"Tch."Vicky was folding her arms before her chest, pouting unhappily as she watched Frank leave her and head into the hotel alone. "You keep saying one thing but doing another… Hmph!"Frank naturally heard that but pretended not to hear her and hurried away.The night passed serenely, and by the next morning, Frank had more or less recovered from pent-up fatigue after recovering for a night.He examined his body to find that while most of his injuries were healed, there were still lingering conditions, though none of it would affect his combat ability.However, his phone rang just as he was about to leave and find Vicky.It was a call from an unfamiliar number, which left Frank perplexed as he did not give anyone other than close acquaintances his number.Still, he answered and heard a voice speaking broken Draconian, "Hello, Mr. Lawrence."It was obviously a foreigner, and Frank promptly demanded, "Who are you? How did you get my number?""Calm down, Mr. Lawrence. I mean no
"Please wait, Mr. Lawrence!" Mobius quickly called out, sensing that Frank was ready to hang up.Then, after some thought, he spoke with a conflicted tone, "Well, how about I trade your Bloodcrane Spiritbloom with another treasure?""Treasure?"Frank rubbed his chin, frowning. "What treasure?""Heheh… I knew you'd be interested."Mobius chuckled. "Well, while most wouldn't even have heard of it, I'm sure you would, Mr. Lawrence—after all, it's a spiritron vein we're talking about.""A spiritron vein?!"Frank's heart almost stopped in sheer disbelief—how did those foreigners get their hands on a spiritron vein?Meanwhile, Mobius was still chuckling jovially. "Hehe… So how about that, Mr. Lawrence? A spiritron vein for your Bloodcrane Spiritbloom—wouldn't you say it's a fair trade? Hell, I might even say that we're losing out here."Mobius's tone was more relaxed as he realized Frank recognized the spiritron vein, and he was not exaggerating either—Frank would not lose out if Mo
Deciding that it was not too late to tell Vicky everything after his investigation, Frank decided to leave right then.On his way out, he told Helen and everyone else that he was leaving and assigned Madfist to protect them while he drove alone to Bralog.This time, he knew the way, so he did not have to impose on anyone.It took him another twelve hours to reach the hotel Vicky mentioned, where he ran into Silverbell, who was just checking in at the front desk.Beside him stood a good-looking, long-haired youth who also carried a sword and had the air of a successor to a seclusive sect."Silverbell?"Frank was surprised to see her there, and so was she, though there was soon a hint of joy on her face.On the other hand, the young man beside Silverbell was frowning at Frank in contempt. "Lady Silverbell, this man is—""My fiance, Frank Lawrence," Silverbell replied, striding over to Frank before the long-haired youth could react, even ignoring all the looks of shock as she wrap
If he were one second slower, Mickus' hand would have been minced meat.Still, he quickly hid his trembling right hand behind himself while glaring coldly at Frank. "Impressive."His flattery was icy, just as there was no hint of positive attitude toward Frank in his visage—if anything, he looked even more hostile now."You flatter me," Frank replied, his tone neutral.Such was his attitude—if the other person backed down, he would afford them their solace.However, it was still clear that the heir to Clear Winds Pavilion had no respect for Frank and was actually hostile.Glancing at Silverbell beside himself, Frank could certainly see why."Hmph!"Mickus snorted coldly, not forgetting to threaten Frank before he stormed off. "Don't think you get to strut just because you have some skill! There's all the time for you to suffer!""You don't have to worry about that," Frank replied, calm as ever.Mickus was left glowering, while Frank waited until he was gone before turning tow
"There's no rush." Frank waved off Silverbell, chuckling. "I'm waiting for the other party to make contact anyway. Since I have the time, I can go with you.""Okay." Silverbell did not reject Frank, since she knew the depth of his abilities.If anything, she felt more confident with his involvement.With that, Frank booked the room beside Silverbell so that they could stay close, while Mickus stayed in the room opposite Silverbell's.-Late into the night, a blond foreign businessman was seated in his room, sipping wine as if waiting.A cool breeze suddenly gusted into the room, and the window unwittingly opened.By the time the foreign businessman turned to look, a towering shadow had arrived.He sat opposite the foreign businessman, snatching the bottle of wine from the table and chugging it before snorting in displeasure.Naturally, the foreign businessman was none other than Mobius, who smiled at the shadow and spoke in crude Draconian. "So you kept true to your word, Mr.
Mr. Shrode was left taken aback, seeing how determined the foreign businessman was."This much is nothing for the sake of my master."Mobius flashed an eerie smile, staring at his bleeding hand without even flinching from the pain.And just as Mr. Shrode said, as Mobius held on firmly to the spiritron vein for just five minutes, his little finger started to regrow visibly.It took another two minutes before he had a functioning little finger again.Mr. Shrode was blinking as he looked on, though he soon forced a smile. "See? I wasn't lying, was I?""No, you weren't," Mobius replied, chuckling after studying his finger and confirming the effect of the spiritron vein. "Well, how much do you want for it?""Five hundred billion. Take it or leave it."Mr. Shrode wiped his forehead, a greedy smile showing on his lips. "The Lionhearts offered me 400 billion, but I just didn't know that they weren't going to pay. Moreover, you're not Draconian, so you should pay me more to overcome my
"Such a shame."Mobius sneered under the moon's glow, wiping the blood off his lips.Then, searching and taking the spiritron vein from Mr. Shrode's body, he nodded in satisfaction. "Along with the Bloodcrane Spiritbloom that Huub Droitner mentioned, my master will transcend mortality.""Guh…"Mr. Shrode was glaring from the floor even as he watched the spiritron vein being taken away. He raised a shaking hand to snatch it from Mobius' grasp…That was when it happened.Feeling a numbing sensation in his neck, Mr. Shrode strained himself to lower his gaze and found a swarm of black bugs crawling out of his chest.It was a harrowing sight, and when Mr. Shrode saw it, he realized that they had entered his body when he drank Mobius' wine."Guh…"Nonetheless, Mr. Shrode could not speak as his throat was chewed through. He could only watch helplessly as more of those bugs crawled out of his body, eventually devouring him.In less than ten minutes, nothing was left of the living, br
Mobius then unwrapped the red cloth to reveal the stark white phalange—the same one that Mr. Shrode had brought in last night."This is the spiritron vein I would trade with you, Mr. Lawrence," Mobius then said nonchalantly. "I can even tell you how it works—it can regenerate any wound and any missing body parts."Frank narrowed his eyes at Mobius, words, his fingers touching the card Vicky gave him before he came.There was no mistaking it now, as the card had both the address of this hotel and a photo of what the Turnbulls' lost spiritron vein looked like.It was the one Mobius was showing them right now!Vicky had also mentioned that it was unparalleled in regenerating physical wounds. However, since the Turnbulls were not a martial clan, they did not care much even after acquiring the spiritual vein, instead consecrating it at their ancestral shrine."Frank…?"Silverbell was shocked too, as she did not expect Frank's business in Bralog to involve a spiritron vein.If word g
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