"One hundred thousand gold coins?" Sunny asked, a slight frown creasing his brow. Even with his limited understanding of the Upper World's economy, the price felt ridiculously small for an item designated "God-Rank."

​"As I said, I never leave a debt unpaid, Sir Alex," Qin Li reiterated, projecting sincere gratitude. "This is a way to say thank you and establish a favorable relationship."

​Sunny stared at the sword, allowing his system to scan it thoroughly, analyzing its runic composition and power signature. He then shook his head.

​"Not needed. Doesn't qualify," he stated flatly.

​"Huh? Sir Alex, this sword is genuine!" Qin Li exclaimed in surprise, genuinely hurt by the dismissal. "It's fused with Mid-Rune stones—it's a superb weapon for any First or Second Order master!"

​"I am not the one who will need it," Sunny replied. He gestured toward the golden chest, his gaze locking onto the beautiful, sheathed sword resting amongst the treasures. His tone shifted from dismissive to absolute.

​"I will give you ten trillion Gold coins if you will give me the sword currently resting inside that chest."

​"...?!!"

​The air froze. Everyone in the chamber was stunned into utter immobility. Ten trillion gold was not small change; it was enough wealth to buy twenty mid-level God-Rank weapons and establish a substantial territory. This newcomer was offering his incomprehensible fortune for a single sword.

​"I..."

Qin Li clenched his fists, sweat beading on his forehead. He felt the internal conflict tearing him apart, but his ambition was too great. He shook his head, shame and resolve warring in his eyes:

"I... Can't. That sword is the linchpin of my future."

​His word stunned his own mercenaries.

​"What is happening today?! Am I hearing things?!" someone whispered in disbelief.

​"Giving up trillions for a sword... and giving trillions for one sword... If I got even tens of thousands, I'd be grateful," a woman muttered, leaning against the cold wall.

​The axe-wielder, her eyes sharp and assessing, simply stood still, watching the two titans of wealth and power negotiate.

​"Twenty trillion," Sunny increased the price, testing the limit of Qin Li's ambition.

​'This is insane. I need this sword for the upcoming competition to legitimately claim the Human Throne,' Qin Li thought, his thoughts broadcasted clearly in Sunny's mind.

'No amount of gold can make me give it up, not when kingship is on the line!'

​'The throne is vacant...? If I become the King here, I will have a strong, sovereign footing in the Upper World,' Sunny contemplated, recognizing the opportunity. 'And if I eventually plan to move Eldoria over, it won't be difficult if I already hold a royal seat.'

​He delivered his final offer aloud: "Five hundred trillion."

​Qin Li stiffened. He turned, retrieved the golden sheathed sword from the chest, and walked toward Sunny, his face a hard mask of forced resolve.

​"Oh no... Young Master Qin is angry."

"What will happen now? Is he going to fight him?"

"I don't know, but if a fight breaks out, I am not joining. This is not what I got hired for."

​They watched as Qin Li stopped directly in front of Sunny, executed a deep, formal bow—a bow that signaled supreme submission—and stretched the sword out.

​"It is yours, Sir Alex," he said, his voice stripped of all pride, stunning everyone into absolute silence.

​"Thanks." Sunny accepted the sword, a satisfied smile touching his lips.

​The system instantly analyzed the weapon:

​{Name: Moon Blade.}

{Rank: God Rank - Fused with High-Rune Stones.}

{Skills: When wielded by someone with a Moon Bloodline, all stats increase by 100%. When used to kill under the moonlight, User gains 50% of the opponent's full energy.}

​'Wow... Impressive stats, especially the energy drain under moonlight. But this young master doesn't possess a Moon Bloodline. How was he planning on activating it, or even justifying the risk?' Sunny thought, genuine curiosity in his expression.

​"This is a Moon Blade," he asked. "How did you plan to use it when you don't possess a Moon Bloodline or anything related to it?"

​"My elder sister has a Moon Bloodline," Qin Li whispered conspiratorially.

"I planned to give it to her. She can wield its full power, help me take the throne, and later, she can pass it to me for my own lineage." He then brought out a glowing golden orb, which served as a portable bank ledger.

​Sunny stared at the orb, instantly recognizing the advanced celestial.

'System, is this a standard banking ledger?'

​{The Gold Orb is an authorized financial system. Already in Master's storage.}

​Sunny nodded and produced his own currency orb—a deep, burning red. The instant it appeared, it radiated a faint pulse of spiritual energy that froze the mercenaries in place, a visible pressure settling on the room.

​"Oh my God!" Qin Li exclaimed, his eyes wide with renewed shock.

"That is the highest level of bank orb! Only the Royal families of the Elves and the hated Wendigos are rumored to possess devices of that spiritual density!"

​Hearing the name Wendigos, Sunny's and Josephine's expressions darkened instantly. Seeing their change in demeanor, Qin Li nodded eagerly, mistaking their rage as shared hatred.

​"You hate them too, right? We also do," Qin Li hissed, his gaze filling with intense, murderous intent.

"Those Elves and Wendigos are our worst enemies. They constantly hover above us, mocking our kingdom and killing humans without hesitation because we are deemed weak. If I meet them in the competition, I will kill every last one of them!"

​Sunny tapped his orb against Qin Li's golden orb, instantly transferring the five hundred trillion gold coins. The transaction was complete.

​"Why would other Kingdoms be after the throne of the Human Kingdom?" Sunny asked, returning to the core of Qin Li's ambition.

​"Well... Someone powerful established a critical rule," Qin Li explained, speaking quickly:

"If a King or Queen of a nation dies without any direct heir or relative, a competition will be hosted. The winner, regardless of their species or kingdom, will be the next ruler. It's a way for the upper World to constantly cycle in new leadership."

​"When will this competition start?" Sunny asked, gripping the Moon Blade.

​"Three months," Qin Li answered, suddenly looking worried for Sunny.

"Sir Alex, don't think about it. The people who will compete are all powerhouses—Third Order and above. You can even see genuine Sixth Order Sovereigns vying for the major thrones. It's strictly death matches; you can easily die there."

​Sunny simply nodded at the warning. "Thank you again for the information."

​"Oh!" Qin Li quickly retrieved a map from his storage and passed it to Sunny. "Mr. Alex, the map. This covers the entire human kingdom and surrounding territories."

​Sunny took the map, giving him a firm nod. Qin Li then walked back to his dejected fighters.

​"Alright, guys," Qin Li addressed them, his voice regaining his usual command.

"It seems we should wait for the Secret Realm to reset. We still have six hours before it permanently disappears, so we can wait and try again." He added, seeing their despair:

"Don't worry, I will pay you triple for the inconvenience."

​"Reset? Does that mean you can get the sword again?" Sunny asked, genuine surprise in his voice.

​"Yes. We still have six hours before the Secret Realm collapses for good, and it takes two hours for it to reset, re-spawning all the items. Meaning, we can still take down the Boss multiple times."

".....?!"

​Sunny's mind began calculating probabilities and efficiency. He looked at the weary, dispirited group and smiled—a calculated, predatory smile that hadn't been seen since his true rise to power.

​"I can help you all," Sunny said, addressing the entire mercenary group.

"We will make two more runs. I only ask for another Moon Blade, and I will help you secure the third one for Young Master Qin, the rest rewards and this one will be yours. What do you think of that arrangement?"

​"....?!"

​The mercenaries, witnessing the power that instantly annihilated a Second Order Boss, were flabbergasted, their exhaustion forgotten. Two guaranteed Boss kills, secured by a single glance, in exchange for merely one sword? It was an offer that guaranteed their survival and their fortune.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.