Luna had met Cato online, and she thought him handsome from his photos.She was certainly hoping to hook up while building a business relationship, only for things to turn out like this."You?" Cato turned in disdain toward Luna right then, grinning. "Why don't you take a good look in the mirror, pig?! I wouldn't even have bothered with you if it wasn't for your money!"His venomous retort left Luna thunderstruck."Be careful who you meet online, I guess." Frank chuckled nonchalantly, perfectly calm enough to joke around even though he was up against a dozen thugs, as if it was just a walk in the park."What do we do, Frank?" Helen asked anxiously."Don't worry. No one will lay a finger on you as long as I'm around."Cato could hear him brag and snapped right then.He threw the wrench at Frank while bellowing furiously, "Go! Kill that bastard, but spare the chick. Whoever lays a finger on him will answer to him!"The goons all grinned in understanding.On the other hand, Fr
Frank somehow floored those dozen over men with relative ease without breaking a sweat.There was no doubt about it—the man was a martial artist!How unlucky could he be?! Martial artists were far and few between… but he somehow ended up messing with one, and it had to be some backwater bumpkin at that!Cato certainly knew he had messed up big time now.At the same time, Frank dropped to a crouch before Cato and grabbed him by the hair, impassive even as he asked, "You were saying you're going to have some fun with my girl, weren't you?""Frank!" Helen rolled her eyes in the distance, exasperated.Was that the only thing Frank heard?Frank simply ignored her as he flashed a sickly sweet smile at Cato. "So? Are you still going to do it?"Cato shook his head so violently his neck could break, already scared out of his mind."Well, you certainly can talk…" Frank sighed, his eyes flashing sharply as he suddenly snapped, "I've never even had fun with her myself, y'know!""Please!
Luna was heartbroken, not because Cato tried to cheat her of her money, but because Cato would rather kidnap Helen than lay a finger on her even though she was basically offering herself up for him!"Is there really so much difference between me and Helen?" she mused miserably even as she drank herself silly at the bar.Meanwhile, Frank and Helen took a booth seat and were waiting for someone. Around half an hour, Ned arrived. "Mr. Lawrence." He was no longer his meek self from before, and was brimming with energy even as he took a seat.Seeing Helen sitting beside Frank right then, he asked hesitantly, "She's…?""My ex-wife, Helen Lane," Frank smiled as he made the introductions. "And I've asked you here because she needs a favor.""Ex-wife?" Ned appeared stunned for a moment, but got up and shook Helen's hand politely. "You really are dazzling, Ms. Lane—I actually wondered for a moment if some top star graced this bar."Then, shooting Frank an upset look, he sighed in disap
"Oh, right!" Ned chuckled as he added, "My family will foot the bill for materials and construction service up front. You can pay everything at once after the acceptance test.""Asking for payment after you finished construction? What even is this godly business?"Helen could hardly believe that there was a subcontractor company that was this reliable. Did Ned not care that he might not be paid?Seemingly seeing Helen's confusion, Ned smiled. "I understand that you might be confused, but I can tell you that it's Mr. Lawrence's character that I trust. His judgment is above question, and he vouches for you—not to mention that you're his ex-wife. And given my partnership with Mr. Lawrence, a billion is really nothing. Hell, I wouldn't mind footing ten!"Helen's mouth was hanging wide open, understanding profoundly how reliable Frank was just then."In that case, I must thank you before all else," she exclaimed, ready to bow.Ned quickly stopped her, chuckling. "Please, Ms. Lane! N
"However!"Luna then reached out to smack Ned repeatedly on the cheek, chuckling. "There's one other family that one must never underestimate too… and that's the Janko family. Rumor has it that they're ready to replace the Lawrences, who are falling into decline."Leveling a look of pity at Helen, Luna grinned. "So, do you really think that the heir to such a grand dynasty of enormous influence would go out of his way to help you with something so frivolous? That's what I've been saying all along… you've been scammed!"Luna then clapped Ned on the shoulder while sneering, "You really know how to put up an act, kid. How much did Frank spend hiring you? Honestly, did you forget about bringing bodyguards? I guess those clothes must have cost you your entire budget, huh?"Ned smacked her hand away before she could reach his shirt and turned toward Frank. "Who is she, Mr. Lawrence?""Helen's cousin. Just ignore her," Frank said, shooting Luna a look of contempt."Oh, you're going to k
The fact that Ned offered to take payment after building the mansion already disproved Luna's insistence that it was a scam. If anything, asking for a single full payment after the acceptance was a gesture of faith—that they really were not eager for their money.If anything, Luna was obviously trying to harass Frank, as she was taking out on him the disdain Cato showed him.Though Frank was the one who saved her from that conman, she somehow considered Frank the reason her love life went up in smoke.She wanted Frank to suffer because she did!"In that case…"Frank was just about to take up Ned's invitation to visit Janko Gardens and disappoint Luna when Helen's phone rang."Sorry, I have to take this." Helen smiled apologetically at Ned as she hurried away.At the same time, Luna was still rambling on. "Hah! Just look at you pigs… I can tell you're all involved in this scam, refusing to show proof… I'll call Mommy! I'll tell her that you ruined my love life and harassed me—"
Talnam was a country neighboring Draconia down south. Things had always been hostile between them, and border conflicts were frequent.In fact, if not for the intimidating presence of the Lord of the Southern Woods in Southdam, one could expect more skirmishes and intrusion into the country. After all, he was the most feared Draconese in Talnam.As such, this kidnapping was utterly bizarre—what could possibly have driven the Talnamese to sneak into Morhen, the very heart of Draconia?And being the Lord of the Southern Woods' son, Frank, had no reason to ignore the kidnapping, whether it was for Gina's sake or his inherited distaste for the Talnamese.After some thought, he nodded. "In that case, I'm going over. The fact that the Talnamese are showing up in the country means things are probably more complicated than we think."Ned nodded in turn. "Then I'm coming with you."Frank agreed reluctantly—he would rather not, but he needed directions or he would have trouble finding th
Helen certainly did not understand why Frank would go all out, even sending for bodyguards."It is." Frank nodded solemnly, and he was concerned over none other than the Talnamese's presence here.The only person who had a connection with them was most likely Frank himself. After all, the Talnamese still held a grudge for the time when the Lord of the Southern Woods led an insurgency into Talnam and almost abducted their king.As the only son of the Lord of the Southern Woods, Frank was worried that the Talnamese were after him.And those folks were known for their savagery—if they really had Gina, Frank would not risk letting Helen get caught by them too.And most of all, he would not allow himself to be used as a bargaining chip against his own father. He would rather die than allow himself to get involved with that man again, especially if it was because of his own competence.With that, Frank brought Ned along in his Maserati and drove straight to the outer reaches of South M
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