Chapter 16: Su'er's Method of Instruction

Flames ignited in a mere instant. Pride, above all else, could not tolerate the slightest humiliation.

"Arrogant wretch! You must apologize for slandering my brother and the honor of my family!!"

The six-armed paladin was instantly enraged. His crystalline compound eyes locked onto his opponent, and his pale face flushed a deep, indignant purple.

"Now! Apologize at once! Otherwise, I shall wash away this insult to us with your blood."

The accusation that his own brother was a murderer was something he could not accept.

"Ha! Who is the arrogant one here? It’s common knowledge in the entire Dockside District. Is the young noble master too high and mighty to even bother knowing?"

The seemingly crude pig-man gangster spoke with provocative words, yet beneath them lay a sense of caution and probing.

"Nonsense!! That is impossible!"

Common knowledge that I am unaware of?! The paladin’s temper flared instantly. What a grotesque lie.

"You filthy dockside gang leader, how dare you step into this sacred hall? Now you use lies to slander my kin. If this were reality, I would have already issued a sacred challenge of duel, and I would surely see you, this blasphemer, bleed on the spot!"

He even drew his sword.

"If you are not a coward, leave your name!!"

He was flustered—genuinely flustered. He not only resorted to obscure terminology but was ready to settle this in the flesh.

Morning light shone upon his young features. He dispelled his own shroud of mist, revealing a face that was perhaps too handsome. Arcane brilliance shimmered over his lightweight mithril armor, making the six-armed knight look formidable and powerful. Each of the one-handed swords at his waist bore enchantments of different colors. Whether he was strong or not remained to be seen, but he was certainly wealthy.

"No, this is not a lie. The Dockside District does indeed know that Labor is a criminal..."

It was a third party who took up the thread: Talia, arranged by Lien. At this moment, Talia and the pig-man reached a silent consensus. From their respective standpoints, they had to determine if the spider-man paladin before them was truly ignorant. One couldn't have a double agent in the "Werewolf" QQ cheating group, after all.

Even amidst the argument, the candidates were secretly observing the attitude of the heroic soul above. In the center of the theater stage, the heroic soul, who acted like a killing machine, yawned, watching the dispute below with keen interest.

"A decent probe. Give them some points." As the judge, Lien had no intention of interfering; instead, he took out a small notebook to record scores with genuine curiosity. He seemed to have no intention of intervening.

Lien wasn't maneuvering them; it was simply that Suer himself had such a perverse sense of humor. That Lien didn't go as far as banging gongs or fueling the fire was simply him maintaining restraint.

"No, this is absolutely impossible..." The paladin, Larry, was filled with shock and disbelief. This did not appear to be a false performance; his character seemed truly "paladin-like." But then again, if his family wasn't foolish, they would never have let him know. Otherwise, as a paladin, he would have had to choose between falling from grace or killing his own flesh and blood for the sake of justice.

And now, having learned the truth, he had to make a choice.

"Diego Labor was judged and executed in the street by a paladin on Rainstone Street in the Dockside District. A bag of cursed severed tails sacrificed to an evil god was seized from his carriage. I have been to the scene; the knight's judgment was beyond reproach," Talia said coolly, delivering the final blow.

The spider-man knight was filled with disbelief, but then, he looked embarrassed, then angry, and finally, he sighed. Was he truly completely ignorant? Perhaps not. He surely knew something of his brother's wayward nature.

The victim's family and the perpetrator's family meeting on the same day—fate’s sense of humor was indeed cruel.

"Heh, it seems our noble paladin lord knows exactly what kind of person his brother is," the pig-man immediately added.

Larry’s face turned leaden. He could no longer speak and lowered his sword. Seeing the other's wavering, the seemingly simple-minded "Bone-Crusher" chuckled, finding it all meaningless. He yawned and dug at his ear.

"...It’s something you could find out just by asking in the Dockside District. It must have spread through your noble circles, too. You’re likely the only one who doesn't know."

As an opponent capable of provoking a Radiant Knight to this extent, the pig-man gang member who called himself Bone-Crusher (a commoner orphan with no surname) seemed far too ordinary. Perhaps because the memories of his daily work were so deep, he remained dressed as a cook even after entering the Hall of Heroic Souls. His white shirt and trousers were stained with blood, and his only weapons were two equally blood-stained kitchen knives. He was sturdy yet slightly plump, his face fleshy, his large eyes carrying a hint of ferocity, and his hands covered in various messy tattoos.

