Becoming a God Starts with Acting-Chapter 72: [The River God’s Wife] - Nerio’s Part (21)

Even though the outcome of everything was almost set in stone, everyone still returned to their rooms as Matthew had instructed. They knew now was not the time to act—each person had their thoughts and calculations, but they kept them hidden for now.

Leonard wiped the blood off his face, lowering his head. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was watching, he licked the blood on his skin. The taste immediately made his eyes glow red with excitement.

Kely and Elena had not completely turned into monsters yet, which made the taste of ordinary human blood even more tempting to Leonard. He knew very well that as long as he drank human blood, the aberrations in his body would disappear, and he would no longer have to hide anything!

Leonard glanced down at Nerio beside him, pressing his lips together. At the very least, he didn’t want to scare the boy.

"Hurry up and decide," Clow said as soon as they entered the room. "From the looks of it, if the numbers aren’t right, the wedding won’t proceed. Dragging this out will only put us at a disadvantage."

He adjusted his glasses, his deep-set eyes sweeping over everyone in the room. He had already chosen who needed to die. But if he wanted to eliminate both of them successfully, he still needed a plan.

After all, Matthew and Maya weren’t easy to deal with. Clow coldly thought to himself.

He wished they could just kill Matthew and Maya outright, but no one knew what would happen in the end. Having more people increased their chances of survival. He didn’t care if his teammates died, but he had no intention of dying here himself.

Clow smirked, looking at Matthew as if waiting for him to decide.

By now, darkness had begun to spread across the village. Whether by coincidence or not, the shadows crept in from the direction of the dark espers, partially obscuring Clow’s face, making him look even more sinister. His cruelty couldn’t be concealed no matter how much he tried to hide it.

The ordinary people in the room eyed Clow warily. Leonard instinctively shrank back, feeling as if Clow’s gaze was directed at him and Nerio.

Matthew frowned at Clow, stepping slightly forward to block his line of sight toward Nerio. His voice was cold as he said, "If you want, you can die right now and choose a teammate to die with you. I’d be more than happy. But don’t target Nerio."

Clow shrugged. "I’m just offering the most optimal choice. If you have a better one, feel free to say it." He glanced meaningfully at the other ordinary people in the room.

Leon immediately shouted, "Clow’s choice is the best one! Matthew, what are you even thinking?! Nerio is just a kid—he’s useless in the dungeon! And Leonard is nothing but a worthless jinx. The two of them dying is the most logical outcome!"

Before Matthew could respond, Taylor’s fist slammed into Leon’s face, knocking him to the ground.

Furious, Taylor glared at Leon. "Do you even hear yourself?! The person who deserves to die most here is you! We wouldn’t have survived this long if it weren’t for Nerio. Just because he’s used up his power doesn’t mean you get to treat him like this!"

Leon writhed in pain, two of his teeth knocked loose, his mouth filling with blood that continued to drip down. But somehow, he found the courage—or maybe just sheer stubbornness—to lift his head and shout back at Taylor, "Then what do you want to do?! Why don’t you die in his place?!"

Taylor pressed her lips together and rolled up her sleeves. "First, let me kill you first."

Seeing Taylor’s aggressive stance, Leon finally realized he was in danger. He screamed, backing away frantically. "What are you doing?! You’re trying to kill me?!"

Taylor’s eyes were red as she advanced toward Leon. Clow and the other dark espers stood on the sidelines, laughing, their gazes filled with anticipation as if they were watching an entertaining play.

Just then, Matthew’s hand suddenly appeared, blocking Taylor. She looked at him, eyes filled with confusion.

Matthew frowned at Taylor’s slightly contorted expression. "Calm down. You’re becoming the kind of person you despise."

Taylor saw the mocking faces of the dark espers, but now, she couldn’t wholly side with Matthew anymore. "Then what do you plan to do? Someone has to die, so how long are you going to hesitate? You can’t save anyone, Matthew."

Matthew pressed his lips together and lowered his head in shame. Seeing this, Maya frowned and spoke coldly, "But from the very beginning, he was the one who fought to protect ordinary people like you! Without him, you would have died the moment the dark espers appeared. Is this how you repay him after everything?"

