hand, and sighed after seeing that
It had been so long since he had seen his enemy, that the geezer almost fell out of his lounger.If he were to be honest, he really did not hold out much hope since it had been years, and no one lasted more than twenty strikes against the hag.However, while he was convinced that his revenge was futile in this life, Frank suddenly appeared.While he looked like he had nothing but his looks going for him, he brought the hag like she was some harmless hatchling."H-How did you do it?" the geezer exclaimed, presuming that Frank must have pulled some cunning trick.However, the geezer was once again reminded of the hag's conceit as she snorted. "How, you asked? With just a wave of his hand, and I lost!"Turning to Frank, she snapped, "There, he had his justice. Can you tell my uncle to show his face now?"Frank rolled his eyes. "I don't know your uncle. I only brought you here because of him!""No… That's impossible!" The truth was starting to dawn on the hag, but she still refus
"H-How did you do that?!"While the cabal was left flabbergasted, the hag was much calmer for some reason.After all, her father had told her about an uncle of hers, who had left the family because they kept abusing their earthbending ability.It was rumored that the uncle eventually cultivated a superior ability, fusing things that would otherwise not be just like what Frank just did.As such, she told her cabal as much, but Frank shook his head. "I learned your technique by directly observing you when you used it. And by doing so, I found a fatal flaw, which I adjusted for."He certainly did not have anything to do with the hag's uncle—he was just that quick a learner and that gifted to wield earthbending in an instant.Naturally, the hag was not about to believe that.No matter how gifted a person could be, there was no way anyone could learn earthbending instantly and even perfect it. In the end, someone must have taught him!As such, she was starting to get impatient with
Before the cabal could react, molehills appeared beneath their feet and sent them flying.Most passed out when they hit the ground, while the rest were barely holding on."W-Who the hell are you?!" The cabal had grown conceited since they did not have many rivals in a remote corner such as this one, and they therefore presumed that no one could challenge them.And now, they could not win with numbers against Frank, let alone one against one.Could anyone bear the shame?"What a bunch of mooks. I told you kids to stay on your training, but none of you listened. And now you're acting surprised?"A hunched hag appeared on a nearby alley, looking very much affable.Surprised, the cabal exclaimed, "What are you doing here, ma'am?""Do you think I'd miss the tremors?" the hag snapped coolly before wheeling on Frank. "Impressive physique! I certainly didn't expect you to hurt those boys."The cabal quickly warned her, "This isn't the time, ma'am. He knows earthbending, and he could
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