Chapter 24: Did the Heroine Die?

"This is unjust! You actually murdered those people in broad daylight!"

Inside the deep-night hall, the argument continued as usual.

Li En frowned, looking at the commotion below with some impatience.

To be precise, he was watching Larry berate Demons.

A massacre during the day had thoroughly enraged "Law-abiding Larry."

She furiously accused the other of acting recklessly and trampling the law.

Demons, however, merely watched her silently, having lost all interest in arguing further.

A man who has already made up his mind needs no outsider's judgment, especially from nobles on high.

You and I are not from the same world; does mutual understanding even have meaning?

This time, there was no shouting match, only anger and cold silence, yet a complete opposition unlike any before.

"I don't need you to understand me, and please don't try to understand me, but if you intend to block my path, then you will also be my enemy." In Demons' lowered eyes, there was already the resolve to stain them with blood once more.

"Enough."

The man above who waved to stop them was already somewhat impatient.

"Bone Breaker, those things she said, you did them all, right? You already have the resolve?" Li En on the stage also already knew the score.

"Yes." Demons raised his head, his face completely open and honest.

His hands were already covered in blood; there was no need to deny or explain. He killed, so he killed.

Just as Larry said, in just this one day, he didn't even know how many laws of the kingdom he had violated.

Giving up the Heroic Soul inheritance is indeed a pity, but since it was never mine to begin with, there is nothing more to say.

Compared to personal ascension or becoming some epic hero, rolling in the mud suits me better.

I am already very satisfied; I have seized this opportunity, and this time I might truly be able to change my hometown.

Even with some lingering regrets, Demons could still face it openly.

"Good." Li En (Su Er) closed his eyes and also made up his mind.

"Then, this Dream Selection will be my, Su Er Dawon's, final choice; I will complete the selection."

At these words, everyone was shocked.

But from Li En's perspective, since the victor had already been decided, there was indeed no need to hesitate further.

At this point, just before the final battle, whether for himself or the successor, what was needed was the most tangible power.

And completing the inheritance ritual would grant this power; the Heroic Soul Card only had six days of use left, so dragging it out meant little.

"Wait! Wait! What do you mean?!"

Others weren't in a rush, but the third party was the first to panic; Dragon Hunter immediately grew anxious!

I gave equipment and planned to secretly send people to interfere with the noble circle, and you're just ending it like this?

Clearly, she had already realized that if it ended here, the successor would definitely not be her.

At least give me two days; I haven't even had time to deploy the beauty trap to seduce the examiner yet!

Li En, however, completely ignored her; you never had a chance from the start. His gaze swept over the other candidates.

"Shadow Cutter" Talia showed regret but not much unwillingness; she never thought she would be chosen from the start either.

Since Demons had already withdrawn, Larry, the sole successor in the eyes of the other candidates, first felt joy, then a face full of panic.

Am I really worthy? Did I win merely because others dropped out? Merely because I was lucky enough that no more suitable candidate existed?

"You, you are unfair! Why let a Paladin participate in the inheritance of the Paladin Heroic Soul? Wasn't this forcing me to run as a decoy from the start... wuwuwu."

The most unwilling girl cried as she gradually disappeared.

As she walked, there were still unwilling words like "Next time I definitely won't lose!" or "I will come back!", highlighting a stubborn mouth but an unyielding heart.

But, except for Talia who looked worried, no one paid her any attention!

"Bastard!! Old man!"

Sure enough, in a few seconds, the little girl reconnected.

After jumping into the hall, she glared fiercely at Su Er, as if angrily asking, "Why didn't you comfort me?"

Li En smiled slightly; he was always tolerant toward those who failed to be selected. He summoned the barbecue combo again and invited the little girl to eat together.

"Eat, I'll eat you into poverty." The indignant girl actually knew that for this inheritance, she never had a chance from the start.

The simple-minded justice Su Er examined was too mismatched with her nature from the beginning.

She only hoped the records were true; once the Heroic Soul Hall opens, there will be another chance, and she, once a rejected candidate, can still enter as a reserve.

The big-and-small combo started eating again, like an audience eating melons.

The three candidates below directly involved in the Tail-Cutting Case, however, were not so relaxed.

