Elly felt just as anxious.After a long silence, Eric shook his head and uttered, "You're not my mother."Grace couldn't hold back her tears."Aunt Grace," Seraphine whispered and held Grace.She then fixed her gaze on Eric and said, "Eric! My aunt gave birth to you! No matter how wrong she may have been, you can't change the fact she's your mother!"You keep saying she's not your mother, but have you ever asked why she abandoned you back then? Do you think she became the CEO of Montgomery Corp. so easily?"If you doubt it, why not do a DNA test?"A DNA test seemed unnecessary at this point, but Eric still nodded. "Fine! Let's do the DNA test!"Grace kept crying. She knew Eric didn't believe her, and perhaps only a DNA test could convince him.-The group headed to a testing facility in Salt City.Eric remained silent as Sylvia drove. She was worried about Eric.Eric had previously stated that he did not want to find his biological parents, as Blake and Melinda were his tru
Back at the nail salon.Andy hadn't left yet. He replayed the recent events in his mind, finding them surreal. First, a wealthy young lady bothered Eric. Then, another wealthy woman claimed to be his mother out of the blue!Meanwhile, Grace asked her driver to park the car in front of the nail salon.Seeing Grace's anxiety, Seraphine suggested, "Aunt Grace, why don't you explain everything to Eric? Maybe he'll forgive you."Grace shook her head, keeping her eyes on Eric inside the salon. "When I became the CEO of Montgomery Corp., I wasn't as content as I am now. I arrived suddenly, and he should take his time to accept it. It's alright. I've waited for 29 years. A little more time won't hurt."Seraphine asked, "Aunt Grace, does Uncle know?""I haven't told him yet," Grace replied indifferently.Seraphine knew bringing up Grace's painful past wouldn't help. "Aunt Grace, that beautiful lady is your daughter-in-law. If Eric doesn't relent, maybe you can connect with her.""My dau
"Yes, of course!" Sylvester nodded.He remembered how Seraphine had stared at him for several seconds, but her gaze lingered on Eric even longer. It was the first time he had doubted his looks."Promise me that you'll all remain calm no matter what I say next," Sylvia stated."Of course!" Brook stared at Sylvia, earnestly nodding. "Even if you tell us that Seraphine has feelings for Eric, I won't be surprised!"Sylvia rolled her eyes. "It's even more astonishing than that! Do you recall that Mr. and Mrs. Johnson aren't Eric's biological parents?"The family members nodded.Sylvia took a deep breath and continued. "Eric's birth mother visited today, and her story perfectly aligns with what the Johnsons discovered when they adopted Eric. They even underwent a DNA test this afternoon, and we'll receive the results tomorrow!"Everyone was stunned.Brook exclaimed, "I can't believe it! Sylvia, are you saying that Seraphine is Eric's birth mother?! But she's so young—"The entire fa
Grace spent a restless night, unable to sleep.Early the next morning, she hurried to the testing center, only to hear that the results wouldn't be ready until the afternoon. Thus, she patiently waited there.-Meanwhile, at the Williams.Eric awoke early after a night of deep slumber and began his martial arts practice. Although he was relatively new to it, even Tyson didn't dare spar with him anymore. He openly acknowledged he was no match for Eric. Sylvia and the others watched from a distance, knowing that Eric needed to release his pent-up frustration.Suddenly, Eric's phone rang. It was a call from Tiger.Sylvia answered the call."Mr. Johnson, Mr. Petterson's fighters have arrived in Salt City. We're going to face them in an hour. You should come and watch!"Sylvia was taken aback. Had Tiger and Eric talked about underground fighting last time?She conveyed Tiger's message to Eric. As he finished his final move, Sylvia felt a surge of energy.Tyson stroked his beard
Tyson was curious to know the answer. -Tiger knew about the possible feud between Eric and Lucas. He had intentionally set up a hidden spot for Eric at the underground arena.Bringing Eric there was to let him gauge the skill level of the fighters from King City's underground scene.The action in the underground arena unfolded before Tiger and Lucas through the glass of the VIP room.When the match began, Tiger put his best Muay Thai fighter in the ring, keeping the other injured fighter out of the bout.Tiger's fighter attacked fiercely. He used punches, elbows, and knees, demonstrating advanced Muay Thai techniques.Lucas' fighter snorted and countered as the Muay Thai fighter pressed on. However, he didn't resort to lethal moves. Instead, he used his palms and fists to disrupt the Muay Thai fighter's attacks. He even anticipated the path of the Muay Thai fighter's strikes and intercepted them midway."Great!" Tiger applauded. "He's certainly skilled enough for King City's
On the way back to the Williams.Sylvia spoke. "If you want to participate in underground matches, I won't mind.".Eric finally smiled. "Martial arts training isn't for underground fights. You mentioned that yourself before—it's for self-defense. If it's not necessary, I won't do it."Sylvia smiled back. Eric seemed to have taken her words to heart. She knew he wasn't in a good mood, so suggesting underground matches was just a way for him to blow off steam. Holding in anger could make people sick.However, she was still worried. Even though the DNA test results hadn't come out yet, she believed Grace was Eric's biological mother.Eric was banking on an almost impossible chance, close to zero.-At 2:00 p.m., Sylvia received a call from Seraphine. She asked Sylvia to meet her at a cafe alone.Sylvia left by herself because Eric was still engrossed in martial arts discussions with Tyson.Grace was already at the cafe when Sylvia arrived."Sylvia," Grace said, taking out a repo
Grace looked at Sylvia and said, "You two make a great couple."Sylvia smiled faintly. She knew that the decision about their relationship wasn't hers to make. It had to come from Eric himself.After some thought, Grace decided to visit the Williams family to personally inform Eric of the DNA test results.-At the Williams residence.Eric continued his martial arts practice. He had been in a gloomy mood for days, and now, it was the weekend. He had no plans to go to work. Martial arts provided him with some solace.When Grace saw Eric, tears welled up in her eyes once again. Sylvia had already told the Williams family about the test results upon her return. However, the final choice rested with Eric.With the support of Seraphine, Grace approached Eric. Seraphine was concerned that it would be too much for Grace to bear if Eric rejected her as his mother. She understood that a significant reason she had aggressively pursued the CEO position at Montgomery Corp. was because of Er
Eric was not at the hospital. The examination showed that Grace had fainted due to overwork and excessive stress.Brook and the others had also left, leaving only Sylvia in the hospital holding the bag of items Grace left for Eric.Outside the hospital ward, bodyguards formed two rows. Even nurses had to pass a security check before entering the ward.By the bedside, Seraphine sighed. "Aunt Grace has had a tough life in recent years. I advised her to explain things to Eric, but she refused."Sylvia was eager to learn about Grace's past. She sensed Grace's love for Eric but wondered why she hadn't contacted him for so long.Seraphine intended to share Grace's history with Sylvia and wanted her to tell Eric."I'm ready to listen," Sylvia said.Seraphine smiled knowingly, worried that Sylvia might refuse to listen and Eric wouldn't learn Grace's story."Aunt Grace's life has been incredibly challenging," she began.Sylvia frowned. As a Montgomery and the CEO of Montgomery Corp.,
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