Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 9 Folly
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the sound of iron boots crushing grass startled the wood sparrows on the grass.

Li En wiped the sweat off his face, unbuttoned his sweat-soaked clothes, and poured himself a glass of water.

After sitting on the chair and resting for a while, he picked up the sword again.

The originally well-maintained lawn had been trampled into a mess. Now he had to thank his "fiancée" for the gift, otherwise he wouldn't even have a place to practice swordplay without disturbing others.

He needs strength very much, and the "time" of the heroic spirit is also quite limited.

I got up before dawn this morning and have taken two breaks so far. Two more rounds of morning exercises will almost be enough.

But this time, it is not basic air swing training.

A piece of cloth covered his eyes, and there was nothing else in the empty yard.

"call!"

Suddenly, the steel blades began a round dance.

As he stepped forward, the light of the slashing technique lit up in the yard. The basic combat skills that originally required at least several months of training had been turned into muscle memory.

"Dangdang!"

The sound of the blades clashing was actually the onomatopoeia of Rean's own mumbling.

And his movements were to pull back as he could not continue to cut, as if there was a giant in the void who not only blocked his cut, but also stabbed him with his backhand.

The blade of the two-handed sword swung sideways, blocking the thrust.

The advantage of the two-handed heavy sword is that it can be used as a harvesting weapon in team battles, and the blade can be retracted and used as a blocking shield.

However, the "opponent" was already close, and the two-handed sword could no longer be deployed at medium and long distances, so...
"when!"

The sword fell directly to the ground, Rean pulled the "opponent" with his left hand and raised his right shoulder.

"what!"

Set foot on it, and you will have a strong support.

He rushed out sideways and hit the target right in the face.

But the opponent in the illusion was tough enough and still did not fall to the ground.

Or maybe it's simply because I don't have enough energy.

Only excellent combat experience can make up for the shortcomings of hardware. Rean had anticipated this from the very beginning. Tieshan relied on his whole body strength just to make the opponent slightly tilt and unbalanced.

The weight of a fully armed knight is also a kind of power. It is imagined that the opponent has been suppressed by Rean.

Rean dropped his sword, but his right hand was also free.

"Holy Fist."

The shouting arm summoned holy power, pulling and pressing the opponent, and the imaginary right fist shining with white light hammered repeatedly.

"Big hammer, small hammer." There are monks who are part-time holy fists among the priests, and Sur is good at this.

This time, the opponent lost his balance and was hit in the face by a sudden punch.

He was unable to defend himself in the short term, and the iron gloves punched into his forehead again and again, directly smashing his head.

"call."

Li En took off his blindfold and was sweating all over.

It seemed like just a few movements, a matter of a dozen seconds, but it had already drained his physical strength and energy.

The more experienced the veteran is, the closer this hypothetical combat is to actual combat. In actual combat, the difference between life and death is often a matter of one or two rounds and tens of seconds, but it consumes all of one's heart and soul.

He closed his eyes again and reviewed the "battle experience" just now.

"Not enough." The hardware shortcomings are too great. Such combat power can be used to fight street thugs, but it is not enough to kill real extraordinary people.

He couldn't help but think of the dream he had this morning, which was an even deeper despair.

The endless army rushed forward, and it was pitch black all around. There were swords, spears, halberds, and enemy flags everywhere, but the besieged heroes did not stop for a moment.

One man and one sword is enough.

Each sword carried light, clearing a large area in an instant, and the next moment, more darkness rushed over.

Boundless and endless.

My heart is filled with disgust for the darkness in the world, but even more of it is anger at my own inability to change reality.

Sur wanted to roar, but reason told him that every bit of strength was precious at this moment.

So, he poured even more of his heart and soul into the sword.

Anger is my strength.

The awareness of my own fragility and powerlessness is also my strength.

I yearn for change. Even if I am in endless darkness, I still yearn for light. If there is no lighthouse to illuminate the way forward in this world, I am willing to be the candle that burns out in an instant.

On the boundless black battlefield, in the fallen land like a black swamp, there is only a ray of light, still stubbornly waving the sword in its hand.

There are no tricks or techniques required, just pour your thoughts into the sword and shout out to the unjust, the evil, and the darkness.
"Destroy evil."

