Heroes Return

"Did Lin Qian tell you?" Lin Jie sighed helplessly. Hearing their conversation, the bespectacled guy next to him suddenly felt like his brain wasn't working properly. After all, the amount of information in their words was far too much.

"Wait a minute, there's a lot of information in your conversation!!!" In the end, the guy with glasses decided to interrupt Zhao Lei.

"Huh? I thought any hero with a certain level of knowledge would understand. After all, you've been by Zero's side, fighting as Zero's comrade for so long! To be honest, I'm very envious of you!" Zhao Lei habitually pushed up his glasses, a helpless expression on his face: "How could you not have thought of it? Those four swords, those four girls! You should have seen them before, right? Zero and Mr. Lin Jie were both using these weapons! After the God-Slaying War, if you think about it carefully, at least the heroes on the Hero Association should have guessed Zero's identity, right? As for why they haven't announced it, it's probably just because they're afraid of angering Zero."

"Wait! You're saying... Lin Jie is Zero!!! I've been working with Zero all along?" Hearing Zhao Lei's words, the bespectacled man looked at Lin Jie in utter disbelief. He couldn't believe that his childhood dream had actually come true!

"Actually, among all the people I know, it seems you're the only one who doesn't know." Lin Jie sighed helplessly. "Speaking of which, it seems Dong Xue'er and Dong Xiaoye also noticed after the gods descended. Lately, they've been talking to me in a very obedient tone!"

"..." Upon hearing Lin Jie's words, the bespectacled man's mind paused for a moment. After taking a deep breath, he couldn't help but ask Lin Jie, "But you were there during the God-Slaying War, weren't you?"

"Xiao Meier," Lin Jie then said, "Speaking of which, you didn't even notice it back then, hahaha! Xiao Zhan and the others laughed for a long time! I guess you were the only one who didn't notice it."

"How could this be..." Upon hearing Lin Jie's answer, the bespectacled man was thrown into confusion.

"Alright, enough with the nonsense. Now that you know I'm Zero, are you going to surrender or fight me? It's up to you!" Seemingly losing interest in saying anything more, Lin Jie stretched and asked Zhao Lei.

“Actually, I don’t think we need to fight.” Zhao Lei pushed up his glasses before saying, “Because the Salvation Army was established with you as its leader from the very beginning. Everything the Salvation Army has is just a matter of your word.”

"Wait a minute!! I'm not taking the blame for this! If you say that, wouldn't I become a cult leader?!" Lin Jie interrupted Zhao Lei immediately upon hearing his words. As for the bespectacled guy standing to the side, he was still in a state of confusion.

"Wait, the Salvation Army's ideology is the one I heard from you from the very beginning! I've always believed in it as a guiding principle!" Upon hearing Lin Jie's words, Zhao Lei said something completely unexpected.

"Wait a minute!! You said it was directed at me?"

"Of course I heard it from you!" Zhao Lei said to Lin Jie with a smile. "Do you remember that time? It was when you were rescued from the rubble, that I asked you that question."

"Uh..." Despite trying hard to recall, Lin Jie couldn't remember anything. After all, he had saved too many people in the past.

However, Zhao Lei gave Lin Jie a way out by revealing everything himself: "It was at that time that I asked you why there are so many criminals in the world and how to save everyone. After all, I had just lost my family. And you answered me that all we need to do is kill them all. Once all those evil people are dead, the world will naturally be at peace."

"Um... I could have really said something like that back then!!" Lin Jie nodded upon hearing his words. After all, at that time, Lin Jie believed that letting criminals go was tantamount to being irresponsible towards the next victim! So, Lin Jie would have indiscriminately killed all criminals back then.

"Exactly!! I think you're absolutely right! Expecting bad people to change is the most naive idea. Why not just kill all the bad people? If there are no bad people in the world, then only good people will remain, right? That's what the Salvation Army was founded for!! We were founded based on your ideals! You could say the Salvation Army is Zero's private army!" Zhao Lei sounded incredibly excited, like an employee reporting their latest progress to their boss: "You know what? The Salvation Army is huge! And we've found the key to realizing our ideals!!"

