Chapter 18 Greedy Disciple (Part 2)
“I remember… he was some kind of Paladin…”
Erika rested a hand on her chin, her gaze instinctively drifting upward as she began to recall the information she had read about Paladins.
She had looked it up in the historical records before.
The depiction of Paladins in those records was grand, a nearly perfect embodiment of legend.
A hundred years ago, the human continent was not unified. It was an era of chaos, full of warlords, conflict, and endless battles and casualties. Numerous non-human species also oppressed and persecuted humanity.
Just when humanity was facing extinction, heroes emerged.
Those were the people who possessed “Saint-Rank” power.
At the time, the term “Saint-Rank” didn’t even exist. Whether mages or knights, both had a bottleneck at their peak.
The power that broke through this bottleneck was what came to be known as Saint-Rank!
Their sudden appearance was like a nuclear bomb, shaking the world.
In order to save humanity, these Saint-Rank powerhouses unleashed strength beyond imagination, effortlessly sweeping aside all factions of that era.
With absolute might, they brought peace to the continent and rescued humanity from the brink of destruction.
It was a story full of legendary color.
No one knew how true it was—after all, it was a tale from a century ago. Even the historical records were vague.
But one thing was certain: the legacy of Saint-Rank power had been passed down. Humans could break through the bottleneck and raise their strength to unprecedented heights.
And Paladins were the best representation of Saint-Rank power.
Some served the Holy Church, worshiping the gods, dedicated to upholding absolute peace.
Some served their countries, protecting people, resisting non-human threats—hailed as heroes.
Others wandered the world or ruled over their own territories.
However, in this world, those who had truly reached Saint-Rank were extremely few.
The names of those confirmed to have reached it were recorded in the current list of Great Figures.
And that list, worldwide, held no more than six names!
Dervick Spancer—his name was among them. But for some reason, he had gone from a great figure to a traitor and was now wanted.
“Jie jie jie.”
The laughter rang out again. Meladin continued, “I love greedy people, and that one happened to be insatiably greedy, so I granted his desire.”
“What did you give him…”
“Power!”
Meladin continued, “Do you know what condition he was in before he came to me?”
“What kind…”
Erika’s voice was soft. She couldn’t help but feel uneasy speaking with Meladin.
“He was on the brink of death, clinging to his last breath.
In short, when that guy came here, he only had one foot in the grave.
It was I who revived him, gave him power, and made him into someone revered by countless people—jie jie jie…”
“Then… what did he have to give in return?”
She asked curiously.
In Erika’s eyes, this guy didn’t seem like a god at all.
If anything, he seemed more like a demon.
Typically, demons would offer power in exchange for a contract—selling one’s soul or the like…
“Of course!”
Meladin replied, “To become my follower is to serve me!
And that guy—he’s a failure.”
“What happened to him?”
“I told you—I need to be resurrected. I must escape this place.
I needed him to find the artifact that sealed me.
But he failed to complete the task within the time I gave him.
Clearly, he failed. I decided to remove him from my list of followers.”
At that, Erika instinctively swallowed.
“Then when someone fails… Do you punish them? Like take back the power or… exact revenge?”
“Revenge? No no no. As you can see, I’m in a tomb. A dead god seeking revenge on a living man—it’s not so easy.”
“So he’s just fine?”
“That’s why I say he’s greedier than most—jie jie jie…
I know, he’s been outside waiting for the full moon, hoping to receive power from me again.
But someone who’s failed once will not receive a second blessing. He’s an unqualified follower.”
As he spoke, Meladin’s shadow drew closer to Erika. The dark red light twisted like a ghostly presence, wrapping around her.
“You… what are you trying to do?”
Startled, Erika instinctively took a step back, watching him warily.
“Well then, little one—how about becoming my devout follower? As long as you have a greedy heart, I can fulfill your desires.”
“You want me to… find that artifact for you?”
“Exactly. That is a follower’s duty. I can see it—you have greed within your heart. Come, let me fulfill your desire.”
It was a little tempting.
But this guy was just too suspicious.
Still, if Meladin wasn’t lying, he had turned Dervick into a Paladin—one of the strongest on the continent. If Erika were granted such power, wouldn’t she become unstoppable?
As for retrieving the artifact—
Dervick hadn’t completed the task either, and yet he was fine, wasn’t he?
So even if she failed, wouldn’t she also be okay?
“Jie jie jie, greedy little one, don’t get any ideas like that.”
He seemed to have read Erika’s thoughts. His voice sneered, “Even though I’m trapped here, I can still wait for another follower besides you.
If you dare to trick me, I can easily grant the next one even greater power to hunt you down. That’s a trivial thing for me.
He did have a point…
Erika blinked. If this guy could turn someone near death into one of the continent’s strongest, he could definitely wait for the next follower and empower them for revenge.
“Then… where is the artifact?” Erika asked cautiously.
“I don’t know its location, nor its appearance or name. But if you become my follower, when you get close to it, I’ll guide you.”
“Seriously? So you don’t know anything? And you call yourself all-powerful? Liar. No wonder Dervick failed.”
“Little one, understand this—there are many gods in this world, not just me. And many would love to be my enemy.
If you doubt my power, I can show you right now.”
With that, Meladin began inspecting Erika.
“Let me see who you really are…
Hmm… a dragon?
No… you should be human…
Wait, that doesn’t seem right either…”
Hearing his muttering, Erika began to think this guy was unreliable.
She gave him a glance, then openly revealed her dragon tail.
“I’m a dragon, obviously. You call yourself a god? Ridiculous!”
“No… you have a dragon’s power, but you’re not completely a dragon.”
Meladin’s tone grew serious. “Let me look further…”
……
……
The scene fell silent.
Erika swished her little tail, looking a bit speechless.
She smirked, hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow. “So? What did you find?”
“Who… are you…”
A heavy voice came from Meladin. The once carefree red figure now looked grave.
Because even he—couldn’t discern what Erika truly was.
“Little one…
From what I can tell… your existence… doesn’t seem to belong to this world…”
“Thunk.”
At those words, Erika’s heart skipped a beat. Her previously relaxed expression changed.
Of course she didn’t belong in this world—because she was a great transmigrator!