Crack… crack…The sound of shattering echoed through the air, reverberating across the desolate landscape. Adrian and Renee had emerged in a stark and barren mountainous region. Clearly, they were no longer in Death Valley.Boom!Renee felt herself land on something soft. She was stunned and couldn’t quite process what had just happened.However, she forced herself to calm down. As she regained her composure, she was overwhelmed by the suffocating weight of the dust-filled air. Looking around in confusion, she noticed that the surroundings were unfamiliar. What’s more, Adrian was nowhere to be seen.“Huh? Where did he go?” Renee muttered. Her gaze darted about until it froze on an unbelievable sight.To her surprise, Adrian was beneath her, barely clinging to life. His breathing was faint, and his body was limp as if death had already taken him. Renee gasped, utterly shaken. She hurriedly got to her feet and lifted Adrian. After she dusted him off, she looked at him with a mix
Swallowston, the biggest city in Navia.Something astounding happened.A private cruise ship appeared on the horizon of the Swallowston Sea. Hundreds of fighter jets escorted the ship from the air while an aircraft carrier sailed behind it. Cars pulled over and onlookers were stopped behind a yellow line. All to open up a path for a legend.The person was rumored to be a bigshot, the protector of Swallowston, bearing the title of “War Legate.”“Welcome back, War Legate!” a roar came from the pier where ten thousand soldiers were lined up, looking in high spirits.A young man disembarked from the ship. He looked majestic with his head held high. He had an air of confidence that could change the mood of wherever he went and seemed unbeatable.The man was a legend in the military and a hero of the country. He was given the title of “War Legate” and was only second to one other person. He founded the Blood Corps which was sharp as a sword and was undefeatable. This man was a legend
“What? The war legate is coming?” Everyone’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news.“Wilfred, who is this war legate? Was he the one…” Leonard was in awe.There was only one person who held that title in all of Navia—the leader of the Blood Corps. There was no other like him.The entire city of Swallowston had to accommodate the man’s every move today.“Who else? Of course, it’s the Bellum Legate who had a ten thousand soldier-strong blockade today.”“Heavens, he’s coming to our home?”“Grandfather is so famous that even the legate is coming to see him?”The legate was well-known among the citizens, but few had ever seen him.“The gods are smiling upon our family.” Harold raised his hands. “Ever since Henry’s death, our family has been blessed with wave after wave of prosperity. Even the legate is coming to celebrate my birthday!”Everyone present was excited. What had they done to deserve attention from the legate?The Xanders were overjoyed.***“Father, the legate is almos
After saying that, Adrian left Xander Manor with his mother and sister.There was no reason for him to stay any longer.***Once they left, Cecelia said, “He thinks he’s so important after having been in the army for only seven years? He thinks he can tear down our family? What a joke.”Everyone burst out laughing.“Wilfred, can you find out when the legate will be arriving?” Harold put the matter aside and asked his son.“Yes, Father.” Wilfred nodded, then quickly called the person who had contacted him earlier.The Xanders started getting ready. The women put on makeup so they could present their best selves to the legate.After some time, Wildred turned to his father awkwardly. “Father, they said that he was here and just left.”“What?” Harold was worried.He came and left? Why?He turned to look at them and anxiously asked, “Did you see anyone come in?”“No one else other than Adrian.” Everyone shrugged.Harold took a deep breath. Did he miss his chance for a big break?
The two men said that Samantha and someone named Mr. Devin were spending time alone in her office. But from what Rue said, Samantha was a loyal woman.Why would a woman like that do what she was doing? Was there some sort of misunderstanding?Adrian went up to the office.***CEO’s office, the Bailar Group.A beautiful woman sat in the office. She had long hair and a nice figure. She was elegant and had a pair of long, slender legs that were crossed under the desk.That was Samantha Cowell.Her company had been kicked out of the Alyanz Chamber of Commerce because of sabotage from competitors, and she was accused of wrongdoing. To avoid going to jail, she was forced to give her company away.That night was her last night at the office. Years of hard work were going to disappear, so she was feeling upset.“Samantha, have you signed the agreement?”The door of her office opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He smiled and asked her after walking in.The man was Devin Williams,
Adrian hung up and sat down to wait.After Devin heard what Adrian said, he chuckled. He knew that Daniel was a big shot in Swallowston and that he was the general who worked under the legate. That meant that if he stomped his feet, the city would shake.Devin thought that Adrian was just pretending to call Daniel. It was probably a fake number.“Hahaha! Henry was a genius. Too bad his son isn’t.” Devin continued to laugh.He knew very well what happened to the Xanders since he was a local of Swallowston.Devin said, “Sure, I’ll wait with you. I’d like to see if you can really bring Daniel Summers here.”He then sat down on the couch, lit another cigarette, and crossed his legs.Adrian ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.Within ten minutes, just as Devin was arrogantly enjoying his cigarette, the door of the office was kicked open again and Daniel, who was in uniform, walked in. Devin was shocked.Behind Daniel was the richest man in Swallowston, Damien Holland, owner of
