She gasped to see that all the surrounding trees, thick as wash basins, had been snapped clean in half at the waist.

Could a mere breeze really bring down trees like this?

Only a fool would think so! That left only one possible answer: the little girl from just moments ago must have done this. Angelia was not a fool, and she immediately connected this incident with Robin.

Angelia walked up to a broken tree and examined it closely, her astonishment growing the longer she looked.

She saw clearly that the break points on the trunks were as smooth as polished mirrors, the cuts utterly precise, nothing like what would result from any conventional chopping or sawing.

What on earth could have done this? Strange, truly baffling!

Angelia knew perfectly well that Robin hadn't swung her sword anywhere near these trees at the time, so why had they suddenly broken apart for no apparent reason?

Unclear. Utterly unclear!

The more Angelia pondered it, the more she felt the matter was shrouded in an unspeakable strangeness—a strangeness that only deepened her curiosity!

Just as Zhong Shenxiu had predicted, the shockwave delivered by Robin had begun to take root and sprout deep within her heart! ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ Donald had been in an exceptionally cheerful mood these past few days, staying home every day, never stepping out, spending all his time closeted with Brandon, deeply engrossed in discussions about the "Z War" relics.

That day, Donald decided to make a proactive visit to Old Danny. Normally, he wouldn't seek Danny out; it was usually Danny who dropped by his house.

The underlying reason, put plainly, was that Donald felt a pang of inferiority!

Old Danny’s mansion was situated on South Seventh Street, and it was ostentatiously luxurious.

Old Danny was in the business of "real estate flipping," and his standards for a dwelling were exceedingly high—certainly beyond anything Donald could match. This was the first source of Donald's self-consciousness.

"Uncle Donald, you’ve arrived!" As Donald stepped into Brandon's residence, a young man approached to greet him.

This youth had been mentioned before; he was Laurent, the one who had collected the armor from the 'One Furnace Fire Armory.'

"Laurent, is your father home?" Donald asked.

"Dad's inside! Uncle Donald, it’s been a long time since you visited us," Laurent replied warmly.

Donald said nothing, merely offering a slight smile.

Laurent had been the runner-up in the 'Academy Ranking Tournament' for two consecutive years. When Donald compared that to his own son, who frittered away his days idly and shirking responsibility, how could they possibly compare? This was the second reason for Donald’s feeling of inadequacy.

"Uncle Donald, have you run into some good news?" Laurent asked curiously, noticing the clear delight on Donald’s face.

"A little, hah. Say, shouldn't you be in class today?" Donald quickly tried to change the subject.

"Oh~ Today is the orientation for the new students, so our instructors gave us a half-day off," Laurent explained.

"Alright, you run along and keep busy. I’m going to find your father for a chat," Donald said as he headed toward the living room.

"Well, well! Isn't this Donald? What wind blew you in?" Old Danny immediately came out to greet Donald, though his greeting carried a distinct tone of teasing.

"Just came to see you!" Donald dispensed with pleasantries, found a seat, and settled in.

"You didn't come here today just to ask me for a favor, did you?" Old Danny inquired with a smile.

"Can't I come chat just because I don't need anything?" Donald retorted. His true purpose for this visit was, in fact, to needle Old Danny.

"That’s unlike you! I honestly thought you were too intimidated by your sense of inferiority to come over!" Old Danny prodded him with words.

This time, Donald was prepared, perfectly calm, and merely asked lightly, "Why on earth would I feel inferior? Is there anything about you that I can’t measure up to?"

"That’s the wrong way to phrase it. You should be asking what you have that can possibly compare to me." Old Danny glanced at Donald. Seeing he hadn't gotten the reaction he expected, he continued, "Look at it: your house isn't as good as mine, your son isn't as good as mine, and your daughter isn't as good as mine! Tell me, what do you have that’s better?"

Old Danny also had a daughter; she was a teacher too, but she taught at the 'Stay-at-Home Magic and Martial Arts Academy.' In terms of status, honor, and salary, she far surpassed Donald's daughter, Maxine. This was the third reason for Donald’s ingrained sense of inferiority.

Donald had done his mental preparation before arriving. He knew Old Danny would inevitably use these points to needle him; it wasn't the first time, nor the second.

Every previous time, Old Danny had succeeded, but this time he was due for disappointment, because Donald had come with vengeance in mind!

Seeing Donald remain utterly composed, Old Danny felt something was amiss. He wondered internally: Has this old fellow taken the wrong medicine today? Why is he so unruffled and serene? In the past, he’d be red in the face and stammering by now!

"The thing you should feel most inferior about is that you, a collector of antiquities, still rank below me, an amateur—you don’t even possess a single 'Z War' relic," Old Danny started hitting him with the heavy artillery, knowing this was Donald's deepest pain point.

Every time Old Danny brought up the 'Z War' relics, he could invariably send Donald into a near rage.

Old Danny loved watching his old friend become envious and angry. Whenever he felt down or in a foul mood, he would visit Donald’s house just to antagonize him. Instantly, his backache would ease, his leg cramps would vanish, his mood would brighten, and he’d have an appetite—it was a failsafe remedy that never missed!

But today, Old Danny had no idea that Donald had been waiting for exactly this line!

Donald knew that the moment he met Old Danny, the man was bound to bring up the 'Z War' relics. No matter how he tried to steer the conversation, Danny would always find a way back to them; he had to respect that tenacity!

"Who says I don't have any 'Z War' relics?" Donald asked, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.

"You have 'Z War' relics? Stop joking around. I know every scrap you own. If you truly had any 'Z War' relics, you wouldn't be here trying to rile me up; you’d be showing them off," Old Danny replied dismissively.

"Well, here I am!" Donald’s smile grew wider, and he looked at Old Danny with anticipation, eager to see his reaction.

The look of sheer astonishment that flashed across Old Danny's face gave Donald a small measure of satisfaction. Finally, he thought, I’ve managed to regain some ground today!

"You really have 'Z War' relics? Are you sure they aren't just fakes?" Old Danny’s eyes widened further, still refusing to believe it.

After all, 'Z War' relics weren't something you could just acquire easily! Danny had gone through tremendous effort and sheer luck to obtain the one he possessed. Yet, after only a few days apart, Donald was claiming to have them—how could this not shock him?

"Of course. Would I ever have fakes in my collection? Let me tell you, my 'Z War' relics are far superior to that old scrap helmet of yours—I have a completely intact suit of armor and a battle sword!" Donald’s expression could be summed up by a single lyric: I laugh with great glee, I laugh with great glee!

"You say you have two items?" Old Danny's eyes ballooned even wider.

However, Donald had no intention of answering that question!

"It’s getting late. I need to get back and continue studying the 'Z War' relics with Brandon! I’ll visit again when I have time!" Donald announced, rising and heading toward the door. His objective for the day had been perfectly achieved!

"Old man, wait up, I’m coming with you. You still haven't told me where you got those 'Z War' relics of yours?" Old Danny hurried out after him.