Chapter 30:The Grand Scam Begins

The journey to the Mud Gremlin village was nothing special—just a lot of excited babbling from their captured "representative" and a whole lot of patience on Mike's end. Kiera, as usual, looked unimpressed, while Loran was already piecing together his next move like a true scam artist.

But as they neared their destination, Mike suddenly furrowed his brows. Something felt oddly familiar about this place. His eyes darted to the rocky formations nearby, and that's when it hit him.

Wait a damn second.

"This is…" Mike mumbled, scanning the area.

Loran raised a brow. "Hmm?"

Mike leaned in. "This place—it's right behind the cave where Eli and I planned the village rescue."

Loran blinked, then smirked. "Oh? So you didn't check this area back then?"

Mike clenched his jaw. "…I might have overlooked it."

Kiera, walking beside them, snorted. "Pfft. Smartest guy in the room, but still an idiot sometimes."

Mike sighed. "Not now, Kiera."

But there was no time to reflect on past mistakes—because they had just entered the village.

The Mud Gremlin village was exactly what Mike expected: crude huts, half-destroyed fences, and gremlins running around like headless chickens. But despite the chaos, they were quickly led into the largest tent, where the Village Chief was waiting.

The chief was an older gremlin, slightly taller than the rest (which wasn't saying much), and he carried a wooden staff that looked more like a random tree branch than an actual symbol of power. He squinted at them suspiciously.

"Who are you outsiders?" he rasped.

Loran stepped forward, his expression serious, but Mike could already feel the manipulation coming.

"Respected chief," Loran began smoothly, "we come bearing an opportunity—a chance for your people to thrive."

The chief's eyes narrowed. "Thrive?"

Loran nodded solemnly. "Yes. Your people work hard, yet struggle. But what if we told you… there was a better way?"

The chief looked uncertain, but clearly interested. "…Speak."

Mike smirked. Hooked.

Loran sighed dramatically. "However, before we discuss this golden future, we must understand your greatest struggles. What plagues your people most?"

The chief huffed, his face darkening. "It is… the pests."

Mike blinked. "Pests?"

The chief scowled. "The underground creatures! They destroy our crops, ruin our food. We try to farm, but they always eat everything before we can harvest. We are left with no choice but to hunt!"

Mike stiffened. He slowly turned to Loran and whispered. "…Loran. Does this remind you of anything?"

Loran's lips curled into a knowing smile.

Then, at the exact same time, both of them turned back to the chief with matching demonic grins.

Kiera sighed. "Oh no. Here we go again."

The chief led them to the damaged farmland—or at least, what was left of it. The fields were utterly destroyed, patches of dirt overturned, and deep tunnels ran beneath the ground. It was clear that something had been feasting here for a long time.

Mike, without hesitation, pulled up his system menu and immediately spent his remaining evolution points on a bomb.

[CONFIRM PURCHASE?]

Mike grinned. [Hell yes.]

A small, advanced-looking impact bomb materialized in his hand, and he casually tossed it to himself before gripping it tightly.

The chief looked confused. "What is that?"

Mike smirked. "A solution."

Without warning, he chucked the bomb into one of the largest tunnels and stepped back.

BOOM!

A muffled explosion rocked the ground. Then… silence.

Then—SPLAT!

Chunks of burnt underground creatures rained down from the tunnel openings. The Mud Gremlins screamed in shock and awe, their little bodies trembling.

The chief stared. "W-WHAT—"

Mike dusted off his hands. "Problem solved."

Silence.

Then—

"A-AMAZING!" the chief gasped, "YOU… YOU MUST BE GODS!"

Mike froze. "Wait, what?"

The surrounding gremlins all dropped to their knees, whispering amongst themselves. "A god… a true god…"

Kiera covered her mouth, trying to hold in her laughter. Loran, meanwhile, looked like he had just won the lottery.

"Ah, my lord," Loran said, barely containing his smirk, "it seems they now worship you."

Mike's lips twitched. "This… this is actually insane."

The chief looked up at them with desperate eyes. "Great Ones, will you bless us with food as well?"

Mike and Loran exchanged one final look.

And then, without hesitation, Loran stepped forward like a true prophet.

"Indeed! Our great lord shall bestow upon you the blessings of food! However…" Loran's eyes gleamed. "…In return, you shall work for us! This is the will of the gods!"

The gremlins cheered in blind agreement.

Mike whispered to Loran. "…We just scammed an entire village into labor."

Loran whispered back, "And they think it's a divine blessing."

Both of them grinned.

Kiera, shaking her head, muttered, "You two are actually the worst."

Mike smirked. "Nah. We're just efficient."

TO BE CONTINUED…