Chapter 201 Surrender
Earl's simple, honest look gave Steven a weird sense of familiarity.
He had met people like him before.
This kind of people weren't great at socializing and usually grew up in average environments, making them feel inferior from a young age.
As they got older, their poor social skills made it tough to make friends.
So when someone treated them a bit better, they were willing to give everything.
After getting burned by so-called friends, they started doubting reality and dove into the virtual world.
Earl showed these traits clearly.
Especially his excessive empathy, which let him see things from Steven's perspective, even though Steven had killed hundreds in Cox Village.
Knowing Earl's personality, Steven felt his urge to kill him faded a lot.
But he didn't let down his guard completely and said, "You're really forgiving! Among the people I killed, there must be some of your relatives, right? Don't you want revenge?"
Steven stared hard at Earl's face.
If Earl showed any strange expression, Steven might strike first and take him out!
But the reaction Steven expected didn't come.
Earl just lowered his eyes and said sadly, "My parents died right after the snowstorm.
"My dad had a heart attack. On the first day of the cold snap, his heart gave out. The snow was too heavy. We couldn't get him to the hospital or find an ambulance, so he died at home.
"And my mom... She was weak and died in bed a week later," he added.
A hint of apology crossed Earl's face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to dump this on you. There's nothing happy about it. Sorry if it bums you out."
He smiled honestly, looking a bit embarrassed.
Steven fell silent for a moment, then asked, "What about the rest of your family? Aren't the people of Cox Village all related?"
"Related? Uh, sort of." Earl nodded.
He looked a bit confused, like he thought it wasn't wrong but still found it puzzling.
He continued, "Even though we're the same clan, no one in my family ever respected me. To them, I'm just a useless guy who only knows how to play video games at home!"
Earl scratched his head with a smile. "You see, they treat me like that. How much affection can I have for them?
"So, I don't hate you for killing the people of Cox Village. Actually, I admire you. When you were chasing us with a sniper rifle from your car, it was really cool!" Earl's eyes sparkled as he looked at Steven.
Earl dreamed of being a hero, making everyone in the village admire him and not see him as some kind of trash.
Steven stared at Earl for a long time.
Earl was nervous.
From the beginning until now, he didn't really understand Steven's abilities, only guessing they were space-related.
But one thing was clear - Steven's powers completely countered Earl's.
So, at this distance, if they fought, Earl had no chance of winning.
After a full minute, Steven finally said, "Alright, since you came to make peace, I'll give you a chance."
He continued, "I don't care about your village, and those ordinary folks don't matter to me. But you, you're interesting. Because of you, I'll spare Cox Village this time."
Steven knew exactly how to handle someone like Earl.
Earl was timid and sensitive. Gave him a bit of validation, and he'd be loyal.
As expected, Earl lit up at Steven's words.
He wondered if that meant Steven had acknowledged him.
For Earl, having someone as powerful as Steven approve of him was a huge honor.
"Thank you!" Earl said, his voice full of emotion.
"Hold on! I have other demands," Steven continued. "From now on, you follow my orders. You can't resist any of my demands."
Steven was eager to have a subordinate with a powerful ability like ice and snow.
Since killing Earl and the villagers wouldn't benefit Steven directly, it was better to show kindness and recruit him.
Hearing this, Earl hesitated. "Any demand?"
The vagueness worried him. 'What if Steven has some weird requests?' he wondered.
Steven saw his concern and smirked. "I won't send you to your death."
Steven wanted Earl as a useful ally for future tough battles.
Seeing Earl's hesitation, Steven thought for a moment and pulled out his trump card.
"I bet you can't resist this," Steven said.
He reached into the extradimensional space and pulled out something, then handed it over.
"If you follow me, I won't treat you badly," he added.
Earl looked up, and his eyes locked onto the item, his whole body trembling with excitement.
"Asuna!" he exclaimed.
Steven had pulled out an unopened Asuna figurine.
It was a limited edition from 2024, with only 50 pieces worldwide, and the price had skyrocketed to over 3.5 thousand dollars online, but it was still hard to find!
For someone like Earl, this was the ultimate treasure.
Earl looked at Steven in disbelief and pointed at himself. "Is this... for me?"
Steven nodded. "I have plenty of stuff like this. And even rarer, cooler items.
"As long as you become my subordinate, I guarantee you'll have enough figurines, pillows, and game cartridges!"
One had to use the right bait for the right person.
For someone like Earl, this was irresistible!
Earl rushed over and hugged the precious Asuna figurine, his eyes burning with excitement.
"Steven, you're an otaku too! Do you like Lilith?" Earl asked, looking at Steven expectantly.
Steven was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "I'm not a kid anymore."
Earl's face fell, and he looked down in disappointment.
"That's true," he replied.
Steven sneered. "Only a low-level otaku like you would like her! In my heart, Kakashi Hatake is the best!"
The light in Earl's eyes, which had dimmed, brightened again.
It was the feeling of finding someone from the same tribe.
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