And now, the one who gave Luke such an unimaginable Magic Tool was still “him!”
As for the true identity of this “him,” Sara was almost certain it was her Junior who had as many secrets as a bottomless pit — Yize.
After the initial shock passed, she found that she was actually somewhat numb to it.
No matter how incredible the things that happened around Yize were, it seemed they weren’t worth getting worked up over.
He had already used his actions again and again to pierce and rebuild her understanding of “common sense.”
Luke’s explanation also clearly reached the ears of Emma and Swan, who were struggling to hold on nearby.
Emma had just finished casting a Healing Spell for a seriously injured soldier, her small face pale and her Mana nearly exhausted.
Hearing Luke’s words, her eyes were still red from worry for Yize, and her small mouth opened in surprise.
“The Traveling Merchant Luke’s family met… what kind of background does he have?”
Not only could he refine a Magic Potion with effects comparable to elven craftsmanship, but he could also produce such… such a Magic Tool that simply couldn’t be explained by common logic… It was too incredible!
Her simple heart was full of awe and curiosity toward that “Mysterious Traveling Merchant.”
Swan’s mood was even more complex.
Just a moment ago, witnessing Luke about to die under Bart’s fist, she had been torn in her heart, almost ready to use that high-priced “Dragonification” power regardless of the consequences.
Iguneel was also constantly urging her in her consciousness, even carrying a certain eagerness.
However, just as she was about to use her Dragonification ability, the silver light and miraculous transformation on Luke’s body stopped her actions instantly.
At this moment, watching the majestic Luke and hearing his energetic voice, while Swan breathed a sigh of relief, an indescribable bitterness surged in her heart.
The words Luke had shouted at Li En earlier — “hiding and tucking things away,” “only standing up when everyone can barely hold on,” “only caring for private interests” — every word also struck at her own defenses.
Although she didn’t have the same nasty thoughts as Li En, she indeed hid a huge Secret and a trump card, and she had been hesitant on whether to expose it and when.
If Luke hadn’t broken out on his own, what would have been the essential difference between her “stepping forward” now and Li En’s “carefully timed” performance in terms of “hiding strength”?
This thought made her feel a brief moment of self-loathing and shame.
However, not everyone had this self-reflection.
“You! Don’t you also have a trump card that you didn’t pull out?!”
A roar full of malice and almost cracking in tone spread across the entire battlefield.
Li En had emerged from his state of being a bystander at some point.
The Dragon Scales on his face hadn’t faded, and his eyes were bloodshot with anger and jealousy.
He pointed fixedly at Luke, who was slaughtering everyone, his voice distorted.
“On what basis did you criticize me just now?”
“You put on a pitiful act like you were about to die, only to turn around and pull out something like this! What’s the difference between you and me?”
“We both hid our strength; we both waited until the final moment! On what basis do you stand on the moral high ground and criticize me?”
“You say I’m hypocritical! You are the most hypocritical one!”
Luke stopped his movements and turned to face Li En, calmly watching the other’s face, which was distorted by extreme unwillingness.
Even through the faceplate, everyone could imagine that he must be full of disdain right now.
“Li En, it seems that not only is your character base, but your brain isn’t very clear either.”
Luke’s metallic synthesized voice carried a kind of mockery.
“First, I’ll say it again: I had no idea how to use this thing, let alone that it had such strong power!”
“I only started it when I was truly about to be killed, like a blind cat running into a dead mouse!”
“This is called luck, not hiding!”
“And you? This change on your body, this power — was it ‘suddenly’ awakened just now, yet you use it so skillfully?”
Li En’s face froze.
He opened his mouth but could not refute.
Luke didn’t give him a chance to think of an excuse and continued his attack, his tone becoming increasingly sharp.
“Fine, even if we take ten thousand steps back and say you and I both ‘suddenly’ mastered new powers.”
“Then the second point, which is also the most critical point — “
He raised his finger, pointing first at himself, then at the human soldiers fighting bloody battles around them, at the struggling Dio and Laura, and at the pale Emma and Swan, finally settling on Li En’s face.
