HLnovel Chapter 159 A Hero in Vain
Chapter 159 A Hero in Vain
Chapter 159 A Hero in Vain
Aaron pondered for two whole days how to reply to Anne, but still had no answer. Based on Aaron's understanding of Lola, the girl might be able to resist going back to the library, but she would definitely not avoid seeing her sister.
Given this situation, Aaron has reason to believe that Laura must have encountered some kind of problem.
Moreover, the page on Laura in the "Banned Books Borrowing Record" shows that her knowledge of "The Knot of the Clouds" has remained unchanged for a long time.
Therefore, Aaron could not assure Anne that Lola would be alright.
But Aaron was certain that Laura was at least still alive.
The anchor point magic circle that Lola carved on the top floor of the library is still intact and clear.
The Realm of Dawn is a relatively objective space, not an absolutely objective one; its existence is closely related to the user's will.
The fact that the anchor did not collapse on its own indicates that the shroud of mist has not yet disintegrated, which in turn allows us to deduce Lola's life state.
However, Aaron had no way of knowing what kind of problem Laura had encountered.
Or is it that she has temporarily stopped using the Radiant Realm for some reason?
Aaron was somewhat worried, but equally powerless to do anything about it.
As long as Lola doesn't return to the library, Aaron will be unable to help her even if he wanted to.
Aaron couldn't even write a letter to Laura.
Since postmen cannot deliver letters overseas, such matters can only be entrusted to longships docked at nearby ports and preparing to head to the permafrost continent.
If you're willing to spend a lot of money to hire them, they might help you with this.
But it's just a verbal promise; the other party might just turn around and throw the envelope into the wind.
After all, this person couldn't deliver the letter directly to Lola either, and had to find someone in the Frozen Continent to help carry the message, which was also a troublesome matter for this person.
In the end, Aaron picked up his pen and tried to soothe Anne's emotions through words, so that she could believe in Lola.
These two girls are really a handful.
Aaron now has more to worry about than just the two of them.
Another two weeks passed, and Harriet made progress in mastering the extraordinary.
The power in "Life Never Ends" belongs to witchcraft.
At this moment, Harriet was already able to sense and mobilize that part of the extraordinary, and, in accordance with the methods in the book, endow those powers with specific functions.
She somehow acquired a flowerpot and planted a seed inside.
Taking care of the flower together with Kathy became another thing they could do together.
Cathy couldn't hide her anticipation at all; even Aaron could see it. He must have really wanted the flower to grow up quickly, not to mention Harriet.
Aaron noticed that Harriet was secretly using witchcraft to try to speed up the growth of the flowers while Cassie was away.
Aaron could guess why she did this; she simply wanted to see Cathy's happy expression as soon as possible.
They really have a good relationship; they both think of each other.
Aaron shouldn't interfere in their affairs, but if it involves forbidden books, Aaron has to offer a few words of advice.
After all, any force that brings convenience often harbors hidden risks.
Just then, Harriet was using her power on the flower again, so Aaron walked up behind Harriet:
"Did it grow better?"
Harriet seemed startled; she trembled violently. When she turned around and saw that it was Aaron, she finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
She nodded to Aaron: "Mm."
"What kind of flower is this?"
"Red Iris".
"It has a lovely name; it must be very beautiful when it grows up."
"That's for sure!"
Although Harriet didn't smile, her face was undoubtedly full of joy.
Aaron nodded and said, "Cassie will be happy to see this."
Harriet tried to suppress her expression, but couldn't hide the blush on her face.
Aaron couldn't help but smile at that interesting face, staring at it for a few seconds, but then took the opportunity to say:
"But whatever kind of flower it is, Harriet, don't forget, it is life too."
Upon hearing these words, Harriet's shyness quickly faded.
She stared intently at Aaron: "Mr. Mosley, what makes you say that?"
She was indeed a clever girl; she immediately realized that Aaron was guiding her.
"I'm just reminding you that you are using your power to influence lives."
Harriet frowned: "Sir, do you mean that using power in this way is wrong? If so, I won't use it anymore."
