Upon the Throne.

  Mei’s expression was indifferent.

  "Your head holds no meaning to me. Clashing with you was merely because you made me somewhat pleased. Since victory and defeat are decided, it naturally ends here."

  As she finished speaking, Mei stood up from the Throne.

  HUM—

  The ancient stars and the vista of the Firenze Empire behind her vanished without a trace, as if they were dreams or illusions. The Twelve Knights sheathed their weapons and knelt on one knee before Mei.

  They offered the salute of sovereign and subject.

  Mei spoke.

  "Good work."

  Julius struck his chest with his right hand and lowered his head.

  "This is our duty as your subjects."

  In the silence, the sharp blade at Sidra’s neck disappeared. A sandstorm swept through; the Milky Way stars shimmered in the night sky. Looking again, the Twelve Knights were nowhere to be found.

  The scene of the ancient Sidran nation also dissipated simultaneously.

  Though he lost this battle, Sidra felt a profound, overflowing satisfaction. In all these years, there had rarely been such a powerful opponent—one who could force him to exert his full effort and still leave him unable to claim victory.

  He offered Mei an ancient Sidran salute.

  His voice was respectful.

  "Monarch who rules ancient myths, the strength of your knights fills me with awe. Might I be qualified to know the name of the Empire you rule?"

  Naturally, there was no reason to refuse.

  "Firenze."

  Firenze?

  Sidra fell into deep thought.

  He came from an ancient era several thousand years ago; he had heard of even older myths and legends, and he had once traveled across the entire world.

  Yet he had never heard the name of the Firenze Empire.

  Perhaps the existence of the Firenze Empire was so ancient and long-lost that it had vanished from the river of time, to the point where even legends of it had not survived for thousands of years?

  Thinking this, Sidra’s respect for Mei grew even deeper.

  This was a great Monarch, ancient beyond imagination. What the other ruled was not just an empire, but an existence from a mythological era.

  Everything drew to a close.

  "Let's go."

  Clarence completely abandoned his recent thoughts of moving against Chuck and the others. Under the cover of night, they decisively left Sidra; now was absolutely not the time for a confrontation.

  He knew in his heart that he was not yet qualified.

  The night receded. The sky began to brighten.

  "Cough, cough! PTOOEY!"

  Marco crawled out from beneath the sand, looking dazed. Fortunately, he had been staying in the archaeological team's tent; otherwise, he truly would have been buried alive by the sand.

  "Was the sandstorm that massive last night...?"

  Still half-asleep, Marco climbed the sand dune. But the moment he saw the scene before him, his drowsiness vanished without a trace, and he froze on the spot.

  Separated only by a single dune, the desert on the other side was riddled with holes, with countless massive craters as if it had been struck by a meteor shower.

  Even more shocking was a giant chasm that split the entire desert in two. Looking down, it was bottomless, as if the earth itself had cracked into two halves.

  A chill ran straight up to the crown of his head. Marco was beyond stunned.

  "Just what happened last night?!!"

  Marco's first thought was Mei. Besides Mei, who else could create such a scene? However, Mei was always casual; since she didn't speak of it, Marco wasn't so tactless as to ask.

  “......”

  Chuck stood atop the dune, his pupils also contracting involuntarily. Anyone who saw such a scene would be shocked to the extreme, looking out at the countless meteor craters and the giant chasm.

  They were like a single grain of sand in the desert. Far too insignificant.

  ...

  On the other side.

  After a long journey, Samantha and her mercenary squad finally reached the Little Oasis. But a small problem arose; they stood at the edge of the massive crack, unable to cross.

  Samantha’s brow furrowed.

  "Why did no one tell me there was a fissure here?"

  Her subordinate took a glance and shook his head: "Captain, it's at least thirty meters wide. Unless there's a bridge or we can fly, it's going to be difficult."

  This was just one sword strike from Julius. This single strike had permanently altered the topography of the region. For ordinary people, this was an insurmountable celestial chasm.

  Ordinary people could not have imagined that this was a sword scar.

