Goddess Kaleidoscope

But just then, a dark figure drifted over and transformed into human form beside the imposter god of thievery. It was the black-robed god whose true identity was unknown. His hoarse voice, neither male nor female, along with the black robe that completely concealed his body and face, made it difficult for Rude to observe the other party's appearance, but he had a vague sense of familiarity.

After the black-robed god appeared, the imposter felt as if she had found a pillar of support, but the moment he spoke, she broke out in a cold sweat.

"You want him to pray? I bet he won't dare!"

End of this chapter

The black-robed god appeared and killed the conversation with just one sentence. Not only was Lud stunned, but even the imposter was completely dumbfounded.

"Senior, you..."

"Don't listen to his nonsense, I don't believe he dares to."

"What? You think I can't do it? Or you think I'm too afraid?"

“I’m pretty sure…you wouldn’t dare! Because dying together like that would be a huge loss for you. You’re smart enough not to do that.”

The black-robed god spoke with great certainty as he walked toward the stone platform in the center of the altar. He then used a portal to lift Hume, who was still unconscious, out and threw him onto the platform. The action was quite rough and casual, like a butcher throwing a piece of pork onto a chopping board. When it landed, it made a "bang" sound, as if the butcher had hit the back of the head.

Then the black-robed god turned to look at Rudd. His entire face, hidden under the black hood, was completely obscured by black chaos, making it impossible to see his features or expression. However, Rudd could clearly feel a strong gaze fixed on him.

"If you want to pray, do it as soon as possible. I'm about to start the ceremony, and I don't have much time for you to dawdle."

His tone was clearly mocking, and the black-robed god completely ignored Lud and his threats, focusing instead on preparing for the ritual. Lud was bewildered by the other's attitude, and even the imposter beside him was dumbfounded.

After a brief silence, Lu De's lips curled into a cold smile.

"Damn it! Anyone who chickens out today is a fool!"

In front of everyone present, Lude instantly unleashed five layers of divine magical barriers, completely enveloping himself. Several Navarro family experts who had already reached his back exchanged bewildered glances. They had originally intended to launch a sneak attack, but the thickness of Lude's "turtle shell formation" was clearly beyond the capabilities of ordinary mortals like themselves.

Lude picked up the "speech" and loudly recited the names of one deity after another. The list was arranged from weakest to strongest, covering almost all the mid-ranking and above deities of the time. Each time Lude pronounced a name, a corresponding ball of faith light would emanate from above his head, slowly drifting towards the statue in mid-air. This scene, witnessed by the imposter, made her heart leap into her throat almost instantly. Finally, it was Bengbu!

"Wait, wait a minute! Stop! Stop right now!"

Hearing the imposter shout, Lud stopped reciting, then gently fanned the faith that was about to float onto the idol, sending it hovering nearby like a firefly, but not disappearing completely.

At this moment, the imposter also reached out and stopped the black-robed god who was drawing unknown runes on the altar, and said in a obviously panicked tone.

"Senior, wait a minute!"

"..."

The black-robed god, who had been suddenly stopped, stared at the imposter. After a brief silence, he sighed and then waved his hand at the nearly completed rune array. Some of the runes disappeared on the spot, and the halo dimmed.

"Then let's talk."

Seeing the black-robed god give in, Lu De's expression remained unchanged, but he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The imposter, on the other hand, patted his chest, looking as if he had just escaped from the brink of death.

At this moment, the black-robed god looked at Lude, his hoarse voice still sounding androgynous, but he seemed to be asking with great interest.

"Mortal who possesses the flame, I'm curious, why are you so determined to save this person? You should know that she was cursed by the God of War and is practically useless, unable to provide you with even the slightest bit of divine power. And you have so many goddesses around you, one more or one less makes no difference. Is it worth risking your precious primordial flame for her?"

"It's my choice, what's it to you?"

"Hehe! You don't actually like her, do you?"

"Yes! I'm attracted to her body, what's wrong with that?"