"Wait a minute!! Your thinking is fundamentally flawed!" Hearing this, the bespectacled man finally couldn't hold back any longer: "If criminals give up resistance, then we shouldn't kill them, but hand them over to the law for just punishment! Randomly killing people! Killing those you deem bad! What's the difference between such people and those criminals?!"

Hearing what the bespectacled man said, Zhao Lei turned to look at him: "This is the ideal of your most admired hero! You know, back then Zero would have killed all the criminals."

Hearing his words, the bespectacled man merely glanced at Lin Jie: "If this is Zero's philosophy, then I can only say! Zero is wrong! His ideas are completely wrong! Perhaps he is the greatest hero! But his ideas themselves are flawed! I will not agree with him!"

After saying this, the bespectacled man's gaze fell on Lin Jie again: "If you really are zero, then tell me, do you truly agree with this philosophy?"

"Well said!" Hearing the bespectacled man's words, Lin Jie clapped his hands: "Since I saved the world for the third time, very few people have stood up to deny my mistakes."

"Lin Jie?" Seeing Lin Jie clapping his hands, the bespectacled man couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

“Yes! That’s what I used to think.” Lin Jie sighed helplessly. “Back then, my mind was full of my own sense of justice, but I never thought about any… any… humanity.”

Upon hearing Lin Jie's answer, the bespectacled man understood. Lin Jie himself was unwilling to acknowledge anything about the Salvation Army.

"You're just naive. We're too similar. I was naive like you once. And if you had the same experience as me, maybe you would understand." Pushing up his glasses, Zhao Lei gave the man with glasses a cold look.

"Heh, I'll smash your glasses sooner or later!" the bespectacled guy said to Zhao Lei with displeasure. "Don't be so arrogant. Zero won't be on your side at all. You'd better think about how you're going to spend your time in prison!"

"Really?" Zhao Lei said, glancing at Ling as he took a bottle from a nearby cabinet. The moment Lin Jie saw the bottle, his expression changed. Because that bottle was exactly the same as the one he had seen in the Kunlun Mirror.

That is the bottle that can hold all miracles. It is the so-called Bottle of Miracles!

"Hehe! This is getting more and more interesting!" Just as Lin Jie's attention was focused on the bottle, Solomon's figure appeared out of nowhere in the room: "I didn't expect you to get this. That's quite unexpected!"

The moment the words left his mouth, a powerful force swept towards Zhao Lei and the Bottle of Miracles. Without a doubt, Solomon intended to eliminate both Zhao Lei and the Bottle of Miracles simultaneously.

Unfortunately, Lin Jie's figure blocked Zhao Lei's path. With a deafening roar, almost half the town vanished.

Xiao Zhan and the others, who were surrounded in the distance, also looked in shock toward the side where the commotion had come from.

"Hehe, this thing was the root of all the chaos back then! So it's better to destroy it," Solomon said to Lin Jie. But she didn't seem to have any intention of stopping.

"Is this why you've been secretly following us?" Lin Jie just scratched his head helplessly: "Sorry, but I can't let you destroy this bottle."

Chapter 21

“Hehe, this bottle isn’t something that can grant your wishes! On the contrary, the last time this bottle appeared, it attracted a lot of bloodshed. After all, miracles are just too tempting for anyone,” Solomon said to Lin Jie with a smile.

"You're lying," Lin Jie said calmly. "I can tell from your expression that you're deceiving me."

"..." Hearing Lin Jie's words, Solomon was speechless. Lin Jie was right; she had indeed been deceiving him. After her in-depth conversation with Lin Jie during the descent of the gods, Solomon understood why Lin Jie wanted to find Lin Jie's Dawn Starlight. But precisely because of this, Solomon wanted to stop Lin Jie. However, what frustrated Solomon was why, every time she tried to tell Lin Jie a lie, he seemed to see right through her.