  WHOOSH—

  The roar of rotors filled the sky as a helicopter crossed the great fissure, coming directly from the direction of the ruins and returning to the Little Oasis.

  Samantha raised her binoculars and saw a face inside the helicopter. Mei was leaning by the cabin door, looking at them, her gaze meeting Samantha's.

  Until they flew out of sight.

  "Return to the Little Oasis."

  Mei was on the helicopter, so Chuck was highly likely to be there too. Although she didn't know why they were returning to the Little Oasis so quickly, Samantha didn't care.

  In fact, Chuck himself felt things had gone quite smoothly. He had intended to head down into the ruins, but upon waking and crawling out from the sand, he discovered a treasure lying quietly on the sand.

  It was less than two meters away from him.

  His intuition told him that this was the special treasure from the ruins; destiny's favor had allowed him to achieve his goal without much wasted effort. Naturally, there was no need to stay.

  In reality, this was a gift from Sidra. He knew the purpose of the trio’s trip, and so he directly gifted the treasure to them. Chuck didn't find it strange; it wasn't the first time he had experienced destiny's favor. He simply accepted it. To question the reasons too deeply would be a waste of effort.

  The treasure Sidra had gifted was a dagger made of pure gold. Marco examined it repeatedly, trying to sense the power within the dagger, but with no luck.

  "It's useless."

  Chuck reminded Marco: "A person can only receive the recognition of one treasure. Since you have already received the recognition of the Tear of the Nation, the Golden Dagger will not grant you its power."

  Furthermore, different treasures had different criteria. The Tear of the Nation recognized a certain quality or trait in Marco, whereas the Golden Dagger likely considered other qualities and traits.

  Marco handed the Golden Dagger to Mei.

  Mei glanced at it coldly. "No interest."

  Marco turned to Chuck. "What do you plan to do with this treasure? Find a hole to hide it in?"

  "Why would I do that?" Chuck spoke with righteous conviction. "I'll hand it over to the local government, of course. This is a precious historical artifact belonging to another nation. How could I just steal it?"

  "???" Marco stood dazed. In total disbelief, he stammered: "You dragged me thousands of miles to this hellhole, endured all that misery, and now you’re just giving it away?"

  Chuck had his own internal logic. "Since a person can only carry the blessing of one treasure, it means others are out there waiting for recognition. Destiny allowed this artifact to see the light of day once more. I must respect that arrangement and the treasure's own choice. As the Child of Destiny, this is my mission."

  "......" Marco was speechless.

  Chuck continued: "Just as the Tear of the Nation chose you, every treasure finds its rightful owner. My job is to ensure it encounters as many people as possible. A museum is the perfect stage for that."

  ...

  Back at the Little Oasis.

  Mei and the others rested for a full day.

  The next morning.

  "Tsk, water here is practically more expensive than gold."

  Marco passed the bottles to Mei and Chuck. He unscrewed his own cap, about to take a heavy drink, when his body suddenly went stiff. He snapped his head toward Chuck.

  GULP!

  Chuck didn't hesitate and took a massive swig. Two seconds later, his brow furrowed and he hurled the bottle away. "The water is poisoned!"

  As he spoke, he violently flexed his stomach muscles to vomit up the liquid.

  Marco quickly capped his own bottle. "Are you alright?"

  "I'm fine." Chuck’s sharp eyes scanned the perimeter as he wiped the residue from his mouth. "My constitution is elite. This dosage is too weak to drop me."

  Most of the toxin had been purged. What remained might cause slight discomfort, but it wouldn't cloud his mind or slow his body.

  With his heightened perception, Chuck instantly identified the anomalies on the street.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  One. Two. Three.

  A trio of disguised hostiles.

  Then, he locked onto a woman walking straight toward them. It was Samantha.

  After racing back to the Little Oasis with her mercenaries, she had immediately greenlit the hit. Plan A was the poison, which had clearly failed. Now, she was forced into Plan B.

  Realizing the situation had turned lethal, Marco went on high alert. He didn't lack raw combat power, but his experience was shallow, and he couldn't stop the tension from rising.

