Chapter 15: Is It Truly Random?

A song with a childlike voice echoed through the seemingly sacred hall.

History began a new cycle at this moment.

“Time has entered the next movement; when the storm arrives, the Night Watchman lights the final lighthouse, and the invisible tide swallows the ignorant mortals.”

“The ancient beasts’ rolling heartbeat shatters the earth, the evil dragons reclaim the sky, the oceans become cradles of calamity, the bronze gates are shattered, the Outer Gods descend from the stars, the Hall of Heroes peeks from history’s veil, and the heroic souls scatter the seeds of legacy.”

The strange intonation—was it an unknown tongue, or the babbling of a prophecy?

“No, this is not prophecy—it is historical record from previous eras’ Magic Tide periods, events that have occurred countless times before, and the inevitable future that will unfold once the Magic Tide begins.”

Did she just pull in a big shot? The secrets she blurted out were ones Li En didn’t know.

She? Yes, she was female. All four who entered were shrouded in mist, their forms indistinct to each other—but to Li En, the dream’s master, they were crystal clear.

She had golden hair, blue eyes, wore a pale gold gown, looked about thirteen or fourteen, and her eyes sparkled with lively intelligence.

A crimson dress suited a ballroom better; the ruby pendant at her throat was clearly priceless. When excited, her golden irises sharpened into vertical pupils, faint lightning flickering within.

She must come from an ancient noble family to possess such obscure historical knowledge beyond her time.

Given how expensive knowledge is in this world, she’s clearly no ordinary noble.

The other three candidates, however, were tense, scanning their surroundings—this lucid dream and the Hall of Heroes were far beyond their comprehension.

What they saw was a starry sky they’d never beheld, a landscape and hall of unique design, utterly incomprehensible to them.

“Are those the Zodiac constellations from the records? I wonder if I’ll ever earn a Zodiac number too.”

Only this girl, beaming with excitement, kept spilling secrets and pointing at everything around her, as if she’d long awaited this day.

Li En Sudar stood above, watching them with calm detachment.

In truth, he was also listening as she added lore—filling in the secrets, refining his own persona and strategy.

At least, he hadn’t known anything about Magic Tides or eras before.

Judging by her words, it seemed like an intermittent disaster—survive it, and you move to the next era; fail, and you’re erased.

And the former rulers of this world weren’t these beastfolk.

He’d already heard her mention the Age of Dragons, the Age of Beasts.

“If the Hall of Heroes has appeared, then the Magic Tide—bringing countless calamities—will come too,” she realized, her face instantly draining of color.

The Magic Tide—more accurately, the Elemental Tide—the thing she kept mentioning, a historical cycle like a steadily rising tide.

When the Magic Tide arrives, supernatural power grows more active; cultivators and advanced species find advancement easier—but all the chaotic, buried things from history also rise again.

“Need to contact the Astrological Tower, confirm recent dragon sightings, determine if this is a Magic Tide omen,” came a whispered murmur, inaudible to others.

But as the dream’s master, Li En heard it—and had to reassess her identity.

“Caught a big fish.”

This eased Li En’s mind considerably. He could only influence these candidates—the greater their power, the better.

But the current candidate pool is active, meaning she must also be in Huicheng? Huicheng isn’t a new city—could it harbor such an ancient noble family?

He noted her appearance, planning to investigate her in reality—but upon closer inspection, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Something flowed in his blood; her refined features made him feel as if he were gazing upon kin.

“Wait—where are her beast traits? Why are her ears human, round ears?”

Aside from her slightly unusual pupils, Li En saw no beast ears, no tail—her ears were human, rounded. That meant she was…

“Dragon-blooded? Forbidden breed?”

Yes, she wasn’t human. This world had no humans—only Dragon-blooded, species resembling humans in form.

They were usually hybrids of dragons and mortal beings, yet on this continent, they were taboo—especially within a kingdom that had suffered a colossal dragon disaster just over a decade ago.

Anything tied to dragons in this kingdom wasn’t just hated—it was hunted to extinction. Several sub-species of dragon-blooded had been persecuted into exile or annihilation.

Yet she—appearing confident, well-off—showed no signs of persecution?

In a kingdom that despised dragons, how could a dragon-blooded thrive so well? Li En stroked his chin, intrigued—this little kin’s identity must be far from ordinary.

Yes, he’d initially suspected he himself was dragon-blooded. If that was only suspicion before, then the “Dragon Transformation” mark on the Hall of Heroes’ compendium, and his first racial talent—“Dragon Eye”—were undeniable proof.

