"I exchanged all my bounty money for Extraordinary Materials and used them up long ago. All I have left on me is some cash for drinks and a ticket home. I doubt anyone here is desperate enough to try and rob me, right?" The male Elf, dressed like a Samurai, chuckled and drank the vodka from his glass. His eyes radiated a confidence in his own strength. Seeing this, quite a few people in the bar dismissed the greedy thoughts stirring in their minds.

"Whoa, the Salvation Army has called out the government. They want a peaceful transfer of power."

At that moment, a human mercenary shouted out the news he was reading on his phone.

"The Salvation Army is the future. They have the people’s support, plus they have secret backing from countries like America, Australia, and South America. What does the North Carolina Government have to fight them with? If it weren’t for the Crowned King, they would’ve been overthrown who knows how many times by now," a crocodile-headed mercenary interjected.

"Don’t think those countries are providing aid for free. The Americans are obviously after the oil. I bet that after the Salvation Army succeeds, the Americans will make some big moves. They might even annex North Carolina directly into America to get their hands on those oil reserves, which are comparable to the Middle East’s," said a Green-skinned Orc, swirling the drink in his glass.

"No, no, no, you’re being short-sighted. There’s no way North Carolina could be annexed into America; other countries would never allow it. The only path for this nation is to have an independent government. With its rich oil reserves, it could very well become the next big oil state, like one in the Middle East. It just depends on whether they have the luck for it."

"I don’t think that’s likely. North Carolina is too far from peace and too close to America. Just because of that oil, I’m telling you, the Americans are bound to stir up trouble sooner or later. If you don’t believe me, just wait and see."

"Speaking of governments, things are getting heated over in the Laine Kingdom too. The big election is about to start, and the reforms those candidates are proposing are pretty interesting..."

"Like what?"

"Things like protecting workers’ rights, political system reforms... it’s shaking up the interests of a whole bunch of nobles in the Laine Kingdom. It’s been a real circus lately. I’m planning to head over there in a couple of days to see what I can get into, maybe make some extra cash... Damn it, this shithole North Carolina is so poor. Not only did I not make a dime, but I actually lost a ton of money!"

"What’s the situation over in the Laine Kingdom? Give us the details..."

Once the topic turned to politics, no one could stop themselves. They went back and forth, offering their sharp critiques, and some nearly came to blows over their disagreements.

This was especially true for the dog-headed man and the crocodile-headed man. Their various opinions were so rage-inducing you just wanted to beat the hell out of them on the spot.

Just as these two were arrogantly holding forth on the state of the world, THUD.

Marvin’s hand came to rest on their shoulders.

"Who are you?" the dog-headed man asked, his face full of displeasure. He shrugged his shoulder, shaking off Marvin’s hand.

"If I’m not mistaken, you two are the Crocodile Dog Brothers?"

Marvin took off his sunglasses, folded them, and hung them on the collar of his shirt. He was burly, with brown hair and the beginnings of a thick beard. His features were rugged, and his first impression was that of a tough guy.

"Who are you?" the dog-headed man didn’t answer, instead just glaring at him with even more annoyance.

"An Avenger," Marvin replied calmly.

"You’ve been watching too many movies? An Avenger? Don’t make me laugh." The dog-headed man couldn’t help but scoff.

The next second, BANG!

Without any warning, Marvin made his move. No one there could see how he did it. They only heard a massive CRASH, and then saw splinters of a shattered wooden chair fly outwards as the floorboards cracked and buckled. The Crocodile Dog Brothers were on the ground, their armor smashed to pieces, their bodies covered in gruesome wounds from which crimson blood gushed like a fountain.

SHIIING!

In an instant, countless people drew their Weapons and aimed them warily at Marvin. You don’t start fights in a place where mercenaries rest—that was an unwritten rule of the industry. Anyone who broke it would become an enemy to all.

"Don’t be so tense."

Marvin dusted off his hands. "I’m just taking out some trash."

BOOM!

The words had barely left his mouth when the bodies of the Crocodile Dog Brothers suddenly swelled. A deep malice and Darkness swept out, and the things around them began to rapidly warp. An eyeball opened in a glass of wine; the floorboards gaped open like a mouth, letting out a ferocious bark...

