He looked around and noticed that they were in a tunnel with railroad tracks. It was a deep tunnel, and there were no monsters in sight.Nadine explained, "This is a tunnel outside of Vanglesville. Rozi and I found it and decided to hide in here. When she heard the explosions outside, she suspected you might be in trouble and rushed over to help.""Her timing couldn’t be any more perfect," Adrian said, taking a sip of water.Rozi asked, "So, who’s this?"Adrian replied, "This is Marissa Shore. Marissa will be our eyes from now on."Rozi gave him a puzzled look as Nadine examined Marissa curiously.Adrian continued, "It turns out Wonder left behind the method of dealing with the Creator before he made the compromise. The method was split into several parts and hidden in different places, waiting for the chosen ones to arrive. Marissa here is someone I found in the shrine. Her boyfriend was the shrine's caretaker, tasked with protecting its secret.""What secret?" Rozi asked."Th
Adrian's words left Rozi deep in thought. She contemplated and digested the information he had just shared. After some rest and food, Adrian recovered his strength, and Nadine massaged his shoulders. Marissa sat down with her back leaning against the wall, lost in her own thoughts.After some time, Rozi asked, "So where’s this eagle, and how is Marissa supposed to merge with it? Did the drawings provide any clues?"Adrian explained, "Wonder hid the information as he feared others with ill intentions might find out and use it for nefarious purposes. Only the chosen ones can uncover the mystery. Hannibal searched for it but failed."Nadine smiled. "Well, at least we now know about the eagle. That's progress."Rozi asked, "Based on everything you know, where do you think this eagle might be located?"Adrian thought about it for a moment and said, "I think Enigma City and Partingia are somehow connected to Wonder's plans. History seems to be overlapping in unexpected ways." He then he
Rozi replied, "My kingdom worshiped the eagle. You’ll see pictures of it throughout the city. The eagle was a sacred creature to us, and every year, my father would perform rituals to honor it.”Adrian contemplated for a moment, then said, "In that case, my deduction should be correct. The eagle artifact should be in Mount Shangspar.""The areas around Partingia went through a catastrophic change when it suddenly disappeared in the past, so I think the kingdom remains frozen beneath the snowy mountains. In other words, the artifact is still there," Nadine said.All of the information seemed to be pointing back to Partingia, and one thing became abundantly clear to Rozi—she needed to go home and find answers. After she calmed down, Rozi asked, "So, when are we going to Mount Shangspar? I'd like to return and take a look at my old home."Adrian shook his head. "The eagle artifact and the eye gems are only part of the key. They won't be enough to defeat him. Wonder split the key int
There was no chance of them retrieving Sean's body and burying him, so Adrian wanted Marissa to give up on that thought. After all, Sean was gone. There was no need for them to take the risk and venture out for him.Although Marissa was young, she understood and nodded. "I understand."Even though she felt regretful, she knew she needed to focus on the bigger picture.Rozi changed the topic and said, "In that case, we should prepare to head to the train station. How do we get there, Adrian?" The train station was located on the outskirts of Vanglesville. It was a small station, so only a few trains would pass by every day. Adrian was not sure if there were any trains there, and even if there were, whether any of them had enough fuel and were in good condition. None of these things could be determined until they got there."If we follow the tracks, we should reach it in about seven kilometers or so. We should be able to reach the station pretty soon," Adrian said after searching t
"The station is overrun with monsters. Getting inside is relatively easy, but starting up a train will take some time. We’re going to have to eliminate all the monsters first."With some rough estimate, Adrian guessed there were more than a thousand of them inside. That did not seem like a lot, but after going through so many battles, Adrian knew more monsters would swarm to the location when they began fighting. Consequently, they were not facing just these thousands, but countless more coming from all sides.Rozi looked around and said, "There are too many monsters roaming nearby since we're still near Vanglesville. We'll be surrounded if we force our way in. Is there no other more reliable plan that doesn't involve fighting?" She looked at Adrian with a puzzled expression.Adrian shook his head, "No, there isn't. The station itself isn't very big, so we won't be able to sneak in unnoticed. Facing them is our only option.”"That doesn't seem like a very wise decision."Marissa p
Adrian, less than two hundred meters away, observed the situation. Nadine and Marissa looked nervous upon seeing the monsters.Adrian frowned and said, "Get ready, everyone. On the count of three, I want you two to stay very close behind me and Rozi as we enter the tunnel. After that, Nadine, Rozi, you two head to the nearest gate, while I go to the farthest one. Rozi will provide cover after the gate is shut. Nadine, you and Marissa follow me to the control room. Understand?""Understood," the three replied."All right, One… Two… Go!" As soon as he gave the command, Nadine and Marissa dashed forward, following behind Adrian and Rozi as they raced toward the tunnel. The noise created by their rush instantly attracted the monsters in the vicinity. Some of them leaped off the tracks and chased after them. The monsters inside the tunnel also noticed them and started rushing out.Adrian and Rozi, with swords in hand, quickly dispatched the closest monsters. Within a minute, the group
Meanwhile, Rozi was battling the monsters on top of the train. Fortunately, Adrian found spare fuel on the train. Relying on his experiences, Adrian did a series of checks to make sure all of the train was undamaged.The train soon roared to life and began jerking while spewing out white steam. Adrian smiled and called out, "It's operational. I need you to tell Rozi to open the gate after the third honk. We'll then rush out of here."To reduce the train's load, Adrian uncoupled several carriages while Nadine passed on the message to Rozi. When he heard Rozi's response, Adrian took a deep breath and got ready to instruct Rozi to open the gate.However, a series of rhythmic metal sounds came from inside the tunnel. It sounded like an S.O.S. message. Adrian did not pay much attention to it initially, but the sound grew louder and louder."It's a distress signal."Nadine and Marissa exchanged glances as he continued, "There are survivors here. You two, stay here and don't move. I'm
Six survivors—four men and two women—ran out of the room. Adrian, with no time to introduce himself, simply said, “Follow me!" They all headed toward the train, where Rozi was locked in fierce combat with monsters from all directions. Some had even begun damaging the train. Over a dozen monsters tried to block Adrian's path, but he cut them down with a single swing of his sword. He protected the survivors as they closed in on the trainHe shouted, "Get in!"Without hesitation, the survivors boarded the train. Adrian looked up and said, "Rozi, grab onto the train once you've opened the stone door! We're getting out of here!”"Got it!"Adrian dashed back into the train’s control room. With three loud honks, Rozi leaped down from the train roof and began to turn the gate's lever in the opposite direction, gradually bringing up the gate.As the gate opened, the monsters outside began to pour in. Some even jumped onto the roof. Rozi smartly chose not to open the gates completely, j
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