Earth, Washington Base City.
"What? She's disappeared?" In a luxurious villa, a lean man with a small tuft of beard on his chin rose to his feet and demanded angrily.
He had originally been Atkin, the Fifth Speaker of the War God Palace. After the battle against the Devouring Beast claimed the world's strongest fighters, he had become the world's undisputed number one.
Through sheer force, he had compelled the entire HR Alliance council to hold another election in just over a month, replacing Isadora as its new speaker.
He now held supreme power in the HR Alliance.
Not one of its nine core families dared oppose him.
With the War God Palace now closed, Atkin had joined forces with Yan Hai, a Councilor retained by the HR Alliance, and cultivated ties with Sago Nehru, an Inspector of the Thunder Dojo, to better secure his power.
The faction formed by these three men expanded rapidly.
Every country had suffered devastating losses, and the Two Great Dojos had lost their leaders. Their ambitions swelled accordingly. Now they were even reaching for the heroes' families, hoping to seize the fortunes those powerful fighters had left behind.
"Speaker, the leads we've uncovered suggest another Councilor may have intervened and taken that woman away," a low voice reported over the phone.
"Hmph. Investigate discreetly. Find out who's working against me!" A startling glint erupted in Atkin's seemingly dull eyes.
Click!
After hanging up, Atkin narrowed his eyes, a cold gleam flickering within them. "It seems some people still refuse to submit. But that doesn't matter. Once I get Luo Feng's legacy and increase my strength, let's see who dares defy me!"
Wood bud crystals, the silver figures, Laser Cannons...
These things made him wary, but he coveted them just as fiercely. China's forces, however,