That final slash had drained nearly every drop of Chen Ye’s stamina.

The Human-Faced Scorpion fixed him with one last, venomous glare before the life faded from its massive frame.

Under the harsh sunlight, the enormous human face began to dissolve. Then, the rest of its colossal body followed suit, breaking apart into specks of spiritual light that scattered into the wind, vanishing between heaven and earth.

“Huff… huff…”

Iron Lion collapsed onto a sand dune, his body slowly shrinking back to its normal size.

The man looked like he had been dipped in a vat of blood. His body was riddled with several penetrating wounds.

When this guy fought, he was like a completely different person—a total berserker.

The Human-Faced Scorpion’s tail stinger punched a bloody hole through him every time it landed, yet he hadn’t dodged. He hadn’t even flinched.

At the height of his frenzy, Iron Lion had actually grabbed the stinger with one hand, holding it in place while he pummeled the monster with his iron fists.

Chen Ye dropped heavily onto the sand nearby, too exhausted to care about the grit clinging to his skin.

The smoke mist slowly drifted away.

The battlefield finally cleared, revealing the survivors.

Chen Ye patted his pocket, fishing around until he pulled out a cigarette pack. It was empty.

He crushed the box and tossed it far away.

“Just my luck,” he muttered.

During the most intense moments of the fight, maintaining the smoke screen had burned through his resources. He’d smoked half a cigarette in a single breath just to generate enough cover.

But without that smoke, he would have died under the Scorpion’s stinger.

And Nana probably would have died, too.

Several times, when death seemed certain, the woman had dove into his smoke. The Scorpion lost track of her instantly.

The Smoke Apostle’s abilities were undeniably useful for survival.

It was just the mimicry aspect that was a bit lacking.

Then again, Chen Ye hadn’t been Awakened for long. He couldn’t compare to veterans like Nana and Iron Lion who had mastered their Sequences years ago.

Time to see the payout.

Chen Ye, filled with anticipation, summoned his interface to check the Slaughter Points harvested from the battle.

He had delivered the final blow, after all.

In gaming terms, he had successfully secured the kill.

Slap!

A fierce palm struck Chen Ye directly across the face.

The force of the blow sent him staggering. His vision swam, and his System interface shattered into pixels before vanishing.

He looked up, dazed.

First, he saw a pair of long, slender legs. Then, a waist so narrow he could encircle it with his hands.

Finally, he saw a head of pink hair.

And a face swollen like a steamed bun. Her left eye was puffed up so badly it was squeezed into a thin line.

“Chen Ye… that’s payback,” Nana hissed, clutching her face. “A slap for a slap!”

She winced, sucking in a cold breath. “Hiss… hurts like hell.”

“You bastard,” she groaned, glaring at him with her good eye. “Did you use every ounce of strength you had for that slap earlier?”

Nana wailed, gingerly touching her cheek.

For a young girl, getting beaten up like this was practically a disfigurement. Even with the accelerated recovery of a Sequence Beyonder, she was going to look like a monster for a while.

Seeing her state, Chen Ye pointed at her and burst into laughter.

The pink-haired girl rolled her eyes hard enough to strain them.

“Here! For you. I distinguish gratitude from grudge.”

She fished a pack of Huazi Cigarettes from somewhere on her person and tossed it to him.

“You hit me, so I returned the slap. But you also saved me. This pack is my thanks.”

“I really don’t get what’s so good about these things,” she added, rubbing her cheek.

She had tried to learn from Chen Ye once, taking a puff, but she couldn’t stand the taste. Now, that premium pack of Huazi conveniently benefited Chen Ye.

Chen Ye pulled out a stick and lit up, inhaling deeply. “I never thought we’d actually kill an Anomaly.”

“Since the apocalypse started, I’ve only heard rumors of Anomalies being destroyed. I’ve never seen it happen. I didn’t think we’d pull it off today.”

The pink-haired girl’s voice was heavy with emotion.

“Anomalies cannot be killed… that is a lie told because ordinary people cannot kill them.”

A clear, calm voice drifted over to them.

Captain Chu Che, walking barefoot across the scorching sand, approached them leisurely. His eyes, however, were locked on the spot where the Human-Faced Scorpion had dissolved.

