《Godly Evolution: I Can Fuse with the Genes of Every Living Creature》 Chapter 1 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The night was dark and gloomy. It was like an extremely terrifying ghost hand, firmly holding the world in its hand. On the branch of a thick giant tree, Emerson Cole was sitting there quietly. He was holding a pitch-black horn in his hand and gnawing on it. Although the flesh of the Iron Horn Ant was dry and hard, Emerson Cole did not dislike it at all. He had already been in the dark forest for 3 whole days. This was the only food he could find. Although it was already late at night, Emerson Cole did not feel sleepy at all. In other words, he did not dare to feel sleepy at all. After all, this dark forest known as the forbidden ground for living humans. Ever since the mutation of the Blue Planet, countless people had died in that man-eating dark forest. Even the legendary genetic warrior might have died in this dark forest. Year 2557 of the Blue Planet, a strange fog enveloped the entire planet. Under the strange fog, the Blue Planet underwent huge changes. The size of the Blue Planet expanded by 10 times, and many strange creatures crawled out from the fog. These strange creatures were powerful. Human weapons could not deal with these strange creatures. As such, the entire blue planet instantly turned into a living hell. Along with the destruction of humanity¡¯s technological civilization, a new type of civilization was born. Some humans slowly began to undergo mutations, possessing the power to fight against those strange creatures. These mutated humans were collectively known as genetic warriors. That was what Emerson Cole thought of genetic warriors. To be precise, he was a quasi-genetic warrior. Generally, genetic warriors were born naturally. When they were born, certain genes in their bodies were naturally much higher than normal people. Some people had powerful strength, some had astonishing speed, and there were even some genetic warriors who were born with the ability to control some unique powers. The current strongest warrior in Iron City, Grandpa Elrond, for example. He was a fire-type genetic warrior who was born with the ability to control fire-type powers. The main reason why Iron City was able to stay close to the dark forest and not be invaded by the strange creatures was because of Grandpa Elrond¡¯s existence. As for Emerson Cole, he was born as an ordinary person. He did not have the genes to be called a genetic warrior. The reason why Emerson Cole was a quasi-genetic warrior was because he was a transmigrator. He was bound to the system of a transmigrator. His system was called the Myriad Fusion System. He could improve his genetic power by fusing with different genes. With that, he could become a qualified genetic warrior. The main purpose of Emerson Cole¡¯s trip to the dark forest this time was to kill those strange creatures and fuse with their genes, so that he could become a qualified genetic warrior. [Iron Horn Ant fusion. Strength Gene: +0.] After biting off the horn of the Iron Horn Ant, the system¡¯s voice sounded in Emerson Cole¡¯s mind. ¡°It seems that it¡¯s impossible to improve my genes by fusing with 1 kind of creature. The only way to improve my genes is to fuse with more creatures.¡± Emerson Cole clapped his hands and said to himself. It had been 3 days since he came to the dark forest, and he was still at the outermost edge of the dark forest. It was not that he did not want to go deeper, but with his current strength, he simply could not enter the depths of the dark forest. If he went deeper into the dark forest, there would only be 1 outcome ¨C Death! Although he had the system, he knew his limits. [Name: Emerson Cole Gender: Male Age: 19 Height: 182 Strength Gene: 45 Agility Gene: 15 Physical Gene: 20 Elemental Gene: 0] Looking at his attribute panel, Emerson Cole shook his head in dissatisfaction. Through this period of understanding, as well as his understanding of the system. A certain gene had to reach 50 before he could be called a genetic warrior. His most likely genetic option to reach 50 was strength. However, in this outermost region, only a creature like the Iron Horn Ant could give him an increase in Strength Gene. Previously, he had already obtained strength genes by fusing with the Iron Horn Ant. It was impossible for him to upgrade his Strength Gene by consuming Iron Horn Ant. Hence, if he wanted to upgrade, he could only enter deeper into the dark forest. However, going deeper into the forest meant he would meet more unknown dangers. For a moment, Emerson Cole was in a dilemma. Buzz¡­ Buzz¡­ Just as Emerson Cole was in a dilemma, a soft sound suddenly sounded beside him. It was followed by a faint burnt smell, as if something had been burnt. Emerson Cole hurriedly lowered his head to look to the side. Then, he saw a drop of black ink suddenly fall on a branch next to him. As the black ink dripped, the branch was instantly melted and broke. Emerson Cole subconsciously looked up. Hiss! When Emerson Cold saw what was above him, he suddenly widened his eyes. He felt a chill down his spine and cold sweat instantly soaked his back. It was a head! A head the size of a basin! Chapter 2 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The head had a pair of scarlet eyes that were the size of a fist. A cold glint emanated from those eyes, causing Emerson Cole to feel a chill down his spine. Even in the dark, those 1-foot-long fangs were still emitting a cold glint. Emerson Cole recognized it at a glance. Tier 8 mutated creature ¨C Red-scaled Fire Python! Before coming to the dark forest, Emerson Cole had already gained a sufficient understanding of the dark forest. The dark forest could be divided into 4 levels. They were the outermost, outer, central and core regions. At the outermost region, there were some normal creatures and tier 9 mutated creatures. The Iron Horn Ant that Emmerson Cole had eaten was a quasi-rank tier 9 mutated creature in the outermost region. As for the Red-scaled Fire Python, it should be active in the outer region and the central region. It would hardly appear in the outermost region. Such a powerful mutated creature had its own territory. It would usually not leave its territory so easily. Even if it left, it would at most hunt some preys around its territory and then return to its territory. However, the Red-scaled Fire Python appeared at the outermost region, and it was even so close to him. Emerson Cole could feel the fear lingering in his body. Fortunately, he was always cautious, and he was able to notice the python first. If he were to relax a little and did not notice the python, he knew very well what would happen to him. Looking at the Red-scaled Fire Python that kept spitting out its tongue, Emerson did not hesitate as he hurriedly climbed down the tree. His movements were minimal as he climbed down slowly. He did not dare to make any noises when he was climbing down the tree. He knew very well that if he made even the slightest noise, he would immediately be noticed by the python. If the python were to notice him, with Emerson¡¯s strength, it would be very difficult for him to escape. The difference in strength between the 2 was simply too great. He could not even be considered a genetic warrior at that moment. Even if he successfully advanced to a tier 9 genetic warrior, he would still be nothing more than food for the Red-scaled Fire Python. Slowly, Emerson climbed down the tree. When he saw that he was only about 20 feet away from the ground, he could not help but heave a sigh of relief in his heart. Since Emerson had not been discovered by the python, this made Emerson feel much more at ease. However, he also knew that he could not let down his guard at that very moment. After exhaling softly, Emerson once again cautiously moved down the tree. However, when he was less than 2 meters from the ground, he accidentally stepped on the tree branch. Crack! A crisp sound rang out. ¡°Sh*t!¡± Emerson thought to himself. He suddenly raised his head and saw Red-scaled Fire Python staring at him coldly with its eyes. It was splitting out its tongue while staring at him. In the next second, it opened its huge bloody mouth and bit toward him. Upon seeing this, Emerson jumped to the ground and rolled to dodge the attack. Then, he quickly got up and ran away without looking back. Fortunately, Emerson had been moving around the area during this time, so he was familiar with the surrounding terrain. He knew that whether he could survive or not depended on how he utilized the terrain in that area. As Emerson ran, he paid attention to the movements of the red-scaled flame mantis. Since entering the dark forest, Emerson¡¯s body had become much stronger, and his vision was much better than before. It appeared that he had some night vision ability. After running for a while, Emerson felt that something was wrong. Thus, he turned around and realized that no one was behind him. ¡°Strange, could it be that it didn¡¯t catch up?¡± Emerson muttered to himself. Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Suddenly, Emerson¡¯s body tensed up. He turned his head and saw that the Red-scaled Fire Python appeared in front of him. At that moment, the Red-scaled Fire Python opened its huge mouth. An unpleasant smell assailed his nostrils as it bit down on Emerson. Upon seeing the huge bloody mouth approaching him, Emerson was so frightened that his hair stood on end. He hurriedly dodged, and he narrowly avoided its attack. Then, he jumped and climbed onto a rock. With a push of his legs, he grabbed a tree branch and flipped himself onto the tree. The Red-scaled Fire Python saw that its attack was ineffective. The python raised its head and watched Emerson climbed onto the tree trunk. Then, the python swung its massive tail. Boom! A loud sound rang out. The tree fell to the ground. The moment the Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s tail hit the tree, Emerson jumped onto another tree. ¡°What a troublesome fellow.¡± Looking at the tree that was smashed by the python¡¯s tail, Emerson¡¯s expression was awful. He did not expect the Red-scaled Fire Python to be so troublesome. Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Upon seeing that its prey did not get hit and had instead fled to another tree, the Red-scaled Fire Python hurriedly twisted its body and continued its pursuit. ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s that?¡± Emerson was prepared to escape again when he saw the python was chasing him. Just as he was about to move, he saw a flash of white light at the abdomen of the Red-scaled Fire Python. As it was late at night, the light was exceptionally dazzling. Emerson did not see the white light clearly because the distance between them was quite far. so he did not know what happened. However, he still kept an eye out. As Emerson escaped, he was constantly paying attention to the movements of the Red-scaled Fire Python. Time passed bit by bit. Emerson did not know how long he had been running and how far he had escaped. He only felt that he was exhausted. His legs felt as if they were filled with lead, and he could not feel his legs at all. However, he knew that he could not stop. A Red-scaled Fire Python was chasing after him. As long as he stopped, the python would immediately catch up to him and eat him in an instant. However, while he was running, Emerson discovered that the Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s speed was not as fast as it was at the beginning. In fact, it was moving a lot more slower than he expected. Moreover, every time the Red-scaled Fire Python twisted its body, its abdomen would bend high, and liquid would flow down from its abdomen. That scene caught Emerson Cole¡¯s attention. Unfortunately, he could not see anything from a distance. However, he had a feeling that whether he could escape or not must have something to do with that matter. Moreover, he had always been curious about why the Red-scaled Fire Python would appear at the outermost region. He feel uneasy about the white light that he saw earlier. These 2 questions had been lingering in his mind, but he knew that he should not be thinking too much. Another 10 minutes passed. Emerson took advantage of the opportunity and leaped high into the air, using the 3 trees that lined up in a straight line to move around. Chapter 3 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°What should I do¡­¡± Emerson stood at the tip of the tree, in the darkness, watching the huge body of the Red-scaled Fire Python under the moonlight. With the strength of a tier 8 mutated creature, that tree could not stop it at all. With no other choice, Emerson could only use his last bit of strength as he jumped onto a mountain wall. There was a small platform on the wall, which could allow him to stand there and recover his strength. Soon, the Red-scaled Fire Python saw him standing on the platform. Emerson maintained his vigilance and hid at the innermost part of the mountain wall. At the same time, he was constantly on guard against the possible attacks of the Red-scaled Fire Python. However, a miraculous scene happened. Originally, Emerson only wanted to use the protection of the rocks there to stop the Red-scaled Fire Python for a while, to buy himself some time to rest. However, that tier 8 mutated creature could not do anything when faced with the platform that was not even 5 meters tall! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! It stuck out its tongue and raised its head high. The 2 eyes on its head were even bigger than the headlights of a car, emitting a dazzling light in the dark night. It was obvious that it did not want to let Emerson go. However, it hesitated. Why? Emerson was confused too. After looking carefully at the Red-scaled Fire Python, he suddenly found that there seemed to be a hole in the abdomen of the Python. It was as if something had cut open the python¡¯s flesh from the inside. Something drilled on its flesh. The python was hindered by the wound on its abdomen and did not dare to rush up the mountain. The Red-scaled Fire Python was afraid that the wound on its abdomen would be cut by those sharp stones, which would further enlarge it wound. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Emerson¡¯s eyes flashed with a bright light. ¡°If it¡¯s an injury, then it¡¯ll be easy to deal with.¡± No matter what mutated creature it was, when it was injured or wounded, its strength would be greatly reduced. The reason why the Red-scaled Fire Python was so slow when it chased Emerson was that it had lost too much blood. Its wound had worsened. Facing a wounded Red-scaled Fire Python, Emerson felt less fearful. In an instant, many thoughts flashed through his mind. If he continued to run away from it, the Red-scaled Fire Python would definitely not be able to catch up to him. Could he take a risk and try to kill it? It was not impossible for him to kill the python. As long as he continued to drag it on and brought it through the dark forest, its wound would become more and more serious. If this continued, as long as the wound expanded and killed the Red-scaled Fire Python, he could harvest the spoils of war. How much of a boost could a tier 8 mutated creature bring him? Emerson could not help but look forward to it. However, what he needed to do was to recover his stamina first. While maintaining his vigilance, he had also caught 2 Iron Horn Ants. Although the ants could not increase Emerson¡¯s attributes, it was still a quasi-tier 9 mutated creature. The Iron Horn Ant contained abundant energy. At the moment, it was good enough for him to recover his strength quickly. Although it tasted terrible, Emerson still ate them. Soon, as the Iron Horn Ants were swallowed by him bit by bit, a faint warmth rose from his abdomen and spread throughout his body. Emerson could feel that his strength was rapidly recovering. At the same time, a voice sounded in his mind. [Iron Horn Ant fusion. Strength Gene: +0.] [Sufficient Iron Horn Ant¡¯s gene. Quasi-tier 9 creature soul obtained.] Creature soul! Emerson¡¯s eyes widened. He had never thought that eating Iron Horn Ant would trigger a creature soul. He had stayed in the dark forest for 3 days and had killed more than 1,000 mutated creatures, yet he had not obtained a single creature soul. Who would have thought that after eating 2 Iron Horn Ants, he would obtain a creature soul? ¡°Oh my God.¡± He was pleasantly surprised. Although the creature soul of the Iron Horn Ant was not high, it was better than nothing. With a thought, a pitch-black stinger fell into his hand. [Creature soul of the Iron Horn Ant: Weapon-type.] It was a weapon-type creature soul. The stinger from the Iron Horn Ant was very sharp. There was a dark green glow on it as well. It was obvious that there was a lethal poison on the stinger. With the stinger, Emerson was very confident in dealing with the Red-scaled Fire Python. Hiss! Hiss! The Red-scaled Fire Python below seemed to have become agitated after seeing Emerson take out the Horcrux Stinger. It roared at Emerson, and its eyes revealed a strange light. It swung its enormous tail, smashed a huge tree nearby, and actually turned around to leave! Obviously, the Red-scaled Fire Python was intelligent and knew that the stinger could pose a huge threat to it. It did not want to take such a risk for a small prey. However, how could Emerson let it off his hook so easily? ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Emerson shouted as he pounced at the python like a cannonball. He raised the stinger as he suddenly stabbed at its tail! Hiss! The Red-scaled Fire Python let out a painful cry. After that, it continuously swung its huge tail, trying to kill Emerson with its massive tail. However, Emerson would not give it the chance. After a successful strike, he ran away, hiding on a nearby tree trunk, waiting for the stinger¡¯s poison to take effect in the Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s body. Unfortunately, that was only a poison from a quasi-tier 9 mutated creature. To a tier 8 mutated creature, it would not have any effect for the time being. However, Emerson was not in a hurry. He just waited for the poison to take effect. If the Red-scaled Fire Python turned around and chased after him, Emerson would immediately run away without hesitation. If the Red-scaled Fire Python ignored him, Emerson would move toward it slowly. From time to time, he would stab the Red-scaled Fire Python a few times. Red-scaled Fire Python let out terrifying hisses, but it could not do anything to Emerson. After a long time, Emerson gradually realized that Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s dexterity was not as good as before. Emerson even tried to stab the stinger deeper into Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s tail, but it did not have much of a reaction. It was obvious that the poison had begun to take effect, numbing its nerves. The wound on the Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s abdomen had expanded. It was obvious that the Red-scaled Fire Python could not hold on much longer. At that moment, Emerson could clearly see that the wound on the abdomen seemed to be the Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s stomach. Its abdomen had been penetrated by a sharp horn, leaving a huge gash on it. Emerson was immediately attracted by what was inside. ¡°Is that¡­ the horn of a Unicorn?¡± Chapter 4 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The Unicorn was a creature located in the central region. It was powerful and belonged to the category of tier 5 mutated creatures. However, how could such a powerful mutated creature be eaten by the Red-scaled Fire Python? Emerson walked toward the python with curiosity. Looking at the Red-scaled Fire Python that had already become weak, he was still worried. Pulling out the stinger from its tail, he aimed it at its heart and smashed the stinger into its heart. Immediately, the Red-scaled Fire Python let out a painful wail. Its huge body began to tremble violently. After all, it was a tier 8 mutated creature. It would not die so easily. Emerson hurriedly dodged to avoid being accidentally injured by the Red-scaled Fire Python. Seeing the Red-scaled Fire Python struggle for a long time before collapsing to the ground, he still waited for a long time before approaching it. After that, he slowly moved toward the python with cautious. After confirming that the Red-scaled Fire Python had truly died, a look of excitement appeared in Emerson¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s mine!¡± That was a tier 8 mutated creature! Compared to the Iron Horn Ant, eating the Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s meat would definitely bring a much greater increase to his genes. Perhaps, Emerson could break through 100 points in Strength Gene and become a tier 8 genetic warrior! Moreover, those that he could not finish could be sold in Iron City in exchange for a large amount of gold coins and other resources. Without the slightest hesitation, Emerson started eating its flesh. Although its flesh still contained poison, it was completely ineffective against Emerson, who possessed the creature soul of an Iron Horn Ant. He cut off the most delicious piece of meat from the Red-scaled Fire Python and took a bite. However, he almost spat out all the Iron Horn Ants that he had eaten. The smell was fishy and smelly. There was a sour smell in the meat too. He could not swallow it at all. He could only start a fire and roast the meat before he consumed it. Emerson finally knew why the taverns in Iron City sold the meat of the mutated creatures in high prices, but they were still so popular. The taste and texture of the meat were very important. While Emerson was roasting the meat, he also saw something that wounded the Red-scaled Fire Python. It was indeed the horn of a Unicorn, but it was a broken horn. Moreover, it was the horn of a young Unicorn. A young Unicorn¡¯s strength could not reach the level of a tier 5 mutated creature. No wonder that it was devoured by the Red-scaled Fire Python. However, Unicorns had the advantage because of their bloodline. Even though it was a cub, it still caused the Red-scaled Fire Python to suffer such serious injuries. The reason why the Red-scaled Fire Python appeared at the outermost region of the dark forest was probably because it was being chased by the parents of the young Unicorn, which was why it ran away from its own territory. Coincidentally, the Red-scaled Fire Python met Emerson Cole. It could be considered a blessing in disguise. If it had been an adult Red-scaled Fire Python, he definitely would not have survived, let alone kill it. Then, Emerson rummaged through the Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s stomach for a while. Unfortunately, the unicorn¡¯s body had already been corroded by the Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s powerful acidic fluid, and it was no longer edible. Otherwise, after fusing with the bloodline of that quasi-tier 5 mutated creature, it would definitely bring him an tremendous upgrade. ¡°Forget about it, I can¡¯t be too greedy. I still have a broken horn,¡± Emerson said to himself. However, this horn was already broken, and it was the horn of a cub. The value of the horn had significantly reduced. He was already satisfied to be able to sell it for the same price as the hardest scales on the Red-scaled Fire Python. Emerson put the meat that had been roasted into his mouth and chewed. Through the transformation of the system, he gradually absorbed the power of the Red-scaled Fire Python. [Red-scaled Fire Python fusion. Strength Gene: +13.] [Red-scaled Fire Python fusion. Agility Gene: +7.] [Red-scaled Fire Python fusion. Strength Gene: +9.] [Red-scaled Fire Python fusion. Physical Gene: +11.] [Red-scaled Fire Python fusion. Fire Elemental Fragment: +1.] ¡­ As Emerson continued to consume the meat, his body was also undergoing constant changes. His thin and weak muscles had become thick and powerful. His body, which had been extremely exhausted after that battle, had recovered in an instant. The notification rang out over a dozen times until he could no longer obtain any attributes after swallowing the Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s meat. Emerson immediately checked his status. [Name: Emerson Cole Gender: Male Age: 19 Height: 182 Strength Gene: 97 Agility Gene: 44 Physical Gene: 53 Elemental Gene: 0 Fire Elemental Fragment: 4] ¡­ The current Emerson had already become a genetic warrior. His Strength Gene was only 3 points away from becoming a tier 8 genetic warrior. More importantly, as long as his Agility Gene reached 50 points, he would be able to become an all-rounder tier 9 genetic warrior. ¡°Seems like I need to make a trip to the tavern.¡± Emerson felt that if he could increase these 2 attributes, he would not need to explore the outermost region of the dark forest anymore. ¡°There are 4 fragments now. If the tavern has the meat of a fire-type mutated creature, I might be able to gather 10 fragments and synthesize a skill.¡± Emerson muttered. Then, he began to dismantle the Red-scaled Fire Python. The scales were the most important part He had divided the scales by quality. The scales could be stored for a long time. The price for the scales was very high as well. However, it could not be sold in Iron City all at once. Although Iron City had the protection of Grandpa Elrond, that was only for the mutated creatures in the dark forest. Iron City was safe and chaotic at the same time. The rules of Iron City were basically set by the genetic warriors. The weak would obey the strong, and the strong would obey people who were stronger than them. Bullying, plundering, robbing, raping, and killing were happening in Iron City all the time. Those were common issues. Since there were no laws in Iron City, the supremacy of strength had become the only rule. Emerson was well aware of it. If he rashly brought the entire Red-scaled Fire Python back to Iron City, he might not survive the night. Therefore, he could only bring the meat that would soon rot back to Iron City first. As for the bones, teeth, and scales, he would need to bury half of them as he could only keep a small part of them with him. He looked like a hunter who sold mutated creature¡¯s meat to a tavern. However, even so, Emerson was still targeted by some people on his way back to Iron City. There was a whole group of genetic warriors, a total of 4 people. The whole group referred to the fact that everyone¡¯s genetic attributes had reached the standard of a tier 9 genetic warrior. Furthermore, everyone had their own unique abilities, playing different roles in the group. Strength, agility, physical, and elemental attributes. They had their own forte. Emerson was very clear about the rules of the Iron City. This meant that genetic warrior with elemental abilities would be much harder to deal with compared to ordinary genetic warriors. They did not communicate a lot with Emerson. They even had a faint smile on their faces as they took the initiative to open up a path for him, appearing very friendly. However, it was something completely impossible. Emerson had just upgraded his genetic ability, and he had yet to report to the Iron City garrison office to test his strength and obtain his identity card. In other words, in their eyes, Emerson was just an ordinary man. As genetic warriors, it was impossible for them to be so polite and friendly. As expected, after Emerson had walked away from them, the sound of a gust of wind whistled from behind him! Chapter 5 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Filthy beast.¡± Emerson cursed in a low voice. Having long prepared himself, he rolled on the ground and dodged the sneak attack from behind. Bang! In the next moment, a fireball exploded in front him, blasting a rock that was half the height of a human into powder. The heat wave created by the impact even caused the Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s meat that had fallen to the ground to emit a burning smell. It was enough to see just how terrifying the power of this fireball was. If Emerson did not have the time to react earlier and had taken this fireball head-on, even if his physique had reached the level of a tier 9 genetic warrior, it would have hurt him. From the looks of it, they were trying to kill him without any hesitation. Emerson stood up coldly and turned his head, looking at the squad of genetic warriors. ¡°Oh?¡± 1 of the members had a look of surprise on his face. Clearly, he did not expect that Emerson, a man without an identity card, would be able to dodge his fatal sneak attack. However, he did not take it to heart. The hunters in the dark forest possessed extremely high vigilance, and they also possessed an excellent sense of danger. Thus, they was not surprised when they saw him did something that normal people could not do. Emerson was going to die in the end, but he might die a little slower. ¡°George, let¡¯s end this quickly,¡± said a man beside him with a gloomy face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, captain. It¡¯s just a hunter.¡± The man who launched the sneak attack sneered. Fire elements quickly gathered in his palm as he aimed at Emerson¡¯s head. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you dodge this.¡± Whoosh! A beam of light shot out at lightning speed! Emerson narrowed his eyes and forcefully suppressed the anger in his heart. He wanted to kill the man immediately, but he turned around and ran into the dark forest at the side. He could kill him, but there was no need. Killing the man was certainly fun and cool. However, there were 4 of them. If he did that, he would only end up in a passive position. Everyone was a tier 9 genetic warrior. Although Emerson had the advantage in attributes, he could not be so arrogant. Furthermore, the combat experience of the other party, as well as the coordination between them, were definitely much stronger than Emerson had imagined. Emerson quickly made up his mind. However, even though he was escaping, he tried his best to control his speed to barely dodge their attacks. After that, he fled into the dark forest. ¡°What a cunning guy¡± Looking at Emerson whose figure was covered by the dense fog, George was frustrated. He looked at the Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s meat that was left on the ground and asked, ¡°Captain, are we still chasing him?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The captain responded to George, ¡°Remember, I want him alive. I want to know the whereabouts of the Red-scaled Fire Python.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± George was about to rush into the dark forest, but he was stopped by the captain. ¡°Be careful. He¡¯s agile. Pay attention!¡± The captain seemed to have noticed something fishy and reminded George. Hearing this, George also paid attention. He said to the thin man beside him, ¡°Chris, you follow me.¡± Chris nodded silently and followed him in the direction that Emerson had left. ¡°Alan, go and clean up the meat. Don¡¯t let others know about the situation here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ After stepping into the dark forest, George and Chris walked carefully through the fog. George wanted to see more clearly, so he activated his fire-type power and opened up a visible space. ¡°We didn¡¯t bring the Broken Sight Bead. Quickly deactivate your elemental power! Idiot!¡± Chris shouted loudly. He really did not know why the captain would let a newbie chase after an experienced hunter. George, who was scolded, was stunned. Only then did he remember something and quickly deactivate his power. Rustle¡­ However, it was already too late. A cacophony of voices started echoing in the empty forest, giving off a terrifying feeling of loneliness. Clearly, something was approaching them. Emerson, who was already sitting on a branch above them, had long noticed them. When he saw them acting in such a manner, he could not help but chuckle. ¡°Fools. It seems that I¡¯ve overestimated them.¡± Initially, he had thought that they were a well-trained genetic warrior squad that had gone through countless life-and-death experiences. However, he had not expected that they would make such a low-level mistake. They should not use any light source in the dark forest. As everyone knew, the mutated creatures in the dark forest lived in darkness all year round. Any single spark would attract the attention of a large number of mutated creatures. When Emerson had made a fire to roast the meat back then, he had only dared to do so because he had used the unique smell of the Red-scale Fire Python¡¯s soul pill to intimidate the creatures at the outermost region of the dark forest. Otherwise, he would have had to use the Broken Sight Bead that Chris had mentioned a moment ago. It was a kind of camouflage tool that could form a pitch-black barrier within a certain range, preventing any sound or light from being transmitted out. Buzz¡­ Buzz¡­ A sound suddenly rang out in front of them. It seemed to come from nearby. ¡°It seems like I don¡¯t even need to make a move.¡± Emerson chuckled and got up to climb to a higher position. Having already experienced countless life-and-death experiences in the dark forest, Emerson naturally knew what was coming. Decaying Blood Moth! Although the moth was not even considered a quasi-tier 9 mutated creature, it possessed an extremely troublesome ability. Once bitten by that thing, the blood in one¡¯s body would be corrupted due to infection in a very short period of time, and one would quickly die. Ordinary genetic warriors would avoid it if they encountered it. George, who was below Emerson, was keenly aware of the abnormality. However, they had no way of escaping. The sound of vibrating currents could be heard from all directions. Countless Decaying Blood Moths had already surrounded them. ¡°Damn hunter, if I catch him, I¡¯ll definitely chop off his legs!¡± George blamed all of this on Emerson. He shouted as the fire in his palm suddenly lit up. Countless fire elements gushed out from his body, forming a flame barrier to protect himself. Due to the intense light source and heat, the moths of became even more agitated, launching wave after wave of attacks on them. Countless Decaying Blood Moths were turned into ashes because of the flame barrier. The barrier was constantly being attacked, stirring up countless waves of flames. Chris, who was not weaker than him, opened his hands and held a huge shield and long knife in his hands. The long knife looked common, like an ordinary tier 8 creature soul weapon. However, the shield was a special. No one knew what grade of creature soul it was, but when Chris waved the shield, it could actually create a water-blue barrier that covered a 180 degree angle. The moths would die if it touched it. ¡°Excellent weapon!