Cornell died a little too young.

There is one more important question that has not been revealed.

Who was the previous city lord?

Will he be among the other seven candidates in this election?

The Joker is not a candidate, but rather a collaborator of Cornor. Therefore, it is highly likely that the other three important figures mentioned in the rules—the Butcher, the Dove, and the Raven—are also not candidates.

Will they be assistants to the other candidates?

"You took care of one so quickly? Brother Jiang Ran is amazing!"

The effect of [Remnant Dream] disappeared, and Lin Zhi emerged from the alternate dimension. After this confrontation with Korno, Jiang Ran truly realized just how terrifying her talent was.

The cooldown period lasts for a total of five minutes. Although five minutes may not seem like much, it is timed separately and is not counted by the number of uses.

In high-level battles, even a difference of a few seconds can tip the scales of victory. Just like this time, Lin Zhi only used his ability for a dozen seconds, which was enough for Jiang Ran to defeat Korno!

The only drawback is that this ability can only be used on teammates and cannot be used on oneself; otherwise, it would definitely be an SSS-level ability!

"Only one-seventh has been resolved, so there's nothing to be happy about. Although seizing the position of city lord is necessary, we must extract as much useful information as possible from these people before killing them."

"Let's move on to the next target."

Jiang Ran looked at the ring on his hand. This was the power-charging item he created using the [Creator]. Because the number of times the ability could be used was limited, Jiang Ran did not create a one-time use item, but rather one that could be used repeatedly.

In the long run, although the amount of mental energy generated at once is relatively large, it is undoubtedly the most cost-effective option.

The two left the theater and began inquiring about the identities of the other candidates inside Paradise City.

Since the City of Paradise does not disclose information about each candidate before the speech, Jiang Ran has to determine their identities himself. He cannot find out exactly who the candidates are; he can only try to find out indirectly.

"Who do you think has the best chance of becoming the city lord this time?"

Arriving at a leisure garden in the city, Jiang Ran asked an old man who was drinking tea and chatting nearby for directions.

"Why ask this? The candidates' identities haven't even been announced yet, but I guess it's still a competition between those big shots."

"Let me think—first, there's the deputy city lord, Corno; I think he's very likely!"

That used to be the case, but it's not anymore.

"Anything else?"

"Look at the question you're asking. Aren't these the same few people again?" The old man crossed his legs and took a sip of some kind of blood-red liquid. "First of all, there's Mr. White Dove, the peace ambassador. Although I don't think he has much of a chance of winning, I'll still support him!"

"Then there's 'Iron General' Collins. I think that old guy has been eyeing the position of city lord for a long time. As for some other [near-god] big shots, I wonder if they have any intention of running for the position."

Running for office is a life-threatening endeavor!

Could the white dove be the one mentioned in the rules? Since the old man dared to bring it up, it proves that this white dove must have publicly stated that he wanted to run for office!

And then there's General Klins, making three people including Korno. There are four veteran near-gods, and one whose identity is unknown!

Jiang Ran decided to go find the white dove first!

Known as the "Ambassador of Peace," the nickname does carry a certain weight in such a chaotic place.

Bai Ge was a big shot in the city, and Jiang Ran quickly found out where he lived. Too lazy to do anything roundabout or sneak in, he went directly to visit him.

The one who opened the door was a little devil with two heads: "Are you looking for Mr. White Dove? Do you have an appointment?"

In this paradise city, many people want to see the White Dove, so not just any lowly Karami without status is qualified to see their old Mr. White Dove. The purpose of these little devils is to keep such people out.

This kid is already quite polite.

"I didn't make an appointment." Jiang Ran simply pulled the contestant's token out of his pocket and waved it. "But I have this."

"Can I see your husband now?"

The imp rubbed his eyes, his face immediately showing some fear: "So...so it's the [Near God] Master! Of course, of course! Please wait in the hall, I'll go and inform my master right away!"

Jiang Ran nodded and followed her inside, sitting down on the plush sofa with Lin Zhi.

Soon, an elderly man wearing a pure white cloak and a pure white woolen hat slowly walked down the stairs.

[Rule Fourteen: Beware of "white doves"; if necessary, you can seek help from "crows"]

“What a rare guest, sir. We don’t seem to have met before.” White Dove sat opposite on the sofa, leaning her cane against the side. “I don’t recall you at all. Are you a resident of Paradise City?”

"No, I am an outsider, but according to your rules, I am still qualified to compete for the position of city lord."

“Of course, the city lord should be the most capable person.” White Dove smiled slightly. “Then, sir, what brings you to visit me? Could it be—to eliminate your competitors in advance?”

Upon hearing Bai Ge's words, the faces of the several young guards beside her instantly turned pale. If they were caught in the crossfire of a battle at the [Near God] level, they didn't know whether Bai Ge would live or die, but they were certain to be doomed!

"That depends on what we talk about next."

The white dove waved its hand, signaling all the servants to step back. The little devils breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly ran out of the hall.

"You may begin."

"Old Mr. White Dove, do you know what a demon is?"

Bai Ge's expression changed slightly for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.

"I thought you would discuss the city lord election with me, but I didn't expect this topic..." White Dove paused, "Then let me ask you a question: Do you think true peace will come?"

Will true peace ever come?

Jiang Ran shook his head: "That depends on what kind of peace you think it is. If you mean just no war, then it should be possible. But if you mean no more conflict between people, then it's impossible."

"No, nothing in this world is impossible. The reason for any failure is that the person involved has not tried hard enough or has gone in the wrong direction."

"We need to understand what we need to fight against in order to usher in peace, what the root cause is, and what efforts we need to make to achieve this."