Rudra was stunned by the contradictions in Charles.
Even though those so-called "dearest friends and relatives" lay lifeless at his feet, Charles spoke of them with unwavering conviction.
Generally speaking, to deceive a god, one must either be mentally ill or hypnotized.
If Rudra knew that Charles's "dearest friends and relatives" were far from warm words, he would surely understand him.
"Humph… huh… hahahahahahahahahaha—"
Rudra laughed loudly, clutching his face as if he had discovered a fascinating new toy.
Like his divine duties, Rudra was the embodiment of violence and evil, but also a benevolent god who healed and saved. His very existence was paradoxical. Rudra was a name shared by dozens of gods.
In future tales, when faced with Ryuu, who was consumed by hatred and revenge, Rudra also extended an invitation. To him, Ryuu—justice tainted by hatred and obsessed with killing—was a perfect fit.
At that moment...
"Interesting, you are truly interesting."
"I can't see through you!"
"Your loved ones told me this is a deal that cannot be negotiated."
"Tell me... what must I do for you to join my clan and become my child?"
Faced with Rudra's olive branch, Charles did not answer directly:
"You want me to change clans. Even if I agreed, what meaning would that have? Can you get my Lord God to agree?"
Rudra shrugged with a smile. "You misunderstood. I'm not asking you to join immediately. Stay with your clan a while. I'll find you when the time comes. Don't worry—it won't be long. I'll make your main god speechless."
"As long as you cooperate."
"Then you won't have to stay in those garbage dumps. You'll have a broader sky and greater power! Oh, and you won't need to scavenge scraps anymore."
He reached into his bosom and pulled out a dagger with a blood-red blade, tossing it onto the ground.
"Here."
Charles glanced at the dagger's cold gleam and bent down to pick it up.
His handsome face reflected clearly on the scarlet blade, radiating a faint evil aura. He felt an involuntary shiver.
This is...
"A cursed weapon! Be careful—if it scratches you, even healing magic won't fix it," Rudra warned.
Charles gave up testing his armor's sharpness and looked up:
"What do you want from me?"
"When the time is right, provide me with some trivial information. For example, where your Lord God likes to go."
"Who? You want me to betray Master Soma? Don't you know he's my adoptive father?"
Rudra's tone turned indifferent: "Though I like you, the organization isn't decided by me alone. You'll need to prove your value."
"This is my sincerity," Rudra said, pointing at the dagger.
Charles toyed with the dagger silently.
"I was born in the Soma clan..."
Rudra glanced around at the charred corpses and scoffed, "Would someone like you care about such things?"
"Besides... the Soma clan? With your abilities, how could a clan like that hold you back?"
Charles carefully wrapped the dagger with a cloth strip from his trouser leg and tucked it away.
"You are mistaken, Rudra."
"Your words have opened my eyes. But I was born into the Soma clan and have been 'taken care of' by Lord Soma since youth. He is my second parent!"
After a pause, Charles gritted his teeth and stomped as if wronged:
"Yes—more money!"
Rudra paused in surprise, then burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.
"Hey, you... hahaha, you're really interesting! Fine! How much do you want?"
Charles thought a moment, then spread five fingers: "Five..."
"Okay! Five million valis!" Rudra clapped, and a red-haired cat-man adventurer emerged from the shadows of the corridor.
It was none other than Jura, leader of Rudra's group—stabbed three and six times by Ryuu with daggers in the drama, yet still kicking—[Slave Cat] Jura.
He stared coldly at Charles and whispered, "Lord Rudra, we only brought six million valis this trip. This fund replenishes slaves."
"Enough talk! Here!"
Jura's tone hardened as he stared at Charles, then pulled a large leather bag from his backpack and tossed it to Charles.
Charles lowered his eyes, looked at the five fingers he'd shown, then at the sack filled with high-denomination valis bills.
No... are they really giving this to me?
He'd only intended to ask for 500,000, but it increased tenfold!
Charles threw his magic stone package into the sack and hugged it. The dwarf's bulky armor was just enough to hold this large bag.
Rustling noises came from afar.
Apparently, Canoe and the others' screams had attracted some adventurers.
"Those righteous bitches are here," Jura muttered.
Rudra eyed Charles with satisfaction:
"I'll leave it here. Remember, I need you to climb the ranks within three months—to clan management. When the time comes, I'll have someone find you. Don't forget."
"No problem!"
Don't blame my godfather—he gives too much!
A real man lives between heaven and earth. How could he be depressed or inferior for long?
Charles shrugged, shouldered his gear, and walked past Rudra.
"Three months is too long. One month! I want your people to come to me in a month! I'll give you a big gift!"
"Wow…"
As Charles disappeared down the corridor, Rudra's interest deepened.
Jura curled his lips in confusion:
"Lord Rudra, is it necessary to waste time talking nonsense with such a loser?"
"Don't underestimate him because he's level 1," Rudra smiled.
"He's cruel, greedy, cunning. Most importantly, he has huge potential. He can slaughter a small monster feast in an instant. Such strength is rare even at level 2. Killing humans earns more experience points than monsters! People like him will evolve fast!"
"Though we have many people, few cadres have been promoted…"
"Still, giving five million valis at once—was that necessary? For low-tier folks, 500,000 valis is enough to motivate them." Jura frowned.
"What do you know? This is winning hearts with virtue."
Rudra's eyes deepened.
"More importantly, he wasn't shocked by you and wasn't afraid. That means he has a trump card we don't know."
"Trump card that can escape your grasp? Magic?"
Jura's eyes widened: "Impossible! I'm level 3! Even if we were the same level, I wouldn't let him escape!"
Rudra narrowed his eyes:
"That's the problem! If he refuses my offer, I want you to test him. If we can't use him, he will become our great enemy."
He sneered:
"Soma? Hahaha… it's hard to imagine how such a freak emerged from that stay-at-home kid. And... it was delivered to me!"
"Soma... he's confused!"
Jura hesitated: "What if he's not?"
Rudra flicked his golden earrings:
"It was a feint, but it worked."
Jura tilted his head: "Why don't we try him?"
"Oh?"
Jura grinned: "I sent people to 'hunt' him. If he really doesn't escape, how else can we prove his innocence?"
Rudra smiled, hands behind his back, turning away into the shadows:
"Then... let's wait and see."