Yet even while laughing, those eyes beneath his drooping lids remained locked onto Labor. Unlike the "honest cook" Lien had seen in the funeral parlor, this figure looked every bit like a "flesh butcher"—not a good man at all.

"This guy is actually very shrewd," Lien, acting as a spectator from above, had already seen through him.

The seemingly crude provocation had always been a probe by the pig-man to see if the paladin was aware of the truth. Once he confirmed the other was simple-minded and likely unrelated to the case, he immediately softened his attitude to avoid unnecessary enmity or pushing someone into the enemy camp. His actions were rough and decisive, yet his mind was meticulous; his temperament was cold and restrained. Lien gave him a high score.

Down below, the spider-man paladin was still questioning reality, the pig-man continued to probe, the policewoman was fanning the flames, and the Dragonborn was happily watching the show... she had even produced some small snacks.

"That's enough."

While watching the play was enjoyable and allowed him to understand the candidates' personalities, letting the initiative slip away and becoming a mere quest-giving NPC would be ridiculous.

"The story is interesting, but save it for next time."

Before they knew it, a tall figure stood in their midst. He carried a heavy door-sized greatsword on his shoulder, and a pleasant smile graced his chin beneath the mask.

"The night is deep. It’s time for serious business. Now, let my 'loving instruction' begin..."

Loving instruction? What the hell was that?

But the next moment, they understood.

The arm holding the sword vanished in plain sight. Before they could even realize his movements were too fast, a silver radiance had already flashed across the hall. Silent and soundless, the world was severed. In their eyes, the world tilted.

"Clack!"

When the massive greatsword returned to its sheath, the four were either shocked or angry, completely unable to comprehend what had happened... yet, across their bodies, a bloody crack appeared, splitting them in two. Death arrived right on schedule.

"I’m not good with words; I can only teach in such a simple way." The old man smiled happily, yawning as he looked at the dying.

At the very moment the candidates were about to accept their inexplicable deaths, the bronze gears roared once more.

"Clack."

The next instant, the gears of time reset the Hall of Heroic Souls. The four appeared back in their original positions, as if nothing had happened. Only the expressions of terror, anger, or confusion on their faces indicated that it had all occurred.

"Let’s start by dying ten times. Each of you." Amidst his "disciples'" total inability to comprehend, the heroic knight spoke words that were not exactly human.

This was the heritage—this was Brother Suer’s way of teaching. Since they wouldn't truly die, why bother with moderation or tailoring lessons to individuals? Just use their bodies to make them learn.

Well, this was entirely Brother Suer’s teaching habit; it was definitely not Lien’s own perverse enjoyment after having experienced it himself and wanting to see others suffer the same.

And so, Lien was having the time of his life. The candidates, however, were truly dying.

Silver moons, half-arcs, slashes—the ultra-heavy horse-slaying sword was wielded faster and more accurately than a rapier, faster than a spear's thrust, and heavier than a warhammer’s strike. Being split, crushed, pierced—the methods of death were entirely different each time. The pig-man resisted with fury; every death was a head-on collision. As the weakest, he died the fastest, screamed the loudest, and met the most miserable ends. The spider-man knight tried to resist, his six arms weaving a dance of blades, yet he was pierced through again and again. The little Dragonborn girl... she kept running, trying to use her colleagues as meat shields and throwing all sorts of junk to resist. Various magical lights illuminated the hall, but it was all meaningless. Talia bit her lip and resisted, but after dying so many times, she became numb...

"The pig-man has good potential, the little spider is passable, the girl is completely useless—is this cop just here to make up the numbers?"

Will and character were fully revealed in the face of death. The pig-man grew angrier with each death, while the spider-man knight continued to resist, unyielding to the end. The little leopard girl was indeed just there to fill a spot and had already stopped resisting.

"Clack."

Finally, the sword returned to its sheath.

"Ten times? Was that ten times?!" The pig-man Bone-Crusher’s will surprised Lien; at least he could still roar at him.

"Uh, I forgot to count. Close enough?" The heroic soul rubbed his chin. He wasn't used to the prickliness of the beard, though it seemed he couldn't shave in this state.