¡± Emerson immediately took a fancy to the shield and began to think about how to get it. Chapter 6 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Creature soul equipment was different from ordinary weapons and equipment. It was very difficult to plunder. The equipment was something unique to genetic warriors. It would disappear with if the wielder died. Each type of creature soul equipment could only be equipped with one. Higher quality ones could replace the original. As for Emerson¡¯s stinger, that was a quasi-tier 9 creature soul weapon. It had yet to reach Tier 9. If Emerson obtained a tier 9 or tier 8 creature soul weapon, he could replace his stinger. After that, the creature soul that was replaced could be materialized with some tools and be sold. As for materialized tools, they could be brought in Iron City. The price was not expensive either. Other than that, one could also choose to disassemble it. One could disassemble the creature soul equipment and sell it directly. Naturally, no one would do such a thing. After every genetic warrior obtained creature soul equipment, there was still a way to earn gold coins. If Emerson wanted to obtain Chris¡¯ shield, he could only use a special method. The threat posed by the Decaying Blood Moth was not too great. However, very quickly, another group of uninvited guests arrived. Iron Horn Ants arrived. When they attacked, they would use their horns that were as hard as steel to injure their enemies. At the same time, the stinger in their mouths could also numb their prey¡¯s, increasing their advantage. Even though they were not too annoying to a tier 9 genetic warrior, a group of creatures known as Skinning Hunters followed closely behind the ants. There were 2 sharp knives in their hands. Their favorite thing to do was to peel off the skin of their prey and store it. Although there were not many of them, their combat power was strong. The Skinning Hunters were known as the top predators at the outermost region of the dark forest. Whether or not a tier 9 genetic warrior could head to the outermost region of the dark forest depended on whether or not they could kill the Skinning Hunter 1-on-1. Naturally, Chris had killed them before. However, as a newbie who had just joined the team, how could George know how terrifying these monsters were. Furthermore, there were more than 1 of them! Apart from these, he also heard more sounds coming from the dark forest. Clearly, there were plenty of mutated creatures heading toward them. With that, Chris had the intention of retreating. Facing those mutated creatures, a mere tier 9 genetic warrior could not deal with it. The fire power in George¡¯s body was rapidly depleting. As a result, sweats started appearing on his head. Obviously, it was very difficult for him to use his own elemental power to form a barrier that could protect him from all angles. After less than 10 seconds, his burden increased exponentially. ¡°Chris! Think of a way to contact captain!¡± George gritted his teeth as he yelled. ¡°Clear a path for me. I¡¯ll charge out!¡± Chris quickly responded. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best!¡± The 2 of them worked together and used a lot of strength to fight their way out. Chris was able to escape. As the instigator, George became the sole target of many mutated creatures. The scorching flames were dazzling. Upon seeing that scene, Emerson, who was hiding in the dark, knew that it was time for him to make a move. Since George was unable to protect himself, he did not need to care about him. He only needed to get rid of Chris, who had left. He moved swiftly as he passed through numerous branches. His Agility Gene was not to be underestimated. Very quickly, he caught up to Chris, who was a strength-type genetic warrior. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Emerson¡¯s mocking voice rang out. Chris was shocked as he subconsciously raised his shield and turned around. Clang! The sound of weapons clashing rang out. Chris¡¯ body flew out uncontrollably, breaking 2 thick trees before he fell to the ground. ¡°Pfft.¡± Chris could not help but spit out a mouthful of blood. In the fog, Emerson¡¯s figure appeared. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Chris widened his eyes, filled with disbelief. As the captain had reminded him, Emerson was trying to lure them into the dark forest. However, how could Chris have expected that a hunter with a high Agility Gene would actually be able to suppress him in terms of strength? Could it be that Emerson was not only a tier 9 genetic warrior? Did Chris meet someone who was stronger than him? He was right, only an even stronger tier 8 genetic warrior could suppress Chris¡¯ strength. Furthermore, his speed was not inferior to a tier 9 genetic warrior. Looking at Emerson, who was approaching him, Chris made a decision in an instant. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me. I admit defeat. I¡¯ll give you whatever you want.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± This time, it was Emerson¡¯s turn to be surprised. He had not expected Chris to be such a coward. He never imagined Chris would admit defeat when he saw someone stronger than him. However, he still had a certain level of wariness toward Chris. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then unequip all the creature soul equipment for me.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Chris hesitated. Creature soul equipment was the most important asset of a genetic warrior. He did not know how long it would take to make up for the loss. Emerson said coldly, ¡°Die, or hand over the creature soul. Choose!¡± Chris gritted his teeth. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll give it to you!¡± As he spoke, he took out 2 small stones from the bag at his waist and held them in his hands. A flash of light flashed, and 2 marks appeared on the 2 small stones. One was a knife, and the other was a shield. Chris threw them to Emerson as he reached out to catch the stones. He took a look and found that they were indeed soul eater stones. They were tools that could materialize creature souls. ¡°You surprised me,¡± Emerson said with a hint of sarcasm. ¡°I just want to live.¡± Chris smiled bitterly. However, Emerson did not intend to let Chris go as he walked toward him slowly. No mercy was the only rule of Iron City. Emerson Cole, who had grown up in the slums, had long been used to their dirty deeds. Naturally, he would not make such a mistake. Chris seemed to feel something was wrong and quickly said, ¡°Wait, don¡¯t kill me yet.¡± However, Emerson did not stop. ¡°Give me a reason.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave Iron City.¡± Chris endured the pain as he said while gritting his teeth. Emerson ignored Chris. ¡°I can give you 1,000 gold coins, as long as you don¡¯t kill me.¡± Emerson was already very close to Chris. The faint killing intent emitted from his body continuously stimulated Chris¡¯ nerves. Emerson held the stinger in his hand and looked at Chris coldly. ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t attack you. I gave you what you wanted!¡± Chris shouted as he begged for mercy, ¡°Let me go. I don¡¯t want to die!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, your reason didn¡¯t satisfy me.¡± Emerson raised the stinger as he was about to pierce Chris. A hint of struggle flashed in Chris¡¯ eyes. Finally, before the Emerson killed him, he said, ¡°I can help you kill the captain! He must have something you need.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Emerson¡¯s hand stopped. He fancied that reason. Chapter 7 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Emerson had just become a genetic warrior not too long ago, and he did not have any good equipment in his hands. He did not even have a single gold coin. Naturally, the resources on the other genetic warriors were extremely enticing. ¡°Would you be willing to sell out your captain in order to survive?¡± Emerson asked. Emerson looked at Chris with a playful smile. ¡°I suspect that what you¡¯re saying is just to confuse me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a good person. I don¡¯t really approve of his actions. Is this good enough?¡± Chris explained. Emerson shook his head as he said, ¡°In Iron City, everyone lives for themselves. There¡¯s no longer a distinction between good and bad people. The strong preys on the weak. You meet me, the stronger one, and choose to betray your weak captain, right?¡± Chris was somewhat angry. ¡°What exactly do you want?!¡± Upon seeing this, Emerson smiled. Emerson changed his tone and asked, ¡°Tell me, what does he have that I am interested in?¡± Chris could only answer truthfully, ¡°He¡¯s the captain of our squad and is in charge of all the wealth. There¡¯s a soul eater stone that contains the creature soul of a tier 6 mutated creature.¡± Tier 6 creature soul! Emerson¡¯s eyes lit up. That was something that the poor genetic warriors would never see in their entire lives. However, Emerson was also somewhat puzzled. ¡°Why would your captain have such a precious thing?¡± ¡°I am not sure about that. I heard that my captain has a very special identity. He¡¯s a nobleman.¡± Chris shook his head. Emerson pursed his lips in disdain. Some people were really going back to their old ways. It was already the year 2557 of the Blue Planet calendar, yet they were still playing the same old noble game. They gave people different grades and levels. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Emerson asked again. ¡°Yes.¡± Chris answered hurriedly, ¡°The captain also has an identity token from the auction house. This is something that most genetic warriors can¡¯t get their hands on.¡± ¡°Everything can be sold or auctioned anonymously through this token.¡± ¡°With that, you don¡¯t have to worry about being targeted by others when you sell things in Iron City.¡± That was a wonderful item. It just so happened that Emerson was unable to deal with the valuable things on the Red-scaled Fire Python, especially the soul pills. The pills contained all the elemental energy of the Red-scaled Fire Python. To fire elemental genetic warriors, it was extremely valuable. After listening to Chris¡¯ summary, Emerson was determined to obtain the token. At that moment, a miserable howl came from the depths of the dark forest. It was George¡¯s voice. It seemed that his elemental energy could not hold on any longer, and the mutated creatures had gotten close to him. An elemental genetic warrior could only die if he could not find a way out. Chris sighed slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you everything I know. Can you let me off now?¡± Emerson chuckled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help me take care of your captain?¡± As he spoke, he threw the stinger to Chris. ¡°When he¡¯s not paying attention, stab this thing into his body.¡± Chris looked at the stinger and was silent for a long time. Suddenly, he said, ¡°Then can you guarantee that both of them will die?¡± ¡°Of course. How can I leave one of the nobles alive so that he can have a chance to take revenge on me in the future?¡± Emerson smiled coldly. ¡°Put the stinger close to your body. Go now.¡± Chris did not say anything else. He hid the stinger in his robe behind him and staggered out of the dark forest. He was very clear that Emerson¡¯s words were a response to him on the surface, but in fact, it was a warning to him. The so-called nobles were not worth mentioning in Emerson¡¯s eyes. They could be killed if he wanted to kill them. Moreover, the stinger on Chris¡¯ body was also a time bomb that could kill him at any time. ¡­ When the captain saw his men coming out again, half an hour had already passed. Chris ran out of the dark forest awkwardly. He held his chest as blood kept oozing out of his mouth. He looked very miserable. Alan quickly went up and helped Chris. The captain frowned. ¡°How did it end up like this? Where¡¯s George?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still inside,¡± Chris lied and explained, ¡°When we went in there, he tried to use the fire element to detect the whereabouts of the hunter, but it attracted mutated creatures.¡± ¡°This idiot!¡± The captain could not help but be speechless and angry. ¡°Where¡¯s the hunter?¡±? ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I haven¡¯t seen him. He might have run away.¡± ¡°F*ck!¡± The captain cursed and then looked at Chris. ¡°We¡¯re going to save George. Can you still walk?¡± Chris let go of his hand and looked at the injury on his chest. He shook his head and explained, ¡°My injury is a little serious. I¡¯m lucky to be able to walk out.¡± The captain seemed to have noticed something and asked casually, ¡°You injured your back?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chris nodded. ¡°My back got hit, and my lungs are hurt. This whole area hurts.¡± ¡°Rest here.¡± The team leader patted his shoulder with a smile on his face. In an instant, Chris made a move. He pulled out the stinger from his back and stabbed at the captain¡¯s lower abdomen. However, he never expected that he would actually miss! The stinger only scratched the captain¡¯s clothes, causing a series of sparks. Obviously, the captain was wearing an armor. At the same time, an intense pain came from Chris¡¯ shoulder, extending to his heart! ¡°Captain¡­ What are you¡­¡± Alan, who was at the side, was stunned. The captain sneered. ¡°There are no creatures stronger than him in the outermost region of the dark forest. Are you trying to lie to me?¡± ¡°Tell me! where is the hunter?¡± Puff! The sound of a long knife cutting into flesh was heard. Emerson appeared behind the captain. No one could tell whether he was happy or angry from his cold face. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re searching for me. I¡¯m here now!¡± His voice was deep, but at that moment, he was like messenger from hell. The captain¡¯s strength was drained in an instant. Before he could even turn his head to see who it was, he had already lost consciousness and fell to the ground. A 1-hit KO! Emerson had been waiting for this moment when the captain¡¯s attention was completely on Chris. The captain might not have thought that Emerson had such speed. At the same time, he also had such a powerful strength that could help him pierced through the armor. Then, Emerson looked at Alan, who was completely stunned. Alan met Emerson¡¯s cold gaze. Only then did he react, and hurriedly ran for his life. However, Emerson caught up with Alan in a few steps. He pierced through his heart with the long knife. Thump! With a muffled sound, another body fell to the ground. When he looked back, Chris was also lying on the ground, unable to get up because of his serious injuries. Chapter 8 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Perhaps the best outcome would be for all of them to die, including Chris. However, when Emerson looked at Chris, who was about to die, he thought for a while, and finally ended his life with a long knife. It was better to have a quick death. The wound the captain had left on Chris¡¯ shoulder would not allow him to live past today. Even if he did not want to die, there was nothing he could do. Then, Emerson found a key on the captain¡¯s body. At the same time, he found a box in Alan¡¯s backpack. He could use the key to open the book. Everything was clear at a glance. There were only 3 things in the box. A crystal card, which was a certificate of storing gold coins. The card could be used to withdraw gold coins in Iron City, or it could be used to pay for something. Apart from that, Emerson also obtained the token Chris had mentioned. There was an unknown word carved on it, as if it represented a certain level after a certain classification. Since he could not understand it, he might as well ignore it. The most precious thing was still the soul eater stone with a tier 6 creature soul. That item could only be used by a tier 7 genetic warrior or higher. It was in short supply in Iron City. If it was sold on the black market, it would be worth at least 1,000 gold coins. What kind of concept was this? Under normal circumstances, 1 gold coin was enough for a family of 3 to live a comfortable life for a year. That was sufficient to show how precious the tier 6 creature soul was. Moreover, from the markings on the soul eater stone, this seemed to be a relatively rare possession type creature soul. After using it, it could increase one¡¯s genetic attributes tremendously. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m not strong enough now, so I can only keep it for now.¡± Emerson kept the things and then threw the 3 corpses into the dark forest. After watching them being eaten up by the mutated creatures, he picked up the the Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s meat and left. On his way back to Iron City, he did not encounter anything similar. He was not stopped by the city defense. After entering the city, the first thing Emerson did was to buy a cloak that could cover his face. He then brought the Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s meat to a tavern to sell. The meat of a tier 8 mutated creature was not rare. Thus, no one paid attention to him. Moreover, it was only a small portion of meat. Most of the meat was still in the dark forest, and he could not move it at all. He could not do anything to it. Along the way, Emerson paid attention to the menu of the tavern to see if there was any creature meat that he needed. However, when he saw the price, he was shocked. Tier 9 strength-type creature meat: 10 gold coins/pound. Tier 8 water elemental creature meat: 200 gold coins/pound. Tier 8 agility-type creature meat: 148 gold coins/pound. ¡­ This price was ridiculously expensive! The meat was only sold for 30 gold coins per pound. In the end, if he wanted to eat something, he would have to pay more than 5 times the price? Even though the meat was refined to make it easier for the human body to absorb, and it was no longer so disgusting, the price was still too expensive. Emerson shook his head and left the tavern. Then, he went to the auction house to auction off the stinger creature soul that had been replaced by a long knife. That thing was not worth a lot of money. It could only be sold for about 10 gold coins. After getting the crystal card, he no longer cared about this small amount of money. However, Emerson wanted to see if the captain¡¯s token would work here. It was indeed as Chris had said. After he showed the token, he was brought to the room by a servant and traded without anyone else beside him. He did not ask any unnecessary questions. He just wanted to sell something, and the servant was very straightforward too. It was a quick trade. 13 gold coins in his hand. Looking at the servant who was about to leave, Emerson Cole called out to him in a hoarse voice. ¡°Wait a minute, I still have something to sell.¡± As he spoke, he took out a fiery red bead from his pocket. It was the soul pill of the Red-scaled Fire Python, the only valuable material that Emerson had brought with him. The servant was somewhat surprised. Soul pills were not something that every creature possessed. The soul pills were similar to creature souls. There might not even be 1 out of 100 or 1,000 of mutated creatures. Moreover, compared to creature souls, soul pills, which could be directly absorbed by elemental genetic warriors, were even rarer. Even in their auction house, they would not see 1 in a few months. The attitude of the servant changed slightly. With a slightly respectful tone, he said, ¡°Sir, would you like to sell it directly to our auction house, or would you like to sell this soul pill through this month¡¯s auction?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s auction it,¡± Emerson said calmly. The more gold coins, the better. For rare items like soul pills, there was no need to worry about losing the auction. Then, the servant handed over a sign. ¡°The auction will be held at the end of this month. Sir, you can enter the venue through this sign.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Emerson took the token and left the auction house. There were still many things he needed to do next. However, the most important thing was to increase his strength. His still needed a little thing to advance to another tier. He needed to consume more mutated creature¡¯s meat in order to grow into a tier 8 genetic warrior. Although the meat in the tavern was expensive, it was at least much faster than the time he spent in the dark forest. However, before that, Emerson Cole had returned home. His home was located in the slums of the Southern District of Iron City, which was the most chaotic place in Iron City. There were all kinds of scum staying there. With more than 3,000 gold coins, the first thing Emerson had to do was to pick up his sister, Lucy Cole, who was dependent on him. Lucy was very beautiful and famous, so she was frequently teased by the hooligans and scums. If it was not for the fact that there were no genetic warriors in that area and Emerson¡¯s methods were ruthless, Lucy would have long become a plaything for those men. However, it was difficult for Emerson to fight against all of them. No matter how good Emerson was, he was unable to deal with so many hooligans and scums at the same time. From the age of 15 to 19, he was injured and wounded almost every day. Lucy, who was 18 years old, had become even more attractive. Even some genetic warriors outside the area had heard of her. They were trying to approach her by all means. Due to that reason, Emerson had taken the risk to enter the dark forest, in order to change the situation they were facing. However, just as he reached the door of his house, he discovered that the door had already been violently broken open. At the same time, a man¡¯s sharp voice came from within. ¡°What a delicate body, Lucy. Don¡¯t force me! I might hurt you!¡± ¡°Let go of me, James! My brother will definitely not let you go if he sees this!¡± ¡°Hahahaha, you¡¯re still thinking about your brother? That useless brother of yours must have died in the dark forest by now.¡± Bang! Emerson threw his shield at the filthy man, and the shield hit violently at the man. He stepped into the room and glanced around with his cold eyes. ¡°I heard that someone thought I was dead?¡± Chapter 9 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Brother!¡± A pretty girl in torn clothes threw herself into Emerson¡¯s arms. Although Emerson was wearing a cloak to cover his face, Lucy recognized him at first glance. Upon seeing Lucy crying, Emerson instantly clenched his fist. Anger in his heart was ignited. ¡°Did they bully you?¡± Emerson narrowed his eyes when he asked her. Lucy buried her head into his arms. She shook her head and said, ¡°They¡­ said that you¡­ said that you have¡­ Oh¡­ I don¡¯t believe it¡­ I knew¡­ my brother¡­ will definitely¡­ come back¡­¡± Emerson hugged her tightly, and his heart ached so much. Luckily, they did not bully her. Luckily¡­ However, these people were damned! Emerson suddenly raised his head. He was like looking at dead people when he stared at them. ¡°Lucy, close your eyes.¡± A long blade appeared in his hand. Upon seeing this scene, the expressions of the few people there were filled with shock. They all had expressions of disbelief. ¡°Soul weapon¡­ It¡¯s a soul weapon. A weapon type creature soul!¡± ¡°He has become a genetic warrior?¡± ¡°How is this possible?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t genetic warriors born with it?¡± Confusion and doubt filled everyone¡¯s minds. As everyone knew, only the descendants of the first generation of genetic warriors had the qualifications to become genetic warriors. When one was born, everything was set in stone. It was absolutely impossible to change it. Ever since Iron City was established, no one had ever become a genetic warrior through hard work. Not to mention Iron City, even the entire Indigo Empire did not have such an example like Emerson. However, the soul weapon in Emerson Cole¡¯s hands could not be faked. As a result, the few scums who had their common sense overturned by these 2 contradictory existences did not even think of escaping at the first moment. They were stunned as they could not even move a muscle. However, even if they wanted to run away, Emerson would not allow them to leave the house alive. They had angered Emerson. Lucy was his dear. Whoever dared to hurt her, even if it was the city lord of Iron City, he would find a way to kill him! His agility attribute was very close to a tier 9 genetic warrior. In an instant, his burst forth, causing Emerson, who was hugging Lucy, to move as fast as an arrow. They did not even have the time to react before their heads were chopped off. Even after death, there was still shock and confusion in their eyes. ¡°Murderer!¡± The people who were watching the scene at the entrance immediately reacted and ran away. Among them, there was a hunchbacked person. When he saw the scene, he quietly ran away and headed toward a place that should not belong to him. Lucy heard something and wanted to look up to see what happened, but she was held down by Emerson. ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t want to see this.¡± Lucy stopped moving and asked softly, ¡°Are they all dead?¡± ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t let anyone who bullied you off.¡± Emerson¡¯s voice was calm as it gave Lucy a sense of security and warmth. She used her head to rub against Emerson¡¯s chest like a kitten. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it?¡± Emerson smiled and stroked her hair. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to a new place.¡± As he spoke, he took off his cloak and wrapped it around Lucy¡¯s torn clothes. ¡°Are we leaving Iron City?¡± Lucy raised her pretty face and asked. Her eyes were beautiful and pure as if she would agree to any decision that Emerson had made. Emerson could not help but touch her nose, revealing a rare warm smile. ¡°What if we are?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll follow you!¡± ¡°The journey might be challenging.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of anything!¡± Lucy¡¯s eyes were full of determination. Emerson laughed. ¡°How can I let you suffer with me? I¡¯m taking you to another place to live.¡± ¡°Another place?¡± Lucy did not react for a moment. ¡°But renting a house in Iron City is very expensive. Moreover, you just killed someone. The garrison will definitely arrest you.¡± Emerson pinched her cheeks and smiled. ¡°Have you forgotten what these people said about me just now?¡± ¡°They said that you¡­ Oh¡­ a soul weapon?¡± Lucy¡¯s eyes widened. With an expression of disbelief, she asked, ¡°Brother, you became a genetic warrior?¡± Emerson did not reply. Instead, he picked her up. Immediately, he brought Lucy out of the house and up to the roof. His speed was obviously not something that a normal person could possess. Lucy, who saw the scene with her own eyes, finally believed that this could not be the truth. ¡°This is actually true¡­¡± She sighed and then excitedly hugged Emerson. She cried with joy. ¡°Finally, we don¡¯t have to be bullied by them anymore. We finally don¡¯t have to¡­¡± Emerson patted her back gently and comforted Lucy, but she cried even louder. It was very embarrassing for a girl as old as Lucy to hug her brother and cry like this. However, Emerson, who had lived with Lucy for more than 10 years, knew that this was the result of the suffering that had been in her heart for many years and was finally released. Moreover, Lucy was not as weak as she appeared to be. She was a very strong and meticulous girl, but she would show her only weakness to her dearest brother. Emerson understood very well. After comforting Lucy, he took his sister to the richest and safest place in Iron City and rented a big house. He used the crystal card he had obtained from the captain to pay the bill. After swiping it, he discovered that the card actually contained almost 100,000 gold coins. If he took it to the auction house, it would be more than enough to buy a few tier 7 creature souls. He really could not understand how such a rich team could only have the strength of a tier 9 genetic warrior. However, since they were all dead as there might not even be any bones left. Even if he wanted to ask, he did not know who to ask as well. After finding a new place to live in, all that was left were some trivial matters such as cleaning the room. Lucy volunteered to take care of it herself so that Emerson could do what he wanted to do. Emerson thought for a while. He still needed to deal with some matters in Iron City in the next 2 days. He might as well buy some meat with his crystal card to increase his strength. With that, he went to the tavern. ¡­ At the same time, outside an elegant room somewhere in Iron City, the hunchbacked man was kneeling on the ground as if he was talking to someone about something. Soon, a man in the room suddenly turned around with surprise in his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s such a thing?¡± Chapter 10 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°What you said, is it true?¡± The man questioned. This person who appeared to have come from the slums actually said that there was a nurture genetic warrior there. It made him very interested. As for that hunchback saying that Emerson had killed the few local scums that he had raised to gather information, the man did not care at all. They were just some normal people. If they died, so be it. Using their lives to exchange for such information was a very good deal for that man. ¡°Is there any more specific information?¡± The man asked as his voice carrying a lofty and distant tone. The hunchback¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He was not a fool. The man was the Count who was very powerful in Iron City. If he revealed all the information that he knew, then he would have no value at all. It was rumored that the Count was vicious and merciless. He would kill people to silence them at any time. The Count was very likely to kill him because he was afraid that he would tell others the information he knew in exchange for money. He would leave half of the information so that the Count could not control him. Nobles cared a lot about their respect. They paid the most attention to their appearance. When doing anything, they paid attention to etiquette. After the man left the Count¡¯s mansion, the Count could not possibly attack him in broad daylight, right? The hunchback, who thought he had thought it through, rolled his eyes and then shook his head. ¡°No more, my Lord Count.¡± The man¡¯s expression did not change at all. He raised his hand, and someone handed him a bag of gold coins and threw it at the hunchback¡¯s feet. ¡°Take the money and leave quickly,¡± The attendant said coldly. ¡°Ah, understood. Thank you for the reward, sir.¡± The hunchback was overjoyed. He took the money and left quickly. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± The man suddenly spoke and stopped him, ¡°You should know how to deal with it, right? If I find out that you told others¡­¡± ¡°Yes! I understand!¡± The hunchback quickly promised. ¡°No one else will know about this!¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± The man waved his hand again and turned around to walk back into the mansion. The attendant at the side immediately understood. Upon seeing that the hunchback had left, he quietly followed. Not long after, the body of the hunchback appeared in a hidden alley. After the attendant returned, he reported more information that he had forced out to that man. ¡°Emerson Cole?¡± The man pondered for a moment. ¡°It seems his surname has not appeared among the nobles.¡± As he spoke, he looked at the attendant. The attendant immediately understood and hurriedly said, ¡°Lord Count, there isn¡¯t any in the royal families of other countries.¡± ¡°Is it possible that he is the descendant of the first generation genetic warrior that has not been registered?¡± ¡°The possibility is very small, Lord Count.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± The man sat down elegantly and played with the ring on his finger. ¡°Then it seems that what that hunchback said just now is true. Bring him here.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The attendant received the order and left, closing the door for the Count. The man suddenly chuckled and muttered to himself in a room where no one else was present. ¡°Does a nurture genetic warrior really exist?¡± No one responded. That kind of thing did not seem to require any explanation. Back when the mutation occurred on Blue Planet, those humans with mutated genes had long become genetic warriors. They had long been separated from those ordinary people who could not mutate, forming a hierarchy. Only those who had inherited mutated genes would become genetic warriors. This was a consensus that had been formed over the years. Could it be that normal people had the possibility of becoming genetic warriors? The man was not certain. Humans could not fully and truly understand the world. The changes brought about by the fog were a mystery to everyone. ¡°However, if I can find the key to becoming a nurture genetic warrior from Emerson, perhaps I can use this to allow the Klingler family to enter the capital!¡± ¡­ Iron City¡¯s tavern. Emerson walked out of the tavern. Looking at the bustling crowd outside, he tightened his cloak as he glanced left and right before returning home. Maintaining absolute vigilance was a habit Emerson had learned in the dark forest. He had just killed a few people. Although they were scums, it would not be easy for him to deal if he was found guilty. After all, he did not have an identity card yet, so he could not prove that he was a genetic warrior. He was not a noble as well. Thus, he did not have any right to judge or kill normal people. If he was caught, he would probably spend a long time in prison. Hence, what Emerson needed to do now was to go to the garrison to test his strength and obtain an identity card. With an identity card, he could move more freely in Iron City. He could receive rewards from the Bounty Association for missions issued by others. He could receive resources from the Town Hall that belonged to genetic warriors. Many more. Obtaining an identity card was still a necessary thing. Emerson then brought up his personal interface in the system. [Name: Emerson Cole Gender: Male Age: 19 Height: 182 Strength Gene: 117 Agility Gene: 63 Physical Gene: 71 Elemental Gene: 0 Fire Elemental Fragment: 9] ¡­ After wasting nearly 3,000 gold coins in the tavern and feasting on delicious food, his attributes in all aspects had increased slightly. Most importantly, he had also accumulated 9 Fire Elemental Fragments. He was needed 1 fragment to obtain a skill. With that, Emerson looked forward to it. However, there was no meat related to the fire element in the tavern. It seemed like he would have to make a trip to the dark forest in the near future to search for fire-type mutated creatures. He was an all-rounded tier 9 genetic warrior, and his strength had reached tier 8. With such strength, it was sufficient for him to venture to the outer regions of the dark forest. After arriving at the garrison, Emerson discovered that there were quite a number of people participating in the test. However, most of them were here to advance their status. He was the only 1 who had come to obtain an identity card. The strength test was fairly simple. It was divided into strength test, agility test, physique test, and elemental ability test. Each person only needed to undergo a test related to their genetic ability. ¡°You still don¡¯t have an identity card?¡± The staff member stopped Emerson and looked at him strangely. ¡°Take off your cloak. We want to imprint your appearance.¡± Upon hearing what the staff member said, many people nearby fixed their gazes at Emerson. They wanted to see who was the old man applying for an identity card. When Emerson took off his cloak and revealed his face, a sharp voice suddenly sounded. ¡°It¡¯s you, the pariah?¡± Chapter 11 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Pariah? Emerson looked over coldly. It was a stranger, so he did not have much of an impression of him. ¡°It¡¯s really you!¡± Lucius Myron pushed through the crowd and walked in front of Emerson. Lucius¡¯ tall body cast a shadow, completely covering him. There was surprise on his face. He was extremely surprised, as if he had never thought that Emerson would appear here. ¡°Who are you?