Heroes' Prison

Chapter 882 - 834: The First Choice

Soon, the Golden Holy Dragon arrived before Huang Yi and the Little Dragon. Without even glancing at Huang Yi, its massive dragon eyes locked onto the Little Dragon. An intangible aura of Dragon’s Might emanated as its dragon mouth slightly opened, saying, "You’re a Golden Holy Dragon? Why do you have feathers? Are you here to help us siege the city too?"

Huang Yi nodded, patting the Little Dragon on the head. He explained briefly, "This is my companion. It is also a Golden Holy Dragon. As for why it has feathers, that’s the result of a mutation. We came here unintentionally." Afterward, he asked, "And who are you?"

"You don’t even know who I am?" The Golden Holy Dragon muttered to itself, then replied, "I am Jin Shenglin, from the Golden Holy Dragon Clan, and I am the commander of the siege army. We dragons and humans have formed an allied army to overthrow the ruler of this city, the Dark Demon Dragon, Mo Li. Are you willing to join us?"

"Golden Holy Dragon, Jin Shenglin! Dark Demon Dragon, Mo Li!" Hearing these two names, Huang Yi’s heart quivered twice.

These two dragons were too renowned—they were figures that nearly everyone in later generations knew of. Countless historical records, countless bards, all sang of their deeds.

Because these two dragons eventually achieved Divine Enthronement!

Among the Three Great Top Dragon Clans—the Golden Holy Dragons, Dark Demon Dragons, and Holy Giant Dragons—each birthed one deity in the Eternal Ancient Era. Aside from the present Golden Holy Dragon, Jin Shenglin, and the Dark Demon Dragon, Mo Li, inside the city, the third was the Holy Giant Dragon, Georgia.

Huang Yi hadn’t expected that his Hero Trial would let him encounter two future deities at once.

However, what he saw was their younger selves, just as he had encountered Bloodhoof the Ascendant during the Second Transformation Trial, witnessing a crucial Chapter in their formative histories.

"Why do you want to overthrow the rule of the Dark Demon Dragon, Mo Li?" Huang Yi continued to ask. He hadn’t seen this piece of history in the records; it was something unrecorded in the annals.

Jin Shenglin opened his dragon mouth and said, "Years ago, our Dragon Clan worked with the humans to build sturdy fortresses to fend off powerful giant beasts. Dragons and humans lived peacefully in these cities. But the Dark Demon Dragon, Mo Li, relying on his immense strength, drove humans out of all the cities, leaving only the Dragons and Dragon People, who share our bloodline. As a noble Golden Holy Dragon, I cannot tolerate his actions. So, I led a faction of dragons who share my sense of justice to join forces with these humans to fight against the Dark Demon Dragon, Mo Li! After arduous battles, we’ve conquered all other cities; this one is the last! Mo Li is inside, and as long as we kill him, complete victory will be ours."

"You want to kill the Dark Demon Dragon, Mo Li?" Huang Yi couldn’t help but furrow his brows. This opponent was a deity; if he were killed, wouldn’t The Second World only be left with nine deities?

"Yes! Without killing him, we cannot achieve true victory. His power is too immense, and letting him survive poses a massive threat as he could regroup at any time." Jin Shenglin nodded his dragon head and continued, "Join us quickly! This battle has no suspense; we are destined to win easily. Mo Li cannot triumph regardless of the tactics he employs! You don’t need to exert any effort—just declare your allegiance, and your safety will not be threatened."

"Humph! Such arrogance!" At that moment, a somewhat aggressive voice suddenly echoed from inside the city.

On top of the massive city wall, a dragon appeared abruptly.

This dragon was several times larger than the other dragons. Its horns were ferocious, and its scales were entirely black. Moreover, its scales grew in reverse, all of them forming Reverse Scales. Each Reverse Scale looked like a sharp knife, just the sight of them made one’s scalp prick with fear, radiating a terrifying aura of brutality.

This black dragon was none other than one of the Three Great Top Dragon Clans—the Dark Demon Dragon.

It gazed down at the human army outside the city and the hundreds of dragons in the sky, finally locking its eyes on Jin Shenglin. Its enormous dragon mouth opened as it said, "Jin Shenglin, you traitor to the Dragon Clan, helping humans to target us. Do you know that everything I’ve done is for the future of our Dragon Clan? This world should belong to us dragons. Humans may seem weak now, but they are greedy, cunning, and reproduce far faster than we dragons. Given enough time, humans will inevitably dominate the entire world, and our Dragon Clan will gradually dwindle, possibly even be enslaved by them. Today, though I have reached a dead-end and cannot stop your forces, I don’t regret my choice." By the end, its tone carried a sense of resolute martyrdom.

