CHAPTER 156: CHAPTER156-SWINDLER MERCHANT

"No other choice? What do you mean by that?"

"What else could I possibly mean?"

A helpless smile appeared on Charles’s face. He let out a soft sigh before responding with a question of his own.

"In your opinion, who do you think is currently the strongest force on the surface?"

Daniel furrowed his brows at the unexpected question.

Under normal circumstances, the most powerful individuals should be the emperors of the ten great races.

But judging from recent events, the god devotees seemed to surpass even the emperors.

And as for those capable of defeating god devotees now...

Daniel’s mouth twitched slightly. After a pause, he pointed at his own nose, his expression turning strangely awkward.

"You’re not saying it’s me, are you?"

"Who else could it be, if not you?"

"Besides, your reputation has already spread within the god devotee circles."

Daniel paused for a moment, clearly caught off guard.

"What do you mean, your god devotee circles?"

"Oh? Don’t tell me you didn’t know?"

A trace of surprise flickered across Charles’s face, but he still went on to explain:

"Among us traditional god devotees, there has always been a form of connection."

"In the past five hundred years, the gods have become increasingly active. It was around that time that we were chosen and became devotees."

"With the Millennium Apocalypse about to arrive, we—those chosen by the traditional gods—have decided to band together to resist it."

"By the way, Ally is the youngest among us. She awakened her talent five years ago and was chosen by a god to become a devotee."

"So that’s how it is..."

Daniel nodded slowly, finally beginning to understand. Ally had known all along that he wasn’t one of the traditional god devotees.

"So, would the current strongest person on the continent be interested in a deal with me?"

"I’ll provide you with the precise locations of the Artists. All you need to do is eliminate them."

As Charles spoke, a gleam of excitement surfaced on his face.

"Well? Doesn’t that sound like a fair trade? The Artists may be dangerous, but I assume you’ve long since grown accustomed to danger."

Daniel didn’t hesitate long. He gave a simple nod, agreeing directly and without delay.

"I’ll make the deal."

No matter what, the Primordial Core Weapon was too dangerous to be left in the hands of those lunatics. He had to obtain it!

Besides, Daniel had just learned a new God Rank Skill—[Gift of the Veiled Goddess]—which allowed him to use consumables without limit.

In other words, if he could get his hands on the Primordial Core Weapon, he would essentially be able to use it infinitely!

The memory of Terra Fortress came flooding back to him, and Daniel’s heart surged with heat.

If he could master such a powerful weapon, he might actually stand a chance against the incoming Millennium Apocalypse.

Even someone as powerful as the Emperor of the Abyss probably couldn’t withstand a direct hit from the Primordial Core Weapon.

On the other side, Charles beamed with joy the moment Daniel agreed.

"In that case, let’s hope for a pleasant partnership!"

"Oh, and here—take this."

As he spoke, Charles pulled three cards from his backpack and handed them to Daniel.

One black, one white, and one red. The colors matched the hues of the moons in the sky.

"The Artists are cautious. Though they’re insane, they’re the rational kind of insane. They’re not as easy to deal with as you might think. And behind them lies an even deeper, more dangerous force."

"These three cards will allow you access to the Artists’ hiding places. Make sure to keep them safe."

Daniel nodded and placed the cards into his inventory space.

Charles narrowed his eyes, his smile growing even more radiant.

"Daniel, before you set off, I have one small question."

"Are you prepared to throw away your life?"

Daniel smiled calmly, showing no sign of hesitation.

"Don’t worry. I won’t die."

Charles chuckled softly, then reached into his chest pocket and retrieved an old, bronze-colored coin.

"Here, this is something His Grace—the god—asked me to give you."

"It’s a very special item. You’re quite lucky."

Wait—something from a god?

Daniel blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected that the Luck Goddess had actually prepared a gift for him.

At the same time, a system prompt appeared before his eyes:

[Ancient Lucky Copper Coin]

Effect: Upon use, you will become a devotee of the Luck Goddess and receive her divine protection.

"If you ever find yourself in trouble, or in a situation where your life is at risk, you can use this coin to pray to Her Grace. She’ll definitely protect you."

"Daniel, you’re a truly remarkable individual. No matter which god you choose to serve, you’re bound to be their first-choice devotee."

Only now did Daniel fully grasp Charles’s true intention.

So this was all a ploy to recruit him for the Luck Goddess.

But surely, Charles could already tell that Daniel had become a devotee of another god.

Now Daniel couldn’t help but suspect that Charles had sold those god husks to the Artists under the instruction of the Luck Goddess as well.

His first impression of the Luck Goddess had always been that of... a bit of a lunatic.

After all, what kind of sane being would willingly sell divine husks to a bunch of madmen like the Artists?

"If you’ve made up your mind, then we can proceed with the contract."

"I’ll also provide you with a portal leading directly to the Artists’ hideouts. That should save you quite a bit of time."

"In this world, apart from the gods themselves, I’m probably the only one capable of opening such long-distance portals."

Charles said this with clear pride—it was, after all, one of the main reasons he was such a successful merchant.

"Alright then, let’s sign the contract."

"Excellent! Lord Daniel, I look forward to the day you become one of the Luck Goddess’s devotees!"

...

Inside the Divine Temple, Ally sat devoutly, offering up a silent prayer to Moon Goddess Luna.

A moment later, she slowly opened her eyes and stared at the statue before her, whispering under her breath:

"Your Grace Luna, I understand now."

"I’ll carry out your will and continue the mission."

With a gentle sigh, she pulled out her communicator and sent a message to Daniel.

"Daniel, I heard you accepted Charles’s deal, right?"

"Let me tell you something—Charles is a shameless swindler. How could you possibly trust him?"

"Those Artists are far more dangerous than you think. They have an obsessive, pathological craving for Primordial Core Weapons."

"I know you’re powerful, but I still don’t think you should take on this mission."

"Charles is just using you—to help consume the Primordial Core Weapons."

"And the Luck Goddess... she’s crazy. You really need to be careful with her!!"