Chapter 21: The Real Test

"No more waiting or hesitating."

With another victim lying before him, Li En was not as calm as he appeared.

Yet he knew that venting anger at no one was meaningless; the malicious killer in the shadows had always been expecting his impotent rage.

He knew that in this game of strategy, he should accumulate more chips, make the pawns stronger, and only then would the odds of victory be higher.

But he did not want to wait.

"Let's begin." The preparation period originally planned for several days, Li En had already cancelled entirely.

He did not want to see more children with eyes that could not close.

"I will state the conclusion directly: normal search and patrol methods will basically yield no results. In this dock district full of sin, that murderer is not even the most evil..."

A rather pessimistic judgment, yet one established as reality from the very beginning.

Finding a needle in a haystack is impossible.

Patrolling by luck? The opponent clearly knows your route; there is no luck to be had.

Bait and fish? This was originally the most likely way to succeed, but the cycle is too long, and it relies on the opponent's impulsive stupidity. The closer Li En got to that cunning and rampant murderer, the more he felt the man would be hard to hook.

In the small hotel room, the project group's deputy leaders plus one were making decisions; Li En stated his plan for the first time.

To achieve his plan, Li En did not refuse Larry's joining; he needed to utilize her strength—both in terms of combat power and in terms of status.

"Then, why have you been patrolling these past few days?" Larry was somewhat confused.

"First, we need to investigate the surrounding situation and determine her modus operandi. Second, our presence also reminds those children to beware of strangers..."

The above had some merit, but it was not the whole story.

The real reason was that the means in his plan required him to prepare an alibi.

Making one's trajectory clearly visible counts as a conventional method to麻痹 the opponent.

"Indeed, finding a needle in a haystack is not very realistic, but I previously thought you were leading them on patrols mostly to train their abilities." Talia nodded; she could always find reasons for Li En.

"... That is one aspect." Li En tilted his head; these two little lackeys were too green to rely on for anything other than running errands.

Back to business: since the decision was made, Li En finally stated his plan, a plan that at least triggered several local penal codes.

"This is a crime! You, you are being unjust, you are breaking the law!!"

The first to lose control was the bystander, Larry.

She could not believe that the existence she had recently regarded as a knightly model was now proposing an evil act combining murder, robbery, and assault, constituting several serious crimes.

"Although it's absurd... it seems it might really work." Talia, however, was seriously considering this possibility.

"This is a method when there are no other options. Conventional methods to eliminate that trouble are simply impossible."

The facts had already proven that the villain was extremely skilled at concealment and unusually cunning.

"In my view, all trouble stems from insufficient firepower and manpower. If we had a few full-strength knightly orders patrolling the dock district, security here would not be a problem; after a few months, the crime rate here would be even lower than in the noble districts. But we do not."

"Or if hundreds of mage familiars monitored every street and alley, as soon as he dared to commit a crime, we could catch him quickly. But the reality is we have only single-digit personnel; even with our round-the-clock patrols, blind spots remain nearly infinite."

From the very beginning, Li En did not think conventional methods would work; human resources were simply too insufficient.

Reality is sometimes a simple contest of "size," just as he did not believe that merely relying on personal effort could improve the status quo of the dock district; that was a quagmire accumulated over countless years.

If one truly wanted to cleanse it, it would require a blood transfusion from top to bottom, requiring the long-term intervention of large armed forces, before it could possibly be completely reversed.

"To realize this plan, we may need some help from the nobility. Larry, can I count on you?"

The female knight froze instantly; she could not answer, as this clearly violated her sense of justice.

Li En did not expect an immediate response from her; his gaze turned to Talia.

"At the same time, we also need some help from local powers, trustworthy local powers. In this regard, I am an outsider; I can only see if you have any candidates."

At this moment, Talia and Larry simultaneously thought of one person, that face that looked simple and honest.

Li En nodded; he did not intend to press further. As long as the result was OK, he would not inquire about the process.

"Next, we also need some people we can trust, some sufficiently powerful combat strength. Unfortunately, if only we could get hold of some Giant-Strength Gloves..."

Such a bold plan, spoken directly like this, showed that Li En still trusted the two people before him? What he actually trusted was something else.

