Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 40 Me? Me?

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled across the ruins of the Dragon Offering Church, casting dappled light and shadow across the stone slabs, statues, and armor.

Lu Mingfei stood three steps behind the old knight, his hands hanging at his sides, staring somewhat nervously at his toes.

The old knight stood like a silent tombstone before the altar, his two swords crossed and stuck behind him.

"So, you went to Stoneville?"

Lu Mingfei swallowed hard and replied in a low voice:
".yes."

"And then they encountered the Storm Knights under Grik's command?"

"Correct."

Lu Mingfei nodded.

"Then he got beaten up and came back to me crying?"

"no no no"

Lu Mingfei hurriedly shook his head.

"I won, though it was a crushing defeat. But..."

"I see."

The old knight nodded and said calmly:

"You want to ask me if I harbor any resentment, and whether that knight should have been killed, since he was protecting Stoneville, right?"

Lu Mingfei remained silent.

The old knight sighed deeply, and after a long while, he finally spoke:
"Remember this: they are no longer Storm Riders, they are Knights of the Lost Land."

"But you mentioned their practices before."

Lu Mingfei said weakly.

"That's understandable, isn't it?"

The old knight sneered:
"The knights you meet, and those you will meet in the future, who have lost their homeland, were not originally stationed in Stoneville. They fled from the capital to Nymgford with Grek after the War of Shattering."

“Their lord is Grek, but your lord…” the old knight paused, “is yourself.”

"Since your mission is to hunt demigods, then you are enemies. What's there to be soft on?"

"Besides, I don't think they're very sane anymore, are they?"

Lu Mingfei nodded.

"After the War of the Ancient Dragons, the Storm Knights have not recruited any new members."

The old knight said calmly:

"Those you've encountered are all veterans who survived the Ancient Dragon War. Even heroes like Ingwill and Oreg are dead; how much sanity can they possibly retain?"

"We are ancient relics who have survived from the era of the ancient dragons. We have lived through the era of the rule of the ancient dragons and the Storm King, and we have also witnessed the war of the ancient dragons, the war of the giants, and the war of the broken. We have lived long enough."

Let them rest in peace.

He finally said, somewhat sadly:

"In this decadent era, even heroes cannot die a natural death, leaving only ashes and obsessions. Such an end is not the fate a hero should have."

"I understand."

Lu Mingfei's voice was very soft.

"Are you trying to tell me that in this day and age, sometimes death is actually a form of mercy?"

"Get lost."

The old knight waved his hand impatiently.

"Don't bother me with such trivial matters in the future."

Lu Mingfei, of course, did not leave.

He raised his head and asked:
"Not only that, I also want to ask you, why is it that the Lost Knight, despite losing his mind, possesses a stronger storm power than me? Our strengths are clearly not that different, and shouldn't we have learned the same combat techniques?" The old knight paused slightly. He slowly turned around, his armor creaking softly.

"You finally asked."

He reached out and stroked the headless dragon statue beside him:

"What I taught you was indeed the orthodox Stormplay. But you're taking a slightly different path."

"What do you mean?"

Lu Mingfei was stunned:

Aren't we all Storm Knights?

The old knight drew the Storm Knight's Greatsword from behind him, his gaze sharpened, and he slashed forward with both hands. A violent hurricane roared up, and the unparalleled power sent Lu Mingfei flying two miles away.

Lu Mingfei got up, covered in dust, and looked at his master blankly.

So this is his true strength.

"Ancient dragons, flying dragons, giants, demigods. Compared to those naturally powerful races, we humans are ultimately too weak. That's why countless people embark on the path of dragons in pursuit of power."

“However,” the old knight sheathed his sword, “that doesn’t mean we can’t surpass them.”

"The essence of the world we live in is the law. The so-called origin is the origin of life, which is the internal law of the human body, the trinity of body, will, and soul."

"Holylu, the first King of Elden and the king of the wilderness, swept away all enemies with his powerful body; the descendants of the stargazers of Lienia ruled the lake region with the magic of the stars and the moon; the knights of the royal city gained the power to wield dragon thunder by offering their faith."

"Some train their bodies and wills, some strengthen their souls and control their energy, and some pray to gods and powerful beings. Ultimately, these are all different ways of using 'runes'."

"You faded ones, being able to grow stronger by plundering others' runes is already a shortcut opened up for you by Two Fingers. You should know that throughout history, how many people have either died tragically or become aliens in their quest to break through the limits of humanity?"

The runes you absorbed initially only strengthened your body, right?

Lu Mingfei nodded.

"That's because you crave a stronger body, so you unconsciously use all your runes on your physical body. You once mentioned to me that you have a friend who is very powerful in sword magic and magical combat, right?"

Lu Mingfei continued to nod.

"Because his soul is already set. His inner law has already guided him, and he will continue to grow stronger in the direction he is meant to go."

But some people have no particular soul qualities. They often choose a path for themselves, whether it be faith, magic, strength, or agility.

If you carefully feel the power flowing within you, sense its impact on yourself, and try to draw it out and channel it where you want—body or soul—the stronger you are, the more refined your control over your origin.

At this point, the old knight gave a cold laugh:
“And the weak, even if they possess a powerful source of strength, find it difficult to use. For example, Grek, who clearly possesses the Great Rune known as the ‘Center of Gravity Ring,’ still seeks power through crooked means like ‘limb extensions.’ How ridiculous.”

“I understand,” Lu Mingfei said with a sudden realization. “Then, Master, which aspect should I strengthen?”

The old knight shook his head.

Why do you think I'm only telling you this now? Because there's no need. Your inner law has already been set, and the path you're destined to walk is a smooth one without any twists and turns.

Do not pursue the power of the storm too much; it is merely wings that allow you to go further and a sharp blade that helps you kill enemies, but it is not your main pursuit.

As long as you use Runes systematically, train yourself, and hunt dragon hearts, you can at least become a hero in your own right.

"hero?"

Lu Mingfei was taken aback and pointed to himself.

"Me? Me?"

The old knight looked at Lu Mingfei's pathetic state and a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes.

He slowly raised his hand, then suddenly smacked Lu Mingfei on the forehead.

Boom!
"Ouch!"

Lu Mingfei covered his head and squatted down.

"Look at the state you're in!" The old knight was so angry his beard bristled. "So what if you're a hero? Can't you be one?"

(End of this chapter)