"Well…" Soren hesitated for a moment but eventually sighed and nodded. "Alright, I'll call my dad and see if he can help. But I can't make promises—he was really out of line, and Mr. Darman has a temper. At that point, even reasoning won't work.""It's fine." Kat forced a smile.With that, Soren walked over to a corner, whipping out his phone and pretended to be talking over the phone.Naturally, he did not call his father—he knew full well that asking his father for a favor like that would only earn him a scolding and nothing else.Having his father ask Hux for a favor? Winning the lottery was easier—Soren would otherwise not have held his tongue while Cid slapped him repeatedly.In the end, all he did was pretentious anyway, and who cared if Frank lived, especially after he stole Soren's thunder?!Glancing at the girls who still looked stricken with worry over Frank, his heart flared with jealousy.He returned them soon, and Kat hurried to him, asking, "How did it go?""It's
"What?! That bastard really made it out?!"Soren was left stunned when he saw Frank standing on the other side of the road.He did not expect Frank to be fine because he never called his father, let alone ask his father to help.If anything, he was cursing Frank in hopes that he would die soon."Are you alright?" Kat was the first one to reach Frank as everyone left the diner."I'm fine." Frank nodded but soon frowned. "I told you to go home with Nash.""Kat's worried you'd get killed—she had us all waiting here." A girl strode up, smiling. "We're surprised you're fine, too… It seems that Mr. Darman is in a really good mood.""Good mood?" Frank pursed his lips. "I'm the one in a good mood. He'd be dead if I wasn't."Everyone traded looks of embarrassment at his words, with Mandy grinning. "You against Hux Darman? You're joking—he's the underboss of the Sunblazers with hundreds of men under his command.""Exactly. Don't think you get to strut just because you know how to throw
Once Frank and Kat returned to the suburban cottage, they found Nash at the doorway, having waited for a while.He appeared anxious as he held his phone in his hand and breathed a long sigh of relief when he saw them.He walked up to them, smiling. "Mr. Lawrence, I just called Ms. Blue. I didn't think she'd bail you out so soon.""Oh, that wasn't necessary." Frank smiled in turn. "Call Ms. Blue again. Tell her she doesn't have to come over.""Oh, okay." Nash quickly made the call.However, Frank soon heard Frida's tone of exasperation. "Please pass the phone to Frank."Once Nash did so gingerly, Frida asked tiredly, "It's just been a day, and you've already gotten yourself into trouble?""It's not my fault." Frank chuckled, glancing at Kat beside him. "A bunch of fools were attacking Nash. I had to help.""Nash…?"Frida was stumped when Frank mentioned Nash and sighed heavily. "You don't have to worry about him. He's not all what he seems.""That so?" Frank raised a brow, as
Even if neither Kat nor Nash would say it, both father and daughter cared for each other.Kat had stepped up for her father when he was hurt, despite supposedly being a rebellious adolescent and despite the consequences.It was the same for Nash, which was why Frank could be sure that Kat was just a little rebellious and not actually rotten.And it was normal behavior for girls her age."Oh, it's very late, Mr. Lawrence… Let's get you to bed. I've already cleaned a room for you."With that, Nash led Frank upstairs to the guest room.The furnishing was not particularly grand, but it was clean and everything necessary was inside."Is this to your satisfaction, Mr. Lawrence?" Nash asked apprehensively."It's good. Don't worry, I'm not that demanding." Frank nodded. "Thanks, Nash."Nash breathed a sigh of relief and bowed slightly as he closed the door. "You're most welcomed, and I should be thanking you instead—things would have turned bad for me and my daughter if not for you."
