Mo Tuo Joins

Gray spoke at length, leaving Mo Tuo and his men stunned. They had never expected that after just a few months apart, Gray, who had once lived alongside them in the underhive, would have gone through something so fantastical.

"Is everything you said true? How can you guarantee you didn't join some cult and come here to deceive me?"

After hearing Gray out, Mo Tuo still found it hard to believe. Even the men sitting on the ground beside him wore suspicious expressions.

They were merely familiar with one another. They had not reached the point of sharing blessings and hardships together.

"Why would I lie to you? Coming out this time wasn't my lord's order. It was my own decision. I thought of you familiar faces still suffering out here, so I came to give you a chance.

"Of course, whether you're willing to leave with me is your own decision. If you miss this chance, there won't be another. In this lowest layer of the hive city, a person might not get even one chance in their lifetime to choose their own path. Countless people want such an opportunity but have no hope of ever getting one."

Gray spoke calmly.

Gray had no intention of dragging anyone along by force. Forcing people would only make things go wrong. He was merely giving those he knew a chance. Those willing to follow his master could join; those unwilling could forget it.

Mo Tuo hesitated after hearing Gray's words. Gray was right. In the harsh environment of the underhive, countless people might never get even one chance in their entire lives to choose their own fate.

Every day, they struggled simply to survive while guarding against betrayal from their companions. For the slightest bit of food, they could even sell out their own brothers.

Seeing Mo Tuo still wavering, Gray understood his difficulties. More than a hundred people followed Mo Tuo, struggling to survive. Every decision he made could determine whether his companions lived or died.

If someone familiar suddenly appeared one day and invited him to join some organization, he too would hesitate.

"If joining you brings so many benefits, what price must I pay?"

Mo Tuo asked doubtfully.

Everything came at a price. In this world, benefits did not simply fall from the sky without demanding anything in return.

If one could gain benefits without paying any price, then why would such a thing fall to them? Why wouldn't those who learned of it first keep it all for themselves instead of sharing it? There were no saints in this world.

"The price you pay is loyalty. Offer the tiny bit of loyalty we possess to my lord. We have nothing else. We have nothing else we can offer, only loyalty."

Gray looked at Mo Tuo and spoke solemnly.

After hearing Gray's words, Mo Tuo relaxed instead, becoming far less wary of him.

Mo Tuo understood what Gray meant. He had nothing now. The treasures he possessed were probably less than trash in Gray's lord's eyes.

Gray beckoned to David. David understood Gray's meaning and took two items from the backpack behind him, placing them on the stone table.

Watching David's actions, Mo Tuo looked at Gray in confusion. Having grown up in the underhive, Mo Tuo did not recognize either item.

Seeing Mo Tuo's confusion, Gray had no choice but to pick up a bottle of water and explain.

"This is clean water. The water my lord gives us to drink is this kind of pure, uncontaminated water. In the entire hive city, only nobles from the upper levels can drink it."

Gray unscrewed the bottle cap and placed it before Mo Tuo, signaling for him to pick it up and try it.

Hearing that this was water only upper-level nobles could drink, Mo Tuo picked up the bottle with trembling hands. He carefully took a small sip, as though savoring a priceless treasure.

After taking that small sip, Mo Tuo closed his eyes and repeatedly savored the taste of the water in his mind. Only after silently relishing it for a long while did he open his eyes and look at Gray with envy.

"This water is so sweet. Can you drink such delicious water every day now?"

Gray took out another bottle of water from his own backpack and gulped it down. The sight made Mo Tuo swallow hard, filled with envy.

"Burp! This is only what we brought when we came out. The other good stuff isn't convenient to carry. And there's this canned food too. There's meat inside, meat without radiation."

After letting out a full belch, Gray spoke to Mo Tuo casually.

Gray opened the can on the table as well, picked out a piece of giant-fang meat with his dagger, and held it before Mo Tuo's nose for him to smell.

"Slurp! It smells so good."

Mo Tuo twitched his nose as he inhaled the aroma of the meat, constantly swallowing saliva. His men were even worse off.

They knelt on the ground with both hands braced against the table, their heads constantly moving along with Gray's hand.

"Eat."

Gray pushed the can of meat toward Mo Tuo.

Mo Tuo did not hesitate upon seeing the canned meat. He reached out with his right hand, grabbed a piece of meat from the can, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed. After swallowing it, he put his grease-covered fingers directly into his mouth and sucked them clean, paying no attention to the grime on his hands.

Seeing that their boss had eaten a piece of meat, Mo Tuo's men also reached out, scrambling to grab meat from the can.

"I'll taste it first."

"Why should you go first? It should be me."

Even when their fingers were cut by the sharp edge of the can during the struggle, they ignored it, grabbing chunks of meat and stuffing them into their mouths.

After savoring the taste of the canned meat, Mo Tuo wanted to reach into the can for more. Only then did he realize it was completely empty. The inside had been licked spotless.

Mo Tuo could only withdraw his hand awkwardly and look at Gray with embarrassment.

"Sorry you had to see that. If I join you, can I eat such delicious food every day too?"

Seeing Mo Tuo's reaction, Gray knew the matter was settled. Having tasted food more delicious than anything he had eaten in his life, Mo Tuo no longer wanted to return to those days of drinking dirty water and never having enough to eat.

"Of course. As long as you join us, there'll be even more delicious food waiting for you to taste."

Gray smiled.

Mo Tuo looked at Gray. "Swear it by the Emperor."

Gray sounded helpless after hearing Mo Tuo's words.

"You know me. My faith in the Emperor isn't firm. I can only swear in the name of my lord, the Lord of the Stars, that everything I said is true."

"Fine. I'll bring my family and join the Lord of the Stars. I can also introduce some people I know. You can convince them yourself."

After hearing Gray's answer, Mo Tuo knew Gray was telling the truth. He no longer hesitated and chose to join the Lord of the Stars.

"Good. Mo Tuo, welcome aboard."

Gray said happily after hearing Mo Tuo's words.

After joining the Lord of the Stars, Mo Tuo actively contacted the people he knew and had them come to his camp.