¡± Emerson asked indifferently, as though he did not take him seriously at all. Such a move made Lucius extremely angry. A pariah dared to be so arrogant in front of a genetic warrior like him. He thought Emerson must have a death wish. However, such an abnormal action made him think of something. He heard that recently, a batch of drugs that could increase one¡¯s strength had appeared in the black market of Iron City. It could disguise one as a genetic warrior, allowing ordinary people to get a tier 9 genetic warrior identity card. However, the price of these drugs was expensive, and it would cause sequelae, causing one to fall ill and age prematurely. In serious cases, it would even affect one¡¯s lifespan. Unless that guy was forced into a corner, or else an ordinary person would not have chosen these drugs. Lucius subconsciously connected the reason for Emerson¡¯s appearance to these drugs. Thinking of this, Lucius sneered. ¡°You forgot about me? It seems that Sam didn¡¯t teach you enough.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Emerson immediately narrowed his eyes. Sam was one of the scums that he had killed not long ago. Before they came to harass Lucy, that group of people had visited them many times, but they were scared off by Emerson¡¯s desperate fighting style. Hence, they did not succeed in harassing Lucy. Later, perhaps Emerson had pushed the them too far, and when he was not paying attention, they tied him up in an alley and beat him up violently. Their attacks were extremely ferocious, and they were practically beating him to death. Luckily, a good man passed by and asked for help. Otherwise, Emerson might have died in that alley. It was also because of that incident that made Emerson make up his mind to obtain power and get out of his current predicament. Therefore, he prepared food for half a month and left it at home, telling Lucy not to go out while he secretly went to the dark forest at night to find a way to become stronger. Even if it was something that could be sold for a lot of money, it could also help them leave the slums. However, he did not expect that he had obtained the system by accident. He did not expect that all of this was created by Lucius. It seemed that someone gave orders at that time, and the voice was very similar to Lucius. ¡°You ordered them to hit me back then?¡± Emerson asked. ¡°So what if I did?¡± Lucius did not take Emerson seriously at all. Then, he got closer and lowered his voice as he spoke, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t busy improving my power these 2 days and didn¡¯t have time to find trouble with you, do you think your sister would still be here?¡± In an instant, Emerson clenched his fists as the anger in his chest kept accumulating. He was filled with killing intent. Upon seeing Emerson keep his mouth shut, Lucius thought that he was afraid and was very proud. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what dirty tricks you used to get an identity card. Let me tell you, you¡¯re a pariah. You¡¯re a pariah forever. No matter what method you use, you won¡¯t be able to change the lowly genes in your bodies!¡± Lucius spoke very loudly, and the people around him heard him clearly. Instantly, the way they looked at Emerson changed slightly. Only the staff member stood out and looked coldly at Lucius. ¡°If you have any issue with him, settle it on the arena. You dare to make a scene here? What kind of place do you think the testing area is?¡± Lucius was stunned. ¡°Sir, he¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± The staff member stared at Lucius angrily. Lucius did not dare to say anything else. He lowered his head and returned to his team. However, before he left, he gave Emerson a slitting-throat hand gesture. Emerson did not take Lucius¡¯ provocative action to heart. He would not care about what a dead man wanted to do. However¡­ Emerson then smiled at the middle-aged staff member to express his gratitude. The staff member was obviously helping him out. He should appreciate his help. Who would have thought that the middle-aged man did not even look at Emerson as he was busy registering their names. ¡°Next, Lucius Myron.¡± The middle-aged man raised his head expressionlessly and looked at Lucius. ¡°Which test are you going to do?¡± ¡°Tier 8 strength test. I want to challenge the limit board for 5,000 pounds,¡± Lucius said confidently. The people around him immediately burst into laughter. It was obvious that they did not think highly of him. ¡°You want to challenge the limit board? I¡¯m dying of laughter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Those who don¡¯t know might think that he¡¯s a fool. He wants to break Viscount Green¡¯s record?¡± ¡°Hahahaha, I¡¯ve seen many people who overestimate themselves. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a dumb person.¡± Instantly, a look of embarrassment appeared on Lucius¡¯s face. ¡°What are you all laughing at? What are you all laughing at? If you are not satisfied, come out and fight with me later!¡± ¡°Boo!¡± Everyone booed. They were too lazy to bother with Lucius. The limit board was a ranking created by the Indigo Empire for the purpose of collecting data on all levels of genetic warriors. It was different from the ranking of genetic points. That list was designed to find top-notch warriors among all levels of genetic warriors. Viscount Green was one of the outstanding ones. 500 years ago, when he was 16 years old, he had scored 5,000 pounds on the limit board. Until now, no one had been able to surpass him. Naturally, Lucius did not have the ability to do so. He only wanted to provoke Emerson. He wanted Emerson to make a fool of himself. Very quickly, he passed the test. As expected, he did not break the record. Lucius¡¯s data was ¨C Strength Gene 131 points. Lifting weight 1,450 pounds. During Viscount Green¡¯s test, his Strength Gene had already reached the limit of tier 8 by reaching 280 points. He was about to break through to tier 7. In comparison, even if Lucius¡¯s data doubled, the difference was still 2,000 pounds. It was too big of a difference. However, compared to most of the tier 8 genetic warriors, Lucius was considered pretty good. He was above average. No wonder Lucius dared to speak so arrogantly. After the test ended, Lucius did not leave. Instead, he walked to Emerson¡¯s side and smiled contemptuously. ¡°Since you want to become a genetic warrior and get rid of your current situation, then prove it to me.¡± As Lucius spoke, he took out a small bag from his waist. ¡°If you surpass me, you can choose any piece of meat in here.¡± Emerson glanced at it. Inside the bag were all kinds of smoked meat from mutated creatures. Among them, there was a piece of fire elemental meat that he had never eaten before. ¡°I want all of it.¡± Emerson said coldly. It was impossible for him to reject it. After all, he had nothing to lose. When Lucius saw that Emerson had fallen for the bait so easily, he immediately burst into laughter. ¡°Hahahaha, okay, okay. If you win, you can take all of it.¡± Emerson ignored him and silently queued up as he waited for his turn. Soon, it was his turn. ¡°Which test are you going to do?¡± The middle-aged man asked kindly. Emerson thought for a moment. ¡°Tier 8 strength test. Tier 9 agility test. Tier 9 physical type. Hmm¡­ as for the data¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll test as many as I can.¡± As soon as Emerson finished speaking, the group of people looked at him as if he was a monster. Chapter 12 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°What did he say? He wants to take the omnipotence test?¡± ¡°Does this newcomer know what he¡¯s talking about?¡± ¡°Strange things happen every year. There are a lot of them this year. There was an idiot who bragged shamelessly about challenging Viscount Green¡¯s record a moment ago, and now there¡¯s another genius who wants to take the omnipotence test.¡± ¡°How can you say that? At least he didn¡¯t say he wanted to participate in the elemental test, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. At least he didn¡¯t think of dual cultivation in magic and martial arts. He only wanted to become the second genetic warrior in the Indigo Empire to possess all-rounded genes. This is a good thing. We should give him our blessings.¡± ¡°Hahahaha, good luck!¡± The group of people were making fun of each other in a weird manner. The way they looked at Emerson was no longer as if they were looking at a monster. It was more like they were looking at a lunatic. Emerson realized that it seemed like an all-rounded genetic warrior was much stronger and rarer than normal genetic warrior The second all-rounded genetic warrior after the establishment of the Indigo Empire? No way? Even Emerson himself felt that it was somewhat inconceivable. Not far away, even the middle-aged man frowned at Emerson¡¯s words. It had been a long time since anyone had challenged the omnipotence test. All-rounded genetic warriors were common during the initial stages of the mutation on Blue Planet. However, as the bloodline passed down, different genes were mixed together. The second generation of genetic warriors were unable to inherit all the genetic attributes of both their parents. As a result, the power of their descendants gradually diverged, becoming monotonous. They were unique in 1 gene, but they became weak. As time passed, the problem became more and more serious. In the end, even after some genetic warriors married to ordinary people, the next generation did not have the qualifications to become genetic warriors. It was something that could not be helped. No one could solve the issue. Hence, the higher-ups at that time decided on 1 thing. In order to maintain the bloodline orthodoxy, powerful genes, and to ensure the combat strength of future generations, a genetic warrior could only marry to another genetic warrior. Only when the rule was implemented did the situation improve greatly. However, at that time, the loss of high-quality genetic warriors¡¯ bloodlines was already critical. Only some large families that had extremely strict rules were able to retain high-quality genetic warriors¡¯ bloodlines. However, compared to the first generation of genetic warriors, they were still lacking by quite a bit. The last all-rounded genetic warrior that appeared in the Indigo Empire was the founding emperor, Green Aldrich. More than 3,700 years had passed since then. The royal bloodline had weakened. Even dual-element genetic warriors were very rare. Not to mention the all-rounded genetic warriors that were even stronger than dual-element genetic warriors. Everyone thought that such a person would never appear again. A man who did not even have an identity card said that he wanted to test 3 different genes at the same time. How could that not make people laugh their heads off? The middle-aged man shook his head and asked again. ¡°You said that you want to participate in 3 tests, right?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Emerson nodded slightly. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you will not participate in 3 tests, but a test that¡¯s exclusive to all-rounded genetic warriors. There will be a certain level of danger.¡± The middle-aged man reminded Emerson as he said, ¡°Are you sure that you want to participate in such a test?¡± Again, Emerson nodded his head firmly. The data displayed on Emerson¡¯s system panel could not possibly lie to him. ¡°Alright, sign this contract and go to the first room on the right.¡± The middle-aged man waved his hand in disappointment. He had already done what he should have said and reminded Emerson. Since he was determined to seek death, he would not stop him. It was not as if there had never been a person here who wanted to test whether he was an all-rounded genetic warrior. However, after none of those who participated in the test were able to walk out of that door alive, no one dared to challenge the omnipotence test anymore. Who would have thought that there would be such a man who dared to challenge the test. Emerson signed contract and walked toward the first door under everyone¡¯s mocking gazes. Halfway through, he was blocked by Lucius. Lucius clapped his hands. It was unknown whether his eyes were filled with surprise or ridicule. Perhaps it was both, he then said with a smile. ¡°You really surprised me.¡± ¡°I just wanted to play cat and mouse with you to punish you. I didn¡¯t expect that you would actually choose to seek your own death.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of your sister after you¡¯re dead.¡± Emerson sneered. ¡°I hope that when I come out later, your tone will be as tough as your bones.¡± As Emerson spoke, he pushed open the door and entered the room. What entered his eyes was an endless stairs. He was standing on the first step. ¡°This is called the Eternal Stairs. What you need to do is to climb the steps, the higher the better.¡± The middle-aged man voiced out, ¡°You can choose to withdraw from the challenge for every 1,000 steps and leave from the side. Remember, you have to choose carefully. If you don¡¯t reach the next check point, you will fall into an endless abyss.¡± Emerson looked left and right, but he did not see anyone around him. It seemed that the middle-aged man could see him through something. Since the technological system had collapsed, it was already very rare and difficult to do this. Perhaps it was the work of an alchemist. In fact, it was more or less what Emerson had thought. At that moment, on a wall in the testing area, Emerson¡¯s figure was projected by a crystal ball. It was something created by the elemental genetic warrior and new human researchers. Its main purpose was to reproduce the image. At that moment, Emerson was already moving. He was walking swiftly on the first 1,000 steps as if he did not feel the slightest bit of pressure. As he moved, the steps behind him also began to fall continuously, falling into the endless abyss below. From the looks of it, the frequency of the fall seemed to be the same as Emerson¡¯s initial speed. When everyone saw this scene, they could not help but shake their heads. ¡°He¡¯s a rookie. He doesn¡¯t know anything. He moved so fast in the beginning. When he ran out of stamina later on, his speed would definitely not be able to keep up. If he didn¡¯t reach the check point, he would definitely fall into the endless abyss.¡± ¡°And I heard that it gets harder and harder as one progresses. It¡¯s not just a test of your endurance.¡± ¡°Is there any record of this test?¡± ¡°I think so, but all the challengers have died. The most powerful one only managed to walk 1,300 steps.¡± ¡°I bet 1,000 gold coins that this person won¡¯t be able to run more than 1,000 steps. Who wants to bet against him?¡± ¡°Do you think we¡¯re fools? If we bet against you like this, wouldn¡¯t we be giving you money?¡± However, the next moment, someone exclaimed in surprise. ¡°Wait a minute, his speed hasn¡¯t decreased. He¡¯s so fast! F*ck! It¡¯s already 800 steps!¡± Chapter 13 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation While everyone was talking, Emerson had passed the first check point. He had walked pass the first 1,000 steps in a short period of time. However, he did not stop. He continued to challenge the 2,000 steps. Everybody was shocked. At that time, Emerson¡¯s preliminary data was refreshed on the screen. The people who were originally not optimistic about Emerson Cole immediately widened their eyes and stared at the data on the screen. [Test target: Emerson Cole Age: 19 Strength Gene: 110-120 Agility Gene: 60-70 Physical Gene: 60-80 Stage 1 Gravity Amplification: 10 times Stage 1 Pressure Amplification: 13 times Stage 1 Speed: 72 m/s Comprehensive Test Rating: S + ¡­ ¡°Oh my god¡­ S+¡­¡± Someone in the crowd muttered, ¡°Not to mention the rating, just based on the estimation of the gene points obtained from the test, he should have already reached the standard of an all-rounded genetic warrior, right?¡± No one replied because everyone was shocked and stunned. Even the middle-aged man could not help but stand up, staring at this scene in a daze. Although Emerson had only passed the first 1,000 steps test, from the data, it was already 100% certain that Emerson¡¯s body contained all-rounded genes. It was just that he was slightly outstanding in terms of strength. As for how far he could achieve, it was no longer important. The final data only represented strength, and it had nothing to do with the quality of the gene. At that moment, the middle-aged man actually wanted to inform Emerson so that he could choose to give up on the second 1,000 steps. Emerson was the second person to possess an all-rounded gene 3,700 years after the establishment of the Indigo Empire! Whether he was strong or not was not important. As long as he could survive and fuse with the highest quality royal bloodline, then the next generation would have a high chance of obtaining an all-rounded gene! It was something very important to them and their country! It was not an exaggeration to say that whether the Indigo Empire would be able to soar in the future would depend on whether Emerson would be able to walk out alive! Even though the middle-aged man wholeheartedly wanted to inform Emerson about it, he had no way of doing so. That space was not created by humans. After the mutation of the Blue Planet, many genetic warriors discovered that these mysterious places had the effect of tempering their strength. Hence, they built a city nearby. However, with the weakening of genetic quality, the space that was originally used for training was no longer suitable for younger genetic warriors. Hence, it became a tool to test their strength. Once someone entered the mysterious space, he would be cut off entirely from the outside world. Those inside the people would either die or voluntarily withdraw themselves. The greatest danger on the Eternal Stairs was that one might not feel much pressure on the first 1,000 steps. One might think that they could challenge another 1,000 steps. However, the moment they stepped onto the first step, they would be trapped by the tremendous pressure. They were unable to move and fall into a the bottomless abyss. However, from the looks of it, Emerson could still cope with it. On the screen, Emerson, who had passed the first step, was still walking swiftly on the steps. He passed the steps effortlessly. Everyone could not help but wonder if that was the test of an all-rounded genetic warrior with the highest death rate. In less than 5 minutes, Emerson once again broke through the 2,000 steps barrier and headed for the 3,000 steps barrier! The data on the interface was updated once again. ¡°SS! He¡¯s been rated SS! How is this possible?¡± ¡°His speed increased as he walked! How did he do this?¡± The new data once again shocked them. ¡°Impossible! Absolutely impossible! There must be a problem with the test!¡± Lucius could not sit still. He pointed at Emerson on the screen and shouted, ¡°He¡¯s clearly just a clown who tried to cheat his identity card by taking drugs. How can he have such strength?!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± The middle-aged man snorted. ¡°Are you questioning the authenticity of my testing area and challenging the authority of my testing area?¡± As he spoke, he waved his hand impatiently. ¡°Chase him out!¡± A powerful genetic warrior immediately walked toward Lucius. He ignored Lucius as he tossed him out of the area. ¡°I have to report this matter to Grandpa Elrond as soon as possible.¡± The middle-aged man realized the importance of Emerson to the Indigo Empire. He hurriedly called over a subordinate to deliver the message for him. The group of genetic warriors who had been watching the show at the side did not dare to say anything when they saw how cautious the middle-aged man was. They were afraid that they would be thrown out like Lucius. On the screen, Emerson was still walking swiftly. His speed did not decrease in the slightest. He was still moving at an extremely fast speed, crossing one check point after another. 3,000 steps! 4,000 steps! 5,000 steps! When Emerson reached that position, he slowed down a little. However, his speed was still slightly faster than his initial speed. There would not be any danger of him falling down the stairs any soon. ¡°You must give up on the sixth check point¡­¡± A voice suddenly came from the crowd. From the looks of it, it was Emerson¡¯s extremely high-quality all-rounded genes as well as his formidable strength that caused some people to change their opinion of him. Emerson Cole, who was focused on the test, also felt the immense pressure. It was as if he had been thrown into the bottom of a deep sea, causing every inch of his skin to suffer a balanced impact. Moreover, that feeling would continue to increase as he advanced. He felt that his limbs were gradually becoming stiff, and even he was somewhat unfocused. It was an extremely dangerous situation. He had just crossed the fifth check point. If he were to give up at this moment, he would definitely die there. Hence, he bit the tip of his tongue. The smell of blood spread in his mouth. The intense pain instantly woke him up. ¡°When I was still not a genetic warrior, I was able to kill a Red-scaled Fire Python.¡± ¡°Now that I already possess such a powerful strength, could it be that I can¡¯t even pass a useless test?¡± A ferocity appeared in Emerson¡¯s heart. Perhaps it was because that thought had stimulated his adrenaline, but at that moment, he actually felt his entire body brimming with strength. Charge! Charge! Charge! This was the only thought left in Emerson¡¯s mind. He had forgotten about the test and the bet. His goal was to conquer the seemingly endless stairs. 6,000 steps! 7,000 steps! 8,000 steps! 9,000 steps! Emerson Cole was under tremendous pressure as he constantly challenged his limits. Blood kept seeping out of his skin. The blood soaked through his clothes, turning him into a bloody man. With every step, the joints in Emerson¡¯s body would make cracking sounds, as if they would fall apart at any moment. However, Emerson did not give up. He stared at the distant horizon. When he arrived at the 9000 steps, he suddenly realized something shocking. The Eternal Stairs seemed to be coming to an end! Chapter 14 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation At the same time, an old man dressed in luxurious clothes came to the hall. He sat in the seat that the middle-aged man gave up, quietly watching the scene displayed on the screen. His expression was calm, but his gaze was unusually keen. Wherever his gaze swept past, no one dared to look directly at him. He was Grandpa Elrond, the strongest and most powerful person in Iron City. At that moment, he was listening to the middle-aged man¡¯s narration about the entire process of Emerson challenging the test. Very quickly, as the middle-aged man finished his narration, Grandpa Elrond seemed to be shocked. ¡°All-rounded Gene, 9,000 steps of Eternal Stairs?¡± Elrond¡¯s withered fingers tapped on the table, as if he was thinking about something. He did not say anything, so naturally, no one dared to say a word. On the screen, Emerson was still moving forward. In Emerson¡¯s field of vision, the check point that should have belonged to the 10,000 steps had become a platform. On the platform, there was a huge silver door that was emitting a sacred light. There were less than 1,000 steps left! Emmerson endured the intense pain coming from all over his body. He gritted his teeth and persevered, but his had slowed down a lot. The falling stairs had now broken through the eighth check point and were rapidly approaching him. If he continued to move at such a slow speed, it would not be long before death caught up to him. At that time, all the efforts in the first 9,000 steps would be in vain. He would not be able to protect his sister if he died. Her sister would be bullied by others as well. ¡°No! I can¡¯t let that happen!¡± When Emerson thought of his sister, a strong sense of unwillingness burst out from the bottom of Emerson¡¯s heart. He would never let that kind of thing happen to his family! However, no matter how strong Emerson¡¯s will was, he could not recover from the injuries on his body. No matter how unwilling Emerson was, there would not be a miracle. Suddenly, Emerson stopped and stood on a flight of stairs. He slowly closed his eyes. That scene shocked everyone outside. The stairs were falling very rapidly behind him! Emerson dared to stop and close his eyes to rest at such a critical moment? Grandpa Elrond could not help but sigh. ¡°Did he give up?¡± The middle-aged man was stunned. ¡°Grandpa Elrond, is there no way to save him?¡± ¡°You know the rules of the Eternal Stairs better than I do,¡± Elrond said regretfully. ¡°He¡¯s indeed a brave warrior. What a pity. Sigh!¡± Even Grandpa Elrond, the city lord of Iron City, said so. It was undoubtedly a death sentence for Emerson. Instantly, the expressions of the group of people became extremely interesting. Some felt the same as Grandpa Elrond, some looked coldly at the screen, and some even felt happy. No one knew what they were thinking. However, no one knew that Emerson was actually meditating. He was thinking about how he could withstand the pressure brought by the 9,000 steps even though he only had a tiny bit of genetic attributes. Logically speaking, even if he was a perfect all-rounded genetic warrior, it was still not enough for him to reach the height of 9,000 steps. At most, he would stop at 4,000 to 5,000 steps. Why? How was he different from others? An idea suddenly flashed through Emerson¡¯s mind. He was right! Emerson had a system! A system that could fuse with the genes of all living things, or more precisely, a system that could fuse all living things into a part of his genes! As for Emerson himself, although he was currently an all-rounded genetic warrior, strictly speaking, he was still lacking an ability. Elemental Gene! After the Eternal Stairs was activated, gravity, pressure, resistance, and so on were all present and extremely dense. These were all forms of spatial power. Spatial power was an extension of elemental power! Since that was the case, why did not he try to absorb it? Emerson slowly opened his eyes and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m so stupid. It¡¯s such a good place to increase my power, yet I¡¯m using it as a test.¡± Fusion! Activate! Emerson opened his hands. He could actually feel waves of gentle impact coming from all over his body. The pressure that had initially brought him immense pain had actually become a nourishment for his body at that moment. The powerful gravity amplification also disappeared in an instant. He lifted his leg once again as his legs were light and nimble! [Space element fusion. Space Element Fragment: +3!] [Space element fusion. Space Element Fragment: +5!] [Space element fusion. Space Element Fragment: +2!] ¡­. [Acquired 30 Space Element Fragments. Acquired skill ¨C Elementary Spatial Manipulation! ] The power of space was much stronger than the fire element. Hence, after gathering 30 Space Element Fragments, it was only able to fuse into 1 skill. That was the first skill that Emerson had acquired. However, before he could check the specific usage, the falling stairs had already approached him and was not far behind him. Emerson thought of something and looked at the stairs not far away. He thought that he wanted to go there, but in the next second, he really crossed over a hundred steps and arrived at the place he wanted to go. ¡°Space Warp? What a wonderful experience.¡± Emerson felt as if he had fuse with the Eternal Stairs. He was the supreme king in there, and he could go wherever he wanted to go. With just a few thoughts, he arrived at the tenth check point and stepped onto the platform! The sacred door was successfully exposed to everyone¡¯s eyes. What was inside? Emerson had not moved when Grandpa Elrond suddenly stood up and stared at the carved pattern on the door. He did not even think about why Emerson could arrive in front of the door all of a sudden. However, in less than 2 seconds, Grandpa Elrond suddenly pointed at the middle-aged man and said, ¡°Clear out everyone here. Get them out of here!¡± ¡°Everyone, listen up. If I hear anything about what happened today in the city, everyone will be punished for treason!¡± What was going on?? Not to mention those who had come to test, even the middle-aged man was shocked. He had never seen Grandpa Elrond order others so solemnly. He hurriedly pulled a few genetic warriors who were still in a daze nearby and walked out, at the same time, he gave an order to his subordinates. ¡°What are you all standing there for? Didn¡¯t you hear Grandpa Elrond¡¯s order?¡± Only then did the group of people come to their senses. Not a single person was left behind, even the guards. All of them left the testing area. Grandpa Elrond looked at the door on the screen and muttered to himself, ¡°It¡¯s the genes of the first generation. They left it behind. The legend is true¡­¡± Chapter 15 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Legend had it that the ancient sages of genetic warriors had left behind some necessary means in order to prevent their high-quality genes from being completely cut off in the future, causing mankind to be unable to deal with the attacks of the mutated creatures. According to the records in the ancient books, these methods were stored in many cities like the Eternal Stairs, which was compressed by a mysterious power and used as a testing space. As long as someone could reach the final destination, the answer to the riddle would be revealed. There were a total of 4 such spaces in Iron City. Other than the Eternal Stairs, the other 3 were small spaces that could only be used to test a single genetic attribute. Although the Eternal Stairs was the most difficult one in terms of difficulty, these spaces all had a unique characteristic. That was to test the power of a person¡¯s genes. It had nothing to do with one¡¯s strength. It was like a tier 9 genetic warrior coming to the Eternal Stairs, enduring 5 times the gravity. When a tier 8 genetic warrior challenged the Eternal Stairs, they would have to endure 10 times the gravity, or even more. If the strengths and weaknesses of 2 people¡¯s genes were the same, the heights they could climb would be the same. Only genetic warriors with higher quality genes could go further. Originally, Viscount Green was the person who had the best hope of solving the mystery of the Strength Gene testing space in the Indigo Empire. However, he still failed in the end. He was still a distance away from the finish line. However, they did not expect that a young man who came out of the slums in Iron City would solve the mystery today. Grandpa Elrond then turned his gaze to Emerson. ¡°He¡­ is really surprising.¡± Having seen countless geniuses, Grandpa Elrond could not help but sigh. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that there would still be someone who could control the power of space in such a short time. Perhaps the genes in this kid¡¯s body are not worse than those of the first generation genetic warriors, right?¡± That was an extremely high evaluation. In Elrond¡¯s life, even when he was facing Viscount Green, one of the most outstanding geniuses, he only say that Viscount Green was good. In the space of the Eternal Stairs. As Emerson reached the top, all the fallen stairs were restored to their original state. He placed his hand on the door and, driven by curiosity, opened it. Elrond, who was looking forward to the scene, suddenly realized that the crystal ball had actually exploded at that moment. He could no longer see the scene inside the Eternal Stairs. The heavy white jade door let out a mournful cry from the ancient times. It had been sealed for many years, but it was finally opened again. After a dazzling flash of light, Emerson found himself in an empty room. There seemed to be no boundary around him. It was a vast white scene. Only the table in front of him, made of an unknown material, had 2 things on it. One was a small blue ball that was emitting waves of cold air, and the other was a piece of paper. Emerson walked forward and first picked up the paper to read it. On it were the names of some people, as well as their genetic data and types. There were a total of 10 high-quality genes with an S+ score. He did not know what they meant. However, when he saw the milky-white stuff stored in the blue ball, Emerson¡¯s expression immediately became strange. ¡°Could this be the semen of those 10 people?¡± Emerson was somewhat speechless. Could it be that he had risked his life to come here and only obtained these semen that were completely useless to him? F*ck! What a huge loss. However, after pondering for a moment, Emerson realized that this thing might not be useful to him, but it might be useful to others. There were people in the black market of Iron City who had sold the semen of genetic warriors before. As for its usage, everyone knew about it. Since he was unable to become a genetic warrior, he would place his hopes on the next generation. There were many people who had such thoughts. Emerson was not someone who liked to waste things. Since he was already here, he might as well sell these 10 sets of semen. Perhaps he could earn a large sum of money. ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s such a thing in the other spaces.¡± As Emerson thought about it, he wrapped the small blue ball up with his clothes and hid it properly. Then, he walked out of the space. In the end, he ran into someone he had never expected to see. Grandpa Elrond! The king of Iron City! Just the aura Elrond gave off was enough to scare people away. ¡®He won¡¯t know that I got those things from the test, will he?¡¯ Emerson muttered in his heart as he watched Grandpa Elrond walk closer and closer. Elrond smiled amiably and said, ¡°Your name is Emerson Cole, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Grandpa Elrond.¡± ¡°Just now, you passed the test and ascended the platform of the Eternal Stairs. You also saw that big door, right?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Emerson¡¯s heart skipped a beat. If he told Elrond, he would definitely demand those things. If that was the case, he would have suffered for nothing. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I just want to know what you got from the place behind that door.¡± Elrond thought that the prestige he had accumulated in Iron City over the years had frightened this child, so he lowered his tone again. In fact, Emerson would not be frightened by Elrond. He just did not want to suffer a loss. Should Emerson give it to Elrond or not? Grandpa Elrond seemed to know that there was something behind that door. If he said that there was nothing behind it, he was afraid that a mysterious person would come to his new home to steal the blue ball. Grandpa Elrond might even hate him as well. If that happened, he probably would not be able to survive in Iron City. After thinking for a while, Emerson took out the piece of paper from his pocket and decided to hide half of it. ¡°Grandpa Elrond, I found this in that space. I can¡¯t understand what it means, do you know anything about this?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Elrond did not expect Emerson would hand over the item so easily. Instantly, he had a good impression of Emerson. Then, he took the paper and read it carefully. However, just as Elrond¡¯s gaze landed on the first line, his pupils contracted. Amken? Legend had it that in the ancient times, Amken commanded 3,000 genetic warriors and reclaimed the territory of 5,000,000 square kilometers that had been occupied by mutated creatures. He was dead for thousands of years. How did Amken¡¯s name appear on this list. Elrond looked down and was even more shocked. There was a total of 10 people on the list. None of them had strength below King Level. All of them were extremely powerful humans recorded in the ancient books. King Level was an existence that surpassed a tier 1 genetic warrior. Currently, there were only a few of them left. However, what did that mean? The piece of paper only contained the names of these people and their genetic data. What did that mean? Elrond could not figure it out. He raised his head and asked Emerson again, ¡°Didn¡¯t you find anything else in that space?