Heroes' Prison

Chapter 886 - 838 Another Way to Become a Hero

Next, what lies ahead is the second phase of this trial.

Huang Yi didn’t know how long he had to fly before he could see the Holy Giant Dragon Georgia. Molei hadn’t told him the exact time, only vaguely mentioned that he should fly westward to the place where three rivers converged.

But it definitely wouldn’t be a short journey. During the Eternal Ancient Era, The Second World only had two continents, each incomparably vast. Traveling from one location to another could sometimes take a year or two, even by flying. Even the largest continent Huang Yi had seen since entering The Second World—the Central Continent—was merely a fragment of one of those shattered original continents.

The Hero Trial was inherently a process that often spanned months.

...

While Huang Yi focused on the Hero Trial, on the other side of the Hero’s Continent, the footprints of the invading army’s rampage showed no signs of halting.

In Red Cliffs City, the largest city occupied by the invading army, an important meeting was underway in the City Hall.

This meeting was composed of the core high-level members of the invading army. Other than Kid, who had fallen out with T.N.T and wasn’t present, the other seven super-first-class warriors were all in attendance—along with a new face.

The newcomer appeared to be in his thirties, with dark skin and clad in heavy plate armor, clearly belonging to a knight-type class. He wore a beaming smile, exuding an air of warmth and enthusiasm.

The Pope, serving as the meeting’s host, glanced around at everyone present before gesturing towards the newcomer with a smile. "Everyone, let us warmly welcome Ronald’s inclusion!" With that, he took the lead in starting the applause.

"Hello, everyone. From now on, we’ll be fighting side by side!" Ronald stood up, nodded to the others, and flashed a hearty smile.

The others also clapped in response, nodding back in acknowledgment of Ronald.

Ronald was Brazil’s number-one expert and the only super-first-class master in Brazil. His class was Knight, placing him on par with the Thunder God. For two consecutive yearly ceremonies, he had been nominated for the Best Knight Award, though luck was not on his side—both times, he was defeated by the Thunder God and missed the honor of becoming the World’s Number One Knight.

The Pope continued, "Ronald has extensive experience in national warfare. Not long ago, he led Ronald’s Legion to victory in wars across several countries in Latin America. Now, he has set his sights on the Hero’s Continent. With his addition, we’ll have a much smoother path ahead."

Ronald smiled and nodded as well. "I’ve had many experiences winning national wars. Although the Hero’s Continent is stronger than any country I’ve conquered before—indeed, the most powerful nation in the world—it is precisely its strength that makes it a greater challenge. I’ll work together with everyone here to conquer it!"

After Ronald’s welcoming ceremony ended, the Pope shifted the meeting to the main topic. Summarizing the recent wartime developments, he said, "In this time, the God of Slaughter has gained two formidable generals, the Sword Emperor and Yang Yuheng, greatly strengthening the Hero Legion’s power! Especially after Yang Yuheng ascended to the Heavenly Realm, he almost single-handedly defeated us. If it weren’t for the Demon Clan coincidentally invading and diverting the Hero Legion’s attention, we might not even have this city to sit in for a meeting."

After speaking, the Pope cast a subtle glance at T.N.T and Miyamoto Musashi. Only the three of them knew that the Demon Clan had been summoned by them, rather than coincidentally arriving. But in this meeting room, the other attendees were unaware of this fact. Even if someone suspected it, they chose to remain silent since the Demon Clan’s invasion of the Hero’s Continent was advantageous to them.

With a solemn expression, the Pope continued, "Now, there are only about twenty days left before the God of Slaughter’s reincarnation cycle ends. This is essentially a countdown—our last opportunity. None of us know how powerful the God of Slaughter will become once he finishes his reincarnation, but he is expected to surpass level 190. He’ll be nearing the Heavenly Realm, and with just a bit more effort, he could soon break through completely. Once he ascends to the Heavenly Realm, considering the God of Slaughter’s terrifying strength, our future situation will become even grimmer. Therefore, we must win this national war before the God of Slaughter’s reincarnation ends!"

The Pope then glanced at Heavenly Dao, seated in a corner, and continued, "Right now, we hold the advantage. The Heavenly Emperor has already broken through to the Heavenly Domain Level, reclaiming the title of the World’s Number One Warrior from Yang Yuheng. The rest of us are also close to breaking through; both I and Ganges are already at level 198, and the rest of you aren’t far behind, except for the Martial Emperor, who’s a bit weaker. On the Hero Legion’s side, they are desperately trying to raise the Sword Emperor to the Heavenly Realm. The entire legion is working to hunt down suitable demons, acquiring Demon Cores to help the Sword Emperor level up. Recently, the Sword Emperor’s leveling speed has been the fastest in the world. Just last week, he gained three levels in a single day, and he’s now at level 196—only four levels away from breaching the Heavenly Domain. We must stop him. Once we do, the Hero Legion will only have Yang Yuheng left as a major threat. And once all eight of us ascend to the Heavenly Realm, the Hero Legion will have no hope of victory."

