Chapter 303: Feng Xue Is an Actor

Although it seemed absurd that a Saint Vessel this stupid could still disgust the Demon King, when one considered Akuwa, it somehow felt normal.

But if this so-called Saint Vessel isn’t just pretending to be foolish…

Feng Xue devised a plan, lightly tugging the small bell; seeing no reaction from the other side, he sent a simple message through the Spirit Pact:

“No immediate danger—I’ll hold her off. You leave while you can. Build the ship I asked for as fast as possible. Strength doesn’t matter, but weight must meet the standard!”

“Hey!”

“Huh!?” Feng Xue was mid-message when Daelis’s overly anime-style greeting startled him. As he scrambled to explain his transmission, she continued unperturbed:

“Want to be a Hero?”

“Not interested.”

Though he needed to stall, groveling would only draw more attention. Contradicting her was the only way to make her overlook the details.

True to form, Daelis grew uneasy at Feng Xue’s instant refusal but steadied her emotions and said:

“You have no idea how honorable the Hero profession is!”

“I know—it’s just goofing around all day, exploiting immortality to recklessly risk death, giving yourself weird names, calling every pretty woman ‘wife,’ and loving debates…”

Feng Xue rolled his eyes and fired off a rapid-fire list. Daelis’s face turned black—until she remembered: the official designation for players in the Exile Lands was “Hero.”

Wait—fine, the earlier stuff made sense, but… do players actually play with shit?

Seeing Daelis’s focus diverted, Feng Xue exhaled in relief and began plotting how to fool this clueless Saint Vessel.

Daelis, meanwhile, was growing anxious. Though time flowed vastly faster in the lower world than in the Divine Realm, it was still limited. If her team lead noticed her absence at noon—or even glanced at the surveillance—she’d be forced to take the blame.

After all, this was an elite Hero capable of soloing a Demon King. Even if she didn’t sign him, trading him for favors or resources with Hero agents back home would be invaluable. Daelis didn’t want to gamble on whether her leader would feel guilty and share some spoils—or kick her straight into the Taros Prison.

After weighing her available resources, Daelis spoke quickly:

“Misunderstanding, misunderstanding. What you saw were just apprentice Heroes—they’re stuck here precisely because they’re unfit. You’re different. Sign a pact with me, and you’ll get top-tier benefits: cultivation resources, god-tier advantages, transmigration perks—all maxed out!”

“Sounds like a pyramid scheme,” Feng Xue rolled his eyes, bluntly mocking her. Daelis bristled:

“What’s that supposed to mean? I’m a legitimate goddess! And a top graduate with three divine offices—Hunter, Knight, Noble (think: earned three master’s degrees before graduation). Any vacancy in the Divine Realm related to my fields? I get hired directly!”

It sounded impressive, but Feng Xue had no idea how her divine offices differed from those of the False Gods. Having lived through the era when “experienced fresh graduates” were recruited, he instantly recognized this as code for “highly educated but currently unemployed.” Seeing her lack of lifespan, he smirked:

“So how long before your Divine Realm gets a vacancy?”

“… ” Daelis fell silent, her gaze sharpening with suspicion—

“How do you know there are no vacancies in the Divine Realm?”

“Hah, fresh! In my old world, PhDs sold sweet potato porridge at subway exits just to make ends meet. I’ve seen this exact script in a hundred recruitment brochures!” Feng Xue wore the look of a seasoned veteran. Honestly, after his past life’s trials, lying came as naturally as breathing.

Daelis didn’t fully grasp what a PhD was, but as a graduate who’d taken the civil service exam due to zero divine vacancies, she understood his implication.

A tense silence settled. But the looming debt and threat of prison forced Daelis to activate her sharp mind and search for a solution.

She dug up old course materials, her thoughts clearing. After organizing her words, she said: “Whether or not you become a Hero, your defeat of the Demon Dragon already qualifies you as one. Compared to fighting alone, I can offer you far greater advantages. Since our interests align, why refuse?”

Feng Xue fell silent, feigning thought—actually waiting for a reply. Only when the small bell signaled they’d left the Hidden Village did he relax, then shrug dismissively:

“What can you offer me?”

“Plenty!” Daelis began, then hesitated awkwardly—she’d cut her network connection and couldn’t freely summon divine power. What could she actually provide?

“I can grant you divine protection, enhance your physical stats, boost your reflexes… Hey, I’m a goddess! Don’t look at me like that! This world’s resources are too poor. If you sign with me, I’ll directly ship you resources from the Divine Realm!”

Daelis gritted her teeth, annoyed by Feng Xue’s expression.

She was now certain: Feng Xue was an SSR-tier elite Hero. Signing him, even at risk of punishment, would be worth it. The Divine Realm hadn’t produced a high-tier Hero in years. With the Demon Kings in the Exile Lands, having one top Hero meant having a goddamn emperor.

“Nah, forget it,” Feng Xue refused outright. As a cultivator who understood Spirit Pacts himself, he knew better than to sign blindly. Though this “goddess” clearly wasn’t the same as the False Gods he knew, he still treated her as he would any deity.

Seeing Feng Xue wasn’t swayed by charm, Daelis clenched her teeth and raised her tone:

“I heard you sealed the Demon Dragon because it stole the vital fortune of your homeland, right?”

Hearing Daelis’s threatening tone, Feng Xue smiled inwardly but nodded:

“So what?”

“What if I told you that even if you seal the Demon Dragon and extract the stolen fortune, you still can’t send it back to your homeland?”

“What did you say?”

(End of Chapter)