Not Even a Threnodian!

Ling An once again witnessed Tide Sis's strength firsthand.

Though they were attacking him together, Scar was no match for even a single strike from her.

He could only retreat again and again under Tide Sis's assault.

Ling An gradually shifted from taking the lead to providing support.

Bored out of his mind, he watched Tide Sis beat Scar into the ground.

Quite literally into the ground.

In the end, Ling An simply stood aside and enjoyed the show.

He figured what he needed most right now was a bucket of popcorn.

What unfolded before him was practically a Hollywood blockbuster, complete with all the special effects he could want.

On the battlefield, Tide Sis shot into the air, gripped her swiftblade with both hands, and slashed downward.

The swiftblade slid neatly back into its sheath.

Scar finally lost the ability to maintain his Black Sheep form and the illusion, reverting to human form and collapsing to the ground.

"An execution move. Nice!" Ling An offered his commentary right on cue.

It never occurred to him that he had nearly been on the receiving end of that execution when he first met Tide Sis.

The illusion receded like the tide, returning them to the hall of the Huanglan Library.

"Rover!" Jinhsi called out, rather anxiously.

"It's over." Tide Sis's expression remained calm.

Now that's the swagger an overpowered protagonist should have. That composure radiating from the inside out.

Ling An made a note in his little notebook.

Jinhsi raised a hand, and a restraint bound Scar's wrists, leaving him to face interrogation with his hands behind his back.

"Scar, you have committed dozens of serious crimes within Huanglong. As the Magistrate of Jinzhou, I am placing you under arrest... Do you have anything to say?"

Jinhsi advanced toward Scar one step at a time, her expression resolute.

"Heh, anything to say? I'd like to tell you a story, but I'm afraid you wouldn't care to hear it."

After his defeat, Scar seemed to have shed his concerns instead, his every movement regaining its elegance.

At that moment, Ling An actually felt a little admiration for Scar.

He could never have been so relaxed in Scar's position.

Still, he waved a hand. "Doesn't look like anyone here wants to hear your story."

Jinhsi nodded. "In that case, I have some questions for you. I hope you will answer truthfully."

Scar smiled faintly. "I'll tell you everything I know."

"Why did the Fractsidus imprison the Sentinel?!" Jinhsi cut straight to the point.

"[Jué] is a Sentinel capable of foreseeing and correcting the future. Their existence is an obstacle to the realization of our lofty vision, making them a factor that must be excluded from our plans."

Anger colored Jinhsi's eyes at his words. "The Sentinel is Jinzhou's pillar. I will find them," she declared firmly.

"Hahahahaha!" Scar laughed maniacally. "Rather than finding the Sentinel, perhaps you should first consider the disaster about to befall Jinzhou, Magistrate Jinhsi."

"Imprisoning the Sentinel, accelerating the Lament, awakening the Threnodian-those acts alone are enough to make you enemies of all humanity."

"No, Magistrate Jinhsi. Someone like you could never understand us. The Fractsidus has the greatest of aspirations."

As he spoke, Scar looked toward Tide Sis and Ling An. "We intend to create a new world. Rover, you too are a black sheep among the flock. Why refuse to join us?"

"And finally, you, Crownless."

"Me?" Ling An pointed at himself. What did any of this have to do with him?

"Hehe, how fascinating. Crownless, born of war and bloodshed, has actually allied himself with Jinzhou. Truly fascinating. Aren't you afraid of getting burned by playing with fire?"

Scar laughed without restraint, his peculiar tone seeming to conceal something no one else knew.

That immediately caught Ling An's attention.

He had transmigrated here, and from the very first moment he opened his eyes, he had already inhabited this Crownless body.

Scar seemed to know something about his hidden circumstances.

That mattered a great deal to Ling An.

"What do you know about me?" he asked solemnly.

Scar shook his head and said mockingly:

"Tacet Discords... Crownless... Dreamless... Hahaha! Keep growing stronger, Crownless. The stronger, the better. I look forward to the day Dreamless awakens. What will you do then?"

Ling An fell silent at his words, uncertainty and alarm churning within him.

He knew a little about Scar.

Everything he knew about Scar so far told him that Scar was sincere.

Scar had yet to tell a single lie.

The Fractsidus had undoubtedly conducted extensive research into Tacet Discords.

They possessed intelligence and information unknown to most people.

In that case, judging by Scar's words, would he become an enemy of Tide Sis and even all of Jinzhou when Dreamless revived?

Scar's implication was clear enough-

The stronger Ling An became, the greater the crisis Jinzhou would face when that time came.

Would he become Jinzhou's enemy?

Turmoil surged through Ling An's heart.

He desperately wanted to refute Scar, but something inside told him that Scar might very well be right.

When he first opened his eyes after transmigrating, he had been inside a Tacet Field.

Even then, he had already possessed Overlord-Class strength.

Yet despite that, he had been unable to break free of the Tacet Field and leave.

Crownless was a Tacet Discord that embodied the act of warfare itself.

But.

The Threnodian Dreamless represented the ultimate power of war.

If the moment truly came when Dreamless awakened.

Would he, Crownless, still be able to remain unaffected as he was now?

Ling An had no answer.

It was a future even he could not be certain of.

After all his time on Solaris, this was the first time he had felt lost.

If Dreamless's awakening would turn him into nothing more than a pawn charging into battle, then everything he had experienced in Jinzhou during this time...

What would any of it mean?!

What would this consciousness called Ling An even amount to?

In that instant, a terrifying black hole seemed poised to swallow Ling An whole.

He felt as though he could already foresee that moment-

Tide Sis and him drawing blades against each other, Yangyang, Chixia, and even more people falling by his hand...

That was what Ling An feared most.

A future without these companions was not the future he wanted.

The nameless black hole seemed ready to consume him entirely, and a profound sense of helplessness washed over him.

Ling An felt as though he had plunged into an icy abyss.

Just then, a steady, strong hand suddenly rested on him.

Ling An looked up and found himself gazing into Tide Sis's brilliant golden eyes.

She looked at Ling An with a gentle smile and said with utmost tenderness, "Don't worry. You still have me."

"No, Scar was right..." Ling An's face was bitter.

"Right or wrong doesn't matter," Tide Sis said calmly. "What matters is that since I brought you out of the Tacet Field, I'm responsible for you. No one gets past me to hurt you."

"Not even a Threnodian!"

Each word landed with the weight of a mountain, carrying a power that could set a person's heart at ease.

That promise was like a warm hand, pulling Ling An out of the freezing abyss.

Ling An had to admit that Tide Sis's charm was irresistible at that moment.

His heart fluttered a little.