Francis was astounded. The figure collapsed to the ground, blood spilling from their lips, and cast a fleeting glance at Francis before exhaling their final breath.How could someone die without a sound amidst the vigilant experts guarding the villa tonight?!"Who's there?!" Francis bellowed, attempting to steel his resolve.Before his voice could echo, a resounding bang reverberated through the air. The courtyard gate was forcefully thrust open.Eric and his entourage strode in, prompting Francis to furrow his brow. While Eric wasn't familiar to him, the looming shadows outside hinted at a sizable group. Several experts were following Eric, advancing directly toward Francis.Eric fixed his gaze on Francis. "Francis, the leader of the Oberdeens!"Francis gulped, a flicker of recognition stirring within him. After a moment of contemplation, it dawned on him."You... You're... Derek from the Association's team?" Eric nodded. "Indeed. Seize him!"Francis' expression contorted in
Francis found his mind overwhelmed. Logically, Eric shouldn't be present in King City at this time. To ensure the plan's smooth execution, he had dispatched Queenie to handle Eric, attempting to sow discord between Eric and the Williams. Unfortunately, the attempt had failed.Eric didn't respond directly to Francis' question. Instead, he surveyed the house and asked, "Who assaulted Mr. Hernandez?"Francis' heart skipped a beat as he realized Eric sought revenge for Julius. He hastily gestured toward the two men who had previously guarded Francis and replied, "Those two attacked him!"Eric nodded. "Drag them out and break their shins!""Understood!"Several individuals behind Eric stepped forward and forcibly removed the two men. Within moments, their agonized screams pierced the air, sending shivers down Francis' spine. Relieved that Eric didn't press for further details, Francis heaved a sigh.At that moment, the captain of the Combat Department approached. "Lieutenant General
Francis was also brought outside. Upon hearing the man speak, his face instantly turned pale as if all life had drained from it. He knew he was done for."I'm the one who released the virus at Dortmund City," the man said.Eric strongly desired to dismantle the man before him to resolve the resentment in his heart. However, he also knew he could not kill the man before him.Francis shouted, "Eric! This has nothing to do with my family!""It has nothing to do with your family? Do you think I'm a fool?" Eric retorted. "You better shut up now before it's too late."Francis hurriedly lowered his head and kept his mouth shut.The man continued. "The Oberdeens are just a pawn for us. We released the virus at Dortmund to test the lethality of the genetic weapon. Earning money was only secondary."Understanding instantly dawned upon Eric. It was as he and Sylvia had speculated from the beginning. They would release the virus first, then the cure, so they could make a huge profit!This
Francis was also brought outside. Upon hearing the man speak, his face instantly turned pale as if all life had drained from it. He knew he was done for."I'm the one who released the virus at Dortmund City," the man said.Eric strongly desired to dismantle the man before him to resolve the resentment in his heart. However, he also knew he could not kill the man before him.Francis shouted, "Eric! This has nothing to do with my family!""It has nothing to do with your family? Do you think I'm a fool?" Eric retorted. "You better shut up now before it's too late."Francis hurriedly lowered his head and kept his mouth shut.The man continued. "The Oberdeens are just a pawn for us. We released the virus at Dortmund to test the lethality of the genetic weapon. Earning money was only secondary."Understanding instantly dawned upon Eric. It was as he and Sylvia had speculated from the beginning. They would release the virus first, then the cure, so they could make a huge profit!This
Queenie arrived at the Combat Department's prison to meet Francis. Her emotions toward him were complex. Their relationship had been normal before she became pregnant with Coulson.However, Francis' actions, along with the Oberdeens after Coulson's birth, left her with lingering resentment that persisted to this day. What worsened matters was the Oberdeens' attempt to manipulate her to cause discord between Eric and the Williams.Queenie now understood the Oberdeens' motives. They knew about Eric's prominence in holistic medicine and the virus outbreaks in Dortmund City and Salt City. Thus, their priority was to eliminate Eric.When Francis saw Queenie, Connor, and Coulson, his eyes brightened. Before Queenie could speak, he beat her to it. "Queenie, perfect timing! Ask Connor to talk to Eric! Our families have a strong bond! There's no need for conflict!"He hoped Queenie would advocate for them. Connor had briefed Queenie about Eric's various identities and cautiously inquired ab
Upon hearing this, Queenie's eyes welled with tears.Despite her strained relationship with Francis, she couldn't deny their shared familial bond. The years of nurturing love couldn't be erased in an instant. People were inherently emotional, and the connection between a father and daughter was deeply ingrained.-In the afternoon, Connor and Queenie returned to Salt City.Meanwhile, the batch of drugs produced by the Oberdeens was swiftly shipped to Dortmund City and Salt City.Eric had remained in King City as the interrogation process was ongoing. He brought Leopard to visit Seth. Jaden had entered junior high school with Leopard's help and lived not far from the school. After Jaden had enrolled in junior high school, Seth's days became even more monotonous.Eric and Leopard bought some fruit and visited Seth."You don't have to come visit me so often," Seth said, passing a cigarette to Leopard. "Driving in this big city burns a lot of fuel."Seth was deeply grateful to Leop
Alexander sighed and said, "Eric, what's done is done. We all know that your father doesn't have a good relationship with his current wife. For so many years, they haven't had a child, and back then, he was forced to marry that woman."It's understandable that people often resort to desperate measures during emergency times. But things might be different now if he hadn't married that woman back then. Anyway, not everyone can decide what they want in their life. Many times, circumstances force their hands." Eric remained silent. He understood the logic behind what Alexander was saying but could not accept it. He had thought about forgiving Julius, but it seemed impossible for him to do so.Naturally, he was aware that he was also protecting Julius subconsciously. Otherwise, he would not have instructed someone to break the bones of the ones who had beaten Julius up. "Uncle Alexander, let's not talk about it," Eric said. "He's not a child anymore, and as the saying goes, 'You reap
Sylvia said, "It's okay, Mom. We can take care of our daughter ourselves. Besides, nobody is born knowing how to take care of a child. I've already informed people that we'll set up a nursery at our house after the lockdown is lifted. There won't be any issues!" Amelia chuckled. "Do you think taking care of a child is that simple? Wiping their bottoms and changing diapers are just routine operations! Some children like to cry at night, just like Brook and Connor. Back then, it took a lot of effort for me to take care of them. Your father had to manage the company, and I was overwhelmed. Sometimes, I was so tired that I felt like crying!"She knew that her daughter had not experienced such things. After all, taking care of a child was not as simple as it seemed on the surface.She continued. "Infants have weak immunity, and it's common for them to cry and fuss when they have a fever. It can be exhausting! I don't think you can handle that. Besides, I've already decided which brand o
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