Maya knew Taylor was likely affected by the dungeon’s energy, but she couldn’t just stand by and watch.

Taylor seemed to snap back to reality at Maya’s words. She lowered her head and whispered, "I’m sorry."

Matthew said nothing, but it was clear he was finally being forced to face the truth—their situation was far from good.

At that moment, Ace suddenly spoke up. "Get some rest first. We’ll decide everything in the morning. Who knows what we’ll be facing when the sun rises?"

Matthew didn’t object, and neither did anyone else. After all, for all they knew, this might be their last night.

Outside the dungeon.

"No one in there has the power to defeat Leonard. He looks timid and weak now, but if he faces a real life-threatening danger, his instincts will awaken. At that point, whether he wants to or not, he will kill," Drake, who had been silently observing the dungeon, suddenly spoke.

He continued, "The one who will die... will be the one trying to kill Leonard and Nerio."

The atmosphere grew heavy at Drake’s words. No one cared much about whoever Leonard might kill, but they all cared about Nerio.

Frank sighed in regret, shaking his head. "That kid could have been an outstanding esper. His ability is truly exceptional..."

"Maybe death would be a kind of mercy for him," Layla muttered, clutching a stack of documents. "This world is far too cruel. No matter how strong his power is, a child shouldn’t have to face danger so often."

Almost instinctively, everyone clenched their fists—not just for Nerio’s fate but for their own, for the fate of this world.

Why? Why was this force invading them? Why did they have to face all these horrors? How long until they achieved victory? How long until this suffering and despair finally ended?

"How long until a new god appears..." someone murmured, even though they knew their prayers would never reach the heavens.

It was a sleepless night for the humans trapped in the dungeon, a night that seemed to pass faster than usual.

The next morning.

Matthew, dark circles heavy under his eyes, looked at Ace seriously. "Can we talk?"

Ace raised an eyebrow, then smiled and nodded. "Of course."

Maya watched Matthew with concern. He met her gaze and spoke softly, "Stay and protect Nerio." freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Maya could only nod thoughtfully, though her eyes remained heavy with worry.

As Matthew and Ace stepped outside, Leon turned his gaze to Leonard, sitting beside him. "I want to talk to you, too."

His wounds had now darkened into ugly bruises, and with his exhausted, sunken face and bloodshot eyes from lack of sleep, he looked both pathetic and menacing—like a demon crawling straight out of hell.

Leonard instinctively trembled at Leon’s gaze. Obviously, he didn’t want to go with him, but fear kept him from speaking up and refusing.

Leon’s patience was already wearing thin. Usually, he would have shouted in frustration, but remembering his true goal, he forced himself to stay calm. "It’s about the family," he said. "It concerns you too—why you’ve been treated this way. Do you not want to hear it?"

Leonard shuddered, then made up his mind after a brief hesitation. He stood up and followed Leon.

Maya only needed one look at Leon’s expression to understand his intentions. She cast a pitying glance at Leonard but ultimately did nothing to stop him. She knew this outcome was inevitable. She could even guess why Matthew had gone with Ace—that foolishly kindhearted man was planning to sacrifice himself.

But she couldn’t stop him. Because Maya knew that, in the end, she was just as small and powerless.

"Now, why do you look like that?"

A soft, seductive voice suddenly echoed around Maya’s ears.

"Do you need to suffer this much? Things could be so much easier... if only you stopped caring so much."

At the same time, a rich, intoxicating fragrance filled the air, wrapping around her senses like a thick fog, invading every nerve in her body. For a moment, Maya felt like she was sinking, lost in the haze with no way out.

From the mist, Julia emerged, her movements languid and bewitching, like a true enchantress. She lifted Maya’s face with delicate fingers, her stunning features mere inches away as she whispered, "Just stay here with me... Everything will be better."

Maya’s expression turned hazy, her eyes unfocused, as if she were slipping under Julia’s spell.

Then, suddenly, she frowned.

Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. The pain jolted her back to her senses.

Maya’s eyes snapped open. With a sharp push, she shoved Julia away.

Wiping the blood from her lips, she swept a cold, piercing gaze around the room—only to realize that Nerio was nowhere to be seen.

Her expression instantly turned icy. She turned to Julia, her voice low and dangerous.

"Where is Nerio?!"