As things tensed up between Sean and Frank, Frank's cab arrived.Sean did not make a move and smiled instead. "Be careful when you walk the streets at night, kiddo."Frank snorted in disdain. "I could say the same about you.""Fuck you," Sean cursed as he drove off.-Meanwhile, Henry completely ignored Gina and the rest after Frank left.Gina approached Helen just then, "Dear, wasn't Big Bright's Lyndon McCoy sick too?"Helen nodded. "Yeah. What about it?"Big Bright was a distributor of construction materials, and Lane Holdings was always buying from them with reasonable prices. Moreover, Lyndon was known to be a loyal, honest man.Gina quickly said, "Since Mr. Wesley brought two Ichor Pills, there's one left… Don't you think the McCoys would be indebted to you if you helped Lyndon? Bargaining would be so much easier after that!"Helen became pensive—her mother actually made sense.With the West City project commencing soon, Lane Holdings would need a huge supply of constr
Moreover, Henry had taken the pill and was fine. There was no faking that.Lyndon then asked, "And what do you intend to do with it, Miss Lane?"Helen smiled faintly. "I'd like to give it to you, Mr. McCoy."Lyndon was immediately wary—nothing came for free, and would Helen give him such a miraculous pill?"And do you have a condition, Ms. Lane?" he asked. "Or perhaps you need a favor?""In reality, Lane Holdings doesn't have that much capital available," Helen said bluntly right then. "Now that we've secured the West City project, we are in need of copious amounts of building materials. I'm hoping that you would grant us some rebate, Mr. McCoy. In turn, we will be using your building materials exclusively with the West City Project.""I can grant you another ten percent rebate on top of all current rebates," Lyndon said."Thirty," Helen said sternly."Twenty.""Twenty-five," Helen said. "Mr. McCoy, this is a long-term project. In fact, you'd earn even more once the developmen
Rocco rushed up to Helen and grabbed her by the collar. "What did you feed my father?!""T-The Ichor Pill!" Helen cried in confusion."Shut up!" Rocco bellowed in rage. "Then how do you explain what happened to my dad?"Helen was left biting her lip—she had no idea what had happened either!Just then, Gina went up and said, "Please, Mr. McCoy. There may be a misunderstanding here. It probably isn't the pill!"Luckily for them, Rocco was still somewhat rational."If anything happens to my dad," he growled coolly, "neither of you are leaving this place alive."With that, he had the family bodyguards keep them locked in a guest room, while the servants promptly called for Dan Zimmer from Flora Hall.Helen was left pacing around in the room, while Gina sat on the bed, clutching her head as she grumbled, "Oh, it's game over… this is really bad. Shouldn't the Ichor Pill have helped Lyndon McCoy? Could it really have been the issue here?"Pausing for a moment, Gina then urged Helen,
Henry said, "Me? I'm feeling just fine. What is it?"Helen breathed a sigh of relief—the Ichor Pill was clearly not the issue. "No, I was just asking.""And why would you suddenly ask?" Henry was curious—they had just seen each other hours ago.Such concern was out of place, even from Helen.The way she put it made it seem as if they had been apart for months!"I gave Lyndon McCoy the other Ichor Pill," Helen admitted. "His condition worsened after that… I don't know if it's the pills, or if Lyndon's condition is just too critical."Henry smacked his lap at her words. "It's definitely the pills."Helen was confused. "B-But you took it yourself.""Pfft." Henry snorted in disdain. "That's bullshit. Frank's the one who saved me, not that what's-his-name. Where are you now?""The McCoys locked us up," Helen admitted. "They probably won't free us if Lyndon doesn't recover.""Oh, you…" Henry sighed in disappointment. "Just try not to upset them further. I'll try to get you out."W
Rocco bellowed right then, "Guards! Get him!"At his voice, the McCoys' bodyguards promptly surrounded Frank.He looked at them in turn, frowning, "What is this?"Rocco brandished the wooden case at him and snapped, "Your wife hurt my dad once, and now you're going to finish her job? I'll have you beaten to a pulp right now!" Frank sighed exasperatedly. "The pill inside can save your father.""Shut up!" Rocco barked. "Get him!"At Rocco's orders, the bodyguards whipped out their weapons, ready to hurt Frank, when a car bounded into the compound toward them, sending the bodyguards scampering for cover before the door opened.Dan alighted, and promptly shouted, "Hold it, Rocco!"He had rushed here right after receiving the McCoys' call, stunned to find that fake Ichor Pills were already in the market in just a few days.He certainly had to stop Rocco when he arrived and saw that the latter was ready to hurt Frank—if Rocco really went through with it, Lyndon would be a dead man
Forget dissing Rocco—Dan could slap Rocco in the face, and Rocco would never retaliate!Frank shook his head. "No, I understand how the boy felt. There's no reason for me to blame him."If anything, Helen was to blame for bringing Lyndon the fake Ichor Pill, which led to Rocco believing Frank was bringing him another dud when he brought a real one. Naturally, that was no reason to hold a grudge against Rocco.Dan then walked up to Frank, appearing utterly respectful. "Your understanding certainly sets you apart from the rest… also, should you find the time, why don't you visit my Flora Hall? We can exchange our knowledge when it comes to medicine."Frank smiled in turn. "Don't worry, Mr. Zimmer. I'll actually require your assistance, since I'll need plenty of medicinal ingredients soon enough. I'll be imposing plenty."Dan was beaming at Frank's words—imposing suited him just fine. If anything, he was more worried that Frank would not visit.Decent relationships went both ways,
As Rocco escorted Helen and Gina out of the front door, Helen was about to get into her car when she spotted a familiar figure.It was Dan Zimmer, the owner of Riverton's Flora Hall.The last time they were at Verdant Hotel, Sean pointed out Dan to Helen when Dan was following Gerald.Running up to Dan, she called out, "Mr. Zimmer?"Gina hurried after her, while Dan turned when he heard her name called.Looking at Helen in surprise, he asked in curiosity, "And you are…?"Helen flashed a businesslike smile. "My name is Helen Lane. Pleased to make your acquaintance.""Oh!" Dan exclaimed in realization. "So you are Ms. Lane. Apologies."Helen was actually surprised that he would be that respectful. "Do you know me, Mr. Zimmer?"Nope." Dan shook his head. "But everyone has heard your name. Securing a partnership with the Turnbulls despite your youth? Your future is immeasurably bright!"Helen blushed a little. "You flatter me, Mr. Zimmer. By the way, was Mr. Wesley the one who se
Sean called Helen just then. "Are you alright, Helen? Don't worry—I've sent my people to deal with the issue. I'll destroy Rocco McCoy if he so much as lays a finger on you."In reality, he sent nobody. After all, he had no idea how to clean up the mess—there was just no way for him to keep deceiving Helen that the Ichor Pills were fake while having Rocco release her as well."Don't worry, Mr. Wesley—my mom and I were released," Helen said quietly, her eyes then narrowing as she asked, "By the way, who did you send?"Sean was caught dumbfounded, stammering endlessly but unable to say even a name.That made Helen more confident that Frank had sent Dan—why else would Sean hesitate?However, Gina shouted just then, "Mr. Wesley, was it Dan Zimmer?"Sean heard her and promptly said, "Yes, yes, of course. I sent Mr. Zimmer.""Mom, what are you doing?!" Helen was furious."What are you doing?" Gina shot back. "I told you—Mr. Wesley definitely sent Mr. Zimmer.""Oh, it's no big deal 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