Half an hour later, he returned to the Round Table Hall once more. This time, however, he concealed his presence, silently watching two members conduct a face-to-face transaction. In addition to system trades, members could also request to enter the Round Table Hall for in-person deals, which were typically used for exchanging intelligence.

The two people currently conducting the in-person transaction in the Round Table Hall were Soron and an Ascender from America named Marvin. He was a "Priest" who professed belief in all Five Great Divine Teachings simultaneously. Not only that, but he had also somehow learned the unique secret techniques of each, which was enough to say he possessed truly exceptional skills.

To be honest, Zhou Chen’s first reaction upon seeing him was sheer shock—shock that he hadn’t been beaten to death by members of the Five Great Divine Teachings.

To worship the Gods of all Five Great Divine Teachings at the same time, and to have secretly learned their exclusive secret techniques, showed that not only did this person have no real faith, but he also held blasphemous and exploitative intentions toward the Divine Teachings. How could any normal follower allow such a person to exist?

But not only was Marvin alive and well, he was thriving. Now a Tier Three Ascender, he ran an intelligence agency in America and was quite well-known in his field. He was wealthy and wanted for nothing.

It was only through Eva’s explanation that Zhou Chen learned how the man got away with it—he had never once revealed that he followed all Five Great Divine Teachings at the same time. When he was with the Life Church, he was a believer of the Life Church; when he was with the Sea God Church, he was a believer of the Sea God Church...

His identity was incredibly versatile.

The easiest role to play was a follower of the War God, because the War God has no Divine Hall or believers, only followers and comrades-in-arms. Most who believe in Him have gone to the Abyss to fight Abyssal Demons. Other than that, the only place in the World related to the War God is the "Arena of Competition." Martial prowess is supreme there; as long as you can earn respect, you can learn the secret techniques bestowed by the War God.

The reason Marvin would do something so audacious stemmed from his tragic childhood—like Soron, his family had been destroyed because of the "Merchant."

Years ago, his father had accidentally made a deal with the "Merchant" and built a company from nothing. A decade later, the "Merchant" came to their door to collect his payment, bankrupting the company overnight. His parents fled with him, but halfway through their escape, they had the misfortune of running into some Abyssal Cultists making trouble. In the ensuing brutal incident, which was later classified as a B-Level major event, only Marvin survived.

From that day forward, only one thing remained in Marvin’s life: revenge!

Revenge on the "Merchant" and the Abyssal Cultists!

After awakening as an Ascender, Marvin trained himself into a Special Agent. He repeatedly investigated Abyssal Cultists in secret and even confronted them several times, but he was never their match. On a few occasions, he would have died at their hands if the Star Association hadn’t arrived in the nick of time.

Realizing his own Ability was insufficient, Marvin changed his approach. He concealed his identity and infiltrated the Five Great Divine Teachings one after another, attaining a certain status within each Church to obtain their exclusive secret Skills and thereby enhance his strength.

Before long, Marvin discovered he possessed an unexpected talent for this, allowing him to integrate the secret Abilities of all Five Great Divine Teachings within himself without any conflict.

Even more insane, after suffering a setback, he actually began to study Abyssal Curse Techniques, audaciously attempting to steal the Power of the Abyss for his own use. The most unbelievable part? He succeeded. Despite not being an Abyssal Cultist, he could wield the Power bestowed by the Abyssal Kings whom the Abyss Church worshipped.

These included the "Chaos Fire" of the Eternal Fire, the "Bloodthorn" of the Crimson Sect, and the "Endless Joy" of the Joyous Sanctuary...

The secret techniques of the Five Great Divine Teachings and the Curse Techniques of the three major Abyss Churches—all were gathered in one man, and he had mastered these Powers perfectly.

’What else could you call it but absurd?’

Zhou Chen was once again reminded of how vast the World was. He could only feel a sense of wonder. ’You can never underestimate anyone. This world has far, far too many geniuses.’

He snapped out of his thoughts and focused on their conversation.

