Samantha and Jenny returned to Swallowston Hospital where Adrian was waiting.Samantha said, "I've spoken to the director, so we can leave now. But he says you still need to remain in your wheelchair for another month or it'll affect your recovery.""Okay, I’ll do that. Come on, Jen. Let's go."***Samantha drove Adrian and Jenny to One Jewel Road. This was Jenny’s first time in their house. Her mouth hung wide open when she saw how luxurious and beautiful the place was. She curiously observed everything she could set her eyes on as they strolled through the courtyard.Gloria, Rue, Adaline, and Juno were sitting in the yard, with Nova in Adaline's arms. She was trying to get Nova to speak. "Adrian? Why have you come home?" Gloria asked when she saw Adrian get out of the car. "Ada, could you help me get Adrian into his wheelchair please?” Samantha asked."I’ll do it." Juno got up and carried Adrian out of the car and into the wheelchair. Adrian said, "Nicholas sent me a le

Gloria packed some clothes for Adrian, while Jenny grabbed all the medication he would need for the trip.The trio left for Strider Mountain an hour later, a place fabled to be one of the ten immortal mountains of Navia. It was said that many become immortals atop Strider Mountain a long time ago, and these people were recorded in history as legends with their own unique stories.The mountain was located on Navia's southern border. Surrounded by numerous mountains, this place fell under the jurisdiction of Knoxville. At the foot of the mountain sat Strider Village, and there were fifty kilometers of mountainous roads between the village and Knoxville.About fifty families lived in Strider Village, and the place only obtained electricity after Crystal became the monarch. Living a life of poverty, the people there got by as rock excavators and sellers.Before leaving for Strider Mountain, Adrian had Mya bring along a few more people with them to meet Strider.***Jerome was sitting

Jerome fell silent.The threat posed by Mount Shangspar was imminent. Coupled with the emergence of the Gostia and Partingia ruins, the events of the past were now public knowledge. There was a chance the tragic events that took place in the two countries would spread to the rest of the world. Someone needed to stand up and stop this from happening.Jerome hoped this someone would be himself and not Adrian. "It'll be suicide for you to go to Shangspar in your current condition, so I've come to stop you. I'll help you finish this mission instead. Please go home!" he pleaded.Adrian patted Jerome's shoulder. "You've only just taken over Wyvern Peak, and the battle warriors have only just been appointed. Now isn't the time for you to leave Novemton. You should focus on leading your men instead." He then shot Mya a signal, to which the latter picked him up and placed him inside the car. Mya turned around and said, "Adrian’s right, Jerome. Your foundation isn't strong enough right now,

"Little monster?" Adrian was taken aback by the nickname the locals gave Strider. "What's your name, sir? Why do you call Strider a monster? Is that what you and the other locals call him?"The old man sighed. "My name's Flint Gray. Strider's a pain, a monster. He caused his grandfather's and adoptive parents’ deaths. I hear he's about to get his grandmother killed too."Adrian frowned. Strider was an immortal living in the suburbs, where the locals were poorly educated. It was not much of a surprise for simple-minded people to think of Strider as a monster.Mya whispered, "They're not as open-minded since they’re not highly educated.""Why is Strider called a monster, Mr. Flint?" Adrian asked again.Flint sighed as he lit another cigarette. After taking a puff, he said, "Strider’s grandfather found him among a pack of wolves, who then became very sick after. The man’s son and daughter-in-law too died in the mountains later on.“Strider can jump up to a hundred meters and destroy

Adrian believed this was all a conspiracy the moment immortals came into play. However, he knew nothing more about the matter, and his only choice was to start his investigation at the time of their births.***The trio approached Strider Mountain at four in the afternoon. They could see the village of fifty families from afar. Their houses were all built out of stones, reminiscent of the old times."That's Strider Village," Mya said.Adrian nodded in response.They soon arrived at the village. After parking their car at the village entrance, Mya got Adrian out of the car and placed him into his wheelchair before the trio strode in. Strider Village was mostly quiet, with a few elderly men sitting on the porches of their houses as children ran around. None of them noticed the trio's arrival. Mya pointed at a house on the village outskirts. "That's where Strider lives. Let's go." Strider's house was about six hundred meters away from the village. It could even be considered not