Heroes' Prison

Chapter 910 - 859: The Right Choice

The Divine Marksman shook his head with a smile: "There is no absolute success or failure in this world; success and failure depend on how people define them."

Huang Yi and Ling both froze for a moment, not knowing what the Divine Marksman was trying to say.

The Divine Marksman glanced at the two of them and continued: "The secret realms you have experienced were actually adapted from true historical events, but these histories are hidden secrets unknown to the outside world. Although this trial was just an illusion, a dreamland, it was sufficient to achieve our goal of selecting heroes. We don’t choose heroes based solely on your strength, as your past deeds have already proven that. This Hero Trial was designed to test your choices."

"Choices?" Huang Yi and Ling instinctively echoed the keyword.

"Yes, it’s your choices that are being tested—there are three choices in total," the Divine Marksman nodded and then gazed pervasively at Huang Yi, saying, "God of Slaughter, your trial was drawn from the grudges among three Dragon Clan God Sealers from the Eternal Era. When you entered the secret realm, I assume your first instinct was to help the weaker side overcome the victorious one, correct?"

"Yes!" Huang Yi nodded; almost anyone entering that secret realm would have the same initial thought.

The Divine Marksman smiled knowingly and said: "And so your first choice arose: when you discovered that the weaker side was not so innocent, and the stronger side actually represented justice, would you choose to follow the Hero Trial’s implied victory, or follow the justice inherent in the event itself?"

The Divine Marksman paused for a moment and said: "Helping the weaker side to defeat the stronger side does indeed seem like the sort of difficulty one might expect from a Hero Trial. Yet, you did not make that choice; instead, you chose to stand on the side of justice—this choice was correct. It showed that you possess the ability to discern right from wrong, which is the core focus of the first choice."

Huang Yi shrugged, keeping certain thoughts to himself. In truth, he hadn’t had the power to help the Dark Demon Dragon Molei at that time. It was the trend of the era; Molei’s brutal rule was destined to be ended. Even if he had wished to intervene, he lacked the strength to do so.

At this point, the Divine Marksman continued: "You chose to assist the Golden Holy Dragon Jin Shenglin, making the Dark Demon Dragon Molei your enemy. Generally, enemies are eliminated completely. Hence, the second choice arose: when faced with innocent individuals belonging to the enemy side, would you choose to protect them? Your second choice was also correct; you chose to protect Molei’s innocent child, Gibit. This choice tested your humanity."

"What about the third choice?" Huang Yi asked anxiously, remembering he had ultimately chosen to kill Gibit, an action flagged as incorrect by the System Prompt.

"The third choice is the most crucial one. After traveling thousands of miles and enduring hardships to deliver Gibit to the Holy Giant Dragon Georgia, by then you and Gibit must have developed some bond. Surely, you felt sympathy for this unfortunate child. But when faced with the possibility that this child might be demonized by the King of Hell, potentially resulting in catastrophic consequences, would you choose to kill them? This is uncertain; no one knows whether Gibit could resist demonization—it all came down to your choice."

"But in the end, I chose to kill him," Huang Yi admitted truthfully.

The Divine Marksman smiled faintly and asked, "If given another chance, what would you choose?"

Huang Yi thought for a moment and finally said, "I would still kill him because I couldn’t be sure he would withstand it."

The Divine Marksman turned to Ling and asked, "Ling, what would you do if it were you?"

Ling responded without hesitation: "I would choose to observe and wait for the outcome. The second choice tested whether to protect the innocent, and Gibit in your narrative clearly hadn’t fully undergone demonization. So before he becomes a member of the Demon Clan, he remains innocent. Killing him would contradict the second choice’s principle. Innocence is innocence, and we must not kill innocents."

"That behavior is indeed correct," the Divine Marksman nodded affirmatively and said, "Your actions adhere to moral standards."

At this moment, Huang Yi furrowed his brow and said, "Earlier you said our trials, although diverse, were adaptations of true historical events. Then, this event must have occurred historically—did Gibit ultimately undergo demonization?" He asked, staring intently at the Divine Marksman.

"I don’t know either," the Divine Marksman shook his head. "In the true history, there was someone who made the same choice as you, killing Gibit before his demonization was complete. So, no one knows if Gibit could have resisted demonization."

"Who was that person?" Huang Yi asked curiously, Ling also watching the Divine Marksman intently.

The Divine Marksman stared at Huang Yi and said, "Do you remember when you entered Georgia’s canyon? You encountered an Evil Dragon blocking your path. In the original history, it was that Evil Dragon who killed Gibit during his demonization."

