Strongest Hammer God

Chapter 1169: What to Choose

”I donʼt know what that is,” Kyle answered.

”Itʼs a service Auspicious Karma offers,” the Protector answered. ”They will look at your Karmic Luck and find the inactive Karmic Lines from before you underwent your Fusion. If you have undisclosed loyalties, they will find out.”

ʼThatʼs... not good,ʼ Kyle thought. ʼIf shit goes wrong, they might even find out that I have a history with the Cult.ʼ

As Kyle went through all of the possibilities, he grew more nervous. ʼFuck, I also canʼt just reject! I mean, I can, but that might only make things worse. This is not Earth. I canʼt just deny a search and sue them. This is the Wargodʼs Peak, and they can kill me without a reason. Thereʼs no rule that says that they canʼt do that. Survival in the Wargodʼs Peak is a privilege, not a right.ʼ

”Canʼt I just swear some confirmation oaths?” Kyle asked.

”Your loyalties and your identity are important,” the Protector answered. ”If it werenʼt for your aura, I would be fine with it. However, we both know that I have a duty to make sure that letting you grow wonʼt endanger the Wargodʼs Peak. You can also swear oaths, but they have to be permanent oaths.”

Kyle grimaced as he went through all the ways this could go.

He had to prove that he wasnʼt planning on hurting the Wargodʼs Peak, and the proof had to have sufficient weight.

Confirmation oaths were oaths that only worked for one instant. If someone swore that they had killed a Divine Beast, for example, the oath would only be active for a short moment. After all, it simply confirmed someoneʼs words.

Permanent oaths represented swearing on the future. For example, if someone swore that they would never kill a Divine Beast, the oath would remain active. After all, if they killed a Divine Beast in the future, they would have broken their oath.
Kyle could swear that he had no issues with the Wargodʼs Peak and that he didnʼt plan on going against them. Since he would be swearing on the past and the present, the oath would count as a confirmation oath. The past was unchangeable, and the present would become the past very soon.

However, if he swore that he would never go against the Wargodʼs Peak, he would forever limit his future choices. If things got really bad, the Wargodʼs Peak could even take advantage of the oath and indirectly enslave him.

Naturally, the Protectorʼs goal wasnʼt to dig up Kyleʼs secrets. She essentially didnʼt care where he came from or what he had done. After all, Kyle was just a Beginner Immortal. Any Ascending Immortal could kill him with ease. He was not currently a danger.

Her goal was the prevention of danger. Someone with Kyleʼs talent might become a danger in the future, and she wanted to get rid of that eventuality.

ʼThis is more problematic than I had thought,ʼ Kyle thought as his mind tried to find a solution. ʼAs long as Iʼm careful with my oath, the Wargodʼs Peak wonʼt be able to take advantage of it. I could swear a long oath that basically states that I wonʼt antagonize the Wargodʼs Peak as long as they donʼt antagonize me. That would be the smartest way.ʼ

Yet, almost everything inside of Kyle refused that option. ʼBut I really hate permanent oaths! Iʼm finally free of oaths! All of my oaths vanished ever since I underwent my Fusion, and I havenʼt taken on any new oaths since then. I donʼt want to create new oaths. Iʼve got my one chance at a new start. I wonʼt get a second one.ʼ

ʼAnother option would be to request a private meeting with a Demigod. Demigods arenʼt stupid. If I can see how everything will develop if the Wargodʼs Peak decides to fully foster me, they can see that as well. Thereʼs a chance that they will keep my true power a secret, even from the Wargodʼs Peak.ʼ

ʼBut things will still become difficult, and in a way, I will also be bound to the Wargodʼs Peak.ʼ

ʼWhat to do... ʼ

Kyle remained silent for a while.

ʼYou know what? Fuck it! If I die, only Redʼs team will be killed. Iʼve literally tried my best to be as covert and unassuming as possible. I didnʼt antagonize anybody. I advanced in secret. I didnʼt join anyone. I just want to live my life in peace.ʼ

ʼIf my secret gets out, and if these guys really want to suppress or kill me...ʼ

ʼIʼll actually join the Cult with blackʼs team. Like, for real. With that, I mean that I will actually try to get rid of this Cosmos. Itʼs kill or be killed. Itʼs not like this Cosmos gets destroyed for no reason. It would be eaten, and its Energy would be absorbed by a different Cosmos. Itʼs not different from a lion eating a wildebeest.ʼ

ʼBut I shouldnʼt jump to conclusions just yet. This will only happen if the Wargodʼs Peak actually tries to fuck with me. For now, theyʼre just talking and trying to make sure that Iʼm not trying to destroy them. Letʼs give them a chance.ʼ

”I consent to the Karmic Origin Search,” Kyle answered.

The Protectorʼs brows furrowed.

She hadnʼt expected that.

Usually, people were more scared of their dirty secrets coming to light than simply swearing on something that might never become relevant. Kyle could design his oath in such a way that it would only become relevant if he actually had the power to threaten the Wargodʼs Peak, and to have that power, he needed to become a Demigod first.

Using Earth as a comparison, deciding between a Karmic Origin Search and swearing such an oath would be the equivalent of deciding between granting someone access to all of oneʼs digital history and swearing that one wouldnʼt try to suppress a company if one ever became a billionaire. Most people would choose the latter. After all, the chance that they would become a billionaire was pretty small.

The Protector had used the Karmic Origin Search as an initial offer before negotiations. She made a low offer so that her medium offer looked better.

Yet, Kyle had agreed to the Karmic Origin Search.

”Are you sure you want to agree to a Karmic Origin Search?” the Protector asked. ”Auspicious Karma is very thorough. Your Law of Karmic Causality also wonʼt protect you from them.”

Kyle wasnʼt surprised that she knew about his Law of Karmic Causality. To her, it had to be the most obvious thing in the world. After all, she was the only one who noticed Kyleʼs intense aura. If he didnʼt know the Law of Karmic Causality, everyone in Wildʼs Summit would be looking at him.

”I agree,” Kyle said. ”I mightʼve been a bit deceptive here and there, but I donʼt need to tell you. Iʼm sure that Karmic Origin Search will tell you all about my past.”

The Protector looked at Kyle for a short moment with an unamused expression.

”Very well,” she transmitted while looking at her Communicator.

Her Communicator had many more functionalities than Kyleʼs Communicator. One of these functions was to buy services from other Organizations using Wildʼs Summitʼs budget.

She requested a Karmic Origin Search and chose a couple of options, which changed the price.

”The Karmic Detective will arrive within a couple of minutes,” she transmitted calmly.

”Sure, Iʼll wait,” Kyle answered, not knowing that he had cost the city over 150,000 Grade Nine Energy Stones.

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