Hero? Are You Worthy?
Chapter 459 - 310: Nadia’s Pursuer (Vote for Monthly and Recommendation Tickets)

Chapter 459: Chapter 310: Nadia’s Pursuer (Vote for Monthly and Recommendation Tickets)

Could it be that Zimmerman, that old sly fox, also knows about the Evil God Heart? How much exactly does he know?

Among the four big shots of humanity—Zimmerman, Augustus, Saint Monica, and Wozworth—Zimmerman is the oldest and the weakest, with the least talent among them.

The only reason he had a seat at the table with the other three was that he presided over Wise Mountain, which boasted thirteen Great Sages.

Being over a hundred years old gave Zimmerman far more experience and knowledge than the others, and he was probably the most cunning among them.

If Zimmerman knew about the Evil God Heart, Qin Chu wouldn’t be too surprised.

Nadia did not know what Qin Chu was thinking. The innocent Nadia did not have a single doubt about the hero and candidly shared everything she knew.

"The earthquakes in the Casidale Trulo Forest happen every nine years and can even reach the Imperial City of the Oville Empire."

"Many speculations have arisen in the Empire about these major earthquakes. Some suspect that a terrible Demon God is imprisoned underneath the forest, a Demon God that is still alive, constantly trying to break the seal’s bonds."

"Others suspect that a powerful Divine Artifact lies buried there... not some so-called divine weapon, but an actual weapon used by Gods, with which anyone could become unrivaled in the world."

"There are also conjectures that a magic potion capable of breaking human constraints and shattering the hundred-level limit is hidden within Casidale Great Forest. Whoever consumes it could become the strongest human being."

"Some say that the will of a fallen Deity is suppressed there, and gaining the recognition of that Divine Will would allow one to inherit the power of the Deity and become a new God."

"There are numerous rampant speculations."

From Nadia’s tone, it was apparent that she scoffed at these latter conjectures, thinking them nothing more than the fanciful delusions of greedy humans who wished to take shortcuts to become top powerhouses.

Nadia looked down on such people; to her, strength should be earned step by step through cultivation, and what one gained through external means was ultimately illusory.

Surface-level strength, like an inflated balloon, would burst at a single poke, unable to withstand a single blow.

The more Qin Chu thought about it, the more puzzled he became, "If some suspect there are treasures buried there, hasn’t any adventurer gone to explore it?"

"How could there not be? There’s no shortage of those greedy types among humans."

"For a thousand years, countless adventurers, including those of Great Sage, Martial God, and Titled Knight stature, have ventured into Casidale Great Forest. Yet, even such experts never returned upon entering."

"All who attempted to explore the Casidale Great Forest met their end there, without exception."

Qin Chu frowned; he knew Nadia was not lying. Of course, most of what Nadia knew came from her readings, and while books might exaggerate to portray the horrors of Casidale Great Forest, they probably weren’t far off the mark.

Remembering that the Second Generation Jie Luo, upon glimpsing that heart, turned tail and ran without a word further affirmed that the place was indeed terrifying.

If he was to investigate that heart himself, he would have to be exceedingly careful.

"It wasn’t until these recent years that Carlos, the newly appointed president of the adventurer’s guild, issued a prohibition, strictly forbidding any adventurer from exploring Casidale Great Forest. Any violators would be stripped of their adventurer status. Since then, the number of those venturing into the forest has slightly decreased."

Carlos!

When Nadia mentioned this name, Qin Chu subconsciously touched his neck.

The Damocles Sword, rumored to be able to cut through anything.

That was Carlos’s ultimate move. During the first week, it was this very thing that had decapitated him.

"Why would Master Zimmerman want to investigate the Casidale Great Forest? Is it possible he intends to quell the earthquakes there and resolve this disaster?" Qin Chu asked, seemingly casually.

Nadia’s brow furrowed slightly before she sighed and shook her head, "It’s probably not like that... The Master is already quite old, and his life’s dream has always been to break through Level 90."

"Perhaps he has been stuck at Level 89 for too long, so..."

Nadia didn’t finish her sentence, but Qin Chu already understood what she meant. She suspected Zimmerman was investigating Casidale Great Forest to break through Level 90.

However, Qin Chu had a premonition that things were not as simple as Nadia conjectured; that old sly fox Zimmerman certainly knew a lot that Nadia didn’t.

Their conversation continued, and Qin Chu learned much about the Great Forest from Nadia. In reality, since no one has ever made it out alive, much of what Nadia knew was speculation by researchers, leaving the authenticity up for debate.

"Eh? Miss Nadia, you’re here."

As they talked, the clear voice of a middle-aged man came from the side.

Qin Chu saw a lean and tough-looking man in his thirties with skin that appeared a bit dark from long exposure to battle and the elements, and deep-set eyes.

His face was not particularly handsome, yet he exuded a sunnily open and warm presence.

With the patting sound of footsteps approaching, it seemed as if a warm breeze was blowing over, dispelling the cold of the library.

Qin Chu adjusted his clothes, reflecting that he had been in this world for quite some time now, and even in countries situated in the tropical region like the Oville Empire, the weather was beginning to cool.

