The Krowonian officer remained calm. After all, Farshyans valued relationships with each other the most. He was confident Aria wouldn't forsake the heroic spirits and attack them.Despite the intense pain coursing through him, the Krowonian lay on the floor, his voice laced with malice. "Do you think you will feel better once the heroic spirits are gone? No wonder you seem familiar; the Carver family is our greatest adversary."Do you believe your ancestors will forgive you once you die and descend to the Netherrealm? We will ultimately prevail."He started laughing loudly.Aria chose to disregard his taunts, her gaze drawn back to the statue of God. Logically, the spirits could not receive worship intended for Him.The officer's mention of ancestors reminded her that prominent families typically maintain proper memorials with their names engraved.With a determined expression, Aria summoned Maverick. "Is there a memorial where people can honor your ancestors? Tell me where it is
The idea that priests held a greater holiness than ordinary people had lingered in the minds of the masses for too long. The only way to free those heroic spirits was to dismantle such beliefs.Respect for priests should stem from their compassion for others, not from blind devotion. Immorality in a priest demanded no reverence.With Maverick refusing to disclose the memorial's location, Aria resolved to search for it herself, knowing it had to be somewhere within the church.Logically, the memorial would be situated in the area where people prayed most fervently. Her gaze drifted to the statue's head above. Typically, the statue of God in the main hall was grand and intricately adorned, with its upper portions often hidden from view. Wasn't this the perfect place to conceal a memorial headstone?Without hesitation, Aria ripped down the tape banner draped before the statue of God. With a determined stride, she climbed onto the statue's base.As she ascended, more and more people r
The internet erupted with outrage. What had begun as a human trafficking case had now escalated into something far more sinister. Why were there Krowonian memorial headstones in a Farshyan church?"Have all our prayers gone to them?""I don't trust the church's innocence in this!""They had better take this seriously! Are the higher-ups just going to ignore it?"Angry comments flooded in, one after another. Aria observed the stark decline of faith in the community, but it was still not enough.Queenie appeared in another vlogger's live stream as she pondered the situation. "Miss, are you broadcasting right now? Do you have a lot of fans?"The vlogger, Ellie Portman, was nearly in tears from her fury. "Yes, I have a lot. We need to expose what the church is hiding.""It's not just about that. Could you tell your fans that I witnessed many young soldiers bravely protecting us, only to be ruthlessly bullied by the Krowonians?"Queenie's hands fidgeted with her clothes as she point
Faith had the power to fuel spirits, and this was especially true for the Farshyans. When their country faced a crisis, they always rose to defend it.Their unwavering loyalty revealed their extraordinary nature. The Farshyans had never forgotten the humiliation they endured when their nation was at its weakest.History had taught them a painful truth—no one would come to the aid of a weak country. A great philosopher once said, "There is a vast difference between not having a sword and possessing one but choosing not to use it."The Farshyans remembered this well. Their soldiers were wholly devoted to their homeland. While some foreign sympathizers once mocked them, claiming they spent more time on their phones than reading like foreigners, these critics didn't understand the Farshyans.The truth was that the Farshyans remained quiet during times of peace. But if their country called, countless citizens would rise without hesitation.No other people loved their country as fiercel
Aria smiled faintly. "Don't worry if it's too boring. This is just one of the many things you'll experience. After all, you know how long you've been suppressing our heroes. "I hear you guys like nails. Enjoy them. And let me tell you something else—no one in our country wants you invaders walking free."Our citizens are different. We appreciate our soldiers as we wouldn't be here without them. That's why countless people pray for our heroic spirits in Farshya. Trash like you? You belong exactly where you are." Others couldn't hear Aria's words, but the spirits—Terry and Devon included—could. They had heard many prayers while stuck in the Netherrealm, most of them asking for forgiveness and to move on.Some people, with saintly hearts, always preached forgiveness and letting go of the past. This left the heroic spirits disappointed.They had paid with their blood, so why did people nowadays forgive those Krowonian soldiers so easily?Terry didn't understand, and his breathing w
It was really her! When Terry was about to make his way forward, he spotted Landon standing beside Aria.He paused. "You're here too, sir?"Nothing on Landon's face let slip that he knew Terry. "You seem to have mistaken me for someone else."Terry laughed. "I'd never. I'd never mistake the two of you for someone else." He said, "I'm glad that both of you have reincarnated as mortals."Terry wanted to touch the top of Aria's head, but he was a spirit after all, and he was worried that he'd negatively affect them. Sensing what was on Terry's mind, Aria pushed Queenie forward. "Look at her. Does she look familiar to you?""She's the daughter of that new recruit in the army—" Spirits could see one's soul, which lay beneath their appearance. Terry's eyes reddened. "This is great—she's old enough to go to school now!"Aria bent down with a smile, saying to Queenie, "Tell him about your grades, Queenie.""I'm an excellent student, Grandpa. Governmental funding is now covering where
Stephen tended to micromanage Sam, but he also spoiled him, and Sam could basically eat whatever he wanted. Sam's honesty made the heroic spirits laugh. Despite knowing those people couldn't see them, the spirits stood single file and saluted the people who'd rescued them. Sunlight fell on them, as if covering them with a thin layer of gold. Queenie watched as the spirits slowly became transparent under the sunlight. They differed from what she'd once witnessed; they were all smiling, surrounded by golden light.One of the smaller statues beside their memorial fell. No one knew what had happened, but at that moment, they felt something. A breeze blew past them, and it'd never felt so good. Some felt like they'd heard someone else's words of gratitude. Some said they saw silhouettes in military uniforms under the sunlight. Queenie looked up, asking Aria, "Have they all disappeared, Aria?""No. They went where they should've gone." Aria caressed her head, meeting Ellie's gaze
The simpler the words, the more they touched people's hearts. Ellie froze while recording everything. She'd been observing Queenie and Aria's interactions, and she'd managed to obtain some information from listening between the lines. It seemed that Queenie's past incarnation was related to those heroic spirits and that her people's ancestors from previous generations were now back. Why would someone say that they wanted to protect the people if not for that?Ellie had seen someone on the Internet talk about how people had lost their dreams and aspirations in an age of consumerism. Doctors and teachers alike didn't carry out their responsibilities well—there were many recorded occurrences of teachers hitting their students in the face. Also, more and more people started to opt for higher-salary positions. It was hard to say if this was right or wrong when the economy was worsening because both survival and earning money were vital.However, many hoped for the emergence of a g