Chapter 130: Inheritance

"Ding ding ding!"

Just awakening from the Hall of Heroic Souls, Li En heard a continuous, thunderous clanging.

We're already in the Hall of Heroic Souls—why is someone still forging iron?

"Kuku, what are you doing?"

Li En looked toward the stage where Kuku was relentlessly striking something against his large cauldron.

Is he coming up with another new trick again?

"Aren't you planning to decide tonight? It's already this late—can you at least tell me? I need to coordinate with you."

Li En's words halted mid-sentence as he saw what Kuku was striking!

"Heroic Soul Card inheritance?!"

"Bang bang bang!" Kuku stopped, smiling at Li En.

But what he was repeatedly hammering—wasn't that Kuku's own Heroic Soul Card, the soul-card imbued with the authority of inheritance in the Dreamland?

"To whom? Hard to say. They're all good kids. Their lives are still long. No one can judge them. The future and fate are changeable—gold might be buried in soil, and mud might yield true gold."

"Snap!"

With another fierce strike, a crack finally appeared on the Heroic Soul Card.

This wasn't physical damage—it was the shattering of a soul. The "Heroic Soul Inheritance Package" had been opened by its owner.

". My qualified heir? Heh, I'm already dead, reduced to a handful of earth—there's truly no need to care so much about what comes after."

Kuku looked at Li En, his unusually calm gaze seeming to see through everything.

"What matters is always the living. You hope your descendants live happily, don't you? But must you demand they become heroes? As long as they're healthy and content, I'm satisfied. I won't even search for any possible descendants—I'm already dead."

It seemed this dog-headed creature, through Li En, had seen much.

". I don't care about my own descendants' achievements, let alone these so-called successors. They're just juniors, just unworthy kids—but as long as they push forward toward better lives, it proves our predecessors' efforts weren't in vain."

"Bang!!"

The card shattered completely, splitting into fragments.

Kuku touched them, smiling as he reformed and refined them.

". Don't be too harsh on them. Their failure isn't their fault. Talent, willpower, ability—even fate—can turn a hero's potential into mediocrity."

"Their future is always their own path—they must bear it themselves."

No more doubt: Kuku had seen through Li En's thoughts—and was speaking directly to him.

"Sul may have told you that persistence and willpower can change fate—that's true. But I urge you: don't cling too tightly to those around you. Don't demand perfection. You don't need to be strict with yourself and lenient with others—but if you pull the string too tight, it will snap."

As he spoke, the fragments rearranged into a face—the very image of Li En from earlier that day, gritting his teeth before the window.

"Don't rush, don't rush. Life is long—it's bound to be a marathon. Slow down at the start. Be more forgiving toward the children, and be kinder to yourself."

Each fragment split again, becoming thin, individual cards.

"Who will succeed, who will go astray—no one can say for sure. Maybe it's all fate. But since the children want to change, want to break free from their chains, I will give it to them."

The cards gradually took shape—this time, though their radiance was far dimmer, they still blazed with light.

In truth, with their increased number, they had shifted from a single "moon" to a "glittering constellation," their brilliance now more brilliant and dazzling.

They floated in midair—seven cards shimmering like stars, as if ready to illuminate the coming age.

"I truly look forward to this gift—surely it will bring them the changes they dream of."

As he spoke, Kuku gently pointed, and the cards drifted directly before each candidate who had just entered the Hall of Heroic Souls.

Turning around, he addressed the candidates, their faces filled with confusion and unease.

"Gaaah! You! If you want them—take them!"

Watching the still cackling dog-headed Heroic Soul, Li En sighed, then straightened his posture.

Now was no time to let the kid down.

"Silence! Heroic Soul Kuku has made his decision! These are the Heroic Soul Inheritances he personally shattered and refined. If you wish to change your future, accept them."

There's no need to demand too much from "children." If they want it, give it to them.

My era has ended. The future belongs to them. Accept this gift and blessing from your predecessors—and live your own lives well enough.

This, perhaps, is Kuku's most humble greatness.

Teaching without discrimination? No, it's not that simple.

He simply held quiet hope and longing, believing the future would be good, trusting the good in human nature, and willing to walk that path steadfastly.

At this moment, Li En understood this Heroic Soul—the lonely, persistent spirit.

"You told me not to be too harsh. Then why have you stood alone in the wheat field, watching for over a hundred years?"

