Everyone pushed forward, while Adrian followed the ones at the front and asked, "What's your situation, Steel? How many people do you have? Are any of them injured?""A lot of my men got stranded. I currently have more than two thousand men in my unit, with more than two hundred injured, but minor. There are only two of them with severe injuries.""Give me a moment. I'm going to lock onto your position right now.""Okay," Steel replied. "Crystal, where’s Steel's signal coming from?"Back at Novemton headquarters, Crystal had been fully focused over the past two days, tirelessly providing support. "Found him. He's near the swamps, which is about ten kilometers straight ahead of you."When Adrian heard this, he quickly said, "Steel, order your men to stay put. I'll reach you in about twenty minutes.""Yes, sir.” Adrian’s unit picked up the pace, and they managed to meet up with Steel and his men inside the rainforest in less than twenty minutes. Everyone was excited to see Adri
"Yes, sir!" The main unit arrived at the edge of the rainforest after ten minutes, heading toward the valley plain with a few mountains nearby. The plain was located on the outskirts of two mountain valleys, with a lake in the middle, where a few enemies were fooling around. A temporary base was built near the lake, where a helicopter was parked outside.Adrian was a little hesitant to proceed further, so he took out his binoculars and scanned the area. "Ivy, Eira, Blaze, Klause, locate the nearby sentries and eliminate them with your daggers before they spot us.""On it," they replied. Adrian and the rest hid in the bushes and stayed very still while waiting for Ivy and the others to contact them. After approximately five minutes, Ivy said, "I found six of them at my location. They're all dead now.""Done on my end too.""There are some in the mountains behind us. We'll need to go around the back to eliminate them. Get ready, sir, you’ll have to move fast once those guys hav
The people from Dragon Peak were absolutely confused when they saw the airdrop containers, including Thiago.Watching the containers descend toward their base, Thiago quickly said, "Everyone, stand down. There might be something dangerous inside."Since the containers were directly above the base, it would surely damage their structures when the containers landed, which was why Thiago did not ask for them to be shot down.Due to the wind's speed and direction, the containers' movements were constantly shifting. Somewhere inside the rainforest, Gloria was keeping an eye on the wind's speed and direction, so when she saw these changes, she quickly said, "The wind's getting stronger. We don’t have much time left."Adrian immediately ordered, "Alan, Lucas, Steel, shoot down those parachutes and have the remote at the ready. We're opening the containers the minute they land on the enemy base.""Yes, sir!" The trio waved, and their men who had been hiding near the rear-end mountains b
Steel and the others, who were on the mountain roads, gave out the order and said, "All units, protect our vanguards!""Charge!""Charge!"Ra-ta-ta-ta!!!Bullets were being fired from all directions.With the onslaught, large numbers of Dragon Peak soldiers gathered outside their base fell dead before they even knew what happened. "We're under attack! Return fire now!" Thiago yelled as he turned around, seeing his enemies emerging from the rainforest.As he yelled, Thiago saw a figure closing in on him, and fast. Without any time to react, his jaw dropped as he recognized the person getting closer and closer to him. He yelled, "War Legate Draco! I can explain…"Yet, Adrian arrived and immediately swung his dagger, and Thiago's head rolled.After eliminating Thiago, Adrian yelled, "I've taken Thiago down! The rest of you, lay down your weapons if you want to live!"The sound of gunshots providing cover for Adrian and his team continued. Blaze, Wildfire, Nyssa, Jenine, and the
Flynn was Griffin's senior from training camp, and they both held important roles in Wyvern Peak. With the addition of his men, the entire unit was strengthened. When the others saw him, they yelled, "Welcome back, Flynn!" More than two thousand men, including Flynn, joined the fight with daggers in hand. They shouted strenuously as they battled the enemies.When Gloria saw the situation, she quickly said through the communicator, "Firestorm, take the injured to the helicopter now. The rest of you, provide cover fire and protect the helicopter until it takes off."Firestorm, who was inside the rainforest, yelled, "Go!"The unit in hiding charged out of the rainforest and headed straight for the helicopter. Everyone quickly dispersed and provided long-range cover for the ones heading for the helicopter. Mya, Ivy, and the other women surrounded the helicopter in a defensive formation in case any enemies showed up. In less than five minutes, Firestorm brought Berserk, Ridge, and
Adrian's right arm was drenched in blood. The shrapnel from the fireball pierced and tore open his muscles, causing it to bleed non-stop. While assessing his injuries, Mya yelled, "Lena! Help him!" Lena carried her medical kit over to Adrian and bent down. She took out bandages and various medical equipment. Mya turned around. "Cover us!" A group of people surrounded Adrian while Lena used her tweezers to remove the shrapnel in Adrian's arm. "Why would you do something so foolish? Do you not want your arm anymore?"Adrian's arm was trembling vigorously from the pain. He sat up and said, "We've been tricked, Mya.""What?" Mya was slightly startled. "Have everyone end the battle now. This is our last chance, or we're all going to die on this island."Mya began to panic, but instead of asking questions, she shouted into her communicator, "Everyone, wrap it up!”Everyone continued to do their best when they heard this, and the battle ended after another thirty minutes. Everyo
