Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 433 The Hero Candidates Gradually Enter the Scene

Rean encountered two more candidates for the Hero.

They're not even human.

A barbarian from the purgatory who called herself Fiana exuded an aura that carried the scent of a lower plane. The savage smell put a lot of pressure on Rean. It wasn't just a simple smell, but an overwhelmingly dense aura of purgatory that made some of the powers within Rean restless.

One of them is a vengeful elf, wearing a badge with a "flying arrow," a mark of the "internal purgers" within the elven race. The fact that he dares to carry this thing so openly shows his absolute confidence in his own strength.

The former is a woman, although she looks more masculine than a man in terms of physical appearance, with muscles and arms as thick as a minotaur's thighs.

The latter was wearing a cloak and a mask, revealing only half of his face. Considering the appearance of male elves, it was difficult to determine his true gender.

The two seemed to be solitary strongmen, without any extra constraints or ideas, and they arrived very quickly. They didn't even have teammates, nor had they ever appeared on Mirror Demon's live stream.

Among the various groups of adventurers, the two of them stood out.

But Rean inquired with Bazak privately and learned that "Trifoliate Leaf (Revenge Elf)" and "Infernal Chariot" had been in this area for at least a week and had become famous among the explorers.

Rean didn't know them. Perhaps it was simply because he paid too little attention to them, and lone strongmen rarely had the opportunity to appear on camera.

The two powerful individuals greeted Rean, and that was the end of it.

They are clearly keeping their distance from those around them, and if this continues, there's probably something wrong with them.

"How about we get the alumni association to intervene? Uh, something seems off. Who's in charge of the Heroes' Branch?"

The bait was used to incite competition, but ultimately it was all about conquering the underground labyrinth. The waves that two lone strongmen could create were destined to be limited; they were more like catfish stirring up the competition.

Rean hesitated, wondering if he should use some means to help them adapt to the local environment as soon as possible, or at least build up a team to participate in the competition.

Each successor of a hero's soul has a branch within the "Class Reunion," with the victor serving as the branch president and liaison. Rean only needs to communicate with the branch president to achieve a certain level of understanding within the entire Class Reunion, enabling most members to work together.

The victor naturally gains prestige, having proven his potential in internal competition, and his words carry weight.

However, since the successor to the hero hasn't been decided yet, and most people are competitors, there's naturally no organizer or liaison.
"How about I appoint someone to control it?" He shook his head. This was not a good idea; choosing anyone would just put them on the hot seat.

"Forget it, I'll do it myself." Neither Lana nor Hela are qualified organizers, and their identities are naturally questionable. Choosing a strong candidate like Bazak would be a bit biased.

With a sigh, Rean found an excuse and used "outsider registration" as a pretext to speak a few words to the two of them.

There's no time like the present, and who knows when we'll meet again? Since they've come all this way, their existence is a contribution to Radiant City.
"You're very strong. Want to spar?!"

Rean's kindness seemed to inexplicably turn into a desire to fight, and the barbarian woman whose smile resembled a sinister grin expressed her friendliness to Rean in the manner of her tribe.

If we have a good fight, we're friends; if we lose, we're bosses.

"Hello." The other one, however, silently looked at Rean.

The voice was hoarse, as if it had been specially treated, and there was no Adam's apple, but Rean instinctively felt that it was a man. He looked at Rean with a wary and even suspicious gaze, as if he had noticed something amiss.

Rean briefly showed the wound on his arm, used his Qi to restore his condition, and implied that he had sealed his other professional abilities with discipline and was currently training in the abilities of a martial monk. Only then did the other party nod slightly, seemingly relieved.

Are these two really candidates for hero? They clearly lack cooperation and coordination.

Rean's demonstration was not superfluous. The primary targets of the "Revengeful Spirits" were more than half of the sources of the Fallen Spirits and Temptation Spirits' corruption, and in the end, they all traced it back to demons, monsters, and evil gods in the lower planes.

Wu is a demonic monk, and although Rean doesn't have the aura of purgatory, his power is somewhat related to it.

