My talent panel can be increased.

Chapter 246 The Hero Who Refused to Save the World

Half a day later, in the North
Like a shooting star moving in reverse, the golden boat streaked across the leaden-gray sky, leaving a long and magnificent golden trail in the air.

Several hours passed, and Ye Mingqiu's speed in piloting the golden boat not only did not slow down, but even became faster because he was more skilled in using divine power. The divine power in his body was inexhaustible and showed no sign of being exhausted.

On the golden boat, Adila gripped the gunwale tightly, the strong wind whipping his golden hair wildly. He looked down at the mountains and the land, a pure smile on his face, like a child seeing the vastness of the world for the first time.

Modes stood with his arms crossed, as steady as a rock, his sharp eyes scanning the increasingly clear horizon ahead.

Soon, the most iconic snow-capped mountains of the North came into view, but before they could even appreciate them, azure runes suddenly lit up in the empty air in front of the golden boat.

The light of the runes spread and intertwined rapidly, forming a huge, semi-transparent protective array barrier, like an inverted bowl, firmly enveloping Iron Ice City, the northernmost border city, and the surrounding airspace.

Guardian formation?

Ye Mingqiu's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but his eyes remained calm until he sensed a hint of malice, at which point his furrowed brows relaxed naturally.

"Om-!"

The golden boat paused, stopping before the barrier. Its hull trembled, emitting a low, mournful cry, and violent energy surged outwards, causing the canopy of the forest below to shake violently.

Almost simultaneously, a squad of city defense soldiers dressed in standard ice-blue armor took off from the watchtower below.

The leader was a middle-aged man with an arrogant face, dressed in a magnificent military officer's uniform. The badge on his chest indicated his identity as an "Air Patrol Inspector." He used wind magic to stabilize himself and, through the barrier, scanned the golden boat and the three people on it with the same scrutinizing gaze one would give to goods, finally fixing his gaze on Ye Mingqiu, who was clearly in charge.

"Halt! Iron Ice City airspace is closed to all unregistered aircraft!"

His voice, amplified by a spell, carried an air of superior authority as he continued, "You have violated Iron Ice City's airspace rights, violating Article 7, Section 3 of the 'Northern Border Airspace Control Regulations'! Pay the fine of 500 gold coins immediately, or your aircraft will be impounded and your personnel detained pending trial!"

For a moment, Ye Mingqiu felt like laughing.

You dare to steal the Bloodthirsty Tyrant?

The air patrol inspector was greedy and arrogant, but lacked the corresponding insight and strength. He couldn't even tell that the golden boat was made of pure divine power, rather than some kind of treasure.

He was weak, but weakness is not an obstacle to survival; ignorance, greed, and arrogance are.

'The opportunity has arrived!'
Adila stood up with a smile, walked forward, and put on a professional, sunny smile.

Before this, he had already sensed something was amiss. The Bloodthirsty Tyrant's true form was ferocious and terrifying, but he chose to transform into a clear-headed boy like an ordinary high school student, revealing no trace of his domineering aura.

At the same time, the golden boat, made of divine power, is full of details, and its powerful energy fluctuations can easily affect the perception of other powerful people. If one does not observe carefully, it is easy to mistake the golden boat for a precious flying treasure rather than a miracle constructed by human hands.

Therefore, he could easily conclude that the Bloodthirsty Tyrant did it on purpose, deliberately setting a trap.

However, this was not the case. Ye Mingqiu simply restored the original appearance without revealing any aura. The construction of the golden boat was also part of training the control of divine power, rather than deliberately concealing his true intentions.

Adila stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said in a sincere yet somewhat ingratiating tone, "My esteemed sir, I am deeply sorry."

“We are travelers from the south, and we have urgent business to attend to in Frostwhisper Forest. We are not very familiar with the local regulations and had no intention of offending you.”

"Look, could you make an exception? We're willing to pay the fine, but could you perhaps negotiate the amount? After all, we were just passing through and didn't cause any actual damage. Besides, this young master is no ordinary person."

His words were humble and his phrasing smooth, but the subtle reminder at the end carried a hint of threat. When spoken by a bard with a fawning expression and a perfectly timed smile, these words often had an extraordinary effect.