The most critical moment of their Serpent's Haven operation had arrived, and their lives now depended on whether they could get on the last flight in time. And the chances of that happening were close to zero. After a moment of silence, Lucas said, "I'm really sorry, sir. This is all happening because of us."“What are you saying?” Adrian shot a glance at Lucas. “Is that all you're capable of? What you need to do right now is to come up with a way to get everyone on that plane as quickly as you can instead of feeling apologetic."Lucas quickly replied, "I'm sorry. Let's put our heads down and come up with a solution. Where's the plane? We need to know this before we make any plans."Mya said, "So what if you know where the plane is? The Eight Hollows already know where we are. They must've arranged for a suicide squad to stop us along the way and force us to waste enough time for them to leave before we can get there."Her concern was indeed worth thinking about, and everyone s
"Which is why we need to locate the manual detonators and think of a way to get rid of those as well."Everyone exchanged looks for a moment before Gloria said, "If this manual detonator is somewhere inside their base, we could blow the entire place apart and the detonator along with it. But if it's outside the base, it'll be a lot more troublesome because we’d have no way of finding out where it is." That was true. They needed to be absolutely sure if they wanted the plan to go off without a hitch. The slightest misstep would cause their mission to end in failure. Right at that moment, Mya's eyes twinkled. She snapped her fingers and said, "If we kidnap their leader, they wouldn't dare detonate the switch and blow the entire island apart."Everyone agreed with her idea. It seemed like their only option was to get their leader to stay behind on the island.Adrian seemed to have thought of something and said, "Crystal, can you find out just how many of the Eight Hollows are on th
The Daemon Emperor was startled."What is happening? This power..."Formless energy was surging forward, pressuring his nerves and senses.Below, Andy and the others trembled uncontrollably."Who is it?" Finnian stared into the crimson mist.Even Andy was horrified, his gaze locked on the unfolding scene in disbelief, and asked, "What is this? What exactly is happening?" At this moment, Adrian abruptly opened his eyes.Apparently, the Daemon Emperor had once conspired with Adrian's subordinates to ambush him.However, Adrian had managed to annihilate the traitors and sealed this Daemon Emperor. Now, fate had brought them together again."If I killed you once, I can kill you again." Adrian stood tall, his white robes fluttering in the air.The Daemon Emperor was stunned into silence."This is impossible! You're not that mortal boy!""Is that so? In this life, your end has come, and so has the era of the daemons." Adrian's voice was calm yet resolute. He stretched out his han
Adrian's face hardened at the words. He despised threats above all else. While he understood what the mysterious entity desired, he couldn't yet fully comprehend its implications or find a way to counter it. His only choice was to focus on growing stronger.Within the hot spring, waves of raw, terrifying power surged and crashed violently against Adrian's body.The force, though beneficial, was brutal and overwhelming. Adrian's body struggled to endure, cracking as though it were disintegrating."Arghhh!"A heart-wrenching scream echoed as Adrian's flesh was torn apart and his aura gradually dimmed."Ahhh!"His agonized cries echoed once more. He could no longer withstand the pain.In the distance, a towering figure appeared and sneered. "What's this? Can't take it anymore? Pathetic. Humans are truly the epitome of stupidity."Suddenly, Adrian erupted with an explosive surge of energy, and in that instant, he broke through to the pinnacle of the Void Stage."Hmm? He actually b
At that moment, the crowd was speechless.Adrian had ascended as if it were the easiest thing in the world.Faced with such a sight, no one could say much beyond admiration. Even if the Holy Son claimed Adrian had cheated, many secretly wished they could cheat the same way.Lacking Adrian's means, all they could do was envy him.Finnian chuckled. "Haha! You really caught us all by surprise, kid. Still, I'll count this as you repaying me a favor."For Finnian, the outcome couldn't have been better. With a broad smile, he seemed to have achieved his desired result. Adrian's successful climb was all that mattered to him.Once Adrian had vanished, the focus shifted to the rest of the group and their trials.When Adrian opened his eyes again, his entire body ached, but an oddly comforting sensation flowed through him. Surveying his surroundings, he realized he was now in a pond."Where am I?" he asked.Though uncertain about the place, Adrian knew he had cleared the trial and arriv