Adrian gave a few more instructions before hanging up the call.“Celine Blanche… You’ll pay with your life.”***The next day, Adrian got up early and prepared breakfast.When Rue woke up and saw what he had done, she was shocked. “Adrian, why did you…”He smiled. One of the reasons he came home was to try and lessen her burden.“Breakfast is ready. Could you wake Ada and Sam for breakfast please?” he asked.Rue sighed because she no longer recognized her son. However, she was relieved that he was back. She did not plan to ask for more.Soon after, Adaline and Samantha stirred and walked out of their rooms.Upon seeing that Adrian had made breakfast, Samantha was surprised, but it soon turned into disappointment. She was disappointed because she thought that was the only thing he planned to do upon his return.“Sam, have some breakfast,” Adrian said to her.Adaline walked over and sat down on the couch. “If all you learned these past seven years was to cook, you’re pretty muc
It was better if Adrian had kept silent.After he spoke, Samantha was outraged. She slapped him and anxiously said, “Do you think you’re the war legate? Ask General Summers to settle this. Who do you think you are?”Rue was crying, and Adaline turned around to hide her tears. If Celine found out that they were fighting at Alyanz Tower, she would surely not let Adrian get away.“Sam, put your trust in me,” Adrian said to her.“Why should I?” She looked at him as tears welled up in her eyes. She never thought that Adrian would be so impulsive that he would start a fight here.There was no time to think. Samantha quickly said to Rue, “Mother, Ada, bring Adrian home. I’ll go in on my own.“I’m just one woman, I don’t think Celine will do anything to me.”She thought that was the only way out.Rue was nervous. “Sam, just let this go. Let’s all go home.”“Sam, we won’t be able to remain calm if you go in there alone. We should just give the company to them,” Adaline tried to advise.
Crack… crack…The sound of shattering echoed through the air, reverberating across the desolate landscape. Adrian and Renee had emerged in a stark and barren mountainous region. Clearly, they were no longer in Death Valley.Boom!Renee felt herself land on something soft. She was stunned and couldn’t quite process what had just happened.However, she forced herself to calm down. As she regained her composure, she was overwhelmed by the suffocating weight of the dust-filled air. Looking around in confusion, she noticed that the surroundings were unfamiliar. What’s more, Adrian was nowhere to be seen.“Huh? Where did he go?” Renee muttered. Her gaze darted about until it froze on an unbelievable sight.To her surprise, Adrian was beneath her, barely clinging to life. His breathing was faint, and his body was limp as if death had already taken him. Renee gasped, utterly shaken. She hurriedly got to her feet and lifted Adrian. After she dusted him off, she looked at him with a mix
Renee watched Adrian nervously, her expression filled with disbelief. After all, Death Valley had never been this terrifying before. Despite its ominous name, the actual danger wasn’t supposed to be this extreme.At this moment, Renee couldn’t figure out what they had triggered. Could their luck really be this bad? In the past, Renee had traversed this area alongside powerful warriors from Ciawales, even those at the Nascent and Fusion Stages, and they had passed through this valley with ease. But this time, the journey was unexpectedly difficult, fraught with numerous obstacles and dangers that left Renee utterly terrified.Fusions typically passed through this area without trouble. Even she and Adrian, who had slain the giant serpent, were effectively at that level of strength. By all logic, they should have been able to leave without any issues. But now, another monstrous entity had appeared, far more intimidating than anything they had encountered before.Adrian’s face darkene
“Is he not going to wake up?” Renee’s expression was filled with anxiety.The situation was dire. The thunderbolts were almost upon them, threatening to annihilate everything. Yet Adrian remained immersed in his deduction, showing no signs of waking up as if he was fully absorbed in deciphering the formation.Indeed, when it came to analyzing formations, such meticulousness was necessary, especially when attempting to uncover its deadly traps. This task could not be rushed.Crackle, crackle, crackle…Serpentine lightning twisted through the sky, streaks of energy descending as if from the heavens, ready to shatter everything. The entire sky trembled, and it felt like the very fabric of reality was breaking apart.Rumble!The barrier trembled once more, and the entire space around them quivered violently. Despite its strength, the barrier now seemed barely able to hold against the unrelenting onslaught. The thunderstorm’s sheer power was not something any ordinary person could wit
