Mercenary Mayhem?Fred's forehead creased with concern the moment he heard Abraham's voice crackling through the phone.Mercenaries—notorious for stirring up trouble in places like the Middle East and South Africa—were usually the culprits behind such scenes of chaos.The infamous Black Dragon, Phoenix, Red Snake, and Purgatory had been the big shots of the mercenary world.Ever since Fred had effortlessly swatted away Purgatory's massive invasion five years back, things had been quiet. Too quiet.Especially since the Black Dragon crew had vanished from the map, and Fred even made peace with General Harrington of Purgatory after the whole Bloody Hands headquarters fiasco.None of this added up.Fred cut to the chase and said, "What kind of numbers are we talking about? Who's leading the charge?""The whole lot of them!"Abraham's voice was tinged with disbelief. "I can't figure out what's gotten into these knuckleheads. Since yesterday, we're talking a headcount of over forty
Benevolence Mist!Fred understood in a flash—it was the Benevolence Mist, a powerful force unique to the ancient medicine techniques, born from the King's Aura.That was why regular fighters could not sense it, but someone like Fred could catch on to the secret.Just like that, Savior Mendel stopped shaking and tipped the coins out of the shell—one landed tails, two heads up."Looks like Mr. Hoffman's in for smooth sailing, and he's gonna bump into someone he can truly count on!" Savior Mendel declared, his finger hovering over the two copper coins flipped heads up.Someone he could count on?Fred's eyebrows shot up at the thought.Was this “reliable person” the very person he had been mulling over? The one who could step into his shoes and fight off enemies in the Ancient Martial Realm while he was away?As Fred looked up, Savior Mendel was already shaking his head. "As I've said before, these signs only give us a glimpse. What it truly means, I can't say for sure! But..."He
Rescue the general and the young miss?Paulo's eyes, already covered in shadow, grew heavier with despair as Mr. Egorov's words sank in.General Harrington and Catherine, the young miss of the Purgatory Mercenary Group, were prisoners of a ridiculously powerful bunch. This whole mess—with nearly every mercenary outfit charging at Somer's borders—was all their doing.Paulo's mind raced with thoughts of their enemies' might, so strong it seemed futile to fight back. He glanced at Mr. Egorov, worry etched on his face. "Do we stand a chance? They're leagues beyond us in terms of strength. It's not just us either—Phoenix, Red Snake, all the mercenary crews roped into this mess. We're completely outmatched and forced into this crazy mission."All of us together don't stand a chance! How in the world are we supposed to rescue the general and his daughter?"Mr. Egorov sighed deeply, knowing Paulo hit the nail on the head. The mere memory of their foes' daunting presence sent shivers down
How, though?Paulo was about to think deeper when suddenly...A deep and ominous droning sound filled the air outside, and both men's expressions turned grave.That sound was the mercenary world's call to arms, a signal that the assault on Somer was kicking off once more!"The attack's underway. If we're no-shows, we'll stick out like sore thumbs! Forget the nitty-gritty, just remember—you and I have to lead the charge. We need to get caught by Somer's crew at the perfect moment. That's our ticket to getting in touch with the Revered Great One!"Mr. Egorov's voice was still echoing as he bolted out the door.Paulo stood there, Mr. Egorov's words hanging in the air, a flicker of doubt crossing his face. This was no ordinary skirmish—it was an all-out invasion, and being on the front lines meant staring death in the face. Mr. Egorov was basically telling him to throw himself into the lion's den, to get captured by the enemy if it meant reaching the Revered Great One."This... this
The battle shout was deafening, a thunderous roar that pierced the skies, as a million fierce warriors chanted their war cry!With the news that the Great One was en route, the already pumped-up Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise squads felt their spirits rocket even higher.That single command to "kill" sent a wave of exhilaration through the ranks.In the blink of an eye, the four mighty battle squads leaped into action, executing the strategies they had laid out earlier and diving headfirst into the fray.Generals like Lloyd Long and Wylan Wing charged ahead, leading the charge.This was not a scrap for the common folk—generals like them were meant to command from the back lines.In the world of warriors, however, a general's job was to take on the big guns of the enemy forces!So, just as quickly as the battle squads clashed with the tidal wave of mercenaries, Lloyd Long and his fellow generals were already trading blows with the enemy's top fight
Finally!There was a loud noise. After Lloyd was blocked by Lincoln's palm strike, Mr. Egorov aimed at a weak strike and punched him directly, sending Lloyd flying backward and coughing up blood.Whoosh!At this moment, a sound broke through the air. Lincoln's expression changed instantly, and he quickly took two steps back.Somerland’s God of War, Gustafson, who had been watching, had already rushed over and appeared in their battle."Your opponent is me!"After supporting Lloyd and easing the impact on his body, Gustafson immediately turned his attention to Lincoln and Mr. Egorov."Damn it! Run!"Without hesitation, Lincoln turned around and bolted.After all, he had already experienced Gustafson’s power in the previous battle, which was simply not something he could compete with.However, the more he ran, the more Gustafson's attention was focused on him. With one step, he moved to a spot less than ten meters behind Lincoln and aimed a slap at him.“Uh..."Lincoln's face
