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"Come on—let's head to the Lighthouse's Central Command Hall!"
In the blink of an eye, they were back at the dormitory entrance. Mark once again marveled inwardly at the miraculous nature of Goku; wasting no further time, he headed straight toward the Lighthouse's Central Command Hall.
Traversing the corridors that connected the various sectors of the Lighthouse, the trio soon arrived at the elevator leading directly to the Central Command Hall.
However, before Mark could even complete the fingerprint verification to open the elevator doors, dozens of heavy mechs—emblazoned with the insignia of the Light and Shadow Society—suddenly materialized all around them.
Utilizing the thrusters mounted on their backs, these mechs hovered in a ring surrounding the elevator—clearly, they had been lying in ambush there all along.
Meanwhile, on a platform situated on the upper level of the corridor, Charles—the Leader of the Light and Shadow Society—stood alongside another "Light-Bearer" and two "Enforcers" clad in heavy mechs, all looking down upon Mark and his two companions below.
"Let's see you survive this!"
With a savage, twisted expression—on his face, he viciously slashed his hand downward. Instantly, every heavy mech encircling Mark and his group opened fire in unison.
A torrent of fire rained down upon them.
A comprehensive barrage of various enhanced heavy weaponry blanketed the area.
Nor was that all; from the various platforms lining the surrounding walls, over two hundred Light and Shadow Society clerics raised their weapons and began to concentrate their fire as well.
Faced with such terrifyingly overwhelming firepower, even a "Dominator-class" Phage—a beast possessing extraordinary abilities—would be instantly torn into countless shreds.
"They really mean to wipe us out completely!"
Witnessing this, Mark couldn't help but grit his teeth in defiance. He had harbored some hesitation while still below, but in this moment, he was absolutely resolute regarding the action he was about to take.
Given Charles's character, were he to become the Lord of Lighthouse City, the Lighthouse would have absolutely no future.
How could a man capable only of infighting possibly withstand the predatory beasts lurking outside—let alone bring an end to this apocalypse?
"Goku, hold nothing back!"
"Understood!"
Goku nodded, then let out a resounding roar, unleashing the Ki-bursting technique he had learned from the Guardian.
A surge of immense Ki erupted from within him, instantly shattering and scattering every single one of the dense, incoming attacks while they were still mid-air.
Then, his figure flashed; once again dissolving into a myriad of afterimages, he appeared simultaneously before every attacking Heavy Mech and "Light-and-Shadow Enforcer."
Immediately thereafter, the scene that had unfolded earlier in front of the dormitory was reenacted once more.
Every single Light-and-Shadow Enforcer was sent flying backward—utterly powerless to resist—crashing violently against the walls with what must have been countless broken bones.
The dozens of Heavy Mechs belonging to the Light-and-Shadow Society were likewise blasted apart, one by one, while still suspended in mid-air.
To be honest, in terms of actual threat level, these Light-and-Shadow Enforcers and their Heavy Mechs were roughly on par with the Red Ribbon Army.
And the Red Ribbon Army was something he could have annihilated without sustaining a single scratch, even before he began his training journeys across various other worlds.
Now, even his base level of power was easily more than a dozen times greater than it had been back then.
"What?!"
Witnessing his meticulously planned ambush—one for which he had prepared so thoroughly—be neutralized with such effortless ease, Charles's eyes finally... ...revealing a look of sheer terror.
Especially when Goku appeared before him and—with a mere casual gesture—
obliterated the two heavy mechs assigned to guard him.
"I am the Divine Emissary chosen by the Lord of Light and Shadow! You cannot..."
Charles didn't even get to finish his sentence before—just like the other enforcers—he took a punch from Goku; he went flying, smashing violently into the metal wall behind him.
Suffering comminuted fractures throughout his entire body, he immediately lost consciousness.
Barring a miracle, he would be doomed to spend the remainder of his life bedridden.
Having accomplished all this, Goku returned to Mark and Ran Bing's side.
The esteemed Head of the Light and Shadow Society—
one of the most powerful figures in the Lighthouse—
and, in the eyes of countless Lighthouse citizens, a lofty, god-like Divine Emissary...
In Goku's eyes, he was no different from any ordinary cannon fodder.
Naturally, Goku had no patience for his drivel.