“I never expected you two to be together.” Rean’s words probably reflected the doubts of many people. The barbarian with the bloodline of Purgatory was full of chaotic energy, yet he was living peacefully with the vengeful elf who pursued evil and corruption.

"A misunderstanding, about us." This elf's taciturnity seemed to stem from more than just a communication problem. Judging from his halting and hesitant use of words, he hadn't used the common language of the continent much before. This meant he might have long resided in the elven kingdom (plane), and a rather high-class one at that, perhaps even without needing to contact the beastmen outside.

"Pursuing evil, the source of depravity. She is not." The vengeful elf's words were clear: this purgatory barbarian may have evil blood, but she was not inherently evil.

To confirm this, it seems that Fiana's recent life has been devoid of any privacy whatsoever.

Rean nodded. Bloodline sin didn't mean the person was flawed; he was still a red dragon, the leader of all dragons. But he still glanced subtly at Fiana, because everyone knew that powerful individuals with the Purgatory bloodline were prone to misfortune in their later years.

The more powerful a person with the Purgatory Bloodline is, the more attention they attract from the source of their bloodline. Compared to those great demons and devil lords, mortals are far too fragile.

If you're truly being targeted, whether you become a toy or a pawn is not something you can decide.

The worst off are those who are "favored" and, without realizing it, dragged down to become eternal subordinates or playthings.

"I want to become a knight."

And this Fiana even had other ideas.

The gaze fixed intently on the holy emblem (radiant smile) on Rean's chest seemed to suggest that she too aspired to become a true paladin.

That eager gaze made Rean feel somewhat uneasy. You're a half-Hellish creature, aren't you afraid that when you unleash the Evil Slash, you'll hurt yourself first?
Uh, will slaying evil and cutting down righteous infernal creatures actually provide any bonus? Will I get burned by my own radiant power?

Rean was a little numb. He had never encountered this situation before. The Purgatory bloodline was basically the ultimate villain that would take damage from an over-explosive Evil Slash. Even ordinary bloodlines would have a damage bonus.

“Sure, come and try out for the Knights of the Weavers after you get out.” Rean had no reason to refuse; as long as he walked the path of the Holy Knights, he was unlikely to become an enemy.

He also realized that this seemingly crude barbarian was not as stupid and simple as he appeared.

This was a brilliant move.

She has always been an outsider. The audience's support is mainly for locals. If they support foreigners, it's basically because the local players are hopelessly losing and there's no way to help them.

Compared to the support of the audience, the label of "outsider" puts them at a significant disadvantage in terms of companions, logistics, and connections.

This is not a predicament that can be easily overcome. Perhaps she can slowly build her reputation, but it will probably take years.

Being a paladin, a local commoner paladin, can clear away many obstacles and distrustful glances.

Just like Rean when he first arrived here as a stranger, being a paladin can solve most of the problems of not adapting to the new environment.

More importantly, with the background of the Infernal race, they can gain the support of local forces. As long as they adhere to certain discipline and moral bottom lines, paladins are quite good teammates.

Rean readily agreed, while Fiana was the one who was surprised. Generally speaking, this was tantamount to letting someone interfere in one's own territory, and might even involve taking away the paladins of the Knights Order.

"As long as the outcome is good, I don't really care about certain things," Rean implied, and whether they believed him or not was their own business.

Having said goodbye to this temporary duo, or rather, two lone travelers temporarily brought together, Rean resumed his journey.

He didn't see any other candidates. But he heard from others that there were two other candidates who were very active, but they were both competitors of Bazak and the face of their respective teams.

"At least seven or eight competitors have already participated." It seems that, unknowingly, Rean's plan has succeeded.

Their participation, in turn, further amplified the global attention on the Glorious City event and attracted even more people eager for glory.

Here you'll find resources, reputation, and even a fighting force to help you weather crises. Why don't talented young people who have no chance in their hometowns where resources are stratified into classes give this a try?
Rean was unaware that his decision had brought him a group of "relatives" who had no intention of returning.

(End of this chapter)