Chapter 250 247: Fooling Gruul

Chapter 250 247: Fooling Gruul

"You don't mind if I take them, do you?" Val asked.

"I don't mind at all, Master," Gruul replied, his voice tinged with a respect that went beyond mere formality.

Val smiled appreciatively. n-)OVe1b1n

"You know, I'm not one to simply take things from my subordinates without offering something in return. I'd feel bad if I did. So, I'll give you these in return."

As he spoke, he took out a handful of Soul Crystal Shards along with a fully intact soul crystal from the Void Orb with a thought and held them out to Gruul.

"I hope you find these useful," he added.

Initially, Gruul thought Val's kind gesture would be just that—a nice, yet ultimately useless, offering. He had seen many trinkets in his time and few had caught his interest. But as he laid eyes on the items Val extended, his gaze sharpened, and a rare expression of joy flickered across his inhumane features.

The Soul Crystal Shards and the soul crystal were overflowing with life force!

Now, it's important to understand that Gruul was not like a human; he didn't have a heart, organs, or even a single drop of blood in his body. Instead, his form was crafted from a unique material that thrived on life force.

Basically, life force served as his sustenance and longevity, much like how food and water nourish humans. On top of that, his strength was also dependent upon it. The more life force he have, the stronger he would be.

In other words, the things Val was giving him in exchange for his vials were extremely beneficial to him. Consuming them could have a significant impact on his power level, and also extend his lifespan by many years.

He extended a hand to grab them, but withdrew it at the very last moment.

"Master, I must be honest with you. The value of what you're offering far exceeds the worth of my two crystal vials," Gruul said.

Although Gruul clearly coveted the items Val was giving him in exchange of his vials, he didn't want to take advantage of Val's generosity. His loyalty prevented him from doing so.

Val looked at him intently. Even though Gruul's loyalty was more to his title as the Devil God of Evil rather than to him personally, he still appreciated it.

In his past life, one of his greatest wishes was to have a subordinate truly loyal to him. Unfortunately, this wish of his remained unfulfilled until the bitter end, but it seemed fate had granted that wish in this life. He'd found that loyalty in Gruul.

'If I ever reach the level of power Morkus had, Gruul's loyalty might shift from my title to me personally,' he thought.

Actually, even now, there wasn't much of a difference. After all, he was the Devil God of Evil, and that powerful entity was also him. The merging of those two identities made the nature of Gruul's loyalty a trivial concern.

The only problem was that Gruul would only assist him in actions that aligned with the role of a Devil God of Evil. Saving lives out of pure compassion was not on that list. A Devil God of Evil, according to Gruul, should always be strategic and self-interested, prioritizing personal gains over anything else, even over the value of life itself. And if Val dared to act differently, he would lose Gruul's support.

The unique nature of Gruul's loyalty was something Val had understood for a while now. It became clear to him when Gruul questioned his intentions when he demanded that he save Eliana. Back then, if he had given him any other answer, he was certain Gruul would've let her die just to teach him a lesson.

Val looked at Gruul, making sure he had his full attention before speaking, "I already know, so I will have you owe me a favor as well."

From the very start, Val knew that the worth of his items was more than Gruul's, but he didn't know if Gruul would be interested in them. He initiated the trade solely to gauge Gruul's reaction and make him feel indebted to him so that it would be easier to get him to do what he wants.

"What favor do you have in mind?" Gruul asked straightforwardly. His tone was direct, almost brusque.

Gruul valued the items Val had shown him, but he wasn't willing to bend over backward for them. He needed to know what exactly Val was asking for before he could commit to anything. If the request was something outrageous or something that conflicted with his role as a loyal servant to the Devil God of Evil, he was prepared to feign ignorance or outright decline.

"Will asking you to craft armor for me be too much?" Val asked.

"Only if the materials are provided by you. That's my only condition," Gruul stated.

"Deal," Val said with a warm smile as he extended his hand out.

Gruul, without any sign of hesitation, shook Val's hand firmly. He then eagerly received the items Val had offered him. Immediately, he put one piece in his mouth, savoring it like a much-needed biscuit full of carbs and sugar. Considering he hadn't consumed anything in years, the modest amount of life force the piece provided felt extraordinarily precious to him. It was akin to a parched traveler finding a life-saving oasis in the vast, unforgiving Sahara Desert.

Gruul was so overwhelmed with the newfound life force that he found himself involuntarily licking his lips, relishing the sensation.

Then he looked towards the other pieces, wanting to eat them right there and then, but before he could eat the next piece, he was interrupted by Val, who had taken out some unique crafting materials from the Void Orb and laid them out neatly on the ground in front of Gruul.

"Continue your meal later. First, help me craft an armor out of these materials," Val ordered Gruul.

Gruul blinked his eyes at Val. He felt displeased with being disturbed in the middle of his meal. But then he reminded himself: a deal was a deal. Not to mention, Val was his master. For Gruul, the orders of the Devil God of Evil took precedence over everything else, even his own enjoyment and sustenance.

Thus, Gruul suppressed his desires and resigned himself to Val's will.

"Sure, but what specifications do you have in mind for the armor?" Gruul asked Val. "These materials are of high quality and can withstand the magical burden of being enchanted with 2-3 runes."

"What kind of rune can you enhance them with?" Val asked.

"The list is too big to be explained in words," Gruul replied.

"How big of a list are we talking about?" Val inquired.

Gruul said, "Let's just say it can be anything you want."

He closed his eyes and gently pressed his lips with his thumb, contemplating what would suit a level 1 priest like Eliana the most for a few moments before saying, "I've made up my mind. Go with something that would be fitting for a priestess. It should be capable of both blocking and deflecting physical and magical attacks, and it should not be too flashy or conspicuous. Will you be able to do that?"

"My crafting skills have remained sharp despite the passage of time," Gruul assured him, "so what you're asking for should be quite doable."

Val was pleased with his reply.

"Is it for her?" Gruul asked after a moment.

By her, Gruul was referring to the woman that Val had previously brought to the shrine for healing.

"It is," Val nodded, his expression unreadable.

"Your concern for her goes beyond the level a master would have for its property," Gruul said.

Val chuckled. "Well, I don't think so. I just don't like others meddling with what belongs to me. If someone is audacious enough to damage my possessions, shouldn't they be prepared to suffer some consequences? You're my servant, surely you understand that sentiment, don't you?" He spoke casually, as if discussing the weather, clearly masking his true feelings for Eliana.

Internally, Val's emotions were a complicated mix. From the moment he realized his feelings for Eliana, he had stopped viewing her as a mere thing. She meant much more to him than that. She was no longer a pawn to be utilized and sacrificed when necessary to him.

Of course, he had no plans to reveal the truth to her; their relationship, after all, had been built on a foundation of deception on his part. Val knew that coming clean would most likely cause Eliana to lose any affection she might have for him. Moreover, he wasn't willing to stop using her to achieve his goals, but in return, he would do his best to love her genuinely. He would place her interests second only to his own, but above everyone else in his life.

And, these were thoughts he dared not voice in front of Gruul.

A gut feeling warned him that if Gruul were to discover the emotional influence Eliana had over him, something drastic might occur.

Unless he gained enough power to keep Gruul in check, confessing that he was allowing himself to fall in love with a mere tool would result in a massive loss.

"I do." Gruul nodded in reply.

He was fine with Val being possessive of his things. Morkus, too, was particularly protective of his belongings. In fact, it's a universal trait among devil kind to fiercely safeguard what they claim as theirs. Thieves who dare to target their possessions often end up regretting it. In that respect, they were not unlike green dragons who hoard treasures and go to great lengths to protect them, even sleeping on top of them.