Vol. 1 - Ch. 23 - Divine Favor

Upon hearing this sentence, there was a hint of surprise in Chu Muyun's eyes.

"What? Are you also interested in the Divine Path?"

"I am somewhat interested, and I plan to become an enforcer next, so..."

"An enforcer." Chu Muyun nodded, "So, you intend to follow the 'Warrior Divine Path'?"

"Probably... enforcers, aren't they only supposed to follow the 'Warrior Divine Path'?"

"Who said that?" Chu Muyun chuckled, "Enforcers, or rather, the majority of enforcers, indeed follow the 'Warrior Divine Path' because it is the only Divine Path mastered by the Aurora Domain. However, among the enforcers in Aurora City, there are also【Divine Favor Holders】of other paths who can become enforcers."

"I don't have any special talent, maybe I don't even have the chance to become a 【Divine Favor Holder】." Chen Ling sighed, "Most likely, I can only wait until three years after becoming an enforcer and try my luck in the 'Warrior Divine Path'..."

"Bro, who says you don't have talent!" Chen Yan suddenly put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "You're so awesome, you'll definitely have plenty of that... divine stuff, fighting to get you!"

Chen Ling smiled bitterly.

Chen Ling was being honest... throughout his previous life, he had been like a water droplet submerged in the tide of mediocrity.

When he was young, his parents had pushed him to learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but he never excelled in any of them. As he grew up, he forgot everything; his academic performance remained average and his physical fitness lacking. While he knew a little bit about everything, when it came down to it, he knew he was just an ordinary person.

In this life, Chen Ling was the same.

With the mediocrity of two lives combined, Chen Ling doubted he possessed the potential to be chosen by the Divine Path.

"Talent is indeed unpredictable." Chu Muyun mused thoughtfully, "Some people may possess a certain talent but never reveal it. Perhaps when the time is right, it will be revealed..."

"So how can I know if I have talent for the Warrior Divine Path?"

"It's simple."

The smile at the corner of Chu Muyun's mouth gradually faded, and he spoke in a very indifferent tone, "You'll know by killing... If killing one person isn't enough, kill ten, kill a hundred... If after killing a thousand, the Warrior Divine Path still hasn't favored you, then you can be sure you don't have this talent."

Chen Ling's chopsticks paused, and a heavy silence enveloped the room.

"Just kidding." Chu Muyun laughed, his tone thawing the tension like a warm breeze, "If you don't want to kill, then you can only enter the ancient treasury. Three years may seem long, but you're still young, you can wait."

Killing...

Chen Ling glanced at the rice in his bowl. Memories of the Red Paper Monster’s brutal killings, coupled with the loss of two enforcers that night, stirred a sudden nausea within him.

Chen Ling, an ordinary person at heart, couldn't bring himself to pick up a knife and take a life, despite his experience in games and movies where bloodshed was common. When it came to actually picking up the knife to kill someone, he dared not. He couldn't cross that line in his heart, the one established by reason and kindness.

"So what is the 'path'?"

Chen Ling remembered the 【Slaughter Dance】 he acquired from Han Meng, which belonged to the 【Judgment】path of the Warrior Divine Path, yet he didn't fully understand what the path entailed.

"Do you know about 'paths' too?" Chu Muyun looked at him in surprise.

"Let me put it this way, if becoming a deity is like climbing a mountain, then besides the main road, there will also be 'paths'. The Divine Path represents the main road, while 'paths' are individual extensions based on a person's character and talents. For example, Han Meng, being somewhat stubborn with a strong sense of justice, follows the 【Judgment】 path. Correspondingly, the abilities he gains at different ranks may differ from those of other paths, more tailored to his personality."

Chen Ling contemplated, "How many paths can exist in one divine path?"

"It's hard to say. Some divine paths have more followers, so naturally, there will be more explored paths. For example, the Warrior Divine Path, as far as I know, encompasses seven different 'paths', but some more obscure divine paths may have only a few paths."