  Mei, however, remained cold and unmoved. She glanced at the tallest structure about a hundred meters away—a warehouse—and warned Chuck: "Sniper at twelve o'clock."

  Chuck grunted. "Got it."

  Samantha’s face showed a flicker of genuine admiration. She approached with a sharp smile. "Impressive senses. If this young lady doesn't want her head to turn into a red mist, she had better stay perfectly still."

  If Chuck was a predatory bear, then Samantha was a feral wildcat. Only by standing directly in front of him did she truly feel that inhuman pressure.

  Heavy. Terrifying.

  Chuck showed no sign of being intimidated. In this negotiation, he held the absolute advantage. After all, Samantha and her squad were mere mortals. He looked down at her. "What are you after?"

  Samantha didn't waste time with small talk. She said directly: "I want the Tear of the Nation."

  She knew demanding all their treasures was a fantasy; her employer was dreaming. Samantha had taken it upon herself to pivot. Securing just one artifact would satisfy the contract—it was better than coming home empty-handed. She figured her employer might whine, but they would ultimately take the win.

  Facing her terms, Chuck didn't even blink. "I refuse."

  Samantha had expected the pushback. "There's always room for a deal. It doesn't have to be the Tear. Any treasure will do. Otherwise, today ends with everyone in the dirt. To handle monsters like you, I paid a fortune for a gas bomb. The toxin it releases will blanket the entire Little Oasis."

  Hearing this, Marco was stunned. These people were absolute lunatics!

  She had banked on the threat to innocent lives forcing a compromise, but Chuck remained like stone. His expression didn't shift a fraction. He was unyielding.

  "I refuse."

  Samantha couldn't wrap her head around it, so she tried moral blackmail: "Not just us—everyone, including the civilians of this oasis, will die in agony."

  "Then I will slaughter you deranged criminals first. Before the gas takes us, I'll send you to hell to appease the souls of the innocent."

  "......"

  Samantha was left speechless. Chuck was a brick wall, immune to both honeyed words and death threats. She had to admit, the man was as tough as they came. But now, she was backed into a corner, unable to advance or retreat.

  In the heavy silence,

  BANG!

  A single gunshot shattered the stalemate.

  Mei was untouched.

  Samantha collapsed into the dirt.

  Marco wasn't surprised; he had seen this exact moment play out three seconds ago in his mind. His presence was the sole reason Chuck wasn't afraid of a sniper's bullet ending Mei’s life.

  Even so, Marco couldn't wrap his head around it. Samantha was killed by her own person? What the hell was going on?

  The moment the gunshot rang out, Chuck suddenly spun around and kicked a stone the size of a human head. The rock shattered, striking the warehouse wall with the devastating effect of a Cluster Bomb.

  With a massive BOOM!, a corner of the warehouse collapsed, and the Sniper was dead.

  The Gas Bomb Samantha had mentioned seemed to be nothing but a bluff. The Mercenaries didn't press their attack; they turned and fled into the night.

  However, the matter was far from over.

  Chuck spoke: "Marco, protect Mei. Some rather troublesome old friends have arrived. I might be tied up for a while; play it by ear."

  "Alright."

  Knowing now was not the time for questions, Marco immediately led Mei away. But after running a short distance, it occurred to him—did they actually need to run?

  Marco skidded to a halt. He asked Mei: "If Chuck is in danger, you'll help him, right?"

  Mei replied: "If it becomes necessary."

  At the end of the road, three rugged men appeared. All were draped in white cloth and wore Desert attire. Their gazes were resolute and their steps steady, looking like Cowboys straight out of a Western movie.

  Three men as tough as Iron.

  The lead man had a cigarette in his mouth. Seeing Chuck, he flashed a knowing smile: "I heard news you were in the area and came to take a look. I didn't expect our luck to be this good—we actually ran into you."

  Chuck asked back: "Come to reminisce about old times?"

  Hearing this, the leader's grin grew even wider: "I heard you’re protecting someone? We three brothers have received a lot of 'care' from you in the past. As soon as we heard the news, we came to help you with your burden."