Now, perhaps because of kinship, his blood resonated—and with it, an instinctive sense of kinship.

“Little one, you’re right—the new Magic Tide has arrived.”

At this moment, it was no longer time to let her retain control. Li En interrupted her.

The moment he spoke, four pairs of eyes turned toward him.

All had been watching the central figure all along—just remaining silent, observing.

The old knight clapped his hands, drawing all attention; his unmistakable exhaustion looked as if he’d just stepped off a battlefield.

His battered armor, his scarred body—this was his final posture.

Li En had thought pretending to be Su Er would be hard—he wasn’t a seasoned elder like Su Er, and his behavior or micro-expressions might betray him.

But in teaching mode, he felt as if he’d slipped into Su Er’s body like a puppeteer—just letting the puppet move, and he could perfectly mimic it.

And whenever he wished to speak, a virtual AI-like persona whispered in his mind: “What would Su Er do? What would Su Er say?”

All he had to do was choose among the answers.

Had this Hall of Heroes appeared more than once? His experience was too vast.

“The first of the Demigods will awaken in two years—right beneath your feet.”

With his first words, Li En unleashed a bombshell.

Li En understood deception: the more equal and polite the communication, the more easily it’s exposed; the softer your tone, the less they take you seriously.

Striking the opponent’s weak point hard—or even terrifying them—is the foundation of persuasion.

“My lord! Y-Your words—are they true?”

The first to betray nervousness was the lucky candidate Li En had manipulated into place.

The leopard-woman policewoman Talia S Daer did not disappoint—her unease immediately shifted everyone’s mood.

The others sat unmoved, stone-faced—how could Li En trick them?

“Less than two years—Demigod Elserna will fully awaken beneath this city. That’s why I was summoned here.”

Following the girl’s logic: the Hall of Heroes appears to confront crises—there’s an apocalypse, so I’ve come.

The battle-hardened old knight spoke of this world-ending threat in a tone as casual as describing the weather—and the young faces before him trembled.

The timeline was too close—too close. For cultivators, two years meant nothing.

At this moment, Li En finally saw a chance to defuse this bomb.

His power was limited—but these promising youths might become his pawns to shift the entire board.

At last, he could reveal this intelligence without being dragged off for interrogation.

“Elserna, the Ashen Horned Deer… yes, it lies beneath us. That matches. Few know this—hardly any families in the kingdom.”

And the golden-haired, blue-eyed girl confirmed this information.

She had some knowledge of the buried demigod.

Too convenient. Why do you know this, when no one else does? Are you really not a plant sent by that higher-up?

While others grew suspicious of her, Li En nearly cried out, “Brilliant!”

If he hadn’t manipulated her himself, he’d have thought she was his own plant.

“Clap. Clap. Clap.”

He clapped again, reclaiming attention and control.

The second rule of deception: keep the pressure coming—don’t give them time to think.

“Unless something changes, this city will vanish in two years. A bleeding wound will open at the continent’s heart. Ha—that’s why I was awakened. I am Su Er Daong, a common Holy Knight long forgotten by history.” Self-introduction must follow the crisis.

Want to solve the problem? Trust me. Rely on me.

“Su Er Daong? That sounds familiar…” For the first time, the dragon-blooded girl hesitated.

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

“The Holy Knight of the Scales—the Holy Kingdom’s Su Er? The foolish Su Er?!”

Instantly, her expression brightened with delight.

“The Fallen Saint of the Holy Kingdom! The Rebel Knight who slew a god!” She burst out again, thrilled.

Slaying a god? In this world, deities were the most dangerous and powerful beings—each god’s fall brought cataclysm to mortals. How could such an act vanish from history?

“Slaying a god? Are you mistaken? I never committed such an act,” the old knight frowned, dismissing what didn’t belong to him.

He had fallen to the God of Scales—that was fact.

In his final memories, the Holy Kingdom and the God of Law were still mighty.

“The Hero’s memory ends at death. His knowledge of his own life is true, then?” This seemed to validate something for her.

After a moment’s thought, she spoke sincerely.

“It was indeed your doing. Though you fell to the God of Scales, your accusations shook many Judgment Knights, ultimately triggering multiple legal reforms and thirty years of civil strife—after which the God of Scales perished. You are seen as the direct cause.” She dropped a bomb.