"..."xN

In front of everyone present, Lud's expression was open and his tone righteous, as if he were talking about something worthy of praise. Although the black-robed god could not see his expression, he could clearly sense that Lud had just been stunned for a moment.

"I must admit, for a mortal, you are indeed quite bold."

"My apologies, I've been brave since I was a child!"

"Since you're lusting after her body, why not choose her? In terms of appearance, she's not much different from Hume, and she hasn't been cursed by the god of war yet. She could make you the only chosen one, just like the other goddesses around you. Wouldn't that be better?"

Suddenly being promoted by the black-robed god, the imposter was initially stunned. She wanted to object, but then she thought it was indeed a good idea. Lude possessed the primordial fire and was a missionary genius with endless brilliant ideas. Her senior had mentioned some of his deeds to her before, and many of his actions had made her applaud in amazement.

If selling my body can make this guy switch sides and join my side, then this deal is definitely worth it!

The imposter immediately changed her expression and winked at Lud, but Lud returned the look with a look of utter disgust.

"I'm sorry, I'm indifferent to the woman next to you. Although their outward appearances are the same, their inner souls are completely different. I've known Hume for so long, and I've always treated her like a brother. What's wrong with going to great lengths to save a brother?"

"Hey! You just said you were lusting after her body."

"There is no conflict!"

"...Alright! So what exactly do you want?"

"Give her back to me, and I promise I will take my people and leave Yanmu City to return to the north. From now on, we will live in peace and not interfere with each other."

"Do you think that's possible? A divine position can only have one deity; this is an irreconcilable contradiction."

"Then let's cooperate! I will help Hume obtain a new divine position, and the position of God of Thieves will belong to her. It will take some time, but it's not impossible. If you don't even agree to this, then we'll all perish today."

By directly stating his conditions and bottom line, Lude stared directly at the faceless, black-robed god, and the atmosphere on the scene instantly became extremely tense.

At this point, the imposter stepped forward and offered to accept Ludd's proposal. He said that if Ludd could ensure he received the position of the god of thieves, returning Hume to him wouldn't be out of the question.

For the imposter, if she could get what she wanted without taking any risks, she was willing to compromise; it was better than going to war with Lud. This guy's threats were truly terrifying!

The black-robed god beside him saw this guy nod past him without saying a word, and silently retreated to the side. But Lud's attention remained on this guy, because he was the biggest threat here, and his intuition told Lud that the other party would never obediently submit.

End of this chapter

Using her powerful negotiating skills, Ludd successfully forced the imposter to compromise and agree to return Hume to her. However, as the price for this compromise, Ludd also had to sign a binding divine contract, demanding half of the Primal Fire as "ransom."

In other words, Ludd exchanged half of the primordial fire for Hume.

After both parties confirmed the divine contract was correct, they each signed their names on it. The imposter signed "Hume." As an alternate version of the god of thieves, she was essentially a substitute for Hume, so she did not have her own independent name. Her goal was to completely replace Hume and make herself the real one.

Lude and the black-robed god each used two unfamiliar languages ​​that the imposters couldn't understand. Fortunately, the divine contract finally emitted a glow that took effect, and the imposters, not wanting to reveal the truth that they were actually imposters, said nothing.

"Can I take Hume with me now?"

"Hand over half of your fire first."

"I need to make sure she's safe before I give you the fire."

"Hmph! You seem to care a lot about her."

“Of course! If you’re worried, how about this… I’ll stay here as a hostage, and you can release Hume. Once she’s in a safe place, my companions will send a message, and then I’ll give you the fire. I’m leaving myself here; do you two gods really think you can be afraid of me alone?”

"..."

The imposter eventually agreed to Ludd's conditions, so Ludd came to the stone platform of the altar. Hume had opened his eyes at some point, but his body seemed to be restrained and he was still unable to move.

At this moment, the black-robed god snapped his fingers lightly, and Hume immediately regained his mobility. He got up and immediately hugged Lud without hesitation, scolding Lud in a voice that was both clenched and slightly tearful.

"Are you an idiot?! Why did you agree to that condition?"

"Hey! I didn't come all this way just to get yelled at by you!"

