"What’s happening over there? I can't reach my people," Wynone asked urgently.Snapping out of his daze, Eden replied, "I don't know. I just saw all of the Arroyos' suicide warriors get killed. And Herald, he's gone too."Wynone fell silent for a moment, clearly stunned. Then he asked, "Where are you? Are you safe?"Just as Eden was about to assure Wynone of his safety, a sudden scream pierced the air. He looked down and saw one of his soldiers ensnared by a tentacle. The soldier fought desperately, but the tentacle wrapped around him and easily crushed him despite the Flaming Dragon Armor he was wearing. The soldier coughed up blood and died shortly after."What?!" Eden exclaimed, shocked that the tentacle could easily penetrate the Flaming Dragon Armor, which was designed to withstand attacks from level nine fighters.Witnessing this, the remaining nine hundred soldiers began to panic, some starting to retreat."Eden? What's happening?" Wynone's voice came through again, filled
Eden was willing to sacrifice those soldiers; his main concern was not letting those thousand sets of Flaming Dragon Armor go to waste. After all, his family, the Colons, and the Arroyos had invested half their fortunes into creating them.“But… But…” Eden stuttered. Reluctant but unable to refuse, he clenched his teeth and said, “Fine, let’s work together.”Keeley stepped forward, clearing his throat. “I'm Keeley Black, a level nine fighter. All Flaming Dragon Armored soldiers, heed my command!”Upon hearing the name "Keeley Black," the soldiers were stunned. Everyone in the city knew who he was and was familiar with his reputation. They were just confused about why Keeley was now giving orders instead of Eden.While they were still processing, Keeley continued, “This city needs you, and Dragoria needs you. We can’t let that monster leave the vicinity of the monument and enter the city. Your mission is to hold it back. If anyone retreats and I find out, they will be executed on th
Not only did Keeley think this way, but Zector and Fergus also shared the same sentiment. Adrian replied, "Although I can control it, deploying such a creature on the battlefield would inevitably harm Dragoria. Lenny turned into this monster because he was injected with Zero Toxin. Deploying it to the northern battlefield would be acknowledging its existence. In the future, if our level nine fighters die in battle, they will transform into such monsters to continue fighting. I can't and won’t tolerate such a thing!"Upon hearing this, Keeley, Zector, and Fergus were stunned and felt ashamed. Despite being nearly twice Adrian's age, they had a lesser grasp of principles than him."Alright, I'll have them attack together now," Keeley said.Following his command, all the soldiers unleashed a barrage of powerful firepower at the monster. Since Adrian was no longer controlling it, the monster did not resist.With a massive explosion, one of the monster's forelimbs was severed and fell
[You’re asking me to betray Dragoria?][I’m asking no such thing. Haven't you forgotten about the Zero Toxin? The moment you bought it, you already betrayed Dragoria.]Upon reading this, Eden fell silent. The person was right. Even though they sought more research funds, their actions amounted to betraying Dragoria. Moreover, the one he had turned into a monster was Lenny. If this matter were exposed, the combined retaliation from the Dragoria military and the Roys was something they could not hope to withstand.On one side, there was fear and uncertainty over undetermined research funding. On the other side, there was a chance to get a trillion gold per family and flee. Naturally, Eden chose the latter. If he could secure the research funding before leaving, he could make another fortune and take it with him.After some pondering, Eden said, [I agree to your proposal on behalf of the Valdezes, but you have to contact the Arroyos and Colons yourself.]The other party responded, [H
In a small, inconspicuous village in Novena, Richie was sitting with his eyes closed, deep in meditation. He had learned from Kieron that the three families would inject Zero Toxin into Lenny's corpse tonight, and he had been eagerly awaiting news. Injecting this poison into the corpse of a level nine fighter was unprecedented, so he was very curious about what kind of monster this would create.Just then, a woman approached the hut silently. She peered inside and saw Richie sitting quietly before moving closer."Richie, Mr. Kieron asked me to give this to you," the woman said.Richie slowly opened his eyes and looked at the item in the woman's hands."Open it," Richie instructed."Sure.” The woman nodded.A burst of light appeared, projecting a three-dimensional image in front of Richie. The image recorded everything that happened tonight in Natren. Upon seeing the monster, Richie's eyes widened with shock, excitement, and a hint of fear. This was the first time he had seen such
After all, moving three such huge families together would cause a big commotion. Plus, with so much data, materials, and equipment, it was difficult to sneak them out from under Dragoria's nose."If I can divert Dragoria's attention somehow, it'll be easier," Kieron mused. However, he couldn't come up with a good solution even after thinking for a while. To attract Dragoria's attention, he needed to cause trouble on the border, but with only 500 people in the camp, it wasn't enough to create a significant commotion.Just as Kieron was feeling troubled, Rosetta, a female subordinate sent by Richie, arrived. She lifted a corner of the tent entrance and said, "Mr. Kieron, Richie has an urgent matter and wants to discuss it with you."Kieron nodded. Soon, he followed Rosetta to a shack in the small village.As a Falconian, Kieron had always had a sense of superiority. Therefore, when facing Richie, he wasn't as reserved as Rosetta and walked straight in after pushing the door open."R
However, thirty kilometers was nothing to a level nine fighter, especially Richie. He practiced the Stealth Tiger, a special technique passed down through generations in Novena. Anyone who mastered it would eventually become a level nine fighter, and Richie was the most adept practitioner of the Stealth Tiger since its inception.With a resounding roar, the entire jungle trembled. Within the dense foliage, Richie had transformed into a giant tiger through the Stealth Tiger technique. His aura resembled that of a tiger, with yellow-black stripes, making it difficult at first glance to distinguish whether he was human or tiger.His movements were agile as he darted through the jungle at astonishing speed. In less than ten minutes, Richie arrived at the foot of the spire. Before him stretched a long staircase that ascended directly to the mountaintop, its end obscured from view.The entire staircase was carved from stone, with each step engraved with the names of warriors from Novena w
Richie walked through the grand hall and down a long corridor until he reached the storage area for bodies. This area was even more spacious than the hall, filled with neatly arranged, two-meter-high cubes. Each cube had a display pearl showing internal temperature readings and a black stone tablet above it with the names of level-nine experts.Richie quickly found Emalwolf's tablet. He tapped on the cube, and Emalwolf's body soon appeared. Since Emalwolf had only been dead for half a year, his body was still in good condition, with minimal dehydration.Seeing Emalwolf’s body, Richie felt a mix of hatred and madness. His hatred stemmed from Emalwolf's death and his inability to avenge him. With terrifying figures like Adrian in Dragoria, revenge seemed impossible.Emalwolf's killer was a level-nine expert. Among the level-nine experts in Novena, Richie had been closest to Emalwolf. If revenge was to be taken, Richie knew he had to do it himself.Now, Richie saw a glimmer of hope. I
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