It had been easy, but Frank was clearly denied his objective.The geezer was most definitely the mastermind who orchestrated everything, but that was one thing on its own.His lackeys were not going to disappear with his death—on top of that, there would be many more individuals like that geezer, and Frank must wipe them all out.As Frank strode into Whitney Chandler's mansion, he saw that neither Whitney nor Lara Gold were asleep.They were fiddling with their phones while clearly waiting for him and were on their feet when they saw him return."How did it go?" Lara asked."As it should." Frank shrugged. "What are you ladies doing, staying up?!""We're waiting for you, kiddo!" Whitney giggled. "It must've been a long day. Want a drink?""I'll pass—I still have work to do tomorrow."Whitney was a little disappointed. "Come on, I bought everything we need! Just think of it as paying rent!"Frank was not sure if he should laugh or cry. "What, am I some male host?""Of course."
Leo was horrified. "T-This is impossible!"He did not expect Frank to be so quick that he could not even respond!"You want to live, don't you?" Frank then growled coolly. "Don't you think you should tell me who gave you your powers?""I-I can't say!"Leo was completely deflated despite being endlessly confident earlier. Even as he tried his best to survive, he sweated all over his face while his legs trembled."Well then, see you…" Frank started to squeeze.Leo, unable to stop himself, dropped to his knees right then!"Please!" he begged. "I really can't tell you… Just let me live!""Can't. You either talk, or you die." Frank's visage was as cold as the reaper's, scaring even Lara and Whitney.Leo sighed, as if resolving himself, and said, "I don't know who they were… After you had me clobbered and rushed to a clinic, I somehow ended up at the morgue instead. I wasn't awake, but I was still vaguely aware of my surroundings."I was terrified, and I thought the clinic wanted m
The nurse studied Frank at the same time, surprised that a man so handsome would show up at a place like this."Are you sick, handsome?" she quickly asked eagerly. "Don't be shy now. You can just tell me directly!"Frank smiled but shook his head. "I'm perfectly fine—just wanted to ask where the morgue is?"The nurse sighed in relief at Frank's response, seemingly pleased. Still, she asked, "What business do you have at the morgue?""Oh, I am a special individual who must inspect the place, but I can't be seen, if you know what I mean?"At the same time, Frank slid some cash that he had prepared to the nurse."Oh, that's unnecessary!" The nurse quickly turned him down. "I'd never take your money over such a small favor. But may I ask who she is?"The nurse glanced pointedly at Lara, clearly checking if Frank was single so she was not doing this for nothing."A friend!" Lara said."Oh, a friend!" The nurse smiled in understanding and took out her phone. "Let's add each other
Despite Chloe's complaint, she did not actually mind."No touching?"However, Frank was merely confused—he did not touch her!"Oh, come on! I don't really mind—why can't you just own up to it?" Chloe snapped in annoyance, as she really despised people who did not admit to what they did.That was when she suddenly felt someone touching her again.Turning around angrily, she bellowed, "Haven't you had enough?!"Chloe froze just as she finished.Instead of Frank's devastatingly handsome face, she found herself staring at a dried up corpse.It had emerged out of a freezer that was left ajar and was clawing toward Choloe!Still, Frank heard the commotion at the very last moment and leapt up to kick the corpse on the floor.Keeping it pinned under his foot, he snapped at Lara and Chloe, "Run!"Lara was petrified, but she came to her senses and pulled Chloe along as she ran."This one isn't breathing either!"Frank then punched the corpse, but as his ring inadvertently touched it
Lara was reluctant to leave Frank, but she would not refuse when Frank needed a favor.Nodding, she said, "Be careful!""You too," Frank replied. "Your life matters before anything else, and make sure not to put yourself in danger."Lara smiled and nodded again, while Frank returned to Chandlerton in just two hours.He could see from afar that Whitney was drinking herself silly unhappily as she sat outside, and he parked his car."What are you doing here?" he asked her as he aligned.Whitney sighed. "Don't bother. I'll start crying again!" "Crying?"Frank was left stunned—was he too late?Still, he pressed, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Tell me who hurt you, and I'll murder them—I promise!""What?!"Whitney did a double take but soon blushed. "What are you talking about?! I'm the village chief! No one would lay a finger on me around here!""Oh… then what happened?""Ugh. Don't laugh at me, but I have a daughter."Whitney sighed. "I lost custody of her during
The feminine voice changed her angle right then. "I would still insist that there's too much unknown about this energy we're testing. There's no telling how we're supposed to apply it optimally… but there's only a small chance that the limitations wouldn't apply."That was where the video ended, and the contents certainly matched what Frank had encountered this far.That elderly voice was most likely the geezer whom he had encountered in the backroom of Torchwood. As for the energy they were referring to, it was most definitely the power obtained by the hero depicted in that tomb—the energy of the spiritron vein.That certainly explained how the hero's armies disappeared—as the feminine voice suggested, that energy bound them despite its abundance. Once claimed, the individual would definitely be killed if they left Shagan.And since the power could be granted to others, that geezer must have granted it to others!However, that begged a bigger question—since that geezer was alread
Frank received a call from Lara on the way back. "Mr. Frankton? I have news for you—that person headed to an abandoned textile factory in the suburbs. I'll send you the address!"Frank's eyes lit up, and he promptly turned the Range Rover and headed to the suburbs.An hour later, he stopped outside the textile factory and alighted.He felt the unusual energy swirling as soon as he set foot there but headed into the factory without hesitation.A person appeared as soon as he strode through the gate, his back hunched and dressed just like a beggar as he leaned on a wooden cane.He studied Frank from head to toe and sighed. "Shame about that pretty face."Suddenly, he was right in front of Frank, swinging his cane straight at Frank's head.Frank sidestepped it and launched a kick at his left shoulder in retaliation, sending him flying into the dormitory straight ahead with a bang!The deafening crash drew everyone's attention, and everyone was stunned to see a youth standing right
Sally continued, "Then, by sheer coincidence, I also found that tomb under that barren ground and gathered some valuable information through the ring.""The part that was vandalized?" Frank asked.Sally nodded. "I guess you've been there too! That said, I wouldn't know anymore than you do—I only vandalized a small portion, while the rest were vandalized centuries ago."I treated the ring like a toy as you did and wasn't particularly worried, until I triggered its power when I was examining some artifacts in a chemistry lab. Since then, I devoted all my efforts into studying the ring, while also gaining the financial backing of that geezer you murdered. His name was Machi Godot, by the way—rich, but the jobless type."Anyway, we uncovered a method to create new superhumans through experimenting. We managed to circumvent the limitations of the new energy we were harnessing, so that some of the superhumans could even leave this region to a certain distance… But we ran into a problem a
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