Chapter 274

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Chapter 274: Great Master Rin

Rin thought about it and realized he couldn’t expect the Waste Hero in his arms to think normally.

She absolutely did not want to think if she didn’t have to; even a silly elk was a bit better than her, though the difference wasn’t very large.

Most of the time, he was the one making the plans, and they just needed to follow him.

Yes, that’s right. The contract was still in my hands. It was only natural for me to tell them what to do, and it didn’t matter if they were smart or not.

Rin thought to himself in annoyance, but on the outside, he looked like a serious student, sitting upright and casually patting the head of Waste Hero, who was lying on his lap.

"Actually, I found it strange earlier," Rin asked curiously. "The birthplace of Leviathan was also an important place for its revival. If it needs to be brought back to life, why set up trials? Isn’t that contradictory?"

Angela provided an explanation on this, "Even without being artificially revived, every three hundred years, a new Leviathan will be born. The reason for setting up trials…"

Angela took a sip of her drink, organized her thoughts, and continued, "It’s because the wisdom and memories passed down from Leviathan allow them to maintain a state similar to ‘immortality.’ They treat the war between Humans and Demons as a game and try to involve themselves in the rules."

"A game?" Rin said, confused. "But they are also part of the demon race. Over the years, there have been many casualties in the Human-Demon war, and they must have died many times too."

"You don’t understand the thinking of an immortal being because you are a human with a short lifespan. Leviathan experiences a different kind of immortality. Plus, lacking social connections and any survival pressure, over time, they become like this."

This is also one reason they are monsters, yet do not harbor hatred towards humans.

The Leviathan has always been the teacher and excellent strategist of the Demon King. After their death, any capable Demon King will find ways to bring them back to life.

The reason for setting up trials is first to increase what they consider to be the fun of the game. It’s not interesting to just take away memory carriers without facing many challenges.

Second, it is to prevent anyone from wandering in by mistake.

The third point is that it can also select outstanding young talents, which they value highly.

The trials have strict level controls, only life forms that are level fifteen or higher and just come of age can enter.

Of course, this rule can also be bypassed by using formations and talent; for example, those who exceed the level of Leviathan or high-level formation masters can enter directly by force.

However, directly breaking the rules will be disliked.

"Wait, wait, wait! I can understand the first part; it seems this is just their personal hobby. But about this just coming of age… I am not sure if it’s counted by demon race or human standards."

Angela chuckled and patted his shoulder, "Congratulations on finding the point! I believe Suyu asked you to come first because she trusts you, and second because you are human, making it easier for you than others."

"？？"

"Because the rules of its trial did not mention races."

Rin originally wanted to say that the game rules set by Leviathan had such a big flaw, how could they still dare to call themselves the intelligent representatives of the demon race?

But then he thought twice and realized.

In this other world, humans come of age at fifteen, while the demon race has some with short lifespans and others with longer ones, with the long-lived reaching maturity around one hundred and fifty years old.

A fifteen-year-old human who can reach level fifteen is incredibly rare, and such individuals are always nurtured as geniuses among humans.

How could such a genius possibly help the demon race awaken Leviathan? And how could the Demon King trust a young human with such an important task!

Um, wait… something seems off.

Angela seemed to see through his thoughts and wore a teasing smile, "What if there is such a variable, one that betrays the human side and is cherished by the Demon King… ah no, I mean deeply trusted."

"I did not betray anyone; there is a reason I chose Suyu!"

Rin’s face looked a bit strange as he suddenly realized something.

He did not feel much belonging to his human identity in this world.

Because he originally came from another world, he only felt a few connections to the people here.

So in his eyes, the idea of switching sides was just a line in a book; he would act as usual, especially since Suyu is still his love, making it seem like there was no problem.

However, this world is not a novel; it is a real world filled with real people.

From the perspective of most humans, his future actions would make him a traitor.

Even if a wonderful ending where humans and demons live together in harmony comes, he would still be a traitor.

Hiss…

When people insult him, he doesn’t mind; after all, he is already used to it, it’s just super double.

But Emilia, the silly elk, and the poor Sword Saint, who are seen as the strong support and future hope of the human race, must find their own way.