What?Almost instantly, Gustafson's expression turned grim.He had felt this sudden presence before. Was it not the same as Marshal, the person who blocked him when Drako Nimbus Alps was attacked in Capital City?His thoughts were correct.A gust of wind howled. Marshal appeared not far from Gustafson, looking over with an arrogant sneer."Somerland’s God of War? Haha, we meet again!"Marshal sneered and said, "I hope you still remember me."“Yes, I do!"Gustafson also smiled coldly and said, "After all, the way you fled in embarrassment last time really left a deep impression on me!"Whoosh!As soon as Gustafson said these words, Marshal's face darkened.Last time, Marshal had not yet returned to his prime. Although he was responsible for stopping Gustafson, he did not expect that Gustafson's strength would far exceed his imagination.As such, the moment he learned that Jeremiah Terra had been rescued, he immediately escaped.Now that Gustafson brought up his old shame ag
Despite what Gustafson knew, it was impossible for him to avoid fighting Marshal. Without hesitation, he clenched his fists to stop his palms from trembling, then rushed toward Marshal again in an instant."Very good!"When Marshal saw this, he smiled nonchalantly and threw a punch again.Gustafson swiftly dodged and narrowly avoided the attack. He then slowly gathered his fists at his waist.Mountain Breaking Strike!It seemed like an ordinary stance, but it was Gustafson's most powerful killing move.Back in the Drako Nimbus Alps, Gustafson once tried to use this move to defeat Fred.He was not successful at the time, but Marshal was not the same as Fred, so Gustafson had a direct and simple decision.Use the strongest killing move when it was least expected to determine the outcome in the shortest time!If the fight dragged on, it would only become more and more disadvantageous for Gustafson!"Oh? A killer move?"Marshal, who was about to continue attacking, immediately s
Marciella walking away did not bode well with the giant snake. Marciella was its food! How could it accept that its food had escaped?Marciella had not moved far yet. She reluctantly looked back at Fred.She did not know how Fred would handle the River God. She could only hope Fred would be okay!When Fred saw that she had left, he geared up, rubbing his palms in glee. He had an eager look on his face, which confused the giant snake.It was the snake’s first time meeting a man like Fred!How strange indeed!At this time!Suddenly, Fred said with hostility etched on his face, "Hey, Big Snake, what are you going to do now?"The snake's attention was entirely focused on him, which seemed off to Fred."What I’m going to do?"The giant snake fixated its eyes on Fred. It felt that it could handle a human like Fred easily.“I’m going to kill you with one bite! How dare you look down on me like this!"The giant snake rushed toward Fred fiercely at a speed so fast that no one could
Fred was annoyed by the giant snake's arrogant tone. Fred squinted his eyes at the snake and asked in confusion, "Why are you making that face?"“Huh?"The giant snake was shocked. He thought that Fred would submit to him, but to his surprise, Fred was not shaken at all.The snake was about to lose his temper.“Dirty snake, haven't I made myself clear enough? I think you are probably sleep-talking if you want me to hand over my people to you..." Fred said impatiently.At this moment…Feeling that it was being ridiculed, the snake said suddenly, "You punk, this is the first time anyone spoke to me this way. What is your name?"“Me?"Fred was stunned subconsciously, not knowing what the snake wanted. Suddenly, he understood.“Did you want to know my name so you can remember me, bow down before me, and become my follower? Sure, I’ll give you that chance!"He was adding fuel to the fire. The giant snake almost spat out blood in anger!"What? You want me to follow an immature bei
Huh!?Putting aside Marciella, even Fred could not hide his shock as a giant snake appeared from under the water!A giant snake!How could it be!?Fred's eyes widened at the sheer size of the snake. "A Giant Snake… Is this the so-called River God?"Moreover, the size was humongous. The snake must be at least ten stories high!What a huge snake!Fred finally understood why he felt a powerful force under the water!There was a sharp glint in the giant snake’s eyes! That was the blinking light from time to time!"Who comes here? Are you from the village? Who do you plan to sacrifice to me this time?" As soon as the giant snake spoke, Fred realized that this was not the first time it had done this.The snake seemed familiar with the ritual process. Obviously, the villagers had witnessed this giant snake before. This was the meeting between the two sides! Fred felt uncomfortable at this. As for the giant snake, it felt bemused when it saw Fred. The snake had never seen Fred befo
