John and his companions stood not far behind Eric and Sylvia, each holding their wine glasses with unease gnawing at them. Without the presence of Matthew's group tonight, the risk of any aggressive move from the Pentra family loomed large.And indeed, the Pentras were contemplating just that.After a while, Mark and Bryce huddled together."Dad, those guys who were supposed to make a move tonight didn't show up. I suspect they've gone to the distributors' families!" Mark said.Bryce smirked coldly. "A bunch of fools! Thinking we would lay a finger on their families? The scale of the Pentra family's game isn't that low!""What use are those family members if we have these people under control?" Bryce dismissed the Innova Group's people as too naive.After a brief exchange, he continued. "I'll go keep Eric occupied. You move in quickly. It seems we can't avoid some dirty tactics this time!"Mark's excitement surged. It looked like he'd have to be the one to go after Sylvia first!
Some lapdogs were genuinely loyal, while others simply put on a show. Yet, the one constant was that regardless of true loyalty or feigned, their ultimate goal remained the same.Sylvia paid no mind to Mark.The Pentra family didn't have to follow Mark's orders, so why bother acknowledging him?"That necklace of yours, Sylvia, is truly exquisite," remarked Mark.Mark had a good eye—you could call him a womanizer, but you couldn't deny his taste."This necklace has been missing for so long. I never imagined it would turn up here with you, Ms. Williams. It's a perfect match," he added, a hint of surprise in his voice.He was taken aback. He knew the origin of this necklace, and logically, it shouldn't be in Sylvia's possession.Brushing aside his scattered thoughts, Mark continued, "Ms. Williams, my cat has learned to do backflips. Are you sure you don't want to come and see?"Sylvia finally spoke to him. "Don't you find yourself quite boring?"Mark was momentarily stunned, then
Sylvia set down her wine glass. "Since Father Rosalyn is here, I must go and see him."Seeing Sylvia head toward the lounge, Mark followed eagerly behind.Standing still, Martha narrowed her eyes. She knew Mark was planning something against Sylvia in the lounge.She had always wanted Mark dead, so why not take advantage of this opportunity?Three individuals, each with their own agenda, converged in the lounge.Martha joined them, her plan clear: she would bide her time until Mark acted, then exploit Sylvia's fainting spell to eliminate Mark and pin the blame on Sylvia.The notion of employing another's hand for murder intrigued her. Such an opportunity was rare and not to be squandered.Mark, aware of Martha's deadly intentions, had been vigilant in his self-defense. He had thwarted her at every turn, leaving her no opening.Martha had not anticipated such a fortuitous turn of events.-Finding the lounge empty, Sylvia frowned. "Mr. Pentra, where is Father Rosalyn?"Fred h
After confirming that Mark was dead, Martha got up and left.-At that moment, Sylvia approached Eric's side, her gaze briefly shifting to Bryce. "Is deception a common trait in the Pentra family, Mr. Pentra? Your son claimed Father Rosalyn was in the lounge, yet there was no sign of him. Was it a ploy to lure me there?"He probably didn't anticipate my martial prowess."Bryce's smile froze on his face. Just a moment ago, he was puzzled by Sylvia's sudden appearance. After all, he had seen Mark lead Sylvia to the lounge—it should have been a successful endeavor. The surrounding onlookers smirked knowingly at Bryce. They knew Mark and Bryce too well. The father and son sharing the same woman was hardly a surprise. It seemed like Mark had set his sights on Sylvia but had failed to win her over.Bryce forced a smile. "Ms. Williams, Father Rosalyn did indeed visit our Pentra family and was here tonight. However, he dislikes such gatherings and prefers not to make his presence known
Even with a weapon in Sylvia's hand, she couldn't kill him!Bryce glared at the distributors. "Damn it! If it wasn't her, who else could have killed him? Give me back my son's life!"With that, he lunged at Sylvia.Eric wouldn't let him succeed. As Bryce moved, Eric stepped forward and threw a punch at him.A loud explosion echoed, and Bryce staggered back several steps. His eyes regained some calmness, even showing a hint of surprise. He was a legend, yet he was shaken back by just one punch from Eric?Impossible!Eric looked to be in his 30s at most. Being a legend at this age? It was ridiculous!"Mr. Pentra!" Eric's expression was icy. "Your son is dead, and we all mourn for him, but my wife is not a killer!"Wife?Bryce and Martha were bewildered!All along, they had thought Sylvia had climbed up using her body. Yet, she turned out to be Eric's wife?!While Bryce was still in a daze, Eric continued. "Mr. Pentra, there seems to be something suspicious about this matter. T
John, the distributors, and others were in awe of the Innova Group's prowess. They had endured years of exploitation by the Pentra family, unable to challenge them due to lack of strength.However, everything changed with the Innova Group's arrival.Their first encounter with the Innova Group was memorable. Mark had led a group of people and confronted them, only to end up beaten and humiliated. Later, when the Pentra family sought revenge, the Innova Group dealt with them.Now, things had escalated even further. At the soiree, they actually managed to kill Mark!This was something they had long wished for but lacked the power to execute. However, neither Eric nor Sylvia had anticipated Mark's death.Yet, he ended up dead in the lounge, with Sylvia being the prime suspect. The couple knew that, no matter how they explained it, Mark's death would be pinned on Sylvia.-"I didn't kill him," Sylvia reiterated once they were back at the hotel.Eric held Sylvia close. "I believe you
No wonder Bryce didn't confront anyone from the Innova Group and refrained from killing Sylvia. It didn't fit with her understanding of Bryce. It turned out that Bryce had already discovered something!Martha shrugged. "Dad, I don't know what you're talking about. Sylvia must have killed Mark. Why are you bothering with her instead of yelling at me?"Yes! After Mom died, I became an orphan, just a nobody!"Putting it nicely, I'm the eldest Pentra heiress. Putting it bluntly, I'm nothing but a nobody."Mark farts, and you rush to check if he's sick. And me? Have you ever cared about how I feel all these years?She suddenly burst into laughter. "Mark is dead, and you must be so sad, right? No heir left! Good riddance! Since he was born, I have been an orphan! He fought me for everything! I had to give him everything! If not, you all would beat me up!"Mark deserved to die! Hahaha! There won't be anyone in the Pentra family to compete with me for things anymore! No one to compete wi
"Bryce, are you kidding me?" Larry couldn't comprehend, but soon he did. He knew Martha was a lunatic, her temperament changing drastically after Mark's birth. But the fact that Martha killed Mark was still hard for him to accept."It's all because of the Innova Group!" Bryce slammed the table fiercely. "If the Innova Group hadn't come to Westlake City, Martha wouldn't have had the opportunity! It's all their fault!"When it came to shifting blame, Bryce was definitely adept. Given the past few decades of Martha and Mark, Mark's death was a foregone conclusion. No matter how hard Mark fought, he couldn't match Martha.Bryce said, "Larry, this Innova Group is not simple. One of their co-founders is a young man in his 30s. Eric actually managed to push me back with a single punch!"Look around the globe, how many such experts are there?"Whenever Bryce recalled the punch from last night, he felt a lingering fear!If someone his age pushed him back with a punch, he would be slight
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