Chapter 119: Sealing Designation

On the Isle of Baal, the S-rank and A-rank squads attached to Saint Rose Port had received the emergency notification.

Blaton, captain of the S-rank squad, furrowed his brows as he looked toward the distant Saint Rose Port, then glanced at the carnage on the island and let out a sigh. Even in a large-scale battlefield environment that favored the brave, engaging in war against so many powerful monsters was by no means a simple task.

Although they were initially terrified by Zhao Tianhe’s "Sword of Promised Victory," the monsters began to fight with desperate ferocity once they realized there was no escape. The result was heavy casualties; these monsters defended their final dignity with suicide-style attacks.

The dignity of a civilization in its infancy...

Twenty-three B-rank heroes were martyred, one A-rank hero was martyred, and eight hundred and seventy-seven were severely wounded. They had wiped out 170,000 common monsters, 3,844 elite monsters, 104 boss-level monsters, and one S+ pseudo-king monster.

In this battle, the names of Zhao Tianhe and Tian Xie resounded throughout the entire Golden Coast hero community. As rare S+ potentials, they should have remained obscure until reaching S+ rank, but in the face of true crisis, they were always forced to do things beyond the reach of others. Tian Xie’s head-on resistance against the Blood God and Zhao Tianhe’s subsequent release of his Noble Phantasm demonstrated a power that should not have existed at this tier.

"Huh? An interview?" Zhao Tianhe said, shoulders slumped and expressionless. "Forget it, just write whatever you want. I’m tired."

With that, Zhao Tianhe turned and headed toward the hero apartments; he just wanted a good sleep. He had originally intended to go to Li Mei's place to kill time, but one thing led to another, and he had been busy through most of the night. After the consecutive brutal battles, he had only just finished.

"Huh? An interview?" Tian Xie grabbed the reporter's recording crystal with excitement, baring his sharp teeth in a grin. "Let me tell you! I really turned the tide back there! If it weren't for me..."

"You idiot! It’s live!" The old mage, Ralph, slapped Tian Xie on the back of his neck, causing him to roll on the ground in pain.

"No filming! Stop it! Go!" The old mage waved his hand as if shooing away pests and hauled Tian Xie away.

As a result, the media near the Golden Coast randomly gave the two nicknames. Zhao Tianhe was dubbed the "Lazy King" due to his exhausted appearance and casual attitude, while Tian Xie was called the "Mad Beast" because of his manic demeanor and razor-sharp teeth.

Upon returning to his room, Zhao Tianhe collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep. The next morning, he dragged himself up at the insistence of his phone alarm. He went to the kitchen and took out "Emergency Ration No. 1" from the fridge. This was a set of cold dishes Zhao Tianhe prepared in advance, which only needed a quick steam to be edible. Because of his fine knife skills and excellent seasoning, Artoria didn't notice anything unusual, though she ended up eating it every other week since Zhao Tianhe used it as an excuse to slack off.

"Oh, this again this morning?" Artoria raised an eyebrow at the spread. "It’s not bad, but I think it’s better suited for lunch or dinner."

"Yeah, let’s go to a restaurant for dinner," Zhao Tianhe said lazily while eating.

"What’s wrong? You seem so exhausted... is this the 'big event' Pixie mentioned?" Elle asked curiously, touching Zhao Tianhe’s forehead. "Are you sick?"

Pixie often chatted with Elle and Artoria, occasionally sharing videos or live streams. Given the chaos on the island last night, she had naturally taken note of the incident.

"Ha, how can a hero system get sick?" Zhao Tianhe laughed, shaking his head. "Though, logically, I shouldn't be feeling this fatigue..."

Zhao Tianhe checked his attribute panel with some confusion, only to be left bewildered. He discovered that his stamina and mana were constantly dropping!

*What is this? Hmm? What’s this?* Under his profession skill panel, he noticed two rows of "???" appearing beneath his "Supernatural Premonition." *Could it be that I’m about to awaken something? Well... I shouldn't spend my skill points recklessly for now. Also...*

Zhao Tianhe looked at Elle, who had sat down beside him to eat, and felt his saliva production accelerate.

*Is she subconsciously drawing closer to me? Heh, it seems the hidden attribute is working!* Zhao Tianhe’s smile became unintentionally lewd.

"What are you smiling at?" Artoria stared at him with sharp eyes.

*Ugh!* Zhao Tianhe felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and his lecherous thoughts vanished instantly.

"No, I’m just... I’m just happy," Zhao Tianhe said. "We killed a big monster yesterday, and Elle leveled up twice, right?"

"Yes, my innate ability recovered a bit, so I took the liberty of upgrading my skills," Elle nodded. To her, this enhancement wasn't a major affair, so when she realized she had leveled up, she had simply assigned her talent points without much emotion.

Soul Amplification Lv4 (Talent Points +3)
Spirit + (5 × Skill Level), Mana Cap + (100 × Skill Level)
Lv3 Enhancement, Recovery, Mana Regen Rate + (3 × Skill Level) per second

"Special changes?" Zhao Tianhe was quite surprised to see the status of the talent skills.

"Yes, although improving innate abilities is harder than profession skills, the gains are commensurate with the difficulty," Elle explained with a smile. "I believe a special enhancement entry appears every two upgrades."

"I think it’s the same for me; I can feel it faintly," Artoria nodded. "By the way, what about this big monster you mentioned?"

"That’s a long story," Zhao Tianhe said, waving his phone. "Let’s video chat later. Also... although I won’t be clearing dungeons for a while, keep the 'War Soldier' mode reserved and don’t use it carelessly... I just feel like this world is becoming more and more dangerous."

"I agree with that," Artoria nodded.