"Don't be nervous, Harriet," Aaron said with a smile. "The power you possess can only be used to protect life. If you don't use it, what's the point of learning it? Besides, to protect Cassie, you have to practice constantly."
Harley nodded. "I understand, sir, but if that's all, what are you trying to remind me of?"
"I just want you to always remember that you are in control of life, and you must maintain a sense of awe for life."
Harriet seemed a little puzzled. She raised her eyebrows and asked:
Does it have any special significance?
Aaron said, "Every life has its own way of growing and living. And life itself is a miracle, containing infinite possibilities and power. If you forcibly distort the inherent laws of life, be careful of being devoured by life itself."
"Is it dangerous?"
"It can be very dangerous," Aaron nodded. "Don't get obsessed with power, Harriet. That's what I wanted to remind you of."
"I'll remember that, sir."
Harley nodded, but the confusion on her face remained.
"But should I use my power?"
"When to use force and to what extent, you need to master that yourself. That's something you need to learn and explore."
"I will try my best, sir, but isn't there even a hint?"
Harriet's strength lies in her ability to articulate her inner struggles.
When faced with inquisitive students, Aaron's teaching attitude was always to answer all questions he knew the answer to:
"I already told you this: have reverence for life."
"But I can't understand it. It's too profound. I haven't had much schooling since I was a child, so I can only understand the simple and straightforward." Aaron didn't expect Harriet to have an epiphany, so he explained:
"Every life has its own laws of development. Your power can forcibly change the pace of its development and even distort its rules."
"Once the impact exceeds the limits that life can withstand, it may trigger unexpected situations. You cannot know whether the accident is beneficial or harmful, nor can you predict whether the accident will affect the life or you who exerted the power."
Harriet seemed to understand, and she nodded slowly:
"Sir, are you saying that I should exercise restraint and understand the goal of the spell?"
"That's true, but it doesn't always have to be restrained. Sometimes letting things spiral out of control is also a way of using power."
Aaron shrugged and spread his hands.
"However, you're still a beginner, so let's put these advanced techniques aside for now. For the time being, stick to your understanding as you just described."
Harriet nodded: "Well then, can I continue using my power on this flower?"
What do you think?
Faced with Aaron's question, Harriet fell into deep thought, and after about half a minute, she finally answered:
"It can be used, but it should not be too forceful or too frequent."
Aaron smiled with relief: "Trying to help seedlings grow too fast will only harm them. It's good that you understand. Harriet, remember, you possess a gentle strength; learn to use it to nurture them."
"I will!" Harriet nodded solemnly.
In the days that followed, Aaron saw that although Harriet was still using her power to accelerate the growth of the plants, the frequency of her actions had decreased significantly.
It's good that she's willing to listen to advice. Although Harriet has only just learned the basics of "Life Never Dies," there are some things that are better left unsaid until sooner rather than later.
During this time, Kendrick also frequently visited the library.
He hasn't mentioned destroying the library or killing Aaron for a long time. Now, he comes to the library every two days to report his current mental state to Aaron.
Kendrick's ability to reveal his true feelings to Aaron without any concealment demonstrates that he trusts and even relies on Aaron.
After all, he was an absolute loner with no one to confide in, which was somewhat similar to Aaron.
When someone like Aaron suddenly appears in his life, someone with whom he can show his true self without reservation, he will inevitably rely on him unconsciously.
Since Kendrick began studying "Crimson Cravings," his bloodlust has been steadily escalating.
This was much faster than Alan had expected, but with his encouragement, Kendrick was doing his best to accumulate experience.
Even so, Aaron felt that Kendrick's inner desires were about to reach their limit.
He also had to consider finding a delicious dessert for Kendrick.
The Block Alliance has been operating smoothly recently, and several more clients have come to visit Aaron.
All the commissions they made met the Block Alliance's acceptance requirements, so Aaron dispatched all of these tasks.
Therefore, as long as the Block Alliance operates and develops steadily, Aaron will have no shortage of targets for Kendrick to vent his frustrations on.
So, Aaron is still able to keep things under control at the moment.
Of course, Aaron did not forget to encourage Kendrick to continue studying "Crimson Cravings".
Kendrick was somewhat resistant to this, but he eventually forced himself to continue studying.