  The three Saxon Brothers.

  The eldest and leader was known simply as Saxon. The second brother went by the nickname Bong, and the youngest was called Drunkard. They had a long, bloody history with Chuck.

  As Chuck roamed the world fulfilling his mission, it was inevitable he would provoke enemies. He dealt with ordinary threats on the spot. Those he couldn't kill immediately were not to be trifled with.

  The Trident.

  Legend said it was the divine weapon of a Hyper God in an ancient mythology. After being salvaged from the sea twenty years ago, it changed hands several times before finally falling to the Saxon Brothers.

  Unlike ordinary treasures, the power granted by the Trident could be freely divided and transferred, up to a maximum of three shares. Saxon received the Trident’s recognition and split the power, allowing Bong and Drunkard to also possess the treasure's blessing.

  In addition to possessing a powerful physique akin to the legendary Demigods, they held unique powers.

  The eldest, Saxon, could manipulate any liquid he touched. The second brother, Bong, could exhale thick smoke that blocked all vision. The youngest, Drunkard, could cause anyone he touched to become dizzy and disoriented, as if intoxicated.

  The Saxon Brothers were Elites among their kind. In a one-on-one fight, none of them were a match for Chuck, but if all three attacked together...

  Chuck had clashed with them many times and was intimately familiar with their combat prowess; that was why he found them troublesome. To end the fight quickly, he feared he would have to pay a steep price.

  This trip offered no profit to the Saxon Brothers; they were here for nothing but spite. As long as they could make Chuck suffer, they would be happy.

  Huff—

  Saxon exhaled a cloud of smoke and spoke immediately. "Move! Get the girl he's protecting!"

  BOOM!

  The moment the words left his mouth, the three figures clashed violently. The collision of their power sent a Shockwave through the air. Saxon and Bong teamed up to pin Chuck down.

  The youngest, Drunkard, took the opportunity to pursue Mei.

  "..."

  As Saxon and Bong engaged Chuck, Saxon suddenly spat out a mouthful of water. The liquid transformed into blades in mid-air, its power and speed impressive.

  SWISH!

  Chuck was all too familiar with this move. He instinctively leaned back to dodge the Water Blades, letting the sharp liquid streak past him. The blades traced a long arc in mid-air, instantly slicing a house in half.

  Before Chuck could counterattack:

  HUFF!

  The second brother, Bong, opened his mouth and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. In the blink of an eye, the smoke engulfed the three of them. Inside, Chuck was isolated from the outside world; he couldn't hear a single sound from beyond the smoke.

  Nor could he see a thing. The smoke was impenetrable.

  "I don't have time to waste with you!"

  From the very first exchange, Chuck had been forced into a passive position. Saxon and Bong didn't need to defeat him; they only needed to pin him down. Chuck, however, would not let them have their way.

  HUM—

  Decisively.

  The phantom of the Golden Scales appeared behind him. Without a hint of hesitation, he entered into an Equivalent Exchange with the scales once more. But this time, what he obtained was a permanent Ability.

  Correspondingly, he also lost something forever.

  Inside the thick smoke,

  "Heh heh." Bong grinned, having no intention of continuing the fight. "You're always causing us trouble. It's about time we let you taste this for yourself."

  As he spoke, Bong's smile froze. His face suddenly drained of color.

  "Watch out!"

  Saxon became alert immediately. Within the smoke, only the second brother possessed vision. He knew Chuck must have chosen some desperate countermeasure.

  But it all happened in an instant. Bong didn't have time to say anything more. He could only shout a frantic warning before the smoke began to churn.

  A figure as solid as a steel pillar slammed into them head-on.

  BANG!

  BANG!

  In a single exchange, the two Saxon brothers were sent flying out of the smoke. Chuck walked out of the thick fog as if it were non-existent. But there was a difference now.

  The pupil of his right eye was a clouded, grayish-white.

  This was the result of the Golden Scales' exchange: Chuck had sacrificed the entire vision of his right eye for the ability to see through all illusions and surfaces.

