Stealthbane stared at the door, ready for action. In his mind, the intruders would likely kick the door open and burst in. That was when he would strike, taking them all down in one swift move.However, the expected chaos didn't come.Instead, there was a knock on the door. Three knocks, to be exact, followed by a voice from outside. "Grim Reaper, we apologize for the sudden intrusion, but we come from Naturia and wish to discuss important matters with you."Stealthbane was taken aback and chuckled. "Quite polite, aren't they?"He glanced at Eric, who nodded in response. Taking the cue, Stealthbane opened the door.Standing there were several ascetic monks, along with the men Stealthbane had sent earlier. The ascetic monks had subdued them but hadn't made things difficult. With a wave, the ascetic monks released them.The men approached Stealthbane. "Boss, these ascetic monks are incredibly skilled!"They had suffered a loss. Initially sent to deal with the ascetic monks, they f
The ascetic monk spoke with utmost sincerity, revealing everything he needed to say.Seeing everyone's serious expressions, Stealthbane swallowed nervously and asked, "Are there really... zombies?"Ruth nodded slightly, saying, "In this vast world, nothing is impossible. Theoretically, zombies could exist, although the probability is extremely low. However, given a large enough sample size, even rare events can occur."She added, "If the ascetic monks' exorcizing techniques have no effect on these so-called zombies, then they probably aren't zombies."Eric chimed in, "Genetic weapons, maybe even biochemical weapons... Haevon is going to get very lively."He suddenly realized that beneath the apparent crisis in Haevon, there was an even greater danger lurking.If it weren't for these ascetic monks discussing it here, he wouldn't have believed that corpses could actually attack people. Although there were related cases recorded within the Combat Department, Eric had never witnessed
Eric was still engaged in underground fighting.It wasn't just out of boredom—the hefty rewards of gold per kilogram were extremely enticing. Winning each match brought in more gold, leaving no reason not to fight.Apart from a few ascetic monks who wanted to collaborate with Eric, other factions in Haevon had also taken notice of him. They too sought to form alliances, given Eric's terrifying combat prowess.After his first punch defeated a legend on the first day, none of his subsequent opponents stood a chance against him. Some even speculated that the combined strength of all the fighters in the underground arena wouldn't be enough to challenge Eric.Allying with Eric was not straightforward. A few ascetic monks had managed to track him to his residence, demonstrating some skill on their part. However, subsequent groups of pursuers were all taken care of by Stealthbane's men. In Haevon, acts of murder and robbery were common, and nobody paid attention to these incidents.For E
Stealthbane narrowed his eyes, focusing on the monstrous figure before him. Its chest had been pierced by a bullet, leaving a gaping hole over 20 centimeters wide.Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Stealthbane muttered with lingering fear, "Fucking thing, let's see you die now!"He believed the creature was dead. Yet, in the next moment, the colossal figure began to move again. Despite the gaping hole in its chest, it seemed unaffected.Just as Stealthbane prepared to act, he felt a sudden gust of wind beside him.Eric had made his move.Summoning his immense power, Eric swiftly reached the giant figure. Compared to the creature, Eric seemed tiny, barely reaching its chest in height. But this did not deter him. As he approached, he delivered a powerful punch.The force was so immense that even Stealthbane felt the terrifying power behind it. Any legend would have met their end with such a blow.With a thunderous impact, Eric's punch sent the three-meter-tall zombie flying, l
The people following Stealthbane were not to be trifled with—they rushed forward, slashing wildly.Although they carried guns, they didn't use them. First, firing at such close range might hit their own men. Second, the AMRs had failed to take down the enemy earlier, suggesting they were ineffective.The ascetic monks were equally fierce.Each one was highly skilled. Dealing with a few zombies was hardly a challenge.Seeing Stealthbane join the fray, the leader of the ascetic monks, Stavrophore Peter, shouted, "Chop off their heads! Chop off their heads! Remove their heads!"He had identified the crucial point.These creatures could still howl even with their limbs severed. The head was the key!Upon hearing this, Stealthbane didn't hesitate. He swung his large blade and attacked.His team consisted of experts. Despite facing seven or eight zombies, they quickly felled them.Exhaling heavily, Stealthbane asked Peter, "Is this what you call zombies? They don't seem like it!"A
"They know you ascetic monks can easily handle zombies. Since their bio-weapons resemble zombies, they're testing if you can handle these bio-weapons too."This explanation was perfect.Peter nodded repeatedly. "It seems that's the case. But if they're using these bio-weapons to test us, what is their deeper motive? Could they be planning to deploy these bio-weapons in Naturia?"His expression suddenly changed.Why test them? To see if these ascetic monks could easily kill the bio-weapons. If they could, then they would continue refining them. If not, they would deploy them!On a global scale, Naturia remained the only pure land unaffected by the Haevon virus. Those who deployed the Haevon virus likely aimed for mass extinction and wouldn't let so many people in Naturia survive.If the virus couldn't kill them, they would use bio-weapons instead.Eric pondered this issue too. 'What is their objective?'After eliminating all other possibilities, Peter's explanation was the only
Hearing that the bio-weapons might cause trouble, Stealthbane was almost scared to death.From tonight’s events, it was clear that even bio-weapons had different grades—some were very strong, while others were not as formidable.At the very least, the one that Eric had eliminated could withstand a legend-level attack. Of course, it might have been because Stealthbane's initial killing techniques were incorrect, but regardless, it was still a formidable presence.He ordered his men to reinforce the doors and windows overnight, welding shut any place they could to leave no gaps.After all this, he was still trembling. "These bastards! They really won't let people live in peace! Can they just calm down a bit?"Even when he was about to sleep, he worried that something might suddenly rush out and kill him.Meanwhile, Eric was not afraid. Before sleeping, he had a long phone call with Sylvia.Salt City was very peaceful, with nothing major happening.The Haevon virus could only reac
Stealthbane, always quick on his feet, burst out and said, "Don't kill them all! I want to see if these soulless creatures will return to their nest!"He had had enough.These beings were undoubtedly under someone's command. Otherwise, why would they come looking for trouble with those few ascetic monks and then come after them?During the fray, a few ascetic monks also came to assist.They lived nearby and, hearing the gunshots, had a good idea of what was happening.With everyone's combined efforts, the ground was littered with limbs and soaked in blood.Stealthbane intentionally left one alive, and sure enough, that one retreated."Chase it!" he shouted, leading his men in pursuit.Ruth glanced at Eric, "Let's go too!"The creature wasn't fast.It didn't take long before they arrived on the main street, where they saw a truck with its rear doors open parked by the roadside.The creature jumped into the truck, which then started and drove off.Stealthbane's men also broug
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