Chapter 15: Truly Random?

A somewhat childlike voice sang a ballad that echoed through the seemingly sacred hall.

History was beginning a new cycle at this very moment.

“The years have reached the next movement; when the storm strikes, the Watcher lights the last lighthouse, and the invisible tide swallows the ignorant mortals.”

“The heartbeat of ancient beasts shakes the earth, dragons reclaim the skies, the seas become a breeding ground for calamity, the bronze gates shatter, the Outer Gods descend from the stars, the Hall of Heroes reveals a corner from history, and the heroic souls sow the seeds of legacy...”

The strange tone was an unknown language—was it an arcane prophecy?

“No, this is not prophecy. It is the historical record of the demonic tides from previous eras, events that have happened countless times before, and once the demonic tide begins, it will inevitably rise again...”

Was this pulling in a major figure? Secrets unknown to Lien poured forth.

She? Indeed a woman. The four who entered were wrapped in mist, indistinct to each other, but to Lien, the dream’s host, they were crystal clear.

She had golden hair and blue eyes, wearing a pale gold dress, appearing about thirteen or fourteen years old. Her eyes sparkled with lively intelligence.

Her fiery red gown would suit a ball, and the ruby pendant around her neck was clearly valuable. When excited, her golden pupils shifted into vertical slits, faintly flickering with thunder.

She likely hailed from an ancient noble family, possessing historical secrets far beyond the age.

Considering how costly knowledge was in this world, she was certainly no ordinary noble.

The other three candidates were nervously observing their surroundings. Such a lucid dream and the Hall of Heroes were far beyond their comprehension.

“The ones in the sky are the Zodiac Constellations. I wonder if I’ll have a chance to earn a zodiac number...”

Only this girl was excitedly revealing secrets, pointing at the surroundings as if she had long awaited this day.

Lien...and Sull stood above them, watching calmly.

In truth, he was also listening to the girl’s additions to the setting...supplementing these secrets and refining his own character and plans ahead.

At least, he had never known about demonic tides or eras before.

From what she said, it seemed like some kind of intermittent catastrophe—survive it, and you’re fine; fail, and the next era begins.

And the previous rulers of this world were not these beast-people.

“Since the Hall of Heroes has appeared, then the demonic tide that brings countless disasters will soon follow...” The girl’s face instantly turned pale as she realized.

The demonic tide—more precisely, the elemental tide—was something she kept mentioning, a historical cycle akin to a rising flood.

When the demonic tide arrived, supernatural powers became more active, and extraordinary beings and advanced species could more easily ascend, but all sorts of chaotic things buried by history would also resurface.

“...We need to contact the Astrological Tower to confirm recent dragon sightings and determine if this is a sign of the demonic tide.” This was whispered so quietly that only Lien, as the dream’s host, could hear, forcing her to reevaluate the speaker’s identity.

“We’ve caught a big fish.”

This greatly reassured Lien. She could only intervene with these candidates, and the greater their power, the better.

But the candidates currently were local, meaning she should also be in Glimmer City. Glimmer City was not a new place—did it truly have such ancient noble families?

Lien noted the girl’s appearance, intending to investigate further in reality... Yet upon closer examination, she felt an inexplicable familiarity.

Something flowed through the bloodline. That exquisite face seemed like a reflection of a relative.

“...Wait, what about her beast traits? Why does she have human round ears?”

Aside from slightly unusual pupils, Lien saw no beast ears or tails—her ears were human, rounded, which meant she was...

“Dragonborn? A forbidden race?”

Indeed, not human. This world had no true humans but rather a species very similar in appearance called the Dragonborn.

They were usually hybrids of dragons and some mortal species, but were taboo on the continent, especially within a kingdom ravaged by a colossal dragon disaster a decade ago.

Anything related to dragons was not simply hunted but outright persecuted in the kingdom... Several draconic subraces had been forced to migrate or face extinction.

Yet this girl seemed confident and well-off, apparently unpersecuted.

A Dragonborn thriving in a kingdom that hated dragons? Lien stroked her chin thoughtfully; this relative’s status must be extraordinary.

Yes, he had suspected he himself was Dragonborn... If it had been mere suspicion before, then the “Dragon Transformation” mark on the Hall of Heroes’ codex and the first racial talent “Dragon Eyes” were undeniable realities.