The air patrol inspector's expression, which had been gradually softening, suddenly turned cold upon hearing the last sentence. He looked arrogantly at the three of them and said:
"Five hundred gold coins, not a single one less!"

"Sir, this..."

waste time.

Ye Mingqiu completely ignored Adila's performance. His gaze pierced through the barrier and landed on the air patrol inspector, calm, profound, and devoid of any emotion.

Then, he did nothing.

Without arguing, without explaining, and without offering any money, he simply released the unique oppressive aura of the Bloodthirsty Tyrant.

It was not an overwhelming force, but a more terrifying suppression, the deathly silence that settled after emerging from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, the chill that condensed from countless desperate, lonely souls.

The next moment, the air seemed to be filled with invisible lead, the temperature plummeted, and even the azure light of the city's protective array seemed to flicker.

"Well"

The arrogance on the air patrol inspector's face froze instantly, then was forcibly peeled off like cheap paint, revealing the paleness beneath.

He felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his throat, his heart was being plunged into an ice cave, and each beat brought excruciating pain and fear.

His body began to tremble uncontrollably, his teeth chattering. He tried to say something, but found that he couldn't even utter the most basic syllables. The soldiers behind him were in even worse shape, almost falling from the sky.

Cold sweat soaked through the officer's luxurious uniform; the shadow of death was so real that it crushed all his arrogance and reliance.

The few seconds of silence felt like an eternity.

Finally, the patrol inspector mustered all his strength, forcing out an expression more painful than tears. His voice was dry and hoarse, filled with undisguised fear: "It was I... I was blind and ignorant, I offended you. Please... please let me through..."

He almost used both hands and feet to signal his subordinates to shut down the formation. The azure barrier flickered a few times and quickly dissipated into the air.

"You don't want the five hundred gold coins?"

Ye Mingqiu revealed a playful smile.

He could sense that although the air patrol inspector in front of him was terrified, he still harbored malice in his heart. It was a malice that was suppressed by fear, but would emerge and cause trouble at some point in the future when it had the chance, a malice that was hidden deep in his soul.

"No more, no more."

The air patrol inspector nodded quickly and said.

"Alright, then let's leave it at that."

"Ye Mingqiu said. As soon as he finished speaking, the air patrol inspector and the soldiers behind him were immediately relieved, but before they could be happy for long, Ye Mingqiu spoke again.

"So, let's talk about the compensation for intercepting us."

Ye Mingqiu stretched his limbs, and his terrifying aura gradually rose again. His scarlet bloodlust burned like flames, and his terrifying power quietly erupted, once again gripping the hearts of the soldiers.

He smiled and said, "I really like the phrase 'reciprocity.' Since you've asked me for five hundred gold coins, I'll ask you for five thousand gold coins in return."

"Five thousand gold coins?!"

The air patrol inspector's eyes widened, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Demanding 500 gold coins was already an outrageous demand, and asking for 5,000 gold coins was pushing him to the brink of death.

He gave an awkward smile and said, "Um... could you please forgive us? After all, we didn't cause any real damage to your appearance, did we?"

"That's what I just said too."

Adila suddenly spoke, his smile unusually broad. He mimicked the tone of the air patrol inspector and said, "Five hundred gold coins, not a single one less."

“Now, five thousand gold coins, not a single one less,” Ye Mingqiu said, his expression icy, leaving no room for negotiation.

Ten minutes later, the golden boat started up again, instantly turning into golden specks of light and disappearing into the distant horizon of Iron Ice City, as if it had never existed.

On the golden boat, Ye Mingqiu looked at the large bag of gold coins that appeared before him, rested his chin on his hand, and muttered to himself, "Five thousand gold coins. He really can come up with that."

"Of course, this guy robs people every day here using his formation and position, and he's rolling in money. Maybe we can ask for a little more."

Adila smiled and said, pressing down the corner of his clothes that were being blown by the wind, "But for people like this, the more they lose face, the more they hold a grudge."

“He won’t dare to do it openly, but he will definitely report our information to higher authorities, exaggerating it. I’m afraid trouble will already be waiting for us there before we even reach Frostwhisper Forest.”

