Chapter 346: Hero Candidate

Luo De told Tally to untie Atticus.

After all, he came with sincerity; we should grant him some dignity.

He sent the other girls back into the forest, then took Atticus toward the Stonecrystal Town Hall.

This dark elf had been pressing Luo De to gather forces and crush Coral Bay; his own kin had become thorns in his eyes.

The Infernal Archdukes within the Pit find it hard to directly influence events on land.

They usually exert influence indirectly by selecting proxies; once the Black Moon Clan as proxy is eliminated, the traitor Atticus will be free to fly as high as the sky.

Yet despite his impatience, he still retained some reason.

Aware of how difficult the two great dragons were to handle and how terrifying the undead necromancer on the battlefield was, he agreed under Luo De's persuasion to provide all information about Coral Bay's interior.

They walked toward the town hall.

Passersby stared at them.

Fortunately, Atticus wore a hood enchanted with Tally's 【Dark Veil Cloak】, obscuring his face; yet their stares still made him uneasy and fearful.

He feared someone might expose his whereabouts.

But he soon realized everyone wasn't looking at him—they were focused on the tall forest warden beside him.

Their eyes held hope and admiration; bold boys and girls occasionally approached Luo De to speak, and he responded to each one.

Of course, the half-human, half-spider girl trailing behind them drew equal attention.

Atticus couldn't help thinking: Who else but this man could possibly be called a hero?

"By the way, how did you escape?"

Luo De asked.

Three days ago, a male half-deer claiming to be the "Hero Giver" somehow breached the ritual grounds alone and entered the interior of Coral Bay, then surrendered himself willingly.

The half-deer elder's prophecy of the hero has spread across the continent; our leader couldn't ignore it—not to aid the so-called 【Hero】, but to use the 【Hero Giver】's tracking to kill the one deemed the hero."

After all, the 【Hero】 who brings peace to chaos targets none other than them, the necromancers."

Luo De nodded.

He had already mentioned there were two 【Hero Givers】 who entered Dusk Hill.

One was Rachel, currently in Stonecrystal Town; the other was the male half-deer in Coral Bay.

But.

Everyone knew Coral Bay was controlled by dark elves—why would anyone deliberately enter to find the 【Hero】?

"And then? Did you find him?"

Atticus's expression turned strange as he said:

"I wouldn't say we found him. The conditions for the half-deer's 【Hero Judgment】 gradually unlock over time and major events; currently, two people meet all unlocked conditions: one is the prisoner in Coral Bay, the other is the current leader of the Black Moon Clan."

Luo De was momentarily stunned.

He burst out laughing.

Was this some kind of black comedy?

Before he could ask further, they had arrived at the town hall.

Luo De nodded to the front desk clerk and headed straight for Rosalia's office.

The fairy of the tooth, Rosalia, was as elegant and composed as ever.

Her thick, dark red waves were swept to her left shoulder, catching a soft white glow; the rest were tucked behind her translucent, cicada-wing-like ears, revealing most of her bright, snow-white face.

"Luo De, what brings you here today?"

She set down her feather pen and smiled.

"Let me show you something interesting."

Seeing Luo De's smug expression, the fairy's face stiffened—she thought she'd guessed something.

But when he pulled a man in from outside, she realized her mistake.

Yuna followed closely, shut the door, then cast a spell to muffle sound and block scrying.

Though Yuna had never studied magic before, her talent was exceptional; within just a week, she'd mastered several practical spells.

Even more remarkable was her potential for alchemy—certified by both Selina and Kalist.

Luo De lifted Atticus's hood.

"A dark elf?"

Rosalia gasped in shock.

Luo De recounted everything about this man.

There was no need to hide it—Rosalia was already one of Stonecrystal Town's administrators; even if they later moved against Coral Bay, she'd find out eventually.

At least for now, this ambitious fairy was someone they could trust.

Still, if Luo De had to name the person he trusted most in the town hall, it was still the witch Dimea.

After listening to the account,

Rosalia also laughed.

"A dark elf necromancer meets the 【Hero】's conditions? Absurd."

"Who says otherwise? So, what's the Black Moon Clan's stance?"

Atticus knew Luo De had brought him to the town hall to meet leadership—clearly planning action against Coral Bay.

He was deeply excited.

He suppressed his joy and said: "Opinions are divided into two factions: one dismisses it as nonsense and advises ignoring it—this is the faction of the leader's inner circle; the other urges preemptive caution, arguing the leader should appoint capable successors—this is the faction of rival parties."

Luo De nodded: "The more divided they are, the better."

Rosalia remained silent, mentally placing herself in their position, considering how she'd respond.

"Before I left, another opinion circulated secretly: since the half-deer prophecy is renowned across the continent, they believe if the 【Hero】 truly is the leader, then when she achieves her destiny, it will also be the Black Moon Clan's moment of resurgence—so they've quietly steered the 【Hero Judgment】 toward that outcome."

"Trying to force the leader to become the 【Hero】."

"Yes."

No wonder the half-deer prophecy was so potent.

Even the minds of necromancers who worship the Infernal Archduke had been stirred.

Imagine how many others on the continent would rush to follow.

Seeing the two lost in thought, Atticus quickly voiced his loyalty:

"I've always believed the 【Hero】 will be Lord Luo De!"

Rosalia glanced at the forest warden, who was quietly smirking beside her—she knew he'd brought a half-deer girl to the town hall that morning to check records, as if searching for someone.

At this time, a half-deer searching for someone? No need to guess—it was the 【Hero Giver】.

And the forest warden who brought her? Clearly, he'd been rejected as the 【Hero】.

He knows he's not the hero, yet refuses to deny it—what a wicked man.

Luo De: "But there's another prisoner who also meets the conditions—what about him?"

"He's a druid from the Balance Association; he came two months ago to mediate peace. She… uh… has some emotional entanglement with our leader."

(End of Chapter)