Chapter 187: King
Flowing Step!
Slash.
Turn.
Parry.
Counter.
His Sword Wanderer class had evolved significantly.
He no longer fought like someone using abilities.
His abilities had become part of him.
LittleMaple...
Was improving too.
Slowly.
But genuinely.
A knight attacked her.
She dodged.
Correct direction this time.
Jiang Feng noticed.
"Good!"
Her eyes brightened.
"I DID IT!"
"Don’t celebrate yet!"
Another knight attacked.
"AH!"
She ducked.
MoonPetal laughed.
Then...
A spear flew toward her.
Her attention was elsewhere.
Shen Tian saw it.
He fired.
CLANG!
His arrow struck the spear midair.
MoonPetal turned.
Her eyes widened.
The spear spun harmlessly away.
She looked toward Shen Tian.
He was already shooting another target.
Like it was nothing.
MoonPetal stared for half a second too long.
Jiang Feng noticed.
"Moon!"
She snapped out of it.
"Right!"
Magic erupted.
Ten minutes later...
The chamber became silent.
Fifty Royal Guards disappeared.
Experience notifications flooded their vision.
LittleMaple dropped onto the floor.
"I’m tired."
Jiang Feng looked at her.
"You’re in virtual reality."
"I’m emotionally tired."
Shen Tian laughed.
MoonPetal sat beside LittleMaple.
"You did better."
LittleMaple immediately brightened.
"Really?"
"Really."
Jiang Feng nodded.
"Your dodging improved."
LittleMaple smiled.
Then looked toward Shen Tian.
"What about you?"
Shen Tian thought.
"You didn’t stab the ground."
"..."
MoonPetal burst out laughing.
LittleMaple pointed.
"I hate him."
Jiang Feng nodded.
"Welcome to the club."
The dungeon continued.
Room after room.
Each designed around leadership.
One chamber required the party to split.
Jiang Feng immediately organized positions.
Another required someone to coordinate rotating platforms.
Again...
Jiang Feng solved it.
The tomb wasn’t testing combat ability alone.
It was testing command.
Decision-making.
Sacrifice.
Judgment.
And every time Jiang Feng succeeded...
His hidden Leadership trait increased.
Leadership: 31
Leadership: 36
Leadership: 42
Xu Ning watched.
[Host.]
I see it.
Golden Fate grew stronger.
Jiang Feng wasn’t simply clearing a dungeon.
He was undergoing an inheritance trial.
Exactly as Fate intended.
Then...
They reached the first major treasure chamber.
Four pedestals appeared.
One sword.
One staff.
One dagger.
One bow.
LittleMaple immediately ran toward the dagger.
Jiang Feng grabbed her collar.
"Wait."
She stopped.
"What?"
"Trap."
"...Oh."
MoonPetal examined the room.
Runes covered the floor.
Shen Tian used Ranger perception.
Dozens of red lines appeared.
Pressure plates.
Jiang Feng smiled.
"Good catch."
LittleMaple looked embarrassed.
"I knew."
"No you didn’t."
"I suspected."
"You sprinted."
"Strategically."
Shen Tian laughed.
They carefully navigated the traps.
Eventually...
Each reached a pedestal.
But...
The moment Jiang Feng touched the sword...
A message appeared.
[Choose carefully.]
[Only one treasure may leave this chamber.]
Everyone froze.
LittleMaple looked devastated.
"My dagger..."
MoonPetal examined the staff.
"It’s Epic."
Jiang Feng looked toward his sword.
Also Epic.
Shen Tian looked toward the bow.
[King’s Shadow Bow]
Epic+
His eyes narrowed.
Xu Ning appeared.
[Host.]
Fate?
[Yes.]
A golden thread connected Jiang Feng to the sword.
Destined Reward
Blade of the King’s Vanguard
Epic+
Future significance: Weapon used by Jiang Feng until Level 55.
Associated Fate: 4,500
Shen Tian looked at Jiang Feng.