¡± ¡°No.¡± Emerson¡¯s face did not turn red when he lied. ¡°However, I¡¯m guessing that there might be similar spaces in the other 3 tests. There might be something in there which is related to this piece of paper.¡± Elrond heard Emerson¡¯s words and was immediately enlightened. Chapter 16 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡®He was right!¡¯ ¡®Indeed, a young man¡¯s brain worked faster.¡¯ Elrond thought Emerson helped him figure out the connection. ¡°It looks like the answer to the riddle hasn¡¯t been solved yet.¡± Elrond¡¯s wrinkled face had a hint of admiration. He looked at Emerson and said, ¡°Brat, are you willing to help the Indigo Empire solve this riddle?¡± As he spoke, he saw Emerson¡¯s awful expression and hurriedly continued, ¡°Of course, we will not mistreat you. I can promise you that as long as you bring out any item from the testing space, you can go to the storehouse and choose an item that you need.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Emerson¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. That was the city lord¡¯s storehouse. It must be full of stuff in there. There were still 3 spaces in the testing place that he did not go to. In other words, he could choose any 3 treasures in the storehouse. It was much better than his adventure in the dark forest. It was easy for Emerson, and the rewards were great. It just so happened that Emerson urgently needed to raise his strength, so he immediately agreed. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, Emerson, then you should prepare well for the next few days. When you want to come over, let me know.¡± Elrond nodded in satisfaction and put the paper close to his body. Then, he took out a token and placed it in Emerson¡¯s hand. He said, ¡°With this, you can freely enter and exit the city lord¡¯s mansion.¡± ¡°Okay, Grandpa Elrond.¡± Emerson put away the token. Elrond patted him on the shoulder and walked out. Halfway out, he seemed to have remembered something. He turned around and said, ¡°There¡¯s a banquet in the city lord¡¯s mansion tonight. If you want to get to know more people, come and take a look.¡± After that, Elrond left. Emerson was stunned for a moment before he shook his head. ¡°Grandpa Elrond¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you want to do something to me?¡± Only famous and well known people were able to attend Elrond¡¯s banquet. Why did Elrond invite Emerson to his banquet? The middle-aged man who was chased out returned at that time. When he saw Emerson who was thinking about something, he smiled and said, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Emerson came back to his senses. ¡°Nothing. Oh right, when can I get my identity card?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be ready in 3 days. You can leave an address for me. I¡¯ll send someone to deliver it to your doorstep.¡± The middle-aged man gave him a small privilege. Emerson was able to attract the attention of Grandpa Elrond. Moreover, he was the second all-rounded genetic warrior in the history of the Indigo Empire. His future would definitely be bright. The middle-aged man had to curry favor with him as soon as possible. ¡°Thank you, then.¡± Emerson thanked him and left. In the end, Emerson bumped into a person at the entrance. Both of them were stunned. The man was surprised by Emerson¡¯s strange attire. As for Emerson, he was too lazy to bother with others. After apologizing to the man, he left. The man patted his shoulder where he had been hit and turned around to walk into the testing area. ¡°You¡¯re the Count¡¯s attendant!¡± The middle-aged man recognized the man at once. The man who came over was the Count¡¯s attendant. He took out a portrait from his pocket and showed the middle-aged man. ¡°Do you have any information about this person? His name is Emerson Cole.¡± ¡°He just passed the test and left. May I ask what is the matter, sir?¡± The attendant¡¯s pupils constricted as he rushed out of the garrison without saying anything. However, there were people coming and going on the street, and he could no longer see Emerson. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡­ Iron City. The city lord¡¯s mansion. ¡°That¡¯s about it.¡± Elrond stood in front of a screen of light with a cautious look. He even bent his waist slightly, looking extremely respectful. It was hard to imagine that the city lord of Iron City would be so respectful when facing somebody else. Not long after, a male voice came from the screen of light. ¡°What do you plan to do?¡± Just by listening to the voice, one could feel the power contained within. ¡°Sir Duke, I think that we should seal off the news and then secretly bring Emerson Cole to the Imperial Capital to be nurtured. We can combine him with the royal bloodline and continue to have a stronger genetic bloodline.¡± Elrond and the middle-aged man in the testing center had similar thoughts. Emerson was like a treasure that could be used to replicate high quality genes. Only when he was used to carry on the family line could his value be maximized. ¡°He¡¯s just a child who came out of the slums, right?¡± The Duke asked Elrond. Elrond sighed. ¡°Sir Duke, I feel that we shouldn¡¯t consider the issue of identity at this time. Currently, Emerson is the only warrior who possesses all-rounded genes. If we don¡¯t control him properly now, he might head to another country, and it would definitely be our loss¡­¡± ¡°Elrond.¡± The Duke called out and stopped Elrond from speaking. After that, his voice suddenly became low, solemn and unquestionable. ¡°What you are thinking is too one-sided.¡± ¡°Emerson obtained an SSS rating during the test. This is enough to prove that he has genes comparable to the first generation genetic warriors.¡± ¡°Such a person will 1 day become the strongest existence on Blue Planet.¡± ¡°You just said it yourself. Emerson grew up in the slums, so he must have experienced countless hardships. He¡¯s absolutely self-reliant, independent, and has a strong will of his own.¡± ¡°If we try to treat him like a canary in a cage, it¡¯ll only arouse his disgust.¡± ¡°What we need to do is to nurture him, not restrain him. Do you understand?¡± Elrond hesitated for a moment and answered, ¡°But¡­ if he unfortunately dies while getting stronger, then.. ¡°Then we can only blame our Indigo Empire for not being blessed.¡± The Duke continued, ¡°This is not just my idea, it is also Your Majesty¡¯s idea.¡± Elrond immediately kept quiet. In front of the Indigo Empire¡¯s ruler, he should not have any objections. Perhaps there was another reason, but the Duke did not say it. It was very likely because Elrond was not qualified to know. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it. I have another thing to tell you.¡± The Duke¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s little princess, Green Tifa left a message saying that she wanted to go for an adventure. 2 days ago, she secretly ran out of the Imperial Capital. Recently, she has arrived in your territory. Pay attention.¡± Elrond had a headache. Although Green Tifa was a little princess and did not have a high rank, her ability to torment people was spread throughout the entire Indigo Empire. She really had a bad reputation. She ran away from home for the first time when she was 8 years old. After she was kidnapped and sold to another country by human traffickers, she successfully outsmarted the human traffickers. In the end, not only did she mess up the black market over there, but she also caused the wicked human traffickers wanted to hunt her down. However, when the secret agents sent by the Indigo Empire found her, she was still enjoying herself in the tavern, eating meat and drinking fruit juice. Furthermore, the human trafficker was in the taverns too. However, they did not harm her. After asking, it turned out that she had acknowledged the owner of the tavern as her father, and the owner of the tavern happened to be a noble. When the human traffickers saw the little girl calling out for her father, they did not dare to make a move at all. It was hard to imagine that it was something that a noble princess who had received royal etiquette would do. The princess had done it more than once, from the age of 8 to 18 years old, she did not waste a moment of her life at all. Chapter 17 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation In the Indigo Empire, Princess Green represented trouble, and she was a huge trouble. However, since she had already come to Iron City, Elrond could only admit his bad luck and hope that she would not cause any big trouble in Iron City. ¡°Then¡­ Sir Duke, where is Princess Green now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The spy has lost her. If nothing goes wrong, she is somewhere near Iron City. Send someone out to look for her.¡± Elrond sighed. As he had expected, the princess had disappeared before he could see her. At that time, no matter what happened to the princess, the responsibility would fall on Elrond. If he had not been used to it so many years, he would not be able to accept the unacceptable fact that the princess was somewhere in near Iron City. ¡°I understand.¡± Elrond agreed and decided to communicate with the high officials and nobles in the city at the banquet. He wanted to know how to find the whereabouts of the princess in the huge territory of Iron City. After Elrond answered, the Duke then hung up and the screen disappeared. Elrond then sighed again with a distressed look. In the conversation just now, the Duke did not specifically talk about how to arrange the future of Emerson. He only gave Elrond a very vague idea. After talking for a long time, it was as if he did not tell Elrond anything important. At the same time, the Duke also rejected his proposal. ¡°What does it mean exactly¡­¡± The royal family was very strange. It seemed like they did not want to pay too much attention to Emerson. However, how many years had it been since such an all-rounded genetic warrior appeared? A all-rounded genetic warrior appeared in the Indigo Empire was very rare, not to mention in the Blue Planet. Could it be that the royal family had been secretly using the genetic technology to produce all-rounded genetic warriors, and that they had already achieved rather good results? However, Emerson was a SSS rating genetic warrior. How could they not even be interested in such a powerful warrior? Elrond could not make up his mind. Perhaps the Duke wanted him to not restrict the growth of a genius and let Emerson go through more difficulties and obstacles. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ Should we keep it a secret?¡± That method was to protect Emerson to the greatest extent. If he did not do so, it was very likely that he would attract the attention of the enemy country and send people to assassinate him. After all, Emerson could be considered as a mobile ultimate gene bank. Everyone wanted him. Although the current technological system had collapsed and the genetic technology was useless under the cover of the mysterious fog, that did not prevent the continuation of the genes of the human body. To put it in an exaggerated manner, Emerson¡¯s sperm was even more precious than a tier 1 creature soul. As long as Elrond could obtain his sperm, he would be able to produce genetic warriors that were no weaker than the second generation genetic warriors of ancient times. Elrond¡¯s idea was to let Emerson marry to a royal bloodline and pass on his genes. After all, he did not want their enemy countries to obtain Emerson¡¯s genes. However, according to the Duke¡¯s opinion, he did not intend to do so. Thus, Elrond could only give up. After thinking about it, Elrond was afraid that his decision would delay the plans of his majesty and the Duke. Thus, he decided not to care about this matter anymore. In any case, what the Duke wanted him to do was only to look for the princess. Since Elrond did not prevent the news from spreading, in the afternoon, a hot topic started in Iron City. The second all-rounded genetic warrior in the history of the Indigo Empire had appeared! Furthermore, it was suspected that Emerson had consumed some black market medicine to obtain such an ability! Naturally, that news was not spread by the people who were originally in the testing area. They had received Elrond¡¯s warning and did not dare to speak carelessly. As soon as they heard this news, the people that were in the testing area in the morning started panicking. After all, it was a crime of treason. No one could bear the consequences. Some of them ran away and hide to prevent getting caught. There were even some who went to look for the instigator who spread this news, they offered a reward for the instigator¡¯s head. In the end, the instigator even stood on the platform of life and death as he told everybody that wanted his head to challenge him. The instigator was Lucius. He did not listen to Elrond¡¯s warning. He lost his mind because he was not satisfied with Emerson. He could not imagine how a person who used drugs to cheat could pass the all-rounded gene test and not die. In Lucius¡¯s eyes, if Emerson¡¯s identity was confirmed, he would definitely be bestowed with supreme glory by the Indigo Empire and obtain the best resources. At that time, Emerson would not be able to protect Lucy, and he would even be ostracized and oppressed by the people. Lucius could not stand Emerson¡¯s behavior. He wanted to uncover all of this and let everyone know that Emerson was a liar. ¡°Does this idiot know what he¡¯s doing?¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind! You¡¯ll get us all killed! Quickly think of a way to shut him up!¡± ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you notice? He has been shouting on stage for so long. Logically speaking, Grandpa Elrond should have known about this long ago. Shouldn¡¯t he have sent someone to arrest him?¡± ¡°Could it be that Grandpa Elrond acquiesced to his actions?¡± ¡°Do you want to risk your life? Treason is punishable by death!¡± ¡°What can we do? You¡¯ll need to challenge Lucius if you stand on the platform. You saw his strength during the test. I don¡¯t want to fight with him.¡± ¡°Moreover, he¡¯s Viscount Rory¡¯s friend. Even if we try to kill him, do you think Viscount Rory will let us go?¡± The small group of people below the platform discussed animatedly. They were all witnesses who had personally witnessed Emerson breaking through the Eternal Stairs and reaching the end. Having received Elrond¡¯s warning, they were all extremely dissatisfied with Lucius¡¯s actions. However, they could not do anything about him. Viscount Rory was a noble of Iron City. He was an existence that ordinary genetic warriors like them could only look up to. Even those who were not afraid of Lucius did not dare to make a move on him on account of Viscount Rory. ¡°Emerson Cole is a f*cking liar!¡± ¡°We¡¯re all genetic warriors. How can we tolerate a person who uses drug to exchange for power at the cost of his life to gain the recognition of the Indigo Empire?¡± ¡°A lowly scum is definitely not qualified to be on the same level as us!¡± ¡°He even tried to show off in front of us!¡± ¡°I implore Grandpa Elrond to step out and punish Emerson Cole!¡± Lucius shouted loudly. He was determined to make a scene. In fact, Lucius¡¯ method was effective. Most of the people who did not know the situation were incited by Lucius¡¯ words. However, there were also some people who raised their doubts. ¡°You said that Emerson became a genetic warrior after taking drugs, and that he was an all-rounded genetic warrior? Is that possible? Is there such a powerful drug? Could it be that you are jealous of him? Are you trying to slander him?¡± Lucius sneered as he answered, ¡°Idiot, Emerson is a commoner from the slums. It¡¯s impossible for the people there to become genetic warriors!¡± ¡°You already said that he is a commoner from the slums. Then where did he get the money to buy the drugs?¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe he stole it from someone,¡± Lucius said indifferently. ¡°After all, they are low-class people with bad morals, aren¡¯t they?¡± At that moment, a strong force assaulted from behind Lucius. It was as if someone had kicked him hard on the body, sending him flying. After flying for more than 10 meters, he crashed into the guardrail before stopping. A cold voice sounded not far behind Lucius. ¡°How noisy.¡± Chapter 18 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Upon hearing this voice, a furious expression appeared on Lucius¡¯s face. He raised his head and saw Emerson. ¡°What a sneaky guy, you actually attacked me from behind!¡± Lucius gritted his teeth and was about to get up, but the intense pain from his body made him stagger and fall to the ground again. Only then did he experience Emerson¡¯s strength. He clearly had a defensive-type tier 8 soul weapon on him, but who knew that it would be completely useless against Emerson¡¯s attack. Lucius¡¯ defensive soul weapon was like a piece of paper. At that moment, even Lucius had some doubts about whether Emerson had obtained his strength by taking drugs, as he had guessed. It was impossible for him to become this strong by just consuming drugs. How could they allow the drugs to appear on the black market? Emerson¡¯s face was very cold. He did not even bother to say a word. He walked to Lucius and stretched out his hand. Lucius was shocked. He thought that Emerson was going to make a move on him, so he quickly shouted, ¡°I¡¯m not ready! You can¡¯t¡­¡± However, before he could finish his sentence, he saw Emerson ignore him and just took the package containing the meat from his waist. Emerson even opened the package in front of him, took out a piece of meat with fire elements and ate it. Lucius was stunned for a moment. He did not know what Emerson was going to do. Emerson closed his eyes and felt the changes brought about by the fusion of the power in the meat. [Stone-burning Turtle fusion. Physical Gene: +2.] [Stone-burning Turtle fusion. Fire Elemental Fragments: +1.] [Acquired 10 Fire Elemental Fragments. Acquired a random skill ¨C Elementary Flame Control!] Due to the increase in Emerson¡¯s strength, eating the meat of low-level mutated creatures would not increase his attributes by much. It was the same even for species that he had not fused with before. The greatest thing that Emerson could obtain from these creatures was not their attributes, but their creature souls and soul pills. Unfortunately, the meat only gave him a Fire Elemental Fragment. However, it was enough. Following that, Emerson glanced at the heavily injured Lucius, then raised his leg and stomped heavily on his head! His speed was far faster than Lucius¡¯s reaction. He did not even have the time to dodge before his head was stomped flat by Emerson. Blood splattered in all directions. The audience closest to the platform were more or less stained by it. The smell of blood gradually spread. However, at that moment, no one dared to scold Emerson. Everyone was shocked by his swift and decisive actions. Even before they could figure out who the murderer was, Lucius was already dead. At that moment, a guard who was maintaining order came over and pointed at Emerson on the stage and shouted. ¡°Who are you? How dare you kill someone in public!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m the person he¡¯s looking for. This is the Life And Death Arena. Killing someone up here isn¡¯t against the law, right?¡± Emerson said calmly. If Lucius did not stand on the Life And Death Arena, Emerson really did not have any good methods to kill Lucius without the others knowing. He did not expect that Lucius would come knocking on his door. Hearing Emerson announce his identity, the surrounding spectators could not help but be stunned. ¡°He¡¯s Emerson Cole? The person who became an all-rounded genetic warrior through drugs?¡± ¡°Interesting. He killed Lucius in an instant. Is that drug really that powerful?¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually very curious. After killing Viscount Rory¡¯s friend, will he still be able to live past tomorrow?¡± ¡°Do you think he¡¯s stronger than Viscount Rory?¡± ¡°How is that possible? Viscount Rory is already a tier 5 genetic warrior. He was almost able to advance to tier 4. Viscount Rory didn¡¯t have a lot of opponents in Iron City, not to mention a nobody that appeared out of nowhere.¡± Suddenly, the crowd was separated by the guards. A young man dressed luxuriously jogged over under the escort of the crowd. When he saw Lucius, he could not help but be enraged. ¡°Who did this?¡± He swept his gaze around before finally landing on Emerson on the stage. ¡°You did this?¡± Unexpectedly, Emerson completely ignored him. He carried the meat and walked to the side of the arena, as if he was about to leave. Emerson¡¯s arrogant attitude made the young man extremely furious. It had been a very, very long time, and no one had dared to ignore him like that. A spectator quickly ran up from the side and whispered a few words into the young man¡¯s ear, but was pushed away by him. ¡°I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s an all-rounded genetic warrior or not, whether he has taken drugs or not. If he dares to look down on the Rory family, then I¡¯ll punish him!¡± Viscount Rory ran up the Life And Death Arena, throwing a simple and direct punch at Emerson. With his strength as a tier 5 genetic warrior, if Emerson was hit by his punch, he would die without a doubt even if he did not use his full strength! However, the moment Viscount Rory¡¯s fist landed on Emerson¡¯s body, he felt as though his hit the air. He did not feel any impact at all. In the next moment, Emerson¡¯s figure suddenly appeared behind him. His palm carried a scorching light as it struck Viscount Rory¡¯s body. Boom! At the same time, a violent explosion sounded. The dazzling light made everyone present unable to open their eyes. When the light faded and everything could be seen clearly, only Viscount Rory was left on the stage. His body was covered with burn marks, and his clothes were only left with the soul weapon that protected him. He looked extremely pathetic. ¡°Shameless scoundrel! Come out now!¡± ¡°Emerson Cole!¡± ¡°This is Iron City. You can¡¯t escape!¡± Viscount Rory shouted angrily on the platform. He was frustrated. He had never been so angry before. No one dared to humiliate him like this in Iron City. It had never happened in the past 25 years! He walked to the edge of the arena with a cold expression, pointed at his guards and shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll give you 5 hours to search for Emerson Cole. Find him and kill him!¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Suddenly, someone interrupted him. Viscount Rory frowned and looked over. It was a man who looked like a servant, and he seemed to be holding a token of the Count. ¡°You dare to stop me?¡± The man was just a mere attendant. Rory did not care about him at all. The attendant braced himself and said, ¡°Viscount Rory, the Count has an order to bring Emerson Cole back to the Count¡¯s mansion. Please take back the order just now.¡± ¡°So?¡± Viscount Rory looked at him coldly. ¡°I won¡¯t let a trash like you stop me.¡± The attendant was stunned, but he still endured the pressure and said, ¡°This is the Count¡¯s intention. Please consider it carefully, Viscount Rory.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Viscount Rory snorted coldly as he did not dare to oppose the Count¡¯s order. He stood on the platform and shouted. ¡°Everyone, listen up. Today, I, Rory Queen, challenge Emerson Cole.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t bully him either. We¡¯ll have another match on the Life And Death Arena a month later.¡± ¡°Grandpa Elrond will be our witness. You¡¯re not allowed to admit defeat, nor are you allowed to escape. Otherwise, prepare to face the endless pursuit of the Rory Family!¡± Chapter 19 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation In the distance, Emerson, who had put on his cloak again, stood in the shadows and watched everything silently. Upon hearing Rory want to challenge him, Emerson only felt that it was troublesome. What he wanted to do was to increase his strength and continuously become stronger. He did not want to do such a meaningless thing, nor was he interested in doing it. In fact, as long as Emerson was strong enough, the so-called Rory family would not dare to make a move against him. Emerson ignored Viscount Rory¡¯s challenge as he quietly left the place. Suddenly, he turned around and collided with a petite body. Emerson did not move at all, but the girl fell to the ground on her butt. It was a young girl who looked as exquisite as porcelain. There was not a single blemish on her fair skin. The most eye-catching thing was that one-piece shorts made of precious animal skin wrapped around her sexy figure. At that moment, 1 of her hands was pressing on her plump chest, gently rubbing it. Obviously, she felt painful after colliding with Emerson Emerson took a look and then left. ¡°Hey!¡± The girl shouted angrily, ¡°You knocked me down, don¡¯t you know you should apologize to me?¡± ¡°We knocked each other, it¡¯s just that you fell and I didn¡¯t fall. It¡¯s your fault.¡± Emerson then disappeared into the corner of the street. The girl had never heard such thing before. She felt that Emerson was a stubborn and unreasonable man. She got up furiously and stomped her feet angrily. She felt pain coming from the 2 heaviest parts of her body. She felt that she could not let Emerson off her hook easily. Thus, she also took out a cloak from her bag, wrapped herself tightly, and followed Emerson. Soon, the last ray of sunlight from dusk disappeared into the night. When Emerson returned home, he found that Lucy had already prepared a table full of delicacies for him. ¡°Brother, wash your hands before you eat.¡± Lucy thoughtfully brought him a basin of water and, she used a warm towel to wipe Emerson¡¯s fingers until it was clean. Finally, Emerson felt the warmth of family. Although he did not need to eat these normal foods, it was still his sister¡¯s hard work. Hence, he could not bear to disappoint her. After finishing his dinner, he continued to consume the meat of mutated creatures. That was the only way for a genetic warrior to become stronger. There was no other way for him to become stronger. [Spike Demon fusion. Agility Gene: +2.] [Scarlet Armored Beast fusion. Physical Gene: +3.] [Cyclops Giant fusion. Strength Gene: +2.] Soon, he finished all the meat. However, that amount of meat only gave him a very small increase in his genetic attributes. ¡°Looks like I have to fuse with higher grade mutated creatures.¡± Emerson took out the crystal card that he carried with him. There were less than 20,000 gold coins left in it. He had spent 80,000 gold coins in a short period of time. Although most of it had been used to buy a house, he had spent quite a lot on a trip to the tavern. He planned to give the remaining 20,000 gold coins to Lucy. As his younger sister, Emerson would naturally not let her suffer from hunger and poverty. With that, Emerson Cole would have to think of another way to obtain gold coins. The Bounty Association in Iron City was a good choice for him to obtain more gold coins. There was a bounty mission specially provided for genetic warriors there. There were various types of missions, and the commission was high. However, before that, he still had the Red-scaled Fire Python soul pill that he had consigned to the auction house for payment. There was also the tests that he had promised Grandpa Elrond that he would go through in the next 2 days. After that, he would split up the semen and collect the items from Elrond¡¯s storehouse. Just as Emerson was pondering, an unexpected guest appeared in the courtyard outside and quietly observed his every move. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you stuffed to death after eating so much?!¡± A girl voiced out, and her voice was filled with resentment. ¡°Hmph, watch how I deal with you!¡± As she finished speaking, she placed her bag on the ground and used the dim light to search for the things inside. However, when she took out a bottle from inside and looked up into the room, Emerson had already disappeared. ¡°Eh, where is he?¡± She stood up and looked around as she was not sure where Emerson went. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± A cold voice sounded from behind her, giving her a fright. What was worse was that a scorching flame followed. The terrifying temperature seemed to melt her. When she turned her head, the flame was about to hit her pretty face! ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± The girl shouted and a water shield instantly formed in front of her. No matter how strong Emerson¡¯s fire power was, he was unable to break through the barrier. Thick steam rose up, causing the surrounding temperature to rise by a lot. Emerson could tell from the voice that the shield wielder was the girl that he had met in the evening. He narrowed his eyes and instantly stopped using his fire power. He then used his palm to hit the water shield. However, his hand smoothly broke through the water shield without any obstruction. The girl¡¯s eyes widened. Seeing that Emerson¡¯s hand was about to press against her chest, she hurriedly retreated. ¡°Pervert!¡± She gnashed her teeth and said, ¡°How could you do this to a girl!¡± Unexpectedly, Emerson completely ignored her and closed in with another smooth combination of punches. The girl was so angry that she stretched out her hand and took out a colorful bow from the void. She easily forced Emerson back with her bow. After all, a soul weapon was a soul weapon. It was not something that Emerson could compete with at the moment. Moreover, it seemed that the girl was using a fine quality soul weapon. It also meant that the girl was not weak. However, Emerson did not intend to stop. The lady was sneaky as he came to Emerson¡¯ house in the middle of the night. No one knew what she was up to. If she had been sent by Viscount Rory to keep an eye on him, she would definitely have threatened Lucy¡¯s safety. In a place like Iron City, if one was not a noble, one would lose their life if they were not careful enough. No one would care about the lives of ordinary people. It was the same for ordinary genetic warriors. Chapter 20 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After retreating, the girl raised her bow and aimed it at Emerson. ¡°I¡¯ll let you have a taste of Elemental Arrows!¡± She shouted and pulled the bowstring with her slender arms. With that, several Elemental Arrows with different attributes appeared out of thin air and shot toward Emerson. That girl was actually a genetic warrior with multiple elements! Emerson was greatly surprised. He bent his body in a defensive posture and used his arms to block in front of him. At the same time, a thick and heavy shield formed in his hand, blocking the powerful arrows. Bang! Bang! Bang! 3 consecutive sounds rang out. Emerson felt as if he had been hit by a truck. Half of his body was numbed by the powerful arrows. The arrows had caused more damage than he thought. Crack! Emerson heard cracking sound, and he was shocked to find that his shield had actually started to crack under the impact of the 3 arrows. The crack on the shield was very obvious. He could see it even from behind the shield. It seemed that if he were to take another arrow, the shield would be ruined. Fortunately, Emerson¡¯s shield was a soul weapon, and it could recover when he stored it his body. As long as it was not completely damaged, it would not disappear. Emerson stood up and kept the shield that was about to be shattered. His opponent was a little terrifying. She was at least at tier 6 and above. With Emerson¡¯s current strength, he could not deal with her at all. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯ve tasted my power!¡± Upon seeing this, the young girl could not help but look pleased. Then, she raised her hand again and shot out another ice arrow, but the position was aimed at Emerson¡¯s leg, trying to freeze him. However, Emerson¡¯s figure suddenly disappeared. He disappeared in an instant. It was not because he was too fast. The girl was stunned. This was the second time Emerson had suddenly disappeared without any signs or movements. She could not even catch a trace of Emerson. She subconsciously turned around, but she still could not see any trace of him. ¡°Could it be a space-related ability?¡± ¡°What the hell! He ran away!¡± The young girl gnashed her teeth. She had never seen such a shameless genetic warrior before. Suddenly, she seemed to have sensed something. She quickly raised her head and saw Emerson was standing on the roof, looking down at her from above. Flames started burning on Emerson¡¯s body. The girl¡¯s expression changed, but her first reaction was to cover the collar on her chest, and she hurriedly moved backward. ¡°Shameless! Filthy!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Emerson felt strange. He did not even look at her chest at all. ¡°I¡¯m not going to fight with you anymore! You¡¯re always thinking of touching me. Lame!¡± It was indeed quite boring. She just wanted to teach Emerson a lesson because he did not apologize to her. He even made a bunch of nonsense after bumping into her. After all, she did not really hate him. It was impossible for her to use her true strength to deal with him. She would only do so to her enemies. However, if that was the case, she would be completely helpless against Emerson. Against a genetic warrior who had mastered spatial abilities, she would not even be able to get close to him. If the fight were to continue, it would be like a cat-and-mouse game. Furthermore, Emerson¡¯s attacks were extremely vicious. He did not hold back at all. Every move he made was fatal. She did not know where he had learned it from. He was like a scoundrel. Did he not know that he should not try to touch a woman¡¯s chest in a fight? The young lady suddenly stomped her feet and turned around as she was about to leave. However, Emerson blocked her again. He looked at her with an unfriendly expression. ¡°Get out of my way!¡± The young lady was extremely angry. Emerson just looked at her coldly. ¡°Why did you come to my house? Did Rory send you to keep an eye on me?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m crazy? I didn¡¯t come all the way here to work for someone else!¡± ¡°Why did you come to my house?¡± Emerson asked again. ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± The lady were unwilling to talk to Emerson, and she pushed him away angrily. ¡°Brother?¡± At that moment, a soft voice came from inside the house. Lucy stuck her little head out and looked at them curiously. ¡°This lady¡­ Is she your friend?¡± Lucy had already come to the courtyard as soon as she heard voices coming from outside. However, the battle between the 2 ended too quickly. She did not see it and could only hear voices. However, she did not hear what they were arguing. When she came out of the house, she saw a beautiful lady that she had never seen before pushing her brother away angrily, as if she had been wronged. If she did not know that her brother had never had any contact with girls before, she would have thought that she was his girlfriend. However, when Emerson saw Lucy coming out, his expression suddenly changed. ¡°Lucy, you shouldn¡¯t leave the house!