The crowd shook their heads.
"Law enforcers and law officers, just one word apart, but the difference is as vast as heaven and earth... This isn't just a difference in position, but in power. Law enforcers are ordinary people who have been granted enforcement power, while law officers... have their own divine path."
"It's said that before the great catastrophe, there were eighteen divine paths in the world. Each path was different, but as time passed and civilization withered, only fourteen of these divine paths remain."
"These fourteen paths are—"
"Book, Medicine, Military, Yellow, Green, Clever, Chess, Puppetry, Witchcraft, Power, Divination, Theft, Prostitution."
"It is said that every divine path leads to a 'divine position.' If one completes the path, they can transcend the mundane world and ascend to divinity..."
"And the law enforcers of the Aurora Realm hold the 'War God Path' among these fourteen paths."
"According to the regulations in Aurora City, every law enforcer, after three years of service, gains a chance to enter the 'War God Ancient Vault.' If they pass the trials within the 'Vault,' they have the chance to be chosen by the 'War God Path' and formally walk down this divine road."
"Once you step onto the divine path, Aurora City will change your status from law enforcer to law officer."
After hearing Victor Hale's explanation, everyone's eyes lit up...
Complete the divine path, and ascend to godhood!
For a group of newly-adult children, this had an irresistible allure!
Images of last night's battle between the red paper monster and Victor Hale automatically appeared in Evan Stone's mind... Victor Hale had seemingly unleashed some mysterious power, becoming extraordinarily fierce. Was that the power of the "War God Path"?
"Excuse me, is the only way to enter the 'Vault' to gain the divine path?" someone cautiously asked.
"Technically, no."
Victor Hale shook his head, "The key to stepping onto the divine path is receiving its recognition. If you have a natural talent in a particular path, or if the divine path believes you're destined for it, it will lead you. Such people, we call 'Divinely Favored.'"
"I once met a young boy from the South Sea Realm. He started painting at three, became self-taught, and at five, drew a 'Hundred Ships Racing' on the ground with rice porridge. He caught the favor of the 'Green God Path' and became the youngest ever to obtain a divine path."
The room gasped in astonishment.
"But to be chosen by a divine path is rare. The vast majority of people who wish to walk the divine path must rely on entering the 'Ancient Vault'... Of course, not all Vaults are within human realms. Some are located at the intersections of the Gray Realm and reality, places that ordinary humans can rarely reach."
"This is why so few people can enter and pass the trials. To walk these divine paths, you must either be 'Divinely Favored,' or take the 'Vault' route, making those divinely favored incredibly rare.
For example, the Yellow Path, the Puppet Path, the Thief Path, the Prostitute Path."
"In short, these fourteen divine paths are the only extraordinary roads recognized by the human realms. And in the Aurora Realm, the vast majority of people's choice is the 'War God Path.'"
"Only recognized by the human realm?" Evan Stone asked, "So there are other paths that aren't recognized?"
Victor Hale glanced at him, paused for a moment, then answered:
"There are... quite a few, in fact. For example, the 'Fusionists' who try to discard their human identity and merge with disasters, or the cultists of the red star natural disaster, the 'Crimson Sky Sect'... But these paths, you must never touch.
Once someone steps onto these paths, the only fate awaiting them is to be hunted by all human realms and then...
Exterminated."
Hearing the words "exterminated," Evan Stone's heart skipped a beat.
If he wasn't mistaken, the "audience" inside him was likely a "disaster." Does this mean he had already merged with the disaster?
Evan Stone wasn't sure, and didn't dare to ask. He suddenly felt that not seeking the authorities' help earlier was the right decision... If he really was a "Fusionist," the authorities' first reaction to learning this would probably be to eliminate him along with the disaster inside him.
He looked at the solemn and imposing group of law enforcers not far away, his palms starting to sweat...
[Audience Expectation +10]
[Current Expectation: 33%]
Two lines of text flashed in front of Evan Stone in the void, and he couldn't help but curse the "audience" for being so twisted, deriving their pleasure entirely from his life-and-death crisis...
But despite the tension, Evan Stone wasn't too scared.
After all, even Victor Hale probably didn't expect that a "Fusionist" like him would not only not run when seeing the authorities but would actually approach them to try and join them.
"Do you think these Fusionists and Crimson Sky Sect people could master the divine path?" Another person asked.
"Almost impossible," Victor Hale answered indifferently. "No divine path will bestow favor upon those evil monsters..."
A glimmer of disappointment flashed in Evan Stone's eyes...
As a traveler, he naturally desired extraordinary power. To be honest, he had also been moved when the divine path was mentioned earlier... But if he was really a Fusionist, that path was closed to him.
"Next, each of you will be assigned tasks. In three days, whether you remain or not... will depend on you."
Victor Hale finished his last sentence and turned to leave.
The crowd began to whisper among themselves.
Next, several law enforcement officers stepped forward to announce each person's upcoming task.
"Jason Lake, Nathan Yates, assist in patrolling Frost Cloud Street in District 3; Darren Flint, Gavin Hall, assist in patrolling Frost Snow Street in District 3..."
All the people present were reserve officers who lacked the ability to patrol on their own, so they could only help official law enforcers with minor tasks. The first names read out were fine, but as the list went on, the streets assigned got more remote, with some even being sent to assist in District 2.
"…William Young, Evan Stone, assist in patrolling Ice Spring Street in District 2..."
Hearing his name mentioned for District 2, Evan Stone was momentarily stunned. He clearly remembered that no one had been assigned to patrol Frost Street in District 3, and he himself was from Frost Street—so why was he being sent to District 2?
Although District 3 and District 2 weren't far apart, commuting would take at least four hours a day... Wouldn't this completely eat into his time?
"The assessment starts today. You all have three hours to prepare before heading home. After three hours, you must be at your posts."
Once the law enforcers finished reading the list, they dismissed everyone. Evan Stone vaguely felt that something was off, but couldn't quite place it.
"Brother, are you Evan Stone?" A small, thin teenager cautiously approached Evan Stone.
"You are...?"
"I'm William Young, going with you to District 2 for support."
"Oh, nice to meet you."
William Young looked around and lowered his voice to ask, "Did you bribe them?"
"Bribe?" Evan Stone frowned.
"That guy who read the list, Marshall Zhang... he handles personnel assignments. Where we go and what we do is all decided by him," William Young sighed when he saw Evan Stone's confused reaction. "Looks like you didn't bribe him either... No wonder we got the worst assignments."
Hearing this, Evan Stone finally understood.
He suddenly remembered what the rickshaw man had said earlier on the way here... "No money to be a law enforcer?"
"Seems like law enforcers aren't good people," Evan Stone thought to himself with a cold smile.
Even the rickshaw pullers knew the character of law enforcers, which spoke volumes about the internal issues within this organization.
"Where do you live?"
"Frost Street, 128."
"Small world. I live on the other end of Frost Street."
"Bro, we're fellow sufferers. When we get to District 2, we'll help each other out," William Young said to Evan Stone before quickly heading off to prepare his things.
Evan Stone left the headquarters, and as soon as he stepped outside, a cold voice rang out from the doorway.
"Stop."
Evan Stone froze.
He slowly turned around to find Victor Hale leaning against the wall, cigarette in his mouth, his eyes narrowed like those of a venomous snake.
"Are you Evan Stone?"