Franklin

Riding the Divine Wind Bear, dressed in fitted clothes, Lei Mo was in high spirits as he followed the primitive road trampled into existence and headed for the distant town.

He found a tavern, ordered a huge barrel of unfiltered beer and five jin of roast meat, and dug in—

"Ah—this is the life! How long has it been, how long? I'm finally living like a human again!"

Lei Mo's crude behavior not only failed to attract any attention; it even drew friendly looks from several men in the tavern.

Drinking and eating roughly, belching loudly—those were all traits that fit an adventurer. Add his imposing build, and plenty of tipsy adventurers couldn't help coming over to clink glasses with Lei Mo.

Lei Mo turned no one away. In half a day, he polished off three huge barrels of beer and drank seven or eight adventurers under the table. The whole tavern grew lively, and even the owner looked at Lei Mo with a little more warmth.

He pulled out a gold coin and tossed it to the bartender, didn't bother asking for change, and walked straight out of the tavern toward an inn.

"Whoa, what kind of magical beast is that? It's huge, and kind of cute!"

The people on the road weren't very afraid of the Divine Wind Bear. It simply didn't look intimidating.

"Are you crazy? That's a Level Nine Magical Beast. Don't go looking for a quick death!"

At least that one knew what he was talking about.

Lei Mo ignored them all. He found an inn, rented a private courtyard, and went inside to meditate and refine his magic power.

The Divine Wind Bear—Bill Cleveland—stood guard outside Lei Mo's door. Magical beasts were far more alert than humans.

Franklin also released several Saint Realm souls to keep watch inside the room. Ordinary people couldn't see these souls.

Ever since Lei Mo's blood had activated the space within Franklin, the souls inside had been able to cultivate there without needing to come out. Franklin's runes could be projected into the space.

Unfortunately, the runes on Franklin still weren't complete enough to let the Saint Realm souls comprehend the Laws' Mysteries in their entirety.

"Master, would you like me to retrieve the Eight Totem Pillar Sub-bodies? They're considered my offspring. Now that I have an internal space, even though I can't store objects in it yet, I feel like I can bring those eight Totem Pillars inside."

Franklin's voice sounded in Lei Mo's mind.

"Not for now. In fact, we should let even more people try to comprehend them so we can gather more souls. Besides, I feel like your space still has room to grow!"

Lei Mo thought it over before replying.

"Franklin, do those eight Totem Pillar Sub-bodies really have to be comprehended only once every ten years?" Lei Mo asked.

"Not at all. I only opened the space once every ten years because it was such a hassle to release my souls each time. That way, the Saint Realm runes would manifest on those eight pillars.

"The Initial Runes on the eight sub-bodies are still too difficult. Those Saint Realm runes are much simpler."

"Now that this space has come alive, the runes can manifest at any time, even across hundreds of millions of miles!"

Franklin's voice rang in Lei Mo's mind.

"Then have the Soul Runes manifest permanently. Could the Ancestral Court find out?" Lei Mo asked, puzzled.

"Saint Realm powerhouses should sense something, and if it goes on long enough, they'll definitely find out," Franklin said.

"Franklin, why are there so many runes on you, while those eight pillars have so few?" Lei Mo asked, still puzzled.

"Master, the runes on me have been there since birth. They can be seen, but not touched. But now, only you can see the ones on me. Other people can only see those eight sub-body pillars. Based on what you've told me, I divided them into eight types. Each of the eight Totem Pillars inherited just one type."

Franklin's voice trailed on softly.

"Then why do the runes I inscribe work, but I can't comprehend the runes on you?"

This was Lei Mo's greatest frustration. The runes of the Laws or Edicts were right in front of him, yet he couldn't comprehend them. It was maddening!

"Master, when you inscribed the runes, you only comprehended the Soul Runes—the ones manifested by those souls. You didn't see through the Initial Rune itself. The souls that manifested as runes had been comprehending that Initial Rune before."

Franklin continued, "These manifested souls give off a kind of fluctuation that makes your soul more compatible with the Soul Rune. Master, the fact that you can stir up fluctuations in the Soul Rune means you do have a little talent in this area."

Lei Mo's expression darkened. He'd always thought his talent was decent.

"Then what kinds of runes are on you and those eight pillars? What's the difference between them?" Lei Mo still wasn't ready to give up.

"I didn't know before, but after talking with you, I do now. They should be, respectively, earth, fire, water, wind, Lightning Law, light, darkness, and Destruction Law."

Lei Mo's heart sank completely.

"I actually... I actually have no talent in so many branches! No—I can't give up. I can still try to comprehend Destruction.

"Even though I don't feel anything toward destruction right now, once I comprehend the Law of Destruction through killing, something is bound to change." Lei Mo rallied himself.

"Master, don't lose heart. I'm still in the Saint Realm. Once I become a god, the runes on me should be more complete. By then, I'll definitely be able to help you."

Franklin comforted Lei Mo.

"Also, based on what you've told me, what I comprehended should be the Law of Death. It fits best: I specialize in souls, have no specific Mysteries, and am strange and unpredictable."

Franklin's words left Lei Mo both relieved and envious.

"Mm, don't worry. I'm not that fragile."

He was over fifty years old across two lifetimes. His mental fortitude was still passable.

Lei Mo stayed at the inn for two days, adjusting his mood. He came to understand that the runes of the Laws on Franklin contained all the Mysteries of the seven branches, along with the runes of the Law of Destruction, though none of them were complete.

At the same time, Franklin himself might have comprehended part of the Law of Death because his internal space had gathered a vast number of souls.

For now, none of this helped Lei Mo directly. He couldn't comprehend any of it. It was enough to make his heart ache—

On the third day, Lei Mo slung the stolen pack over his shoulder, picked up Franklin, and left the town, continuing east.

The town lay near the Seti Mountains and belonged to a grand duchy called Sunier. A duchy was usually just a large noble fief, though it had other noble fiefs under it.

East of the Sunier Duchy lay a powerful kingdom called the Keaton Kingdom. Because it was close to the Seti Mountains, its people were fierce, and the kingdom was exceptionally powerful. It boasted a renowned pinnacle force—the Magic Beast Knights.

A few days later, Lei Mo arrived at the border of the Keaton Kingdom. That was where he was headed.

Before he came, Lei Mo had already made inquiries. The Keaton Kingdom was good at recruiting talent from other countries, welcomed outsiders, worshiped the strong, and was frequently at war. It suited Lei Mo's needs perfectly.

Lei Mo had planned it out before setting off: he would join the Keaton Kingdom's Magic Beast Knights as a magical beast knight.

Bill Cleveland was a Level Nine Divine Wind Bear. Lei Mo's rank might not be high at first when he joined the order, but he would certainly have a promising future.

Lei Mo had come for war. Rank was secondary. With Franklin, he wasn't afraid of losing control of the situation.

As long as it wasn't a death trap, Lei Mo could escape. The Divine Wind Bear's speed was heaven-defying, and that was why he'd chosen it.

Combat, war, the battlefield—Lei Mo could feel his blood starting to boil.

"Roar, roar, roar—"