“Come on… You can do this!”A few students inside Swallowston University’s classroom had their eyes glued to the screen, murmuring continuously as they watched Adrian hanging onto the wall like a lizard.The same went for Adaline, whose eyes were teary as she watched her brother scale the wall. She could feel her heart thumping as she watched how masterful and brave her brother was.She thought that Adrian, who had been away for the past seven years, had failed her. But through this incident, she suddenly thought that perhaps he had his reasons.‘I suppose there are many times he has felt helpless since he’s the legate.’***The operation was reaching its climax.Dozens of drones flew high up in the sky, their cameras trained on Adrian.For a moment, everyone’s breaths were taken away when they saw the legate suddenly make his move.Adrian propelled himself off the wall and kicked the window with both legs like a flash of lightning, flying into the hotel as the glass shattered
After Adrian eliminated the two Luposians guarding a particular room on the twelfth floor, he spoke through his communication device.“Get a fix on my location, Magus. I’m heading down to the first floor from here. I need you to give me the best route.”“Sir, take a right when you exit the room and you’ll find an elevator. If it’s still functional, you can use that to head down to the first floor. Otherwise, you can use the stairs opposite it.“But you’ll first have to eliminate all of the enemies on the twelfth floor without being noticed.”“Got it.”Adrian was not familiar with his current environment, seeing how it was his first time inside the Swallowston Business Hotel.However, he was able to reduce a lot of unnecessary tediousness by getting a blueprint of the hotel through the Battle Warrior Department.There was one problem though. He did not know how many enemies he should be expecting.‘There’s a chance my break-in through the window alerted the neighboring guards.’
Adrian remained extremely calm as the elevator descended, his clothes dripping blood.Meanwhile, the elevator’s movement instantly caught the attention of Beowulf and the others.Beowulf was slightly confused when he saw the elevator descending from the twelfth floor. “What’s going on, Wolfram? Are we expecting someone to come down from the twelfth floor?”Wolfram was also confused and spoke through his communicator, “All units on each floor, report your status.”“Third floor, clear!”“Nothing here on the fourth floor!”Each floor reported its status… All but the twelfth floor.Wolfram yelled, “Twelfth floor, do you copy?! What’s your status?! Why is the elevator coming down from your end?!”Still, absolute silence.At that moment, Beowulf and Wolfram exchanged looks, realizing that something was amiss.Beowulf yelled, “We have an intruder! Quick, surround the elevator. I don’t care who comes out. Just fire all of your bullets at it!”Immediately after, all of the Luposians
The moment Adrian charged toward the Luposians, Mya, who was being held hostage, broke free from her restraints and launched herself toward Beowulf.While Beowulf was startled and took a few steps back, Mya swung her iron fist at him, sending him sprawling onto the floor.At the same time, Adrian shouted, “Now!”What followed was a loud explosion, and the hotel’s main entrance was blasted open. The windows were shattered and armored soldiers from the Battle Warrior Department charged in.Meanwhile, Adrian swiftly retreated, allowing the Luposians outside the elevator to be trapped in a pincer attack. They ended up falling into pools of their own blood.Up in the sky, a helicopter hovered above the hotel while Daniel, Thor, Zagan, and Serpent led their respective teams in an airdrop into the building.A full-out assault had started inside the hotel.“Protect the hostages,” Adrian ordered.Special Ops units swarmed the place, with Magus personally leading the charge to surround a
Outside, the hostages got out of the vehicles and were greeted by their friends and family who had been waiting for them for a long time.“Mom…”“Sis!”There were cries of excitement coming from the hostages and their loved ones as they embraced one another tearfully.All of them could not stop themselves from crying with all the emotions running through them.The hostages had been filled with despair. They were sure that they would meet their maker today. Yet, they had managed to return in one piece, making the emotions they felt absolutely indescribable.Yet, Samantha was standing there seemingly lost. She kept looking around her surroundings in search of the man she wanted to see.Everyone’s friends, family, and even spouses were already there to celebrate their safe return, yet the man she wanted to see still had not shown up.She was even left there standing alone, unable to embrace the man she wanted to, while everyone else left.Perhaps at that moment, Samantha needed s
‘It’s him! The one who infiltrated the hotel to rescue us!’Although Samantha had not seen the man’s face through the armor, it felt as though she was able to subconsciously recognize the legate’s aura coming from Adrian.Adrian walked toward her before she could think any further.“Are you okay, Sam?” he asked.“I’m okay,” Samantha replied.She carefully looked Adrian up and down before asking, “Where have you been?”Adrian hurriedly replied, “I took a few detours before coming here out of fear there might be Luposians around. The situation today was really dangerous. Thank goodness the legate was here.”“You’re right, thank goodness the legate was here. Who knows what might’ve happened if he wasn’t.”A flicker of thought raced through Samantha’s mind, causing her to compare the legate’s height, build, and eyes with Adrian’s once more.Suddenly, she found the two of them to be extremely similar.Just as she was about to question further, Adrian stretched lazily, and the temp
Adrian smiled bitterly.He thought about how the war legate was right in front of them, yet they could not recognize him.He thought in that manner but he said, “Understood, sweetheart. I’ll work hard from now on.”Samantha smiled.After dinner, Samantha was so exhausted that she dozed off on the sofa.Adrian covered a blanket on her. He was about to turn around when his phone rang. It was Adaline’s call.“Hey, Ada.” Adrian went outside to take Adaline’s call.Adaline beamed widely on her side. She was seated on the bench while Suzy and Shiloh were sitting on the lawn not far away.Adaline said, “Adrian, I saw you on the television. You were really cool!”Adrian said upon hearing that, “Stop trying to flatter me. How has school been?”Adaline nodded. “Pretty good. Suzy and Shiloh are my best friends now. We spend every day waking up, eating, going to classes, and shopping together. It’s pretty amazing.”“Great. Study hard and don’t loaf around,” said Adrian.“Okay, Adrian.”
Rue hastily walked over and asked, “Did you have a nightmare, Sam?”Samatha grabbed a towel and wiped away the sweat on her face. She looked around for Adrian but he was nowhere to be found. “Mother, where’s Adrian?”“He told me he had some matters to attend to and left.”“Why does he have matters to attend to every day? What the heck is he doing out there?” Samantha appeared to be infuriated.Adrian had been away on business every day recently.Rue had no idea what he was doing so she said, “Sam, you can ask him when he gets back.”“Fine,” Samantha said, “Mother, I have to go to New Paraiso. Riley and Elara called me a few times. I have to go tell them that I’m fine.”Rue said in a slightly worried tone, “Why don’t you stay home and rest for today instead of going to the company?”Samantha grabbed her bag. “It’s fine, Mother. I won’t work till late today. Wait for me to come home to your cooking, all right?”Rue let Samantha do as she pleased.Samantha suddenly stopped just
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