The only things that could pique Goku's interest were powerful experts.
Without strength, no amount of power or wealth would earn you any treatment different from that of a commoner.
"Let's go!"
Mark cast a deep, lingering glance at Charles—whose fate hung in the balance—then decisively turned away and opened the elevator doors.
In that moment, he suddenly understood: before a truly mighty being, all schemes, all stratagems, and all calculations were utterly futile.
He himself was not a truly mighty being—but Goku was.
Therefore, his plan—from this point forward—was destined to succeed.
As the elevator ascended toward the Central Command Hall on the uppermost floor, the ambush the Light and Shadow Society had laid for Mark and his two companions...
The entire Lighthouse was thrown into utter chaos.
From the dormitories to the elevator bay—with such a massive commotion—it was impossible for no one to notice.
Before long, Victor—the true Commander of the City Defense Force—caught wind of the situation and rushed over with a large contingent of his troops.
Upon seeing the Light and Shadow Society enforcers completely wiped out, and Charles lying there with his life hanging in the balance, Victor's expression changed drastically.
"What on earth is going on here?"
However, he had barely finished ordering his subordinates to seize a "Dust-dweller" who had witnessed the recent battle—and before he even had a chance to question him—when he saw Mo Cheng and other elite "Marauders" arriving on the scene, clad in their heavy-duty mechs.
"Marauder Mo Cheng! Who gave you permission to deploy heavy mechs here?"
The Lighthouse had strict regulations: Marauders were permitted to don their heavy mechs only when descending to the surface to scavenge for supplies, or when utilizing the Lighthouse's designated training facilities.
The fact that Mo Cheng and his elite squad had appeared here wearing their heavy mechs constituted a clear violation of those regulations.
"We received intelligence that the Light and Shadow Society was attempting to ambush and eliminate Captain Mark and Vice-Captain Ran Bing!"
Mo Cheng retorted, refusing to yield an inch.
Hearing this, Victor immediately furrowed his brows. He ceased his interrogation of Mo Cheng and instead turned his gaze toward the trembling Dust-dweller standing before him.
"Tell me everything you saw!"
"I... I saw Captain Mark and his team appear at the elevator bay... and then..."
"...the Light and Shadow Society's enforcement squad suddenly appeared and opened fire immediately..."
The Dust-dweller—a worker responsible for pipeline maintenance—recounted everything he had witnessed, down to the last detail.
"What did you say? The Light and Shadow Society actually..."
"All of those Enforcers—every single one of them—was taken down by that boy alone!"
A look of utter disbelief spread across Victor's face.
He wasn't particularly surprised by the news that the Light & Shadow Society had attempted to ambush and kill Mark.
Given that the City Lord had chosen Mark as his successor, it was a certainty that Charles harbored resentment. While orchestrating an ambush was undoubtedly an extreme measure, it was precisely the kind of ruthless act that Charles—given his nature—was entirely capable of committing.
What truly astonished him, however, was the fact that the Light & Shadow Society's force—comprising dozens of heavy mechs and over two hundred clerics—had been completely routed by the very boy Mark had brought back with him.
It sounded like something out of a myth.
He summoned several more witnesses—both "Dust" citizens and even some "Upper" citizens—and received the exact same answer from each of them. Only then was he forced to accept that it was, indeed, the truth.
Meanwhile, upon hearing that Mark and Ran Bing were safe, Mo Cheng and the others finally felt the heavy weight lift from their chests.
However, they, too, were left shaken by the sheer power displayed by "Goku."
After all, the Light & Shadow Society's Enforcers were known to be the weakest of the three major security forces within the Lighthouse.
Yet, that did not mean they were a force that could be neutralized by a single individual acting alone—especially not by someone who wasn't even piloting a heavy mech, but was instead delivering instant, one-hit kills with nothing but his bare fists.
It was simply—inhuman.
"Escort the Chief to the infirmary! We're heading up!"
With such a dangerous individual accompanying Mark to the Lighthouse Command Center, Victor—as the late City Lord's most loyal subordinate—dared not let his guard down for a single moment.
Pulling out his communicator, he led his most elite City Defense troops in hot pursuit, not even pausing to spare a glance for Mo Cheng and the others.
Naturally, Mo Cheng and his group immediately followed close behind.