In Dortmund City, at the Petterson manor.Darkness shrouded the once grand estate, casting an aura of desolation upon it.A man sat on the steps, his mouth greedily consuming wine.Today, he had hurried back from Salt City only to receive heart-wrenching news: his younger brother had been slain by their father, who had then taken his life in jail out of remorse.Kenneth lacked the specifics of the tragedy, but he knew others were implicated. At that moment, he felt utterly defeated.In just two days in Salt City, he had lost two family members and the family business in a single, devastating blow. His grief and the uncertain future left him lost.He reached for the wine bottle, aiming to drown his sorrows.A large hand seized the bottle as he raised it, and a faint voice reached his ears. "If you don't pull yourself together and seek justice for your father and brother, they'll never find peace! I know who's behind your family's suffering. I can help you exact revenge!"Kenneth
Melinda placed her hands on their faces. "W-What happened?" Melinda couldn't imagine the pain Eric and Sylvia must have endured. Who could commit such a cruel act? Sylvia, so young and beautiful, must have suffered greatly.As a woman herself, Melinda knew a woman's greatest worry was her beauty, and her face was its reflection.Eric summoned a smile and gently wiped away her tears. "Mom, we're okay. It doesn't hurt."He had only visited Melinda after settling his issues with the Pettersons.Melinda's reaction was just as he expected. She cried endlessly, feeling that fate had been unkind to her family.Her health required monthly medication, her husband had a severe car accident in his sixties, and her daughter was raising two sons alone. She had hoped her son would have a happy family, only to face this tragedy."Why is fate so unfair?" Melinda lamented, resenting its cruelty. "What did we do to deserve this?"Eric and the others tried to comfort her, fearing for her health.
Big Sis had passed away, but her legend still thrived in the Salt City underworld. The Salt City underworld might vanish someday, but Big Sis would always inspire future generations.For Eric and Sylvia, Big Sis meant more than just a legend. She had aided them significantly, and they would remember her forever.Eric, especially, had seen the dark side of the Johnsons. Despite Big Sis being involved in shady dealings, she never hesitated to assist when they needed help. In Eric's eyes, she was more of a family than Blake's siblings ever were.Elly felt the weight of Big Sis' death for a long time. Being from the underworld didn't make Big Sis a bad person. She was someone who loved and hated without fear, and Elly admired her for it.Life moved on even after someone's passing.-As New Year's approached, Blake returned to the city. The main structure of the family's hometown house was complete, and they planned to finish the rest next year. Blake's goal was to prepare the house f
Wilson said, "But the senior holistic physicians with profound medical skills are growing older. They are quite eccentric and aren't motivated by money, making it very challenging to persuade them."Nevertheless, I still believe that even the hardest stone can be cracked with sincerity. You can give it a try in King City!"Sylvia's hope was rekindled.After leaving Winston's place, Sylvia received a call from Seraphine. Grace had turned her attention to holistic medicine after all the experts she brought in failed them. She spent a fortune hiring many elderly holistic physicians, all in an effort to remove Sylvia's scars.This matter had caused quite a stir in King City, and outsiders even speculated that some important figure among the Montgomerys was seriously ill. Some even guessed that Grace, the capricious woman, was finally unable to endure and was dying.Finally, an elderly holistic physician in King City revealed that the Montgomerys were searching for someone to treat fac
All the employees happily headed home to celebrate New Year's, with non-urgent matters postponed until after the holiday.Andy would need to make new plans once the new year arrived.Innova Tech had recently been established and secured two significant contracts from Williams Corp. and Sonnex Corp. This stroke of luck had left them without predefined performance targets for the coming year, which was unrealistic to set.Andy and Eric each withdrew 100,000 dollars, leaving the remaining funds in the company's account. Andy anticipated this might not suffice for next year's operational expenses, so they decided to take it one step at a time.Despite Eric's infrequent visits to the company, he was aware of its situation. Next year, Innova Tech was determined not to cut corners in research and development. They needed to find a solution, perhaps by seeking investment from the Williams and Sonnexes.With the company closing for the holidays, Andy returned to his hometown. Henry asked E
Blake and Melinda had never ventured far from their home. With this year's stable economic situation, Eric and his family decided to take the elderly couple on a trip. Gavin arrived with his wife and child as they prepared to get into the car."Eric, are you going back to the city?" Gavin called.Eric nodded. "Yes. I have some matters to attend to, so I need to leave today."Seeing his nephew in Gavin's arms, Eric reached into his pocket, took out a 100-dollar bill, and handed it to the child.Gavin pinched the child's cheeks and said, "Say thank you to Uncle Eric.""Thank you, Uncle Eric," the child replied sweetly, and Eric nodded.Despite everything, Eric's nephew was still family. He may have had issues with Richard but not with the child. Gavin had even invited him to dinner when he was in Salt City. Of course, Eric and Gavin were unaware that this was all part of Lucas' plan to separate Eric from Sylvia. But that didn't matter anymore.Gavin continued to ask, "Eric, I want
Amelia left him speechless when she said, "Sylvester, since Sylvia and Eric are going to King City tomorrow, you should go with them. Don't miss this great opportunity!"Henry nodded, saying, "I agree. Our family has always been careful with money. We shouldn't let these chances slip by. Custom-made clothes like these don't come cheap."This delighted Seraphine—it was her plan all along. Fortunately, her future in-laws were cooperative, so Sylvester couldn't refuse.He was almost in tears. Seraphine wasn't his type, but she was too assertive. Her trip to Salt City was also at Grace's request to pick up Eric and Sylvia. As for Sylvester, it was her spontaneous idea to bring him along to King City to strengthen their relationship.-The next morning, they flew to King City with two bodyguards for Eric and Sylvia's safety."Aunt Grace is really determined!" Seraphine remarked, "The battle between the Montgomerys and the Hernandezes isn't over yet. Eric will definitely attract attent
During their conversation, the housekeeper helped Orion descend from upstairs.Orion had white hair and a long, white beard, making him seem quite old. However, his eyes were sharp and alert.Grace, sitting on the sofa, nodded to Orion. He returned the gesture before asking the housekeeper for some tea."Madam Montgomery," Orion began, taking a sip of his tea, "How did the task I gave you go?""Hol. Thornfield, rest assured, everything has been arranged. The land you wanted is now yours," Grace replied.This conversation piqued Eric's curiosity. Why would someone as renowned and respected as Orion need Grace to secure land for him? Could he not achieve anything with just a word?"Excellent," Orion said, sipping his tea again. He then turned his attention to Sylvia. "Madam Montgomery, I assume this young lady is the one you've been talking about?"Grace nodded, and Orion asked, "Please remove your veil and come closer. Let me see."Sylvia moved closer and sat on the couch.Orio
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