Everyone’s eyes lit up, clearly stunned by Vicky’s breathtaking beauty. Hidden under armor before, her face had been a mystery. Now, without it, she was dazzling.

Even Hunter King Black, who prided himself on ignoring beauty, froze for a moment. But he quickly masked his surprise.

Vicky put her armor back on, turned, and walked out. She knew all eyes were on her, but she didn’t look back.

A foolish team.

Lin Yanfeng shook his head. “She really just walked away like that?”

William waved a hand. “Her choice. We can’t interfere. Besides, I hate people bossing me around.”

Lin Yanfeng wisely shut up.

Black narrowed his eyes in silence. He hadn’t expected Vicky to break ties so directly. Finding another top-tier team like theirs would be nearly impossible.

Truth was, William made a poor leader—too impulsive, too ambitious. And Lin Yanfeng, always sucking up to him, wasn’t much better.

Now the Sacred Knight Heroic Corps was down to three members. Recruiting replacements was tough; few on the continent matched their strength.

All this started with Sky Qi. Admittedly, he was crucial. At his peak, he could make the whole continent tremble—if he was still alive.

Their earlier actions had been foolish. Once Sky Qi regained his power, no number of recruits could withstand his wrath.

After all, he was the strongest warrior—able to slip alone into enemy ranks and eliminate foes.

Unless… A sharp glint flashed in Black’s eyes. Seek help from the Dark Races.

But only a few could rival him: the Bloodline Queen, the Crimson Flame Infernal Dragon, the Frost Giant Dragon, and the newly risen Elven Princess.

These leaders were far beyond their reach. Unlike Sky Qi, a free-spirited wanderer, they held real power.

Such a hassle. All the fault of that idiot captain. Black’s gaze flickered with killing intent toward William’s stern face.

Meanwhile, Sky Qi—the very man the Sacred Knight Heroic Corps debated—was chained by a collar to the bedpost. The chain kept him trapped on the large bed.

He shifted his body endlessly, seeking comfort.

Struggling to sit up, he raised his hand slightly and felt the chain tied to the bedpost.

Found it! Joy surged in Sky Qi’s heart. He traced the chain toward its source, fingers brushing a tight knot. Something felt off.

The chain wasn’t knotted? It was fused tightly to the bedpost.

Sky Qi realized instantly—Spatial Magic! It merged the chain and bedpost seamlessly. Usually used to reinforce weapons, he’d never seen it applied like this.

After nearly a day of torment, his former arrogance had vanished. Now, he only craved escape from this hellhole.

Spatial Magic was a high-tier spell, fusing objects by altering space. To undo it required Spatial Magic again—or brute force.

Brute force? Forget it. His strength was sealed; he was only F-rank. Ordinary people were E-rank—he was weaker than them.

Even unbound, any random girl could overpower him now.

But altering space without magic power? Impossible…

He flopped back down, disappointed. No escape. Unbearable! He’d rather die by a knife.

Then he recalled his friend mentioning another way to break Spatial Magic. His eyes lit up—a solution!

That friend mastered forging, weapon repair, and Spatial Magic. He could even fix Divine Artifacts. Yet this genius now ran a humble blacksmith shop.

True humility—avoiding worldly strife. Such a rare talent, skilled in crafts and S-rank strong, though not as powerful as Sky Qi.

The method? A chant.

Luckily, it didn’t need spoken words. Gagged, Sky Qi could only grunt. This chant worked through silent, heartfelt recitation.

Sky Qi calmed his mind and began the silent chant:

O great spirit who commands space,

I, lost in your laws,

Sincerely or falsely, I beg you—

Guide this wanderer’s path.

I pray and praise from my heart,

Honoring your greatness, singing your power.

If you hear, guide me with strength—

To the edge of space!

He hoped it’d work. Honestly, it felt unreliable—he’d memorized it half-heartedly during tea, just to humor his friend.

The moment the chant ended, the chain clattered wildly, shaking like a living thing. The tension loosened. When it stilled, he tugged gently—the chain slid free from the bedpost.

If not gagged, he’d have shouted. Hahaha! It worked! That greedy friend of his was actually reliable.

He could unravel any Spatial Magic restriction. Truthfully, besides looks and slightly greater strength, Sky Qi couldn’t match him in anything.

But calm returned quickly. Breaking the magic changed little. His limbs were still bound; leg irons made every step impossible. He’d be caught before moving far.

Another headache. Damn collar—when would it come off? He stared at the shiny black band around his neck and shook his head helplessly.

Now he could leave the bed, but escape remained impossible. Nearly broken, he inched slowly, step by step, toward the door.