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
"Oh! They came looking for Winter." The assistant grinned. "They must be planning to ask her for an internship, seeing that she's just been appointed our hospital chief and all.""Hmph!" Paco wheeled on Winter right then, his glare cold as he snapped coldly, "What do you take our hospital for?! This isn't a place for brats to sleep your way to the top. Get out of here!""What? Are we asking to stay?" Tina sneered in contempt and turned to leave again after shooting a cold glare at Winter."Wait…"Winter tried to speak, but she was so exhausted from the surgery that she could barely manage a syllable.Paco continued to snap at her right then, "I say, chief, you've already given me enough trouble for one day, so get it in your head—this is a hospital, not a place for Gene Pearce to keep lovers!"Then, pointing at Gus Zeller on the trolley bed, Paco bellowed, "Look what you've done! Do you know who that is? He's a retainer of the Sorano family! You let him die in surgery—do you re
Gus only had a one percent chance of survival, but some fresh graduate who was thought to be Gene's lover managed to succeed with that chance?!Hell, the man could even talk now!Paco felt as if his world was crumbling around him, as if the decades of medical knowledge he had did not amount to a couple brats.Around him, his assistants were gaping in shock.Paco could not do it! What gave those two the right to succeed?Was it even possible that their medical skills were superior to Paco's despite being less experienced?"Do you know the name Frank Lawrence?"Gus rasped at Winter and Jean Zims, though his eyes were still closed."Frank Lawrence?"Winter and Jean traded glances."He's my brother," Winter replied."He's my mentor," Jean said at the same time.Gus nodded and sighed in turn. "So it really was him… He saved my life again."Then, turning toward Paco and his assistants, he said quietly, "Frank Lawrence is mentor to Kenny Loggins of Morhen. That makes these girls