"Because I believe that even if I fall, those who come after will complete it."

Kuku laughed, his wild, cackling laugh—something the "children" could never understand.

"History has proven me right! I was right!"

Li En sighed, silently gazing ahead.

He accepted the advice—he would no longer demand that the incapable strive, nor force ordinary "lucky winners" to become heroes.

As Kuku said: if one child fails, there's always another.

But if they go astray and misuse this Heroic Soul power recklessly—that's another matter entirely.

"Gaaah! You, a Holy Knight, slaying evil—what does that have to do with me, a dead alchemist? Nothing!"

Well, this bouncing, hopping dog-headed creature was still as cheerful as ever.

——

"Wait, I got one too?!"

None of the candidates had expected this—having entered the Hall of Heroic Souls prepared for fierce competition, they now faced this unexpected turn.

Most of them, in fact, lacked the resolve to win.

Having truly endured the dream trial and understood the gap between themselves, these "new generations raised in honey pots," and the heroic spirits, even the most arrogant rogues would not believe they had the right to inherit Kuku's legacy—except, of course, for the goblin's confidence.

But from another perspective, dragons are naturally arrogant; they are the privileged children of the world and its elements. The innate arrogance of goblins, who possess only partial bloodline, transforming into groundless confidence, is understandable.

Unfortunately, none of these candidates were goblins.

When this "treasure" lay before the candidates, they felt surprise, but more so fear and unease.

They gradually realized this was not merely a windfall from heaven.

"Knowledge—I divided it according to your tendencies. But it is incomplete; most remains methodology and research experience, which you must perfect yourselves. The Thinking Line's nature is inside, yet fragmented and weakened."

This fragmentation of the heroic spirit's legacy—other heroic spirits might wish to learn it, yet few could accomplish it.

That would likely be the product of hundreds of Thinking Lines, continuously calculating, dividing, and packaging.

"Do I, too, have the right to possess it?"

"Can I bear this cost?"

"Can I uphold the honor of the heroic spirit?"

Perhaps now it was these "children" who were torn.

Li En conveyed Kuku's message: this fragmented legacy still contained the soul's trait of "multiple Thinking Lines," but it was far weaker than the complete version.

Yet for these young people before him, this might be a blessing.

"You need not fear spawning countless personalities; the fragmented soul trait has lost its infinite growth potential."

The limit might be just two or three personalities.

But for these "ordinary people," it was undoubtedly a great blessing—their absolute limit of possibility.

"I thank you." The snow-white magical girl was the first to grasp the card, and the first to speak before the public.

With this ability, I can split off a new soul and escape the magical contract that binds me to death.

Perhaps the moment of freedom lasts but a flash—but it is enough to change my future.

"I will not miss this opportunity."

The second to grasp it was "Poison Blade."

The daytime battle had intensified her fear and anxiety; she would not let slip the chance to alter her fate, would not miss this possibility of gaining power!

This was not merely a legacy—it was her key to unlocking the "cage"!

The third and fourth to grasp it were the machine race's Ophelia and the mushroom person Gugu; they had nothing to hesitate over.

As a result, the two alchemists who had seemed most eager—Shi Difen and Vitoria—ended up last.

They looked around, feeling bewildered: Aren't we alchemists the most radical, the most suited?

How can you be so eager? Can you truly wield the power of this legacy?

"I—I want to leave the Underworld. Can you help me?" Vitoria's words stunned everyone.

"Yes. In fact, if you accept this legacy, I will take you with me."

Li En spoke directly.

Vitoria gritted her teeth and accepted the legacy.

"As for me…" Shi Difen paused, glanced at the Princess, and remembered his earlier promise.

He gritted his teeth and took it.

Six of the seven legacies had been given out; it seemed over. Li En nodded, then added:

"Lord Kuku left behind some new research findings and notes. Alchemists may access them here—this is a semi-finished product requiring your collaborative study and refinement."

These unfillable notes were the very reason Li En would need to meet offline with the alchemists among the legacy recipients.

Here, he felt he had said enough.

The final candidate for the legacy was Shaliman—she had been brought in by Li En's backdoor, originally just a placeholder.

Though her compatibility was unnaturally high, without this will and aspiration, even perfect compatibility meant nothing.

But the next moment, Li En's expression changed.

Shaliman had seized the legacy.

"Let me… consider it."

(End of Chapter)