As Adrian watched, a rough-looking man from Obscura City swaggered past him and entered the restaurant. Behind him, a dozen others followed suit.As the man passed Adrian, he barked, "What are you looking at?"The restaurant owner halted his movements, and the waitress ceased pouring coffee and water for the patrons.Adrian grasped the situation quickly. It appeared these thugs were there to extort money from them."Billy! Is the protection fee for this month ready?"Some patrons immediately put down their utensils and hastily left the restaurant. In the end, Adrian was the only one remaining as he calmly enjoyed his food.Fortunately, his actions were not conspicuous enough to draw attention from others."Didn't we just pay it last week?" Billy asked.This marked the third occurrence this month. On each occasion, they asserted it was for protection, yet in truth, only these thugs loitered around, showing any interest in their restaurant."Did we? How could I forget?" said the
The thug smirked."Don't push it, Willie. I know you're targeting me, but I'm not like those ordinary women. Don't push me too hard!" Bethan Doherty looked at the thug, Willie, coldly.When Willie met her gaze, he suddenly felt a chill enveloping his body."Bethan, stop!"Clang!The flash of a blade made a sharp metallic sound. Everyone in the restaurant, except Adrian, froze in shock. He set down his utensils, lowered his head, and looked at the broken ice cone on the ground with a thoughtful expression."Bethan! Come back! Don't let your sister take control of you!" Billy appeared extremely anxious. The thugs, who had narrowly avoided disaster, now felt not only stunned but terrified as well, because the hair of the girl sitting across from them had suddenly turned all white. Even more terrifying was the transformation of her pupils from black to pure white like snowflakes. When they were stared at by those pupils, they felt a chill run down their spine."Snow Lady?" Adrian lo
"This is merely a test to gauge the strength of her defenses," Adrian calmly responded when confronted about his actions. Seeing the Snow Lady, he recognized an opportunity. Finding a Grandmaster in a place like Sandstone, especially one proficient in combat, was no easy feat. Encountering the Snow Lady this time was a fortune for him."Please, release my daughter!" Billy pleaded while covertly mustering his Vital Energy, intending to restrain Adrian."I suggest you cease what you’re doing. Otherwise, both you and your daughter will meet your end," Adrian softly warned as he smiled.Billy frowned, taking two steps back, refraining from approaching further. When Adrian spoke, their eyes met, and from Adrian's gaze, Billy perceived an unyielding intent to kill. As a Grandmaster himself, he was no novice."Are you from Silverboa? Are you the one from Leafall?"Adrian raised an eyebrow, surprised the man had correctly guessed who he was. "I harbor no ill intentions toward your daughte
Willie’s companions who had planned to rush forward hesitated upon witnessing his pitiable state, choosing to keep their distance instead. Willie clutched his injured wrist, crying in agony.Adrian stood before him, observing with cold detachment. "Are you still inclined to challenge me?""Who are you? What do you want? If it's money you're after, we can provide it. Just give us a little time," Willie implored."I have no interest in money. I simply require your presence," Adrian stated as he headed back toward the restaurant, prompting Willie and the others to follow, who did so reluctantly."Willie, is your hand alright?" one of the group inquired anxiously.Willie was about to respond, but to his astonishment, he found his wrist had healed. "How...""The world holds far greater mysteries than you can fathom. Stay with me, and you'll witness its wonders," the man ahead declared.The thugs’ initial terror and anger morphed into awe. At that moment, they grasped that Adrian oper
"You haven't specified what you need our help with..." Billy clung to a glimmer of hope as he anticipated what Adrian might say.‘You think I’m going to tell you that I'll be mobilizing all my forces to assault Sandstone in a week's time?’ Adrian glanced at Billy with a faint smirk, conveying that he had no intention of divulging his plans.Billy understood from Adrian's expression that whatever he sought from Bethan couldn't bode well."Wait for my message. If your performance meets my expectations, I'll find a way to renew your seal and perhaps even extract the Snow Lady from you," Adrian said indifferently."But that’s impossible. The Snow Lady is a part of me. You can't separate her from me," Bethan insisted, shaking her head."Why not try? But of course, this hinges on your cooperation," Adrian countered.The Snow Lady was an enigmatic entity. In the former Silverboa City, Obscura fell beneath his iron grip. However, unlike Celestria, the destruction of Obscura left behind n
As Adrian spoke, he pushed open the wooden door before him and stepped into the courtyard. The casino buzzed with activity, with numerous guards stationed around in varied attire, likely to deter unruly gamblers from causing trouble. However, those present dismissed Adrian as just another patron here to try his luck, paying him little heed.Willie trailed behind Adrian, wearing a flattering smile as he explained, "With the recent crackdown, many gamblers have flocked to our casino. The place has become quite lively."Adrian offered a slight nod before striding deeper into the casino. He harbored no interest in gambling; those who pinned their hopes of changing their lives on chance were individuals he held in contempt. Navigating through several courtyards, he was enveloped in an atmosphere of decadence. Just as he neared the final courtyard, he was halted by a figure stationed at the gate.Willie stepped forward, adopting a humble tone. "Mr. Monty, this gentleman is a guest I've br
As they entered the final courtyard, three figures rushed toward Adrian, but they were swiftly subdued by the Draco Force and collapsed to the ground. The seventh-grade men knelt before Adrian, trembling uncontrollably, unable to move or speak."It appears to be you three," Adrian remarked, lifting the constraints on them."What brings you to our establishment?" inquired the leader. The man’s upper body was exposed, revealing a black dragon tattoo adorning his back. Unlike the vibrant tattoos on Thalia, this one appeared crude and cheap."What's your organization's name?""We are known as the Sable Emblem."Adrian glanced upward, spotting a flagpole bearing a black flag fluttering in the breeze at the courtyard's edge. He smiled before returning his gaze to the trio. "Henceforth, Sable Emblem will be under my command," he declared, before striding toward the main hall.Willie and his companions begrudgingly went to assist their leaders. The three men were perplexed. Initially mis
Since they couldn't match their adversaries in quality, they would focus on quantity. In addition to Scarlet Star in the city south, there were likely other organizations in the remaining three blocks. By rallying these groups together, they could amass a force exceeding ten thousand. Combined with Roy and his men's recruitment efforts and the formidable Snow Lady, chaos would be inevitable. Sandstone’s defenses would be at risk of crumbling. Moreover, being natives of Obscura, even if Sid's forces intervened, they would hesitate.However, in executing this plan, Adrian had to deceive both high-ranking officials and subordinates. Deceiving officials meant ensuring that Sandstone’s leadership viewed the internal turmoil as mere civil strife, rather than attributing it to Silverboa. Deceiving subordinates involved convincing individuals like Clement and his underground forces that they were engaging in territorial disputes, rather than aiding Silverboa. Despite their rough demeanor, the