The dinner could be described as simple, but the dishes served were all delicacies. Lionel felt it would be improper not to provide such a feast.As everyone took their seats, Lionel glanced around and expressed his dissatisfaction, "Where is Ruth? The guests are all seated, and she's still dawdling?""Sir, Ms. Ruth went out," a trembling maid replied."Nonsense!" Lionel barked.He immediately called Ruth. "We have distinguished guests at home, and you ran off?! You might belong to the Combat Department but are part of the McClain family at home. So, hurry back!"Ruth returned reluctantly, looking sulky.Lionel finally cracked a smile.Sylvia observed the situation, glancing between Eric and Ruth. Did they have some kind of history? However, Eric appeared unfazed by the situation.As the head of a top-tier wealthy family, Lionel seemed to be more easygoing than expected."Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Johnson, inviting you for a meal is hard. I apologize for the unpleasantness earlier!" L
After a few drinks, Lionel's face turned slightly red. He sighed. "We're getting old. The future belongs to you, young people. Mr. Johnson, if the McClain family faces any troubles in the future, please help us deal with them."Before Eric could nod, Ruth irritably said, "Dad, what trouble could our family possibly face?"In her view, the McClains were already powerful, and even families of the same level wouldn't dare provoke them easily."Who can predict the future? Mr. Johnson, will you promise?" Lionel asked.Eric nodded. "Sure."He wanted a good relationship with the McClains. After all, who wouldn't want to be on good terms with them?Lionel laughed heartily. "Let's have another drink!"After a few more drinks, Lionel was getting drunk, surprising the family members who hadn't seen him drink this much in over a decade.It was getting late, and Eric and Sylvia needed to leave.Lionel got up. "Eric, I'll see you off!"Was he really drunk? He staggered as he escorted them
Sylvia empathized with Eric, knowing about his family's struggles since high school. Among their classmates, Eric's family was considered quite poor.Even after Eric started working, he faced challenges with David. It was only when he connected with Sylvia that his fate began to change.Eric's visit to the McClain family proved fruitful. He gained valuable information about the Hernandezes' dynamics from Lionel, empowering him to confront Javier. The realization of his newfound strength surprised him.-The following day, Eric received a call from his lawyer. Astrid was unable to endure more and expressed her willingness to testify against Javier. This marked their first breakthrough since Orion's death.-At prison.Eric met Astrid again. Despite being behind bars, Astrid's treatment was decent, and he had access to cigarettes.Astrid made a proposition to Eric. "I'll testify against Javier, but you must ensure I receive treatment for my leg in prison. I know you have a way. P
What Astrid needed was precisely this kind of assurance. As long as he exposed Javier, the prison authorities would consider such conditions.After organizing the information, he submitted it to the relevant authorities. However, Daniel had been dead for nearly 30 years. Could they still bring Javier to justice?Astrid was determined. In the information he provided, he even specified the poison used to kill Daniel. Despite the three decades that had passed, some residual toxins in the bones, which had not turned into ashes, could still be detected by modern technology. The color of the bones of someone who died from poisoning differed from those who died naturally.Astrid's revelation threw the Hernandez family into chaos. Daniel's grave, which had been untouched for almost 30 years, was dug up. The results mirrored Astrid's description—Daniel had indeed been poisoned.Naturally, Javier tried to proclaim his innocence. Almost 30 years had passed, and some evidence had been lost ove
"Eric! Javier... He's been released!" Grace's voice was filled with disbelief. "What's happening?!" Eric exclaimed.Just yesterday, Javier had been arrested, and even Grace had emphasized the seriousness of his situation. How was it possible for him to be released so swiftly?"Mom! Can you explain? He is accused of murder! Even if the Hernandez family holds influence, they shouldn't be able to interfere in such a serious matter, right?"Eric was apprehensive about the consequences and complications of taking a life entailed. Based on his understanding of the law, he knew that getting away with murder was nearly impossible. So, how was Javier managing it?"Please, come back first," Grace urged. "Your uncle is looking into it, and we still don't know the full situation, but Javier has indeed been released.""Alright."Eric and Sylvia's travel plans were disrupted, prompting their return to the Montgomerys. Alexander had gone to investigate and had yet to return.-Meanwhile,
"Oh, she's still at the airport. She forgot something, so I came back to get it," Kenneth explained."What did she forget? I'll bring it to you, Mr. Johnson," she said, wiping her hands.Kenneth waved his hand. "No need. You can continue with your work." Felicia nodded and resumed her tasks.Kenneth later called for Felicia, "Madam Baresi, could you step outside with me for a moment? I have something to discuss.""Sure," Felicia replied, finishing drying her hands and following Kenneth to the doorway.As soon as they were outside, Kenneth's face turned sinister."Madam Baresi, don't blame me!" he declared, thrusting a dagger into Felicia's abdomen."Mr... Mr. Johnson..." Felicia clutched Kenneth tightly, her voice trembling with realization. "No… You're not Mr. Johnson! Eric would never kill me! You are an imposter."Kenneth pulled out the dagger, his blood-stained hand shaking. It was his first time taking a life, and he was extremely nervous.Felicia desperately grabbed Ke
"Sylvia, I'll go with you," Grace declared and turned to Alexander. "Please look after things here, Alex. Our immediate priority is to clear Eric of suspicion. He's definitely innocent.""Alright, you both go."Alexander nodded. He knew the timeline didn't add up, and he was certain that Eric was being framed.Sylvia and Grace rushed to the villa. The property was already cordoned off, with police officers guarding the entrance. When they approached, one of the officers asked, "Who are you, and what brings you here?""I am the homeowner, and the deceased was our housekeeper. Could you please let us in to take a look? We are in a hurry," Sylvia said.She was anxious and wanted to clear Eric's name as soon as possible. She remembered that there were surveillance cameras at the entrance to the villa. However, she didn't know that the surveillance footage had led to Eric's arrest."There's nothing to see here," the officer stated."The body of the victim has been sent for an autopsy
The police could clear his suspicion if they checked the surveillance footage at the Montgomery residence and confirmed his absence during the crime.Before the police could investigate, Alexander's legal team arrived with strong evidence of his whereabouts.Eric's alibi was solid, providing a clear timeline from leaving the villa with Sylvia to returning to the Montgomery residence. At the time of the incident, at 10:00 a.m., he was not at Orion's villa but at the Montgomery residence.The situation baffled the police. Two identical people at different places at the same time made the case complex. Eric's legal team successfully secured his release.As he left, he pointed them toward Javier, claiming he had created the imposter to cause trouble and frame him.-Eric's expression darkened in the car, incensed by Kenneth's actions that led to Felicia's death. Despite his medical skills, he couldn't bring her back. He closed his eyes, struggling to contain his anger.The atmospher
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