Rose nodded.
"Very."
Shen Tian looked toward her.
Rose smiled innocently.
Then...
The temple shook.
Hard.
RUMBLE.
Everyone looked upward.
Sand poured through cracks.
Ghost’s expression changed.
"Structural failure."
Bear immediately moved.
"Exit."
Elena shouted.
"Move!"
The mercenaries turned.
Then...
A massive stone section collapsed near the corridor.
BOOOOOOM!
Dust exploded.
One of Adrian’s men went down.
Elena moved instantly.
She ran toward him.
"Malik!"
Another crack.
A giant ceiling slab broke loose.
Directly above her.
Adrian’s eyes widened.
"ELENA!"
He moved.
So did Shen Tian.
But...
Adrian was closer.
He shoved Elena away.
The slab descended.
Adrian raised both arms.
His system screamed.
Lethal damage imminent
Then...
BOOM!
The stone stopped.
Adrian froze.
A golden spear had pierced through it.
He looked sideways.
Shen Tian stood ten meters away.
One hand extended.
The Heaven Severing Sovereign Spear floated in the air.
Its blade had pinned the slab against the wall.
Adrian stared.
Shen Tian looked at him.
"Move."
Adrian immediately grabbed the injured mercenary.
Elena helped.
Everyone cleared the area.
Shen Tian flicked his wrist.
The spear moved.
The massive slab exploded.
Not cracked.
Exploded.
Fragments turned to dust.
Adrian stared.
Then...
Slowly looked toward Shen Tian.
"You could’ve let me die."
Shen Tian retrieved the spear.
"Yes."
"Why didn’t you?"
"Because I didn’t want you dead."
Adrian stared.
"Yet."
Shen Tian smiled.
"Correct."
Adrian laughed.
Despite himself.
"Psychopath."
"Villain."
"Same thing."
"Not always."
Then...
Another rumble.
Rose grabbed Shen Tian’s sleeve.
"Philosophy later."
He looked toward her hand.
Rose stared.
"Don’t."
He smiled.
"Didn’t say anything."
"Your face did."
Adrian watched.
Then...
He sighed.
"Is everyone around you like this?"
Shen Tian looked toward him.
"No."
Bear shouted from ahead.
"Some of us are worse!"
Ghost immediately answered.
"Ignore him."
They emerged from the temple minutes later.
The entrance partially collapsed behind them.
Desert wind hit immediately.
Night sky.
Cold air.
Stars.
Adrian’s people regrouped.
No deaths.
One broken arm.
Several bruises.
Elena was fine.
Adrian looked toward her.
"You okay?"
She nodded.
Then...
Her expression became complicated.
"You pushed me."
"Yes."
"You could’ve died."
"Apparently."
"Why?"
Adrian stared.
Then...
He answered honestly.
"You were under the rock."
Elena froze.
Simple.
No flirtation.
No entitlement.
No mention of her beauty.
Nothing.
Her expression softened slightly.
"Thank you."
Adrian smiled.
"Don’t make a habit of standing under collapsing temples."
She stared.
Then...
A tiny smile appeared.
"I’ll try."
His system immediately reacted.
Heroine Affection increased
Elena Cross Affection: 8 → 17
Adrian’s eyes widened internally.
Nine points?
For acting normal?
This was absurd.
Then...
He heard Shen Tian laugh.
Adrian turned.
Shen Tian was looking directly at him.
Adrian froze.
No.
He couldn’t see that.
Could he?
Shen Tian’s smile widened.
Adrian pointed.
"Don’t."
Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.
"I didn’t say anything."
"You didn’t have to."
Rose looked between them.
"Now you sound like us."
Adrian closed his eyes.
Wonderful.
The two groups stood across from each other.
For several seconds...
No one spoke.
Then...
Adrian stepped toward Shen Tian.
Elena became attentive.
Rose did too.
Adrian stopped.
He held out his hand.
Shen Tian looked down.
Then...
At Adrian.
Adrian smiled.
"Not an alliance."
Shen Tian’s expression remained calm.
"Good."
"Not friendship."
"Better."
Adrian’s eyebrow twitched.
"Just..."
He hesitated.
Then...
"Professional acknowledgment."
Shen Tian stared.
Adrian continued.
"You took the inheritance."
"You took Fate from me."
"I know that now."
"And..."
He looked toward the ruined temple.
"...you also saved my life."
Shen Tian’s eyebrow rose.
Adrian’s hand remained extended.
"So..."
"No debt."
Shen Tian looked toward his hand again.
Then...
Took it.
Their hands clasped.
Adrian smiled.
"Next time..."
"I’m taking the opportunity."
Shen Tian smiled back.
"Try."
They released.
No alliance.
No friendship.
No cooperation.
Just...
Two enemies acknowledging the rules.
Rose watched carefully.
Then...
Adrian looked toward her.
His expression changed slightly.
He recognized Rose now.
From the original Lu Chen storyline.
Black Wolf.
One of Lu Chen’s closest people.
One of the women originally orbiting the mercenary protagonist.
And now...
She stood beside Shen Tian.
Comfortably.
Close.
Adrian’s system flashed.
Former Lu Chen Heroine Route Identified
Rose
Original connection: Lu Chen
Current connection: Shen Tian
Then...
Another line.
Potential reclamation mission available.
Adrian froze.
No.
Absolutely not.
He mentally snapped.
Decline.
Mission not yet generated.
Then block it.
Clarify.
Do not give me missions involving taking women from Shen Tian.
Pause.
Reason?
Adrian stared at the system.
Because I enjoy having organs.
Silence.
Then...
Preference recorded.
Adrian relaxed.
Shen Tian watched him.
"Problem?"
"No."
Adrian answered too fast.
Rose raised an eyebrow.
Shen Tian smiled.
Adrian pointed at him.
"Stop."
Several hours later.
Temporary Shen International camp.
The North African contract site had been converted from an abandoned
logistics compound into something far more secure.
Portable lights.
Medical area.
Communication equipment.
Armored vehicles.
Satellite uplinks.
Rose walked beside Shen Tian.
The desert was quiet around them.
Ghost and Bear were debriefing.
Adrian had returned to his own compound.
For now.
Rose looked toward Shen Tian.
"You let him go."
"Yes."
"You could’ve killed him."
"Yes."
"You took over a third of his Fate in one night."
"Roughly."
She stopped.
Shen Tian took another step before noticing.
He turned.
Rose stood under the floodlights.
Hair moving in the wind.
Her expression serious.
"You’re doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"What you did with Lu Chen."
Shen Tian stared.
Rose continued.
"Letting him live."
"Letting him grow."
"Waiting."
Shen Tian’s green eyes remained calm.
Rose looked down.
Then...
Back up.
"I understand more now."
He raised an eyebrow.
"About?"
"You."
Silence.
She stepped closer.
"You’re not hesitating."
"You’re choosing."
Shen Tian said nothing.
Rose continued.
"When Lu Chen left..."
"I thought part of you didn’t want to chase him."
"Maybe because you felt something."
"Maybe because you wanted to give him a chance."
She smiled faintly.
"I was wrong."
Shen Tian looked at her.
Rose sighed.
"You were letting him rebuild."
"Because there would be more to take later."
(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)
SEND POWESTONES!!!
ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!

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