Novels by Lily Monroe

Adrian and Lorenzo Watson stared each other down. Suddenly, Adrian moved—he’d figured it out. It wasn’t that Lorenzo was incapable; he simply hadn’t learned the full Positional Bone-Setting Method. Knowing Lorenzo’s temperament, the medical text he’d inherited must have preserved only nine techniques. The remaining nine had been lost.“Got it,” Adrian said with a nod.Lorenzo blinked. “Got what?”“The Positional Bone-Setting Method has eighteen techniques.”Enlightenment dawned on Lorenzo. “The book I found had only nine. Do you know the other nine?”Adrian arched a brow and smiled. “I do. Want to learn them?”Lorenzo clapped, eyes turning fervent. “I want to take you as my master!”Adrian’s smile froze. There he went again.“You refuse?” Lorenzo’s face fell at once, souring. Adrian didn’t dare reject him outright; if the old man started another scene, Daisy would be furious.“What matters now is treating him,” Adrian said, steadying the moment.The security guard no longer cared how

“Isn’t that obvious? This old man’s technique is the real thing!”Lorenzo Watson was glowing with pride. The crowd was full of wonder; those who hadn’t been chosen looked stricken with regret.“What a chance to miss—I can’t believe I blew it!”“Me too. I wasn’t picked. I’ll be up all night kicking myself!”“Stop. I’d gladly have my arthritis flare up just to have Mr. Watson treat me…”Basking in the praise, Lorenzo beamed. “Kid, you see how formidable I am now, don’t you?”Adrian nodded, perfectly serious. “I do.”But before Lorenzo could enjoy it for a full minute, Adrian added, “Your technique isn’t flawless. You know the Positional Bone-Setting Method, but you don’t know when to leave room for breath.”“Medicine is like a person. Bone-setting without breath is like working without rest. The technique won’t ‘break,’ but it will remain superficial.”Lorenzo stared, astonished. Breath? He scratched his head. He’d practiced for decades, often feeling he was just shy of the key—especial

Seeing Adrian neither agree nor speak, Lorenzo Watson hopped up, trying to catch his eye.“Face me! If you won’t, I’m not leaving. Not leaving!”His tantrum stunned the crowd. They had always pictured Lorenzo as a venerable elder—only to find he was a mischievous old rascal. And an unreasonable one at that.Adrian longed to knock the little old man out and drag him away, but he couldn’t.Daisy had just returned from R&D when she spotted the scene in the lobby: a crowd gathered, a strange elderly man squaring off with Adrian. Trouble again? Her heart jolted. She hurried to Freya.“Freya, what’s going on? Did Adrian stir something up?”Freya shook her head and leaned in to explain the situation.Only then did Daisy understand. She stepped up beside Lorenzo and said politely, “Mr. Watson, this is a workplace. Causing a commotion here really isn’t ideal. Why not schedule a proper time to compete with Adrian?”Lorenzo shook his head at once, flatly refusing.“No, no. What if the kid runs?

“The lobby’s in trouble. An elderly man is making a scene, rolling around and demanding to see Adrian—says he’s issuing a challenge. He’s old, and our people don’t dare lay a hand on him.”It was the receptionist on the line. Before Freya could speak, the girl had already laid out the situation—clearly urgent.Freya frowned. Looking for Adrian?“Did you find out who he is?”“No. Security is here, but they don’t dare act. He’s elderly; if he turns it around and accuses us…”“I understand.”Freya hung up, anxiety gnawing at her. When she turned, Adrian was already standing behind her. She jumped.“Are you part cat? You move without a sound. Nearly scared me to death.”Adrian scratched his head, sheepish. “I got up when I heard the call.” Freya sighed. “Reception says there’s a strange old man downstairs, insisting on challenging you… Where are you going?”“The challenge is on the table. I should at least take a look,” Adrian said, already heading for the door. A “little old man,” huh?C

Adrian looked at the four of them as if they were idiots, then absently touched his own face.“I admit, I did kill quite a few just now.”Quite a few? It was over three hundred! Quentin Newman and the others screamed inwardly.“But I don’t kill indiscriminately. If I wanted you dead, I’d have done it already. Why wait until now?”Quentin swallowed hard. “Then… why are you here? What do you want from us?”He rushed to add, “As long as you don’t kill us, we’re willing to pay—handsomely.”The other three bobbed their heads in frantic agreement, terrified of falling behind.“Money, women, property, art—whatever you want, I can provide,” Tessa Dawson said. If Adrian so much as nodded, she’d produce it on the spot.Adrian grinned. Tempting as the offer was, he had something else in mind.“What if I want your allegiance?”The four of them grimaced in unison, exchanged a look, and let out a collective sigh.“What? Unwilling? Then I suppose I’ll have to kill—”“It’s not that we’re unwilling!”

“Conrad Owen? You’re the sharpest of the Five Tigers, aren’t you?”Adrian regarded Conrad with a half-smile. He had already noticed it during the fight: Conrad showed up plenty, yet always at the most convenient moments. And when it was over and everyone was injured, Conrad had gotten off with the lightest wounds. How could that not be called clever?Among the more than three hundred men, Conrad was also, without question, one of the brightest. Otherwise, how else could he be the only one still standing there with ease?Conrad gave a fawning chuckle. “Mr. Adrian, you see, I was just following orders—and I barely lifted a finger. You’re a generous man. Why not let me go?”Seeing that Adrian wasn’t moved, yet didn’t look like he’d kill him outright, Conrad dared to take two steps forward.“Mr. Adrian, I can’t harm you in the slightest now. As long as you spare me, I swear—next time I see you, I’ll give you a wide berth. I won’t take a single step closer!”He was one oath short of callin

