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In Erudia, a private jet landed at North Hampton Airport, where all international flights experienced an eight-hour delay because of it.
At the private passageway were five men in suits and leather shoes, standing as straight as a javelin.
Every now and then, they would raise their wrist to look at the time, for a big shot was coming to town.
The upper-class society of North Hampton had learned about his arrival, but no one had the capability to get an inch closer to the private passageway.
Even the richest man in North Hampton who came to pay homage was chased away.
Finally, there were movements coming from the passageway.
“God of War!!!” the mass cried out, their eyes filled with awe and veneration at the sight of the undefeatable legend of Erudia.
He, who was dubbed the God of War, was the one and only five-star war God in the history of Erudia.
Once, he’d inflicted a crushing defeat on the strongest battalions in eighteen countries. He was an overbearing and formidable man.
He who overwhelmed the world with his unparalleled power had even created the Five Great Wars Regiment, Cavalry Regiment, and many more.
…
Setting foot on his homeland, Levi Garrison was overcome with emotions.
Once upon a time, he used to be an orphan who was abandoned on the streets of North Hampton and then adopted by the Garrison family.
However, the Garrison family had never been fond of him.
His adoptive parents, who had a tendency to beat and scold him, treated him like an outsider.
As for the outsiders, they treated him as a nobody.
But he didn’t care a stiver. He had always been proud of his surname since he was a child, and he strived to bring glory to this family when he grew older.
At last, Levi had established Levi Group, the largest dark horse in North Hampton’s business community.
With billions of assets, it ranked among the forefront of North Hampton, pushing the declining Garrison family to the top.
However, not only did the Garrison family showed no signs of appreciation, they even harbored dissatisfaction towards him. Jealous of his success, they regarded him as a thorn in their flesh and coveted Levi Group.
No matter his wealth and power, unless they were in control, he was just an outsider in the Garrison family’s eyes.
Eventually, on Levi’s wedding night, the Garrison family plotted a frame-up against him by getting him drunk before tossing him onto his sister-in-law’s bed. They wanted to create the illusion that he was doing something untoward to her and was caught in bed by his brother and adoptive parents.
That night, the Garrison family had brutally broken his limbs and left him on the road like a wild dog.
Not only was he handicapped, but he also had to take the flak for something he didn’t commit.
From an upstart in the business world, he had become the target of disdain overnight.
And the next day, he had been punished for several crimes and sentenced to six years in prison.
He could never forget the ruthless and sinister faces of everyone in the Garrison family and the ridicule of his friends, classmates, and business partners.
More so, he could never forget the disappointment on his newly wedded wife, Zoey’s face.
He had regarded the Garrison family as his home and devoted himself to the family.
Yet, they treated him like trash.
It felt as if a knife was being twisted in his heart every time he thought about this.
How he hated the Garrison family!
But who would have thought that Levi had been secretly transferred away from prison to join the military?
In a few years, he dominated the military world and became the one and only five-star God of War.
Now that he came back, the Garrison family ought to stay on their toes.
“How’s it going, Azure Dragon?” Levi asked.
Azure Dragon, the commander of the Five Great Wars Regiment, took a step forward and said respectfully, “Sir, I’m afraid your wife, Ms. Zoey Lopez will remarry at ten o’clock tonight!”
Ever since Zoey’s husband was sent to prison on their wedding night, she had been living like a widow.
Only God knew how much pressure she was put under.
And right now, the person Levi couldn’t wait to see the most was Zoey.
After a moment of hesitation, Azure Dragon continued, “To add on, Sir, the Garrison family is holding a successful listing celebration banquet at the Crystal Palace Hotel tonight! Many people had invited the God of War just now, including the Garrison family, but I didn’t accept nor refuse directly.”
“What time?” Levi asked tersely.
“Eight o’clock, Sir.”
“Okay. Tell the Garrison family I will attend the banquet!”
Since the time for the two events didn’t clash, Levi gladly accepted the invitation.
The celebration banquet for the public listing of Garrison Group was held at North Hampton’s Crystal Palace Hotel.
With the help of Levi Group, they had become a rich and powerful family in one fell swoop.
The hall was bustling with noise and excitement, and sounds of glasses clinking could be heard ringing in the air every now and then.
“God bless the Garrison family,” said Joseph, the head of the Garrison family. “The younger generations are the stars among men. Garrison Group is now listed and has become an upstart in North Hampton!”
Joseph’s three sons and daughter welcomed their guests with bright smiles on their faces.
The younger generation of the Garrison family was all the smugger and prouder because, after today, the Garrison family would become a powerful family, and they would become one of the top rich kids.
Most of the guests who attended today’s banquet were from the top circle in North Hampton.
“Garrison, do you know what happened today?! Your celebration party is nothing compared to that.” They were gossiping about the major event that had happened today.
“Yeah! I heard that a big shot has arrived in North Hampton!”
“The richest man in North Hampton wanted to meet him but was shooed away. Apparently, he’s not qualified enough!”
“So? Jesse Nielsen had been waiting for five hours in advance at the airport!”
Joseph nodded. “Yes, I know about that too. I even sent someone to invite this big shot to the celebration party!”
“No way! Why would this big shot attend such a party?”
No one believed it.
In fact, as an upstart, Joseph was just trying his luck.
“Dad!” shouted Jaycob, the second eldest son of the Garrison family could be seen running over. “The big shot has accepted our invitation to attend our celebration banquet! He’s on the way!”
“Jesus! God has indeed blessed the Garrison family!”
Everyone in the Garrison family could barely conceal their delight as this was their chance to reach the sky in a single bound.
The grandchildren of the Garrison family gathered together, sunshine flooding their souls.
Levi’s brother, Bryan, and sister-in-law, Victoria, smiled. “Well, it all starts with Levi’s imprisonment that the Garrison family is at where we are today…”
“Right, speaking about Levi, do you guys know today’s the day that kid gets out of prison?!” somebody asked abruptly.
“Really? Isn’t that bad luck? Why did he have to be released on such a big day?!”
“Please, please, please don’t come back! He’s the Garrison family’s biggest disgrace!”
Victoria’s lips tugged into a sneer. “Speaking of which, Levi is the crowning glory of the Garrison family’s status today.”
“That’s what he’s supposed to do!” Bryan said. “He should contribute to the Garrison family for raising him, an orphan! His multi-billion Levi Group means nothing. To put it bluntly, he’s just a dog raised by the Garrison family!”
Someone gave a chortle. “As a matter of fact, I’ve been interested in Levi’s wife for a long time now. She’s still widowed, and I’m so going to marry her!”
The man’s remark caused gales of laughter.
“Everyone, stop what you’re doing. I have an important announcement to make,” Joseph said and went on to announce that the big shot was coming.
A thunderous applause was heard.
But when the applause had died down, there was still someone clapping.
The sound was loud and clear, approaching from afar.
On the red carpet, a man came clapping, looking bold and energetic.
His stride gave off a majestic and imposing aura, which made the mass hold their breaths.
“It’s Levi!” Bryan and Victoria exclaimed.
Suddenly, all eyes were riveted on him.
“I forgot this little brat got out of jail today!” Levi’s adoptive parents spoke in unison.
Ignoring the astonished gazes darted at his way, Levi walked step by step towards Joseph.
“A little bird told me that the company is now listed. How are you feeling, Joseph? Are you happy?”
Levi flashed him a meaningful smile.
“How dare you show up here, you insolent brat! And what did you just call me?” Joseph’s fury sprang to life.
“Who let him in? Didn’t you know he just got out of prison? How inauspicious!”
Bryan rose to his feet. “What the hell are you doing here, Levi?”
Levi sized him up. “Why can’t I be here?”
“Well, for starters, you’re an orphan! The Garrison family has raised you, but you were ambitious and ungrateful. You had inordinate ambitions for your sister-in-law, and you wanted to take possession of the Garrison family! You’d even tried to kill your parents when things go south! Have you no conscience? Do you have any sense of morality left in your heart?”
“You’ve lost your reputation in North Hampton, and everyone knows that. Have you no shame to have the brass neck to come round here?”
“Of course! He’s my husband, so I know the extent of his capability. He’s slightly stronger than the man he was three years ago, but that only means he’s ranked around six thousandths on the Provisional Leaderboard!” Zoey uttered.
Before Mace could reveal that Levi had killed the bodies lying haphazardly on the ground, Zoey pleaded, “Please!”
“All right, then.” Mace caved in, for he was in a hurry to inform Levi about what they had encountered earlier.
When Zoey headed back, she noticed how relaxed Levi was. Clearly, the previous fight hadn’t force him into a corner.
It was all Mace’s fault!
“Come on, everyone. Let’s go our separate ways!” she declared.
“Ms. Lopez, I have to talk to Mr. Garrison. I shall leave after that!”
After Zoey and the rest left, Mace inched nearer to Levi and reported, “Mr. Garrison, we met the mutated zombies…”
“I was right! But the mutated zombies must be under Maya Industries’ control, right?” he asked.
Mace answered, “I’m not sure, but the mutated zombies were wearing armors and helmets. If we didn’t know about their existence beforehand, we wouldn’t have noticed them!”
The others chimed in, “We are sure that the mutated zombies are strong compared to the ones we met earlier. There’s a possibility that they were controlled!”
Levi glanced at them briefly.
From their tattered clothes and wounds, it was obvious they had taken the brunt of the attack earlier.
“Looks like Maya Industries is using the mutated zombies in this tournament challenge! They put armors on the zombies so others won’t find out about their real identity!” Levi mused, caressing his jaw.
There must be something else to this!
He inquired, “Perhaps the armors are meant to control them?”
“Oh, that might be possible!” Mace nodded profusely.
“All right. We should move on! If there are any updates, contact me using the communication device instead of coming to me!” Levi ordered.
With that, Mace and the other fighters made to leave.
Levi continued on his journey alone.
He contacted Sammy, Death Fiend, and the rest outside to get updates while he searched for the mutated zombies.
After some time, Azure Dragon who was one hundred miles away from Levi suddenly blanched.
A few mutated zombies clad in armors had appeared before him!
At the sight of Azure Dragon, the zombies dashed toward him without hesitation.
“Is this my challenge?” Azure Dragon faced them head-on excitedly.
A few minutes later, he was already retreating, wounds all over his body.
The mutated zombies were too strong for him to kill.
Besides, he was facing a few of them at once.
He nearly lost his life back there.
Kirin and the others arrived in time to join in the fight.
Once they joined in, they immediately realized how strong the armored fighters were.
Though they were Divine Leaderboard fighters, they were no match for the armored fighters.
“W-What is going on?”
The number of mutated zombies kept increasing, till there were hundreds of them.
And the numbers only continued to grow.
Though Kirin and the others had gathered, and they were Divine Leaderboard fighters, but they suffered badly and got injured.
All fighters that entered the area encountered the armored fighters.
Levi’s speculation had been right all along, for the challenge this time was to defeat the mutated zombies!
In no time, many of the fighters were either injured or dead.
Even the Divine Leaderboard fighters were wounded, let alone the Provisional Leaderboard fighters.
They were meant to be cannon fodders!
Shortly after, Floyd, Sword Fiend, Zoey, and the rest ran into the mutated zombies.
CHAPTER 2330
Chapter 2330 Stay Put
Almost every fighter who entered the indigenous forest found themselves battling against the mutated zombies.
This time, Maya Industries’ tournament challenge was to leave the fighters in the indigenous forest to fight against the mutated zombies!
The Divine Leaderboard fighters were delighted at first, but when they finally fought against the mutated zombies, they immediately realized something was wrong.
The armored zombies were too strong to defeat!
Many fighters ended up battered after the fight.
Even top fighters like Zoey and Floyd would be injured if they got surrounded by the mutated zombies.
As a result, everyone was stuck as they were caught unaware by the unexpected challenge.
They were no match for their enemies!
One’s strength would definitely increase considerably if one could fight one’s way out.
However, everyone sensed that something was off.
The current tournament challenge looked different, for it seemed like a set-up!
They couldn’t help but wonder where Maya Industries got their hands on the armored fighters that rendered the Divine Leaderboard fighters helpless.
It meant that Maya Industries was above the Divine Leaderboard!
They didn’t have to ponder over that, for the armored fighters were already attacking them.
Soon, the Divine Leaderboard fighters realized the armored fighters were invincible!
Luckily, the mutated zombies had limited attacking skills.
It was hard for the Divine Leaderboard fighters to inflict injury on them unless they gathered their strengths to attack the mutant zombies all at once.
Despite that, it was hard for them to kill their way out.
Levi’s biggest worry had happened—everyone dear to him was in danger!
Luckily, he was near enough from them to save their lives.
Levi assessed his surroundings and discovered Azure Dragon was badly hurt, but Kirin and the rest had arrived to save him.
They wouldn’t be in danger for now after joining in the battle together.
Though the rest had been attacked by the mutated zombies, they were also safe for now.
Zoey, Sword Fiend, and the rest were engaged in an intense battle, so Levi chose not to interfere for the time being.
After all, it was the perfect opportunity for them to increase their strengths.
If they could make it through, they’d get to improve themselves swiftly.
Meanwhile, Levi had slain plenty of mutated zombies that the rest thought were invincible.
Zoey and the others were doing their very best to complete the hard-earned challenge to get stronger.
“Oh, no!”
Suddenly, they remembered someone—Levi!
Now that everyone was in danger, Levi must’ve run into the undefeatable armored fighters, too!
This situation was worse than what they had imagined in the first place.
After all, they had lost control over the situation!
If Levi bumped into an undefeatable monster, he’d die for sure.
“Hurry, we need to save Levi!”
Zoey promptly escaped from the mutated zombies to go save Levi.
The others came to their senses and ran after her.
However, the mutated zombies seemed to be deliberately blocking their way, making it extremely difficult for them to leave.
Everyone got desperate in order to save Levi’s life.
Meanwhile, Levi was strolling around when a few armored, mutated zombies appeared in front of him.
A familiar scent wafted in the air, and Levi flashed a grin.
“You’re not the first that I’ve come across. I’ve killed over thousands of your kind!”
The mutated zombies dashed toward Levi as though they had lost their minds.
Before Levi could take action, Death Fiend’s voice rang out of the communication device.
“Master, stay put! The mutated zombies have been equipped with communication devices that scan everything and report back to their system! They even have an analyzing system to analyze your combat prowess!”
Levi chuckled. “So? Should I stay put?”
“Yes! We’re figuring a solution now. Just wait!” Fiery Demon and the rest declared anxiously.
“It’s fine. Take your time!”
CHAPTER 2331
Chapter 2331 Saved Boss Again
Levi’s face broke into an all-too-familiar cocky grin. “No problem! I can take the hits!”
In fact, Levi had become so powerful that he could destroy anything in his path with just one punch.
Throughout his training to master ultimate speed and strength, he had also built an indestructible body to withstand the force of his attacks.
As such, Levi truly believed that nothing in the world could hurt him.
If divine tools like the Skyward Sword or Terra Blade couldn’t even pierce through his defenses, what was there to worry about a few pathetic punches?
With that, Levi instinctively fought the mutated zombies as they swarmed toward him.
Alas, that only made them retaliate even more.
They continuously landed critical hits on Levi, threatening to tear him apart.
“Oh, come on! Are you guys done yet? I’m getting impatient!” Levi grumbled.
To him, the attack from the mutated zombies was more annoying than anything else. Not only did it not deal any damage, but it also barely felt like a tickle.
His patience was running thin, and he couldn’t wait to shred them all to pieces.
On the other hand, Levi’s speculation had been right all along.
Maya Industries had no way of monitoring every corner of the indigenous forest, so all they could do was track the fighters and mutated zombies.
If Levi were to kill the monsters now, Maya Industries would undoubtedly know about it.
“Wait a while more! We’re still trying!” Death Fiend and the others exclaimed.
After all, interfering with the devices on the mutated zombies was no easy task, especially when they had to ensure it wouldn’t expose Levi’s true strength.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
More and more mutated zombies advanced toward Levi, but when they realized how difficult it was to knock him down, they got even angrier.
Their relentless, ruthless attacks intensified, but that only made Levi go cold with fury.
Have they no shame? If they keep this up, this indigenous forest shall be their graveyard! I’ll tear them all apart!
“Are you done?” Levi yelled, his tone even more furious than before.
Before Death Fiend could reply, a flurry of activity sounded around them.
Zoey, along with Azure Dragon, Sword Fiend, Floyd, and the others, had all arrived.
However, when they saw the monsters gathered around Levi like they were about to devour him, panic surged through them.
Everyone was stunned as no one had expected Levi to end up in such a precarious situation.
If they had arrived a second later, who knew what ghastly consequences there might be?
After having sparred off with the monsters themselves, everyone knew how powerful they were.
Now that there were so many teaming up on Levi, how could he possibly come out of it in one piece?
With every passing second, everyone grew even more anxious.
“Levi!”
“Master!”
“Boss!”
Without further ado, Zoey and the rest rushed toward Levi.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Everyone gave it their best shot, taking down the mutated zombies that besieged Levi and rescuing him from their clutches.
Levi, on the other hand, was close to tears.
Rather than being touched by the rescue effort, he was frustrated at how inefficient Death Fiend and the rest were.
Even with Levi rushing them, they still couldn’t complete their task fast enough.
If it weren’t for them, Zoey and the others wouldn’t have thought that he was at the mercy of the mutated zombies or that he needed rescuing.
When she finally saw how disheveled Levi was, Zoey burst into tears.
Thank goodness we arrived in time to save him! Otherwise, he’d be dead! And it’d be our fault for failing to give him ample protection!
“Retreat!” Azure Dragon ordered. “We’ll take Boss out of here first!”
Thankfully, the indigenous forest was huge, so everyone quickly made it to a safe location.
As soon as they were out of danger, cheers and laughter filled the air.
“Yeah! We’ve saved Boss again!”
While everyone beamed with excitement, Levi could only shake his head in exasperation.
CHAPTER 2332
Chapter 2332 I Am Going Alone
Levi knew that it was even harder to clear things up now.
They had witnessed how he almost got torn to pieces by the mutated zombies and would naturally think that he was too weak to fight back.
It’s all Death Fiend’s fault! If he had resolved the issue earlier, I would’ve easily destroyed those monsters with one hit. Why the hell would I need to be rescued?
Try as he might, Levi couldn’t hide the frustration on his face.
If Death Fiend and the others were in front of him, he’d have kicked them without any hesitation.
Unfortunately, when everyone else saw how glum Levi was, they had a different interpretation for it.
They thought Levi was upset for not being strong enough to defend himself and that he could only resign to fate in life-threatening situations.
After all, Levi used to be the all-mighty hero and savior of the world.
But now, he couldn’t even protect himself in times of danger, no matter how hard he tried.
In the end, he even had to suffer the humiliation of being rescued by others.
However, everyone knew it was only in the face of adversity that people could learn the sobering truth of their abilities.
Only then could they leave the past behind and focus on improving themselves.
Because of that, even though Levi had been in grave danger just a while ago, Zoey and the rest knew it was all worthwhile.
That life-changing moment must have made Levi realize his inadequacies and spurred him on!
Nothing else could be more convincing than the harsh, cold reality!
Zoey was the first to break the uncomfortable silence around them. “We’re all responsible for this! It’s our fault for not protecting you well. If not for that, you wouldn’t have been in so much danger.”
A smile then crept across her face as she added, “Levi, do you now see the differences between the past and present?”
Levi nodded solemnly. “I sure have! If I had these in the past, world destruction would’ve been easy!”
There might not have been mutants in the past, but if Levi were in control of any back then, he’d have ruled the world.
Alas, the people around him had once again interpreted his words differently. To them, it sounded like Levi had finally admitted the stark differences between the past and present.
He was slowly warming up to the modern age and realizing how much more work he needed to put in.
As such, they were all sure that he was ready to move on from the past.
“That’s why you’ll have to work on the modern techniques once you get back, Levi! You’ve recognized the gap, so now it’s up to you to close that gap!” Zoey exclaimed, the smile still plastered on her face.
Floyd chimed in, “She’s right, Master! We may not be super powerful, but we can still take down the undead monsters. You couldn’t even handle them! I’m sure you don’t want people to know that your disciples had to rescue you, so you have to get stronger soon!”
As harsh as they might have sounded, Zoey and Floyd were only telling the truth.
They could still fight their way out despite being up against such formidable fighters, but Levi was entirely helpless.
Such was the difference in their abilities!
If Levi cared about his pride, he’d train as hard as possible and improve his abilities instead of relying on his disciples to pull him out of sticky situations.
No one in their right mind would be able to put up with that kind of humiliation!
To Zoey and the rest, that fear of getting humiliated again was the perfect motivation for Levi to start training.
Ultimately, nothing could be more embarrassing than having to be rescued by his disciples time and again!
Everyone gave contented smiles as they looked at Levi.
He had finally seen the light, which meant they had accomplished their mission.
“Since we have achieved our goal, we can’t let Levi act alone from now!” Zoey said.
“Huh? But how should we go about doing it, Zoey?” Kirin replied. “You can’t expect us to be circling Boss at all times, can you?”
Everyone had entered the indigenous forest with two goals in mind.
Since they had achieved one of the goals, the remaining goal would be to train as much as possible.
It was too good an opportunity to pass up, and they couldn’t possibly spend the rest of their time escorting Levi.
Zoey’s smile widened as if she had already anticipated that question. “Don’t worry! I’ve planned it out before we even got here!”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ll take turns! Everyone here will split into teams of three. Each team will get a turn to follow Levi for half a day, but when it isn’t your team’s turn, you’re free to go off and do whatever you like!”
Upon hearing that, everyone nodded in hearty agreement. “Understood!”
“No. I want to go alone!”
CHAPTER 2333
Chapter 2333 I Will Prove It To You
When they heard Levi’s proclamation, everyone turned to stare at him in confusion.
It was baffling to hear him insisting on acting alone, especially when he had barely escaped the jaws of death earlier.
For a moment, no one could tell if Levi had lost his mind or if he still hadn’t realized how weak he was.
Then again, how was that possible?
After the way the mutated zombies had almost shredded him to pieces, how could Levi not realize how defenseless he was against them?
Unbeknownst to them, Levi had better things to do rather than tag along with them.
“No way! You’ve already recognized and accepted your weaknesses, so there’s no longer a need to act alone! It’d be too dangerous without us around!”
Zoey turned her gaze toward the others and commanded, “Follow my orders! From now on, we’ll split up into teams! I’ll start the ball rolling together with Phoenix and Venom Fiend. We’ll gather back in six hours, but until then, the rest of you are free to roam around and train. All right, let’s go!”
With that, Zoey, Phoenix, and Venom Fiend became the first team to escort and protect Levi.
The others, too, split themselves into evenly matched teams of three before setting off to begin their respective training.
Left with no other choice, Levi sighed in resignation as he followed Zoey and her team.
Alas, they had barely taken a few steps when a group of mutated zombies suddenly appeared.
Upon seeing that, Zoey chuckled. “See what I mean? If you had gone alone, you might have run into danger the very next second! Letting us escort you is the only way to survive!”
“Yes, you have to stay close to us, Boss. Danger lurks everywhere!” Phoenix added.
“These monsters are tough!” Venom Fiend grumbled. “My venom doesn’t even work on them! We’d better watch our backs!”
To their surprise, Levi scoffed, “Ha! What’s so scary about these monsters? I’ve killed at least ten thousand of them!”
The three of them stared at him incredulously.
Not only was it a bold statement on Levi’s part, but it also just couldn’t be true.
It was the first time the world had had a run-in with those mutated monsters, so no one in the past could have seen or even heard of them.
But if Levi wasn’t lying, could he have met them three years ago?
Then again, if he had, he wouldn’t have lived to tell the tale!
Besides, after being locked up for three years, he couldn’t have met the monsters, much less kill so many of them.
No matter how Zoey, Phoenix, or Demon Fiend thought about it, the scenario was just impossible.
Having sparred with those mutated monsters, they knew better than anyone else what formidable opponents they were.
Even though the three of them could deal considerable damage to the monsters, killing them was simply out of the question.
Therefore, unless he was as powerful as the guy who broke Skyward Sword with two fingers, Levi’s claim to have killed over ten thousand monsters was simply absurd!
Zoey couldn’t help but shake her head in disbelief.
Levi sure as hell can brag! Not even Kirin and Floyd, who are at the top of the Divine Leaderboard, can kill one monster. Yet Levi had the guts to boast about killing over ten thousand of them? Ridiculous!
As the three of them continued to stare at Levi, Zoey let out a faint chuckle.
“All right. I’m sure your boss is only joking about to ease the tense atmosphere!”
Phoenix and Venom Fiend smiled in response. “Yeah, that must be it! We ought to get some stress relief.”
A fresh swell of rage rose in Levi as soon as he heard that.
“Since no one believes me, I guess I’ll just have to prove it with my actions,” he snapped.
Naturally, that stunned Zoey and the other two.
They were still under the impression that Levi was joking with them and never once thought he’d be serious about it.
The three of them exchanged nervous glances as an awkward silence followed, no one quite knowing what to say.
As Levi stepped forward calmly, the mutated zombies charged toward him.
Phoenix got increasingly worried as he muttered, “Zoey, look—”
“Let’s wait and see!” she interrupted.
I’m curious to see what tricks Levi has up his sleeve. What if it turns out that he isn’t lying?
As such, Zoey, Phoenix, and Vemon Fiend stood rooted to the spot as they watched Levi spring into action.
“Of course! He’s my husband, so I know the extent of his capability. He’s slightly stronger than the man he was three years ago, but that only means he’s ranked around six thousandths on the Provisional Leaderboard!” Zoey uttered.
Before Mace could reveal that Levi had killed the bodies lying haphazardly on the ground, Zoey pleaded, “Please!”
“All right, then.” Mace caved in, for he was in a hurry to inform Levi about what they had encountered earlier.
When Zoey headed back, she noticed how relaxed Levi was. Clearly, the previous fight hadn’t force him into a corner.
It was all Mace’s fault!
“Come on, everyone. Let’s go our separate ways!” she declared.
“Ms. Lopez, I have to talk to Mr. Garrison. I shall leave after that!”
After Zoey and the rest left, Mace inched nearer to Levi and reported, “Mr. Garrison, we met the mutated zombies…”
“I was right! But the mutated zombies must be under Maya Industries’ control, right?” he asked.
Mace answered, “I’m not sure, but the mutated zombies were wearing armors and helmets. If we didn’t know about their existence beforehand, we wouldn’t have noticed them!”
The others chimed in, “We are sure that the mutated zombies are strong compared to the ones we met earlier. There’s a possibility that they were controlled!”
Levi glanced at them briefly.
From their tattered clothes and wounds, it was obvious they had taken the brunt of the attack earlier.
“Looks like Maya Industries is using the mutated zombies in this tournament challenge! They put armors on the zombies so others won’t find out about their real identity!” Levi mused, caressing his jaw.
There must be something else to this!
He inquired, “Perhaps the armors are meant to control them?”
“Oh, that might be possible!” Mace nodded profusely.
“All right. We should move on! If there are any updates, contact me using the communication device instead of coming to me!” Levi ordered.
With that, Mace and the other fighters made to leave.
Levi continued on his journey alone.
He contacted Sammy, Death Fiend, and the rest outside to get updates while he searched for the mutated zombies.
After some time, Azure Dragon who was one hundred miles away from Levi suddenly blanched.
A few mutated zombies clad in armors had appeared before him!
At the sight of Azure Dragon, the zombies dashed toward him without hesitation.
“Is this my challenge?” Azure Dragon faced them head-on excitedly.
A few minutes later, he was already retreating, wounds all over his body.
The mutated zombies were too strong for him to kill.
Besides, he was facing a few of them at once.
He nearly lost his life back there.
Kirin and the others arrived in time to join in the fight.
Once they joined in, they immediately realized how strong the armored fighters were.
Though they were Divine Leaderboard fighters, they were no match for the armored fighters.
“W-What is going on?”
The number of mutated zombies kept increasing, till there were hundreds of them.
And the numbers only continued to grow.
Though Kirin and the others had gathered, and they were Divine Leaderboard fighters, but they suffered badly and got injured.
All fighters that entered the area encountered the armored fighters.
Levi’s speculation had been right all along, for the challenge this time was to defeat the mutated zombies!
In no time, many of the fighters were either injured or dead.
Even the Divine Leaderboard fighters were wounded, let alone the Provisional Leaderboard fighters.
They were meant to be cannon fodders!
Shortly after, Floyd, Sword Fiend, Zoey, and the rest ran into the mutated zombies.
CHAPTER 2330
Chapter 2330 Stay Put
Almost every fighter who entered the indigenous forest found themselves battling against the mutated zombies.
This time, Maya Industries’ tournament challenge was to leave the fighters in the indigenous forest to fight against the mutated zombies!
The Divine Leaderboard fighters were delighted at first, but when they finally fought against the mutated zombies, they immediately realized something was wrong.
The armored zombies were too strong to defeat!
Many fighters ended up battered after the fight.
Even top fighters like Zoey and Floyd would be injured if they got surrounded by the mutated zombies.
As a result, everyone was stuck as they were caught unaware by the unexpected challenge.
They were no match for their enemies!
One’s strength would definitely increase considerably if one could fight one’s way out.
However, everyone sensed that something was off.
The current tournament challenge looked different, for it seemed like a set-up!
They couldn’t help but wonder where Maya Industries got their hands on the armored fighters that rendered the Divine Leaderboard fighters helpless.
It meant that Maya Industries was above the Divine Leaderboard!
They didn’t have to ponder over that, for the armored fighters were already attacking them.
Soon, the Divine Leaderboard fighters realized the armored fighters were invincible!
Luckily, the mutated zombies had limited attacking skills.
It was hard for the Divine Leaderboard fighters to inflict injury on them unless they gathered their strengths to attack the mutant zombies all at once.
Despite that, it was hard for them to kill their way out.
Levi’s biggest worry had happened—everyone dear to him was in danger!
Luckily, he was near enough from them to save their lives.
Levi assessed his surroundings and discovered Azure Dragon was badly hurt, but Kirin and the rest had arrived to save him.
They wouldn’t be in danger for now after joining in the battle together.
Though the rest had been attacked by the mutated zombies, they were also safe for now.
Zoey, Sword Fiend, and the rest were engaged in an intense battle, so Levi chose not to interfere for the time being.
After all, it was the perfect opportunity for them to increase their strengths.
If they could make it through, they’d get to improve themselves swiftly.
Meanwhile, Levi had slain plenty of mutated zombies that the rest thought were invincible.
Zoey and the others were doing their very best to complete the hard-earned challenge to get stronger.
“Oh, no!”
Suddenly, they remembered someone—Levi!
Now that everyone was in danger, Levi must’ve run into the undefeatable armored fighters, too!
This situation was worse than what they had imagined in the first place.
After all, they had lost control over the situation!
If Levi bumped into an undefeatable monster, he’d die for sure.
“Hurry, we need to save Levi!”
Zoey promptly escaped from the mutated zombies to go save Levi.
The others came to their senses and ran after her.
However, the mutated zombies seemed to be deliberately blocking their way, making it extremely difficult for them to leave.
Everyone got desperate in order to save Levi’s life.
Meanwhile, Levi was strolling around when a few armored, mutated zombies appeared in front of him.
A familiar scent wafted in the air, and Levi flashed a grin.
“You’re not the first that I’ve come across. I’ve killed over thousands of your kind!”
The mutated zombies dashed toward Levi as though they had lost their minds.
Before Levi could take action, Death Fiend’s voice rang out of the communication device.
“Master, stay put! The mutated zombies have been equipped with communication devices that scan everything and report back to their system! They even have an analyzing system to analyze your combat prowess!”
Levi chuckled. “So? Should I stay put?”
“Yes! We’re figuring a solution now. Just wait!” Fiery Demon and the rest declared anxiously.
“It’s fine. Take your time!”
CHAPTER 2331
Chapter 2331 Saved Boss Again
Levi’s face broke into an all-too-familiar cocky grin. “No problem! I can take the hits!”
In fact, Levi had become so powerful that he could destroy anything in his path with just one punch.
Throughout his training to master ultimate speed and strength, he had also built an indestructible body to withstand the force of his attacks.
As such, Levi truly believed that nothing in the world could hurt him.
If divine tools like the Skyward Sword or Terra Blade couldn’t even pierce through his defenses, what was there to worry about a few pathetic punches?
With that, Levi instinctively fought the mutated zombies as they swarmed toward him.
Alas, that only made them retaliate even more.
They continuously landed critical hits on Levi, threatening to tear him apart.
“Oh, come on! Are you guys done yet? I’m getting impatient!” Levi grumbled.
To him, the attack from the mutated zombies was more annoying than anything else. Not only did it not deal any damage, but it also barely felt like a tickle.
His patience was running thin, and he couldn’t wait to shred them all to pieces.
On the other hand, Levi’s speculation had been right all along.
Maya Industries had no way of monitoring every corner of the indigenous forest, so all they could do was track the fighters and mutated zombies.
If Levi were to kill the monsters now, Maya Industries would undoubtedly know about it.
“Wait a while more! We’re still trying!” Death Fiend and the others exclaimed.
After all, interfering with the devices on the mutated zombies was no easy task, especially when they had to ensure it wouldn’t expose Levi’s true strength.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
More and more mutated zombies advanced toward Levi, but when they realized how difficult it was to knock him down, they got even angrier.
Their relentless, ruthless attacks intensified, but that only made Levi go cold with fury.
Have they no shame? If they keep this up, this indigenous forest shall be their graveyard! I’ll tear them all apart!
“Are you done?” Levi yelled, his tone even more furious than before.
Before Death Fiend could reply, a flurry of activity sounded around them.
Zoey, along with Azure Dragon, Sword Fiend, Floyd, and the others, had all arrived.
However, when they saw the monsters gathered around Levi like they were about to devour him, panic surged through them.
Everyone was stunned as no one had expected Levi to end up in such a precarious situation.
If they had arrived a second later, who knew what ghastly consequences there might be?
After having sparred off with the monsters themselves, everyone knew how powerful they were.
Now that there were so many teaming up on Levi, how could he possibly come out of it in one piece?
With every passing second, everyone grew even more anxious.
“Levi!”
“Master!”
“Boss!”
Without further ado, Zoey and the rest rushed toward Levi.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Everyone gave it their best shot, taking down the mutated zombies that besieged Levi and rescuing him from their clutches.
Levi, on the other hand, was close to tears.
Rather than being touched by the rescue effort, he was frustrated at how inefficient Death Fiend and the rest were.
Even with Levi rushing them, they still couldn’t complete their task fast enough.
If it weren’t for them, Zoey and the others wouldn’t have thought that he was at the mercy of the mutated zombies or that he needed rescuing.
When she finally saw how disheveled Levi was, Zoey burst into tears.
Thank goodness we arrived in time to save him! Otherwise, he’d be dead! And it’d be our fault for failing to give him ample protection!
“Retreat!” Azure Dragon ordered. “We’ll take Boss out of here first!”
Thankfully, the indigenous forest was huge, so everyone quickly made it to a safe location.
As soon as they were out of danger, cheers and laughter filled the air.
“Yeah! We’ve saved Boss again!”
While everyone beamed with excitement, Levi could only shake his head in exasperation.
CHAPTER 2332
Chapter 2332 I Am Going Alone
Levi knew that it was even harder to clear things up now.
They had witnessed how he almost got torn to pieces by the mutated zombies and would naturally think that he was too weak to fight back.
It’s all Death Fiend’s fault! If he had resolved the issue earlier, I would’ve easily destroyed those monsters with one hit. Why the hell would I need to be rescued?
Try as he might, Levi couldn’t hide the frustration on his face.
If Death Fiend and the others were in front of him, he’d have kicked them without any hesitation.
Unfortunately, when everyone else saw how glum Levi was, they had a different interpretation for it.
They thought Levi was upset for not being strong enough to defend himself and that he could only resign to fate in life-threatening situations.
After all, Levi used to be the all-mighty hero and savior of the world.
But now, he couldn’t even protect himself in times of danger, no matter how hard he tried.
In the end, he even had to suffer the humiliation of being rescued by others.
However, everyone knew it was only in the face of adversity that people could learn the sobering truth of their abilities.
Only then could they leave the past behind and focus on improving themselves.
Because of that, even though Levi had been in grave danger just a while ago, Zoey and the rest knew it was all worthwhile.
That life-changing moment must have made Levi realize his inadequacies and spurred him on!
Nothing else could be more convincing than the harsh, cold reality!
Zoey was the first to break the uncomfortable silence around them. “We’re all responsible for this! It’s our fault for not protecting you well. If not for that, you wouldn’t have been in so much danger.”
A smile then crept across her face as she added, “Levi, do you now see the differences between the past and present?”
Levi nodded solemnly. “I sure have! If I had these in the past, world destruction would’ve been easy!”
There might not have been mutants in the past, but if Levi were in control of any back then, he’d have ruled the world.
Alas, the people around him had once again interpreted his words differently. To them, it sounded like Levi had finally admitted the stark differences between the past and present.
He was slowly warming up to the modern age and realizing how much more work he needed to put in.
As such, they were all sure that he was ready to move on from the past.
“That’s why you’ll have to work on the modern techniques once you get back, Levi! You’ve recognized the gap, so now it’s up to you to close that gap!” Zoey exclaimed, the smile still plastered on her face.
Floyd chimed in, “She’s right, Master! We may not be super powerful, but we can still take down the undead monsters. You couldn’t even handle them! I’m sure you don’t want people to know that your disciples had to rescue you, so you have to get stronger soon!”
As harsh as they might have sounded, Zoey and Floyd were only telling the truth.
They could still fight their way out despite being up against such formidable fighters, but Levi was entirely helpless.
Such was the difference in their abilities!
If Levi cared about his pride, he’d train as hard as possible and improve his abilities instead of relying on his disciples to pull him out of sticky situations.
No one in their right mind would be able to put up with that kind of humiliation!
To Zoey and the rest, that fear of getting humiliated again was the perfect motivation for Levi to start training.
Ultimately, nothing could be more embarrassing than having to be rescued by his disciples time and again!
Everyone gave contented smiles as they looked at Levi.
He had finally seen the light, which meant they had accomplished their mission.
“Since we have achieved our goal, we can’t let Levi act alone from now!” Zoey said.
“Huh? But how should we go about doing it, Zoey?” Kirin replied. “You can’t expect us to be circling Boss at all times, can you?”
Everyone had entered the indigenous forest with two goals in mind.
Since they had achieved one of the goals, the remaining goal would be to train as much as possible.
It was too good an opportunity to pass up, and they couldn’t possibly spend the rest of their time escorting Levi.
Zoey’s smile widened as if she had already anticipated that question. “Don’t worry! I’ve planned it out before we even got here!”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ll take turns! Everyone here will split into teams of three. Each team will get a turn to follow Levi for half a day, but when it isn’t your team’s turn, you’re free to go off and do whatever you like!”
Upon hearing that, everyone nodded in hearty agreement. “Understood!”
“No. I want to go alone!”
CHAPTER 2333
Chapter 2333 I Will Prove It To You
When they heard Levi’s proclamation, everyone turned to stare at him in confusion.
It was baffling to hear him insisting on acting alone, especially when he had barely escaped the jaws of death earlier.
For a moment, no one could tell if Levi had lost his mind or if he still hadn’t realized how weak he was.
Then again, how was that possible?
After the way the mutated zombies had almost shredded him to pieces, how could Levi not realize how defenseless he was against them?
Unbeknownst to them, Levi had better things to do rather than tag along with them.
“No way! You’ve already recognized and accepted your weaknesses, so there’s no longer a need to act alone! It’d be too dangerous without us around!”
Zoey turned her gaze toward the others and commanded, “Follow my orders! From now on, we’ll split up into teams! I’ll start the ball rolling together with Phoenix and Venom Fiend. We’ll gather back in six hours, but until then, the rest of you are free to roam around and train. All right, let’s go!”
With that, Zoey, Phoenix, and Venom Fiend became the first team to escort and protect Levi.
The others, too, split themselves into evenly matched teams of three before setting off to begin their respective training.
Left with no other choice, Levi sighed in resignation as he followed Zoey and her team.
Alas, they had barely taken a few steps when a group of mutated zombies suddenly appeared.
Upon seeing that, Zoey chuckled. “See what I mean? If you had gone alone, you might have run into danger the very next second! Letting us escort you is the only way to survive!”
“Yes, you have to stay close to us, Boss. Danger lurks everywhere!” Phoenix added.
“These monsters are tough!” Venom Fiend grumbled. “My venom doesn’t even work on them! We’d better watch our backs!”
To their surprise, Levi scoffed, “Ha! What’s so scary about these monsters? I’ve killed at least ten thousand of them!”
The three of them stared at him incredulously.
Not only was it a bold statement on Levi’s part, but it also just couldn’t be true.
It was the first time the world had had a run-in with those mutated monsters, so no one in the past could have seen or even heard of them.
But if Levi wasn’t lying, could he have met them three years ago?
Then again, if he had, he wouldn’t have lived to tell the tale!
Besides, after being locked up for three years, he couldn’t have met the monsters, much less kill so many of them.
No matter how Zoey, Phoenix, or Demon Fiend thought about it, the scenario was just impossible.
Having sparred with those mutated monsters, they knew better than anyone else what formidable opponents they were.
Even though the three of them could deal considerable damage to the monsters, killing them was simply out of the question.
Therefore, unless he was as powerful as the guy who broke Skyward Sword with two fingers, Levi’s claim to have killed over ten thousand monsters was simply absurd!
Zoey couldn’t help but shake her head in disbelief.
Levi sure as hell can brag! Not even Kirin and Floyd, who are at the top of the Divine Leaderboard, can kill one monster. Yet Levi had the guts to boast about killing over ten thousand of them? Ridiculous!
As the three of them continued to stare at Levi, Zoey let out a faint chuckle.
“All right. I’m sure your boss is only joking about to ease the tense atmosphere!”
Phoenix and Venom Fiend smiled in response. “Yeah, that must be it! We ought to get some stress relief.”
A fresh swell of rage rose in Levi as soon as he heard that.
“Since no one believes me, I guess I’ll just have to prove it with my actions,” he snapped.
Naturally, that stunned Zoey and the other two.
They were still under the impression that Levi was joking with them and never once thought he’d be serious about it.
The three of them exchanged nervous glances as an awkward silence followed, no one quite knowing what to say.
As Levi stepped forward calmly, the mutated zombies charged toward him.
Phoenix got increasingly worried as he muttered, “Zoey, look—”
“Let’s wait and see!” she interrupted.
I’m curious to see what tricks Levi has up his sleeve. What if it turns out that he isn’t lying?
As such, Zoey, Phoenix, and Vemon Fiend stood rooted to the spot as they watched Levi spring into action.
I hope Levi finally gets to show his power before Zoey. The too much suspense is kinda killing de beauty of de story. The author should know that too much of everything is bad.