Silver light covered the Blade of Courage. This time, the luster was not as dazzling as before. It was condensed like a mirror, like the gathering of moonlight.

However, it is more dangerous for evildoers.
"Clap clap clap!"

The sudden applause woke Rean up. He turned around and found that the policewoman Talia was not far away.

When did she come?
Taliyah looked at Rean with admiration on her face. She watched the entire martial arts performance. This kind of movement and concentration made her, a bystander, feel as if she saw every move of her "imaginary opponent".

As a veteran, she knew how much practical experience was needed to simulate it so realistically.

"His movements are those of a seasoned soldier, yet his strength is not even matched by that of a new soldier. No, his level of deterioration is even worse than that of a child. He is much weaker than the day we first met."

This contradictory feeling, as if a century-old veteran was trapped in a disabled body, made the female police officer even more regretful.

She knew that Rean was not in his prime when she first met him. She couldn't even imagine how powerful Rean at his peak would be. For a young man to be so powerful, he must have gone through many years of suffering and battlefields. Now, he was out of breath even after just a few seconds of movement.

"Even so, he still trained so hard with such determination, even though he knew it would all be lost. This kind of willpower is even rarer than strength itself."

The policewoman's eyes were usually wary of people, but there was a rare hint of genuine admiration in them.

Thinking about what he had gone through, being kicked out of the house and used as a tool for marriage was already a humiliation, and then the engagement was broken off. Now he had lost his power. Any blow would have been fatal, but he always faced it with a smile.

He is calm and has no resentment. This is incredible. Is he a saint?

"Don't you think this effort is meaningless?"

Finally, she asked.

The degeneration period is destined to make the physical body degenerate into inferior stone, and the professional abilities that have been painstakingly trained are also destined to vanish into thin air.

What's the point of working hard at this time?

The most despairing thing is not even the regression of career or the degradation of the physical body, but the collapse of mental skills and mental abilities.

Mind-soul abilities originate from the soul, but are actually the culmination of mind-body skills. Once the core soul of a transcendent's evolution collapses, it is almost impossible to perfectly repair it.

"Oh, to the general evaluation of the world, my efforts may be meaningless. But to me, they are quite meaningful." The man's words were very calm.

"Besides, even if I can't become a knight, I'm actually quite interested in being a magician. It's just a matter of starting over from scratch."

What Rean said was the truth. Since he came to the fantasy world, he was naturally interested in becoming a wizard.

It was actually quite a pity for him that the first hero he drew was not a magic hero.

But at this moment, the man's calm and firm words completely shattered the female police officer's defenses. If it were her, would she be able to face the end of the world so calmly?

A simple sentence to start over. If I had been so open-minded back then, I would not have given up everything.

Even if you lose everything, you can still start over. If one way doesn't work, try another. Even if it takes a lifetime, you may never be able to reach the heights of the past.

If you are destined to waste your life, if you are destined to gain nothing.
"Well, then just go your own way and let others talk." In Talia's eyes, the man in front of her was walking on his own way so calmly.

But Rean himself felt a little embarrassed when being looked at by those watery eyes. Sister Amazon, you were not like this when we first met.

He guessed that the other party had misunderstood something, but it seemed difficult to explain it clearly.

"Is there any new news on the Tail Hunting case?" This was the reason why the two met early in the morning. Will's case yesterday restarted the investigation of the Tail Hunting case.

"Yes, it's confirmed. Three more victims have been identified. Like Will, their bodies have become mummies with their tails missing. There's also a bloody silver coin at the scene. It's definitely him."

When it came to business, Talia instantly became serious.

Originally, I thought that once I killed the nobleman who was the executor, everything would be over.

But now, things are obviously not that simple, and the mastermind behind the scenes has become even more arrogant.

"The corpse you saw should be prepared for you." "Sure enough." Li En sighed. This was a naked provocation.

Not only will I commit the crime, I'll do it right in front of your face, and when I'm done, I'll leave the body for you to admire.

Talia's face turned red, she was angry. She was not only hitting Rean's face, but also the face of the legal authority and the Dock District Police Station.

