Dekan Solved a Cold Case

"How do I use this card...?"

Dekan murmured.

Although it is Lunn's ultimate magic.

But in the real world, it seems to fall short no matter who uses it.

It is more effective for users of lower ranks.

Of course, the price will be much higher, and a slight mistake could lead to instant death.

For a ninth-tier expert, its negative effects are barely tolerable.

But the increase wasn't as significant anymore.

Croix was originally a perfect fit for it, no longer possesses any magical damage due to the curse of the God of Life.

If it weren't for this curse, and no Chaos God ever appeared in this world again, Dekan would immediately drive Croix in his teleportation belt and smash the Chaos God's head in the head!

The mechanics will only activate when there's insufficient damage; once you've spent enough money, just kill him!

But right now, Croix can only transform into a level nine healer with this card at most.

Dekan... doesn't really need a ninth-tier magic attack stat.

"That wretched Sisina..."

Even now, Dekan still grits his teeth at the thought of that Chaos God.

They wished they could invite her to the Devil King Tomb and let her witness the power of the Happy Church in this era.

However, the Chaos God are beings who have transcended the cycle of reincarnation of the Goddess Tike.

Even if they are killed by ordinary methods, they will revive on their own after ten thousand years.

As for the most troublesome Chaos God Sisina, she has been completely wiped out by Delois and Lunn and will never appear again.

"Think carefully about who should use this card."

Croix patted Dekan on the back.

He had already ruled out the possibility of him using the card.

Although he knew that Dekan didn't care which partner he gave this ninth-tier Shadow World spoils to—as long as it was the most suitable person.

But Croix alone would feel guilty about accepting the card.

This is the Shadow World that he started.

It was Dekan who risked his life to help him close this ninth-tier Shadow World.

"I'll keep this card safe for now."

Dekan reluctantly and carefully put it away.

The legendary card, which has not appeared in the world for a thousand years, has a price that no one knows clearly now.

However, Dekan, who had created legendary cards, was quite certain—

Legendary cards, once bound to a soul, can never be separated.

Otherwise, the backlash will cause your life soul to perish!

It carries the weight of a legendary life, equivalent to that of a particular individual.

Even without binding or using it, the existence of this [Holy Emperor's Will to Fight to the Death] provides Dekan with a great deal of peace of mind.

After all, this was the last gift left by a close friend from ten thousand years ago, and it was also part of the Goddess's guidance that led it to fall into Dekan's hands.

"Speaking of Croix, I've finally figured something out."

As Dekan pondered, he seemed to suddenly realize something.

"What?"

Croix looked puzzled.

"Actually, the 'healing' you were originally thought to be a blessing is actually the curse of the God of Life, and the other 'misfortune' you have that people consider a curse... is actually a blessing."

Dekan smiled as he looked at Croix and explained, his eyes seeming to recall the emperor from the Holy Kingdom era, a figure he himself didn't know how to evaluate.

"Lunn's entire life was Tike being a devout messenger of the Goddess Tiki. His thoughts were always excessively benevolent, yet he would stop at nothing to achieve them for the sake of righteousness. In truth, he was the most orthodox priest under the Goddess's teachings..."

"Seeing that the last High Priest of the Holy Rite Church, who dedicated his life to the Holy Kingdom, was cursed by an enemy god, how could the Goddess not bestow upon Lunn protection?"

After Dekan finished speaking, he asked another question.

"But..."

But this should have an unfortunate effect.

Croix wanted to say that, but dared not say it as it might be disrespectful to the Goddess.

So he could only lower his head in embarrassment.

It seemed as if she was recalling all her past experiences from childhood to adulthood.

Until he met Dekan.

The bad things in his life far outweighed the good things.

And indeed, I haven't encountered anything good...

Things only started to improve after I met my true friends.

"If you were truly cursed by misfortune, you wouldn't have encountered us, right? And if we had been caught up in the curse together, we probably would have been defeated by the Resurrection Church long ago, wouldn't we?"

Dekan asked again.

"This..."

Croix felt she couldn't answer.

"Actually, I think your misfortune, Croix, might be more subjective than objective. Or perhaps this misfortune is just a pessimistic feeling that arises from your constant depression caused by the curse of the God of Life."