Bizarre arms grew out of their wounds, wreathed in a thick black smoke of Curses. With unconcealed malice, the malformed limbs lunged at Marvin.

Marvin calmly uttered a single word:

"—Light!"

A holy radiance suddenly flared, flooding the entire bar. The light was so piercing that everyone instinctively shut their eyes. Within the blazing radiance, the Crocodile Dog Brothers let out bloodcurdling screams.

A few seconds later, the light dissipated. The Crocodile Dog Brothers were smoldering, their bodies charred like charcoal and emitting an acrid stench. Everything around them that had just started to warp returned to normal, cleansed by the brilliant light’s Purification.

"The... the Abyss..."

"Abyssal Cultists!"

Someone pointed at the charred bodies of the Crocodile Dog Brothers and cried out in terror.

That was clearly the Power of the Abyss, and the degree of corruption was high. In just an instant, it had caused aberrations for several meters around the Crocodile Dog Brothers. If it had been given any more time, the entire bar would have been lost to the corrupting distortion, and a good number of the people inside would have degenerated into Corrupters.

The crowd silently put away their Weapons. They looked at Marvin with complex expressions, but most regarded him with awe.

The Crocodile Dog Brothers were fairly well-known international mercenaries. Both of them were Tier Three and very difficult to deal with, yet before Marvin, they were completely powerless, crushed with ease...

’Just what corner of the world did this powerhouse crawl out of?’

Marvin walked to the bar as if nothing had happened. He sat down and snapped his fingers at the stunned bartender, getting his attention.

"Get me a drink, and introduce me to a reliable local information broker.

I need to figure some things out."

·

The Salvation Army began its final northern campaign, determined to liberate the entire country in the shortest time possible.

And in a camp on the front lines, Zhou Chen met someone he really didn’t want to see.

—The Black Death God!

Or rather, the Black-robed Man who had been stirring up trouble all over North Carolina, the one who would wipe out a city at the slightest disagreement.

At the conference table, the Black-robed Man sat across from Zhou Chen. A voice emerged from beneath the black mist swirling around his face. "The Plague Doctor told me you were very eager to see me?"

’I wanted to see you before, but I sure don’t now...’ Zhou Chen cursed inwardly. Ever since he learned the Black-robed Man was Tier Four, he had given up on the idea of obtaining the Wish Box. Unfortunately, it seemed this meeting was unavoidable. Thankfully, he had already prepared his story.

"Yes."

"Siegfried" nodded and said earnestly, "I heard you have a Magic Box that can grant any wish, so I wanted to find you and make a wish. But that was what I thought before. I’ve given up now, because I know what I want is impossible to achieve."

"Oh? What wish would make you go through so much trouble just to see me? Tell me. Perhaps I can grant it," the Black-robed Man said, his interest seemingly piqued.

"Siegfried" was silent for a few seconds, then sighed softly.

"I once had a beloved.

She died.

I missed her so much it drove me mad, so I tried every method I could to resurrect her, but they all failed.

Later, I saw news about you and felt a glimmer of hope, so I started searching everywhere for you, wanting to meet you. But over time, I slowly came to accept it. The dead can’t come back to life. Besides, something like resurrection... it’s just too absurd."

Zhou Chen’s lies flowed effortlessly, his acting transcendent. He easily deceived everyone. Even the Plague Doctor nodded in realization, thinking, ’So that’s why "Siegfried" wanted to meet the Black-robed Man.’

"That is indeed a wish I cannot grant for you. Resurrection is impossible. Once someone is dead, they’re dead," the Black-robed Man said, shaking his head slightly.

’No, no, no... don’t listen to his nonsense. Resurrection is very real.’

A strange laugh suddenly echoed in Zhou Chen’s mind, making him jump.

’Don’t tell anyone, or you’ll miss your chance to resurrect your beloved.

I am the God of Wishes. I can grant your every desire. Even resurrection is an easy feat for me.’

Huh???

Zhou Chen froze, completely bewildered.

’If you’re the God of Wishes, then who am I?’