Man on the ark, forced to become king

He had heard Hoshiguma mention it before; she had obtained the plaque from a Buddhist temple in her hometown. It was said to be an offering, and he had been quite interested in touching it. However, their relationship wasn't close enough for him to bring it up.

Today I finally got the chance to confirm my suspicions.

Hoshiguma was probably not lying; this sign may very well have been enshrined in a Buddhist temple for a long time, embodying many beliefs and becoming a sacred mark.

The so-called holy seal is actually a tool made according to a certain meaning and embodying faith; it is an essential item for prayer.

With this, he can use the prayers he once knew!

Chapter 8 Hoshiguma's Brainstorming Session (Revised)

"Are you trying to fool me?"

Seeing Lin Lu holding the wooden sign, lost in thought and standing motionless for a long time, Hoshiguma couldn't help but feel a little impatient.

Although she had worn that wooden plaque for many years, it was just a wooden carving with no special craftsmanship. Was it really necessary to look at it so intently?

The main problem is that if we keep dragging them on, these ones on the ground will get cold soon!

"Ah, sorry, sorry, it just brought up some old memories."

Lin Lu then came to her senses and remembered that there were still several wounded people lying on the ground. She quickly gripped the wooden sign tightly against her forehead and knelt down on one knee.

As he moved, soft golden light emanated from his hand holding the wooden plaque, spreading outwards in concentric circles of pale golden luster, enveloping the bandits on the ground along with Chen and Hoshiguma.

After about three or four seconds, the outward-spreading golden light suddenly contracted and then exploded again, revealing two golden patterns, one large and one small.

Large rings encircle smaller rings, the patterns slowly rotating, and a point of spiritual light swirls upwards, radiating brilliance.

A faint mist of light focused on the three bandits, seeping into their bodies. Their bleeding wounds immediately began to scab and heal, and their pale faces, which had become rosy due to excessive blood loss, regained some color. Even the minor cuts on Chen's arms that had been made earlier were completely healed.

Two-finger prayer - restoration.

The prayer created by the followers of Twofinger, the spokesperson of the supreme will, contains Twofinger's expectation for the faded ones—'Even if they are injured, they will not fall down and will fight endlessly for their mission,' thus they can heal minor injuries to a certain extent.

The recovery method is not difficult to learn; it is considered one of the basic introductory prayers. Basically, anyone with some talent for the path of faith can learn it. The healing effect is average, but it is enough to keep these bandits who are about to die alive.

In fact, Lin Lu also wanted to try stronger healing prayers, such as higher-level Great Healing, King's Healing, and Golden Tree Healing, which he knew how to use, but for now he could only think about it and couldn't actually use it.

On the one hand, his current strength is limited and he does not meet the standards for using those powerful prayers.

On the other hand, Hoshiguma's wooden plaque barely reached the threshold of a 'holy mark' and could not withstand the release of powerful prayers. In order to use it, in addition to improving her strength, she also needed to find a stronger and more perfect true holy mark as a vessel.

Without weapons, one cannot use combat skills; without a staff, one cannot cast magic; without a holy mark, one cannot use prayer—these are all rigid standards before one's strength reaches a certain level. Lin Lu has no way to change this. Even though he was once powerful enough to ascend the throne and step into the stars, he cannot change the fact that he is now extremely weak.

"Wow, it actually works!"

The recovery was visible to the naked eye; anyone who wasn't blind could see it. Hoshiguma's eyes widened in disbelief.

She's worn that wooden plaque for so many years. It's just an ordinary wooden carving, and the materials aren't even that precious. When did it come to have this function?

If it has this effect, why didn't she experience it when she was injured before?

Is it possible that a special posture or technique is required to start it?

"You're overthinking it. The sign itself isn't anything special; it's just a tool I use to... employ Originium Arts."

Lin Lu could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her expression, and immediately put an end to her unrealistic fantasies.

"Ah... but this isn't a staff either."

Suddenly told the truth, Hoshiguma felt a sense of loss, as if she had lost a treasure. She had been thinking that if the brand was useful, she could save some money on hospital treatment.

"Hey, Sister Gui, could you give me this brand name tag? I can trade you something else for it!"

Feeling the power of faith emanating from the wooden plaque, amplified by the inspiration of prayer, Lin Lu hesitated before speaking.

An honest man doesn't do things in secret. To be honest, he really wanted this wooden plaque. If he could use prayer, even just some basic prayers, his methods would be much more varied.

The key is that similar items are really hard to find in Lungmen. In all this time, he has only found one on Hoshiguma. If he misses it, he doesn’t know when he will be able to find it again.

Although the power of this wooden plaque as a holy mark is indeed slightly weak, it is still usable and much better than nothing.

"You want it? No—"

Hoshiguma wanted to refuse, but hesitated when the words were on the tip of her tongue.

