Chapter 35: The Dead... Are Still Attacking

After a strange pause of a second or two, the red-haired girl, Shana, tugged at one side of her cloak and gave it a forceful flourish before continuing on her way.

After walking about a dozen steps, she suddenly whirled around. Her eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, held an inexplicably profound depth as she spoke once more: "This power... could it be... the Apostle of Darkness?"

If one looked closely, it would be evident that although her gaze was fixed in the direction where拉克 had departed, her pupils were completely unfocused; she was merely staring vacantly into the distance.

This pose lasted for another dozen seconds. Shana blinked, stood in place rubbing her chin while contemplating her next move, and then suddenly struck a "JoJo pose!"

*Swish*—her cloak flared high, carving an elegant arc through the air.

With one hand pressed against her eyepatch, Shana tilted her head back with solemnity, her voice adopting an inexplicable cadence:

"What is this power?!! To think that darkness... is this my destiny?"

...

A murder of crows flew overhead.

Shana’s expression and posture gradually returned to normal. A look of profound satisfaction spread across her face as she nodded contentedly.

"That hit the spot."

拉克 and Erwin, having already moved on, did not witness this scene. Instead, the other Hero candidates passing nearby huddled in corners, their hushed whispers drifting through the air:

"That red-eyed girl with the broken brain is at it again..."

"...She’s a bit cute, but she seems hard to approach, that red-eyed girl whose brain is clearly broken..."

"Let’s go quickly, before that red-eyed girl with the broken brain starts doing something else..."

Unaware of the gossip, Shana continued forward with a reserved air, though her steps had become light and bouncy...

...

"Princess Kalia, why did you say Lady Shana could not become a Hero?"

Inside the palace, a maid could not help but ask, seemingly quite curious about the young and talented Shana.

"Because..." Kalia’s face showed a hint of embarrassment, "Brother Mino once said that Shana seems to suffer from a condition known as 'Chuunibyou'."

"And the Goddess does not accept people who are mentally ill."

...

拉克 found a suitable target under the shade of a tree. A girl with braided hair and an introverted demeanor sat huddled in the shadows, looking somewhat out of place in her surroundings.

"That girl..."拉克 adjusted his glasses. He could see a dense, grayish aura swirling around her—a sign of someone who had weathered many heavy disasters.

"Child, come here for a moment!"

The girl under the tree froze. After confirming that the old man beside Commander Erwin was indeed calling her, she hesitated for a moment before trotting over.

"Good morning, Commander Erwin, and you too, sir..." the girl said, looking at拉克 cautiously.

拉克 did not answer, instead putting on his most benevolent expression. "Child, what is your name?"

"Jane... Janie."

"Don't be afraid, Janie."拉克 patted her head and probed, "I can feel that you harbor much sorrow. You must have had a very difficult life. Can you tell me about it?"

"Chief拉克, your insight is truly sharp." Beside them, Erwin sighed. "A few years ago, Janie was caught in a human trafficking scheme by the underground forces of the Royal Capital. She almost... experienced something truly horrific."

*This is it.*

The corners of拉克’s mouth curled up imperceptibly. He asked with a pained expression:

"Janie, what about your father?"

"I don't have a father..." Janie shook her head.

"Then... your mother?"

"I don't have a mother, either." Janie shook her head again. Thinking ahead to avoid having拉克 inquire about her ancestors, she added, "I am an orphan, sir."

"——That’s wonderful!"

拉克 exclaimed joyfully.

"“Huh?!”"

Erwin and Janie looked at拉克 in shock.

"Er, I mean... that’s wonderful—that you didn't perish in the misery of being alone."拉克’s face stiffened slightly as he quickly corrected himself, wiping away a forcibly squeezed-out tear.

Deep down, he communicated firmly with the "Darkness": "This is absolutely a suitable candidate for a Dark Hero."

"Is that so..." the Darkness replied, sounding somewhat confused. As an entity of innate evil, it could not comprehend the conditions for the corruption of the human heart.

拉克 described it with extreme confidence: "A life of long-term parental loss will surely make this girl endure many cold stares and hardships. Like a lotus in the mud, negative emotions have been piling up in the depths of her heart. From a longing for family to despair in human nature, she no longer trusts anyone!"

"Not to mention, she was nearly defiled by human traffickers. This will surely leave her with severe psychological trauma. Once she gains power, she will become a bloodthirsty rose in the darkness!"

"She’s the one!"

"Hmm, that makes sense..."

Their exchange took place in the shadows. Out in the open,拉克 had sent Erwin away to a distance.

拉克 cast a minor mental spell to lower Janie’s defenses and open her heart to him: "Janie, there is no one else here. I know that you must have hidden darkness weighing on your heart. You can confide in me."

"In the depths of your heart, what is your greatest desire?"

Janie’s eyes became slightly dazed. Thoughts seemed to peel away from her mind like layers of silk, and finally, her eyes flashed with a sharp light.

*It’s coming!*

*The big one is coming!*

拉克 was ecstatic.

"I want to become a heroic adventurer who saves the needy and helps the distressed, becoming the most righteous partner on the entire continent!" Janie clenched her fists, full of ambition.

"Well said! ...Wait, what?"拉克 cheered loudly, then froze.

"What did you say?"

"I want to be a good person!!!"

"Did you pick up the wrong script? Is that something you’re supposed to say?!"拉克 could not believe it. He frantically checked the magic power within his body to ensure he hadn't cast the wrong spell.

"You don't understand, old man." Janie revealed a pure smile. Under the influence of the magic, she now viewed拉克 as her closest confidant and spoke without reservation.

"At first, I did indeed harbor hatred for this world. Why, why could others have such affluent homes and boundless choices... while I could only scavenge for food in the sewers, waiting for the day I would die on the streets?"

"But, one day, I saw someone."

"That person faced a situation even harder than mine and memories even more painful than mine, yet he still stood up, unyielding."

"What’s more, that day, he saved me from the hands of robbers."

"At the time, he was nothing more than a peer, just like me." A look of conviction seemed to coalesce on Janie’s face: "From that moment on, I was changed. It was that person who told me—If there is no path ahead, forge one yourself!; Swallow the golden elixir, and my fate is determined by me, not the heavens!; A wealthy woman is precious, but self-improvement is even more so!; As heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should strive for self-improvement without ceasing; the earth..."

"He told you all of these things?"拉克 couldn't help but interrupt.

"No, I realized these myself..."

"Realized your..."

Suppressing the urge to curse,拉克 took a deep breath and managed a strained smile.

"That person you mentioned is..."

He asked the question, though a figure had already appeared in his mind with no shred of doubt.

*Who could it be? It’s so hard to guess...* (gritting his teeth)

Janie, her true colors revealed, was now acting like a little fangirl, proudly giving the answer:

"Of course, it’s the most indomitable Hero—Mino!"

"Mino Lake!!!"