"So, what have you decided about my proposal?" Marvin asked, lounging on the Obsidian Throne with his legs crossed.

Soron hesitated for a long moment before shaking his head. "I’m sorry. I really want to do my part, but... I’m not strong enough. I wouldn’t be much help even if I went to North Carolina. Besides, the place is a warzone right now. Even an Ascender can be killed by a stray bullet. It’s too dangerous. I have someone I care about, and I don’t want her to be waiting for news of my death."

"I get it. When you have someone you love deeply, the hatred in your heart fades, and the desire for revenge slowly dies out." Marvin waved his hand dismissively. "Since you’re backing out, our business is done here."

"Wait a second," Soron called out urgently, retrieving a number of Alchemy Tools from his inventory. "Take these. I hope they can help. I should at least contribute something, no matter what."

Marvin didn’t stand on ceremony. He accepted the Alchemy Tools and gave a slight nod. "Thanks for the help. I hope everything goes smoothly."

"I hope it all goes smoothly," Soron said with heartfelt sincerity.

The two then vanished from the Round Table Hall, returning to the real world.

Zhou Chen stroked his chin, lost in thought. ’Are these two forming some kind of Avengers Alliance to get revenge on the ’Merchant’?’

"Master, in the real world, Marvin has privately contacted many of the ’Merchant’s’ other victims and gained their support. There are several victims in the Round Table Hall as well. Marvin had intended to invite them to North Carolina to help intercept the ’Merchant,’ but they are all too weak and chose to back out after much hesitation," Eva said.

Zhou Chen nodded. ’Giving up is the only rational choice. A bunch of Tier One and Tier Two Ascenders trying to stop the ’Merchant,’ who’s almost at Tier Five? That’s just a suicide mission. That’s not how you get revenge.’

’Marvin only dares to go because he has those exceptional skills and is already a Tier Three Ascender. Who knows, he might even have a breakthrough and advance right then and there.’

’With the Star Association taking the lead, he’ll be able to contribute something, at least.’

He returned to reality.

Zhou Chen walked to the window of his room. He looked out at the brightly lit city, which seemed to have shaken off its somber mood, and at the crowds still lingering on the streets below. A faint premonition stirred within him.

’After all the chaos I’ve caused, the situation in North Carolina has been completely upended. It’s highly likely the hidden Fallen Paradise will reveal itself ahead of schedule.’

’And very soon.’

·

On March 21st, 235 NE, news that the Salvation Army had captured twenty-one cities spread across the entire territory. The morale of the Salvation Army’s main forces on the front lines soared, while the Government Army’s plummeted. With this, the Salvation Army gained a massive advantage on the main front and began to push the line forward relentlessly.

At 1:00 PM on March 21st, twelve legions of the Government Army mutinied, their soldiers surrendering to the Salvation Army.

At 3:00 PM, nine more Government Army legions surrendered.

At 5:00 PM, the Salvation Army’s main force reinforced the flanks, swiftly routing the enemy and securing the captured territory.

By 8:00 PM, the Salvation Army had occupied half of the Northern War Zone. The remaining Government Army forces retreated to the yet-unconquered first-tier cities to mount a final, desperate defense.

On March 22nd, the Salvation Army continued its unstoppable advance, compressing the front lines even further. The Government Army was in a full-scale rout, and their defeat was now a foregone conclusion.

The battle between the six Crowned Kings had yet to conclude. The Salvation Army marched directly on the North Carolina Capital, aiming to seize political power before the Kings’ fight was decided. They had to become the new government—recognized by the Star Association and the international community—so that Enoch would be unable to reverse the situation.

On March 23rd, a sudden, drastic change occurred. A brand-new plague began to spread throughout North Carolina. The infected became weak and feeble with high fevers, and a small number even began to show signs of mutation—symptoms that would never appear in a normal plague.

’They’re here!’

It wasn’t just Zhou Chen; the Salvation Army, the Star Association, and indeed everyone secretly monitoring North Carolina felt their hearts jolt.

Fallen Paradise has made its move!