Meanwhile, Modes, who had remained silent the whole time, slightly raised his eyes and looked at Ye Mingqiu, seemingly waiting for his response.

Ye Mingqiu stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the ship. The wind whipped his black robes into the wind. A slight smile played on his lips, as if he had foreseen something interesting. He said with a smile, "If his superiors are also such ignorant and incompetent scoundrels, then offer me even more treasures and wealth."

Adila and Modes exchanged a smile. Others might not know who the Bloodthirsty Tyrant was, but they knew very well that he was a tyrant who had emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, a ruthless man who dared to kill without hesitation.

Then, Ye Mingqiu asked, "If I remember correctly, the world is currently facing a cataclysmic crisis, right? Under such circumstances, why are they still blocking people from passing by?"

"A bunch of ignorant and incompetent pigs."

Modes spoke up, his eyes flashing with a cold light, and continued, "This is not the first time the Black Tide has struck this world, but every time the Black Tide comes, there are heroes who do their best to save the world and completely suppress the Black Tide."

"So they started to get used to it, started to slack off, and stopped taking it seriously as before. They were like a bunch of numb pigs waiting to be rescued. They were just a bunch of trash."

"."

Ye Mingqiu was silent for a moment, then asked, "Aren't there any wise people in this world? Anyone with enough foresight should have been able to foresee the horror of the Black Tide crisis, right?"

"Of course, the people at the top are very smart, and it is precisely because they are smart that the current situation is so chaotic and the world is so unbearable."

The bard Adila chuckled, his gaze fixed on the distant snow-capped mountains. A seemingly endless snowstorm seemed to be falling in his heart as he said, "The Black Tide is a world-class disaster. Saving the world requires brave warriors to pave the way, and top-notch craftsmen and rune mages to create a suppressing stone from raw stones to suppress the Black Tide."

"However, the nobles coveted the power of the heroes, craved to profit from this salvation, and longed for the journey of salvation to reshape the world and elevate them to a higher level. Thus, they all developed their own strength and influence, firmly controlling every raw stone and holding every top craftsman and rune mage in their hands."

"They see raw stones, artisans, and rune mages as their bargaining chips. If the hero wants to save the world, he needs to communicate with them and obtain these resources and connections from them. Otherwise, he will not be able to defeat the Black Tide disaster."

Adila's voice trailed off as she looked at Modes beside her and said with a smile, "And the hero we have born in this Black Tide doesn't seem to have such a strong desire to save the world."

"I have nothing to protect."

Modess lowered his head, his voice heavy. He sat quietly on the boat, letting the strong wind blow his black hair and his stubble grow wildly.

He turned to look at the two of them and said, “My parents who raised me are dead, my dear companion was kidnapped and tortured to death by nobles when I found her, and my grandfather who raised me was beaten to death by tax collectors.”

“My dearest people are all dead, and saving the world is not important to me.”

"Then why did you embark on this journey?"

"Because I want to witness it."

"witness?"

"Correct."

A fire ignited in Modess's eyes, and his voice trembled with excitement, "I want to see what kind of expressions will appear on the faces of those nobles when they encounter a hero who gives up easily, a hero who stops when faced with difficulties, doesn't complete his goals, and just finds a place to rest and play around."

"What if they're not in a hurry?"

“Then I will wait. I have plenty of patience. I have far less than those nobles. They have their own ambitions and schemes, but I don’t. I have nothing. I don’t care if the world ends. I just want to see their confidence and pride crumble under the weight of reality. That would be very interesting, wouldn’t it?”

Modes chuckled softly, a mocking laugh tinged with sadness.

"so."

Ye Mingqiu gradually began to understand why the Black Tide Calamity of the Moros world was not as terrifying as he had imagined, but it was still a world that needed to be saved by psionicists through recruitment.

It turns out that the hero of this world is sick, and quite seriously so. When the hero no longer wants to save the world, but only wants to see the despair on the faces of the nobles in the process of saving the world, then this world is probably not far from destruction.

"du~du~"

Adila hummed a song with a smile, showing no intention whatsoever to admonish the hero. This bard was no better than the hero himself.

If nothing unexpected happens
This world is probably really going to end.

(End of this chapter)