In this circle, who didn't hold Grace in the highest regard? Grace's reputation even surpassed that of Alexander. But who knew? Perhaps Grace envied Nera too—"You want to live like me, and I want to live like you.""Get some rest," Julius said. "If you feel bored at home, you can go out and explore the world. Enjoy the scenery of different places. You don't have to stay around me all the time."With that, he pulled out his laptop and got busy with something unknown.Nera could only sigh. To outsiders, she was the mistress of the Hernandez family, but who was aware of her helplessness? For all these years, Julius hadn't touched her even once. Her youthful days had been wasted on him. She had married Julius at 18, and now, in the blink of an eye, she was over 40. Although she still retained her charm, what good did it do?While Julius was occupied, Bartholomew arrived outside the Hernandez residence with his men. Gazing at the vast estate, he remarked, "Everyone, it won't be long bef
A fierce dog growled and lunged directly at Bartholomew and his group. They had anticipated various defensive measures from the Hernandez family—expert guards, 360-degree surveillance, infrared sensors, and so on. However, they hadn't expected traps and attack dogs."Take it down!" Bartholomew shouted, drawing a dagger from his waist. As the dog leaped through the air toward him, he positioned his dagger-wielding hand behind his back and raised his other hand. Despite the surprise, he was skilled in martial arts.The dog aimed for his throat, but Bartholomew intercepted it mid-air and delivered a lethal slash.The white blade went in clean, coming out stained with blood. He tossed the dog aside and wiped the bloody knife on his sleeve."Damn, thought I'd be spilling human blood, not a dog's!"The dog whimpered and fell silent, dead. Several more attack dogs were swiftly dispatched, but then the real danger arrived—humans.Just how formidable was the Hernandez family's defense?
This left Julius somewhat disappointed.-At Salt City.Eric received a call from Grace."Okay, Mom, I got it. Vee and I will be careful," Eric said.Grace replied irritably, "Aren't you at all concerned about whether your biological father is in any trouble?"Eric pressed his lips together. "What's there to be concerned about? He seems like he'll survive."This was a wound that could never heal in his lifetime. To this day, he still hadn't forgiven Julius.After hanging up, Sylvia asked, "Is something wrong in King City?"Eric nodded. "Mom called. The Lazzla branch has made a move against Julius. She warned us to be careful. They failed in King City, so I think it won't be long before they act here too."Some members of the Hernandez family had already been released. Eric knew they wouldn't be able to hold back.-Alvarez had already learned of Bartholomew's failure."Damn it!" He was worried. "Uncle Bartholomew failed. This is going to be tricky."Bartholomew and his gr
Eric’s fist shot out like a bullet, its momentum terrifying.Alan charged at Eric with astonishing speed.Without any elaborate moves, Eric simply raised his hand and countered with a punch. No frills, just raw power.Alan’s expression changed dramatically as he staggered back several steps, utterly shocked. According to the information from the Hernandez family, Eric was skilled in martial arts but hadn't reached the Vanderbilts' level.Was this a joke? At his level, the Hernandez family should have no chance against him. Even if Eric fought with one hand tied behind his back, the Hernandez family would still be doomed."Y-You’re a legend too?" Alan regretted his actions. The Hernandez family’s intelligence was clearly flawed. How had they missed that Eric was a legend?! Such carelessness!Had he known, Alan would never have agreed to help. Now, he was stuck in a quagmire, unsure if he could even get out.Eric clenched his fists. "Only you are allowed to be a legend? And if I w
The fist had yet to land, but the punch's force could already be felt."Ah!" Alan shouted, employing every bit of his lifelong training. He had realized the terrifying nature of Eric. There were no fancy moves—Eric charged like a rampaging buffalo.Against immense power, Alan had no choice but to block. He didn't even have the courage to counterattack—his only thought was to survive Eric's punch and then plan his retaliation.Unfortunately, he didn't get the chance.As Eric drew near, the force of his punch distorted Alan's face.With a scream, Alan was sent flying. He landed and rolled five or six meters before stopping. As soon as he halted, he spat out a mouthful of blood."Damn! This young man!" exclaimed Tyson from the gate.Hearing the fight, he had come to see if he could help. But the moment he reached the door, he saw Eric send Alan flying with a single punch. Brook, standing nearby, swallowed hard. He hadn't seen Eric fight in a long time, but Eric was as formidabl
After hanging up, Eric got into the car and noticed Sylvia staring at him."What’s wrong?" he asked, touching his face. "Is there blood on my face?"Sylvia burst into laughter. "No, I was just thinking you’re very powerful. What if you ever decide to be abusive? What would I do then?"Eric's face darkened."Would I ever be abusive?" He spread his hands wide. "Do I look like that kind of person? Against enemies, we strike hard. But with my wife, I’d be nothing but gentle..."After a brief chat, the couple headed to work.Standing at the gate, Tyson scratched his head and looked at Brook. "Did they just leave like that?"He found it hard to believe. Eric had seen them standing there, so at the very least, shouldn’t he have come over to say something? Even if it was just to show off a little. But they just left.Brook chuckled. "Master, they're very busy. Let’s not get involved. Come on, let’s go back to rest and maybe practice some martial arts."He couldn’t help but feel a bit
When Alvarez entered the restroom, Roco looked around at everyone. "Do you think Master Alvarez knows things are getting bad and might... run away?"Hunter and the others frowned. The esteemed Alvarez, the Hernandez family's future decision-maker, would run away? How could that be possible?Seeing no one responding, Roco tiptoed to the restroom door and knocked. "M-Master Alvarez?""I'm taking a leak! What do you want?" Alvarez's voice was filled with anger. He also sensed that things were turning sour. Should he return to the Hernandez family? But if he went back now, his prestige would take a hit.The logic was straightforward: for the Hernandez family, this task was a breeze. As the prospective leader, if Alvarez couldn't manage this, how could the family rely on him in the future? It boiled down to trust.Alvarez understood that the Hernandez family was split into two rival factions, always vying and clashing with each other. If he went back now, wouldn't the opposing faction
Eric glanced at Roco, pointing at him. "You did well. This morning, Jacob told me about your visit to the Innova Group."He scanned the Hernandezes. "What’s the matter? Are you disappointed to see me alive here?"No one spoke. Roco quickly interjected, "Not disappointed at all! I swear I had nothing to do with this. A few days ago, I wanted to leave, but they wouldn’t let me. They said I was the first to handle this matter and that I had to stay until it was done."I didn't do anything during this time. I just went to the Innova Group this morning because I was worried about your safety."He was desperate to clear his name.Eric could see right through it. The Hernandezes were all in this together. Roco was trying hard to distance himself, while the others remained silent, likely indicating his innocence.Later, when Roger and Hunter arrived, Roco didn’t get involved in their actions. Although he had shown up, he had fled faster than anyone else."Roco, you have a bright futur
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