Chapter 68: The Beginning of Change

"Seems nothing has changed."

Shouldering his sword again, Li En walked along the streets of the dock district.

Still the noisy crowds, still the numb and dangerous gazes of passersby, still the barren streets without even a single shop. Oh, a few shops under repair had appeared; that looked decent.

Smiling, Li En resumed his routine patrol.

He clenched his fist and also sensed the difference of the departed Heroic Soul.

This time, his eyes did not subconsciously search for criminals, nor did he instinctively "sniff out" evil, sword ready to be drawn at any moment.

He could even treat a pickpocket as having nothing to do with him, as if nothing had happened.

"Smack!"

Li En kicked directly, and with a casual slash using his scabbard, he knocked the accomplice's dagger flying.

A few seconds later, the two pickpockets were pinned to the ground by him.

Upon noticing it was Li En, they sensibly gave up resistance.

Having casually completed his daily evil-eradication for the day, Li En only sighed, feeling both regret and joy.

"Looks like some things remain, while some things have changed."

This wasn't because Li En thought he was wrong, but at the moment of striking, he had actually hesitated for an instant, thinking more than before.

The current him would consider whether to show mercy, consider whether the other party had a grievance.

The biggest change: he actually considered whether his forced law enforcement was appropriate, whether it was legal.

"In the past, facing evil, I just swung my sword and went. What was there to consider?" A true old Paladin never considered so much; deal with the aftermath after the chopping, and in most cases, there would be no problems.

Think too much on the battlefield? Wish to die too slowly? Or feel the tricks and deceptions of those cunning villains were too few?

Those "seemingly innocent ones" who turned red could draw a poisoned dagger and stab you the next moment.

"Tsk, I seem to be thinking too much."

A Paladin eradicating evil is a matter of course, but in reality, they possess no law enforcement authority.

But whether it was themselves or the people in various places, everyone believed they did.

The justice and legitimacy of most Paladins are decided by the True God Church they serve.

Benevolent Gods grant Knights vows of "Virtue"; this is also the source of why most Paladins cannot lie or do evil. Losing "Virtue" also means losing power.

But on what basis does a True God have law enforcement authority in a kingdom? This is probably a very difficult problem to explain.

The reality is that everyone feels there is no problem; only Li En, coming from another world, would consider it a bit more.

"Phew!" Li En felt there was no need to consider so much; better to adapt to the times. The domains of Detecting Evil and Punishment could solve most judgment problems; all he needed to do was avoid excessive law enforcement.

Li En lowered his sword; the surroundings were littered with unlucky souls.

Eradicate evil thoroughly; he also took the opportunity to wipe out the nest of this newly emerged pickpocket gang.

If they really wanted to develop any industry, security in the dock district needed a significant improvement. For Li En, it seemed to be just a matter of thinking a bit before acting.

"No, I need to adapt to the changes; there's really no need to think too much."

Li En, the "Chameleon," felt Su Er's approach was more reliable. Why think so much on the battlefield? Do you wish to die too slowly?

"Rude! Rash! Unreasonable Paladin!"

【Satisfaction -23%】

Li En was already numb; deduct whatever you want.

But it seemed Li En now knew there was indeed a reason Kukku disliked Paladins.

As natural servants of the Evil Dragon and threats to the town, ninety-nine percent of Kobolds are aggressive evil creatures; thus, being attacked and punished by Paladins is too normal.

Who knows, it might have been a rash Knight charging into the Mage Tower, smashing and destroying things.

Even if he walked into the city and did nothing, he might be suspected of having some conspiracy and be watched by the Knights.

"Uh, so Lord Kukku, what are your opinions on this place? How should we improve it?" Li En wanted to borrow the wisdom of this senior.

"None! It's rotten, this place, a garbage dump." And Kukku seemed completely uninterested.

And Li En had specifically come to patrol this circle today, partly to signal to Dimon and his new faction's battlefield that he still supported them.

The other reason was to let Kukku, this Sage, see if there was anything salvageable in this place.

In Li En's impression, if there really was a shortcut to development, "Knowledge" might be the most likely.

But now, it seemed there wasn't any.

No, Li En noticed that Kukku was observing seriously most of the time; he must still be thinking.

"A good new era... Good." Suddenly, on the mental link of the magical pet, Kukku said something out of nowhere.

"Uh? This is good?!" Li En instantly didn't know how to respond; along this entire path, his Smite Evil had not stopped.

The turmoil in the slave market made this place even more chaotic; it seemed heavy-handed measures were still needed during this transition period.

"Good! Herbivore Orcs and Carnivore Orcs together! Can be together!"

This was completely incomprehensible.

"Go! Ask for me! Is there a 'Blood Rage Healing Potion'?" Passing a pharmacy, Kukku grew anxious and directly ordered Li En to go in and inquire about it.

But the shopkeeper had never heard of this potion name and directly suspected Lin En had remembered it wrong.

"Ask him, 'Calm Grass', do you have it?"

Suddenly, Kukku directly asked for the name of a herb.

"'Calm Grass'? No..." Instantly, Li En felt despair, even hopelessness, from the other end of the soul link.

【Satisfaction -24%】

No way! He said there wasn't any, why are you deducting my satisfaction?! Does your magnificent Heroic Soul also carry the ability to vent anger arbitrarily?!

