Adrian's muscles were tightly wound after half a night's worth of slaughtering. He was indeed exhausted after such a strenuous exercise. However, it was not the time for him to fall asleep yet. “We’ll head to Red Alley in a minute. Reuben should've already delivered our luggage. There are supplies inside we’ll need for our journey.""But the Luposians are looking for us." Gloria refuted. "Don't worry. I'll find a car to drive to Red Alley. We'll leave the city once we procure the luggage and get some rest when we've reached the outskirts."Gloria said nothing more.Adrian stood up and said, "Wait here. I'll go get us a rental car."Gloria nodded and soon fell asleep as she rested her head against the bridge. She slept for about five minutes. Adrian was holding her by her waist by the time she woke up. A car was parked near them, and he was carrying her toward it."Where did you get that?" Gloria asked. "I knocked out the driver. Come on. We have to get to Red Alley." Glori
No one throughout history had ever achieved such an extraordinary feat.Countless people had their eyes on Luposia, many of them praying that War Legate Draco would reach Bortuguesa and find the miracle doctor safely. They prayed that Gloria would come out of her situation safe and sound too. ***Meanwhile, in a city outside Luposia called Groundton, a car was parked outside of Red Alley.Adrian was sitting in the car, looking toward the alley. A masked woman stood there with a suitcase in each hand. She seemed rather anxious, constantly looking around at her surroundings. He walked over and stopped before her, to which the woman was slightly startled.She probingly asked, "Are you War Legate Draco?"Adrian nodded.The woman quickly said, "Here's your stuff, sir. They were sent to you from Luposia through an airdrop. I'm a volunteer studying at Luposia. My name's Jessie. You should put them away quickly."Adrian took the luggage and looked at Jessie. "They'll find you. You sho
Adrian did not consider twenty-four hours tough. During the Battle of Azure Creek, he had gone with little rest for a whole week. Throughout that time, he had only occasionally rested for about two hours at a time. At that moment, he needed to be extremely careful with every single move he made.As they drove toward the outskirts through Groundton, a security camera at the city's headquarters caught something. They had found Adrian's car driving out of the abandoned bridge, which was grounds to alert the Luposians. "Sir, something's off with this rental car," one of the staff members said. The headquarters' leader walked over and took a look at the security feed. "Why would a rental car drive out from a place like that? Something's definitely off… Find out where that car is right now and send a convoy to have it surrounded.""Yes, sir." At the same time, departments from all cities received this piece of news and got a lock on the car's location."The car is at a fork by Tun
“About three thousand. We're usually scattered across Groundton to gather intel, but we’re currently gathered together. The enemy doesn't know where we are, so there's nothing for you to worry about. We're extremely familiar with the ins and outs of the city. We'll scatter again once this is over, and they'll never find us.""How should I address you?" Gloria asked. "Earthsplitter, Ma'am.""Got it. Thank you for your help, Earthsplitter.""Think nothing of it. We're all from Novemton, so it's only normal for us to help one another. Also, we've always been fans of War Legate Draco. Stay in touch," Earthsplitter said. After hanging up the phone, Gloria turned to Adrian and said, "The intel organization is going to make its move right away. There's around three thousand of them, and their leader's codename's Earthsplitter."Adrian nodded. Meanwhile, Earthsplitter, who was wearing Luposian clothing, stood before his three thousand men army somewhere within Groundton and said, "Wa
After saying that, Earthsplitter vanished.The Luposians could only watch as Adrian entered the outskirts and ultimately disappeared. Back at Luposia's headquarters, their leader helplessly cursed in fury as he could only watch Adrian drive toward the outskirts. Everyone in Luposia's upper management felt a humiliation never experienced before.A whopping hundred thousand men were sent to the harbor to lay in ambush and surround Draco when he showed up. In the end, thousands of them were killed, while the others were too frightened to make a move against him. This news that got passed on far and wide throughout the outlands would be a great source of humiliation for Luposia. They had gone through all sorts of trouble to find out where Draco would be, yet he managed to slip right past their fingertips yet again. "Sir, Draco disappeared into the outskirts. Shall we send our men to scour the mountains?" a middle-aged man walked over and asked the leader. The leader was furious ove
"Once we get past this forest, we'll restock our supplies at the nearby city before driving to the train station. Then, we'll get out of Luposia."Gloria studied the map. "We could go to Noirsandia to the north of the desert. We should be able to get to Bortuguesa after a two-day boat ride, give or take."Adrian shook his head. "We'll waste more than a day if we do that. There's a shorter route that could take us to the northernmost parts of Noirsandia's shores. After that, we'll take a boat directly to Bortuguesa. We’re going through the Uduma Desert," Adrian said. Gloria instantly became anxious. "Are you crazy? How do you expect to get out of the desert with me on your back?""It’s the shortest route that could save us more than a day. Afterward, we'll head to the city to get some supplies, take a train to the borders of Uduma, and cross the desert to head straight to the northern shores of Noirsandia.""But—"Gloria wanted to say that despite the Uduma Desert being a smaller
Adrian drove to the nearest village to purchase some food and drinks. The next step of his plan was to drive to the nearest train station and take a trip to the outskirts of the Uduma Desert. There, he would get a off-road vehicle to enter the desert, then find a camel to cross the desert until they got to the northern shores of Noirsandia. They would then take a ship to the Bortuguesa island.The entire journey would usually take around three days via the normal route. But if the route Adrian chose went smoothly, they would reach Bortuguesa in two days. Thus, Adrian did not have much time to waste, nor did he wish to waste any more time. Gloria felt a little helpless inside when she saw Adrian throwing the Luposian man over the cliff without hesitation. He was definitely a changed man compared to before.***Adrian drove along the mountain tracks and arrived at the nearest village. Meanwhile, Luposia's headquarters searched everywhere for Adrian. They had set up roadblocks on
"Go!" "I see them!" The Luposians yelled as the other guards quickly ran toward the mountains. They only had one mission—locate War Legate Draco and kill him no matter the cost. More than ten thousand men instantly ran up the mountains, while Adrian had already left his location with Gloria on his back.At that moment, they were heading downhill toward Snowpeak Village where security was a lot more lax thanks to that attack. There were only a few more men guarding Snowpeak Village when they suddenly saw a phantom fly past, followed by a bright glimmer of light. They fell to the ground, dead, before they even realized what had happened. Without stopping, Adrian carried Gloria into the village.Wee-woo, wee-woo, wee-woo!Sirens around Snowpeak Village blared, causing panic throughout the village. Adrian successfully snuck into a convenience store. The store owner was holding a gun, trembling as he looked at Adrian. He never expected the great War Legate Draco to show up in his s
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