And thank you Grandmaster Skye for the wonderful updates
Levi smirked when he saw the monsters charging toward him.
They’re nothing but a bunch of losers!
“Are you guys finally done?” Levi mumbled into his communication device. “Can I go on a killing spree now?”
“No, not yet! Give us a little more time! Maya Industries is tougher than we had thought!” Death Fiend replied glumly.
Levi felt like he was about to explode with rage.
Compared to Phoenix and West Sky Lord, Death Fiend was a useless imbecile.
So much time has passed, but he still hasn’t fixed it! F*ck!
As long as Death Fiend hadn’t disabled the device, Levi’s hands were tied.
He couldn’t risk exposing himself to Maya Industries, so even though he hated being so powerless, Levi had no choice but to lay low.
Just as Levi continued to curse under his breath, the mutated zombies closed in on him.
After all, they couldn’t resist the temptation of flesh and blood.
With the distance between them getting shorter, Zoey and the other two felt their hearts lurch.
They were all tensed up and ready to leap into action at the drop of a hat.
At the same time, though, they wondered if there was any truth to Levi’s words. What if he was merely waiting for the right moment to strike?
Torn by the dilemma, the three of them could only stare at Levi as they waited for his next move.
The mutated zombies had gotten within sixteen feet when Levi suddenly shouted, “Run!”
Upon hearing that, Zoey, Phoenix, and Venom Fiend almost popped their eyes out of their heads.
They had anticipated so much more from Levi, yet all he could do was run?
However, with Levi hightailing it out of there, they had no choice but to follow suit.
Even then, neither one of them was disappointed.
They had almost zero expectations in Levi from the start, so to be honest, he hadn’t failed them in any way.
“I knew I was right! How could he have the power to kill the undead monsters? It was all just a joke to ease the tension!” Zoey blurted out.
“Boss must have wanted to know what it felt like to face danger head-on!” Phoenix stated matter-of-factly. “And what better time to try it than with us around?”
“Indeed! At least with us here, he knows he has backup!”
As the three of them chattered away, Levi remained silent.
Argh! This is so embarrassing! Damn you, Death Fiend! You’ve embarrassed me twice in a row now!
The reason Zoey had split everyone into groups of three was so that each team was capable of protecting Levi. Even then, they should still avoid combat at all costs if they were to run into mutated zombies.
Only when they were alone would they be able to fight as many monsters as they liked.
As they trudged on, Levi continued to rack his brains, trying to come up with a plan. Now more than ever, he was desperate to break away from the team and venture forth alone.
Time slowly ticked away, but Levi was still no closer to finding out the true intentions of Maya Industries.
To make matters worse, he hadn’t received any news from Sammy either.
Soon, six hours had passed, and it was time for Zoey’s team to pass the baton.
The second team taking over consisted of Kirin, Ghost Fiend, and Levi’s ex-disciple, Kinsley.
“Always be careful and alert. Try to hide as much as possible and don’t make contact with the monsters…” Zoey reminded.
“Understood!” Kirin replied as he and his teammates nodded in acknowledgment.
Levi looked away, still thinking of how to escape from all of them.
However, the more he pondered, the more he realized he had no good plans.
“Okay, time to get moving,” Kirin said. “Boss, let’s go!”
At that moment, other fighters were still training in the indigenous forest, resulting in an ever-increasing number of casualties.
Meanwhile, aboard a battleship in the middle of the sea, Maya Industries continued to monitor all activity.
Just then, one of their high-rank officials tracked down Levi’s movements and gasped. “What? Is Levi Garrison not dead yet?”
One of the subordinates hastily replied, “N-No… He has a team of Divine Leaderboard fighters protecting him! He’s untouchable!”
“Is that so? If that’s the case, we’ll separate the fighters from Levi! Let’s see how much longer he can stay alive then. Relay my orders! Send ten thousand mutated zombies toward Levi and his team! Make sure to pry all his teammates away from him!”
As ruthless as that might sound, Maya Industries had unwittingly helped Levi.
At least with that, he could finally get a break from being babied by his team.
CHAPTER 2335
Chapter 2335 Levi Is Wrong
However, nothing changed the fact that Maya Industries intended to kill Levi.
They hadn’t acted sooner because they had expected the chemicals to take effect when Levi got stabbed.
Now that the newly discovered material had cured him, Maya Industries would have to double their efforts to get rid of him.
Meanwhile, Kirin’s team went into hiding with Levi after successfully escaping the horde of zombies.
When he saw the blood on them, Levi asked, “Are all of you injured?”
“Yes, but it’s nothing serious! Don’t worry about it,” Kirin replied without batting an eye.
“Of course, we can always choose to carry on avoiding and hiding. After all, Divine Leaderboard fighters still have the upper hand in this indigenous forest, and we can very easily dodge all these monsters!” Kinsley chimed in.
Ghost Fiend nodded in agreement and added, “Yes, but since we’re here to gain experience, there’d still be times where we have to think of ways to defeat them instead of running away. Sustaining a few injuries is no big deal at all!”
Especially since Ghost Fiend had perfected his technique, it made even more sense for him to use it on the monsters than to avoid them.
Levi, too, understood their reasoning and nodded his approval.
If they were back at Triple Group’s fortress, hiding in that confined space wouldn’t have been an option since they’d be surrounded in no time at all.
The indigenous forest, though, was a different story.
It was so massive that not even a million mutated zombies could pack the forest, much less cause a ripple.
If one were determined to escape, any fighter ranked on the Divine Leaderboard would be more than capable of doing so.
Judging by their current situation, Levi knew that Maya Industries couldn’t have sent more than ten thousand zombies, which made it even easier for any decent fighter to escape.
However, many fighters had come into the forest to train and level up, so it was only logical that they chose to fight rather than flee.
Even though he understood the fighters’ mentality, the true intention of Maya Industries continued to elude Levi.
What on earth are they planning to do?
Just then, Levi suddenly remembered something and demanded to check the wounds of Kirin, Ghost Fiend, and Kinsley.
After a thorough check, Levi heaved a sigh of relief, thankful that it wasn’t like what he had suspected.
He had thought of the possibility of Maya Industries injuring the fighters with their mutated zombies and infecting the wounds with their chemical.
Once the fighters were as good as dead, Maya Industries would then step in and introduce the antidote that could save them.
By doing so, Maya Industries would essentially have most of the fighters on the Divine and Provisional Leaderboards at their mercy, thus gaining control of them.
As such, Levi had to check his teammates’ wounds to ensure there were no chemical traces.
Then again, Levi also knew how difficult it’d be to pull off a devious plan like that.
The mutated zombies were limited in their attacks, and the use of chemicals would very quickly draw the attention of other fighters.
Furthermore, if Maya Industries’ ploy got discovered, there was no doubt the rest of the world would shun them and make them public enemy number one.
None of that would benefit Maya Industries, so naturally, they wouldn’t take such a risk either.
Levi knew his suspicions were wrong, but the nagging question remained—what was Maya Industries planning to do?
The more he thought about it, the more his head hurt.
When Kirin saw how focused Levi was, he couldn’t help but ask, “Boss, what’s on your mind? Have you thought of a way to take down these monsters?”
“Of course! It’s not difficult at all. I’ve already lost count of how many monsters I killed!”
Kirin, Ghost Fiend, and Kinsley stared after him, mouths agape.
Why do we bother asking when we know Levi’s always lying through his teeth?
“O-Okay… What is it then?”
Before Levi could say anything else, the ground suddenly shook.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
It sounded like an army was charging toward them, and true enough, a massive horde of mutated zombies soon came into view.
CHAPTER 2336
Chapter 2336 A Golden Opportunity
Unfortunately, Levi and his team weren’t the only ones subjected to the sudden monster attack.
Hundreds, even thousands, of mutated zombies showed up in front of other fighters, including Zoey, Floyd, and Azure Dragon.
When everyone got surrounded previously, there were at most hundreds of zombies.
This time around, however, they were separated and had to face these monsters alone.
In just a blink of an eye, the mutated zombies had once again surrounded them.
“This is bad! Be careful, everyone!” Azure Dragon shouted.
“I’m sure Boss is also in danger! There are just too many monsters for Kirin, Ghost Fiend, and Kinsley to handle! Let’s slowly move toward Boss and gather there. After all, we have strength in numbers!”
Everyone agreed with Azure Dragon, but alas, things were easier said than done.
With hundreds of mutated zombies closing in on each of them, they were in a great deal of danger themselves.
What made matters worse was that these zombies were nothing like those they had met in Triple Group’s fortress.
Those in Triple Group were like wild beasts that lacked any form of critical thinking and organizational behavior.
However, the ones approaching them were clearly under Maya Industries’ control.
It was easy enough to run from a group of zombies, but with Maya Industries overseeing and directing their every movement, escape was near impossible.
Before long, Zoey and the other fighters found themselves tightly fenced in, unable to take even one small step.
They were struggling to stay alive as it was, which meant that rescuing Levi was simply out of the question.
Meanwhile, Levi and his team had thousands of mutated zombies coming toward them from all directions.
In just a matter of seconds, they were well and truly trapped by almost five thousand zombies.
“Oh, f*ck!” Kirin muttered as he shook with fear.
Ghost Fiend and Kinsley were even more frightened.
What the hell is going on? We can’t even kill one zombie, and now there are thousands of them?
Levi was the only one who remained calm and collected.
Ha, this is nothing to me! I’ve killed way more than this.
All of a sudden, Levi smiled as a light-bulb moment came to him.
Ah! A golden opportunity! I can take this chance to stray from the team and go solo!
Before anyone could worry themselves further, the horde of mutated zombies had charged toward them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Kirin quickly looked around for the weakest link and yelled, “There’s an opening on the left! Boss, we’re going to fight a way out. You have to run once you get the chance!”
Immediately after, he took the lead and hacked his way through the zombies.
Kinsley followed closely behind while Ghost Fiend used his technique to get Levi to safety.
Then, the three of them tried their best to fend off the zombies in an attempt to protect Levi.
Levi took this time to observe his surroundings.
Most of the zombies were still rushing toward him, while the rest surrounded Kirin, Ghost Fiend, and Kinsley.
The same happened to Zoey and the rest, with the mutated zombies merely trapping them.
It was clear that the monsters had limited attacking skills and were not aiming to kill any of the fighters.
Everyone might sustain serious injuries, but at the very least, they wouldn’t die.
As such, it was the best opportunity for the fighters to train.
Knowing that his teammates’ lives weren’t at risk, Levi eventually decided not to join in the fight.
It’s weird, though. The way the mutated zombies are coming after me seems to be an intentional move. Is Maya Industries out to kill me?
Without hesitation, Levi scurried away and ended up in an area far away from Zoey and the rest.
Despite the distance between them, he was ready to rescue his team should the need arise.
Almost three thousand zombies continued to lumber behind Levi, dispersing out as they combed the area for him.
By now, Levi had already turned on a signal jamming device to mask his location and activity from Maya Industries.
Unsurprisingly, that sent everyone at Maya Industries into a frenzy. “Huh? Where’s Levi? Why has he suddenly disappeared? Has he escaped?”
CHAPTER 2337
Chapter 2337 Old Nemesis
“That’s impossible! Where could he have run to in such a short amount of time? I’m sure he has gone into hiding!”
“Find him! Use whatever means necessary to find him! Levi Garrison must die! I have put up with him for far too long, and enough is enough!”
The high-rank official who had just given the order undoubtedly felt a deep-seated animosity toward Levi.
He was more than just someone familiar with Levi.
He was Levi’s old nemesis.
All eyes were on the screens onboard the battleship as images and data continued to stream in.
One of the subordinates couldn’t hide his excitement and exclaimed, “Hahaha! We’ve successfully forced Kirin, Floyd, and Zoey to unleash their ultimate moves. Good, capture all the data! With this information, we’d no longer need the fighters. We’re killing two birds with one stone!”
The high-rank official nodded his head. “Yes, not bad at all!”
Then, someone else asked, “It’s just a pity that one-third of the fighters have pulled out. Coincidentally, they all have ties to the Sacred Organization. Do you think Dark Emperor has figured out what we’re trying to do and therefore ordered his men to retreat?”
“That’s possible! Without the Sacred Organization, we’d be missing one-third of the data. That’s extremely unfavorable to us!”
“Up until now, we still don’t know who Dark Emperor is. His identity remains as mysterious as ever…”
While the people in Maya Industries continued with their discussion, Levi hid atop a towering tree.
As the mutated zombies ran past beneath him, his lips curled into a smirk.
No can one find me if I don’t want them to.
Just then, Death Fiend’s voice rang out in the communication device. “Master, are you there? We’re ready! We can either temporarily jam the signal on Maya Industries’ devices or cause a delayed feedback signal.”
Upon hearing that, Levi gave an exasperated sigh.
Finally! It has taken him long enough.
“All right then, let’s begin! Jam their signals so I can grab a few of these monsters to analyze!”
As soon as he gave the order, Levi swooped down into the horde of mutated zombies.
He grabbed two of them with lightning-fast reflexes and stealthily dragged them away.
Everything happened so fast that the other mutated zombies merely marched on, not at all knowing what had just happened.
The two captured zombies tried to struggle and retaliate, only to have Levi tighten his grip and kill them instantly.
When he got to a quiet spot, Levi removed the devices on the zombies and scanned them with his detector. After collecting the data, he promptly sent them to Death Fiend and Sammy for an in-depth analysis.
Soon, we’ll get the analysis results of the device and find out what Maya Industries is planning to do!
Sammy and Death Fiend immediately got down to studying the data, leaving Levi to watch over Zoey and the rest while he waited for the results.
Back onboard Maya Industries’ battleship, frustration was quickly building up.
“What’s the matter? Have you still not found Levi?” the high-rank official bellowed, looking even more furious than before.
“Yes, we still don’t know where he is! But he has likely gone into hiding! He may not be strong, but he’s very cunning and experienced. It’d be hard to find him!”
Indeed, even after combing the possible areas, there was still no sign of Levi.
“Fine, I guess we’ll have to rely on other people to find him! Even though we can manipulate the mutated zombies, they aren’t smart enough to take on these tasks.”
Turning to his subordinate, the high-rank official continued, “Didn’t Triple Group deploy two hundred of their men into the forest? Get them to join in the search! Also, inform our spies and those who hold a grudge against Levi. With everyone looking for him, I’m sure we’ll be able to flush Levi Garrison out!”
Soon, every corner of the indigenous forest had people searching high and low for Levi.
Levi, however, was still waiting to hear back from Sammy and Death Fiend so he could finally learn what Maya Industries was plotting.
CHAPTER 2338
Chapter 2338 The Real Intention Of Maya Industries
Ten minutes later, the results came in.
“Maya Industries is collecting data! Everyone who took part in the tournament challenge has had their data collected! It includes their techniques, ultimate moves, and any other skills they have used on the monsters…” Sammy said.
“In other words, Maya Industries intends to collect all the information and combat prowess of every fighter, especially their techniques and attacking skills…”
Upon hearing that, everything fell into place for Levi.
Maya Industries was exploiting the human psychology of those in the tournament challenge.
Most of the fighters wouldn’t run in the face of the mutated zombies, choosing instead to take the offensive.
Alas, that was just what Maya Industries needed to gather data on everyone’s attack techniques.
With two-thirds of fighters from the Divine and Provisional Leaderboards revealing all their techniques, Maya Industries essentially had gained control of them.
As for what they’d do with the data, Levi had it all figured out.
They are going to upgrade the attacking skills of the mutated zombies! No doubt about that!
Those mutated zombies already had such strong defense that not even the Divine Leaderboard elites could kill them.
The one thing they were missing was attacking skills, and because of that, they never really posed much of a threat to the fighters.
Even if there were droves of zombies, fighters could still easily escape as long as they weren’t confined.
Unfortunately, it’d be a vastly different story once the mutated zombies got equipped with the fighters’ techniques and skills.
With such strong defense and offense, they would, without a doubt, become the most formidable and frightening monsters.
When that time came, not only would fighters not be able to kill them, but they also wouldn’t be able to win them.
Maya Industries’ real intention was now clear as day.
They were going to equip their army of mutated zombies with their entire collection of techniques and attacking skills.
Levi felt a chill run down his spine at the thought of that.
If Maya Industries accomplishes the goal, they’ll have one of the most powerful armies around. Who will be able to take them down then?
Thankfully, Levi had instructed the Sacred Organization to pull their fighters out earlier.
Otherwise, with every fighter’s data in the hands of Maya Industries, the consequences would be truly frightening.
The more powerful the army of mutated zombies became, the more of a threat it would be to the whole world.
Furthermore, the data collected would also expose every fighter’s strengths and weaknesses.
That meant that fighters like Floyd, Kirin, and Zoey were no longer of any use to Maya Industries.
With Maya Industries in control of everything, they can easily exploit people’s weaknesses and render them powerless, to the point where elite fighters would be just like any other ordinary folk.
Even scarier, though, was that this would affect two-thirds of the fighters on the Divine and Provisional Leaderboards!
Still, nothing could beat the prospect of an army of upgraded, indestructible zombies.
With Maya Industries’ special weapon thrown into the mix, no one would ever be able to defeat them.
All that, however, was merely a joke to Levi.
The only thing he cared about was the real intention of Maya Industries.
Their actions remind me of the Lab of Gods, but we still haven’t found any evidence to prove the similarities. We’ll have to keep on digging!
Now that he knew what Maya Industries was up to, Levi knew it was time to put a stop to it.
He’d get Zoey and the rest to give up on the tournament challenge and make sure he didn’t give himself away.
Just then, Mace contacted Levi to inform him of the order he had just received.
“What? Maya Industries said I’m an old nemesis and wants me dead?”
Levi smiled as he continued, “Well, well, well, this has become even more interesting…”
Thanks to Mace’s piece of news, Levi was now even more sure of the relation between Maya Industries and Lab of Gods.
“Okay, let’s leave this place for the time being!” he replied.
With that, Levi was gone.
Not long ago, groups of people started gathering at the spot that Levi was just at.
Even Zoey and the others had met up after successfully escaping the zombies.
Alas, Levi was nowhere to be found.
All they saw were two lifeless mutated zombies on the ground.
“What? Someone killed these monsters?”
“How is that possible? Who killed them?”
Naturally, everyone was stunned to see the mutated zombies destroyed.
After all, who could be so powerful to kill them?
They had been fighting against these horrifying monsters all this while.
Nonetheless, they could not even kill any of the monsters, although they had unleashed their mightiest power and employed every method.
Even after Azure Dragon and White Tiger joined forces with a few others from the Divine Leaderboard, they could do nothing to finish off the monsters.
If those fighters who ranked the top thirties or forties in the Divine Leaderboard could not finish off any monsters, how was it possible for anyone else to do that? It was impossible!
Thousands of fighters were stupefied. Everyone had the same stance, regardless of their rankings in the Divine Leaderboard.
How was it possible that anyone could finish off such terrifying monsters in armors? They seemed invincible!
Even so, they saw the lifeless bodies of two mutated monsters with their own eyes! It was true as Bob! Undeniably, someone had indeed finished them off.
“Who had done that? Doesn’t it mean that there is an ultimate fighter among us who can finish this freaky monster off?” Someone pointed out a scary fact.
Nevertheless, even all the fighters from the top twenties of the Divine Leaderboard were sure as h*ll that they were unable to defeat these monsters!
They could not help but think if it could be anyone from the top ten in the Divine Leaderboard.
No, it was unlikely that the top ten fighters from the Divine Leaderboard could do that! Perhaps only Dark Emperor who topped the Divine Leaderboard would be able to do so! Anyway, the mightiest challenger who joined the tournament challenge that round actually only ranked thirteenth in the Divine Leaderboard. Thus, it would be impossible for him to defeat any monsters!
Now that the monsters managed to be annihilated, it implied that some formidable fighters had wormed into them. The discovery sent them into a tizzy in an instant. It was undoubtedly more horrifying than what they had encountered before.
Everyone was struck dumb! They wondered what kind of formidable fighters could finish the monsters off.
“Oh yeah, where’s Boss? We must track him down before any monsters strike against him!” Azure Dragon and the others were greatly concerned about Levi’s condition.
“Yeah, where’s Levi?” All the others gradually came to their senses.
They were all there to look for him. It never crossed their minds that they would be in such a state.
One of them yelled out, “Carry on to look for him!”
Alive or dead, they vowed to track him down by all means.
Zoey and the others were all worked up and drenched in a cold sweat. They wished Levi was hiding at the moment so he would not come across any mutated zombies.
To their astonishment, they came across more and more mutated zombies lying lifelessly on the ground as they moved on.
Apparently, all of them were finished off brutally. Some looked as if they were wiped out with a single blast. Apart from that, there were others with their bodies in a gory mess state under their armors.
Right that instant, everyone was convinced that some ultimate fighters had wormed into them with other hidden motives.
Needless to say, Levi was the one who had been annihilating the mutated zombies along the way.
Since Death Fiend and the others could give him a hand, he did not need to hold himself back any longer. He finished off the mutated zombies one by one without a second thought.
Subsequently, Zoey and the others came across the lifeless bodies of mutated zombies finished off by him along the way.
Everyone’s blood ran cold at the sight of the mutated zombies that died a horrible death. They shuddered in fear as they moved on to look for Levi.
In the meantime, one of the high-rank officials from Maya Industries yelled out in disbelief, “What? Two mutated zombies killed?”
By right they would have no means of finding out about the dead zombies. But, they had planted undercovers among the fighters who in turn, had notified them about that.
“Mutated zombies are annihilated? How is it possible?” Everyone in the training base of Maya Industrial’s battleship went berserk.
As the creator of the mutated zombies, nobody knew better than them about how challenging it was to get rid of the mutated zombies. In fact, they knew that better than the Triple Group!
Whoever can finish off the mutated zombies must be having unrivaled power! At least, none of the participants is able to do so. How on earth did such a formidable fighter emerge out of nowhere?
“Damn it! Have a thorough investigation to find out who the person is!” The high-rank officials of Maya Industries were curious about the identity of the annihilator.
Moments later, one of the undercovers updated them again, “The bodies of another four mutated zombies were discovered!”
Within seconds, another undercover notified them, “The bodies of another seven mutated zombies were discovered!”
Since then, the undercovers updated them on the mutated zombies’ dead bodies from time to time. It was estimated that at least a few hundred mutated zombies were wiped out within a short span!
CHAPTER 2340
Chapter 2340 We Must Not Quit
Again, it sent another wave of turbulence in the training base of Maya Industries. The high-rank officials turned crimson with fury.
“My goodness! Who has been hiding among the fighters? We don’t even have any clue about that! What is his motive?” one of the high-rank officials of Maya Industries fumed.
“Gear up to track down this person! Just leave Levi alone for the time being!” another official instructed.
Meanwhile, Levi continued to finish off the mutated zombies he came across. Deep down, he wished to wipe out all of them, hoping that Zoey and the others would not bump into any. As long as they don’t encounter any mutated zombies and fight against them, their combat prowess will not be collected and analyzed. By then, Maya Industries’ ploy will be a failure.
If Levi did not have any clue about that, he would surely pay no heed to any of Maya Industries’ projects. Nevertheless, he could not let it be after knowing their hidden motive behind the tournament challenge.
After almost half a day of searching painstakingly for Levi, Zoey and the others finally spotted him near a swamp in the forests.
He had just annihilated a few more mutated zombies. Their lifeless bodies collapsed and sank deeper into the swamp as time elapsed.
Splash! Splash!
The sound caught Zoey and the others’ attention. They were startled to see the surface of the swamp bubbling. Apparently, something sank earlier.
Other than that, they were rooted to the ground at the sight of a blood-drenched Levi. They thought he must have just killed someone and thrown their bodies into the swamp!
After all, Levi had countless foes everywhere. Thus, they would not be surprised if any of them emerged and struck against him at any time. It never occurred to them that those under the swamp were the mutated zombies’ dead bodies!
Even so, they would not bother to have a second look at the disgusting swamp. In their eyes, it was just an abandoned area.
“Boss, how did you end up hiding here?” Azure Dragon asked in bafflement.
Levi shook his head. “I’m not hiding. I only made my way here to get rid of the hurdles. I bet you haven’t come across any mutated zombies along the way here, have you?”
“Yeah, you’re right.” All the others exchanged glances.
No doubt, he’s right. So far, we haven’t come across any mutated zombies along the way here. Or, to be precise, we only bumped into a few dead ones!
“They were all wiped out by me!” Levi smiled placidly.
Hearing that, the others were convinced that Levi was bluffing.
Hmph! Look at the land structure here. It’s indeed a perfect hiding spot! All this while, he must be hiding among the swamp or other secluded corners. That explains why he manages to avoid bumping into any of those freaky creatures here!
“It’s great to know that you’re sound and safe! We’re worried sick about you!” They heaved sighs of relief.
“Have you met all the fighters? Do you have the ways of communicating with the others?” Levi asked.
“Yes, we manage to stay in touch with at least three-quarters of them!” Phoenix nodded confidently.
“All right, get in touch with all of them now! Get them to pull out of this tournament challenge and retreat from the forest at once! Hurry up!” Levi instructed.
“Huh?” Everyone was dumbfounded.
“Pull out from the challenge and retreat?” They raised their voices.
They had just adapted themselves to the tempo of surviving the life-and-death situation, having fun from the tournament challenge. To everyone’s surprise, their power was upgraded significantly during the recent battle. Therefore, they planned to continue fighting and upgrading their combat skills after they managed to track down Levi.
Oh my! Why is he throwing a wet blanket on our adventure?
They could not help but wonder what was going on in Levi’s mind.
“Boss, why are you instructing all of us to quit this tournament challenge?” All of them looked at him quizzically.
“Yeah, we managed to upgrade our combat skills through the session moments ago. It’s a waste if we quit right away!” Undoubtedly, none of them was reluctant to quit at once.
“Not only you! From now onwards, every single one of you has to pull out from the tournament challenge! Hurry up! Notify the others at once before it’s too late! Don’t waste time! I’ll explain to you after this!” Levi was trying his best to save the fighters so their combat prowess would not be exposed to the despicable Maya Industries. They were racing against time.
“No way! We can’t quit now! It’s a golden opportunity for us! I’ve never had such a speedy upgrade of power before. I’ll not quit now!” Zoey uttered adamantly.
CHAPTER 2341
Chapter 2341 They Are Not Weak
She did not even think of sparing any seconds listening to his explanation. Without a second thought, she rejected right away! No! I can’t quit now and let go of this golden opportunity!
Floyd, Kinsley, and the rest echoed, “Master, if it’s regarding other matters, we will follow your instructions without a word. But we have waited for this golden opportunity for three years! Therefore, we can’t just let go of it and give up halfway! Master, we have the same stance with Mrs. Garrison on this. We will not quit easily and retreat!”
Even though Sword Fiend, Kirin, and the others remained silent, they shared the same sentiments as Zoey as well.
Meanwhile, the Lopez and Black families were buoyed with confidence after their combat skills had upgraded significantly during the recent battle. Needless to say, they were reluctant to quit and retreat, turning a deaf ear to Levi’s advice. They would not go with the tide without trying out themselves.
Everyone was aware of the life-and-death challenges ahead. Nonetheless, the chances of having tremendous self-development and improvement were irresistible.
Even though they had only fought against the mutated zombies for barely half a day, their combat skills improved by leaps and bounds. It was even more efficient than training painstakingly for a few months! No doubt, they would not easily let go of such a golden opportunity.
“Everyone, cool down. Let Boss explain.” Azure Dragon tried to appease them.
Next, he turned to Levi, mustering up his courage. “Boss, do you care to explain? I’m sure nobody is willing to quit this tournament challenge without a valid reason!”
He hinted to Levi that it was the only way to convince them. As their minds were preoccupied with taking up the challenge to upgrade their power, they would give no hoot to anything.
“Maya Industries apparently has a ploy! They make use of these mutated zombies to fight you, sending you into a precarious state. By then, you will have to muster up all your strength and unleash your mightiest power to fight for your lives! With that, they can steal all your unique techniques! While you are fighting against them, they are secretly gathering the related data of your combat prowess…” Levi had no choice but to explain.
Even so, nobody believed his words.
Henry cut him off and scoffed, “Hmph! Levi Garrison, stop being pretentious and making a fool out of us! Since Maya Industries possesses countless of these creepy monsters, what’s the point for them to steal our techniques, huh? I bet even the techniques of the top fifties in the Divine Leaderboard are nothing to them. Don’t you think it’s a waste of time?”
The others saw eye to eye with him and echoed, “Yeah, why do they need our techniques? Isn’t that too much fanfare for them to do so?”
“That’s because they intend to upgrade the mutated zombies’ attacking skills, turning them into an undefeatable regiment of ultimate zombies!” Levi added solemnly.
Pfft!
Everyone laughed their heads off.
“Levi Garrison, are you pulling our legs? Do you mean to say that these freaky monsters are weak in attacking, so they have to upgrade their skills with our techniques?” One of the fighters laughed scornfully.
“Yeah… Levi, are you sure about that?” the other fighters questioned him.
In an instant, almost everyone had their eyes on Levi.
Levi gave himself a slap in the head instinctively as something came into his mind. Oh my! I have overlooked an important aspect! No doubt, these mutated zombies’ attacking skills are nothing to me; yet, it’s an entirely different story for the others! Undeniably, the horrendous monsters are unbeatable to them! Even the formidable fighters from the Divine Leaderboard like Zoey can’t defeat them. It implies that the monsters are definitely not as weak as mentioned!
Thus, nobody believed in Levi when he mentioned that Maya Industries tended to polish the mutated zombies’ attacking skills with their techniques.
It was known to everyone that Maya Industries was targeting those ultimate fighters who topped the list of the Divine Leaderboard all this while.
At the moment, immortality and violent mind were the main elements of the mutated zombies. Topped up with better attacking skills, they would surely be able to finish off all the fighters who topped the Divine Leaderboard.
Therefore, everyone was astounded by Levi’s words, thinking that he must be making up a cock and bull story.
CHAPTER 2342
Chapter 2342 Who Is The Mastermind
“Levi Garrison, do you mean that these monsters are weak? Fine, I’ll get one for you to fight against it. By then, you’ll get to know how’s its attacking skill, huh!” Shaun scoffed at him.
“Levi, don’t you know about your own capability? What makes you think that these monsters’ attacking skills have to be upgraded?” someone mocked.
“What nonsense! I can’t believe these words came out of your mouth!” another fighter sneered.
All of a sudden, Jennie yelled, “Ah! I think I got it!”
“What’s that?” All the others turned to look at her quizzically.
“I’m sure he is scared stiff now! That’s why he’s instructing everyone to quit and retreat! Try to recall how you were surrounded by hundreds of monsters moments ago. Imagine Levi, Kirin, and the others were under a more crucial state just now. They were even surrounded by thousands of them! I bet the horrendous scene must have scared the h*ll out of him! Hence, I’m not surprised that he’s thinking of retreating now.”
Everyone nodded again as they felt that Jennie’s explanation really made sense.
In their eyes, a panic-stricken Levi must be giving such an absurd excuse so he could flee at once!
“Then have you ever wondered why Maya Industries is organizing this tournament challenge?” Levi refuted by asking them.
Sadly, nobody was willing to take his advice at the moment.
One of the fighters yelled insolently, “Fine, whoever chickens out proceeds to retreat then. Anyway, we’ve made up our minds that we won’t give up easily and leave!”
“Yeah, it’s the same for us!” a few fighters shrieked.
“Don’t forget about us!” The other fighters standing alongside them took their stance one by one.
“After all, we are now halfway through the indigenous forest. If we turn back and retreat, it will certainly take up at least half a day. Can you be sure that we won’t bump into these monsters at any time?” One of them pointed out.
Undeniably, it would be a challenging journey for them even if they chose to retreat now.
“Not to worry about that. I’ve wiped out all the mutated zombies along this path moments ago. Hence, I’m convinced there won’t be any risks if you retreat from here!” Levi tried to convince them.
In fact, he had been busy preparing for that even before the others trekked into the forest.
“Hahahaha…” The other fighters burst into laughter at once, amused by Levi’s ridiculous remark.
Pfft! If he’s really that powerful, he wouldn’t have been scared to death and only thinks of fleeing now!
Deep down, they could not resist scoffing at Levi.
“Then what are we supposed to do now? If Boss is scared, don’t we need to escort him out first?” Azure Dragon asked helplessly with knitted brows.
He was in a dilemma, racking his brains at what he should do. If they opted to send Levi out, at least more than half of them had to escort him. As a result, it would take a toll on their whole group, placing the rest in a tight spot.
All the others were troubled and indecisive. They would rather bring Levi along and stick to Zoey’s previous method by dividing everyone into different groups. Considering the time and effort to send Levi out, they were reluctant to do so.
“Levi, since you’re rattled by the monsters, why don’t you find yourself a good hiding spot? After all, the monsters were not able to get to you when you were hiding somewhere here just now, right?” Zoey suggested excitedly.
She paused and continued to bring up her opinion. “As for the rest of us, we’ll continue to strive hard for the tournament challenge. Then, we’ll leave the place with you right after our sessions. Just signal us if you are at risk, and we’ll surely come to your rescue at once!”
“Good idea! We can even arrange for some fighters to attend the tournament challenge near Boss. With that, we can cater to him at any time,” Azure Dragon suggested.
“Yeah, you have a point. I agree with it!” One of the fighters gave him a thumbs up.
Another fighter raised his hand. “I agree with it too!”
As they were running out of time, they proceeded with their arrangements, disregarding Levi’s opinions.
After assigning some fighters to keep an eye on Levi from their hiding spots, the others left without hesitation.
Levi could not help but sigh resignedly. He presumed Maya Industries had already accumulated at least half of the data from these twenty thousand fighters.
Thus, he vowed that he would not let them continue to gather the remaining data of the fighters, despite their rankings of power.
It didn’t matter who was the mastermind manipulating everything behind Maya Industries. It’s even better if Lab of Gods turns out to be the one!
Levi was a bundle of nerves. Never had he expected that nobody would believe in him even after he revealed the truth to them. How is it possible for me to stop all of them from digging their own grave then?
After stroking his chin and pondering for quite a while, his eyes lit up. Ah! I finally know how to get the matter resolved!
CHAPTER 2343
Chapter 2343 Fear That Surges From Within Their Souls
The most effective method is by resolving the problem from the root cause! With that, Levi planned to step out and wipe out all the mutated zombies.
I won’t let go of a single one of them, so Zoey and the others won’t bump into any of them. Hmph! By then, Maya Industries won’t be able to gather their data!
To wipe out the mutated zombies entirely was a challenge.
If he happened to annihilate too many of them within a short span, Death Fiend and Sammy might not be able to match his pace. Subsequently, his unrivaled power emanated while annihilating the mutated zombies would surely be detected by Maya Industries.
If that is the case… Levi took out a black mask slowly as something came into his mind.
It turned out to be Dark Emperor’s half-angelic and half-demon mask!
By putting on the mask, his identity would be protected. At the sight of the iconic mask, everyone would surely think that he was Dark Emperor.
With that, Levi would be able to wipe out the mutated zombies by unleashing his formidable prowess.
Even Maya Industries would assume that Dark Emperor was the one causing trouble for them. Not to mention, Dark Emperor had both the ability and motive to do that. It would never lead them into suspecting that Levi could be the one behind it all.
In the meantime, the undercovers among the fighters had just updated the high-rank officials of Maya Industries about Levi’s current location.
“Well done! Finally, Levi Garrison’s hiding spot is revealed! But then our main focus is on the formidable fighter who manages to kill the mutated zombies. After all, I bet Levi won’t be able to escape. We can finish him off any time after we have managed to track down that ultimate killer!” one of the high-rank officials of Maya Industries uttered confidently.
“Have you gotten any clues about the formidable fighter?” another high-rank official asked desperately.
“Not yet. We’re still in the midst of investigating that. Anyway, we are convinced that there will be a clue sooner or later when this ultimate fighter strikes again!” one of the undercovers responded.
It was no secret to everyone that Levi was hiding in the swamp at the moment. Nonetheless, nobody paid any heed to him as he was just a nobody in their eyes.
Meanwhile, Levi emerged with Dark Emperor’s mask.
This round, he ripped the mutated zombies one by one apart aggressively without thinking twice.
Boom!
Swoosh!
Crack!
Right that instant, he had transformed into a petrifying killer.
Incredibly, it was as though the horrendous mutated zombies had turned into paper-mache in Levi’s hands. They were ripped apart effortlessly by him.
A mutated zombie was done in within seconds!
Another mutated zombie was killed another moment!
He wiped out one hundred mutated zombies within a short span!
There was horrifying murderous intent in Levi’s eyes. He did not let go of any mutated zombies. So all of you are assigned to gather the data of the fighters’ combat prowess? Then I will finish off all of you!
Five hundred mutated zombies collapsed, then the number multiplied…
Moments later, the accumulated number of mutated zombies annihilated reached three thousand! Even so, Levi did not slow down.
More and more mutated zombies were annihilated by him.
If not for the mighty surface area of the indigenous forest, the lifeless bodies of the mutated zombies would be strewn all over the ground.
Soon, the accumulated number of the mutated zombies wiped out by Levi reached five thousand!
Apart from that, Levi detected their weakness. If I’m not mistaken, the mutated zombies from the Triple Group seem to be more aggressive than these mutated zombies…
Levi had a sharp sense. The mutated zombies from the Triple Group were able to unleash their mightiest power as they were not under any control. Prevailed by their own senses and violent mind, they were able to go all out freely.
On the other hand, these mutated zombies from Maya Industries were still under their creators’ control. That was why they could not fully unleash their power and seemed to be weaker.
In a blink of an eye, Levi, who emerged like a Grim Reaper in the indigenous forest, had wiped out more than six thousand mutated zombies!
Miraculously, the remaining mutated zombies ended up intimidated by Levi.
When they came across any other fighters before that, they would pounce onto them maniacally.
Nevertheless, they were horror-stricken at the sight of Levi’s brutality.
It was as though they were not under Maya Industries’ control any longer. Shrieking hysterically in fear, they turned and ran away from Levi.
That was the inexplicit fear that surged from within their souls, making their blood freeze.
Levi was like an undefeatable god in front of their eyes.
Everyone was thunderstruck at the sight.
I'm even getting tired of Levi's attitude right now, even if he keeps his wife in the dark, why should he also keep his old comrades and disciples in the dark? How will they keep taking orders from you when you're not telling them the truth? Levi is treating his new allies with more respect than his old comrades who not only respects him as their boss, but loves him dearly.
There were a lot of experienced fighters around, amounting to a few hundred or a thousand of them.
Everyone was covered in injuries. After battling with those mutated zombies, they barely managed to escape the brink of death.
Initially, they thought that they would be able to rest after evading the mutated zombies.
However, almost a thousand mutated zombies rushed toward them.
Although they expected the mutated zombies to be targeting them, it seemed like those zombies were fearing something else instead.
They escaped frantically and ran past the fighters, ignoring their presence completely.
The fighters were on the verge of a mental breakdown.
Do those monsters not deem us worthy enough to be their opponents? Weren’t they dying to tear us apart when they saw us earlier? What’s going on now?
Watching as the mutated zombies screamed pathetically and fled, everyone found it hard to imagine what exactly had scared them so much.
How is it possible?
Yet, when they spotted the figure behind them, they understood everything.
The mutated zombies were fearing her!
Everyone could sense the murderous aura enveloping her as if she was a devil from hell or a deity powerful enough to decide on one’s fate.
That murderous aura surrounding the figure was terrifying enough to make anyone kneel in deference.
Thud! Thud!
Surrounded by an overwhelming sense of intimidation, those elites collapsed to their knees one after another.
They panted heavily, finding it almost impossible to breathe.
It was as if there was an enormous hand choking them.
This was how powerful that person’s aura was.
Everyone was in fear.
Levi strode past them and charged straight at the mutated zombies.
While everyone watched, he ripped hundreds of mutated zombies apart with his bare hands.
There were rumors saying that a top fighter, who was powerful enough to rip the mutated zombies apart, had entered the forest.
They finally saw it with their own eyes now!
“Oh my God! I’ve witnessed the most powerful fighter in this world. I can die without any regrets now!”
Many of such exclamations sounded.
Meanwhile, in the Maya Industries’ battleship, the high-rank officials were going mad when they heard the news.
“What? The army of mutated zombies had fled in terror? They have all been slaughtered?”
“Impossible! The mutated zombies are engineered to have the most violent tendencies. it’s impossible for them to feel fear because they aren’t even human! With sheer violence fueling them, it’s impossible for them to feel such emotions.”
“They are fleeing? That’s impossible! We won’t believe it. We have absolute trust in our experiments. Do you know what it means when I say that their violence has been maxed out? Only others will fear them…”
The experts from Maya Industries refused to believe that the mutated zombies were scared and fled.
It was theoretically and literally impossible!
“I know that you don’t believe me, but we have proof. Here are the videos and photos from that scene.”
The others quickly displayed them on the screen.
The video showed real-time footage of the army of mutated zombies fleeing in terror.
There were looks of fear on their faces while they shrieked like humans, which was not something they should do.
They kept looking back as they ran.
The experts almost felt like passing out.
Their proudest and most perfect creation had been terrorized by a human!
The initially flawless mutated zombies were now flawed.
“I understand now! This means that the opponent is so terrifying that his innermost aura has terrified them,” shouted one of them.
At that moment, they wished to know what kind of existence was capable enough to terrorize the army of mutated zombies.
“Skip to the last part of the video!” instructed one of the high-rank officials.
Soon, the video showed the army of mutated zombies running away.
There was a figure chasing after them calmly.
When they saw him wearing a mysterious mask with a half-angelic side and a half-demonic side, they fell silent.
It’s the Dark Emperor!
CHAPTER 2345
Chapter 2345 Where Is The Problem
We found him! We finally know who is capable enough to kill the mutated zombies! It’s the Dark Emperor, ranked number one in the Divine Leaderboard.
Everyone was guessing that the person capable enough to kill the mutated zombies must be someone ranked highly in the Divine Leaderboard.
In fact, some speculated that those ranked in the top few could not even do it.
Only the legendary Dark Emperor could accomplish such a feat.
Yet, no one managed to guess the person’s true identity.
Everyone understood how powerful one must be to be ranked at the top of the Divine Leaderboard.
It was none other than the Dark Emperor, who had just unleashed his fury recently.
The Dark Emperor had always been ranked first in the Divine Leaderboard.
All the forces had been investigating how powerful she actually was.
According to previous analyses, Dark Emperor was not significantly more powerful than the second and third-ranked fighter in the Divine Leaderboard.
Hence, the person ranked first in the Divine Leaderboard was definitely not an overlord capable of defeating the rest.
In other words, anyone could easily challenge and threaten his position.
However, recently, Dark Emperor had created a huge impact that had taken all of Adrune by shock.
Despite being challenged by so many fighters, he managed to defeat all of them with a single move.