The onlookers stared in bewilderment, their faces etched with confusion as they struggled to grasp the unfolding events.Meanwhile, Adrian seethed with barely contained rage. This wasn't his first encounter with such torment. Every few steps he ascended, another trial awaited.To Adrian, the relentless punishments felt suffocating. Yet he pressed on—this was the final stretch of the climb. "Adrian, hang in there!" Andy shouted, urging him to conquer the last step. To Andy, reaching that final step symbolized Adrian's growth. He had witnessed Adrian's remarkable resilience countless times and held unwavering faith in his potential. In Andy's eyes, Adrian was destined for greatness. Adrian's expression turned cold as he locked his gaze on the steps ahead. Determination flickered in his eyes. "If reaching the top guarantees a reward, it doesn't have to be me up there. As long as someone makes it, that's enough." With that, he shifted his focus to the void above and formed
Adrian felt as if every nerve in his body was beyond his control. A deep sense of grievance filled his heart as the divine thunder from the void relentlessly crashed down.Rage surged within him, but under the onslaught of endless forces, he felt weak and constrained.Still, he had no choice but to press forward. He knew victory was within reach if he could endure a little longer—giving up now would mean death.If he fell, the shame and humiliation would crush him.Below, the Holy Son and others waited, eager to see him fail and mock him. This left Adrian no option but to push forward, striving toward the void above and his ultimate goal.The violent forces continued to bombard him from the sky.With every step, the thunder's impact intensified tenfold. His soul, already battered from a fierce battle with a horde of beasts, now felt as though it was dragging his exhausted body forward.Anyone else would likely have succumbed to despair. After all, under such immense pressure, ev
The oppressive forces descending from the void seemed determined to halt Adrian’s ascent up the staircase.Yet he refused to yield. To him, these overwhelming challenges were merely obstacles to conquer.He pressed forward with relentless determination.Thunderbolts continued to rain down, but the ominous red light from before did not return—a relief, as he never wished to endure its crushing weight again.The memory of that light still haunted him, leaving a lingering sense of helplessness. Its suffocating pressure had drained his strength, reducing him to a gasping, powerless state.Despite the toll on his body and mind, Adrian remained singularly focused on reaching the final step. His burning desire for greater power drove him forward, unwavering and resolute.Step by step, he ascended, reaching the 95th step in what felt like an instant.Only five steps remained. His gaze locked onto the summit, and a wild glint lit his eyes. A daring idea sparked within him, consuming his
Adrian pondered his situation, his cold gaze reflecting simmering frustration. Yet deep down, he recognized that whoever had designed the staircase was far from ordinary.Creating such a formidable trial required unimaginable power.Even a pinnacle Void Stage expert—or perhaps someone of the Multiply Stage—might bow in reverence before the ladder's creator."He won't last much longer. The divine lightning in this void is utterly destructive. In moments, he'll be reduced to ashes," sneered the Holy Son, his sharp eyes gleaming with malice.To the Holy Son, Adrian's demise was inevitable. Adrian had dared to offend him, and he was certain such audacity could only lead to death.Adrian caught the Holy Son's words and cast him a frosty glare. His intent to kill was unmistakable, though now wasn't the time.The staircase was no place for personal vendettas—eliminating him here would require careful planning.He also knew the Holy Son carried seals of immense power. A reckless move co
Finnian's sharp gaze reflected a hint of admiration. "Kid, you owe me a big favor this time. You'd better treasure this opportunity."Adrian remained silent, unsure how to respond. His cold eyes revealed no emotion, though he fully grasped the challenges ahead.Fear was a luxury he couldn't afford—he'd come too far to back down now.Suddenly, a streak of red light surged from the void, hurtling toward Adrian with terrifying speed. His eyes widened in shock as the crimson beam struck him, slamming him against the staircase.Caught off guard, Adrian collapsed, sprawled helplessly on the steps.The crowd below watched in astonishment. No one had expected his seemingly indestructible body to be overwhelmed so easily.The Holy Son sneered. "Haha! It seems he's triggered some kind of taboo. Let's see how arrogant he is now!"His voice dripped with schadenfreude, his eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction as he relished Adrian's struggle.Despite the crushing force, Adrian refused
"What exactly is up there pulling me so strongly?" Adrian's expression hardened as he pondered the mysterious force drawing him upward.A surge of violent energy erupted across the sky, crashing down like a raging storm.Adrian advanced cautiously, each step deliberate and precise.Gone were the reckless strides of before—now he moved with steely determination, fully aware of the lurking dangers.He'd learned that the void's formidable forces seemed to target him directly, compelling him to proceed step by step. Any attempt to bypass its unseen barriers would provoke a devastating strike."Ridiculous," Adrian muttered. "If I've chosen to climb, nothing will stop me."The void's relentless power intensified.Bolts of thunder hammered down mercilessly, battering Adrian's body. Yet fear never crossed his mind.What was there to be afraid of?To him, the divine thunder wasn't an obstacle—it was a crucible, a tool to temper his body and strengthen his resolve.Despite the storm, A