’So soon?’ Zhou Chen stepped out of his tent and saw a young boy with clear, bright eyes, full of youthful vigor. His clothes were old, and his hands, which should have been slender and fair, were instead exceptionally rough, covered with calluses and burn scars. Clearly, this was a Blacksmith’s apprentice.

The apprentice held a black and gold longsword, its hilt bearing the solemn, austere emblem of a scale.

The Sword of Law!

It was merely a Derivative Ability of the Plague Doctor, yet it had been made independent through a Blacksmith’s masterful skill and forged into an Essence Armament of exceptional quality.

"Please thank your master for me. I’m very fond of this weapon."

Zhou Chen took the hilt, infused it with Essence, and established a Soul Link with the Essence Armament.

This was not just a blade for judging, but a gavel for meting out Judgment.

Because it also contained power from the Sin Judgment Scale, it not only infinitely raised the Essence Armament’s potential but also granted it an additional Skill.

—Essence Armament: Sword of Law.

Inherent Effect: Multiplies damage dealt to the guilty. Counters negative powers such as the Power of Sin.

Skill: Judgment. When cast, creates a thirty-meter judgment circle. Humans within the circle will confess the sins they have committed. Those with grave sins will be marked as guilty, and damage dealt to them will be doubled.

Even now, the quality of this Sword of Law was outstanding. After he struck it a few times with the Hammer of Forging, it could undergo a further qualitative transformation. In the future, it had the potential to become a legendary masterpiece.

·

「North Carolina Capital.」

「The Former Royal Tower.」

In a magnificent hall, Enoch, the King of North Carolina, sat dressed in lavish robes at a dining table laden with expensive ingredients. He stared blankly at the man before him, who was wolfing down his food.

He was Wolberi, a Tier Five Crowned King known as the "Child of Thunder."

Stateless, he had been active for years as a mercenary across the World and even in the Abyss. He had participated in wars between many nations, possessed extensive combat experience, and had a reputation for a good professional attitude.

He was the first ally the Salvation Army had recruited.

"This lobster’s pretty good. Must be over a thousand US Dollars a pop, right? And this steak... mmm... with this sauce, the texture is top-notch." With none of the bearing of a Crowned King, Wolberi mumbled indistinctly as he frantically stuffed food into his mouth. "Your chefs here really know how to cook. How much did you pay to hire them? Where did they learn their skills? Any of them looking to jump ship? Oh, right, speaking of steak, I once had some in Yingzhou with an even better texture..."

Enoch took a deep breath, fed up with the racket. His gaze turned cold. "Wolberi, we both know why you’re here. You’ve achieved your goal, so please leave."

Wolberi’s purpose in coming was to restrict Enoch’s movements and prevent the Crowned King from joining the battlefield. But he was just so damn annoying, lingering here to gorge himself on food and drink while chattering endlessly.

"Leave? No way." Wolberi shook his head, his voice booming. "You’re providing food and a place to stay, plus there are so many beautiful women to look at. Why would I leave?"

"If you accept my offer of employment, your treatment will be far more luxurious than this."

"Nah, I’ll pass. I have excellent professional standards and ethics. I don’t accept other contracts while I’m on a job. If you want to hire me, wait until next time. I can hold a spot for you." Wolberi started chattering again. "Speaking of contracts, back when I was on the battlefields in Africa, I was a force to be reckoned with. Back then, I..."

"Enough!"

Enoch roared, "Get out of my Imperial Palace! Immediately, right now, at once!"

Wolberi licked the sauce from his fingers and grinned, revealing a very punchable smile.

"Just... no!"

"If you’ve got the guts, why don’t you try and throw me out?"

Enoch narrowed his eyes, calculating the odds of successfully blasting Wolberi out of his palace.

"I’d advise against that. This is the North Carolina Capital. The Capital, mind you. The most prosperous place in your country. This tower is a landmark for North Carolina, the spiritual symbol of the royal... oh, my mistake, the *former* royal family. If it were gone, I wonder how many people would be heartbroken."

Wolberi said leisurely, "The Tier Fives had best stay out of the coming war. No matter who wins or loses, North Carolina will suffer a devastating catastrophe. Not that I care. I’m just a mercenary, not a citizen of North Carolina, and certainly not its... M-r... P-r-e-s-i-d-e-n-t."

Suddenly, a light laugh came from the void. "What a coincidence. I’m just a mercenary, too."

A travel-worn man with a vicious look hidden in his eyes appeared out of thin air.

Wolberi glanced at him. "Dick. Long time no see."

—Dick, a Tier Five Crowned King. Stateless, a freelance mercenary, and, like Wolberi, considered the pinnacle of the mercenary world. They were also arch-rivals.

Facing two Crowned Kings, Wolberi showed no fear and calmly continued to eat his lobster.

The next second, a Western woman clad in Armor emerged from the void. Her gaze on Enoch was as cold as a blade, full of hostility. Killing intent flowed from her, so palpable it seemed she wanted to attack him that very instant.

—Cecilia, a Tier Five Crowned King. An American who, in her youth, had a romance with Havier. Due to family issues, however, she didn’t return to North Carolina with him, and their relationship ended in tragedy. After Havier’s death, she trained bitterly for decades, finally ascending to become a Crowned King, waiting for the day she could avenge him.

The situation was now two versus two.

Immediately after, a figure in heavy black armor appeared—on Wolberi and Cecilia’s side.

"So the Salvation Army even managed to invite you." Dick narrowed his eyes, his expression turning grave.

This was a Crowned King from the International Mercenary Corps "Omega," and also his old rival. Known as the "King of War," his power was immense, and he had even once received guidance from the "War God."

"There’s one more person. You can come out now," Wolberi said with a smile.

And so, the space near Enoch rippled, and yet another Crowned King appeared.

Three versus three.

Six Crowned Kings in total.

Their mere presence made the air feel solid. Outside, the sky suddenly darkened as storm clouds gathered overhead. Fierce winds howled, as if the end of the world was at hand.

The people of the entire Capital felt an indescribable, suffocating pressure. Every cell in their bodies screamed a warning, urging them to flee this place, to escape the center of the storm.

"Look at that. Six Crowned Kings. If we really started fighting, North Carolina would be reduced to rubble in less than half an hour." Wolberi laughed. "So, Enoch, how about ordering some more good food? All of us eating and drinking here is better than fighting to the death, right?

"We can feast here for ten days, maybe half a month, and by then the fighting outside should be over. We’ll get paid for just lying around. What’s not to love?"

Enoch’s gaze was cold enough to kill. "I will not make a move. So please, leave. Go have your feasts with the Salvation Army."

"That won’t do. We have to watch you. What if you try to pull a fast one?" Wolberi’s expression grew even more mocking. "Don’t even think about it. You won’t get any chances. Now, hurry up and have the chef bring out a few more dishes, or else I’m going to start making a scene."

Not since becoming a Crowned King had Enoch felt his blood pressure this high. He had never met such a shameless Crowned King!

He suppressed the urge to attack and waved his hand impatiently, signaling the trembling chef to prepare more dishes.

Then, staring at Wolberi with a gaze full of killing intent, he said, word by word:

"Then we shall wait and see who gets the last laugh!"

"Sure..." Wolberi replied nonchalantly, then called out loudly, "Hey, chef! Get me a bowl of braised pork belly! If you can’t make it, I’ll kill you."

The chef nodded hastily and fled the dining hall, trembling from head to toe.

·