The two of them were speaking privately through a closed channel, so no one else could hear. With no outsiders listening, their conversation was blunt, straight to the point, and completely unapologetic about the naked ambition behind every word.
That kind of raw, no-nonsense exchange kept their goals perfectly aligned and crystal clear.
About two hours later, a second war vehicle appeared on radar.
Wei Huan's radar range exceeded even the most advanced AI by more than ten kilometers, so avoiding detection would have been easy.
But as they had already decided, this fight against a diamond-tier monster was their grand debut on the "stage of power." They weren't afraid of spectators. If not for the risk that exposing the Relics' true nature might interfere with their long-term plans against Aosam, they would have live-streamed the entire thing.
Right now, they needed as many foreign eyes as possible to witness—and spread—fragments of the truth.
What these latecomers could see were only wriggling, earthworm-like roots and a few unusually aggressive kelp shoots. The illusionary attacks had long since faded at the periphery; there was almost nothing left to betray the monster's former psychic dominance.
The new vehicle advanced another ten kilometers before finally spotting the traces of Wei Huan's battle.
The moment comms connected, the other side immediately declared their identity and stance.
A war vehicle from Great Bear Nation—one of the major powers.
Big-nation vehicles never operated alone and would never sign any contract with a non-official faction. Still, Mu Zhong instantly sent over the prepared "Temporary Alliance Pact" terms.
The Great Bear captain read every line carefully, then asked cautiously, "May I forward this pact back to our pioneering corps headquarters?"
"Of course," Mu Zhong replied with a smile.
"Are there any restrictions on who can join?"
"Yes." Mu Zhong's grin widened, showing teeth. "Vehicles from Bang Nation and Haisang Nation are explicitly excluded. And, well—you understand this is a private alliance, so for certain other nations, the conditions will be… a little harsher."
The Great Bear captain's eyebrow arched. A knowing smile spread across his face. He knew exactly which nations would face those "harsher" terms.
After that, vehicles from smaller nations began appearing one after another: Tula, Fence, and others. Aosam sent the most—four vehicles in the span of half a day.
Mu Zhong held brief video calls with every single captain who arrived.
To everyone except Aosam's vehicles, he sent the exact same Temporary Alliance Pact and didn't mind at all when they chose to simply observe or asked permission to forward the terms to their headquarters.
As the half-day mark approached, another small Middle-Eastern nation's vehicle finally showed up. Like Captain Qi'en before him, the captain found the benefits of cooperating with Wei Huan impossible to refuse and signed on the spot, throwing his vehicle into the fight against the last remaining kelp shoots.
Only then did Aosam's teams realize something was wrong.
"Why?" one Aosam captain demanded of the Middle-Eastern captain. "Why did he let you join the battle?"
The man casually tossed over a copy of the Temporary Alliance Pact.
The Aosam captain read it—and cursed out loud.
When he frantically checked with the other major-nation teams, every single one admitted they had received the same offer and were "considering it."
What the hell? Were they being excluded from the new group chat?
This was the first time in a global-level event that Aosam had been left out in the cold.
Wei Huan, you've got guts!
But now clearly wasn't the moment to lose their temper.
On the surface, the diamond monster's visible "body" was shrinking fast, and the intensity of the battle was dropping.
Picking a fight with Wei Huan right now would be suicidal. A man who could fight a diamond-tier monster on equal footing could probably wipe them out with one hand free.
Aosam's captains swallowed their rage and stayed silent, the bitterness almost choking them.
They had always been the ones orchestrating "joint sanctions" against others. Being on the receiving end for the first time tasted awful.
Finally, the last two colossal kelp shoots crashed into the sea with earth-shaking force.
Whether seen with the naked eye or scanned by AI, no trace of the monster remained.
"Is that it?"
"It's dead? Are we sure that was really diamond-tier? The fight didn't look that impressive."
"We arrived too late. We missed all the earlier phases."
"What a waste. We barely gathered any useful intel."
The spectators had already formed their own little "observer chat group."
Big-nation vehicles were bound by strict discipline; no matter how tempting the offer, they couldn't betray their chains of command. All they could do was watch from afar as the battle—which never quite reached the apocalyptic scale they expected—quietly wound down.
A diamond-tier monster was certainly terrifying when it went all out, capable of summoning tsunamis and shattering the sky. Individual challengers stood no chance; only war vehicles could survive by kiting and suppressing it with ranged fire.
But as long as Tier-5 vehicles could keep it at bay, the creature's actual threat level no longer felt "diamond-tier." After watching this long, they still hadn't collected anything truly valuable.