After he finally revealed his true powers, everyone was stunned, including Maya Industries.
Everyone was surprised after seeing Dark Emperor’s powers.
How can he be so powerful? He’s so different from what everyone expected! He can completely obliterate everyone else on the Divine Leaderboard.
Previously, everyone’s analyses showed that Dark Emperor was only twice or thrice as powerful as those ranked second or third.
However, after he unleashed his true powers, that estimation underwent a huge transformation.
Dark Emperor’s true abilities were probably a hundred times greater than those ranked second or third…
The major forces, such as the Maya Industries, were utterly dumbfounded.
They thought that something wrong had happened…
Even though Dark Emperor had always been very mysterious, they had been monitoring him constantly and had a vague understanding of his powers.
However, he was at least a hundred times stronger this time.
What’s going on?
Everyone was curious.
According to how the experts from Maya Industries understood the mutated zombies’ physiology, it was impossible for the top three fighters in the Divine Leaderboard to kill them directly.
At the very most, they could only severely injure the mutated zombies.
However, Dark Emperor, ranked first in the Divine Leaderboard, was simply too terrifying.
He was completely different from the previous fighter who was initially ranked top in the Divine Leaderboard.
He was completely capable of killing the mutated zombies…
Aside from those fighters who were hidden from the public eye, the only one capable of killing these mutated zombies was Dark Emperor.
“It’s him! It’s really him!”
A few of the high-rank officials of Maya Industries had already guessed that it was Dark Emperor who was behind everything.
After all, he had instructed the Sacred Organization to evict one-third of their fighters.
Hence, everyone could already guess it.
However, upon witnessing Dark Emperor in action personally, they broke out in cold sweat.
He was simply too terrifying!
He was the first person who could kill the mutated zombies and terrify those machines, whose mind was only filled with violence.
Nothing could be more scary than that.
That taught Maya Industries a huge lesson.
They realized that their mutated zombies were not perfect.
Aside from their attack powers that were lacking, their defense skills and strengths were also flawed.
“What is Dark Emperor planning to do? Is he determined to oppose us?”
“We have never offended him, right? There’s not even a single conflict between us.”
As Maya Industries had been wary of the Sacred Organization from the start, they always got out of their way deliberately.
They tried to minimize any interactions, let alone conflicts.
“Yeah! We have no grudges with him. What is he doing?”
“Have our intentions been revealed? Is he doing this to stop us?”
“But this has nothing to do with him, right?”
“That’s weird. There’s something amiss about this, but I can’t pinpoint where exactly it is. What’s the problem behind this?”
CHAPTER 2346
Chapter 2346 Half Of Us Will Die Here
Everyone in Maya Industries was puzzled, feeling like there was something wrong.
The reason was because Dark Emperor was now Levi.
However, no one knew about his true identity.
They did not even know who Dark Emperor used to be, let alone his identity now.
After all, Dark Emperor always wore a unique mask.
Meanwhile, Levi was still chasing after the two hundred mutated zombies and fighting them.
In the end, the mutated zombies had all collapsed.
Levi started searching for the mutated zombies elsewhere.
Found them!
He could sense a huge group of them, probably amounting to more than a thousand.
They were the group which he had just scared off.
However, the mutated zombies were now engaged in a battle with the elites.
After Levi scared them off, the mutated zombies escaped in a particular direction.
To their surprise, a hundred fighters appeared in front of them and blocked their path.
Initially, they were in no mood to fight and only wanted to escape as soon as possible.
However, the fighters insisted on confronting them and blocking their way.
They managed to infuriate the mutated zombies.
We can’t defeat Levi, but we can definitely defeat all of you! It’s impossible that we’ll be bullied by you.
Furious, the mutated zombies were filled with a violent intent again.
All of them went crazy, determined to tear everyone else in front of them apart.
That was probably the most intense fight so far.
“What happened? Why are these zombies becoming so much stronger?” asked Zoey in surprise.
She had suffered too many scratches on her arm.
“Yeah! It’s like these zombies have upgraded. They’re much more powerful than those we encountered earlier.”
“We’re starting to be outnumbered. Let’s think of a way to escape. We’re already reaching our limits, so we might not have a chance to escape later if we continue fighting,” agreed Azure Dragon and Sword Fiend.
Those fighters were Zoey and the rest.
After they challenged the zombies, they realized something horrifying.
The mutated zombies were no longer moving in groups of a few dozens. Instead, they were appearing in groups of hundreds and thousands now.
Left with no choice, the fighters did not dare to move alone. They gathered together to confront the thousands of mutated zombies.
Although it was quite difficult fending off the first few waves of zombies, they managed to hold their ground.
However, this army of mutated zombies was terrifyingly strong.
In fact, they were on another level compared to the previous zombies.
For a moment, the fighters felt like they have been cornered to a tight spot.
All of them had been injured, though to different extents.
The number of mutated zombies kept increasing, till there were about two thousands of them.
If they did not leave now, they would not be able to do so later…
Even Floyd, Sword Fiend, and Kirin, who were fanatical about fighting, suggested leaving.
There was a difference between boldness and foolishness.
Although they were bold, they were not foolish.
If they continued fighting, they would die there!
“Let’s leave now!”
“Everyone, create an opening and prepare to escape!”
Everyone was all prepared to flee.
“Don’t let them live! Kill them right there!”
The high-rank officials from Maya Industries were still furious because of the Dark Emperor.
Now that they have been provoked by Zoey and the rest, they were determined to kill them.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A series of footsteps sounded.
The mutated zombies around them had all gathered there.
Their numbers kept increasing till they were now three thousand strong.
They blocked the openings that Zoey and the rest were prepared to escape through.
The zombies were adamant about stopping them from fleeing.
“We’re doomed! We shouldn’t have messed around with them.”
Everyone tried to create another opening, but failed.
They suffered even more serious injuries.
“Let’s try our best! Half of us might die here today.”
They had already mentally prepared themselves to face their deaths.
Boom…
At that moment, a commotion broke out amongst the army of mutated zombies.
“Master?” exclaimed Zoey in surprise.
CHAPTER 2347
Chapter 2347 Her Master Is Ranked First In The Divine Leaderboard
Zoey did not want to die.
She was already slowly recovering at that point.
With a child, a husband, and a family, she did not want to die.
Despite being in such a dire situation, she was still concerned about Levi, who was hiding in the swamp.
She did not want to die, but she was left with no choice.
The mutated zombies kept surging toward them, their attacks becoming increasingly frantic.
They were even stronger than the previous ones!
It was impossible for Zoey and the rest to break through the mutated zombies’ ranks.
They had no choice but to risk their lives.
At the most critical moment, a commotion broke out in the army of mutated zombies.
The mutated zombies in the southwest direction seemed to have suffered an attack. They fled in all directions…
However, more mutated zombies blocked their way.
Disorderly chaos broke out amongst them.
Everyone stopped and glanced in the southwest direction, wishing to know what was going on.
When Zoey glanced over, she almost fell to her knees.
There was a figure standing on a tree branch in the southwest direction, wearing a unique mask.
“Master!”
When Zoey recognized Dark Emperor, she yelled out in surprise.
Everyone else was shocked.
Has Dark Emperor appeared?
Was Dark Emperor the one who killed the mutated zombies earlier?
Boom…
The mutated zombies became afraid the moment Levi appeared and started fleeing in all directions.
Everyone inhaled sharply upon witnessing this scene.
W-What is happening? He actually scared the army of mutated zombies away? This is unbelievable!
How strong must a fighter be to terrify these mutated zombies so much?
If they had not witnessed it for themselves, they would not have believed it.
“Meet my Master!”
Zoey’s expression was filled with pride as she introduced her master to Azure Dragon and the rest.
She wanted to brag about her master.
The mutated zombies who were fleeing had experienced Levi’s attacks before. They had either been injured by him, or had witnessed others being attacked by him.
However, there was a portion of mutated zombies who had never seen Levi before.
They did not have any reactions upon seeing him.
Hence, while one portion of the mutated zombies wanted to escape, the others stayed put.
The situation became even more chaotic!
Levi suddenly moved.
He rushed forward, grabbed a mutated zombie, and tore it apart alongside its armor.
Silence descended upon the entire venue.
Everyone did not make a single noise, including the army of mutated zombies, Azure Dragon, and the rest.
All of them were dumbfounded.
It was the first time they saw someone ripping a mutated zombie apart with just bare hands.
Everyone was immersed in that tremendous shock.
Someone can actually kill a mutated zombie so instantly! This is unbelievable!
Although Dark Emperor was ranked first in the Divine Leaderboard, no one had seen him fight.
Everything they knew was from mere rumors.
Now that they had witnessed Dark Emperor fighting for the first time, they were stupefied in shock.
He’s simply too powerful! His strength is so terrifying.
We finally realize how much his powers surpass us.
“This is how powerful my Master is! Did you see that, Levi? This is how terrifying my master is. Why should I learn your skills? I’ll just learn what my master taught me. Master, I’m proud of you! You’re the strongest in this world!”
Feeling emotional, Zoey yelled out loud without any inhibitions.
She was filled with admiration for her master.
Everyone also stared at her enviously.
After all, her master was ranked first in the Divine Leaderboard, and his powers were unrivaled by everyone in the world.
Anyone would be envious of that!
Her abilities would improve rapidly under the guidance of Dark Emperor.
“I heard that initially, Dark Emperor wanted to train Boss, but he kept rejecting the offer. Furious, Dark Emperor locked him up for three years.”
“Yeah! If boss agreed to let the Dark Emperor become his master, he’d be really successful now.”
CHAPTER 2348
Chapter 2348 The Most Powerful In This World
“He’ll be much stronger than me. Not only is he more gifted than me, but he also has so much more experience.”
Zoey acknowledged how capable Levi was in those aspects.
Azure Dragon and the rest nodded. “At the very least, he’ll be in the top ten of the Divine Leaderboard. In fact, he might go all the way to being ranked second! If his potential has no limits, he might be on par with Dark Emperor one day.”
“He’ll most likely be ranked second in the Divine Leaderboard. In the future, he might even surpass his own master. He didn’t treasure this precious opportunity!”
“Yeah! I heard him say that Dark Emperor would exploit him or something… But isn’t Zoey doing just fine?”
“Perhaps, Boss is not fated to rise to glory in this lifetime. That’s why he couldn’t get Dark Emperor to become his master.”
Everyone discussed eagerly.
“Yeah, he’s not fated to become Master’s disciple. All the good luck has come to me!”
Zoey laughed.
Everyone in the world wished to be Dark Emperor’s disciple now.
No one could reject this opportunity.
Even if Floyd and the rest did not desire that, they still wished that their master, Levi, could progress quicker and teach them more things.
While everyone chattered away, Levi had already killed more than a hundred mutated zombies.
These monsters were even more invincible when they were enraged.
It was impossible to destroy them.
Yet, while suffering the attacks from Levi, they were no different from an average man.
With a single blow, Levi could kill one of them.
Soon, two hundred more mutated zombies collapsed…
Another five hundred fell!
Then, more than a thousand mutated zombies were killed.
While everyone watched in amazement, Levi killed more than a thousand mutated zombies without exerting much effort.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
“Please accept our humble praises! We admire you too much!”
“You’re like a God! There’s not a single warrior more powerful than you in this world.”
Azure Dragon and the rest were excited.
It was their greatest pleasure to see such a powerful fighter in action.
They all clenched their fists tightly, swearing to put in a hundred times more effort.
A fighter’s limits were unimaginable.
Yet, they had just witnessed before them the extent of one’s prowess.
They could spend their entire lifetime chasing after his footsteps.
Zoey was the most excited amongst them…
She kept announcing to the people around her that he was her master.
After seeing how powerful Dark Emperor was, she thought that her decision was correct.
Abandoning Levi’s ancient techniques was the right choice!
“I’ll try pleading with Master and see if he’s still willing to accept Levi as his disciple…” said Zoey with a chuckle.
Everyone else agreed, “Yeah! That’s a good idea!”
“The reason why Master isn’t learning our techniques is that we’re not powerful enough. We aren’t strong enough to convince him of our abilities.”
“However, Dark Emperor is different. With his unsurpassable powers, he can convince anyone! If he is willing to accept Master as his disciple, Master will definitely agree happily!” said Floyd.
“Yeah, Floyd is right. Dark Emperor has always been the most powerful presence. If she accepts Master as her disciple, Master will certainly agree,” said the rest.
“If Boss becomes the disciple of Dark Emperor, I’m sure that he’ll rise up to the second rank of the Divine Leaderboard!”
Everyone was confident in Levi.
However, more of them were actually confident in Dark Emperor!
Meanwhile, Levi was still unleashing his powerful attacks, ravaging the entire army of mutated zombies.
All of the mutated zombies, including those who were not afraid of him earlier, were now terrified of Levi.
They all fled frantically.
“You want to escape? That won’t be easy!”
Levi quickly chased after them.
Since his aim was to wreak havoc, he had to kill all the mutated zombies.
While Levi chased after them, Zoey and the rest followed him closely.
They wanted to enjoy the feeling of pursuing the mutated zombies and following the lead of a powerful fighter…
Azure Dragon and Kirin exclaimed, “Back then, we used to follow Boss like this too…”
While everyone lamented the past, Levi went all out and slew several more mutated zombies.
The number of mutated zombies depleted rapidly, decreasing by five hundred at a time.
It was horrific.
The mutated zombies were dropping like flies in front of Levi.
It did not look like they even had a chance.
Levi would just tear through them no matter how many popped up.
“What do we do now?”
The higher-ups from Maya Industries were all terrified seeing Levi solo-killing everything.
It was complete chaos.
Everyone was going mad, feeling at a loss because they did not know what to do.
Most of the information they received was death counts instead of battle data, and the numbers were by the hundreds each time.
“What do we do? What should we do now?”
“What now?”
They were out of ideas.
“Listen here! We’re pulling back! Call back all the mutated zombies! Halt the challenge and cancel the event!”
“Let everyone know immediately!”
…
As soon as Maya Industries gave the order, all the mutated zombies started retreating from the indigenous forest.
After that, the challengers got informed that there would be a halt in the tournament challenge.
“What? A halt? Why? Why was it canceled?”
A lot of the challengers, who were oblivious to the situation, were dumbfounded by the news.
And soon enough, Zoey and the others got the news as well.
Even though no one else knew why the tournament halted and the zombies retreated, Zoey and the gang had actually had an inkling of what was going on.
This has got to have something to do with Dark Emperor! His mutated zombie massacre has effectively forced Maya Industries to cease its operations.
Zoey figured that since the challenge had stopped and the mutated zombies had evacuated, there was no longer any reason for anyone to be there.
However, before they left, she needed to have a word with Dark Emperor.
So, she hurriedly caught up to Levi and stopped him with everyone close behind her.
“What do you want?” Levi said with a grim look.
“Master, I need to ask you a few questions…” Zoey responded.
Levi smiled bitterly.
Never in Zoey’s wildest dreams would she ever think that I’m her master right now.
“Speak.”
Levi was curious about what she had in mind.
“Number one. Why did you have to slaughter all those monsters? Maya Industries stopped the tournament challenge because of you!” Zoey asked.
“First of all, I killed them to save all of you. Secondly, from my point of view, no matter what Maya Industries is trying to do with them, be it to kill you all or to train the mutated zombies, it is considered a threat! Thus, I need to end it immediately,” Levi answered with the Dark Emperor’s perspective in mind.
The people there all figured that it made sense after hearing what Levi said.
Indeed, that sounded reasonable.
That said, things would be different if they knew Levi was the one that stopped the tournament challenge.
At present, no one complained. Even though Dark Emperor’s action actually prevented their growth, everyone was grateful to Dark Emperor for saving their lives.
No one had anything bad to say.
However, if Levi was the one doing all that, no one would bat an eye at him.
Instead, everyone would say that he was afraid of their growth.
Even though it was the same thing, knowing who did it heavily skewed the people’s reactions.
That was the best example.
Dark Emperor would even become a hero because he stopped Maya Industries’ scheme, saved them, and prevented a disaster.
“Master. I have a request…” Zoey smiled.
“What is it?”
“Can you take my husband as your disciple?” Zoey said after a moment’s hesitation.
CHAPTER 2350
Chapter 2350 The Biggest Obstacle For Maya Industries
At that moment, everyone’s attention was on Levi.
Their bodies trembled as they awaited Dark Emperor’s answer as it was a huge deal.
Being accepted as Dark Emperor’s disciple would drastically improve one’s quality of life, and completely change their life.
It would skyrocket them to the top of the world, giving them the chance to rule the world.
All of that from a nod from Dark Emperor.
Everyone waited.
It was a chance of a lifetime for anyone.
Azure Dragon and the lot would have asked to become one if it were not for their pride and the fact that they knew it was impossible.
“Take Levi in as my disciple?” Levi smiled.
“Yes, Master. Please accept him as your disciple!” Zoey pleaded.
“I wouldn’t dare. Am I even worthy? I’d need to be capable enough if I wanted to do that. Hahaha.” Levi laughed out loud after he replied and walked away.
Aside from the fact that the previous Dark Emperor was unqualified to be his master, Levi was sure that not even he himself was up for the task; he only had one true master.
Everyone was dumbfounded while they watched Dark Emperor leave.
To them, those words were dripped with sarcasm.
It sounded like he was mocking Levi, telling them he was unworthy of being his disciple.
“Oh no! It’s doomed! Master actually knew everything all along! He has completely forgone Levi!”
“It seems like Dark Emperor knows what kind of person our boss is! He knows Levi is an arrogant prick, which I assume is the type of person Dark Emperor hates,” the others said.
Floyd felt resigned. “I thought we would at least get some benefit if Master became Dark Emperor’s disciple. Who would have thought that Master would be a nobody to the Dark Emperor.”
“We thought so too! But it’s impossible now,” Sword Fiend and the others said.
“If nothing works, maybe I should talk to Master again?” Zoey pursed her lips.
“Let’s forget about it. I’m sure Dark Emperor has no intention of having Boss as a disciple. Things would only get worse if you said too much.”
“Now that Boss experienced hopelessness and understands how weak he is, I’m sure he’ll train harder when he gets back! He’ll have a lot more chances in the future!”
…
While everybody was discussing Levi, Zoey suddenly gave her head a light tap. “Oh, right! Levi!”
She assumed that he was still hiding in the swamp and might be in trouble.
“Go look for him! Quick!”
The group immediately headed towards the swamp.
…
On Maya Industries’ battleship.
“Does this mean our plan failed?” one of the staff asked.
“No, at least not entirely! We’ve collected half of the data, right?”
“That said, Dark Emperor’s appearance really messed things up! He and Sacred Organization will be the biggest obstacle for us! We need to get rid of him if we want to continue the plan!”
“But that’s impossible, right? His combat prowess is out of this world!”
“Who could possibly be strong enough to take him out?”
…
Silence ensued.
Everyone on the battleship went quiet as they realized that there was basically no one that could even touch the Dark Emperor.
“By the way, what about Levi Garrison? Do we kill him? There’s nothing else for us to do now anyway,” one of the staff asked and broke the silence.
“Killing him is a piece of cake. But Dark Emperor is still in the forest, so things might get out of hand if we bump into him. We would all die in there if we weren’t careful! Let’s retreat for now. Don’t give Dark Emperor the chance to come to us.”
Maya Industries decided to run away for fear of Dark Emperor’s overwhelming combat prowess.
Meanwhile, at the swamp.
Zoey and the others arrived in a hurry and finally let out a sigh of relief when they found someone with their back against them.
They were all glad that Levi was safe.
Nevertheless, everyone was astonished when the person turned around.
“Huh?”
CHAPTER 2351
Chapter 2351 The Rank Dropped
Dark Emperor? What is he doing here? Shouldn’t it be Levi? Why is it him? On that note, why are their silhouettes so similar? They look exactly the same!
Everyone was puzzled.
“What is it?” Levi asked.
“W-We came here looking for someone. We’ll take our leave now!” answered one of them with a slight shiver in his voice.
No one wanted to offend him.
Then they took a look around, and realized that Levi was not there.
Is he in danger? Or did he run away? Since Dark Emperor’s here, does that mean there are mutated zombies here? If that’s the case, Levi’s most probably…
Cold sweat started seeping out of everyone’s pores at the thought of that possibility.
“I know who you’re looking for! He has already left the forest! He’s waiting for you all at the place you people came from!” Levi said to not make them worry.
Initially, he wanted to wait for them there, but he hit some minor roadblocks along the way.
When he got there, Zoey and the lot were already there.
Levi did not even have time to take off his mask.
“Thank you, Master!”
Zoey and the others were thrilled when they heard what he said and left immediately to see Levi.
They assumed that Dark Emperor had saved Levi.
And that assumption got affirmed from how detailed Dark Emperor’s information was.
Thus, after they left, Levi left as well, but in a different direction.
He made sure to avoid Maya Industries’ surveillance as he escaped.
When Zoey and the others got out of the indigenous forest, Levi was indeed waiting for them.
“Let’s head back if there’s nothing else. It’s dangerous here.”
And so, they did not linger and left straight away.
…
On Maya Industries’ battleship.
“This is weird. Dark Emperor’s gone! We had him under surveillance! How did he disappear?”
The surveillance team was dumbfounded.
“That’s to be expected! With how strong he is, he most probably revealed himself to us in the first place,” one of the higher-ups said.
“With Dark Emperor here, it’ll be hard for us to execute the rest of the plan. But we can’t get rid of him, sigh. This is annoying.”
Everyone’s had a grim look on their faces.
“Who said that we have to get rid of him? We could work together! Let’s collaborate with the Dark Emperor!”
“We do have quite some leverage in our hands.”
“That could actually work!”
“Alright then, that gives us two things to do. One, meet Dark Emperor and talk about a collaboration. Two, analyze the data we’ve collected and improve the zombies’ attacks!”
That said, everyone’s expression did not light up.
They had thought that the zombie army they created was invincible as even the top ten of the Divine Leaderboard were helpless against them.
They thought they could dominate the world with it and let the people taste despair.
However, the result showed that the army was utterly useless when faced with truly powerful fighters.
So, the only thing they could do was take it slow.
…
Even though the tournament challenge ended halfway through, there were still some significant changes to the Divine Leaderboard and the Provisional Leaderboard.
There were no big changes for most of the participants.
It was mainly Zoey, whose rank improved drastically and went straight from top one hundred to top fifty on the Divine Leaderboard, instantly closing the gap between her, Kirin, Floyd, and Sword Fiend.
The people from Lopez and Black families that tagged along also experienced rapid growth after surviving numerous life-and-death situations.
The upgrade in their combat prowess meant that their ranks would also increase, so they were all thrilled about it.
On the other hand, Levi’s ranking on the Provisional Leaderboard dropped.
It was because Levi technically did nothing that whole time.
Moreover, a lot of the participants got significantly stronger.
So naturally, a lot of people climbed over him in terms of rank.
“Master, you only have half a month left! How could you let your rank drop?”
CHAPTER 2352
Chapter 2352 Dark Emperor Is Indeed Strong
Floyd looked at Levi, utterly confused.
He was very worried.
“That’s right! Zoey’s already in the top fifty of the Divine Leaderboard, Master! But you are ranked among the seven thousand nine hundredths in the Provisional Leaderboard! This is a tremendous gap!” Kinsley said in resignation.
As Levi’s disciples, they did not want to see Levi in the dumps.
To them, it was a matter of pride.
No one would want that to happen to themselves.
At present, Levi could not even match up against Shaun and the lot, let alone Zoey.
Moreover, Zoey’s growth was monstrous.
She was already in the top fifty of the Divine Leaderboard.
With her current growth rate, breaking into the top thirty would not be a problem for Zoey.
There was even a chance she might reach the top.
That said, besides all the effort Zoey put into her training, her master played a vital role in her success.
After all, her master was Dark Emperor.
The incident at the indigenous forest had shown the world just how terrifying Dark Emperor was.
So it was only natural for his disciple to advance at a rapid pace.
“Everyone, please stop it! Levi’s rank dropped because he didn’t get to train properly. He’s still using the old ways! I’m sure he realized it by now. With the technique books we have now, he’ll definitely improve quickly!”
Zoey looked toward Levi and said, “How about this, Levi? Let’s extend the duration. Three months doesn’t seem fair to you. Let’s make it half a year or even a year! Let’s fight then!”
“Yeah! I think the deadline should be postponed too!” The others nodded.
All of them thought Levi would start training like a madman after the despair he felt in the indigenous forest and forgo the outdated regime.
They thought that, given enough time to train, Levi might actually have a chance for a fair fight.
Hearing that, Levi smiled. “It’s okay. Three months will do. There’s no need to reschedule. I don’t need that long.”
“Umm…”
Everyone gave Levi an odd look.
Why are you still so stubborn? Extending the duration’s not even embarrassing! You’ll be even more embarrassed when you lose to Zoey! How are you going to catch up with only half a month left? That’s impossible!
They all thought Levi was either insane or extremely stupid.
Nevertheless, Zoey did not say much and agreed. “Alright. Three months it is!”
After all, Zoey mainly set the three months duration as a motivation for her to improve as well as show Levi how weak he was so that he would try to get stronger.
The fight at the end was not important at all.
She just wanted Levi to get stronger.
If Levi wants to dig his own grave, so be it.
Zoey assumed Levi could not change anything with the fifteen days left.
She figured she might as well wipe the floor with him when the time comes so that he would work harder to get accustomed to the new era.
That was what she wanted to see.
Then, she nodded her head and said, “Sure. Let’s see how much you can improve in fifteen days!”
Floyd and the others let out a deep sigh after that.
This is going to be so humiliating! Our master is no match for Zoey! He couldn’t even beat his own disciples! Zoey’s definitely going to surpass Floyd sooner or later.
They figured that they would have to train like crazy after seeing the peak of combat prowess at present and knew where the limit was.
“I’m sorry, Levi.” Zoey walked over. “Master appeared not long ago and let me choose between yours and Master’s techniques. I know Master was testing me. I’m sorry, Levi. I chose Master’s in the end. You’ve seen how quickly I’ve improved. Besides, you heard about how strong Master is, right? Master’s at the top of the Divine Leaderboard!”
Zoey started bragging about her master to Levi.
Levi nodded. “Yeah. The Dark Emperor now is indeed very strong.”
CHAPTER 2353
Chapter 2353 Fought and Killed
That’s because I’m the Dark Emperor! Of course I’m strong!
Levi added in his head.
Nevertheless, the ambiguity of his statement confused Zoey.
“What do you mean by that? Was Master not strong back then?”
“That’s right! You actually understood what I meant! Your master was certainly weaker back then.” Levi nodded.
“Pffft!” Zoey burst into laughter.
“My master has always been strong! Why are you talking as though you fought her before!”
To Zoey, Dark Emperor was invincible.
That was her faith and belief, so she could not accept when Levi said Dark Emperor was weak.
“Not only did I fight your Master, I actually killed…”
Levi stopped as he knew it was going to upset Zoey.
“Let’s stop talking about this! It’d be bad if the others overheard you!” Zoey was a little annoyed.
…
Levi disappeared the following few days because he went to investigate the relationship between Maya Industries and the Lab of Gods.
He kept feeling that there were a lot of similarities between those two.
That made Zoey rather ecstatic as she thought that Levi was training hard for the fight to come.
“I don’t really care about the outcome of the fight. I just wanted to motivate him, and it’s actually happening now!”
Zoey was pleased.
Azure Dragon and Kirin were also pleased.
“Right, we’re planning to give Boss a present, so we’ll be back once he’s done with his training!”
Phoenix and the gang said with a smile.
“What present?”
Everyone was curious.
“They say that the weapon from Maya Industries was not only indestructible but also had chemicals in it, right? A lot of factions had been researching for a way to handle it, but it seems like the special material is the only way right now. However, even though we can’t resolve it, we can still prevent it!”
“Garrison Industry has invented a battle suit that combined modern technology with ancient technology! Not only can it block Maya Industries’ weapon from piercing through, but it could also prevent the chemical from seeping in!”
“Most importantly, this special battle suit can actually block an all-out-hit from one of the top five of the Divine Leaderboard! To be precise, it can take a hit even from the second and third-ranked fighters on the leaderboard!”
…
“What?”
Everyone went wild after hearing what Phoenix said.
A battle suit that could withstand an attack from the second and third-ranked fighter on the Divine Leaderboard; Is that even possible?
What kind of suit is that?
It can even ward off Maya Industries’ chemical?
The whole world would be in an uproar if news got out! That’s an amazing invention!
Everyone was in disbelief at the fact that the battle suit could block any attack from the top of the Divine Leaderboard besides the rank one.
Rank one was too powerful and no one knew why.
Even after ten years of research, there were still no findings.
That said, the second rank fighter was researchable, so they could only use him as the basis of the research.
They were hopeful about it, whereas researching the first only gave them despair.
“However, the attack-blocking mechanism is still in its experimental phase. We need volunteers to help run more tests on it to be sure. But it seems like there aren’t many volunteers since they could lose their lives during the test.” Phoenix sighed.
At present, the most the battle suit had gone through was experimentation with attacks from the top twenty level.
Anything higher than that was all mere theories that were in the experimental phase.
Edmund was still looking for volunteers as he did not allow his own men to participate in the experiment.
“With our connections, we should be able to get our hands on one of those battle suits! It could mitigate some dangers for the boss while he’s still training!”
“Seeing that boss is working hard, let’s get one for him!”
“Yeah! We need to get one!”
…
For Levi’s sake, Phoenix and the others were willing to try and request it from Edmund.
After a few days, Levi appeared again, not because he had any significant breakthrough, though, but because Sacred Organization contacted him.
They told him that, the representatives from Maya Industries wanted to meet him and talk about working together.
That was the reason why Levi resurfaced.
He needed to think about it before he gave them an answer.
As soon as he made an appearance, Phoenix and the lot immediately came looking for him.
“Boss, how much have you improved after all the hard work you’ve put in?” Kirin asked.
“That’s not important! What’s important is he made an effort!” Azure Dragon said.
“Boss, come with us to Garrison Industry. We have a gift for you!” Everyone said excitedly.
“Sure!”
In the end, even Zoey and Floyd tagged along.
Everyone had a strong interest in the special battle suit Garrison Industry produced.
When they reached Garrison Industry’s laboratory, Edmund appeared.
He had been trying to get volunteers recently to test out the battle suit’s defensive capabilities, so he was at Garrison Industry’s headquarter for the past few days.
“Huh? Why are you people here?” Edmund asked.
“We’re here to get the suit, Sir. You’ve given us your word!” Azure dragon and the others said.
Edmund sneered after seeing Levi. “You guys wanted the suit for Levi?”
“Yes.”
Azure Dragon and the others’ expressions darkened.
Lying was pointless in that situation.
“I promised you guys because I thought you were going to use it yourself! I would’ve never said that if I knew it was for an outsider!” Edmund said.
Azure Dragon and the lot went silent as it was a known fact that the battle suit can only be issued to staff members of Garrison Industry.
Outsiders were strictly prohibited.
And from Garrison Industry’s perspective, Levi was an outsider.
According to the rules, he could not have the battle suit.
“Sir, I know outsiders can’t have it, but our boss is not an outsider!” Phoenix said after he realized something. “He’s still the founder of Garrison Industry! That makes him at least an internal staff member!”
“That’s right, Sir! That makes him a staff member!” the others chimed in.
Edmund laughed after hearing that. “That’s quite a stretch, don’t you think? Why don’t we let everyone in Garrison Industry vote to that?”
Azure Dragon and the others’ expressions darkened even more after hearing what Edmund said.
If they did what Edmund said, they knew for a fact that more than eighty percent of Garrison Industry’s staff would not admit that Levi was a part of them.
“That said, seeing that he’s indeed the founder of Garrison Industry, I’ll give him a chance!”
“Thank you, Sir!” everyone exclaimed.
“Don’t thank me yet! I have one condition!”
Edmund paused for a brief moment. “I’ve been looking for volunteers to test the defensive limit of the battle suit…”
…
Hearing that, the excitement on everyone’s faces immediately faded.
So there was a catch!
“How about this? I’ll give Levi the suit for free if he’s willing to wear it for our experiment purpose?” Edmund sneered.
“We can’t do that, Sir! That’s too dangerous! What if it couldn’t withstand the theoretical limit? Won’t the volunteer just get torn apart?” Azure Dragon and the others could not accept the condition.
Edmund nodded. “You’re right, and that’s why volunteers are so hard to come by! But for the sake of science, we need someone to do it so that we could obtain the most accurate results!”
“This won’t do! We’re not interested in anything life-threatening. Let’s go. We don’t need that suit!”
None of the others agreed to Edmund’s condition.
Edmund sneered. “Alright then. I respect your decision.”
“It’s okay! I accept! Let me try that suit out!” Levi exclaimed out of nowhere.
He agreed as he figured it was beneficial to Erudia if the development of the battle suit was a success.
There was no reason for him not to try it out.
CHAPTER 2355
Chapter 2355 Test It With My Fist
Truth be told, Levi figured he could just use his fist to help test anything’s defensive capability.
They only needed to see if the item in question could withstand one punch from him.
According to Levi’s standards, not even the Skyward Sword and Terra Blade qualified since he broke them with a snap of his finger.
To him, those weapons were mere scrap metals.
“Alright, do you just want me to throw a punch at the suit and destroy it?” Levi asked seriously.
That was the type of test in his mind.
“Of course not! What would that do? I want you to put it on and get attacked to see test the defense level of the suit, understand?” Edmund sneered.
“Sure, sure. Let’s get this over with!”
Levi was mainly doing that for his friends, so he did not mind all of that.
He figured he’d acknowledge Garrison Industry’s strength if the test actually wounded him in any capacity.
“Boss, this is dangerous. Let’s just go!”
They were there to obtain some sense of security for Levi, another layer of safety.
But now, Levi was facing life-threatening danger before they even got the security they came to get.
“It’s alright. Just let me try.” Levi smiled.
After that, Levi went into the particular lab and put on the battle suit.
The suit was very different from the clumsy armor he imagined it to be.
It was even thinner than a normal shirt and was very light.
There was no sense of burden when Levi put it on, and it was very comfortable.
“Not bad. Not bad at all,” Levi remarked.
Modern technology really is something.
“There are currently still downsides to it. The main one being the suit can only be used defensively. We still can’t find a way to incorporate weapon systems into it.”
Edmund looked rather troubled at that thought.
“Defending is also a form of attacking!” Levi said calmly.
Edmund smiled all of a sudden. “Listen to that. That’s someone who knows what he’s talking about!”
Then, Levi put on the battle suit and walked into an enormous testing ground.
That testing ground was located a few thousand feet underground.
After the researchers brought Levi to a designated position, they cleared the vicinity.
Boom!
The gate of the testing ground closed, and everyone was watching Levi through a glass window.
They were all clenching their fists, feeling nervous about what was about to happen.
On the other hand, Levi was calm as a cucumber and looked around at the structure of the testing ground.
In front of him, about five hundred yards away, was a gigantic hole.
“Sir, everything’s ready to go. Do we commence the test?” one of the researchers asked.
“Alright. Let’s start.” Edmund said.
“To which level do we set the danger rating of the attack?” the researcher asked.
Since they already tested with top-twenty levels of attack, the Garrison Industry could actually try the top-ten.
“Set it to the maximum. Mimic the strongest attack of the second and third rank fighters on Divine Leaderboard and throw it at Levi,” Edmund said coldly.
Since we have a volunteer, we might as well test the limits.
No one knew how strong the person who topped the list was, not even Edmund.
But he was able to deduce and reproduce attacks similar to that of the second and third-ranked fighters based on his own strength as well as many other fighters’ strength.
The variance would not be more than one percent.
That said, reproducing that attack required a large amount of energy material.
They needed to be converted into super energy in order to unleash that powerful attack.
“Sir, isn’t this a little overboard? The max setting on the first test? Why not we take it slow and start from the top ten? We can slowly move up after that.”
Edmund’s decision terrified Azure Dragon and the others.
After all, it was still a test, which meant that there were risks.
If the battle suit failed, Levi was going to be in huge danger.
“We don’t want to do this anymore! You can keep the suit! Let him out now! We’re leaving!” Zoey was infuriated as she approached the door.
Nevertheless, Edmund stopped her. “You can’t! Once it’s started, there’s no turning back!”
CHAPTER 2356
Chapter 2356 A Clueless Bunch
Edmund was not about to just let a free volunteer slip away from his fingers.
“Commence the test!” he shouted while holding off Zoey.
And thus, the test started.
Hummm…
Soon, they heard a horrific hum that shook the very earth they were standing on.
Then, layers of armor started covering the walls of the testing ground to ensure the lab’s safety as the attack it was charging up could literally destroy everything.
At that moment, the hole in front of Levi began to shine and made an ear-piercing noise.
Inside it, high-class energy materials were gathered and converted into a powerful energy stream that basically equated to an all-out attack from the second and third-ranked fighters on the Divine Leaderboard.
That was how amazing modern technology was.
It would be impossible to produce energy like that back in the day.
Jared’s Deicide invention was already the pinnacle back then, but now, things were much more terrifying.
Their levels were leagues apart.
…
Everyone shuddered as they felt the ground quake beneath them.
It sent shivers down the people’s spine as that sounded like a soul-shattering attack.
To them, that one attack could wipe them off the face of the earth.
No one could stand in its way. Not Zoey, not Floyd, and not anyone else.
Even Edmund had to bow down to that terrifying power.
That was something unimaginable to them.
At that instant, everyone lost their faith in the battle suit.
Hummm…
The tremor grew louder.
At the final stage of the charge, all the converted energy converged into one single beam and blasted straight at Levi.
Boom!
No one dared look at the beam as it was as blinding as the sun.
That beam was not something anyone would want to deal with, so everyone closed their eyes.
However, Levi merely curled his lips. To him, the beam was nothing but a torchlight.
I can’t even use this to scratch my back! The late Dark Emperor can do way more than this! How could they be scared of this? What a clueless bunch!
Levi shook his head in exasperation.
At that moment, all he wanted to do was to test the protection that the battle suit provided.
Can it really handle this?
Boom!
The beam hit him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions occurred as soon as the beam landed on Levi, and it felt like the whole testing ground was about to collapse. If it were not for the lab being underground, the entire Erudia would have been alerted by the commotion.
The light was so bright that none of them there could open their eyes.
It was horrifying, to say the least.
After that, when the dust settled everyone was astonished to see that Levi was still standing there as though nothing had happened.
The battle suit did not even have a scratch on it.
“We did it! We actually did it!” All the researchers were ecstatic and burst into joyous laughter.
The battle suit had withstood a full-powered hit from the second and third-ranked fighters on the Divine Leaderboard.
That was a massive breakthrough that might bring about the winds of change and open up a new chapter for modern civilization.
Even though Edmund was strong, the gap between him and the top three fighters on the Divine Leaderboard was still gigantic.
But with the battle suit, he could finally go toe to toe with them.
With a battle suit of that caliber, Garrison Industry would have a bright future ahead of them.
It had become their bargaining chip.
A bargaining chip that could bring them unimaginable benefits in the future as the future was all about having the most resources!
The battle suit was no doubt going to be Edmund’s trump card.
Zoey and the others were also excited because Levi was unharmed and they got a free battle suit out of it.
“Sir, you’re going to keep your word, right? Boss did the test! Please give him one of those suits!” Azure Dragon and the others exclaimed.
“No problem! I’m a man of my word!”
At that moment, Levi came out after taking of the battle suit.
“Is it that amazing? Want me to test it out?”
CHAPTER 2357
Chapter 2357 The Lowest Rank Gets It
Levi looked at the clueless bunch.
He could not stand it any longer and wanted to show them that the battle suit was just a thin piece of paper, that he could tear it into pieces with ease.
Edmund sneered. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to tear it in two, of course,” Levi said.
“Hahaha…”
Everyone laughed out loud after hearing that.
They looked at him like he was a fool.
Only an idiot would say something like that!
No normal person would ever say such a thing.
It’s true that the battle suit is light and thin, but all the materials used to make it were of the highest quality and rarity! Just the materials alone surpass anything that’s aerospace-grade.
It could withstand extreme temperatures and ward off sharp materials as well as all sorts of attacks from top fighters on the Divine Leaderboard. It’s the essence of modern and ancient technology! It’s indestructible!
Frankly, no one in Garrison Industry can even leave a scratch on it no matter what they did or what equipment they used.
No one here could possibly do anything to it! The result just now is a testament to that!
Not even that powerful attack could do anything to it, let alone your bare hands. What a joke!
And so, everyone laughed when Levi blurted out those words.
They all thought he sounded like a retard.
Nevertheless, those were all just their opinions.
Levi was like a god, after all.
“So, you don’t believe me, right?”
Levi was just about to rip the battle suit apart when Zoey and the others stopped him.
“It’s alright! Let’s go! Thank you for the suit, General! We’ll take our leave now.”
Zoey was worried that Edmund might go back on his word, so she quickly dragged Levi out of there along with the battle suit and left with everyone else.
At present, Edmund was still caught up in the result of the test, so he did not care what Levi did or where he went.
“Why don’t you guys have this battle suit? I don’t really need it anyway.”
Levi wanted to give the suit to his disciple and friends so that whoever needed it could wear it.
It was a useful item for them as no one on the Divine Leaderboard would be able to hurt them if they had the battle suit on, besides Levi, of course.
“No way! You keep it, Boss!”
“Yeah! We put in a lot of effort to get that. All because we want you to be safe!”
…
Naturally, no one accepted.
Hearing that, Zoey smiled. “How about this. Let’s give that battle suit to the person that needs it the most, okay?”
“Huh?”
Everyone was stunned.
No one caught Zoey’s drift.
“What do you mean, Zoey? Who’s the one that needs it the most?” Black Tortoise asked in a murmur.
“That would be the weakest person here, of course! Let’s use our ranks on the Divine Leaderboard and Provisional Leaderboard as references. The person with the lowest ranking will be the one that needs the suit the most! Okay?” Zoey proposed.
“I agree! That way, we won’t have to fight for it!”
Everyone finally understood where Zoey was coming from.
She wanted to make Levi keep the battle suit and continue to spite him.
“Alright. Let’s see whose rank is the lowest.”
Everyone proceeded to say their ranks, and eventually, all eyes were on Levi.
“Boss is ranked among the seven thousandths in the Provisional Leaderboard. He’s the lowest among all of us, so he gets to keep the battle suit!”
Everyone looked satisfied with that outcome, so Levi had no choice but to accept the suit and bring it back.
When he got back to his place, Levi took a closer look at the battle suit.
“It looks like there’s still room for improvement. This is not perfect yet.”
While he spoke, Levi applied some force with his hands.
Rip!
The special battle suit instantly shattered into pieces.
In actuality, Levi merely wanted to test it, but it was weaker than he had imagined.
And at that very moment, Zoey walked in and saw what happened.
CHAPTER 2358
Chapter 2358 Ask Them To Come See Me
Boom!
