Led by Lin Luo’s determined efforts, after a tense moment, the four of them finally burst free from the horde of the living dead and reached the rooftop of a high-rise building. Although the streets below were still swarming with the undead, very few were sighted up here dozens of meters high; the occasional flying ones were swiftly dealt with by Lin Luo as soon as they appeared.

Among the four on the rooftop, Lin Luo was relatively fine. Even without creating a rule to restore his stamina, enemies of this level, after fighting for only half an hour, were far from enough to tire him out. Arthur, possessing immortality, was equally unfazed, breathing easily.

However, Huang Quan and Kagura were struggling a bit more. They were girls, after all, and generally possessed less stamina than men. Moreover, they had only become Elementary Spirit Rank less than half a day ago. Although they handled themselves competently during the fighting, many abilities required gradual comprehension through actual combat, which accelerated their energy expenditure. The moment they relaxed, both collapsed onto the ground, gasping heavily for breath.

Since he couldn't use the Rule Creation to restore their energy, and the Fourth Space had previously informed them it would only be used in the most critical moments, Lin Luo had no choice but to let them rest. A pause now was beneficial.

Standing on the rooftop, gazing out from the peak of the building, the surrounding environment became clearly visible. Through his Perception Domain, Lin Luo could discern which areas had denser concentrations of evil spirits and which were sparser. However, the distribution was chaotic. His earlier thought of deducing the location of the Underworld based on the evil spirits' distribution was likely futile.

After searching for about five minutes without any leads, Lin Luo sighed inwardly, ceasing his futile efforts, though a degree of disappointment settled in his heart. Arthur, sharing his mood, also looked dejected.

“It seems I need to find a way to enhance my strength too. Right now, I’m the only one dragging the team down…” Arthur sat on the ground, his expression deeply disheartened. For a Knight, being unable to protect others and instead needing protection was unacceptable to him.

“Walkers need World Hearts to advance their level, right?” Huang Quan glanced at him, and after he nodded, she pressed on, “If you don’t hunt Hosts, you can’t get World Hearts. How can you increase your strength without leveling up?”

Huang Quan’s question was direct and sharp. It wasn't that she held any ill will towards Arthur, but she merely stated the obvious reality: based on the current situation, Arthur had no conceivable path to becoming stronger.

“This…” Arthur opened his mouth but offered no words.

Lin Luo frowned slightly. He did possess World Hearts; although one was already allocated, the other remained unclaimed. Since there was no Host for it, it was useless to him. If giving it to Arthur could bolster an ally’s strength, gifting it wouldn't be a bad deed—a repayment for saving Huang Quan and Kagura. But… the human heart was complex. Although he trusted Arthur with ninety-nine percent certainty, that final sliver of doubt remained.

Lin Luo decided to test him slightly. While such an action felt small-minded, the stakes involved not only himself but also those around him and other Hosts. He needed to ensure their safety and minimize potential enemies.

“Arthur, if another Walker obtained a World Heart, and you killed that Walker, you could then use the World Heart he possessed, correct?” Lin Luo looked at him with a calm expression. “You mentioned the Underworld holds a World Heart. If we seize it, you could advance to Lv3.”

“No, I cannot do that!”

Since he wouldn't be the one killing the Host, Lin Luo expected Arthur’s code of chivalry wouldn't be challenged. Lin Luo anticipated at least a moment of hesitation, but Arthur shook his head instantly, without any thought, which baffled not only Lin Luo but also left Huang Quan and Kagura staring in confusion.

“Why? That doesn't violate your chivalry,” Kagura voiced her bewilderment.

“Indeed, taking an unowned item does not contradict my chivalry, but!” At this point, Arthur’s demeanor turned grave. He stated firmly, “The World Heart is the sole memento left in this world after the original Host dies. Every Host whose World Heart is taken must have died with resentment. Their remaining possessions carry the anger and desire for vengeance against the Walkers. If I were to claim it, that surge of anger and hatred would prevent my Knight’s Spirit from finding peace. Not only would I be unable to accept it, but I believe the residual sentiment of the original Host couldn't accept it either. Therefore, I will not use the relic of the dead to fuel my own power.”

Arthur’s declaration was resolute, his tone utterly devoid of pretense or falsehood.

“This…” Hearing this, Huang Quan and Kagura were deeply struck, their gazes turning towards Lin Luo.

Lin Luo nodded. It was true. Take Muyi’s World Heart, for instance; it contained the original Host’s rage and vengeful intent. Sending the World Heart to him before death was also an effort to find a second Host to exact her revenge. However, if it were another Walker, she wouldn't have relinquished it, even in death.

Huang Quan and Kagura immediately understood and asked, “But what if the original Host willingly gave it to you?”