"Dr. Chu, are you also a follower of a Divine Path?" Chen Ling asked, recalling Dr. Lin's evaluation of him with a hint of skepticism.

"Yes." Chu Muyun admitted openly, "I follow the 'Medical God Path'."

"The Medical God Path? Is the Medical Treasury also within the Aurora Domain?"

The moment he asked this question, Chen Ling realized something and exclaimed in astonishment, "You... are a 【Divine Favor Holder?"

Chu Muyun smiled and remained silent.

Although Chen Ling had long suspected that Chu Muyun followed the Medical God Path, he didn't expect him to be a【Divine Favor Holder】... Isn't this supposed to be rare? How did he encounter one so easily?

"What does it feel like to become a【Divine Favor Holder】?" Chen Ling couldn't help but ask.

Chu Muyun pondered for a moment, "Hmm... it's hard to describe. It's like, suddenly feeling transcendent, as if there's a gaze looking at you from the depths... and then, the surrounding environment changes, and a path leading to the void automatically appears in front of you..."

"A divine path? Is it a real path that exists? Not an illusion?"

"It's real, at least in that moment it is real. However, before you step on it, it floats in the sky and keeps swaying, like... like..." Chu Muyun struggled to find the right words.

"Like a ribbon?" Chen Yan, who was eating quietly, suddenly spoke up.

"A ribbon?" Chen Ling looked at him in surprise.

"Yes, a ribbon." Chu Muyun's eyes lit up, continuing, "And then the moment you step on it, it solidifies and disappears... Although you can't see it, it will always exist within you."

Chen Ling looked at Chen Yan in puzzlement, and the latter shrunk his neck and whispered, "I just heard his description... just casually said it."

"... Alright."

Chen Ling sighed, "I hope I also have the day to step onto the Divine Path."

After finishing the meal, Chen Yan rolled up his sleeves and voluntarily washed the dishes. On the other hand, Chu Muyun took out a book from somewhere, sat by the kerosene lamp, and read by the dim light. Sometimes he frowned, sometimes he looked puzzled, as if he was lost in thought.

As the night grew deeper, the three of them retired to their rooms to rest.

Chen Ling was the last to leave. He blew out the candles on the table, and as the flames flickered, darkness enveloped the room immediately. His gaze shifted towards Chen Yan's room.

Chen Ling shuffled towards Chen Yan's door, a broken peace charm clutched in his hand. He raised his knuckles to knock, but they froze in mid-air.

【"After I woke up from the surgery, I've been waiting for you guys to pick me up at the hospital... Then, I heard someone outside saying that a 'World-Ending' level calamity was invading, and I was really worried about you guys.】

【"It seems like the enforcers' manpower is insufficient. They only blocked off the areas outside of Districts 2 and 3, but there weren’t many people stationed between the two districts, so I sneaked out when no one was paying attention."】

【"Bro, aren't we going to run?"】

【"Bro, even if you turn into a monster, it's okay, as long as... you're still you."】

【"That doctor seems really skilled; I recovered quickly."】

【"I don't know... maybe I lost it while running back."】

Chen Yan's words flashed through his mind incessantly, and Chen Ling's knuckles clenched tighter and tighter... He looked at the peace charm in his hand, confusion and bewilderment filling his eyes.

Since finding this peace charm in the ruins of Ice Spring Street, Chen Ling had been on edge. Even after walking back for over two hours, his mind was still occupied with this matter.

Too many things didn't add up. Upon careful consideration, from the moment Chen Yan appeared until now, many things simply couldn't be explained.

The timing of his appearance, the location, it was all too coincidental... Could a teenager who had just undergone heart transplant surgery really break through the enforcers' blockade and walk for over two hours to the mountainside?

Or... was he also no longer human?

This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.

Notes

T/N: omg is a-yan supernatural too?

Mr. Chen - I just guessed it- Yan '....'

Vol. 1 - Ch. 23 - Divine Favor

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