Zoey was utterly dumbfounded.
She almost fell to the ground after seeing the shattered pieces of the battle suit.
How did this happen?
“W-What’s going on here?” Zoey asked with a shaky voice.
“I ripped it apart,” Levi answered.
“Really? I don’t believe you!”
Zoey shook her head violently.
If she came in any sooner, she would have saw the moment Levi destroyed that suit.
But alas, she was a few seconds too late, so all she saw was just pieces of the suit covering the floor.
Hence, she refused to believe that Levi did that no matter what.
“I got it!” Zoey suddenly exclaimed.
“What did you get?” Levi was curious.
“The suit shattered because it sustained too much damage from the test! It already broke back in the lab. Even though it looked okay, the interior got totally crushed! If you were to rip it apart with sheer force, it should only turn into two halves. How could it shatter into a million pieces like this?” Zoey analyzed the situation.
Levi laughed after hearing that. “That’s because I’m strong and could shred it with ease!”
“No! I’m sure the suit could not handle the attack just now and were already destroyed before we came back!”
Then, Zoey looked as though she had realized something when she turned toward Levi, astonished. “Did you already know that it was destroyed inside? So that’s why you said you want to try tearing it!”
Zoey suddenly recalled Levi’s request to test the battle suit by ripping it in two with his bare hands.
No one paid any heed to that request back then.
But now, it looked to Zoey like Levi wanted to use that chance to show off, but she stopped him before he could start.
“You’re actually quite childish, Levi. How did you come up with that idea!” Zoey said.
“Nevertheless, this is still beneficial to us. At least Garrison Industry gets to know the battle suit’s limits! I’ll go tell them right away!”
Zoey immediately sprinted off, leaving Levi with no chance to explain.
“I…”
Levi felt resigned.
The suit was fine! I only tore it because I got bored.
“So be it then!” Levi shook his head in resignation.
He figured Zoey relaying the wrong information to Garrison Industry was not a bad thing. They would think the battle suit could not handle the absolute limit and strive to improve it further, making a suit with higher defensive capability.
Indeed, everything went according to Levi’s assumption as Zoey immediately contacted Garrison Industry to let them know about the suit shattering because it could not handle the attack.
Edmund and all the researchers believed her.
Since the materials and all other aspects of the battle suit were rare and valuable, Edmund figured it would be bad if they kept using it for experimenting.
Other than that, there were no more volunteers after that failed attempt.
They could not afford to run another test.
Hence, they decided to just focus on improving the battle suit’s limits.
Nevertheless, Edmund gave Zoey another battle suit as a token of appreciation for the information she provided.
If it were not for her, Edmund would have most likely worn the suit to challenge the top fighters of the Divine Leaderboard.
He would have lost his life if that happened.
Little did Edmund know that Zoey’s information was completely false.
Just like that, Zoey returned with another battle suit, rendering Levi speechless.
There was nothing else he could do now but put on the suit.
After that, he needed to go meet the person in charge of Maya Industries.
Levi gave it some thought and decided to ask the people from Maya Industries to meet him in Erudia instead.
Word got out and shocked a lot of people.
Why would the Dark Emperor and Maya Industries’ higher-ups meet in Erudia?
The reasoning Levi gave Death Fiend was a simple one. He was lazy.
No one understood why Maya Industries and Sacred Organization chose to meet in Erudia.
It made no sense.
Moreover, neither the people in Maya Industries nor Sacred Organization knew why.
Why Erudia?
On top of that, quite a few of Dark Emperor’s aides actually knew that she was afraid of entering Erudia.
Why now?
That said, they could slightly understand why.
After all, Dark Emperor was just too strong.
He was at the top of the Divine Leaderboard, the same person that forced Maya Industries into negotiation.
And so, the location they chose to meet up was at North Hampton, causing North Hampton to be the center of everyone’s attention.
Zoey was very excited as she thought that Dark Emperor chose that location because of her.
“It’s too bad Master didn’t accept you as a disciple. You would’ve definitely become a force to be reckoned with!” Zoey looked at Levi and sighed.
“But Master won’t accept you no matter what! So you’ll have to depend on yourself and train hard! Evie has already opened up her own path!”
Zoey still had confidence in Levi.
With the three months deadline closing in, Zoey was certain that Levi would come to a realization.
However, Levi sneered. “I only have one master. No one else is worthy of that title except him!”
Not to mention that I am Dark Emperor.
Dark Emperor’s meeting with Maya Industries in Erudia was a massive deal, so The Cardinal Hall fell deep into thought after finding out.
At present, things were a little sensitive in Erudia, so their timing was not great.
On top of that, Dark Emperor was also a problem.
Edmund and the divine generals all heard about Dark Emperor’s legend.
The Cardinal Hall actually had a rule that prohibited Dark Emperor from entering Erudia.
No one knew the details about that, but it was an issue.
Do we stop Dark Emperor? Or do we just let him in? Could we stop him if we wanted to? He’s ranked first on the Divine Leaderboard. It’s not going to be easy.
They were all caught up with that one issue.
Soon enough, the day of their meeting arrived.
The chieftain of Maya Industries arrived in North Hampton with a whole team of elites escorting him.
Their battleship anchored on international waters to wait for them.
They actually sent out all the elites they could as they were wary of Erudia.
As for the Sacred Organization, Levi was the only one that appeared.
On the night before, Death Fiend and the lot had rushed over to North Hampton.
“What are you guys doing here?” Levi asked.
“We forgot to tell you something. The late Dark Emperor actually dared not step foot into Erudia back then, especially before he fused the Skyward Sword and Terra Blade. He told us he was afraid of someone.”
“We’re worried that you might attract that person’s attention since you’re using Dark Emperor’s identity to appear in Erudia,” Death Fiend and the others said.
“Even though we know how strong you are, it’s still better to be safe than sorry.”
Levi smiled. “Sure. I understand. It’s alright. It’s good that I actually get to see who that person is. Maybe he can help me unravel more secrets.”
“Alright then. Just be careful, okay?” the others said.
“I just wanted to see who the chieftain of Maya Industries was.”
That was the only reason why Levi accept the meeting invitation.
He figured that if the chieftain was one of the members of the Lab of Gods, his theory could be justified.
That the Lab of Gods still existed.
“Levi!”
Suddenly, Zoey called for him and walked straight into Levi’s manor.
“Huh? Why are you guys here?”
CHAPTER 2360
Chapter 2360 Looking For Me
Zoey saw Death Fiend and the others and felt puzzled.
After all, she was not notified of the visit.
“Huh? Master? Why are you here too?”
Zoey saw a figure wearing a mask.
Levi knew he had no time to hide, so he instinctively put on the mask.
“Oh, you came early! I thought you were arriving tomorrow!” Zoey was delighted.
“I have things to discuss with them, so you should leave for now.”
After Zoey left, Levi told Death Fiend and the others to be on the lookout before asking them to leave quickly.
After a while, Zoey came back.
“Huh? Where did they go?” She was confused.
“Who are you talking about?” Levi paused for a moment.
“Master was having a meeting here just now,” Zoey said bluntly.
“Why didn’t I see them then?” Levi asked deliberately.
“With Master’s capabilities, you definitely won’t see him if he didn’t want you to!” Zoey spoke pridefully.
“Would you believe me if I told you that Master’s still here? We merely can’t see him, that’s all,” Zoey added.
“I believe you!”
There was no way Levi would not believe her as he was literally sitting there.
“Sigh. It’d be great if Master stayed with us, right? That way, no one would dare mess with us,” Zoey lamented.
“It’s fine. I’m here. It’s the same thing. No one’s going to mess with our family.”
Levi smiled.
“You… I look forward to that day. I hope it comes sooner.”
While the two were taking a walk in the yard, they suddenly heard a commotion outside and went over to take a look.
There were a lot of people outside the manor, many of which, Levi and Zoey recognized.
People like Minka, and Asura, accompanied by his subordinates Zar, Bolgun, and Talon.
There were many more familiar faces.
They’re now known as the Erudian Alliance, right? One of the ten great factions in Erudia where elite fighters gathered to go up against some ancient clans.
The Erudian Alliance can even be known as the leader of the ten great factions in Erudia.
There was no single leader in the alliance. Instead, there were six people in charge.
Minka and Asura were two of them.
“What are you guys doing here?” Zoey asked on the spot, looking at them cautiously.
“If I’m not wrong, they should be here for me,” Levi said with a grin on his face.
He already guessed what they were there for.
Aside from the Erudian Alliance, many more factions were lining up behind them, and they all seemed to have the same goal in mind.
“Sorry, but you’re wrong this time. We’re not looking for you. I could go so far as to say this is none of your concern,” Asura said pridefully.
Minka and Asura were all elites in the top half of the Divine Leaderboard, even stronger than Kirin.
Hence, they were a conceited bunch.
They only greeted Levi to show some respect.
“God of War. Let’s call you that for now. Your era is gone! This isn’t the same as before where everyone would want to meet you!”
“Back then, you were someone our boss strove to be. But now, not even we are interested in you, let alone anyone else.
“Based on our strength, you don’t even have the right to talk to us!”
Zar, Bolgun, and Talon were relentless since they were on the Divine Leaderboard as well.
Though their ranks were rather low, it was still the Divine Leaderboard.
“I’ve heard about your situation,” Minka said with mixed feelings as she looked at Levi. “You should work hard and take advantage of the opportunities in this new era. Ranked seven thousandths on the Provisional Leaderboard is far too low, even for your standards. If you need any help, just say the word. I’ll give you any technique book you need.”
Asura nodded and chimed in, “Me too!”
CHAPTER 2361
Chapter 2361 Sharp Words
“You should have always been a force to be reckoned with, no matter the era. Not like how you are now. Your rank is a joke! Even I feel ashamed of you,” Asura said in resignation.
“That’s true! Many that didn’t know you were confused as to why our boss, ranked twenty-sixth on the Divine Leaderboard, had you as his goal! It was embarrassing to say that out loud!”
“On top of that, your disciples, friends, subordinates, and even your wife and daughter are all highly ranked fighters on the Divine Leaderboard! You can’t even match up to the people around you! Heck, we even heard that your in-laws are on the Divine Leaderboard, that your grandparents had higher ranks than you! What happened to you? They’ve given you so many modern technique books. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”
“We beg of you, please get strong! Even if you’re actually shameless, we’re not! People associated with you in the past would all feel embarrassed that this is what the king of old has become!”
“Why are you even alive if you can’t even beat a weak and old grannie? What’s the point? Do you just want to live the life of trash?”
…
Zar, Bolgun, and Talon chastised Levi relentlessly.
Zoey did not stop them since she needed things like that to happen so that Levi would get motivated.
She figured only when Levi hit rock bottom could he rebound and improve.
Moreover, Zar and the lot had sharp tongues, so everything they said stung.
It was the best form of stimulation as they did not need to care about Levi’s feelings when they talked.
Those were the biggest blows on Levi’s pride and were greatly beneficial to him, so she thought.
Zoey actually thought that their words did more damage to Levi’s ego than the hopeless situation in the indigenous forest.
“We said what we had to say, but we really do hope you can get out of the rut you’re in and reach the top again! I look forward to the day you surpass all of us! We’ll be here if you need help.” Asura said.
Minka nodded. “Come look for us whenever you require assistance. That said, we actually have something else on…”
Right then, Levi paid no attention to them and walked right into the manor.
“What happened? I’ll see if I can help,” Zoey asked.
“We caught wind that your master, the Dark Emperor, is here. We would like to meet him,” Minka said.
A lot of the forces in Erudia were under Sacred Organization’s control.
The Erudian Alliance in particular was Dark Emperor’s own creation.
Asura and Minka got strong because of the support Dark Emperor and the Sacred Organization provided.
And it was the same for everyone else.
So, besides Erudian Alliance, a lot of other major factions were there to see Dark Emperor as well.
After all, Dark Emperor and Sacred Organization gave them everything.
It was only natural for them to visit him now that he was in Erudia.
“Sure. I’ll go ask if she wants to meet you all!”
So, when Zoey got back in, she shouted at the manor, “Master! There are a bunch of people here to see you! Are you okay with meeting them?”
“Okay!”
Zoey was surprised that she got a reply from Levi’s manor.
Master is still there! I was right!
As to where Levi went, Zoey was not the least bit interested.
She figured Dark Emperor might have put him to sleep after hearing her master’s response.
So, Zoey hurried outside and told Asura about Dark Emperor’s willingness to meet them.
Everyone outside was thrilled to hear that and followed Zoey into the manor.
Inside the manor, Levi sat there with a mask on.
No one doubted who he was.
“Greetings, Dark Emperor!”
Asura, Minka as well as everyone else got on their knees.
Dark Emperor was like a master to them, so it was only natural for them to do that.
Meanwhile, the people at the back of the crowd were going crazy with excitement.
CHAPTER 2362
Chapter 2362 A Man Now
They sprawled their bodies on the floor with a maddening gaze as though they were devoted clergymen.
Their eyes teared up at the sight of the Dark Emperor as though they were meeting their god for the first time.
Truth be told, Dark Emperor was actually god to them.
He gave all of them those technique books and made them strong.
He controlled one-third of the major factions in the entire world.
And he was the invincible first-ranked fighter on the Divine Leaderboard.
If he’s not god, what is?
Dark Emperor was undoubtedly everyone’s idol.
Especially so for someone like Asura, who admired strong fighters, and had lost his usual calm and collected demeanor in front of Dark Emperor.
His eyes were burning with maddening excitement.
“My biggest wish in this lifetime is to be able to follow you!”
…
Everyone spoke their mind after seeing Dark Emperor.
Levi felt annoyed. “I did say you were all here for me, didn’t I?”
“Huh?”
Everyone was stunned for a moment when they heard that.
What does Dark Emperor mean by that?
Oh right! Maybe he already knew we were coming.
What foresight!
He has everything in the palm of his hand!
He’s a god!
“What an honor it is to be part of the Sacred Organization!”
“I agree. Even a faction like Maya Industries can do nothing but negotiate!”
…
Everyone there was thrilled and at a loss for words.
Looking at all the Erudian factions in front of him, Levi suddenly realized why the Sacred Organization was rapidly taking them in.
It was in preparation for the day the Dark Emperor finally stepped foot inside Erudia.
All the people being there part of a plan.
Why did Dark Emperor have to set up such a convoluted plan? What is she afraid of? What does Erudia have that’s making her wary? Well, it’s fine, I guess since my curiosity is now piqued.
Truth be told, Asura and the crowd were only there to pay their respects to Dark Emperor and flatter him. Besides that, they had nothing to do.
So, Levi got fed up of listening to them.
“If you have nothing else, please leave. I need to rest soon.”
Levi gestured for them to leave.
As soon as he said that, everyone immediately left the room but remained outside.
“What do you think Dark Emperor looks like under that mask? A young handsome man? Or is he middle-aged? Could it be that he’s an old man?”
“I think he’s a young man. At least that’s the vibe he’s giving me.”
…
Everyone was discussing how Dark Emperor actually looked like underneath the mask.
They all thought he was male and so their way of thinking all worked towards that direction.
Meanwhile, Zoey laughed with her hands over her mouth on the side.
After all, she was the only person that had seen what was under that mask and knew that Dark Emperor was a woman.
I doubt any of them would have guessed that.
Right then, Minka spoke with a determined tone, “I think Dark Emperor is a woman! From all the things she did in the past, it’s too tedious for Dark Emperor to be a man! She’s definitely a woman!”
“Huh?”
Everyone there gave Minka a weird look as soon as she said that.
“There’s no way Dark Emperor is a woman! Everyone in the entire world knows Dark Emperor is male! Ask everyone else! They’ll tell you the same thing!”
Minka immediately got refuted.
The entire world had thought that Dark Emperor was a man.
“That’s not true. I’ve made some observations just now. Based on his past behavior, there’s a very high chance for Dark Emperor to be female!”
Minka’s really observant.
Zoey nodded her head in approval.
“Let’s make a bet then. I say male!”
“Female! I think Dark Emperor’s a woman!”
…
Soon enough everyone got into a massive argument.
“Alright!” Zoey exclaimed. “I’ll tell you guys! Dark Emperor is a woman!”
The crowd immediately went silent when she said that.
“Wrong! He’s a man!” A voice broke the silence.
“Technically speaking, Dark Emperor was a woman, but now a man!”
CHAPTER 2363
Chapter 2363 Lab Of Gods Is Gone For Good
Everyone immediately looked toward the direction of the voice, even Zoey,
Levi was amused.
I’m the damned Dark Emperor! Do you people know me better than I do? Do I not know whether I’m a man or woman?
Levi came out of the room.
At that instant, Everyone’s expression changed drastically as the room Levi walked out of was the room Dark Emperor was in.
Seeing that everyone was about to misunderstand, Zoey stepped forward and explained, “Yes, Master’s staying here for now. But we don’t actually know where, as it’s nigh impossible for us to find her. And don’t listen to him! I’ve seen Master’s face before! So you can all stop guessing and arguing! Most importantly, do not tell anyone that Master is a woman!”
Zoey ended with a warning.
“Yes, Ma’am!” Everyone nodded.
Soon enough, on the day of the negotiation.
Maya Industries’ representatives arrived in North Hampton.
At a gazebo in the middle of a lake.
Levi waited patiently with his mask on, excited to see who it was going to be.
Not long after, people started arriving at the gazebo.
Truth be told, the chieftain of Maya Industries was not just one person.
It was group that consisted of seven to eight people.
Behind them were around twenty more men, presumably high-rank officials.
And behind all those people were a massive group of elites with several thousands of fighters lurking in the shadows.
It looks like they’re pretty scared. That’s a lot of security they’ve brought with them. Are they afraid of me? Or are they afraid of Erudia?
The chieftains proceeded to sit in front of Levi and greeted him.
“Huh?”
Levi was stumped after seeing their faces.
Was I wrong? Is Maya industries actually unrelated to Lab of Gods? I don’t know any of these people. I’ve never even seen them before. Are they really just a new faction that popped up out of nowhere? No. Something’s not right. It’s impossible for them to be unrelated.
“Thank you, Dark Emperor, for accepting the invitation.”
The people from Maya Industries started the negotiation.
To make it short, they wanted Dark Emperor and Sacred Organization to not intervene with their business, and they were willing to fulfill any conditions to make that happen.
They even offered to form an alliance with Sacred Organization.
“You need to know, Dark Emperor, that once we become allies, no one in the world can stop us. Not even Erudia! We would be unstoppable!”
Levi smiled.
“Forming an alliance is not a problem, but you’ll need to tell me everything about yourself as a form of sincerity. Even though Sacred Organization controls one-third of the world’s forces, they’re still just a bunch of rabbles. I can tell you everything if you want,” Levi said with a smile.
“We do have some information on you, Dark Emperor. You slew a founder of the Lab of Gods back then. And now, it seems like you’ve grown into an unstoppable force! We reckon you picked Erudia because you’re trying to taunt someone, aren’t you? After all, you dared not step foot in Erudia back then,” said one of the high-rank officials from Maya Industries.
Levi was stunned.
These people know the late Dark Emperor better than I do.
“That’s right. We now understand why Lab of Gods was destroyed. It wasn’t because it was weak. It’s because Dark Emperor, you, were too strong.”
“Agreed. Back then, we thought that the Lab of Gods fell for some of your devious tricks and made it easy for you and Sacred Organization to wipe them out. But we finally understand your strength now, especially after seeing how you massacre the mutated zombies.”
…
While listening to the high-rank officials talking among themselves, Levi’s thoughts started getting hectic.
What? Is Lab of Gods really gone? Did Dark Emperor really tell me the truth? Did she really wipe them out with Zoey and the others?
He had thought that Dark Emperor had abused and lied to Zoey.
That’s for real?
Levi could not help but wonder, albeit knowing that it was impossible. Even with the combined power of Dark Emperor and Sacred Organization, he knew that it was no match for Lab of Gods.
Moreover, Lab of Gods was more than it met the public’s eyes.
Even if Lab of Gods was truly eradicated, Levi assumed that it was part of their grand scheme of things.
The aim was simple and straightforward—to let Dark Emperor and the others think that Lab of Gods was truly gone for good.
Maya Industries had the same assumption as Levi in the beginning, that Dark Emperor was not strong enough, and that Lab of Gods had deliberately disappeared from the public’s eyes.
However, after witnessing how strong Levi was, they were all convinced that Dark Emperor was not a paper tiger.
Levi shook his head in resignation.
He was starting to blame himself for their confusion.
After all, the current Dark Emperor was nothing like its predecessor.
After Levi succeeded the role, Dark Emperor’s capabilities were leaps and bounds ahead of the predecessor.
It was perfectly viable for him to eradicate Lab of Gods on his own, but he could not say the same for the previous Dark Emperor.
She could not have accomplished the same, not especially when she was up against Lab of Gods.
Hence, Levi did not find their assumption groundless.
Lab of Gods was doing it on purpose.
With that being said, however, Levi did not feel right to divulge the truth.
He could only go along with Maya Industries and said, “Yes, I single-handedly destroyed Lab of Gods. I know that a lot of people do not believe it. But this is all very old news. I don’t suppose a lot of people know about this. Did I hear you guys mention that you had a hand in destroying Lab of Gods too?”
Levi wanted to sound the group out.
They burst out laughing after listening to Levi.
“Well, let us put it this way. You gave the final hand in eradicating Lab of Gods, but it would have been impossible without our help along the way!”
“Hmm? What did you guys do? I’ve done my due diligence on Maya Industries but couldn’t yield any concrete information on you guys. Are you guys related to Lab of Gods in any way?” Levi asked out of the blue.
They exchanged glances among themselves and let out a chuckle.
“Yes, you could say so. We’re actually from Lab of Gods…”
Levi clutched his fist tight in response as his eyes glinted with a murderous aura, sending chills down everyone’s spine.
They felt an inexplicable sense of pressure bearing down on them. It was as if their bodies were about to explode.
Is this how God’s wrath feels like?
Everyone present was stumped as they widened their eyes in disbelief at Levi.
No wonder Dark Emperor ranks first on the Divine Leaderboard and is able to kill mutated zombies. He is very strong!
“Dark Emperor, please don’t misunderstand. We… we were from Lab of Gods. But we were all banished from Lab of Gods for breaching its regulation and were labeled as traitors. Some of us were banished to the wilderness while some of us suffered in jail…”
“Yes, we turned our backs on Lab of Gods! We did serve Lab of Gods once but were not appreciated in any way. That was why all of us came together to take Lab of Gods down!
“We understand the core operations of Lab of Gods inside out. So, it did not take us long to come up with the plan as well as to execute it.
“We started to fragment Lab of Gods from within and used your forces combined with others to annihilate Lab of Gods. In the end, Lab of Gods was eradicated under the double whammy of internal and external pressure.
“However, all of us thought Lab of Gods was playing tricks on us in the beginning as it was destroyed too easily. We did not think that we were strong enough to destroy it.
“We were only positive that Lab of Gods was truly eradicated after witnessing your prowess.”
CHAPTER 2365
Chapter 2365 Traitors Of Lab Of Gods
Levi was stumped after listening to them.
He finally understood the origins of Maya Industries.
So, they’re actually formed by people who have betrayed Lab of Gods.
“Actually, we did not betray Lab of Gods per se. Some of us were not appreciated by Lab of Gods even when we practically slaved our lives for them. It was sufficient to say that we were not satisfied with the way we were treated at Lab of Gods! We wanted to destroy it so that we could overtake its role.”
All of them were boiling with rage at the mention of Lab of Gods.
Levi smiled and asked, “So, Maya Industries was actually founded by founding members of Lab of Gods?”
“Yes, you’re right. Even dated technology from Lab of Gods is still cutting edge right now. The technology advancement that Maya Industries enjoys right now is actually carried over from Lab of Gods.
“The special chemical and mutated zombies that Maya Industries have right now are actually works of a super brilliant doctor from Lab of Gods.”
A name popped into Levi’s mind right away.
He knew that one such person existed.
“Is the doctor the one who founded Project Genesis?” Levi asked.
The others nodded right away. “Yes, that’s him! He’s a brilliant chap! Half of the technology we have at Maya Industries are his works!”
“I still recall that three years ago when Levi Garrison chose to die together with Lucifer, the doctor had managed to resuscitate Lucifer. I remember that Levi also woke up later afterward.”
“Yes, that’s right! The doctor did mention that he could even revive Bruce if his body hasn’t been blown to bits. He even bragged that he had a myriad of ways to do so.”
“I think the doctor had mastered the perfect fusion of modern technology and magical techniques. To be frank, he’s quite terrifying…”
Levi was stumped to learn that Lucifer was revived in a short time.
He had depleted all his strength to die together with Lucifer.
My efforts were in vain then? He was resurrected that easily? Just how strong is this doctor?
“The special chemical in use on our weapons are his invention! We have scoured the world for any remedy for the chemical but to no avail!
“Also, the mutated zombies are also the legacy of his drug research. However, he did not leave behind the technology to control it. It took us a lot of experimentation to come up with the ways to control the mutated zombies, as well as improvement to his work.
“However, looking at his blueprint for the project, we noticed that he was planning to use the mutated zombie technology on beasts. Since we could not master the technology, we were left with no choice but to use it on humans instead…
“Apart from these, a lot of innovations by Maya Industries were actually inspired by Lab of Gods as well. The new era no doubt had provided us with a myriad of opportunities, especially coupled with the discovery of a number of old civilizations. However, we truly did rely on the technology of Lab of Gods until now. This was what made us stand out among the others.
“While others focus on churning out new innovation or technology, we did things a little bit differently. Our primary focus was on the iteration of ancient wisdom. The winning factor was that we field-tested our findings from the countless iterations over the years.”
Levi chuckled after listening to them.
“So, the two rounds of tournament challenge organized by you guys aimed to enhance the attack styles of the mutated zombies, as well as to figure out the difference between the new era fighters and the fighters from Maya Industries because you guys fear that the latter was far behind the new era fighters?” Levi queried.
“Yes, that’s right. Though we took pride in our insistence on the ancient ways, it would be foolish to be ignorant of the new era fighters’ capabilities. The first tournament challenge aimed to collect data on the gap between the two parties.
“We have to admit that the prowess of the new era fighters was impressive. It was as if they had uncovered Pandora’s box, leading to the feasibility of countless opportunities, and benefitting a number of large corporations along the way!”
“I’m just curious about something. Haven’t you guys realized that the new era just dawned on us… suddenly?” Levi asked with furrowed brows.
“Yes, we’ve studied on that as well…”
CHAPTER 2366
Chapter 2366 A Shocking Discovery
“However, we couldn’t seem to pinpoint its origin. It was as though it appeared out of nowhere, and that the world had changed in just a split of a second! Ordinary men turned into fighters and men with superpowers overnight while fighters saw immense improvement. We were stumped as to when it all happened either. The world just changed all of a sudden…
“Well, if we want to pinpoint an exact time, we would have to say that it was after Levi had disappeared. The world seemed to have undergone an abrupt change after that. Only Lab of Gods and Lucifer were active for a year or so while the others just seemed to have vanished…”
There was nothing normal about the change.
The world turned upside down after Levi was gone.
Techniques which could be cultivated and perfected in a short time sprung up like mushrooms after rain.
A myriad of biotechnology and drugs seemed to have appeared out of thin air too, as well as other technology that seemed decades ahead of its time.
How was that possible? Where did it all come from?
Obviously, the only viable explanation was that someone was manipulating the situation behind the scenes.
Levi thought the same as well, thinking that there were dark forces who were playing the situation to their advantage.
He assumed that it was Lab of Gods who were behind it all and that the dawn of a new era was their doing.
“We took advantage of the dawn of a new era to destroy Lab of Gods combined with outer forces. Otherwise, it would have been really difficult for us to accomplish the deed,” lamented the high-rank officials of Maya Industries.
The dawn of a new era had provided them an opportunity of a lifetime to destroy Lab of Gods.
Levi shook his head in resignation and snickered to himself. “You guys have been fooled. The dawn of the new era was the doing of Lab of Gods.”
He would even go as far as to say that the dawn of a new era was an experiment of Lab of Gods.
Their aim was to take control of the whole world.
Kirin and Floyd had been manipulated by them as well, and Levi would even say that they were Lab of Gods’ lab rats.
To put it another way, Lab of Gods could easily take their lives whenever it pleased them.
The return of Lab of Gods would spell disaster to all of them.
Moreover, Lab of Gods would not have accommodated the betrayal of a bunch of traitors.
It was an absurd idea, to say the least.
People used to question the defeat of Lab of Gods back then.
However, nobody seemed to question the credibility of the news ever since Levi had assumed the role of Dark Emperor.
His absolute strength had wiped out all suspicions.
It had been a fruitful trip for Levi, for not only did he finally understand the origins of Maya Industries, but it had further cemented his idea that Lab of Gods was truly the mastermind behind the dawn of the new era.
So, his next move would be to curate his defense against Lab of Gods.
“Dark Emperor, to showcase that we’re sincere in this collaboration proposal, we’d like to divulge one more secret to you…” the chieftain of Maya Industries said.
“Huh? What secret?”
Levi was stumped.
There’s more to this?
“Dark Emperor, I believe you’re aware of our indigenous forest tournament challenge, right? We’re trying to gather the attack styles of different parties. More than half of the data of the tournament challenge has shown that the fighters participating in this challenge derive from the same origin, albeit differing in some really minor ways.”
Levi was visibly taken aback by the revelation. “So, are you saying that they’re practicing the same technique?”
Floyd and the others had shared their technique books with Levi, but he had not taken the time out to check them out.
“Yes, it’s something that could be cultivated in a short time. However, the technique will come biting back at the practitioner after reaching a certain level. In the end, it will lead to the ultimate destruction of the practitioner.”
Levi was thunderstruck.
“What? It will lead to the ultimate destruction of the practitioner?”
All colors drained from his face.
Does this mean that the fast track technique that Zoey and Kirin practiced will ultimately lead to their own destruction? I have to stop them!
“Great, let’s work together. I will list my conditions later.”
Levi was eager to collaborate with them.
Then, he hurriedly headed back to his place.
He went back not as Dark Emperor but as Levi.
“Zoey, gather everyone right now. I have something major to announce. Hurry!”
CHAPTER 2367
Chapter 2367 New Era
Levi grew more exasperated with each passing second.
If things truly progressed as he had imagined it to be, then he would be facing a huge problem.
It would mean that Lab of Gods had never been eradicated in the first place, and that it had been plotting against everyone in the dark as they carried out their experiment on the world.
The new era was indeed part of their grand scheme of things…
Ancient civilizations and techniques, coupled with a myriad of new technology—everything had originated from Lab of Gods.
Suddenly, everything made perfect sense to Levi.
However, the world was still oblivious to the scheme of Lab of Gods, and even was even grateful for the low-hanging fruit that they enjoyed, going crazy over the new technology and techniques that had dawned on them.
Kirin was the perfect example of such character.
Upon closer scrutiny, Levi realized that the fact had been staring down their faces all along.
Maya Industries had been the leading force of the world. However, the technology which they heavily relied on was the remnant of the technology from Lab of Gods two to three years ago.
Their special chemical stumped the world, as did the mutated zombies which could not be killed.
Their age-old technology was still leading in the golden new era.
All the talks of ancient techniques and technology being outdated were merely a distraction.
It was all part of an experiment carried out by Lab of Gods.
They were showcasing the plain fact that what they had a long time ago was still very much ahead and threatening than what the new era had brought about.
It was impossible that such an advanced institute would be wiped out.
Who would have the ability to do so anyway?
There were simply too many unanswered questions!
Levi reckoned that a number of ancient existence was awakened following the awakening of vampires.
It was all done by Lab of Gods and part of their grand scheme of things.
The high-rank officials of Maya Industries which were labeled as traitors of Lab of Gods naively thought that they had destroyed Lab of Gods.
However, they were unknowingly only a pawn in Lab of Gods’ grand scheme.
Levi even thought it was possible that Lab of Gods had predicted their every move, and utilized it in orchestrating their experiment.
With this thought in mind, Levi could not help but wonder what was truly up Lab of Gods’ sleeves.
They had released a number of advanced technology to radically change the world.
Levi recalled that they were even trying to get their hands on the Doomsday Seed Vault. Now, every piece of the puzzle seemed to have fallen in place…
“Huh? What’s the matter?”
Zoey was stumped by Levi’s sudden move.
“Hurry up and gather everyone! I will announce it once everyone is here!” Levi urged.
Soon, Zoey managed to gather everyone she could contact.
However, she could not reach Azure Dragon and Kirin who were at the Garrison Industry.
Floyd, Sword Fiend, and the others reached his place.
“Master, why did you call us here so suddenly?”
All of them reckoned that something major happened.
“Hurry up and hand over your technique books to us. The ones that you guys had given me previously were split up by them and I can’t get it back!” Levi said anxiously.
He wanted to study their techniques to validate what Maya Industries told him.
Levi was still haunted by the fact that the technique could ultimately kill its practitioner.
However, his disciples were taken aback that Levi had summoned them urgently only to ask for their technique books.
Zoey and the others heaved a sigh of relief.
“Master, did you summon us just for this?”
Kinsley stared wide-eyed at Levi.
“Yes, that’s right! Now hand it over!”
Levi rubbed his hands together anxiously, stumping everyone present.
Floyd let out a loud chuckle. “Great! That’s such a piece of great news!”
“Hmm?”
The others were stumped and soon realized what was going on.
“Yes, he’s right! It’s really great!”
Zoey and the others let out a chortle as well.
They had been ridiculing Levi for quite some time now and even set him up in the indigenous forest in hopes of getting him to realize his own shortcomings, and in turn, get used to the new era.
His other close friends also mocked him the day before.
It seemed to them that Levi finally could not take it any longer.
He’s finally realized that he can’t keep up with his stubborn ways!
They reckoned that he was trying to improve himself, and was seeking out the techniques of the new era to accomplish his aim.
It was something worth celebrating as Levi was finally looking out for himself.
CHAPTER 2368
Chapter 2368 Return Of The King
Levi had no idea that they had misunderstood his intention.
“Master, I’m really happy for you. This is my technique book! I hope that you will benefit from it.”
Floyd handed over his technique book to Levi.
“Here’s mine, Master!” said Kinsley as he handed over his technique book.
Sword Fiend, Venom Fiend, and Ghost Fiend heartily handed over theirs too.
Levi took them all.
“I’m going into solitary training. Nobody shall disturb me!” Levi ordered.
The others burst into a laugh.
“It seems like Master is really eager to catch up in the shortest time possible!”
Floyd smiled and said, “Yes, after gaining these technique books, he’s going into solitary training so soon and even told us not to disturb him. Haha!”
“My brethren, our master is going to improve by leaps and bounds once he put his heart and soul into it. We will be able to spot him on the Divine Leaderboard soon!”
“We have to work hard too, else he’s going to leave us all behind!”
Levi’s move unintendedly motivated everyone else.
They vowed to practice harder to keep their respective spots on the Divine Leaderboard.
Zoey was glad to see how things turned out.
It was the very thing that she hoped to see all along.
Levi was finally working hard.
She had anticipated this day for a very long time.
There were only over ten days before their three months battle would come.
She had reckoned that Levi would suffer a devastating defeat.
However, she knew that things would take a very different turn with his efforts right now.
It was possible to improve by leaps and bounds in ten days’ time.
However, Zoey knew that it would be near impossible for Levi to be ranked among the Divine Leaderboard.
To get into the top three thousand on the Provisional Leaderboard was perfectly feasible, though.
After all, the technique preached by the new era was primarily a technique which could be cultivated in a short time.
“I’m really looking forward to how things will turn out after ten days!” Zoey said with a smile.
She had only initially aimed to see how badly Levi would do, and how greatly he would lag behind herself after the promised three months.
However, things had taken a very different turn.
She was starting to anticipate seeing how narrow the gap between herself and Levi would be after ten days.
Even though Levi did not gather the technique books from Kirin and the others, he had managed to gather technique books from those ranked on the Divine Leaderboard and Provisional Leaderboard.
He used one whole day to thoroughly study the technique books, ruminating over all the little details.
He wanted to validate the findings of Maya Industries.
Right then, the news about the collaboration between Dark Emperor and Maya Industries spread like wildfire.
After all, the joint venture of the two parties was fearsome.
Zoey and the others could not care less about the power struggle.
Their primary focus was on Levi’s condition.
The man had been acting weirdly lately.
Kirin, Azure Dragon, and the others came over as well.
They gathered at Levi’s house, trying to make sense of what was happening.
Minka and Asura were there as well.
They were curious as to what drove Levi’s change.
After all, they had promised to provide help back then.
Their trip to Levi’s house was to ask if he needed any assistance.
At the same time, they gathered and exchanged ideas about their techniques.
Of course, they were most looking forward to seeing Levi’s change after the ten days, and eager to see if he could become a legend of the new era.
“I’m really looking forward to his improvement. After all, he was one of my strongest opponents back then. It’d be such a waste if he did not accomplish anything in this time and era,” Asura lamented.
“Exactly! This is especially true since boss is devoting his time and effort into the practice. I believe that he will become the new king after half a year!” Azure Dragon said with a smile.
“Why are there so many people out here?”
A voice rang all of a sudden.
It was Levi. He came out of the house.
After studying the technique books for one whole day, he finally found the answer.
Maya Industries’ data analysis was correct!
The myriad of new techniques had one single origin.
They had only diverged and expanded into different styles.
The myriad of techniques may have originated from Bayview and Adrune, but they undeniably shared the same origin.
Levi had also discovered that once fighters reached a certain level of mastery, Maya Industries’ claim that it would lead to the practitioner’s ultimate doom was also true.
The fast-track technique did not have a stable base.
Hence, it would not be unsurprising for it to come biting back the practitioner once they reached a certain level of mastery.
The release of the techniques was merely a part of the experiment, and the experimenter clearly had no regard for the practitioner’s lives.
However, Levi had to admit that the inventor of the technique was a formidable presence.
He was especially amazed by the fact that the single fast-track technique could evolve and diverge into hundreds and thousands of techniques.
The discovery had served to cement Levi’s notion that it was all part of Lab of Gods’ plans.
Having said that, he knew that they could not keep practicing the fast-track technique.
Of course, he knew it would be a futile attempt to advise everyone in the world against it.
However, he could control almost a third of the world through Sacred Organization, and also his disciples and people whom he regarded as his own brethren.
Levi came out of his solitary training after the pang of realization hit him.
He was initially stumped to see so many people present at his place, but was delighted at the sight of them the next second.
“Great. Now that everyone’s here, I don’t need to go look for all of you individually.”
“Huh?”
The others were bemused by his words, not knowing what was on his mind.
“Why did you come out of the solitary training so soon? Do you need any help?” Zoey asked with a surprised look on her face.
She had assumed that the solitary training would take at least ten days, even stretching up to half a month.
She certainly had not expected him to come out of the training after just one day.
“God of War, I heard that you’re starting to practice the fast-track technique. Do you need my help? I can hand over all my technique books to you!” Asura said.
“We can do the same as well!” Zar and Bolgun voiced out as well.
Azure Dragon spotted the odd look on Levi’s face and asked out of curiosity, “Boss, what’s the matter with you? You don’t look so well. Did something happen?”
“Huh? What happened?”
The others cast puzzled looks at Levi as well after noticing his odd demeanor.
He was looking haggard.
Everyone turned their attention to him.
Levi nodded. “Yes, something happened.”
“What’s the matter?”
Everyone turned nervous.
“There’s something wrong with the technique that you guys are practicing!”
Levi turned to Asura and Minka, and said, “You guys are in danger as well.”
Even though Asura and the others were part of Sacred Organization, they were practicing the new era technique as well since Dark Emperor had only provided little guidance.
Zoey was not spared from the danger too since she practiced the very same technique.
She learned a myriad of different ways. Some were taught by Dark Emperor while some she learned from the new era techniques.
After losing her power, Zoey had been practicing only the fast-track technique.
That explained her speedy recovery as well as a vast improvement.
Dark Emperor was mostly in charge of guiding Zoey for the training. However, what she practiced was still the fast-track technique.
The previous Dark Emperor had her own agenda. She only intended to make Zoey a robot.
Hence, it was not possible that she taught Zoey her trump card.
“Listen to me, from now on, give up on the fast-track techniques that you guys have embraced! Yes, every single one of you should do so!”
His words stumped everyone present as pin-drop silence ensued.
Everyone widened their eyes in disbelief at Levi.
CHAPTER 2370
Chapter 2370 Give It Up
Everybody was puzzled by his remarks, especially Asura and Minka.
Why is he suddenly asking us to give up on the fast-track technique?
Zoey and Azure Dragon, on the other hand, were not as taken aback as the two.
The man had asked them to practice his basic techniques back then.
His basic techniques were fundamentally different from the fast-track techniques that they had embraced.
However, he did not force them to renounce the fast-track techniques back then.
Since Levi’s understanding of the world was still the world of three years ago, they could understand where Levi was coming from.
They were baffled by the timing that Levi had asked them to renounce the technique.
Wasn’t he hit by a pang of realization already? And didn’t he go into solitary training for the same reason?
Why did he ask us to give up on our techniques then?
Levi looked at them and said, “Let me put it this way. I’ve wrapped my head around the technique books that you guys handed over to me, and I’ve discovered something major.”
“What?”
“First, even though the techniques that you guys practice all differ, they’re all one and the same, and share the same origin. They’re all essentially the fast-track technique. If I’ve made the right guess, you guys are practicing the same thing as them too,” Levi said as he looked over at Asura and Minka.
He was saying that everyone present was practicing the same technique.
“What? Master, are you saying that we’ve been cultivating the same technique all this while?”
Floyd’s eyes were about to pop out of its sockets.
“Huh? How is that even possible?”
Kinsley and the others could not quite believe what they were hearing either.
Levi nodded and said, “Yes, that’s right. You guys have been practicing the fast-track technique, albeit different styles of it. However, it’s one and the same technique all along when boiled down to its core.”
“That’s utter malarkey!”
“Nonsense! God of War, how can we be practicing the same technique and be totally unaware of it? It’s not like we’ve never battled each other,” Asura refuted.
Kirin voiced out right away. “Yes, that’s right. I’ve fought Asura once, and our techniques are completely different!”
“I second that. We’ve fought each other so many times. It’s really absurd to say that they’re the same technique.”
“Besides, we did not cultivate our techniques from one single source either. Kirin cultivated the technique from Westford of Erudia while I cultivated mine from deep seas of Adrune…”
Others present voiced out their concerns too.
The origin, and the core elements of their techniques were distinct from each other.
They could not accept Levi saying that their techniques were in fact one and the same, and were even starting to get offended by his claim.
Zoey glared at Levi.
What the hell happened to him during the solitary training?
“Make your case, then. Why do you seem to think that they share the same origin?” Asura questioned him.
“Um, given your level of understanding, it will be really difficult to get my points across to you.”
Levi did harbor the intention to explain it all to them, but everyone present was too weak to even be able to comprehend his words.