“I once heard of a Sequence Two Beyonder who killed an Anomaly single-handedly.”

“That’s impossible!”

The moment ‘Sequence Two’ was mentioned, Nana reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She bristled immediately.

If what Chu Che said was true, it was a massive slap in the face to their current efforts.

The three of them had teamed up in broad daylight to fight one weakened Anomaly, and they had barely survived. The gap between them and this supposed Sequence Two was insurmountable.

Did that mean they were trash?

As the number one expert of the Fairness Caravan, the pink-haired girl refused to accept such a reality.

Chu Che turned, smiling at Chen Ye and Nana with an expression that clearly said: You know too little about this world.

As for Iron Lion, that guy was already asleep on the sand dune, his snores thundering like an engine.

“You really do know too little,” Chu Che said softly.

“You’ve only utilized a fraction of a Sequence Beyonder’s true strength.”

“Even you, Nana. You hold the Sword Immortal Sequence, unique to Great Xia. Your Potential is immense. Do not let me down.”

“And Chen Ye. Your Supernatural Pathway is also formidable. If not for you, we likely would have all died today.”

Nana’s eyelid twitched. Chen Ye felt an urge to punch the man.

“Stop acting like Zhuge Liang!” Nana snapped, her temper flaring. “If you have something to say, just spit it out!”

“Ahem… have you heard of Potion Capsules?”

“What are those?”

“Potion Capsules,” Chu Che explained, “are a type of medicine that can stimulate the Potential of a Sequence Beyonder to a certain extent.”

“They are far rarer than Sequence Serums.”

“I’ve only heard rumors of them,” Chu Che sighed. “If you could get your hands on Potion Capsules… well, forget it. Don’t waste energy dreaming about such things.”

“Sequence Beyonders, Anomalies… there are still many, many mysteries we have yet to uncover.”

Chen Ye, however, felt a stir in his heart.

Potion Capsules?

Others might not be able to find them, but that didn’t apply to him.

He had the System. If he could exchange Slaughter Points for Sequence Serums, there was no reason he couldn’t exchange them for Potion Capsules.

Suppressing his excitement, he looked back at Chu Che.

The Captain’s expression had turned strange.

His eyes were shining—gleaming with something akin to greed—as he stared fixedly at the sand where the Scorpion had vanished. He began walking toward it.

Chen Ye followed his gaze.

There, lying on the sand, was a dark object.

Chen Ye’s heart skipped a beat. That thing…

He scrambled to his feet and followed. Nana, curious, trailed behind them.

Chu Che reached down and picked up the object.

It was a black shell. The material didn’t look like iron, nor did it look like plastic.

Chen Ye recognized it instantly. It was a piece of the Human-Faced Scorpion’s carapace.

Earlier, Iron Lion had transformed into a three-meter-tall giant and smashed the monster with forces that could crack stone, yet he hadn’t left a scratch on its armor.

This is… Artifact material!

“Is this Artifact material?” Nana asked, voicing the thought aloud.

Chu Che stroked the hard, black shell, his eyes flickering with delight.

“Good stuff. Exceptional stuff. If this went to auction, it could be worth billions. Who knows?”

“What a pity, what a pity we can’t sell it easily.”

Chen Ye silently cast an [Appraisal].

Minus 60 Slaughter Points.

Appraising the Skin-Peeler Ghost’s Scalp earlier had cost him one hundred points. This one only cost sixty.

Presumably, the quality wasn’t as high as the Scalp.

The System quickly returned the data.

[Item Name: Human-Faced Scorpion’s Carapace] [Type: Artifact Material] [Origin: Dropped by a Human-Faced Scorpion, killed by the combined efforts of three Sequence Beyonders.] [Comment: Possesses extreme defensive capabilities. If crafted into armor, it will yield a decent defensive Artifact. Worth collecting.]

Seeing the result, Chen Ye confirmed his suspicion. This thing was definitely inferior to the Skin-Peeler Ghost’s Scalp he had stashed away.

But looking at Chu Che’s ecstatic expression…

Chen Ye suddenly realized he might have unknowingly scored a massive fortune with his previous loot.

“Chen Ye, Chu Che! Look, there’s another one here…”