The Hernandez guards were on high alert, convinced that Eric was in a tight spot, surrounded by grandmasters. Escaping such a siege unharmed seemed impossible.Soon, Julius and Javier arrived. Javier turned to Julius with a manic smile and said, "Since he's your son, I think I should ask for your opinion first. You're okay with me killing him today, right?"Javier appeared to have lost his mind. Killing Eric here would undoubtedly provoke the Montgomerys, leading to an endless vendetta. From a family head's perspective, it was an unwise move, but Javier felt he had no other option, sensing the danger Eric posed to the Hernandezes' future.Julius frowned while looking at Eric in silence, but his wife was visibly anxious.After a pause, Julius calmed himself and stated, "Javier, I made it clear 29 years ago that this man has nothing to do with me anymore!""Hahahaha!" Javier laughed heartily, reveling in the feeling of control. He believed Julius' words must have hurt Eric deeply.
Even though Vermillion was a legend, Eric was confident he could stand toe-to-toe with him if he went all out.Javier's face sank, but an idea soon occurred to him. He turned to Julius and shouted, "Get him!"Knowing he couldn't kill Eric that day, Javier decided to use Julius as leverage. Several guards rushed toward Julius and grabbed him.Stunned, Eric found it amusing that Javier was using Julius to threaten him. He said, "Are you serious?"Javier shouted, "Julius is your biological father! You can't just watch him die, can you!?"He thought Eric would still care about his father despite his hatred.However, Eric laughed and said, "Whether he's dead or not has nothing to do with me."Eric knew he had to stay calm. As the Hernandez guards charged toward Julius, Eric's heart trembled slightly. Human hearts were not made of stone, especially not Eric's. However, he also knew that he had to stay rational and not be led around by Javier in such a situation.Javier frowned. "He's
Eric felt a surge of determination and decided to get serious. Since beginning his martial arts journey, he had never fully unleashed his power. Even in the underground arena, he always analyzed his opponents' moves before countering. He limited himself to straightforward exchanges when facing martial legends like Pierce and the mysterious red-cloaked masked man.Tonight, Eric intended to give it his all for a swift victory. He didn't know much about the Hernandezes, but could a family among the elite in King City have no hidden cards?He kicked the ground, and in the blink of an eye, he stood before the grandmaster wielding the tiger claws, delivering a powerful punch.Even from a distance, Javier and the others could feel the formidable force behind Eric's punch. It seemed as if a gust of wind accompanied the blow.Before the grandmaster could react, Eric's punch sent him flying several meters away, and he rolled on the ground before coming to a stop.He spat blood and stammered
"All of you are too weak!" Javier's face darkened even further as he bellowed, "Eric! This place is ours! You barged in recklessly, and we're just defending ourselves! You're the one who committed the crime first!"Eric fell silent momentarily, aware of Javier's tactic to force him to retreat. In reality, Eric also contemplated withdrawing, unsure of what to say to the police.Observing Eric step back, Javier sneered. "Such a brute! Violence seems to be your only solution. How laughable!"Javier believed he had gained the upper hand and scared Eric into submission, so he planned to escape overnight and seek refuge elsewhere until the Hernandezes resolved the issue. Suddenly, a group of people arrived at the gates of the Hernandez estate, led by none other than Pierce.Accompanying him was Ruth and several others from the Combat Department."Did someone call the police? What's the problem?" Pierce asked.Javier was dumbfounded. Although he had intended to call the police, he h
The Montgomerys mobilized, aiming to confront the Hernandezes directly. However, upon reaching their estate, Grace and her group discovered Eric was missing.The Hernandezes' faces paled upon the Montgomerys' arrival, realizing they were here for Eric, who wasn't the only one missing. Javier had been captured, and fear gripped them. They suspected the Montgomerys might exploit Javier's absence to dismantle them.Rafael led the Hernandezes and confronted the Montgomerys. In theory, with Javier captured, Julius should lead the Hernandezes.Rafael said, "Madam Montgomery, Eric's not here. Don't think you can do whatever you want just because my dad isn't around!"Rafael was upset by the Montgomerys' aggression right after his father's capture. Still, he acknowledged the Combat Department's formidable individuals, preventing him from blaming the Montgomerys outright."Who do you think you are to talk to me?" Grace asked, "Where is your father? Let him come out and talk to me!" "You—
Meanwhile, although Eric was not warmly received at the Combat Department, he was in slightly better condition than Javier. He had not been handed over to the relevant departments, while Javier had already been transferred with explicit instructions from the Combat Department. The Combat Department was not as impressive as Eric had imagined. In fact, it was somewhat rudimentary. He was confined in a simple room with only a table and chair.Even the door made some noise as if it had not been used in a long time and lacked oil.After Ruth entered the room, she started mockingly, "Are you a fool?"Eric initially thought Ruth was referring to the murder incident at the Hernandez residence. To be honest, he felt it was a bad move for him to charge into someone's home and kill them.He replied, "The Hernandez guards surrounded me. I was only defending myself. In that situation, if I didn't eliminate the grandmaster, he would have killed me." He extended his hand to show Ruth the bloo
Pierce held a genuine appreciation for talent. He invested even more effort in his pursuit of recruiting Eric than the first time.However, Eric was puzzled by what Pierce saw in him."Mr. Fischer, the world is brimming with talented individuals and lofty ambitions. Why have you singled me out?" Eric asked.Pierce grinned. "You're spot-on with the first part, but the second part needs clarification."Perplexed, Eric asked, "What do you mean?"Pierce elaborated, "While there are countless talented individuals, many lack the capabilities to fulfill their dreams. On the other hand, you stand out. You are a martial arts prodigy rivaling legends at 30 and an exceptional holistic physician. Your prowess surpasses your business achievements. These abilities are precisely what my Combat Department requires."Pierce's visit to Salt City was solely prompted by Eric—he actively sought rare talent, and Eric embodied that rarity.Pierce continued. "In truth, I orchestrated your visit to King
Pierce offered, "With your skills, you shouldn't limit yourself to just being a martial arts instructor."After pondering for a moment, Eric shook his head and replied, "It's challenging. I have too many responsibilities on my plate, not only with the company but also personal matters."Upon hearing Eric decline their invitation again, Ruth exclaimed, "See? I told you he won't join us! It's not like we're going to die without him anyway! If he doesn't join, so be it! We don't have to bow our heads at him!"Eric raised an eyebrow but remained silent.Pierce chuckled and remarked, "Relax, I don't see any problem with that. You need to put in more effort to get what you want. If he refuses to join us, it just means that we haven't tried hard enough."Eric sighed. He didn't want to dampen Pierce's enthusiasm, but disappointment was inevitable. -Later, Sylvia arrived at the Combat Department, and Pierce personally escorted them out."What's the Combat Department up to?" Sylvia ask
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