This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 232 The Voice of Nature
Reveal your beliefs? That's a request no normal person would agree to.

In the new world, belief is the foundation of a person's existence. Although no one talks about it in daily life, everyone knows that it is the lifeblood of the soul, reflecting people's truest selves. Knowing a person's beliefs means knowing how to kill them; this has become a consensus.

Russell didn't expect Nie Weiyang to agree when he said this; in fact, the moment he uttered those words, he was already prepared to fight Nie Weiyang.

Can we win? He asked himself.

The answer is no.

He wasn't unsure if he could win; he was unsure if he would die.

Even so, if he were to do it all over again, he would still say those words.

but……

“I just want to cooperate with you, not have you work for me,” Nie Weiyang said. “However, if you want to see…”

He smiled, opened his profile panel, and set the [Beliefs] entry to public.

Russell's gaze froze abruptly, and the nonchalant smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an indescribable...complexity.

The air seemed to have frozen for a long time.

Finally, he took a long, deep breath, as if to inhale all the fresh air around him into his lungs and then exhale the stale air that had been brewing in his heart for so long.

"'Follow my principles'..."

He made no comment on Nie Weiyang's beliefs, but looked at Nie Weiyang with an extremely complicated gaze, as if he were truly getting to know this person for the first time.

"What is your sense of morality?" he asked slowly. "Don't lie to me... I have ways to verify the truthfulness of words."

"..."

Nie Weiyang met his gaze until he looked away.

It was a short time, but for Russell it felt as long as the first time he saw the highest mountain.

“My righteousness is very simple,” he heard the voice say. “‘Do what the virtuous cannot do.’”

……

As dawn broke, Russell tossed the crumpled paper into a pitcher plant, officially confirming his codename within the 'organization'.

"It's settled!" he announced, as if he had accomplished some major life event.

Nie Weiyang crossed his arms and stared at him silently, while he replied calmly, "Why are you looking at me like that? Are you impressed by my handsomeness?"

"You wrote down over a hundred code names on a single piece of paper... and you only did this one thing in three hours." Nie Weiyang was somewhat incredulous. "It's just a code name, is it really that hard to come up with one?"

“Of course.” Russell said matter-of-factly, “They say there are no wrong code names, only wrong names. If I’m going to join such a promising organization, of course I have to choose a good name!”

Nie Weiyang: “…”

Even Nie Weiyang couldn't detect a trace of the antagonism that had ever existed on this guy's face, as if that conversation about beliefs and the future had never happened.

“…Okay.” He sighed, then asked, “What are you going to call it?”

“A hymn,” Russell said with a smile, the morning light falling on his face with a strange, infectious quality.

"Hmm?" Nie Weiyang raised an eyebrow slightly.

“A hymn, I mean, a hymn,” Russell repeated, his smile widening. “How about that? Doesn’t it sound a bit too common?”

"Not bad." Nie Weiyang shook his head, offering an honest assessment. "Simple, direct, and sounds positive. But why this one?"

He actually knew the origin of the name. But among more than a hundred bizarre options, the one that was ultimately chosen was such a seemingly simple word. It would be strange if he didn't ask about it.

Russell smiled but did not answer immediately.

He stood up in the morning breeze, stretching his tall, strong body like a plant that had absorbed enough sunlight. He slowly poured himself a cup of tea that had long since gone cold, moistened his throat, and then faced the vibrant forest swaying in the morning light, taking a deep breath.

The next moment, a strange chant flowed from his throat. It wasn't singing in the usual sense; it was more like a call, a resonance, rich in emotion, not soft—this was Russell's personal style. His voice was more like that of a rock singer than typical ballads, which also speaks to his vocal qualities and singing technique.

As his singing voice spread, the surrounding nature was completely awakened.

Nie Weiyang watched quietly.

This is the most essential way in which Russell, as a 'Nature's Caller,' demonstrates his power.

Of the many ways this profession can be expressed, Russell chose the oldest and most fundamental way—he relied on his own voice to engage in the deepest communication with nature.

In Russell's perception, the entire natural ecosystem is a vast, intricate, and endless magnificent symphony.

His singing voice is a unique part that blends into this movement, and the movement itself gives him feedback and strength.

Then, the wind began to respond, the leaves rustled, and the faint sound of flowing water in the distance provided a low-pitched background; the chirping of insects and birds, just awakened, became leaping notes... All the sounds of nature blended harmoniously, forming a unique morning symphony.

Nie Weiyang could feel the power contained in the song, soothing the soul and supporting life, like a clear spring flowing through the heart, releasing the purest emotions and thoughts to all things.

Of course, this power had no effect on him; Russell's mental strength was far inferior to his, and he was simply listening with appreciation.

Bertrand Russell, the Nature Caller.

Every day, he sings hymns to life and nature in his own way.

He didn't disturb Russell, but simply sat in his chair like a quietest listener.

The Walkman, which was prohibited from playing music, sensed the natural rhythms of the outside world, and the melody it played subtly changed. It was no longer a specific song, but transformed into a more abstract, yet harmonious stream of sound that subtly resonated with the natural music of the outside world.

Half an hour later, Russell's singing gradually stopped, and he let out a long breath, his face showing the comfort and satisfaction after exercising.

He turned around with a bright smile: "Good, morning exercise is over, and my experience points have increased quite a bit!"
"how do you feel?"

He asked a question that others usually only thought was a little thin, yet also a little refreshing—not everyone has the power to appreciate and feel nature, and not everyone can realize that the echoes of nature are also part of music.

Nie Weiyang turned his head, his fingers tapping lightly on his knee, humming a short melody—not the tune Russell had just sung, but... but a fragment of music that the forest had given him in response to the natural resonance!
Russell's smile froze instantly.

His pupils dilated suddenly, and he almost lunged at Nie Weiyang, his voice filled with unbelievable surprise: "You can hear me?!"

"You can hear 'The Voice of Nature'?!"

Nie Weiyang smiled and said, "I guess so."

Although the "No Playback" feature only forces the player to play one song at a time, when the player is in a natural environment and in a relatively peaceful state of mind, there is a high probability that it will play a grand melody that resonates with the natural ecosystem.

It is indeed referred to as "The Voice of Nature" by some professionals in nature-related fields.

This simple acknowledgment thrilled Russell. He looked at Nie Weiyang with excitement, as if he had found a long-lost soulmate!

"That's great! This is really great..." He rubbed his hands together, excitedly circling around Nie Weiyang for a bit: "We can do morning exercises together from now on! Although you don't seem to use your voice for resonance, we can still exchange our perception experiences!"
"Did you know that the bass section in that valley to the east has been acting strangely lately? I think it might be due to the water level..."

"..."

The combination of the chatterbox and the natural caller's voice was just too noisy. Nie Weiyang silently rubbed his aching brow.

Well, at least the onboarding process for this new teammate turned out pretty well.

At least, in future operations, communication will no longer rely on shouting, but also on singing.

But there's one more issue he needs to address...

“Russell,” Nie Weiyang asked slowly, “aren’t you afraid that coming with me will actually lead to a bleak future?”

"Isn't that even better?" Russell grinned. "Knowing that there is darkness ahead, the absence of light means I'm on the right track!"

"Alright, where are we going, boss?"

(End of this chapter)