I have a Tantric panel

Saint Serena.

Xia En was no stranger to this name.

On the contrary, it should be said that we are very familiar with each other.

Serena Akmond.

She was originally an ordinary girl from a farm in northeastern Albion.

But one day, she suddenly claimed to have heard the voice of [Si Zhou] and made a prophecy:

A catastrophe is about to sweep across the land of Albion.

At first, people thought it was just the girl's nonsense.

The following year, the Northerners sailed across the sea in giant ships, igniting war on Albion's territory.

People then realized that Serena's words were true.

Generally speaking, it is difficult to maintain a strong offensive when fighting far from home.

However, this group of northerners was different.

Their warriors are fearless and ruthless, maintaining a formidable fighting force even under extremely difficult conditions.

People at the time called them—winter machines born for war.

The people of the North grew stronger through war, becoming more courageous with each battle.

At its most dangerous moment, it had even swallowed up half of Albion's territory.

At this critical moment for the nation, Serena stepped forward.

She, a peasant girl, persuaded the local garrison commander to grant her a small guard and horses.

She cut her hair short, dressed in men's clothing, and traversed dangerous enemy-occupied territory, eventually meeting Richard, the prince of Albion, in a castle.

She had a private conversation with the prince.

No one knows what the secret talks were about.

But soon after, Serena received the prince's authorization to lead the army to the battlefield.

She claims that the Northerners are bewitched by the Winter Wolf and are trying to spread end and death throughout the world.

Only the firelight of the [Day God] can dispel the cold of [Winter].

Miraculously, the invincible Northern army suffered defeat after defeat before Serena.

Even a fortress that had been besieged for six months was liberated in just nine days after Serena arrived.

Under her leadership, the Albion launched a counterattack and eventually drove the Northerners out of their homeland.

However, just as people were celebrating this victory...

Serena, however, disappeared without a trace.

Some say that she was feared by the Albion royal family and was secretly executed;

Some say she left Albion to spread the glory of the gods to other lands;

Some say she was the messenger of the Day God who descended to earth, and that she herself returned to the embrace of the Pillar God.

anyway.

Serena's disappearance, ironically, propelled her fame to new heights, making her a true legend.

People called her a saint.

Gradually, the name Serena also became a symbol of courage, faith, and indomitable will.

When Shane first saw this story, it seemed strangely familiar.

In her past life, there was also a saintess with a similar experience, named...

Joan of Arc!

The only difference is that Joan of Arc was Gaul, while Serena was Albion.

Moreover, there seems to be no history of northern invasions in the previous life?

Putting aside those subtle similarities.

After thinking about it carefully for a while, Shane realized that Serena was indeed a good topic.

The holy flag she carried amidst the flames of war perfectly matched the theme of the competition.

more importantly.

The presence of the saint instantly gives the canvas a clear protagonist, rather than just a grand and magnificent war scene.

Xia En found it increasingly promising, and his creative desire was rising.

"Eileen, thank you, that's a great idea! You're truly a genius in our family."

"Hehe, it's not that amazing."

The little girl lowered her head shyly, her steps light and quick, like a hopping little sparrow.

……

……

The next two days.

Shane first explained his ideas to Professor Aurora.

After receiving an affirmative reply, I began to collect information.

Thanks to the effect of [Erudition (2) · Memory].

He had read the details in the history book a few days ago, and they were imprinted in his mind word for word.

He quickly set a more specific scenario—

The Siege of Orland.

This battle marked the pinnacle of Serena's life.

It was from this battle that Albion sounded the horn of counterattack.

This can be considered a turning point in the chaos in the North.

Her historical significance and personal meaning to the saintess are both extraordinary.

But after confirming the topic, Shane thought of a problem.

The story of Saint Serena is so famous, coupled with the notoriety of this battle...

Perhaps other contestants will choose the same topic.

In other words, there was a collision.

But then Xia En thought about it again.

Let them crash.

Having the same theme isn't scary; as long as you draw well enough, you can make similar paintings look like mere background pieces.

Since the goal was to win an award, it was essential to use solid, fair and square strength to overwhelm everyone else.

Avoiding direct confrontation is not the mindset for striving for first place.

The morning of the third day after the topic was announced.

Xia En woke up from his dream.

The progress bar jumped up a little.

[Resonance: 1 (0%)]

Great, you've achieved a breakthrough from 0 to 1.

Followed by.

Several lines of small text appeared below.

[Resonance (2) Preview: Heartfelt Words]

[It allows you to resonate with others' inner feelings and hear their true voices through their words.]

[The following conditions must be met for this promotion: Progress 100%; Soul Point *1; Perception ≥1; Rationality ≥1.]

My inner thoughts?

Xia En was stunned.

This ability is interesting, and it fits the concept of "resonance" quite well.

Unfortunately, it's not unlocked yet.

He looked at the requirement of "perception ≥ 1" and seemed to be deep in thought.

Now, let's set aside the subcategories under [fighting], [art], and [language].

Among the other major attributes, only [Perception] is still 0.

There hasn't been any progress at all.

However, the panel should not show attributes that require additional points to improve.

Perhaps... some kind of special [secret technique] is needed?

His gaze shifted.

Clara (Moth) → (Lamp) — Offset: 36%

These last few times I entered the dream, the deviation didn't increase much, as if I had hit a bottleneck.

Shane had a vague premonition that unless Clara's mental illness could be truly resolved, it would be difficult to significantly improve the [Offset].

Based on the information revealed in the dream, he roughly guessed:

Professor Aurora's methods seem to have only temporarily stabilized the situation, but they cannot truly cure Clara's mother's "possession".

Over time, Clara might even drift back to the principles of the "Moth".

Is there any way to solve this once and for all?

"Shane, come down quickly, I have good news."

While I was pondering, an excited shout suddenly came from downstairs in the attic.

It was Lucius's voice.

Open the barrier and climb down the stairs.

Xia En then saw the detective with a smile on his face.

His clothes were dirtier than they had been a few days ago, and there were some suspicious bloodstains on his cuffs.

But his eyes shone brightly, and his face was filled with joy.

"The case is solved?"

Xia En asked.

"Yes, the murderer has been caught."

Lucius nodded: "The Crimson Servants you mentioned do indeed have a base at the Northern Ironworks."

"The leader admitted that they had cursed Oliver."

He smiled mysteriously: "And there's more good news, guess what it is?"

They're keeping everyone in suspense, which shows Lucius is in a really good mood.

Xia En cooperated and thought for a while.

"Could it be... that Scotland Yard, recognizing my exceptional talent and achievements, is preparing to reward me?"

"No, you actually guessed that?"

"Huh? It really is?"