Gene was assuredly above the rest, but one could expect nothing less of the richest man of the east coast.The bigwigs who attended the charity auction were authorities in politics, business, or even the military. They were either rich or powerful, their authority extending over the country.Frank also spotted representatives from illustrious families such as the Soranos, the Lionhearts, and the Jankos. They were all mingling cordially in the lobby, and the vibes were cheerful with endless laughter.Still, Frank did not get involved and started looking for a place to sit and wait for Gene, when a security guard intercepted him. "Greetings, sir. Would you mind showing your invitation?""Invitation?" Frank did a double take, only to remember that he had left in a hurry since Vicky was urging him.The invitation was left in his desk drawer because of that.What should he do now? He would not make it back in time if he returned now.After musing to himself for a while, he looked up
Hugh certainly would not give up on a chance to add insult to injury, and he chuckled coolly. "Heh. Never heard anything about that—he's just Vicky Turnbull's sugar baby. Someone like him attending a charity auction of such prestige?" "If I were you, Frank, I'd be hiding my face and running away instead of standing here and being stubborn. What an embarrassment to my family."The crowd turned toward Frank at that, laughing in disdain when they noticed that Frank's suit was just barely worth a few grand."No way… Someone name-dropped the Turnublls?""Didn't you hear what Mr. Turnbull said? He's Vicky Turnbull's sugar baby.""Tut, tut… No wonder."Ned was quickly glowering darkly when he heard them and stood in front of Frank as he snapped, "Mr. Lawrence is my friend. Anyone who messes with him, messes with me!"The laughter subsided a little, but the crowd was soon talking about something else."No way! Standing up for a sugar baby?! The rumors about Ned Janko must be true!""
"What?!"Hugh turned in shock toward Amber, the woman at his side.He found her at a nightclub, and she said she needed the job and had no choice. The reason was that her family circumstances were tragic—her father was a gambler, her mother walked out on them, and she had two brothers who were still in school Naturally, Hugh did not believe Amber, but he still did not mind keeping her around for his amusement over a few days with her pretty face. It naturally shocked him that Frank said she was sick, and he was at once unsettled.Amber was panicking after what Frank said too, as everyone was now watching her and Hugh after what Frank said.Still, her first response was to snap at Frank. "That's bullshit! You're the one who's sick!"Frank simply chuckled coolly. "Hehe, I can tell right away if there's something wrong with you—I'm the one who cured Gene Pearce, after all. You really don't have to question my abilities."The hall was left in an uproar right then."What?! He cured
Though feeling guilty, Amber refused to admit it and braced Hugh's angry glare as she quickly said, "Why would I lie to you, Mr. Turnbull? That prick is just bullshiting to mess with you. Don't fall for his ploy!"Nonetheless, Hugh was wary even though Amber's take was reasonable, as Frank was right about his condition.He quietly sneaked away, finding a man with a square jaw in the crowd and asking under his breath, "Dr. Jackson, could you take a look at me, and see if there's really something wrong?"The man with a square jaw, Dennis Jackson, was the chief of Zamri Hospital and one of Zamri's Three Bears.However, he was only allowed to attend the charity auction because it happened to be held in Zamri. Even though Gene owned his hospital, he was the lowest in pecking order among the guests present.However, he still had some degree of authority in Zamri, and seeing that a Turnbull heir was approaching him, he smiled as he took Hugh's pulse.He then checked Hugh's tongue and ot
And nothing was more memorable than disfigurement.Even as savagery filled the Birthright rank security guard's thoughts, Frank stayed where he was, remaining impressive as he stood, watching as the man's fist landed squarely on his face.He did not even bother to use pure vigor to shield himself.Crunch!Even as the security guard grinned gleefully as he heard bones break audibly, thinking that he had broken Frank's nose, his face soon fell.He could feel the heartrending pain from his knuckles and looked down to see that it was his fingers that had broken, not Frank's nose!"Argh!" A blood-curdling scream resounded in the men's room, and the security guard dropped on his rear, clutching his arm while sweating all over his brow.Since he had put all his strength into his punch, the recoil shattered every bone from his fingers up to his arm, and it was left dangling limply like mush.Naturally, not everyone could withstand the agony of an entire broken arm."W-What's going on
"Dennis Jackson?" Frank frowned and rubbed his chin as he recalled. "As in that middle-aged doctor chatting with Hugh Turnbull earlier?"The one who looked a little familiar before?The security guard nodded and quickly added, "Yes. Square jaw, black pinstripe suit…"That left Frank surprised, and he pressed, "Why would he want to attack me? Did I upset him or something?"The security guard spilled the beans immediately—anything to survive. "He snapped once Mr. Turnbull told him that you are Frank Lawrence. He said that you castrated his boy and sent us after you…""Don't you work for Gene Pearce? Why would you follow his orders?" Frank asked in curiosity."Well, yeah… we are security guards working for Mr. Pearce, but Dennis Jackson works for him. So…"After the security guard explained the connection between Dennis and Gene, Frank finally understood.Bill Jackson was Dennis' son, and Frank had basically castrated him. And having learned what he did, Dennis was now after h
However, Frank kept his hand on Dennis' shoulder, holding him in his seat.Dennis could actually feel his bones ready to crack from the pressure."Argh!!!" he growled, his fury akin to an erupting mountain. His face flushed so hard that he could bleed from his pores, while Frank restrained him."Calm down." Frank smiled as he clapped him on the shoulder. "You can get upset after I tell you what your son did."Dennis could not even speak just then and glared fixedly at Frank to see what else Frank had to say."Your son… Well, he's quite something." Frank clicked his tongue and told Dennis everything Bill did at Riverton University.First, he put the moves on Winter Lawrence and slandered Frank in front of the graduates while lying that he invited all the bigwigs attending the convocation.Then, getting upset after Dan Zimmer slapped him while everyone watched, he stormed off and returned with a large group of goons. He was intent on inflicting violence on Frank and Winter, even d
Dennis snapped, "I did not ask if you or my son is at fault, Frank! I'm Bill's father, and I won't just play nice to the man who crippled him—even if I can't beat you now, someone else will!""I will tell Gene Pearce about this!" He snorted coldly. "We've been friends for years, so if you want to live, break your own balls and come to my house to apologize to my son… or else!""Exactly. Once Mr. Pearce takes action, you will suddenly realize who's right." Hugh sneered beside Dennis.It was obvious that Hugh was using Dennis' connection to Gene to get rid of Frank, as he was convinced Frank was a dead man if Gene made his move.After all, the man had both the money and connections, while Hugh did not have to do a thing to kill Frank and avenge Sif Lionheart.Nothing was more ideal since the Turnbulls could not turn against Gene.However, Frank remained undaunted. In fact, he was puzzled. "Dennis, may I just ask if you're actually close with Gene Pearce?"Dennis stiffened at Frank
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