With a snap that reverberated like a cosmic thunderclap, Bellum summoned a cage so immense it seemed to defy the laws of existence. Inside its forbidding confines lay Evelyn's mother, trapped in a petrified trance, her eyes echoing an abyss of despair."Mom, Mom!" Evelyn's anguished cry cleaved through the air like a blade through the very essence of her being, making her own mortality seem trivial. In that moment, she yearned for herself to be the captive within that cage, rather than her mother.Emma raised her head, grinning with an eerie look as if she was a monster from an alternate dimension. "Mom, it's me, Evelyn, and this is Edward. How in the name of all that's holy can you not recognize us?" Evelyn's voice trembled with a haunting desperation.Evelyn even contemplated launching herself forward to liberate her mother from that steel prison. Laura swiftly pulled her close, offering a protective sanctuary."Hold your horses, Evelyn. That place is a minefield of treachery."Then
“Obedience Pill?” Bellum repeated angrily, “what the heck is that?”In fact, Edward had no idea about what should the pill be called, for when they had bought it in the online store of his system, it did not offer a proper name for it.His system only explained its effect that it could help people to recover their volition. Thus, Edward thought it might be of great use to ‘wake’ Emma.“Are you thick in your head, Bellum? I’ve already told you it’s called Obedience Pill. It means from now on, Emma won‘t listen to you anymore. She will be obedient to me and do as I command.”“Bullshit!” fumed Bellum, “no one can find the antidote to my potion that had been fed to Emma. You must be kidding!”He then turned to Emma, commanding,“Kill the young man now. You can employ your ice attack.”In a blaze of eloquence and a dash of theatrical flair, Emma's eyes ignited with an arctic resolve that could have given Frost himself a chill.She shot Edward a glance seething with a fury potent enough to
"I see," Edward exclaimed, his eyes ablaze with eagerness, "So, does this mean I can take the plunge into gold?""That's the notion. When it comes to gold, the name of the game is to kickstart a low-volatility to high-volatility follow-through strategy," Cicci reappeared on the screen, her gaze locked onto Edward, her eyes as wide as saucers."Low-volatility to high-volatility follow-through? What's the lowdown on that?" Edward couldn't resist but inquire."This strategy is in a league of its own, a far cry from the narrow range reversal tactic we delved into earlier. Given gold's rollercoaster-like volatility, it's tailor-made for the low-volatility to high-volatility follow-through," Cicci explained, her voice as melodious as a serene stream, leaving a sense of tranquility in its wake."But Cicci," Edward quizzed with genuine curiosity, "You didn't exactly dish out a straightforward answer to my question.""Didn't you mention that you're running low on the clock?" Cicci's laughter r
At the moment, Bellum‘s men took turns flaunting the QR code on his phone to Edward, their eyes fixed on the promise of riches.Edward, exuding a devil-may-care attitude toward money, casually transferred the $100,000 cash flow to each of them.The number of the people was small, a meager twenty or so.Edward couldn't help but entertain the notion that these crisp Benjamins he transferred might steer these souls away from the abyss of wickedness, a play he considered a noble act for the betterment of humanity.It might have run up a tab of roughly $2 million, but he viewed it as a bet worth making, for it might translate into twenty less demons haunting the world."Now that you've all cashed in, it's time to roll up your sleeves. Free those innocents unjustly caged in this dungeon," Edward commanded, a glint of resolve in his eyes."Of course, it's strictly business. We'll dance to your tune," one of the gang members responded with a sly grin."You've never asked us to tango with the
In the blink of an eye, Bellum unfurled a sprawling national map of the Gluttony Gang's covert lairs, each one etched onto the page like a canvas of criminal intrigue.As Edward took hold of the chart, his eyes stretched wide in disbelief, aghast at the panorama of sinister sanctuaries clandestinely stitched into the very fabric of the nation.These foul laboratories, infamous for their uncanny knack for snatching unsuspecting souls, unraveled the mystery of the persistent vanishing acts that had plagued him for ages.Edward's innate well of justice surged like an unquenchable inferno, and he pledged to turn these malevolent hives into ruins. But he was all too aware that embarking on this herculean endeavor solo would be nothing short of a fool's errand.As the ancient adage would have it, to collar a crook, you've got to first nab the big cheese.Edward was resolute in his belief that the Gluttony Gang's grandmaster had to be incapacitated or bent to his will. Swiveling to face Bell
"I'll be damned if I don't find that son of a gun Caelum and serve him a platter of revenge hot enough to make the devil himself break a sweat," Edward raged, his eyes burning with vengeful fire."This slippery snake probably thought we were pushing up daisies and skedaddled. But mark my words, he hasn't skipped town too far.""You're spot-on, Edward," Evelyn pondered, her voice dripping with resolute determination. "For now, our number one job is to get the heck out of this place and give Laura the send-off she's due.""You hit the nail on the head," Edward agreed, his resolve unwavering.Edward summoned a blazing inferno in his hand and hurled it like a meteor at the switch behind the iron gate.The moment his fireball collided with the switch, a deafening explosion rocked the dungeon. The switch went flying from one end to the other, and the iron gate, forged by artificers, began its slow ascent, revealing a path to liberty.With Laura's lifeless body slung over his shoulder, Edwar
“It must be Caelum,” seethed Edward, “It looks like we have to fight against him here.”Instantly, Edward floored his own car. He even wanted to make it fly if possible since it was now dangerous for them. Numerous missiles came flying toward them mercilessly. Fortunately, Edward had activated his Life Skills Package, so he could easily drive his car like a pro. “Haha, there’s no way for you to escape this time,’ here came the familiar voice as the car behind them got closer. Sure enough, the voice came from none other than Caelum. He had gone back to the dungeon and found no corpses of Edward. Consequently, he was sure that he and his friend had not been killed by deadly black smoke. “It’s fortunate that you narrowed escaped from the dungeon,” shouted Caelum, “Now go to hell!” He kept firing the missiles at Edward’s car in hopes of killing him in the explosions. Yet, what pissed him off was that his missiles were always missing. When he was only a few meters away from Edward’s
"No, I still have value to you," Caelum suddenly grew tense. "And some advantages you can take. You might take me to Gluttony Hell, at least you can think of me as a hostage for a more secure negotiation." Edward gave a cold snort and said, "I know what's going through your mind. If I were to measure your value to me, I'd say it's depreciated by at least three-quarters." With that, Edward let his large, green hand tighten its grip on Caelum's soul. In just a few moments, Caelum cried out in pain, "No, please don't kill me. I told you I'm the nephew of the Gluttony Gang's leader. If I die, I can guarantee that our leader will eradiate you all. Trust me!" Edward paid him no mind and continued to tighten his control over Caelum's soul with that green hand. Caelum's eyes started to roll back, and it seemed like he was on the brink of passing out when Edward suddenly loosened the grip slightly. Caelum took a sharp breath, feeling like he had come back to life. However, when he even t