Caelan smiled, slowly extending a finger and pointing at the dwarf soldiers who had been abandoned and were lying on the ground.
“Robert, you just have to kill them. Look, these townsfolk are so wise, aren't they?”
“You don't want to save the townsfolk of Gluia Town?”
“I can also offer you a generous deal: money, equipment, beautiful women...”
Robert was silent, looking at Caelan.
Money could free him from poverty; equipment could make him stronger...
But behind the temptation was a test of human nature, a disregard for life, and even more so, a betrayal of guardianship.
The image of those abandoned dwarf soldiers kept rising in Robert's mind. They had once fought for Gluia Town, but now they had been ruthlessly abandoned by the townsfolk.
He remembered his mission as a warrior, and his heart of guardianship for this town, for the beastmen, and for his squadmates.
At the same time, Robert was very clear that this was Caelan playing with them, that this was a trap, and that Caelan would never let them go.
But at the moment, the townsfolk were unable to remain calm. Fear and the desire to survive were like two blazing flames that burned their reason away. Even though Caelan's words might be false, they still held onto the fantasy. In their eyes, even if there was only a glimmer of hope for survival, it was worth trying.
Robert's refusal seemed extremely hateful to them.
They could not accept that Robert had given up this opportunity that could have saved them.
In an instant, all the townsfolk's condemnation came flooding in. They cursed and swore, and all kinds of vicious words overwhelmed Robert.
In the blink of an eye, the hero had become a traitor. Everything Robert had done previously had become nothing!
Caelan asked Robert again, his voice tinged with a sense of oppression.
“Robert, are you really going to refuse my offer? This is your only chance.”
“I will not become a tool for you to play with.”
Robert continued to refuse without fear. Caelan frowned upon hearing this.
It seemed that he had sensed the displeasure within Abyss Sovereign's heart, and the three Shadow Demons directly howled and charged towards Robert.
Caelan watched the battle coldly, without the slightest ripple in his eyes.
Robert was unarmed and not at his best, so he was under pressure from the three Shadow Demons. One Shadow Demon pounced on him first. It was like a ghost, moving extremely fast. Robert dodged its attack with a side-step, narrowly avoiding it. But the other two Shadow Demons attacked from the sides, and he couldn't dodge in time, so he had to raise his arms to block. The sharp claws left deep scratches on his arms, and blood gushed out instantly.
Robert roared and swung his fist at one of the Shadow Demons. His fist hit the Shadow Demon hard in the head. The Shadow Demon was knocked flying and fell heavily to the ground. But the other two Shadow Demons attacked him even more frantically. Robert deftly avoided them, waited for the right moment, quickly turned around, and slammed his elbow into the back of another Shadow Demon...
After a fierce fight, Robert finally killed the three Shadow Demons. But he fell to his knees, panting heavily and covered in wounds.
Just as the exhausted Robert managed to stand up and continue to keep an eye on Caelan in front of him,
A dagger suddenly pierced his chest like a venomous snake. The dagger was completely black, with a strange pattern on the blade, and a dark red gem embedded in the handle, emitting a cold, cold light.
The sudden attack caused Robert, who was already seriously injured and dying, to fall to the ground instantly. His body trembled violently, and a large amount of blood gushed from his mouth like a burst dam. His face turned pale, and he struggled to turn his body sideways and look back. It was Birkin, who had been lying on the ground the whole time.
Birkin's hands were trembling slightly at the moment, and a little of the spurting blood was stained on those hands, the bright red bloodstains looking particularly glaring in the sunlight. There was a slight trace of fear on his face, but more of it was madness and greed.
“Great Abyss Sovereign, this stupid beastman doesn't know the situation, so I killed him for you personally!”Birkin shouted, leaning forward slightly to show his loyalty to Caelan.
“What he can do, I can do too!”
Birkin kicked the dying Robert, with full force, sending the seriously injured Robert several meters away.
Birkin was at level-3, but even so, if Robert had not already been seriously injured, even if he was holding a Quality-D weapon, Shadow Dagger, it would have been difficult to injure Robert.
Robert gasped for breath with difficulty, blood gushing from his mouth. He would never have guessed that Birkin, who always seemed weak and timid, would stab him at this moment.
