Chapter 35: The Holy Light Judgment of the Hero Association

After Elia went out for a while, she hunted enough monsters to reach level nine, breaking through the limit and giving Wendy and the others hope. In truth, their whole team had previously been “stuck” at their levels; only by entering a secret realm could they advance. They either had to slay enough monsters here, learn powerful combat techniques, or take on special missions to raise their levels. No matter which path they chose, they first needed a secret realm that would allow all of them to enter.

After Elia, the rest of the group took turns wielding the three-piece set, each going off to level up. Eventually, only the fat Gehr remained. He was a Mana Guardian, wielding an energy shield, but only at level four—even with the complete set, he reached just level twelve, still weaker than Luo Yong, and incapable of fighting the monsters here.

“Ah!” Luo Yong sighed, patting Gehr’s shoulder. “Don’t be impatient. Leveling up isn’t something that happens just because you want it—it’s a process. I’m only level five myself…”

“Yeah, I know,” the fat man nodded, realizing why Luo Yong’s level seemed to rise so quickly before—it was only boosted by equipment, not his true level. He hadn’t misjudged after all.

“When we’re out, just follow them…” Luo Yong gestured to his beautiful teammates.

Look—one casts fire, another poison, one wind, another summons dogs…

And one wields light, holy light no less.

Ahem.

And there’s an injured frost archer, shooting arrows.

If he refused to let Luo Yong be the team captain, Luo Yong would just use his authority to boot him out and not let him join their adventures!

Thinking this, Luo Yong secretly chuckled, then gave Gehr’s shoulder another firm pat.

“All right, hand the equipment over to Elia now. When we leave, everyone needs to be careful. Ivan may have already laid his trap, waiting for us.”

“Why don’t we stay here and reach level ten before leaving?” Elia asked reluctantly. After finally entering a secret realm and spending so much time, she’d only gained a single level—it felt dissatisfying.

“Continuing would take too much time…”

“Monster hunting is solo; everyone else just waits around…”

“And our captain still needs to solve his level cap issue.”

As the ladies spoke, Luo Yong shook his head and smiled wryly. During this period, others couldn’t leave the giant tree’s protection, but he was unaffected, exploring a bit, though he found nothing worthwhile.

“Once we’re ready, let’s open the gate and leave!” Luo Yong said, reaching toward the giant tree.

A haze of light spread, rumbling as the tree shook, gradually shrinking and transforming into a beam of light in Luo Yong’s palm. A ray shot forth, creating a doorway ahead.

“Honestly, you could just hand everything to me. I could summon a level-seventeen berserk bear to crush Ivan—he wouldn’t dare bother us again!” As they were leaving, Luo Yong heard someone whisper this beside him.

Then, as his vision blurred, everything ahead dimmed.

Luo Yong and his companions emerged from the secret realm, appearing within the stone circle. At that moment, the patterns around the stones lit up, forming a protective barrier—a transparent shield encased them. This was the stone circle’s protective ward, shielding heroes as they exited the secret realm, so they wouldn’t be ambushed and killed right away. Still, the protection was time-limited, not infinite.

Outside, Ivan waited, his eyes fierce, a cruel smile on his face. Beside him stood two minotaurs, left and right, like bodyguards. Farther off, several other figures were present—strangers, cloaked, their faces hidden, but their cloaks bore the emblem of the Hero Association.

“Sir, they’ve come out! A band of fallen heroes, pitiful and hateful, who swore allegiance to that evil necromancer, embraced darkness, and shamefully betrayed justice and light…”

“Three at level fifteen!”

Before Luo Yong and his group could step out, Ivan quickly recited a speech prepared in advance. When he returned earlier, finding neither “world-ending” nor “dark descent,” he realized he’d likely been fooled…

But he still didn’t know what had really happened.

On the other side, Gehr had already discerned the levels of the three cloaked figures—fifteen each.

“As long as there’s no one above seventeen,” Elia replied confidently, stepping forward to the front. She looked at Ivan and the minotaurs, her gaze brimming with hatred—they’d truly tried to kill her before! If she didn’t avenge herself, could she still call herself a curse witch? It would be a disgrace to her profession!

As the stone circle’s protection faded and disappeared, Elia strode toward them, clutching her green cursed dagger.

“Damn curse witch, go to hell!” Ivan shouted, waving his hand but staying put. The two minotaurs charged together, swinging their long blades at Elia.

“Paralyze!” Elia shouted—not cursing but reciting an incantation aloud.

A surge of magical energy rippled, and the minotaurs, almost upon her, collapsed at her feet, convulsing as if electrocuted, strange fluids oozing from their mouths and noses…

“Uh—” Ivan, previously calm and ready to watch the spectacle, was suddenly stunned. How had this curse witch, only level eight, instantly knocked down two minotaurs—both level ten, physically enhanced and equipped with some immunity to negative effects? A single instant spell leveled them?

Clearly, even if he attacked her himself, he’d fare no better! Had he known, he wouldn’t have provoked her at all.

“Which of you is the necromancer?” a cold, emotionless voice suddenly demanded.

Among the three cloaked figures, one lifted his hood, revealing a middle-aged man’s face. His gaze flicked briefly over Elia’s face, then moved on—even though she had instantly defeated two minotaurs.

No one on Luo Yong’s side spoke; the women all stepped forward to shield him. No one joked now about anyone believing he was a magic swordsman. As long as he used necromancy, even a simple skeleton summon, even at level five, he’d be suspect.

At the back, Gehr nervously pulled out a teleport scroll, ready to open the portal and flee as agreed.

“There’s no necromancer here,” Luo Yong said, stepping out from the group to stand beside Elia, wary of any sudden attack—at his current level, he wouldn’t be able to dodge.

When the man glanced over, Luo Yong introduced each of his beautiful teammates, then pointed to Gehr.

“And what about you?” the middle-aged man asked.

“I’m a heavy sword knight,” Luo Yong replied, showing his sword.

“Oh?”

The man frowned, glanced at his companions—one shook his head—and then asked, “Does your team have anyone else?”

“No… oh, there’s a frost archer, wounded earlier by Ivan’s men, now resting at the camp,” Luo Yong answered.

“Is that so…”

The man neither confirmed nor denied, scrutinizing Luo Yong for a long moment before asking, “You’re so weak—how did you end up with heroes so much stronger than you?”

“Want to know?” Luo Yong flashed a smile, revealing gleaming teeth. “That’s a secret, and I have no reason to tell you.”

“Indeed, everyone has their secrets.” The man nodded, turned, and returned to his spot.

Beside him, another figure lifted her hood and approached. “You chose your own path…”

She was a woman with flowing hair, above average in appearance, her features delicate and clear, exuding a sacred aura. She resembled a barbarian priestess, though her demeanor was wild, lacking solemnity. Wrapped in her cloak, she projected an air of severity—a silent, invisible pressure.

“Receive the Judgment of Holy Light!” she declared, and dazzling light burst from her fingertips, sweeping over Luo Yong and his teammates.

It was a detection-type holy magic—low in damage, but still affecting low-level heroes.

Elia invoked the “Blessing of the Forest Goddess,” casting a halo to shield everyone from the holy light. On Luo Yong’s shoulder, a tiny holy angel appeared, radiating sacred brilliance.

“I sense a familiar aura…” the woman frowned slightly, stopped her spell, glanced at the item Elia held, then looked to Luo Yong.