You must understand that even a perfect ending cannot be achieved quickly; there are still these years to consider, and during these years, their relationships…

When Rin realized this, his mind suddenly became a mess, and his anxiety showed on his face.

Angela, wise with age, could guess what he was worried about with just a little thought.

The witch’s expression softened as she said quietly, "But with such changes, it might change the entire continent. You, the hero, and the Demon King have close relationships, and you could become a bridge to connect the Human and Demon races. Make the right decision and there will be no need for regrets."

At that moment, Rin felt a sharp pain in his jaw and couldn’t help but grind his teeth.

Goodness, isn’t this the male lead’s mission? How did it suddenly become mine?

All I want is to solve the so-called world-ending trouble, protect a few fools, and avoid punishment from the system because of the mission.

Wait, who is the main character again?

Forget about that unimportant thing. I should think more about how to fix things after my betrayal story begins.

Rin shook his head to put his worries aside for a moment and couldn’t help but stroke the waste hero’s head.

"Also, there’s something strange. Since Leviathan has always inherited memories, can we say it’s really one person? You see, the vessel is called the Soul Crystal, so doesn’t that mean the souls are one? And you also said they are another way of being immortal."

"What are you thinking? The Soul Crystal is just the soul of the current Leviathan, which also carries all the memories. If it can’t come back to life in three hundred years, the Soul Crystal will refresh and give birth to a new Leviathan. They inherit memories, and their actions are influenced by shared memories, but their personality and skills will change."

Rin couldn’t quite understand this kind of inheritance and couldn’t relate to it. He scratched his head and decided not to ask any more questions.

"Enough with the small talk. Let me tell you about the trial."

"The first trial is for strength, which means constant fighting. This is why I’m giving you special training. If you have higher magic power, it will be easier to deal with it. Of course, the more people who enter, the harder it will become."

"The second trial is for wisdom. Well… just do your best."

Rin suddenly got angry. He lifted his chin, about to show off, but Angela gave him a tap on the head, making him clutch his head in pain and not say a word.

"Ha, with your scaredy-cat attitude, I find it hard to think you have courage. Never mind, there’s still hero around. For the third trial, let her take you."

It is well-known that heroes are true to their name and extremely brave.

But the hero now, Rin felt embarrassed to say she was even more afraid of pain than he was, and she was also afraid of hunger and of four-legged fish.

"The fourth trial is about perseverance. This trial has a loophole; you can skip it. From what I know, this trial tests the demon race and will erode demonic energy to attack the mind. You just happen to lack demonic energy."

"The fifth trial is about luck. I think, when it comes to hero’s luck, there shouldn’t be any problem, right?"

Rin glanced at Emilia, who was lying still, and proudly nodded, "That’s right. Not to mention anything else, my useless hero’s luck is like a goddess on a winning streak."

"So those are the five trials. I don’t have much to say about the first trial. For the second trial, I remember it’s a maze, and it’s random, so you’ll have to figure it out by yourself."

"The third trial is about courage, and you must pay special attention to it. It will use the things you fear and are afraid of, and overcoming this is crucial."

Rin’s mouth twitched; he had recently gone through a similar challenge.

"Speaking of which, teacher, you seem to know a lot about that place. Have you been inside?"

"Of course! I am the guardian of the Cloud Sea Secret Realm. It has been passed down through generations, so how could I not be familiar with it?"

After that, the two of them took turns asking questions, and the topic was all about Leviathan’s trials.

But neither of them noticed that the hero, who was breathing steadily and seemed to be sleeping peacefully, had opened his eyes at some point.

Everything he should and shouldn’t have heard had already sunk in, and even though his eyes were blank, he stared dazedly at Rin’s clothes before shutting them again after a while.

She wanted to wait, to wait for Rin to tell her everything he kept in his heart.

Even if there were still some small secrets he didn’t want to share, she had to know the reason behind choosing Suyu.

…

The Stone Kun Fish carried three people, crossing the vast sea of clouds, as the sky gradually dimmed, finally turning into a deep yellow, and the star hanging in the sky slid to the other side.

