Chet continued, "Do it, and we don't have to keep hiding in Zamri! Now go! That's an order!"His order clearly carried more weight than Grom's. Moreover, the accomplishment was especially tempting since the other Lionheart martial elites had no idea what Frank was capable of.On top of that, it was a fact that they had the advantage in numbers, whereas Frank's abilities remained to be seen.And with Chet name-dropping Sil Lionheart, after hesitating for a while, the Lionheart martial elites except Grom made up their mind and encircled Frank.They should just give it a try now—if they failed, so be it!"Chet Jonas, you prick!" Grom bellowed.He loathed Chet so much he could kill him right then, as only he knew that this was undoubtedly suicide.Chet simply sneered at him in turn and growled coldly, "Quit trying to play up your importance, Grom. I will be telling you once this operation is over! Just you wait!""You're going to tell on me?!"Chet's unbelievable attitude left Gro
"Now, I have questions, and you will all answer," Frank said as he walked slowly toward Chet as he sat limply on the floor, his face drained of all color."P-Please ask… I'll tell you everything…" Chet was so petrified in fear that he had no idea what he was saying."Yesterday, the expensive equipment Lanecorp was transporting had been stolen or sabotaged mid-transit—""That was us!" Chet admitted to it immediately, tears flowing down his cheeks as he kowtowed to Frank endlessly. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Lawrence… We did it, but we were just following orders! It was Sil Lionheart who put us up to it—we don't dare to go against him!"Chet's pleading cries left Urian snorting coolly.Just earlier, the man was looking all smug, bragging about how beautiful a job he did and how brightly their fires burnt.He certainly did not look like he was forced to do it!Still, Urian did not say a word, in case he would blow up like Grom did.It was such a horrific way to go, and he had not even h
Chet believed his excuse was flawless.However, even as he was busy fantasizing, Frank held out his palm and waved in front of his eyes. "Your sabotaging efforts had destroyed five billion dollars worth of Lanecorp property. Pay up, and we will let bygones be bygones.""Five billion…?"Even Noel's lips parted when she heard the number, though she soon shook her head in exasperation.Frank was clearly ripping Chet off!"Impossible!"Chet was clearly shocked by the astronomical number too.Forget five billion—he did not even have one billion to pay Frank, as he was definitely overreaching here."Naturally, the money is no skin off Lanecorp's back. What I want is to see your sincerity. So? How about it?"Frank kept staring at Chet in amusement, intent on seeing how much Chet would pay just to survive.After all, Frank had plenty of other options if he wanted the two billion dollars lost."O-Okay!"Chet knew right then that he was in no place to bargain against Frank, and he co
"Hmm? So it seems that you've really met Noel York," Sil said quietly from the other end of the call. "It slipped my mind, but she's working with Lanecorp now. But you're saying she's willing to switch sides?"Sil's words left Chet flinching, his heart almost caving.He finally knew how it felt to be duped.If Sil had told him about Noel before this, would he have brought the Lionheart martial elites here to attempt capturing Noel, hence leading them straight to a trap?Well, even as rage welled inside Chet, it was too late for regrets now.While he felt stressed just from lying to Sil earlier, he now felt free and unburdened, since Sil neglected to tell him about Noel.If only Sil had told him, would they have played straight into Frank's hands?!As Chet found his resolve, his eloquence returned. "Yes, that's what Ms. York told me personally. Also…""What is it?" Sil frowned on the other end."But Ms. York said she has a contract with Lanecorp," Chet explained. "If she were t
"Alright."Sil did not hesitate on the other end of the call either and said quietly, "I'll wire five billion dollars to your account right now, Chet. You'd best get Noel to leave Lanecorp soon, and have her meet me in Morhen.""Hahaha…"Rory continued to laugh at the top of her lungs from the other end. "I'll have her kneel before my feet… And Frank Lawrence too! He and Lanecorp will pay!"And with that, Sil hung up, while Chet was soon notified of a transfer of five billion dollars to his bank account.He was panting heavily even as he stared at the notification—he had never seen that much money in his life!Still, he died inside when he looked up and saw Frank looking at him, realizing that the money was never his.After all, Noel defecting to the Lionhearts was a lie—Chet was just using that as a ploy to dupe Sil for his money, just to save his own skin."Now transfer that money to Lanecorp's account," Frank said bluntly, compelling Chet to get to work right then.Soon eno
Meanwhile, at the Pearce Group headquarters in Morhen, Gene Pearce was seated at the main chair with a cigarette between his lips, listening as his executives argued in the meeting.While he kept a straight face, frustration was flaring within him—the only thing these pieces of trash ever did was shift blame, putting their self-gain above all else.He was actually wondering if he should just tell them to fuck off while he hired new blood.Still, even as the thought crossed his mind, his phone rang, and the conference room turned quiet instantly."It's Mr. Lawrence, sir," his assistant said as she handed his phone over respectfully.Gene cheered up right away, as he had to admit that Frank's Jade Marrow Pill was incredibly effective.And with the hot springs at Frank's Riverton farm resort, he felt younger and brimming with energy—even his new girlfriend could not keep up with him.He was even wondering if he should get another couple more to produce some heirs, something which h
Gene remained silent for a while but eventually slammed his hand on the table again."Fuck, I won't take this lying down! Call Frank again—I'm getting involved too!"-A day later, at a basement bar in South Morhen, Chet and Noel—who was disguising herself with a face mask and a cap—arrived at the meeting point chosen by Sil.They strode down the corridor, past the crowd dancing to a thumping tune, and found Sil smoking a cigarette at a booth seat.Sil's eyes lit up when he saw that Noel was really there and unwittingly dropped the cigarette on the floor."Shit, that's the top actress of Draconia for you!"He could not help comparing her to Rory Thames, but they were in completely different classes!Rory was the top singer of Draconia and had the looks, but she was more than a class beneath Noel, a goddess of the silver screen.Her pure, noble presence alone far eclipsed Rory's—even though her body figure was unbelievably tempting, the face when she took off her mask was angel
"I'm your subordinate?"Noel turned and frowned at Sil. "What's going on here, Mr. Lionheart? I don't remember such a clause in our agreement."Sil stayed silent, as he was caught in a dilemma.Rory giggled in turn, shaking her head. "You're so naive, Noel. Did you think the Lionhearts were really taking you in for your skills or your reputation? They wouldn't bother if not for me… Oh, and we weren't lying, it's just that I'm the head of Lionheart Entertainment.""So, you're going to do everything to tell you from now on, including whatever projects I assign you.""Wait."Noel held up a hand, frowning. "You're overstepping, Rory, and I don't remember ever insulting you. Why are you so bent on hurting me, even spending five billion dollars to poach me from Lanecorp?""Tut, tut…"Rory stood, folding her arms before her chest as she clicked her tongue. "Important people are really forgetful, huh? Do you think you'd be Draconia's top actress if you didn't seduce the judges?"With
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