The Sturgeons seemed to give up on any pretense right then, with Wilk kicking Lauren away, pointing at him and snapping even as the man lay prone on the floor. "It's all your fault! You refused to die for two years, wasting everyone's time! Would my daughter have to keep suffering if you didn't hang on so stubbornly?! She'd be marrying again, and marrying rich!""Dad!"Kali had enough then and sobbed even as she rose to her feet. "This happened to Lauren because of us! Patek would be dead if he didn't donate his kidney! How could you do this to him?!""What did we do to him?!"Mrs. Sturgeon leapt up, grabbing Kali and slapping her twice as she screamed, "Did we ever mistreat him?! We had him marry you so that he could donate his kidney! And we paid his family 500 grand! Isn't that enough?! Why should we bother when his own family doesn't care?!"You, on the other hand, are a wastrel and a traitor! Did you think we don't know?! He survived this long because you sneaked him out to
The rest of the Sturgeons wanted Lauren to die as soon as possible because he had lost his worth.Lauren's parents were well aware, but they allowed the Sturgeons to do whatever they liked with Lauren.They simply watched as their son was used like a tool and dumped like garbage.One must say that both Kali and Lauren deserved sympathy.And while Wilk Sturgeon and the rest of his family were animals, Lauren's parents were no angels either.Striding forward, Frank glared coldly at Wilk as he growled, "Lauren is the man who saved your son Patek, but you're allowing that brat to abuse Lauren and his own sister like this? Do you know no shame?""Who do you think you are, accusing me in my own house?!"Wilk was further infuriated—how dare Frank insult him while his security guards had him surrounded?! He was as insolent and disrespectful as the brat with him!"Why are you wasting your breath with them after what they did to Patek?!"Beside Wilk, his wife was even more furious and
"What…"Wilk looked on, finally coming to his senses.Both the brat and the man with her were martial artists, and the security guards he spent so much on did not even last a blow!"W-Who are you?!"Fear seizing him right then, Wilk kept his arms around his son as he stumbled backward."Who am I?"Frank sneered. "You don't deserve to know!"Projecting two strands of pure vigor at his fingertips, he launched both with a flick.Wilk lost his balance and dropped to his knees right then, as overwhelming agony erupted from his kneecaps.His son, still in his arms, grunted as they both collapsed.Wilk then looked up to see that he was kneeling in front of the unconscious Lauren. A sense of humiliation seized him, causing his insides to churn and his cheeks to flush."You bastard! Do you know who I am?!" he bellowed. "I'm the CEO of Wilktrade! The Jankos and the Sunblazers have my back! Now get down on your knees and beg, and I just might let you keep a pretty corpse—"Smack!Kat
"What am I doing?" Frank glanced at Wilk, actually feeling puzzled."Didn't I tell you already? I'm buying back Lauren Floss' kidney for 500 grand."As he spoke, he pressed Patek on the floor, while drawing a long silver needle from the cloth satchel he always carried around.Seeing Frank's calm stare and feeling the sharpness of his needle, Patek was struggling in terror and screamed, "D-Dad!!! Help me!!!"Wilk was petrified—Frank was really going to take away his son's kidney?!"Y-You animal! Let go of my son!" he bellowed.In contrast to Wilk's fury, his wife was utterly horrified."Please stop!!!" she begged. "Kill me if you want to! Please don't hurt my son!"Her boy was everything to him, and she could not live if anything happened to him. In fact, she even stopped cursing Frank, and withstood the pain in her kneecaps as she kowtowed to Frank repeatedly."Mom!!! Dad!!! Help!!!"Patek was still screaming even as she watched the needle close in. He was trembling all over
"What?"Wilk and his wife simply could not understand what Frank was saying, but even as they zoned out, Frank thrusted his needles viciously into Patek's back."Argh!!!" Patek howled in agony right then. "Mom! Dad! Save me! It hurts!!!!"Wilk's eyes were wide and bloodshot at his son's cries, and he lunged maniacally at Frank. "Let go of my son, you animal!" "I'll kill you!" Mrs. Sturgeon followed suit.However, Kat kicked both of them to the floor, and Mrs. Sturgeon passed out from sheer agitation as she collapsed.Kat planted herself on top of Wilk in turn, grabbing him by the hair to lift his head, while shoving Frank's 500 grand check into his mouth."You think your son's life is precious, but Lauren's is expendable? Take your 500 grand and look closely! Your son will return what he stole from Lauren now!""Umph…" Wilk kept flailing but simply could not free himself—it was as if Kat was a thousand ton boulder, crushing him beneath her weight."Oh, don't worry." Kat chu
While the average Joe could get a consultation at Loggins Apothecary too, they were just so famous that it was full house for them all day every day.Even appointments had a two-month queue. House calls? It was a privilege only the Four Families of Morhen had!Kali had tried to get one through the official channels, but Loggins Apothecary could not be bothered. Instead, they kept insisting that they should bring the patient over to them, unless they could afford the astronomical fees they demand for house calls.In the end, Kali could only give up.But now, Frank just had to make a call to have someone from the Loggins Apothecary come over? And it was without an appointment, not to mention the way he spoke to them—he was basically ordering them around!The confidence alone left Kali feeling the creeps.Who on earth was Kat's mentor?! Where did he come from?!-Soon, Wilk was stirring.He immediately saw his son Patek groaning as he lay in bed, and only his wife as well as the
"What…"Wilk thought that Kat and Frank had already fled and was surprised they were sitting there, waiting.They could not have been more pompous—it was as if they had shat on Wilk's face and then demanded toilet paper from him!Wilk almost choked and fainted.Nearby, Mrs. Zeig was gingerly serving Kat and Frank tea while shooting Wilk looks, pleading for help."H-How dare you!"Even as Wilk pointed at Kat and Frank, he was shaking with rage and had to lean on the stairs handrail to keep himself standing. "You're sitting around, sipping tea after your… atrocity?!""It's none of your business," Kat pursed her lips, rolling her eyes at Wilk. "Also, atrocity? We're just buying back what you brought.""You little…"Wilk was speechless from frustration but soon laughed savagely. "Fine! Let's see how long you can strut now! My men are already here!"Then, turning toward Mrs. Zeig, he barked, "Go! Open the gates and let the Sunblazers in! Let's see if these wretches would strut whe
Mrs. Zeig was terrified too—she had never seen such savagery on Wilk's face.Naturally, she was not about to refuse her boss, and she pressed the button in the drawing room to open the steel gates.A rowdy ruckus ensued, and Wilk smiled even as the ruckus closed in. Wheeling on Frank, he bellowed ferociously, "Trying to scare me, huh?! Who do you think you are?! If you mess with me, then you're messing with the Sunblazers and the Jankos! Let's see what connections you have to protect you now!"Frank simply shook his head in disappointment, even throwing Wilk a sympathetic look.Bang!The front doors of the mansion were opened just then, and a youth in a suit led a large gang.He wore shades, had a cigarette between his lips while carrying a metal bat, clearly the pompous type."Wilk Sturgeon. Did you have to take that long to open the gates? Also, who dares to mess around in your house?"Even as the youth in the suit asked his question, over twenty goons with shades strode in
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