God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

Cain couldn't help but shake his head.

He glanced at the people from the Iron Beetles that had gathered here.

They all wore boisterous clothing and were decked out in precious magical gems. However, from the looks of it, most of them, besides carrying Celestial Blessings, didn't have much more than a lock of mana in them.

Meaning they were weaker than rats, and would be less useful than a gust of wind, should a battle with the Devils break out.

And yet, the moment those words came out of Carrion's mouth, terrifyingly greedy expressions filled their faces.

They looked like hungry wild dogs waiting to nibble on an already rotting carcass.

Alvi stood towards the back alongside his son and a few of his people, a contemplative look on his face. Cain had no idea what was going on in his mind.

Carrion continued with a smile,

"I believe this battle is one that can be won only if we fight it together, Gilead. Don't be hardheaded now."

"That is a load of crap, Carrion." Siesha said with a snort, moving forward to stare down at Carrion with contempt.

Carrion smiled and bowed mockingly,

"Ah, yes. The most useful member of the Council. Kaelin's favorite whore before he passed away."

Seisha's face turned black with rage. The Aether Beast beneath her growled menacingly at him, its eyes glowing fiery red, ready to rip Carrion's jugular out with a single order.

However, Carrion didn't even flinch,

"Tell the beast to shut up or I'll send it back to the Aether."

Then he cleared his throat and turned to Gilead, a sickly smile on his face,

"So, what do you think? All of the Iron Beetle stands behind me with this decision. Sure, you might think I am being unreasonable, but that is because you don't have the full picture yet. As long as you understand what—"

Gilead sighed, and turned to Cain, cutting Carrion off,

"Cain's what do you think?"

There was a moment of silence, and Cain felt the gazes on his turn even harsher.

Steve, who was watching a few feet away couldn't help but chuckle.

A bit perplexed, Vincent couldn't help but shake his head,

"Incredible. If the Devils attack, its all our asses. What else is there to negotiate?"

Steve smiled then shook his head,

"It is precisely because of this that the Council have everything to lose, and the newcomers stand to lose very little."

His smile turned a bit dark, Maybe they even have a contingency plan, who knows."

Vincent scratched his head,

"Still, Cain seems to have things under control, right?"

Steve rolled his eyes, "Of course he does. If he couldn't handle this much, we'd all be screwed, now wouldn't we..."

And indeed, the next moment, Cain burst out laughing.

In his mind, he could already see where this was going.

'How intriguing...'

He turned to Gilead and parted him on the shoulder,

"I cannot make your decisions for you, my friend. But I can tell you this..."

He raised his voice, making sure it was loud and clear so everyone gathered there would hear him.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"I happen to have a ton of weapons and armor I wish to get rid of. If you are ready, we can discuss over a meal and drinks. You welcomed us into Valestorm with open arms, and so, we will fight alongside you."

He placed his arm across his chest, his expression turning a bit heroic,

"I have hope that we can create a bastion of humanity's salvation. And that begins here, in Valestorm."

Carrion seemed taken aback.

He frowned and shook his head,

"You think we don't have any information? According to what I know, you only have a small team of artificers besides yourself."

He sneered as he added,

"Do you want me to believe you can handle the needs of tens of thousands? I am sorry for the doubt, but I think over confidence is a vice, not a virtue. A rather dangerous one at that..."

Cain didn't even spare him a glance,

"So, Gilead. That is all I have to say. The decision lies in your hands."

Gilead nodded,

"Indeed. That's all I need to hear."

He turned to Carrion, a strange look in his eyes.

Carrion's frown deepened, and he took a step back. Or at least, tried to.

The next moment, an armored fist came flying towards his face.

As someone proficient in martial arts, and a powerful fighter himself, Carrion had trained his abilities to near perfection. At Level 198, he was the highest leveled Hunter under the Iron Beetle's Knife Division.

He was, for lack of better words, a charismatic powerhouse, one that had a rather hefty say in the Iron Beetle.

And yet,, he was only seconds away from eating a mouthful of fist.

He reacted impressively quick, crossing his arms in front of his face and using the momentum to slide back.

In a matter of seconds, the atmosphere changed.

The shrill sound of swords being drawn from their sheaths, the blades end of spears being pointed at throats, and the slightly electric sound of mana charging up in the magic guns being aimed at the foreheads of both sides.

It was silent chaos.

Carrion chuckled as he raised his head, a sinister grin marring his otherwise handsome features.

"Nice. Wonderfully done. I knew you wouldn't listen to reason, Gilead."

Cain turned to him and smiled,

"I believe you have your answer, Blondie. Take a hint and take your dogs away."

The sinister expression on his face melted away almost immediately. He shook his head with a polite smile and said,

"Is that so... Then I believe there is nothing else to say here."

He turned around and clapped,

"There's nothing for us here. Let's go."

Looks and whispers of confusion went around for a moment.

A man dressed in perfectly tailored mutant beast hide stepped out from the crowd, an enraged expression on his face,

"Carrion! We cannot swallow such disrespect! We are a part of Valestorm too! You are the esteemed leader of our Knife, and yet, you are treated with such disrespect! We cannot stand for it! It is a slight against the Iron Beetle as a whole!"

Another woman who looked to be in her late forties, wearing a flowing dress with shimmering scales walked forward with two handmaidens at both sides.

She smugly folded the fan in her hands and pointed it at Gilead,

"We will remember this, Gilead. You betrayed your people and sided with the man that killed your former leader. Expecting integrity from you was our greatest mistake."

With a cold expression on his face, Gilead spoke,

"You have made your point, I have made mine. From now on, there is nothing between the Council and the Iron Beetles. You will stop providing your equipment to us. You will keep the territory in Valestorm you already have. But do not expect to use any infrastructure the temple provides."

Carrion chuckled, "I agree with those terms."

He turned towards the man and woman who seemed to hold high positions in the Iron Beetle, seeing as they didn't wear any insignia in them,

"What do you guys think?"

The man snorted then sneered, "I believe death is the ultimate teacher. Don't blame us when your men start falling like flies."

The woman shook her head, "I have nothing more to say."

Carrion turned to Alvi who stood at the back,

"What do you think, Alvi?"

Alvi was silent for only a moment then answered,

"I have no problems with it."

Only he knew if that was what he really believed.

It was nothing strange, Cain thought to himself.

He wasn't surprised at all. This was just human nature revealing itself. The uncontrollable urge to gain an advantage.

Greed...

The Iron Beetle was built on greed. He cold see it festering in their eyes.

These people wanted to gain more and more and more.

In the height of these post apocalyptic events, they had gained a lot. They got to live like they had never before thanks to their unique circumstances, standing at the very top of the totem pole.

All this time, they were only inferior to Balangol and the council.

Now that Balangol was gone and the council had lost a lot of power, it was their only chance to take control of Valestorm completely.

If they succeeded and managed to take total control, they had the opportunity of becoming the very backbone of humanities upheaval.

In the distant future, they could become kings and queens, leaving behind lasting legacies for their generations to carry on.

Such temptation was difficult to pass on, especially since, as crazy as it sounded, it could definitely play out this way.

He has to hand it to them, they were gunning for the long run, if this was their true intention.

However...

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Cain suddenly, raised his hands, a large grin on his face.

Gilead raised a brow,

"You have something to say, Cain?"

Cain nodded, gently rubbing his chin with a grin,

"As you all know, because of Balangol's unfortunate exit, this barrier that protects all of us from the blackened claws of the Devils is being maintained by Sir Gilead over there. Therefore, I suggest that if you want to enjoy the peace until the inevitable arrives, wouldn't it only be reasonable to pay a small fee in return?"