Sneaking into a stranger's room late into the night, and sitting so boldly on his bed? Any man's imagination would be led astray by such a clear invitation!"Anyway, I'm sorry for bothering you this late at night." Kat composed herself before leveling a serious look at Frank. "Frank Lawrence, right? I'm here to actually ask for a favor.""I see," Frank replied, not bothered to press the issue before. "Go on. Tell me."Kat's eyes lit up right then. "Could you tell me why you're such an amazing fighter? Do you have some sort of superpower?""Superpower? What the heck is that?" Frank rolled his eyes. "I'm a martial artist, honed physically and mentally as a warrior. I'm strong enough to fight hundreds, let alone the paltry few at the karaoke bar.""Tch."Kat clicked her tongue doubtfully, convinced that Frank was boasting. "You really like to exaggerate, don't you? Can't you give it a rest?""It's not my fault if you doubt me." Frank shrugged. "You have no idea so you won't underst
"What?!" Kat scratched her head before asking Frank, "Then you can check me. Who knows if I'm some marital prodigy?""Not likely." Frank shook his head. "Hold out your hand.""Okay." Kat did so obediently."Listen closely," Frank said solemnly. "I'll be infusing my pure vigor into your body. If you can feel its presence, that means you have the disposition for martial arts. Hard work would be pointless otherwise.""Hold on, that sounds sketchy," Kat suddenly pulled her hand away while staring warily at Frank. "Are you taking advantage of me?""Well, if you're not doing it, then you can forget about it," Frank growled grumpily, his expression stiffening. It was the middle of the night, and this brat was still engrossed in her fantasies. And he certainly did not have any intention to entertain her whims!"Hey!" Seeing that Frank was getting fed up, Kat held out her hand and stopped staring at him suspiciously. "Just pulling your leg—can't you take a joke, old man?"Running int
The seal was so tough that even Frank could not make it budge easily.Still, he concluded after probing it that it was a protective seal that did not hurt the body. The only issue was that it prevented a person from charging their vigor—in fact, any form of vigor that showed up in the body would activate the seal, which would in turn be dispelled.It appeared that Kat's journey as a martial artist had ended before it started, as the seal made it virtually impossible for her to use her vigor.However, it begged other questions.For one, it would take a martial artist peaking at Ascendant rank to cast such a seal, and at a great cost to the psyche.In that case, what made Kat worth the trouble for an Ascendant rank going that far to cast that seal?And if the seal proved unstable, it would consume the host in a split second, making it a severe risk.Could Kat's birth involve some major players who were at least peak Ascendant rank? Even across all of Draconia, Ascendant ranks we
"Where?" Frank asked bluntly."Sunblaze Dojo. It's in South Morhen," Hux replied."Alright. Wait for me there.""By the way, Mr. Lawrence…" Hux stopped him before he could hang up. "You have to watch out. My boss is really not pleased about this.""Got it."With that, Frank quickly washed up and headed outside, hailing a cap that took him straight to Sunblaze Dojo.He was not actually surprised that the Sunblazers' boss was upset about the arrangement—why would he give up so easily on a position he had fought so hard to claim?If anything, the invitation to the Sunblaze Dojo was an obvious trap, as the name of the dojo already suggested that it was Sunblazer turf and dojos were a place where blood was shed.-When Frank arrived over ten minutes later, Hux was on hand with a group of men to receive him.He was smiling apologetically and sporting dark circles under his eyes. "Be careful, Mr. Lawrence. The boss has summoned the Four Kings and every elite fighter in the gang…"F
Her skin and fingers were rotting where the motel manager touched the pendant, as if being corroded by acid at a visible rate. Worst of all, she could not even feel any pain from it!"W-What's going on here?!"Horrified, the motel manager turned and ran.Drunken Moon was ready to give chase, but Frank stopped her. "She's not going to have it easy without her fingers. Let her go."Drunken Moon nodded and pointed at the pendant on the floor. "What the heck is that?"Frank then told her about Reverend Quietus, to which Drunken Room exclaimed, "You meant to say that there are bodies of energy that are basically identical to the paranormal that people speak of?"Frank nodded. "I'm sure it's not just rumors, with the way it remained over a thousand years—things like that do exist. But in the end, it's no different from a spell, and you can handle it if you're strong enough."Drunken Moon smiled. "That only applies to you. I don't know about anyone else, but I really can't deal with th
After she calmed down, the bellgirl took an interest in Frank. "Is he the one who could beat you?"It was the new age—ladies were not shy, and the bellgirl actually liked lookers like him."Hello." Frank greeted her, and she smiled in turn. "Sorry for having to bother you, handsome."She would really have asked for his number if circumstances allowed.That was when footsteps could be heard, and Frank glanced sideways outside as he told Drunken Moon, "Now's your chance for revenge. Don't hold back now.""You don't need to worry about that!" Drunken Moon exclaimed as she flexed her muscles—she was waiting for this moment.The motel manager led several burly men inside, standing at the center proudly like she owned the place. "That's for insulting me, bitch! Go! Show her who she was messing with!"Though the motel manager did not hesitate to send her men after Drunken Moon, Drunken Moon smirked, waiting until the bouncers were about to reach before punching them.Soon, they wer