If they could comprehend the complexity of it all, wouldn’t they have realized the problem on their own?
Levi snorted in resignation. “You guys are too weak to comprehend it all. I can’t explain it to you guys when you guys are even unable to grasp the core element.”
He thought about using the data analytics at Maya Industries to make his case, but Levi knew that it was not that easy too.
“Right, we’re too weak to be able to figure it out, right?” Asura snickered and asked, “Didn’t you say there were two problems? What’s the next one?”
“The technique that you guys are practicing will ultimately lead to your own destruction when you reach a certain level of mastery. So, you guys have to renounce the technique right now. I am ordering all of you to give it up right now!” Levi warned sternly.
“What even…”
Needless to say, everyone gasped in shock.
They found his words groundless.
CHAPTER 2371
Chapter 2371 Upper Limit
First of all, Levi claimed that everyone was practicing the same technique.
The first point was already invalid.
They were all ranked high on the Divine Leaderboard, and yet someone who ranked over seven thousand only on the Provisional Leaderboard was telling them that he could spot the similarity?
Is he for real?
It was as if a kindergartener was trying to lecture a university professor.
Does the kindergartener think that he’s spotted something that escaped even the Ph.D.’s eyes? How dare he ridicule us for being too weak, and even say that we won’t be able to understand even if he tried explaining it to us?
Is this a joke?
Besides, they found the second point absolutely ridiculous as well.
What did he mean by all of us will be ultimately destroyed?
Over ninety percent of the population was practicing the new era technique, and they had never once heard anyone who met their demise because of it.
They thought he might have argued that the fighters just had not grasped the core techniques.
However, those ranking thirty and above on the Divine Leaderboard should have perfectly mastered the technique, right?
They could not help but wonder how Levi would make his case then.
Why aren’t we doomed then? Why are we still alive?
The points that Levi tried to make made no sense whatsoever.
It was all his biased presumption, and the rest found it hard to believe.
Even though they still respected Levi, they no doubt questioned the credibility of his claims.
Judging by the doubtful looks on their faces, Levi knew that his words of advice were futile.
He was perfectly aware that his words carried no weight, and that they would not understand him even if he tried explaining, especially on the point where the technique that they practiced would ultimately lead to their own destruction.
There was just simply no way to validate his claim.
Kirin and the others had not reached the level of mastery.
Levi then thought about something else. The top ten fighters on the Divine Leaderboard did not rely on the new era techniques whatsoever.
People like Dark Emperor, The Cardinal Hall General, and even those around the ranks with Donald.
They had not relied on the opportunities brought about by the new era, nor on the fast-track techniques to level up.
On the other hand, they worked on perfecting their old techniques.
Levi observed that those ranked eleven to twenty on the Divine Leaderboard did the same as well.
This was the perfect illustration that the fast-track technique had its limitation.
Fighters who relied on the technique would only advance up until rank twenty at best.
As for the reason Zoey could rank in the top ten by practicing the fast-track technique, Levi reckoned that it was because she was trained by none other than Dark Emperor herself back then.
To put it in another way, her achievement did not have a major correlation to the fast-track technique that she was practicing.
Then, another pang of realization hit Levi.
Does this mean that Kirin and the others have almost reached the level of mastery then?
The fast-track technique had its limitations, and they were about to hit their bottleneck.
After the indigenous forest tournament challenge, most of them had improved by leaps and bounds, especially Zoey.
However, Kirin and Azure Dragon did not improve by much.
It entailed that the upper limit of the fast-track technique was almost reached.
“Kirin, White Tiger, Floyd, you guys cannot keep practicing the technique. I’m afraid that something bad will happen soon! I’m not sure when others will reach the upper limit of the technique but you guys will reach it soon!”
Then, he turned to Asura and Minka. “Same goes to the two of you! Stop practicing it right away or you guys will suffer the repercussions!”
“This is really urgent. I can’t explain everything in detail right now, but if you guys believe what I say, please give up on the technique right now. I’m not trying to harm you guys and only trying to look out for your best interests!” Levi said sternly.
Minka sighed and said, “We know that you won’t harm us in any way. But you do not have anything to back your claims right now, and yet you ask us to give up on the technique we’ve been practicing? Don’t you think you’re a little on the nose? I’m afraid I have to ask for a more substantial claim.”
Asura let out a snicker. “Are you afraid that you might not be able to catch up to us? Is that why you’re painting such a horrifying picture to make us give up on practicing the technique?”
CHAPTER 2372
Chapter 2372 Cannot Sit Idly By
Azure Dragon said right away, “Asura, please. My boss is not someone who is so narrow-minded. He must have his reasons to say so. I choose to trust him this time. I’m going to give up practicing the fast-track technique!”
The others were taken aback when Azure Dragon said so.
Is Azure Dragon really going to give it up for good?
He chose to place trust in Levi in the end.
Though Levi was his boss, it was still a very difficult decision to make.
To give up on one’s technique was an arduous task.
When Azure Dragon stepped up to back Levi up, Phoenix and Kirin chose to do the same and was ready to denounce the technique they had been practicing once and for all.
However, Azure Dragon stopped them.
He signaled the others.
“You guys have to be honest and true to your hearts. Do not blindly follow Levi. Make your best judgment and prepare to accept the consequences.”
The others understood Azure Dragon’s intention right away.
They realized that Azure Dragon did not wholeheartedly believe in Levi as well.
In fact, all of them harbored the same thoughts.
They believed in Levi as a person, but could not seem to believe in his claims about the technique.
The reason was simple—he did not have anything substantial to back his claims.
However, seeing as their boss was almost pleading with them, Azure Dragon did not think it was appropriate to keep refuting Levi.
Hence, he stood out and sided with the man, choosing to believe in him and renounced practicing his technique.
However, he did not really wish to do so.
He only stepped up to relieve the tension hanging in the air.
Hence, he chose to sacrifice himself to save others.
He could live with renouncing practicing the technique, and even the prospect of becoming an ordinary man.
However, he did not wish to see the same for the others.
It was a brilliant move as he managed to save everyone the embarrassment.
Not only Levi’s pride was preserved, but the others were saved from being stuck in a difficult position as well.
Everyone cast admired looks at the man for his wise move.
He was indeed a true leader.
Even though he was not the strongest among the group, he undoubtedly possessed outstanding leadership.
Azure Dragon had always been entrusted to do the best for the group.
“Boss, it’s not that we don’t trust you. It’s just that you don’t have anything concrete to back up your claims. Now that Azure Dragon is on your side, we’d like to see for ourselves what are the consequences that would follow,” said Kirin and the others.
They wanted to continue practicing the fast-track technique, mostly to validate Levi’s claim that the technique’s mastery would lead to their own destruction.
Robed Slayer stepped up and said, “Mr. Garrison, you’ve mentored me in the past. I have to say that considering the fact that I’m already a veteran in comparison to others, I still find it hard to believe what you’ve just said.”
However, there were others who believed in Levi as well.
Mia and Wynona stepped forward right then.
“We choose to wholeheartedly believe in Levi. We hereby renounce practicing the technique!”
The two of them did not share the same sentiment as Azure Dragon and the rest.
They truly believed in Levi.
They had done so in the past and would continue to do so till the end of time.
Levi finally heaved a sigh of relief.
He could understand where Azure Dragon was coming from, but he was reluctant to see people whom he regarded as brothers head into the path of their own demise!
What if he could not take charge of the situation and save them later on?
It was something that he wished he would not have to witness.
He did not think he could bear to part with anyone present right then.
However, since they refused to listen to him, Levi knew he could not force them to follow his ways.
“All right then. I believe all of you are aware of the massive testing ground of Garrison Industry, right? You guys could enter the data of the various techniques you guys practice into the machine to analyze it. Then, all of you may see for yourselves if what said is true,” Levi suggested.
Since Maya Industries had already done the data analytics, Levi believed that Garrison Industry would be able to replicate the same results.
“Is that really feasible?” Azure Dragon asked.
“Yes, it’s perfectly feasible. Just gather the technique books and convert them into data points,” Levi replied.
“No way!”
CHAPTER 2373
Chapter 2373 A White Lie
A different voice rang.
Everyone present traced the origin of the voice.
It was Floyd.
“Hmm? Why not?” Levi asked.
“Boss, we have no qualms handing over our technique books to you. However, we are not comfortable with exposing our trump cards to others. Clearly, everything about our techniques will be made known to others. I have to say that I’m not confident with that, not even to Garrison Industry!” Floyd admitted.
“Yes, we’re not comfortable with handing over everything to others. There’s really no guarantee to the security of our data,” said the others as they voiced out their concerns.
After all, Garrison Industry was not only owned by a selected few like Azure Dragon.
It was only natural that they felt that the risk was too great to bear.
Azure Dragon then said, “What if we just gather a few technique books among us, and then a few more from others? That should already make up to more than a hundred techniques to be converted into data points. This will be a safer way, no?”
Levi nodded his head. “Yes, that should work. Though the sample size was smaller, it should show the same distribution.”
“Great, then we’ll go get ready. The rest of you may rest assured.”
Azure Dragon led Kirin and the others and left.
After they were out of Levi’s earshot, the rest of them questioned Azure Dragon, “Are you sure about gathering all our technique books for research purposes?”
“Do you really believe in what boss said?”
Azure Dragon merely smiled and said, “Of course not. It’s just something a relief measure. Otherwise, we’d be still at a stalemate with the others.”
“So, you sacrificed yourself to side with boss and agreed with the data analytics proposal only to appease him for the time being?”
The others were awestruck at his brilliance.
Azure Dragon continued to analyze the situation to them and said, “So, it’s set then. We’re not going for the data analytics route for sure.” He had reckoned that it would be a white elephant project anyway. If what Levi said was true, people ranking at the top of Divine Leaderboard would already have realized that something was not quite right.
They wouldn’t need Levi to point it out. After all, Azure Dragon knew that his boss’ powers were quite limited, and it would be impossible for him to have mastered all the techniques.
Otherwise, why would he rank only over three thousand on the Provisional Leaderboard?
In a worried tone, Phoenix asked, “Will boss get mad when he knew we didn’t walk our talk?”
“I’ve given up on everything now. I’m only going to concentrate on the basic technique that he’s going to teach me. I will take all the responsibility if he really blames us for not listening to him!” Azure Dragon said in a resigned manner.
“Azure Dragon, it’s been hard on you. You’ve sacrificed yourself to save all of us!”
Kirin and the others patted him on the shoulder.
“It’s all right. I know that I have the least talent among us all. So, it’s really a no-brainer that I should be the one to give up my technique. Keep on practicing guys. It’s going to be hard on you guys when you have one less person carrying the team,” Azure Dragon said with a smile.
“Yes, we will try our best to perfect our techniques. We’ll see if the boss’ claim about our technique’s self-destruction was true.”
Everyone was quite positive that Levi’s claim was groundless, and they were eager to prove him wrong.
Meanwhile, Levi was giving orders to Sacred Organization as Dark Emperor.
He instructed Sacred Organization which controlled more than a third of the world’s forces to renounce practicing their techniques.
However, there were simply too many parties involved.
It was not practical to ban the practice of the technique in one go.
Levi knew he could only go step by step in the matter, especially since he would be met with strong protests from the people.
People like Asura from the Erudian Alliance surely would be skeptical.
Besides, since he had already mentioned it to them, Levi knew that they would surely grow suspicious.
Hence, Levi had not given the instruction to Sacred Organization hastily as well.
Instead, he only asked Death Fiend to enforce the ban gradually.
He did not wish for people from Lab of Gods or others to know.
Hence, those who had received the instruction only renounced the technique quietly while they still openly claim that they were practicing.
As for the forces that formed the Erudian Alliance, Levi thought it was not yet the time to inform them.
“What are you getting at, exactly?”
After everyone had left, Zoey started to question Levi.
“Everyone is only trying to help you by handing over their technique books to you. Why are you telling them that practicing the technique will ultimately lead to their own destruction? You’re hurting their pride!”
“Just take a look at how Azure Dragon has given up on everything just so he could protect your pride? Everyone is putting themselves in your shoes. Can’t you reciprocate their goodwill?”
Zoey gave Levi the death glare.
Levi argued, “It is because I care about them that I ask them to give up on the new era technique. Otherwise, they’re all going to die!”
“You’re sputtering nonsense! You have nothing substantial to back yourself up! You’re only using your former position to force them to listen to you. In case you haven’t realized, you’re no longer as strong as you used to be! Besides, so many fighters are practicing the fast-track technique. Don’t you think they would have already realized its shortcomings, if any, by now? Have you ever studied the technique to make such critical claims?”
Levi nodded. “I have studied all the techniques for one day and night, and I’ve mapped every single one of the techniques out to its finest stages. That is why I’m saying that the myriad of techniques actually shares the same origin.”
“You? You figured all that out?” Zoey was doubtful of Levi’s claims.
Even Kirin and Floyd who ranked among the top ten of the Divine Leaderboard had not claimed that they had mapped out the techniques to its finest stage.
How can someone who ranks only approximately six to seven thousand on the Provisional Leaderboard dare to make such claims?
Doesn’t he realize just how ridiculous he sounds right now?
Zoey found his words absurd, to say the least.
“So, other than Mia and Wynona, no one else trusts me? Are you guys doubtful of my words, or are you guys questioning my credibility?” Levi asked resignedly.
“We do not believe in you for a number of reasons. First, you don’t have anything substantial to back your claims, and then you’re not even strong enough!
“If you said that it was my master, Dark Emperor who claimed that she has mastered all the techniques and even mapped them all out to its finest stages, it would be much more convincing. However, with your current position and strength, nobody will ever take you seriously,” Zoey said as a matter factly.
It was because Levi was not strong enough that his words carried no weight.
“All right then.” Levi let out a sigh.
If he were to explain everything as Dark Emperor, then there was a fair chance that everyone would give up on the technique.
However, if it was all truly part of Lab of Gods’ grand scheme, then he would alert them and lead to a lot of trouble if he were to expose his identity as Dark Emperor.
“Do you have any plans in mind? Is that why you’ve made such a claim?” Zoey asked out of curiosity.
“What plan can I possibly have?”
Levi was not feeling peachy.
“I really hope you can practice hard. There are only eight days left.”
Zoey hoped that Levi would be more grounded.
However, Levi paid no heed to her and went out to get some fresh air.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A few shadows flashed before his eyes right then.
“Levi Garrison, I’d like to see who can back you up this time!”
It was Levi’s enemy.
After the failed attempt of assassination at the indigenous forest, they tailed him all the way back to Erudia.
Actually, Levi knew that he was being tailed by a lot of people.
However, he could not care less about them.
They were mere cannon fodders to him.
However, this time a group of people showed up in front of him.
“Get lost! I’m in a bad mood right now. I’m going to kill everyone if you keep bothering me!” Levi said exasperatedly.
“We’re going to kill you!”
The group dashed forward.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Levi was infuriated and blew out punches to the group of fighters that ambushed him.
They turned into mists of blood right away.
The interruption had not affected his intention to take a stroll.
Eight days passed in the blink of an eye.
Zoey and Levi’s promised three months was up.
Everyone was shocked when they tried to check Levi’s ranking.
CHAPTER 2375
Chapter 2375 Out Of The Provisional Leaderboard
They could not seem to find Levi’s name on the Provisional Leaderboard.
They went over the ranking multiple times, and yet Levi’s name was nowhere to be seen.
The same thought popped into their minds right then—Levi had dropped out of the Provisional Leaderboard.
In this time and era, slow progress equaled to regress.
One could be easily eliminated by intense competition.
While others were skyrocketing in their abilities day in and day out, slow progress would pale in comparison.
Every single man and woman could practice the fast-track technique to achieve great strides in the new time and era.
Hence, the Divine Leaderboard and Provisional Leaderboard refreshed with each passing second.
They were not actually surprised by the fact that Levi had dropped out of the Provisional Leaderboard.
After all, the man had been stubbornly clinging onto his outdated techniques.
Azure Dragon was one prime example as well.
He had chosen to sacrifice himself to save others.
As a result, he had been practicing the techniques taught by Levi in these eight days.
He had not achieved any kind of improvement in the past eight days.
Looking at the refreshed ranking of the Divine Leaderboard, the man had even dropped to rank 578 from rank 564!
It was apparent that he had regressed so much in just eight days.
Azure Dragon sighed after seeing his own ranking on the Divine Leaderboard.
“I think in time, I’m going to drop out of the Divine Leaderboard, and even the Provisional Leaderboard over time, just like the boss!” Kirin said candidly.
He noticed that Azure Dragon’s face sank, and realized that he had made a blunder.
Azure Dragon shook his head. “It’s fine. I knew that this would happen the moment I made the choice to give it all up. You guys just need to keep advancing.”
They started to check their respective rankings. Kirin and Floyd’s rankings did not differ by much.
As a matter of fact, they had not realized that their abilities had reached their peak.
It was going to be difficult for them to advance further.
Oblivious to the fact, they had been thinking that it was all quite normal.
“Zoey Lopez, rank 34 on the Divine Leaderboard!”
Everyone gasped upon seeing her ranking.
Her improvement was quite startling, given the fact that she was stripped of her powers only three months ago.
It was astonishing that she managed to rank 34 on the Divine Leaderboard in just three months’ time!
Besides, it seemed like she was still advancing at a very fast pace.
Kirin and the others were awestruck.
They knew it would be a futile attempt to go up against her.
This is simply terrifying!
If all went well, Zoey could even return to her former glory and rank top ten on the Divine Leaderboard.
However, the Divine Leaderboard right now was not the way it used to be.
The former Divine Leaderboard was a mere concept with no concrete rankings.
“I remember boss saying that we’ve reached our upper limit and that it would be difficult for us to advance further. But, just look at how Zoey is accelerating!”
“Yes, she’s practicing the fast-track technique as well…”
However, they were oblivious to the fact that Zoey had learned her basics from Dark Emperor.
The impact of the fast-track technique was not as pronounced on her as on everyone else.
“Don’t listen to that nonsense. There’s nothing substantial to his claim!” Zoey said.
“Zoey, you’re rank 34 this time while boss has dropped out of the Provisional Leaderboard. This time, I think you can really teach him a lesson. Even I’m feeling quite embarrassed for him!”
“Yes, I think he should feel quite defeated by this. Do you think he will try to avoid us after this?”
The others burst into a laugh.
“Let’s go look for him!” Zoey said as she was all prepared to meet up with him.
“Wait a minute! Look at this, guys!”
Someone let out a surprised shriek.
CHAPTER 2376
Chapter 2376 Levi Makes It Into The Divine Leaderboard
“What? What happened, Phoenix? What’s the holdup?”
Everyone stopped and turned around to see why Phoenix told everyone to look at the leaderboard, but all she did was point at the last name on the Divine Leaderboard.
“Look, boss is right up there!”
Everyone looked at the leaderboard, and sure enough, Levi was ranked one thousand on the Divine Leaderboard.
But the news came as too much of a shock, so everyone looked closer to see if it was just another person with the same name. But after double-checking it, they confirmed that it was the same Levi they knew and respected.
But some still didn’t believe it fully, so they clicked into the person’s details to see his past. When they saw his battle history, they knew it was Levi himself. The king of the past was already starting to make his comeback.
The reason Levi managed to make it on the Divine Leaderboard was explained as well. Apparently, eight days ago, he killed six of the top one hundred and fourteen of the top three hundred fighters of the Provisional Leaderboard… alone.
To top things off, out of the six he killed, three were ranked in the top three, which meant they could even make their way up to the top echelon of the Divine Leaderboard if they lived.
Since Levi took them all out alone, it was just fair that he was ranked a thousand on the Divine Leaderboard.
But the problem was, nobody knew about this event or when it took place, not even the alleged perpetrator—Levi himself.
He was backed into a corner, so he had to attack them and kill them all. However, he never would have thought someone would see him kill the fighters. Because of that, they reevaluated his power level and reassigned his ranking.
That battle was the reason he was ranked on the Divine Leaderboard. He wouldn’t have wanted it if he could help it, but he couldn’t do anything about it now that he was seen, not even if he had one-third of all the forces in the world under his control.
Not to mention he didn’t know about the whole affair himself.
“What the heck?”
Everyone was understandably dumbfounded when they saw the ranking. After all, they didn’t know about Levi’s true power, unlike a select few.
Is this really the same boss we know? Did he power-up that much in such a short time? Unbelievable!
“If my memory serves me right, it has only been ten days, hasn’t it? The boss is only around six to seven thousand on the Provisional Leaderboard ten days ago, but now he’s already on the Divine Leaderboard? Did he make his way up to seven thousand rankings in ten days? How did he even do that?” White Tiger asked a sharp question.
That was also what everyone had in mind.
“Yeah, how on earth did he do that?”
Everyone looked at one another, but none of them could come up with an answer.
But then, Floyd happily answered, “Oh, I get it! Remember what master did ten days ago? He took all our technique books and researched them the whole day. And then he told us we shouldn’t keep on practicing them.”
Once Floyd pointed that out, everyone realized what he was getting at, and they knew the ‘real’ reason Levi managed to make it on the Divine Leaderboard.
Azure Dragon said, “So in other words, boss researched our techniques the whole day just so he can start practicing them?”
“Yes. I think we’ve underestimated the boss. I bet all of us thought he couldn’t have fully researched our techniques that quickly because of how low he ranked, but we forgot one very important thing. Boss is a top-tier genius. His talent has always been a lot better than all of us, and we can’t even begin to compare even if we wanted to.
“He can absolutely master our techniques in a single day, and the proof is in the pudding. See, he’s already ranked in the Divine Leaderboard already. He can do it no doubt.”
Everyone had their own opinions, but they generally had the same conclusion as to why Levi managed to rank on the Divine Leaderboard.
“I don’t want to be that guy, but I told you so. If the boss went all-in with the new era’s technique, he’ll make it to the top in no time. Not to say I’m a prophet, but my prediction came true. The old king is making a comeback!” Kirin was visibly excited by the outcome.
Everyone gasped in shock, surprised by Levi’s sheer amount of talent. But even though they’ve wracked their brains, never would they imagine Levi’s talent was even more than they could ever imagine.
Everyone said he took ten days to achieve it, but in reality, he took less than two days to make it to the leaderboard. After all, he only took one day to master the new era’s technique. The realization of that fact solidified Levi’s name as one of the most talented fighters known to them.
Obviously, he was even more talented than Zoey herself.
“He finally understood what we were getting at! Oh my god, I’ve been waiting for this my whole life!”
Everyone was buzzing with excitement since this was what they always wanted. They had been waiting for Levi to make his eventual comeback, and after that long wait, they finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
“But I have a question. Why’d the boss say our technique would kill us in the end?”
CHAPTER 2377
Chapter 2377 I Lost The Bet
That question was raised by Phoenix. “I’m not sure about this, but is it possible that the boss actually mastered our techniques? No, not just the regular mastering. I mean more than that. He might have seen through all the techniques to their core. He might be telling the truth.”
Everyone fell into silence, pondering about Phoenix’s question. The room was quiet for a long time, as everyone was trying to find an answer to that. But no matter how they tried, they couldn’t figure the riddle out.
Zoey said, “I think that’s just an excuse. He doesn’t want us to know he’s been practicing your techniques. He probably knows that we won’t believe him no matter what he said. I mean, who would believe that the techniques would kill us if we train them until the end? He’s saying that to let us know he dislikes our technique and that he won’t practice them.
“Eventually, we’d end up thinking he has nothing to do with our techniques.”
Zoey’s explanation was reasonable, at least in everyone’s eyes. They now assumed that Levi was lying to them so they’d think he wasn’t practicing, but in fact, that was just what he was doing all this time.
“If you don’t believe me, we can take a look at his solitary training spot.”
Zoey led everyone to Levi’s solitary training spot—the underground facility. The moment they came in, what greeted them was a table full of everyone’s technique analysis. It was filled with a mountain of papers where Levi wrote all his analysis.
Everyone’s jaw dropped when they saw that.
So he’s been researching our techniques all this time? And his insight is incredible. He has such a talent. He has fully mastered all the techniques. Even more than we do.
Levi mapped out all the techniques to their furthest ends. If it wasn’t for his body holding him back, he could have become the strongest fighter by now. His name would be among the top three in the Divine Leaderboard instead of just one thousand.
“Oh, I get it. Remember what boss told us? That all techniques actually come from the same origin? I think what he’s trying to say was that he wants to merge all our techniques to create his own stuff.
“Look here, boss analyzed all our techniques and wrote out all their possibilities. It’s obvious he wants to merge them up to create something new,” Kirin explained.
Everyone there had tried to come up with a rough idea about Levi’s training, and the most popular theory was that he would merge everyone’s technique and create his own thing. But before he could analyze the techniques, the Lopezes and Blacks took them away.
“Oh, you have a point. That’s why he wants to merge our stuff and make his own thing so quickly. That way, we won’t even have any evidence saying that he used our technique even if we find out about it. I mean, it’s already his own thing, so of course, he’s not using our technique. Well, technically speaking.”
After they ‘analyzed’ Levi’s training method and came to an answer they gleaned from nothing but pure conjecture and ignorance, everyone felt delighted.
Ignorance is bliss, I’d say.
But back to the point. Levi managed to create his own technique and make it into the Divine Leaderboard. Of course, they’d be the happiest group of people in the whole wide world. They managed to get what they wanted all this time after all.
“Hey, guys. Wanna bet? I’ll expose him later, but I bet he’ll say he’s still practicing his basic technique.” Zoey smiled.
“I ain’t betting. That’s really obvious. We all know that’s exactly what he will say.”
Everyone laughed.
“So, Azure Dragon. Are you going to keep this up and play along with boss?” someone asked.
“You don’t have to, bro! Everyone knows the truth now. You’re finally free!”
Most of them thought there was no need for Azure Dragon to sacrifice his time and future to play along with Levi, but Azure shook his head. “No, I won’t break his bubble. I want him to train in peace. I don’t mind sacrificing my time. I have you guys protecting me, right? Besides, if all it takes for boss to make his comeback is my time, I’d gladly pay the price.”
Everyone was touched by Azure Dragon willingness to sacrifice. It was a good thing he was the leader and the brains of the group instead of the brawn, so nobody paid it any mind.
When everyone came out of the underground facility, they ran into Levi, who had just come back.
Levi wasn’t surprised to see everyone gathered around his place, since it was the deadline of his bet with Zoey. They wanted to see who made the bigger progress over the last three months, and Levi would gladly ‘lose.’ After all, no adult would go full force fighting children.
“Oh, guess the deadline’s here. You got me, Zoey, I lost,” he said.
CHAPTER 2378
Chapter 2378 I Have Been Waiting
“No, Levi. Actually, you won. Congratulations,” Zoey said.
Suffice to say, Levi did not see that coming. “I won?” He stared at Zoey in disbelief. What’s going on? ”But you’re one of the top one hundred fighters on the Divine Leaderboard. I’m just around seven thousand on the Provisional Leaderboard. I couldn’t have won,” Levi asked.
“No, master. You aren’t on the Provisional Leaderboard anymore,” Floyd reminded him.
Levi smiled bitterly, “See? I can’t even make it in the Provisional Leaderboard. I have totally lost.”
“But you made it into the Divine Leaderboard, master! I mean, dead last, but you still made it, so it counts!” Floyd gushed.
Contrary to Floyd’s excitement, Levi looked horrified. I made it into the Divine Leaderboards? What are those guys doing? Those idiots!
“Boss, why didn’t you tell us you killed so many top fighters of the Provisional Leaderboard? You’re super strong now!”
Kirin and the others laughed.
It was then Levi remembered that he killed a bunch of weaklings a few days ago. He didn’t think they were all that strong, but apparently, the world didn’t share his sentiments.
I got into the Divine Leaderboard because I killed those weaklings? That’s amusing.
“Master, you started practicing our techniques, didn’t you? Is that why you made such a big improvement? I bet it feels good, huh? This new era stuff is awesome, right? Made you one of the top fighters in the world now,” Floyd asked on purpose.
Levi shook his head. “No. All I’ve been practicing is my old technique. The same basic technique I’ve been using up until now. You know that.”
Everyone expected him to say that, so they laughed the moment Levi said the same thing they thought he would.
It was just as Zoey said, Levi wouldn’t admit that he practiced the new era’s technique, and Levi said the exact same thing Zoey said he would.
“What? But that should be impossible, boss. You can’t be a fighter ranked on the Divine Leaderboard just with your old technique.”
Nobody believed what he said, of course.
Levi sneered, “If Azure Dragon keeps this up, he can kill Divine Leaderboard’s number two with a single punch.”
Everyone started teasing Azure Dragon, “Is that so? Well, keep up the good work then. We’ll be looking forward to the day you kill Divine Leaderboard’s number two.”
Levi’s answer was exactly what they expected. They guessed what he’d say, and he wouldn’t admit to the truth, just as they said. Obviously, he’d only say he was still practicing the old basic technique.
“Honestly, if I had my way, I’d stop you guys from practicing the so-called new techniques and take a page out of Azure Dragon’s book. Practice the technique I gave you,” Levi advised them seriously.
“Yes, yes, of course. We will.”
Everyone was saying they would do what he asked them to, but they didn’t mean it.
You’re practicing our stuff, but now you want us to give up on it?
Everyone was trying to hold their laughter in. They didn’t want to laugh in case it hurt Levi’s pride. However, they ‘knew’ Levi was just lying. Yeah, right, boss. We know the truth. You can’t hide it from us anymore. We know the truth. It’s right there in front of us.
Levi noticed them holding back their laughter of course, but he thought it was because they didn’t believe that his technique was that powerful. He quickly unleashed a few attacks and shook the whole place.
“Take a look at that and tell me that’s your technique.”
Levi wanted to prove that he was right, but alas, he did not know that everyone had come up with a guess that would prevent them from getting cognitive dissonance.
Everyone shook their heads. “No, it’s not.”
Of course, it’s not. You merged all our techniques and created your own thing. Obviously, you won’t leave any traces of the original techniques. There’s no way in hell we can see through that.
Levi didn’t know what they were thinking, nor did he know they had analyzed his ‘lies.’ They now thought he was already practicing the new era’s technique, and they ‘knew’ he was only lying.
Zoey sent them away, “It’s fine. Keep up the good work. And you guys as well. Keep training if you don’t want Levi to surpass you.”
Levi didn’t say too much about it. He had more pressing matters to attend to, such as the excavated ancient sites and the source of the ancient civilizations.
It was also the place where Kirin and the others had a chance encounter and found their techniques. These places were the closest he could get to a clue. If he kept looking, he might just find the clues leading to Lab of Gods’ whereabouts, and even a map that would lead him right to them.
“So I guess Erudia will be my first stop on this Scooby Doo quest then.”
Levi left North Hampton and assumed his Dark Emperor persona. His first stop was the Erudian Alliance. Levi’s plan was to work with them and venture down an ancient site.
But halfway through, someone came in his way. “I’ve been waiting for you, Dark Emperor.”
This guy was strong. Perhaps stronger than anyone Levi had seen. Simply put, he was the strongest rival Levi had ever met.
Among the fighters Levi had seen so far, none of them could be considered a worthy rival. Well, a few of them could be if he lowered his standards by a lot. The original Dark Emperor could be counted as one, and Forlevia’s masters were on his shortlist of worthy rivals as well.
They were already the top fighters in the whole wide world. Edmund and the divine generals didn’t even make the list. They were too weak for him.
Oh, and those guys at The Manifest Court. They’re powerful as well.
Levi had scanned them, but the energy waves they emitted were weak. It was little better than an ordinary human, but he knew those guys were more than meets the eye.
However, they still didn’t pose any threat to him.
The guy who showed up before him, however, were leagues about the fighters in The Manifest Court. His power was nothing to be sneezed at.
This guy was stronger than Dark Emperor and Forlevia’s masters, making him Divine Leaderboard’s bona fide number one, according to Levi. But Levi did not know this fighter who showed up before him.
He was a middle-aged gentleman in a green robe, and though Levi did not know him, the man looked familiar on closer inspection.
This guy looks similar to someone, but who is it? Hmm… Oh, right! Edmund! So this guy is the divine brigadier?
The boss of The Cardinal Hall. So we finally meet. But why did he come here? Just to see me? Wait, I’m Dark Emperor now, so is this guy the original’s nemesis? So that’s the guy who banned Dark Emperor from ever stepping into Erudia. The same guy she feared so much. The reason why she wanted to get those weapons.
The divine brigadier was powerful. Really powerful. If anyone else was in his presence, they’d quiver just by having a feel of his strength alone. Even the original Dark Emperor could only go against him with Terra Blade and Skyward Sword in hand.
This is the true top fighter of the nation. Edmund, you’re leagues under your old man.
“You should not have come,” the divine brigadier said.
But instead of saying anything, Levi replied with a single punch. He was not interested in the history between the divine brigadier and the original Dark Emperor. Now that the guy was getting in his way, all Levi had to do was clear the obstacle.
The divine brigadier was shocked, for he never expected Levi to make such a sudden attack. However, he quickly defended himself with his arms, and the air swirled around him, forming a visible shield to block Levi’s attack.
Crack!
However, the shield didn’t last long. The divine brigadier heard the sound of something cracking, then the shield broke into little pieces, and the punch broke through.
The divine brigadier was sent toppling backward, leaving deep footprints with every step he took, and it cracked the ground.
The divine brigadier could not believe what he had just seen.
Is this even the same Dark Emperor I know? One punch… One punch and I was sent toppling back. Impossible. How is this possible?
If it was in the past, Dark Emperor was a lot weaker than the divine brigadier. Thanks to that, Dark Emperor never had the courage to step into Erudia until today. Because of that, she committed all those crimes just so she could make her return without having to fear for her life.
Everything she did, she did to counter the divine brigadier. The divine brigadier thought she stood no chance unless she had Terra Blade and Skyward Sword in her possession, but now he couldn’t believe Dark Emperor defeated him with a single punch.
This is not possible! Wait, is that why there are more stories about Dark Emperor’s battles now?
Everyone was making Dark Emperor out to be some insanely powerful combat machine. The divine brigadier didn’t think too much about it, but after getting that punch, he had to believe it whether he liked it or not.
For some reason, Dark Emperor managed to power up to an insane level. One that even he had to face with caution.
“Very well then. I see you have improved a lot. Then, I shall face you with everything I have. Do not hold back, or you will die.”
The divine brigadier found his bearing and unleashed his true power. A moment ago, he was only human, but now he was like a sun that was shining down at Levi.
The air around him felt like the hottest blazes on earth, threatening to burn everyone and everything in its way. The divine brigadier looked like he had the power of the stars in his hands, and that alone was already terrifying enough.
The Solaris Energy emitted by the divine brigadier alone felt far more powerful than Skyward Sword’s. In other words, this man alone was more powerful than the top divine tool.
But even after the divine brigadier showed his power, Levi didn’t seem to feel the least bit frightened. Once again, he hurled a punch at the divine brigadier.
When their attacks clashed, everything around them was broken and reduced into atoms. The earth itself cracked, and the skies rumbled. The waves from that clash almost ripped the ozone layer in half, revealing the planet to the void.a
CHAPTER 2380
Chapter 2380 The Divine Brigadier Surrenders
A trail of blood painted the air, and the divine brigadier was sent toppling backward again, but this time, he had to stagger further backward before he found his bearing again.
He wiped the blood that was trickling down the corner of his lips, and he was filled with disbelief. His internal organs felt as if they were torn to shreds, and his whole body throbbed with pain. But more than that, he could feel his body getting torn to pieces.
It was just a single punch, but it was enough to severely injure him. At that very moment, he thought he wasn’t facing Dark Emperor, but death itself.
The divine brigadier had never tasted defeat in his long career. He was the leader of The Cardinal Hall, after all. Leadership skill was a must, and so was unimaginable power.
Back in his prime, he killed countless enemies alone. Even Forlevia’s masters were no match for him. But eventually, he stepped down and allowed The Cardinal Hall to grow under his underlings’ supervision, while he went into solitary training for many years.
Thanks to that, the already insanely powerful divine brigadier became even more powerful than ever, but still, he lost to Dark Emperor, an enemy he used to beat easily. Back then, he chased her away, and she never had the courage to come back just because of a single warning from him.
What the hell happened to her? How did she manage to grow this powerful? And from the looks of it, she held back. If she attacks me again, I’ll be dead. She only let me go for old times’ sake.
But unbeknownst to him, the Dark Emperor he was facing wasn’t the same enemy he used to fight. Instead, the one behind that mask was none other than… Levi himself.
“Hm?” Levi sounded surprised. It was a miracle that the divine brigadier only got off with an injury after receiving that punch head-on. Levi thought the divine brigadier would end up dead though.
Yes, that punch wasn’t too serious, but fighters such as the likes of Dark Emperor and Forlevia’s masters would die without any question. However, the divine brigadier managed to survive that.
Yes, he was severely injured, but getting out of it alive was already a much better outcome than he thought it would be. This was the first time someone took Levi’s punch and lived.
Oh, so I can punch him again? Nice one. God, after so long, finally I get one guy who can take my hits.
That punch was a far cry from Levi’s true power. If he punched the divine brigadier with his full force like he did back in the Prison of Darkness, the divine brigadier would have died in the spot.
Just before Levi could hurl another punch, the divine brigadier spewed blood and surrendered, “I surrender! I’m no match for you. Stop! If you keep that up, I’ll die!”
The divine brigadier of The Cardinal Hall actually surrendered to his enemy. If The Cardinal Hall and Eragon found out about this, their jaws would probably drop.
The divine brigadier would never surrender no matter what, or at least that was what everyone thought. The thought of him surrendering never even crossed their minds.
They have imagined him losing before since he was human after all. There was no way the divine brigadier would be invincible forever. However, surrendering was another story altogether.
If they knew about the divine brigadier surrendering to Dark Emperor, they’d probably have their minds blown away. But they didn’t know the real reason he surrendered to Levi.
The divine brigadier surrendered because he felt powerless against Levi. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t see any chances of winning. The gap of power between them was more than he could imagine. It was like a yawning abyss, one that he could never hope to cross.
There was no choice but to surrender. He didn’t want to do that either, but it wasn’t as if he had another choice. He was no match for Levi. If he stubbornly kept fighting, Levi would kill him for sure.
The divine brigadier had surrendered, but Levi didn’t say anything to him. He just went past the divine brigadier and kept heading toward his next destination.
“I…”
The divine brigadier didn’t know what to feel, but one thing was for sure, and it was that Dark Emperor could come and go as she pleased from then on.
“Something feels different about her.” The divine brigadier couldn’t sense that familiar aura his old enemy radiated, but he chalked it up to her drastic change. “Is it because she got stronger?”
The divine brigadier had a lot of questions, but more than that, he felt crestfallen and defeated. It was his first fight after his decades of solitary training, but he lost horribly. On top of that, he even surrendered to his enemy.
Eventually, he went back to The Cardinal Hall, while Levi went to the Erudian Alliance.
He gathered Asura and the others and asked them to search for some ancient sites, much to their curiosity. They wanted to know the reason behind the search, but they’d never question Dark Emperor’s orders. All they had to do was execute the given order, and that was it.
After a while of searching, they found an ancient site buried under a snowy mountain in the North. “Your Highness, we found something! Please take a look!”
Oh, so there is something out there.
CHAPTER 2381
Chapter 2381 The Sites Are Man Made
“These ancient sites are found by Garrison Industry. White Tiger and Robed Slayer ran into their chance encounters in this place, and they came back with the techniques that made them famous.”
Asura was introducing the ancient site to Levi, but then someone said they found something, so Levi had to stop Asura.
“Wait for me right here. I’ll go inside.”
Levi asked them to stay outside, since he didn’t want them to know too much about what was happening.
After he went in, he found something important. Something that might shake the nation.
This trace… This is man-made. Modern man-made sites.
Anyone could notice that something was off if they took the time to take a closer look. It was obvious that this site was man-made. Someone took the trouble to create a whole site and installed it with a ton of treasure, drugs, and techniques. Problem was, it looked modern, so the site wasn’t even ancient to begin with.
After Garrison Industry found the site, everyone was overexcited at the thought of getting their hands on unimaginable treasure and technique, they forgot to have a closer inspection on the site.
Because of that, they didn’t notice the problem with it. On top of that, there were ancient sites popping up over the world back then, so it was normal that nobody would suspect a thing.
But the most important thing was that the world was at war back then. Countless people died every day when the war went on. Everyone was desperate to get stronger, and the ancient sites showed up at that convenient moment.
Everyone grew stronger at a blistering pace after getting their hands on the treasure and techniques within the sites. Since then, all they cared about was the things in the sites that could power them up. Nobody cared if the site was genuinely ancient.
Everyone was blinded by the shiny things before them, they didn’t realize that most of the ancient sites were made in modern times.
Levi had already theorized that Lab of Gods was behind the creation of this new era, and now he had concrete evidence to back up his claim. He had evidence that the sites were created and controlled by modern humans.
He took a deep breath. It was fortunate that he noticed this problem when Maya Industries analyzed the problems that existed within the new era’s technique, or he wouldn’t have noticed something was off.
The public might not believe it if he released the news now, but if they found out by themselves that all the sites were fake, the whole world would be shaken. A new crisis might even befall mankind just because of the news.
But most importantly, the mastermind would be alarmed by the news, since they’d know that their plans had been found out. No matter who the mastermind was, Levi did not want that to happen.
I’ll have to keep this piece of information a secret for now. Nobody must find out about this.
He told everyone on the site, “From now on, nobody is allowed to tell anyone about the secrets of this site. This is punishable by death.”
After he came out of the site, Asura and the others asked, “Did you find anything, Your Highness?”
Levi shot them a glare, “Don’t ask anything that you aren’t supposed to.”
Everyone was shaken up by that glare. Levi knew they wouldn’t say a word to anyone now that he managed to scare them into submission.
After leaving that place, Levi went to a few other sites and observed them closely to see if his guess was correct. In the end, the results proved that his theory was right. The sites were man-made.
He gasped again and sent Death Fiend and the others to search all the sites around the world. What he wanted was the most detailed data they could give him.
Levi was confident that he’d reveal the big secret behind the sites if he kept investigating.
Sh*t. Now that I know the sites are manmade, that means they must stop practicing the techniques, or they will really end up dead.
But they wouldn’t listen to him no matter what he said. He wanted to talk about this using his Dark Emperor persona, but that wouldn’t be appropriate as it might cause a lot of trouble.
What should I do? Levi was in a dilemma.
At the same time, after he went back, the divine brigadier took a special medicine to heal himself. Even though he was severely injured by that punch, the medicine patched him up quickly enough that nobody realized he was injured.
On top of that, if nobody knew better, they’d think he felt more powerful than even before he was injured. It was obvious he didn’t want to show up at The Cardinal Hall injured. He had left the place for decades, so coming back injured would look bad for him.
A short while later, the divine brigadier came to The Cardinal Hall’s gates.
