In reality, the waif balm was an airborne gas that would deviously stay dormant in a victim's body. It would then be triggered by the poisoner on cue, immobilizing the victim's senses and their body, leaving them at the mercy of the poisoner.And yet, what made the waif balm formidable was not the waif balm itself, but its potency as a medium. The poisoner would use it to facilitate delivering the real poison or something that could hurt the victim from the inside, all while the victim remained clueless.At that point, even Ascendant-ranked elites would have trouble escaping.Nonetheless, Frank only knew about the waif balm when he read it by chance from an old text.He was certainly not capable of brewing anything that could incapacitate Ascendant-ranked individuals at that time, but the scent described in that text was exactly the scent he was smelling now.There was no chance of him mistaking it.Hence, Frank quickly sat down in meditation, directing his pure vigor throughout
Frank had really thought that he had to be discreet, but there was no point for that now.The three parties—or four, including Mobius—were each plotting to be the winner who took it all, be it the spiritron vein or the natural wonders.And seeing Ms. Quill's glare of contempt, he was even more sure that the young woman knew him.Still, Frank did not hesitate.Since her sentries were some distance away and busy keeping the Clear Winds Pavilion apprentices at bay, he leapt up and seized Ms. Quill by the collar, snapping coolly, "Who are you? Why do you know me?!""Let her go!"The sentries panicked when they turned and saw Frank seizing their charge, and they charged toward him right then."Stand back!"Frank snapped coolly as he wrapped his fingers around Ms. Quill's neck. "Any closer, and I'll snap her throat!""How dare you!""You'd better think about this, kid!""Yeah… if you lay so much as a finger on her, you're a dead man!""There won't be a place for you in Draconia i
Standing in the distance, Titus shook his head and sighed at how brutal Frank was. "Mr. Lawrence, as a fellow man, I think you should show some chivalry. Ms. Quill is born a beauty, but you'd trample all over her so ruthlessly? It's honestly disappointing…""What's it to you?! Fuck off!"Frank was just seeing red because of Ms. Quill's foul attitude and was especially indignant that Titus would use the fact to poke fun at him now.Titus glowered at Frank's outburst in turn."Frank Lawrence! How dare you insult Mr. Lionheart!"Azar Salor, the chief of Clear Winds Pavilion, certainly would not pass up the chance to lick Titus' boots, even asking him, "Mr. Lionheart, please give Clear Winds Pavilion your permission to subdue that insolent wretch!""Go."Titus did not stop Azar this time.For one, he was actually a little upset by Frank's insolence.While he was also curious to see the depth of Frank's strength with this, it also went without saying that if Frank or Azar killed Ms
Eventually, giving in to the imminent threat of death, Ms. Quill growled through her teeth, "My grandfather is Governor Quill!" Azar, who was still holding up his knuckle, seemed to freeze right then.As such, when Ms. Quill turned, she found Azar only staring fixedly straight ahead, still poised for attack but stiff like a statue."Hmph!"Ms. Quill laughed coolly as she looked on, pursing her lips. "At least you know your place. If you lay a finger on me, my grandfather will destroy everyone in this room!"However, while Ms. Quill was relishing in the delight of making Azar back off, Frank scowled and snapped at her, "Shut up.""You shut up!"Ms. Quill could not care less now that she had played her trump card, smirking as she glared at Frank. "The same goes for you too! If you touch me again—""I'm telling you to shut up! Don't breathe!" Frank snapped viciously.Ms. Quill flinched and quickly clasped a hand over her mouth.It was only then that she realized Frank had alrea
"Oh, but I will keep talking about your mom! Go on, hit me if you can!"Ms. Quill was endlessly pompous, dead sure that Frank was at a disadvantage, even fearing her family background and not daring to hurt her again.Why else would Frank release her?Still, despite Ms. Quill's ignorance, Frank's rage slowly eased into peace.Having used all his idle time to train, he was not his previous impulsive self.While he was still livid to hear someone insult his mother, he could at least control himself now.He then spoke calmly, as if it had nothing to do with him. "Right now, you're breathing an airborne form of poison that carries a type of bug called the brocade mite. Azar Salor there has been charging his pure vigor repeatedly, hastening their hatching in his body. "So I'd advise you to quit hollering—the louder you are, the more you'd breathe in the poison, and the more mites would infest your body."Seeing Ms. Quill frown, Frank narrowed his eyes. "By the way, I'm only telling
As Frank stared fixedly at Ms. Quill, he asked, "If I'm guessing right, it took no effort for you to get both of these, right?""How'd you know?"Ms. Quill did a double take but soon glowered and held out a hand at Frank. "Return the spiritron vein and the Celestial Dew to me! They're both mine!""Yours?"Frank laughed despite himself at the young woman's unreasonable attitude, shaking his head. "You're still worried that I'm having them, even now. You're just a mouse that has fallen into a trap but is still more concerned if the cheese is real. Honestly, you're as dumb as you look."Frank's insult left Ms. Quill scowling.On the other hand, Titus was glowering from some distance away and demanded loudly, "Frank Lawrence! What proof do you have that this room is poisoned?""He's just trying to steal my treasures for himself!" Ms. Quill butted in. "We should be taking him down right now! Anything else can wait!""Shut up!" Titus snapped at her right then."What…"Ms. Quill was
Even Ms. Quill could see the swarms of brocade mites crawling all over Azar's body.Her face turned pale, and she would have pathetically collapsed on the floor if one of her sentinels had not caught her in time."So? Weren't you saying something about me tricking children?"Frank turned to flash a gleeful smile at Ms. Quill, who clasped her hand over her mouth, unable to speak.Still, feeling that this was not enough, he picked up a machete off the floor and raised it into the air.Then, as Titus looked on in shock and as Ms. Quill watched in terror, he sliced through the wrist of Azar's outstretched knuckle.Blood ejected violently, and soon, an entire colony of white brocade mites came scuttering off the stump, dropping all over the floor."Argh!!!"Ms. Quill's scream resounded even through her fingers.It was such a harrowing sight and certainly not something a young woman raised in an ivory tower like herself could accept.In fact, even Titus was glowering in the distanc
It was Mobius, who had invited Frank here, and he was clapping as he approached Frank."Beautiful… beautiful," he said, his accent suddenly free of stammer and smooth as if he were a Draconian."Hmph."Frank snorted coolly. "And here I thought you'd keep hiding. Can't resist showing your face, huh?""You're right." Mobius sighed, shaking his head. "I thought you'd all fight each other to the death over the spiritron vein and the Celestial Dew and that I just had to watch in secret. I really didn't expect you to see through my ploy as soon as you came in."Frank chuckled icily. "So? Did you come just to flatter me?""No, of course not."Mobius shook his head, his smile turning sinister and his tone cool. "I would've claimed the bounty on your head along with the spiritron vein and the Celestial Dew, but it seems that you're a very careful person."And in that case, I'll just have to do it myself."Mobius then drew a rapier from his suit, brandishing it at Frank's face as he sna
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