Becoming a God Starts with Acting-Chapter 33: [Frog] - The Prophet’s Part (8)

When Robert and Ely finished speaking, Damian suddenly raised his hand. "Then I'll go with them!"

Robert and Ely glanced at Damian, their expressions far from welcoming. But Damian kept smiling cheerfully as if entirely oblivious to their attitude.

Silas nodded. "Alright, the three of you will search for the leaves. Alice, Austin, and July will investigate the village's beliefs. Drake and I will go with Gon to learn more about the sacrifices."

"Why the hell do I have to go with you? Do you think this bunch is capable of anything?" Drake almost immediately voiced his displeasure.

Silas glanced at him and said indifferently, "Well, they'll probably do better than a ticking bomb like you."

"Who the hell are you calling a bomb, you bastard?!" Drake roared, easily set off by Silas's words.

[Alright, roaches, stop acting like Silas is some innocent angel. He's the one who keeps provoking Drake.]

[But Silas's division of tasks makes perfect sense. Drake objecting is what's weird—classic brainless behavior.]

[Even so, he's doing it because he's worried the others will be in danger. At least Drake has emotions, unlike that cold-blooded Silas.]

[Are you guys seriously talking about a warm-blooded monster? Haha! Don't forget, Drake is already half-monster—he could rip anyone apart at any moment!]

In the comment section, Drake and Silas's fans were already going at it.

Silvanus couldn't help but glance at Silas. He had been inside Drake's mind before—he knew that Drake was strong yet insecure and in pain from never being recognized. His hostility toward Silas stemmed from the fact that he was always acknowledged, trusted, and admired by others.

As for Silas, in the eyes of others, he was intelligent, powerful, and undeniably cold. There was an unwavering decisiveness and confidence in him. Even so, Silvanus hadn't made his final judgment on him yet.

By now, the group had split up.

Damian led the way, with Robert and Ely following behind.

Damian's bouncing, carefree movements to the two dark espers looked no different from a grasshopper hopping around.

"Damn it, where the hell are we supposed to find these leaves?" Ely frowned.

Robert waved his hand lazily. "What's there to worry about? Just look around the village. If we don't find anything, so what? No one said we had to find them." His expression practically screamed laziness. He didn't want to die, but he also had no intention of putting in effort. Ultimately, he figured they could rely on Silas and Drake to figure things out.

[God, guys like him should be the first to die.]

[Don't worry. If they do find the leaves, someone's dying, hahaha.]

It seemed like traps were everywhere. Silvanus read the comments, his expression growing heavier.

By now, Robert's group had searched the entire village without finding a single clue. Just as they were about to settle down and wait out the rest of the task, Damian suddenly sprang up out of nowhere, grinning. "I've got a lead on the leaves! Let's go!"

Robert was astonished, but his expression quickly turned cheerful. "Where did you get the lead from?"

Damian led the way forward, saying, "Of course, I asked. The kid who brought us into the village yesterday told me—if we head west, we'll find a forest of leaves big enough to use as umbrellas."

Just as Damian finished speaking, they reached the western edge of the village. Since the town was so small, it only took a few steps to get there. Notably, this area was almost devoid of houses—just an empty expanse. The soil here was noticeably darker than elsewhere, an eerie grayish-black.

The ground was so soft and spongy that their shoes sank in, getting covered in filth. Even the grass and tree roots were the same grayish-black as if steeped in poison.

"This damn place screams bad news," Robert muttered, already thinking about turning back.

Damian just smiled. "Let's go in and see if the leaves are here."

The moment he finished speaking, he suddenly stopped. Robert and Ely, following closely behind, had to slam on the brakes to avoid crashing into him, nearly toppling over.

"You bastard! Are you messing with us?!" Robert shouted in frustration.

Damian ignored him and pointed ahead. "Look."

Robert and Ely turned their gazes forward—what they saw were massive, strange-looking trees. Their bases resembled large, blackened, rough-skinned tubers, like grotesque potatoes. Slender tree trunks sprouted from these oversized bulbs, and each trunk bore a single, enormous leaf, each as big as—if not bigger than—a standard umbrella. These leaves resembled lotus leaves but were thicker and had pointed tips.

"These are the leaves!" Robert shouted excitedly. Ely also quickly stepped forward.

But just then, Damian suddenly spoke up. "Wait. It can't be this easy. We should be careful. I've memorized the location, so let's return and inform Captain Drake and Captain Silas. It'll be safer with everyone together."

Ely hesitated, glancing at Robert with uncertainty.

Robert, however, was furious at their caution. He roared, "If they can take them, so can we! It's just a damn leaf—why should we wait for them?! What, you think I'm not good enough? You're the only weakling here who needs someone else to hold your hand! You can go back and wait for them to bring you one—we will take ours now. Coward!"

Cursing Damian out, Robert stormed forward. Ely hesitated but ultimately followed—Robert wasn't entirely wrong.

Damian furrowed his brows as he watched them leave.

—

Meanwhile, Silas and Drake were sitting inside the village chief's house. Gon emerged from the kitchen, carrying a cup of tea and a thick book. He smiled and asked, "Have you prepared your paper and pens? I'm about to begin."

As seasoned explorers, they would typically carry notebooks and cameras, but right now, they had nothing.

Silas, unbothered, smiled. "My mind is a notebook. Go ahead. Our team only has one camera, and I've already left it with the jungle expedition team."

Gon smiled and nodded, accepting the explanation without question. He then opened the ancient book, sending layers of dust flying with each turned page—it looked like no one had touched it for generations.

Slowly, he began, "Our village worships the Frog God—a deity who brings us rain, abundant harvests, and even good health. Long ago, we suffered from an incurable plague and relentless drought. But once we began worshipping the Frog God, the sickness vanished. To show our gratitude, we hold an annual sacrifice to ensure disease stays away and the crops remain plentiful."

Silas nodded earnestly. "That explains why there are so many frog statues around the village. Can you tell us more about the sacrificial ritual?"

Gon smiled but shook his head. "I'm afraid not. It's all a secret. You'll find out in two days."

His smile was cryptic, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he was eagerly anticipating that day.

His expression made Drake feel deeply uncomfortable.

Then Silas asked, "Since this morning, I've barely seen any villagers around—not even Gray. Where did everyone go?"

Gon nodded. "That's right. Some might be working, but others... well, they don't like the sun. They prefer the rain. But we'll have to wait until the sacrificial day for rain to fall during the day." He sighed as if deeply regretful.

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The villagers preferred rain, yet covered themselves up when it rained—a strange contradiction.

Just as Silas was about to ask another question, a sharp scream pierced the air from a distance—followed by a massive explosion.

Silas and Drake shot to their feet instantly.

Silas's voice turned ice-cold. "That was July. Their group is in danger!"