Fred was going to risk it all to open this girl's eyes!The force from the punch was extraordinary! As soon as the tree was hit by the seismic fist, it fell immediately and the whole tree split neatly in two!Marciella was dumbfounded!Although she knew how powerful Fred was, to witness his power was a different thing entirely!"Master Fred, your power is insane!"Marciella could not help but applaud.Fred seemed indifferent, as though he had no feeling at all about this."Is it? Why do you think so?"He looked so indifferent.For Ancient Martial Arts, things did not get any simpler than this!"You’re so strong. Anyway, I don’t doubt you anymore..." Marciella sighed, suddenly feeling very sad. "This is the reward of being educated. If we were more knowledgeable, we wouldn’t be so clueless.”"Haha, if you can't solve your issues, your descendants can work harder," Fred said with a wink.Marciella said, "Mr. Fred, I needed to ask you something! What if our luck was changed ju
What Fred said aroused her curiosity."What does it look like when you offer a sacrifice?"Fred knew he could not speak of this matter. Sure enough, Marciella felt a little downcast after Fred said the words. She did not know why Fred would say such a thing. Suddenly, Fred felt bad about it.He coughed and said, "Don't think too much about it... I just want to find a clue. Maybe we could find a solution. Why does it never rain in your village?""Huh?"Marciella's eyes, which were still a little dejected, suddenly realized what was important and asked hurriedly, "Mr. Fred, are you saying that the reason why it never rains in our village is because someone is behind it?"Although Fred was unwilling to admit it, he could not help but nod. "Yes, this is exactly what you thought!""For real?!"Marciella felt hopeful again when she heard this. She said hastily, "The thing you asked about is pretty simple. You can just check out that place!""That place?"Fred turned around to see w
Marciella found herself nodding in agreement with Fred's harsh assessment. "You're spot on," she said. "That woman is nothing but vile!"Seeing Marciella's reaction, a rare smile crossed Fred's face as he nodded back. "Glad you see it my way," he said.What caught Fred off guard was the villagers' reaction. One by one, their faces turned ashen with despair.It seemed to them that nothing could be worse than the predicament they were facing. The absence of the witch spelled doom for the village—it was like their last shred of hope had vanished. They had all put their faith in her to charm the River God into blessing them with rain, which would have brought some peace to their troubled lives. However, now their chances seemed to have dried up just like their fields. Fred stood there, his face a mask of serenity amidst the chaos.In the moments that followed, the village chief was a picture of despair, his only option was to send everyone home while he racked his brain for a backup pl
"What?"Fred did not even have time to blink before the witch suddenly made a move.It was like a bomb went off.Kaboom!Then, she was dead!Fred dusted off his hands, even surprising himself with his lack of tolerance for the witch.Now, though, he had a real headache. He had planned to clear the air with the witch and lay out the past so everyone would know the full picture.He thought that might just turn things around.The situation changed when she vanished, and Fred's plans were completely derailed. Then again, changing the villagers' minds was not going to be a walk in the park anyway. They were pretty set in their ways, thanks to all the stuff they had been fed.As such, just talking it out might not cut it. Heck, it could even mess with history!With the witch out of the equation, Fred figured he might as well try a different tactic. Maybe if he took out the guy in the cloak and worked his own magic to bring some rain, it could save a lot of hassle. The more he thoug
"No way!"The witch bristled with defiance. She could not accept that she was no match for Fred.As she noticed Fred's focus was locked on her, a sly idea popped up in her mind.Before she could act on it, though, she found herself pinned against the wall by Fred in a flash...Her face contorted in disbelief. She was pinned so tightly that she could not even move!The witch was completely overpowered, her heart racing with panic.How could he be so much stronger than her?Fred, on the other hand, seemed unfazed."What's going through your head? You don't seriously think you can take me on, do you?" Fred asked, his voice laced with skepticism.The witch felt utterly trapped, as if at any second, Fred might just finish her off."Look, I messed up, okay? Can we not do this? I'm old, just a pile of brittle bones—I can't take this kind of rough treatment!" the witch pleaded with Fred, trying a new tactic to get through to him.Fred was not falling for it. He looked at her with a
"Heh, I caught on to you a while back, you know. You've been tailing me, and I'm pretty sure you're here for me. Plus, you don't have the look of someone from our village. That means you are an outsider, and I'm your target, right? Listen, man, we don't have any beef with each other, so why are you sticking your nose where it doesn't belong?"The witch had sensed the raw power rolling off Fred, and it was enough to send shivers down her spine!At that moment, she knew that challenging Fred was not going to be a walk in the park! If she had spotted him earlier in the forest, it would not have been good news for her. For starters, she had no clue how many tricks Fred had up his sleeve, and if he took her down, she and her buddy would be toast.However, the witch was not about to let Fred take her out without a fight! She racked her brain and finally settled on one strategy!She would try to sweet-talk him, hoping Fred would fall for her words just like everyone else, and fall into he