Exposure of Identity

Wakanda, the southeastern edge of the City of the Future.

A massive river was cut off here, while sheer cliffs formed staggered rocky steps like countless interlocking fangs. Waterfalls plunged downward, mist rising in clouds.

The upper half of the cliffs did not have enough of a drop yet. Indigenous royalty from every tribe had gathered, each standing in their own area, arranged downward all the way to the broad, flat platform jutting out midway along the cliff.

The platform was as large as a basketball court. It was the battleground for the royal challenge ceremony. King’s guardians holding Vibranium spears and Ceremony elders dressed in strange attire stood near its edges.

At the center of the platform stood a young man, his dark, muscular upper body bare. Holding a Vibranium shield and a Vibranium sword, he had a faint gleam of wisdom in his eyes. Though young, he did not lack a king’s majesty as he stood proudly at the cliff’s edge.

Only Wakanda’s royal families from the major tribes were qualified to stand within the waterfall cliffs. The far more numerous ordinary citizens crowded outside the cliffs instead.

The chief Ceremony elder held a Vibranium spear-staff and stepped onto the platform where water flowed. He announced loudly, "I, Bahet, hereby present Prince T’Chaka to everyone!"

Prince T’Chaka majestically raised his shield and sword, then immediately dropped to one knee on the water-covered platform, drawing fervent cheers from the tribal royalty and citizens.

"During the ceremonial battle, only surrender or death signifies one side’s withdrawal. If any warrior of royal blood from any tribe wishes to challenge Prince T’Chaka for the noble and powerful title of ‘Black Panther’…" The chief Ceremony elder cleared his throat and spread his hands. "I will show him the path to the throne!"

At that moment, Kyle was following the crowd in search of Howard. When he reached the waterfall cliff, he happened to see the royal challenge ceremony beginning below.

As the chief Ceremony elder’s question fell, T’Chaka stared solemnly ahead. Royal representatives from the various tribes began responding in turn.

"The Merchant tribe will not challenge for the throne!"

"The Mountain mining tribe will not challenge for the throne!"

"The River tribe will not challenge for the throne!"

Standing outside the cliff, Kyle could not help shrugging boredly at the sight below.

Though it was a local indigenous custom, essentially a formal procedure to show that the royal families of every tribe had no objections and allow the prince to inherit the throne legitimately—

In his view, it was the other side of Wakanda’s advanced hardware: its software and culture were excessively barbaric and backward, more like a bad custom.

The City of the Future, more developed and advanced than anywhere else in the world, still had a throne challenge ceremony like a fighting ring where the strong ruled supreme. It truly carried on barbarism to the fullest.

"I should find Howard as soon as possible." Kyle lightly shook his head and prepared to leave, just as the chief Ceremony elder raised his voice and addressed the final tribe.

"Does anyone of royal blood still wish to challenge Prince T’Chaka for the throne?"

At last, a representative of the Jabari tribe’s royal family appeared at the entrance of a cliffside cave and said slowly, "The Jabari tribe today…"

"Don’t come over here!"

In the next instant, a startled cry suddenly came from inside the cave. Then, from behind the Jabari royal representative, a slightly smaller tribesman rushed out in panic.

Tap! Tap!

The short Jabari tribesman waded onto the platform of the challenge ceremony, instantly silencing the celebratory scene. Only the roar of the waterfall could be heard.

Throughout the waterfall cliffs, countless indigenous people wore grave, tense expressions, their mouths hanging open as their astonished gazes fixed on the Jabari tribesman.

Someone actually dared to challenge for the throne!

The royal members of countless tribes were bewildered. Even the Jabari royal representative’s mouth twitched slightly. Who the hell was this tribesman?!

T’Chaka was resolute, powerful, and decisive as a warrior; as a prince, he was benevolent, wise, and responsible.

Unless someone questioned his fitness to become king, no one would rashly issue a throne challenge during such an important ceremony.

In fact, aside from the stunned local residents, two other people were equally dumbfounded at that moment.

One was the Jabari tribesman on the platform. He looked around in slight confusion, unsure whether to advance or retreat beneath the strange gazes of the many indigenous citizens.

The other was Kyle at the cliff’s edge. The moment he saw that familiar figure emerge from the cave and walk onto the platform for the challenge ceremony, his head began to ache.

Below the waterfall, atop the platform.

"Warrior, are you certain you wish to challenge for the throne?" the chief Ceremony elder asked in a deep voice.

"I…"

Before the Jabari tribesman could speak, T’Chaka stared at him with glittering eyes and calmly tossed over the Vibranium sword in his hand. "I accept your challenge!"

The Jabari tribesman instinctively reached out and caught the Vibranium sword. Unfortunately, while Vibranium Metal itself was not heavy, it contained refined steel, and T’Chaka’s throw had been forceful. He could barely clutch the Vibranium sword against his chest before stumbling back several steps to bleed off the force and falling into the water.

T’Chaka: "…"

The surrounding tribal members exchanged strange looks and murmured among themselves. Since when had the Jabari, hidden away in remote mountains, become so weak?

But immediately afterward, something even more astonishing happened.

As the Jabari tribesman fell into the water and rose again with the Vibranium sword in hand, the camouflage powder on his upper body was washed away, revealing his original fair skin.

"That man isn’t one of our Jabari people!" The Jabari royal representative glared at him and demanded furiously, "Who are you?!"

"I told you that you had the wrong person…" The Jabari tribesman sighed helplessly, hurriedly removed his animal-shaped mask, and revealed the gentlemanly face of a Westerner. His little mustache trembled as he said, "Sorry, I went to the wrong place."

"He’s an outsider!"

The surrounding tribal royalty, along with the indigenous residents outside the cliffs, erupted in an uproar. An outsider had actually infiltrated such an important throne challenge ceremony?!

"Damn it, he defiled the sacred ceremony! Kill him!"

Amid the impassioned, indignant cries, the first to act were the king’s female guards at the platform’s edge. They struck the cliff wall with the butt ends of their Vibranium spears, producing crisp yet oppressive thuds.

"An outsider has entered the ceremonial grounds, which only royalty is qualified to enter. He must be executed on the spot!"

One of them, the female guard captain clad in a crimson Vibranium battle suit, raised her Vibranium spear and coldly hurled it at Howard with all her strength.

"Wait…" T’Chaka tried to stop her, but it was too late. Without having consumed the Heart-shaped herb and gained the Black Panther’s extraordinary physique, he could only watch helplessly as the spear blurred through the air, charging directly toward Howard’s chest at twice the speed of sound.

Even at a distance of a hundred meters, the guard captain’s Vibranium spear could pierce through a car and nail it into concrete! Let alone at a distance of less than ten meters!

Just then, a dark figure streaked through the air above the waterfall, hurtling onto the water-covered platform and racing toward Howard at the same speed as the spear!