The plan needed executors and more participants. By nightfall, in the Hall...

"Directly attacking the slave market? He's crazy!! Does he know what lies behind it? The industries of several churches and great nobles?!"

The night was already deep; the planning had only just begun.

Within the opened Dreamland, the heroic souls above were listening to the story with an air of old divinity, while below, a storm had already erupted.

For the candidates, the actions of that former Oath Knight could no longer be described as extreme; they were thoroughly insane.

"To pursue a single murderer, he directly provoked hundreds of killers... Lord Li En is truly a person of utmost sincerity and nobility; he has completely disregarded his own life and death." Larry still had not decided whether to participate, but it did not affect her evaluation of that man.

Yet this single sentence made Li En, who was eavesdropping above, feel a bit strained.

Wait, I am your brother's murderer. Even if you and your brother had almost no affection, you cannot change your tune so quickly.

Although hearing praise felt a bit good, was this tone not a bit off?

"Mm, mm, mm, you think so too? You really have taste. Even as a holy knight with a disability but strong will..." This one was an overly devoted fangirl.

"Attack the slave market in the dock district, frame the Tail-Hunter, thoroughly stir up the waters, and let the forces behind the slave market dig out that rat in the gutter. Although it is crazy, it seems really feasible."

Bone-Breaker Dimon pondered; actually, there really was this possibility.

As a底层 of the dock district, he truly understood that arrogant slave market... They did not need evidence; the mere existence of the provocation would be enough for them to kill the chicken to scare the monkey.

For them, so-called dignity and authority were the foundation of doing business; they would find a few troublemakers to sacrifice to heaven even when there was no reason, let alone a madman who had already truly threatened their business.

Compared to them, the lives consumed by the Tail-Hunter were merely a fraction.

"I can sense the personal grudge within."

"Me too. He has probably been dissatisfied with that slave market for a long time."

"For him, this is an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone."

Although the candidates reached a consensus, this probably included that man's own thoughts to some extent, but considering only the possibility, this was indeed the most likely to succeed.

The dock district is vast, a chaotic mix of all kinds; finding a lone-wolf criminal among them, especially one with stealth abilities, is truly too difficult.

"He said that in this world, there are very few cases that are truly impossible to solve; it is merely a matter of whether the resources for investigation are sufficient. If a few full-strength Oath Knight Orders were brought in, don't say the dock district, the entire security of Radiant City would be scrubbed clean for you."

A new little fan directly relayed his words.

"When necessary, extreme measures must be used. In chaotic times, harsh laws apply."

With the combined strength of the current task force and just a few candidates, don't say clearing the dock district; even with day-and-night patrols, they could not find this murderer lurking in the shadows.

In the dock district, or even across the entire Radiant City, who possesses such power?

"Although I am very reluctant to admit it, only the great nobles and the Church behind the slave market, with their tangled interests, possess this power."

If they could manage to inflict sufficient losses upon the slave market and pin that hatred squarely on the Beast Hunters, it would truly be possible to uncover that killer within a few days; they could indeed hire top-tier hunters.

"He said that when justice is insufficient, let evil fight evil."

A solution had emerged, but it required sufficient executors and a plan for order. The current Li En could only present the proposal; whether it could be completed depended on how much effort the people before him were willing to invest.

How to gather intelligence, what to do, to plunge the slave market into a frenzy.

"I can do something. The gangs on my side are basically all connected to them. In fact, most gangs in the dock district have some interest dealings with them," Dimon said directly.

How should this frenzy be directed, how to make them rush madly and directly at that Beast Hunter?

"I can try, but don't expect too much; my condition isn't good either," Long Shou sighed, somewhat helpless.

Perhaps some pressure and public opinion guidance within the noble circles would be needed.

"I will speak with my father. That serial killer caused my brother's fall and also insulted the honor of the Labors," Larry seemed to have gained some insight as well.

Whether he participated in illegal acts is another matter, but regarding something involving family honor, his father should not refuse.

By the way, combat power guarantee is also needed.

"The Giant Strength Gauntlets and the items of Holy Power Arts, I have already obtained them. I will have someone trade with you," Long Shou said directly; she saw that the other party was in urgent need, which should be directly related to this case.