"Sixty-seven times! I counted!"

At this, the other supernaturals, who had previously looked down on the commoner, were forced to look at him with newfound respect. This guy had died more times than the others combined!

Lien nodded in satisfaction and asked, "Do you want to learn? My sword."

The pig-man’s gaze changed again.

"I do." The sound squeezed through his teeth made Lien laugh happily. He was beginning to understand the joy Suer felt when facing him.

"Not now, though..."

Four pairs of eyes glared at him.

"Your stamina and mental strength are nearly exhausted; it’s time to wake up. By the way, introduce yourselves... and use nicknames from now on. Although you've all practically exposed yourselves, it’s the rule. Don't go around revealing your identities; there have been issues with that before."

The pig-man was still holding on, though he was the one who had died the most. "I’m Bone-Crusher. Dimon." His low voice was filled with resentment; he knew anonymity was meaningless now.

[No. 1 Bone-Crusher, Biological Level: Raw Stone, Status: Strength 6, Physique 6, Agility 4, Compatibility 19%, Satisfaction 18%]

Even after dying sixty-plus times, he still gritted his teeth and attacked an unbeatable opponent. He died fast, revived fast, and died the most, but the heroic soul’s satisfaction rating for him rose the fastest. And he was clearly the weakest among them.

"I... Shadow-Shear." Talia considered for a moment before revealing her old title.

[No. 2 Shadow-Shear, Biological Level: Silver, Status: Strength 11, Physique 11, Agility 14, Compatibility 10%, Satisfaction 10%]

Although she came in through the back door, she was average in every respect.

"Holy Great Knight, or, Holy Weaver of Fates." Paladins were always a bit dramatic, and this one didn't seem to be acting.

"Are you worthy? Keep it simple. My memory is bad. Two characters."

"...Moth." Although it was strange—a spider calling itself a moth—Lien had no objections. In fact, her friendliness was not low.

[No. 3 Moth, Biological Level: Silver, Status: Strength 7, Physique 8, Agility 14, Compatibility: 31%, Satisfaction: 25%]

The highest compatibility, the highest satisfaction... though there was some bias, paladins were naturally suited for the paladin’s inheritance. This was never a fair game that required balance from the start. She was naturally skilled with the sword, and with the advantages of multiple arms and natural armor, she could indeed become a fine paladin—though spiders' strength and physique were on the lower side, and their bodies were fragile, prone to bone fractures. However, paladins had a plethora of divine arts to compensate for this, and the little girl should have mastered Holy Power arts as well.

Yes, a little girl, not a boy. Although she was as flat as a board and exceptionally handsome, under the full "Suer Heart-Soul" enhancement, Lien’s dragon eyes easily saw through the disguise, as well as the bindings on her chest.

Lien cast his gaze toward the last one, then immediately shifted away, sighing.

"Wait, what does that mean!! Looking down on me?! I’m clearly the strongest."

The youngest girl’s words drew the others' gazes, but Lien knew this was indeed the truth, and the gap was vast.

[No. 4 Dragon-Hunter, Biological Level: Gold, Status: Strength 16, Physique 18, Agility 12, Compatibility: 7%, Satisfaction: -9%]

This stat panel was overwhelmingly dominant—a monster-girl capable of crushing the others. But because she had dodged the entire time, lacking the will to fight, her satisfaction rating had dropped even further... If nothing changed, the strongest among them was destined to be a bystander throughout.

Glancing at the four "little ones" who were gradually becoming transparent, Lien yawned. This long night was coming to an end, and it was time for rest.

During this first meeting, there was too much mutual suspicion, and not much meaningful negotiation was destined to happen. These little ones would go back to verify things; Mind-Walkers had the ability to deceive people into dreams to steal information, and there were troublesome things like Nightmares. Next time they came, they might even bring their own sacred items for mental protection.

However, as they searched for information everywhere, they would also bring the intelligence Lien needed.

"If nothing goes wrong, see you tomorrow night."

Guiding them to this point was enough. Lien was in no hurry; to be hurried was to expose himself. He pondered how to let his true self participate as well. At the very least, he could help whitewash his own problematic identity.

A carefully woven lie might also become his way of guiding the world.

"...Well, nothing better to do, let's chat. Oh, right, remember to tell me more about that severed-tail case next time; it sounds interesting..."