Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Charles Moore's eyes.
"What? You're also interested in the divine paths?"
"A bit, yes, and I plan to become a law enforcer soon, so..."
"A law enforcer." Charles Moore nodded. "So, you plan to walk the 'War God Path'?"
"I suppose... aren't law enforcers only allowed to walk the 'War God Path'?"
"Who told you that?" Charles Moore chuckled lightly. "In fact, most law officers, not just law enforcers, walk the 'War God Path,' because it's the only divine path recognized in the Aurora Realm.
However, among the law officers of Aurora City, there are also many 'Divinely Favored' who walk other divine paths, and they too can become law officers."
"I don't have any special talents, so I might never become a 'Divinely Favored'," Evan Stone sighed. "Most likely, I'll just wait until I become a law enforcer after three years and try my luck in the 'War God Ancient Vault'..."
"Brother, who says you have no talent!" Maxe Stone immediately put down his chopsticks, looking at Evan Stone earnestly. "You're so amazing, there must be a lot of those... divine paths, eager to choose you!"
Evan Stone smiled bitterly.
What he said was the truth... Since his previous life, he had always been just another inconspicuous droplet in the sea of mediocrity.
As a child, his parents had forced him to learn various arts like music, chess, and calligraphy, but he never mastered any of them. He forgot most of it as he grew up, his academic performance was average, and his physical fitness was poor. He was the kind of person who might know a little bit about everything, but truly amounted to nothing.
This life of Evan Stone was no different.
The mediocrity of two lifetimes combined, Evan Stone didn't believe he had the potential to be chosen by a divine path...
"Talent is indeed something that can't be predicted," Charles Moore said thoughtfully. "Some people may have a certain talent that doesn't show itself until the right moment, and when the time comes, it might emerge..."
"So, if it's the War God Path, how do you know if you have talent for it?"
"It's simple."
Charles Moore's smile gradually faded, and he said in an indifferent tone, "You go kill someone, and you'll know... If killing one isn't enough, kill ten, kill a hundred... If after killing a thousand, the War God Path hasn't favored you, then you can be sure you have no talent for it."
Evan Stone's chopsticks froze, and the room fell silent.
"I'm just joking." Charles Moore laughed, his demeanor warm like melting ice, as if a soft breeze had swept over the table. "If you don't want to kill anyone, then you can only enter the Ancient Vault... Three years might seem long, but you're young, you can wait."
Kill people...
Evan Stone stared at his bowl of rice, recalling the scene where the red paper monster killed two law enforcers, and suddenly felt a wave of nausea.
Evan Stone was just an ordinary person. Even though he had killed countless times in his past life in video games and watched plenty of bloody movies, when it came to actually taking a knife to kill, he still couldn't bring himself to do it... He couldn't cross that mental barrier—the one built by rationality and compassion.
"So, what's this 'path'?"
Evan Stone thought about the [Killing Dance] skill he had obtained from the "War God Path's" [Judgment] path but wasn't sure what the "path" truly was.
"You know about the 'path'?" Charles Moore looked at him in surprise.
"Well, let me explain it this way—if becoming a god is like climbing a mountain, the divine path is the main road, and the 'path' is the smaller trails that extend depending on each person's personality and talent.
For example, Victor Hale, who is very stubborn and has a strong sense of justice, is on the [Judgment] path... Accordingly, the abilities he gains as he ascends different stages may differ from other paths, and will be more personalized."
Evan Stone pondered. "How many paths are there for each divine path?"
"That's hard to say. Some divine paths are walked by many people, so the paths that extend from them are naturally more. For example, the War God Path has seven different 'paths,' but for some more obscure divine paths, there may be only a few."
"Doctor Charles Moore, are you also a [Divinely Favored] walking a divine path?" Evan Stone asked, recalling Dr. Green's assessment of him.
"Yes." Charles Moore admitted openly. "I walk the [Healer's Path]."
"The [Healer's Path]? Does the Healer's Ancient Vault also exist in the Aurora Realm?"
As soon as the question left Evan Stone's mouth, he immediately realized, shocked. "You... are a [Divinely Favored]?"
Charles Moore smiled but didn't answer.
Although Evan Stone had suspected that Charles Moore walked the Healer's Path, he never expected him to be [Divinely Favored]... Wasn't this rare? How could he just run into one so casually?
"What does it feel like when you become a [Divinely Favored]?" Evan Stone couldn't help but ask.
Charles Moore thought for a moment,
"Well... it's hard to describe. It's like, suddenly, you feel like you've transcended, and there's this gaze from the unknown watching you... Then, the environment around you changes, and a divine path leading to nothingness will automatically appear in front of you..."
"A divine path? Is it a real path, not an illusion?"
"It's real, at least at that moment it's real. But before you step onto it, it will float in the sky, swaying, like... like..." Charles Moore couldn't find a suitable description at that moment.
"Like a satin ribbon?" Maxe Stone, who had been silently eating, suddenly spoke up.
"A satin ribbon?" Evan Stone turned to look at him in surprise.
"Yes, a satin ribbon," Charles Moore's eyes lit up. "Then, as soon as you step onto it, it solidifies and disappears... Although you can't see it, it will always remain within you."
Evan Stone looked at Maxe Stone with confusion. Maxe Stone shrank his neck and whispered, "I was just describing it based on what he said... I just said it casually."
"…Alright."
Evan Stone sighed. "I hope I'll get to walk a divine path someday."
After finishing the meal, Maxe Stone rolled up his sleeves to wash the dishes, and Charles Moore took out a book from somewhere and sat by the oil lamp, reading by the dim light. He would occasionally furrow his brows or seem confused, as if deep in thought.
As the night deepened, the three of them went to their respective rooms to rest.
Evan Stone was the last to leave. He blew out the candle on the table, and as the flame flickered, the room was immediately plunged into darkness...
His gaze drifted toward Maxe Stone's room.
Evan Stone walked slowly to Maxe Stone's door, pulled out the broken talisman from his pocket, and was about to knock when his knuckles froze in mid-air.
"I... I woke up after the surgery, and I've been waiting for you at the hospital... Then I heard people outside talking about a 'World Annihilation' level disaster, and I got worried about you guys.
I snuck out while the doctors weren't paying attention, planning to go back home to find you, when I saw you hanging from some monster..."
"The law enforcers didn't have enough people, so they just sealed the outside of District 2 and 3, but there weren't many stationed between the two districts. I snuck over..."
"Brother, aren't we running?"
"Brother, even if you turn into a monster, it doesn't matter... as long as you're still you."
"The doctor is quite good, I'm recovering quickly."
"I don't know... maybe it fell off when I ran back."
Maxe Stone's words echoed in Evan Stone's mind, and he gripped the talisman tighter... His confusion and uncertainty grew.
Ever since he found the talisman in the ruins of Ice Spring Street, Evan Stone's mind had been occupied with this matter. Even after walking two hours back, he still couldn't shake it off.
Looking back, so many things about Maxe Stone's appearance and actions didn't add up.
The timing of his appearance, the place where he appeared—it was just too coincidental... Could a boy who had just undergone heart transplant surgery really walk through the law enforcer's blockade and trek two hours up to the back mountains?
Or... is he no longer human?