"I'm going to curse you! You idiot, moron, brainless moron..."

Hume, holding Ludd tightly, berated him for almost ten minutes straight, each hurling a different insult. Ludd simply endured the abuse silently, occasionally adding, "You're right." This saccharine interaction between the man and the god left the onlookers speechless.

The fakes, in particular, made her feel extremely uncomfortable. Although she was in a superior position, she always felt like she had lost.

"Hey! Haven't you two been lovey-dovey enough? If you're going to leave, hurry up and don't waste your time here!"

Turning to glance at the imposter, Ludd silently helped Hume down from the stone platform, then whispered a few words in Hume's ear with his back to the crowd. The imposter tried to eavesdrop, but discovered that Ludd had used divine magic to block her view, preventing her from hearing a single word.

After the two finished whispering, Lude took the opportunity to give Hume a light, fleeting kiss on the lips. Hume was only stunned for a moment before he didn't hesitate to hug her again and give Lude a wet, hard "kiss".

"You have to keep your word."

“A man’s word is his bond. You know me, I never lie to my own people. Let’s go!”

As Ludd watched him go, Hume strode out, while the Navarro family members, at the signal of the head of the household, Terlin, silently stepped aside to make way for Hume.

Once Hume's figure left the altar, Ludwig was left alone. Facing the watchful eyes around him, he maintained a relaxed smile and asked the imposter with a somewhat nonchalant air.

Do you provide meals here?

"..."xN

And so, Ludd replaced Hume and remained with the Navarro family as a hostage. But the Brotherhood soon discovered that this guy had absolutely no sense of being a hostage; instead, he acted like a demanding master, shamelessly making all sorts of strange and unusual requests.

Moreover, at the slightest provocation, he would immediately lift his robe, revealing the circle of divine images hanging from his waist, as if he were about to self-destruct.

Leopards are known for their stubborn and unyielding nature, and they are fearless!

"You're quite calm."

"Do I need to panic? By the way, could you please remove that dark blob on your face first? It looks really awkward to me, Ms. Kumirard."

"Oh! When was it discovered?"

"When you suddenly appeared and rescued that imposter, I already had a vague idea. You are familiar with the situation on my side, and you are a mid-level god of the fourth rank or above. You are the only one who can fully meet these two conditions."

Upon hearing that Rude had already seen through his identity, the black-robed god casually removed the disguise from his face, revealing a face that Rude recognized—it was none other than the wicked goddess Kumirad, known for her wisdom and scheming.

The other party had previously stayed in Songshu Town for a period of time under the guise of "observation," but then said he was going to the south to visit an old friend and never returned. Unexpectedly, upon meeting again, they had become enemies.

It was somewhat unexpected, but upon closer reflection, it wasn't so surprising after all.

"Did you create that imposter?"

"No! Her birth had nothing to do with me, but I did help her grow to where she is today."

"why?"

"For no particular reason, I just thought it would be interesting."

Kumirard tells Lud that she met the imposter more than a hundred years ago. The Black Hand Brotherhood, abandoned by Hume, grew and developed on its own in Flamewood City, giving birth to her, an alternate version of Hume who bears the name "Hume" but is not Hume.

Out of curiosity, and also wanting to conduct an interesting experiment, Kumirard secretly raised this anomaly without Hume's knowledge. She wanted to know what would happen if an anomaly was allowed to continue growing until its power surpassed that of the original.

Most of the gods thought this would lead to counterfeits replacing genuine goods, but this was just a hypothesis, and no god was willing to try such a consequence. So, Kumirad did not hesitate to sell Hume, who was like his own daughter.

Hume was really unlucky to have a mother who was so difficult to deal with his daughter!

According to Kumirad's original plan, Hume, whose divine power had been sealed by the God of War, would eventually meet his end without knowing it. However, she was destined to survive and met her savior, Rud.

With his almost all-out intervention, the imposter god of thieves almost failed. In the end, Kumirad had no choice but to personally intervene and deliver a brutal blow to Lud, who had no mid-level god to assist him.