Since the number of dream exchanges was now gone, they had to finalize the handling of the Tail-Cutting Case and offline contact methods.

"This is Lord Li En's plan for the coming time."

Demons slowly spoke out the plan; to eliminate the Tail-Cutters next, they needed the help of the other candidates present.

Demons had already learned the organizational structure of the slave market through various channels and knew where to strike to cause the most pain.

If nothing unexpected happens, tomorrow morning he will personally visit their headquarters and become an outer layer of their outer forces.

"Eugene Fordi, the nominal third-in-command of the slave market, and also the person in charge of financial management. He is actually the most important manager of the slave market. If he dies, it will bring chaos for quite some time; many leads known only to him will be cut off, and business will drop by at least twenty percent."

"'Black Gold' Eugene? He seems to be a powerful transcendent as well, with two strong guards always accompanying him, right?"

Eliminating a high-ranking member of an organization and framing it on the "Tail-Cutters" to cause a dispute is a classic tactic for sparking power struggles.

Plans and tactics are often simple; whether they work depends on details and execution.

"How to get him to come out? You wouldn't try to go in and assassinate him... that difficulty is too great."

The slave market is resplendent with gold and jade; troublemakers are never few, with hundreds of thugs. Once attacked by a strong enemy, they can summon several masked powerful ones for support at any time. The high-ranking church officials and great nobles of this city also care a little about their reputation, so they often come masked.

The slave market is merely a product of conflicting interests; without removing what lies behind them, it is impossible to eradicate it completely.

"Lure him out—he's greedy." This is something every gang knows: if you offend someone in the slave market, simply pay "Black Gold" to resolve the issue.

"Oh, private account transactions." Long Shou understood instantly.

The slave market sells not only slaves, but also many other things no other place dares to sell.

The most straightforward examples are various contraband—items related to Evil Gods, or those "supernatural substances" sourced from human bodies.

Normally, goods are accounted for through official transactions, but some items cannot be made public, or are so precious they have price but no market.

If each item is extremely valuable, it may never even enter the books, directly swallowed privately by high-ups. Naturally, the slave market cannot know—so they often come out themselves for secret deals.

But standing in this position, what rare treasure hasn't been seen? What artifact could make one abandon principles and instantly swallow it privately?

"Honey is used in bear traps; curved, oiled, frozen bones lure winter wolves—what could make that heartless man, who has seen countless secrets, drop his guard and vigilance?"

Long Shou set down his skewer and pondered deeply among the secret knowledge he had encountered.

"Rare lich potions? Maps of the underworld? The royal family's ongoing purchases of dragon-slaying weapons? Gene-tree blueprints and formulas targeting dragons?"

What could make him emerge without hesitation to swallow it privately—and what candidate might actually possess it?

This was contradictory: Eugene was both greedy and cautious, and even if the hidden examiner Li En had no leverage on this side, wait—this examiner Li En, the records said he was a degenerate?

"I get it! It's his own degeneration material. He, that knight, really is willing to part with it."

What the hell? How are you making up more? Who's that knight? Are you again implying it's me, Li En?

Seeing "Su Er" also look surprised, Long Shou felt a flicker of pride.

"What he brought out must be the 'Hero's Bone' and the 'Hero's Tear'."

Beast species evolution often requires using magic potions and supernatural materials, step by step ascending to higher species ranks, even entering mythic or divine beast status.

And those peak species, if severely wounded yet alive, or if evolution fails and causes degeneration sickness, naturally plummet swiftly into the abyss.

During this process, some of their supernatural powers congeal into material. Precisely speaking, they become supernatural materials ideal for use by their own kind.

"For some reason, degenerates cannot use the materials from their own bodies, yet others on the same path, of the same species, can."

This is the most valuable supernatural material—a refined semi-finished product.

It can be used as a top-tier finished potion to gain evolution, or to mend fundamental flaws, worthy of a single leap to heaven.

"And if a degenerate is strong enough, they can secrete high-quality 'Pure Bone Blood'—a life-crystal absorbable by all races, a true priceless treasure. Whenever it appears, everyone fights over it; it enhances your physical and soul foundations without any side effects." This demand is endless, yet output depends entirely on luck.