Due to mutations in nearby dungeons, their B-rank dungeon was temporarily closed until an A-rank team could inspect it. Zhao Tianhe had wanted to get involved to farm more experience, but given his current physical abnormalities, he would only be a burden, so he had no choice but to ask for leave.

After his daily routine, Zhao Tianhe yawned and headed downstairs to the Fu Guang residential office to request his leave. To his surprise, Zelos and Li Mei blocked him in the second-floor hallway.

"What is it?" Zhao Tianhe asked, confused.

"Let’s talk inside," Zelos said, gesturing to his room.

Seeing Zelos’s unusually serious expression, Zhao Tianhe nodded. While Zelos looked like a handsome, put-together gentleman in public, his room was quite messy. However, he spent most of his nights out with women, so he didn't care much, hiring someone to clean it once a week.

"I previously thought you were just an ordinary S+ potential..." Zelos sat on a chair, his expression heavy. "But after this, neither I nor the Association will think so anymore..."

"Huh? And so what? S+ is the highest evaluation, isn't it?" Zhao Tianhe shrugged.

"That's right, S+ is the highest rank officially, at least on the surface," Zelos shook his head with a smile. "But in reality, it’s not. Inside the Association, there is another term for special talents. It is called..."

"Seal Designation."

"Huh?" Zhao Tianhe was stunned. The term sounded familiar.

"Seal Designation," Zelos continued. "It refers to powerful beings so strong they defy common sense and pose a threat to society. Their existence is so rare that only the top-tier heroes can contend with them. Once they cause trouble, it requires the power of the entire nation, or even the Holy Council, to restrain them. Therefore, such individuals must be accompanied by special personnel appointed by the Association—known as 'Sealers'—to stop them immediately if something goes wrong!"

"Also, the current Top Ten were all Seal Designations in the past," Li Mei interjected. "Although you are good, lawful-aligned heroic spirits, the world and society are not perfect. There have been cases where Sealers went rogue in the past. To prevent that from happening again, Sealers exist."

"Social issues, huh..." Zhao Tianhe recalled the wind demon disaster in the capital and Wei Luan, and nodded. "But I’m not that kind of person! That’s unnecessary, right?"

"That’s what you think," Zelos sighed. "I know your character well enough to agree you don't need it, but the higher-ups are different. They have too many concerns and know too much to take your word for it."

"So... are you leaving?" Zhao Tianhe asked.

"Yes," Zelos nodded. "I’ve received my transfer orders. An Association-appointed Sealer will arrive by tomorrow at the latest."

"Oh," Zhao Tianhe nodded. "Anything else?"

"..." "..."

"You bastard! Don't you have even a shred of reluctance?!" Zelos stood up, grabbing Zhao Tianhe by the collar and yelling in frustration.

Zhao Tianhe turned his head away with a look of disdain. *Why should I feel sorry about a guy who is better-looking than me, has more women than me, and feeds me dog food every day finally moving away?* He rolled his eyes, having no intention of offering any pleasantries.

"Don't get excited," Li Mei said, standing up with a smile. "Zelos’s strength is obvious, and his potential is great. While not as strong as you, Zhao, he is among the top humans. Our partnership is very reasonable in the long run; after all, it’s always awkward to keep changing partners, right?"

"Ah, that’s true," Zhao Tianhe nodded, then asked curiously, "By the way, what does this have to do with you?"

"Ahem." Li Mei cleared her throat and patted her chest. "Although my talent isn't extraordinary, my attainment and understanding of barriers are exceptional. Therefore, my second-tier profession list includes 'Barrier Master'."

The second-tier job change is far richer than the first. A hero's talent evolves based on their learning and combat experience during the first tier. Among mages, the "Barrier Master" is quite rare. It’s not something you can get just by studying barrier spells; it requires immense talent—calling it one-in-a-million is no exaggeration.

All "Sealers" are Barrier Masters! The reason is simple: the divine magical artifacts carried by Sealers can only be activated by the Barrier Master profession! Grand Mage Ralph, who follows Tian Xie, is also a rare high-level Barrier Master.

"I’ve seen the Sealer sent by the Association; their strength is about the same as mine, and their potential is far inferior," Zelos said. "So, Li Mei wants to become your exclusive Sealer. As for me, I will continue to accompany you for now because both your normal state and Li Mei’s strength are too weak. I can apply to be a 'Protector' to safeguard you both as you grow. But there is a prerequisite: you must submit the application."

"Hmm... fine. It’s always more comfortable with acquaintances, and I have to go to the office anyway..." Zhao Tianhe nodded. He trusted Zelos's strength, and as for Li Mei... he couldn't refuse her, she was just too... well, he couldn't refuse!

"What for?" Li Mei asked curiously.

Zhao Tianhe explained the strange symptoms he had been experiencing.

"Developing a skill? Could it be..." Zelos’s expression changed as he listened. "That move on the battlefield, and the 'Unlimited Blade Works' Li Mei mentioned..."

"Yeah, I think I can develop a prototype, but honestly, I don't know how long this state will last... it’s a pain," Zhao Tianhe frowned. "The constant drain on my mana and stamina makes my body so tired that I just want to sleep all the time!"

"This seems to be a phenomenon caused by the body and the system constantly restructuring and adjusting to each other..." Li Mei covered her mouth, her eyes wide. "My god... that means his talent system has caused a fundamental change in the Hero System itself!"

Indeed, this phenomenon occurred because Zhao Tianhe had released his Noble Phantasm twice in a row, branding the massive changes onto his body and the system, causing the system to default to him having acquired certain abilities. Simply put, his innate talent had forcefully carved skills into the Hero System!

Such changes are not unheard of, but they usually only appear in textbooks. The great heroes who left their names in history and dominated their eras had all experienced similar situations.