She didn't believe a word of that nonsense about using a wooden plaque to unleash Originium Arts—she knew perfectly well whether the thing she wore around her neck every day could be used as a staff.

The only explanation is that Lin Lu herself possesses Originium Arts and carries something that can serve as a staff; the wooden sign is just a cover.

If he doesn't really need it, why fabricate a lie that's so easily exposed? Isn't that redundant?

The most likely explanation is that Lin Lu's purpose from the very beginning was the 'wooden plaque' itself. He himself is a regular at the Guard Bureau, and they have eaten together quite a few times, so he must know that this plaque is one of her personal belongings...

that……

Could it be that kind of meaning? Otherwise, why would someone go to such lengths to obtain an ordinary amulet?

Hoshiguma had heard from veteran officers in the Konoe Bureau that when investigating a case, after eliminating other possibilities, the remaining one, no matter how unbelievable, might be the truth.

Thinking about this, she felt her cheeks inexplicably hot... It must be because she's been reading too many novels lately!

Normally she wouldn't care about these things and wouldn't think about them much, but for some reason, romance comics have suddenly become popular in the Imperial Guard these past few days, which has affected her to some extent.

This shouldn't be happening, it really shouldn't be happening.

"It's not that it's impossible, but this brand is quite important to me. What are you planning to trade for it?"

After a brainstorming session, Hoshiguma took a deep breath, her chest heaving, and forced herself to calm down, suppressing those chaotic thoughts, and casually asked the question.

"Take..."

Lin Lu opened her mouth, but suddenly hesitated.

What should we exchange for something?

He glanced at Lani on his shoulder, and after receiving a cold snort, he felt somewhat embarrassed.

Back when they were still in the border region, he naturally had plenty of treasures to trade, but the reality is... he's penniless now, and even his wallet has been emptied by that troublesome guy, Nian. He can't exactly give him an empty promise and say that the future is promising, can he?

Trying to get something for nothing is beneath one's dignity...

If physical offerings aren't feasible, what other methods are available? If prayer can be used...

Lin Lu's gaze fell on the few unfortunate souls lying unconscious on the ground, and she suddenly had an idea.

"Sister Ghost, I know you definitely don't care about money, and besides, talking about money is too hurtful to our relationship. How about this, my Originium Arts can heal injuries that aren't too serious, which is quite useful for the Guard Bureau. From now on, if you get injured, come to me for treatment, it'll be free! How about it?"

Chapter Nine: Fate, Wonderful Beyond Words

The room fell silent upon hearing this.

"Heh, heh, then thank you."

Hoshiguma's eyes twitched, and she responded with a forced smile, which carried a hint of gritted teeth.

What does that mean? What does that mean? Do you hope she gets hurt a lot?

What do you mean by "free treatment if you come to him in the future"? Is this even human language?

This guy, can't he speak a little nicer?!

Hoshiguma glared fiercely at Lin Lu, who was all smiles, then angrily opened the car door, picked up the unconscious thugs one by one and stuffed them into the back seat of the police car before getting into the driver's seat herself.

"Old Chen, let's call it a day!"

"what?"

Chen blinked, still holding the sword, not quite understanding what was going on.

How come... you suddenly got angry when we were having a good talk? Isn't it great that someone with medical Originium Arts is offering free treatment?

However, an angry Hoshiguma is quite frightening. You can tell from the way she shoved those people into the car that she was in a bad mood. She didn't dare to say anything or ask any questions. She just responded and quickly ran to the passenger seat.

"Then this wooden sign?"

Lin Lu was also a little confused, so she tentatively asked a question.

"Hmph! I don't want it anymore!"

Hoshiguma slammed the car door shut, and with a roar of the engine, the police car made a sharp circle on the spot and sped off in the direction it had come from. A few other vehicles from the Imperial Guard arrived late, and from inside came furious roars: "What are you running for! You know you're late! Back to base!"

Immediately, the sound of screeching brakes rang out in succession. Several police cars were stuck in the middle of the road. The drivers seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then all the police cars turned around and started to drive back.

"Did I say the wrong thing?"

Even a fool could see that Hoshiguma was angry. Lin Lu didn't quite understand, and looked to Lani on her shoulder for help.

"No, you did great."

Hoshiguma was very angry, but Lani seemed to be in a pretty good mood.

“My king…aren’t you going to see this city? We’ve been here for far too long.”

"walk!"

Feeling two small hands gently tugging at her clothes on her shoulders, Lin Lu came back to her senses and nodded.

Although I don't know where I went wrong, I've got the stuff now. I'll stop by the Guard Bureau on my way to work tomorrow and check on Hoshiguma. I can't just take their stuff for free, can I?

As for now... it's more important to accompany Lani around Lungmen. Chen and the others will probably have to deal with cases after they go back, so going with them won't be of much use.

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