But the reality is, if it weren't for the pressure from Rean's "fiancée" and the fact that he is more or less of aristocratic blood, the corrupt nobles in this city would not only intimidate those who are brave enough to help others, but would simply kill them.

"Can you give me more information?" Obviously, the knight in front of him did not intend to stop there.

Taliyah shook her head. If he was a sworn knight in good condition, she would have given it to him privately long ago. Giving it to him now would be tantamount to watching him die.

“The actual number of victims has actually reached three digits in the past year.” But some semi-transparent things can still be revealed.

Li En was stunned, but then he suddenly understood.

From the beginning, this case was not an individual murder, but an organized industrial chain.

The noble young man who was beheaded should be just one of the links.

"The key is the consumers and the people who provide the technology."

Will's body was dried up and his internal organs were removed. This meant that not only had the body been desecrated by the secret ritual, but its vitality had also been plundered.

Plundering other people's limbs as materials for evolution and life extension is not only a crooked way, but also requires special technology, often from an evil god.

Apparently, there is even a cult organization operating behind the scenes to provide "ginseng fruit" to the masters.

"Professional indeed." Upon hearing this, Taliyah knew Rean had grasped the key point. "But the situation is very complicated. We've confirmed that Diego doesn't even have the power of an evil god, and his strength is very average."

This made Li En frown, he knew that the fun was about to get bigger.

Anyone who could commit a crime silently in the dock area is not a weakling.

That nobleman should just be a middleman, an intermediary who delivers the victim's "fruit" to the noble lord.

In order to completely solve this case, the first thing is to kill the murderer, and the second is to investigate the person behind the scenes.

"Did I alert the enemy? My mistake." "Sul's" experience in investigating cases gave the answer.

"No, no, no, that's not it. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have any clues right now."

"Soul." Rean opened his mouth and said a rather rude "How can you be such a waste" but still stuffed it back.

Rean didn't regret being too quick to act, nor did he despise the inefficiency of the understaffed Docklands Police Department.

He was just surprised that even though he had a clue, he didn't investigate it thoroughly. This was a world with extraordinary powers, and the efficiency limit of their case-solving was even higher than that of cameras.

Using the investigative ideas of the Holy Oath Knight Sur, as long as he finds the clues, he will cast out divine spells of punishment along the way, chopping off the guilty ones directly and tracking down the accomplices to the end.

Don't tell me? Medieval judges were all masters of torture.

There's clearly something fishy going on behind that noble boy. Wouldn't it be enough to just rush to his house and search? A small team of knights, all in one night, would guarantee a thorough investigation.

Even if we can't kill the man behind the scenes, by cutting off the black hand in the front, without the technology of that evil god, at least we can prevent the victims from appearing again.

but now.
"Oh." He could only sigh. The clues were gone and the window of opportunity had passed.

This is also the reason why he has rejected police officer recruitment several times. There are so many districts in this city, and the dock district is not only the weakest but also has several police stations. The police force is very limited, and many people have delicate positions and are not trustworthy at all.

The suburban police station clearly knew there was a problem, but was unable to continue investigating.
"This is against justice." Rean subconsciously clenched his sword. If he was still the "Soul" from the first day, he would probably have rushed onto the road.

But now, Rean's purity and strength are not enough, so any reckless behavior will be in vain.

Not to mention going in to investigate the case, even if we knew who was behind the incident, it would be unlikely to break into the door.

He finally put down the hilt of the sword, but could only sigh helplessly.

“Oh, I wish I were still the Great Knight.”

Little did he know that there was a pair of beautiful eyes always watching him, even with a look of heartache on their faces.

The warrior is old, but he does not feel sad for himself, but only laments that justice cannot be done. At this moment, Talia is also heartbroken. She lowered her head, embarrassed to look at him.

From this moment on, she no longer had any thoughts of recruiting the man in front of her.

Sympathize with him? Do you deserve it? Even if he's at his lowest point now, he's destined to soar to the sky again.

No wonder he rejected his invitation several times. This small police station in the "slums" is just a shackle that restricts his development.

"Is your police department's invitation to cooperate still valid? I'll join."

But at this moment, it was Li En who took the initiative to speak.

