Chapter 196

Chapter 0196

Drake stared at the call from Acela, not picking up right away, lost in thought.

His bond with ‘Acela’ was tangled and tough.

Back in his heyday, he had carved out a name for himself in Woolpackton, eventually rising to the top of the underworld’s

heavyweight division. After years of spilling blood and making enemies, he had too many scores.

to settle.

His wife was murdered by his adversaries 20 years ago. He sent his only daughter overseas with a web of fake IDs, all to keep

her safe from the life she led.

In Province Town, only Ghost Sword, close as a brother, knew the truth about Acela.

It was a bitter pill to swallow, but as his daughter grew up, she came to despise everything about him. She

saw Drake as the worst kind of criminal, and she even blamed him for her mother’s death. Then, Drake and

Acela were practically strangers, their father-daughter bond all but broken.

“Why on earth is Acela calling me out of the blue?”

Drake cradled his phone, lost in thought for a moment before he exhaled and picked up the call.

In Ol’ Mare, just a stone’s throw from Belmont Hills, at Lifestyle Hotel, Alexander was holding Acela’s phone, a dial tone humming

in his ear. A slight smirk played on his lips as he whispered, “Is this Mister Hardy from

Woolpackton?”

The question hit Drake like a thunderclap in the quiet of his bamboo garden. His voice turned frigid. “You have Acela’s phone?

Who are you, and what’s your connection to her?”

“We just met by chance.”

Alexander calmly added, “I was out at a bar tonight, unwinding with some friends, and I ran into your daughter. She’s had a bit

too much to drink, but she’s okay. If you're not too busy, Mister Hardy, maybe you could come

get her. The address is...”

He rattled off the hotel’s location, then added with a hint of a smile, “Oh, and by the way, the name’s Alexander.

Alexander?!

Drake paused for a split second, his gaze flicking to Harry and the others nearby. He scrunched his brow. brought the phone

close, and spoke with a gravity that matched his words, “They say the young are often the bravest, Alex. I've heard your name’s

been on everyone’s lips lately.

“Your buddies were hanging around, and I had a hunch you'd be keen to catch up with them.”

Friends?

In the lounge of the Lifestyle Hotel, Alexander mulled it over briefly before flashing a subdued smile. “Sure!”

He glanced at Yaser and said with a grin, “Yaser, kick back and relax here. I'll get Miss Hardy home safely.”

+15 BONUS

Leaving Yaser behind, he helped the still-groggy Acela out of the hotel, hopped into his cherry-red Porsche. and tore off toward

Woolpackton.

Two hours ticked by, and the clock struck one in the morning.

“Take the lady back to her room!”

In the bamboo grove behind Rectewald Mall, maids escorted Acela to her bedroom.

Drake, seated on a stone bench among the bamboo, beckoned Alexander with a soft command, “Sit.”

As he spoke, Wilhelm, known as Ghost Sword strode from behind Alexander to Drake’s side, murmuring.” Mister Hardy, you can

breathe easy. Miss Acela is unharmed.”

Drake's face relaxed, his eyes softening. “Thanks for bringing my girl home, Alex. Come on, have a seat.”

However, Alexander remained on his feet. He stood before the pavilion and eyed Harry. Tommy, and the others at the fringe of

the bamboo. With a slight arch of his brow, he said, “Mister Hardy, are these the ‘friends’ you mentioned? Sorry, they don’t pique

my interest.”

With that, he spun on his heel and strode away, not bothering with pleasantries.

“How dare you!”

The air around ‘Ghost Sword’ grew tense as he shifted his stance, a subtle dance of feet that belied the swiftness of his

approach. In a heartbeat, he was before Alexander, his sword gleaming like a serpent of steel pressed against Alexander’s chest.

“Not a bad piece of steel” Alexander remarked, locking eyes with his opponent, his face betraying no fear.” Here’s your one

chance-put the sword away, or it'll be the end of you.”

Hm?

Ashort distance away, Drake’s eyes sparkled with intrigue. Harry, Tommy, Mark, Raine, and the others watched excitedly.

Alexander was actually challenging the Ghost Sword, a man whose power was a deep, dark ocean, and whose skills were a

mystery even to the underworld heavyweights.

They all remembered the whispers.

10 years ago, Ghost Sword had mastered his vital energy, his foot poised to cross into the stage of energy transformation. Who

could doubt that by then, he had not achieved that energy transformation realm?

In the fighters community, street fighters were seen as tough individuals, a step above the average person, but were not

considered true fighters. In numerous urban fighters academies, the skills of junior learners are frequently labeled as external

energy.

The term ‘external energy’, commonly referred to as the Resilient Body Technique, involves rigorous conditioning through

prolonged physical training. That process would enhance the body’s resilience to strikes, fortifying its ability to withstand impact

and boosting overall explosive power. Once that stage was mastered, learners progressed to the Inner Energy Technique realm.

Just like those seniors in the park, moving gracefully through their Supreme Balance Arts routines, they have actually begun to

tap into a primal vital energy within themselves. It was subtle, that energy, and mostly just boosts their health, giving them a leg

up on the average Joe in terms of physical wellness.

The learners from the local fighters academies took that energy and pushed it further. With the right talent, they could have hit a

major milestone by fifty-perfecting that vital energy. If they pushed just a bit more, merging that energy with their physical vigor,

they became something fierce: masters of energy transformation.

In Regulus Windsur, those energy transformation masters were a rare breed. They had another name that was known far and

wide these days.

Grandmasters.

Those who have scaled the heights of the energy transformation realm earned the right to be called

Grandmasters.

“Ten years back, I stepped away from the fight game-for my daughter’s safety and because Wilhelm needed to shut the world

out, focusing on indoor self-practice.”

In the bamboo grove nearby, Drake perched on a stone bench, eyeing Alexander from afar. “Wilhelm’s ten-year retreat paid off.

He’s a Grandmaster now. Alex, I heard that you’re pretty tough. You’re not thinking of crossing

a Grandmaster, are you?”

Grandmaster?

Alexander shot Drake a cool look, then turned away, addressing the Ghost Sword in a low voice.

“I told you once, sheathe your sword, or it’s curtains for you!”