In fact, Kendrick had asked Aaron more than once if there was any way to remove those unsettling fantasies from his sight.
But Aaron's answer was always the same: there was nothing he could do.
Aaron wasn't lying to Kendrick; he was telling the truth.
"Crimson Cravings" was originally an interview-based biography, which recounted the life of an officer living in a legendary era.
His life was full of misunderstandings and coincidences, yet it was incredibly wonderful.
The power it carries is an innate ability.
The awakening of innate superpowers often brings irreversible physical changes to the person with the ability.
The same applies to the abilities that Lady Aurélie possesses.
Now, whenever a face gets close to Aaron, that face will automatically be tightly absorbed by Aaron's face.
Once an innate superpower is awakened, it will accompany the holder for life, and there will be no regrets.
Therefore, Kendrick had to learn to adapt to that kind of vision on his own.
Only when he can instinctively detach himself from reality from fantasy can his spiritual practice be considered to have entered the threshold.
Aaron was well aware that this would undoubtedly be very difficult for Kendrick.
Even under these circumstances, his progress in studying "Crimson Lust" continued to steadily improve.
All I can say is that Kendrick's talent is truly remarkable.
Whether by coincidence or not, the officer named Nebonier, as recorded in "Crimson Lust," was actually a weak-willed person.
Unlike Kendrick, Nebbo Neil was not a psychopath with mental problems.
But he also killed countless people, including many he didn't want to kill.
This was not due to any flaw in his personality or morality; he was simply harmed by his innate superpower, which led him to unknowingly kill many innocent people.
In "Crimson Cravings," Neboril recounts that when he participated in his first battle, he was just an ordinary infantryman.
Nebonier's unit at the time was at a disadvantage, with less than half the strength of the enemy.
But in the end, the battle was won by Neboril's side.
However, Nebonier's memories of that battle are severely incomplete.
He only remembered how he killed his first enemy; as for what happened on the battlefield afterward, Nebonier had no recollection of it.
The only certainty is that by the time his memories returned, the battle was already over.
However, there was no one else alive on the entire battlefield except for him.
Only after he gained a more thorough understanding of his innate abilities did he realize that the reason for this outcome was that he had killed all his comrades who had struggled to survive.
However, he ultimately received a military rank for killing his comrades.
In his time, military rank was equivalent to aristocratic status today, meaning he essentially achieved a leap in social class.
Nebonier was actually a very honest man. He felt unworthy of the honor and took the initiative to confess his crimes.
But no one believed him, and he was still hailed as a hero.
After a series of similar coincidences, Neboril's reputation and military rank rose steadily, and he became a prominent figure in history, representing a significant period in the annals of the world.
He also gained a new nickname, "The Unyielding" Neborgneer.
Nebor Nebor felt deeply guilty about this, but no matter how he explained it, people only thought he was humble and did not seek fame or fortune.
It wasn't until his deathbed that Neboril was able to confide the secret he had tried to reveal countless times to the scholar who was writing his biography.
However, this scholar believes that perhaps Nebniz was not a hero, but the times needed a hero, so he had to be one.
Scholars therefore chose not to publish this biography, allowing the truth to remain buried under false fame, so that people can continue to pursue a role model that may be false, but is still worthy of admiration.
Aaron couldn't say whether the scholar's actions were right or wrong, but he was certain that Nebonier himself, at least in his daily life, was not affected by his innate superpowers.
In other words, the reason Kendrick felt such torment after gaining power was not actually due to *Crimson Craving*.
Ultimately, the blame lies with Kendrick's own psychological flaws.
This ability simply magnifies the flaws.
Aaron could only provide Kendrick with psychological counseling while guiding him to continue studying the forbidden book.
It had been almost a month since Aaron sent his reply to Anne.
Suddenly, a little girl came to the library.
She was barely tall, and even though it was already late spring, the girl was still wearing a heavy wool coat.
But Aaron understood, after all, the place where this little girl was currently living was like winter all year round.
She didn't come in through the main door, and she was wearing a strange pair of glasses, so Aaron recognized her at a glance.
A smile appeared on Aaron's face:
"Welcome back, Laura—"