None of them could have imagined that the Tier-5 Relic was, in fact, an oceanic plant civilization whose primary weapon was illusion, capable of sustained deception through hive-mind psychic powers and seeds that carried the same fraudulent abilities.
"Huh? They're leaving?"
While the observer group was still chatting, someone noticed vehicles peeling away. Soon, every participating vehicle—including the two small-nation ones that had joined late—was heading off in the same direction.
"Is the fight over?"
"Just like that?"
"No way a diamond-tier dies this easily, right?"
"Look—Wei Huan's still here. Wait, no, he's moving too."
The captains linked on the conference call exchanged confused glances. This ending felt strangely anticlimactic compared to the earth-shattering showdown they had imagined.
Finally, one of them spoke. "Let's follow and see."
Some agreed; others hesitated. "Isn't that a bit rude?"
"Rude?" the Aosam captain snapped, voice rising. "He's just one man. Daxia is just one country. We're only watching—what's rude about that?"
His words earned support only from the other Aosam captains. Everyone else stayed silent.
They had no interest in arguing with these sore losers, but they were even less interested in poking the man who could fight diamond-tier monsters.
They couldn't even open gold chests without heavy losses. What right did they have to provoke someone who just killed a diamond-tier?
"Let's just tail them from a safe distance," the Fence Nation captain said, speaking for the majority. "They haven't driven us off, so it should be fine to watch."
The non-Aosam captains all nodded in relief.
There was no shame in playing it safe when the other side had the bigger fist. If Aosam was as brave as they claimed, they could charge ahead themselves instead of trying to goad everyone else into taking the heat.
With a few exchanged glances, the non-Aosam captains reached a silent agreement and sped off.
The Aosam vehicles followed, faces dark, keeping a cautious distance—afraid of angering Wei Huan, but unwilling to be left behind.
It took them more than ten minutes to cover the hundred-kilometer gap and spot Wei Huan's vehicle again on the edge of radar.
But before they could close in, a strange surge of energy washed over them from ahead.
"What the hell is that?!"
A beam of crimson light rose from the horizon where sea met sky.
It moved impossibly fast—one moment on the horizon, the next right in front of them.
The scarlet light swept across their vehicles and through their bodies.
Instantly, searing pain lanced through their brains. Countless chaotic images flooded their minds:
- Serene merfolk gliding through an underwater city.
- Human war vehicles rampaging across blood-soaked battlefields.
- Endless hordes of grotesque undead sweeping over mountains and plains.
- Twisted, monstrous lifeforms—some iron-blue, some blood-red, some deathly pale—locked in frenzied combat, their faces contorted with ecstatic madness.
And thousands upon thousands more fragments—sharp, jagged, like shards of broken glass slicing through their minds. Some captains screamed and collapsed on the spot, clutching their heads.
Most suffered severe psychic soul damage; the weaker ones bled from all seven orifices and passed out cold.
Yet a tiny handful felt only a brief daze. When the onslaught passed, their eyes grew deeper, as if something new had been etched into their souls.
…
Even Wei Huan hadn't expected the true core of the diamond-tier monster—lured here by the challenge world's chest mechanics—to look like this.
The teleported core lacked the overwhelming physical pressure of the main body, but the heart-stopping terror it radiated was undiminished.
Wrapped in layers of shattered roots and broken seaweed, a bus-sized mass suddenly materialized in mid-air, directly in front of the vehicle.
Before Wei Huan could get a clear look at what lay inside, the severed tendrils and leaves transformed into thousands of arrows, hurling themselves at the vehicle in a desperate, all-or-nothing assault.
With its intelligence, it probably wanted to flee.
Too bad—the challenge world never gave failing civilizations a choice.
Stripped bare and dragged from the depths once more, it knew this was its final stand.
Kill or be killed!
A piercing, shrill screech tore through the air as the broken tendrils lashed out.
The massive plant trunk slammed into Dot Mom's shell at the same instant a new wave of psychic assault crashed over them.
For a split second, everything went black for Wei Huan. It felt like a spike had been driven straight into his skull.
The attack wasn't aimed only at him—everyone inside the vehicle shuddered, faces turning ashen.
Yet no one panicked.
A psychic monster's dying counterattack being psychic in nature? Completely expected.
They had prepared for exactly this.
The moment Wei Huan regained his senses, he roared, "Don't stop—full attack! Ram it!!"
Brilliant beams of light erupted from the war platforms alongside the vehicle's main cannons, streaking toward the pulsing crimson core.
