"They'll probably send reinforcements. I want everyone out of the trailers. Hide in the forest. Rozi, we're going to show them what we’re made of.""You got it." Rozi passed Miraya to Garp. "Take care of her for me. I'll be right back." "Be careful, Rozi," Garp said.Rozi nodded, while everyone got out of the trailer and retreated into the forest. Adrian said, "Cian, Padraig, you guys retreat too. Remember, there might be monsters around, so stay sharp. Get to the forest and form a circle. Send out a few men to stand watch for any monsters.""Roger.”"Yes, sir.”“You and Rozi stay safe, sir," Oliver added. Adrian silently waited by the road. ***Anatoly received word of what happened.“Sir, we have a problem... All five hundred of our men were ambushed and are dead…""What?!" Anatoly was instantly infuriated when he heard this. "Who are we up against?" he shouted."I don't know. We can’t see anything as it’s dark out. They seem to be well-prepared. What should we do, s
Lights from two swords burst out, and the enemy army yelled as their lives were claimed one by one. Without hesitation, Adrian took them down as they came. He knew these people would only be obstructions during the chaos. Only by killing them all would he be able to unite the nation. Even though there were more than a thousand men, none of them could see the two immortals coming.In a few minutes, the entire army was eliminated. Blood dripped from Adrian and Rozi's swords. Adrian struck a glorious victory pose. Stepping through the corpses, he looked toward Gold Haven and said, "Full speed ahead. We're entering the city.""Yes, sir!" someone responded through the communicator, and the group entered the city. The Battle Warrior Department was the most unique building in the city, and Adrian determined that the enemy had chosen it to be their headquarters since it was still in one piece. Thus, he headed straight for the building the moment he entered the city. "Rozi, take the other
Finally, Adrian’s gaze settled on Anatoly. Trembling, Anatoly stammered, "Y-You're Wyvern Peak's W-War Legate Draco, a-aren't you?""You know who I am?" Adrian asked.Anatoly nodded. "I've seen you on television. What are you doing here?"Adrian smiled. "I heard many people died here and that someone took over the city. I also heard this person raided the nearby villages, so I came here to have a look.""I-Is that so?" Anatoly wiped away his sweat. His mind was blank from everything that was happening. He was no longer as calm as he was a moment ago. "N-Nothing's happened in Gold Haven, sir. However, you're very welcome here."Adrian smiled once more, but it was a smile that frightened Anatoly. "Don't be afraid. I'm not as terrifying as you think. Question though… Are you ready to have your neck severed?"This question left Anatoly stupefied. 'What did he just say?!'In shock, Anatoly got down on his knees and begged, "P-Please, sir… P-Please don't kill me. Let's talk about th
Anatoly’s eyes were filled with fear as his head rolled across the floor. He had been enjoying his life through all the luxuries life had to offer. Completely disregarding how important it was to stay alive, his nightmare soon arrived. He now realized what his victims had felt before he killed them. In the end, he was slaughtered like a helpless lamb. ***Padraig ran into the main lobby as Adrian put away his sword. Seeing the corpse on the ground, Padraig angrily said, "He was the b*stard who slaughtered the villagers, wasn’t he? Damn it. He didn’t suffer enough to pay for his crimes.”He kicked Anatoly's corpse before continuing, "There's a building here that used to be a huge supermarket, sir. They locked up more than three hundred people there. They're all that's left of Gold Haven.""A city like this should have at least six hundred thousand people. Minusing the ones who vanished in the reset, where are the rest of them?" Adrian furiously wondered. Padraig heaved a sigh.
Adrian understood that all people shared a common dream—to see their family and friends leading happy lives. But ultimately, they were hurt and left traumatized."Get to the trailers and bring food and water. Let's feed them before we calm them down," Adrian said."Yes, sir."Cian then spoke through his communicator, and more than thirty people soon came carrying food and water. The prisoners were locked up in a supermarket, but everything inside had been taken by Anatoly and his men. Hence, they had been starving for at least three days. Some of the elderly were on the verge of death.Adrian started handing out the rations, which excited the prisoners.A middle-aged woman cried, "Please give me some water and food. My grandson's about to starve to death."An old man begged, "Water… Please…"Adrian turned around and left the supermarket when he heard their pleas. "Settle down. We've got enough for everyone," Rozi said as she and the others distributed the rations.Cian added,
Oliver and a group headed out of the supermarket, while Adrian headed inside. They were now in a race against time. Everyone's gaze fell on Adrian as Cian and the others gathered around him. Some of them thought that Adrian seemed familiar. "Do you know who I am?" Adrian calmly asked. After a moment of silence, a woman in her twenties carefully raised her hand. A few more youngsters put up their hands as well.Adrian smiled at the woman. "You know who I am?"The woman nodded and stood up. "You're a former war legate of Wyvern Peak, correct? War Legate Draco, if I remember correctly. I've seen you on television.""War Legate Draco?"The adults grew excited when they heard this. They knew who War Legate Draco was despite never seeing Adrian in the flesh. They had heard about him from the news or through word of mouth. "It’s War Legate Draco?""It really is him!""I knew he'd come to save us!"Everyone got to their feet and stared at Adrian in silent excitement. "Everyo
"Whatever I'm saying sounds far-fetched, but after everything that has happened, these are all facts now. What we have to do is to find the game developer, kill him, and retrieve the deleted data to revive the vanished players."The woman who recognized Adrian raised her hand. "Go on.” Adrian gestured. "Sir, are you saying that he's resetting our world by erasing half of our population? How do you know all this though?""What's your name?" Adrian asked. "Elayne Sanders, sir. I'm from Eastrive. I'm a volunteer elementary school teacher at Rivik Village.""Do you know about the Mount Gremont Railway?"Elayne nodded. "I do. It’s a project War Legate Dominus executed.""Then do you know about the ancient ruins uncovered there?" "Yes, I saw it on the news. It was found while the workers were tunneling through the mountain."Adrian nodded. "A few crew members of the project and I entered the ruins, and that's where I learned everything about the Creator. He has tried to reset o
Adrian gazed at the crowd. Everyone exchanged glances. Then, some youngsters and adults, both men and women, stepped forward. Although they were still unsure of what had happened, they knew those who were left behind and weak would only be hurt further. They needed to stand together, and they needed a strong leader to guide them to a better life. They yearned to rectify their lives, and they knew that they would have hope as long as they were still alive.There were about able men and women among the three hundred prisoners, and they were all very calm at this moment. Even Elayne stepped forward, hoping to do her part for the world despite only being an elementary school teacher. A few elderly were getting up as well. When Adrian said upon seeing this, "Veterans above fifty years old, please form a second line and contribute however you can. As for the sick and injured, I'll help you all find a new home to settle down in."Everyone remained silent. He took a deep breath and continu
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