"Thank you." In that instant, not to mention Talia, everyone else was quite surprised.

Long Shou's influence was too great; such hard-to-find items were found so quickly.

"These days, leeks are truly self-aware; they even arrange themselves."

Hearing others praise or complain about him to his face, Li En's feeling was truly subtle.

But seeing everyone return to idle chatter mode below, and realizing the time was about right, Li En gave a light cough to attract everyone's attention.

"It sounds interesting, but let's talk about serious matters. Some of you should have already verified my authenticity."

With calm words, the ancient Hero Spirit possessed the ability to silence the scene and capture everyone's attention the moment he spoke.

He rubbed the back of his head, seeming somewhat helpless.

"My time may not be more than a few days either. In such a short time, it is very difficult for me to teach you anything."

Reality is not a novel or legend; what can be taught in mere days of instruction? Li En himself could not be certain; after the Hero Soul Card expired, whether he could still open the "Hall of Heroes" remained unknown.

"So, prove yourselves. Prove that one among you is worthy of inheriting my power..."

On his right hand, a halo of light appeared; it was a memory, or rather, a dream.

"Strive to survive."

Accompanied by a snap of his fingers, the others in the Dream Hall fell into a deeper dream.

This was a past of Su Er, a memory from his long history of warfare. This time, he specifically chose a battlefield belonging to a follower of the Life Evil God.

The village had already been corrupted, the villagers had already mutated, and a large number of cultists and their legions were already on the way.

For those in despair: raise the butcher's knife, or save them despite the odds? If dragged out too long, the enemy's army would catch up.

Facing a desperate situation, how well could you perform? Li En actually didn't care much!

In fact, for him, this was merely a reference within a reference; what he truly focused on was not here.

He was even too lazy to pay excessive attention to their performance within the dream, simply waiting patiently for the results.

Within the dream, they would receive a virtual inheritance of a Hero Soul. Li En expected to see how far they could take Su Er's power... but this was still a trap he had set.

This was actually an inheritance template from the Hero Soul Codex, a proven and effective inheritance trial.

If Brother Su Er had been a bit more serious, the one undergoing the trial would have been Li En.

"See if they can understand where the true test actually lies..."

He continued to enjoy his barbecue feast; for some reason, he increasingly liked this barbecue banquet under the starry sky.

Perhaps this was also Su Er's favorite leisure activity back in the day.

His wait was not long; even though time was compressed, they still did not stay in the dream for very long.

The first to exit was Larry.

The cause of death was believing the cultists' nonsense; he was directly reported by the villagers and died miserably enough.

The second to die was Long Shou; the reason was attempting to lead the villagers to flee together, and she was slaughtered by the army.

The third to die was Talia; she was dug out during the great purge and had resisted as much as possible.

The one who lived the longest was the weakest, Dimon. He even infiltrated the cultists and transmitted a message, disrupting their deployment.

Just as Li En expected, such a one-time or two-time short-term dream trial could not reveal much. How long one survived had little to do with their ability, but was directly related to their experience.

In this situation, possessing supernatural power actually made one very easy to be dug out. Dimon was able to survive until the end because, considering it was a dream, he unhesitatingly embraced "evil" and experienced a taste of the Evil God's power.

Then, as expected, those who died first saw the actions of those who died later. After exiting, Larry and Dimon started fighting again.

One cursed the other for betraying to evil; the other said the other was a waste who died the fastest. Both were speaking reality; both lost their cool, cursing fiercely.

"How does it feel to die?" Li En himself didn't care. Since it was known to be a dream, the choice was their own; being able to use the resources at hand to survive was actually an advantage.

As for that small amount of Su Er's inheritance they held... a first or second-tier Paladin, in the face of a disaster of this level of severity, was truly useless. Once exposed, they would die even faster, like Larry, who died the fastest.

As a warrior, she had the highest stats panel; her combat power was either first or second. Yet she died the fastest and most meaninglessly. Her Paladin abilities, combined with the fitting shrunken version of the Hero Soul inheritance, actually made her combat power quite good.

Even if they held this power, it was insufficient to change the status quo. After a short-term experience of the intensity, there was no real insight into its use.

"Very terrible."

