Frank was just feeling a dilemma when his phone rang.Feeling the thrill of salvation, he promptly answered the call.It was Yara Quill."Mr. Lawrence? Where are you right now?" she asked."Home. What's up?" Frank asked."Actually, Mrs. Turnbull asked me to contact you," Yara replied. "She wants to talk about Grande Pharma."Frank narrowed his eyes, noting immediately that Susan Redford wanted to bypass Vicky, as she told Yara to directly contact him."Where's Vicky right now?" He asked."I don't know," Yara replied awkwardly. "She left the villa early this morning and never returned. They want to talk to you since you're Grande Pharma's majority shareholder…""I see." Frank took a deep breath and said, "I'll be right there," even though he had no idea what Vicky was up to.Hanging up, he turned to tell Helen, "Sorry. I need to leave for a little something.""Does it have something to do with Vicky?" Helen asked, more or less jealous when Frank mentioned Vicky's name.Fra
Neil Turnbull bellowed, "You have no right!"Frank simply crossed his legs as he retorted nonchalantly, "Vicky's the one who gave me the shares, and she will tell me if she wants it back. You don't get to tell me what to do.""You son of a…"Neil could choke—Frank was really belittling him!Walter quickly stood up to clear the air. "It's alright, Neil. Just calm down…"Susan was frowning in turn. "Frank Lawrence, I am telling you this as Vicky's mother, and I have thought long and hard about this.""Really? Why don't you walk me through your thought process?" Frank asked bluntly."That's enough!" The black-clad man on the main seat bellowed. "I didn't come for your nonsense!"Turning toward Frank with a look of contempt, he growled, "So you're Frank Lawrence?""Yes," Frank replied, studying the man in turn. "And you are?"His abundant vigor and strong physique made it obvious that he was a martial elite. "Wilf Chandler—butler of the Chandler household," Neil announced.As
"You really need to learn some manners!" Wilf bellowed and suddenly threw the solid wooden desk beside him at Frank!While the Turnbulls all scrambled to get away, Frank did not move.He remained in his seat and slowly raised his arm… Catching the table right then, he gently pressed, and the table landed on the floor with a deafening bang!Wilf was stunned—he did not expect that from Frank!In fact, Frank was still holding on to his teacup, growling icily, "A fiery temper won't do any favors to your elderly body. Here, have a drink and calm yourself down."He launched his teacup at Wilf as if it were a bullet.Wilf crushed the cup with his stalwart vigor, but the tea inside burst away like bomb shrapnel!Wilf thought nothing of it, as he did not believe some droplet would hurt him… until the first drop struck his skin.By then, it was already too late.Wilf wobbled and would have fallen if he had not caught on to the edges of the desk!The Turnbulls never saw what happened,
Frank rolled his eyes—even his lackeys could wipe out Earthrank individuals!Susan was glaring at Frank in turn. "What's that look for? Are you upset? Then hand over your shares, or it'd be too late when the Chandlers come for you!"The main branch of the Turnbull family had power in the capital, but they summarily refused to care about Riverton, let alone send help. They were certainly on their own…"Enough!" Walter barked just then. "Frank just bailed us out, and both of you are blaming him instead of thanking him?!"As a man of the household, he was certainly displeased with the Chandlers' unreasonable demands. However, he had to abide with it because circumstances just would not allow it.If anything, he found Frank's defiance cathartic, but his wife and nephew had to give Frank hell for it!And seeing that her husband was siding with Frank, Susan promptly snapped, "Easy for you to say—he can just run away if things go south, while we are left to clean up his mess!""Enough!
The Turnbulls were stunned, not expecting Boran to be that self-important.Cliff was frowning as well—he had his pride as a martial artist too!"What is the meaning of this, Mr. Lepley?" he demanded. "Why would you insult me when I showed you respect?"Boran did not even look his way as he snorted. "You're wrong there—I wasn't insulting you. You're not even worth insulting.""What…" Cliff was fuming—he must hit back to maintain his honor as a retainer of the Turnbulls!However, Vicky stood in his way before he could move. "That's enough. You're both on our side, and it won't do if you start fighting even before you defeat our enemies.""Hmph."Boran snorted. "I can handle the Chandlers myself, Ms. Turnbull. Why keep third-rate martial artists like him?""You're out of line! Let's see what you got!" Cliff bellowed.It was not just him either—even Walter, Susan, and Yara had enough of Boran and was eager to send Cliff after him!Vicky tried to intervene again, but it was too la
"What…"Walter was stumped. "Let's hope he's worth the money."Vicky hoped so too, since this was the first time she met Boran and the only thing she only offered him was her money.Either way, they need someone strong from Earthrank to help.As the other Turnbulls left, Vicky walked up to Frank. "I've heard about what happened. I'm really sorry about that."The Chandlers wanted Grande Pharma shares, but her mother immediately tried to force Frank to give up his.She felt sorry for him, to be honest.Frank waved her off nonchalantly and chuckled at the sight of her scowl. "I never knew you could make that face."Vicky breathed a long sigh. "The Chandlers sent Drake, who's really strong, whereas my uncle's side of the family refused to help. To be honest, I'm not confident about this."Then, turning in curiosity toward Frank, she asked, "What level on Earthrank do you think you'd be?"Frank shook his head. "I wouldn't be on that list…"Vicky cut him short before he could fini
Frank glanced at Cindy, surprised that she was there too."Hey, I'm talking to you, you hear?!" Cindy demanded with a scowl, striding up to him since he ignored her.Frank retorted flatly, "Is that any of your business?""Hah!" Cindy snorted, rolling her eyes. "You're just here to watch the fight, aren't you? What a shame that the Turnbulls are going to fall soon. Let's see how you're going to strut after that, gigolo!""Word of advice—don't start trouble over nothing. I don't want to hurt you today." Frank leveled her an icy glare.Hughie walked up to them just then, asking in curiosity, "Who's this, Cindy?"Cindy folded her arms before her chest and snorted, "My cousin's ex-husband. A piece of shit, really—she divorced him because he was so far beneath him, so he quickly hooked up with Vicky Turnbull."Hughie nodded, relieved to hear that Frank had nothing going for him. "So you're just a gigolo, kid. Now apologize to Cindy."Frank snorted. "Why should I?"Hughie frowned. "K
Hughie immediately felt a pang of pain in his kneecap, while his own inertia sent him crashing headlong on the wall!There was an audible thud, and he was promptly bleeding freely from the forehead."Oh!" Cindy gasped as she turned pale and ran up to Hughie, asking in concern, "Are you alright, Hughie?"Hughie was left clutching his head as he growled through his teeth, "I'm fine, I'm fine… I just slipped."He actually had no idea what happened, and his knees were still very much in pain!Wheeling on Frank, he snapped, "You bastard! Why did you dodge?! Weren't you going to fight me?!"Cindy was frowning at Frank too. "Yeah! Why did you dodge?"Frank laughed coldly. "What, am I supposed to just stand there and wait? Why are you blaming me for being slow? Though it's hilarious how you crashed straight into the wall.""Bastard!" Hughie was livid, but even as he tried to get up to attack Frank, he realized he had no strength in his knees at all.Cindy saw him stumble and quickly 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