Zongman: The wrong person on the ground, double Shenwei at the beginning

Although he was mentally prepared to be regarded as an evil god, he never expected that he would be cornered by a human with just a few words from the very beginning.

I was the one who initially approached this with the mindset of a trial, but in the end, it was the other way around—I was the one being tested.

He had initially intended to use this method to interrogate the obviously more naive fairy girl next to him... but it was used on him first.

Hehehe, is this karma coming back for my perverse sense of humor?

Did they foresee it, or did they have a premonition? Never mind, it doesn't matter.

I underestimated humanity after all.

No.

I should say that I underestimated you.

The only one I can't see through is Rod!

Previously, he may have harbored a small sense of self-satisfaction, hoping that after he became a necessary evil and a cornerstone of the era, he would watch humanity overcome the black dragon.

But at this moment, Rhodes also cruelly erased the possibility of this final sense of redemption.

Because the answer he had once used to deceive himself had been ruthlessly exposed to him.

Selfish and short-sighted humans do not want to achieve the benefit of others through their own death.

But he couldn't possibly abandon his plans because of that.

What he will do next is no longer the necessary evil to achieve justice, but the absolute evil of ignoring others' pleas for dictatorship and despotism.

Erebus opened his eyes again, and the atmosphere and tone changed accordingly. The smile that appeared on his lips was undoubtedly that of an evil god.

"Rhodes, hehehe, you really are different from everyone else here~"

"I'm curious, if you were in my position, what would you do?"

Rod chuckled softly.

"How interesting, a bewildered god is actually seeking answers from a mere human like me."

Erebus, however, was indifferent at this point and raised his hands to indicate that he had conceded defeat.

"Ah, stop arguing. I admit I can't beat you in this area, so do I have to kneel down to hear your answer?"

"I don't have that kind of perverse sense of humor, if you insist on hearing my answer."

The so-called omniscient and omnipotent god was obsessed with a heroic view of history and had not even touched upon the rudiments of a human view of history, which already made Rhodes find it boring.

But since he had already accepted the prayer, even though he didn't approve of the other person's actions, he still decided to take it seriously until the end.

It is both a way of respecting the act of saving humanity by those with different stances and a way to ensure a more abundant final reward.

Rhodes paused for a moment, and in front of everyone, including the trembling Lily and the bewildered Ryu, he delivered a conclusion that was almost cruel.

"A civilization that is destined to perish without the help of others is meaningless. If the people who make up this civilization are so weak that they can only rely on others, then this civilization is better off perishing sooner."

Erebus's eyes widened.

Silence, a long silence.

Then, covering his forehead, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!"

Erebus seemed genuinely amused, and eventually even clutched his stomach and laughed until tears streamed down his face.

Lily seemed to realize that the other party was not a kind god at all. Although she was very scared, she still stood beside Rhodes, raised her little fist, and mustered up her courage to stare at the other party.

Erebis glanced at Lily, raised an eyebrow in surprise, then looked away and gave Rhodes a deep look, his lips forming a cruel predator's smile.

"Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Rhodes~"

"I've already made up my mind, you will never be a hero, nor do you deserve to live into the next era!"

Erebis made the declaration of war against the evil gods.

"Next, I will use every means to kill you. Let me see where your limits really are."

Although Ryu's mind was a mess of conflicting ideas, when she heard the other party threaten Rhodes in front of her, her anger burned away her last shred of reason.

"I don't care who you are or what your purpose is, but how dare you... I absolutely will not allow it!!!"

The hurricane generated by the rampaging magic nearly blew the entire street into the sky.

If Rod hadn't held her back, Ryu might not have killed him in her berserk state, but she would have undoubtedly crippled him!

Even after Rod had pulled Ryu and Lily far away from that street, Ryu still gripped the wooden sword tightly from time to time, looking sullen.

Lily was startled by the chill emanating from Liu, swallowed hard, and asked in a low voice with her head held high.

"Brother Rod, he already said those things, why did you let him go?"

Liu pretended not to care, but her pointed ears had secretly perked up.

Rod smiled and ruffled Lily's hair, speaking casually.

"After all, if you want to clean up all the trash quickly, even if you feel disgusted, you can't just blow up the trash can at the beginning, right?"

He doesn't want to fight a protracted war.

The Great Conflict can lure out all the dark factions of Orario at once. As long as we are careful not to let any of the original characters escape, then there will be no worries about the future of this world.

After hearing Rod's explanation, Liu's furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

Recalling Rhodes's previous remarks, her previously held beliefs began to subtly change without her realizing it.

Chapter 50 Prayer Reward - Grace Activated, First Encounter with Hephaestus! (Seeking flowers and votes!)

[Level C patrol mission completed]

The task reward has been determined to be normal.

[Congratulations! You have acquired Ryu's skill, "Mental Reload".]