CHAPTER 2382
Chapter 2382 The Invincible Divine Brigadier
But before he could get in, the guards stopped him. “Hold it. Who goes there?”
“I am…”
Just before the divine brigadier could answer, someone ran up to him and bellowed, “Sir! It’s good to see you!”
And then the man bowed before the divine brigadier fervently.
“The divine brigadier? Is that true? He’s back? He’s really back?”
“The divine brigadier is back!”
“He’s back!”
Roars of welcome swept through The Cardinal Hall, and everyone heard it loud and clear. When they knew the divine brigadier had come back, everyone erupted into cheers.
Even the fighters in solitary training came out to welcome him.
Most of the time, only four of the twelve divine generals were on duty, but since the divine brigadier had returned, all twelve came out to see him.
The whole reason they went into solitary training in the first place was to await the divine brigadier’s return.
Even the ancient fighters showed up, and on top of that, a lot of the fighters of Eragon came to The Cardinal Hall as well.
This was the biggest event of The Cardinal Hall for a long time to come. Back then, a lot of people objected when the divine brigadier said he’d leave for solitary training. But that would take a long time, and he was The Cardinal Hall’s leader.
It’d be akin to a king leaving his empire for years. That was impermissible, and it was the same for The Cardinal Hall. The leader had to be around to keep the place safe, but the divine brigadier insisted on leaving. He wanted to get stronger and reach new heights.
That was why he left everything behind and went into training. More power. But before his departure, he left a message. “When I return, I shall be the strongest man on earth.”
Now that he finally made his return, everyone thought he was already invincible. Why else did he come back then?
“Greetings, sir!”
“Long live the divine brigadier!”
Everyone knelt before him and cheered, celebrating his return. The divine brigadier was their leader and the strongest fighter among them. With him at the helm again, nothing could stop The Cardinal Hall.
“We have long awaited this, divine brigadier.”
The divine generals were shedding tears of joy. When he left back then, they knew he might never come back, for it was almost an impossible task to become the strongest fighter on earth.
He could spend his whole life chasing the top and still end up with a few fighters rivaling him in strength. No matter the era, nobody had the right to call themselves invincible. Not when there might be a lot of fighters out there rivaling them in strength.
There was always someone more powerful out there. It was an insurmountable task.
Everyone was already prepared for the divine brigadier to never return. That was why they raised Edmund up. They wanted him to take his father’s place and become The Cardinal Hall’s new leader.
The Cardinal Hall spent a lot of resources raising Edmund up. Even the divine brigadier left a lot of things for him before he left, just so his son could get stronger.
The place where Edmund went into solitary training was where Skyward Sword was sealed. Yes, the divine brigadier did that on purpose. He wanted to make Edmund stronger using the sword’s Solaris Energy.
They made all those preparations because they realize the divine brigadier might never return. It had never occurred to them that the divine brigadier would make his eventual, majestic return one day.
Everyone had been waiting fervently, even though the chances were slim. However, now that the divine brigadier had returned, they knew he was already the strongest man on earth.
Well, he was not exactly the strongest. But at least he was the strongest among all the fighters he knew, including those who were in hiding.
Because he knew he was already the strongest among them, the divine brigadier made his return. That was his vow, and it was time to fulfill it.
“Father!”
Edmund came to kneel before his father, and tears of joy streamed down his cheeks. Then, he hugged his father tight.
“I have awaited you for a long time now!” Edmund cried like a child.
“Father!”
A young lady showed up, and she was in tears as well. This lady was none other than the divine brigadier’s youngest daughter.
“Welcome back, divine brigadier, sir!”
“Congratulations on your return! May your reign live long!”
Everyone in The Cardinal Hall sent their heartiest congratulations to the divine brigadier.
Excitedly, Edmund asked, “Father, now that you’re back, does that mean you’re the strongest man on earth?”
The divine brigadier almost slipped and fall.
I just got beaten, you brat.
CHAPTER 2383
Chapter 2383 Bad Son
But then even his daughter added, “Yeah, Father. You said you wouldn’t come back until you become the strongest man on earth! And you never go back on your promises. Look at that. My father, the strongest person on earth.”
She looked proud of her father, and Edmund was the same as well. Or even more so than his sister. After all, he had dreamed of the day where his father became the strongest man on earth. And now his dream had finally come true. His father had become the strongest.
He could imagine himself doing whatever he wanted without any fear or fervor. Edmund had to look out for a lot of people before this, worried that they might attack him once they had the advantage. But now that his father was back, he didn’t have to fear anyone anymore.
Ahem! Ahem!
The divine brigadier kept coughing as his son kept blabbering on. He started trembling, and eventually, he started to shake.
Every time they said he was the strongest man on earth, he’d have to cough. In the end, he couldn’t stop coughing. His face was red, and his tears kept streaming down his cheeks.
“What’s wrong, Father?”
“What’s wrong, divine brigadier, sir?”
Everyone quickly gathered around and asked him what was happening.
“I… Ahem… I’m fine…” He kept coughing despite saying that. Nobody had ever imagined seeing an invincible warrior like the divine brigadier coughing so violently, but now they were seeing that for themselves.
He’s not gonna die from the coughs, right?
If anyone found out about this, they’d probably laugh their socks off at how ridiculous that was.
Invincible? Yeah, I thought so too before I came back.
If he compared his current strength against all the fighters in the new era, his power would be unmatched.
After all, he managed to defeat Dark Emperor easily, and she was number one on the Divine Leaderboard. In theory, he was the strongest fighter in the world.
The Divine Leaderboard was the absolute authority in the world of fighters. Dark Emperor managed to beat everyone easily, so she was undefeatable, theoretically speaking.
But even so, Dark Emperor lost out to him for many years, so by extension, he was the strongest fighter on earth, not her.
The divine brigadier knew all the fighters in Erudia, including the ones in the shadows, Eragon, and The Cardinal Hall.
But he was still the strongest even when he was compared to them, so he decided to come back to The Cardinal Hall.
Since he heard that Dark Emperor had made her appearance in Erudia, he went to look for her. To his surprise, he actually managed to come face to face with her, but she defeated him with a single punch.
He was no match for her. She was far more powerful than him in terms of strength and speed, and he couldn’t even find any openings to defeat her.
In the end, he admitted defeat, and that was the most humiliating day in his life.
He had been a prodigy since he was a child, and everyone had high hopes on him. All his life, he only wanted to be the strongest fighter around, to stand on the top of this world.
But he lost. Horribly. He was powerless against his old enemy, and he couldn’t even begin to describe how disappointed he was in himself.
Strongest? What a joke! I almost got myself killed the moment I came back! I would still be severely injured if not for my medicine.
“Alright, enough. I’m fine,” the divine brigadier quickly told them after he snapped out of it.
“Good to know! I’ll tell everyone about your return! And they’ll all know you’re now undefeatable. Let’s see how they like that!” Edmund immediately declared.
It was The Cardinal Hall’s biggest news over the last few decades, and the biggest news of Erudia. Of course, he’d spread it as far and wide as possible.
But the moment he heard that, the divine brigadier coughed and staggered backward again, this time almost falling down.
Undefeatable? Can you stop with that already? Undefeatable, my foot! And what did you just say? Do you want to tell everyone about it? Are you dumb?
The divine brigadier could feel his sanity snap, and he almost had a heart attack on the spot.
This stupid boy! He’s as dumb as bricks! Why did he have to say that?
That was the most humiliating day of his life, but everyone thought it was the best day ever. To make things worse, they kept bringing it up, and they were even going to tell the world about it.
If they actually did that, the divine brigadier would die from embarrassment.
Can you guys just stop? For god’s sake, just stop!
And then, someone from The Manifest Court asked, “Oh, did you just come out of a fight, divine brigadier?”
The divine brigadier really felt like killing himself now.
And there they go again.
“I… Well… Yes, I did,” he admitted to it. After all, he couldn’t hide it from The Manifest Court even if he wanted to.
The person from The Manifest Court said, “I can see that the battle was fierce.”
The divine brigadier nodded. “Yes. I met a powerful fighter.”
His daughter was surprised that her father actually called another fighter powerful. “You got into a big battle right after you finished training? That must have been one powerful foe.”
Edmund, in all his stupidity, added, “If I’m correct, you must have met Dark Emperor, right? Number one on the Divine Leaderboard?”
God f*cking dammit. Are you a seer or something? You just had to make the right guess, didn’t you? You dumb brat! You idiotic boy!
The divine brigadier felt like slapping his son. Every time he was about to forget about that fight, Edmund just had to tear into it.
The divine generals agreed, “Sir, we’ve heard about the feud between you two. You’ve banned him from entering Erudia, but he has been showing up frequently in North Hampton.
“I’m sure he’s the first one you want to get rid of, sir. You just fought him, didn’t you? Tell us we’re right, sir.”
The divine generals were beaming at the divine brigadier, asking him to praise them. However, their boss only wanted to slap them at the moment.
Goddammit! These idiots! Are they dumb? Why won’t they just shut the f*ck up about it?
He looked around and noticed everyone was staring at him, waiting for an answer.
In the end, he answered sheepishly, “Yes, I just came out of a fight with Dark Emperor. Sorry, you guys had to see me in this state.”
Edmund stupidly asked again, “Father, did you defeat him then?”
His goal was simple. He wanted his father to tell him he defeated Dark Emperor. Edmund wanted everyone to know his father defeated the invincible Dark Emperor.
It wouldn’t be too big a piece of news in the past, but Dark Emperor was now put on an impossibly high pedestal. He was practically a god, but well, every single thing he did shook everyone to their core, so he was not that different from an actual god anyway.
Of course, everyone wanted to defeat him, and some didn’t really think Dark Emperor was as powerful as everyone made him out to be.
Some, like Edmund, wanted people from their own organization to beat Dark Emperor. Now that he thought his father had done it, he felt proud about it.
All that was left was getting the confirmation straight from his father’s mouth. Edmund was looking forward to it, and so was everyone else.
This was the pride of The Cardinal Hall after all.
However, on the other hand. the divine brigadier wanted to give his son a tight slap and stitch his mouth up so he wouldn’t speak ever again.
He never wanted to talk about that fight again, but Edmund just had to bring it up. Because of him, everyone was looking forward to hearing the news of victory coming from him.
If he said he lost, everyone would be crestfallen. The Cardinal Hall and even Eragon would be hit hard by the news, and it might even be humiliating for them.
The whole world will laugh at us. I cannot tell them the truth.
“Yes. I defeated Dark Emperor,” the divine brigadier lied, but he only did it to answer everyone’s expectations. He didn’t want to let them down.
Well, all I can do is pray for the best then.
Edmund was the most excited of all, and he roared with laughter. “Number one on Divine Leaderboard? He’s still no match for my father! My father’s the real god here! He’s the strongest! The most powerful! The undefeatable!”
Everyone else was delighted as well. That day was the most joyous day in The Cardinal Hall. Not only did their divine brigadier make his return, but he also defeated Dark Emperor himself.
“I need some time alone to settle a few matters,” the divine brigadier excused himself and hurried away to find somewhere to hide. God knew what else might happen if he stayed there any longer.
But the moment he had some time alone, he thought something was wrong with Dark Emperor. “That can’t be Dark Emperor.”
CHAPTER 2385
Chapter 2385 His Conjecture
Overwhelmed by his despondency, the divine brigadier overlooked a few key points. Now that he had some time alone, he realized a few things were off about Dark Emperor.
Nobody knew Dark Emperor’s true identity, but he did. Dark Emperor used to be his junior, and she loved him. However, that love was unrequited, and the divine brigadier married Edmund’s mother. Shortly after their marriage, Edmund’s mother passed away in an accident.
Back then, Dark Emperor used that opening to date the divine brigadier and had his child. However, when the divine brigadier found out that Dark Emperor was the one who killed Edmund’s mother, he almost killed her out of rage.
She was only spared because she was pregnant with their child back then. However, the divine brigadier exiled her and banned her from ever entering Erudia again. If she ever broke that rule, he would kill her.
Since then, he planted the seed of hatred in Dark Emperor, and she started creating an organization overseas to bolster her strength. She did all that just so she could come back to Erudia one day and go toe to toe with The Cardinal Hall. If that came to pass, she could talk to him on equal footing.
She would not stop at anything to achieve her goals, and the likes of Zoey were just her pawns. However, her plan failed, for Levi showed up and wiped her off the face of this earth.
The divine brigadier knew how deep Dark Emperor’s hatred ran. It was unimaginable, so he knew she’d scoff at him if she defeated him. But back then, Dark Emperor didn’t even say a word to him. The first thing ‘she’ did was attack him.
Right after she defeated him, she went away without even saying a word.
That woman’s hatred has been going on for decades. Why didn’t she say anything to me after she beat me?
Odd. Something’s off. If that’s really her, she would have been ecstatic to have beaten me in a fair fight. There’s no way she could have stayed that calm. Weird. Something’s not right with her.
Wait. Can it be that’s not the real Dark Emperor? It could have been someone else who’s wearing her mask.
Finally, the divine brigadier had a stroke of inspiration. He knew the real Dark Emperor too well. After all, she was his junior. Vengeance might grant her great power, but it was destined to be a limited one. It was impossible for her to be the strongest in the world.
In other words, he should have won against her easily.
He was right. The real Dark Emperor would have stood no chance against him. It was the absolute and undisputed truth.
And there was another thing. Dark Emperor was being more active as of current, and Sacred Organization was going around as well. That was obviously opposite to what Dark Emperor used to do.
Aside from that, Dark Emperor’s power level was off the charts. All the organizations had evaluated Dark Emperor’s strength, and they deduced that she was about on par with number two and three.
However, Dark Emperor defeated him easily. That was obviously not the kind of power anyone on the Divine Leaderboard should have.
Something’s wrong. It’s a different person. Dark Emperor is a different person now. That person I met was a fake one. That’s not Dark Emperor. The top fighter on Divine Leaderboard is not the same person everyone thinks she is.
Where did she go though, now that her place is taken? Probably the grave. Or maybe she’s in trouble.
Back when the divine brigadier was out and about, he paid a visit to Sacred Organization’s headquarters, where Levi was held in the Prison of Darkness.
He saw the prison before, and he knew there was a prisoner inside who was trying to break free from the cell. But he knew it was impossible as it was bound to be a futile attempt.
The Prison of Darkness was an invention from Erudia, so he knew just how powerful it was.
Back then, he knew Dark Emperor was on the move. When he went back to Sacred Organization’s headquarters again, Levi was already gone. The Prison of Darkness was broken, and the landscape changed, literally. When he saw that, he knew Dark Emperor was in deep trouble.
Hm, if my guess is right, the fake Dark Emperor is the probably the one who broke the Prison of Darkness. The real one is probably dead at this point.
Her killer took her mask and impersonated her. So he must be the one who I met earlier. No wonder he managed to take me down with a single punch. And he probably wasn’t even using his full force and that was why he managed to break the Prison of Darkness.
The divine brigadier gasped, and he was drenched in sweat.
CHAPTER 2386
Chapter 2386 This Trash Calls Himself Undefeatable
He’s terrifying and beyond what anyone can imagine. Now I know why Dark Emperor is so powerful. It’s not even the same person anymore! This guy can break the Prison of Darkness. Question is, who is he?
The more he thought, the scarier the truth was, and he realized that the gap between him and ‘Dark Emperor’ wasn’t just an abyss. It was probably a whole universe.
The guy destroyed the Prison of Darkness when I can’t even do that. Heck, not even a hundred of me could accomplish that. Hey, wait. There’s another question here. How did she manage to lock someone like that up? If he was already that strong before he was locked, she would have died a thousand times through. Unless…
Unless he powered up when he was in the Prison of Darkness. Unless he was weaker than her before he was locked in there. Holy sh*t. What kind of genius is that? He went from being weaker than her to a being capable of wrecking the Prison of Darkness in such a short span of time?
This is unbelievable. I don’t think I can do the same thing even if I have a whole millennium to spend. Who is that guy? Who the hell is that guy she locked up? I have to get to the bottom of this.
There was a reason he was the divine brigadier instead of anyone else. He was strong, capable, and most of all, smart. Even though he barely had any clues, he managed to make an analysis that was almost perfectly accurate.
……
Back outside, Edmund and his sister were confused about their father’s earlier reaction.
“Father’s acting weird. What’s wrong with him?”
“He should have been the strongest now that he has defeated Dark Emperor, but he didn’t seem happy. In fact, he seems tortured.
“Maybe that’s the dilemma he’s having. You guys are excited about him being the strongest man, but even he has his own frustrations. Now that he’s the strongest, he’s left with no rivals to fight with,” a divine general said.
“Yeah, you have a point. I’ll tell the world about the news then.”
Times had changed. Before this, forces like The Cardinal Hall chose to stay hidden and tried their best to not get exposed. However, now the whole world knew about their existence.
It didn’t take long for The Cardinal Hall to release the news about the divine brigadier’s return and Dark Emperor’s defeat by his hands.
The world was shocked by the news, especially when they heard the divine brigadier had defeated Dark Emperor.
The news went viral and became a hot topic of discussion.
“Holy sh*t. Dark Emperor’s defeated? That Dark Emperor? How powerful is the divine brigadier?”
“Erudia’s full of powerful fighters. No wonder it’s a forbidden area.”
“Don’t ever cross any Erudian. Do you hear me?”
……
The whole world was shaken up, but Edmund even more so. After all, his own father had become the strongest man on earth.
However, there was one person who was shocked more than anyone. It was none other than Levi.
He was the first one to know about the divine brigadier’s return, and he defeated the guy. But now the news seemed to say that his Dark Emperor persona was the one who was defeated.
Well, someone’s shameless. That guy surrendered, but now he is telling everyone he came out victorious? And now the whole da*n world says he’s the strongest man on earth.
Levi was speechless. Not even I would call myself the strongest man on earth, and a loser like you call yourself that? Dumb*ss.
I don’t know about anyone else, but my mentor is even stronger than I am. I don’t even know how powerful he is. I’m not undefeatable, and this piece of trash certainly isn’t. Levi sneered.
At the same time, the divine brigadier came back out after he was done analyzing the new Dark Emperor, but when he heard The Cardinal Hall had told the whole world that he was invincible, he fell face first onto the ground.
Everyone was shocked by that, of course.
He only lied to them so they wouldn’t get shaken up, but now they were giving him trouble. Now that they had released the news, the whole world would find out about the battle, including Dark Emperor himself.
What if he gets offended over this?
The divine brigadier was sweating buckets at the thought of that.
Sh*t. I can smell death coming for me. Goddammit, I wanna kill this brat.
“What happened, father?” Edmund couldn’t believe his father actually fell down.
What happened to him?
“I want to know something. Who’s the one Dark Emperor locked up recently?” the divine brigadier asked.
“Huh? Oh, it’s Levi,” Edmund answered, though he wondered why his father was asking that.
CHAPTER 2387
Chapter 2387 I Will Apologize To Him
Everyone answered, “Yes, that’s the guy. Levi was locked up for three years, and after he came out, he’s completely out of touch with the new era.”
“He was ranked a few thousand on the Provisional Leaderboard, but after he started practicing the new era’s technique, he improved a lot and made his way up into the Divine Leaderboard. Dead last, though.”
The divine brigadier quickly asked, “Did he admit to that himself?”
“Yes. According to him, he was locked up for three years by Dark Emperor, because his wife is Dark Emperor’s disciple. I even heard that he asked his wife to cut off all ties with Dark Emperor, saying that she was being used. And he even told her Dark Emperor locked him up for three whole years.”
Everyone kept talking about the past, but the divine brigadier stopped listening. At that point, he knew his guess was right. Levi was the present Dark Emperor, and the one who broke the Prison of Darkness.
He was the top fighter in the world.
And he’s the one who broke Skyward Sword, most probably. Did it so he could save his wife. So they’re all the same person.
It didn’t take long for the divine brigadier to sort out all the mystery. Now that Levi had taken up the mask, that meant the real Dark Emperor was dead. Even though she was killed, the divine brigadier didn’t feel anything at all. If anything, he felt relieved.
He couldn’t kill her himself, but someone else did it for him. Now, his wife could finally rest in peace.
At the same time, everyone wondered why the divine brigadier asked that question.
Hmm… what is he up to?
“Why do you want to know about that, Father?” Edmund asked curiously.
“It’s none of your business!” He continued, “Levi, you say? The Crown King, I presume? And the girl’s father?”
“Yes, that’s him.” Everyone nodded.
The divine brigadier lamented, “I see. No wonder his daughter is that talented. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
That only made everyone more curious.
“Father, why are you so curious about Levi? He’s just a loser who has no talent at all. I can beat him with one finger,” Edmund scoffed.
He was one of the top ten in the Divine Leaderboard, while Levi was dead last. Judging from that, he was infinitely more powerful than Levi himself.
“You? Do you think you can beat him?” Now the divine brigadier really wanted to tear his son apart.
That guy just beat me with a single punch. He’s the strongest man on earth, not me. And you think trash like you can fight him?
“Huh?”
Edmund couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and everyone else too. After all, the divine brigadier seemed to think highly of Levi. So much so that he would criticize his own son for it.
“Dad, he’s just dead last on the Divine Leaderboard. He’s no match for me. That guy’s nothing and I have improved a lot!” Edmund defended himself. He would never admit that he was worse than a loser in front of his father.
The divine brigadier looked at him doubtfully, and Edmund knew his father disapproved of his strength.
“Yeah, that guy’s no match for me, but his daughter’s incredibly talented. I heard she gave up on all the elders’ teachings and created her own thing. On top of that, she has actually succeeded. The girl’s already as powerful as I am now.”
That was the only time Edmund was ever jealous of a child, but he couldn’t do anything about it. Forlevia was far more talented than he was. She could create a brand new path that belonged to her, but he couldn’t. He would have to admit to that.
“Yes. That child is massively talented. Nobody can compare to her.” The divine brigadier nodded.
He understood that the girl was both the future of Erudia and The Cardinal Hall, but still, that was the future, not the present.
No matter how talented she was, she could never measure up to her father.
“Where does Levi live?” the divine brigadier continued to ask.
“What? Why are you asking, Father?”
“I want to apologize to him.”
CHAPTER 2388
Chapter 2388 The Invincible King Should Raise His Head
Nobody could believe what they just heard. The moment the divine brigadier said he wanted to apologize to Levi, everyone was petrified and shocked.
Does he want to apologize? Does the divine brigadier want to apologize to Levi? Why though?
It was an impossible thing. Why should he say sorry to Levi?
“Oh, I get it. Father’s doing this because of what Dark Emperor did. If it wasn’t for her, Levi wouldn’t be locked up, and his wife wouldn’t have been used,” Edmund said. “I’m sorry, Father, but I know what’s up between you and Dark Emperor. She’s your junior, and you guys have a history.”
He thought his father was only apologizing because of what Dark Emperor did, but his father said nothing. Although, the divine brigadier was glaring at his son.
Will you shut the f*ck up? Can’t you just be quiet for once?
“Stop asking questions. Just tell me where he lives,” he demanded impatiently.
God, they are so dumb.
“His home is in North Hampton. Shall I take you there, Father?” Edmund volunteered.
The divine brigadier looked at him. “No. I’ll go alone.” But then he suddenly noticed his daughter.
He met her when he was out and about. She was an orphan, but she had talent, so the divine brigadier adopted her and sent her to The Cardinal Hall when she was a teen.
And now the girl was already twenty.
Since the divine brigadier came from the Birmingham family, he named his adopted daughter Queenie Birmingham.
“Come with me, Queenie.”
For some reason, the divine brigadier wanted his daughter to come along instead of his son. Queenie had some questions, but she followed her father anyway.
Edmund mumbled, “Father’s acting weird ever since he came back. I don’t understand what he’s doing.”
Everyone shared his sentiments as well. “Yeah. He’s already the strongest man in the world, and he defeated Dark Emperor. But for some reason, I get the feeling he’s being cautious… too cautious.”
What is going on? I don’t understand. He won, didn’t he? So why did he act like he lost the battle?
A while later, the divine brigadier and Queenie came to North Hampton and visited Levi’s home.
Zoey saw them, and she asked, “Who are you looking for?”
The divine brigadier smiled. “Hello, Mrs. Garrison. We’re from The Cardinal Hall, and we’re here for Mr. Levi Garrison.”
Queenie couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her father, the leader of The Cardinal Hall, the one who beat Dark Emperor, and the world’s strongest fighter, was being that polite to Zoey.
The Cardinal Hall would be a laughing stock if anyone found out about this, so she quickly said, “Father, you don’t have to bow to her. She’s not worthy!”
“Silence!” The divine brigadier glared at his daughter.
“I see. Come in, please.”
Zoey let them in without saying anything.
After they came to Levi’s manor, the divine brigadier asked his daughter to stay outside, while he went inside nervously.
Levi noticed him from a mile away, of course, and he wondered why the divine brigadier was here to see him.
There’s no reason for that… I didn’t even show him my face.
“Who are you? And why are you here to see me?” Levi asked on purpose.
“You don’t have to play dumb, Mr. Garrison. I know who you really are. You’re the current Dark Emperor and the one who broke the Prison of Darkness. You’re the one I ran into earlier as well. If my guess is correct, you killed the real Dark Emperor too, haven’t you?” the divine brigadier asked.
“Hm?”
Levi was surprised that the divine brigadier knew his real identity.
I guess he’s smarter than I thought. He’s the first one to figure out the truth. In fact, the whole truth. I’m impressed. This guy’s smart. He probably knows the real Dark Emperor and managed to deduce everything using that opening.
“I see. So why are you here then?” Levi smiled.
This was the second person who knew about his true power. Cyrus was the first. Death Fiend and the others knew he was strong, but they had no idea about the true extent of his powers. The divine brigadier, however, was obviously in the know.
“I’m here to apologize, Mr. Garrison. I did not authorize the spread of the news, but I admit that I kept my defeat a secret because of a selfish desire of mine. That’s why my stupid son thought I have defeated you and am now invincible.”
He bowed at Levi deeply.
Levi smiled. “Is that all? It’s fine. I don’t care about useless things like glory. Besides, nobody has the right to call themselves the strongest. This world is far more mysterious than you think it is. Nobody has the right to call themselves strongest just yet.”
At the same time, Zoey and the others found out about who the guests really were, and they were shocked.
After all, they thought the divine brigadier defeated Dark Emperor, and he was stronger than anyone else on the Divine Leaderboard. Not to mention he was the leader of The Cardinal Hall.
It was little wonder his daughter thought lowly of everyone here. A lot of people wanted to teach her a lesson in the first place, but once they knew her true identity, they said sorry and started buttering her up.
More and more people found out that the divine brigadier was in North Hampton. More specifically, in Levi’s house. The Lopezes and Blacks were exceptionally enthusiastic, and the whole family came to join in on the occasion.
Even if they couldn’t befriend the divine brigadier, at least they had to get to know him. It’d work in their favor if they told everyone that the invincible divine brigadier once came to their place.
“Why are you guys here?”
“Same reason as you guys.”
“We’re here to witness the strongest fighter.”
“Same. That’s the real number one. He defeated Dark Emperor.”
Everyone was buzzing with excitement, while Queenie thought it was amusing. She was proud of her father.
Haha, I am the daughter of the world’s strongest fighter.
A short while later, Floyd and the other disciples came, along with Sword Fiend and the Dark Angels. Even Azure Dragon, Kirin, and Levi’s friends came along.
Everyone wanted to see what the world’s strongest man looked like, so the manor was surrounded by almost a thousand people in the end.
Back in the manor, the divine brigadier told Levi about his history with Dark Emperor so Levi could be up to speed about it.
“Don’t worry. I don’t blame you. If I wanted you dead, you’d be in a casket by now.”
The divine brigadier shook with excitement. “Thank you, Maestro. I knew you wouldn’t care about trivial things like titles. If I may ask, I’ve noticed that you’re on the move. Are you looking into something? Is it about the Lab of Gods? Do you need my help?”
The divine brigadier was a smart man. He could guess what Levi was trying to do just from his recent activities alone. Not everyone could do that, so he wasn’t the boss of The Cardinal Hall for nothing. The man had power, leadership skills, and the brains to boot.
Levi smiled. I like talking to smart people.
“Yes. I’m looking into how they are linked with the changes in the new era.” He then told the divine brigadier about his theory and what he found out.
“I knew it. I knew something’s off. I’ve noticed a lot of clues here as well.”
The divine brigadier started talking about his findings with Levi. He too was looking into the Lab of Gods and found some clues that were useful for Levi’s plan.
The talk went on for half an hour. Finally, the divine brigadier said, “If you need me, I’ll be right here to help.”
“As a matter of fact, I do need your help. I have a mission for you, but I need you to finish it without anyone knowing. Though it shouldn’t be hard for someone like you. Just remember, not a soul must know about this.” Levi smiled.
Hmm… got a great underling today. Divine providence, I guess.
Nobody had expected the divine brigadier to work for Levi, not even Levi himself. But that was the reality.
CHAPTER 2390
Chapter 2390 Marrying Queenie Off
“For Erudia,” the divine brigadier accepted the mission. Levi was doing it for Erudia and the world at large. He saw no reason to refuse.
And also it was because Levi was insanely powerful.
They hit it off immediately, and the divine brigadier’s help would greatly assist Levi’s plans. Before this, it would be impossible for him to ask The Cardinal Hall for help.
Edmund was a stubborn man, so he would never agree to it. Now that his father was here, it made access a lot easier. Smart guys were easy to talk to, after all. Levi could do anything he wanted with just a single call.
“Mr. Garrison, I have a request, but…” The divine brigadier looked like he was struggling to make his request.
“What is it?” Levi was curious about the request.
It shouldn’t be that hard to talk about it, right?
“Mr…. No, the Crown King, will you marry my daughter? She’s an orphan I adopted when I was out and about. Twenty years old this year. She’s gorgeous and talented as well. Probably one of the top ten fighters on the Divine Leaderboard. Of course, she’s no match for you, but she’s not too bad.”
That was the real reason the divine brigadier brought his daughter along. When he knew about Levi’s true power, he knew he had a lot to gain by marrying Queenie off to him.
First, that meant Levi would be truly on The Cardinal Hall’s side once they were family. Secondly, Levi and Queenie’s child could be even more talented than Forlevia was, given their talent. That child would be both The Cardinal Hall and Erudia’s future.
If Levi were to marry Queenie, The Cardinal Hall and Erudia would be set for many years to come. The nation would go at least a century without encountering any major problems.
Of course, the divine brigadier wanted to help Queenie out as well. After all, she should marry the best person she could find, and Levi was the best candidate.
On the other hand, Levi was flummoxed after hearing that request.
Does he want to marry his daughter off to me? Is he mad?
He stared at the divine brigadier. “Bro, are you mad? I’m married, and my kid’s grown up now. She’s The Cardinal Hall’s future. Are you sure you aren’t joking?”
“So? You’re too conservative, Mr. Garrison. Yes, monogamy’s perfectly fine for the regular citizen, but it’s normal for people like you to have more than one wife. Just go all in. I mean, with you as the father, I bet all your kids are going to be geniuses.” The divine brigadier smiled.
What the heck?
To be honest, Levi never even thought of dating another woman, much less marrying one. He had Zoey after all. Now that he had Forlevia, he thought it would be unacceptable for him to marry another woman.
“Now, don’t be so hasty, Mr. Garrison. My daughter’s outside, so you can take a look.”
The divine brigadier didn’t give Levi any time to refuse, so he dragged Levi out right away, but what they saw shocked them.
What? What’s with all the people? The whole place is surrounded.
When the divine brigadier came out, everyone went up to say hi. They noticed Levi standing by his side of course, and they felt jealous.
The divine brigadier was in there for a long time.
“I bet it’s because of Evie. She’s their future, and even the elders followed her while she was out training. The divine brigadier is The Cardinal Hall’s leader, so of course, he cares about Evie. That’s why he came here to see Levi,” Shaun said in a jealous tone.
“He’s lucky he has a talented daughter. Look at us. All our kids are stupid.”
Everyone lamented their bad luck instead of tackling the real problem.
The divine brigadier took Levi and came up to Queenie. “This is my daughter, Queenie! Queenie, I’ve decided to marry you off to the C… Mr. Garrison.”
CHAPTER 2391
Chapter 2391 Levi Is Marrying Me
What? Do you want to marry me to him? This loser is unworthy of me!
Queenie was flabbergasted, and so was everyone as well. They had never heard of the news before, but now the divine brigadier was announcing it out of the blue.
He looked at Levi and gushed, “Mr. Garrison said yes. Now all that’s left is you. Just say the word and I’ll make all the necessary arrangements.”
If they thought the first announcement was shocking enough, the second one blew everyone’s minds away, and a deafening silence fell across the manor. If they listened closely, they could even hear the gears in everyone’s brains stop turning.
They were already numb from the shock, and they stared at the divine brigadier in utter disbelief. For a long, long while, not a single soul spoke.
But eventually, someone broke the silence, “What? The divine brigadier wants to marry his daughter off to Levi?”
Realization finally struck the audience after a long lag, and it sent ripples across everyone’s souls. It was as unbelievable as saying Levi was the strongest person in the world, so everyone’s jaw dropped.
Zoey, of course, was struck dumb, and she stared at Levi in disbelief. He actually agreed? Does he actually want to marry another woman? No wonder he was in there with the divine brigadier for so long.
The news hit Zoey hard. She almost had a heart attack there and then, but she forced herself to hold it in.
Well, I guess Queenie is a lot better than I am. She comes from a better family than I do, and she’s stronger than I am, and she’s also younger as well.
If Levi does marry her, I bet he’s going to make it in life. She’s the young miss of The Cardinal Hall, while he’s the Crown King. What a lovely couple. Not to mention Levi has adapted to the new era. He’ll make it to the top ten on the Divine Leaderboard. Of course he’s dumping me for a better woman.
Zoey was staggering, and she would have fallen down if not for Mia and Wynona helping her.
“What the heck is Levi thinking? Why did he even say yes?” Mia stomped her foot angrily.
“Men. They’re all the same.” Wynona sneered scornfully.
Everyone else was shocked by the announcement as well. They couldn’t believe the divine brigadier was marrying his daughter off to a weakling like Levi. To them, it came as a bolt from the blue.
However, the Lopez and Black families quickly realized the reason behind this deal. The divine brigadier was marrying Queenie off to Levi possibly because he wanted them to give birth to a few more geniuses.
After all, Forlevia was Levi’s daughter, and she was the best example of what great genes could accomplish. As of current, she was already The Cardinal Hall’s future. Of course they would love it if Levi could make a few more geniuses that rivaled or even surpassed Forlevia in terms of raw talent.
Now that the divine brigadier had returned, he must have a similar plan in mind. The best way to go about it was to have Levi make more children, so he was willing to marry his daughter off to him. After all, that meant the children born from this marriage would be affiliated with The Cardinal Hall, and he could raise them up himself.
He wouldn’t even need any middleman to handle the negotiations either.
Honestly, the families might be greedy and stupid, but a broken clock is right twice a day. Their guess was right on the money, though only partially. To them, Levi was nothing more than a babymaking machine, but what they didn’t know was that the divine brigadier was doing this so he could get Levi on his side.
Levi’s disciples, underlings, and friends were also surprised to hear that announcement, and they gave Levi a weird look.
“How could you do this? Zoey has supported you when you needed her most. She became a serial killer just so she could avenge you, but now you’re dumping her so you can marry someone else?”
Everyone was disappointed in Levi. They couldn’t believe what he was doing, for it was the worst crime a man could commit in a relationship.
The Lopez and Black families were enraged as well, and they chastised Levi for it. “He’s an animal. Worse than scum, even!”
But Levi was also in disbelief himself. Hey, I did not say anything of the sort. Are you f*cking mad? Why didn’t you talk it over with me first?
Levi wanted to kill the divine brigadier for making this decision without going it through with him. More importantly, now that the divine brigadier was the one who made the announcement, it was impossible for Levi to defend himself.
Everything he said was the truth, or at least that was what the public’s perception of the divine brigadier. Never would they think that the divine brigadier would lie about anything.
Whatever he said was the absolute truth, and his word was law. He would never lie to anyone. On the other hand, if Levi denied it, they would certainly think he was lying. In that case, there was no need for him to defend himself. Or to be exact, it was pointless.
“What did you say, Father? You want to marry me off to him? A loser like him? Are you for real?” Queenie scoffed.
CHAPTER 2392
Chapter 2392 You Are The Trash Here
Queenie was giving Levi a look of scorn and contempt. “He’s dead last on the Divine Leaderboard, while I’m one of the top ten. I’m leagues above him. Besides, I’m young and single, while he’s married. And his daughter’s already grown up.
“I will never marry a taken man even if that’s the last thing I do. And father, do you have any idea what everyone thinks of him? He’s nothing but a baby making machine in their eyes. He’s leagues beneath me in terms of strength, talent, age, and background! And you, Levi! I’m way out of your league, so you can forget about ever marrying me!”
Since her father himself said that Levi had agreed to the arrangement, and Queenie knew her father wouldn’t lie, she thought Levi was the one who proposed the marriage in the first place.
However, everyone got it all wrong. The divine brigadier was the one who begged Levi to marry Queenie, but with how things were turning out, everyone thought Levi was the one who begged the divine brigadier to match him up with Queenie.
That perception was putting Levi in a bad spot, and Levi realized that from a mile away. If it weren’t for the fact that there were too many people around, Levi would have started rampaging. You b*stard! I’ll tear you apart! Just you wait! Once you’re alone, I’ll drag your *ss out and whoop it until you’re bedridden!
At the same time, the divine brigadier felt like giving his daughter a tight slap. What did you just say? Did you just say you’re way above his league? No, my sweet summer child! It’s the other way around. He’s the one who’s way above your league! Heck, you can’t even see his potential!. Levi’s a practical god, while you’re just a mortal!
Queenie didn’t know that her father was scolding her in silence, so she looked at Levi haughtily. She and everyone else thought that Levi was aiming for something that was way above his league.
His only advantage was his genes, but that meant his only fate was to be a baby making machine. After all, it was probable that all his offspring would turn out to be geniuses.
The chances of that happening would be even higher if he married someone with great genes like Queenie, however, it would be humiliating for a man to become a mere baby making machine.
Queenie was The Cardinal Hall’s princess, so there was no way she would marry a man who already had a family of his own.
“Father, I will not allow myself to endure this humiliation, and I believe The Cardinal Hall would never allow this either. What if the whole world knows that I’m engaged to a married man? We’d be a laughing stock in an instant!”
Queenie knew what she must do, so she used The Cardinal Hall’s reputation as a reason to refuse the marriage.
The divine brigadier looked at her, “Sweetie, listen to me. I’m doing this all for your own good. It’ll do you great if you marry Mr. Garrison. He’s the best candidate if you want a great man to marry. Trust me on this. It might not be clear now, but you’ll see what I mean in time.”
The divine brigadier could not believe how foolish Queenie was. You actually compared your strength to him? Of all people? And you thought you could win? If there’s a comedy competition right now, I’d give you a one hundred out of ten for that joke alone.
The guy you called trash beat me with a single punch. He’s the strongest fighter in the world. If he shows his true power, all the women in the world would vie for his hand in marriage. Yes, even those who are leagues above you. You won’t even have a chance to get a glimpse of Levi then, much less marry him.
“I know you’re doing everything for my own good, father, but I can’t accept this. I will never marry Levi no matter what you say. Yes, I understand what you’re getting at. If I marry him, we’ll give birth to incredibly talented children. That much I know, and this is for the good of The Cardinal Hall. I can understand that, but that doesn’t mean you can sacrifice my happiness.”
Queenie stood her ground, refusing to give her father any chance to argue with her. Then she sneered at Levi. “Forget it, Levi. I’ll never marry you. You’re way beneath me, and to think you said yes to it right in front of your wife. You’re worse than scum, Levi.”
She left that message and went away, leaving everyone else standing awkwardly. Levi’s friends and family thought it was an embarrassing scene, getting humiliated by an outsider in their own home. That was probably the most embarrassing thing that could happen to anyone.
Zoey burst out in tears, of course. It was understandable since Levi actually said he’d marry another woman right in front of her. What else could be more humiliating than that?
The divine brigadier was in utter disbelief as well. He announced that news with no ill intent. In fact, he meant for it to be a piece of good news, but contrary to his expectations, he created a mess of a situation that not even he could handle.
Suddenly, he felt a chill running up his spine. For some reason, he felt death itself staring at him from behind. If he wasn’t careful, he might just get killed right there and then.
He turned around and saw Levi glaring at him furiously, his eyes filled with murderous intent. A destructive force was brewing within Levi, and he could feel it. The energy was almost palpable, and it was crashing down on him. It was as if he was facing a force of nature, and he could do nothing about it.
In the end, he realized he had caused a lot of trouble for Levi, and he quickly excused himself lest Levi kills him. “Um, well… I’ll leave you guys to it. I’ll have to go now. I’m worried about Queenie.”
Levi would tear me apart. Gotta skedaddle.
Levi noticed what the divine brigadier was trying to do, and he wanted to give chase, but everyone got in his way, stopping him.
“What are you doing? Trying to go to The Cardinal Hall so you can ask for her hand in marriage? You’re a worthless piece of scum, Levi,” Henry spat.
Aaron and his wife wanted to slap Levi there and then. They could not believe he actually said he was marrying someone else right in front of them and Zoey. To them, that was the worst form of humiliation.
“What are you trying to do, Levi? Do you think you’re so strong now that you managed to rank on the Divine Leaderboard? Do you think you can do anything now that you’ve adapted? So you want to abandon Zoey and Evie? Just because you fell for Queenie? Just because her father’s the divine brigadier?”
“The divine brigadier greenlighted the whole thing, but do you really think he approves of you? He only wants you for your genes! So you can be a baby making machine! So they can get more geniuses out of you. You’re not as important as you think you are!” Henry chided.
Everyone was glowering at Levi as well. They were disappointed in him, and that included his disciples and friends.
They could understand the underlying reason. After Levi realized how competitive the new world had become, he thought it was too much of a difference from how it used to be, and it was hard for him to accept this reality. He might have made his way into the Divine Leaderboard, but it was still a far cry from what he used to be.
He needed an opportunity to get back to the top, and The Cardinal Hall was the best route for him. Or at least it was one of the best. Of course Levi wouldn’t let that chance slip. But just because of that, everyone realized that Levi was no longer the same person they used to know.
“No, guys. I can explain—” Levi desperately wanted to tell them the truth so they would stop misunderstanding him.
But nobody would give him any chance, and they kept yelling at him. “Explain? We don’t need your explanation! We saw everything with our own eyes!”
However, Zoey spoke up, “Hold it. Let him explain. I want to hear it.”
Levi finally had a chance to explain himself, and so he did. “Alright. I can explain. The divine brigadier came to see me so he can introduce his daughter to me. Then he begged me to marry her. He said they don’t care even if I have a family. All he wanted me to do was to marry her. He even said it’s normal for a guy to have more than one wife.