¡± Emerson¡¯s voice was deep and loud. Everybody there could hear the worry in his voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­¡± Lucy, who had been scolded, was stunned. ¡°Go back into the house!¡± Emerson yelled again. He stood in front of the girl and looked at her vigilantly. If the young lady made any move, he swore that he would stop her at all costs. ¡°You don¡¯t think that I would hurt your sister, do you?¡± The girl saw Lucy¡¯s innocence look. That was a feeling that she would never experience in her own home. She liked it very much. However, Emerson¡¯s tall figure still stood firmly in front of her as he did not plan to move away. ¡°You can¡¯t win against me. What¡¯s the use of standing in front of me like a tree?¡± The girl could not help but find it funny. ¡°I want to be friends with your sister. For her sake, I¡¯ll forgive you for not apologizing to me.¡± ¡°Get out of here,¡± Emerson said coldly. ¡°Why are you so nervous? Are you afraid that I¡¯ll eat your sister?¡± She took off her cloak and showed her exquisite and beautiful face to the 2 of them. Her blue eyes looked at the night sky, and the endless stars in her eyes were dazzling. She untied her hair and shook it. Her shoulder-length hair added more charm to her appearance. Then, with a smile on her face, the girl looked at Emerson sincerely. ¡°How can a beautiful girl like me hurt you sister?¡± Emerson would not believe a single word other than the word ¡®beautiful¡¯. The girl simply stopped looking at him and shifted her gaze to Lucy. She smiled and said, ¡°Lucy, is it? I¡¯m Tifa and I should be a little older than you. Can I call you Sister Lucy?¡± ¡°Yes, you can.¡± Lucy looked at Emerson¡¯s expression and carefully said, ¡°But Tifa, you should leave first. My brother doesn¡¯t seem to like you.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just an impolite pervert!¡± Tifa was so angry when she mentioned Emerson as she fiercely glared at the huge man in front of her. Emerson frowned and looked back at Lucy. Lucy immediately understood that her brother was really angry. She stuck out her tongue and quickly hid in the house. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± It seemed like Tifa had something to say. Emerson¡¯s gaze fell on Tifa again as he looked at her furiously. ¡°Leave!¡± ¡°Okay. Okay. I¡¯ll leave. Do you think I want to stay here with you?¡± Tifa did not want to stay there either. She then left the house. Chapter 21 However, Emerson did not expect that Tifa would do such a thing. Tifa did not feel satisfied at all. When Emerson was not paying attention, she suddenly turned around and bit his hand. Emerson had been guarding himself from Tifa. However, he did not expect that she would make such a move as he did not react at all. However, with his physique, most people would not be able to hurt him by throwing a punch at him, let alone bite him. Unfortunately, although the girl was powerful, her teeth were not as strong as hers genetic attributes. Emerson did not feel anything, but Tifa¡¯s teeth were when she bit his flesh. Half a second later, she saw Emerson pull out a long knife. ¡°Just you wait! I¡¯ll think of a way to deal with you!¡± The lady said fiercely as she ran away. Emerson frowned as she disappeared at the corner of the street. He did not chase after her. Lucy was still at home. If he chased after her, it would not be safe. Emerson did not dare to take such a risk. However, after thinking it carefully, that girl did not seem to be from the Rory family. After all, when he was on the Life and Death Arena, he knew that he could not defeat Rory. Thus, he used his Elementary Flame Control and Elementary Spatial Manipulation to escape. He only met the girl later. It was impossible for Rory to have the time to order his subordinates to find him. Since that was the case, Emerson felt much more secured. As long as it did not threaten Lucy¡¯s safety, he would not be afraid of any danger. However, the girl¡¯s intention was unclear, so he still had to keep on his guard. The sky turned dark again, and the Iron City returned to its tranquility under the cover of the candlelight. Emerson did not attend Elrond¡¯s banquet. He was not interested in such things that required social interaction. Moreover, such a thing had just happened. He had to protect Lucy¡¯s safety, so he simply went to bed early. To be more precise, he just took naps. With his current condition, unless he was extremely tired or his body was severely injured, he did not need to sleep at all. He just needed to rest. However, he maintained sufficient vigilance throughout the night and did not find any uninvited guests coming to disturb him. The next day, he brought the token to the city lord¡¯s mansion to visit Elrond. The main reason was to tell Elrond that he was ready to challenge the other 3 tests. Elrond warmly welcomed him, and on the way, he asked him why he did not attend the banquet yesterday. Emerson told Elrond that he felt unwell, and the two of them chatted casually. Soon, they arrived at the testing area. ¡°Carry on the glory of the Indigo Empire. I wish you success, Emerson.¡± Standing at the entrance of the testing area, Elrond said kindly. Emerson did not say anything as he entered the testing area. Unlike the Eternal Stairs, that place was only testing a genetic warrior¡¯s strength. Emerson could endure the gravity and pressure in the Eternal Stairs. Hence, it was not something too challenging for him. Easily, he successfully found the secret stored in that space and broke Viscount Green¡¯s record in the same time. Unlike the semen in the Eternal Stairs, there were 10 sets of blood stored in that space. Emerson was unsure whether those were human blood or mutated creatures blood. Emerson did not want to use his body to risk these unknown things, so he gave all of them to Elrond. Next was the space to test his agility and physique. He passed easily without any difficulty. There were still 10 sets of blood in there. It seemed that the blood in the 3 spaces represented the main direction of evolution of the original owner¡¯s genes. The secret that had been sealed for thousands of years finally surfaced. Elrond could not help but be excited. He knew that these things would definitely bring great changes to the Indigo Empire in the near future. ¡°Emerson, what kind of rewards do you need?¡± Elrond was prepared to fulfill his promise. ¡°The meat of mutated creatures above tier 7, soul weapons, and soul pills.¡± Emerson stated his requirements. To him, any creature that possessed energy could absorb it. He was not as picky as ordinary genetic warriors. ¡°You¡¯ve brought so much contribution to the Indigo Empire. You only want evolution resources? Do you have any other requirements?¡± Elrond smiled as he continued, ¡°For example, I can help you settle the trouble with the Rory Family?¡± The challenge that Rory Queen had issued on the Life and Death Arena yesterday had spread throughout Iron City. Emerson¡¯s reputation had also spread. Everyone was discussing who this Emerson Cole was. He was actually able to attract the hatred of the most talented and powerful young generation in Iron City. In the end, due to Elrond¡¯s initial information blockade and Lucius¡¯ death, only a few people knew Emerson¡¯s true strength. This also caused many people to voluntarily put out bounties in the Bounty Association in order to curry favor with the Rory family. Information about Emerson Cole was worth 50 gold coins each. Information that could determine Emerson Cole¡¯s location was worth 500 gold coins each. Information that had Emerson Cole¡¯s appearance was worth 5,000 gold coins! Whoever could capture Emerson Cole, 50,000 gold coins would be paid immediately! Although Emerson¡¯s action of killing Lucius yesterday was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, the people were not afraid of him because the thirst of money. Driven by money, the search for Emerson caused a great uproar in Iron City. However, no one had provided any information about Emerson Cole. Elrond told Emerson about that and said, ¡°Rory Queen might fight you on the Life and Death Arena in a month¡¯s time. Fair and square. However, there are still some people who might not do so.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°The Count¡¯s Mansion. The Klingler family.¡± Even the Count wanted Emerson. Emerson could not imagine how many people he had unknowingly provoked. ¡°But I can still help you stop them for the time being. You can ignore them. What you should be concerned about now is what I just said.¡± Elrond paused for a moment and said, ¡°I can let them know that you have passed the tests. With that, some of them might leave you alone. This way, you can save a lot of trouble.¡± Emerson smiled. ¡°The challenges will also be more difficult, right?¡± ¡°The strong are not afraid of challenges,¡± Elrond said. ¡°As long as they don¡¯t harm my family, I won¡¯t be afraid of any challenges.¡± Emerson said indifferently as he turned around and left. Chapter 22 As soon as Emerson reached the door, the middle-aged man in charge of the test caught up from behind. ¡°Sir, your identity card is ready.¡± He handed over a wooden box. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it would take 3 days?¡± Emerson took the box and casually played with the identity card in his hand. Suddenly, he realized that his identity card was not like other genetic warriors who had test data engraved on it. Instead, his identity card was incomparably simple. His name was engraved on 1 side, and on the other side was engraved with the word ¡®All-rounder¡¯. ¡°Grandpa Elrond asked us to work on it overnight. He¡¯s afraid that you won¡¯t be able to use it when you need it,¡± The middle-aged man explained. ¡°Grandpa Elrond also asked me to give you a message.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°The resources you need aren¡¯t stored in the city lord¡¯s mansion for the time being. Grandpa Elrond needs to prepare it for you. He should be able to gather all of them within 2 months. Also, if you want to go out and train, you can rest assured. The guards will help take care of your family.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Emerson did not say anything, and he left. He did not agree with Elrond¡¯s actions, nor would he oppose it. He only believed in himself. Emerson would accept Grandpa Elrond¡¯s help, but he would also make other preparations in case of emergency. A petite figure appeared from the roof not far away. After glancing at Emerson for a moment, she quickly shrank back. ¡­ In the afternoon, a piece of news shocked the entire Iron City once again. It was about Emerson! However, the news was transmitted through the official notice board. The tier 8 limit board, which had not been changed for many years, actually had 1 more name engraved on it! That person was none other than Emerson Cole, who had been challenged by Rory Queen. His portrait was attached to the side too! ¡°Is this Emerson Cole? Why don¡¯t I have any impression of him? Have any of you seen him in the tavern or the Bounty Association?¡± ¡°Where the hell are you focusing your attention? Is this something that should be considered now?¡± ¡°Look! Emerson Cole actually broke Viscount Green¡¯s record? Oh my god, SSS rating? This is the highest rating, right?¡± ¡°How is this possible? First place on the Strength Limit Board. Strength Gene 125. Weight 8,744 pounds. Almost 4,000 pounds higher than Viscount Green!¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, Viscount Green¡¯ Strength Gene was 285, right?¡± ¡°F*ck, this can¡¯t be fake, right? I¡¯m also a tier 8 genetic warrior. He has as much Strength Gene as me. He can actually pick up something that is 10 times heavier than my highest weight?¡± ¡°Fake my ass. Didn¡¯t you see the seal below?¡± ¡°Wait, look at the Agility Limit Board and Physical Limit Board. It¡¯s also Emerson Cole!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did something go wrong?¡± ¡°Use your brain, dumb*ss. Even if your brain goes wrong, the Limit Board won¡¯t go wrong!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be April Fool¡¯s Day, right? What a joke.¡± ¡­. People were discussing about Emerson. Emerson instantly became the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. No one thought that he could occupy the first place on the 3 Limit Boards. However, the truth was right in front of them, so they had no choice but to believe it. They wanted to doubt it, but they did not know how to do so. The Limit Boards represented the most authoritative data in the Indigo Empire. If the Limit Boards were fake, then they did not know what to believe in. However, there were still some doubtful voices. ¡°I heard that Emerson Cole lives in the slums. How did he do that? How could he monopolize the 3 Limit Boards?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t that idiot who was killed by Emerson Cole on the Life and Death Arena yesterday say that he became so powerful after taking drugs?¡± ¡°Use your brain again, dumb*ss. What kind of medicine can allow a person to become so strong?¡± ¡°You got problem with me?¡± ¡°If you want to fight, then so be it. Do you think I¡¯m afraid of a b*tch like you?¡± ¡°Everyone, calm down. Let me say something. Emerson Cole is the second all-rounded genetic warrior since the establishment of the Indigo Empire. Grandpa Elrond even warned us yesterday that we can¡¯t reveal any information. Otherwise, we will be charged with treason.¡± ¡°Keep your mouth shut, brother?¡± ¡°Grandpa Elrond has already released the news on the official notice board. Why should I be afraid of?¡± ¡­ A man with a cloak left the crowd while everyone was chatting enthusiastically. He walked toward the direction of the Bounty Association. ¡°Emerson Cole?¡± ¡°All-rounded genetic warrior¡­ Could it be that he¡¯s a descendant of the Green family that has been left outside?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s true, wouldn¡¯t I have to call him brother?¡± ¡°No way. I have to go and verify it.¡± 2 days had passed. Emerson, who had been improving his power since he returned home, did not show his face in front of others. With that, he was not as popular as before. However, people were talking about the auction at the end of the month. The auction was held once a month. Normally, there would not be anything too valuable. Even if it was collected that month, the auction house would save it until the end of the year and auction it together with other treasures. However, during this month¡¯s auction, there was news that a high quality soul pill would be sold. Absorbing the power of the soul pill was the only way for elemental genetic warriors to increase their strength. Soul pills were extremely rare. Many genetic warriors were like Emerson. Their Elemental Gene points were 0. Although they had many skills and experiences, their power was not that great. The advancement of an elemental genetic warrior was much more difficult than that of an ordinary genetic warrior. That also caused the popularity of this auction to soar. The topic of the auction had overshadowed the fact that Emerson had reached the top of the Limit Boards. There were not many people who liked to gossip. Genetic warriors were all passionate about increasing their strength, flirting with beauties, drinking and bragging. It was foolish to talk about how powerful others were. On the day that the auction officially started, Emmerson was still at home as he was training to become more powerful. Slowly, he opened his eyes and stretched his body, which he had not exercised for a long time. [Name: Emmerson Cole Gender: Male Age: 19 Height: 182 Strength Gene: 188 Agility Gene: 137 Physical Gene: 164 Elemental Gene: 0 Skills: Elementary Spatial Manipulation. Elementary Flame Control. ¡­ After 3 days of training, all 3 of Emerson¡¯s genes had reached tier 8. However, he was still quite a distance away from becoming a tier 7 genetic warrior. Another thing that he was worried about was his gold coins. He did not have a lot left. Originally, he had intended to give it to Lucy. In the end, she had only taken a small portion of the daily expenses and returned the rest to Emerson. ¡°I wonder how much the soul pill was auctioned off for. If there¡¯s 20,000 gold coins, we can last for a few more days.¡± Emerson Cole suddenly felt that he needed a lot of money to become powerful. As long as one had an endless supply of gold coins, one would have an endless supply of meat. No wonder nobles were always stronger than others. Even a Viscount like Rory Queen was able to become a tier 5 genetic warrior at the age of 20, not to mention royal nobles with higher statuses and better genetic bloodlines. Tier 5¡­ What an unattainable power. Ordinary genetic warriors could only venture into places occupied by mutated creatures, risking their lives to hunt for resources. Among the hundreds of thousands of people in Iron City, there were probably less than 100 genetic warriors with the strength of a tier 5 or above. The challenge Emerson faced was difficult. He even felt suffocated thinking of it. No one thought highly of him, even though he had left his name at the 3 Limit Boards. However, the difference in strength was simply too great. That was a gap that Emerson Cole could not bridge with the difference in gene quality. Chapter 23 When Emerson left, it was already night time. When he arrived at his destination, the auction ended, and most of the people had already left. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. Our auction has already ended.¡± A servant stopped him. When Emerson heard this, he something into the servant¡¯s arms. The servant was stunned for a moment as he took a glance at it. ¡°So you are a customer who has consigned the item. Are you here to get the money? Please wait a moment, I¡¯ll go check it out. Do you want to wait inside?¡± He said respectfully. Emerson slowly shook his head and did not say anything. Suddenly, he turned his head. Just now, there seemed to be someone staring at him with ill intentions. In reality, there was nothing there. It was just a small wall. However, Emerson trusted his intuition as he sensed danger. If he did not pay attention to his surroundings, he might have died at the hands of some mutated creature when he was in the dark forest. The servant felt Emerson was a little strange, but he did not meddle in other people¡¯s business. He returned to the auction house to get Emerson¡¯s money. Not long after, the servant walked out with a crystal card. ¡°Sir, the selling price of the tier 8 Red-scaled Fire Python soul pill that you consigned is 45,000 gold coins. After deducting 5% of the transaction tax, the crystal card has a total of 42,750 gold coins.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Emerson Cole withdrew his gaze, kept the crystal card in his pocket, and turned around to leave. As he passed by the place that he was looking at, he found on the ground. With a thought, he used his ability and disappeared on the spot. ¡°Hmm? Where is he?¡± ¡°Why did he suddenly disappear? Did I see a ghost?¡± ¡°F*ck, did he know that we¡¯re here?¡± ¡°How is that possible? Fourth Brother clearly used a camouflage skill on us.¡± ¡°Fourth Brother, is there something wrong with your skill?¡± ¡°No way. I can¡¯t see you even when I¡¯m so close.¡± ¡°Then what happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ didn¡¯t we do this before? We didn¡¯t get discovered last time.¡± A deliberately low voice came from the dark. It was very subtle. In the noisy Iron City, if they did not listen closely, they would not have noticed it. ¡°Boss, are we still doing it?¡± ¡°Third Brother, did you get that tracking powder on him?¡± ¡°Boss, I did, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°The tracking device shows that he¡¯s right behind us.¡± ¡°What!¡± Then, the few of them turned around. From the eyes of outsiders, the patterns on the wall were strangely distorted, as if someone else had messed up the wall. However, they saw something weirder. They saw a person who was completely wrapped in a black robe and was exuding an extremely terrifying aura. The instant the man¡¯s gaze landed on them, it was as if they were being targeted by an assassin. The Boss¡¯s pupils immediately constricted. The man in black was an expert! They had encountered a highly skilled warrior. In the next moment, a flash of fire appeared in their eyes. Before the 4 of them could react, they were engulfed by the raging flames. ¡°Ah!!!¡± They cried miserably, but soon, 2 of them broke free and rushed toward Emerson with soul weapons in their hands. Emerson withdrew the flames. With a thought, he summoned his shield to block their attacks. Then, he used his long knife and thrusted at them. However, his target was the 2 people leaning against the wall who were still trying to extinguish the flames on their bodies. ¡°Be careful!¡± The Boss¡¯ voice blurted out. Unfortunately, it was already too late. A cold light flashed past. Both of them could not react. They were still trying to extinguish the flames with their hands. In the next second, their heads were chopped off by Emerson. Blood splatted in all directions as it sprayed onto the bodies of the other 2 people. ¡°Third Brother! Fourth Brother!¡± The boss shouted in grief. He had never expected that the black-robed man would be so ruthless. He was really trying to kill them. Furthermore, while his movements were exceptionally fast, his strength was also ridiculously strong. How was this possible? Third Brother was a genetic warrior with a tier 8 physique. He was also wearing soul armor. The boss might not be able to easily cause a wound on his Third Brother¡¯s body. However, his Third Brother was killed instantly by the black-robed man? Moreover, genetic warriors should have 1 advantage only, right? When 1 type of ability was powerful, the other 2 would become weaker. As for the elemental genetic warriors, they were like the mages. Their physical attributes were extremely poor, but their spiritual and elemental energy were exceptionally strong. However, the black-robed man had strong elemental energy, and he also had an extremely powerful physical attributes? The Boss¡¯s heart was filled with shock. He felt that his strength was nothing in front of the black-robed man. ¡°You¡­ who exactly are you?¡± He was a little terrified. The death of 2 of his brothers had given him a great shock. However, the black-robed man did not pay attention to him. Instead, he swung his long knife at the other person. Clang! The sound of weapons clashing could be heard. However, the Boss knew that his last brother would not be able to survive. That was the sound of a soul weapon shattering. The black-robed man shattered a tier 8 long blade with his tier 9 long knife. That could only be achieved if someone had enormous strength. As a newly promoted tier 7 strength-type genetic warrior, the Boss knew that he was unable to achieve this. This also meant that the black-robed man¡¯s strength was far stronger than his. Moreover, in other aspects, his genetic attributes were also far stronger than his. That made him think of a person. Emerson Cole! He was the second all-rounded genetic warrior since the establishment of the Indigo Empire. He was the strongest man among tier 8 genetic warriors with 3 highest scores on the Limit Board. Initially, the Boss did not fancy Emerson. However, he did not expect to bump into Emerson when he was trying to rob someone. Only when he truly faced Emerson did he realize how terrifying he was. The shock in the Boss¡¯ heart turned into fear in a short period of time. He could no longer face Emerson as he turned around to run. Unfortunately, Emerson would never left anyone alive. Emerson used his spatial ability to instantly catch up to the Boss. With 1 slash, Emerson shattered his armor, and with another slash, he pierced through the Boss¡¯ heart, as if he was killing a chicken. Those who heard the cries from afar were all stunned by the scene. They had witnessed the entire process of the black-robed man killing people. Through the technique, some of these people recognized that the black-robed man was Emerson. They could easily guess it correctly. Emerson was very skillful. He took out all of them with just 4 slashes. They were impressed by Emerson once again. Some of those who were eager to challenge Emerson did not dare to challenge him anymore. Who would dare to provoke a Emerson? Unfortunately, Emerson, the Killing Machine, was also going to be unlucky in the near future. Chapter 24 Although Iron City was chaotic and had no laws, there were still some unwritten rules. Such life-threatening actions had to be carried out on the Life And Death Arena. If they really wanted to kill someone, they could only do it in secret. Otherwise, once they were discovered by the garrison, they would definitely be arrested and receive unimaginable punishment. However, what surprised them was what happened next. After Emerson slowly took all goods from the 4 of them, not a single guard appeared in the vicinity for nearly 10 minutes. Only after Emerson left did the guards come over to clean up the corpses and blood stains. They had no intention of capturing him at all. ¡°Oh my god, is someone protecting him secretly? Even the guards didn¡¯t care about it?¡± ¡°What kind of background could he have? Isn¡¯t he just a commoner from the slums?¡± ¡°Shh! Shut up. If he hears you, he¡¯ll kill your whole family later!¡± ¡°Tsk, he¡¯s already gone so far. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually quite curious. Could it be that Grandpa Elrond gave him some kind of special privilege?¡± The group of people started to discuss among themselves. However, for most of them, Emerson had left a deep impression on them. They should not provoke Emerson at all cost. As Emerson¡¯s fame gradually spread, he returned to his home quietly. Just as he was about to clean up the goods that he got from them, he suddenly frowned and heard a burst of laughter coming from the backyard. 2 ladies were laughing in his backyard. 1 of them was naturally Lucy, but the other¡­ Emerson came to the backyard and saw a person who made his hair stand on end. The lady with unknown strength, Tifa! Emerson instantly used his spatial ability and appeared in front of Lucy. He pulled her behind him and looked at the lady vigilantly. Lucy poked her head out from Emerson¡¯s strong arm and made a helpless expression at Tifa. ¡°Why are you here!¡± Emerson asked coldly. When he went out to the auction house just now, he saw that there were guards sent by Grandpa Elrond to protect his sister. They were all very strong men. Normal people would not enter his house easily. Even if they could barge in, it would definitely attract their attention. The guards would protect her sister at that time. However, Lucy voiced out all of a sudden. She said very softly, ¡°I was the one who let Sister Tifa in¡­¡± What? Emerson frowned and turned around, looking at Lucy sternly. ¡°Don¡¯t scold her!¡± The girl glared at Emerson and snorted. ¡°I was the one who took the initiative to play with Lucy. Why are you blaming her?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Emerson narrowed his eyes and looked at the girl. He would never allow anyone that could hurt Lucy to live in this world. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that I¡¯m here to play with her?¡± Tifa smiled and looked at him seriously. ¡°At the same time, I¡¯ll find a chance to take revenge for you bumping into me.¡± They looked at each other for a long time. However, no matter how fierce, vicious, and cold Emerson looked at Tifa, the light in the girl¡¯s eyes did not flicker. Eyes were the windows of the soul. Tifa and him looked at each other for a long time, and they did not feel strange. It seemed that it was true. Emerson snorted coldly. ¡°You can take revenge anytime, but stay away from my sister.¡± Tifa immediately rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m more interested in your sister. As for you¡­ F*ck off.¡± Lucy, who was behind him, gently shook Emerson¡¯s arm and pleaded. ¡°Brother, Sister Tifa is not a bad person. I believe her. Just now, she wanted to teach me how to obtain elemental power. Unfortunately, I¡¯m too stupid¡­ I don¡¯t know anything.¡± Emerson¡¯s expression softened a little. He touched Lucy¡¯s head and smiled. ¡°Eh? You know how to smile?¡± Tifa seemed to have discovered something new. ¡°You look quite handsome when you smile.¡± Emerson quickly looked at Tifa solemnly. However, for Lucy¡¯s sake, he did not flare up. Instead, he took the goods and walked to the side. Upon seeing that scene, Tifa could not help but raise her eyebrows and whisper in Lucy¡¯s ear. ¡°Is your brother very poor?¡± ¡°He¡­¡± Tifa¡¯s question instantly made Lucy feel somewhat awkward. She did not know how to answer. ¡°Perhaps among you genetic warriors, he¡¯s not very rich¡­¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Tifa rolled her eyes. She then asked again, ¡°Then he¡¯s poor, right?¡± ¡°Yes, my brother needs a lot of meat to improve himself every day. The 20,000 gold coins were spent very quickly.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Tifa held her chin with 1 hand. She was facing at Lucy, but her eyes kept glancing at Emerson who was doing something, as if she was thinking of something. Soon, Emerson finished organizing his goods. Their goods only worth 8,000 gold coins. There were also some trivial items that Emerson basically did not need. Emerson predicted that they had spent all their money on improving their strength and did not have much spare money in their hands. Like the team that had a crystal card with 100,000 gold coins on them at the beginning¡­ It could only be said that the Captain who had the status of a noble had no place to spend his money¡­ 8,000 gold coins, plus the 40,000 gold coins from the auction. Emerson had around 50,000 gold coins left. With Emerson¡¯s current demand, he would used up all the money in less than a week. The rewards promised by Grandpa Elrond would take another 2 months to reach his hands. However, next month, he would have to face a terrifying opponent like Rory Queen. If he could not fight against Rory, he might have to escape Iron City with Lucy and live somewhere else. Emerson wished to stay in Iron City. He did not want to go somewhere else. ¡°I need more gold coins, at least a million or more.¡± Emerson decided to go to the Bounty Association tomorrow. ¡°I¡¯m leaving, Lucy.¡± Tifa stood up to say goodbye to Lucy and waved at Emerson. ¡°Bye, dummy.¡± Emerson just watched Tifa leave coldly. ¡°Brother!¡± Lucy shouted and hugged Emerson¡¯s arm. She pouted and said coquettishly, ¡°Don¡¯t give her such a terrible look. Sister Tifa is my friend.¡± ¡°In Iron City, don¡¯t trust any stranger.¡± Emerson said a famous saying about surviving in Iron City. ¡°But she didn¡¯t hurt me. If she wanted to make a move this afternoon, she would have done it already.¡± Lucy blinked and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m not even worth having a friend.¡± Emerson was stunned for a moment, and he looked at his sister with some doubt in his eyes. What kind of magic did that woman have to make his sister, who had listened to him since she was young, oppose him like this. Chapter 25 Emerson pulled Lucy to a table at the side and sat down. ¡°Why did you let her in?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Lucy smiled at Emerson. ¡°What if I say that I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a bad person¡­ Would you believe me?¡± He looked at her seriously. ¡°Don¡¯t find strange reasons. You¡¯re not the kind of stupid girl who trusts others so easily.¡± Lucy stuck out her tongue and lowered her head as she held Emerson¡¯s finger, like a child who had made a mistake. Emerson was a little helpless and said earnestly, ¡°I¡¯m trying to protect you, Lucy. I don¡¯t want you to be hurt. I might go out in the next 2 days. I¡¯m worried about you.¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m wrong. I promise I won¡¯t let anyone else in again,¡± Lucy pouted and said. ¡°Not even that Tifa.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lucy suddenly stopped talking. Upon seeing his sister¡¯s expression, Emerson could not help but stare at her. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still want to let her in?¡± ¡°I¡­ I won¡¯t let her in as well¡­¡± Lucy¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Really?¡± Emerson wondered if she was just brushing him off. ¡°Oh my, you don¡¯t even believe your own sister¡¯s words?¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Emerson could not do anything about Lucy. After all, he could not force her, so said, ¡°I¡¯m planning to go to the Bounty Association to accept some missions tomorrow. Maybe I¡¯ll leave the city for a few days. Stay at home. If you need anything, tell the guards outside. They¡¯ll help you out for Grandpa Elrond¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be any danger, right?¡± Lucy asked worriedly. She had heard that although the rewards for the missions in the Bounty Association were generous, it was quite difficult to complete the missions. If Emerson was not careful enough, he would lose his life. Lucy could not let her brother accept such dangerous missions. Emerson smiled faintly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m very powerful now.¡± As he spoke, Emerson released the flames with one hand. The flame few up the sky and shone brightly. Only then did Lucy reveal a happy smile. ¡­ The next morning, Emerson left the house before Lucy woke up to prevent her from stopping him. In the early morning, the Iron City was bathed in the fog. There was a trace of tranquility in the city. However, Emerson knew that it was the most dangerous time to wander on the street with thick mist and fog. Due to the limited vision, the guards on the city walls could not see what was happening in the city. With that, many genetic warriors would hide in the alley as they were planning to rob the passerby. Thus, Emerson maintained his vigilance at all times. With his sharp senses, he could feel that there were a few people nearby staring at him. However, they did not make a move for a long time. Even when Emerson arrived at the entrance of the Bounty Association, he did not encounter any attacks. He could not help but feel puzzled. What were they thinking? Actually, he did not know that after the battle last night, his name had left a deep impression in the hearts of many genetic warriors. Coupled with how quickly he killed Lucius on the Life And Death Arena, his name had spread throughout the night. They named him Killing Machine. In Iron City, those who did not have the strength of a tier 6 genetic warrior should not provoke a person who wore a black robe and did not show his face. Otherwise, they would be prepared to be slaughtered. That caused the group of people who saw Emerson to not dare to act rashly. They were afraid that they would be killed by him in an instant. Emerson entered the Bounty Association. Immediately, dozens of gazes fell on him. The noisy hall instantly became quiet. ¡°You are¡­ Mr. Emerson Cole?¡± A big man at the front desk asked in a low voice. Emerson did not say anything and threw his identity card on the table. When the big man saw the words written on his identity card, his hand trembled as he handed the card back in fear. ¡°Sir¡­ sir¡­ are you here to accept a mission or to submit a mission?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to accept a mission,¡± Emerson answered coldly. The big man respectfully took a board from the side and carefully placed it on the table, motioning for Emerson to take a look. ¡°This is the highest level mission in our guild. Generally, only those who have reached A rank and above can accept it.