“My sister once told me that taking anything belonging to the deceased requires their consent or acknowledgment; otherwise, it is theft. So, if a Host agreed to hand it over, of course, I would accept it. But…” Arthur’s expression shifted, a flicker of sorrow crossing his eyes. “Who, after being killed, would maintain such tolerance and forgiveness towards their killer? And which Host would willingly hand over their only World Heart to a Walker? It is the proof of their existence; how could they bear to see it used as power by another Walker?”

“Thus, I will accept neither the World Heart of the living nor the World Heart of the dead. The former violates my chivalry, and the latter violates my sister’s teachings. Both the Code of Chivalry and my sister’s counsel are the most important things to me. Even if I can never grow stronger, I will not allow these two foundations within me to vanish. Perhaps many would view this approach as foolish, but no matter what others say, I will always uphold this spirit, because it is the proof of my own existence!”

“……” Lin Luo and the others were speechless. If Arthur’s Knight’s Spirit had merely moved them before, now it had stunned them. For Arthur, the Knight’s Spirit was not just his personal creed; it was deeply ingrained into his very soul, becoming the essence of who he was.

In a sense, his Knight’s Spirit might have even surpassed that of his ancestors. Spirit is him, he is Spirit. Perhaps this was why his immortality could resist even the force of Rules—it made perfect sense.

Then again, placing his Knight’s Spirit and his sister’s teachings on the same pedestal suggested he was quite the sister-complex devotee… a trait identical to his ancestors.

“But in doing this, you won’t have a chance to become stronger?” Lin Luo finally asked. Since Arthur had explicitly rejected the World Heart, Lin Luo presumed he wouldn’t accept one even if offered, because the original Host wouldn't endorse it. “Without a World Heart, you can’t reach Lv3, and eventually, you’ll be eliminated in the God Wars.”

Honestly, Lin Luo felt a genuine affinity for this Knight, whose earnestness bordered on endearing eccentricity. If possible, he truly wanted to help him.

“No, Brother, it’s not entirely without possibility…” Arthur shook his head, raising his gaze to Lin Luo. “Brother, do you remember what I told you about the Dark King?”

“Of course, I remember. What does that have to do with this?” Lin Luo inquired.

Arthur nodded. “Because the Dark King’s initial disposition was gentle, and he never hunted World Heart Hosts, he was the weakest in the Second God War. After a crushing defeat and enduring multiple hardships, he entered a Nightmare-grade world. I don’t know what trials he underwent there, but the only certainty is that world contained no World Heart Hosts. Yet, after emerging from that world, he immediately joined the Third God War, crushing all Walkers with the absolute power of Lv3, ascending to become one of the Three World Kings.”

“Reached Lv3 without a World Heart?” Hearing this, Lin Luo was profoundly shocked. The probability of a Walker reaching Lv3 purely through inherent strength was infinitesimally close to zero! How on earth did that Dark King manage it? Moreover, to go from the weakest to the strongest after only one world experience was utterly… exaggerated!

But the even more exaggerated part was yet to come.

Arthur continued, “Furthermore, according to my Proxy God, there was only one Host participating in the Third God War at that time. After defeating all the Walkers, the Dark King engaged that Host in a final duel. He narrowly won, but he did not kill the Host; instead, he cast her out of his world.”

“Arthur… is this truly the case?” Lin Luo jolted, asking in a deep voice.

“Absolutely true!”

“……” Hearing Arthur’s unwavering affirmation, Lin Luo could not remain calm. Reaching Lv3 through innate strength could be attributed to the Dark King’s massive potential and the ‘dying and then finding life’ scenario; if the hope wasn't absolutely zero, it wasn't impossible. But!

To be able to resist the temptation of the World Heart and release the defeated Host—this kind of will was not something ordinary people possessed; it was as hard as tempered steel!

Lin Luo hadn't paid much attention to the Dark King before, given they only differed by five combat points. But now… perhaps the Dark King was even more terrifying than the Evil King!

It seemed Walkers weren't exclusively composed of arrogant fools like Mo Xinming and Seeg. There were also individuals with such immense perseverance and dedication. In this chessboard game laid out by the gods, who exactly were the protagonists, and who were the supporting roles?

“Hah! Hahahahaha!” Suddenly, Lin Luo burst into laughter, then, ignoring the incredulous looks of the three beside him, boomed, “This is fascinating! This is what makes it interesting! The Dark King, the Evil King—only people like them deserve the title of World King. But I cannot fall too far behind; I shall start by sharpening my skills on you four!”

As he spoke, two cold rays shot from Lin Luo’s eyes, his focus landing on four dark silhouettes rapidly flying in from the nearby right flank.

: Someone inquired about the protagonist’s Eye of Insight ability. I have previously stated that the Eye of Insight is the precursor to the power of Rules. Since the protagonist’s power of Rules is Creation, his Eye of Insight must be the precursor to Creation. As for what exactly that is… well, I’m not saying yet.

P.S.: It’s a new month again. Please cast your minimum guaranteed monthly ticket vote if you find this book worthwhile.