Frank chuckled. "As for what actually happened to him, I'll get someone to keep tabs and maybe record a video. It shouldn't be difficult."Drunken Moon flashed a thumbs-up at him. "You're really the best when it comes to cruelty. Simply different."They shared a smile, and soon, Jouri's people came to take the white-haired youth away.Later, Frank and Drunken Moon headed to a motel, as the latter received a call from a geezer who said his granddaughter was being harassed and needed help.She had no fear with Frank at her side anyway, so she went.As soon as they entered, they found a twentyish, slightly short bellgirl wiping the tears off her face.Nearby, the motel manager was pointing at her and ranting, spouting plenty of expletives!Drunken Moon naturally would not just sit by. Striding up, she pushed the manager away and snapped furiously, "What's the meaning of this?! There's no reason to go that far even if she messed up!"The manager was equally furious, however, and sn
"The nail that sticks out gets hammered! I'm sure you'd die horribly soon enough!"The white-haired youth's futile efforts at threatening Frank only made him smirk. "What's it to you, even if I or Drunken Moon died? She still won't be interested."The white-haired youth snorted, but soon sighed. "Fine, do it!"Drunken Moon wagged her finger at him. "Why should we make it quick? He's actually right—death is a reward for people like you."That's why I'll treat your leg and sell you as a slave to some third-world country. Trust me, it's not just the ladies who are popular there—they like a pretty boy too."The white-haired youth smirked. "Quit trying to scare me. Do you think that crippling my cultivation would stop me from talking? As long as you don't, I'll find a way to free myself. Let's see what you can do then!"That was when Frank butted in. "Actually, I do have a solution."With just a thought, the white-haired youth's leg was as good as new.As soon as he saw that, the wh
Speed is the one unbreakable law of martial arts, and someone quicker than the naked eye would never lose.To think that the man who seemed to have nothing going for him aside from his looks was this powerful!Frank chuckled and turned to the biker. "You should leave. It's not a pretty sight when blood starts spilling."The biker was quite compliant from the start and turned to run. "Thank you for saving me. May we meet again!"On the other hand, Frank leapt over the railing and dropped to a squat in front of the white-haired youth. "Go on, tell me why you introduced Drunken Moon to someone else."The white-haired youth was taken aback but soon said, "So you're the brat who's not to be underestimated? That's why your fellow martial artists think so highly of you.""I appreciate their flattery, but I'm afraid I might fall short." Frank chuckled coolly. "And you could stop fawning over me and answer my question."The white-haired youth's eyes widened. "Who do you think I am?"Fra
Frank chuckled. "Who do you think? The man who tried to kill you just now.""What?!"The biker was even more shocked, as the Lamborghini was reduced to a marble. Would the driver even survive that?"Ignoramus! I'm not so easily killed!"A figure strode out of the grass nearby, and it was none other than the white-haired youth who drove the Lamborghini!"When did that happen?" the biker exclaimed.He definitely did not see the Lamborghini's doors opening or anyone jumping out when it was crushed into a ball, so how did that man escape?"Go on. Show us how much quicker you can be!" Frank beckoned at the white-haired youth.Perplexed, the white-haired youth asked, "I'm curious. How did you know about my powers?"Frank pointed at his eyes, "Thanks to certain assistance, I've improved my further abilities and can now identify anyone's abilities.""Really? But identifying wouldn't be enough—you gotta be good enough to handle me!"Readying himself as if for a sprint, the white-hair
Seeing Frank chasing her down, the beggar said, "I really can't elaborate. You know about the group already, don't you? Go and deal with them—use your wisdom to see through everything and solve the riddle."And with that, she left without a care.This time, Frank did not stop her—if anything, he had no reason to do so.Her point was simple: there was just so much involved that even she had not the faintest idea. Sighing, Frank called Jouri and told her to search for Sanne Quess and Reverend Quietus."The latter is impressive," he said. "She even sealed the power of the spiritron vein!'"What?!"Jouri was shocked—that was impossible, as the spiritron vein was invincible as far as she was concerned.But a mere reverend subdued it?!"Do you have further details?" she pressed.Frank shook his head. "She can use talismans. That's about all I know about her."Jouri sighed wryly. "Then looking into her will be difficult—I'd focus on Sanne Quess instead. Who is he?"Frank told her
Baldie dropped to his knees with a thud.Not only did Frank possess superior abilities, but he had a functioning moral compass too?He certainly deserved the power of the spiritron vein!Baldie then said, "I guess I should warn you that there are people who keep their hands clean. They would do anything to further their mysterious goals, so you should watch out."Frank chuckled. "Don't worry. I never hold back when I should kill—just listen to the reverend, and leave if there's nothing else, or I might change my mind."At those words, Baldie turned to run without lingering another second. Frank then turned toward the beggar. "Is this what you want?"The beggar nodded, clearly not bothered to hide anything. "To be honest, I've been considering an issue—do all the people who gain superpowers deserve it? The dragon inside you, for example… I can't say that it's anything good."Frank nodded, smiling—she was right about that, as he thought the same himself.After all, it had done
Frank smiled, shaking his head. "No, you misunderstand. What I mean is that she's right. The paranormal, your mystical artifact—it all works using the same principle: You're all just a little stronger than the average martial artist."However, when you're up against the real deal like me, you're relatively weak and easily dealt with."Baldie was left flabbergasted. "No, no, no… That's impossible! We're not the same as martial artists. None of you stand a chance against us!"Frank shook his head. "What you're saying is impossible. Your kind is simply more gifted, while martial artists are less, and that's the only reason you're stronger than most martial artists."Baldie dropped to his knees with a thud, shaking his head repeatedly as there was nothing more that could tear him up inside.He had always believed that even if he was not divine, he was still an envoy among the mortals like the priests and monks in fiction. Naturally, he was convinced that the day would come when he tra