"Uncomfortable."

"I... I am a complete failure."

"Victor" Dimon fell silent; he did not know how the Heroic Soul would view his choice, after all, he had indeed crossed the line.

Li En offered no evaluation; he truly did not care about such a result.

Reality and dreams are two different matters; he looked more to the results of such trials in the future, merely the choices made by their current identities, abilities, and states.

A single Heroic Soul inheritance, even the shrunk-down version Li En obtained, could still completely change all of this.

So, what did he value most? At least for now, as the examiner, he could not reveal it.

"If there are no questions, we will end early tonight; after all, you are very busy, are you not?"

Just as Li En was about to declare the end, Dragon Hunter voiced a doubt.

"... I heard your sword can tear magic apart."

"Mm."

"But just now in the dream..."

"That requires long cultivation; it counts as an advanced ability."

Secret Sword: False Word Deconstruction is Su Er's specialized "Sword for Severing Spells," targeting the essence of elements, effective against spellcasters and extraordinary magical creatures alike.

"Then, is your sword effective against Dragon Tongue Magic?"

Li En fell silent; what kind of grudge does a Dragonkin hold against the Dragon race?

But to be honest, it really is effective.

The Dragons of this world are one of the oldest species, also known as Children of the Elements, naturally possessing the power to command magic and elements.

"Yes, my sword has specialized targeting for elements and Dragons."

Accompanying Li En's memories, two combat memory systems, "Beast Slaughter" and "Spell Breaking," appeared on the background wall of the Heroic Soul Hall.

"Please, you must teach me; I am willing to pay any price." Looking at the beheaded giant dragon in the background, the little girl's dragon eyes lit up.

Dragon Hunter made the request very seriously, yet received no response from Li En.

From Su Er's perspective, such excessive obsession, even extending to blind hatred for the entire race, warranted a severe point deduction.

【Satisfaction: -15%】

Stop thinking about it; you are completely beyond saving and have been eliminated early.

Glancing left and right and seeing no one else asking questions, Li En yawned, and the dream began to shatter completely.

But this did not mean the candidates' work was finished; in fact, their focus was originally outside the dream.

The next morning, the sky had just begun to brighten.

In a café in the South Gate District, a coffee cup had been empty for a long time; a noble lady waited for a guest she had anticipated for a long time.

"You are Dragon Hunter? The difference from expectations is quite large. Should I say it's been a while?" The female panther woman ultimately chose to meet directly.

"Perhaps so." Pearl of the Glowing City, Viscountess Shaliman Sudar, felt somewhat embarrassed.

She truly did not expect the person agreeing to meet would be the female police officer she had met once before.

She was the one who had witnessed her greatest black history, that engagement-breaking farce.

"This... is as agreed." The extraordinary supplies in the box under the table were the very foundation of their meeting.

That's right; the one coming in place of Dragon Hunter was Li En's fiancée, Viscountess Sudar, and now her expression was very embarrassed.

They were not the same kind of people to begin with, and with the past embarrassing memories, they couldn't even talk.

Nevertheless, Shaliman Sudar, bound by her mission, forced herself to speak and ask.

At this moment, her hand also gripped the necklace around her neck.

"Shadow Arbiter... Lady, it seems you possess some exclusive intelligence and are attempting to conceal it from me?" A universal technique, combined with certain abilities, always yields some results.

When you ask someone what they are concealing from you, often the very next moment, they will happen to think of the key point.

Indeed, Talia's face changed.

Over an hour later, inside a large house in the suburbs, Viscountess Sudar hurriedly entered a room to meet the true "Dragon Hunter."

"Your Highness, the true examination ground is actually in reality! It is highly likely that the Heroic Soul has an examiner in reality, and he is the final chosen one."

The test questions were never within the dream.

That "Broken Tail Case" was the test question Li En gave the candidates, and also the one Su Er gave Li En.

Facing the stunned Highness, her political backer, the sole surviving sprout of this fallen royal family, the runaway little princess.

She gritted her teeth before continuing to say the even more embarrassing things.

"... That examiner should be my fiancé."

Well, this is still a sincere 5600-character chapter; continuing to ask for monthly votes and follows for the new week; new books need support.

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(End of Chapter)