"A curious balance…"Frank hung his head—the phrase itself was indeed curious.To everyone else, Frank's father, the Lord of the Southern Woods, was a hero who subdued all of Talnam by himself. But in reality? Even Frank could not put his finger on it.Even as he ran into a ton of trouble through the years, he had the feeling that his father was playing an elaborate game of chess. And Frank himself, as well as Silverbell, the chief of the Martial Alliance, were both just pieces in his game.No one could tell what Godwin Lawrence and Fenton were actually up to, even as Frank was now increasingly aware that both geezers were not as down-to-earth as they looked.While it was a pain to think about that, Frank was not bothered since he did not believe his old man would hurt him.As such, he prepared to deal with his problems at hand instead.Even as Madfist looked on, he took out the Bloodcrane Spiritbloom that glimmered with an eerier red hue.After some hesitation, he peeled off
Even Frank's hair, which had been burned off entirely, was growing out once more.He was mostly healed in no time at all, but the essence of the Bloodcrane Spiritbloom was still leaking.As such, he absorbed some of it, filling his meridian nexus to increase and solidify his pure vigor.Naturally, the rest was wasted as he unwittingly released a burst of pure vigor.Pursing his lips, Frank felt the loss—if he had stayed calm when he absorbed the essence of the Bloodcrane Spiritbloom, his abilities would definitely have risen to the next level.Still, he could not be bothered, given the urgency of the situation—healing was his priority, and if he was being wasteful, it could not be helped.Still, he felt a little guilty that he had accidentally involved an average Joe as he refined the essence of the Bloodcrane Spiritbloom.He scratched his head, embarrassed as Madfist teased him. "It's too late to turn around and apologize, huh?""Kiddo…"Madfist could not help chuckling when
Droitner Inc. was deeply in need of an actual enterprise to solidify their foothold in order for them to continue their shady dealings.They had certainly thrived with their trades—in which they had always sneaked in some precious item.Indeed, this exhibition was where Huub would show the foreign businesspeople various items. Should they express interest, Droitner Inc. would procure them before reselling them abroad, thereby earning a huge commission.And now, Huub was smiling fawningly as he spoke to a blond, middle-aged businessman. "What do you think, Mr. Schneider? This vase from the middle ages is of the finest quality that Droitner Inc. has ever seen!"The pudgy Mr. Schneider studied the vase for a long while before shaking his head and sighing.He turned to say something to his beautiful translator, who nodded and turned to tell Huub, "Mr. Schneider is saying that the vase looks like a replica, and he's skeptical about the date.""Hehehe…"Huub chuckled, seemingly not su
"You can name any price," the foreign businessman continued in broken Draconian. "We've heard you mentioning that the effect of the herb is mystical, as it would prolong a person's lifespan. "That's why Mr. Bozad sent me—I'm sure you're aware of his reputation, so I hope you won't try to pull a con, Mr. Droitner.""Of course." Huub looked utterly confident. "Mr. Bozad has my assurance that should the Bloodcrane Spiritbloom not work as intended, Droitner Inc. has no qualms going down as punishment."The foreign businessman nodded in satisfaction, while Huub turned to the other foreign businesspeople. "Esteemed guests, the tour of the exhibition is now over. You may rest at the lodgings I've arranged for you—please look forward to Droitner Inc.'s presentation of our new exhibition items tomorrow."Huub stood in the exhibition hall, watching as the foreign businesspeople left, his eyes flashing coldly."Come here." He snapped his fingers.A goon arrived, bowing respectfully. "Yes,
As soon as Frank and Madfist arrived in Bralog, they were greeted by the billboards and roadside banners. Every single one welcomed the arrival of foreign guests to an exhibition of Draconia's culture, with Droitner Inc. being specified as the chief sponsor.Frank smiled—what a coincidence, as this really spared him from having to search for them.He asked a random pedestrian about the location and headed over right away.In Frank's mind, Huub was a dead man, as Frank would make him pay for all the atrocities he had committed in Zamri.-Meanwhile, Huub was stirring in bed when he received a call from one of his goons. "Mr. Droitner, we've received word from Lanecorp that Frank Lawrence is heading to Bralog with the Bloodcrane Spiritbloom.""What?!" Huub was more delighted than surprised, and he laughed heartily. "I'm actually shocked… he's bringing it straight to me! Oh, what sincerity!"However, his goon was instead concerned. "But don't you think it might be a trap, sir?""A
"What's on your mind, kid?"Meanwhile, both Frank and Madfist had arrived at the exhibition hall.It was not congested, but there was a crowd nonetheless, with many foreigners among them.Droitner Inc.'s goons and bodyguards were on hand to take care of security. One could easily spot them from their uniforms, which all had a large 'D' pin on their lapels.Frank was riding shotgun and thought about it before answering, "Thanks to the information we've gathered, the exhibition lasts a week, and Huub will be present every day. So, I'll stay here and deal with him."Pausing, he turned toward Madfist and added, "As for the hostages… I'm afraid I'd have to trouble you."As a veteran martial artist, Madfist had no arguments against that. However, he was frowning. "I have no problems with splitting up, but do you know where the hostages are?""That's easy."Frank alighted, and as Madfist looked on, he walked straight toward one of the Droitner Inc. bodyguards.He said something to
As the bodyguard slowly stirred, the first thing he saw was Madfist's kindly, if scrawny face."You're…"He was still dazed at first, before he smacked himself in the head.Then, scrambling to whip out his phone, he cried, "Wait! Someone just said they saw Frank Lawrence. I need to tell Mr. Droitner…""Kid."Madfist held up his phone, chuckling. "You suddenly passed out, and you broke your phone when you dropped it.""What?!" The bodyguard stared blankly as he took back his phone and saw the hairline cracks all over the screen."Well, how about this, kiddo?" Madfist smiled. "I'll take you where you'd like to go—although you're paying me a fare."The bodyguard did a double take, but he soon smiled gratefully, almost wondering why Madfist was so oddly nice."Well… Thank you very much! I need to tell Mr. Droitner that Frank Lawrence is at the exhibition hall right away…"He then mused to himself for a moment before looking up and exclaiming, "Why don't you take me to Mr. Droitne
The two bodyguards could immediately tell what Johnny wanted, and one of them pursed his lips. "Just go. I will tell Mr. Droitner that Frank Lawrence showed up—don't worry, no one will steal your reward.""Thanks, bro!" Johnny was delighted and kept bowing at the bodyguard, who only waved him off and said nothing.However, just as he was about to turn and leave, he found himself staring at the old driver's face as he quietly stood behind him."Woah!"Johnny flinched at the sight. "Oh, you scared me, sir! What are you still doing here? Wait, this is good. You can give me a ride back."Madfist merely chuckled and shook his head."What, do you want more money?"Johnny frowned, a little annoyed. "I just gave you two hundred. Isn't that enough for a round trip?""No, kid." Madfist chuckled. "I just don't have the time to drive you because I have other things to do."Johnny was left drawing a blank. "Other things?""Yes. Other things."The old man smiled and slowly walked up to th