Inside the Low-Tier Desert Golem Relic, Zhao Xuan was busy stacking bricks with surprising speed and focus.
"Heave-ho! Heave-ho! Heave-ho! Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"
Before long, a simple rectangular hut took shape in the middle of the endless dunes.
"Small? Sure. A little ugly? Maybe. But hey—at least it's livable!"
He stood proudly, hands on his hips, admiring the modest little structure he had spent nearly an hour building. Then, with equal enthusiasm, he dragged a pile of sand-covered furniture inside, filling the crude room until it resembled a tiny home.
"From now on, when I go exploring, I'll never have to worry about finding a place to rest again!"
He collapsed onto the bed with a sigh of satisfaction.
"And the best part—this place is perfectly safe. No wild beasts sneaking in while I'm asleep. Just close the entrance after coming in, and I can sleep without a care!"
Though his body felt strong and energetic, his mental power was nearly drained—a result of the immense energy he had spent binding the relic heart earlier.
He popped two Mind-Nurturing Fruits into his mouth and quickly drifted off to sleep.
However—
His rest was anything but peaceful.
In a half-conscious haze, Zhao Xuan began to hear a series of heavy rumbling thuds.
"...Huh?"
He jolted awake—only to find that the cozy little hut he had painstakingly built had a massive hole smashed through it.
"Grass—!" he cursed, leaping to his feet.
"Are you kidding me!?"
He hadn't even gone looking for trouble yet—and trouble had come knocking!
And not just knocking—it had demolished his house!
"You're looking for death!"
Seeing the massive Tier Three Desert Golem raising its stone arm for another strike, Zhao Xuan's fury erupted.
He charged forward—his aura flaring violently.
Azure Dragon Fruit!
Armament Haki!
Tempest Kick!
All three abilities burst forth at once.
"Haah!"
A thunderous boom tore through the air as Zhao Xuan's kick collided with the golem's descending arm.
BOOM!!!
A single earth-shaking impact—and the golem's entire stone arm exploded into fragments and dust.
"ROAAAR!!!"
The Desert Golem howled in pain, but before it could recover, Zhao Xuan was already upon it.
He swung his leg once more.
Tempest Kick!
"BOOM!!!"
Instant kill.
A clear chime echoed in his mind.
Ding! You have completed a one-sided battle.
Tempest Kick, Armament Haki, and Azure Dragon Fruit proficiency +2.
"Only two points?" Zhao Xuan frowned. "Looks like I've gotten too strong for these Tier Three golems."
He shrugged, letting the disappointment fade. "Ah well—better than nothing."
Turning his gaze across the endless desert, he muttered, "Guess I'll clear out the rest of these things. Can't even sleep in peace with them wandering around."
Zhao Xuan was never one for procrastination.
Quite the opposite—he was a doer.
Once he made a decision, he acted immediately.
Kicking off the sand, he launched into the air with Shave and Moon Step, scanning the landscape from above.
Each time he spotted a golem, he dove down and destroyed it instantly.
And as a bonus—he collected a Spirit Cactus from each site, harvesting them like treasures.
Time slipped away quickly.
Before he knew it, the entire night had passed.
By dawn, Zhao Xuan had slain over fifty Desert Golems.
And yet—
Even after all that effort, the relic was still far from cleared.
It wasn't his strength holding him back—it was the sheer size of the place.
The desert stretched on and on, seemingly without end.
"Phew…"
Hovering in the air, he looked out across the vast sea of golden sand and shook his head.
"Forget it. That's enough for today. I'm running low on stamina anyway."
He sighed, turned around, and was just about to head back when—
Something caught his eye.
A distant sand dune.
His gaze locked on it.
Then—
His entire body froze.
"...What the—"
His eyes widened, disbelief flooding his face.
And then—pure, electric excitement.
"Holy crap! That's three million credits—and a walking EXP piñata!"
Yes—
He wasn't mistaken.
Perched atop that distant dune stood a massive Desert Golem, towering and oppressive.
Its build and aura were nearly identical to the Tier Four Golem he had faced in the relic trial.
There was no doubt—
The creature before him was another Tier Four Land King-class monster.
"I knew it! I knew it!" Zhao Xuan's voice trembled with exhilaration. "If the trial chamber had a Tier Four guardian, there's no way the main relic itself wouldn't have one too!"
His eyes gleamed—hot and hungry.
The thrill of battle, the lure of profit, and the promise of growth—
All surged together in his chest.
The hunt was on.
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