A Windfall

"Bang!" "Bang!"... Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

"I'll get it." Morti was every bit the dutiful servant. He went straight to the entrance and easily pulled open the distinctive wooden door of the Tree Fortress. A slender young man with purple hair stood outside. He flashed a smile and greeted them. "Hello. I'm Bodi, and I live not far from you."

"I'm Luo Ya. Come in!" Luo Ya was a little surprised to see Bodi. He wondered what had brought him over.

At a glance, he could tell that Bodi was also a Midgod.

"No need to come in. I actually just wanted to warn you about something." Bodi waved a hand.

"Warn us?" Luo Ya asked, slightly puzzled.

"That's right. You just arrived, so you might not know about this. Whenever the Soth Tribe's 'harvest season' approaches, some unwelcome guests show up... They're like rats, coming to scavenge and trying to get to the plants in Soth Valley before anyone else can."

"Though it may seem shameless, don't underestimate these bandits. Some of them are even Highgods!"

At Bodi's words, the three of them exchanged glances.

In the Material Plane, gods were basically beings far above everyone else.

But here in Hell, the Supreme Plane, plenty of gods were up to this sort of sneaky, thieving business.

"But I suppose that makes sense. In Hell, bandits who kill and rob are everywhere. What are a few thieves stealing things?" They would probably grow used to it after spending enough time in Hell.

"Bodi, from what you're saying, the bandits are mainly after the plants?" Luo Ya glanced at the vegetation covering the mountains. Quite a lot of it was already ripe and ready to be picked.

"That's true, but these bandits have no scruples. They sometimes attack residents like us, too... After all, Godheads and Artifacts are valuable." Bodi gave a wry smile and shook his head. Luo Ya understood.

"Won't the tribe chief do anything? What about the tribal warriors?" Milia asked curiously.

"Do what? How? Flowers and plants grow all over Soth Valley. The chief has to guard the most precious areas with all his strength. As for everywhere else? The tribal warriors will certainly come to help, but at first, we residents will have to fend for ourselves."

"Actually, one reason the tribe lets us live beside all these flowers and plants is so we can act as their 'guardians.' Anyway, the next 'harvest season' is only two or three months away, and the bandits could attack at any time. If we watch each other's backs, we'll have a better chance of surviving!"

Under pressure to survive, Bodi—who wasn't especially fond of making friends—had still picked a good opportunity to come over and propose an alliance.

"Sure. I have no objections." Luo Ya agreed readily.

Since Bodi had gone out of his way to warn him, Luo Ya would help him when the time came, as long as he was able.

"Then I'll be going." Bodi didn't seem particularly outgoing or warm. Once he'd said his piece, he left.

Thanks to Bodi's warning, the three of them were at least prepared.

One day, half a month later, a vast number of figures came flying toward Soth Valley from afar, like a swarm of locusts.

The reason there were so many was that this "harvest raid" was a joint operation carried out by several nearby bandit groups. The bandits looked numerous, but most were Lowgods, and there were relatively few Midgods.

"Enemy attack!"

"Enemy attack!"

The tribal scouts on duty that day were badly startled when they spotted the approaching figures. They immediately flew back as fast as they could, and their shouts quickly echoed through the entire valley.

"The bandits are here!"

At the warning, the many residents of Soth Valley, who had been either cultivating or enjoying themselves, went pale with fright.

Some shut themselves inside their Tree Fortresses, while others flew outside and gathered in groups of three or five.

Before long, the bandits' "elite forces" charged straight for the core area deep within the valley. But plenty of bandits also rushed toward the outskirts where Luo Ya and the others lived.

"There are so many!"

The only consolation was that the bandits' first target wasn't to kill them, but to seize the valuable flowers and plants.

"Haha!" Loud laughter rang out nearby.

Only a few dozen meters from Luo Ya and the others, a bandit squad was rampaging. Six Lowgods from the Soth Tribe had been killed one after another, and the bandits had snatched all six Lowgod Godheads and their Artifacts.

"You three stay behind and harvest the plants. The rest of you, follow me!" This bandit group was quite powerful. Its leaders were three Midgods. After killing the six Lowgods in an instant, the three Midgod bandits soon spotted Bodi and Luo Ya's group nearby.

"There are Midgods here. Perfect!" The bald bandit at the head of the group had a savage face. He shouted arrogantly, "Brothers, kill them!"

"Kill them!"

The three Midgod bandits charged at Luo Ya and the others like hungry wolves. The seven or eight Lowgods under their command followed, their eyes bloodshot and their gazes full of bloodlust.

Clearly, killing people and taking their treasures had long since become second nature to them.

"Luo Ya, let's attack together!" Bodi shouted through a divine sense transmission.

"You're asking for death!" Luo Ya fixed his icy gaze on the dozen or so bandits and suddenly lashed out with the black whip in his hand!

Driven by divine power, the black whip turned bright red in an instant and transformed into a massive crimson serpent. It coiled toward the bandits, jaws gaping wide.

"Roar!" The serpent lunged savagely at the three Midgods leading the group!

"What?!"

Feeling the terrifying aura radiating from the crimson serpent, the bald Midgod's expression changed dramatically!

A technique like an Elemental War Beast was nothing unusual in Hell, but the power unleashed by this crimson serpent felt even more terrifying than that of the Highgods he'd encountered!

"Let's go all out!" They were too close to dodge in time, so the three bald bandits could only use their own techniques to attack the crimson serpent.

"Boom!"

An explosive crash rang out. The leading bald Midgod's body burst apart under the serpent's blow, and an ocher-colored Godhead fell through the air.

"How is this possible?!"

"Boss!"

The other two Midgod bandits were stunned. Before they could react, the crimson serpent whipped through the air again and struck at them.

"Boom!" "Boom!"...

The two Midgod bandits' bodies burst apart, sending blood and shattered bone flying. Their Godheads fell nearby. The force of the blows even whipped up a fierce gust that snapped some of the plants growing on the nearby cliff wall.

The surviving Lowgod bandits turned pale with fright. Only now did they realize they'd run into someone they couldn't handle!

"Luo Ya must be a genius who's fused profound mysteries. He's probably as strong as some Highgods!" The purple-haired young man was both shocked and delighted.

Good thing he'd formed an alliance with Luo Ya earlier. On his own, there was no way he could have dealt with those three Midgods.

"You think you can get away?" Luo Ya looked at the seven or eight Lowgod bandits fleeing back the way they'd come. He sent the crimson serpent after them, jaws wide, and swallowed every last one!

In an instant, seven or eight Lowgod Godheads of different colors scattered across the ground.