Returner

Chen Li, having been taken in by the prison, was Han Dong's permanent assistant.

Giving Chen Li this opportunity for Destiny enhancement also indirectly strengthened the prison and Han Dong's overall power.

After all, Chen Li resided within Brain Prison, always at his beck and call, following him like a shadow.

Chen Li held the exquisite Holy Grail in both hands, somewhat puzzled.

Yet because of their special relationship, she did not doubt Han Dong... to a certain extent, Han Dong was her master.

Gurgle, gurgle!

The fluid in the Holy Grail took effect the moment she swallowed it.

A dense aura of evil resentment seeped from Chen Li's pores... even her black hair was stirred by the sinister energy, drifting through the air.

Dark, gloomy veins spread across Chen Li's arms, while her bones creaked.

Several minutes passed.

When Chen Li opened her eyes again, the viciousness gleaming from them was far greater than before.

Evil Refining successful. Contained Object Possessed Chen Li's combat rating has increased to: D-

"Chen Li, you got stronger!!"

"Mm... thank you."

Feeling the changes in her body, Chen Li was somewhat overwhelmed with emotion and wanted to step forward to hug Han Dong... but after considering something, she stopped herself.

"You're welcome. I'll need your help in plenty of places from now on.

"That's all for now. Once I return to that world, I'll find a way to get you some food. I'll also let you come out for activities once in a while."

"Mm."

Their relationship was not yet close, and Han Dong himself was not the type who understood "socializing"... when their cooperation ended, neither knew what to say for a moment.

With that, all beginner-level Destiny Events had come to an end.

Bzzzt! (Ringing in his ears)

When Han Dong opened his eyes again, he found himself in the familiar Festival Plaza.

However, compared to the scene from several days ago, when thousands had gathered, Han Dong was the only one to emerge this time.

Since each event had different time limits, different "Returners" would appear at different times.

"A Returner! A new Returner..."

The plaza was off-limits.

The ordinary residents around it could only vaguely make out Han Dong in the center of the plaza.

Before anyone could get a clear look at Han Dong's face, a soft leather mask was pulled directly over his head, concealing his appearance.

"Get on!"

Han Dong looked up and saw that the one who had put the mask on him was a member of the Black Rose Knights.

But with Han Dong's frail body, there was no way he could climb onto the horse's back, which stood as high as he was... he braced himself against the saddle several times in succession, yet his feet never even left the ground.

Though the knight wore a mask, he was clearly growing impatient. He grabbed Han Dong by the linen collar and easily hoisted him onto the saddle... the half-modified metal hooves thundered forward, racing toward the depths of the Holy City.

Wherever the black-and-gold horse passed, pedestrians on the road lowered their heads slightly, watching the knight with worshipful gazes... while looking at Han Dong with envy.

They knew very well that this young man escorted by a knight was the "Returner" who had survived and emerged from Destiny Space this time.

"Have we left the residential district?"

After the horse crossed an inner-city river and a guard post, it arrived at a broad, deserted street.

This was entirely different from the narrow, filthy roads of the Slums.

The spacious road was built from decent-quality marble embedded in cement.

An oil streetlamp stood every fifty meters along both sides of the road, and the brass lamp posts were carved with all kinds of patterns.

To the right of the road was an inner-city canal nearly a hundred meters wide. Several Steam Power ships sailed along its surface, most of them transporting goods, with massive emblems representing their affiliated "units" painted on their hulls.

To the left stood a dark stone wall roughly eight meters tall.

Han Dong vaguely saw transparent, rainbow-colored patterns occasionally emerge across the stone wall's surface, as though it could not be approached easily.

The wall stretched as far as the road itself. Looking into the distance, he could not see its end at all.

Han Dong did not ask where they were going. After all, the outcome would not change just because he asked. He only needed to follow the knight to the end.

Suddenly.

Black Horse came to a stop.

The knight grabbed Han Dong and dismounted with him, stopping before the stone wall.

As the knight reached out to touch the wall before them, something incredible happened... where his palm made contact, the stone wall transformed into an iron door, with no indication of where it led.

The knight's gaze through his goggles signaled for Han Dong to hurry inside.

There was no retreat and no choice.

He walked through the pitch-black passage for over three thousand meters. For Han Dong, who had spent seven years searching for corpses in cellular form, this was nothing.

He pushed open a similar iron door at the end.

He stepped into a spacious, warm room.

The fireplace drove the chill from Han Dong's body. Various metal decorations hung on the surrounding walls, and directly ahead stood a long black wooden table edged in brass.

Three "elders," each with different appearances and attire, sat inside.

They scrutinized the frail, sickly young man with different expressions.

One of them was a knight, though unlike the Black Rose Knights, he wore a suit of lightweight, brilliant white armor.

Without any mask, his handsome Caucasian face and flowing shoulder-length blond hair gave Han Dong the immediate impression of a quintessential Western Templar knight.

This handsome knight was the youngest of the three, though he appeared to be only around forty.

Seated in the middle was a red-robed mage holding a metal staff.

Yet he was actually larger than the knight beside him. Beneath his robe were heavily trained muscles, complemented by a thick beard... he looked exactly like a game character who had chosen a barbarian race with strength advantages, only to mistakenly invest points into mage talents.

Han Dong guessed that this man's physical magic might be more powerful than his elemental magic.

The third was a middle-aged woman dressed in a saint's robes. Red stripes ran through the white fabric, and the colors of her attire symbolized her lofty status.

She also possessed a pair of pale eyes as clear as water, giving off an approachable, comforting feeling.

Among the three, she looked like the easiest to speak with.

"This is my first time seeing a Returner with such poor physical qualities... but congratulations nonetheless, Valen Nicholas. Rising up from the Slums is quite impressive."

After offering his assessment, the bearded mage took the initiative to ask:

"Explain the Destiny Event you cleared in detail, including its type, difficulty, requirements, and the reward you ultimately received.

"Don't worry about the time. The more detailed you are, the less trouble it will save us! You'll also receive the most precise Knight-Errant evaluation."

"May I ask first... what is this for?"

Han Dong needed to understand his current situation and their purpose before giving an "appropriate" answer.

"This is a basic inquiry that every Returner must undergo. After recording your experiences, we will grant you the title of Knight-Errant based on your circumstances.

"You will then go to the Royal Knights Academy for specialized training.

"Prepare for your next journey into Destiny Space!

"Offer everything for humanity's survival!"