Seeing that Lock was about to leave, the old man in the Tang suit didn't dare stop him and said anxiously, "Mr. Lock, the chips haven't been exchanged for cash yet!"
Lock didn't even look back. "You can handle it yourself."
He couldn't care less about twenty billion dollars—but Fury, on the other hand, certainly could. He wasn't rich enough to be indifferent to "small" sums like that.
And besides, as Fury reasoned, casino money comes from the people—it's only fair to use it for the people.
So Fury immediately exchanged the chips, transferred the twenty billion to his account, and left the casino in satisfaction.
General Ross caught up quickly. "Ahem, Fury, uh… You know the rules—when someone wins, everyone who saw it gets a share."
Fury gave him a flat look. "You're a general, not a gambler. Just say what you want."
Ross cleared his throat. "My super-prison was damaged last time. Needs funds for reconstruction. God knows how long approval from the higher-ups will take. Since there's this… unexpected windfall, why not lend me a little first?"
Fury said, "Fine. I'll give you twenty million."
Ross's face darkened. "You old bald crook! You're only giving me twenty million out of a billion? King Lock won the money, not you! I deserve half!"
"No. The initial stake came from S.H.I.E.L.D. You get twenty million."
"We're the ones guarding your damn criminals in that prison! Eight hundred million—no less!"
The two argued all the way back, bickering like old enemies until they finally settled the division of the twenty billion.
With the casino matter over, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Lock turned their attention back to their real concern—the Evil God.
Lock's comprehension of the Way of Luck had deepened. He wanted to test his new insight—what he called the Luck Disinfecting Technique.
Sure enough, within a few days, a distress signal came from Europe.
Lock, Black Widow, Fury, Hill, Captain America, and the others immediately set out.
Lock didn't bother with the Quinjet. He flew there directly—his flight speed was now faster than any jet on Earth. Sitting in a plane just felt slow and suffocating.
The others had no choice but to follow in the Quinjet.
Europe – Coastal Base
The Hydra-controlled military base, less than ten kilometers from the coast, was drenched in blood.
From the shoreline bunkers to the inner weapons depot, the ground was slick with crimson. Piles of corpses lay scattered along the road, the air heavy with the metallic tang of death.
A group of armed Hydra soldiers was frantically loading weapons onto a transport plane.
Suddenly, a shadow fell from the clouds above.
Lock descended like a thunderbolt, placing one hand lightly against the transport plane's hull.
"Boom!"
The aircraft and every Hydra soldier inside were instantly crushed into molten scrap.
"Enemy attack—!"
The base erupted into chaos.
Those Hydra troops who saw Lock standing calmly in midair instantly realized what they were facing—a superpowered being. They scattered, trying to find cover.
"Jie jie jie…"
A strange, mocking laugh echoed through the blood-soaked air. A wave of distorted energy surged forward.
"So, someone from S.H.I.E.L.D. finally shows up? I thought you'd keep hiding forever!"
The voice was harsh and warped—the Evil God had arrived.
Hidden inside a command plane, Alexander Pierce stiffened when he heard that voice.
For so long, S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't dared to intercept him. Now that they had, it meant only one thing—they'd brought their strongest.
He peered through the camera feed.
And froze.
"That's—King Lock!?"
Panic set in instantly. The Evil God might survive an encounter with Lock… but Pierce knew he wouldn't.
He needed to escape. Now.
But just as he started the plane's engines, a missile streaked across the horizon.
"Boom!"
The tail exploded into flames.
A familiar voice came through the comms—cold and steady.
"Pierce. We meet again."
Fury.
Pierce didn't respond. He jumped out of the burning plane, vanishing into the crowd of Hydra soldiers as bullets began to fly.
Black Widow piloted the Quinjet through the gunfire, dodging with surgical precision.
On the ground, Hydra soldiers and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents clashed violently.
But above them—far above the chaos—Lock and the Evil God faced each other in the open sky.
Lock stood in midair effortlessly, his presence calm, his body unmoved by the storm raging below.
The Evil God floated opposite him, his body encircled by dozens of swirling energies of different colors—like serpents writhing through the air.
Lock said softly, "Not bad. You've actually managed to stabilize dozens of chaotic energies inside you. The way of luck truly works wonders."
The Evil God frowned. He had no idea what Lock was talking about.
"I didn't expect the man who couldn't even fight back before to stand against me today," he sneered. "But it's a pity—your uncle here has grown stronger, too! Seems I'll be collecting your life after all!"
With a roar, a surge of dark red energy burst from his body—twisting like a monstrous serpent lunging for Lock.
The lock didn't move. He watched it approach, curious.
When it came within reach, he raised a single finger—and flicked.
The energy serpent dissolved instantly into nothing.
The backlash struck the Evil God like a whip. He staggered, blood spilling from his mouth.
But he only grinned, his teeth stained crimson.
"Jie jie jie—"
Seven more energy serpents burst out, each tens of meters long, lunging from every direction.
They coiled and writhed, filling the air with crackling energy.
Lock exhaled slowly. Then, he swept his hand through the air—tracing a Tai Chi symbol in golden light.
The seven serpents froze. Then, as if tamed, they began shrinking—smaller, smaller—until each was no larger than a baby snake, coiling and slithering across his palm.
Despite their size, the energy within them was immense—each one could have exploded with the force of an intercontinental missile.
But that wasn't what Lock was after.
He was watching something deeper—the flow of luck inside the energy.
These forces were powerful, yes—but unstable, impure, their structures held together by something unnatural.
A stabilizing force.
Luck.
Lock smiled faintly. "Let's see what happens when I remove it."
He lifted his other hand and tapped the seven tiny serpents.
"Luck Disinfecting Technique."
Instantly, the energies lost their stabilizing core.
The serpents began to convulse violently—swelling, distorting, collapsing into chaos.
Lock flicked his wrist, sending the unstable energy cluster flying toward the Evil God.
"Boom!"
The sky split open.
A massive explosion shook the entire base. The shockwave tore through buildings and bodies alike, leaving only fire and ruin.
Hydra soldiers nearby didn't even have time to scream. Their organs burst from the inside, blood spraying from their mouths as they collapsed.
When the dust settled, the Evil God hovered weakly in midair, his eyes wide with terror.
He could feel the chaotic energies inside his own body rebelling—trying to escape him.
"No… no! Stop!"
The power that had once obeyed him now surged outward uncontrollably, bursting through his skin like wild serpents.
Desperate, he tried to suppress them with other energies, but it was useless.
The seven streams of power burst from his body and rampaged across the battlefield—shrieking through the sky before fading into nothingness.
The Evil God's eyes went bloodshot.
"You—what did you do to me!?" he roared. "Why isn't my power obeying me anymore!?"
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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