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

"No. Given your condition, encountering any other adventurer would mean certain death."

Fei'er's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a sad and sorrowful expression.

"Why... but Mr. Rhodes didn't do anything."

“I am naturally different from them. Because I have long known that you are different from ordinary monsters.”

"I long for the sky outside... Can't humans and we really coexist peacefully...?"

"That's why I came here."

[S-Rank Prayer Issued.]

[Content: Let humans and heretics coexist peacefully (Posted by: Uranus) / Let heretics live freely under the blue sky, free from persecution (Posted by: Dungeon).]

[Reward: Gain one of the opponent's abilities, and the corresponding Wish Points]

Rhodes slowly turned around and looked at the dozens of heretics of various shapes and sizes who had quietly surrounded him at some point.

"So, could you send the leader out to talk to me?"

"Fei'er, come back quickly!"

A songbird with a magnificent long tail warily stepped out of the group and shouted sharply at Fei'er.

She was beautiful and charming, with long, dark golden hair, each strand of which had a mysterious bluish tinge.

Those forelimbs, which are equivalent to arms, are also a pair of beautiful golden wings, just like Fei'er's.

Its lower body is covered with feathers of the same color, and it has a pair of long legs with sharp claws at the front.

Fei'er was a little reluctant to leave. She wanted to learn more about what was happening on Earth, and she felt that Rhodes really meant her no harm.

"But....."

Rhodes rubbed her little head again, an affectionate gesture that instantly put the surrounding heretics on edge, almost sending them into battle mode.

"Go."

When the heretics saw that Rhodes had indeed released Fei'er back to their camp, they couldn't help but look at each other in bewilderment.

For the first time, they felt that this human adventurer before them seemed to be truly different from others.

"Humanity!"

A burly gargoyle was silent for a moment, then finally spoke in a vicious voice.

"I don't know how you got here, but since you didn't hurt Fei'er, please leave immediately! You're not welcome here!"

"Hey, Guross, don't say that!"

On the other side, a lizardman wielding a spear immediately stopped him.

"This might be a fantastic opportunity to communicate with humans!"

Guross turned his head away, stubbornly sticking to his own opinion.

"Hmph, Reed, humans are just humans! There's no difference at all! You should have given up that naive and boring idea a long time ago!"

The lead bird-singer glanced at Rhodes, who had been quietly watching their conversation the whole time, and after a moment's hesitation, finally spoke.

"Ordinary adventurers would shout and kill us as soon as they see us. If we were to speak, it would only make them more terrified. But... he's different."

Lei's words almost made Guros laugh in anger.

What do you mean by "he's different"?

How many times must you be fooled, how many more of your own kind die tragically, before you finally learn your lesson?

Chapter 99 The Dungeon's Prayer Rewards, the Heretics' Humble Life (Please Subscribe, Please Vote~)

Rhodes watched the heretics argue quietly, and his opinion of them was actually quite good.

Even Guros, who was most hostile to him, only put on a threatening look to drive him away, without showing any murderous intent.

Rey and Reed even spoke up for him directly.

Hmm... could it be said that even with deep-seated hatred, the instincts of animals are ultimately purer than those of humans...?

Seeing that the argument was going on and on, Rod snapped his fingers lightly.

"I said...."

Skill: Dragon's Fear, activated!

An invisible yet seemingly tangible and terrifying aura instantly swept through the entire cave.

That wasn't just a simple pressure; it seemed to be an absolute domination of lower beings by the highest level of life!

The heretics' bodies trembled uncontrollably, their muscles stiff as stone, unable to move even a finger.

My thoughts seemed frozen, and my heart was gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

An irresistible fear from the depths of their souls instantly overwhelmed their reason!

Then, something even more horrifying happened.

Beside each of them, in the shadows that were originally empty, one by one, shadow soldiers holding sharp blades and with red eyes silently appeared!

The slight numerical advantage that the heretics held in their hearts was crushed in an instant.

They realized with horror that if the man opposite them so desired, with just a thought, they could all be torn to shreds in an instant.

Lei Yi pursed her lips, her beautiful eyes filled with intense turmoil and indescribable sadness.

Did I see it wrong...?

"Now you should understand, right?"

Rhodes's calm, unwavering voice echoed slowly in the silent cave.

“If I really harbored hostility towards you, I would have killed you all by now.”

A chill ran through all the heretics.

Even the previously most defiant Guros could only tremble with his teeth chattering, unable to utter a single word in rebuttal.

