When Eric and Kirk arrived at the ward, the patient's family members were already present, some in tears, while others clung to Lewis, unwilling to let go.Such situations always seemed distant and nearly impossible until they actually unfolded."Doctor, you've got to help us!" A woman grasped Lewis's hand. "He is the pillar of our family. We can't live without him!"An elderly man sighed, "Doctor, how much is the treatment fee? It must be expensive, right? We don't have much savings. If he couldn't wake up anymore, what should we do?"Lewis was overwhelmed. He had just pulled the patient back from the clutches of death, yet he couldn't fathom why they had so many questions. Shouldn't the family be grateful to him?He didn't know how to explain it to the family members. While he had pointed out that being alive was a positive outcome, what was the use if the person was in a vegetative state? What comfort did that bring to the family?But many people didn't seek spiritual comfort.
Eric knew that Winston and the other senior holistic physicians could handle such cases. The patient had ended up in this situation because of Lewis' stubbornness."Can you wake him up?" Kirk asked again, with all the family members looking at Eric.Eric nodded and replied, "I can try, but it'll take a considerable amount of time. Let's give it a shot."Kirk was overjoyed. If Eric said it was worth a try, then he must be able to help the patient. He just didn't want the family members to be overly optimistic.However, despite Kirk's reassurances, the family members were still worried.An elderly man asked, "Doctor, how much is the surgery fee? We'll prepare it right away!"To which Eric replied, "Sir, I save lives based on fateful encounters, and I don't charge any fees."For Eric, encountering someone was fate. Without encountering them, he couldn't do anything. With numerous patients, complex cases, and terminal illnesses in the world, he couldn't individually approach each on
Lewis stood still, contemplating not only Eric's medical skills but also questioning his own previous judgment. Could there be no issue with the patient, and he should have awakened by now?From his perspective, it simply did not make sense. Even modern medicine had limited success in awakening a patient from a vegetative state, relying mostly on the patient's natural recovery. How could Eric manage this? How could holistic medicine achieve such a feat? It seemed impossible.If holistic medicine possessed such miraculous medical abilities, extensive research would have already been conducted to advance medical science."Impressive as always, Hol. Johnson," Kirk commented. "I remember a few years ago when he was admitted to our hospital. Having such a figure in Salt City is a great fortune!"Kirk was genuinely impressed, not merely offering flattery. Eric's medical expertise had completely won him over.He continued. "Dr. Lewis, don't come here tomorrow. I mean it."Hearing this
Sylvia glanced at Eric's shoes and remarked, "The new shoes are ready. They'll be delivered here tomorrow morning."Upon hearing that, Eric's expression turned pained.Only after marrying Sylvia and growing closer to her did he truly grasp the extravagance of the Williams family's lifestyle. Sylvia's annual expenditure on cosmetics alone was staggering despite her sparing use of them.Over the past few years, she had also splurged on cars, spending thousands of dollars. But what truly troubled him was the exorbitant cost of clothing.The shoes Eric wore were all high-end custom-made pairs chosen by Sylvia. It took several months to craft a single pair, and their price tag was astronomical.What astounded Eric was the realization that his previous annual salary wouldn't even cover the cost of one pair of these shoes. Reflecting on this, he said, "Let's refrain from ordering such expensive shoes in the future. They're just too extravagant!"Even though he was affluent, he still fel
"Ms. Williams!" Lewis called out as he ran up from behind.Sylvia halted and frowned upon seeing Lewis. "What's the matter?"Sylvia was somewhat repelled, especially by men who had a high opinion of themselves. Besides her and Eric's family, she maintained a cold and distant demeanor toward outsiders. She didn't even wish to exchange pleasantries with unfamiliar women, let alone men."I won't be here later—"Before Lewis could finish his sentence, Sylvia interjected, "What does it have to do with me?"With that, she turned and left.Even when interacting with the Williams and Innova employees, Sylvia always kept her distance, particularly from male employees.In her view, as a married woman, she should maintain a boundary with other men. Even if Lewis was outstanding, what difference did it make? She had equally capable friends, so befriending Lewis was unnecessary.Observing Sylvia ignore him and leave, Lewis clenched his fists. Besides his slightly superior medical skills, he
Eric glanced around the room, his eyes alight with excitement, and broke into a wide grin. "Sylvia... She's pregnant!"His announcement sent shockwaves through the room, filling it with a mixture of surprise and joy.Eric was overcome with both emotions. He and Sylvia had been trying for a baby without success, their previous attempts ending in disappointment. But now, after a period of busyness and neglect, Sylvia was suddenly pregnant!Amelia was stunned by the news and took a moment to gather herself before exclaiming, "Oh my goodness! You're finally pregnant!"Tears welled in her eyes as she spoke. It had been some time since Sylvia and Eric had tied the knot, and after a miscarriage, there had been no news of another one."No... really?" Sylvia's voice trembled with disbelief. It felt too good to be true."Is it true?" Amelia's expression betrayed her doubt. "Eric, are you absolutely sure?"Eric nodded, his excitement tempered by a moment of reassurance. "Yes! She's indeed