“That’s right, she’s lying. Just having the bottle doesn’t do anything.” Zhao Lei pushed up his glasses. “Zero, it seems you’ve forgotten a lot over the years. The reasons you became a hero, and your goals as a hero. I’ve investigated you a lot lately. You seem to enjoy the simple life of helping people, and you like that ordinary life. But haven’t you noticed? Your life has never been peaceful, because there’s always someone who breaks your peace—Evolution Corporation, Ivan, for example. There’s always trouble that forces you to step forward again and again, and do something. Is this really the life you want? From your recent actions, I can see that you’ve never given up on anyone. But that’s precisely why I want to help you.”

It's impossible for the Salvation Army to wipe out all the bad guys and scum of the earth, but if we possess the starlight of dawn, then we can change this world. With the power of miracles, we can do anything. You can resurrect all the good people in your heart, and you can certainly change reality to the way you desire. If there is one person in this world who can truly represent justice, then perhaps it is only you!

The Salvation Army will only trust you. If you are willing to lead the Salvation Army, then we are willing to entrust the miracle of changing the world into your hands; we have found the key to opening the bottle from the dust of the past.”

"But if you really do that, how will you be different from the gods who descended?" Solomon suddenly asked Lin Jie, "You seem to disagree with the gods' actions, so do you really intend to become a second god? Moreover, the power of miracles has already spread throughout the world in the past. If you really gather them back together, what will the world become without the power of miracles? Nobody knows!"

Upon hearing Solomon's words, Lin Jie fell silent.

"Wait, don't stop this bastard! He's the founder of the Salvation Army!!" Looking at Zhao Lei, the bespectacled man couldn't help but shout, "Besides, his method of eradicating evil is fundamentally wrong!"

"You, who haven't experienced pain, understand nothing at all," Zhao Lei said coldly to the bespectacled man. "I once held the same naiveté as you. However, heroes can stand on the moral high ground and forgive those criminals time and time again, throwing them into prison instead of directly sentencing them to death. They are spared a life. But what is the result? Are those criminals really willing to let go of those victims? They are not. You and I are clearly very similar, but I didn't expect your mind to be so rigid! I advise you to give up your saintly thoughts as soon as possible."

"You're wrong! I'm nothing like you. I'll never become like you."

"You just haven't experienced the kind of pain I've gone through. Once you have, you'll understand!" Zhao Lei said to the bespectacled man with a cold smile.

"No matter what happens, I won't change. I'm a hero." The bespectacled man coldly replied to Zhao Lei, "As a true hero, Zero wouldn't associate with a bastard like you!"

“Sorry, Glasses Bro, but this time, I’m going to accept Zhao Lei’s proposal.” Lin Jie said, then looked at Zhao Lei: “Since the Salvation Army was created because of me, then this time, I will take responsibility and let the Salvation Army lead the Salvation Army.”

As he spoke, black energy began to emanate from Lin Jie's body.

Seeing the black aura emanating from Lin Jie, Solomon's expression tightened: "Are you really planning to do that? To join forces with the Salvation Army to obtain the Starshine of Dawn? If so, next time, I will be your enemy."

Upon hearing their words, Lin Jie simply nodded calmly: "If that's really the case, then I look forward to your victory over me this time."

"Wait! Lin Jie, you're not kidding, are you? Are you really going to do this?" Hearing Lin Jie's words, the bespectacled man finally couldn't hold back anymore: "Why would you do this! We're supposed to be friends! You should know this is wrong, right? If you were, you wouldn't be thinking of dying to fight against the gods! Lin Jie!!! You answer me! You!!!! You're supposed to be a hero!! Hey! You're Zero!! You're the guardian of humanity!! Why are you siding with the Salvation Army this time!!"