¡± Emerson glanced at the board. [A Rank Mission: Kill an evil lord outside of a town in the south of Iron City and bring the corpse back to the Bounty Association. Reward: 8,000 gold coins.] [A+ Rank Mission: Enter the dark forest and search for the Forest Hunter¡¯s residence. Bring back the information. Reward: 12,000 gold coins.] [S+ Rank Mission: Submit any tier 7 weapon-type soul stone and above. Reward: 20,000 gold coins or more.] ¡­ He was not interested in any of these missions. Although the rewards were tempting, it was too time-consuming and laborious. However, apart from that, he also saw a strange mission. [S+ Rank Mission: Submit Emerson Cole¡¯s blood and provide proof. Reward: 50,000 gold coins (Limited to once).] There was even a bounty on his blood? He did not know which rich dummy would issue such a bounty on his blood. If the mission was not limited to once, he would have done it twice to earn 100,000 gold coins. However, Emerson shook his head and asked. ¡°Is there a mission that I can earn more than 1,000,000 gold coins in one go?¡± ¡°1,000,000 gold coins?¡± The big man was shocked by the number. ¡°This¡­ Sir, I don¡¯t think we have a mission that can satisfy your request.¡± He spoke very carefully, afraid that Emerson would be unhappy and kill him with one strike. However, at that time, someone in the hall suddenly sneered. ¡°Do you know how much is 1,000,000 gold coins, Emerson Cole?¡± ¡°With that much money, you¡¯d have to go to the dark forest to get a tier 4 soul pill. Only then would you be able to earn that much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m looking down on you, I admit that you¡¯re strong, but it¡¯s impossible for you to kill a tier 4 mutated creature when you¡¯re a tier 8 all-rounded genetic warrior, right?¡± ¡°Moreover, as of now, there aren¡¯t any missions in Iron City that can earn 1,000,000 gold coins in one go. You¡¯d better give up.¡± ¡°If there isn¡¯t any A Rank or S Rank Missions left, then do some B Rank and C Ranks Missions. You¡¯ll eventually earn 1,000,000 gold coins.¡± Most of the people in the hall agreed with those words. However, there was a hint of sarcasm in those words. He looked down on Emerson as an all-rounded genetic warrior. He would still need to accept missions just like them. Hence, why was Emerson being so arrogant and asked for a 1,000,000 gold coins mission? Furthermore, his words had a different meaning. On the surface, it seemed like he was making a suggestion for Emerson¡¯s good. However, he was actually laughing at Emerson, yet his words did not give Emerson any reason to kill him. At that moment, a voice came from outside. ¡°Who says there isn¡¯t?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to submit a 1,000,000 gold coins mission.¡± A stunning lady walked into the Bounty Association. She raised her chin as she looked at Emerson. Chapter 26 ¡°It¡¯s Miss Tifa,¡± The big man said respectfully. It was obvious that he knew her. Tifa slapped a piece of paper on the table and said calmly, ¡°Read out the content.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The big man took the paper and coughed lightly. Then, he read out loud, ¡°Miss Tifa has issued a new mission.¡± ¡°SSS Rank Mission. The reward is 1,000,000 gold coins!¡± ¡°The mission is to enter the dark forest together with Miss Tifa.¡± ¡°The mode of this mission is Employment. During the adventure, you must unconditionally obey Miss Tifa¡¯s orders. If you go against her orders, a certain amount of reward will be deducted.¡± ¡°The requirement of the mission is you must be able to protect yourself. Your strength doesn¡¯t have to be outstanding, but you must have unique skills. It¡¯s best if you have a few genetic abilities and master elemental power.¡± ¡­ Emerson¡¯s face turned black. With that requirement, it was obvious that Tifa wanted to employ Emerson as her partner. ¡°How about it, Emerson Cold? Do you dare to accept the mission?¡± Tifa looked at him with a provocative gaze. She was indeed targeting Emerson. However, it was also a good thing. At the very least, he did not have to worry about what she would do to Lucy while he was away. ¡°Okay.¡± Emerson agreed immediately. A smile appeared on Tifa¡¯s face. ¡°You said so. If you go back on your word, I won¡¯t give you any gold coins.¡± Emerson looked at the big man silently. ¡°Bring me a small bottle.¡± ¡°Ah? Oh¡­¡± The big man was stunned for a moment. He quickly reacted and took out a test tube from the cabinet. Then, Emerson filled the test tube with a drop of his blood. ¡°50,000 gold coins.¡± He extended his hand toward Tifa. Tifa was a little surprised. ¡°How did you know that this mission was issued by me?¡± However, Emerson was too lazy to answer her. Tifa glared at him. ¡°Why? You just accepted my mission. Are you trying to go against the mode of the mission?¡± The corner of Emerson¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. After a long silence, he said, ¡°Lame.¡± Tifa smiled and handed a crystal card to Emerson. ¡°Here! 100,000 gold coins. The extra 50,000 will be the deposit!¡± Emerson Cole took the money and walked out without looking back. ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± Tifa chased after Emerson. ¡°The dark forest.¡± ¡­ After entering this dangerous place full of mutated creatures for the second time, Emerson, who already had become more powerful, found that he was no longer nervous. Tifa looked excited. She walked around and looked around, as if she was not seriously at all. It seemed a bit inaccurate to say that she came to the dark forest to have an adventure. Perhaps, sightseeing was more appropriate to describe Tifa¡¯s behavior. Emerson did not bother about her. He walked to the place where he had buried the Red-scaled Fire Python¡¯s meat and dug them out before putting them into his bag. His bag enchanted by spatial power. It was an official product of the Indigo Empire. There was nearly 10 cubic meters of space in it, and there was still a lot of spaces after storing his things. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Tifa asked curiously. ¡°Something that I buried here last time.¡± Emerson stomped a Ghost-faced Spider that had almost merged with the rotten ground beside her to death with 1 foot as he answered calmly. Tifa frowned slightly. It was obvious that she was disgusted with such ugly mutated creatures. ¡°Are all the mutated creatures in the dark forest so disgusting?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± His answer was so half-hearted that Tifa could not help but hold her breath. However, they still had a long journey to go. There was plenty of time for Tifa to teach him a lesson. Tifa made up her mind and led the way. In less than half a day, he brought Emerson to the outer region. The mutated creatures there basically had a certain sense of territory. They would occupy a piece of land as their territory. Compared to most of the mutated creatures in the outermost region, which only had the strength of a tier 9, there were fewer problems to deal with when they were in the outer region. However, it was also more dangerous to wander around the outer region. The mutated creatures that could occupy a territory in the outer region were all at least tier 8. If they were unlucky, they might even encounter a tier 6 mutated creature. Not long after, Emerson suddenly took a few steps forward and pulled Tifa, who was still walking, into a hole in a tree nearby. ¡°What are you doing!¡± In the dark, Tifa could feel Emerson¡¯s smell and aura. Her face could not help but turn red. ¡°Shh!¡± Emerson placed a finger on her lips to stop her from making any more sounds. He was looking at something carefully. Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Thud¡­ They heard sounds from afar. It carried an indescribable sense of oppression. It was death approaching them. Once death found them, there would be only 1 outcome. Tifa was also stunned. Even with her strength, she could feel her heart pounding. This meant that the mutated creatures approaching them were not something she could deal with. Fortunately, the voice did not stop. It also meant that the mutated creatures did not notice them and walked into the distance. After the creatures left, Emerson finally put down his finger. ¡°What is that?¡± Tifa stood a little further away and maintained a certain distance from Emerson. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± It was still the same answer. Tifa was so angry that she raised her leg and kicked Emerson. In the end, Emerson was quicker to use his spatial ability to dodge her attack. Bang! Tifa kicked the tree, causing her to grimace in pain. She employed Emerson so that she could bully him, right? Why was she the one who was getting hurt! ¡°Emerson Cole!¡± She yelled, ¡°I¡¯ll deduct your reward!¡± Emerson observed the surrounding environment and said without turning his head, ¡°My duty is to accompany you, not to be beaten up by you. Even if you are my superior, you don¡¯t have the right to change the request at the last minute.¡± ¡°Alright! Then I¡¯ll deduct your money from the content of the request! Just you wait!¡± She randomly chose a direction. ¡°Let¡¯s go this way!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the place where the monsters went.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She pointed in another direction. ¡°Then here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the direction where the monsters came from.¡± ¡°What about here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the direction to the central region.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! It¡¯s an adventure. We can¡¯t stay in a safe place forever!¡± Tifa glared at Emerson Cole. ¡°We can¡¯t go back now!¡± However, Emerson Cole did not say anything. He would be delighted if she could end the mission quicker. With that, he could easily get his hands on the 1,000,000 gold coins. Unfortunately, Tifa would not let him off so easily. The 2 of them, one in front of the other, headed to the central region. Chapter 27 In the dark forest, they did not where they were heading. They could only determine their position based on the strength of the mutated creatures they had encountered. The deeper they went, the stronger the mutated creatures that appeared. In the outer region that was filled with danger, the mutated creatures that were everywhere did not pose much of a threat to them. Actually, the genetic warriors that were hunting here were a threat to them. They were not only hunting mutated creatures. They were also hunting genetic warriors that they had encountered by chance. Once they discovered those that were alone or injured, they would definitely kill them and plunder their resources. Unlike Emerson, who was always on alert, Tifa was like a child. She was filled with curiosity toward all things that she had never seen before. Facing a pregnant Molten Cow, she dared to follow behind and observe, in order to see for herself how the mutated creatures reproduced. When she saw a colorful stone-like object, she could hold it in her arms and study the patterns on it, in order to figure out why the stone had color. When Tifa saw a Slime that was made up of sticky fluid and could even split, she even used her water power to shoot at it, in order to know if the Slime would still be able to split after being wet. Emerson could not help but be speechless when he saw this. No one would have thought that a tier 5 genetic warrior would do such a thing. Lame things. However, there were heavy consequences of being reckless in the dark forest. Even if the Slime was soaked, it still possessed the ability to reassemble its body. It was simply impossible to determine if it could still split apart. The colorful stone was the egg of a strange python-like creature. It had actually been hatched by Tifa¡¯s body temperature. When it was born, it had the strength of a tier 7 mutated creature. It had almost bitten Tifa, who had not been prepared for it. Fortunately, Emerson had noticed it in time and killed it in an instant. As for the Molten Cow, which had just given birth to its offspring, it had already discovered Tifa. The cow fled because it was worried. As a result, when the cow returned to its territory, the cow asked for help, causing the 2 of them to be besieged by hundreds of them. Tifa thought that she had disturbed the cows and did not want to make a move. She planned to leave, but Emerson killed all of them along with the pregnant cow. That night, they had a sumptuous meal. There was also a soup made by the Slime and Rainbow Python. The soup was colorful and sticky, and it looked a little disgusting. Tifa did not like the soup, so she at the meat only. Emerson looked at her expression as she ate with relish. He thought that she did it on purpose. She wanted to see if he could protect her, otherwise, she would use this as an excuse to deduct his reward. [Molten Cow fusion. Strength Gene: +7.] [Rainbow Python fusion. Strength Gene: +15.] [Molten Cow fusion. Agility Gene: +11.] [Slime fusion. Physical Gene: +8.] [Molten Cow fusion. Physical Gene: +14.] [Molten Cow fusion. Fire Elemental Fragment: +1.] [Slime fusion. Water Elemental Fragment: +1.] [Acquired 10 Fire Elemental Fragments. Acquired random skill ¨C Flame Stomp.] ¡­ As he ate the meat, Emerson¡¯s genetic attributes soared. He even obtained a new skill. Although the Molten Cow with the strength of a quasi-tier 7 mutated creature could not be considered a true tier 7 mutated creature, the attributes it gained after eating it were much higher than that of a normal tier 8 mutated creature. A majestic power gathered within Emerson¡¯s body, giving him a feeling of being able to look down on the world. However, he was still unable to break through and become a tier 7 genetic warrior. The main reason was that he could no longer eat anymore meat. The amount of food he could eat limited his growth. Emerson did not mind it. There were still a lot of food left in the dark forest. If he continued to consume for another 2 days, he should be able to become a tier 7 genetic warrior. As the light in the fog grew dimmer and dimmer, Emerson knew that night was about to arrive. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to leave.¡± Looking at Tifa, who was lying on top of a blanket, rubbing her stomach with a satisfied expression, Emerson suddenly said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave. I¡¯m stuffed.¡± Tifa shook her head and refused. ¡°A fire has just been lit here. Furthermore, there are a large number of Molten Cow corpses here. Both of them will attract the attention of other mutated creatures.¡± ¡°What? Aren¡¯t they just a tier 7 or 8 mutated creatures? You can easily deal with them, right?¡± Tifa lay flat on the ground. She was right. With Emerson¡¯s current strength, normal tier 7 mutated creatures were no longer a threat to them. He could easily kill them. Only stronger quasi-rank 6 mutated creatures could give him a challenge. Most of the mutated creatures in the outer region were no longer a threat to Emerson. Even if there were a few mutated creatures surrounding them at the same time, they would end up like the Molten Cow. However, what if there were more? Maybe it was not just some ordinary mutated creature? In the dark forest, any thing could happen. Emerson took out a piece of rope from his bag, he tied one end to a tree next to Tifa. ¡°I¡¯m going to spend the night somewhere else.¡± ¡°Tsk! Coward!¡± Tiff took the opportunity to mock him. Emerson ignored her words. Although they were tied together because of the mission, it did not mean that he would allow himself to be endangered because of her choices. Since she did not think it was a big deal¡­ Then, he did not mind teaching Tifa a lesson. With that, he might be able to scare her a little. The survival rule of the dark forest was to be careful at all times. After leaving Tifa alone, Emerson came to the bottom of a tree hole and hid in it. When Tifa saw that Emerson had left her, she was also a little surprised. Looking at the silent environment around her, she felt excited, but at the same time, she could not help but feel a trace of fear. Since she was young, she did not need to worry about resources. That was the first time she had come to the mysterious land that was occupied by mutated creatures. Humans always had a trace of fear toward the unknown. It was an instinct. However, it was impossible for Tifa to follow the rope and get to Emerson. It was too embarrassing for her to do so. The night was getting darker. The dark forest welcomed its most active moment of the day. The sounds of countless mutated creatures moving intertwined and echoed in the darkness as they approached her. Tifa was no longer lying on the ground. Instead, she gripped the rope that was tied to the tree tightly and pulled it from time to time to ensure that the rope was not broken by the mutated creatures in the darkness. In that pitch-black environment, she felt an unprecedented pressure. ¡°Emerson¡­ You¡­ Can you come here for a moment¡­¡± She called out softly, but she did not receive any response. ¡°Emerson?¡± ¡°Emerson, if you don¡¯t come to me now, I¡¯ll deduct your reward.¡± ¡°Emerson¡­¡± Quack¡­ Suddenly, a strange voice sounded behind Tifa. Chapter 28 Tifa was so frightened that her hair stood on end. Subconsciously, she opened her fingers, and a colorful bow appeared in her hand. At the same time, she used her water ability to form a barrier around her body. The blue radiance was so dazzling at that moment. In an instant, there were no sound at all. At that moment, Tifa¡¯s eyes widened. She only realized that she was surrounded by all kinds of mutated creatures, fighting for food on the pile of Molten Cow corpses not far away. However, they all stopped and looked at Tifa at the same time. The next second, they all hissed together and let out terrifying howls at her. All kinds of mutated creatures appeared one after another, forming a terrifying wave. Tifa suddenly regretted not listening to Emerson and moving to another place to rest. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The light from the Elemental Arrows continued to appear. Every time she shot, a mutated creature would die. However, it was nothing to the countless mutated creatures that were rushing toward her. Upon seeing the mutated creatures approaching her, Tifa forced herself to calm down. She raised her trembling hand and patted the bow. Instantly, the bow that was originally emitting a blue light gradually turned into a frost bow, which then emitted waves of white steam. Then, she pointed the bow in the direction of the mutated creatures and shot at them! The arrow that was imbued with frost element passed through the fog, leaving a long trail before finally exploding above them. Bang! The water vapor mixed within the mist became the best conductor for the frost arrow. Countless ice crystals attached themselves to the bodies of the mutated creatures, greatly slowing them down. There were even many mutated creatures that were completely bound by the effect as they were unable to move. However, there were more mutated creatures approaching here. There were even more that were on their way. The blue barrier on her body became the brightest lighthouse in the night. Tifa quickly grabbed the rope tied to the tree, but she suddenly realized that it had broken at some point. ¡°Emerson Cole!¡± She shouted. There was no way she could kill all these mutated creatures herself. She could only rely on Emerson. However, there was no response from Emerson in the darkness. She could only hear mutated creatures hissing and howling at her. What should she do? For a moment, a faint sense of despair appeared in her heart. Unity was strength. These mutated creatures were far stronger than her, and she was not that powerful too. Suddenly, a flame lit up and spread rapidly. On closer look, it seemed that someone was stepping on the flame and moving forward, separating the terrifying mutated creatures. Soon, the whole place was on fire. The fire were destroying the forest, but the dense fog still existed, without any signs of fading away. The intense stimulation caused the mutated creatures to move chaotically, and they began to run around. Tifa was no longer the only lighthouse in the dark. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± A voice suddenly sounded beside her. Tifa looked over in surprise. As expected, Emerson had appeared beside her. However, she looked around and could not help but hesitate again. In front of them were a large number of mutated creatures that had been frozen and slowed down by her. Flames were everywhere as well. They did not where to run. ¡°This¡­ I can¡¯t walk anymore¡­¡± Emerson did not say a word. He picked her up and carried her on his shoulders. At the same time, he used his spatial ability to quickly leave that place. More powerful mutated creatures that were attracted by the flames. They had to immediately get out of there. He ran for more than half a night. Emerson did not know how long he had run. He stopped when his surroundings became brighter. Emerson put Tifa down and panted heavily. It was obvious that he had used up a lot of his stamina along the way. As for Tifa, she had fainted. Emerson casually checked her condition. Perhaps it was because he had moved too fast, or perhaps her body could not withstand the pressure of his spatial ability, causing her to faint for a moment. Fortunately, Tifa was not injured. There was not much of a problem. ¡°The physique of an elemental genetic warrior is still too weak.¡± Emerson shook his head. He took out the leftovers from his spatial bag and started chewing. A series of notifications rang in his mind. When Emerson was 80% full, he finally broke through. [Name: Emerson Cole Gender: Male Age: 19 Height: 182 Strength Gene: 301 Agility Gene: 277 Physical Gene: 325 Elemental Gene: 0 Skills: Elementary Spatial Manipulation. Elementary Flame Control. Flame Stomp.] ¡­ 2 of his genetic attributes had already broken through to tier 7. Once his Agility Gene caught up, he could be considered an all-rounded tier 7 genetic warrior. However, his Elemental Gene was still at 0 point. This also caused Emerson¡¯s elemental power to deal average damage to his enemies. This could be seen from his previous battle with the genetic warriors that wanted to rob him at the auction house. Although he could control the flames, even he did not deal heavy amount of damage to tier 8 genetic warriors. It was far from what he had expected. ¡°If I can obtain a soul pill, I might be able to become stronger.¡± Emerson suddenly turned to look at Tifa. ¡°Stop pretending, I know you¡¯re awake.¡± Tifa blinked and sat up. Her beautiful eyes were filled with embarrassment. She felt a little guilty. Tifa had said that Emerson was a coward, but it turned out that he was right. In the dark forest, danger lurked everywhere. You could never know what would happen next. All of this could only be judged by experience. If she were to explore the dark forest by herself¡­ She might not even be able to stay alive at the outer region? Tifa suddenly felt that she had such a powerful power but was unable to use it. In other words, she did not know how to use it. ¡°Why did you want to come to the dark forest?¡± Emerson suddenly asked. Tifa was stunned. This seemed to be the first time he had taken the initiative to talk to her under normal circumstances. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°I want to see some mutated creatures that I¡¯ve never seen before. I¡¯ve always been quite curious.¡± ¡°Have you seen it now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed very scary!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back?¡± ¡°No!¡± Tifa shook her head. ¡°I must go to the deepest part of the dark forest and explore the secrets there!¡± What an ambitious lady. Even Grandpa Elrond did not dare to say such words. Emerson stood up and looked at her calmly. ¡°Then you have to listen to me.¡± Chapter 29 ¡°What?! Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Upon hearing this request, Tifa¡¯s expression turned bad, and she quickly shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m clearly the one who gave you the money, so why do I need to listen to you?!¡± What kind of joke was that? If she let Emerson make the decision, how would she get her revenge? However, after she said those willful words, Emerson Cole did not react at all. With that, he made Tifa feel uneasy. Was Emerson angry of her? To be honest, Tifa was a little afraid of encountering mutated creatures again. It was exciting, but there was nothing she could do about it. She was just a tier 5 genetic warrior. Although she was strong, facing such a situation where there were thousands of tier 6 to tier 8 mutated creatures attacking her, she was helpless. It was even a problem for her to survive. In fact, not to mention Tifa, even if a tier 4 elemental genetic warrior were to come and save her, they would most likely die together. A huge number of mutated creatures attacking was not something an elemental genetic warrior who had yet to learn a forbidden spell could deal with. ¡°Someone¡¯s coming.¡± Emerson, who had walked into the darkness, suddenly spoke. The sky had yet to fully brighten, and there were tall trees everywhere in the dark forest. As a result, Emerson, who was dressed in a black robe, had fused perfectly with the darkness. If one did not get close to him, one would not be able to notice Emerson was standing here. Tifa was stunned. She looked at the white fog around her, but she could not see anything. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, a flurry of footsteps sounded from afar. ¡°Damn it, how did we provoke such a terrifying mutated creature!¡± ¡°Where is the person who was scouting ahead? Did he come back?¡± A man¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Only Johnson came back. The rest are all dead,¡± Another man answered. ¡°Damn, what¡¯s going on up ahead?¡± ¡°Johnson said there¡¯s a fire. Thousands of mutated creatures are gathering there.¡± ¡°What did you say? Thousands?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it either, but it¡¯s true. And they¡¯re all crazy. They seem to be attracted by something. Many of them are rushing toward us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man kept quiet before he said something, ¡°Everyone, listen to my command. Spread out on the spot¡­ run as far as you can.¡± ¡°Captain, but how!?¡± Behind Emerson and Tifa, people were talking, as if they were discussing something. Suddenly. Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Thud¡­ A sound rang out. The sound was accompanied with an oppressive feeling that Tifa was very familiar with. It seemed to be the terrifying mutated creature that they had encountered when they first entered the dark forest. They stopped discussing. ¡°It¡¯s here¡­¡± The ground seemed to tremble. Emerson frowned as he looked into the depths of the dense fog, pulling Tifa, who was still in a daze, into the shadows. Then, he rummaged through his bag for a while, took out a Broken Sight Bead, and slammed it on the ground. Suddenly, a lightless barrier was activated, just enough to cover the 2 of them. ¡°This is¡­¡± Tifa stared at the pitch-black barrier curiously. She actually did not recognize that thing. ¡°Broken Sight Bead. It can block sound and light.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Tifa poked the edge of the barrier with her hand, and when she found that her finger could easily pass through it, she could not help but withdraw her finger. ¡°How come I¡¯ve never heard of it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s usually used to start a fire in the fog or to fight against mutated creatures.¡± Emerson looked at her suspiciously. ¡°How can you not know of it? You haven¡¯t used it before?¡± ¡°I¡­ Of course I have used it before! It¡¯s just that it¡¯s much better than yours!¡± Tifa¡¯s gaze flickered as she replied. Pretending to be calm, she said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you an all-rounded genetic warrior? Why would you use such a low-grade item?¡± Emerson turned his head away, ignoring her. Tifa heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. This was her first time stepping into the territory of a mutated creature, so how could she have used such an item. Fortunately, Emerson did not ask her a lot of questions. Otherwise, her identity would¡­ Wait¡­ Tifa suddenly seemed to have recalled something, and she turned her head to stared at Emerson. ¡°Why did not you use it just now?¡± ¡°How did I know that you would chase a pregnant Molten Cow into its territory?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Emerson¡¯s reason made her speechless. ¡°It¡¯s coming.¡± Emerson lowered his body and maintained a posture that he could attack at any time. At the same time, he pressed his hand on the ground. ¡°Isn¡¯t the Broken Sight Bead able to block sound?¡± Tifa¡¯s eyes widened. How did Emerson know that the mutated creature was approaching? ¡°Intuition.¡± Emerson explained. Suddenly, his nose twitched, and he smelled a pungent smell. It was the smell of blood. The genetic warriors were attacked by the terrifying mutated creature. What about after they died? Would that monster discover Emerson and Tifa? Behind them, there was still a large group of mutated creatures chasing them. There was no way out. The only option left was to rely on the Broken Sight Bead to muddle through under the creature¡¯s nose. However, due to the existence of the Broken Sight Bead, Emerson was no longer able to determine whether the monster was nearby through sound. He could only rely on the palm that was pressed on the ground, from the degree of vibration he felt, he could judge whether the mutated creature had left or not. Upon seeing Emerson¡¯s focused look, Tifa seemed to have noticed something. She gripped her soul weapon tightly and hid her petite body behind him. Thud¡­ Her palm was a little numb. It seemed that the creature was very close. ¡°Emerson, you smell so strong¡­¡± Tifa, who was behind him, complained softly. Smell? Emerson¡¯s eyes shook and he lowered his head to smell his own body. Indeed! She was right! A fishy smell assailed his nostrils. It was the smell of the blood left by his close combat with the Molten Cows. He was careless! He was wearing a black robe. Even if he was stained with blood, he would not be able to realize it! Although the smell was not very strong, it was extremely deadly at this time! The mutated creature¡¯s sense of smell was abnormally sensitive, and the Broken Sight Bead just happened to be unable to block the smell! A strong sense of unease suddenly arose in Emerson¡¯s heart. He raised his head to look at the barrier with a frown. Emerson was right! A huge palm just happened to stomp down at that moment! Chapter 30 Rumble! When the mutated creature stomped, the ground trembled! The ground even cracked when it landed its palm. At the same time, trees nearby fell under the huge impact. Then, a massive figure appeared in front of Emerson and Tifa. Upon seeing the enormous figure, Emerson immediately knew what were they facing with. Tier 7 mutated creature ¨C Shadow Rhino! ¡°Hiss!¡± Emerson was stunned when he saw the Shadow Rhino in front of him. He did not expect the Shadow Rhino would appear there. Shadow Rhino, a mutated creature at the outer region of the dark forest. When Emerson and Tifa had just entered the outer region, they had already discovered the mutated creature. Due to their powerful strength, the 2 of them only glanced at it from afar and did not dare to attack it. ¡°It¡¯s that ugly guy again.¡± Tifa muttered when he saw the Shadow Rhino for the first time. When Emerson heard Tifa¡¯s words, he could not help but roll his eyes. He thought to himself, how daring was she? At such a critical moment, she was actually still talking about whether the Shadow Rhino was ugly or not. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We can¡¯t stay here.¡± Emerson pulled Tifa and retreated. He knew very well that if they continued to stay where they were, the smell of blood on his body would definitely expose them. Once they were targeted by the Shadow Rhino, it would be too late for them to escape. Although Emerson was not afraid of the Shadow Rhino, it was difficult for him to fight against too many mutated creatures. A Shadow Rhino might not be terrifying, but he would not be able to handle so many of them. Behind the Shadow Rhino were a large number of other mutated creatures. Although these mutated creatures were not particularly strong, they were still at tier 9 or tier 8. There were also many tier 7 mutated creatures behind the Shadow Rhino. If he were to face any one of them alone, Emerson was absolutely confident that he could easily kill them. However, if he were to face countless mutated creatures at the same time¡­ He could only choose to save his own life. That time, Tifa was no longer reckless. She also knew the severity of the situation and allowed Emerson to pull her along. However, just as they were about to leave¡­ The Shadow Rhino stared at its surroundings with its huge eyes. With its sharp sense of smell, it quickly detected the scent that was left behind on Emerson¡¯s body. It then charged forward in a barbaric manner. Although the Shadow Rhino was huge and looked a little clumsy, its was not slow at all. In fact, it was speeding toward Emerson and Tifa. Moreover, every time its hooves stomped on the ground, the ground would shake as if it was going to split open at any moment. Wherever the Shadow Rhino passed, the trees would collapse under the barbaric assault of the Shadow Rhino. Upon seeing this, Emerson could clearly see that it was charging toward him. He then said to himself, ¡°As expected, the ugly guy is charging toward us.¡± Emerson brought Tifa with him as they ran as fast as possible without turning their head to look back. However, they were in the outer region of the dark forest. Even Emerson, who was somewhat familiar with the dark forest, appeared to be in a panic at that moment. Several times, they had chosen the wrong direction to escape, which had alarmed more mutated creatures. Fortunately, Emerson was extremely cautious. Every time he changed his route before being discovered, he did not wake those mutated creatures up completely. However, the Shadow Rhino behind him did not care about those things. It charged forward recklessly and chased after Emerson and Tifa. ¡­ ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t run anymore.¡± Tifa could not hold Emerson¡¯s hand anymore as she was struggling to keep up with him. She slid weakly to the side of a big tree. She was exhausted and tired. Her fair and pretty face was extremely pale at that moment. Even her lips cracked. ¡°No, it¡¯s not safe here. Those guys behind us are less than 1,000 feet away from us.¡± ¡°If we stay here for too long, they¡¯ll catch up to us soon.¡± ¡°At that time, you will be eaten by those creatures.¡± Emerson saw Tifa lying under the big tree, not caring about the situation at all. Thus, his tone could not help but become a little serious. He thought that Tifa was throwing a tantrum again. However, after seeing Tifa¡¯s condition, he understood that he had misunderstood her just now. Tifa was like a puddle of mud before his eyes. She collapsed on the side of the big tree, and her lips were slightly purple. Indeed, after running for a long time, even he felt tired, especially when he had to pay close attention to everything around him during the escape. Under such a tense situation, Emerson was actually more tired than Tifa. However, Tifa¡¯s condition was clearly worse than Emerson had imagined. ¡°So be it¡­. After running for more than an hour, I can¡¯t run anymore. I¡¯m so tired.