“You… you… aren’t you going to help me up?”
Molly’s face flushed deep red as she pushed Flynn’s face away, her hands covering her chest protectively. Her heart raced, fearful that Flynn might take advantage of the situation.
Flynn snapped out of his daze and quickly stabilized Molly, lifting her back to her feet.
“Apologies. I think I strained my back when I caught you and couldn’t react properly,” Flynn explained, searching for an excuse to cover his momentary lapse.
Just moments ago, he had prayed that her buttons wouldn’t pop-and yet, reality had exceeded his expectations.
The power of that impact was unforgettable; the force of her curves colliding with his chest had left quite an impression.
Molly wasn’t buying his excuse.
The physique of a Great Grandmaster was practically indestructible, strong enough to withstand a car crash and still walk away unscathed. Straining his back from bending over? Ridiculous.
It was obvious he had been stunned by the sight and was trying to sneak a longer look. Why bother lying?
Molly, however, was equally embarrassed and frustrated. She hadn’t expected her buttons to betray her.
Having a larger chest was more trouble than it was worth. If she bought looser bras, they made her look saggy. Tighter ones were uncomfortable.
This dilemma had plagued Molly for years.
For martial artists like her, it was common for their bodies to slim down with rigorous training, reducing size in areas like the chest and hips due to the high energy expenditure. Yet, for her, things had gone in the opposite direction.
It was irritating, to say the least.
Sharing a bed with Scarlet over the past few days hadn’t helped either. Scarlet often “accidentally” brushed against her, adding to Molly’s discomfort.
Flynn returned with a needle and thread.
Molly took it from him, retreating into a guest room and locking the door before beginning to sew her shirt back together.
When she emerged again, Flynn was already in the kitchen, stirring a pot of noodles.
“I’ll head back now,” Molly said softly, almost as if to herself.
“What about the Aetherium Dust formula?” Flynn’s casual remark made her stop in her tracks. She hesitated for a moment before obediently walking into the kitchen.
“The formula is on the cutting board,” Flynn said without looking up. “Simmer it on low heat for two hours, and take it every morning. Use your internal energy to help absorb it.”
As he spoke, he strained the noodles and placed them in a bowl.
Molly tucked the formula into the pocket of her shirt. Watching Flynn boil plain noodles, she couldn’t help but ask, “Is that all you’re eating tonight?”
“When it’s just me, I keep things simple,” Flynn replied, carrying his bowl toward the living room.
Molly hesitated for a long moment before finally offering, “I’ll cook something for you.”
Though Flynn had plenty of flaws, she couldn’t deny his kindness toward her.
He had dealt with her sisters whenever they caused trouble, corrected her martial arts techniques, and even shared an ancient formula with her. In Flynn, Molly saw glimpses of her late brother.
“Alright, I knew you had a conscience,” Flynn said with a faint smirk, surprised but pleased.
In no time, Molly brought out two dishes: scrambled eggs with tomatoes and minced pork with eggplant.
Though simple, the dishes looked and smelled amazing in Molly’s hands.
“Where did you learn to cook like this?” Flynn asked, pouring some sauce over his noodles as he began to eat.
Molly served herself a small bowl of noodles and replied with a hint of sadness, “I’ve been cooking in the Alwood Mountains for over ten years. My brother used to love my cooking.”
Flynn’s chewing slowed. He glanced at Molly and said, “When your brother was alive, you must have been happy-like a real family.”
“Yes,” Molly said, her gaze lowered as she stirred her noodles with her chopsticks. “Life on the mountain was hard, but we always found ways to laugh. After my brother fell off that cliff, everything changed.”
“If it had been you who fell instead of him, would he have saved you?” Flynn asked.
“Of course! Without hesitation!” Molly replied firmly.
Flynn took a bite of the eggplant and said calmly, “Family is a two-way street. You can’t predict what will happen next.”
“Your brother sacrificed himself to save you. The best way to honor him is to live your life with purpose.”
“If he’s watching from above, he wouldn’t want to see you wallowing in despair. That would be an insult to his sacrifice.”
“Dwelling on the past and punishing yourself won’t bring him back. Focus on the present. That’s the only way to honor those who are gone.”
Molly bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn’t hold them back any longer and let them fall like a dam breaking.
“You’re saying exactly what he told me in my dreams,” Molly whispered through her tears. “He said he was disappointed in me these past few years.”
“He told me to love life and to carry his dreams forward.”
Flynn hesitated for a moment, surprised that Molly had actually taken his previous advice to heart. He pressed on, taking advantage of the moment.
“That’s the right mindset. The dead are gone, but the living must cherish life even more.”
“Now, you carry the weight of two lives. If you keep punishing yourself, longing for death, what was the point of your brother saving you?”
Molly’s eyes sparkled with understanding as she looked at Flynn and nodded resolutely.
“I’ll never lose myself in despair again. I’ll learn martial arts from you with all my heart!”
“I’ll become stronger! I won’t act impulsively anymore!”
Flynn nodded, satisfied. “Since you’ve promised me that, I’ll also make you a promise. No matter who killed your family members or who’s involved, I won’t let a single one of them go!”
He exhaled softly, relieved that Molly had finally turned a corner.
A change in mindset was more important than anything else.
“But what if the forces behind it are too powerful?” Molly asked, her face clouded with worry.
She didn’t know as much as Flynn, but from the clues she had gathered, the enemy’s strength was undeniable.
“Too powerful?” Flynn’s eyes narrowed slightly, his voice filled with disdain. “As long as I’m here, all beings are ants.”
Ten years ago, he had been imprisoned. A month later, he became the apprentice of the Mad Old Man.
Seven years ago, he brought Demon Island Prison to its knees, leaving no one daring to challenge him.
Five years ago, he defeated the ten Supreme Wardens of the island, leaving them wailing in defeat.
Three years ago, he surpassed his master in combat on the prison’s back mountain, proving that the student had surpassed the teacher.
During those years, Flynn earned countless titles, but none were as infamous among the elite as “King of the Underworld.”
The true monsters of Demon Island Prison, however, had their own name for him: “Lord Valerian Nox.”
The Mad Old Man had once declared that Flynn was born for slaughter.
Born to be invincible.
That said, Ostrad was a vast land filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. There were plenty of true elites and powerful figures who didn’t see Flynn as a threat-or didn’t even know he existed.
Some who had heard of him dismissed the stories as exaggerated.
But none of that mattered. Once Flynn unleashed his full strength, the world would bow at his feet.
Molly, however, thought Flynn’s confidence bordered on arrogance. “You’ve got so many connections. Why not use them?” she suggested.
“Gather a team of martial arts experts. That way, you’ll have some backup when danger comes.”
To Molly, Flynn was just a Great Grandmaster-impressive compared to someone like her, who hadn’t reached that level. But to the monstrous cultivators out there, he was nothing more than a child, someone they could crush without effort.
Take the recent massacre at Cloudgate Mountain, for instance. Yves Yancey had single-handedly killed over a thousand people, causing blood rain and blotting out the sun.
Flynn stood no chance against someone like that.
What Molly didn’t know, however, was that the entire Cloudgate Mountain incident was orchestrated by Flynn.
And Yves Yancey, revered by all, was nothing more than one of Flynn’s eight disciples.