“She… died like that? The Holy Kingdom… vanished like that?” Su Er’s face twisted in bitterness—and within him, Li En felt something strange: this raw, heartfelt sorrow and resentment—was Su Er still alive inside, ready to cut her down?

At this moment, Li En understood why Su Er clung so fiercely to the legacy of the Law Knights.

【Legacy of the Judgment (Law) Knights: Restore the severed Path of the Lawful Scales】

The loss of this power was, in part, his own doing.

Now, did he wish to pass it on again? To place it in the hands of a worthy good soul?

The Heroic Knight shook his head. From Su Er’s perspective, he was dead—what use were such concerns to a corpse? Those matters belonged to the living: the future Li En, and these candidates before him.

He looked at each candidate—they were his chosen future.

Were they truly worthy of this burden? Were they good souls fit to wield this blade?

【Candidate #3, Compatibility: 31%, Satisfaction: 0%】

This was the tall spider-human who had remained silent all along—the one with the highest compatibility, not synchronization rate, because “synchronization” presupposes the same person and the same body.

After a series of training and evaluations, this “legacy” in his hands would be entrusted to one of them.

At this moment, Li En’s emotions grew increasingly complex—he suspected the true soul of Su Er was aware of the Church’s impending doom.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain why “the Legacy of the Law Knight” had been included in this instruction, even becoming his personal request.

Perhaps in Brother Su Er’s eyes, the fall of corrupt laws and evil deities was deserved, but for such a powerful legacy as the Law Knight’s to vanish entirely would be a terrible waste.

【The power of Law is a fine blade—it becomes the righteous hand that upholds safety and peace when held by the virtuous, but if it falls into the hands of an evil god, I would rather it never existed—Su Er Daong.】

Perhaps this chaotic kingdom, with its fragile regime, now needs this very power.

“Introduce yourselves. The Hall of Spirits selects by compatibility. You all qualify to inherit my legacy, but there is only one such legacy—and I alone decide who receives it.” Li En had no intention of revealing this hidden gift now.

Li En’s gaze swept across the candidates, observing their expressions and personalities—all would serve as reference.

The girl raised her hand first.

【Candidate No. 4, Compatibility: 7%, Satisfaction: -5%】

Such an abysmally low compatibility left Li En stunned—he even suspected this person had bribed their way in. He had never known satisfaction could be negative; it meant Brother Su Er found the girl irritating.

“Speak.” Instantly embodying his persona, Li En made no effort to hide his disgust.

He, Su Er Daong, had always despised dragon-bloods and noble elites—they were nothing but trouble.

“Can I not reveal my name or identity? Mine is… unusual.”

“Fine.” Satisfaction plummeted to -7%. Those who concealed their identities were not to Su Er’s taste.

“Call me Dragon-Slay, Dragon-Hunter, Dragon-Killer—call me ‘Dragon-Slayer.’” His voice brimmed with uncontainable fury and loathing; his pupils once again hardened into vertical dragon eyes.

Wait, that doesn’t make sense—you’re a dragon-blood, yet you hate dragons so much?

“I go by ‘Shadow Judge,’” came the second voice—Talia used the abbreviated alias of her forgotten adventurer identity.

It seemed they immediately understood.

Caution is never excessive. Even if the Hall of Spirits was real, if others learned their true identities, it could turn disastrous.

They exchanged glances, silently relieved the mist concealed them—only one legacy existed, and the consequences of rivalry needed no explanation.

“I am Larry Labol. A Holy Knight needs no lies or concealment.”

The moment the spider-human spoke, satisfaction shot from zero to 20%—hey, Brother Su Er, you’re being biased!

But that name instantly triggered several candidates.

“Labol? You’re from the Labol family?”

Talia snapped awake—wasn’t this the potential enemy from her investigation team?

Yet the most extreme reaction came from the pig-human—the only pure mortal among the candidates.

“Labol? I am ‘Bone-Shatter.’” He lifted his head, his eyes blazing with scorching hatred like the midday sun.

“This morning, I became the new boss of the Bone-Shatter Gang in the docks district.”

His gaze locked unblinkingly on the spider-human Holy Knight.

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

“And you—your family—your brother Diego Labol—were the killers!”

Wasn’t he the very child Wil’s mother intended to rely on?

At that moment, Li En recalled the tall figure bowing to him at the funeral that morning—he had seemed so simple, honest.

What kind of madness was this? Criminal’s family, law enforcer, victim’s kin—all gathered here?

God, did the Hall of Spirits really pick randomly—or are you just torturing me on purpose?

(End of Chapter)