Now, perhaps because of kinship, a resonance in the blood stirred, bringing instinctive warmth.

“Little one, you’re right. A new wave of the demonic tide has already arrived...”

At this moment, it was no longer time to let her dominate the conversation; Lien interrupted.

The four pairs of eyes turned toward him.

Everyone had long been watching the host at the center of the stage quietly.

The old knight clapped his hands, drawing all attention. His exhaustion was undeniable, as if freshly returned from battle.

His battle-worn armor and scarred body displayed his final stance.

Lien had assumed impersonating Sull would be difficult—after all, he was not an “old timer” like Sull himself, and subtle behaviors or microexpressions might betray him.

But in this teaching mode, he seemed to inhabit Sull’s body like a puppet master, simply allowing the physical shell to move naturally to perfectly imitate him.

Moreover, whenever he wished to speak, a virtual personality AI inside his mind continuously prompted him, “What would Sull do or say?”

All he needed to do was choose the appropriate answer.

Had the Hall of Heroes truly appeared more than once? The experience was overwhelming.

“...The first batch of evil gods will awaken two years from now, right beneath your feet.”

Opening with a bombshell, Lien struck hard.

He knew some tricks of deception: the more equal the conversation, the easier it was to be seen through. If you speak softly and politely, the other party tends to dismiss you.

Striking at their weakness or intimidating them from the start was fundamental.

“Sir! Y-Your words are true?”

The first to show nervousness was the lucky one Lien had covertly controlled.

Talia, the leopard police officer, did not disappoint; her unease stirred the emotions of the others.

One by one, the young faces wavered.

The time was simply too close... For the extraordinary, two years was nothing.

At this moment, Lien finally saw a chance to solve this ticking time bomb.

His power was limited, but these promising youngsters might become pawns to shift the tide.

At least he could now reveal this intelligence without being locked away for interrogation.

“Gray Sea Cape Stag, Elserna... It is indeed underground. Very few know this; hardly any noble houses in the kingdom are aware.”

The golden-haired, blue-eyed girl confirmed the intelligence.

She had some knowledge of the buried evil god.

What a coincidence! Why does she know what no one else does? Surely she isn’t a plant sent by that other figure?

While others grew suspicious of her, Lien nearly cried out in admiration.

If he hadn’t been controlling this himself, he might have thought she was his own agent.

“Clap, clap.”

Lien clapped again, regaining attention and control.

The second rule of deception was to keep the pressure relentless, never giving the opponent time to think.

“If nothing goes wrong, this city will be utterly destroyed in two years, and a bleeding scar will appear at the continent’s center... Ha, that’s also why I was awakened here. I am Sull Dawne, an ordinary holy knight forgotten by history.”

Self-introduction must follow a crisis.

Want to solve trouble? Find me, trust me.

“Sull Dawne? Sounds familiar...” The dragonborn girl, who seemed to hold limitless knowledge, finally paused without an immediate answer.

Her dragon eyes fixed on Sull, his battered armor, and the holy emblem upon it.

“The Holy Balance’s knight, from the theocratic realm, Sull... The stubborn Sull?!”

Suddenly, joy lit her expression.

“The fallen theocratic realm... The God-Slayer! The rebel knight who caused the gods’ downfall!” More astonishing revelations spilled forth.

God-slaying? In this world, gods were the most dangerous and powerful beings. Each god’s fall brought great calamity to the mortal realm. How could such acts not be recorded in history?

“God-slaying? You must be mistaken. I never did such a thing.” The old knight frowned, disdainful of claims not his own.

He had fallen beneath the Balance deity, that was certain.

In his final memories, the theocracy and god of law were still strong.

“Does the memory of a heroic soul truly end at death? Is it true they only know what happened in life?” This seemed to confirm something for the girl.

She pondered, then spoke earnestly.

“That was indeed your deed. Although you fell to the Balance deity, your accusations caused many judgment knights to waver, ultimately leading to several legal reforms and civil strife... Thirty years later, the Balance deity fell, and you were seen as the direct cause.”

“Did she just die like that? Did the theocracy simply vanish?” Sull’s expression darkened bitterly.