“But that’s beside the point. The point is he f*cking lied. He lied to everyone, including me. I never said I would marry his daughter, but he put the words in my mouth. I was about to say no, but he was already dragging me out to see her. I couldn’t stop him.”
Zoey sneered. “Did you just say the divine brigadier begged you to marry his daughter?”
Levi nodded. “Yes, that’s absolutely right. He said he’d do whatever it takes.”
Zoey continued, “And he was lying when he said you agreed to the deal?”
Levi nodded again. “Yes, that’s right. He lied to everyone. But he knows he messed up, so he ran away in case I beat him up.”
It was the truth, but everyone didn’t believe a single word of it. Especially not the part where Levi said the divine brigadier ran because he was afraid of getting beaten up.
“Levi, you b*stard. Will it kill you to just stop lying for a moment? Can’t you just come clean for once?” Zoey was enraged by the lies.
“You think he’d be scared of you? Sorry, but he just beat the top fighter on the Divine Leaderboard! He beat Dark Emperor! That guy’s stronger than my master! There’s no reason for him to be afraid! And the divine brigadier never goes back on his promises! Do you think a man like that would lie through his teeth?
“If you hadn’t agreed to it, he wouldn’t have said you did. There’s no point in that! Stop joking around. Someone like him would never lie! For Pete’s sake, Levi, stop twisting the story to fit your narrative! You don’t have to lie about it. You’re a man, so be one! We know you did that, so just admit it!”
CHAPTER 2394
Chapter 2394 Get Your Keister Out Here
“Stop lying your way out of this. Leave everyone else out of it and just say you agreed to the deal! You’re not that kind of lying scumbag.”
Zoey was in tears, enraged by the ‘fact’ that Levi was lying through his teeth.
Everything turned out to be how Levi expected it to be. Once the divine brigadier made the announcement, not a soul in the world would think he was lying.
After all, he was the leader of an esteemed organization, so everyone would instinctively think a man like him would never make empty promises or tell a lie. Especially not for a guy like Levi.
To them, it was just a small matter, so there was no need for him to lie. But if he wasn’t lying, that automatically meant the liar was Levi.
Even if Levi told the divine brigadier to come back and tell everyone the truth, they would never believe it. The stereotype was already deeply entrenched within them, after all.
Floyd gnashed his teeth. “Yeah, Master. Just admit that you said yes! Everyone knows the truth now, so there’s no use playing dumb.”
Everyone else agreed, “Yeah, why are you acting like a coward? You already did the deed, so why not admit to it?”
Levi was on the verge of fury. “I did not do it. Why should I say sorry for something I didn’t do?” He wanted to explain, but there was no use in that.
“What a shame, though.” Everyone sneered. “You might think you can marry her, but she apparently doesn’t think too highly of you. Didn’t you hear her? She called you a scum for trying to marry her when you already have a family, and we have to agree with the girl. You are a piece of scum.”
“Levi, you’re the one at fault here. Now apologize to Zoey,” Mia demanded an apology from Levi so the matter wouldn’t get any worse.
Everyone else urged him to apologize as well, “Yeah! Apologize to Zoey right now! Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, and you’re no exception. Just say sorry and she’ll let you off the hook!”
Zoey was fuming, but she was also waiting for Levi to apologize. If he would say sorry to her, she’d let the whole matter slide like a slab of butter on a slate. Zoey would just chalk it up to an impulsive moment by Levi.
However, Levi looked at everyone defiantly. “I didn’t do it. Why should I apologize for something I did not do?”
He was telling the truth again, but even then, everyone still managed to get angry about it.
So he’s going to dump his family and marry Queenie instead? Just because she comes from a more powerful background?
Everyone was deeply disappointed in him, since they couldn’t believe Levi wouldn’t even apologize after all he had done to his family. All Levi did just confirmed their suspicion that a deal was made without them knowing about it.
Zoey started crying, but she still told Levi, “Fine, I’ll give you the freedom you want then. You can do whatever you want.”
To everyone’s surprise, Levi actually took the offer and left. “Alright. I’ll be out for a second. I’ll explain when I come back later.”
Nobody could believe what they just heard. Levi’s actually leaving? He actually left just because Zoey said he could? What is he, stupid? No, he’s obviously siding with The Cardinal Hall now.
“Why did he turn out like this?” Everyone had the same question.
“Don’t worry, Zoey. If he marries another woman, I’ll cut off all ties with him and take your side,” Floyd said.
“Me too. We’ll cut off all ties with him if he goes on with this.”
“We’ll always stand with you, Zoey. Don’t worry.”
Everyone showed their support for Zoey, worried that she might feel down after getting abandoned, but Zoey only shrugged. “Thanks, guys, but I’m fine. We can just get a divorce. It’s not a big deal. There are much bigger things happening in this era.”
Aaron piped up, “If worse comes to worst, you can get a divorce. We’ll stand with you. Evie’s all grown up now, so no big deal about it.”
“Yeah, just get a divorce if you want to. We’ll support you,” everyone said.
Mia stomped her foot angrily. He could have said sorry and be done with it, but he just had to make things worse, didn’t he? Dammit. I’m dragging him back. He needs to explain himself. I will not let them break up.
At the same time, Levi arrived at The Cardinal Hall’s doorstep not long after the divine brigadier and Queenie came back.
“Get your *ss out here, divine brigadier! I’m whooping it!” Levi’s voice boomed across The Cardinal Hall.
CHAPTER 2395
Chapter 2395 Even Your Father Gets Beaten Up
That was the first time someone ever challenged The Cardinal Hall on their turf. The Cardinal Hall was the strongest martial arts organization, and it housed countless powerful fighters.
With the divine brigadier’s return and the divine generals finally coming out of their solitary training, all the top fighters of The Cardinal Hall were ready to fight at a moment’s notice. Anyone who dared to cross them would be wiped out immediately.
Right after Levi’s arrival, countless fighters came out and surrounded Levi. They were like angry predators that were ready to tear their prey apart.
Edmund was especially furious after Levi insulted his father. “Damn you, Levi! You think I wouldn’t do anything to you? Kill him!”
He had tolerated Levi’s insolence a few times now, but he couldn’t take it anymore after Levi insulted his father.
Queenie sneered. “Why did you come, Levi? Can’t take it because I rejected you? Is that why you came here? To rile us up?”
In her eyes, Levi was creating this ruckus because she rejected his proposal.
“You think I’ll fall for you because you challenged us? Well, your plan backfired. Now I just dislike you more. Anyone who challenges us must die!” Queenie stepped into the fray as well.
But even with all the fighters around him, Levi was undaunted. In fact, the more they came, the angrier he was. If the divine brigadier wouldn’t come up with a satisfactory explanation, Levi wouldn’t mind killing some of The Cardinal Hall’s most powerful fighters to shut them up. They’re in severe need of a lesson. A painful one. One laced with bloodshed.
Edmund charged ahead and aimed his attack solely on Levi. “Die, you cur!”
Just when Levi was about to attack Edmund, the divine brigadier showed up and stopped his son. “Fall back, all of you. This is a misunderstanding,” he commanded everyone.
“There is no misunderstanding, Father. This isn’t the first time Levi is challenging our pride. Just let me kill him and call it a day,” Edmund said coldly.
The divine brigadier shot him a weird look. You? Do you think you can kill him? He kicked my *ss, for Pete’s sake, and you think you can kill him? You can’t even land a single attack on him, boy! Are you dumb? Dammit. You really need more training. You need to keep that ego in check, or it might get you killed.
“Yes. This isn’t the first time he challenged us, Sir. We’ll teach him a lesson, don’t worry,” everyone else chimed in. They too wanted to teach Levi a painful lesson. It was long overdue, after all.
“I don’t want to repeat myself. Fall back! I’m the boss here, not you!” the divine brigadier barked.
Everyone obliged and went back into The Cardinal Hall. The divine brigadier heaved a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
I’m doing this for your own good, people. If you back him into a corner, he would not stop until his fury is abated. None of you can even hope to stop him. You’d better thank me, you fools. I saved your *sses from certain death.
“I said fall back! On the double!” The divine brigadier chased his children and underlings away.
In the end, Edmund, Queenie, and everyone else left, leaving only Levi and the divine brigadier alone.
The divine brigadier waved his hand and surrounded them with an invisible wall made out of air current. He did that so nobody could eavesdrop on the conversation.
“W-What brings you here, Mr. Garrison?” he asked with a trembling voice.
“You should know why I’m here, you old fool! Why did you spew all that nonsense to everyone? Now my whole family is planning on breaking all ties with me, and you embarrassed me in front of my friends!” Levi roared furiously.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Garrison. I did not mean that. I just wanted my daughter to marry you. I didn’t mean to cause such a mess for you. Please understand where I’m coming from, Mr. Garrison,” he started apologizing profusely.
And then he started bowing to Levi, begging him to agree to the proposal. “Just marry Queenie, please. I beg you, Mr. Garrison.”
“If I remember correctly, she rejected me, didn’t she? Says she’s way out of my league, right?” Levi sneered.
“Please ignore everything she told you, Your Highness. But can I take that as a yes then?”
CHAPTER 2396
Chapter 2396 Best Medicine
The divine brigadier looked at him gleefully, waiting for Levi’s answer. However, Levi was about to explode in fury. Is he really that dumb, or is he just playing dumb? Is he doing this on purpose?
Does he even get what I’m saying? Levi was truly enraged now after the divine brigadier crossed the final line.
The divine brigadier could feel the pressure and murderous intent coming from Levi, and he panicked.
He tried to explain, but Levi spared him no such mercy and sent him flying with a single punch.
The divine brigadier coughed up blood and toppled over from the enormous pressure Levi was emitting. His knees started paving their way into the soil, and he looked worse for wear.
If he hadn’t set up the air wall, half of The Cardinal Hall would have been destroyed just from the impact of that punch. But there was no time to worry about that. At that moment, the divine brigadier could feel all his organs exploding into little pieces, and cracks were showing up on his body.
He looked like he’d explode into tiny pieces at any given moment. It was the first time he felt such agony, and the pain was killing him. He could taste the scent of death in the air, and the Grim Reaper was dawning on him.
The divine brigadier was horrified. He knew he made a grave mistake, and that forced Levi into a corner. But just when he was about to explode, Levi lifted the pressure off him.
“You’re off the hook this time, but only because you’ve served Erudia well. Pull this off again and I will kill you. Don’t worry about The Cardinal Hall. I can take your place anytime I want to,” Levi warned him and left the divine brigadier to his fate.
The divine brigadier plopped back down on the ground. That single punch from Levi almost killed him. However, he was lucky he got off severely injured, though he was still a hair’s breadth away from death.
That punch taught him something. Never say anything that will get on his bad side, or he will really kill me.
If anyone saw him in this state, he’d feel embarrassed for life. Who would have imagined ‘the strongest man’ would be beaten until he was a hair’s breadth away from death?
Left with no choice, he whipped out that intricate wooden box again. When he came back, there were three pills in the box. They were the holy pills created by the collective effort of The Cardinal Hall, Eragon, and the greatest doctors in Erudia.
The pills’ effect was simple—healing a fighter. They can heal even the most severe wounds. As long as the fighter was alive, they could return to their top condition just with the pill. In other words, the pills could raise a fighter’s power to their maximum.
It would work even on a powerful fighter like the divine brigadier. They could raise his power to a level that was higher than his maximum.
However, holy pills were rare. They required extremely rare ingredients to be made, and the method to create it was harsh. Three was the best they could do.
The pills should only be used to save someone in immediate danger, and also to keep The Cardinal Hall’s future safe.
One of the pills should have been given to Forlevia, while the rest was reserved for the divine brigadier.
It had been decades since the divine brigadier received the pills, but he never used them. Before he came back, he thought he would never have to use the pills. After all, they went through eight divine brigadiers, and they never came across any situations that demanded them to use the pills.
And he would have been right, but the problem was, he was already using the second pill not long after he made his return thanks to Levi. If he did things according to tradition, he’d have to give the remaining pill to Forlevia, and that meant he would be left with no holy pills.
He would have nothing to give to the next divine brigadier. Of course, The Cardinal Hall and Eragon wouldn’t say anything about it if he had a legit reason to use the pills, but he couldn’t tell them that he was using it so he wouldn’t get embarrassed.
If he told them the truth, both he and The Cardinal Hall would be humiliated. But he had no choice. He had to forge ahead and settle one problem at a point.
Once he took the pill, he felt its power coursing through his body, healing his broken meridians and organs. All the cracks on his body were closing up at a blistering pace as well.
CHAPTER 2397
Chapter 2397 You Have To Make The First Move
The divine brigadier’s aura shot up into the heavens and threatened to rip it apart. It didn’t take too long for the pill to fully heal him and raise his strength to unimaginable heights.
He was just like a living, breathing mountain right now. Every step he took rumbled the earth and shook the heavens. When he dispelled the air wall, the pressure coming off him slowly poured down on The Cardinal Hall.
Everyone felt it, of course, and it suffocated them.
“What power! That’s the divine brigadier for you. That’s the strongest man in the world.”
“He probably didn’t even do anything. All he had to do is just stand there and Levi’s already learned his lesson. I bet he knows he got himself into big trouble now.”
“Where’s Levi? Bet he ran away with his tail between his legs. He probably won’t come ever again.”
“Dammit, he got off easy. I really wanted to kill him.”
…
The divine brigadier heard what they were talking about, and he coughed violently, but he didn’t stop walking away from the scene.
At the same time, Queenie told Edmund everything that happened back at North Hampton. She didn’t manage to tell him earlier since Levi showed up too suddenly, but now she had the time to talk about it.
“What? Father wants to marry you off to Levi? Nonsense!” Edmund was enraged. “That piece of trash is unworthy of you! He’s just a baby making machine at best, and he already has a family of his own! I won’t agree to this!”
Queenie was touched that Edmund would go so far as to defend her. “Yeah, he’s a lousy match for me. Even if he’s single, he’s not worthy of my hand in marriage.”
Edmund nodded. “Yes, you’re right! You’re way out of his league.”
But then the divine brigadier made his entrance and barked, “It’s the other way around, you fool! He’s the one way out of Queenie’s league.”
Since he had just taken the pills, the divine brigadier’s aura was at its peak, and his pressure was overwhelming. Like what was mentioned above, he was a walking mountain, whose mere presence was enough to suffocate anyone who was near enough to feel it.
Everyone was shocked when they felt the pressure, but Edmund and Queenie looked proud. After all, this walking mountain was none other than their father.
Edmund was especially excited. “Congratulations on perfecting your new technique, Father. I can feel myself getting crushed just from your pressure alone.”
Queenie smiled. “Your power is terrifying, Father. There’s nobody in this world who can stand up to you now.”
“I—” The divine brigadier was not delighted because he was praised. Instead, he was annoyed, and his face twitched.
He took two pills in such a short span of time, and those pills were worth a wealthy nation each. If even a single one appeared on an auction, the whole world would launch a large-scale war just to get it.
Queenie noticed that her father’s face was caked with blood, so she asked, “Did you fight with Levi, father?”
“What? Father, did you kill him?” Edmund asked.
The divine brigadier shot Edmund a sharp glare. Can you just shut up? F*ck, can someone stitch this idiot’s mouth up?
If I am actually strong enough to kill Levi, I can rule the goddamn nation and wipe out all the dissenters. But I can’t. That’s why I’m still here.
The divine brigadier skipped that topic and told Queenie, “My child, I’ve laid out the path for you. All that’s left is for you to fight for your happiness.”
Queenie was confused. “What are you talking about, Father?”
The divine brigadier answered, “You’ll have to charm Levi and make him marry you. It’s all in your hands now. I’ve done all I can.”
If he interfered with the matter any further, he had no doubt Levi would come and kill him off once and for all. Now all he could do was to put his trust in Queenie.
“What? You want me to charm him?”
Queenie and Edmund couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
“Are you sure you’re not mad, father? You want me to charm him?” Queenie asked hesitantly.
“Yes, and this is your final chance. You need to get to it now! If you’re even one step late, someone else is going to take him for herself,” the divine brigadier urged.
“What? But father, what’s so good about Levi? Why do you want to marry Queenie off to him? And on top of that, you want her to make the first move?” Edmund asked curiously.
“Alright, shut the f*ck up and get the f*ck out.” The divine brigadier chased his stupid son out. He did not want to hear Edmund’s voice anymore.
Edmund was flabbergasted. His father used to love him to bits, but he seemed to have changed a lot after he came back.
Queenie suggested, “Father, I know why you’re doing this. You want me to marry him because he has great genes, right? You want to get more geniuses out of him, but won’t this make us into a laughing stock? This is a stupid idea. If you really want more new blood, you can always ask Levi to get his wife pregnant again. You’ll get more geniuses, and I won’t have to marry him. That’s two birds with one stone.”
The divine brigadier let out a long sigh. The children aren’t the ultimate goal here. ”Queenie, you have no idea what’s at stake. Just listen to me for once, will you?” the divine brigadier advised her.
God, she has no idea about the whole situation. You’ll lose out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity if you refuse.
“I can go along with the plan, father. But at least give me a reason.” Queenie still needed a reason to convince her to go along with the plan.
The divine brigadier didn’t want to tell her everything, but he could give her a hint. “Why don’t you stay with him for a while. See how he is. You’ll know what makes him special soon enough. You’ll see why I want you to marry him then.”
“I’m sorry?”
“That’s your mission. Stay with him for a month or so. Not that hard, right? If you’re still unwilling to marry him, then we’ll put a stop to this plan.”
Finally, Queenie agreed to it, “Alright. I can do that.”
“Then go to him, now. And keep a close eye on him. You’ll find your answer soon enough.”
Queenie left The Cardinal Hall to see Levi, while Edmund was still out of the loop.
At the same time, Levi came back to the manor, but everyone there glared at him murderously the moment he showed up. The look in their eyes said, “How dare you show your face here?”
“I can explain—”
Before Levi could say anything, Aaron interrupted, “No. Just get divorced from Zoey. Times have changed, and none of you have to rely on each other now. Since you have a brighter future waiting for you, just sign the papers and go on your own way. We’ll give you the freedom you want.”
Everyone agreed, “Yeah! Sign the papers!”
Levi’s disciples and friends agreed. “Now that we have come to this, you should just sign the papers. We’ll respect your choice.”
…
Levi couldn’t believe that everyone wanted him to get a divorce. On top of that, all the people he trusted the most were also asking him to sign the papers.
“Now calm down. Let me explain. That old git wanted to marry Queenie off to me, but I never agreed to it. He lied to everyone, and Queenie would never agree to it. There’s nothing between us, I swear,” Levi explained, but it sounded flimsy to everyone.
Zoey laughed. “Do you think anyone would believe that? There’s no way the divine brigadier would lie. He wouldn’t stoop so low for someone like you. There’s no way he would. And tell me the truth. What did you do after you left?”
“I went to see that old git. And I beat him up to punish him. He’s barely hanging on now.”
The news came as a shocker to them, and everyone was understandably petrified.
“What? Did you beat up the divine brigadier? You’re joking!”
Nobody believed him, of course.
“You can take a look for yourself if you don’t believe me,” Levi persuaded.
CHAPTER 2399
Chapter 2399 Why Did You Come Again
He really wanted everyone to see for themselves.
And everyone took him up on his offer, “Fine. We’ll see for ourselves then. Lead the way.”
But nobody believed him of course. All they wanted to do was to expose his lies.
And then Mia came back in a hurry. “It’s real, Zoey!” She panted. “Levi beat the divine brigadier. I saw it with my own eyes!”
Mia went after Levi the moment he left, but she didn’t manage to stop him in time. When she arrived at The Cardinal Hall, the fight had already started.
Levi noticed her as well, but he paid no mind to her. And thus, she saw how Levi took the divine brigadier out with one punch.
“You mustn’t sign the papers, Zoey. Levi isn’t lying! This is all the divine brigadier’s plan! It has nothing to do with Levi!”
…
Mia desperately explained what she saw to everyone, but nobody believed her. They thought she was lying so Zoey and Levi would not get divorced.
After all, nothing she said could possibly happen. They wouldn’t believe it even if she said Levi made it to the top ten on the Divine Leaderboard, let alone him beating the divine brigadier. There’s no way in hell that’s true.
“Don’t defend him, Mia. We all think Zoey did the right thing.”
Nobody wanted to listen to Mia. Even Zoey thought Mia was just defending Levi.
“Fine. If you don’t believe me, then you can see for yourself!”
But before Levi could leave, someone said coldly, “No need for that.”
“Hm?”
Everyone wondered who came, and it turned out to be Queenie. They looked at her curiously, wondering why she stopped Levi.
“My father isn’t hurt at all. Everyone at The Cardinal Hall felt his pressure, and it’s even more powerful than he was at his peak. I saw it with my own eyes,” she explained.
“I knew it! What do you have to say for yourself, Levi?”
Everyone laughed after hearing that explanation. After all, they instinctively thought Queenie was the one who was telling the truth.
But she was telling the truth. Her father didn’t even look like he was hurt at all.
“What?” Levi was surprised, and Mia was as well.
I saw Levi taking him out with a single punch. There’s no way he came out unscathed. Impossible!
“Impossible! He took my punch head-on! He should have been gravely injured at the very least. He couldn’t have gotten away unscathed.” Levi couldn’t believe what was happening.
But then he recalled their first meeting. Back then, he severely injured the divine brigadier, but he seemed okay when he came to see Levi earlier. As if he wasn’t hurt at all.
And she said he feels stronger than ever? Guess he has something that can heal him up and bring him back to his best condition then. He is The Cardinal Hall’s leader after all. Getting something like that should be a cinch for him.
Sh*t. Now they won’t believe me. But Levi gave up on explaining himself. After all, nobody would believe him, so there was no point explaining himself.
Mia was panicking, but she knew nobody would believe her no matter what she said.
“What do you have to say for yourself, Levi? You can’t keep up the lie now, can you?”
“Queenie said her father is fine. What do you have to say to that?”
…
Everyone started laughing at Levi, since they thought his ‘lie’ had been exposed.
Queenie sneered. “You told them you beat my father? And you thought they’d buy that? How stupid can you be?”
Levi looked at her. “Why did you come back?”
CHAPTER 2400
Chapter 2400 A Terrifying Technique
“Levi, why are you asking the obvious? Ms. Birmingham is here because of you!”
“What a joke. How could he ask her the reason for her presence on purpose?”
The crowd laughed mockingly.
“My father has asked me to observe you for a period of time, as he claims that you are extraordinary. Thus, I’m here to see what makes you so special. It’s also a good opportunity to stop my father from wanting me to marry you!” Queenie sneered.
“Everyone, don’t you worry. I will never marry Levi. Therefore, you don’t have to make a fuss over the divorce. Even if Levi wants to marry me, there’s no way I’ll agree. How can he be worthy of me?”
Queenie declared to Zoey and the rest that Levi and she stood no chance of being together at all.
Regardless of what Levi’s opinion of the matter was, she would never agree to it.
However, the more she acted that way, the angrier everyone else got.
“Levi, we need a timeout. Since you no longer need our protection anymore, let’s split up and train by ourselves for the time being,” Zoey suggested.
“We support Zoey’s idea. Everyone should just take a break.”
“Despite what Ms. Birmingham has said, she still wants to be with you in the future.”
“Break up. You have to break up!”
After that, most of the crowd dispersed, leaving Levi and a few others behind.
Mia tugged at Levi’s arm. “Levi, what are you going to do? You have to think of something!”
“It’s alright. Just let it be for now,” Levi replied.
“Aren’t you leaving?” Levi looked to Queenie.
Queenie put on a haughty expression. “My father wants me to observe you for a while. Hence, I’ll be staying to see what sort of miracles you can create.”
Ignoring Levi’s grim expression, Queenie moved in right away.
Mia watched on anxiously, hoping that Levi would do something about it.
“Just let her be.”
Levi couldn’t care less.
Nevertheless, his hatred for Divine Brigadier intensified, causing him to feel the urge to kill him with one blow.
I don’t even get the chance to take my medication.
The next few days, Queenie stayed in the manor.
Soon, she noticed the presence of Cyrus, who had locked himself up in the basement for solitary training.
She could sense that he was physically weak and increasingly had trouble breathing. She also realized that he was focused on training basic techniques.
“What does he hope to achieve? This is ridiculous!”
Queenie sneered, “Even if you can pick up The Cardinal Hall’s invincible techniques, there are many other modern techniques which you can randomly train in. There must be something wrong with your brain to train in such a basic technique! You will not be able to achieve in ten years what others can in a month!”
Queenie viewed Cyrus’ training with contempt.
Mia, who was beside her, added, “That exact same thought crossed my mind initially. I, too, assumed that it was a waste of time until I saw Levi’s true power. That’s when I realize this is the path of true strength. Hence, even I am training the same way now.”
Queenie looked at Mia in shock. “Levi’s true power?”
“Mmm-hmm. That day, I saw with my own eyes how he defeated your father,” Mia replied candidly.
However, Queenie was outraged.
“Enough. Stop spewing lies! You are no different from Levi!” Queenie scolded.
She was proud of her father and believed him to be invincible.
How can anyone, especially Levi, defeat him? It’s just impossible!
Over the next few days, Levi was busy investigating all sorts of ruins.
He had also heard of the increased prevalence of fake ruins.
“Master, we received news that a new ruin has appeared in the mountains of western Erudia. Many have already descended upon it to plunder its treasures. Based on our reports, it holds a frightening technique called the Iron Golem Technique.”
“Can it be a fake? Send someone to investigate at once!”
Levi suspected that the ruins that recently appeared were shams.
Nevertheless, they might be able to find out more given that it had just appeared.
CHAPTER 2401
Chapter 2401 The Ruins Are Real
If the ruins were recently fabricated, there would be more clues upon closer investigation once excavation began.
In fact, they might be able to find out who was the one responsible for creating the fake ruins.
By discovering the mastermind behind the scenes, they might have a chance to locate the enemy’s hideout.
Levi sent the Erudian Alliance to search the ruins at once.
By then, news of the ruin’s appearance had spread far and wide.
Thus, Garrison Industry and many other Erudian factions headed there at the same time.
Even Kirin and the others wanted to try their luck when they heard the news.
Many of them gathered at North Hampton and prepared to plunder the ruins.
Even Queenie’s interest was piqued. Hence, she decided to go over with Azure Dragon.
“Don’t waste your time. It is definitely a fake.”
Levi stopped them just when they were preparing to leave.
Based on Levi’s recent conclusion with the Sacred Organization, the ruins were highly likely to be a sham.
“Hmm? A Fake?”
Stunned, everyone looked at him in disbelief.
“That’s because many of the recent ruins are all fakes. Anyway, it’s just too complicated to explain in such a short time. No matter what, just trust me on it. If you go, you would have taken the bait!”
Levi looked at everyone earnestly.
By then, Zoey and the others no longer believed Levi. Instead, it was Queenie who suddenly remarked, “Fine. Let’s trust him this one time. My father insists that he is someone extraordinary. Hence, I want to see if what he says is true.”
Queenie wanted to find out what was so special about Levi, and this was a wonderful opportunity to do so.
“Edmund, what do you think?”
Queenie looked toward Edmund.
“Fine. It’s just a bunch of ruins. Let’s take Levi’s advice and not go there. We will then see if the ruins are really fake.”
Given how authoritative Edmund’s words were, everyone dropped the idea of plundering the ruins.
As all the major factions withdrew their soldiers, Kirin and the others changed their mind about going.
Instead, everyone was betting on whether Levi was telling the truth.
“Damn it, they finally believed me for once.”
Refusing to let any single person or detail slip, Levi ordered his men to investigate the ruins still.
Soon, it was the day the ruins were about to be excavated.
What surprised everyone was that neither the major factions of Erudia nor other powerful warriors participated in it.
The powerful fighters that came from overseas to plunder it laughed at them.
They had assumed that they didn’t stand a chance. Instead, they didn’t face any competition at all.
Soon, word spread that the Iron Golem Technique contained within the ruins was stolen by the Raysonians.
All the other treasures and techniques inside were also shared between the other plunderers.
A detailed analysis conducted later concluded that the ruins were indeed genuine, contradicting Levi’s presumption.
“Master, there are still some genuine ruins scattered around the world even though most of them are fakes,” Death Fiend remarked.
“However, among the plunderers, this time was a mysterious group. The energy they emitted was different from everyone else. However, by the time my men arrived, they had already gone,” Death Fiend explained.
Levi was puzzled. “Does this mean the mastermind was targeting the ruins too? Or at least knows what was inside it.”
“More or less. That’s why I need to continue my investigations. That aside, I heard the Iron Golem Technique is super strong. I expect whoever got their hands on it will soon start attacking,” Death Fiend lamented.
Levi too let out a long sigh.
Contrary to his expectations, the ruins turned out to be real.
However, he took comfort in finally getting a lead.
Bam!
Suddenly, his room door was kicked open.
Queenie and the others stormed in angrily.
CHAPTER 2402
Chapter 2402 Losing The Iron Golem Technique
“Levi, didn’t you say that the ruins were fake? Why did it turn out to be genuine?”
“Yes! You owe us an explanation!”
Everyone piled on their criticisms.
Levi was indeed caught off guard by the matter as all the previous ruins turned out to be fakes.
Not only was their time wasted, but they had also been used as pawns.
However, he didn’t expect it to be real this time.
“I suspect that there’s something amiss,” Levi replied.
“Hahaha.”
Queenie and the rest burst into laughter.
“And yet, Father claims that you’re extraordinary. Now, what’s so special about you? I even believed you once, and where did it get me? We ended up being cheated by you. I have been a fool to trust you when you claim that the ruins were fake without any evidence. I even got my brother and the others to trust you.”
Queenie was outraged.
“Levi, do you know what the consequences of your actions are? Your lie has caused most of the major factions in Erudia not to go there. Even I and Garrison Industry didn’t send anyone. In the end, we allowed the spoils to be shared among the overseas factions!”
“Those treasures belong to Erudia. How could we have allowed them to fall into the hands of others? Do you know how many people are mocking us right now? In fact, it has become a black mark for me and Garrison Industry!”
“Also, you allowed an ultimate technique to be stolen by others. It’s all your fault! Do you know how big of a loss this is to Erudia?”
“Can you imagine how serious it is to have the Iron Golem Technique stolen by overseas warriors? In fact, they will even use it against Erudian’s own citizens. When that happens, countless men will die under its power.”
“And all this is Levi’s fault. He is the one responsible for giving us false information about the ruins, causing the Iron Golem Technique to be lost to our enemies overseas. Therefore, we have to hold him responsible for the treason he has committed to Erudia!”
Behind Queenie, Edmund and the others hurled accusations at Levi and pinned all the blame on him.
Feeling indignant, Azure Dragon couldn’t help but protest, “Sir, I’m sure it isn’t that serious.”
“Not that serious? Let me give you a dose of reality. Whoever possesses the Iron Golem Technique will be able to defeat everyone on the Divine Leaderboard. In fact, the Dark Emperor and my father wouldn’t be able to penetrate the Iron Golem Technique with their attacks,” Edmund explained.
Everyone gasped in shock.
“Is the Iron Golem Technique really that powerful?”
“Mmm-hmm. Once the technique is used, one’s body will become indestructible just like a golem. One can then withstand any kind of attack. Even the Skyward Sword and Terra Blade are useless against it.
“So far, I have not heard of any attack that can penetrate the Iron Golem Technique. Even the mutated zombies at Maya Industries pale in comparison. Also, once one unleashes the technique, one’s attack will become so devastating that nothing can withstand it,” Robed Slayer explained in detail.
“Therefore, if one trains in the Iron Golem Technique to its highest level, one would be strong enough to challenge the Dark Emperor and divine brigadier!”
Upon hearing the explanation, everyone realized how massive the loss was.
The Iron Golem Technique is simply terrifying. With it, one can potentially become the strongest warrior of all. It is certainly more powerful than weapons such as the Skyward Sword and Terra Blade.
Edmund sighed. “It’s my fault too. Given how powerful the Iron Golem Technique is, I didn’t believe that it could be excavated so easily. That was why I listened to Levi and assumed it was fake.”
“Sir, how is this your fault? Levi is the one who spread falsehood and lied to everyone. Even Divine Brigadier was tricked, he had given orders not to participate in the raid on the ruins.”
“Exactly. It’s all Levi’s fault. He must pay for what he has done!”
CHAPTER 2403
Chapter 2403 Overconfidence
Edmund’s subordinates continued to blame Levi.
“That’s right. If not for him, the Iron Golem Technique would still belong to Erudia. At the very least, Erudia will have another warrior in the top three places of the Divine Leaderboard.”
“Levi has not only caused us to lose the Iron Golem Technique, but also to allow it to fall into the hands of the enemy. Soon, they will use it to kill us!”
“Levi, you will soon have blood on your hands. Erudia will suffer because of your actions!”
Everyone stared daggers at Levi.
They, especially Zoey and the others, were kicking up a big fuss because Levi truly made a mistake.
It was Levi who stopped them when they wanted to search the ruins.
After that, he told them a whole load of crap.
What’s the point of all this? Do they only know how to create a ruckus and behave like clowns?
“I apologize for my incorrect judgment. If there are any problems, I will personally take responsibility,” Levi replied.
“Levi, I don’t want to hear your excuses. Tell me, what should we do now?” Queenie demanded.
The others piled on the pressure. “That’s right. Tell us what you are going to do about it?”
“There’s nothing to do. Isn’t it just the Iron Golem Technique? I’ll just kill whoever dares to cause trouble in Erudia.”
Levi was a sea of calm.
What Iron Golem Technique? It’s nothing but b*llshit. There’s no way it can withstand a punch of mine. Even when I wanted to teach you invincible techniques, you refused to learn them and thought that they were useless. Instead, you swoon over some technique that just sounds fancy. What an ignorant bunch!
“Everyone, stop blaming Levi. Even though he has made the wrong call, the consequences aren’t that dire. In the event Erudia is threatened, Levi will kill whoever dares to do so,” Mia defended Levi.
“Huh. That’s ridiculous! Do you think he can kill someone who masters the Iron Golem Technique? He is ranked a thousand on the Divine Leaderboard and not first place. Even the first placed warrior can’t do that!” Edmund roared.
“All right now, Edmund. What’s done is done. There’s no point crying over spilled milk. We bear some responsibility for it too. Anyway, we have to start preparing ourselves. Once the enemy completes their training in the Iron Golem Technique, they will definitely come for us in Erudia,” Queenie suggested.
Edmund and the others nodded. “Mmm-hmm. You’re right. I will send men out to monitor our enemies. Once there’s any movement, all of us will do it together.”
With that everyone left.
Zoey, Azure Dragon, and the others gave Levi a look of disappointment, as his careless words had caused Erudia to lose a powerful technique and face a major threat.
However, Queenie stayed back instead, as she had a plan of her own.
Levi had failed the first trial she set for him.
If he failed another one, she would have enough reason to get her father to change his mind.
By then, her father would have to let her have her way.
“Sometimes, I don’t know where you get your confidence from. Even my father, who is invincible, isn’t as confident as you are,” Queenie sneered.
“That’s because I have beaten it out of him. How do you expect him to feel confident still?” Levi replied plainly.
Worried that the conflict between both of them would escalate, Mia pulled Levi away.
“All right now, Mia. You should train hard too. After some time, even you can bust a Golem’s indestructible body,” Levi tousled her hair.
Mia didn’t doubt his words at all.
Currently, she only trained in the basic techniques that Levi had taught her.
When Queenie saw that both she and Cyrus were training such techniques, she scoffed, “What a bunch of fools!”
Meanwhile, Levi continued to analyze the situation with Death Fiend.”
“I think I might know something. Didn’t you say that there was a mysterious group that infiltrated the ruins? Also, the most valuable item was the Iron Golem Technique? In that case, it might be…”
An idea flashed across Levi’s mind.
“What is it?” Death Fiend asked.
CHAPTER 2404
Chapter 2404 Next Target Erudia
“It has something to do with the mutated zombies. The management of Maya Industries had mentioned before that mutated zombies were part of a project left behind by Dr. Erebus at the Lab of Gods. Initially, the experiment was supposed to be used on large beasts. Its objective was to create a body that is undying and indestructible. The mutated zombies were already quite the achievement, but they had yet to be perfected.”
Having heard Levi’s analysis, Death Fiend instantly understood what was going on.
“Therefore, they went to the ruins to obtain the Iron Golem Technique. If they managed to incorporate it into their experiments, they would be successful in creating something invincible. Hence, by getting their hands on the technique, they intend to strengthen their creation!”
“You’re right! Let me head to Maya Industries and check with them.”
Disguised as the Dark Emperor, Levi headed to Maya Industries to enquire.
The answer he received was that the Iron Golem Technique couldn’t be applied to mutated zombies.
However, the same couldn’t be said of the Lab of Gods’ project.
Considering how diabolical Dr. Erebus was, he might be able to find a use for it.
A clue! We finally found another lead!
From his investigations, Death Fiend found out that the people who caused the energy disturbance might be from the Lab of Gods.
“Continue with the investigations. I believe we will be able to find more clues soon!” Levi ordered.
The next few days that followed were uneventful.
Everyone was busy training with high intensity while Queenie stayed by Levi’s side.
From her observation, she didn’t find anything extraordinary about him.
As for Mia and Cyrus who were focused on training the basic techniques, they made no progress at all.
Cyrus, in particular, seemed to have grown weaker instead.
It felt as if he was about to die soon.
However, there was no way she could have known that it was a sign of progress. His situation was similar to when Levi was in the Prison of Darkness.
Therefore, Cyrus was already one step closer to success.
However, from that day on, news kept flooding in.
The warriors who obtained the techniques and drugs from the ruins earlier had finally trained and digested them.
Consequently, their strength increased significantly.
When they began to gradually appear in all corners of the world, the rankings in the Provisional and Divine Leaderboard went through a drastic change.
Levi who was placed last on the Divine Leaderboard had been suddenly relegated to seventeenth on the Provisional Leaderboard.
That was an indication that there were many new warriors who had leapfrogged ahead of him.
In truth, there were only thirteen fighters who entered the Divine Leaderboard.
The thirteen that were replaced fell back to the Provisional Leaderboard.
With some unable to make it into the Divine Leaderboard, they spilled into the Provisional Leaderboard and pushed Levi down to seventeenth place there.
It was a shocking development to everyone.
They were cognizant that this was the result brought about by the techniques and treasures found in the ruins.
In a blink of an eye, thirteen warriors were elevated to the Divine Leaderboard, while countless others were promoted to the Provisional Leaderboard.
The most terrifying development of all was that Hirai Musashi, the warrior who seized the Iron Golem Technique, was going around challenging Divine Leaderboard warriors all over Bayview.
By then, he was already ranked fiftieth on the Divine Leaderboard and was still rapidly ascending the ranks.
After challenging the Divine Leaderboard warriors of Raysonia, Keerea, and other neighboring countries, he finally broke into the top thirty.
By then, everyone was astounded.
Those in Erudia in particular knew how frighteningly powerful the Iron Golem Technique was.
Within a short span of time, Hirai had been catapulted over thousands of warriors in the Provisional Leaderboard into thirtieth place on the Divine Leaderboard.
In spite of that, everyone recognized that his true power went beyond the top thirty.
He was just taking his time with his challenges.
As time went on he would grow more familiar with the Iron Golem Technique and would naturally rise up the ranks.
Therefore, his true strength was comparable to the top-ranked fighter on the Divine Leaderboard.
Naturally, Hirai’s next target was Erudia.
CHAPTER 2405
Chapter 2405 I Am The Guardian
Everyone in Erudia panicked at the news.
The matter escalated much faster and was a lot more terrifying than they expected.
Even though the Iron Golem Technique was easy to master, the time that Hirai took to progress was still shockingly short.
However, most people didn’t know that the more terrifying figure was Hirai’s master, Kuroki Takiya.
He had emerged in Raysonia recently as a powerful master and was ranked sixteenth on the Divine Leaderboard.
In truth, he was the one who had gotten the Iron Golem Technique first.
As of then, his disciple had relied on the Iron Golem Technique to secure his position within the top thirty.
With regards to Kuroki, he was truly the one meant to challenge the top-ranked fighter of the Divine Leaderboard and also Divine Brigadier.
As they took down their opponents one by one, their exploits shocked the entire world.
Soon, news of Kuroki and his disciple entering Erudia and challenging the Erudian warriors, especially those on the Divine Leaderboard, began to spread.
The powerful Erudian warriors on the Divine Leaderboard such as Kirin, White Tiger, Floyd, etc were outside the top thirty.
Within the top thirty was Zoey, who was twenty-seventh, and Tyrone, who was twenty-fifth.
Those placed twenty-third, twenty-second, twenty-first, and nineteenth were all Erudian warriors.
Within the ten major factions of Erudia, the head of the Chillshire Ancient Clan was ranked seventeenth.
Raiden of the Northwest City Ancient Clans was ranked sixteenth… so on and so forth.
Ronnie Hawke of Bananville was ranked fourteenth.
Queenie was ranked tenth, while Donald Garrison was ranked eighth.
Edmund was ranked sixth, and the monastic Dragofriar was in fourth place.
Evidently, the top thirty was populated with Erudian fighters.
Hence, they were Kuroki and his disciple’s next targets.
“Levi’s karma is here. Our enemies have completed their training in the Iron Golem Technique and have arrived in Erudia!”
“The Iron Golem Technique belongs to Erudia. But now, someone else is using it to kill Erudians, challenge our warriors, and ultimately humiliate us!”
“It’s all your fault! If not for you, Erudia would already have another warrior that is just as skilled as Dark Emperor and sits at the top of the Divine Leaderboard.”
“Levi, do you know what your mistake has cost Erudia?”
Just as everyone anticipated an impending disaster, all of them laid blame on Levi.
It was undeniably his fault. If not for him, all these wouldn’t have happened, and Erudia would have produced an invincible champion.
Staring at Levi, Queenie sneered, “Is this what makes you special? That is to cause trouble and attract disasters?”
Many were disappointed in him.
After all, listening to him had landed them in their current predicament.
Now, the entire world was ridiculing Erudia.
They had not only given away a legacy of their forefathers but also allowed their enemies to use it against them.
It was a humiliation for the nation, and Levi was the culprit.
“Don’t worry. The challenges are no big deal. Just let them go ahead. If they pose any threat, I will personally slaughter them. Whether it is the past, present, or the future, I will always be Erudia’s guardian! Hmph!”
Levi’s expression was calm, as he didn’t see the enemies as a threat at all.
“Pfft! Hahaha!”
Suddenly, everyone burst into laughter.
Erudia’s guardian?
“Hahaha!”
What a ridiculous joke!
Erudia’s guardian? What sort of misconception is that? He thinks he is fearless and can deal with all of Erudia’s threats? Even Divine Brigadier doesn’t dare make such a claim.
