Rise of the Rejected Deity from Chaos-Chapter 69 - 68: ……….

The slender woman recoiled, nearly losing her balance, but Hayne swiftly caught her arm, steadying her.

"Be careful," he murmured, a gentle smile returning to his face.

Cold sweat clung to her forehead as she swallowed hard, her gaze unsteady beneath Hayne’s scrutiny. After a pause, she forced a broad smile and spread out her palms for him to see.

"Nothing," she replied.

Hayne’s eyes lingered on her, amusement flickering across his face as he observed her in silence.

"I see," he said at last. "I must’ve been mistaken." He chuckled, and the woman joined in, though her laughter lacked ease.

"But…" he continued, drawing her attention once more, anticipation flickering in her wary eyes. "You shouldn’t attempt anything reckless—because HE sees everything." His words came with a soft smile, yet they carried a weight that made her expression falter.

Feigning confusion, she plastered another forced smile on her face.

"We wouldn’t want him barging in here," Hayne mused, his tone light. "And the next thing we see is our dear auntie’s corpse lying around. Hahaha."

His laughter rang out, but she remained frozen, gripped by nervous fear and confusion.

Noting her reaction, Hayne chuckled softly. "It’s not like we’re killers or anything."

His smile remained as he watched her, unmoving, until at last she let out a tense, uneasy chuckle of her own

"Well then," Hayne said breezily, turning away. "I’ll try to bring him in for treatment."

With that, he stepped out of the ward, leaving the unconscious behind in the woman’s care alongside Seiya’s elite and the boy from the second floor.

The woman neither moved nor spoke. She merely stood there, her gaze awkwardly resting on the boy, who broke out in nervous sweat. Inwardly, he cursed Hayne for his earlier antics, feeling the weight of the woman’s stare pressing down on him.

Hayne returned after some time, bringing Seiya with him—though not before cautioning the chubby woman at the counter against doing anything reckless. Without further delay, Seiya was treated and bandaged, and the woman provided them with medication, including some for Seiya’s mother.

As they prepared to leave, Hayne turned back to the slender woman, his ever-present smile stretching wide.

"Aunty," he began sweetly. "We’re really grateful for your help, truly. But… could you spare us some money for food?"

The two women hesitated, exchanging glances before forcing polite smiles. "Of course. Just a moment."

The slender woman handed over a few bills, which Hayne promptly counted before looking back up at her, his expression unchanged.

But, Aunty," he said, tilting his head. "This won’t be enough," he whined playfully. "There are a lot of us, you see—so many," he emphasized with exaggerated hand gestures.

A twitch flickered across her brow, but she remained silent and begrudgingly handed over more money.

Hayne and the boy from the second floor bowed in gratitude before turning to leave with Seiya.

But just as they reached the door, Hayne suddenly stopped, causing the women to tense, their breaths hitching.

Turning slowly, he adjusted Seiya’s mother on his back before strolling back to the counter.

"Just a kind reminder," he said pleasantly, his warm smile never wavering. "Tattling on us to the police might get us killed."

His gaze lingered on them as he added, "And that would make you both murderers—our blood on your hands."

With that, he turned and left, leaving the women frozen in place, disbelief and confusion etched across their faces.

As they made their way home, the boy from the second floor couldn’t help but steal awkward glances at Hayne. Hayne noticed of course but chose to say nothing.

"What if they report us to the police?" the boy finally asked.

"Hmm?" Hayne hummed before replying with certainty, "They won’t."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Looking at their faces," Hayne’s smile turned smugly, "they simply can’t."

The boy studied him for a moment before speaking again. "You…" he started, "you read people well."

Hayne’s smile grew, a flicker of pride in his expression. "Thank you."

"You’re manipulative," the boy added.

Hayne’s brow twitched, though he forced his smile to remain in place.

"I suppose being locked up for years teaches a person a few things," the boy continued casually.

Hayne’s smile stiffened, the corners of his lips twitching tightly.

"Right," Hayne murmured as a thought struck him. He turned to Seiya. "Did you leave your staff outside?"

Back at the pharmacy, he hadn’t been able to spot it, and he had wondered where it had gone. Now, however, it’s floating silently beside Seiya as they walked.

Seiya gave a small nod in response.

"Anyway!" Hayne chimed, his tone shifting. "I’ll grab us some food from that convenience store over there." He gestured toward a shop across the street. Since his clothes were still relatively clean unlike the others, he could enter without drawing suspicion.

"So, Seiya, hold onto her for a bit," he added, passing Seiya’s mother to him.

Seiya simply stared at him as if to say, ’Didn’t you insist on carrying her yourself earlier?’

Ignoring the look, Hayne headed off, returning a short while later with food, water, and a few necessities.

By the time they reached the abandoned building, only two policemen remained on watch. Their small numbers made it easy for Hayne and the others to slip past unnoticed.

Before discussing their next steps, they set everything else aside and first gathered for the meal. The night had stretched into early morning, so rather than rushing into their plans, they decided to wait until dawn before visiting an Internet café. There, they would search for any information on the children, hoping to uncover something useful with the limited details they had.

Some lay down, while others sat in different corners of the room, their bodies weary but their minds restless. Sleep was tempting, but none allowed themselves to succumb to it—except the wounded and the children.

As the silence settled over them, Hayne suddenly spoke. "I’ve been wondering—what kind of ability does Heiji have?"

Hearing his name out of nowhere, Heiji, who had been slouched on his spot, jerked upright.

"Huh?!" He frowned.

"Oh, Heiji’s ability is pretty fascinating," the bulky senior chimed in, and Hayne nodded in agreement.

"Come on, Heiji, they’re curious. Tell them," the senior urged.

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on ƒreewebɳovel.com.

"Hah?"Heiji scowled. "Why the hell should I explain my ability just because they asked?" He snarled.

The senior smirked. "Then I’ll just tell them myself."

"Why would yo—" Heiji began to protest, but the senior cut him off.

"So," he started, turning to Hayne, "Heiji’s ability revolves around two ten-sided dice—one black and one white."

Intrigued, Hayne and the others leaned in to listen.

"Each number on the dice corresponds to a different stat—strength, agility, and so on. When he rolls them, whatever number lands face up determines the boost in the corresponding stat. Like back at the facility—he rolled an eight, and the corresponding stat was strength. That meant his strength increased eightfold."

"But here’s the catch—he can only roll the dice twice a day, and the boost lasts for 24 hours. The black die, though, is different."

At this, Hayne’s eyes glimmered with curiosity.

"The black die contains more extreme stats," the senior continued. "It grants him greater power—but at a cost. If he rolls it, he risks going berserk. It’s dangerous, so he usually sticks to the white die."

"That’s awesome!" Someone blurted.

"Cool!" Another exclaimed.

"Right?!" the senior grinned. "There’s even a luck stat and a bunch of other crazy effects! It’s seriously awesome."

They continued chatting about abilities, the odds and ends. Their voices weaved through the quiet night until the first light of dawn crept in.

It was time to move.

The outside world awaited them, full of unknowns. And they couldn’t wait to experience it for themselves.