He had failed.
Not because Shen Tian stole it.
Not because someone interfered.
He had failed.
Himself.
That...
Was almost worse.
Xu Ning’s eyes suddenly widened.
Shen Tian looked toward her.
"What?"
[Lu Chen failed the skull trial.]
His eyebrow rose.
"Seriously?"
[Completely.]
"Why?"
Xu Ning checked.
Then...
She slowly smiled.
[Possessiveness.]
Rose couldn’t hear their conversation.
But she noticed Shen Tian smile.
"What happened?"
He looked toward her.
"Lu Chen failed."
Rose froze.
"The skull trial?"
"Apparently."
Her expression changed.
A complicated mixture.
Concern.
Disappointment.
And...
Something else.
She had known Lu Chen for years.
She didn’t want him destroyed.
Didn’t want him dead.
Didn’t enjoy seeing him suffer.
But she also couldn’t keep pretending his behavior was fine.
Maybe...
Failure was what he needed.
Maybe...
Losing would finally force him to examine himself.
Rose sighed.
Shen Tian noticed.
"Worried?"
She nodded.
"A little."
He didn’t mock her.
"He’s still your friend."
Rose looked toward him.
"Yeah."
Shen Tian leaned against the broken throne.
"You don’t have to hate him just because you’re disappointed."
She stared.
Then...
Something in her chest softened.
Again.
He could have exploited it.
Could have told her Lu Chen was garbage.
Could have tried pulling her farther away.
Instead...
He acknowledged the history.
The friendship.
Her concern.
Rose smiled faintly.
"You know..."
"What?"
"You’re surprisingly emotionally intelligent for someone this arrogant."
Shen Tian looked offended.
"Why are those mutually exclusive?"
"They usually are."
"Skill issue."
Rose laughed.
Again.
And this time...
She didn’t bother hiding that she enjoyed being around him.
The pathways eventually reconnected.
Lu Chen entered first.
Ghost.
Bear.
Then...
He saw them.
Shen Tian leaning casually against the remains of a shattered throne.
Rose standing near him.
Talking.
Smiling.
Comfortable.
Something dark flickered across Lu Chen’s face.
Rose saw.
Her smile faded.
Shen Tian noticed too.
He stood.
"How’d it go?"
Lu Chen said nothing.
Shen Tian looked behind him.
No treasure.
No aura change.
Nothing.
His green eyes gleamed with understanding.
"Oh."
One word.
That was all.
But...
Lu Chen heard everything inside it.
You failed.
His jaw tightened.
Shen Tian smiled faintly.
"Unfortunate."
"Shut up."
Rose frowned.
"Boss."
"I said..."
Lu Chen looked at her.
"...shut up."
Silence.
Rose’s face went cold.
Shen Tian’s expression changed instantly.
Not playful anymore.
His green eyes narrowed.
"Don’t."
Lu Chen looked toward him.
"What?"
"Talk to her like that."
Rose turned slightly.
She hadn’t expected that.
Lu Chen laughed bitterly.
"Now you’re defending my people?"
Shen Tian’s expression hardened.
"Your people?"
Rose’s eyes narrowed.
Lu Chen continued.
"She’s Black Wolf."
"So?"
"My team."
"She’s a person before she’s your team."
Silence.
Rose stared.
Lu Chen’s face twisted.
"You don’t know anything about us."
"You’re right."
Shen Tian stepped closer.
"But I know she told you not to shout at her."
Lu Chen froze.
Shen Tian’s voice remained calm.
"And you did it again."
Rose’s heartbeat changed.
He remembered.
Of course he did.
Shen Tian stopped.
"You’re angry because you failed."
"That’s your problem."
"Don’t dump it on everyone around you."
Lu Chen’s Qi stirred.
Shen Tian smiled faintly.
"Go ahead."
"Try me."
Silence.
Lu Chen’s fists clenched.
Then...
Released.
Not because he calmed down.
Because his body remembered.
Every beating.
Every suppression.
Every loss.
And he knew...
Right now...
He would lose again.
That knowledge humiliated him more than another punch ever could.
Shen Tian saw it.
Then smiled arrogantly.
"Good choice."
Lu Chen’s eye twitched.
Xu Ning’s system suddenly appeared.
[Ding!]
Hidden General’s Heart Opportunity failed by protagonist.
Protagonist will weakened.
Fate loss: 6,000
Lu Chen Current Fate Value: 444,000
Another.
[Ding!]
Crown Trial completed by Host.
Hidden Imperial Heart Fragment acquired.
Fate stolen: 4,000
Lu Chen Current Fate Value: 440,000
Then...
A smaller notification.
Rose loyalty route destabilized further.
Rose opinion of Host: Strong Interest / Growing Admiration
Fate stolen: 3,500
Lu Chen Current Fate Value: 436,500
Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.
Not bad.
Rose noticed his expression.
"What?"
"Nothing."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You say that a lot."
"So I’ve heard."
Then...
The mountain shook.
Hard.
Everyone turned.
BOOOOOOM!
Stone fell.
Ghost looked upward.
"Collapse?"
Xu Ning’s expression changed.
[The inheritance space is shutting down.]
Shen Tian raised the Heaven Piercing Spear.
"Time to go."
Bear looked toward the corridor.
"Same way?"
"No."
Shen Tian looked upward.
Bear stared.
"...No."
Shen Tian smiled.
"Yes."
Rose immediately laughed.
Ghost sighed.
Lu Chen already knew.
"No."
Shen Tian raised the spear.
Golden Qi gathered.
Lu Chen stared.
"Don’t..."
Shen Tian thrust upward.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The ceiling exploded.
A massive shaft of light appeared.
Hundreds of meters of stone were pierced.
Rose shielded her face.
Bear screamed something completely incomprehensible.
Ghost dropped flat.
Lu Chen stared in disbelief.
Then...
Moonlight poured down.
Shen Tian looked upward.
"Shortcut."
Rose slowly lowered her arms.
Dust covered her hair.
She stared at him.
"...You are completely insane."
Shen Tian smiled.
"Worked."
Rose looked at the perfectly open tunnel leading to the surface.
Then back.
"...Fair."
Shen Tian jumped.
Qi gathered beneath his feet.
He shot upward.
Rose watched him disappear.
Bear looked toward her.
"You’re smiling again."
Rose slowly turned.
Bear immediately looked upward.
"Shortcut looks safe."
Ghost nodded quickly.
"Very safe."
Rose rolled her eyes.
Then followed.
They emerged onto the mountain nearly twenty minutes later.
Cold night air surrounded them.
The forest was quiet.
Shen Tian stood near the cliff edge.
The Heaven Piercing Spear had already been placed into system storage.
His hands rested inside his pockets.
Rose walked toward him.
The moon illuminated the mountains behind her.
"Hey."
Shen Tian glanced over.
"Hey."
She stopped beside him.
For a few seconds...
Neither spoke.
Then Rose looked toward the valley.
"Tonight was weird."
"That’s one word."
"I entered ancient ruins with my commander."
"Watched him lose a pool."
"A weapon."
"An inheritance."
"A war."
"And a heart."
Shen Tian’s lips twitched.
"Bad night."
"For him."
Rose looked toward Shen Tian.
"For you?"
(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)
SEND POWESTONES!!!
ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!

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