Adrian sat on a dune and pondered deeply. He had to figure out the lake, or it would be difficult for them to walk out of the desert. He considered every possibility to eliminate all the possible occurrences.About ten minutes later, Adrian opened his eyes and said to Gloria and Mya, “Close our eyes. We’ll try walking with our eyes closed.”“Walk with our eyes closed?” Mya was stunned. Was walking closed-eyed through a desert not akin to a headless chicken?Adrian beckoned and said, “We might be able to walk out of the desert with our eyes closed.”He did not explain further and placed Gloria on his back. He then grabbed Mya’s hand and said, “Close your eyes and don’t speak, just walk. When I tell you to open your eyes, open them.”The two women followed his instructions. Adrian started to walk forward, with one hand pulling Mya along and Gloria on his back. The three of them walked in the direction of the lake with their eyes shut. There was no concern of hitting something in
In other words, they were at the farmhouse when their eyes were shut, but were back out in the desert as soon as they opened their eyes. The video continued to play and dozens of corpses showed up on the screen, lying all throughout the farmhouse’s yard. Then a few other figures appeared in the video—the people from Black Mamba. They were walking through the yard.“Those corpses are the bodies of the Wyvern Peak seniors we saw earlier. Aren’t they out in the desert? How did they end up in the yard?” Gloria was extremely astonished to see the corpses on the screen. Mya was astounded and looked at Adrian in a daze. “What’s going on, Adrian? It feels like we’ve been in the yard all this time but we just can’t walk out of it. Are we hallucinating?”Adrian shook his head. “This isn’t a hallucination. It’s real. The yard is the desert, and I believe that there’s some sort of magic circle protecting the farmhouse. The desert that we see is actually an illusion. The desert doesn’t exist.”
They shut their eyes and lost count of how long they had been riding the camel.Suddenly, the blazing heat ceased to exist and the air turned gloomy and cold. It felt as if the surrounding area had changed, and the camel stopped walking.Mya asked, “Can we open our eyes now? It doesn’t feel like the desert anymore.”“I think we’ve gotten out of there,” said Gloria. Adrian hesitated for a while. Then, he slowly opened his eyes. He realized they had entered a forest. There were beautiful flowers and singing birds everywhere, while a farmhouse sat quietly ahead of them. The camel that they rode had vanished.It was as if they were still in the same place and had not left. Gloria and Mya opened their eyes and looked at their surroundings in astonishment.Mya asked, “What’s going on? Where’s the desert?”Gloria was astounded as well. Words could not describe the situation that was happening here. Other than the farmhouse, everything else had vanished. The trio looked toward the
After Adrian picked Gloria up, the three of them walked on. The forest proved to be pretty small, and they managed to exit it and reach a highway about an hour later.Cars drove past on the highway. Adrian immediately said to Mya, “Go offer to buy one of the cars. Noirsandians are friendly, so just talk to them nicely.”Mya made an “okay” gesture and stepped onto the highway to wave down the passing cars. One car stopped. There were a few men sitting inside, and they spoke in Norsand.“Hello, beautiful. Can we help you? Would you like a ride?”Mya pulled out a huge stack of Navien bills from her bag that she flashed to the men in the car. She said in Norsand, “I’d like to buy your car with this money. Will you sell it to me?”That stack of bills was worth a few thousand dollars at the very least. A few thousand in Navien Dollars was worth a few hundred thousand dollars in Noirsandia. These people would become instantly rich if they exchanged these Navien bills at the bank. The
The trio walked into the restaurant. As Mya went to the counter to order, Adrian and Gloria got a table. Adrian removed his coat and draped it across Gloria’s shoulders to keep her warm against Northsea’s cold. He then took a seat and studied the map to draft up a plan for their arrival at Bortuguesa. It did not take long before Mya came over with a jug of hot coffee. She sat down and said, “I talked with the manager and found out that the ship to Bortuguesa will be departing at seven o’clock tonight. We have three hours till then. There’s only one ship that travels to Bortuguesa from here, and it only makes the trip once a month. If we miss tonight’s ship, it’ll be another month before the next one.”Upon hearing this, Adrian said, “Then let’s head off after our meal so we don’t waste time.”Mya answered, “Okay. We’ll need to ask around for the miracle doctor once we get to Bortuguesa. The country is pretty small—only the size of a city. It should be easy to get information there.
It was common to encounter individuals who were arrogant and ignorant of their limitations in a small place like this. These people behaved as if they were overlords who had absolute control over people’s lives. Adrian stood up and walked toward Don Black.The man known as Don Black was puzzled when he saw Adrian approaching. He then flew into a great rage and pointed the gun at Adrian, roaring in rage, “Who the heck are you, boy? How dare you stand up in my presence! Do you not know you’re a slave?”Adrian furrowed his eyebrows and exuded a murderous air. He continued to walk toward Don Black without uttering a word. Don Black was startled but continued to say angrily, “I’m speaking to you, boy. Are you blind or deaf?”All the guns pointed toward Adrian. Don Black never expected someone to have the courage to provoke him. He was so furious that he fired a shot. With a whistle, the bullet flew toward Adrian, who stretched out his right hand to catch it. He then tossed the bull
Thud. Don Black’s body hit the ground, his eyes widened in fear. The moment he collapsed, the restaurant patrons stood up and looked at Adrian as if he was an angel. They were shocked. “Thank you!”“Thank you!”The patrons went up to shake Adrian’s hand.These people’s lives were decided by others, and similar incidents like this occurred frequently in these parts. Many innocents died every time this happened. Yet today, someone had killed the wildly conceited Don Black. One of the local major troublemakers had been eliminated. “Let’s finish our meal.”After taking out Don Black, Adrian returned to his seat and continued to eat. Due to the incident, he decided that they should leave as quickly as possible. The trio quickly polished off their food and left as dusk started settling in.They rushed to Northshore Port, and it was already dark by the time they arrived. The place was brightly lit, and the ship parked in the water was ready to depart. Adrian, Gloria, and Mya saw a
Mya shrugged. “You guys stay here and indulge in your intimate moment. I’m going to take a look around. I’ll be right back.”“Don’t wander too far,” Adrian said. Mya nodded. She could not bear to be unoccupied, so she took a stroll around the ship and returned after more than an hour. Upon her return, she hastily said, “Guys, I asked around and found out that the miracle doctor showed up on this ship last month. It seems like the miracle doctor does exist.”“He showed up here last month? That means he’s still alive,” said Adrian. “Yes, he is. I told you you’d be fine, Gloria. We’ll look for him posthaste once we get there tomorrow morning,” said Mya smilingly. She then yawned. “The journey got me beat. I’d like to catch some Zs.”Adrian hastily made some space and patted the spot next to him. He said to the two women, “Go ahead and use my thighs as pillows. I’ll wake you guys tomorrow morning.”Mya and Gloria put their heads on Adrian’s thighs and fell asleep. Adrian leaned b
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