Rustle... Rustle...‘Footsteps?’ Adrian abruptly stopped by some prints on the ground amidst a clump of grass, studying them carefully. He had been journeying north since morning and had now stumbled upon signs of human presence, though no actual people were in sight yet. Recognizing these signs meant he had a chance to escape this place. Thus, he followed the footprints and other traces, forging ahead until he finally encountered living beings.Having spotted those traces earlier, Adrian had already disposed of the peculiar creature's corpse he'd been carrying on his back. While the Hellblade remained sheathed, the Divine Frost Slayer Blade had been drawn. Concealed behind a bush, Adrian silently awaited the approaching footsteps.‘The owner of the footprints weighs less than forty-five kilos, and the steps are light. Could it be a woman?’ Adrian pondered with furrowed brows.‘Could a woman survive in such a harsh environment?’ It wasn't that Adrian doubted women's abilities, but
The woman wore a warrior's outfit, though it appeared worn-out. Judging by its style, it didn't resemble the attire of warriors from Silverboa or Obscura. Adrian surmised that her clothing style dated back at least two hundred years. This place was indeed a hidden paradise.Adrian's expression turned solemn. What surprised him even more was that this woman's strength surpassed that of an ordinary Grandmaster. She seemed almost like a phenomenon, potentially even beyond his capability. Otherwise, his earlier sword strike would have pierced her throat.As Adrian observed her, the woman also scrutinized him. Her gaze held a hint of curiosity, especially toward the black windbreaker he wore, something unfamiliar to her. "Are you an outsider?" she asked. Fortunately, she spoke a language Adrian understood; otherwise, their encounter might have turned deadly.Adrian felt relieved. Despite her strength, the woman didn't seem murderous, let alone monstrous. In hindsight, his earlier actions
Previously, Adrian had wielded the Divine Frost Slayer Blade in an attempt to strike the girl. However, she deflected it with her dagger, and Adrian pretended to drop the blade. Yet, the groundwork for what was to come had already been laid.Feigning anger and allowing himself to seem irrational, Adrian led the girl to believe she could manipulate him. Though he couldn't pinpoint her exact location, he anticipated that she would appear behind him the next time.As expected, when she reappeared, Adrian's sword descended. It pierced through the girl, narrowly avoiding Adrian's back. She gazed down in shock at the sword that had pierced her body, disbelief evident on her face as blood dripped from the blade.Adrian grinned at her. "This sword moved before you even arrived. You're fast but foolish."Confronted with Adrian's mockery, the once-smug girl showed panic for the first time. Her life force rapidly drained as she sensed the sword, capable of flight, recklessly sapping her vital
Though small in amount, what Vital Energy Adrian had was sufficient to mend the girl’s injury. Since her internal organs were intact, there was no need for meticulous repair, hence not requiring an excessive amount. The energy from the two fish he consumed was already enough. The wound healed completely, leaving no scar behind.When the girl opened her eyes, she realized her life force was no longer draining away. Hastily, she sat up and hurriedly put on her clothes, despite them being blood-soaked. Having clothes, even stained, was better than none.Seated on the ground, the girl stared blankly ahead, her gaze filled with horror as she looked at Adrian. "What did you do to me?"Adrian responded, "I healed you."The girl didn't believe him. "This is sorcery! You're a mage!"‘A mage?’ Adrian frowned, scarcely believing what he was hearing. "I don't understand what you’re going on about, but I mended you to show that we're not enemies for now. So, I hope you'll answer my earlier que
With determination, Adrian addressed Cherry, "Please, take me to see your leader."Cherry immediately shook her head. "That won’t work. You're an outsider, and our leader hates meeting with outsiders," she stated firmly."Is that so? Then I insist on going, and you can’t stop me." Adrian's resolve matched Cherry's firmness."I... I..." Cherry felt somewhat helpless. She stammered for a long time, unable to form a complete sentence. Eventually, she had no choice but to follow behind Adrian as he walked ahead.***Meanwhile, deep within the forest, a man named Ash Toth was locked in a fierce battle. He was a formidable warrior from Mapleston, surrounded by a group of ferocious monsters. Despite their relentless attacks, Ash's strength was evident as he easily dispatched many of the creatures, causing them to fall one by one. But among the monsters, there was one that was particularly formidable.Ash unleashed his full power. "Go to hell, you monsters! Hah!" Flames surged in his han
With a resounding boom, the shape of an infant dropped off from the left side of the monster’s body and instantly turned to ashes."No!" The creature let out a desperate scream.Adrian's eyes lit up with hope. "Let's target the right side now!" he shouted. Having succeeded in his attack, Ash's morale soared. "Alright!" he exclaimed.With a shout, Ash directed the flames in his hand toward the monster’s right side.Boom!A muffled sound resounded as the barrier on the monster’s right side was also destroyed. With both sides of the barrier destroyed, the monster let out a piercing scream. Although Ash's attack hadn’t caused it any harm, breaking its barrier was still a significant blow."Your tricks have been exposed. What else can you do now?" Adrian taunted the monster."How dare you interrupt my training! Today, you'll all perish here! Take this!" the monster roared angrily.The monster had not taken Adrian and Ash seriously before, but the pair had managed to push it into a
In the next second, the monster expelled a powerful surge of dark black gas from its mouth, resembling a tornado as it surged forward. Adrian knew that this was probably the monster's last resort. It seemed that it realized it had no chance of winning, so it wanted to pull Adrian down with it. "Hmph! What a vicious move! But unfortunately, it's useless against me! You're going to die alone!" Adrian shouted as he exchanged a glance with Ash.Following this, they both rushed toward the monster. With the barrier no longer shielding the monster, its strength had significantly diminished. It was no match for Adrian and Ash. After several exchanges, it began to lose. "Damn it! I...I can't lose! I can't lose to you!" the monster cursed while glaring at Adrian and Ash."Unfortunately, your fate is sealed. Prepare to repent in hell!" Adrian shouted."No!" the monster cried. In the next second, a horrifying force swept forth, completely engulfing and obliterating it in an instant."All d
For the following days, Adrian ran the small shop Ash helped him set up, accumulating money and gathering information about the monsters. A few uneventful days passed. Just when Adrian thought he would have to wait for a long time, something unexpected happened.One day, while Adrian was moving his stuff in the shop, he overheard some pedestrians chatting."A group of monsters attacked Meadowshire two nights ago. A monster hunter appeared and fought them off, but he himself was seriously injured..."This information immediately caught Adrian’s attention. He quickly stopped what he was doing and went to the street to listen to what others were saying. From the conversations of people passing by, he learned that the situation in Meadowshire Village was dire. Monsters had ravaged the entire place, leaving it in ruins. Many houses were destroyed, and the villagers looked disheartened as they sat in makeshift tents with dirty faces. Additionally, many of them spotted injuries of varying
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