Eric smiled. "Uncle Alexander, why worry about this? To be honest, I was the one who had them deported."Alexander was taken aback. He then remembered Sylvia asking Eric if he had finished his business earlier. So, it was this matter that Eric was handling!There was oversight after all!He said, "It's not just this. Public opinion also needs to be managed. These scoundrels love to create negative images of us, and it's infuriating!"Eric nodded repeatedly. The Combat Department would not let this slide.Soon, the Combat Department issued a statement through other departments, revealing the old experts' identities. They were deported for illegal entry, and there was nothing wrong with that!After this was settled, Alexander looked at Eric and Sylvia with curiosity. "Did you really develop a special vaccine? I heard they used your vaccines at the airport's quarantine area..."He knew Eric had inherited Orion's expertise. But the virus was a problem that foreign countries couldn't
With someone capable of handling these matters efficiently, Alexander felt reassured.In the evening, Grace returned from the company. Over the past few years, she had gradually delegated power to Sean, though not entirely. Certain situations still required her presence to maintain control.It wasn't that Sean was incompetent. He had the ability but was simply too young, lacking experience and decisiveness. After a few more years of gaining experience, Grace could confidently step down.When Grace arrived home, Sylvia greeted her. "Mom, you're still working so hard? You should really rest more!"Grace smiled. "I can manage. It's not a big problem. Sean isn't fully ready to take over yet. I'll work a few more years to solidify his foundation."Eric chimed in. "Mom, Vee is right. You've worked hard for most of your life. It's time to enjoy some peace. When we started our company, we were inexperienced too, but we managed. There's nothing to worry about."The three founders of the I
It turned out that Grace had already planned her future. After retiring from Montgomery Corp., she would leave King City and move to Salt City."That's great, Mom!" Sylvia said with a smile. "You've said it now. Our home is big enough, and Yvette often talks about how much she misses her grandmother. She'll be thrilled when you move in!"Eric and Sylvia were delighted to welcome Grace to Salt City permanently.Years ago, when Eric ended up in Salt City, it wasn't Grace's fault. However, she always felt a sense of guilt. She sometimes wondered whether the Hernandez family would have dared to say anything if she had the status and ability she had now. It would have been a great favor not to show them her anger.That incident had profoundly impacted Grace, transforming her from a gentle woman into a formidable figure in King City's circles. Truly, a mother's love knew no bounds.Those days were behind them, and now neither Eric nor Grace talked about it much. The only difference was
With their business in King City concluded, Eric and Sylvia didn't linger. They quickly returned to Salt City.The entire world was on edge due to the virus, and for the Innova Group, Eric and Sylvia were the key figures who could stabilize the situation. Although Michael was also in Salt City, he was responsible for the company's overseas operations, so he didn't need to oversee anything at the headquarters.As overseas business had come to a standstill, Michael found himself with little to do.-Arriving back in Salt City early, Eric and Sylvia decided to visit the Innova Group first.Upon seeing Jacob sighing in his seat, Eric couldn't help but be curious. "What's wrong? Did someone break into the Innova Group without laying a hand on you?"Eric quickly grasped the situation. Jacob actually enjoyed it when someone came to cause trouble. He wished for more people to slap him a few times.Who would reject money falling from the sky while sitting at their post? After all, a few
As long as humanity wasn't wiped out en masse, the value of gold would always be unshakable!Eric nodded. "Alright, you handle it."He had no objections. Preparing for a rainy day was never a bad thing. Sylvia, being one to act on her words, began stockpiling gold! With the rampant spread of the virus, the price of gold surged. It was foreseeable that once the virus subsided, the demand for gold would skyrocket. There would be no loss in any scenario. Reaching the age that Sylvia and Eric were at, it was only natural to consider future plans.The Innova Group’s operations continued, though the workload wasn't as heavy as before. Frontier Tech made frequent moves, but they were minor. Their research had come to a standstill.In such a dire environment, survival was paramount—who had the time to worry about other matters?This left Eric feeling slightly regretful. This pig just wouldn't fatten up. It would be better if it did. Fortunately, Salt City remained relatively
The danger of the virus was evident to Pierce from the situation abroad. The thought of it spreading in King City was unimaginable.Once the personnel were in place, the primary task, aside from controlling the virus's spread, was to investigate its origin.After some probing, everyone felt something was amiss. Typically, the spread of a virus was due to the movement of people. However, this neighborhood had no outsiders. Even the few strangers who had entered the neighborhood were found not to carry the Haevon virus."This is very strange," Pierce said, furrowing his brow. "This neighborhood lacks the conditions for the virus to spread, yet it has the first infected person. None of the residents have been to King City Airport. How did the virus get here?"He was deeply worried. If they could trace who brought the virus to this neighborhood, everything would be easier to manage. The worst-case scenario was finding nothing, with the virus appearing inexplicably. Could anything be mo
Pierce had taken Ruth's words to heart. The inability to trace the infection source in this residential area was truly baffling. Who knew if other areas would face the same issue?But then, an even more pressing matter arose.Since the outbreak of the Haevon virus abroad, Pierce had been coordinating with relevant departments to bring back citizens from overseas. The process was orderly and smooth, but due to logistical and other constraints, not everyone had been evacuated yet. It was an almost impossible task.Under these circumstances, a new problem emerged. A group of students stranded in Haevon got infected.When it rained, it poured!Those stationed in Haevon from Naturia had no solution and notified the authorities back home. The news swiftly reached Pierce. The handling of the virus outbreak was entirely the responsibility of the Combat Department, with other departments assisting. Such a significant issue was, of course, reported immediately to Pierce.Since the Haevon
The air was thick with the smell of disinfectant.Despite knowing by now that disinfectant did not affect the virus, it was perhaps for peace of mind that Haevon Airport was still being regularly sanitized.Two groups of people were waiting at the airport. One group, stationed in Haevon from Naturia, was on the phone notifying their homeland, while the other group belonged to the notorious Stealthbane.Stealthbane's men knew that Eric was coming, and both Eric and Stealthbane had arrived in Haevon almost simultaneously.As the plane landed, this once bustling international metropolis, one of the busiest and most prosperous in the world, now felt eerily dead.Who knew how many had perished there?Stepping off the plane, Eric sniffed the air, detecting the pervasive scent of death.Ruth sighed and said, "It seems the situation is far worse than we imagined..."Scanning the area, they saw planes parked at the airport, some of which had started to rust from neglect. This was a clea
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