¡± ¡°Just now, I vomited all the food I had. My throat is dry. Even my lips cracked.¡± Tifa looked up weakly and glanced at Emerson Cole. ¡°Stay here. Don¡¯t go anywhere. Wait for me to come back.¡± Upon seeing that the mutated creatures behind them were about to catch up. Emerson knew that they could not delay any longer. Otherwise, neither of them would be able to escape. The only thing they could do was to think of a way to lure them away. ¡°Whoosh!¡± Emerson¡¯s figure was like an elf in the dark night. In the blink of an eye, he had already arrived on a tall tree. He then jumped a few times consecutively. When he saw the Shadow Rhino and other mutated creatures that were still chasing after them, he stopped. Emerson threw a fire attack toward the ground. It blocked the Shadow Rhino and other mutated creatures that wanted to advance. ¡°Moo!!!¡± Upon seeing that its path was blocked, the Shadow Rhino shook its head and roared toward the sky! The Shadow Rhino quickly discovered Emerson, who was hiding on the big tree. ¡°Moo!!!¡± The Shadow Rhino roared at Emerson again. It dragged its huge body and slammed into the big tree that Emerson was standing on. Bang! A loud sound was heard. However, the instant the Shadow Rhino hit the tree, Emerson jumped onto another big tree. Meanwhile, the other mutated creatures behind the Shadow Rhino also discovered Emerson. They rushed toward him in all directions. Obviously, they were all attracted by the smell of blood left on Emerson¡¯s body. Upon seeing all the mutated creatures rushing toward him,. Emerson glanced at the place where Tifa had stopped and fled in the other direction. He knew that Tifa would only survive if he lured the mutated creatures away. Chapter 31 Fortunately, there were many logs in the dark forest, which allowed Emerson to hide well. ¡°Looks like I have to find an opportunity to change my clothes, or it will be hard for me to shake them off.¡± Emerson knew very well that even if he could use the terrain there and his own speed to temporarily outrun them. However, the smell of blood on his body would still reveal his movements. Emerson ran forward with his head lowered while constantly paying attention to the movements of the mutated creatures behind him. After running for a long time, Emerson suddenly found a wide open area in front of him. There were no trees there. With that, it made him groan endlessly in his heart. ¡°F*ck. It¡¯s an open area. How am I supposed to hide now?¡± Without the obstruction of the bushes, logs. and trees, Emerson¡¯s figure was instantly exposed. The Shadow Rhino chasing behind him became even crazier when it saw Emerson. It rushed toward him without any mercy. In the blink of an eye, the mutated creatures chasing him had closed the distance. Even the other mutated creatures behind him were surrounding him from all directions. Clearly, they did not want to let Emerson leave so easily. Upon seeing that he was about to be caught up by these mutated creatures, he gritted his teeth and continued to charge forward. He was very clear in his heart that once he was surrounded by these mutated creatures, there would only be one outcome waiting for him ¨C Death! Emerson did not say anything and used his spatial ability to increase his speed. However, using spatial ability consumed a lot of energy, especially his spiritual power. Furthermore, he had been running for hours. Hence, even a strong man like him felt weak and absent-minded at that moment. In order to survive, Emerson could not think too much. While using his spatial ability, he also took out the food that he had prepared from the bag and threw it into his mouth to replenish his energy. [Slime fusion. Physical Gene: +6.] [Molten Cow fusion. Physical Gene: +10.] [Molten Cow fusion. Strength Gene: +3.] [Rainbow Python fusion. Strength Gene¡± +9.] [¡­] Instantly, his body felt warm. Emerson, who was originally feeling weak, once again felt his body filled with strength. However, he did not fight against those mutated creatures just because his body was filled with power. What he wanted to do was to draw them away and shake them off. Screech! Suddenly, a loud screech sounded. Emerson, who was running, was startled. He looked up and saw a huge eagle appearing in the sky. ¡°This is¡­ A strong tier 7 mutated creature ¨C Crimson Thunder Eagle!¡± Looking at the eagle, Emerson cried out in surprise. He did not expect to meet that thing at such a critical moment. According to Emerson¡¯s understanding, other than the time when the Crimson Thunder Eagle usually foraged for food, it would rarely appear in its territory. He did not expect that because of him, the eagle would actually be attracted. ¡°Looks like even God wants to kill me¡­¡± Emerson cried out in his heart. Plenty of mutated creatures were chasing after him. In such a situation, he did not know how to escape. Screech! The Crimson Thunder Eagle let out a screech and flapped its wings as it swooped down. ¡°Not good!¡± Emerson saw the eagle charging over and hurriedly dodged, hoping to avoid the its attack. However, a strange scene appeared. The Crimson Thunder Eagle did not charge toward Emerson. Instead, it charged toward the Shadow Rhino. Rumble! The 2 tier 7 mutated creatures engaged in battle, causing a loud explosion. ¡°I understand now. Every creature has an extremely strong territorial awareness. Once other mutated creatures step into their territory, they¡¯ll treat the them as an intruder and start a fight.¡± ¡°And this is the Crimson Thunder Eagle¡¯s territory. I accidentally brought the Shadow Rhino into its territory, causing the eagle to be furious. That¡¯s why it launched an attack.¡± Thinking of this, Emerson¡¯s eyes lit up. He did not expect that he could run away from their attacks. Fortunately, the Crimson Thunder Eagle did not attack Emerson, but the Shadow Rhino. Otherwise, he would not know what to do. Using the time when the Crimson Thunder Eagle and the Shadow Rhino were fighting, Emerson found a place to quickly change his clothes. Upon seeing that both sides were still fighting and had no time to care about him, Emerson did not plan to stay too long at that place. He was not clear about Tifa¡¯s current situation, which made him a little worried. Then, he continued to move forward. He was very clear that if he wanted to leave, he could not take the same route, so he could only find another way. After all, there were still a large number of mutated creatures waiting for him behind him. As long as he appeared, those mutated creatures would probably surround and attack him. He should not do that. After advancing for a while, Emerson discovered a nest on a big tree in front of him. ¡°Eh? A nest? Am I this lucky?¡± Emerson was stunned when he saw the nest on the tree. He did not expect to randomly choose a path and encounter the nest of the Crimson Thunder Eagle. He was lucky. ¡°Should I go up and take a look?¡± Emerson asked himself. He was worried about Tifa¡¯s safety. On the other hand, he encountered the nest of the Crimson Thunder Eagle. He felt unwilling just to leave the like that. After struggling for a long time, his curiosity finally gained the upper hand. Emerson decided to take a look at the nest. ¡°Eh? I didn¡¯t expect there to be 3 eggs in the nest.¡± Emerson was delighted when he saw the eggs. However, he did not make a move immediately. Instead, he turned around and glanced in the direction of the Crimson Thunder Eagle. He saw that it was still fighting with the Shadow Rhino, and it was getting more and more intense. He was sure that they would not stop fighting, which made him feel much more relieved. Then, he slowly reached out to pick up an egg. Looking at the huge egg in his arms, Emerson Cole was very happy. ¡°3 eggs. 2 for myself. I¡¯ll eat 1 of the eggs. The remaining 1e will be sold at a good price when I return to Iron City.¡± Thinking of that, Emerson reached out to pick up another egg, leaving the smallest egg in the nest. ¡°Mr. Crimson Thunder Eagle, I¡¯m not greedy. I only took 2. I¡¯m leaving 1 for you¡± After saying that, Emerson placed the 2 giant eggs into his bag. Without turning back, he ran forward, intending to look for Tifa. At that moment, Emerson¡¯s speed was unprecedentedly fast. He was not sure if the eagle would notice that he had stolen its eggs. Emerson did not want to be targeted by another tier 7 mutated creature just as he escaped from the Shadow Rhino¡¯s pursuit. Chapter 32 Iron City. Viscount¡¯s residence! ¡°Sir, there¡¯s someone outside who wants to see you. He says he has something to ask of you.¡± A guard outside the door bowed and said. ¡°Let him in!¡± Rory Queen laid lazily on the armchair and replied with half-closed eyes. ¡°Yes!¡± Soon, the guard who had stepped down led a middle-aged man and appeared in front of Rory Queen. Looking at the man in front of him, Rory Queen realized that he did not recognize the middle-aged man, but he still asked, ¡°You¡¯re the one who wanted to see me?¡± ¡°Sir Viscount, I heard that you¡¯re recruiting people to deal with Emerson. I¡¯m willing to help you.¡± The middle-aged man said respectfully. ¡°Oh? You want to help me? But I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re qualified.¡± Upon hearing the middle-aged man¡¯s words, Rory Queen sneered. Ever since he had challenged Emerson, there had been many people who had come to express their sincerity. However, their were not qualified to assist him. Some of them were tier 9 genetic warriors, and there were even very few tier 8 genetic warriors. Yet, the person in front of Rory actually wanted to help him as well. As a noble Viscount, how could he not know what these people were thinking. ¡°I wonder if my strength will satisfy you?¡± After he finished speaking, the middle-aged man took a step forward and walked toward a huge rock in the courtyard. Under the suspicious gazes of the 2 people, he lifted the huge rock. Upon seeing the middle-aged man lifting the huge rock so easily, Rory Queen could not help but become serious. Rory was very clear in his heart that the rock was specially used to test one¡¯s strength. For the middle-aged man to be able to lift that boulder so easily, he might be a tier 7 or tier 6 genetic warrior. ¡°Very well. You¡¯re indeed qualified to help me.¡± Rory Queen said with satisfaction. ¡°Thank you for your appreciation, Sir Viscount.¡± When the middle-aged man heard Rory Queen¡¯s words, his expression was very respectful. ¡°Oh right, What¡¯s your name?¡± At that moment, Rory Queen recalled that he still did not know how to address the middle-aged man. ¡°My name is Uetersen, and I¡¯m the third in my family. Sir Viscount, you can call me Three.¡± Uetersen replied. ¡°Three? That¡¯s not bad. I like it.¡± ¡°I heard you say that you want to help me deal with Emerson Cole?¡± Rory Queen narrowed his eyes and said coldly. ¡°Just give me the order. I¡¯m willing to do anything for you.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Mingka, take Three into the dark forest to find Emerson Cole. When necessary¡­¡± Rory Queen made a gesture of cutting his throat. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Mingka, the guard beside Rory, nodded and left after hearing his order. Uetersen, who was beside him, also left with Mingka. ¡°Emerson, I hope you can survive in the dark forest. Otherwise, if you don¡¯t appear after a month, then your sister¡­ Hahahaha!¡± Speaking of Lucy, a lewd smile appeared on Rory Queen¡¯s face. It looked very scary. ¡­ In the depths of the dark forest. ¡°Sob¡­¡± ¡°Where am I? Why am I lying here?¡± Tifa woke up from her deep sleep and found herself lying under a big tree. She was very confused. She clearly remembered that she was being chased. Emerson was escaping with her a moment ago. Why did she stop here? ¡°Ah! It hurts¡­¡± Tifa, who wanted to get up, found that her whole body was sore, especially her feet. She felt a piercing pain, which made her gasp. ¡°Emerson?¡± ¡°Emerson Cole?¡± ¡°Where are you? Come out quickly. I¡¯ll listen to you from now on. Okay?¡± At this moment, Tifa was in so much pain that tears were about to stream out of her eyes. Moreover, there was a nauseating stench coming from her body, which made her feel even more uncomfortable. She had never suffered since she was young, and this was the first time she had suffered so much. She wanted to cry so badly. However, no matter how she called out, there was no response, not even a reply. ¡°Damn you, Emerson Cole, don¡¯t let me get my hands on you. If I find you, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson.¡± Tifa called out a few more times, but there was still no response. She was starting to calm down. She used the tree beside her as support and tried to stand up. Then, she looked at her current position. Tifa realized that she was in the depths of the dark forest. Her sight was blocked by the tall tree and she could not tell where she was at that moment. ¡°Gulp.¡± She was hungry. With that, it made her feel more uncomfortable. ¡°Damn you, Emerson Cole. Sh*tty Emerson Cole. I think you really want me to suffer for a little while.¡± Tifa felt hungry, and she knew that she could not stay there for too long. She had to find some food. Otherwise, she would starve to death before Emerson appeared. After looking around, Tifa decided to turn back. She knew that she was too weak at the moment. If she continued to walk deeper and encountered mutated creatures, she would not even have the ability to fight back. She could only wait for death silently if she were to face a mutated creature. Moreover, the strong feeling of hunger made her have no choice but to quickly find food to eat. Only by recovering her physical strength could she have the ability to protect herself in the dark forest. On the other side. Emerson followed the direction in his memory and continued to rush toward Tifa¡¯s location. His speed was more than twice as fast as before. His entire body was like a sharp sword as he shuttled through the dark forest at high speed. Some mutated creatures only felt a gust of wind blow past them, but they did not discover Emerson. ¡°Wait for me. Please wait for me.¡± Looking at Tifa¡¯s location, Emerson Cole did not know why, but he felt a little nervous. A bad premonition arose in his heart. Moreover, the closer he got, the stronger the bad premonition became. Indeed. By the time he arrived here, Tifa had already disappeared. ¡°Damn you. Didn¡¯t I tell her to wait here? Can she just listen to me once?¡± Emerson stood where Tifa was lying previously and could not help but curse. However, Emerson understood that since Tifa had left, it was useless for him to be angry. There was a high possibility that Tifa left after she woke up. ¡°Which direction will she go?¡± Emerson stood where he was and circled around. He frowned and kept thinking about which direction Tifa would go. ¡°Hmm? This is¡­ Blood?¡± He saw faint traces of blood on the weeds under his feet. Emerson let out a soft cry. However, he did not find any traces of a fight there. Where did the blood come from? Judging from the degree of dryness of the blood, the blood was still very fresh. Soon, Emerson Cole found several more traces of blood. Emerson was delighted when he found more blood. He had been thinking which direction to look for Tifa, but with the guidance of the blood, it was only a matter of time before he found her. Chapter 33 Outside the dark forest. On a small hill! Emerson followed the trail of blood left behind by Tifa and searched all the way, but he could not find her. With that, it caused him to feel a little annoyed. He really could not figure out how Tifa could walk so far. He had searched for her for so long, but he could not find her. Emerson was helpless, but he could only keep on searching. ¡°I wonder what kind of surprise this beast egg will bring me.¡± Looking at the huge egg in front of Emerson, which was the size of 3 basketballs, he was looking forward to it. He cautiously looked around and saw that there was no trace of any mutated creatures around. Only then did he use his long knife to slowly cut a small hole in the eggshell. Then, he took out a plastic hose from his bag and inserted it into the eggshell. After that, he started sucking the juice inside the egg. Immediately, the sweet juice flowed into Emerson¡¯s mouth, filling it with a fragrant aroma. [Crimson Thunder Eagle fusion. Agility Gene: +16.] Just as Emerson swallowed the Crimson Thunder Eagle¡¯s egg juice, the system notification sounded. Not only that, he also felt a warm current flowing through his body. As the warm current flowed through his entire body, the tiredness in his body disappeared in an instant. He even felt an unprecedented sense of comfort. It made him feel like letting out a long howl. However, he was still able to suppress it. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s good stuff. It¡¯s much better than the smoked meat I ate before.¡± Emerson¡¯s eyes shone brightly, and he increased the intensity of his suction. [Crimson Thunder Eagle fusion. Agility Gene: +16.] [Crimson Thunder Eagle fusion. Agility Gene: +15.] [Crimson Thunder Eagle fusion. Agility Gene: +12.] [Crimson Thunder Eagle fusion. Agility Gene: +13.] [Crimson Thunder Eagle fusion. Wind Elemental Fragment: +1.] [¡­] Very quickly, Emerson finished sucking all the juice from the egg, and his stomach was filled to the brim. Moreover, the voice in his mind only stopped when he could no longer obtain any gene attributes after consuming the egg juice of the Crimson Thunder Eagle. Emerson immediately checked his attribute status. [Name: Emerson Sex: Male Age: 19 Height: 182 Strength: 331 Agility: 377 Physique: 335 Elemental Gene: 4 Wind Elemental Fragments Skills: Elementary Spatial Manipulation. Elementary Flame Control. Flame Stomp.] Looking at his attributes panel. Emerson had not expected that the beast egg would bring him 4 Wind Elemental Fragments. According to his calculation, he had 2 beast eggs in his hands. 1 beast egg would give him 4 fragments, and 2 would give him 8 fragments. If he were to steal all the beast eggs from the Crimson Thunder Eagle¡¯s nest and consume them¡­ As he thought of this, Emerson could not help but shake his head. He said to himself, ¡°When did I become so greedy?¡± Emerson was extremely lucky for being able to obtain 2 beast eggs. Why should he be greedy for more. After that, he looked at the other 3 attributes and saw that all his attribute points had broken through. He had advanced to another level and become a tier 7 genetic warrior. Only then did Emerson Cole nod his head in satisfaction. After that, he stood up and stretched his body, muttering, ¡°It¡¯s time to look for Tifa.¡± Looking at the direction of the outer region of the dark forest, he decided to go to the outer region or the outermost region first. If he still could not find her, he would look for her at the central region. ¡­¡­ On the other side¡­ After Tifa walked out from the depths of the dark forest, she also came to the outer region of the dark forest. However, Tifa was dirty and looked like a beggar. It could be said that she was very miserable. ¡°Damn Emerson Cole, don¡¯t let me see you again. If I see you again, I¡¯ll definitely deduct all your reward.¡± Tifa leaned against a big tree and said while gritting her teeth. From her expression, it was obvious that she hated Emerson. After leaning against the big tree and resting for a while, Tifa felt that her strength had recovered. Only then did she slowly get up and prepared to continue walking toward the outer region of the dark forest. However, the moment she got up, she did not move immediately. Instead, she looked behind her for a long time. Unfortunately, no matter how much she waited, she still did not see the figure she wanted to see appear. Tifa also did not remember how many long she had waited. ¡°Forget about him. With his ability, he should be fine. I should return to Iron City first.¡± ¡°With my current condition, it is obvious that I can¡¯t continue to stay here.¡± Looking at the scar on her left arm, Tifa shook her head and prepared to walk toward the outer region. However¡­ At that moment, a voice sounded from behind her. ¡°Hi there, are you alone?¡± Tifa turned around when she heard noises. Then, she discovered that 5 figures had appeared behind her. Looking at their attire, it was obvious that they were a team of genetic warriors that had come to the dark forest to hunt for mutated creatures and genetic warriors. Tifa did not pay any attention to these people. Instead, she turned around and continued walking toward the outer region. She knew very well that it would be extremely dangerous to encounter anyone at that moment. This was because Emerson had told her that humans were always the most cunning species. They were even more cunning and dangerous than mutated creatures. Therefore, she did not want to get herself involved in it. ¡°B*tch, my boss is talking to you? Are you deaf?¡± A young man in the team could not help but curse when he saw that Tifa was ignoring his boss. When Tifa heard that someone was cursing her, she turned around abruptly and looked at the young man coldly. Tifa, who was already filled with anger, did not expect that someone would talk to her like that. She, who had always had a good temper, could not help but explode. She raised her hand slightly and opened her fingers. A colorful bow appeared in her hand. At the same time, she used water elements to form a Frost Arrow and shot it at the young man who was scolding her. ¡°Alson, be careful¡­¡± The Captain of the genetic team immediately reminded his teammates when he saw Tifa raising her hand. Unfortunately, it was too late. Tifa¡¯s Frost Arrow pierced through the forehead of the man called Alson and ended his life. ¡°You, who exactly are you? Why did you want to kill Alson?¡± The captain of the genetic team could not help but ask when he saw Alson die in front of the 4 of them. ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to know. Also, don¡¯t provoke me, or else¡­¡± Tifa looked at them coldly. She raised her bow in her hand and said to the captain with an extremely cold tone. Clearly, she was telling them that if they provoked her, she would teach them a lesson. When the Captain of the genetic team heard Tifa¡¯s words, he did not know what to do. He was extremely clear about Alson¡¯s strength. A tier 8 genetic warrior was the weakest in the team. As for this dirty woman in front of him, she was actually able to kill Alson with a single shot. Although Tifa attacked Alson unexpectedly, she was still stronger than Alson. With that, it made him feel afraid. Chapter 34 ¡°Captain, we can¡¯t let Alson die in vain. No matter how powerful she is, she¡¯s alone. There are 4 of us, so there¡¯s no need to be afraid of her.¡± ¡°Besides, she¡¯s injured. If we use all our strength, how can a mere woman be our match?¡± A man on the right side of the Captain of the genetic team felt somewhat indignant when he saw his teammate die in front of him. He quickly spoke up. As for the other 2, when they heard the words of the man on the right, they nodded at the Captain as well. Clearly, they agreed with the words of their teammate earlier. When the Captain of the genetic team saw that his 3 teammates wanted to kill this woman to avenge Alson, he said ruthlessly, ¡°Fine, kill her and avenge Alson.¡± When the 3 members saw that their Captain agreed, all of them laughed sinisterly. Among them, the 2 members standing on the left side of the Captain of the genetic team took the lead and charged out, surrounding Tifa in a pincer attack. As for the member who had spoken earlier, when he saw that his 2 teammates had already rushed toward Tifa, he did not go forward. Instead, he quickly went around from the side and quickly arrived behind Tifa. As for the Captain of the genetic team, when he saw that his 3 members had all charged at Tifa, he did not stay idle either. He was muttering to himself. In the next moment, 2 vines suddenly appeared from where Tifa was standing, wrapping around Tifa¡¯s legs. Upon seeing that her legs were locked as her movements were restricted, Tifa¡¯s expression darkened. She had not expected that there was actually a wood elemental genetic warrior among the 4 people in front of her. The 2 people who were the first to rush out saw that Tifa¡¯s legs were restricted by their Captain. With a sinister laugh, they raised the axes in their hands and slashed at Tifa ruthlessly. From their stance, it seemed that they would not stop until Tifa was cut in half. Upon seeing that the 2 axes were about to slash at her, Tifa raised her left hand, and a Crystal Wall appeared on both sides, blocking the incoming attacks. After that, Tifa did not stop. She stretched out her right hand, and her middle and index fingers were placed side by side. She lightly slashed at the 2 vines under her feet, and the vines that were wrapped around her legs were cut off by her. After regaining her freedom, Tifa suddenly turned around and shot an arrow at the genetic warrior who was trying to sneak attack her. Whoosh! The series of actions seemed to take a long time, but in reality, it was completed in the blink of an eye. At the back, the genetic warrior saw that Tifa¡¯s movements were still restricted and was about to launch a sneak attack. However, before he could get close to her, Tifa shot an arrow at him. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and avoided Tifa¡¯s arrow. Otherwise, he might have ended up like Alson and been killed by Tifa. The genetic warrior who failed to launch a sneak attack had an ugly expression on his face. He had not expected Tifa to be so powerful. Not only had Tifa gotten away from the Captain¡¯s vines and used a Crystal Wall to block the attacks of the other 2, she had also been able to shoot an arrow at him. Upon seeing that her arrow did not hit the man, Tifa was slightly disappointed. However, she could also tell from her opponent¡¯s reaction that the man should be an agility genetic warrior. As for the remaining members of the genetic team, they were also quite shocked when they saw how easily Tifa had countered their attacks. They had never expected that the dirty woman in front of them would actually be so powerful and strong. They had used that tactic countless times, and every time, it had been successful as they were able to kill their opponent. Even for those stronger than them, there was only 1 outcome for them! Death! However, the woman in front of them was different. Not only had she blocked all their attacks, she had also been able to counterattack instantly. How could they not be shocked. ¡°Captain, she¡¯s troublesome. We must find a way and kill her. Otherwise, there will only be 1 outcome waiting for us.¡± ¡°Kill her!¡± The member standing opposite the Captain of the genetic team shouted. When the other 3 heard their teammates¡¯ words, their expressions darkened as well. They naturally understood the meaning behind their teammates¡¯ words. That was especially so when they saw how Tifa had killed Alson in an instant. They also knew that their opponent was not a woman with good intention. ¡°Henrik, Humphrey, attack with all your might. I¡¯ll restrict her movements. We must find a chance to let Blitz kill her¡± The other members of the genetic team roared as well. Both of the Captain¡¯s hands moved quickly, forming a hand seal that was even more complicated than before. As for Tifa, who was trapped in the middle, she could roughly guess that the 4 people in front of her were elemental genetic warriors, agility genetic warriors, and strength or physical genetic warriors. After figuring out their genetic attributes, Tifa quickly came up with a battle plan in her mind. She decided to deal with the elemental genetic warriors first. Then, she would deal with the strength or physical genetic warriors. Finally, she would kill the agility genetic warrior. Among different types of genetic warriors, elemental genetic warriors were the most difficult to deal with. This was because they had many different methods and skills. Especially when they were working together with other types of genetic warriors, their methods and skills were even more difficult to defend against. Just now, Tifa had been restricted by the Captain of the genetic team using the wood element since she had not figured out their genetic attributes. Fortunately, Tifa was stronger than them. Otherwise, she would have been heavily injured. She might even die if she did not pay attention. As for the strength and physique-type genetic warriors, they were much more cumbersome and easier to deal with. As for agility genetic warriors, they were simply faster. Their attack power was not particularly strong, and they were much weaker than strength genetic warriors. As long as she kept her distance from agility genetic warriors, it was only a matter of time before she could kill them After planning everything, Tifa did not delay any longer. She planned to end the battle as soon as possible. After 2 days of traveling, she had consumed a lot of energy. In addition, she was injured, so she did not want to waste any more time in dealing with them. She had accidentally entered the territory of a tier 7 mutated creature when she came out of the dark forest. She was wounded by the tier 7 mutated creature as well At that time, she was not in a good condition, and she was very hungry. It was difficult for her to fight with that tier 7 mutated creature. Fortunately, she was stronger than that creature, and she was able to kill it in the end. She ate the flesh of that mutated creature to replenish some of her strength, and she did not starve to death. Upon seeing that they were planning to do the same thing again, Tifa naturally would not let them do as they wished. She used her right hand to lightly pat her left and right shoulders, and an invisible Crystal Wings spread out behind her. Instantly, Tifa¡¯s feet left the ground and flew up to the sky. After that, she opened her left hand, and a colorful bow appeared in her left hand. ¡°Not good¡­¡± The Captain of the genetic team, who was casting a spell, saw Tifa suddenly flew up to the sky. At the same time, a bow appeared in her left hand. A bad premonition arose in the Captain¡¯s heart. However, just as he finished speaking¡­ 3 Frost Arrows formed from water elements shot toward the Captain. Chapter 35 Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! 3 Frost Arrows shot across the sky and headed straight for the Captain of the genetic team. ¡°Captain, be careful¡­¡± When the 3 members saw the Frost Arrows heading straight for their Captain, all of them reminded him. However, Tifa had used half of her strength in that attack. It would not be easy for the Captain to dodge her attack. The captain of the genetic team, whose speed did not increase in the first place, was still casting his spell. There was simply no time for him to dodge, and he was directly hit by DIFA¡¯s three crystal arrows. The arrows hit the Captain¡¯s forehead, throat, and chest. Instantly, the Captain died on the spot. He died just like Alson. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Brother, the Captain is dead. What should we do now?¡± They were all shocked. However, the man on the left was the first to come to his senses. He hurriedly asked the man on the right. ¡°Henrik, I¡¯ll hold her back for a while You have to run as fast as you can. You have to survive!¡± When Humphrey heard his brother asking him what to do, he quickly shouted at him. ¡°No, brother, I want to be with you. What will I do if you die?¡± When Henrik heard Humphrey¡¯s words, he quickly shook his head and rejected his brother¡¯s order. ¡°Idiot, she¡¯s stronger than all of us. If we stay here and fight her, we will all die.¡± Humphrey was somewhat disappointed at his brother and cursed. ¡°Henrik, Humphrey, do you think you can escape her with your speed?¡± At this moment, Blitz, who had been silent all this while, suddenly said. ¡°Blitz, what do you mean?¡± ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m just telling you the truth.¡± ¡°Your speed is almost the same as Captain. With her strength, no matter how fast you run, it¡¯s impossible for you to dodge her arrow.¡± ¡°Right now, the only way is for you to do everything you can to stall her and create an opportunity for me. Other than me, both of you don¡¯t have a chance to kill her.¡± Blitz said with an extremely grave expression. Hearing Blitz¡¯s words, Humphrey¡¯s expression was awful. Then, he nodded heavily and said, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do everything we can to stall her and create an opportunity for you.¡± Henrik glanced at his brother, who understood what Humphrey was thinking and nodded as well. Then, the 2 of them attacked at the same time and ran quickly toward Tifa. With the help of the trees around them, they leaped up high, raised the axe in their hands, and hacked at Tifa. Blitz, who was behind Tifa, saw both of them were really going at her. Thus, he revealed a cold smile, and he quickly fled in the opposite direction without looking back. After Humphrey, who had leaped up, sensed Blitz¡¯s movements, he roared. At that moment, he came to a realization. The 2 of them had been completely deceived by Blitz. He was using the 2 of them to buy time for him to escape. On the other hand, seeing that the 2 of them were charging toward her, Tifa¡¯s beautiful eyes narrowed. She lightly flapped her wings on her back and quickly retreated, pulling away from the 2 of them. After that, she drew her bow as she was ready to shoot them. Then, 2 Frost Arrows shot out, aiming at their hearts. Whoosh! Both of them were hit by Tifa¡¯s Frost Arrows. Blood sprayed from their mouths as they fell heavily to the ground. They would meet their Captain and Alson in heaven. After killing them, Tifa turned around and flapped her wings, quickly catching up to the agility genetic warrior who was trying to escape. In her opinion, a genetic warrior who deceived his friends did not deserve to live. Very soon, she found him. Although the distance between the 2 of them was far apart, as she continued chasing, she got closer to him. When Tifa was close to Blitz, she slowly reduce her speed. In her heart, she was very clear that when fighting an agility genetic warrior, she should not get too close to him. Otherwise, if she were to be attacked by him at close range, that would be a very troublesome matter. Up ahead, Blitz¡¯s expression was extremely ugly when he saw that he had been caught up. He had not expected Henrik and Humphrey to be so weak. They only managed to stall the enemy for less than half a minute. It made him extremely angry, but there was nothing he could do about it. The difference in strength between the 2 of them was obvious. However, he did not dare to take the initiative to attack the enemy. Moreover, the distance between the 2 of them was so far apart. Even if he could make use of his advantage in speed, he would not be able to give her a deadly strike when they were so far apart. Especially after he witnessed the power of Tifa¡¯s Frost Arrows, he did not dare to attack and wanted to flee for his life. Upon seeing that her opponent was running for his life, Tifa¡¯s eyes were slightly cold. While maintaining the distance between the 2 of them, she slightly pulled the bow in her hand. 4 Frost Arrows were nocked on the bow, and she aimed at Blitz. Whoosh! Blitz was extremely scared when he sensed something behind him. He frantically accelerated, hoping that he could dodge her arrows. However, no matter how he dodged, he only managed to dodge 2 of the 4 Frost Arrows. The remaining 2 hit his left leg and vest. