Eric led the way, followed closely by Vince and Matthew as they maneuvered through the corridors.Eric concealed his identity with his characteristic Ghostface mask. This mask had weathered battles alongside him in the underground arenas and now served its purpose once more.He had no intention of revealing himself. In Catellon, he had been unmasked, prompting the authorities to issue wanted posters.Fortunately, only one surveillance recording from Catellon existed, capturing just his face. So, for now, they couldn't ascertain his true identity. But even if they did, what could they do? Disagree? Challenge him? Dare they?"Boss?" Stealthbane appeared puzzled, unaware that Eric had prepared such a contingency."It's me." Eric nodded slightly, even altering his voice.To Stealthbane, Eric's appearance was unimportant—his presence mattered most.With everyone gathered, Stealthbane couldn't wait any longer to initiate their plan. Gesturing, he said, "Let's knock out the security gu
Stealthbane spat with contempt, "Having come this far, there's no reason to stop. Even if the one sitting on the 16th floor is God, I will take Him down!"His team had moved swiftly, from the 1st floor all the way up there, without relying on elevators. The primary reason was the cramped space of the elevators, making them susceptible to control. Staircases offered a much safer passage.However, just as Stealthbane's men advanced, a shout echoed. "Damn it! Grenade!"Almost simultaneously, an explosion followed!The corridor trembled as the grenade exploded at the stairwell, inevitably causing casualties among Stealthbane's forces.Cries of agony filled the air."Fuck!" Stealthbane's eyes reddened. Pushing aside those ahead, he charged forward himself."Move!" Eric didn't lag behind either. It would be quite amusing if this so-called king of assassins fell victim to a simple grenade.This operation was far more perilous than Stealthbane had anticipated—the opponents had even dep
Emerging from the grand golden doors were a dozen figures, all clad in suits and ties. Among them were two individuals whom Eric and Stealthbane had encountered before in Dortmund City.Initially, these two, along with another, had pursued Stealthbane to Dortmund City, with Eric dealing with one then.Now, both stood here. The deceased one was a member of the Erwestonian royal family, hinting strongly at his companions' identities. Meanwhile, the occupants of this building were the Luminous.What connection did the Luminous have with the royal family?This question lingered in Eric and Stealthbane's minds. However, the immediate concern was dealing with these individuals before them.Stealthbane chuckled. "Gentlemen, I've returned to wreak havoc once more! Will you leave on your own accord or shall I lend you a hand?"He exuded arrogance. Despite facing two confirmed legends, what of it? Eric was by his side, which was sufficient.Across from them, the two legends whispered to t
In a battle between experts, a single moment of negligence could spell certain death. The likes of Stealthbane, a seasoned assassin, seized any opportunity to strike lethally—there was no room for negotiation.The current situation was no different. If Stealthbane didn't finish off his opponent, he would risk meeting his own demise.With a successful strike, Stealthbane stepped back several paces, his brow furrowed as he observed his opponent."Damn it! At this level, you are still wearing stab-proof gear?" His blade hadn't found its mark. Though it had torn through the opponent's clothes, they were still clad in protective gear—a realization that caught Stealthbane off guard.No matter how sharp the blade, it couldn't breach stab-proof armor.Discarding his torn clothes, the opponent sneered. "I spotted you on surveillance. Isn't this your favorite trick? If I hadn't been cautious, my intestines would be spilling out by now! You've been shot. Let's see how long you can last!"Th
Under the pressure from Eric, the other party naturally wanted to negotiate.Why not talk? Perhaps anyone could end up dead there. It was indeed an exit offered by Stealthbane.Eric didn't say much. He knew that Stealthbane must have his own considerations. He was there to back up Stealthbane, and the rest was up to him.The heavy golden doors swung open.As Matthew and Vince passed by, they couldn't help but take another glance—a small fortune must have been spent to create these two doors.Having served in prestigious families, they had seen what top-tier wealthy families were like. But they had never seen anything as lavish as what Stealthbane possessed.Both parties took their seats, and Stealthbane spoke first. "I've said it before; that book is no longer in my possession. Believe it or not, I know you want to kill me. Even if I had it, I wouldn't bring it over." He gestured toward Eric, "It's in his hands. Feel free to find it from him. If you dare to come after me again, d
Stealthbane wore a smug expression as if he considered himself highly cunning. "Boss probably didn't notice that prince's wrist. There's a pattern on the inner side of his wrist—a small eye, covered by his watch. And that little eye is the emblem of the Luminous!""This prince is evidently a Luminous member!""This is quite interesting. The appearance of an Erwestonian prince in this context, especially as a Luminous member, is intriguing. Normally, royals distance themselves from organizations like the Luminous, considering themselves noble. Why would they stoop to association with it?"Eric furrowed his brow. "Are you suggesting... the Luminous is targeting the royals?""Exactly," Stealthbane affirmed. "That's what I believe too! There's a possibility that although there's a clear distinction between the royals and the Luminous, the latter seeks to infiltrate the former. Hence, we have this pompous prince."Don't overestimate these princes, Boss. They may sound grand as 'princes
Stealthbane rummaged through several boxes until he uncovered an exquisitely dazzling diamond. After careful examination, he confirmed it to be the diamond Eric had mentioned. Eric believed this diamond had vanished, but it turned out Stealthbane had casually tossed it in there. It had been crafted into a necklace, showcasing the diamond's elegance.Holding it with both hands, Stealthbane approached Eric. "Boss, fortunately, it's still here!"A slight twitch played on Eric's lips. Stealthbane truly didn't care!Eric didn't bother with niceties and accepted it directly.Last time, when Matteo had gifted him that necklace, Eric had recounted its origins to Sylvia. Sylvia had expressed profound fascination, particularly with the Deep Blue Sea. Unfortunately, this item had been unattainable even with wealth. Its last appearance had been over 30 years ago, never surfacing since.Sylvia would surely love it, especially now that it had been fashioned into a necklace.Seeing Eric a
Eric remarked, "What's seen is to be shared. When you two get married, I'll allocate a portion of it to you."He was generous, treating money as mere dirt!Over the past few years, the Locke brothers had contributed significantly to him, naturally deserving their share. Even if Eric only allocated 10%, it would still be a considerable fortune.Although the Locke brothers were already financially independent, who would complain about having more money?-Back in King City, Eric truthfully discussed the matter with Pierce. Essentially, he was asking how to handle these things. Naturally, Eric was only symbolically asking, and Pierce could see that.Pierce chuckled and said, "We don't have Stealthbane's leverage, so we can't do anything to him. As for the things he gave you, that's your personal matter. Handle it yourself."Pierce felt that Eric shouldn't accept the items Stealthbane gave him. Sometimes, a person's value far exceeded material possessions.Still, Pierce could tell
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