A tidal blaze unfurled between heaven and earth, and within the flames—“Holy Emperor…”The warriors of the Solar Kingdom froze.This moment—This was the end.Their power swelled, vast and violent.From all directions the distant onlookers—those who had kept their distance—felt their hearts lurch.The Holy Emperor had fallen.The great factions witnessing it didn’t even dare show their faces.“Kill!”“Kill that brat!”The Solar Kingdom’s elites were enraged.At once they broke into furious curses.In an instant, the crowd drowned in wrath.The strong of the Solar Kingdom were terrified.No one hesitated.All of them lunged to kill Dragon-Slayer and Anthony.“You really want to die together?”The next moment—Anthony struck once.A swath of top-tier experts exploded, their bodies smashed to pieces.Squelch!Some heads spun off into the air.Dead.The Holy Emperor had been killed.But they… were powerless.They could not keep fighting. If they did, the entire Solar Kingdom might be gro

Dragon-Slayer grunted, swallowed the pain in his seams, and rose into it, the sword-edge cutting a white arc.Beside them, Thirteen Smith muttered a curse. “Stupid kid.” The Holy Emperor only sneered, eyes full of scorn.Dragon-Slayer didn’t answer, his grip biting down. “Hnh. I’ll carve you up.”He fought with everything, every stroke meant to kill. Anthony watched, his gaze shifting—he seemed to read the intent, and held his tongue.Boom—the air rolled like a tide swallowing the field. The Holy Emperor’s rampage had passed understanding; each strike was huge and ruthless.A heartbeat later, the gale rose again. His offense poured like a rain-screen, fists and palms crossing, killing intent spearing the clouds. He was a hammer overfilled with thunderfire—blow after blow grinding down.Dragon-Slayer braced in a flash—swordlight fierce—meeting edge with edge.Boom! He staggered back several steps, heart pounding, a flicker of disbelief breaking through his eyes. Why? What in hell did h

Dragon-Slayer dropped lightly to the ground; a tap of the heel, dust settled. He raised his eyes to the figure standing high above, gaze cold, voice low but heavy enough to hold the field.Though his chest still heaved, he ground out each word: “I’m not afraid of you.”“Today, I’ll defeat you—and kill you.”“The Solar Kingdom will never be a match for Ardenia.”“Your warriors are garbage.”The Holy Emperor laughed softly, a rasp like a blade dragging over stone. “You’re sure? Sure you’re not afraid? Then today, I’ll cut you to pieces.”Dragon-Slayer stepped in instead of back, a short drive of the foot, his body tipping forward, killing intent sliding free like a naked edge. He lifted his head and met the sword-hard gaze above, unflinching.The cold in his eyes cut sharper than steel. “To me, you’re—nothing.”“Today, you die.”“I will kill you.”“You think that boy can really keep you safe?” His words fell like a war banner rammed into open ground, snapping in the gale. Wind licked hi

“Y-you—why are you this strong…”Anthony’s mouth pulled into a cold curve. “It’s not that I’m strong. It’s that you’re useless.”Before the last syllable faded, he surged upward, a raptor cutting through knives of wind and sleet, and stooped.Boom!Explosions flowered across the sky, force scattering like invisible hammers pounding the void. Killing intent poured down like a tangible blaze.He raised another fist. Before it even landed, the gale at its edge flayed the dust to air.Bang!The Holy Emperor’s chest was punched straight through. Blood burst like a flower. His armor shattered; a hideous hole tore open across his front. He was blasted backward, blood running in a steady ribbon from his lips, his eyes wide with a terror that couldn’t focus—grasping at reality’s edge and finding nothing.The rim of the armor writhed, trying to stitch itself—futile against the gaping wound.He lifted his gaze in disbelief, and for the first time, true fear flooded his eyes—the primal dread of t

He pulled a breath, dragging his sight back from the dark. He looked up into the Ardenian youth’s face—indifferent, eyes like a winter lake, unruffled.“Your strength isn’t bad,” Anthony said, mild, with a flat contempt folded into it. “Unfortunately for you, you’re facing me. Which makes everything you do useless.”He tipped his chin, the cold at his eye’s corner cutting sharper. “So this is the Solar Kingdom’s best? No more than this.”Contempt, complete and entire.“In all martial ways, speed breaks all.” He sheathed in one clean motion, his pace itself a declaration. The Holy Emperor was fast—unquestionably. But he was facing Anthony. That alone sealed his tragedy.In a handful of exchanges, Anthony had hammered the Holy Emperor’s confidence to splinters. He had never imagined the man before him could be this absurdly strong. Terror—there was no other word in the minds of those watching.To Anthony, it was nothing. His gaze stayed cold; his killing will drew tighter.The Holy Empe

The heaving air over the four quarters suddenly sank. A darkened silhouette dragged itself out of the heights of the sky, like a deeper thread of night within the night, easing toward them. It had no sound, no scent; even the grain of its aura felt sanded smooth—more secret than a ghost, like a frost-sheathed dagger settling wordlessly to the throat.A heartbeat later, a figure fell from the heights. He touched down without a sound, yet his presence tore the silence around him. It was a tyranny that needed no words; with just an inch of ground underfoot, hearts clenched.“Holy Emperor!!”“The Holy Emperor is here!”“Lord Holy Emperor, a god forever…”“Lord Holy Emperor, mighty and unyielding!”“We can kill these Ardenians now…”“We must kill them…”The boiling shouts surged like oil set alight, raising the temperature of every throat at once. The Holy Emperor revealed himself—a man in his middle years, features unassuming, but a severity honed to lethal stillness. When his gaze droppe