The last ghost crows dove in, Nether Flame bombs clutched in their beaks.
Explosions blossomed like falling stars, igniting clusters of grey-green fire across the core.
BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM!
The remaining tendrils and leaves were shredded. What remained was an indescribable lump of flesh, red roots pulsing through it like blood vessels, the entire mass heaving as if still alive.
The moment Wei Huan laid eyes on it, the pain in his head intensified.
It felt like a thousand bees and birds screamed in his ears, like blaring trumpets and war drums, like a giant hammering his skull from within.
Non-stop, overwhelming psychic assault—at its strongest in this final death struggle.
"GO!!"
Eyes bloodshot, Wei Huan ordered the AI butler to drive straight into the meatball like a suicide charge.
The Tier-6 shield slammed into it first.
The impact caved the meatball inward. Root-veins burst with wet pops, spraying thick crimson fluid like blood mist.
The Tier-6 shield shattered under the diamond-tier force—but in the instant it broke, a new surge of power coalesced.
Defensive Counterattack—the single most damaging ability Wei Huan currently possessed—was triggered!
CRACK—BOOM!
A massive bolt of violet lightning, thick as a dragon, leapt forth with a thunderous roar and sank its fangs deep into the meatball.
Blinding white light flooded everything.
Outside the light, a silent, anguished wail seemed to shake the soul.
Then crimson haze swallowed the world, and countless broken memories were forcibly crammed into every mind aboard.
It hurt.
The memories didn't care if you could withstand them—they were simply shoved in all at once.
Mu Tang collapsed first, eyes rolling back, blood streaming from every orifice.
Lin Xu and Zhou Yong followed seconds later.
Even Sequence-5 Martial King Captain Xue dropped to one knee.
Only little Dou Lin, just six years old, managed two pained screams before falling silent, clutching his head.
Wei Huan glanced around and realized—to his shock—that he was in the best condition.
Mu Zhong was second.
Was it because their spirit power was high enough to grant partial resistance?
No time to think.
Wei Huan forced himself upright, eyes wide, staring out the viewport.
His left eye reignited with green flame, linking to the elite Demon Eye Lord for additional angles.
The meatball—struck by the shield impact and then lightning—had a massive hole torn straight through its center.
Like rot accelerated a thousandfold, the exposed flesh reddened, blackened, then melted like dripping wax.
The few remaining tendrils curled, withered, and turned to ash.
Finally, the entire corrupted mass crumbled, caught by the sea breeze, and scattered into nothingness.
"Is it… dead?" Mu Zhong asked, pressing a hand to his temple.
Wei Huan's attention snapped back. He saw Mu Zhong glance toward the warehouse, then exclaim in delight, "The locks are gone! It's really dead!"
Really dead?
For a split second, Wei Huan hesitated.
This fight had been brutal—nearly two full days, countless deceptions, moments where he'd nearly lost himself. He no longer trusted results placed right in front of his eyes.
But then he looked at Moji—bored from being tied up so long that it had actually fallen asleep like a living creature, its face peaceful and serene.
That unmistakable feeling of having an "anchor" to reality washed over him.
"Yes," Wei Huan finally said, voice firm. "It's really dead."
The moment the words left his mouth, wild excitement exploded in his eyes.
This time, without any foreknowledge or prophecy, he had slain the current world's diamond-tier monster.
No matter how many twists and turns, no matter how long and grinding the battle had felt—
The result was undeniable.
He had conquered a diamond-tier monster.
He now held the only ascension path from Tier-5 to Tier-6!
Soon, he would have a full Tier-6 war vehicle!!
And the Criminal profession training ground… Xu Qingqiang!
The thought jolted him back to the present. Ignoring celebration, he immediately barked orders: "Everyone still conscious—tend to the wounded and unconscious! And I need Xu Qingqiang's status now!"
The AI butler executed flawlessly, compiling a damage report in seconds.
"Captain, eight crew unconscious, seven severely injured, thirty-one more with varying degrees of psychic trauma…"
Excluding Wei Huan himself, forty-six main combatants had remained aboard. Almost every single one was hurt.
He was deeply grateful that, once he confirmed the diamond monster was a psychic Relic, he had immediately evacuated all non-essential logistics personnel to rear vehicles. Otherwise, the casualties would have been far worse.
The AI continued, "Captain Zhou's team recovered Xu Qingqiang floating unconscious on the surface three minutes ago. Rescue complete."
No fatalities.
Xu Qingqiang was safe.