Lien, inhabiting Sull’s body, felt the subtle bitterness and unwillingness—was Sull planning to live on to settle scores?

At this moment, Lien understood why Sull was so resentful of the Law Knights’ legacy.

[Judgment (Law) Knight Legacy: To pass on the long-lost path of the Law’s balance once more...]

This lost power was partly why.

Now, it seemed he wished to pass it on again, to place it in the hands of a worthy and benevolent soul.

The heroic soul knight shook his head. From Sull’s perspective, he was dead and gone; the dead need not care for the living. Those who needed to care were the successors—Lien and these candidates.

He looked at each candidate—these were the future he chose.

Did they truly deserve to bear this burden? Were they worthy wielders of this blade?

[Candidate No. 3, Compatibility: 31%, Satisfaction: 0%]

A tall spider-person who had not yet spoken was the candidate with the highest compatibility... Note, compatibility, not synchronization. “Synchronization” presumes the same person and body.

After training and testing, this “legacy” would be entrusted to one of them.

Lien’s emotions grew complex. The real Sull’s heroic soul probably knew of the theocracy’s downfall.

Otherwise, why include the “Law Knight’s Legacy” in this teaching, even making it a personal request?

Perhaps in Sull’s eyes, the fall of wicked laws and gods was deserved, but the extinction of such a powerful legacy was regrettable.

[The power of law is a fine blade. In the hands of the good, it maintains justice, safety, and peace. If wielded by evil gods... I’d rather it not exist now—Sull Dawne.]

Perhaps this fractured kingdom, this fragile regime, truly needed that power.

“Introduce yourselves. The Hall of Heroes recruits based on compatibility. You all qualify to inherit my legacy, but there is only one copy. I will decide the final bearer.”

Lien did not intend to reveal this hidden gift just yet.

His eyes swept over the candidates, assessing their expressions and personalities as reference.

The girl raised her hand first.

[Candidate No. 4, Compatibility: 7%, Satisfaction: -5%]

Such a low compatibility stunned Lien; he even suspected she had slipped in through backdoor means... It was the first time he’d seen satisfaction dip below zero, indicating Sull’s displeasure with the girl.

“Speak.” True to character, Lien did not hide his disdain.

He, Sull Dawne, had always despised Dragonborn and great nobles; they were a big headache.

“Can I skip name and identity? I’m a bit special.”

“Fine.” Satisfaction dropped further to negative seven. A secretive type who never pleased Sull.

“Call me Dragonbane, Dragonhunter, Dragonkiller... just ‘Dragonbane’.” Her words carried uncontrollable anger and hatred, her pupils once again shifting to vertical slits—dragon eyes.

Wait, that’s odd—how could a Dragonborn despise dragons so much?

“I... call myself ‘Shadow Judgment.’” The second to speak was Talia, using her forgotten adventurer codename’s abbreviation.

It seemed they understood immediately.

Trust no one. Not to mention whether the Hall of Heroes was genuine, if others knew their true identities, it would be disastrous.

They looked at one another, silently grateful for the mist. Just one legacy could spark untold conflict.

“I am Larry Labor. A holy knight needs no lies or concealment.”

The spider-person spoke, instantly boosting satisfaction from zero to twenty percent. Hey, Sull, that’s too biased.

But the name triggered reactions among several candidates.

“Labor?! You’re from the Labor family?”

Talia startled awake. Wasn’t this a potential enemy from her own special task force?

Yet the strongest reaction came from the silent pig-person, the only pure mortal candidate.

“Labor? I’m ‘Bonebreaker.’” He raised his head, his eyes burning with hatred like the midday sun.

“This morning, I became the newly appointed leader of the Bonebreaker gang at the docks.”

His gaze fixed on the spider knight.

“Yesterday, I was just a cook who lost my younger brother.”

“And you. Your family, your brother Diego Labor, is the killer!”

Wasn’t he the eldest child Will’s mother planned to rely on?

At this moment, Lien recalled seeing a tall figure bowing at the funeral earlier—he had seemed honest and simple then.

What was going on? The criminal’s family, the police officer hunting them, and the victim’s kin all gathered together?

Heavens, was the Hall of Heroes codex truly random? Was it mocking him?