Tobias was somewhat surprised, "Eric, you know medicine too? That wasn't your major in college. Besides, Salt City University doesn't offer such a major, does it?"Eric chuckled. "It's a long story. I met a gifted holistic physician later on, who became my mentor. I learned a few things from him, so dealing with scars and such is not a problem."He instructed Lora to wash her face first before beginning the treatment.When Lora saw the silver needles, she was a bit nervous, but a glance at Eric reassured her.She thought, 'Wouldn't it be nice if life could just be like this forever?'"Don't move around too much, and try to keep your facial expressions as steady as possible," Eric advised.Lora's injury was recent, so completely removing the scar wouldn't be too difficult or time-consuming for Eric.After Eric finished the treatment, Tobias confirmed that Eric indeed knew medicine.'This fellow knows so much. Isn't he the CIO of the company? How did he become a physician?'He c
As Eric departed, Tobias' expression darkened.It was an unpleasant turn of events.He turned to Lora, his tone edged with concern, "Lora, do you harbor feelings for Eric? We have no family ties in Westlake City, yet he was there, and so were you. Don't tell me you're indifferent to him."He expected Lora to refute his assumption, considering Eric's marital status and fatherhood.To his surprise, Lora nodded affirmatively. "Dad, you're correct. I do have feelings for him. There's a certain allure about him that sets him apart from others."Isn't it the same for you, Dad? Mom mentioned the countless admirers you had in your college days."Tobias felt a flush of embarrassment.Why dredge up ancient history now?He sighed heavily. "I understand your sentiments, but love is akin to a flame attracting moths. You've been taught to be bold from a young age and not to just have courage but also act upon it."Eric is undeniably remarkable. From his humble college days to establishing t
Julius sat down and lit a cigarette, sighing. "Nera, all these years, I've wronged you."Upon hearing that, Nera felt like crying.Indeed, she had suffered greatly over the years.For many years of marriage, she and Julius had always slept in separate rooms. Not once during these years had Julius touched her, not even on their wedding night.Nera knew she was merely a sacrificial lamb in the family's arranged marriage. She understood that Julius' heart was solely set on Grace, unwaveringly so for years.With Eric's appearance later on, Nera knew she stood even less of a chance.However, she didn't complain. She understood that complaining wouldn't change anything. At most, it would only incur Julius's resentment, making her days in the Hernandez family even more difficult.Meanwhile, she could not return to the Calles family."How have you wronged me?" Nera sat down. "Life is short, just a few decades. However it goes on. I've come to terms with it. If one day you and Grace rec
Julius was puzzled and perplexed. For so many years, no one in the Hernandez family had mentioned distant relatives. Why did they suddenly appear today?Bartholomew declared, "We have learned that in King City, your family is merely a major one. Our family has plans to exhaust all resources to elevate you to the position of a top-tier family!"Julius narrowed his eyes. He didn't even recognize this person before him, let alone anything about their family. And now they claimed they would elevate the Hernandezes to the status of a top-tier family in King City? Was there such a thing in this world?Bartholomew didn't know that Julius no longer cared whether the Hernandezes became a top-tier family. It didn't matter. But if someone else wanted them to become a top-tier family, there must be ulterior motives.Julius was not stupid—he knew that a pie wouldn't fall from the sky for no reason. He asked, "What are your demands?"He was quite curious about this person before him. Mainly bec
Jacob tried to get up, his nose and mouth bleeding from the beating. Vince was injured and Matthew had not come to the Innova Group, giving the young man an opportunity.Eric came down and saw Jacob lying on the ground."You bastard! You think you can walk away without coughing up a fortune for this mess?"Jacob, an Innova security guard, was now lying on the ground demanding money from others. Oddly enough... it kind of made sense. After all, he had tried to intervene and couldn't beat the other party, so it wasn't entirely his fault."Little punk, you think you have the upper hand?" The young man seethed, moving to strike Jacob again.But as he took a step forward, he collided with Eric. He looked up fiercely, demanding, "And who the hell are you?"The receptionist hurried over to Eric. "Mr. Johnson, he claims to be from the Hernandez family and insists on seeing you. When I asked if he had an appointment, he started getting physical with me!"Eric's expression darkened. He ha
It wasn't until the police took Roco away that he remembered his purpose for being in Salt City on business."Hey! They hit me too! Why aren't you arresting them? What's the point of just grabbing me?" he shouted, still in disbelief.Ultimately, he seemed to have suffered the worst of the beating. Both his hands were dislocated, and no one had mentioned anything about fixing them yet.The police officer sneered. "Kid, do you know where you are? They are Salt City's money-making machines! Do you dare mess with our Midas? Are you looking for trouble?"They were always ready to oblige the Innova Group.That was simply how society functioned.As Salt City's largest taxpayer and creator of thousands of jobs, the Innova Group was protected by the authorities. Going after them was akin to inviting trouble from Salt City's officials.Granting privileges to such a major corporation wasn't an issue.As long as the Innova Group avoided major offenses or significant losses, the Salt City a
Upon first glance, it was evident that Sylvia held the upper hand in terms of social status. Additionally, as the legitimate wife, there was simply no way Lora could compete against her.While Eric was treating Lora, Tobias asked Sylvia, "Which university did Ms. Williams graduate from?"Sylvia replied with a faint smile, "King City University."Tobias felt a pang of defeat—it seemed futile. His daughter couldn't even match Sylvia's educational background. He pondered whether Lora should pursue a doctoral degree or something similar, hoping she could excel in some aspect.He could see that Lora was genuinely enamored with Eric, displaying the same affection as the day before.The acupuncture session concluded swiftly, and Eric and Sylvia prepared to leave.Lena emerged from the kitchen, suggesting to Eric, "Why don't you have dinner before leaving? You've been working hard, and my cooking isn't half bad, you know."Though not very confident, Lena believed that with Eric's wealth
Bartholomew's attempt had failed, and Roco still had much to strive for.The next morning, around 10:00 a.m., Roco returned to the Innova Group. He reckoned that a company like Innova Group would likely be bustling with meetings in the morning and should start winding down by around 10:00 a.m.Jacob didn't stop him. He knew Roco wasn't one to trifle with—he was a heavy hitter, and if things got physical, it would mean months of recuperation.Still, Roco glared at Jacob. "Stop messing around! Once I take over the Innova Group, you're the first one I'll get rid of!"Jacob stuck out his tongue mockingly. "I'll be waiting! If you can't get rid of me, you're just a loser!"Roco was furious! Yet, at this moment, he didn't dare touch Jacob. It might alert Eric, and he'd undoubtedly receive another thrashing.He vividly remembered he had a mission today. No one was to provoke the Innova Group. 'Ha, even the receptionist at the front desk didn't flirt with me. I just need to see Eric and
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