The newcomer exuded a noble’s temperament, wearing black armor... But unlike the decorative, ceremonial armor typical of nobility, this was bona fide combat armor, which at first glance appeared sturdy, and its defensive power must be quite impressive.

The fitting of the armor lent the originally skinny frame a touch more robustness, yet stopped short of being bulky.

A sword hung at the waist.

Qin Chu’s eyes sparkled faintly. It was as if speaking of Cao Cao and Cao Cao would appear—he had just heard Nadia mention the name Carlos, and now the man was standing right before him.

In the first week, the fact that Carlos would get involved in plot against him was something Qin Chu had not anticipated at all; not only did they have no feud, but their interactions had been sparse, maintaining only a passing acquaintance.

Perhaps it was because in the first week he had eradicated the demons, clearing the majority of them into the Abyss, which made the adventurer’s guild seem redundant and affected Carlos’s standing.

Carlos, with a broad smile, walked briskly over. On seeing Qin Chu, he seemed slightly surprised, "Eh? I didn’t expect to see Mr. Brave here."

"You know me?" Qin Chu raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance.

"Of course, who doesn’t know Mr. Brave," Carlos said cheerfully: "I heard that Mr. Brave left the Imperial City a while ago, and in your first battle, you fended off an army of hundreds of thousands of demons, even personally slaying the Second Prince of Demons, and subjugating two powerful demon ladies. It’s truly admirable."

Carlos winked at Qin Chu: "I remember they were the Snow Woman and the Blood Elf, both strikingly beautiful races among the demons. Mr. Brave, your Physical Strength... no, I mean energy... cough cough, that’s not right, I mean strength, is truly formidable."

"You don’t know, within our adventurer’s guild, I don’t know how many adventurers idolize you, hoping to enter the Demon Territory alone like you and capture a few Enchanting Demons to return..."

Even with his thick skin, Qin Chu couldn’t help blushing at this point.

There were so many praiseworthy deeds to his name, like slaying the abnormally mutated Karsas or rooting out the Saint Heir of the Earth Mother Goddess Sect corrupted by the Evil God. Yet, the fact that he caught the Snow Woman and the Blood Elf seemed to be public knowledge?

It has to be said that Carlos’s cheerful temperament could instantly close the gap with a stranger, and it might only take a few sentences to hit it off with someone new—a gift in its own right.

Then he saw Carlos wink at Qin Chu again, his ambiguous gaze falling on Nadia: "Mr. Brave, why are you with Miss Nadia? Could it be that you two are on a date?"

Qin Chu hurriedly shook his head: "No no no, it was just a chance meeting. I wanted to understand more about the Sky Dome Continent and unexpectedly ran into Nadia at the library."

"I see," Carlos pondered briefly, his smile unwavering, but Qin Chu could feel that Carlos seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at Carlos and then at Nadia on the other side.

Even if Qin Chu were slow, he basically understood the situation.

Perhaps because both their ages and strengths were comparable, and given Nadia’s petite, voluptuous figure and delicate appearance, Carlos probably had developed a liking for Nadia, right?

It was normal—all this time, many had pursued Nadia, and among the nobles many young talents were her faithful admirers. Qin Chu just hadn’t expected Carlos to be one of them.

But beneath this man’s sunny exterior lurked a treacherous and sly heart. The previous mention of the Snow Woman and the Blood Elf, that was meant for Nadia to hear, wasn’t it?

Was he trying to make Nadia believe that he was a loathsome man consumed by lust?

Sorry, but Nadia already knew about these things; all your babbling is probably pointless here.

Carlos relaxed slightly, turning his gaze to Nadia. With one hand across his chest, he performed an elegant gentleman’s salute: "Miss Nadia, do you have any time? If it’s possible, I would like to invite you to dinner tonight... Ah, of course, Mr. Brave as well. I hope you will honor us with your presence."

"Sorry, I don’t have time."

Qin Chu was one hundred percent sure he was just an afterthought.

Although he wasn’t interested, Nadia’s straightforward rejection still almost made Qin Chu laugh, particularly the moment Carlos’s face stiffened—it seemed too comical to him.

After all, he was dealing with Nadia...

Carlos’s face showed embarrassment, at a loss for words for a moment, inadvertently glancing at the words on the page of the book laid out on the table before Nadia: "Miss Nadia, are you interested in the Casidale Forest? Regarding that place, perhaps I can offer you some different information."

"Hmm?" Nadia finally lifted her head, giving Carlos a direct look for the first time in a long time.

In Nadia’s eyes, there was only her twelve masters on Wise Mountain, plus her confidante Louisa... and now Qin Chu as well.

Beyond these people, Nadia had no interest in associating with anyone else.

Seeing that his topic had drawn Nadia’s attention, Carlos was slightly excited and quickly spoke: "It’s like this, the outside world thinks that everyone who entered the Casidale Forest has died, but in actuality, there is one adventurer who made it out alive..."

Nadia immediately became interested: "What’s in there?"

Qin Chu also pricked up his ears.