With a gentle wave of his hand, Rhodes's suffocating dragon terror and all the shadow soldiers vanished as if they were illusions.

However, not a single heretic dared to make a move.

They now felt as if countless cold eyes were hidden in every shadow around them, staring intently at them.

If they dare to show even the slightest hostility, those terrifying shadows will once again surge forth and tear them to pieces.

Rod watched them quietly.

"I'm here to give you an opportunity."

"An opportunity for you to live openly and honestly on the surface of the earth."

"!!!"

All the heretics stared wide-eyed, their faces displaying a complex mix of shock, doubt, and disbelief.

"Of course, all of this comes at a price."

"You pledge your loyalty to me, and I guarantee your safety."

An extremely harsh contract simultaneously surfaced in the minds of all the heretics.

They had never been exposed to written language, yet they instantly grasped the content and meaning of the contract.

They will truly be guaranteed freedom and will truly be able to live under the blue sky, but the price is that they will have to sign this indenture that entrusts them with everything!

"Freedom is always relative. But I can promise you a bigger and safer cage."

Rod smiled kindly and brightly.

"Choose now: become my warrior or my dead."

The heretics exchanged glances and gave each other bitter smiles.

There's really no choice...

After that, all forty-odd heretics, without exception, signed contracts with Rhodes.

To prevent any accidents, Rhodes even sent Kamish down with them to find some companions living on other floors—such as mermaids living near the water—and bring them back to form contracts with them.

What started as an accidental encounter unexpectedly escalated into a situation where all the heretics became Rhodes's subordinates.

But even the most stubborn gargoyle, Guros, felt a sense of relief and peace, and a smile even appeared on his lips without him realizing it.

The heretics lit a bonfire, the flames crackling and casting flickering light on their excited yet somewhat uneasy faces.

They generously offered their treasured fruits and delicacies, which shone with a strange luster and aroma, to their new master. Everyone sat around the campfire as if they were having a feast.

Guros added a thick piece of firewood to the raging fire, watching the flickering flames with mixed feelings.

"I never imagined that I would feel genuinely relieved to be a subordinate of a human...々"

During this period, the existence of heretics was relatively secretive, and they did not have much contact with adventurers, so some of them did not have the radical attitude they had during the main story.

"Gahahahaha!"

Reed the lizard scratched his hard scalp and let out a hearty, rugged laugh.

"Lord Rhodes is the most terrifying enemy, but if he is our protector, then we are most at ease."

The orc Fur, who wasn't very talkative, just growled softly, nodding his furry head vigorously and gesturing wildly in agreement.

Compared to humans, these special beings were better able to sense the unfathomable and terrifying aura emanating from Rhode once the disguise was removed.

That absolute difference, stemming from the level of their very souls, allowed them to quickly recognize reality from the very beginning.

At this moment, Rhode was holding the soft and cuddly bird-woman girl, Fei'er, in his arms. The little girl was curled up in his arms like a docile kitten, happily playing with the exquisite doll that Rhode had given her.

Rhodes, meanwhile, stared into thought as he looked at the system notification in his mind.

[S-rank wish completed.]

[Reward level determination is normal.]

[Task completion rate is normal, and the satisfaction level of those making wishes is above average.]

Congratulations on receiving an S-level reward!

[Congratulations! You have obtained the special dungeon building, the Maze Holy Spring!]

Congratulations! You have received 10000 Wishing Points. Your current balance is 17080 points.

Indeed, the moment he signed the pact with the heretics, based on his intentions and his ability to accomplish his goal, the wish was already deemed fulfilled.

This is the first time that the same wish has been posted by two different people with different requests.

To be fair, Rhodes was naturally more interested in Uranus's abilities.

However, the other party's prayer was for humans on earth to coexist peacefully with heretics.

This is a complete joke.

Even setting aside the grudges and conflicts of thousands of years and the dark chain of interests, no matter how many guys like Bell from the original work appeared, it would be impossible to achieve such a goal.

Because even humans can't coexist peacefully with one another...

Of course, it wouldn't be impossible to kill everyone in the world down to just those who "genuinely" choose to coexist peacefully with heretics.

But putting aside whether it was worth doing, even a fool would think that Uranus's prayer didn't ask him to do that.

Rhodes was only briefly tempted before regretfully giving up and choosing another path.

He had indeed suspected that the dungeon was alive, but he never expected that she could also make a wish.

If the other party's wish were placed in the DanMachi world, it would theoretically be an almost impossible task to complete.

But... he can travel to other worlds!