The documents contained various data about the virus, including the genetic map.Perhaps fearing the GHO team might not understand, Eric said, "The virus that broke out in Dortmund City and Salt City originates from several very common viruses. After combining the genes and characteristics of these common viruses, a new virus was created!"Since you're all experts in this field, I'm sure you know that this kind of virus is definitely not naturally occurring."Some of the people fell silent. They had been wondering why the outbreak would suddenly occur. In today's world, where hygiene was a top priority, they couldn't fathom how such a virus could emerge. If indeed there was an outbreak, it must be a dormant strain or one that had mutated multiple times.Eric continued. "Generally speaking, highly contagious viruses have low fatality rates because they are also products of nature. Their strong infectivity is due to encountering many living organisms during the host's active period,
Kurt's expression turned grave. "They've done their job too well! Flawless!" He could already sense their dilemma. The GHO hadn't even had the chance to sling dirt at them before Eric's arguments came crashing down.They had wanted to verify the data's authenticity and accuracy, but they discovered that all the data was accurate. They had considered tampering with the data, but they soon discarded the idea as it would be too obvious. If they were exposed for falsifying data, not only would their trip to Dortmund City be in vain, but the GHO's reputation would also suffer a huge blow. It was not worth it at all.Kurt did not know what to do now.Someone beside him said, "The guy who's been speaking all this time has all the data in his hands. Stealing it isn't an option. They must have backups."Since reasoning won't work, let's get tough! Let's eliminate Eric. We can stage it as a suicide, claiming he couldn't bear the guilt of his lies!"Our trip's purpose is to prove the v
After making the necessary preparations, they waited for the assassin to take the bait. Since the hotel's daily traffic was not particularly high, any suspicious individuals would be immediately noticed. However, there were no signs of anything out of the ordinary until midnight. Yet, Roland and his men remained vigilant. The GOH team would be staying in Dortmund City for several days, and Roland speculated that it would likely be tonight or tomorrow night.After midnight, Roland's men finally spotted a suspicious figure. A person wearing a cap and dressed as a cleaner entered the elevator, heading toward Eric's floors."He's here!" Roland's man said over the intercom. "It's someone disguised as a cleaner, wearing a cap. We just confirmed with the hotel manager that he isn't one of their employees!""Guys, let's have some fun!" Roland said. "Mess up the rooms for the cleaner! Spill some drinks and stuff and make him clean it all up! Tire the bastard out!"As a cleaner, cleaning
As the door creaked open, Eric glanced at the assassin."Come in," he said.The assassin stepped into the room, and Eric swiftly shut the door behind him, casually sliding the bolt into place.With practiced ease, the assassin retrieved the air freshener and sprayed the room. "Sir, this is the exclusive service for the presidential suite, a special feature of our hotel. After I finish your massage, a beautiful woman will also come to your door for one-on-one service."Rest assured, sir. They are all clean, with board certificates from various training schools," the assassin assured.Eric nodded slightly, settling onto the bed.Time was ticking, and the assassin was getting impatient.From his bag, the assassin produced a syringe containing an unknown liquid. His eyes glinted with killing intent as he approached Eric, ready to administer the injection.But just as he drew close, Eric suddenly flipped over, grabbing the assassin's hand with a sharp gaze. "What is this? I didn't r
The Combat Department interrogated the assassin through the night. When dealing with individuals of such nature, they had their ways.Meanwhile, Eric dialed a number.As soon as the call connected, Eric chuckled. "No one has been sent to our territory for any assassinations lately, right?"Stealthbane was nearly frightened out of his wits. "Mr. Johnson, absolutely not! We haven't sent anyone over for a long time! We've even stopped accepting jobs from there!"With a cold sneer, Eric remarked, "Stopped accepting them? Yet, tonight, a highly professional assassin came to kill me! Are you saying you had no involvement in this?"Stealthbane was trembling. "Absolutely not! Mr. Johnson, don't you trust me? Though I often engage in shady activities, when I say I haven't done something, I haven't!"Eric retorted, "If I say it didn't happen, it didn't. What's the difference between that and a forced confession?"Eric smirked and added, "I still trust your integrity, but perhaps these are
"Big Boss is right," Eric remarked, placing the interrogation documents on the table. "These people indeed harbor no good intentions. These so-called international organizations aren't benevolent entities at all. They are mere tools wielded by individuals, organizations, or even entire nations!"Witnessing such darkness firsthand, Eric felt as though his very principles had been altered. Weren't international organizations meant to serve the globe, to serve all of humanity? How could they devolve into instruments for others?It was too dark, too despair-inducing. They wore a glossy facade but engaged in unspeakable deeds behind the scenes.Taking a deep breath, Eric continued. "I won't be attending today's meeting. When you return, inform me about Kurt and their reactions."His aim was to unsettle Kurt and his team, leaving them unsure whether he was alive or dead. With the assassin captured and Eric absent, Kurt and his group would be left to speculate wildly.Eric could alread
As Eric entered, Kurt's face turned pale, instantly filled with panic!Just two days ago, he had sent someone to kill Eric, and the assassin had been missing for two days.He had assumed the assassin had succeeded! Otherwise, why wouldn't Eric have shown up the next day? After all, Eric was their key expert!Now, Eric's appearance filled Kurt with a sense of impending doom. If Eric was there, then where was his subordinate?!Eric sat down calmly, without a word. He slowly opened his laptop and glanced at the GHO team. "You want to see evidence? So be it. I'll show you. Pay attention and don't blink!" Casting the screen, Eric said, "Since the outbreak in Dortmund City, we rushed to the scene immediately to prevent the spread of the virus and also to study its characteristics."This statement carried significant weight.Why would he say that? The reason was simple: the Combat Department prioritized everyone's lives rather than diverting resources to investigate the source upon ar
Eric opened a dossier, stating, "We conducted a thorough investigation on the virus after Dortmund City was virus-free! We're quite fortunate, I must say!""But weren't the Oberdeens in King City responsible?" Kurt interjected."Heh, they're just a third-tier family in King City. Yet, they managed to develop an effective cure against the virus? Following this lead, we found ties between the Oberdeens and Catellon!"He presented evidence directly. "Take a look for yourselves, the virus originated from Catellon, and the Oberdeens executed it on their behalf. The Oberdeens are nothing but pawns!"Kurt and his team were bewildered.In hindsight, he finally realized why they were turning their attention toward Catellon. They already had leads and concrete evidence!"So..." Eric closed his laptop, scanning the GHO members before fixing his gaze on Kurt. "Why have you come to us instead of investigating Catellon?"Faced with irrefutable evidence, Kurt deflated like a punctured ball, si
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