Jiang Feng clearly wanted it.
The weapon perfectly suited Sword Wanderer.
Then...
Jiang Feng looked toward LittleMaple.
She was staring longingly at the dagger.
MoonPetal admired the staff.
Finally...
Jiang Feng looked toward Shen Tian.
"Which is the biggest upgrade?"
MoonPetal checked.
"Probably Shen’s bow."
LittleMaple nodded reluctantly.
"Yeah."
Jiang Feng sighed.
"Then take the bow."
Shen Tian blinked.
"What?"
Jiang Feng pointed.
"Take it."
"What about your sword?"
"I have a decent one."
"It’s a major upgrade."
"So is yours."
Shen Tian stared.
Jiang Feng smiled.
"Highest damage helps the whole party."
LittleMaple crossed her arms.
"Captain is too nice."
Jiang Feng laughed.
"Probably."
Shen Tian looked toward Xu Ning.
She looked equally surprised.
Then...
He selected the bow.
[King’s Shadow Bow acquired.]
Immediately...
Golden Fate snapped.
[Ding!]
Destined equipment lost.
Fate stolen: 4,500
Jiang Feng Fate Value: 168,500
Shen Tian stared at the weapon.
Then Jiang Feng.
This is getting ridiculous.
Xu Ning smiled.
[You aren’t even stealing anymore.]
He’s giving me his Fate.
[Apparently friendship is extremely dangerous for protagonists.]
Shen Tian equipped the bow.
The weapon transformed.
Black metal.
Silver string.
Small draconic engravings along the limbs.
MoonPetal stared.
"That looks..."
"Expensive?"
"Cool."
Shen Tian smiled.
"You were going to say handsome."
She froze.
"...The bow?"
"Sure."
Her face warmed.
Jiang Feng looked away to hide his smile.
LittleMaple didn’t.
"Moon likes Shen."
MoonPetal immediately turned.
"MAPLE!"
LittleMaple ran.
MoonPetal chased her.
Jiang Feng laughed.
Shen Tian watched.
Then...
His smile softened.
The next trial was different.
No enemies.
No puzzles.
Only...
A throne.
A spectral king sat upon it.
King Aeron.
His translucent eyes looked toward the party.
Then...
Toward Jiang Feng.
"You carry betrayal."
Jiang Feng froze.
MoonPetal became quiet.
LittleMaple looked confused.
Shen Tian’s expression sharpened.
The king continued.
"You carried others."
"They discarded you."
Jiang Feng’s grip tightened.
Titan.
The team.
Management.
His replacement.
The humiliation.
Everything returned.
The king stood.
"Why lead again?"
Jiang Feng remained silent.
This wasn’t a dialogue selection.
Eternal Realm’s advanced AI expected an actual answer.
Jiang Feng looked toward LittleMaple.
Then MoonPetal.
Then Shen Tian.
Finally...
He smiled.
"Because they aren’t the same people."
The king stared.
Jiang Feng continued.
"I spent years thinking leadership meant carrying everyone."
"Taking responsibility for every loss."
"Protecting teammates from criticism."
"Making sacrifices."
"And..."
His smile became bitter.
"When things went wrong..."
"They decided I was the easiest sacrifice."
LittleMaple’s expression softened.
Jiang Feng looked toward her.
"But..."
"I realized something."
"That wasn’t leadership."
"That was me letting people use me."
He looked toward King Aeron.
"If I build something again..."
"It’ll be different."
"I’ll lead."
"But everyone carries their own weight."
"I’ll protect my people."
"But I won’t destroy myself for people who wouldn’t do the same."
"And if someone doesn’t want to stay..."
His eyes became calm.
"They’re free to leave."
Silence.
King Aeron smiled.
"Good."
Golden light exploded.
[Leadership increased significantly!]
Leadership: 42 → 60
[Hidden Title Acquired!]
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(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)
SEND POWESTONES!!!
ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!