The deafening blast crumbled the entire exit, trapping Eternity and the others within.A ball of flame rose up into the starry night sky.Helen and the others slowly came to a spot upon hearing the series of explosions. They turned around and saw that all six boats had been sunk while Eternity and the others were buried inside the secret passage.At that moment, all of them felt their bodies tremble uncontrollably as their vision blurred.'We're free!'Never in their lives had they ever dreamt of the day when they would regain their freedoms."Helen, is Eternity really dead? We've made it out… We've made it out!" A woman standing next to Helen was unable to contain her excitement.Helen pursed her lips, her eyes moist with tears. However, she did not dare linger for too long and waved. "Sisters, get to the mountains. We can’t stay in case something else happens.""Got it!"The women excitedly ran toward the mountains.In less than ten minutes after Helen and her sisters enter
Adrian took a short nap after that.It was already two in the afternoon by the time he woke up.Adrian walked out of his room and saw a lot of people all over Wyvern Peak. Many of them were gathered outside the main hall, with Gloria and Mya making arrangements for them.When Gloria spotted him walking out, she smiled. “You’re up."Adrian nodded.At that moment, outside the main hall, Helen led more than twenty thousand of her sisters from Bloody Rose to stand outside in an orderly fashion. When Adrian walked out, their gazes all turned to him. Immediately after, with Helen taking the lead, they all got down on one knee to thank Adrian for saving their lives."On your feet, all of you," Adrian commanded.The women got up, and Helen walked toward him."Thank you for saving us, War Legate Draco. Thank you for saving us from that prison. We will never be able to repay you for this.""No need to thank me. There's nothing worth thanking. Nevertheless, I'd like to congratulate you a
Just as Helen and the others were about to leave, Adrian suddenly thought of something and said, "Hold on. There's one last thing you all need to do before you leave!"Helen and the others were curious at first, but they quickly realized what it was.'Eternity!'After last night's incident, she had most definitely been arrested and was under Wyvern Peak's control. Finally, the vicious woman was about to get her just desserts.Mya said, "We've captured Eternity alive and will bring her here in a moment. It's up to you all what happens to her next."She then took off, while Adrian brought the women to Wyvern Peak's main hall.The hall was extremely glorious, with a throne fashioned into a shape of a dragon located on a raised platform. That was the throne for Wyvern Peak's legates. However, since Adrian was no longer the acting legate, that throne was no longer his according to the rules.Gale had someone place a chair at the base of the platform holding the throne for Adrian to s
Eternity’s panic deepened when she heard this. It was clear that none of her excuses or reasons were going to work on him.Anxiously, she replied, "Don't you think Wyvern Peak was the one who caused all of this? The Eight Hollows showed up at the outlands and took control over many forces, plus they're now in control of Dragon Peak. Right now, they're the ones who should be your greatest threat, not me."Adrian interrupted her and said, "I'm not asking about them right now. I'm asking why you formed Bloody Rose.""There's no reason for it. I just wanted to prove myself," Eternity replied"What do you mean?""I was abandoned by my mother when I was little and grew up with my father. Later in life, he married someone else. That woman would always hit me and curse at me. Afterward, I gouged out her eyes before I murdered her and her child. From then on, I chose evil. I came across an opportunity to form Bloody Rose, and that's when I began kidnapping women from all over the world to
Even someone like Eternity felt true fear in the face of impending doom. After all, there were few who could remain calm when knowing they were about to die.Yet, her pleas fell on deaf ears, unable to receive Ivy and the other women's forgiveness.Ivy said, "What's done is done, Eternity. What you should do now is to face the consequences bravely. Regardless of how you choose to face the matter, your fate is set in stone."Helen added, "Everything you've done over the years is enough to merit your departure from this world. Nobody can do whatever they wish without facing the consequences."Faced with the woman's determination, Eternity lowered her head. At the end of the day, she was still a person who failed to free herself from her natural instincts, no matter how capable she was."I don't want to die…”Eternity trembled as she spoke, her head lowered. She sounded extremely helpless as though she was trying to make a final plea.Adrian saw this and remained silent for a while
He arrived at the topmost part of Wyvern Peak which faced a tall snowy mountain.Standing there, Adrian seemed to be lamenting over something. He was imagining the time Eternity was beaten up by her stepmother."Are you feeling sad about what happened to Eternity in the past?"Without Adrian noticing, Gloria, who was wearing a windbreaker, came to stand behind him with a smile on her face.Adrian glanced at her and nodded. "Her heart might’ve been pure in the past, but it became twisted after her stepmother’s constant abuse. I think someone deliberately lured her to tread on this irreversible path."Gloria sighed. "You're right. Perhaps she, too, was a victim, just like Ivy and the others. I doubt she would've arrived at this point if someone wasn’t pushing her from behind.""That's right," Adrian replied."Who do you think it was? You already have an answer in mind, don't you?" Gloria asked.Gloria knew Adrian as much as Samantha did despite being separated from him for five y
At three in the afternoon, Adrian led Alan, Blaze, and the others back to Azure Creek's headquarters as Helen brought her sisters to Novemton to accept Crystal's assignment.Before parting ways, Helen, Louisa, Ivy, and the others promised they would go out for barbeque and beers and gaze at handsome men after they returned from Serpent's Haven.***The group arrived at Azure Creek two hours later.Upon arriving, Gloria, Mya, Alan, Blaze, and the others remained on high alert. They sat together, intently studying the map of Serpent's Haven as Lena bombarded them with intel about the place.Meanwhile, Glovern at Drogoton was building containers out of bertrandium as quickly as possible for the paradrop. Everyone in the company was busy with their respective tasks.The next morning, Adrian received a call from Gracia, who told him that they had completed the containers required for the paradrop and wanted him to test them out.Adrian rushed off to Drogoton upon receiving the call.
Gracia gestured at Adrian and said, "What do you think? Is there anything that needs improvement? If there’s anything, you'd better tell me now before it's too late."Adrian remained silent. After a moment, he asked, "Is the mechanism inside easily accessible?"Gracia replied, "I knew you were going to ask that. We've set up three methods to activate it. The first is through fingerprint, the second is a facial scan, and the third is with a key. We've put those in place in case of an emergency.""Can the mechanism open up from the outside?""No, it can't be opened from the outside. Only the person hiding inside can open the container. We did it this way in case they get spotted by the enemy, which would mean certain death for the person inside if they manage to open it.""That won't do," Adrian replied."Why not?""If the person inside gets into some sort of accident or some kind of illness acts up while they're inside, causing them to be unable to open up the box, how do you pro
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