The Council of Elders, Tommy, Ryden, and the others stood in disbelief as they watched the fireball descending rapidly. They were uncertain of what action to take.Barlow's heart sank, his face deeply furrowed, twitching uncontrollably. He trembled all over, consumed by a mix of sorrow, resentment, and anger. Yet, he had no target for his fury, no one to blame.As the fireball neared the ground, Barlow clenched his fists tightly. With a sudden burst of energy, he leaped, causing the stage to quake with a loud bang. He soared into the sky, ascending tens of meters high. He knew he couldn't allow Lenny to crash.Despite Lenny's strength as a level-nine powerhouse, the lightning strike had likely left him severely injured and unable to protect himself. A fall from such a height would be fatal."Lenny..." Barlow's eyes widened as he reached out, aiming to catch him.But as Barlow approached the height of the top floor of the Caviar Restaurant, a horde of enormous monsters lunged at hi
Inside Caviar Restaurant, those who remained were all supporters of the Roys. Most of them were also enemies of Adrian.Adrian's main concern remained Lenny's condition. "If Lenny were struck dead by lightning just like that, it would truly be a joke," he whispered.His senses probed into Lenny's body and quickly found a faint breath still present. "I didn't expect him to be so resilient, but it’s within expectations. He's a level-nine powerhouse, after all. Even if he survives, he's likely to be severely injured.” He sighed softly.Adrian then noticed a sudden change. Lenny, who had a faint breath and appeared stable, began convulsing violently. His whole body trembled uncontrollably, like someone having a seizure. Soon after, blood mixed with foam sprayed from Lenny's mouth and nose.Lenny suddenly opened his eyes wide and stared at Barlow, saying laboriously, "Adrian... Help me...kill him."Barlow, holding Lenny, and the other elders around him were instantly bewildered.Then
"Golden Snake!" Eden shouted angrily, startling both Golden Snake and Herald nearby. They were bewildered by his sudden outburst. "What's going on?" Eden demanded, thrusting his phone into Golden Snake's face.Golden Snake's eyes widened in shock. "What…What's happening?""That’s what I'm asking you!" Eden grabbed Golden Snake by the collar, effortlessly lifting the latter into the air.Eden was known to be exceptionally strong, close to reaching level nine according to Charlie. Though he hadn't quite made the breakthrough, his power was nonetheless formidable."I-I don't know, Mr. Eden," stammered Golden Snake, fearing for his life.Herald interjected, "Could someone have tampered with us and switched the enhancement elixirs? These creatures aren't the expected monsters from the supposed infection; they resemble..." He paused, deep in thought. "Yes, I recall the Rivera family created a drug years ago called Monkify. Injecting it caused rapid mutations, turning people into ape-l
"Damn it, the swap leads back to Adrian!" Eden cursed, his brow furrowed in frustration.Adrian had always been a thorn in Eden’s side. The pressure Adrian exerted on the Valdez family had left them no room to maneuver. Adrian had seized control of Dragoria's entire underground network, which had once been a significant asset of the Valdez family. Losing these connections had forced them to operate through legitimate channels, rendering useless all contracts enforced by coercion. The Valdezes’ businesses suffered a rapid decline until Adrian's departure allowed them to slowly recover."It's been five years. The Valdezes have finally managed to rebuild and grow. I won't let Adrian destroy it all," Eden muttered fiercely, his eyes glinting with determination.At that moment, he yearned to eliminate Adrian immediately. He even regretted turning down offers from families and factions who sought to assassinate Adrian when he was severely injured and comatose after a major battle, out of
‘If the powerhouse is already dead, why use poison on them?’ Eden wondered, and after several minutes, he suddenly had a realization. His face broke into an almost ecstatic smile.Using the poison on a deceased level-nine powerhouse. The other party wasn't just hinting—they were practically spelling out the solution. Where would one find a dead level-nine? Exactly—the dead Lenny who was in the Roys’ possession. And it hadn't been long since his death, so his body was still fresh.At that moment, the television was airing details about Lenny's funeral. There were to be two ceremonies—one in Dragoria and another in Empereon. The Dragoria service would take place at Imperial Monument Park."If Lenny were to become a monster, how powerful would he be? According to my sources, Lenny was among the top ten level-nines in Dragoria during his lifetime," Eden mused. "If he transforms into a monster, in the entire empire, perhaps only Adrian would have the ability to stop him. Even though Adri
At Imperial Monument Park, representatives from various major families and powers had been gathering for a while. The vast square was packed with people. In front of the square, Barlow stood beneath a huge monument, holding a black umbrella, quietly waiting. His face showed both sorrow and anger as his eyes scanned the crowd. He was searching for someone—Adrian.Before Lenny died, his final words demanded that Adrian be killed. Although Barlow didn't understand the reason, he had sensed Lenny's hatred. In Barlow's mind, Adrian was to blame. If Adrian hadn't been so domineering, the Roys and the Council of Elders wouldn't have needed to organize any inauguration ceremony to vie for power. Without that ceremony, Lenny wouldn't have been struck by lightning.Thinking of this, Barlow clenched his fists in hatred.However, he didn't see Adrian or any of his men in the crowd. Not only was Adrian missing, but so were the people from the Natren Military Region, like Zector. On top of that,
Eden was stunned, never expecting this turn of events. If he mingled with the other representatives, sneaking away would be much easier. But if he stood at the front, under the gaze of nearly ten thousand people, he would have no chance to leave."Umm..." Eden was at a loss for words, unsure how to refuse.Barlow thought Eden was being polite, so he took Eden by the shoulder and pushed him forward. Under his lead, Eden and his thousand men in Flaming Dragon Armor moved to the most conspicuous spot in the square.A little while later, a line of headlights lit up on the wide road not far away. Dozens of armored vehicles draped in black cloth slowly approached from the direction of the city and entered the scene. Amid solemn and mournful singing, four fully armed middle-aged men lifted Lenny's coffin from one of the vehicles. The coffin, though not overly luxurious, exuded dignified solemnity. All sides and the top were transparent, except for the bottom, allowing everyone to see Len
In Barlow's eyes, Eden's desperate run was a heroic effort to save Lenny, deeply moving him.Several kilometers away, Adrian stood with his hands behind his back, his sensory power covering the entire square. He knew everything that was happening, even better than anyone else because Lenny's movement was manipulated by his sensory power.Adrian had noticed Eden's intention to flee the scene, so he triggered the Zero Toxin in advance. The toxin had now entered Lenny's corpse and spread rapidly. Lenny's once-stiffened and stagnant blood began to flow again, and the meridians in his body were being drastically transformed by the powerful toxin.Though Adrian couldn't observe these microscopic changes, they soon manifested externally. The most obvious change was in Lenny's heart. His heart, which had long stopped beating, suddenly began beating again, and its size was slowly increasing. Soon after, his lungs also resumed functioning, allowing Lenny to breathe once more.Barlow, lying o