Pan Xiaoxin had already climbed far ahead. He seemed to hear the shouting from behind him and picked up his pace.

“Damn it!” Daniel grabbed his backpack and hauled himself up on all fours.

Bruce and Miutte jolted awake and scrambled after him.

“How is that kid so fast?!” Daniel cursed as he climbed. “I should never have listened to you two! What if he gets the sword first?! I can’t let a child beat me — I’d never live it down!”

He stopped, yanked out his slingshot, and tried to aim again.

But shooting upward was completely different from shooting downward. The sun overhead blinded him; he couldn’t get a clear bead on Pan Xiaoxin.

In the time this wasted, Pan Xiaoxin had pulled even further ahead.

“Go, go!” Bruce said. “A child can’t have unlimited stamina. He’ll have to stop and rest soon enough — let’s move faster!”

“Curse him!” Daniel spat again, reluctantly putting the slingshot away.

Pan Xiaoxin pressed on, climbing steadily. He knew how vulnerable he was. Even with the lucky stone and Miss Liu’s longevity lock around his neck, facing those three men directly would be extremely dangerous. The best strategy was simple — keep his distance.

Stay as far away as possible.

The relentless sun showed no signs of relenting. Scorching light poured down with undiminished fury, as if the entire climb wasn’t toward a summit but toward the sun itself.

The top was drawing nearer. Pan Xiaoxin threw everything he had into the climb, soaked from head to toe, his small backpack damp and heavy as if waterlogged with sweat.

He hesitated over whether to stop and dump some food to lighten his load — but one look at the adults who could catch up at any moment made him afraid to pause for even a second.

“For crying out loud! How does this kid have so much energy?!” Daniel cursed. “He’s been going this whole time without stopping! I’m practically dying over here!”

Miutte had fallen far behind. He called out weakly to Daniel and Bruce ahead: “Wait for me! Ugh… I’m going to collapse…”

“Wait nothing!” Daniel snapped irritably. “Keep dragging your feet! By the time you catch up, that little brat will have snatched the sword!”

Rage boiling in his chest, Daniel forced his limbs up the steps — but his will exceeded his body’s ability. His calves trembled violently, his stamina utterly drained.

He looked up. Bruce had already climbed higher, closing the gap with Pan Xiaoxin.

“There we go!” Daniel immediately called out. “Bruce! Catch that little brat!”

Bruce didn’t look back. “Shut your mouth and save your strength.”

Daniel scoffed. “The nerve.”

He shook out his arms and resumed climbing. Looking up, he spotted something at the far-off summit — barely visible, something protruding.

Like a massive statue. But… was it moving?

…Was it alive?

Daniel’s face gradually drained of color. He couldn’t help but shout: “Hey! You two — what is that up there?!”

Pan Xiaoxin heard his voice and looked up too. He froze.

— The Sphinx!

He was looking at an enormous Sphinx — a great lion-bodied, human-faced figure!

It lay atop the summit, surrounded on all sides by towering stone swords thrust into the ground like a beast resting in its nest, waiting for prey to walk into its clutches.

According to legend, the Sphinx sat on cliffs near the city of Thebes and would pose a riddle to all who passed. If the answer was wrong, the traveler would be killed.

So the final challenge of this game was the Sphinx’s riddle.

Pan Xiaoxin recalled the game he had selected — the one with the lowest combat requirement. That meant the game would lean toward intelligence. This stairway was just the beginning — the real challenge was still ahead.

Pan Xiaoxin set his jaw and kept climbing.

He had to be the first to answer. That was the only way to claim the King’s sword.

“Stop him!!!” Daniel bellowed from below. “Bruce! Don’t let him answer the riddle first! If he does, we’re all finished!!!”

Bruce had already picked up speed, but the gap between them remained.

Daniel swore under his breath and raised his slingshot again, taking aim at Pan Xiaoxin —

—