Everyone eagerly anticipated the news, especially Amelia, who understood Sylvia's struggles with conception. Although she would have been happy with either a boy or a girl, knowing the gender would bring peace of mind."Is everyone so concerned?" Eric's smile was infectious. "It's a girl!"A collective sigh of relief swept through the room.Henry joined in, his face beaming. "That's wonderful! Girls are cute and adorable and not as mischievous as boys. I prefer granddaughters!"Amelia was quick to challenge him, saying, "If it were a boy, you'd definitely say you prefer grandsons! When Sylvester, Brook, and Connor were born, you kept praising how good boys were! Have you forgotten how unhappy you were then?"Henry felt embarrassed under Amelia's direct scrutiny. "It's been so many years. Can we not bring it up anymore? Our family has a strong genetic predisposition for sons. It'd be a shame if we didn't have Sylvia, so granddaughters are great!"His words left Amelia unable to re
"Wow!" Winston exclaimed with immediate joy. "Congratulations! Finally, your dream has come true!"He remembered the struggles Eric and Sylvia had faced trying to conceive, recalling the couple's consultation with him. The absence of children in their family had always been a regret for Winston. He believed it would have made their family complete. Now, at last, that missing piece had been filled!Winston urged, "Your wife is pregnant, so you shouldn't linger here all day. Go back early this afternoon and spend more time with her."Eric nodded eagerly.However, the overwhelming number of infected people at the stadium made leaving early impossible. The stadium's capacity was limited, and despite distributing medicine to expedite recovery among the infected, their numbers continued to rise.Speeding up their recovery would free up space to accommodate new cases.Later in the afternoon, Eric received a call from Ruth."Eric, have you noticed any suspicious individuals?""Suspicio
In terms of innate talent, Eric was unparalleled, having reached the pinnacle of martial arts. With a single punch, he sent the 'God' flying."Good!" Stealthbane shouted with excitement.The ultimate enemy had finally been defeated, bringing peace to the world. Eric sighed in relief.However, in the next moment, the 'God' stood up again. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he revealed a bloodthirsty smile. "You have successfully enraged me!"Everyone braced for a potential massacre, but instead, the enemy turned and fled.Could Eric let him escape?"Chase him!" Stealthbane commanded.Allowing this foe to escape would spell endless trouble.A group of people pursued the enemy, who soon reappeared clad in iron armor."Not seen this before, have you?" The 'God' seemed to have recovered somewhat. "Did you think I only research viruses? Wrong! I control global resources and global wealth!"This is our newly developed Doomforge Exosuit which amplifies a person's battle prowess tenfol
The sturdy floor lay in utter disarray.In desperation, Ruth shouted, "Eric, don't give him any more chances! Finish him off swiftly, or we'll face endless trouble!"Eric was well aware of this logic. As he fought, he said, "He's incredibly strong. Taking him down quickly isn't possible! We must fight to the death!"Eric had never feared battle. Besides, this might very well be his final fight.Their fists clashed fiercely.The 'God' also noticed that Eric was growing more formidable as the battle progressed."How do you have so much strength? Wouldn't it be better if we joined forces to control the world? We could have anything we desire!"All the world's wealth, women, and resources would be ours to enjoy. Why won't you listen to reason?" he roared.Eric's momentum didn't falter. "I don't share your grand ambitions. I just want a simple life with a job that pays 1,000 dollars a month and a warm home with my wife and kids. But you, you've disturbed my peace!"The 'God' was fu
The 'God' grew more courageous as the battle raged on, causing Stealthbane to worry incessantly.In another high-stakes clash, Eric and his opponent both retreated. Eric sensed his opponent's growing strength, finding it rather peculiar.The 'God' clenched his fist. "I must thank you! My techniques were slightly incomplete, but I've managed to fill the gaps through this battle!"Eric marveled at his opponent's genius. To mend something incomplete was indeed a rare talent.Despite Eric training with the complete manual, he could only match the 'God' blow for blow. This person was terrifying!The opponent's confidence soared. Although Eric had trained with the full manual, the 'God' felt his innate talent far surpassed Eric's. If he could match Eric with an incomplete manual, now that he had perfected it, wouldn't he be unbeatable?"I thought you had potential and considered inviting you to share this world with me," the 'God' said, his tone turning icy. "But now, I see it's unnece