Along the way, Rin didn’t see any land, just an endless sea of clouds that looked like a fairyland.

Occasionally, he would see patches of reef that surprisingly moved in one direction.

Angela told him that those were called Black Reef Fish, whose backs looked like reefs, and they would swim through the sea of clouds regularly, serving as a guide.

He didn’t know how long it had been, but suddenly, Rin saw a hint of green and excitedly stretched his neck to look.

In the distance, he saw a few small islands connecting together, getting closer and closer; these islands were very small, the biggest was only about three or four hundred square meters.

"There are actually islands in the sea of clouds?!" Rin exclaimed in surprise.

"Those are called Land Reef Fish, and they are relatives of the Black Reef Fish we saw earlier. Their backs have a substance like mudstone that can grow trees and plants, making them look like small islands.

Moreover, they only move around here, which is why we couldn’t see them before."

Angela explained.

Sure enough, as the Stone Kun Fish got closer to them, several "islands" suddenly moved on their own and opened up to the sides.

After the Stone Kun Fish passed, they gathered together again and swam slowly.

Rin was very curious, "Is there really no books or records about this? I think it’s quite interesting."

"What’s the point of that thing? No outsiders could come in anyway. If it weren’t for the deal between our ancestors and Leviathan, and if I weren’t friends with Suyu, you wouldn’t be able to enter either. Plus, this is a secret realm, and it’s not good for outsiders to know about it."

"Huh? I just want to learn more about the creatures here; I won’t be foolish enough to tell everyone about it."

"When you have time later, I’ll bring you in again. But for books and records, there aren’t any. That stuff can’t make money, so why would I bother with it?"

Just as Angela finished speaking, Rin excitedly slapped the waste hero’s head, showing a disdainful expression on his face again.

"Who told you it can’t make money? Are you silly? Haven’t you heard of the various legendary creature guides? Those things sell really well; people are always interested in the unknown of legendary creatures they’ve never seen before."

"Huh?" Angela looked a bit dazed, then smacked her lips, her eyes sparkling, completely turning into the shape of gold coins.

"You mean, write it as a fictional chat? To sell for money?"

Rin rubbed his chin, "No, no, think carefully. It’s better to write it directly as a novel, blur the name of Cloud Sea Secret Realm and how to enter it, then create a story about the creatures and wonders inside, an adventure story that fits well with Leviathan’s trial."

"Exactly, exactly!"

The witch clapped her hands excitedly, "Change Leviathan to the lord of the secret realm, and I will be the guide of fate, then we will have the background for a fantasy novel!"

Rin added, based on what he heard from Lin Wuyue about readers’ preferences, "It’s best to include a bit of romance. I think mermaids are great; humans love mermaid stories."

"That sounds great!"

"It would be even better if the male protagonist has a vendetta for his father’s death or is jilted from an engagement, and then, guided by the witch of fate, he meets the princess of the Mermaid Kingdom, and they join hands…"

"Wait, we can’t say any more."

Angela said frantically, "I want to write it myself! If I always listen to you, how can I create my own work? That’s enough for now! I’ll handle the rest myself!"

After saying this, she thought for a moment and suddenly realized something was wrong, her eyes widening, "Wait, weren’t we talking about the secret realm? How did it turn into me wanting to write a novel?!"

At that moment, the lazy hero also woke up, rubbing his eyes and nudging against Rin.

Rin, feeling annoyed, pushed her back into his embrace to stop her from moving and said seriously, "Teacher, you forgot, you still owe me a huge sum of money, and it needs to be paid back within a month. Do you think you can manage that?"

Angela’s face twitched, "Oh no, I forgot about that, and I have to collect protection money too."

"I’m just afraid that if I collect the protection money and pay you back, I’ll end up completely broke. I’m trying to help you find another way to make a living."

"I think you just want to be a living encyclopedia, don’t you?"

Angela replied sharply, unwilling to admit that she was already inspired, full of ideas, and almost wanted to kick them into the trials and start writing her novel right away.

At that moment, the Stone Kun Fish suddenly slowed down and let out a long cry.

Angela quickly said, "Okay, we are almost there. Hold on tight, we are going to dive down."