"Sorry, Glasses Bro, maybe you're right!" Lin Jie turned to Glasses Bro with a smile and said, "As for why I decided to help the Salvation Army obtain the Dawn Association, it's actually very simple. Because I owe someone a life, and I owe a debt of gratitude that I can never repay in this lifetime. So no matter what, I must obtain the Dawn's Starlight."

Perhaps you're right! Since you're a hero, and you believe you're fighting for justice, then come and defeat me. Justice that's too weak, justice that can't be served, is ultimately just empty talk.

After saying that, Lin Jie turned around and walked towards Zhao Lei.

"If you want me to lead the Salvation Army, then be prepared. I might be the one who disappoints you the most." Lin Jie said to Zhao Lei with a smile, "Don't always try to label people. Right now, I don't actually represent justice; I only represent myself."

"Don't worry, once you meet the Salvation Army, believe me, it won't remind you of your past dreams," Zhao Lei said to Lin Jie with a smile. "Besides, I'm willing to believe that you are still the embodiment of justice, after all, you just saved the world not long ago."

"Wait!!" Just as Lin Jie was about to turn around, Solomon rushed in front of him again, his face slightly flushed, and said, "I... am I not good enough? We look alike, we have the same personality. We just lack time to spend together. But time is for us..."

Before Solomon could finish speaking, Lin Jie's hand was already touching Solomon's face.

"Alright, that's enough. You two do look alike, but sorry, let's forget about this kind of trying to win me back." Lin Jie simply smiled at Solomon. At that moment, in the eyes of everyone, including the guy with glasses, Lin Jie seemed to have become more handsome. That's right, he had become more handsome, or rather, Lin Jie was always very handsome, as could be seen from his twin brother, Lin Yingnan. It's just that Lin Jie's past frivolousness had overshadowed all of that.

"You are you, and you have your own unique charm. So you should not be a substitute for anyone."

Hearing Lin Jie's words, Solomon's face, which had been feigning redness, turned genuinely red this time. But before Solomon could say anything more, Lin Jie had already turned around. In that instant, the person standing before the three was no longer Lin Jie. It was Zero!

"Zero... has been by my side all this time." As soon as the bespectacled man finished speaking, a fear that seemed to grip his heart and emanated from his very soul resurfaced within him once more.

This kind of fear, the bespectacled man had felt before atop the Salvation Army's H-family building. And today, that long-forgotten sense of dread had returned.

Watching Lin Jie's retreating figure, Solomon clenched his fist helplessly. The situation was different for the bespectacled man; he no longer even had the strength to stand up.

Knowing that Zero and Zhao Lei had disappeared, the bespectacled man looked helplessly at Solomon: "What do we do now? Also, what would happen if we used that bottle to actually collect the starlight of dawn scattered all over the world, as you said?"

"Even I don't know the specific consequences, after all, the starlight of dawn is too mysterious. But one thing is certain, at least I will disappear, the inner world will disappear, the underworld will disappear, gods and demons will disappear, and all those mysterious powers will disappear with it. People with mysterious powers, like magicians, will disappear, and you will disappear too. Don't forget, your past life was a fragment of the Kunlun Mirror." Solomon said calmly, "All the myths and mysteries on this planet originated from miracles. And without the power of miracles, the gods imagined by humans, the inner world reflecting the inner world of living beings, and everything that follows, since they were born from the power of miracles, will naturally disappear along with the power of miracles!"

"Wait! Is there really anyone in the world who can grasp such power?" Upon hearing his words, the bespectacled man asked in shock.

"No one in this world can touch the power of miracles, not even the oldest and most powerful gods and demons. But that bottle is different; it was born from the power of miracles themselves, a miracle capable of containing miracles." Solomon said helplessly, "That's why I wanted to destroy it. But, as expected, Zero is too powerful."

"No! We must stop him immediately! If this continues, many people will disappear!!!" Hearing Solomon's words, the bespectacled man couldn't help but become anxious.

