As Clara was taken away, the rest of the Cowells lay limply on the ground. None of them were able to utter a single word, including Violet.Instead, she simply shed a few tears for Clara’s sake.After that, Samantha rushed up to Violet and said, “I doubt you’ll want to live anymore once Clara is dead. As harsh as this may sound, you’re the sole reason why Clara is in this mess today. The same goes for Hugo and Nathan. You’re also to blame for how they turned out.“You chose to look down on others you see as lesser than you. Plus, you squandered all of Grandfather’s inheritance. Despite all this, you refused to realize your mistake and even thought you were a very successful person. However, there is one thing that you’ve successfully achieved…“You’ve damned a perfectly good family all on your own.”Samantha was no longer holding back her punches against Violet. Instead, she spoke the words that have been lingering in her mind for the longest time. After all, she now had the chanc
Samantha initially wanted to show them mercy but she realized that the Cowells did not deserve her sympathy.Soon, the Cowells left. Samantha sat on the sofa and cried into her hands.Joanna approached Samantha to comfort her.Rue heaved a sigh and said, “Sam, do you think that you’ve gone too far with what you said earlier? After all…”“Gone too far?” Samantha interrupted Rue, “They hurt, scolded, and humiliated me over and over again for the past seven years. Yet, I went back to please them time and time again. Grandmother would repeatedly kick me out of the family and claimed to have disowned me.“Seven years. They’ve gone too far with me for seven years. How have I gone too far when all I did was say something that I should have said?”Rue was at a loss for speech.Joanna said, “Mdm. Rue, Sam hasn’t gone too far at all. Though her words were unpleasant, she was telling the truth. In addition, I would’ve wanted Violet to die earlier if I were Sam.“I’d like to see if she wil
The next day, Samantha cast away the distracting thoughts in her head and returned to work with Joanna.The situation with the Cowells was calm and no one came to find Samantha.Adrian called Daniel early in the morning. He asked, “Has Seth been apprehended?”Daniel answered, “He has. However, he insisted that Clara is the murderer and he isn’t involved. Moreover, the De Forrest family found a bunch of witnesses to provide him with alibis. We don’t have adequate evidence right now so we have no choice but to release him.”The Battle Warrior Department did not have the authority to detain a person for more than twelve hours without adequate evidence.“Also, Seth's father, Tristan De Forrest, is rushing over to take him back to Northrive. If we don’t produce solid evidence, the boy will flee.”“Where is Seth now?” asked Adrian.“Swallowston Bar.”“All right, I’ll go look for him,” said Adrian.After hanging up the call, Adrian drove straight to Swallowston Bar.***Meanwhile,
Clara’s best friends planned on sucking up to Seth so they could gain some benefits, never expecting this to happenThe women shrieked loudly and they started to tremble from head to toe.Seth looked at Adrian with narrowed eyes.“Legate, what are you doing here? You should be fighting enemies in the outlands instead. Are you here to arrest me?“Are you looking to get yourself into trouble because you’re bored?” Seth asked with an arrogant expression on his face.He had one too many drinks and assumed that what he said was perfectly reasonable. ‘Even if you wish to get me in trouble, you’ll need to produce the evidence.’But it became apparent that Seth was not qualified to quibble with Adrian.Adrian said, “Seth, my goal of coming here today is simple. You only need to answer one question I have for you. Is Simon Black’s death related to you?”“Hahaha!” Seth raised his head and laughed as he said, “Bullsh*t. Give me the f*cking evidence if you wish to accuse me. Just f*ck off
Seth never expected the legate to be so violent.If he had known, he would not have had the courage to oppose the legate.Seth thoroughly regretted his action. Even if he were to live, he would be a cripple without arms. What would be the point of living that way?It was a grave error in misjudgment.Seth had no idea that one error could destroy his entire life.Under such unnerving circumstances, he began to break down.***Under the close watch of everyone in the bar, Seth was arrested and taken to the Battle Warrior Department.Soon after, Clara and Seth were transferred to Internal Affairs and Simon’s murder case became widely known throughout Swallowston.The department presented evidence to Internal Affairs that Clara and Simon were the culprits in the case.Over the next few days, many people in Swallowston followed the case closely.Three days later, Internal Affairs announced that Clara and Seth had been convicted of murdering Simon. Moreover, it was revealed that t
Adrian nodded at Samantha who remained in the car.He got out and his gaze swept over the people around them. The young man walked over and lit himself a cigarette. He beckoned at Adrian. “You’re War Legate Draco, right? F*ck, you’re behaving so atrociously in Swallowston when you’re supposed to be dealing with wars in the outlands.”Adrian was rather surprised because it was his first time encountering someone who still had the audacity to behave in this manner after learning about his identity. His interest in this person was instantly piqued.“Are you talking to me?” Adrian said. The young man burst out laughing and assumed a righteous mannerism. One could see boundless pride in his gaze.“War Legate Draco, do you know who I am?”Without giving Adrian the chance to answer, the young man chuckled and said, “I am Thomas De Forrest. Seth is my younger brother. I have five thousand subordinates in Northrive and they all five thousand of them will kill without leaving a trace wi
Adrian had already figured out Thomas’ identity.Then, he said, “I’m rather overwhelmed by your choice of words. ‘Pay with my blood,’ ‘an eye for an eye.’ Impressive!“You’re pretty confident in yourself.”Thomas must be confident to say such words to War Legate Draco.However, it was possible that one would have to face something that would make one regret being overconfident for the rest of their life.In a display to Adrian, Thomas beckoned at the five hundred people surrounding them. He said after chuckling, “I’ve always been confident. War Legate Draco. I’m afraid that you’re in trouble today.“I have more than five hundred professionally-trained subordinates here. Though you are formidable, do you think you can escape while you’re all alone? I’m afraid that that won’t be easy.”“Is that so?” Adrian shrugged.Thomas chuckled once again. “Don Roman will spread his influence to Southrive and work with Internal Affairs after I kill you. Wyvern Peak will then be relieved of it
“Wh-What?”Thomas was instantly shocked and he took a few steps back. His earlier arrogant expression had left his face.Thomas was dumbfounded. The scene before his eyes played out completely differently from what he had imagined. In his imagination, these five hundred people would pin War Legate Draco against the ground and beat him to death.He never expected the scene before his eyes to happen.“H-How is this possible?”Thomas started to panic. He could not make sense of what just happened. He assumed that there was strength in numbers and that War Legate Draco, no matter how powerful he was, was just one man.‘How is this happening?’ he thought.“Oh no, oh no…” Thomas broke down and burst into tears. He never imagined that something like this would happen.Thomas frantically backed away as Adrian walked step by step toward him like the grim reaper.Every step Adrian took was like a torrential river. He exuded a monstrous presence that could not be weakened. The presence b
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