"... Calm Grass isn't worth money; it's all over the city outskirts. If you want it, just grab a handful yourself."

【Satisfaction -10%】

Instant satisfaction skyrocketed! This boost was absurdly huge; Lord Lord Lord Kuku was overjoyed.

But Li En grew increasingly puzzled; no matter how Li En asked him next, he got no response.

As they walked, it turned out Lord Lord Lord Kuku was the one urging Li En to run everywhere.

Look at this, strike down some evil; touch that, continue striking down evil; go visit Demen's side, and while there, keep striking down evil. No choice; the dock district is truly chaotic right now.

Li En still had a bounty on his head (the amount wasn't high; the slave market had already canceled the bounty against him), and he encountered several ambushes along the way.

"How is that possible? Haven't you already lost your power?"

"They all said you're acting! You're a useless person now, so how are you still this strong!"

News of Li En losing his knightly power had spread; he had to come here to prove he could still fight.

Otherwise, Demen, who had lost his backing, would face many unavoidable troubles.

Even with Larry and Miss Shaliman secretly protecting them amidst the chaos, those who could truly threaten the third-rate trash were always the more ruthless killers, judges, and avengers.

All along, Li En had been able to deter many local gangs and bastards because of his rather "classical Paladin" style.

"Smack!" For attackers and assassins trying to take his life, Li En naturally showed no mercy; finishing them off was basic courtesy.

He became even more certain of his change; before the Heroic Soul possessed him, he could not kill so casually.

Even though those were proven complete villains after scouting for evil, the past Li En would not have killed people with such calmness.

"Tsk, I've weakened, but does that have anything to do with you?"

Li En was indeed vaguely weaker now; losing the infinite holy power brought by the Heroic Soul possession was one thing, but the greatest loss was losing Su Er's combat instinct buff.

The current Li En could truly be regarded as an ordinary novice Paladin, except he possessed vast combat experience and the profound sword arts of the Heroic Soul.

The massive drop in Soul Power was now actually invisible.

Because opponents still fell with a single slash; breaking armor or breaking swords made no difference.

But this did not mean Li En had become very weak, even if he could not use a single mage spell.

"Rest assured, Lord Lord Lord Kuku will protect you! When necessary."

This wasn't empty talk; Li En had already tried it. His "familiar" was far too powerful compared to himself.

Even though the current Lord Lord Lord Kuku could only use first-circle spells and cantrips, and even though he could barely cast a few spells using Li En's mana pool, he was still ridiculously strong.

This "historical"-level gap truly could not be compared by mere stat panels.

A seasoned veteran with decades of battle experience could kill you, clad in full plate armor, with just a pencil.

But this situation where the Heroic Soul "came alive" also brought much instability.

"Go to that cave! Let's see!"

What this big shot wanted to do, Li En truly could not stop; the only restriction was probably that he seemingly couldn't stray too far from Li En.

But if Lord Lord Lord Kuku really wanted to do something, he could simply knock Li En unconscious or hypnotize him and drag him along; this restriction was practically nonexistent.

And the external vitality of the Heroic Soul made fluctuations in its satisfaction too obvious. Lord Lord Lord Kuku's personality was a bit like a child's, with very obvious swings in mood.

Li En frowned; that area was still blocked off right now. Going there wasn't impossible, but it would probably trouble Miss Shaliman again.

He, right now, truly had no face to go find Miss Shaliman.

"But, I'm hungry! I'm preparing to go to a shop in the dock district to eat grilled fish; the food there is delicious..." Li En tried hard to recall the taste of that grilled fish, transmitting his appetite through the soul link.

"Go quickly! Go quickly!" Lord Lord Lord Kuku opened his mouth wide and suddenly grew anxious.

The Heroic Soul being like a child was, in a sense, a good thing; at least it was easy to treat and easy to fool.

But speaking of which, Li En discovered another change in himself; he had also become very curious.

While running wildly with the "child," he also felt quite happy; even passing by a gang's warehouse, he would kick it open to see if there were any contraband inside. This also spread news in the dock district: "Mad Knight Li En" had not only not lost his power but had become even crazier and stronger, and was now taking revenge.

Consequently, the pressure on Demen's side decreased significantly.

On this day, while Li En was taking the "child" sightseeing, he also completed the side quest—preparing for the awakening of the Dragon Tongue magic.

He also collected quite a few medicinal herbs along the way, spending a lot of money.

"Dragon Vein Awakening Potion! Mine! The best!"

Li En bought a set of crucibles and alchemy tools, asking them to help mix the potion needed for use.

【Satisfaction -5%】 A child's personality also has the benefits of a child's personality; raising satisfaction is relatively easy, and it is quite straightforward.

After returning, Lord Lord Lord Kuku started stirring the crucible and began brewing the magic potion. The main ingredient was Li En's own fresh blood; the Alchemy Master said to do it this way, so it was done this way.

After all, Lord Lord Lord Kuku said that if he was unwilling to draw blood to refine Dragon Blood, the materials would start at least five thousand gold coins.

Only this Heroic Soul-level Alchemy Master could, despite the lack of most materials, forcibly use inferior inferior materials to create a potion with little difference in effect.

And when night fell, Li En, who had originally planned to take medicine and sleep, unexpectedly received an invitation.

"Her Highness the Princess wants to confer honors upon us? Uh, and another noble has specifically requested to see me?"

(End of this chapter)