Caelan's eyes scanned Robert, who was lying on the ground, and then looked at Birkin, who was holding the dagger.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
He was a little surprised inside. He didn't expect such a turn of events at this critical moment.
“What a show!”Caelan said softly.
The other townsfolk of Gluia Town were also shocked by the scene before them.
Seeing Robert lying in a pool of blood, the beastmen townsfolk, especially those who knew Robert, were all red with tears. They angrily cursed Birkin. A few of the beastmen even took their weapons in their hands and were about to charge forward.
However, before the demons could stop them, these beastmen were already pinned to the ground by the dwarf townsfolk around them.
The dwarves knew full well that Robert's stubborn refusal would surely anger Caelan. Caelan was obviously displeased with the dwarves, and although Birkin's actions were despicable, they were life-saving for the dwarves. They could not let these stupid and barbaric beastmen ruin everything.
Holding his dagger, Birkin did not hesitate to continue stabbing Robert several more times.
Robert died like this, his eyes no longer sparkling with light, only filled with endless sorrow.
Caelan sighed slightly, his eyes betraying a hint of regret. Robert was a good man with the dignity and bottom line of a warrior, which he had to admit.
At one point, he wanted Robert to be under his command and work for him.
However, things did not go as planned, and Robert's stupidity and pathetic dignity cost him his life. He did not understand that in war, survival is the most important thing, and dignity and the bottom line are just a luxury.
Good people are not needed in war!
Birkin held a blood-stained dagger and bowed to Caelan, with a servile smile on his face. Then he walked directly towards the dwarf warriors lying on the ground.
Birkin wanted to kill all the dwarf warriors in the square. Having gained his first experience of killing, Birkin, who stabbed again, was obviously much calmer. His eyes no longer showed fear or hesitation; instead, they were cold and determined. One after the other, his own kind, unable to resist, died a tragic death at the point of his dagger.
With each stab, Birkin discovered that, in addition to money, the thrill of killing was just as addictive.
With the final swing of the dagger, all the surviving dwarf warriors became corpses. The square was filled with a strong, sickening smell of blood.
Birkin's eyes were filled with a trace of madness and excitement, and he was breathing heavily. He walked up to Caelan again and prostrated himself on the ground once more.
“What's your name?”
“Great Abyss Sovereign, I am Birkin, and I am willing to submit to you!”
“Oh? Don't you hate me?”
“The weak are prey for the strong, it's only natural!”
“Haha...”
“My lord, if you are also willing to give me money and status, I think I will be even more loyal!”
Birkin looked up, his eyes gleaming with greed.
Birkin spoke his true thoughts: I stabbed Robert and the others to death just to get a chance! Gluia Town has fallen, and Caelan will become the new leader. He knows that the sooner he shows his loyalty, the more likely he is to get benefits!
Birkin didn't need dignity; he didn't even need a bottom line!
What he needed was wealth and power! In his mind, those were the things that really mattered.
Caelan looked at Birkin and grinned.
The more desire someone had, the easier they were to control!
The first individual to take the initiative to sell their souls and sign a soul contract with the Demon appeared.
===================================
Note: It seems that the panel attributes of Robert and Shadow Demon were omitted. Thanks to the reader for the reminder.
==============================================
Name: Robert
Level: 5
Race: Beastman
——————
STR: 24
INT: 8
AGI: 12
CON: 15
——————
HP: 158
MP: 59
ATT: 29
MAT: 12
DEF: 8
MDE: 4
==============================================
==============================================
Name: Shadow Demon
Level: 4
Race: Demon
——————
STR: 9
INT: 14
AGI: 18
CON: 6
——————
HP: 109
MP: 70
ATT: 16
MAT: 21
DEF: 3
MDE: 3
==============================================
==============================================
Name: Birkin
Level: 3
Race: Dwarf
——————
STR: 13
INT: 7
AGI: 6
CON: 8
——————
HP: 112
MP: 62
ATT: 15(+1)
MAT: 9
DEF: 3
MDE: 2
——————
Weapon: Shadow Dagger (Quality: D, Required Level: 3), ATT+1.
==============================================