Dusk's passionate declaration stirred something deep within Darius's heart. Even though the so-called Great Love Guild was barely newly established, he felt as if a tremendous responsibility had just been laid on his shoulders.
He stood up straight, assuming a soldier-like posture, and solemnly proclaimed,
"I will never fail this mission."
"I believe in you," Dusk replied with satisfaction.
[Ding! Congratulations, Master, you have completed the mission. The reward has been issued. To use it, simply think about it in your mind.]
The joy was doubled. At that moment, Dusk truly felt like life couldn't get any better.
"Come on, let's go grab a few drinks. We need to celebrate the founding of the Great Love Guild," Darius said with a grin.
Since the food was free, Dusk didn't see any reason to refuse. Besides, he also wanted to see if the police would issue a warrant for his arrest.
"Alright, let's go."
The two of them found their way out of the landfill and headed to a small tavern near where they used to live. It was a modest, run-down place—definitely not high-class. Though Darius was a bit better off than Dusk, neither of them could afford luxury.
They sat down, and the food was brought out almost instantly. Darius scooped up a bit of food, stuffed it into his mouth, and chuckled.
"Ha, still tastes as bad as ever. No wonder this place is always empty."
He then grabbed a glass of liquor and downed it in one go. Thankfully, the drinks here weren't too bad—otherwise, he wouldn't have come at all.
"Hmph, if you don't want to eat, then get out. I didn't open this place to feed other people," the tavern owner snorted.
Darius blinked in confusion. Not open to feeding others? Then what the hell is it open for?
"Then why did you open this place?" he asked.
"To feed myself, obviously. As long as I think the food's good, I don't care what anyone else thinks," the owner replied, crossing his legs and scrolling through his phone.
[Attention all citizens: In the vicinity of Valtoria, Duskwatch City, a serial killer is on the loose. The suspect's name is Dusk. He is approximately 180 cm tall and carries a large green backpack. Kendo champion Kael was nearly killed by the suspect and is currently the only surviving witness. We will now proceed with an interview...]
The voice from the phone echoed through the tavern, and Dusk's expression darkened. He hadn't expected Kael to pull something like this right after leaving.
'Damn it... Didn't you say you'd come kill me yourself? And now you've barely walked away before broadcasting to the world that I'm a murderer?'
He wanted to curse out loud, but honestly, it wasn't that big of a deal to him. Once he reached Rank 1, petty issues like this wouldn't matter in the slightest.
"Hmph, how could they possibly understand the greatness and nobility of your love? Bunch of narrow-minded fools," Darius grumbled, downing his drink in one gulp and snorting in frustration.
Someone insulting Dusk was, to him, far more infuriating than if they'd insulted him personally. He truly wanted to sit Kael down and teach him the proper way to be a decent human being.
Meanwhile, the tavern owner froze. The description on the news… sounded oddly familiar. He slowly looked up—Dusk really did match the description of the wanted killer perfectly.
Just as the owner reached for his phone to call the authorities, Dusk's gaze locked onto him. But instead of threatening, Dusk flashed him a wide, genuinely friendly smile that made the man freeze in place.
Darius noticed the shift in the owner's demeanor. As the vice guild master of Great Love, he felt this was the perfect moment to demonstrate his worth.
Standing up, he walked over to the owner with a calm and cheerful face.
"Don't worry," he said gently. "He's not going to hurt you. This is all a huge misunderstanding. If his presence makes you uneasy, we can step outside and talk it over."
Of course the tavern owner was nervous around a suspected serial killer. He nodded quickly and followed Darius out of the shop.
Back inside, Dusk paused mid-bite and mumbled, "What is that guy up to now?" He was genuinely curious to see what the vice guild master had planned.
A while later, the two of them returned.
For some reason, both had tears streaming down their faces. To an outsider, it would've looked like they had just gone through something truly emotional together.
The tavern owner stood before Dusk, his face a mixture of deep reverence and sincere regret.
"I am so sorry. I had no idea you were such a great man. In my whole life, I've never met anyone as noble as you. Yet I judged you blindly, like a fool. Please... allow me to join the Great Love Guild. I want to help you spread great love across the world."
After a long session of persuasion and an impassioned recounting of Dusk's glorious deeds, the tavern owner had been thoroughly swayed by the sheer charisma of the man himself.
Surely, he thought, a person this noble must be a saint among mortals.
Though his face remained calm and composed, Dusk's heart rippled with amusement and intrigue. He glanced sideways at Darius, a glimmer of appreciation in his eyes.
'To think... that someone who looks like a simpleton could actually be such a talent. It took him mere minutes to turn a potential whistleblower into a devout fan.'
For a moment, Dusk found himself envisioning a future where Darius remained part of the guild. With someone like him handling public relations, it wasn't entirely out of reach for them to become a leading faction on the righteous path.
'Although... why does it feel like I'm slowly becoming more and more like those so-called righteous cultivators who once hunted me down? No... it's not the same. I spread my great love openly under the sun. They, on the other hand, cloak themselves in virtue while committing cowardly acts in the shadows.'
Memories of those self-proclaimed "heroes" surfaced in Dusk's mind. He would never be like them.
With a serene and dignified expression, Dusk spoke with a tone that could very well have belonged to a saint.
"Your love for humanity brings me great joy. Having you join us is a blessing for the Great Love Guild. Tell me, what is your name?"
"I am Garrick Hollowbrew," the tavern owner replied, eyes shining with pride and hope. "From today onward, please allow me to serve under your guidance."
To Garrick, joining such a noble organization felt like the greatest achievement of his life. He had no regrets—only pride.
With his roster of followers reaching a stable point, Dusk knew it was time to reveal the truth of the world to his new allies. If he wished to rise to the peak, he could not rely solely on himself.
This world followed a cruel and rigid rule: when absorbing energy from living beings, one could only draw from those of the same rank.
Of course, there was one exception—Spirit Fruits.
These were rare fruits formed through the absorption of the world's natural power, and unlike other energy sources, they could be consumed by anyone regardless of rank.