[Effect: The greater the mental energy consumed during an attack, the greater the power boost.]

Congratulations! You have earned 200 Wishing Points.

[Level A emergency prayer has been completed.]

[Task reward assessment in progress....]

[Reclaim the stolen money, guide the robber down a different path of self-reliance, prevent Ryu from being tortured and breaking down, interrogate Erebus in return until he is speechless, and draw his attention to yourself...]

[Task completion rate exceeded expectations, but the satisfaction level of those making wishes is abnormal.]

[Congratulations on the activation of Erebus's special power, Grace.]

[Effect: From today onwards, your blood is not divine blood, but you possess the ability to draw out the potential within others and gradually upgrade it!]

Congratulations! You have received 1000 Origin Points. Your current balance is 4000 points.

"...I see, so this child has been through all that."

With her red hair and an eyepatch over her right eye, Hephaestus made her decision without much hesitation after hearing Rhodes's account.

"Although we are a clan mainly composed of blacksmiths, we do not reject those who strive to support us."

"From this day forward, Lilyluka Erd belongs to my Hephaestus Familia!"

The conversion ceremony was completed quickly and efficiently.

The progress was too smooth, and Lily's prepared sincere speech was completely unnecessary, which is why she still doesn't feel like she's truly joined this large clan.

She nervously gripped Rhodes's fingers, secretly observing her new god.

Despite wearing a dignified black eye patch, she truly lives up to her goddess status; her beauty is undiminished!

Furthermore, the white top paired with black pants and gloves creates a simple, almost menswear-like outfit that can be described as "beautiful."

There's always a sense of security, like she's a big sister figure...

"Thank you, Goddess Hephaestus, for taking Lily in. I look forward to your guidance in the future."

Rhodes sincerely thanked Hephaestus.

After all, as a faction that semi-monopolizes the equipment market in the labyrinth city, it not only surpasses the city in wealth and high-end weapons, but also possesses formidable military power.

People wanting to join the Hephaestus Familia are as numerous as fish in a river, and some high-level adventurers even want to switch factions just to get the benefits of being part of the Familia so they can acquire high-level weapons at low prices.

However, more than 90% of those who were not blacksmiths were directly rejected.

It was truly an exception that Lily was accepted by the other party.

Rhodes's ability to obtain from Erebus was not divine power, which inevitably disappointed him, given his high expectations.

However, his ability to bestow favors upon others also gave him more ideas for future development.

Rhodes had seriously considered whether to simply keep Lily by his side, since he could unlock her sealed abilities anyway.

But after careful consideration, he decided to hand her over to the Hephaestus Familia.

The reason is the same as at the beginning.

There was no room for Lily to grow around him.

Moreover, if everything goes smoothly, the Hephaestus Familia will eventually become one of their own, so it doesn't really matter.

Hephaestus smiled gently at Lily, thinking about the panel he had just seen on her.

Its attributes are so low they're almost unbearable to look at, yet it gave birth to some incredibly interesting magic.

"No, I should be thanking you for giving me such a reliable person."

No wonder she was recommended by the child Astraea had her eye on.

"Woo..."

Lily was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes, and she silently gripped Rod's index finger tightly.

Aside from the Court of Stars, this was the first time she had been recognized by other people, especially the gods!

At the same time, Lily became even more determined to learn from the Hephaestus Familia and strive to grow stronger.

In just one day, the journey from hell to heaven felt like a dream.

Although Brother Rod said that the divine intervention was due to my prayers, I cannot comfortably enjoy this hard-won happiness.

I will remember that all of this was brought about by Brother Rod, and I must... become more useful!

"Ryu, take Lily to see Commander Tsubaki, and let her get familiar with life in the future."

Upon hearing Hephaestus's words, Ryu nodded slightly to Rhodes, then turned and left with a reluctant Lily.

The door was gently closed.

Only the two of them remained in the empty room.

Hephaestus pointed to the seat opposite her, crossed her legs, and chuckled.

"Sit down, you're welcome."

After Rhodes sat down as instructed, Hephaestus rested her chin on her hand and squinted her left eye with great interest.

“Astraea told me a lot about you. Before meeting you, I was somewhat skeptical, but after meeting you, I am convinced that what she said is true.”

"Oh?"

"Because of the eyes."

The god of blacksmiths, who had forged countless ironwares, gave such a definite answer.

"That unwavering gaze cannot lie. You are not destined to become a hero of justice, but your journey will be far longer and more glorious than those heroes!"

If we consider the children of the lower realm as prototypes, then Rhodes is the most dazzling, unique, and one-of-a-kind one!

Hephaestus sighed inwardly, and at that moment he began to understand Astraea's thoughts.

This existence, which even the gods find amazing and exciting, inevitably makes them protect it with even greater care.

If she had been the one who first saw this material, she probably would have hesitated for a long time before concluding that she should forge it herself.