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Blitz screamed as he fell to the ground from the tree. After being hit, Blitz quickly got up and limped forward. He wanted to live. He did not want to die in the dark forest. When Tifa saw that Blitz was still trying to escape after being hit by her, she snorted before shooting another 4 Frost Arrows at him. Upon seeing that the 4 Frost Arrows were about to hit Blitz, a shield formed in front of Blitz and blocked the Frost Arrows that Tifa shot out. ¡°Young lady, I don¡¯t know how he offended you, but you can¡¯t be this cruel to a wounded man.¡± At that moment, a soft voice sounded. Then, 2 figures jumped out of the tree and blocked the path between Tifa and Blitz. It was Three and Mingka who had come to the dark forest from the Viscount¡¯s mansion. They had been resting there, waiting for Emerson to appear. Unexpectedly, they did not find Emerson, but someone interrupted their rest time, which made them very angry. Thus, they stepped out and blocked Tifa¡¯s Frost Arrows. Upon seeing the 2 people who suddenly appeared, Tifa¡¯s beautiful eyes were ice cold. She looked at the 2 of them coldly, as if asking them if they wanted to interfere in that matter. Blitz saw that someone had saved him and was overjoyed. He turned around and saw that they were dressed luxuriously. Clearly, they were nobles, so he hurriedly asked for help, ¡°S¡­ Sir, please save me. She¡¯s a devil. She¡­ She killed our Captain. She even killed all of my team members. She wants to kill me as well.¡± ¡°Oh? She killed all of your team members? Then why did she want to kill all of you?¡± The man standing in front of Blitz heard his words. Thus, he asked in surprise. ¡°S¡­ Sir, she wants to steal our things.¡± Chapter 36 ¡°S¡­ Sir, she wants to steal our things.¡± As he spoke, Blitz took out an item from his bag and showed it to everyone. When Mingka and Three saw the item, they could not help but exclaim. ¡°The Monster Core?¡± Originally, in Mingka and Three¡¯s mind, the man might have the bones, teeth, and skin of some mutated creatures. They did not think about the Monster Core. They never thought that he would have a Monster Core. In response, Mingka and Three could not help but look at each other. They could see the greed in each other¡¯s eyes. Mingka coughed lightly and said, ¡°Miss, what you¡¯re doing is wrong. They risked their lives to obtain the Monster Core from mutated creatures. If you kill the because of the Monster Core, what¡¯s the difference between you and a robber?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. As genetic warriors, we should support each other and help each other. The reason why we came here to take risks and kill mutated creatures is to obtain valuable resources. If they come in and snatch other people¡¯s things like you. In the future, who will enter this dark forest?¡± After hearing Mingka¡¯s words, Three also spoke up. ¡°They¡¯re right. At the beginning, we tried to negotiate with her. We even thought of sharing some with her, but she didn¡¯t give us the chance to speak at all. She killed 1 of our teammates when they met.¡± ¡°Our Captain and the other 2 team members were all shot to death by her in order to save me. They died very miserably.¡± Blitz spoke again. When Tifa heard Blitz¡¯s words, her pretty face turned cold. She had never seen such a shameless person before. They were clearly the ones who had spoken ill of her before she killed them. As for Blitz saying that she wanted to snatch their Monster Core, it was completely nonsense. With her status, how could she take a fancy to the Monster Core in their hands? When Mingka and Three heard Blitz say that he still had another Monster Core in his hands, their eyes shone brightly, and the greed in their eyes became even more intense. ¡°Brother Mingka, it seems that we have to carry out justice on behalf of the heavens and kill this woman.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s kill her together.¡± After they finished speaking, Mingka retrieved his shield from the ground. He clenched his right hand into a fist and rushed toward Tifa. Three did not hesitate when he saw Mingka make a move. He took out a dagger from his back and slashed at Tifa. Tifa had a solemn expression when she saw them attacking her. From the fact that they were able to block her Frost Arrows, she knew that they were strong. They were probably at least a tier 7 genetic warrior. Hence, Tifa decided not to clash head-on with them. She could not do that because she was not in her best condition. In order to kill Blitz and the others, she had used too much energy. Currently, she was still able to maintain her Crystal Wings on her back because of her willpower. The instant the 2 of them rushed toward her, Tifa immediately spread her Crystal Wings and retreated to the outer region of the dark forest behind her. She had no choice. They blocked her way, so she could only retreat. While retreating, Tifa murmured, ¡°Emerson, where are you? If you don¡¯t show up, I¡¯ll die here.¡± ¡­ At that crucial moment! Emerson was leaning against a big tree, trying his best to consume the egg juice while enjoying some beast meat. He was just enjoying his time there. Originally, he had planned to sell the egg. However, after he absorbed the juice and obtained the Wind Elemental Fragments, he changed his mind and decided not to sell it. Instead, he decided to finish it himself. As for the beast meat in his hand, it was the Shadow Rhino¡¯s meat. The Shadow Rhino that had chased him previously. While Emerson was looking for Tifa, he found that the Shadow Rhino was seriously injured and was on the verge of death. Emerson naturally would not let go of such a good opportunity. He sneaked up to the Shadow Rhino and gave it a fatal blow. However, after killing the Shadow Rhino, Emerson did not obtain any Monster Core from its body, which made him slightly disappointed. However, he also understood that not every mutated creature in the dark forest had Monster Cores. It was already good enough that he was able to kill the Shadow Rhino. [Crimson Thunder Eagle fusion. Agility Gene: +11.] [Shadow Rhino fusion. Physical Gene: +8.] [Crimson Thunder Eagle fusion. Wind Elemental Fagment: +1.] [Crimson Thunder Eagle fusion. Agility Gene: +9.] [Shadow Rhino fusion. Physical Gene: +5.] [¡­] After he finished eating the whole egg and the meat, Emerson could not help but burp loudly, looking exceptionally satisfied. Then, he looked at his attribute panel. [Name: Emerson Cole Gender: Male Age: 19 Height: 182 Strength Gene: 446 Agility Gene: 443 Physical Gene: 435 Elemental Gene: 8 Wind Elemental Fragment Skills: Elementary Spatial Manipulation. Elementary Flame Control. Flame Stomp. ¡­. Upon seeing that his strength, agility, and physical attributes had all reached 400+, Emerson was quite satisfied. He knew very well that when all 3 attributes reached 500, he would be able to become a tier 6 all-rounded genetic warrior. With that, when he returned to Iron City and fought with Rory Queen, he would not be afraid at all. Even if his opponent was a tier 5 genetic warrior, he had the confidence to kill him. After all, he was a all-rounded genetic warrior, while his opponent was not. After cleaning up the traces there, Emerson did not stay any longer. He still had to go look for Tifa. Regarding Tifa¡¯s disappearance, Emerson also had a huge headache. He had never thought that Tifa could run so fast. He had been chasing after her for 4 days, but he still could not find her. This made Emerson feel helpless. However, he had no other way. He did not have anything to contact Tifa. If he had known that Tifa could run so fast, he would have asked for a Communication Stone from the beginning. That way, even if they were separated, he would have been able to contact her. Unlike the current situation, where he was at his wit¡¯s end. As for whether Tifa had a Communication Stone in her hands, judging from her appearance, she should have 1. ¡°Forget about it. Let¡¯s just focus on finding her.¡± With a soft sigh, Emerson jumped down from the tree. He planned to return to the place where Tifa had been unconscious to see if she would return there. After a few days of searching, Emerson had already run back and forth 4 times. If he still could not meet her this time, he could only walk toward the outer region. ¡­ Chapter 37 ¡°Damn it, she¡¯s good at escaping. If I had known this would happen, I would¡¯ve snatched the Monster Core from that kid first.¡± Looking at Tifa who was fleeing in the dark forest, Mingka cursed in a low voice. ¡°Brother Mingka, don¡¯t worry. She killed the other members of their team. Clearly, she has a Monster Core in her hands.¡± ¡°After we catch up to her, we can snatch her bag first and then go back to look for that kid.¡± ¡°Anyway, that kid is seriously injured. It¡¯s impossible to leave the dark forest in a short period of time.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t run far.¡± Upon seeing that Mingka was extremely dispirited, Three comforted him. ¡°He can¡¯t run far? Can¡¯t you see that we¡¯ve been chasing for so long and still haven¡¯t caught up? If this continues, we¡¯ll enter the central region.¡± ¡°Moreover, the sky has darkened. If this continues, what if we encounter strong mutated creatures again?¡± Mingka¡¯s expression was awful when he heard Three¡¯s words. Even his tone of voice had become much colder. Three did not get angry when he heard Mingka¡¯s words. Instead, he said even more calmly, ¡°Brother Mingka, you¡¯re wrong. With her current condition, it is obvious that she won¡¯t be able to hold on for long.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed that the color of the wings behind her is much dimmer than it was at the beginning?¡± ¡°Based on my observation, she definitely won¡¯t be able to hold on for long.¡± ¡°As long as the Crystal Wings behind her disappear, it won¡¯t take us too long to catch up to her.¡± ¡°Moreover, looking at her face, I think she¡¯s stunning. After we subdue her, you can taste her. Consider it as compensation for her wasting so much of our time.¡± Upon hearing Three¡¯s words, Mingka¡¯s face softened a lot. He was licking his dry lips as he thought. Apparently, Three¡¯s words had triggered him. He even looked at Tifa with a burning gaze. He could not help but say, ¡°Well, after this matter is over, let¡¯s go to the Drunken Watchtower to have a good time.¡± However, Three did not reply to Mingka. Instead, he sped up, as a response to Mingka¡¯s good intentions. When Mingka saw that, a smile appeared on his face. He also sped up so that he could catch up. Tifa, who was running away, heard their conversation. Her face was unusually ugly, and even somewhat pale. She had injuries on her body, and she used a lot of her elemental energy. There was less than 10% left in her body. Otherwise, she would not hesitate to kill them. Ever since she fainted, Tifa¡¯s condition had not improved. Moreover, during this period of time, in order to find food to satisfy her hunger, she had even fought a tier 7 mutated creature. Although she had killed the mutated creature in the end, she had also suffered some injuries as a result. However, the injury on her left arm had yet to fully recover. Tifa was scolded by Emerson previously, and she could not help but be angry. Thus, she had used up a large amount of elemental energy to suppress her anger. She had killed 4 members of the genetic team, so a big portion of the elemental energy in her body had been used up. Furthermore, she had been running a lot, so the elemental energy in her body had almost been depleted. Looking at Mingka and Three, who were getting closer to Tifa, her eyes were filled with worry. If they continued to chase her, it would not be long before they caught up to her. As she thought of this, a hint of determination flashed in the depths of Tifa¡¯s eyes. Even if she were to die, she would never fall into the hands of those 2 perverts. ¡°Look, she won¡¯t be able to hold on for long.¡± Upon seeing that the light of the Crystal Wings behind Tifa was getting dimmer and dimmer, and was even about to disappear, Three was overjoyed and hurriedly said. ¡°Hmmm, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to watch the surroundings for me later.¡± Mingka also noticed Tifa¡¯s condition, and his eyes became even brighter. ¡°Brother Mingka, don¡¯t mention it. I know what to do without you saying it.¡± Three smiled at Mingka. ¡°Hahaha, thank you in advance.¡± Mingka thanked Three and sped up as he rushed toward Tifa. When Three saw that, he deliberately slowed down. He knew that with the condition of the woman in front of him, she was definitely not a match for Mingka. There was no need for him to go up and join in the fun. At that time, Tifa also felt that the elemental energy in his body were about to be exhausted. She was panicking. She could not help but shout, ¡°Emerson Cole!¡± Her voice was exceptionally loud in the depths of the dark forest. It had even alarmed many mutated creatures. At that moment, Emerson, who was searching for Tifa, suddenly heard her. He abruptly raised his head, trying to determine which direction the voice came from. However, after waiting for a long time, he did not hear the voice again. He did not dare to wait any longer and decided to trust his feelings. ¡°Emerson? Could this woman be¡­¡± When Mingka heard Tifa call out Emerson, he could not help but recall that when they were in Iron City, Emerson seemed to have followed a woman into the dark forest. Mingka carefully observed Tifa. It seemed that she was really similar to the girl he had seen in Iron City. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be you. You really made it easy for us to find you.¡± Mingka laughed evilly. Behind Mingka, Three¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard Tifa call out Emerson¡¯s name. He did not expect that the woman he was chasing would lead him to Emerson. Three felt as if he was lucky when he thought about it. Thinking of that, Three quickly went up to Mingka and said, ¡°Brother Mingka, it seems that we have to keep this woman and use her to lure out Emerson Cole. After we finish our mission, you can enjoy her. What do you think?¡± ¡°Okay, agree.¡± After hearing the woman in front of him call out Emerson¡¯s name, Mingka also had the same plan. When he heard Three¡¯s words, he naturally would agree to him. ¡°Emerson Cole!¡± The moment the Crystal Wings behind Tifa disappeared, she burrowed into a big tree and shouted again. She could only place her hopes on Emerson, hoping that he could hear her voice. If they came close to her and Emerson still had not appeared, she could only commit suicide. She absolutely would not allow herself to be raped by those b*stards. Emerson, who was fully focused, was overjoyed when he heard the voice again. He knew where did the voice came from. He did not expect that he had chosen the right one. Emerson was extremely happy. When Emerson saw that he was getting close to Tifa, he heard Tifa¡¯s voice again. ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t come any closer. If you come any closer, I¡¯ll commit suicide¡­¡± Upon hearing these words, Emerson¡¯s face was gloomy. He did not expect that someone would dare to bully Tifa. With that, it made him furious. He did not want anything to happen to his 1,000,000 gold coins mission that he had accepted. Emerson did not want to wait for Tifa to deduct his reward because of his inadequate protection when they returned to Iron City. That would be unfair to him. Chapter 38 ¡°Suicide? No, you can¡¯t die now. If you die, who will help us find Emerson Cole?¡± Mingka heard that Tifa wanted to commit suicide and quickly shook his head. He quickly approached Tifa, wanting to restrain her before she committed suicide. Three had the same thought. He sped up and rushed toward Tifa, wanting to ask her where Emerson was. Tifa saw that the 2 of them were getting closer and closer to her, and she kept retreating. At the same time, a trace of despair appeared on her pale face. She had not seen Emerson for a few days. She could not help but feel regret. If she had known earlier, she would have listened to Emerson and left the dark forest. With that, she might not need to suffer such hardship. ¡°Emerson, where are you¡­¡± Tifa muttered to herself as she retreated. ¡°Miss Tifa, are you calling for me?¡± At that moment, a voice sounded in Tifa¡¯s ears. Upon hearing Emerson¡¯s voice, Tifa suddenly turned around and saw a man standing behind her that she had been thinking about for a long time. ¡°Damn you, where did you go? Do you know that I have been looking for you for a very, very long time¡­¡± Tifa did not know where she got the strength to rush to Emerson and threw herself into his arms, crying. ¡°Damn you! Emerson!¡± ¡°Do you know that I was almost harassed by them?¡± As Tifa cried, she used her small hands to continuously hit Emerson¡¯s chest to vent all the grievances that she had suffered these past few days. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve made you suffer these past few days. Leave the rest to me.¡± Emerson looked at Tifa who was in his arms and did not know how to deal with her. He did not know where to place his hands at. However, after hearing her words, he patted her back gently to comfort her. ¡°Kill them and avenge me.¡± ¡°Or I¡¯ll deduct your gold coins.¡± After feeling better, Tifa turned to look at the 2 people behind her and said coldly. ¡°Well, as long as you don¡¯t deduct my gold coins, I¡¯ll do whatever you say.¡± When Emerson Cole heard Tifa¡¯s words, he did not get angry. There was even a trace of gentleness on his face. Perhaps it was because he realized that Tifa was not as unreasonable as he had imagined. Maybe it was because he thought about how he had left her alone for the past few days. He could not bear to see her suffer. ¡°Hmph, at least you have a good attitude. I¡¯ll watch you do it from the side!¡± After Emerson answered her, Tifa wiped the tears off her face and let Emerson do his things. She walked to the side of a big tree. However, when she left Emerson, her face turned red. She did not even dare to look him in the eye. She did not expect that she would hug him. Moreover, she hugged someone who she hated. What made her even more ashamed was that she actually cried in Emerson¡¯s arms. For a moment, all kinds of emotions appeared on Tifa¡¯s face. Fortunately, it was dark at that time, so her expression was not seen by Emerson. If Emerson saw her expressions, he would not know what to do. ¡°I¡¯ve finally found you, Emerson Cole!¡± When Mingka saw Emerson appear in front of them, a hint of a smile appeared on his face, but his smile was a little cold. As for Three, when he saw Emerson, he could not help but size him up. He really wanted to see what he was made of. As Three continued to size him up and observe, the more he observed, the more alarmed he felt. It was because he could sense an extremely dangerous feeling from Emerson¡¯s aura. He did not know how long it had been since he had felt that. Even when he met opponents who were stronger than him, he had never felt that kind of feeling. For a moment, he looked at Emerson solemnly. ¡°Looking for me?¡± When Emerson heard Mingka¡¯s words, he was a little puzzled. However, when he thought about how Tifa was almost harassed by them in front of him, a cold chill rose from the bottom of his heart. ¡°That¡¯s right. My Master said that it¡¯s better to make you disappear in the dark forest.¡± Mingka turned to Three and said, ¡°Mr. Three, he¡¯s Emerson Cole. Didn¡¯t you say that you want to serve my Master? Now it¡¯s time for you to show off your strength.¡± When Three heard Mingka¡¯s words, he did not attack Emerson immediately. Instead, he charged at Mingka who was beside him. ¡°You¡­¡± When Mingka saw that Three had attacked him, he shouted in shock and anger. He really did not understand why Three, who had followed him to kill Emerson, would suddenly attack him. However, before Mingka could finish his words, Three¡¯s killing move was already aimed at his head. Mingka did not have time to think about it as he could only try to block Three¡¯s attack. Emerson, who was at the side, was also stunned when he saw that scene. They were a gang, right? Why were they fighting each other? Confusion arose in Emerson¡¯s heart. However, Emerson was fine with it. With someone helping him, he would not have to do it himself. He could use this opportunity to observe them. As the 2 fought each other, Emerson realized that both of them were at least tier 7 genetic warriors. The more he looked, the more shocked he felt. He realized that Mingka could not win against Three. Mingka was being suppressed. Bang! A loud sound rang out. Mingka retreated several meters away, blood spurting out of his mouth. He looked at Three in shock as he asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Who¡­ Who are you?¡± ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t you know who I am? Why are you asking me such a boring question?¡± After saying that, Three stepped on Mingka¡¯s head and crushed his head. After killing Mingka, Three looked at Emerson and said with a chuckle, ¡°Can we talk?¡± Upon hearing Three¡¯s words, Emerson frowned and asked in puzzlement, ¡°I don¡¯t think I have anything to talk with you?¡± When Three heard Emerson¡¯s words, he did not get angry. Instead, he said apologetically, ¡°I didn¡¯t know she was your friend and almost hurt her by accident. I¡¯m here to apologize to you, but I still hope that we can talk.¡± When Three said those words, his tone was not as gentle as before. There was even a hint of coldness in his words. When he sensed it, Emerson nodded. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not convenient to talk here. How about we go somewhere else?¡± Chapter 39 ¡°There¡¯s nothing inconvenient about it. If you have anything to say, just say it here. She¡¯s my friend. I can¡¯t leave her here alone.¡± Upon seeing that Three wanted him to leave Tifa there alone, Emerson was naturally worried. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll be straightforward.¡± ¡°I came to look for you because I want you to join us.¡± Upon seeing Emerson like this, Three could only give up. ¡°Join you? Who are you referring to?¡± Emerson was even more puzzled. Previously, Three attacked his friend, Mingka. However, he wanted Emerson to join them. He had no idea what was he talking about. ¡°The Colt Empire!¡± When Three voiced out, he bowed deeply toward the southernmost direction with a hint of respect on his face. Clearly, he felt extremely proud of the Colt Empire. When Emerson heard Three mention the Colt Empire, he could not help but exclaim in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re from the Colt Empire?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± When Three saw Emerson¡¯s expression, he was extremely satisfied. In Three¡¯s heart, the Colt Empire was a god, a king, a supreme existence that no other country in the world could compare to. At that moment, Emerson looked at Three more seriously. He did not expect the middle-aged man in front of him to be from the Colt Empire. Emerson was naturally familiar with the Colt Empire. In fact, it was even more impressive than the Indigo Empire that he was currently in. According to Emerson¡¯s understanding, there were 4 great empires in this world. They were the Colt Empire, Galon Empire, Delais Empire, and Indigo Empire. Among them, the Colt Empire was the most powerful of the 4 great empires, followed by the Delais Empire, the Indigo Empire, and finally the Galon Empire. Furthermore, he also understood that in order to rule Blue Planet, the Colt Empire often launched wars against the 3 great empires, in order to make the 3 great empires submit and dominate the world. The 3 great empires were clearly aware of the Colt Empire¡¯s ambitions. However, in the face of the Colt Empire¡¯s attack, none of the 3 great empires could deal with it, even the Delais Empire, which was the second strongest. As such, the 3 great empires finally came to an agreement, intending to join forces to destroy the Colt Empire. However, when the 3 great empires joined forces to make a move, only then did they clearly understand how terrifying the Colt Empire was. Even if the 3 great empires joined forces, they would still be unable to destroy the Colt Empire. In the end, they could only fight to the death, and the price they had to pay was even heavier than the Colt Empire¡¯s. Hence, the 3 empires had given up on destroying the Colt Empire. They could only join forces to defend against the Colt Empire¡¯s invasion. ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡± Upon seeing that Emerson did not speak, Three thought that he was thinking about it again, so he did not ask Emerson immediately. After 15 minutes, Three finally asked. ¡°Emerson, you can¡¯t agree to him.¡± ¡°As long as you don¡¯t agree to him, I¡¯ll double your reward.¡± At that moment, Tifa, who was resting under the tree, was shocked when she heard that Three was from the Colt Empire. Then, when she heard that Three was planning to invite Emerson to their empire, she naturally would not allow it. Thus, she hurriedly interrupted him. For an all-rounded genetic warrior like Emerson, Tifa was naturally very concerned about him. How could she possibly allow him to join other empires. Moreover, it was the ambitious Colt Empire. It was something that she absolutely would not allow. Upon hearing Tifa¡¯s words, Emerson smiled helplessly. He spread his hands and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My boss doesn¡¯t allow me to do so.¡± ¡°Also, I myself have never thought of going to the Colt Empire.¡± As for Tifa, who was lying under a big tree, after hearing Emerson¡¯s reply, she heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°When we return to Iron City, I¡¯ll pay you double.¡± Emerson was very happy regarding Tifa¡¯s actions. He needed a lot of money. Money to buy resources to increase his strength. Money to take care of his sister, Lucy. However, he was not that greedy at all. Instead, he shook his head and refused. ¡°No need, as long as you don¡¯t deduct my gold coins.¡± When Tifa heard Emerson¡¯s words, she laughed and said, ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t deduct your reward, not a single gold coin.¡± At that moment, Tifa was really happy. When Three heard Emerson¡¯s refusal, he was a little angry. When he heard the 2 of them were talking about other things in front of him, he was extremely furious, he said coldly, ¡°It seems that you made a very unwise choice.¡± ¡°Since you have made up your mind, I can only kill you!¡± Three looked at Emerson coldly. His eyes were filled with coldness, as if he was looking at a dead person. Upon seeing Three¡¯s anger, Emerson smiled and did not reply. Instead, he focused all his attention on his opponent. He knew that a deadly battle was about to break out. The next moment! Three moved. His speed was even faster than when he was fighting with Mingka. In the blink of an eye, Three arrived in front of Emerson and punched at him with his right fist. Emerson saw how fast his opponent was. Three appeared in front of him in an instant, and that terrifying punch was about to hit him. Emerson did not hesitate. He used his spatial ability to increase the distance between them. At the same time, when he dodged, he did not forget to pick up Tifa and put her in a safe position. ¡°You stay here. Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± After saying that, without waiting for Tifa¡¯s reply, Emerson leaped up and similarly threw a punch at Three. These few days, in order to search for Tifa, he had rarely fought with any mutated creatures or genetic warriors. He had the opportunity to fight with Three at the moment, so he naturally would not let him off his hook so easily. He even wanted to know how much his strength had increased after absorbing the Crimson Thunder Eagle¡¯s egg juice. ¡°Very good. Then let me see what kind of strength you, an all-rounded genetic warrior, have.¡± Upon seeing that Emerson did not escape and instead initiated an attack on him, Three laughed and raised his right hand to punch at Emerson¡¯s punch. Bang! Their fists collided, and both of them retreated a few steps. The attack was evenly matched between the 2 of them, and neither of them had the upper hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to actually reach the strength of a tier 7 genetic warrior.¡± After clashing head-on, Three could feel that Emerson¡¯s strength was at the level of a tier 7 genetic warrior. He was extremely shocked. How long had it been? Less than a month had passed, yet his opponent¡¯s strength had already risen to the level of a tier 7 genetic warrior. Such a talent was truly terrifying. At the same time, Three¡¯s killing intent toward Emerson intensified. Chapter 40 Several decades ago, Three had been placed by his empire as a spy in the Indigo Empire. When he had been placed in the Indigo Empire, he had received 2 orders. 1 was to gather intelligence for the Colt Empire, and the other was to recruit all sorts of geniuses for his empire. Over the years, he had indeed accomplished a lot. In terms of intelligence alone, he had made a great contribution to his empire, especially in terms of talent. He heard that an all-rounded genetic warrior had appeared in the Iron City of the Indigo Empire. When Three heard the news, he immediately sent it back to the Colt Empire and informed them of everything. Following that, he received 2 new orders. The first order for him to recruit Emerson Cole. They were even willing to pay a heavy price to make such a genius work for the Colt Empire. The second order was for him to kill Emerson Cole if he refused to join them. He definitely could not allow Emerson to become stronger. They did not want him to become an opponent for the Colt Empire in the future. Three would obey their orders. In order to obtain Emerson and make him work for the Colt Empire, Three had collected all the information about Emerson. From Emerson¡¯s birth to his current status as an all-rounded genetic warrior. Three had almost all the information about him. In order to subdue such a genius, he had disguised himself as a tier 7 genetic warrior, working for Viscount Rory. His goal was to find out Emerson¡¯s whereabouts and get close to him, allowing him to be used by the Colt Empire. Three had found him in the dark forest, but it was a pity that he could not be used by the Colt Empire. Hence, Three could only carry out the second order and kill Emerson. Emerson was shocked. He had never expected that his earlier attack would actually be on par with Three. He knew that he appeared to be a tier 7 genetic warrior. However, his true strength was already infinitely close to that of a tier 6 genetic warrior. That was why he was shocked when he saw his strength was only on par with his opponent. ¡°Not bad at all. You¡¯re a tier 7 or even a tier 6 genetic warrior.¡± When Emerson heard Three describe his strength, he did not show any expression of shock. Instead, he spoke with an expressionless face. ¡°Haha¡­¡± Three did not respond to Emerson¡¯s words. Instead, he sneered and took out 2 machetes from his waist. Three was emitting an powerful aura when he was holding the 2 machetes in his hands He was like a deadly assassin under the night sky, giving off a feeling of extreme fear. Three raised his hand and slashed at the air twice. Whoosh! Whoosh! ¡°As an all-rounded genetic warrior, you have the qualifications to be worthy of me using my weapon.¡± ¡°Next, let me see what you¡¯re made of. If you don¡¯t fight me with everything you have, you will die by my hands.¡± With that, Three rushed forward. He swung his machetes as he slashed at Emerson¡¯s waist. Faced with three¡¯s attack, Emerson Cole did not take it head-on. Instead, he chose to retreat. Three had a weapon in his hands, but Emerson was unarmed. Hence, he would naturally be at a disadvantage in a fight. With that, Emerson could only use the soul weapon that he had snatched from Chris long ago ¨C Long knife. With the long knife in hand, Emerson gave off a murderous feeling. The aura he emitted was not any weaker than Three. ¡°Tier 8 soul weapon.¡± Three saw that Emerson had a tier 8 soul weapon in his hand as he mocked. Once again, Three charged forward, not intending to delay any longer. Emerson saw that Three was charging at him again. Thus, he growled as he raised the long knife in his hand. He was about to hit Three. When Three saw Emerson slashing toward him, he raised the machete in his left hand to block Emerson¡¯s long knife. Three took advantage of the situation and slid down. His feet lightly tapped on the ground and he jumped up. The machete in his right hand backhandedly slashed toward Emerson¡¯s back. ¡°Watch your back.¡± Tifa, who was not far away, could not help but exclaim when she saw that scene. When Emerson heard Tifa¡¯s reminder, he also felt a chill coming from his back. Therefore, he quickly turned around and raised his long knife to slash at Three as well, intending to exchange injuries with him. When Three saw that Emerson wanted to exchange injuries with him, he actually wanted something like that to happen. In his opinion, killing Emerson and causing him to suffer a little injury was an insult to him, even if his opponent was an all-rounded genetic warrior. Clang! The long knife and machete hit, and the sounds of weapons clashing could be heard. The 2 of them took a few steps back before clashing again. Ding! Ding! Ding! Another series of sounds of weapons clashing could be heard. Only when the weapons in their hands started to crack did they retreat. At that moment, Three was panting. He looked at Emerson and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be this strong. You¡¯re actually about to reach the strength of a tier 6 genetic warrior.¡± Three had thought that he had suppressed his strength to the level of a tier 6 genetic warrior. Against a tier 9 genetic warrior who had just finished the tests, it would be a piece of cake. However, after exchanging blows, Three discovered that Emerson¡¯s strength had far exceeded his imagination. He was not just a tier 7 genetic warrior, but was infinitely close to a tier 6 genetic warrior. From the looks of it, with Three¡¯s current strength, it would be somewhat difficult for him to kill Emerson. ¡°Looks like I have to be more serious. Otherwise, if I let this fellow live and become a huge threat to the Colt Empire, I¡¯ll become a sinner of the Colt Empire.¡± Three muttered to himself. Following that, the aura on his body changed once again. A berserk aura gushed out from his body. The berserk aura he emitted instantly swept out in all directions. Meanwhile, the huge trees on both sides of Three were swept down by the aura that he emitted. Boom! Several large trees collapsed with a loud bang. The ground trembled a few times from the impact. Meanwhile, Emerson, who was standing opposite of Three, was also forced back a few steps by the aura that he emitted. At the same time, Emerson¡¯s gaze became even more solemn as he looked at Three. He did not expect Three to be that strong. He was actually suppressing his strength when they fought a moment ago. ¡®It seems that he¡¯s not as simple as he looks!¡¯ Emerson thought to himself. From the aura that he was emitting, Emerson felt that Three¡¯s strength was at least above a tier 6 genetic warrior. Thinking of that, Emerson could not help but glance at Tifa behind him. When Emerson had fought with Tifa back then, he had felt that she was not simple either. However, judging from Tifa¡¯s current situation, it was obvious that she could not help him. He could only deal with Three by himself. ¡°I can only fight with my life now. Otherwise, both of us will die here.¡± Emerson took a deep breath. He held the long knife tightly as he looked at Three again.