If anything, Sienna seemed to have expected that response from Frank, and she smiled. "In that case, I shall excuse myself.""Yeah."Frank watched as Sienna left, pensive since she reminded Frank of plenty of matters.There were plenty of dangers lurking in Draconia, and he would have drawn considerable attention after he killed Kilian Lionheart.And Sienna was even hinting that the major players were ready to move against him.While Frank was not afraid, he was still worried that they would move against those around him.Even as the thought crossed his mind, his phone started ringing.He answered it to Kat Yego yelling, "Master Lawrence! This is terrible… My dad and Madam Zims have been kidnapped!" "What?!"Beside her, Winter leapt to her feet in panic, as Madam Zims was her adopted mother, Carol.They were aware that Carol and Kat's father Nash Yego had grown close recently. One was a widow and the other a widower, and with not much of an age difference between them, it wa
Frank's car quickly arrived in the outskirts of Zamri, and it did not take him long to find the rundown temple.Still, he had yet to step inside when he sensed the grim presence of death, setting off every alarm bell in his mind.If his hunch was right, the people who kidnapped Nash and Carol were after him from the start… Or the spiritron vein, to be precise.Frank felt regret at the thought—the spiritron vein was such a big deal that various major factions in the country were on the move.Martial elites who cultivated in seclusion, major sects… even government officials like the mayor of Morhen were getting involved in this battle royale.And if Cloudnine Sect could reach him, others could.As Frank and Lanecorp become the heart of the storm, even the ones in the shadows would come or keep an eye to see how things panned out.Possessing the spiritron vein might sound amazing, but Frank was on his own and did not have what it took to hold on to it.With that thought, he gradua
With that in mind, Frank looked up and shouted, "Sir, I don't have the spiritron vein with me, but I know where it is. I appeal to your forbearance as my senior to grant me the favor of releasing my family, and I will take you to it!"Silence ensued across the rundown temple at Frank's words, as the person lurking in the shadows pondered.Soon, his elderly voice spoke again. "Very well. Since you're a man of principles, you have my trust."He then emerged from the shadows, an elderly man with gray hair and a steel mask covering half his face strode out. His expression was cold, and he carried a string of prayer beads in one hand.Frank's heart skipped a beat when he saw him—the terrible pressure that man projected made it clear he was Transcendentrank!He could not help remembering what Sienna Noirot of Cloudnine Sect told him… that dangers lurked everywhere across Draconia.And now, it was clear that he lacked vital knowledge on the martial elites in play.Still, he did not fli
Meanwhile, in a conference room on top of Lanecorp Tower, Vicky and Helen were scowling.After all, they both had swords pressed against their fair necks."What are you doing, Silverbell?!" Helen demanded loudly."Heh. I'm surprised... someone so close managed to blindside me." Vicky was laughing, but her eyes were flashing coldly."Apologies, ladies," Silverbell was dressed in white as usual, her sword in one hand and a glowing trinket resembling a talisman in her other.That was the spiritron vein that Helen had mentioned over the phone.When she, Vicky, and Silverbell returned to Lanecorp Tower, a group of black-clad men lying in wait jumped them.And when the black-clad men took the spiritron vein and handed it to Silverbell, Vicky and Helen realized they were betrayed.Even though she was Frank's childhood friend and was utterly intimate, she always had a different plan in mind.In fact, she had protected Vicky and Helen for the spiritron vein!"Do you think Frank would
Both Vicky and Helen had more or less realized that keeping the spiritron vein was not necessarily good for them, especially as it brought them endless troubles.Losing it in time was, from a point of view, the smart move.Frank understood what Silverbell was thinking.Only a major organization like the Martial Alliance and their supporters had the strength to keep it—giving to Frank as he was now would harm him instead."What should we do now, Frank?" Vicky asked worriedly."Sit back and do nothing," Frank said after thinking a long while about it, glancing between Vicky and Helen. "If someone can track the precise location of the spiritron vein, that makes it their problem and not ours. The city of Zamri is already a mess because of the spiritron vein, so it's not time for us to take the stage just yet. At this point, the ideal move is to take the loss and pretend nothing happened, and carry on as usual." Both women nodded at Frank's words.-Over the next month, Frank had s
While that meant Winter could not handle complicated cases and could not refine pills, her knowledge of acupoints, massaging, and skill with acupuncture could handle most of everything, albeit less effective than Frank could.After all, people like Frank who mastered both martial arts and medicine were a rarity.On the other hand, Paco was taken aback that Winter ignorantly took the scalpel, though he was soon laughing along with his assistants.The surgical wing was a place of solemnity, and they were ruining it."Wait, chief." Paco smirked even as he walked up to Winter. "It's not like I'm belittling you, but you just graduated from university and did not go through your internship. This is your first time taking the scalpel, right?"Winter nodded tamely and did not argue."Pfft…"Paco stifled a laugh, while his assistants laughed out loud.They were all elites here in Zamri Hospital, and all the qualified doctors were getting swamped with the sharp increase of patients.It
And if the Soranos knew that it was Gene Pearce's lover who operated on their retainer, Winter was going down even quicker.Such was the trap Paco set for Winter—damned if you do, damned if you don't.He sneered, as he believed it was impossible for Winter to save Gus Zeller.Before Winter arrived, he had examined Gus—the man's bones were broken all over and he had lost one arm, while his organs were bleeding.Even his heart rate was dangerously low.To Paco, experienced as he may be, Gus could well have been run over by a train.He was a dead man walking, and things would get very bad for anyone who takes his case.And it just so happened that Paco could use it against his new chief, who was just starting her first day."No matter how unusual the circumstances are, saving the patient is top priority," Winter said, clearly more determined than Paco expected.She pushed Paco out of the way and led her bestie Jean Zims toward the surgical table.Even if she spent days practicin
"Phew…"After over four long hours of surgery, Winter collapsed on a chair, her hands covered in blood."Are you alright, Winter?" Jean asked as she wiped Winter's sweaty forehead.Winter shook her head. "I feel so disappointed…""Yeah…" Jean sighed, shaking her head as she and Winter turned toward the man on the surgical table, who was just stitched up. "It's alright—you did your best.""I know." Winter sighed unhappily.Soon, Gus Zeller was moved to a wheel bed and wheeled out of the surgery room."Hahaha! It's killing me… Just look at her face, it's almost like she's disappointed.""Hehe. Brats putting on airs, I tell you. Well done, a retainer of the Soranos ended up dead on their surgical table… the Soranos are really going to be pissed.""Well, it's not our fault. Let's just watch how this turns out."Winter frowned when she heard those people, but Paco was already striding toward her before she could say a word."Hah! And here I actually thought for a moment there's h
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