Chapter Seventy-Three: Frankly! Second Update
2015-10-05
Author: Zhu Sheng Fu Tu
A thin figure enveloped in a gray cloak entered Arendelle.
This time, Soren had crossed half a continent; even with the strength of a deity, it still took him a day or two. Taking advantage of the night, he entered Arendelle City, intending to check on the movements of the paladins. Throughout, Soren’s attitude towards the paladins had been quite complex. While collaboration wasn’t impossible, the chances were decidedly low. If given a choice, Soren would certainly prefer not to have too much interaction with the paladins, but the current situation demanded that he at least attempt it.
Lawful Evil and Lawful Good.
The most authentic viewpoint in Soren’s heart was that order was more important than good and evil; chaos was the real disaster.
It was this viewpoint that caused him to repeatedly help the paladins.
As an adventurer who had experienced the most tumultuous period of the Saint’s Cataclysm and had died once in it, only to be reborn through the River of Underworld and then crawled his way up to the Legendary Domain, Soren was acutely aware that the most terrifying aspect of the Saint’s Cataclysm was not the gods fighting each other, but rather the complete destruction of the order and rules across various planes and worlds. When the long-standing order within the multiverse was obliterated, the ensuing chaos would unleash a level of destructive power far crazier than all the gods clashing.
Soren was a person who revered order.
To him, good and evil were merely two sides of the same coin; if devils ruled the world, they would use iron-fisted and cruel means to dominate and enslave other races. However, if demons ruled, the eventual result would be nothing but a wasteland. Soren’s deepest conviction was that order should surpass good and evil, whether it be Lawful Evil or Lawful Good. In the future, after the outbreak of the Saint’s Cataclysm, both could become his ally and help.
The reason was simple.
They needed to maintain order during that turbulent period. Only a neutral order, regardless of good or evil, could minimize destruction as much as possible.
This was a bold attempt.
For Soren, the eruption of the Saint’s Cataclysm was imminent, and undertaking such a bold experiment was a necessity. If successful, he might be able to garner more support in the future; even if unsuccessful, he would merely lose a little time. Given that he had previously helped the paladins, they would likely not strike against him.
Chaos would destroy everything.
Now, the death rate across the continent had already risen sharply, and various races were beginning to clash violently due to the collapse of order. Soren hadn’t felt this in Modo City, but after a visit to Amber City and White Horse City, he had clearly noticed it. This turmoil would inevitably affect the Southern Coast; when the terrible age of chaos arrived, any force of order would be worth interacting with.
Port Area.
Finding a group of paladins in a city was quite easy because they were exceptionally conspicuous.
Soren merely asked a passerby to learn their whereabouts.
In the light of dusk.
A young paladin was teaching a disciple, with other paladins nearby. They wore slightly worn and battered armor, looking vastly different from those shining silver-armored paladins Soren had seen in the City of Wealth. The latter appeared more like embodiments of light and justice, while the former resembled solitary guardians struggling to maintain justice in the world despite their experience.
This was also a significant reason why Soren was willing to approach them.
Holy Avenger.
Pale Justice.
These two artifacts were the most powerful weapons in the Material Plane, usable only by paladins.
Interestingly, those serving the paladin order holding these two artifacts maintained a surprisingly calm demeanor. They possessed a degree of humility and reverence, unlike many from the Church of Lord of Radiance, who often found communication difficult.
In the fading light of the sun.
When the young paladin saw Soren’s figure, he suddenly froze. Although he couldn’t clearly see Soren’s face, he remembered the cloak Soren wore.
“Long time no see.”
Soren nodded slightly. After seeing there was no hostility from the other party, he slowly said, “It seems you’ve grown stronger! I would like to meet the Warden, Your Excellency!…”
Even gods maintain a proper respect for high-level legends.
This is the same even for the believers of their deities, for such figures, even after death, will be reused in the divine realm; they would serve as the most solid foundation in the divine kingdom.
Under normal circumstances.
If a deity had a legendary believer die, they would often send their divine messenger personally to guide the soul. If the person’s faith was fervent enough to capture the deity’s attention, it wouldn’t be unusual for the deity to invest their avatar in the summoning.
“Please follow me, Your Excellency.”
The young paladin might not be so young anymore, considering all he had been through. An air of maturity had long replaced his youthful vigor.
He probably guessed Soren’s alignment.
Ever since he embraced Justice as his own belief, his perception of the outside world had become increasingly sharpened.
To avoid any other paladins making the rookie mistake of casting ‘Detect Alignment’, he quickly bent slightly toward Soren, expressing his respect for this person’s status, and then led him into the inn.
The surrounding paladins were astonished.
After all, the Hand of Justice was also a near-legendary figure. The ones who could bow respectfully and address him as ‘Your Excellency’ were only those of legendary caliber or above.
To the outside observer, Soren appeared to be a wanderer.
It is well-known.
Wanderers are rarely aligned with the Good Faction, and thus they wisely did not delve further into matters.
Soren soon met the Warden.
This powerful legendary paladin, a high-level legendary class known as Judicator, was also surprised by Soren’s arrival.
However!
The artifacts of the Holy Avenger had been traced back to him, so the Warden’s surprise was limited without any additional emotions. For a legendary figure to personally seek him out meant that there must be something of great importance at hand, perhaps even related to the Holy Avenger, at least that was his intuition, as it was he who had informed where the crucial component ‘Eye of Tyr’ was located. The Warden quickly sent others out but kept the Hand of Justice here, clearly intending to groom him as a successor.
“I came here for a reason.”
Soren gazed at the two paladins before him and unexpectedly felt a bit of pressure—not due to a power gap, but rather because of their status as paladins.
He pondered for a moment and decided to speak the truth, though he would conceal a few details.
So, he got straight to the point, saying: “I’m here to deal with the God of the Hunt—Mara! Don’t ask me why I need to confront him! He is my enemy, and I want him dead! It’s as simple as that.”
This opening statement seemed a bit too forceful, directly announcing his intention to confront a deity, leaving the two before him quite shocked.
After a moment’s reflection, Soren realized he hadn’t introduced himself yet, so he removed his hood and said: “I am Soren.”
I am Soren.
Just this one statement was enough.
The legendary Wanderer known throughout the Material Plane, the powerful Pirate King who commands the Three Seas, and the one who established the prosperous Modo City, holding a position with great influence on the Southern Coast.
He was an idol for wanderers and had now become a faith for many wanderers.
The reason was simple.
He ascended to divinity!
The latter part was only four characters, but those four characters seemed heavy in weight; just saying ‘I am Soren’ had already left the two paladins before him somewhat stunned.
They were both legendary or near-legendary figures.
But one undeniable fact was that, over these years, the true legendary figures of the Material Plane, the legends among legends, had undoubtedly been Soren, who had swiftly risen in Modo City and successfully ascended to divinity with the classes of Half-Elf and Wanderer.
The presence of the deity.
At this moment, the two paladins were somewhat bewildered, with no time to consider if Soren was of the Evil Faction, for their minds were occupied with a single thought: a deity had personally appeared before them.
Heavens!
I actually witnessed the presence of a deity!
………………(To be continued ~^~)