The real guardians of Erudia are The Cardinal Hall and Eragon! How can Levi declare himself the guardian when he’s just one man? Isn’t it absurd?
“Levi, we have to go back to our work. If this escalates into a disaster, you will be the first to be offered up for slaughter!”
With that, everyone began to make preparations.
However, it was strange that Divine Brigadier ordered The Cardinal Hall and Eragon not to interfere in the matter.
CHAPTER 2406
Chapter 2406 Wiping Out Erudian Fighters
His decision intrigued everyone.
It appeared that Divine Brigadier took Levi’s side when it came to the two matters.
Thus, Queenie was puzzled as to what her father saw in Levi.
Is he really extraordinary? But no matter, this is another wonderful opportunity still.
In the end, she would put Levi out there to face Kuroki and his disciple.
After all, she really wanted to know if he could defeat the enemy or was just boasting all the time.
If he really could, that would prove how special he was.
Or else, he would be killed in the process.
With that, Queenie made her decision to use the circumstances as a trial for Levi.
Soon, Kuroki and his disciple entered Erudia and began their challenges.
Hirai challenged those who were ranked higher than thirty on the Divine Leaderboard.
His opponents included Azure Dragon, Kirin, etc.
Having been challenged, Kirin and the others agreed without fear.
Soon, news began to broke.
Azure Dragon, Phoenix, Kirin, Venom Fiend, Sword Fiend, Kinsley, Floyd, and many others were all defeated.
Armed with the Iron Golem Technique, Hirai wiped out many of Erudias champions from the Divine Leaderboard.
All those related to Levi were also defeated.
Even those from the Erudian Alliance, such as Asura, Minka, Zar, and many others lost their challenge too.
Furthermore, many others whom Levi didn’t know were also trashed.
Kuroki and his disciple’s objective in coming to Erudia were to defeat all its champions on the Divine Leaderboard.
With an intimidating aura, Hirai was the first to challenge.
He had swept through those ranked higher than thirty on the Divine Leaderboard with ease.
Every single one of his opponents was defeated.
None of them could withstand the power of the Iron Golem Technique.
In fact, the world was shocked that it wasn’t even a contest.
At that moment, Erudia had faced its biggest crisis in the new era.
Although there were other challengers who preceded them, none were so overwhelmingly powerful.
After all those ranked above thirty were soundly beaten, Kuroki began to focus on the top thirty warriors of the Divine Leaderboard.
Among them was Zoey, who had recently been promoted from thirty-fourth to twenty-seventh.
Hence, she was the first to be challenged.
However, in the face of the invincible Iron Golem Technique, she was no match at all.
In fact, she felt that Kuroki was more powerful than the mutated zombies who had impregnable defenses.
Unlike the mutated zombies, Kuroki’s attack was just as powerful as his defense.
All Zoey could feel was despair the moment she was defeated.
Next on the list was Tyrone.
He too was defeated without a single chance to counterattack.
One by one, the warriors fell until Donald, who was ranked eighth, was challenged.
Unfortunately, he too was finally defeated.
By the time Edmund, who was ranked sixth, went into battle, he had spent the previous night strategizing with The Cardinal Hall’s elites on how to defeat the Iron Golem Technique.
Therefore, he managed to stand his ground longer than anyone else even though he still lost in the end.
Despite unleashing his ultimate technique, he was unable to make a dent against the Golem-like indestructible body.
Finally, Dragofriar, who was ranked fourth and trained in Golem techniques, was challenged.
The Impregnable Body technique he trained was similar to the Iron Golem Technique.
Although they share similar defensive attributes, Dragofriar’s offense wasn’t comparable to the Iron Golem Technique.
Consequently, he too was overwhelmed, which came as a shock to both Erudia and the rest of the world.
With Edmund and Dragofriar defeated, Kuroki looked unstoppable.
Erudia was utterly humiliated and had become the butt of everyone’s jokes.
After all, the Iron Golem Technique belonged to Erudia in the first place.
“That’s right, we missed out Queenie, who is ranked tenth. Let’s go challenge her.”
Kuroki had set his sights on Queenie, who happened to be with Levi at that moment.
CHAPTER 2407
Chapter 2407 Struck By Fear
At that moment, all those from the Divine Leaderboard who were defeated were gathered at Levi’s manor.
They were laying the blame on him.
“Levi, have you seen what you have done? The consequences are playing out right in front of you!”
“Erudia has been humiliated and everyone feels ashamed!”
“All its champions on the Divine Leaderboard have been wiped out. There’s no one left to stop them now. Today marks the darkest moment in Erudia’s history!”
Even Edmund and his men had hurried over.
“Levi, do you now admit that this is your fault? If you hadn’t stopped us by saying it was a fake, the Iron Golem Technique wouldn’t have fallen into the hands of others. Now, outsiders are using it to trash us and humiliate Erudia. They are trampling on our pride and the martial arts of Erudia!
“Don’t forget that the Iron Golem Technique belonged to Erudia. We were the ones who were supposed to wield it. But now, it’s being used by our enemies to kill us!”
Everyone continued to criticize Levi.
They vented the anger, frustration, and shame they felt from their defeat onto him.
Although the matter was indeed Levi’s fault due to his erroneous judgment, the blame shouldn’t solely rest on him.
If they were powerful enough, none of this would have happened.
The crux of the matter was their own incompetence.
And yet, they even dared to complain and vent their frustrations on Levi.
All of a sudden, Levi smiled.
It’s not a bad idea for all of them to know their place. Or else, they may continue to assume that they are invincible. All this while, they have gloated incessantly about their ranks to the extent of being obsessed with themselves. But after being defeated, they seemed to have known their place. Their rank on the Divine Leaderboard didn’t seem to make a difference in the face of the Iron Golem Technique. Also, haven’t they constantly extolled the virtues of modern era techniques? But now, their techniques have proven to be useless against the Iron Golem Technique, which is an ancient one to begin with.
Consequently, Levi felt that their defeat was a valuable reminder for them to stay humble.
However, there was no way Edmund and Donald could accept the humiliation of being thrashed.
Despite Edmund’s defeat, The Cardinal Hall still didn’t interfere. All they did was swallow the shame.
However, Donald couldn’t bear being ridiculed.
Hence, he had ordered the ancient Garrison clan to provide reinforcements.
As for the rest, their situation was the same as Edmund’s. All they could do was swallow their pride without any chance of revenge.
“Levi, you have to take responsibility for what is going on right now. Even your death isn’t enough to quell the anger of the masses!” the crowd clamored.
“What if I kill them both?” Levi asked with a smile.
“Kill them both?”
Everyone laughed.
After all, they had personally experienced how powerful Kuroki and his disciple were.
If the Dark Emperor, who was top of the Divine Leaderboard, and Divine Brigadier didn’t show up, no one else could do anything against these two foes.
Even the second and third-ranked warriors of the Divine Leaderboard failed to stop them both. And now, Levi proclaims that he will kill them? What a joke!
“Oh no! Kuroki has issued Ms. Birmingham a challenge and is heading here right now!” someone reported all of a sudden.
“What? Kuroki is coming?”
“Quick! Run!”
“Let’s hurry! We cannot bear to see him again!”
When the ones who were defeated heard about Kuroki’s arrival, they began scurrying away like rats that had seen a cat.
They couldn’t bring themselves to stay a moment longer, as they didn’t have the guts to face Kuroki again.
After all, their defeat had traumatized them so badly that they were living in fear and couldn’t raise their heads up high anymore.
That was the fear that Kuroki had beaten into them.
The terror he inflicted upon them was seared into their soul.
Thanks a lot Master Skye. It has been so irritating and annoying that the story was so much focused on useless ranking. I used to admire Zoey, especially for her determination to standby Levi, no matter what happens. But I have to admit now, I just want to slap her so hard and put some sense in her head so that she can believe her husband. I also wish that Levi take a leaf out of Dustin and learn from him not to tolerate nonsense and belittling and teach a lesson then and there.
“Are you sure you’re not mad, father? You want me to charm him?” Queenie asked hesitantly.
“Yes, and this is your final chance. You need to get to it now! If you’re even one step late, someone else is going to take him for herself,” the divine brigadier urged.
“What? But father, what’s so good about Levi? Why do you want to marry Queenie off to him? And on top of that, you want her to make the first move?” Edmund asked curiously.
“Alright, shut the f*ck up and get the f*ck out.” The divine brigadier chased his stupid son out. He did not want to hear Edmund’s voice anymore.
Edmund was flabbergasted. His father used to love him to bits, but he seemed to have changed a lot after he came back.
Queenie suggested, “Father, I know why you’re doing this. You want me to marry him because he has great genes, right? You want to get more geniuses out of him, but won’t this make us into a laughing stock? This is a stupid idea. If you really want more new blood, you can always ask Levi to get his wife pregnant again. You’ll get more geniuses, and I won’t have to marry him. That’s two birds with one stone.”
The divine brigadier let out a long sigh. The children aren’t the ultimate goal here. ”Queenie, you have no idea what’s at stake. Just listen to me for once, will you?” the divine brigadier advised her.
God, she has no idea about the whole situation. You’ll lose out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity if you refuse.
“I can go along with the plan, father. But at least give me a reason.” Queenie still needed a reason to convince her to go along with the plan.
The divine brigadier didn’t want to tell her everything, but he could give her a hint. “Why don’t you stay with him for a while. See how he is. You’ll know what makes him special soon enough. You’ll see why I want you to marry him then.”
“I’m sorry?”
“That’s your mission. Stay with him for a month or so. Not that hard, right? If you’re still unwilling to marry him, then we’ll put a stop to this plan.”
Finally, Queenie agreed to it, “Alright. I can do that.”
“Then go to him, now. And keep a close eye on him. You’ll find your answer soon enough.”
Queenie left The Cardinal Hall to see Levi, while Edmund was still out of the loop.
At the same time, Levi came back to the manor, but everyone there glared at him murderously the moment he showed up. The look in their eyes said, “How dare you show your face here?”
“I can explain—”
Before Levi could say anything, Aaron interrupted, “No. Just get divorced from Zoey. Times have changed, and none of you have to rely on each other now. Since you have a brighter future waiting for you, just sign the papers and go on your own way. We’ll give you the freedom you want.”
Everyone agreed, “Yeah! Sign the papers!”
Levi’s disciples and friends agreed. “Now that we have come to this, you should just sign the papers. We’ll respect your choice.”
…
Levi couldn’t believe that everyone wanted him to get a divorce. On top of that, all the people he trusted the most were also asking him to sign the papers.
“Now calm down. Let me explain. That old git wanted to marry Queenie off to me, but I never agreed to it. He lied to everyone, and Queenie would never agree to it. There’s nothing between us, I swear,” Levi explained, but it sounded flimsy to everyone.
Zoey laughed. “Do you think anyone would believe that? There’s no way the divine brigadier would lie. He wouldn’t stoop so low for someone like you. There’s no way he would. And tell me the truth. What did you do after you left?”
“I went to see that old git. And I beat him up to punish him. He’s barely hanging on now.”
The news came as a shocker to them, and everyone was understandably petrified.
“What? Did you beat up the divine brigadier? You’re joking!”
Nobody believed him, of course.
“You can take a look for yourself if you don’t believe me,” Levi persuaded.
CHAPTER 2399
Chapter 2399 Why Did You Come Again
He really wanted everyone to see for themselves.
And everyone took him up on his offer, “Fine. We’ll see for ourselves then. Lead the way.”
But nobody believed him of course. All they wanted to do was to expose his lies.
And then Mia came back in a hurry. “It’s real, Zoey!” She panted. “Levi beat the divine brigadier. I saw it with my own eyes!”
Mia went after Levi the moment he left, but she didn’t manage to stop him in time. When she arrived at The Cardinal Hall, the fight had already started.
Levi noticed her as well, but he paid no mind to her. And thus, she saw how Levi took the divine brigadier out with one punch.
“You mustn’t sign the papers, Zoey. Levi isn’t lying! This is all the divine brigadier’s plan! It has nothing to do with Levi!”
…
Mia desperately explained what she saw to everyone, but nobody believed her. They thought she was lying so Zoey and Levi would not get divorced.
After all, nothing she said could possibly happen. They wouldn’t believe it even if she said Levi made it to the top ten on the Divine Leaderboard, let alone him beating the divine brigadier. There’s no way in hell that’s true.
“Don’t defend him, Mia. We all think Zoey did the right thing.”
Nobody wanted to listen to Mia. Even Zoey thought Mia was just defending Levi.
“Fine. If you don’t believe me, then you can see for yourself!”
But before Levi could leave, someone said coldly, “No need for that.”
“Hm?”
Everyone wondered who came, and it turned out to be Queenie. They looked at her curiously, wondering why she stopped Levi.
“My father isn’t hurt at all. Everyone at The Cardinal Hall felt his pressure, and it’s even more powerful than he was at his peak. I saw it with my own eyes,” she explained.
“I knew it! What do you have to say for yourself, Levi?”
Everyone laughed after hearing that explanation. After all, they instinctively thought Queenie was the one who was telling the truth.
But she was telling the truth. Her father didn’t even look like he was hurt at all.
“What?” Levi was surprised, and Mia was as well.
I saw Levi taking him out with a single punch. There’s no way he came out unscathed. Impossible!
“Impossible! He took my punch head-on! He should have been gravely injured at the very least. He couldn’t have gotten away unscathed.” Levi couldn’t believe what was happening.
But then he recalled their first meeting. Back then, he severely injured the divine brigadier, but he seemed okay when he came to see Levi earlier. As if he wasn’t hurt at all.
And she said he feels stronger than ever? Guess he has something that can heal him up and bring him back to his best condition then. He is The Cardinal Hall’s leader after all. Getting something like that should be a cinch for him.
Sh*t. Now they won’t believe me. But Levi gave up on explaining himself. After all, nobody would believe him, so there was no point explaining himself.
Mia was panicking, but she knew nobody would believe her no matter what she said.
“What do you have to say for yourself, Levi? You can’t keep up the lie now, can you?”
“Queenie said her father is fine. What do you have to say to that?”
…
Everyone started laughing at Levi, since they thought his ‘lie’ had been exposed.
Queenie sneered. “You told them you beat my father? And you thought they’d buy that? How stupid can you be?”
Levi looked at her. “Why did you come back?”
CHAPTER 2400
Chapter 2400 A Terrifying Technique
“Levi, why are you asking the obvious? Ms. Birmingham is here because of you!”
“What a joke. How could he ask her the reason for her presence on purpose?”
The crowd laughed mockingly.
“My father has asked me to observe you for a period of time, as he claims that you are extraordinary. Thus, I’m here to see what makes you so special. It’s also a good opportunity to stop my father from wanting me to marry you!” Queenie sneered.
“Everyone, don’t you worry. I will never marry Levi. Therefore, you don’t have to make a fuss over the divorce. Even if Levi wants to marry me, there’s no way I’ll agree. How can he be worthy of me?”
Queenie declared to Zoey and the rest that Levi and she stood no chance of being together at all.
Regardless of what Levi’s opinion of the matter was, she would never agree to it.
However, the more she acted that way, the angrier everyone else got.
“Levi, we need a timeout. Since you no longer need our protection anymore, let’s split up and train by ourselves for the time being,” Zoey suggested.
“We support Zoey’s idea. Everyone should just take a break.”
“Despite what Ms. Birmingham has said, she still wants to be with you in the future.”
“Break up. You have to break up!”
After that, most of the crowd dispersed, leaving Levi and a few others behind.
Mia tugged at Levi’s arm. “Levi, what are you going to do? You have to think of something!”
“It’s alright. Just let it be for now,” Levi replied.
“Aren’t you leaving?” Levi looked to Queenie.
Queenie put on a haughty expression. “My father wants me to observe you for a while. Hence, I’ll be staying to see what sort of miracles you can create.”
Ignoring Levi’s grim expression, Queenie moved in right away.
Mia watched on anxiously, hoping that Levi would do something about it.
“Just let her be.”
Levi couldn’t care less.
Nevertheless, his hatred for Divine Brigadier intensified, causing him to feel the urge to kill him with one blow.
I don’t even get the chance to take my medication.
The next few days, Queenie stayed in the manor.
Soon, she noticed the presence of Cyrus, who had locked himself up in the basement for solitary training.
She could sense that he was physically weak and increasingly had trouble breathing. She also realized that he was focused on training basic techniques.
“What does he hope to achieve? This is ridiculous!”
Queenie sneered, “Even if you can pick up The Cardinal Hall’s invincible techniques, there are many other modern techniques which you can randomly train in. There must be something wrong with your brain to train in such a basic technique! You will not be able to achieve in ten years what others can in a month!”
Queenie viewed Cyrus’ training with contempt.
Mia, who was beside her, added, “That exact same thought crossed my mind initially. I, too, assumed that it was a waste of time until I saw Levi’s true power. That’s when I realize this is the path of true strength. Hence, even I am training the same way now.”
Queenie looked at Mia in shock. “Levi’s true power?”
“Mmm-hmm. That day, I saw with my own eyes how he defeated your father,” Mia replied candidly.
However, Queenie was outraged.
“Enough. Stop spewing lies! You are no different from Levi!” Queenie scolded.
She was proud of her father and believed him to be invincible.
How can anyone, especially Levi, defeat him? It’s just impossible!
Over the next few days, Levi was busy investigating all sorts of ruins.
He had also heard of the increased prevalence of fake ruins.
“Master, we received news that a new ruin has appeared in the mountains of western Erudia. Many have already descended upon it to plunder its treasures. Based on our reports, it holds a frightening technique called the Iron Golem Technique.”
“Can it be a fake? Send someone to investigate at once!”
Levi suspected that the ruins that recently appeared were shams.
Nevertheless, they might be able to find out more given that it had just appeared.
CHAPTER 2401
Chapter 2401 The Ruins Are Real
If the ruins were recently fabricated, there would be more clues upon closer investigation once excavation began.
In fact, they might be able to find out who was the one responsible for creating the fake ruins.
By discovering the mastermind behind the scenes, they might have a chance to locate the enemy’s hideout.
Levi sent the Erudian Alliance to search the ruins at once.
By then, news of the ruin’s appearance had spread far and wide.
Thus, Garrison Industry and many other Erudian factions headed there at the same time.
Even Kirin and the others wanted to try their luck when they heard the news.
Many of them gathered at North Hampton and prepared to plunder the ruins.
Even Queenie’s interest was piqued. Hence, she decided to go over with Azure Dragon.
“Don’t waste your time. It is definitely a fake.”
Levi stopped them just when they were preparing to leave.
Based on Levi’s recent conclusion with the Sacred Organization, the ruins were highly likely to be a sham.
“Hmm? A Fake?”
Stunned, everyone looked at him in disbelief.
“That’s because many of the recent ruins are all fakes. Anyway, it’s just too complicated to explain in such a short time. No matter what, just trust me on it. If you go, you would have taken the bait!”
Levi looked at everyone earnestly.
By then, Zoey and the others no longer believed Levi. Instead, it was Queenie who suddenly remarked, “Fine. Let’s trust him this one time. My father insists that he is someone extraordinary. Hence, I want to see if what he says is true.”
Queenie wanted to find out what was so special about Levi, and this was a wonderful opportunity to do so.
“Edmund, what do you think?”
Queenie looked toward Edmund.
“Fine. It’s just a bunch of ruins. Let’s take Levi’s advice and not go there. We will then see if the ruins are really fake.”
Given how authoritative Edmund’s words were, everyone dropped the idea of plundering the ruins.
As all the major factions withdrew their soldiers, Kirin and the others changed their mind about going.
Instead, everyone was betting on whether Levi was telling the truth.
“Damn it, they finally believed me for once.”
Refusing to let any single person or detail slip, Levi ordered his men to investigate the ruins still.
Soon, it was the day the ruins were about to be excavated.
What surprised everyone was that neither the major factions of Erudia nor other powerful warriors participated in it.
The powerful fighters that came from overseas to plunder it laughed at them.
They had assumed that they didn’t stand a chance. Instead, they didn’t face any competition at all.
Soon, word spread that the Iron Golem Technique contained within the ruins was stolen by the Raysonians.
All the other treasures and techniques inside were also shared between the other plunderers.
A detailed analysis conducted later concluded that the ruins were indeed genuine, contradicting Levi’s presumption.
“Master, there are still some genuine ruins scattered around the world even though most of them are fakes,” Death Fiend remarked.
“However, among the plunderers, this time was a mysterious group. The energy they emitted was different from everyone else. However, by the time my men arrived, they had already gone,” Death Fiend explained.
Levi was puzzled. “Does this mean the mastermind was targeting the ruins too? Or at least knows what was inside it.”
“More or less. That’s why I need to continue my investigations. That aside, I heard the Iron Golem Technique is super strong. I expect whoever got their hands on it will soon start attacking,” Death Fiend lamented.
Levi too let out a long sigh.
Contrary to his expectations, the ruins turned out to be real.
However, he took comfort in finally getting a lead.
Bam!
Suddenly, his room door was kicked open.
Queenie and the others stormed in angrily.
CHAPTER 2402
Chapter 2402 Losing The Iron Golem Technique
“Levi, didn’t you say that the ruins were fake? Why did it turn out to be genuine?”
“Yes! You owe us an explanation!”
Everyone piled on their criticisms.
Levi was indeed caught off guard by the matter as all the previous ruins turned out to be fakes.
Not only was their time wasted, but they had also been used as pawns.
However, he didn’t expect it to be real this time.
“I suspect that there’s something amiss,” Levi replied.
“Hahaha.”
Queenie and the rest burst into laughter.
“And yet, Father claims that you’re extraordinary. Now, what’s so special about you? I even believed you once, and where did it get me? We ended up being cheated by you. I have been a fool to trust you when you claim that the ruins were fake without any evidence. I even got my brother and the others to trust you.”
Queenie was outraged.
“Levi, do you know what the consequences of your actions are? Your lie has caused most of the major factions in Erudia not to go there. Even I and Garrison Industry didn’t send anyone. In the end, we allowed the spoils to be shared among the overseas factions!”
“Those treasures belong to Erudia. How could we have allowed them to fall into the hands of others? Do you know how many people are mocking us right now? In fact, it has become a black mark for me and Garrison Industry!”
“Also, you allowed an ultimate technique to be stolen by others. It’s all your fault! Do you know how big of a loss this is to Erudia?”
“Can you imagine how serious it is to have the Iron Golem Technique stolen by overseas warriors? In fact, they will even use it against Erudian’s own citizens. When that happens, countless men will die under its power.”
“And all this is Levi’s fault. He is the one responsible for giving us false information about the ruins, causing the Iron Golem Technique to be lost to our enemies overseas. Therefore, we have to hold him responsible for the treason he has committed to Erudia!”
Behind Queenie, Edmund and the others hurled accusations at Levi and pinned all the blame on him.
Feeling indignant, Azure Dragon couldn’t help but protest, “Sir, I’m sure it isn’t that serious.”
“Not that serious? Let me give you a dose of reality. Whoever possesses the Iron Golem Technique will be able to defeat everyone on the Divine Leaderboard. In fact, the Dark Emperor and my father wouldn’t be able to penetrate the Iron Golem Technique with their attacks,” Edmund explained.
Everyone gasped in shock.
“Is the Iron Golem Technique really that powerful?”
“Mmm-hmm. Once the technique is used, one’s body will become indestructible just like a golem. One can then withstand any kind of attack. Even the Skyward Sword and Terra Blade are useless against it.
“So far, I have not heard of any attack that can penetrate the Iron Golem Technique. Even the mutated zombies at Maya Industries pale in comparison. Also, once one unleashes the technique, one’s attack will become so devastating that nothing can withstand it,” Robed Slayer explained in detail.
“Therefore, if one trains in the Iron Golem Technique to its highest level, one would be strong enough to challenge the Dark Emperor and divine brigadier!”
Upon hearing the explanation, everyone realized how massive the loss was.
The Iron Golem Technique is simply terrifying. With it, one can potentially become the strongest warrior of all. It is certainly more powerful than weapons such as the Skyward Sword and Terra Blade.
Edmund sighed. “It’s my fault too. Given how powerful the Iron Golem Technique is, I didn’t believe that it could be excavated so easily. That was why I listened to Levi and assumed it was fake.”
“Sir, how is this your fault? Levi is the one who spread falsehood and lied to everyone. Even Divine Brigadier was tricked, he had given orders not to participate in the raid on the ruins.”
“Exactly. It’s all Levi’s fault. He must pay for what he has done!”
CHAPTER 2403
Chapter 2403 Overconfidence
Edmund’s subordinates continued to blame Levi.
“That’s right. If not for him, the Iron Golem Technique would still belong to Erudia. At the very least, Erudia will have another warrior in the top three places of the Divine Leaderboard.”
“Levi has not only caused us to lose the Iron Golem Technique, but also to allow it to fall into the hands of the enemy. Soon, they will use it to kill us!”
“Levi, you will soon have blood on your hands. Erudia will suffer because of your actions!”
Everyone stared daggers at Levi.
They, especially Zoey and the others, were kicking up a big fuss because Levi truly made a mistake.
It was Levi who stopped them when they wanted to search the ruins.
After that, he told them a whole load of crap.
What’s the point of all this? Do they only know how to create a ruckus and behave like clowns?
“I apologize for my incorrect judgment. If there are any problems, I will personally take responsibility,” Levi replied.
“Levi, I don’t want to hear your excuses. Tell me, what should we do now?” Queenie demanded.
The others piled on the pressure. “That’s right. Tell us what you are going to do about it?”
“There’s nothing to do. Isn’t it just the Iron Golem Technique? I’ll just kill whoever dares to cause trouble in Erudia.”
Levi was a sea of calm.
What Iron Golem Technique? It’s nothing but b*llshit. There’s no way it can withstand a punch of mine. Even when I wanted to teach you invincible techniques, you refused to learn them and thought that they were useless. Instead, you swoon over some technique that just sounds fancy. What an ignorant bunch!
“Everyone, stop blaming Levi. Even though he has made the wrong call, the consequences aren’t that dire. In the event Erudia is threatened, Levi will kill whoever dares to do so,” Mia defended Levi.
“Huh. That’s ridiculous! Do you think he can kill someone who masters the Iron Golem Technique? He is ranked a thousand on the Divine Leaderboard and not first place. Even the first placed warrior can’t do that!” Edmund roared.
“All right now, Edmund. What’s done is done. There’s no point crying over spilled milk. We bear some responsibility for it too. Anyway, we have to start preparing ourselves. Once the enemy completes their training in the Iron Golem Technique, they will definitely come for us in Erudia,” Queenie suggested.
Edmund and the others nodded. “Mmm-hmm. You’re right. I will send men out to monitor our enemies. Once there’s any movement, all of us will do it together.”
With that everyone left.
Zoey, Azure Dragon, and the others gave Levi a look of disappointment, as his careless words had caused Erudia to lose a powerful technique and face a major threat.
However, Queenie stayed back instead, as she had a plan of her own.
Levi had failed the first trial she set for him.
If he failed another one, she would have enough reason to get her father to change his mind.
By then, her father would have to let her have her way.
“Sometimes, I don’t know where you get your confidence from. Even my father, who is invincible, isn’t as confident as you are,” Queenie sneered.
“That’s because I have beaten it out of him. How do you expect him to feel confident still?” Levi replied plainly.
Worried that the conflict between both of them would escalate, Mia pulled Levi away.
“All right now, Mia. You should train hard too. After some time, even you can bust a Golem’s indestructible body,” Levi tousled her hair.
Mia didn’t doubt his words at all.
Currently, she only trained in the basic techniques that Levi had taught her.
When Queenie saw that both she and Cyrus were training such techniques, she scoffed, “What a bunch of fools!”
Meanwhile, Levi continued to analyze the situation with Death Fiend.”
“I think I might know something. Didn’t you say that there was a mysterious group that infiltrated the ruins? Also, the most valuable item was the Iron Golem Technique? In that case, it might be…”
An idea flashed across Levi’s mind.
“What is it?” Death Fiend asked.
CHAPTER 2404
Chapter 2404 Next Target Erudia
“It has something to do with the mutated zombies. The management of Maya Industries had mentioned before that mutated zombies were part of a project left behind by Dr. Erebus at the Lab of Gods. Initially, the experiment was supposed to be used on large beasts. Its objective was to create a body that is undying and indestructible. The mutated zombies were already quite the achievement, but they had yet to be perfected.”
Having heard Levi’s analysis, Death Fiend instantly understood what was going on.
“Therefore, they went to the ruins to obtain the Iron Golem Technique. If they managed to incorporate it into their experiments, they would be successful in creating something invincible. Hence, by getting their hands on the technique, they intend to strengthen their creation!”
“You’re right! Let me head to Maya Industries and check with them.”
Disguised as the Dark Emperor, Levi headed to Maya Industries to enquire.
The answer he received was that the Iron Golem Technique couldn’t be applied to mutated zombies.
However, the same couldn’t be said of the Lab of Gods’ project.
Considering how diabolical Dr. Erebus was, he might be able to find a use for it.
A clue! We finally found another lead!
From his investigations, Death Fiend found out that the people who caused the energy disturbance might be from the Lab of Gods.
“Continue with the investigations. I believe we will be able to find more clues soon!” Levi ordered.
The next few days that followed were uneventful.
Everyone was busy training with high intensity while Queenie stayed by Levi’s side.
From her observation, she didn’t find anything extraordinary about him.
As for Mia and Cyrus who were focused on training the basic techniques, they made no progress at all.
Cyrus, in particular, seemed to have grown weaker instead.
It felt as if he was about to die soon.
However, there was no way she could have known that it was a sign of progress. His situation was similar to when Levi was in the Prison of Darkness.
Therefore, Cyrus was already one step closer to success.
However, from that day on, news kept flooding in.
The warriors who obtained the techniques and drugs from the ruins earlier had finally trained and digested them.
Consequently, their strength increased significantly.
When they began to gradually appear in all corners of the world, the rankings in the Provisional and Divine Leaderboard went through a drastic change.
Levi who was placed last on the Divine Leaderboard had been suddenly relegated to seventeenth on the Provisional Leaderboard.
That was an indication that there were many new warriors who had leapfrogged ahead of him.
In truth, there were only thirteen fighters who entered the Divine Leaderboard.
The thirteen that were replaced fell back to the Provisional Leaderboard.
With some unable to make it into the Divine Leaderboard, they spilled into the Provisional Leaderboard and pushed Levi down to seventeenth place there.
It was a shocking development to everyone.
They were cognizant that this was the result brought about by the techniques and treasures found in the ruins.
In a blink of an eye, thirteen warriors were elevated to the Divine Leaderboard, while countless others were promoted to the Provisional Leaderboard.
The most terrifying development of all was that Hirai Musashi, the warrior who seized the Iron Golem Technique, was going around challenging Divine Leaderboard warriors all over Bayview.
By then, he was already ranked fiftieth on the Divine Leaderboard and was still rapidly ascending the ranks.
After challenging the Divine Leaderboard warriors of Raysonia, Keerea, and other neighboring countries, he finally broke into the top thirty.
By then, everyone was astounded.
Those in Erudia in particular knew how frighteningly powerful the Iron Golem Technique was.
Within a short span of time, Hirai had been catapulted over thousands of warriors in the Provisional Leaderboard into thirtieth place on the Divine Leaderboard.
In spite of that, everyone recognized that his true power went beyond the top thirty.
He was just taking his time with his challenges.
As time went on he would grow more familiar with the Iron Golem Technique and would naturally rise up the ranks.
Therefore, his true strength was comparable to the top-ranked fighter on the Divine Leaderboard.
Naturally, Hirai’s next target was Erudia.
CHAPTER 2405
Chapter 2405 I Am The Guardian
Everyone in Erudia panicked at the news.
The matter escalated much faster and was a lot more terrifying than they expected.
Even though the Iron Golem Technique was easy to master, the time that Hirai took to progress was still shockingly short.
However, most people didn’t know that the more terrifying figure was Hirai’s master, Kuroki Takiya.
He had emerged in Raysonia recently as a powerful master and was ranked sixteenth on the Divine Leaderboard.
In truth, he was the one who had gotten the Iron Golem Technique first.
As of then, his disciple had relied on the Iron Golem Technique to secure his position within the top thirty.
With regards to Kuroki, he was truly the one meant to challenge the top-ranked fighter of the Divine Leaderboard and also Divine Brigadier.
As they took down their opponents one by one, their exploits shocked the entire world.
Soon, news of Kuroki and his disciple entering Erudia and challenging the Erudian warriors, especially those on the Divine Leaderboard, began to spread.
The powerful Erudian warriors on the Divine Leaderboard such as Kirin, White Tiger, Floyd, etc were outside the top thirty.
Within the top thirty was Zoey, who was twenty-seventh, and Tyrone, who was twenty-fifth.
Those placed twenty-third, twenty-second, twenty-first, and nineteenth were all Erudian warriors.
Within the ten major factions of Erudia, the head of the Chillshire Ancient Clan was ranked seventeenth.
Raiden of the Northwest City Ancient Clans was ranked sixteenth… so on and so forth.
Ronnie Hawke of Bananville was ranked fourteenth.
Queenie was ranked tenth, while Donald Garrison was ranked eighth.
Edmund was ranked sixth, and the monastic Dragofriar was in fourth place.
Evidently, the top thirty was populated with Erudian fighters.
Hence, they were Kuroki and his disciple’s next targets.
“Levi’s karma is here. Our enemies have completed their training in the Iron Golem Technique and have arrived in Erudia!”
“The Iron Golem Technique belongs to Erudia. But now, someone else is using it to kill Erudians, challenge our warriors, and ultimately humiliate us!”
“It’s all your fault! If not for you, Erudia would already have another warrior that is just as skilled as Dark Emperor and sits at the top of the Divine Leaderboard.”
“Levi, do you know what your mistake has cost Erudia?”
Just as everyone anticipated an impending disaster, all of them laid blame on Levi.
It was undeniably his fault. If not for him, all these wouldn’t have happened, and Erudia would have produced an invincible champion.
Staring at Levi, Queenie sneered, “Is this what makes you special? That is to cause trouble and attract disasters?”
Many were disappointed in him.
After all, listening to him had landed them in their current predicament.
Now, the entire world was ridiculing Erudia.
They had not only given away a legacy of their forefathers but also allowed their enemies to use it against them.
It was a humiliation for the nation, and Levi was the culprit.
“Don’t worry. The challenges are no big deal. Just let them go ahead. If they pose any threat, I will personally slaughter them. Whether it is the past, present, or the future, I will always be Erudia’s guardian! Hmph!”
Levi’s expression was calm, as he didn’t see the enemies as a threat at all.
“Pfft! Hahaha!”
Suddenly, everyone burst into laughter.
Erudia’s guardian?
“Hahaha!”
What a ridiculous joke!
Erudia’s guardian? What sort of misconception is that? He thinks he is fearless and can deal with all of Erudia’s threats? Even Divine Brigadier doesn’t dare make such a claim.
The real guardians of Erudia are The Cardinal Hall and Eragon! How can Levi declare himself the guardian when he’s just one man? Isn’t it absurd?
“Levi, we have to go back to our work. If this escalates into a disaster, you will be the first to be offered up for slaughter!”
With that, everyone began to make preparations.
However, it was strange that Divine Brigadier ordered The Cardinal Hall and Eragon not to interfere in the matter.
CHAPTER 2406
Chapter 2406 Wiping Out Erudian Fighters
His decision intrigued everyone.
It appeared that Divine Brigadier took Levi’s side when it came to the two matters.
Thus, Queenie was puzzled as to what her father saw in Levi.
Is he really extraordinary? But no matter, this is another wonderful opportunity still.
In the end, she would put Levi out there to face Kuroki and his disciple.
After all, she really wanted to know if he could defeat the enemy or was just boasting all the time.
If he really could, that would prove how special he was.
Or else, he would be killed in the process.
With that, Queenie made her decision to use the circumstances as a trial for Levi.
Soon, Kuroki and his disciple entered Erudia and began their challenges.
Hirai challenged those who were ranked higher than thirty on the Divine Leaderboard.
His opponents included Azure Dragon, Kirin, etc.
Having been challenged, Kirin and the others agreed without fear.
Soon, news began to broke.
Azure Dragon, Phoenix, Kirin, Venom Fiend, Sword Fiend, Kinsley, Floyd, and many others were all defeated.
Armed with the Iron Golem Technique, Hirai wiped out many of Erudias champions from the Divine Leaderboard.
All those related to Levi were also defeated.
Even those from the Erudian Alliance, such as Asura, Minka, Zar, and many others lost their challenge too.
Furthermore, many others whom Levi didn’t know were also trashed.
Kuroki and his disciple’s objective in coming to Erudia were to defeat all its champions on the Divine Leaderboard.
With an intimidating aura, Hirai was the first to challenge.
He had swept through those ranked higher than thirty on the Divine Leaderboard with ease.
Every single one of his opponents was defeated.
None of them could withstand the power of the Iron Golem Technique.
In fact, the world was shocked that it wasn’t even a contest.
At that moment, Erudia had faced its biggest crisis in the new era.
Although there were other challengers who preceded them, none were so overwhelmingly powerful.
After all those ranked above thirty were soundly beaten, Kuroki began to focus on the top thirty warriors of the Divine Leaderboard.
Among them was Zoey, who had recently been promoted from thirty-fourth to twenty-seventh.
Hence, she was the first to be challenged.
However, in the face of the invincible Iron Golem Technique, she was no match at all.
In fact, she felt that Kuroki was more powerful than the mutated zombies who had impregnable defenses.
Unlike the mutated zombies, Kuroki’s attack was just as powerful as his defense.
All Zoey could feel was despair the moment she was defeated.
Next on the list was Tyrone.
He too was defeated without a single chance to counterattack.
One by one, the warriors fell until Donald, who was ranked eighth, was challenged.
Unfortunately, he too was finally defeated.
By the time Edmund, who was ranked sixth, went into battle, he had spent the previous night strategizing with The Cardinal Hall’s elites on how to defeat the Iron Golem Technique.
Therefore, he managed to stand his ground longer than anyone else even though he still lost in the end.
Despite unleashing his ultimate technique, he was unable to make a dent against the Golem-like indestructible body.
Finally, Dragofriar, who was ranked fourth and trained in Golem techniques, was challenged.
The Impregnable Body technique he trained was similar to the Iron Golem Technique.
Although they share similar defensive attributes, Dragofriar’s offense wasn’t comparable to the Iron Golem Technique.
Consequently, he too was overwhelmed, which came as a shock to both Erudia and the rest of the world.
With Edmund and Dragofriar defeated, Kuroki looked unstoppable.
Erudia was utterly humiliated and had become the butt of everyone’s jokes.
After all, the Iron Golem Technique belonged to Erudia in the first place.
“That’s right, we missed out Queenie, who is ranked tenth. Let’s go challenge her.”
Kuroki had set his sights on Queenie, who happened to be with Levi at that moment.
CHAPTER 2407
Chapter 2407 Struck By Fear
At that moment, all those from the Divine Leaderboard who were defeated were gathered at Levi’s manor.
They were laying the blame on him.
“Levi, have you seen what you have done? The consequences are playing out right in front of you!”
“Erudia has been humiliated and everyone feels ashamed!”
“All its champions on the Divine Leaderboard have been wiped out. There’s no one left to stop them now. Today marks the darkest moment in Erudia’s history!”
Even Edmund and his men had hurried over.
“Levi, do you now admit that this is your fault? If you hadn’t stopped us by saying it was a fake, the Iron Golem Technique wouldn’t have fallen into the hands of others. Now, outsiders are using it to trash us and humiliate Erudia. They are trampling on our pride and the martial arts of Erudia!
“Don’t forget that the Iron Golem Technique belonged to Erudia. We were the ones who were supposed to wield it. But now, it’s being used by our enemies to kill us!”
Everyone continued to criticize Levi.
They vented the anger, frustration, and shame they felt from their defeat onto him.
Although the matter was indeed Levi’s fault due to his erroneous judgment, the blame shouldn’t solely rest on him.
If they were powerful enough, none of this would have happened.
The crux of the matter was their own incompetence.
And yet, they even dared to complain and vent their frustrations on Levi.
All of a sudden, Levi smiled.
It’s not a bad idea for all of them to know their place. Or else, they may continue to assume that they are invincible. All this while, they have gloated incessantly about their ranks to the extent of being obsessed with themselves. But after being defeated, they seemed to have known their place. Their rank on the Divine Leaderboard didn’t seem to make a difference in the face of the Iron Golem Technique. Also, haven’t they constantly extolled the virtues of modern era techniques? But now, their techniques have proven to be useless against the Iron Golem Technique, which is an ancient one to begin with.
Consequently, Levi felt that their defeat was a valuable reminder for them to stay humble.
However, there was no way Edmund and Donald could accept the humiliation of being thrashed.
Despite Edmund’s defeat, The Cardinal Hall still didn’t interfere. All they did was swallow the shame.
However, Donald couldn’t bear being ridiculed.
Hence, he had ordered the ancient Garrison clan to provide reinforcements.
As for the rest, their situation was the same as Edmund’s. All they could do was swallow their pride without any chance of revenge.
“Levi, you have to take responsibility for what is going on right now. Even your death isn’t enough to quell the anger of the masses!” the crowd clamored.
“What if I kill them both?” Levi asked with a smile.
“Kill them both?”
Everyone laughed.
After all, they had personally experienced how powerful Kuroki and his disciple were.
If the Dark Emperor, who was top of the Divine Leaderboard, and Divine Brigadier didn’t show up, no one else could do anything against these two foes.
Even the second and third-ranked warriors of the Divine Leaderboard failed to stop them both. And now, Levi proclaims that he will kill them? What a joke!
“Oh no! Kuroki has issued Ms. Birmingham a challenge and is heading here right now!” someone reported all of a sudden.
“What? Kuroki is coming?”
“Quick! Run!”
“Let’s hurry! We cannot bear to see him again!”
When the ones who were defeated heard about Kuroki’s arrival, they began scurrying away like rats that had seen a cat.
They couldn’t bring themselves to stay a moment longer, as they didn’t have the guts to face Kuroki again.
After all, their defeat had traumatized them so badly that they were living in fear and couldn’t raise their heads up high anymore.
That was the fear that Kuroki had beaten into them.
The terror he inflicted upon them was seared into their soul.
I think the author is unnecessarily making Levi seemed docile in the face of lies, false accusations and conspiracies against him. He seem to act when it's too late for anyone to believe him. We'll done for you hard work master skye it's a good story though. I know the sex and the perv sects are waiting for Levi to ravage Quinie.
Chapter 1
Velador country.
Over the airport in Case York city.
A private jet is about to land.
There are hundreds of fighter jets circling and escorting around!
The airport was blocked even earlier.
The special fighters with live ammunition stood everywhere, three floors inside and three floors...
Has anyone heard or read the novel Awakening of War God, I have read around 20 chapters and looking for more. If anyone has any information kindly share, you have my gratitude in advance🙏
