Early the next morning, Eric practiced grappling for a while before joining Sylvia for a run. Upon returning, he promptly took a shower.Sylvia called him twice outside the bathroom door but received no response. Consequently, she cautiously approached Eric's room, gently pushing the door open. Sneaking inside, she discovered the marriage contract on the table.With a sigh of relief, she seized the contract and returned to her room.Meanwhile, as Eric emerged from the shower, he sensed something was amiss. A familiar fragrance filled his room.After changing, he realized the contract had vanished. He searched the room but couldn't locate it anywhere.'Oh no, this is not good.' Eric felt a rising sense of anxiety. What would Sylvia think of him if he couldn't even safeguard the contract?Just then, Sylvia arrived at his door."It's time to make breakfast. Let's eat and then go to Elly's place. Hey, why are you sweating bullets when you just took a bath?" she asked.Eric wiped th
"Hey, let's get going!" Sylvia exclaimed. "The two little ones can't wait any longer!" Eric started the car without much thought. He was certain Sylvia smoked too, but it didn't really concern him.When they reached the nail salon, they picked up Cody and Max and went to the amusement park.Not long after they left, Andy arrived, sneaking around cautiously.Elly frowned. "Why are you here again?"The first time Andy helped her clean the door, she considered it a one-time occurrence. After all, he was Eric's business partner. But as he made more visits, she felt something was off.Andy smiled awkwardly and spoke. "Elly, I'm just here to see if there's anything I can assist you with."Elly sighed and replied, "What could you possibly do? Please don't tell me you're a makeup expert!""I'm no makeup artist, but I can handle physical chores!" Andy assured her."Then begin by taking out the garbage," she instructed.Andy enthusiastically took out the trash. When he returned, Big S
Eric and Sylvia were curious as they saw a crowd had gathered in front of the nail salon.Andy ran out, saying, "Eric, something happened!"Eric rushed into the nail salon. Simultaneously, Big Sis' team began shooing away the lesser-known local influencers who had come for selfies. They were determined to keep certain things from going public.Once inside, Eric quickly grasped the situation. He had expected Richard and the others to react, but their swift action surprised him.Elly felt anxious. The impact on their business worried her, but what concerned her more was the barrage of insults and offensive language directed at them online."Elly, they're clearly after money. They'll probably demand it soon," Sylvia speculated.Elly nodded. She understood Richard and the others' motives but was unsure how to respond. Giving in to their demands was not an option."We can expose their true intentions online, but we don't want to escalate things, even though they've taken the first st
Sylvia had a plan in mind. She didn't want to strike back too soon—that would make it less intriguing.Her strategy was to wait until Richard and his group believed they had the upper hand and had cornered Eric and Elly. That's when she'd make her move, ensuring they couldn't retaliate.Eric agreed, recognizing the strength of her plan. Once confronted with evidence, Richard and his group's lies would crumble on their own."Sylvia is clever," Big Sis remarked. "I'll stay out of this for now. When you need me, just give me a call."People on the streets had their flaws, but they were loyal. After Eric helped Big Sis see David's true colors, she considered him one of her own. After some conversation, Big Sis left the salon.Elly felt relieved, knowing Sylvia had a solid plan. She hoped Eric would treat Sylvia well now that she was by his side.Eric and Elly continued living their lives as if nothing had happened.Meanwhile, Richard and his group didn't rush to find Eric and Elly.
David and Jasmine immediately drew everyone's attention. Even the busiest folks couldn't help but pause and watch what was going on, with some discreetly pointing at the two of them.David seethed with anger. He had been facing a series of setbacks lately, even selling his car to make ends meet. How could he endure being humiliated by Eric like this?"Eric Johnson!" He bellowed, raising his fist and swinging it at Eric.Eric might not have been able to dodge such a punch in the past, but things had changed. He sidestepped David's blow effortlessly and taunted, "I've heard you've been hanging around the streets. It's surprising you haven't been beaten with those skills."Spotting a nearby chair, David grabbed it and swung it at Eric.This time, Eric didn't evade. He caught the chair's leg as David swung it toward him and kicked David in the stomach.Even though David had some experience in fights, he was no match for Eric's well-honed abilities.David staggered back, and the chai
David pursued Jasmine for her youthful beauty while she only had her eyes on his money. Now, though, his pockets were empty.All of a sudden, Jasmine's phone buzzed with an incoming call from the police station."Are you Jasmine Pearce, a relative of David Johnson?" the police officer asked. "If so, hurry over to pay for his release!""No, I'm not," she replied before hanging up abruptly.As the person who had purchased David's car approached, Jasmine forced a smile. "Hi, David's tied up right now, so he asked me to handle the transfer. The money will be sent to my account..."After David was released in the afternoon, he discovered his car was missing, and Jasmine had vanished with his money.-Once Eric left the vehicle registration office, he spent a few hundred dollars getting his car meticulously cleaned, particularly the passenger seat.Later, he returned to Williams Corp. to oversee Sylvia's lunch break and then headed to Sonnex Corp. to set up a testing line.After wor
Eric sighed inwardly. Was not every single thing he did affecting her image in some way? The next morning, Eric and Sylvia resumed their training routine. Eric had improved significantly, now able to spar with Sylvia for several rounds. He could potentially match her with a few more techniques under his belt.Sylvia felt a mixture of satisfaction and slight disappointment. Eric was a rare talent. In less than three months, he had reached this level of proficiency. If he had started training at a younger age, he might have already become a martial arts master."What's bothering you?" Eric felt a tinge of discomfort as Sylvia gazed at him.She shook her head. "It's nothing. You're already quite impressive. Your fundamentals are solid. The rest will depend on your own insights. Starting tomorrow, I'll begin teaching you some martial arts techniques."Eric was thrilled to hear this news. After nearly three months of training, he was finally going to learn some techniques!While grap
In martial arts, innate talent was crucial. Without it, hard work would go to waste. But if one had exceptional talent, they could easily surpass others with years of practice!Eric felt excited listening to Sylvia's explanation. Every young person dreamt of being a hero in their childhood. The ultimate hero was one who traveled the world, defending justice and fighting evil.Eric even wondered if he could become like those TV heroes once he became a martial arts grandmaster.-After breakfast, Eric and Sylvia headed to Williams Corp. together. When they arrived, he got a call from Elly. It turned out that Richard and his group had already reached the nail salon.Elly's shop wasn't far from Williams Corp., so they arrived in just over 10 minutes by car.Outside the salon, several Johnson family members were waiting. Seeing Eric and Sylvia get out of the car, Gavin and Kayden were amazed and jealous of Eric's achievements.Delilah and Ruby were busy with the cosmetics on the shel
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