Upon hearing Adrian’s words, Nadine suddenly realized that she knew less compared to him even though she was a few years older.Contradiction was the one trait that all humans shared at times indeed. It was an indisputable truth.Perhaps her grandfather was a man who contradicted himself.***Afterward, Nadine told Adrian about some dos and don'ts in the car before heading to her family home. She sternly told him to follow whatever she said. After all, she knew the family home like the back of her hand.Adrian naturally agreed to follow Nadine’s instructions. Then, they purchased some gifts from a mall nearby and were going to pass them off as Adrian’s gifts to Nadine’s mother as Nadine’s boyfriend.After purchasing the gifts, Nadine drove toward her family home. Many of the Gardners were aware that she was coming with her boyfriend because Carlene had informed the family. There were orders that Adrian was not to be stopped from entering the home, thus he and Nadine entered the e
Carlene was overcome by emotion as she began to look at Adrian up and down.He had a towering figure and exuded a masculine, strong, and unyielding presence. Like a huge mountain, he exuded an extremely powerful air just by standing there.Carlene’s first impression of Adrian was that he was a man of steel will. Men these days had a clean, tidy look. In fact, many look even more beautiful than women these days.She was under the assumption that her daughter would be attracted to beautiful-looking men. However, her mind quickly changed upon seeing Adrian. It was apparent that the man before her was a steel-willed man who was masculine and handsome.Carlene’s mother fell into a daze at the sight of Adrian. Noticing her mother’s expression, Nadine knew that her mother had already approved of Adrian.“Please allow me to introduce you, Mother. This is Adrian Xander.“Adrian, this is my mother, Carlene Bleu,” Nadine said.“Hello, Mrs. Carlene,” Adrian greeted.Carlene was jolted back
Carlene spoke in a kind, courteous, and amiable tone.Adrian could see that she was kind-hearted. Even though she was married to a Gardner, it did not signify that all the members of the Gardner family were b*stards like Chase.Speaking of which, Chase could not be considered a total b*stard either. He just had a different standpoint. Or rather, one should say that he dreamt of taking control of the whole country yet lacked the capability to do so.Then, Carlene asked Adrian many other questions such as his career and such. He answered all her questions graciously as he was posing as Nadine’s boyfriend, after all.Carlene and Adrian talked about their families. She talked about how she raised Nadine from the time Nadine was born and the hardships that she had endured during that period.On the other hand, Nadine suddenly fell silent upon hearing Carlene talk. Not expecting her mother to hold her boyfriend in such regard, she had lied to her mother.They talked for a long time. Th
“But I—” Nadine sounded dispirited.“You’re foolish. Don’t hide your relationship anymore at this point. Seal the deal as soon as possible. It’d be even better if you can get pregnant and get married quickly.“Talk to him and find an opportunity for me to meet his family so you can get married as soon as possible.”Carlene talked endlessly, while Nadine was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. However, she figured that her mother was right. She was almost thirty and was still single while the rest of her cousins were already married with toddler-aged children.Nadine did not comment further. She figured that she could only go with the flow at this point.***By the afternoon, Carlene had prepared a feast. She was highly enthusiastic because it was her first time hosting her daughter’s guest. She, Adrian, and Nadine sat down together for lunch.During the meal, Nadine almost could not get a word in edgewise because Carlene was talking Adrian’s ear off throughout the meal. She a
While Adrian and Nadine walked to the latter’s grandfather’s residence, Carlene walked out of the kitchen after she was done cleaning up. She walked toward a room in the villa and opened its door, revealing it to be a study.The fifty-year-old woman walked into the study that had been uninhabited for a long time. A shelf stood against the wall, containing books stored in storage containers with not a speckle of dust on them. A photo was displayed on the top of the shelf.Carlene’s expression appeared extremely sorrowful. She stopped midway into the study room and took a deep breath. Then, she stretched out a hand to the bookshelf and a square hole suddenly appeared on the wall as if she had just pulled some sort of mechanism.Inside the hole sat a book. It was a wordless book—not a single word written in it. However, Carlene rifled through it gently as if she could read it. Soon after, she stopped at a page and brought over a glass of water that she splashed onto the page. Two names
“In early spring, Neo takes over Purgatorium and brings it to an end. He takes charge of Apotheosium. He announces the change of Purgatorium’s reign at the end of February. He establishes Drakarium, retires the title of ‘godking’ and takes on the title ‘Dracorex Neo.’”These were the contents traced onto the pages of the book. Carlene knew its contents like the back of her hand.These words were part of an ancient prophecy. She used to think that it was just some made-up prophecy, but she thought about it afterward and figured that it was not the case.No one knew where the prophecy originated from but the part about War Legate Draco had been fulfilled. Even though the year was not written in the prophecy, Draco had indeed been announced as the war legate in January.Wyvern Peak was also dissolved in August exactly as the prophecy stated, furthering Carlene’s anxiety. It was because Nadine was prophesied to die in Northbound.Nadine was her daughter and was prophesied to die at th
Thiago was the bodyguard of a previous war legate who worked at Wyvern Peak and served under War Legate Achelous.Achelous was one of Wyvern Peak’s past war legates and had held the position three generations before Adrian. After Achelous passed away, Thiago came to guard Achelous’ wife, Carlene, and their daughter, Nadine.Wyvern Peak had undergone the biggest change in its history. It and Internal Affairs were about to engage in a head-on collision. Carlene and Thiago had been secretly monitoring the prophecy all this time but had not expected Adrian would fulfill the contents of the prophecy one by one.No one could explain what was happening. The only thing Thiago could do was stop a part of the prophecy from becoming true.Thiago frowned for a brief moment. As a retired bodyguard of Wyvern Peak, he said, “Mrs. Legate, we have to stop two things from happening now. The first is to ensure that Nadine won’t be killed as prophesied. The second is about War Legate Draco going missi
Nadine turned around and saw eight youngsters—both men and women—walking into the courtyard one after another.One of the young men’s names was Louis Gardner, her cousin. In fact, most of these youngsters were Nadine’s cousins from the Gardner family.“What are you all doing here?” Nadine asked curiously as she watched Louis and the others walk in.Louis smirked when he heard this. The group stood before Nadine as he said, “I heard from Aunt Carlene that you brought your boyfriend today. This is him, right?“Felix was furious when he heard about it. After all, you clearly know he’s been trying to pursue you, right?”As Louis spoke, the others next to him were carefully scanning Adrian from top to bottom. Nadine frowned and turned toward a young man next to Louis. The man was Felix, hailing from the Yale family—one of the ten most vital families in Southrive.Felix had always been among Nadine’s list of romantic suitors, even spending ridiculous amounts of effort in doing so. Howe
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