"Damn it."Frank could not move when he saw Horey holding the detonator with a vice-like grip, as he also spied a red flash under Gavin's clothes.He would not get hurt by the bomb, but if he pushed Horey too far and she pressed the detonator, Gavin would not survive."Stop, Frank!" Helen cried out anxiously from the phone Horey dropped. "Do you hear me?! Stop! You're going to kill Uncle Gavin! He has to stay safe, you hear me?!It only got Frank irritated, and he snapped, "Shut up!"And with that, silence ensued."Mmm… Mmmph!!!"Gavin's eyes widened as he glanced between Frank and the dropped phone in disbelief. He started to struggle against his restraints, only to tip over and fall on the floor. Even so, his eyes were fixed on Frank, as if to tell Frank to kill Horey—to eliminate the threat and not worry about him!Frank certainly noticed, but he gritted his teeth and shook his head. "N-No. I can't do that."His conscience would not be clear if he had to sacrifice Gavin,
However, there was not even time for Frank to throw the explosives out.His eyes narrowing coldly, he instead gathered all the explosives in his arms as Gavin looked on in shock."Argh!!!" he bellowed, just as the explosives detonated with a resounding crash.Bang!A tremendous ball of flame erupted from the top floor of the abandoned office building, followed by a towering dark mushroom cloud, a shocking sight under the moonlight."Hehe…"Horey Lindt, who had leapt downstairs, laughed savagely as she looked up at the explosion and limped toward the front door, coughing blood as she did. "Bleurgh… That's what you get… for fucking with me, Frank Lawrence! I will get the Bloodcrane Spiritbloom, one way or another…"She had broken a leg, and her lung was pierced by a broken rib when she leapt down the building, and blood trickled out of her nostrils as she breathed."I can get to Helen Lane now that you're gone… the Bloodcrane Spiritbloom is mine anyway… Definitely…"Her rambling
While the building in West City exploded, Huub was in Zamri, leading his bodyguards and raiding Cologne Court."Start looking!" he snapped. "Find the Bloodcrane Spiritbloom!""Yes, sir!" they replied at once.Once inside, they threw all the food that Carol Zims had just cooked on the floor and smashed various antiques and expensive objects. Even the tea set Silverbell gave Frank was left in pieces."What are you doing?!"Winter Lawrence had just come home from work and was having dinner with everyone when they were immediately seized by the bodyguards and shoved on the floor."Search her!" Huub barked, and they promptly groped all over Winter's body."Who are you people?!" Winter shrieked. "What do you think you're doing?!""Get off!"A dainty figure leapt up just then, kicking the bodyguards and sending them flying. It was Kat Yego, and she was pointing at Huub as she bellowed, "Are you crazy?! Messing up my mentor's house?! He will show you once he's back!""The tea seat!
Running over to the Veyron, Nash shielded it while yelling, "Sir, you can search what you want, but stop breaking things! Everything here is precious!"Huub saw the red-black Veyron too, his expression turning cold from sheer jealousy right then. "Wait, that gigolo has such a nice car?! Wreck it!" he barked, not caring about Nash's pleas and waving at his bodyguards."Stop!"Nash cried even as he tried to stop the bodyguards swarming and wrecking the Veyron, only to get beaten up as well."Dad!" Kat went mad when she saw Nash coughing blood and kicked a bodyguard out of the way as she leapt toward Huub.However, with him being the heir to Droitner Inc, Huub's goons were martial elites.As one of them suddenly appeared in front of Huub, he kicked Kat squarely in the stomach.She was a vigor wielder, but she was really nothing against an Ascendant rank—the kick left her coughing blood and sent slamming into the wall, unconscious."Frank, please answer the phone…"Seeing what
Frank was not aware that Cologne Court had been torched, though he did not have the time to worry about it at the moment.He stood between the bomb and Gavin Lane to save the man from the brunt of the explosion—it was fortunate that his physique was of the Transcendent rank, or he would be left in pieces.However, being able to stop the shockwave did not mean that Frank could nullify the blast, as it rushed into the air and left a mushroom cloud.Even as Gavin was left stunned by what Frank did, the force of the explosion rocked the building, and it started to crumble.Still, aside from the finger Horey Lindt cut off, Gavin only sustained some cuts and bruises.In other words, his injury was not all that serious overall speaking."Frank! Frank!" Gavin cried, endlessly anxious as Frank lay in the debris, barely breathing.He did not expect Frank to stay with him even as the bomb went off, even taking the blow for him so that he came out relatively unscathed.The sight of Frank c
Gavin had no idea what to tell Frank just then, as the man had taken a literal bomb for someone as trivial as himself.And on top of that, he survived, though extensively hurt.It took Frank great strength to turn toward the tearful man and shake his head. "Please don't. You've helped Helen and myself a lot… I can't just let you die…""Thanks, son!" Gavin cried, his tears falling silently as he clapped Frank on the shoulder. Helen must have had several lifetimes worth of luck to get herself a man with such loyalty!"Where's Madfist?'Frank turned toward Scarface as he struggled to straighten himself."What…? Oh!"Scarface only came to his senses at Frank's questions, as the way Frank took the bomb alone left him dumbstruck."He told me to watch the door on the side of the building," Scarface exclaimed. "He was supposed to watch the entrance… and then I came when I heard the explosion.""Ah… Sorry about that." Frank sighed.Regret showed on his face—he should have done as Ma
Frank's injuries were extensive—anyone looking around his abdomen would be creeped out from a single glance, as they would be looking at his innards as well.No one would usually survive something like this, but Frank was not an average Joe.Even Madfist was left astounded by his sheer physical fortitude, and he had divine medicinal skills.In the car, Frank had stopped his bleeding, and he took several Ichor Pills that healed the gaping hole in his abdomen at a visible rate.Gavin, who was seated in the same car, was absolutely shocked.They were all trying to send Frank to the hospital for rest and recovery, but he refused as he was worried about Cologne Court, insisting that they return home first.He was worried ever since he heard over the phone that Huub Droitner would be going there, and since no one could talk him out of it, they drove straight back to Zamri.And when they arrived, they were all left dumbfounded at the sight of the inferno, still burning away.Frank's b
Frank never turned as he said quietly, "It doesn't matter if the house is burnt. I need to go in and see if anyone is trapped inside."Gavin did a double take in realization—Frank was saying that he was checking for bodies."But it's already…"Still, he frowned at the mansion that was devoured by smoke and flames.He wanted to say that even if there were bodies inside, now was not the time to enter—he would not come out unscathed if he rushed into the fire like this.And Gavin had seen the depths of his strength as well…"Don't get in his way."Suddenly, Madfist came up and pulled Gavin aside, speaking quietly, "Let him.""But he's already hurt…""Let him," Madfist said firmly.Gavin had no choice but to stay silent and watch worriedly as Frank slowly headed into the blazing mansion."Shit, the brat's really going in?""Wait, isn't he going to die?!"Bang!While the bystanders looked on in shock and were busy talking among themselves, an eruption resounded within Cologne