Both Lunn and Croix are likely the type of honest people who would be overlooked in times of peace and prosperity.

--I won't hurt others; as long as it doesn't violate my principles, I'll try my best to back down.

Only in times of chaos will the brilliance of such people be revealed.

"So, Croix, some things aren't about luck, they definitely aren't."

"But what exactly... is it a blessing?"

"I'm puzzled," Croix asked.

If one's misfortune throughout history is not a matter of fate or cause and effect, but merely a matter of one's own perception and thoughts.

Wouldn't that be a misunderstanding of the Goddess's good intentions?

This is the sin of wrongly blaming the Goddess because of one's own cowardice and incompetence...

Croix felt increasingly ashamed.

"Don't worry, the Goddess won't care how you imagine this blessing, because you are a hero of the Holy Kingdom under her protection."

Dekan seemed to sense Croix's unease.

He offered a word of comfort, then continued:

"Each time it increases the difficulty of the Shadow World, right? But think about it, it was only after we met you and became connected with you that we truly opened the gates to the Holy Kingdom."

Perhaps some challengers have entered the Shadow World Demon Realm from some ancient history.

Dekan and Cornelia also visited the Demon Realm Academy in the Shadow World.

Up until then, no challenger had ever broken any records related to the history of the Holy Kingdom in the Shadow World!

It wasn't until Dekan and Cornelia finished [Demon Academy Tales] and met Croix at the school that things changed.

The Beautiful Soul Squad has just entered the first true Shadow World belonging to the Holy Kingdom, [The Wild Mountain Blizzard Mystery], and subsequently [The Secret Tale of the Withered Sacred Rite]!

"... The blessing that the Goddess bestowed upon me."

He recalled why he was the one who opened the last Shadow World of the Holy Kingdom.

The answer in Croix's heart gradually became clear.

"Is it actually a form of trust, but also a test?"

Croix murmured in a daze.

"That's right, it is the coordinate of the Holy Kingdom, the guide of destiny."

Dekan snapped his fingers, providing the answer.

"It is the key to allowing us to return to the Holy Kingdom and rediscover its lost story after we met you!"

Croix's "curse" seems to increase the difficulty of the Shadow World--

In fact, it was the Goddess Tike who imprinted the coordinates of the Holy Kingdom in the long river of history onto Croix!

When he encounters his companions from his past life, he will truly begin the weighty task of this life's reincarnation.

All those destined to be will be able to enter the Holy Kingdom Shadow World!

Croix, however, possesses the destiny of an emperor.

They carried the regret and hopes of a destroyed nation.

Entering other Shadow World would inevitably increase the difficulty significantly!

That's all.

After the answer was revealed, both of them remained silent for a while.

Finally, whether it was enlightenment or regret, Croix was left wondering.

He smiled and shook his head.

"It's all about human effort... I was so foolish. I actually mistook the Goddess's blessing for a curse because of my cowardice."

Croix walked to the sofa and sat down, looking very tired.

"It's okay, that's good, as long as the result is good."

Dekan sat down beside him, leaning back in his armchair and speaking with his eyes closed.

They spoke so simply and gently.

The two of them eventually gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Such a peaceful and ordinary daily life.

Perhaps it was something unimaginable to them in that era of the Holy Kingdom and the Demon Realm.

"!"

"So, how did we win against Clay at the casino back then?"

As if suddenly remembering something, Croix turned to look at Dekan with a puzzled expression and asked.

He still remembers when he participated in the seventh-tier team assessment in the Randir Kingdom, he and Dekan went to the gang's underground casino to do charity work in order to seek justice for Tata, who was forced to borrow money from loan sharks.

Then I met "that blue guy".

They signed a contract that exploited a bug, making a fortune off the casino and Clay.

They clearly succeeded in stealing divine power back then!

They even won the Frenzy Bishop's Token.

"!"

The moment Dekan heard this question, his expression became very complicated.

After all, that day saw a winning streak.

It remains a vivid memory for Dekan to this day.

Winning money feels like someone is giving you free money!

There was no stopping it.

If that wasn't luck either.

There is only one answer--

"... So all of this was part of your plan, Zhuge Clay!"