“At that time, I, a ‘Second Rank Magician’, was targeted by the Fourth Seat of the Blood Pillars and was about to be killed by a single punch!”
“I shouted for you to save me, shouting until my lungs were bursting! What about you?”
“What were you doing then? You were circling around Senior Sister Sara and Senior Sister Emma, performing your ‘Hero Saving the Beauty’!”
“You didn’t even look toward my side! This is what you call ‘the same’?”
Li En’s face instantly flushed red, his breathing heavy, but he was speechless.
“What’s even more ridiculous is,” Luke’s voice suddenly rose, carrying undisguised disgust,
“after I exposed your little nasty thoughts in public, what did you do?”
“Instead of having even a hint of remorse, you became angry out of shame and stood by completely!”
“You put away those flashy scales and watched coldly as the Blood Race slaughtered our companions, watched Senior Dio and Teacher Laura fight hard, and even… you were probably hoping in your heart that we would all die, right?”
“Because you felt that I made you lose face and ruined your good deed!”
“I didn’t!”
Li En subconsciously denied it in a shrill voice, but that guilt and panic could be heard by anyone.
“You didn’t?”
Luke sneered.
“Then why did you stop? Why didn’t you help anymore? You clearly still had strength left! Explain that!”
Li En’s Adam’s apple rolled, but he couldn’t make a single reasonable sound.
His psychological activities at that time had been recounted by Luke almost word for word.
That shame and fury of being completely seen through and having nowhere to hide almost swallowed him.
Luke stopped looking at him and instead turned toward Sara, Dio, Emma, Swan, and the many human soldiers nearby who were watching this, and said loudly:
“Everyone has seen and heard it. This is the genius of Liyue Academy, Li En.”
“A small person who puts his personal desires above the lives of his companions and the overall situation of the battlefield.”
“When his companion was dying, he turned a blind eye; when his thoughts were exposed, he became angry out of shame and even wished we would all die.”
“Does such a person deserve to talk about talent? Future? Ptui!”
As his voice fell, a brief silence appeared on the battlefield.
Then, the eyes of everyone who heard these words changed completely when they looked at Li En.
If before there was shock at the powerful strength he suddenly obtained and dissatisfaction with his choice of timing for rescue, now all that remained was cold scrutiny, undisguised disgust, and deep disdain.
The eyes of many soldiers even carried hostility — on the battlefield, what was the difference between entrusting one’s back to such a “companion” and committing suicide?
Initially, Laura had some recognition for Li En’s talent, but after his match with Yize and seeing those little tricks, she had already been disappointed in Li En.
Now, Li En’s various actions made her feel disgusted.
Sara, Dio, Swan, and Emma felt similar to Laura at this moment.
A Li En who only had talent and strength but no character at all was in sharp contrast to Yize, who apparently had character but no talent.
Forsaken by his friends and pointed at by a thousand accusatory fingers.
Li En stood there alone, enduring the negative emotions surging from all directions that had almost turned into substance.
He could feel that something that had always been supporting his heart was cracking, with lines appearing.
It was his yearning for the future, the arrogance of thinking he was the center of the world and destined to have everything, and the conviction that he would have smooth sailing by following the “voice” in his head.
It was all shattered.
It had been broken once by the meddling Yize, and now, it was completely trampled into dust in the most direct and cruel way by this red-haired Fool whom he had never even looked at!
‘Why… why did it turn out like this?!’
‘What right do they have?!!’
Extreme shame, resentment, and hatred fermented and expanded wildly in his heart.
His gaze grew colder and colder.
He looked at Luke’s silver, shining figure, at the cold faces of Sara and the others, and at the soldiers who were fighting bloody battles but casting disdainful looks at him…
A thought so cold it reached his marrow firmly occupied his entire consciousness.
‘The one who is wrong isn’t me… it’s this world… it’s these blind fools.’
‘Since none of you acknowledge me and all of you despise me…’
‘Since I can’t get what I deserve…’
‘Then all of you… every single one of you today… can just die!!!’