Chapter 517: Chapter 191: Single-Minded Focus (Part 2)

The Hero lowered her head, her chest tingling slightly, without answering or denying.

“You couldn’t forgive those lesser Magic Creatures that harmed your friend, so even though that hidden lair was eliminated by the City Defense Army, you still chose to direct this hatred toward the entire Goblin race, hence becoming a Hero…” Her brother shook his head.

The Hero felt as though her heart was being tightly gripped by icy hands, slowly sinking, as if falling into an ice cave.

She finally couldn’t help but interrupt.

“Brother, what exactly are you trying to say?”

“I’m just curious.”

Her brother’s eyes became increasingly indifferent, looking at the Hero as if she were a stranger.

“Father, of course, is one thing, but just half a year ago, I was already a Legendary Mage. Although the lair was indeed hidden, going out of the city to search would take some effort, but if it were the two of us, less than a day would be needed to find your friend and rescue her.

“And you, you seemed to have asked Father for help at that time, right?”

The Hero’s pupils suddenly shrank, the color draining from her face.

“However,” her brother’s tone remained calm, “such trivial matters, neither he nor I paid any attention to.

“But, if we had intervened… Even though considering the delay of information, her fate of being violated by lesser Magic Creatures would have been inevitable, at the very least, she wouldn’t have fallen to that point. A shattered Spirit still might have had a chance to heal.”

Listening to her brother’s words, as if he had truly experienced this future, the Hero’s mind gradually became blank.

“You seem to have the ability to perceive others’ emotions and should be able to determine that I’m not lying.”

The malice that the Legendary Mage had intentionally concealed was uncovered, crashing unexpectedly into the young girl’s Spirit.

“Don’t you consider it detestable and hateful that we ‘watched her die without helping’?”

[Hero activates Skill: Dirty Heart Language]

Then, a joyful, malicious, mocking low laugh echoed in the Hero’s heart.

‘—Why not?’

[Depraved Hero activates Curse: Hollow Honey Addiction (90%)]

[Curse Erosion (D Intelligence * 0.9, base +45, Revenge Heart +40, Dirty Heart Language +30)]

D63+45+40+30=d63(20)+115=135

[Hero’s Equipment Skill: Ice Heart Soul Freeze activates (+D30)]

[Hero’s Resistance (D Intelligence, base +50, Princess’s Accompaniment +50)]

D70+d30+50+50=d70(13)+d30(28)+100=141

Note: When out of control, Doctrine of Reason will activate, counterattacking in Heartbroken Phoenix State

→☆→☆→☆→✧←★←★←★←

“If you became a Hero to avenge those who caused your friend’s death…

“Then, aren’t we, who watched your friend die without helping, also targets of your revenge?”

Moments after her brother’s words fell, the temperature in the courtyard suddenly soared.

Around the Hero’s bowed head, scorching Magic Power erupted like a volcano, making the vast garden seem to enter midsummer, wilting the evergreen flowers and grass in the heat, the atmosphere undulating slightly as if standing on a scorching sand sea.

Faced with the incoming heatwave, her brother remained expressionless, his gaze becoming grave, no longer as indifferent as before.

Everything was as expected.

“As expected, my assumption was correct; you’ve obtained the Phoenix’s Strength.”

He stepped back, feigning a grip with his palm, a hint of heat emerging in his tone.

That was the enthusiasm when facing a formidable foe, even for this youth who had always been as still as dead water, his eyes now showed fervent Battle Intent.

“Though you defeated the Great Demon thanks to the help of Ancient Heroic Spirits, it seems it was still counted as defeated by you, so you successfully absorbed the Great Demon’s Strength, gaining an Ancient Dragon Level Transformation.”

Even though the communication between the Hero and her parents over the past few days almost equaled the total of past years, the grown-up Hero was not entirely open with her parents.

The most crucial point was that she concealed the existence of the Elf Rabbit.

Mainly out of worry that her father, trying to catch the rabbit, would turn the countryside mountain forest into scorched earth, which would be bad if it harmed the Slime King et al.

But at this moment, her brother deduced the correct conclusion through a different logic.

“I bet even Father couldn’t have imagined that your Innate Profession, which could only transform into a beast and be defeated, could achieve such a leap.

“But it’s clear you can’t fully control the Great Demon’s Strength; likely after transforming, you wouldn’t even be able to maintain rationality.”

Her brother’s lips curved into a sharp arc, Magic Power in his body also surged, coldly and precisely counteracting the Hero’s released heat, suppressing the warmth in the air.

“But don’t worry, though I haven’t tried subduing an Ancient Dragon yet, I’ve prepared thoroughly and will completely subdue you before you cause any casualties, you foolish—”

“I never thought that way.”

The next moment, a rush of winter wind suddenly came, dispersing the surrounding scorching atmosphere.

The Hero lifted her head, her emerald-green eyes clear and transparent, free of anger or hatred.

[Ice Heart Soul Freeze Successful, Cycle of Reincarnation Activates]

D10=d10(7)=7

[Brother’s Astonishment (Prediction Failure +30, 100 + Impact Received)]

D100+30=d100(31)+30=61

[Hero’s Response]

1. If brother wants to fight♛

2. Turn away

3. What is brother pursuing Strength for?

4. Apologize to me

5.1

6.2

7.3

8.4

9. I’ll leave it to you

10. Great Success/Great Failure

D10=d10(1)=1

→☆→☆→☆→✧←★←★←★←

The black Phoenix spread its wings, merciless flames raised a heatwave, instantly turning the garden’s cherished flowers and grass, tenderly cared for by maids, to ash—

Such a future vision gradually blurred, shattered, and finally, only the girl’s emerald-green eyes remained in view.