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
Silverbell reasoned, "We should just stay out of this, or you will be tried for treason if the deal goes south and the spitron vein really falls into foreign hands.""Me, tried for treason?"Mickus stared at Silverbell in disbelief, but he soon reared his head and laughed. "Lady Silverbell, oh mighty chief of the Martial Alliance… you're really getting smarter with words now. Isn't that man your fiance? Aren't you just trying to protect him by lying to me? And do you think I'm some clueless toddler?"Even as they argued, Mobius frowned. "Silverbell? Chief of the Martial Alliance?"Frank cursed Mickus under his breath—there would be unnecessary trouble if Silverbell's position as the chief of the Martial Alliance was exposed. Not only would Mobius get suspicious, but they would also have trouble tracking down the heretical geomancer!To no surprise, Mobius smiled and shook his head at Frank. "I think you should really sort out your domestic issues before coming to me, Mr. Lawrenc
"Hah!" Mickus snorted. "This is just a perfectly normal deal. Also, you're only the chief of the Martial Alliance because you used your body to pleasure many bigwigs, no? Why else would someone like you get to be the chief of the Martial Alliance?"While Mickus' mockery left Silverbell bristling, Frank remained impassive as he held up three fingers and counted. "Three.""What, are you for real?"Mickus was actually surprised that Frank was counting down but soon snorted in contempt. "I pity you, having a whore as a fiancee. Who knows how many men she's had to spread her legs for—"Smack! Frank had suddenly slapped Mickus across the face so quickly he could barely see it, shutting him up."One." He counted at the same time amid the ensuing silence."What…"Touching his burning cheek, Mickus' expression alternated from disbelief to flushed fury. "You… hit me?! With that dirty paw of yours?! Don't you know who I am?! Even my father has never slapped me!"He bellowed as if craz
Watching as Frank slowly walked toward himself, terror struck Mickus' heart."Stop! Don't move!" he shrieked. "I-I'm warning you… I'm the heir to Clear Winds Pavilion! If you lay a finger on me, my father will make you pay, you hear?! He's Ascendant rank, and he—"Smack!Naturally, Mickus' threat was pointless as Frank slapped him viciously across the face again once he got near, knocking out almost every tooth."On your knees. Apologize," he growled, impassive.Mickus was left clutching his cheek and staring at Frank in disbelief.Although there was no emotion on his face, the coldness in Frank's eyes left Mickus shivering.He realized that Frank might be some novice who did not care about his threats and would keep hitting him if he threatened him again.After fighting with himself inwardly, Mickus turned with a conflicted look toward Silverbell, mumbling through his lips, "I-I'm sorry, Lady Silverbell—""On your knees!" Frank snapped coldly behind him."What…" Mickus fel
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