Stealthbane even felt that Eric might not be a match for the "God."The power was overwhelming.The terrifying aura was enough to crush everything. To an ordinary person, this was a real deity—the strength possessed had already transcended human limits.Eric made his move with a burst of speed. The clash of their fists created a thunderous explosion, and the sound was so intense that Stealthbane felt his eardrums might shatter.This was a battle of the highest caliber, one that even a legend like Stealthbane could not hope to join.Seeing the two evenly matched, Stealthbane sighed in relief. At least there was a chance that the strongest combatants were neutralizing each other. The outcome was still uncertain.Eric shook his aching fist, his expression grave. The opponent's strength was as he had anticipated. If the ultimate boss of the Luminous did not possess such combat power, it would be absurd.Clearly, this "God" had also gauged Eric's strength.He extended a hand toward
Stealthbane knew that the figure facing them must be the ultimate leader of the Luminous.Suddenly, he no longer wanted to die. If he could hold on just a little longer, it would all be over."Mr. Johnson, these people don't seem ordinary. Could that leader be the ultimate figure of the Luminous? Are we about to complete the game?" he whispered.To him, this mission to the Ark felt like a game: defeat the final boss, and victory is achieved."If I'm not mistaken, it should be. This person gives me... a sense of danger," Eric said.Upon hearing this, Stealthbane felt reassured.Just a sense? That meant the problem wasn't too grave!The leader on the opposite side turned to Eric. "I didn't expect you to make it this far. I underestimated your strength, believing my Ark was impregnable, that no enemy could breach it. But why are you so persistent? Why such determination?"He suddenly screamed in a fit of hysteria, "I have so many people! Such a grand scheme! It has all succeeded!
Brent shouted desperately, "After you get on your knees, they'll kill you all, and we won't survive either! Kill them! Kill them all!"He understood the situation with stark clarity. Kneeling meant certain death. If they had to die anyway, fighting back would be their only chance of survival.Eric sighed. "Mr. Rogers, in the end, it was we who implicated you. But this place must be eradicated, and the Luminous must be destroyed as well! Everyone, attack!"As the battle commenced, the masked man immediately struck Brent with a punch.Eric charged in. "Die!"He knew that Brent was unlikely to survive. This punch was his way of avenging Brent.The masked man spun around, trying to block Eric's punch. But the speed of the blow was too much—the gust of wind from the punch arrived before the fist did.It was an instant kill.The masked man had no time to react before Eric's punch collided with his chest. The terrifying force shattered the mask on the man's face, revealing an unfamili
Stealthbane was blinded by rage. He was killing anyone in sight, his fury unrelenting. They had ventured deep into enemy territory, where every encounter seemed to be with an adversary.Eric and his team from the Combat Department showed no mercy.Yet even Stealthbane's resolve was wearing thin."I can't kill them all! It feels like every master in the world is concentrated here!" he shouted in frustration.He felt the number of people he had brought was insufficient. If he had brought a few thousand more, he might have been able to overrun the place.Stealthbane was overwhelmed by the sheer horror of their situation. Fortunately, they had arrived. If anyone else had come, they would have met their end here.The numbers of the masters seemed endless."Damn it!" Stealthbane cursed angrily. "There are too many of them, and they're all exceptionally powerful. What kind of game is this?"He was tempted to retreat, but where could he go?Eric sent an enemy flying, pushing forward
"I was opposed to coming in from the start, but as you all know, the Rogers family is extremely complex. If we hadn't entered, I might have ended up dead. At least if the virus isn't a threat, that's something!" Brent poured himself a cup of coffee and continued. "These people are ruthless! They want to kill everyone outside the Ark and establish a new order, managed by a select few. It's insane!"You don't need to tell me—I know you're here to kill them."He then pulled a small token from his pocket. "This is our Rogers family's privilege here. It allows us to move freely between different levels. With this, you can go anywhere!"Stealthbane grabbed it eagerly. "Why didn't you mention this earlier? Things will go much smoother with this!"Brent sighed. "Once you've handled everything, could you take me out with you? I really don't want to stay in this dreadful place any longer.""Sure!" Eric nodded. "We'll definitely call you when we leave. For now, we're heading out."Brent e
Everything was ready, but they couldn't just walk in.Ruth instructed the Combat Department to conduct a three-day intensive training for everyone, focusing on coordinated combat.-After three days, the forces led by Stealthbane moved out, first dismantling the outer defenses of the Ark. This was their specialty!A large group of several hundred arrived in front of the Ark's entrance. At first glance, it resembled a mountain.Jack scratched his head and said, "Is this the gate? I don't see any door."The Holy Templar's people arrived as well. St. Pius said, "Everyone, don't rush. Wait for two minutes. Once the gate opens, we need to get in quickly. I have other plans inside, but once we're in, it's going to be a life-or-death battle! No one should show any mercy!"Stealthbane flexed his fists and replied, "Do I look like a good guy to you? Just watch me deal with them!"No sooner had he spoken than there was a tremendous roar. The ground shook, and the door of the Ark swung