My SSS-Rank Clone Talent: I Level Up Endlessly! - Chapter 340

Chapter 340: Settlement!?
“My name is Yi Xin.” Yi Xin, Eryke’s Righteous Heart clone, spoke calmly.

“Woah, what a unique name! Doesn’t that mean Righteous Heart?” The child beamed with excitement and eagerly showered him with questions. “How did you get such a sword? I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“…” Yi Xin didn’t reply. Instead, he looked over every villager present and asked evenly, “Do you wish to follow me?”

“…”

The villagers froze at his words, exchanging uneasy glances.

Everyone here was defenseless; those capable of fighting had already fallen to the arrows.

“Can you give us some time?” one of the mothers asked hesitantly, swallowing hard.

“Hmm.” Yi Xin nodded.

“Come here, child,” she called to the little boy standing before Yi Xin.

“Yes, mother.” The boy quickly stepped away and rejoined the others.

They moved further back from Yi Xin and began whispering among themselves.

“What should we do?” one of them murmured. “Are we really willing to abandon our entire village and follow this man?”

“Then what do you think we should do?” the mother who had spoken to Yi Xin earlier chided. “If we stay here, do you really think we’ll be safe? The bandits may be dead, but the entire faction is in chaos right now. There’s no protection for us common folk. Even if there aren’t dangerous bandits, there are still wild beasts that could attack, and we won’t be able to fight them.”

Her voice wasn’t particularly loud, yet it resonated deeply with everyone’s hearts, leaving no one able to refute her because it was true!

“Sigh, times are changing. Even though this is our ancestral land, people are always more important. As long as we are alive, our village will still thrive.” The oldest man, likely in his eighties, spoke in a frail voice.

“Elder,” everyone responded, their tone filled with respect.

“Very well then, I agree with him. Han Jia,” the elder said, “you will be our representative.”

“Eh? Me?” Han Jia was stunned, pointing at herself in disbelief.

“Yes. You were the only one who had the courage to speak with him. You carry the true quality to lead us, for now.” The elder nodded firmly.

“Umm… okay.” Han Jia was flustered as she glanced at the figure in ragged robes, then at the other villagers, who were too afraid to speak. She sighed. “I’ve been in your debt ever since my husband died, Elder. I am eternally grateful to you.”

With a few shaky steps, she walked out from the crowd and stood before Yi Xin. “We agree.”

Yi Xin nodded and said in a deep voice, “Follow me,” before turning to leave.

“Wait, can you give us time to gather our valuables?”

“I can wait an hour,” he replied.

“Thank you.”

Soon after, everyone collected what valuables they could from their homes and quietly followed behind him.

Yi Xin led them out of the village, traversing the rocky terrain for a long while before finally guiding them to a large settlement.

“Woah, what is this place?” Han Jia’s eyes lit up with excitement as she gazed at the vast community before them.

Yi Xin remained silent as two smiling guards stepped forward, bowing respectfully to him and addressing him as “Leader.”

The gates opened, revealing countless people inside, sickly and weak, much like themselves, all gathered here. It resembled a massive village, yet there was a clear distinction among the different groups within.

“You can stay here. All of these people are like you, so live in harmony,” Yi Xin instructed coldly before leaving.

The newcomers spread out, curiously exploring the area.

“How wonderful.” Han Jia looked around in awe, impressed that everyone here seemed happy, there wasn’t a single sad face among them.

She walked with her child and eventually came across a tea stall. With a hesitant demeanour, she asked, “Is Yi Xin the leader of this place?”

“Hahaha, he is our leader, but he doesn’t like to be called that. He prefers simply Yi Xin, but out of respect, we all address him as our leader.” The shopkeeper beamed with a wide smile.

“I… I see.” Han Jia replied tentatively, then cautiously asked, “What kind of person is he?”

“He is a benevolent and righteous man. You must be new to our settlement, so you don’t know. Everyone you see here are victims of war, those who suffered in the turbulent times of the Orthodox Faction. But he saved us all and brought us here.” The tea seller’s face gleamed with pride as he continued, “As his name suggests, he truly has a righteous heart.”

“I see.” Han Jia looked at the shopkeeper’s genuine smile and heaved a sigh of relief while clutching her child.

Yi Xin entered his humble hut and slumped onto the bed, letting out a weary sigh. “That was exhausting. When will Eryke summon me already?” He extended his hand, and strands of golden light shimmered from his palm. “This thing is quite interesting. This <Righteous Skill>, as long as I do good deeds, I can increase its supply.”

“I could temporarily strengthen my body, sharpen my sword, or even forge a weapon out of thin air with enough of these strands.”

Though powerful, the skill’s effects were only temporary.

“I have around a thousand strands right now, and I used hundred to kill those guys, but I gained two hundred strands from the villages, it checks out,” he quietly contemplated.

“That strike I delivered was stronger than most average First-stage Martial Artists, so killing a Transcendent Martial Artist shouldn’t be a problem. I’m about ready to take the helm and hunt the Sword Demon.”

At first, when he arrived in the Martial World, he was a little clueless about his abilities. But because he had the mana core and spells, just like Eryke and the other clones, he could survive almost any random enemies.

The only problem was that he couldn’t practice Martial Arts.

Then he discovered the true power of his skill and casually began helping people. This is how he built this settlement.

Now, seeing the state of things, Eryke had already laid the foundation for him to unite the entire faction!