Chapter 343: Invitation and Arrival

It wasn't hard to guess what kind of help she needed.

"Is this one of the criteria for selecting a 【Hero】?"

"Well, not exactly—it's just one of the conditions a 【Hero】 should possess," Rachel said apologetically. "It's only one condition. I'm sorry, but I can't say more. Once the river of prophecy leaks too much, it becomes less precise."

March is a primary condition.

There are five more conditions; all must be met in sequence to qualify for the 【Hero】's path.

Since this forest warden couldn't even meet the first primary condition, Rachel lost interest in him and naturally said no more.

Luo De nodded and asked no further questions.

He took her to the town hall to look up relevant records.

Xiao Ke took Amy on a detour back to the forest.

This guy still fears people, especially now in Shi Ying Town, where outsiders are more numerous.

Luo De still had influence at the town hall; he raised an eyebrow at the young girl at the desk, and she was already dazed.

He quickly obtained the records.

The last large-scale survey was ten years ago.

But unfortunately, the census data then was complex and incomplete, recording only broad statistics: population count, gender ratio, age distribution.

This method was mainly for tax convenience; only their own families likely knew each person's exact birth date.

Rachel was disappointed.

Luo De had wanted to treat her to a meal, as a host's courtesy.

But she was preoccupied with finding the 【Hero】, and in an instant, she left without a word.

At the forest's edge.

Sand churned.

Luo De, the half-deer Xiao Ke, and the female orc Amy sat cross-legged on the grass within the windshield ward set by the arachnid elf Yuna.

On the picnic blanket lay a steaming pot of dwarf stew—beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, seasoned heavily with garlic, Banggo berry leaves, bay leaves—rich in color, fragrant and pungent, the scent visibly thick.

Luo De had bought it on his way back from a newly opened dwarf restaurant on New Rank Street.

Just as there's no wife in wife cake and no fish in fish-flavored pork, this dwarf restaurant had no dwarves.

The chef was a halfling who donned thick clothing to impersonate a dwarf, greeting guests and claiming it served the most authentic dwarf cuisine on the continent.

Luo De saw through it at a glance but didn't bother to care.

Beside the picnic blanket, Yuna stood quietly, preparing a mushroom tea in the dark elf style.

Having a picnic during a sandstorm? Only someone insane would do that.

The tardy tree spirit Wei'an blinked her innocent glowing eyes and squeezed between Luo De and Xiao Ke.

She had no ill intent—she simply wanted to sit beside Luo De and her good friend.

They ate and chatted.

Mostly, it was Xiao Ke and Amy recounting what they'd seen on the journey.

With Rachel around, she hadn't dared speak freely; now she opened up.

Luo De smiled as he ate the spicy stew, listening.

He'd stepped in it.

This place was too spicy.

Besides him and Amy, who kept devouring, Wei'an and Xiao Ke barely ate two bites.

Tree spirits and half-deer still preferred milder food.

Luckily, he'd bought extra salad and mixed dishes.

Tally leaned half-reclined on Yuna's enormous spider abdomen, sipping mushroom tea with a bored expression.

The succubus didn't need food, but she enjoyed drinking beverages.

Sometimes at night she drank alcohol and liked pouring it over herself, making Luo De clean her up.

"Sorry, Rachel was just too eager to find the 【Hero】. She's not usually this rude."

Xiao Ke explained her hometown friend's abrupt departure.

Luo De waved it off—he didn't care about such small matters.

But he was still curious about the 【Hero】, so he asked for more details.

Xiao Ke noticed Luo De's hand had instinctively rested on Wei'an's thigh; she slapped it away and whispered low:

"The Elder's prophecy foretold a chaos unseen in a thousand years has begun to emerge. Six 【Heroes】 will arise to restore order. Whoever finds a 【Hero】 becomes an 【Hero's Giver】 and gains a chance at godhood. Rachel told me this in secret—don't you dare tell anyone."

"Godhood? What's the causal link here?"

The half-deer girl shrugged—she didn't know.

Luo De was confused.

If the 【Heroes】 who restore order earn a chance at godhood, that made sense—they deserved it.

But if the 【Hero's Giver】 gets the same reward just for finding them, isn't that unfair to the 【Heroes】?

After all, they're the ones fighting on the front lines, while these half-deer just sit back and reap the benefits.

He realized then.

Since the Sacred Spark appeared, the possibility of ascension had been signaled.

And now these six 【Heroes】 who will quell the chaos—this is how the half-deer achieve godhood.

Honestly, Luo De didn't think it was wrong.

He even felt a surge within him—this meant the continent was changing, offering people more opportunities.

But he quickly suppressed the stirrings in his heart.

His path had never been about adventure or exploration—it was about the girls before him.

The girls who shared their skills with him.

Without thinking,

Luo De leaned close to Wei'an and nipped her soft cheek.

The tree spirit blinked her innocent eyes, expressionless, then kissed him back—bolder now, she lightly touched his lips.

One kiss wasn't enough; she leaned in again and took his mouth.

"Hey! We're talking—why are you getting handsy?!"

Xiao Ke couldn't stop him in time, only muttered in annoyance.

Luo De gently pulled away the tree spirit who was actually biting his lips, wiped the trace of saliva from her mouth, and whispered in her ear:

"Tonight, Henry's Farm. Pan Ni's room."

Wei'an nodded silently, her face still unreadable.

The voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.

Xiao Ke's face flushed red; she snapped: "What are you up to now?! Do you really need that many people for that?!?"

"You don't understand—the more people, the more fun."

Amy, her mouth full of stew, looked up dumbly.

"Master, are you going to play? Why didn't you call Amy?"

"We're going to exercise muscles together in Pan Ni's room. You're coming too—but first, you must bathe."

"Then forget it. Amy won't go."

The orc girl declared she hated bathing.

"Once you've heard our conversation, the choice isn't yours anymore, understand, Amy?"

Amy saw her master's threatening look and shrank her shoulders: "Okay, Master…"

"Not just Wei'an and Amy—Tally goes too. Yuna, you're coming."

"As you command, Master."

"Hey!!" Xiao Ke shouted.

Then she saw the forest warden smirking at her: "Except you, Xiao Ke—you're not invited to the party."

The half-deer girl gritted her teeth, wanting to bite this guy to death!

But suddenly, she saw the man's expression turn serious—he turned his head toward the distant south.

Yet through the hazy mist, Xiao Ke saw nothing.

Only after two full minutes did a stranger's figure slowly rise.

His jet-black skin and pointed ears revealed his identity.

A dark elf.

(End of Chapter)