At that moment, the Divine Marksman flicked his hand, revealing a blue-green aura.

This aura remained cohesive and exuded a sense of transcendent creation, instantly capturing the attention of both Huang Yi and Ling.

"Heroic Aura!" Ling licked his lips excitedly, recognizing the blue-green qi before breaking into a small smile. "Come on, I am the most deserving candidate to be a hero—I made all three correct choices!"

"No, you made three correct actions, not three correct choices," the Divine Marksman shook his head, regretfully gazing at Ling. "Don’t you recall? I emphasized repeatedly that the Hero Trial tests your choices."

"Hmm?" Finally, Huang Yi began to understand!

Indeed, the three times he had received System Prompts in the secret realm, they had commented on his actions being correct or incorrect—using the term "actions," not "choices."

"Isn’t correct action the same as correct choice?" Ling asked, astonished, his pupil-less eyes filled with confusion.

The Divine Marksman shook his head: "No, whether an action is correct is determined by the collective will of humanity; moral codices clearly outline which actions are correct and align with ethical standards. But the purpose of the Hero Trial was to test what kind of choices a person makes. Sometimes, the correctness of a choice itself outweighs whether an act is right or wrong."

With this, the Divine Marksman’s tone grew exceptionally stern: "Looking back at the vast torrent of history, countless individuals have risen and fallen within its waves, yet it is often those fleeting moments that define the future of an entire era. Choices made in those instances determine the trajectory of individuals, nations, and even entire epochs. Some choices cannot endure scrutiny; they may be harsh, indefensible under moral codes, or profoundly sorrowful. Yet, such choices are often necessary."

The Divine Marksman’s gaze momentarily reflected wistful nostalgia before he continued, "Thirty-plus years ago, I faced a similar choice. At that time, I was a student at Oskan Royal Academy, leading my classmates to Hero’s Continent to resist the rampage of Dark King Uk’ar. Among them was Martina, someone I adored deeply. We were considered the two strongest combatants in our group—outsiders saw us as a perfect match destined to be together."

"During our mission to resist Dark King Uk’ar, the beginning was relatively calm. However, things took a turn when some of our classmates began showing symptoms of the Plague—a disease we didn’t know whether Healing could cure. As more people became infected and death tolls rose, we were forced to abandon those afflicted. Finally, one day, during a desperate retreat, Martina began exhibiting symptoms of the disease."

The Divine Marksman’s expression twisted momentarily with agony: "Learning of her illness devastated me; I was stricken with heartbreak and indecision! If I kept her with us, she might infect everyone left alive. But if I abandoned her, she’d lose all hope of recovery."

Closing his eyes, the Divine Marksman spoke heavily: "In the end, I abandoned her! To this day, I remember the way she looked at me in that moment—her gaze filled with desolation and helplessness, incredulity and bewilderment. She couldn’t believe I would leave her behind. She reached out, trying to grab hold of me, to plead for a chance to escape with us. But I couldn’t. I led the surviving classmates away, knowing that I had robbed her of any chance for survival!"

The Divine Marksman sighed with emotion: "You know how the story ends—I eventually killed one of the Dark King’s avatars, resolving the crisis and earning my title as a hero. Yet, the choice haunts me to this day. Martina’s mother still refuses to see me; many classmates back then judged me as too heartless. Almost none of them were willing to remain friends with me. Even so, I understand that though my actions were wrong, the choice I made was necessary."

The Divine Marksman turned to Ling and finally rested his gaze on Huang Yi, saying: "This is why we devised the Hero Trial—to test not whether your actions are correct, but what choices you make during critical moments. We believe heroes need more than great strength; those who merely absorb Heroic Aura don’t qualify as true heroes. Real heroes require deeper qualities: the ability to distinguish right from wrong, the humanity to protect the innocent. And most importantly, the ability to make vital choices at pivotal moments. They must possess the courage to bear the weight of wrongdoing, to act for the greater good, even if it means enduring scorn and doing morally questionable acts, acts that might torment them for the rest of their lives."

As he spoke, the Divine Marksman flicked the Heroic Aura toward Huang Yi. "God of Slaughter, congratulations on passing our selection process! While your behavior regarding Gibit’s situation was wrong, your choice was correct. You are the most deserving candidate to be a hero."

Suddenly, Ling stepped forward furiously and glared at the Divine Marksman, demanding, "Then what am I qualified to be?"

The Divine Marksman looked at him calmly and uttered four words: "A Moral Paragon."

——

I didn’t expect this Chapter to take so long to write. I hadn’t planned to stay up all night, but this Chapter was too important and needed to be fully fleshed out.

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