  His left eye could see the surface of the physical world, but his right eye could no longer see the surface; instead, it perceived things previously invisible.

  Furthermore,

  Chuck had sacrificed forty years of his lifespan to upgrade his Armored Chariot ability. Now, his constitution had evolved into the Armored Warship. He possessed defensive armor as thick as a battleship's hull, along with destructive power equivalent to its main cannons. This was the strength obtained in exchange for forty years of his life.

  Saxon and Bong fell to the ground, spitting blood, with no strength left even to crawl. However, both were ruthlessly decisive men, showing no regard for their own safety.

  "Little brother!" Saxon shouted, immediately transferring all his and Bong’s power to the youngest, Drunkard. Since he could divide the power, he could naturally concentrate it as well.

  "Understood!"

  With the full force of his brothers pouring into him, Drunkard grasped the eldest's intention. As his power surged, his speed increased dramatically. He could already see Mei and Marco ahead.

  Two seconds! He only needed two seconds to deal with those two!

  "Hahahaha!" Saxon, now devoid of any strength, lay on the ground laughing while coughing up blood. "Kill me then! I want you to watch that girl die right in front of your eyes!"

  Chuck ignored Saxon. Two seconds? That was plenty!

  With a sharp, whistling sound, Drunkard, carrying the full power of the Trident and fueled by intense killing intent, charged forward. Mei stood exactly where she was. Undisturbed as a mountain, the violent killing intent was nothing to her.

  Marco was bewildered. "Are you still not going to act?"

  One second. Two seconds. Two seconds passed in a heartbeat.

  Drunkard had reached them. Marco could even clearly see the wrinkles on Drunkard’s face and his savage grin. Amidst the sound of the wind torn by killing intent, Drunkard threw a punch.

  Unexpectedly,

  A shadow fell from behind, completely covering Drunkard. An unparalleled, powerful sense of pressure hit him; Drunkard’s pupils couldn't help but contract.

  He didn't have time to turn his head.

  BOOM!

  Chuck had overtaken his target. His figure, like a mountain-sized iron tower, loomed over Drunkard. With the most domineering and violent posture, he slammed a fist into Drunkard’s head, pinning him to the ground.

  Holding Drunkard’s head down, he plowed a furrow several meters long into the earth.

  Two seconds. Exactly.

  Dust rose and hit his face. Marco looked at Chuck's eyes and gasped: "Chuck, your right eye?"

  That muscular frame, like the world's sturdiest wall of brass and iron, offered an unparalleled sense of security. Chuck’s expression remained unchanged: "It’s just an eye or two. Thirty or forty years of life, that's all."

  He had said it before: He was invincible!

  Hearing this, Marco froze on the spot. He was truly shocked by Chuck’s hardcore style.

  Marco felt that if he were the one holding the Golden Scales, he wouldn't be able to be as resolute as Chuck. Being that cruel to oneself was too much. He began to admire Chuck—not just for his power, but for his resolve and powerful determination.

  Mei also appreciated Chuck. "Don't worry. Your eyes and the issue of your lifespan might be resolved very soon. After all, you are the Child of Destiny favored by the heavens."

  Marco was skeptical. "For real?"

  Mei smiled but said nothing. She spoke of destiny; even if it wasn't, it would have to be.

  Mei asked Chuck: "Do you need to rest for a bit?"

  "No need." Chuck cracked his neck. "Let's leave immediately."

  After a long while, a gust of wind and sand swept by. After the battle had ended, the residents finally dared to peek their heads out. Realizing everything was over, the streets once again saw people coming and going.

  ...

  On the ground.

  "Cough! Cough!"

  Samantha snapped her eyes open and sat straight up. She spat the sand from her mouth and looked around, seeing the corpses of the three Saxon brothers.

  Faking death. Given the previous predicament where she was stuck between a rock and a hard place, rather than being killed by the opponent, it was better to 'kill' herself first. Otherwise, escaping wouldn't have been easy.

  As for why she had to show herself in the first place? Samantha just wanted to feel Chuck’s pressure at close range. After all, opportunities like that didn't come often, and she loved risk and excitement.