Chapter 37: Methods of Verifying Lies

As a modern man from Earth, Luo De did not understand the meaning of exile.

But the way people treated the Ruins Brotherhood made it clear enough.

“Elven magic stems from communion with the Nature God; once exile is decided, the Council uses a specific ritual to return the exiled one’s magic to nature.”

Kali Site ’s expression did not change.

She continued: “Given the elves’ reputation on the continent, what do you think happens to an elf without rank?”

Proud elves who fall to the bottom are kicked by everyone who once looked down on them.

What Kali Site did not say aloud was that she had witnessed firsthand the Cankuang of her aunt, exiled for two years, dragged out of an orc cave by the crowd.

“I’m not too worried about Falshard. He understands human affairs better than most elves, and he’s more humble. I believe even if exiled, he’ll manage.”

“Humility and so-called human savvy are signs of weakness and compromise. Elves don’t need them.”

Luo De gave her a smile, saying nothing.

The perception granted by the [Night Hunter Breathing Method] reached its peak.

The ripple of the breeze let him easily detect two thieves in the act.

Luo De grabbed each by one arm and dragged them straight to the constable.

“I divined it—the operation in Shi Ying Town today.”

The elf suddenly said.

Kali Site knew of this, for it was a prime opportunity for Bond’s field training, during which the elf would guide and protect her.

“What was the result?”

“Bad.”

Luo De was about to speak again.

A constable ran to his side and whispered a few words.

He said the situation had changed—Witch Dimia needed him to come over.

“See? Problems already.”

Luo De smiled.

The elf still scowled, refusing to even look at him.

Moments later.

He followed the constable out of Shi Ying Town, to a desolate stretch of wasteland.

“That’s far enough.”

Luo De smiled.

The [Night Hunter Breathing Method]’s perception told him at least four ambushers lurked here.

The constable turned around, his face twisted with fear and apology.

“Sorry, Luo De—they took my wife.”

“Get out.”

Whoosh—

The ground’s soil loosened, and three figures slowly rose.

“I told you no need to dig, no need to dig—just charge straight in!”

The burly, brown-skinned boarman grumbled.

He slammed his spiked mace into the earth.

Beside him, two hunched molemen, their arms and necks covered in gray-black fur, bowed and nodded, murmuring praises: “Big Brother’s right,” “Big Brother foresaw this.”

Farther off, a star elf mage hovered behind a magical barrier.

Star elves were a semi-transparent, sentient race with high magical sensitivity—like elves and humans, one of the few races on the continent skilled in magic.

He raised his staff, instantly casting a blessing spell upon the molemen and boarman.

The boarman, originally at high fourth tier, surged to low fifth tier.

The two weaker molemen rose to high fourth tier.

“Listen, kid, we’ve got no grudge against you. Dying here? Just bad luck—you worked for the Aitheron Kingdom.”

“Yeah, but don’t worry—we three brothers are famous for our kindness. We won’t desecrate or eat your corpse. We’ll burn you clean.”

“Enough talk! Kill him!”

The boarman roared impatiently, cutting off the molemen’s babbling.

He raised his spiked mace and charged straight at Luo De.

In his eyes, the human was frozen in terror.

Suddenly—

Brilliant golden light flashed repeatedly.

Tss-tss-tss!

A dense rush of wind whistled past the boarman’s ears.

He suddenly felt the weight of his spiked mace vanish.

His vision spun uncontrollably midair.

The boarman’s arms and head separated in midair, blood spraying upward.

[Aitheron Flash]. [Triple Flash]!

Nearby, the two molemen froze.

Before they could react, Luo De leapt swiftly to their front.

“I surrender—”

Tss!

The words were cut short as the moleman’s spiritual shield and skull were cleanly sliced open.

The other hurled a magical potion.

Simultaneously, he fled backward at full speed.

The potion contained an unstable alchemical substance; when it shattered against Luo De’s [Eternal Lightless Seal] spiritual shield, it erupted into roaring flames.

It became a massive fireball.

Luo De immediately detonated the shield.

The powerful blast, mixed with fire, flung the other moleman onto the ground, one leg crushed into a double fold, flames already burning his back.

“Aaaahhhhh—”

Luo De stepped forward and drove his sword through the heart, silencing his screams.

And the last one—the star elf.

On a nearby hillside, he stared in shock through the entire battle. Only when Luo De turned his gaze toward him did he realize the fight was over.

He frantically cast an invisibility spell and vanished.

Luo De pushed his perception to its limit.

Within this range, anything touching the spiritual breeze fed back into his mind.

He widened his eyes and spun around sharply.

“Bold!”

A colossal serpent of rock erupted behind him, its black, grotesque maw heating with intense spiritual energy, then spewing a jet of orange-red heat.

Luo De activated the [Eternal Lightless Seal] again.

One second later, the spiritual shield detonated, shattering the rock serpent into fragments.

“A sixth-tier mid-level power? You’re only a fifth-tier mage—you can even use that?”

He stomped the ground hard.

Four steel vines burst from the earth to his left.

[Steel Vine Assault]!

As the sound of the magical shield breaking echoed, pale blue blood sprayed through the air.

The star elf lost his invisibility, tumbling helplessly onto the ground.

One arm had been severed at the shoulder by the steel vines, still dangling midair.

On the ring finger of the severed hand, a single-use spell ring turned gray-white, utterly drained of spiritual energy.

“D-don’t kill me—”

The star elf’s semi-transparent face was filled with terror.

Intelligence was wrong!

The forest warden of Windwall Forest was not a newly promoted low fifth-tier, nor some weakling fifth-tier!

Luo De swung his sword.

Ping—

Another magical shield.

It seemed nearly every mage had a habit of stacking shields.

He applied slight pressure and shattered it.

His newly learned [Body Enhancement] was no longer an active skill—it had become a permanent passive spiritual art strengthening his body.

The spiritual energy granted greatly enhanced his physical attributes.

[Sacrificial Sword Technique] veered slightly, piercing into the opponent’s kidney.

The Star Spirit screamed in agony, then wailed.

“From now on, I ask, you answer. If I think you’re lying, I’ll cut off one of your fingers. Understood?”

“Huh, understood.”

“Good. I’m starting now.”

“Wait—my lord, do you have a way to detect lies?”

“No.”

“Then—”

“So pay attention: your expression must be sincere. Because once I feel you’re lying—whether you are or not—I’ll cut off your finger.”

“.”

(End of Chapter)