The mission was complete, and it was time to head back.Seeing Ruth packing her luggage, Stealthbane was puzzled. "Wait, that's it? We're done? We haven't caught the mastermind, and we haven't found the Ark either! What if the whole world gets destroyed? What are we supposed to do then?"He was genuinely worried, feeling like the world could vanish at any moment.Eric was also packing his luggage. "If things get tough outside, head to King City. No matter what, I can guarantee that place will remain a safe haven."Stealthbane pursed his lips but said nothing more.However, an unexpected turn of events occurred.That evening, as Eric was planning the next day's itinerary, one of Stealthbane's men came with alarming news. The Holy Templar had been attacked by a mysterious force, causing significant losses, and even St. Pius was severely injured, nearly dying!This was undeniably a major event.The situation in Haevon was already complicated, with the main visible powers being the
Brent never imagined that Stealthbane would end up infiltrating the most feared place, Haevon.He knew Stealthbane. This man had once visited the Rogers family's ancient castle with Eric. They were acquaintances.Thinking of this, Brent smiled. "Mr. Stealthbane, there must be some misunderstanding. We are friends! Why would you kidnap us?"Brent remained calm, but the other members of the Rogers family were panicking. These were chaotic times! Who cared about friendships now?In the face of doomsday, such so-called friendships meant nothing. At present, survival was paramount.Clearly, in the eyes of the Rogers family, Stealthbane had kidnapped them likely for survival. It seemed he wanted something from them.Stealthbane chuckled and said, "Rogers, don’t talk to me about friendships. They mean nothing now. Let me ask you one question: why did you come to Haevon?"Brent was no fool. Hearing this question, he knew Stealthbane was verifying some information. He had to be honest.
Eric said, "The virus is ravaging the world, and surely there are still many people alive. With their ambition, they definitely won't let those people live. I want to see just how big their conspiracy is. I also want to see what kind of conspiracy can't be shattered!"The global system, except for Naturia, had already completely collapsed. Naturia remained a pure land.Brent barely survived the catastrophe.But the Holy Templar faced a major problem.A mysterious force attacked them again, resulting in the deaths of four out of the eight protectors.Stealthbane had long since sent people to monitor the Holy Templar, keeping the situation in Haevon under his control.When the Holy Templar was attacked, Stealthbane informed Eric, but the latter showed no intention of taking action.Stealthbane had realized by now that Eric's main concern was the Ark. Unfortunately, there has been no other news about it until now. They could only wait patiently.Stealthbane continued to gather inf
It was hard to imagine that in Haevon, a city nearly devoid of life, there was still a place bustling with such vitality.Stealthbane had already reserved a spot.Inside the iron cage in the arena, two legends were locked in combat, landing blows with raw, unfiltered power. They were shirtless, sweat flying, engaged in an intensely fierce battle.Ruth pinched her nose. "It's so disgusting seeing them all half-naked."Stealthbane chuckled. "You'll get used to it. Would you like to give it a try? Each victory comes with a generous reward, and the prize money accumulates."I heard the organizers brought several tons of gold this time. If you can beat everyone, you could take all that gold home!"No matter the era, gold remained the ultimate hard currency. Even in the apocalypse, its value stayed high. When the financial system collapsed, gold’s value stayed unshakable."Are you looking for a beating?" Ruth raised her fist at Stealthbane. "I couldn't care less about that gold!"Eri
The ascetic monk raised his hand to block the royal guard's heavy punch, but his hand broke. He shot out like a rocket with a busted thruster and slammed hard into the metal cage.Cheers erupted like a tidal wave.At that moment, it seemed every man's testosterone had peaked. Destruction and violence were ingrained in their bones, an unchangeable part of their nature."Heh, impressive!" Even Stealthbane couldn't help but praise. His martial arts skills were quite advanced, but he preferred assassination and sneak attacks. Still, he found this kind of direct confrontation immensely entertaining.The royal guard was supremely confident.After sending the ascetic monk flying with a single punch, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Weakling, this is not your stage! Go back to where you came from! Hahaha!"Everyone laughed. It seemed this wasn't the first time such a scene had occurred.Ruth scanned the crowd, displeased. "Who gave these bastards their sense of superiority?"Stealt
"Has he always been this arrogant?"Eric glanced at the grandmaster lying on the ground, his gaze sweeping across the entire arena.Instantly, the crowd erupted into a frenzy. A Naturian expert was calling someone else arrogant? How audacious!Stealthbane smiled and said, "This is exactly how Mr. Johnson should be. The heirs from those big families are much more arrogant than Mr. Johnson at this age."Ruth snorted. "Those heirs don't have such skills. Arrogance requires strength. Without it, they'll just be trampled underfoot."The grandmaster on the ground was carried away. After coughing up several mouthfuls of blood, his head lolled to the side, dead. He couldn't withstand a single punch from Eric.Eric left the arena as well. With his performance, the upcoming matches seemed lackluster in comparison. Everyone was eagerly anticipating how many matches this fighter, nicknamed Grim Reaper, could win. If he lost the next match, it would be a colossal joke.The fight had only jus
The opponent's combat skills were formidable, nearly legendary. The royal guard stood tall with muscles that seemed ready to burst. Even just standing there, he towered over Eric by several centimeters, exuding an overwhelming sense of intimidation.To Eric, this brute was all brawn and no brains.Despite that, his impact was undeniable. As he stepped forward, the entire arena quivered, unable to bear his weight. This fighter resembled a wild beast, giving the impression that he could easily take down a fully-grown lion.He showcased human strength to its fullest potential!Seeing the opponent's fierce momentum, Eric lightly pivoted on his foot, dodged to the side, and delivered a punch straight to the opponent's waist.The terrifying power of the punch penetrated the skin and struck directly at the opponent's internal organs.In a split second, the two fighters passed each other, and the terrifying opponent stood frozen in place. No one could see how Eric had moved. They only sa
Stealthbane stared at the door, ready for action. In his mind, the intruders would likely kick the door open and burst in. That was when he would strike, taking them all down in one swift move.However, the expected chaos didn't come.Instead, there was a knock on the door. Three knocks, to be exact, followed by a voice from outside. "Grim Reaper, we apologize for the sudden intrusion, but we come from Naturia and wish to discuss important matters with you."Stealthbane was taken aback and chuckled. "Quite polite, aren't they?"He glanced at Eric, who nodded in response. Taking the cue, Stealthbane opened the door.Standing there were several ascetic monks, along with the men Stealthbane had sent earlier. The ascetic monks had subdued them but hadn't made things difficult. With a wave, the ascetic monks released them.The men approached Stealthbane. "Boss, these ascetic monks are incredibly skilled!"They had suffered a loss. Initially sent to deal with the ascetic monks, they f