Long Shou explained to the other confused candidates, but in truth he had no idea it was Li En himself.

The "bait" he originally planned to reveal was meant to lure Long Shou, with his vast wealth, into offering it voluntarily.

If that failed, he would use the illicit "Hero's Sword" as bait—that would be a life-or-death gamble.

"Brilliant. This is the perfect bait. When this treasure appears, Eugene might sneak over to receive it—and once he gets it, he'll use it immediately. If, at that moment, the Hunter-Tail assassin steals it, the slave market people will go mad."

"The best part is this treasure is a Consumable—it fades if held too long. To prevent the Hunter-Tail killer from using it, they'll be frantic."

They won't give the thief time to absorb the 'Bone Blood,' nor the time or energy to thoroughly investigate the case.

Under the pretext of avenging Eugene, they'll deploy every resource and search the entire city for the Hunter-Tail killer.

"I don't know what level that 'Hero's Bone Blood' would be," Long Shou looked at Demun with hopeful eyes.

Even under current restrictions, her spies had informed her of Demun and Li En's collusion.

And her current stance clearly supports striking the slave market.

"I don't know—he didn't tell me that far," Demun was also confused.

But in reality, Li En was stunned.

He had no "degeneration material" or "Hero's Bone Blood"—he wasn't even a degenerate!

But now, he couldn't hint to Long Shou to provide supplies.

The small interlude passed quickly; after explaining his plan, Demun still made his request.

With only himself and Li En, completing this mission was too difficult; even just assassinating Eugene required stronger combat support.

"I'll join. Tell me the plan directly," Talia S达尔 said bluntly—this Hunter-Tail case was her duty.

"I can't come myself, but I should be able to help you in some ways," the noble Long Shou also agreed to participate.

"This is murder. This is a crime," Laris gritted his teeth but ultimately refused.

"If possible, I hope we deliberate further. I can return to the Church and ask them to send a knight order to assist in the investigation." It sounded sincere, but meant nothing.

If they wanted to act, they would have acted already—and they lack both resources and capability.

Enough had been said; the detailed planning must wait until they met in person.

Li En continued happily roasting meat, as if utterly unconcerned with the scene before him.

But he quietly sighed—though this development was logical, it still disappointed him.

He opened his panel and saw, as expected, Laris's satisfaction had plummeted sharply.

Li En lied again—the examination hadn't ended. The true test, the one that reveals reality, often comes before the exam—or even after the candidate believes it's over.

"Heh." Li En didn't care, but the Long Shou Young Lady beside him sneered at Laris.

Everyone else assumed the successful candidate would be Laris—but she, who knew of Li En and Demun's collusion, would never be fooled.

As for the legal license protecting slave traders? From her perspective, the kingdom itself was collapsing—was now the time to care about laws and procedures? She wished every bastard who turned her nation into a sea of public rage would die.

"So cruel of you, my lady."

"Eat your meat," a large chunk was shoved into his mouth—"Su Er" seemed still indifferent to everything.

He was still agonizing: where could he get those "degeneration materials"? Should he just trick Demun? No—too easily exposed. He needed an temptation so great it would drive him mad—preferably an authentic sample.

Time flew; one by one, figures vanished, leaving only Li En slowly roasting meat, wiping the grease from his face where Long Shou had brushed against him with a tissue.

"That little girl," he thought of her final words: "Tomorrow I might not come—don't forget me, and I won't forget you." Li En sighed—he rarely felt guilt over deception.

When he prepared to shatter it all and declare the long dream over, he sensed someone had linked to him again.

"I told you—I don't open backdoors here."

He had originally thought it was the little girl again, but instead saw Larry with a face full of unease.

The tall female knight took a deep breath, walked over slowly, her eyes filled with determination.

"Your Excellency Su Er, please... do not pass the inheritance to me." Without hesitation, she directly stated the goal of her visit.

Her sudden words made Li En somewhat surprised.

"I... I'm not saying there's anything wrong, it's just..."

The woman shook her head, recalling what she had seen and heard these past days, remembering that disabled Paladin senior who rolled around among the children.

"... I am not worthy, I truly am not worthy." Her sincere words expressed not self-abasement or false modesty, but a fact recognized from the bottom of her heart.