"Let me make it clear first, I will not give up on this case. My current strength is insufficient, so I need the help of the police department. I need intelligence support, equipment resources, and identities. This may also cause you trouble."

"Then you have other options, better options than our ghetto police station, such as those churches."

How could the knights of the church reject a former classical sworn knight? Even if they took him back as an antique display, it would be a face-saving move.

"There's no time." The calm words reflected the man's unwavering determination.

His time is limited. In nine days, the blessing of the Heroic Soul Card will be completely gone.

This is not just for Will. Given the other party's arrogant and domineering behavior, after "Sul" killed the noble, the two sides became enemies, and it was destined to be a mortal feud.

Do you expect your opponent to let you go? Don't be silly. I will kill all the evil and there is no reason for me to let you go even if I kill people to silence them.

I'm letting you go now, but I'll come back to you after the storm has passed.

Taking a step back, one must be extremely stupid and naive to be willing to entrust the safety of one's life to a villain.

"Less than ten days."

It would be best to solve this problem while the Heroic Spirit's blessing is effective. However, if you want to complete the task within the time limit, you must get the help of the local police station. Borrowing the power of the dock area police station is the most reliable.

"No time?" Talia was a little dazed, then she thought of the murder scene and it dawned on her.

But in the eyes of the female police officer, it is a more idealized scene. The number of victims is still increasing, and the young knight of justice hopes to get rid of this villain and criminal organization before he completely loses his power, even if it means losing his life.

A stranger, a broken and degenerate species, a fragile person who is losing strength, but he uses the remaining time to fight desperately.

In his eyes, there seemed to be no self at all.

"My strength will soon fade to almost nothing, and I probably won't be able to be a police officer for long. The condition of my joining is that I participate in this case." The man calmly stated his goal.

What if you never come back?
Then leave and never come back.

"We will never let you down!" The policewoman shouted loudly, with the same determination to protect him at all costs.

From then on, Rean, who became a colleague in the police station, just nodded silently and responded with a smile.

"I believe you." Looking at this gentle smile, Talia, known as the Mother Rakshasa, suddenly couldn't look straight at it.

She blushed instantly and turned her head away again, not daring to look at him.

But Li En didn't notice her abnormality, he was just surprised by his own gains.

[Heroes are delighted, with synchronization rates and satisfaction levels significantly improved. The current synchronization rate is 21.6% and the satisfaction rate is 15.6%.]

【Understand the Evil Breaking Slash (One Ring Standard Edition)! 】

[Stare, rage, and cut—Sul Daon.]

At this moment, Rean was stunned. How come the synchronization rate suddenly increased by two points and the satisfaction increased by five points!

Could it be that just this one decision is several times more than all my efforts combined?

Why was the Heroic Soul so happy? The next moment, he suddenly understood.

"Foolish justice is indeed foolish enough, picking the dumbest choices and the hardest walls to crash into."

Perhaps, it was the foolish act of breaking the original plan and joining a police station with no future to fight against a serial killer organization that satisfied Yinghun.

If Rean had been smarter and more rational, he could have run away and moved to another city to develop. But Rean chose the foolish act of fighting to the death, and the Heroic Spirit finally nodded and truly recognized him.

Although it was a bit awkward, Rean didn't dislike Yinghun's stupidity.

What is a hero? It is one who sacrifices himself to benefit others.

His mind recalled yesterday, the empty eye sockets of the child who died with his eyes open.

He should still have a future.
"Since no one is making the decision for you, let me do it." It seems that since this world is lawless and unfair, someone will always do something stupid.

[Detected that the host joined the police station and obtained the status of law enforcer. Detected that the Heroic Spirit recognized the host and the Holy Oath Knight's exclusive punishment domain was loaded.]

[Detected the synchronization rate of the first Heroic Soul exceeds 20%. The Heroic Soul has recognized the host and activated the Dream Training Mode (this mode will trigger a series of unknown consequences, please choose with caution). Note: This mode can only be used in dreams.]

Justice does not need to wait. Even the light of law has shadows that cannot be illuminated. If the innocent cannot sleep, let me do it. - Sur Daon.

Well, a 5300-word chapter

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(End of this chapter)