Marissa panicked. The roc was clearly a powerful beast, while Marissa was just an ordinary eagle that greatly paled in comparison. "Adrian, I can't beat that bird. We should go, now," Marissa whispered, fearing the opponent might hear her and be further emboldened.Adrian was frustrated. The fight had just started, and Marissa was already showing weakness. This would only feed their opponent’s ego."Stop it," Adrian commanded Marissa in a low voice. "You don't have to be scared when I'm around.""Marissa." Rozi stood next to Adrian as she called on her sword. "Adrian's right. We have to be confident in ourselves.”The muscular man looked disdainfully at Adrian and snorted, "You're not going anywhere!"The roc, too, looked smug and it flapped its wings aggressively and dived straight at Adrian and Rozi. Swift as lightning, the roc's sharp beak nipped at them like a sharp sword. Adrian frowned slightly, annoyed at the man's audacity for wanting to kill them even though they mere
The men bravely stepped forward and were ready to fight, aiming for the huge bounty from taking down the trio. Marissa's expression darkened. She decided not to show them any mercy despite how handsome they were and dashed toward one of the men who had blue eyes.Stab!As blood splattered, the blue-eyed man dropped dead before he could even make a sound. The other men froze. Their gaze turned to Marissa. She had mercilessly taken someone’s life. Realizing that they needed to eliminate her first, one of the men yelled, "You're dead!" Several swords were raised as the men cut off Marissa's escape routes. "Such shameless men. Don't you feel embarrassed having to gang up on a woman?" Marissa grasped her sword and decided that it was all or nothing. One of the men coldly said, "We only care about the outcome, not the process."These men were not going to back down through logic or reason. Adrian yelled, "Stand down, Marissa! Pride doesn't matter! Staying alive is what matters
Adrian did not wish to stay any longer either. Greenhurst was too small a place for any renowned doctor to exist. They needed to find somewhere larger if they wished to cure Rozi. "Let's go,” he said.After leaving, the trio arrived at a fork with no road sign. Each path led to somewhere far in the distance."What the hell?" Marissa kicked a pebble by her feet and angrily said, "How are we supposed to choose which road to take?" Adrian remained silent. At the moment, they were clueless about Debonaire. Moreover, because of that run-in, they had lost track of that old man, Claude, who was talented in medical treatments."Are those lights over there? Let's go and take a look," Rozi suggested. They found that it was a house close to Greenhurst. Adrian was worried the occupants may not wish to take them in after the huge commotion in the town. Marissa was overjoyed they were able to find a place to rest, especially since the sky had turned dark. "Adrian, I think you should be ge
"I'm an elder of the Ivory Clouds. You've taken my roc's life, and for that, you three will die.” Adrian's scalp tingled when he heard this sinister voice. The lights suddenly went out, plunging them into darkness. Adrian tried to reach out to hold Rozi's hand, but she was no longer there.He yelled anxiously, "Rozi!" There was no response.Swish! An arrow suddenly flew toward Adrian, aimed at claiming his life. Adrian dropped to the floor as he figured that was the safest place to be. He narrowly dodged the arrow, which bounced off the door and a few walls before clattering to a stop by his side. Whoosh! The lights returned and the house was lit up once again. Adrian was no longer at the same spot he was a moment ago and was completely alone. He rolled over toward a large tree and climbed it. Although Rozi and Marissa were missing, he remained rational and calm. He knew it was important to be so at the moment. "Show yourself!" A man in black appeared, dragging a net behi
Thud! Without so much as a backward glance, Adrian hurled his sword at the tree and caused the man up there to fall to the ground. When the latter landed by Adrian's side, he asked, "Do you believe me now?""Johnny!" the man yelled in a panic, worried for the person’s life. "Are you okay?"Johnny Tackle was the man Adrian had met upon arriving in this world.Johnny’s hands were tied behind his back and his mouth was gagged. He was unable to answer the man in black. All he could do was wiggle and squirm. The man in black heaved a sigh of relief, but beads of cold sweat could be seen on his forehead. "You b*stard! Let go of Johnny! You'll become the Ivory Clouds' biggest enemy if you dare harm him!""Hah!" Adrian snorted. He had heard that the Ivory Clouds were one of the four strongest factions and wondered how powerful they would be. It turned out that they were just a bunch of weaklings. "You underestimate me. Let Rozi and the eagle go if you want him freed," Adrian said non
"Good boy." Adrian patted Adrian's face. "I’d say you won’t dare to try and come after me for this, right?"Johnny remained silent. He thought he would be able to vent his frustrations out on Adrian, but the latter never gave him the chance to do so. However, there was nothing he could do about his resentment toward Adrian. The man in black waved his hand, and Rozi was brought out. She had been tied up and thrown into the coffin where the roc was laid to rest. She was pretty badly shaken. "Adrian!" Rozi cried as she threw herself into Adrian's arms. "The roc’s body was all cut up!" "What?!" Johnny looked at the man in black angrily and in disbelief. "Did you do that?"The man in black did not dare meet Johnny's gaze. He was supposed to carry out the dissection discreetly. Nobody would have known what happened if Rozi had not been placed in the coffin. "No, I didn’t," the man immediately denied, “The roc is our leader's precious pet. All of us revered it as a divine being. Why
Everyone turned toward the elder, whose name was Sylvas Armstrong. Yet, the direction he was looking at contained nothing aside from a single light.This was the best chance for Adrian’s group to escape, so Marissa tried grabbing his hand and leaving. Yet, Adrian stood steady as a rock, not wanting to leave.Rozi urged, "We need to leave. They will surely examine the roc, so there's no need for us to stay."Adrian solemnly said, "We’d be turning ourselves into the culprits if we leave now. We’d then become targets of all four major factions and have to run for the rest of our lives."Rozi remained silent, while Marissa sighed helplessly. Marissa understood they had no choice but to resign to their fates since they did not have any allies in this world. "We've done nothing wrong, so there's no need for us to be afraid of their leader." Johnny, realizing that there was nobody in the house, was sure that Sylvas was trying to create a diversion. He quickly turned back, and when he
"It was me," Adrian confessed.Caroline was in disbelief. Gazing at his skin tone which was completely different from theirs and assuming he was much weaker than them, she wondered how Adrian could have possibly killed her bird."Are you serious?" "Absolutely." Adrian had no plans of cowering away from his actions.Caroline was devastated. Their leader forbade his apprentices to leave the mountains. When the roc was gone for a day, Caroline thought that it was just playing hide-and-seek and had been looking for it in the mountains. Yet, she was now met with such tragic news."I'm going to kill you!" she screamed.Adrian was displeased. He had been forced into killing the roc out of self-defense, after all. "Aren't you going to ask me why I killed it? Don't you think you're being too hasty?" he questioned.Caroline did not want to waste time. She thought that the trio were their guests, but after realizing that Adrian was the murderer, her mentor would surely not let him liv
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