"I do not have enough courage. I know what true justice is, yet I cannot cross my own limitations."

"I envy Your Excellency Li En's free spirit; he completely ignores others' evaluations and the restrictions of laws, simply executing the justice within his heart... but I cannot. Sometimes, I don't even know if the justice I persist in is truly justice..."

As she spoke, the female knight revealed a helplessness born of memories too painful to recall.

"Sometimes, I even envy that bastard Bonebreaker; at least he knows what he wants. What I can do now is uphold the bottom line, executing the justice on the manuals and the code according to the standards of a Paladin."

The female knight rallied her spirit and performed the knight's salute, one knee to the ground.

"I do not know if this is correct, but it should not be entirely wrong. In the days to come, I will continue to search for the justice that belongs to me."

On her handsome face was nothing but seriousness and sincerity.

"... The lost me, the me still searching for justice, is not worthy to hold your inheritance. Please give it to someone more suitable."

"Then, to whom?" Li En asked directly.

Immediately, Larry panicked; she suddenly thought of a certain senior, but the next moment could only shake her head.

"Lady Dragon Hunter is of noble status, and Miss Shadow Arbiter executes justice without hesitation; both are actually candidates."

"... Moreover, I know a certain senior. He was injured and became a Degenerate, yet he is very suitable for your inheritance."

Li En shook his head, not intending to respond.

With a snap of his fingers, the Hall of Dreams began to collapse.

"Your Excellency!!" Larry woke from the dream, only to realize everything had ended there; re-linking yielded no response.

As for Li En himself, he was truly a bit anxious.

Just after linking to the Catalog and using the Dragon Eye to verify the truth of the other's words, he found some sudden content flooding the screen.

【Possession: Untrained Slave. Taming failed completely.】

【This possession is currently being decomposed and recycled.】

【Decomposition successful. Please recover your Newbie Gift Pack as soon as possible!!】

Untrained Slave?! Li En was stunned for a moment, then immediately jumped out of bed.

He hurried into the bathroom, opened a portal, and stepped into the passage.

This time, although the passage was still a bit hot, it was merely warm.

He walked quickly, his heart burning with anxiety.

"Heroine Laina, she didn't just disappear, did she?" Yes, the Untrained Slave in the Catalog was only Heroine Laina, wasn't it?

And at the end of the passage, he saw his target.

Amidst some debris lay a slender figure.

As he approached, he realized that she, whose form had changed greatly, could no longer be bound by shackles.

Lying on the ground was merely a fragile girl; her originally brilliant golden hair had turned into dull silver, and the arms capable of crushing skulls had become delicate small hands.

Li En walked over quickly; fortunately, she was still breathing.

Wait, why is she waking up? Next, it'll be my turn to suffer?

The Heroine opened her eyes; her blood-red pupils silently looked over, and Li En felt the breath of death.

What did he see? He saw round ears!

【It is said that Degenerates' ears continuously shrink, eventually retreating into semi-circular ear arcs!】

At this moment, Li En remembered the words of the Little Officer from their first meeting.

Is Laina a Degenerate? No, was she previously in the process of degenerating?

【Right, isn't degeneration very painful and accompanied by fever? Why can Brother Li En walk around outside? Isn't it uncomfortable? Or are you forcing yourself?】 Back then on the street, the Little Officer had been surprised at why Li En's condition was so good.

Come to think of it, was that magma-like, life-threatening temperature in the passage two days ago Heroine Laina having a fever?!

Impressive, Round-Faced Officer Little Lisa, you are truly a jinx and a spoiler genius.

So, the Heroine has degenerated; won't I be cut down by a single slash?

At this moment, looking at the young girl before him whose age had also regressed, appearing only fifteen or sixteen, Li En was also at a loss.

Before, she was an untamable beast, but now before Li En stood only a fragile girl.

She wore an innocent expression; her silver hair and red eyes were filled with confusion, her entire aura ethereal, like glass ready to shatter at any moment.

When she spoke, it made Li En completely stunned.

"Who are you?"

Her red eyes were full of confusion; her small finger pointed at herself again.

"Who am I?"

(End of Chapter)