Joseph watched the Huaxia man seem pleased with the offering and breathed out in relief. Then, timidly: "So… can you give us a fire seed now so we can finish the game?"
Chen Xiao snorted coldly. "Brother from the Samba Homeland, do you know—hoarding an Opportunity is a capital offense?"
Joseph's blood ran ice-cold. What manner of man was this?
Chen Xiao threw back his head and laughed. "Hahaha—just kidding. Since you've been so cooperative, I'll spare your lives. No thanks necessary."
He tossed three fire seeds toward them — a trivial courtesy. He already held nearly thirty; three wouldn't matter. Better to make an example: get those waiting below to surrender willingly.
Joseph crushed the seed the instant it touched his palm. The others followed. Light flared; the trio vanished in a ripple of space.
Below, the cave erupted into chaos. Free Nation and Combat Nation members had watched the Samba trio leave, and panic spread.
"We've been drained of power! That despicable Huaxia man is taking advantage of our weakness!""Euro Alliance, sitting around and waiting to die won't work! The furnace is getting hotter — we must break out!""Combat Nation, we work together now!""Little Zeus of the Euro Alliance—he's our hope."
Voices argued, but a desperate shout cut through them. "I can't hold a second longer! I'm out of here!"
A delirious man from the Free Nation sprinted up clutching his clothes. "Big brothers of Huaxia! I collected seven fire seeds! I only need one!"
Chen Xiao expected bargaining; instead the man handed over six seeds and, with a soft pop, ended his game.
Seeing that, others lost their resolve. Survival trumped pride. One by one, people rushed the cave mouth, stripped, surrendered their seeds and popped them to vanish.
Chen Xiao was in high spirits, letting anyone who stripped and had nothing hidden go. He reaped the harvest.
Then a man in a peaked cap tried to climb without stripping. He stuck out, silent and rough-voiced. "I only have one fire seed."
Chen Xiao nodded. "You do. But I can't help wondering—does someone of your strength bother with sneak attacks? Or is the Euro Alliance just full of cowards?"
The cap-man snapped his head up. Little Zeus — blond hair under the cap — his eyes dark with rage. "You're not Cao Linxuan, Thunderclap Divine General!"
Chen Xiao chuckled. "Need I explain myself?"
Little Zeus ripped off his cap. In an instant he gathered a crackling ball of golden lightning in his palm, its aura so cruel it felt like it might incinerate anyone who touched it.
"Die!" He unleashed the storm. "Lord Little Zeus will show you the power of the gods! Every foreigner struck by this golden lightning in the National Fortune Game has fallen. These Huaxia dogs won't be spared!"
Down in the furnace, the remaining survivors clung to the slim hope that Little Zeus could defeat Chen Xiao and protect their fire seeds. They crowded the bottom, eyes fixed on the duel.
Golden lightning tore at the air like divine wrath. It curved and flared — but Chen Xiao simply smiled, vanished, and an unbearable pressure slammed into Little Zeus like a mountain.
Before the blond could finish his boast, he was hurled backward, a cannonball through the air, crashing into the cave depths. Dust and echoes filled the mouth.
Two seconds later, a column of golden lightning erupted from the bottom of the pit. Voices carried up: "That Huaxia man is strong… If I'm not mistaken… he's the Mad Ghost Butcher. We prepared a special gift for you."
Little Zeus surged back to life in a streak of blinding light and, pulling out an artifact, held up an old black-and-white photograph. Its edges were curled and yellowed with age.
"Aren't your talents formidable?" he shouted. "Aren't you suspected of wielding multiple talents? I'll make every one of them useless! How will you stand against my god-tier physique?!"
He thrust the photo forward like a talisman — and the image in it was meant to break more than courage.