Adrian’s gaze sharpened as he released a wave of killing intent. “Hmph! So there’s still something left. Let’s shatter it once and for all!”Without hesitation, Adrian sat down cross-legged, summoning a powerful surge of energy that enveloped the barrier overhead. His forceful aura spread out, reinforcing the protective shield as he began to analyze the patterns of the formation around them.From the energy fluctuations, it was clear that this was not an ordinary formation. Deducing this, Adrian’s expression grew colder, his killing intent palpable.Boom!A powerful force reverberated, shaking the earth and sky. Renee was stunned. Adrian had once again entered a meditative state to break the formation. Should she assist him?The intensity of the attacks was overwhelming, and if Adrian were interrupted now, the consequences could be dire. Thinking of this, Renee prepared to make a move.“Don’t move. Stay put. This isn’t the same formation as before,” Adrian commanded sternly as if
Adrian scanned his surroundings, his gaze sharp and icy cold. The darkness of the night seemed to carry an ominous presence. He halted, staring intently at Renee, and said, “Don’t rush.”Renee was momentarily stunned, a look of confusion on her face. “What’s wrong?” she asked.Renee hadn’t noticed anything unusual. The only thing she desired was to quickly leave this cursed place. The longer she stayed here, the more uncomfortable she felt.Whoosh!A fierce wind swept through Death Valley, making the towering trees shiver as though they were alive and fearful.Adrian’s expression turned even colder as he looked around and shouted, “Stop hiding! Show yourself!”The sudden outburst left Renee startled. She couldn’t tell if Adrian had lost his mind or if her own senses were just too weak. The air seemed empty, with nothing unusual. The biting cold wind had always been a part of Death Valley’s sinister aura, something Renee had always attributed to the place’s natural state.Adrian’
Some daemonic beasts have a final self-destructive instinct upon death, causing their inner cores to explode and leaving nothing behind for humans to absorb. This was why an intact inner core was incredibly rare and precious.Yet, here Adrian was willingly giving one to her. Renee felt deep gratitude in her heart for this unexpected gesture.“Thank you. If I ever have the chance, I will repay your kindness,” Renee said with sincerity in her eyes.Adrian replied, “No need to thank me. You will certainly have the opportunity. Aren’t you my servant now? Protecting me is your duty. All right, let’s keep moving.”He continued moving forward. By now, it was already late at night.Renee gazed at Adrian, puzzled. She couldn’t figure out what kind of person he was. He treated her like a subordinate, yet his actions were more like those of a friend. She was finding it harder to understand Adrian’s intentions.But Adrian clearly had his own reasons. He wasn’t one to conform to expectations.
"What did you say? You want me to absorb it? But this inner core… It's yours…" Renee stammered, utterly shocked that Adrian was offering her the inner core. She knew well how precious this inner core was.Absorbing a beast’s inner core would significantly boost one's strength. It wasn’t that Adrian didn’t understand this fact. But he still responded calmly, "Yes, you heard me right. I want you to have it. There’s no need to be so surprised."Renee’s eyes widened even further. She couldn’t believe Adrian was treating her this generously. After all, she was just his servant.But to Adrian, it was a worthwhile decision. He had always viewed Renee as an equal. When he was injured, not only did Renee refrain from attacking him, but she also didn’t seize the inner core. More importantly, she had given him her energy to help him recover.Adrian had now gained immense strength. If he were to absorb the inner core’s power on top of that, it might be too much for him to handle and could back
Adrian chuckled lightly. "Why are you so excited? See, I'm awake now. If I never woke up, would you have stayed here watching over me forever?"Renee huffed, half-annoyed. "I’m not that foolish. If you hadn’t woken up, of course, I’d leave."Adrian smiled. "I need some time to recover. Can you keep watch for a little longer?""Sure!" Renee replied eagerly, beaming widely.Adrian then sat cross-legged and began his recovery. Watching him, Renee was filled with both shock and joy. It was nothing short of a miracle that Adrian had regained consciousness. Deep down, she felt a sense of relief mixed with surprise. She had never expected this outcome.At the same time, a flood of questions filled her mind. Normally, Adrian should not have survived such an ordeal. By all logic, he should have already been on his way to the afterlife. Yet, here he was, awake and alive. Renee found herself at a loss for words, overwhelmed by confusion.Seeing Adrian’s intense focus as he trained, Renee co
At that moment, a sudden burst of earth-yellow light erupted within Adrian’s consciousness. It was once again filled with surging waves of power. The soul storm reappeared, and the mysterious chaotic white mist returned, spreading throughout Adrian's soul space.The strange and mystical scene looked astonishing, and slowly, Adrian began to wake up from his deep slumber. As he regained consciousness, he felt a soreness envelop his entire body. Even his soul power seemed to have a slight ache.But before Adrian could fully process this sensation, a terrifying force surged through him. It flooded his entire being with an overwhelming energy.“What...What is this? This power is incredibly strong,” he muttered, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He could sense an immense energy roiling within his body, shaking his very core. The waves of power felt both foreign and potent, making him feel even stronger.Adrian’s expression turned to one of shock and unexpected delight. It was the