Only then did Wei Huan finally allow himself to focus on their hard-won victory.
The "locked" status on the diamond chest rewards had vanished—nothing proved the monster's death more conclusively.
The diamond-grade Spirit Necklace was now his. Its stats showed not only a massive spirit boost but a 20% increase to spirit regeneration speed.
Perfect for a summoner like him.
Eternal Gold Stones—materials for Tier-7 and Tier-8 vehicle upgrades—had never been available in the mall because their world tier was too low. The point cost would have been astronomical anyway.
He already had over a dozen.
Thanks to all the high-tier chests he had opened along the way, his stockpile would let him upgrade far faster than anyone else.
He had already caught up from behind. Soon, he would pull irreversibly ahead.
The Sea Core Pearl was the core component for a full Tier-6 vehicle.
He already had the complete blueprints and all regular upgrade materials. Now, with the core, the moment every part reached Tier-6, he could upgrade the entire vehicle instantly.
Currently, only four components were Tier-6: shock absorbers, tires, headlights, and external shielding. Ten more to go.
No rush.
Even if the Azure Dragon Legion didn't pour everything into upgrading him, the only things that could kill him now were either carelessness leading into a high-tier Relic ruin—or Murphy's Law sending Mephidi after him through one.
As long as he avoided high-tier ruins, he could basically do whatever he wanted in this world.
Full Tier-6 was only a matter of time.
There were also plenty of other high-grade materials, advanced blueprints, and one item he had never heard of: [Fraudulent Orb].
Given that the Relic specialized in illusions, the orb was almost certainly related.
He didn't have time to examine it now. He immediately equipped the diamond Spirit Necklace.
He needed combat effectiveness restored fast. Too many onlookers—accidents could happen.
Firepower deficiency anxiety was acting up.
If he couldn't steamroll those watching vehicles into submission, he wouldn't feel safe.
Then he looked outside again.
Under Mu Zhong's calm direction, the wounded were being treated methodically.
Those still unconscious from the psychic backlash were the ones with low sequence levels and no spirit training.
Mu Tang, Lin Xu, and Zhou Yong were in the worst state—still unknown if they would survive.
Mu Zhong returned from the plaza, face pale.
He stopped in front of Wei Huan and said with a faint smile, "That thing's dying memory fragments are lethal to anyone with weak spirit power, but for you? It's a rare glimpse into higher-tier civilizations. Those creatures we've never seen before—some might be Tier-6 Relics, or even higher. Or maybe… they're the victors of this civilization war. If this whole challenge is just a filter, we'll probably meet them sooner or later."
Wei Huan closed his eyes and, as Mu Zhong hoped, began sifting through the flood of new memories.
His high spirit power had allowed his mind to retain far more than others—thousands of fragmented "videos" ranging from seconds to hours long.
He saw mechanical lifeforms arrive, get trapped in illusions, and be slowly digested as nutrients.
He saw bodiless elemental spirits tricked into believing they had found a perfect home, only to be devoured as pure energy.
Sometimes the monster deceived three to five alien civilizations at once; sometimes hundreds. No matter how strong the victims originally were, under its terrifying ability to read and manipulate hearts, they all became losers in the civilization war.
In other words, long before humanity ever opened this chest, the monster had been released multiple times—and every single time, it had successfully killed the challengers who freed it.
It was never a world boss. Whether those civilizations later learned from the mistake was unknown.
Its memories were cyclical: released, killed the opener, sealed again.
But those memories vastly broadened Wei Huan's horizons. He had never imagined so many alien civilizations and lifeforms had once visited this Tier-5 world.
He kept digging until he reached the longest, most emotionally charged segment—one drenched in terror so thick even the diamond monster had feared it.
He instantly knew this was what Mu Zhong wanted him to see.
The beings in that memory were horrifying beyond words—absolute demons. Not hive-mind creatures, but individuals of overwhelming power, no more than ten in number.
One with cyan skin and a bloated belly.
One tall, skeletal, crimson-skinned.
One pale with a featureless mask for a face.
Others he couldn't clearly see, only titanic silhouettes that seemed to hold up the sky. Each radiated godlike might—turning clouds with a wave, raining destruction with a thought.
Through the monster's eyes, Wei Huan felt nothing but boundless dread.
Were these the creators of this world?
Or a civilization that had once defeated even this oceanic plant?
He wanted to look closer, but Mu Zhong—face pale yet joyful—hurried over and shook him awake.
"Brother Qiang's conscious," he said breathlessly. "He brought back the Criminal profession training ground. We did it!"