"But what do you plan to do? Can we really defeat him?" Solomon poured cold water on the anxious bespectacled man's enthusiasm.

-------------Chapter Dividing Line---------------

Hearing Solomon's words, the bespectacled man's face finally darkened. Indeed, just as he said, even he couldn't defeat Zero. Although no one witnessed the battle between Zero and God, the outcome was only seen from the moment Zero appeared.

However, everyone could witness the epic battle between Zero and the Legion of Gods. In particular, the scene where you and a terrifying creature the size of the entire continent were somehow cleaved in two by Zero was truly breathtaking.

That power completely surpassed that of humans and even the gods, enough to make everyone in the world tremble with fear. Not to mention that Lin Jie later killed a clearly incomparably powerful god.

Even the bespectacled guy was deeply shocked and couldn't calm down for a long time after watching the video. No one had imagined that while they were fighting a hard battle, the battle on Zero's battlefield was actually even more arduous. However, what no one could have imagined was that the injuries Zero sustained after his battle with the gods weren't actually caused by them. All the injuries Zero suffered were actually inflicted by Ivan, a human with no superpowers.

Without a doubt, if there was only one chance to defeat Zero so far, it was Ivan's. However, that time, Ivan was too arrogant and didn't have Dave or other assistants there. Zero was then fortunately rescued by the disobedient Immortal.

Perhaps God foresaw from the beginning that Zero would help the Salvation Army, which is why He cooperated with Ivan, the world's greatest villain? After all, that might have been the only chance to kill Zero.

But if that's really the case, then Zero and God's positions might have to be reversed.

Of course, thinking about all this now is useless, and even Solomon could only sigh helplessly.

……

Somewhere in the world, Kuroru and Tian Xiaoshu, who were drinking coffee, suddenly looked up at the sky not far away. Although they didn't know what was happening, both girls had a strange feeling. The only difference was that they were looking in different directions.

……

"What do we do now? Aren't you supposed to be very wise? Do you have a way to stop Zero?" The bespectacled man couldn't help but ask Solomon again.

Hearing his words, Solomon could only shake his head: "Do you really think Lin Jie and the other three are people you can persuade?"

"..."

"But we can't beat him!"

“I know! We can’t beat him! I can hardly find any weaknesses in him!” Solomon said helplessly to Lin Jie. “Now, we can only gather all the forces we can and try to find a solution together.”

"Wait, are you saying we really have to gather all our strength and wage a full-scale war against Zero?" Hearing his words, the bespectacled man hesitated: "You know, the person we're facing is Zero."

"Hehe, how does it feel to have your faith collapse? You didn't expect that your most admired hero would actually agree to the Salvation Army leader's request this time?" Solomon teased with a smile when he saw the bespectacled man's expression.

"No! I have to try again! I must convince him!" Hearing Solomon's words, the bespectacled man's expression hardened once more: "It doesn't matter if I disappear. But there are still many kind magicians in this world, right? Like the Master of Miracles. Speaking of which, I've seen many good people in the Hero Association; they all use psychic abilities. If they really just disappear like that, what will happen to their families? Those people are heroes, and they are all good people!"

After saying that, the bespectacled man ran once more in the direction where Solomon Lin Jie had disappeared. This time, even if it meant death, he couldn't let Lin Jie make a mistake! Not only for those he knew might disappear, but also for Lin Jie!

"Sigh!" Seeing the bespectacled guy resolutely run off, Soroman didn't stop him. She just turned around helplessly, and right behind her, a magical girl holding a hammer was watching her.

The girl's voice was soft and sweet, giving off a cute vibe: "What should we do, Zero? Is Zero planning to make us all disappear?"

"I'm sorry, it seems so. So this time we'll try to stop Zero. Hehe, how about it, scared?" Solomon said, gently rubbing the girl's soft cheeks. In this atmosphere, Solomon and the girl disappeared into a certain spatial portal, although Solomon had a smile on her face, there was no smile in her eyes at all.