"Exactly! We cannot afford any more delays. The God of Slaughter is still in reincarnation, but even one incarnation of his was able to kill four of our super-first-class warriors. When his true body returns, we probably won’t even be able to escape. Everyone, let’s give it our all and launch a full-scale assault to annihilate the Hero Legion! Once the Hero Legion is destroyed, the system will have no choice but to declare us the victors." Miyamoto Musashi nodded in agreement, though there was a trace of bitterness in his tone. He had been rivals with Huang Yi for a long time, yet not once had he emerged victorious. Last time, he had lost five levels in one fell swoop, making him the lowest-leveled among those present.

"We’d best act within the next two days. Demon Cores are unpredictable—they might manage to gather all the Demon Cores needed for levels 196 to 199 at any moment, allowing the Sword Emperor to ascend to the Heavenly Realm in one leap. We need to act quickly!" Heavenly Dao said decisively.

"I was thinking the same thing," T.N.T concurred. "Over the next few days, as soon as Dao Feng and his team step out, we strike. Given how the God of Slaughter has repeatedly anticipated our battle plans in the past, this time we won’t send an army; it’ll just be the eight of us super-first-class warriors. That way, there’ll be no chance of information leaking. If the eight of us act together, we can undoubtedly take down Dao Feng like lightning."

The Pope nodded, asking, "Does anyone else have objections? If not, let’s start discussing the detailed strategy for this operation..."

Thirty minutes later, the eight super-first-class warriors finalized the plan and dispersed the meeting.

However, the Pope, Miyamoto Musashi, and T.N.T reconvened for a private meeting shortly afterward.

"T.N.T, tomorrow, figure out a way to persuade the Fallen Messenger to dispatch one level 198 and one level 199 demon intentionally, making their presence known to lure out Dao Feng’s team. Then we’ll swoop in and kill Dao Feng," the Pope said, stroking his chin.

T.N.T turned to regard him with a smirk. "Pope, I didn’t expect you to be so hypocritical. Your real goal isn’t killing Dao Feng, is it? You just want those level 198 and level 199 Demon Cores for yourself so you can ascend to the Heavenly Realm!"

"Figured me out, did you?" The Pope raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly. "What’s wrong with that? Once we kill those level 198 and 199 demons, we can blame it on Dao Feng. We face no risks whatsoever. If the Fallen Messenger puts the blame on someone, it’ll only fall on the Hero Legion."

"You refuse to join the Demon Clan, yet you want to benefit from them? Isn’t that too greedy?" Miyamoto Musashi frowned slightly, his tone laced with discontent. "We’ve only ever obtained one level 198 Demon Core, and we gave it to the Chess Saint last time. As for the level 199 Demon Core, even T.N.T and I weren’t able to get one. Why should we go along with this?"

"Don’t worry; I won’t let you suffer any losses." The Pope smiled faintly. "Once I acquire the level 198 and level 199 Demon Cores, I’ll tell you about another way to become a hero."

"Oh?" At this, both T.N.T and Miyamoto Musashi perked up, their expressions filled with curiosity. "What method?"

The Pope flicked his hand, and a faint bluish aura materialized above his palm. It hovered there, mysterious and unwavering.

"Heroic Aura!" Miyamoto Musashi, well-versed in matters of the world, immediately exclaimed.

T.N.T swallowed hard, gazing at the Pope in disbelief. "When did you pass the Hero Trial? You’ve been with us all this time and never visited the Central Continent. At present, only the Dragon Emperor and the Sword Emperor have undergone the Hero Trial and obtained Heroic Aura. How do you have it as well?"

"I never participated in the Hero Trial," the Pope shook his head. "The Hero Trial is merely a selection mechanism designed by the Oskan Royal Academy to distribute Heroic Aura. In truth, as long as you obtain Heroic Aura, you can become a hero without undergoing the trial. A while ago, when I revisited the Hero’s Continent, I found a strange island. On that island, I discovered an unbelievably massive ear—left behind by some unimaginably powerful entity. That ear contained traces of Heroic Aura. The Heroic Aura I possess now was obtained from there. However, my absorption capabilities are quite slow, and I’ve thus far only managed to absorb a little, not enough to make me a full-fledged hero."

"Where is this island?" Miyamoto Musashi and T.N.T asked in unison, their eyes gleaming with longing.

"Agree to my conditions, figure out a way to get the Fallen Messenger to dispatch a level 198 and level 199 demon, and then I’ll tell you where the island is. I’ve already constructed a Teleportation Circle on the island, so we can go there anytime to absorb Heroic Aura. However, the amount of Aura within that enormous ear is limited. After I use it to ascend as a hero, there will only be a small amount left, not enough to make either of you full-fledged heroes. But having even a trace of Heroic Aura is better than nothing." As he spoke, the Pope clenched his hand, making the bluish aura vanish.

Miyamoto Musashi and T.N.T exchanged glances, silently communicating with their eyes. After a pause, they nodded in agreement. "Deal!"