"You are the traitor to the Dragon Clan!" Jin Shenglin refuted in a stern voice, "We used to coexist harmoniously with humans, but your expulsion of humans caused a rift between us dragons and humans. What I do is for the future of the Dragon Clan—to mend the rift and return to that era of peaceful coexistence. I believe we can always coexist."

After speaking, Jin Shenglin turned to Huang Yi and said, "The war is about to commence. It is time for you two to make a decision!"

Huang Yi took a deep breath and began to weigh his options.

The current situation had far exceeded his expectations. Previously, he thought very simply—helping the weaker side would be the most challenging choice, the kind of difficulty befitting a Hero Trial.

But now, having listened to the words of Jin Shenglin and Mo Li, he found himself wavering. If there was justice in this war, he leaned more toward Jin Shenglin’s side, as they stood on the side of righteousness.

However, aligning with Jin Shenglin’s side meant this trial would lack any real difficulty. Even Mo Li himself admitted that their siege couldn’t be withstood; Jin Shenglin’s side was destined for victory. In such a case, he would essentially be a bystander in the trial, not putting forth any genuine effort.

"I’ll give you a final ten seconds. Ten, nine, eight..." Jin Shenglin started a countdown toward Huang Yi.

The air grew oppressive; Huang Yi had only ten seconds to make his choice!

He could choose to stand with righteousness by aiding Jin Shenglin or stand with the weaker side by helping Mo Li.

Championing justice or aiding the weak had now become the two ends of the balance.

This was originally a simple question that anyone would answer by choosing justice. But making such a choice, knowing it might lead to failing the trial, was a torment.

"Six, five, four..." Jin Shenglin’s countdown became increasingly urgent.

Hundreds of dragons surrounded Huang Yi from above, their Dragon’s Might practically solidifying, weighing so heavily that Huang Yi and the Little Dragon struggled to breathe. Below, the endless human army stared at Huang Yi and the Little Dragon with countless pairs of eyes reflecting their figures.

Finally, a trace of resolve flashed in Huang Yi’s eyes. He turned to look at Jin Shenglin and said, "I will join you and help you siege the city!"

Ultimately, he decided to side with Jin Shenglin! His instincts inclined him toward this choice.

If he were to assist Mo Li’s side, it would align more with the difficulty expected in a Hero Trial. But this was merely his speculation; he had already suspected this trial might not be about showcasing strength but could be testing something else entirely.

If it wasn’t a test of strength, then could it be a test of a player’s choices in critical situations? Such as choosing between justice and aiding the weak?

Huang Yi made his choice with a gambling mindset.

In the next moment, he received a System Prompt—

"[System Prompt]: Your action is correct."

Huang Yi was slightly stunned but felt immediately relieved!

Indeed, his action was correct! Jin Shenglin’s side represented justice, and he had chosen to stand with the righteous!

The trial was indeed not about testing the player’s strength but rather their choices—faced with a conflict, which side would they choose?

In fact, there had been signs all along. If the trial were about testing strength, then players would be far too weak. Huang Yi’s mere level of over 150 would be utterly powerless to assist Mo Li even if he wanted to.

"Your action is correct. Welcome to our side in the battle against the Dark Demon Dragon, Mo Li!" Jin Shenglin said to Huang Yi with a tone of reassurance. Then, looking toward the city, he roared, "All humans and dragons, listen to my command—begin the siege! Exterminate Mo Li!"

With his words, the human army below split into squads, carrying massive siege equipment, fearlessly charging toward the city gate on the towering wall, attempting to smash it open.

In the skies, hundreds of dragons soared into the city, intending to launch an inside-out assault and swiftly capture the city.

Having just made his choice, Huang Yi decided to exert minimal effort. Following behind the swarm of dragons from a safe distance, he prioritized his own safety.

"Roar!" From atop the walls came the sounds of Jin Shenglin and Mo Li clashing. Jin Shenglin led the charge with the aid of several powerful Heavenly Realm dragons, all attacking Mo Li in unison.

Although Mo Li was mighty, he was merely at the Heavenly Domain Level. Most of his elite subordinates had perished in previous battles, leaving him without reinforcements, and he was gradually losing ground.

It truly seemed like there was no suspense in this battle.

——

This was the second update of the five planned before dawn today. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Starting Point (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)