Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“We suspect that the most recent hunting teams may have come into conflict with the dragons of White Dragon Mountain,” said the Advanced Wizard worriedly. “The White Dragon Mountain's in the sixteenth level of the Abyss, it's the territory of the Abyssal Demon Dragons. I'm just afraid that they might come here and demand answers.”
Garen thought about it for a while.
“Don't worry about it too much, the White Dragon Mountain is still far away from the Ten Thousand Abyss Plains. I have Lady Vengeance behind me, and no matter what, even if they come here, this is still my territory. Even a pinnacle powerhouse would not be able to do much. You guys just do your own thing.”
The Advanced Wizard still wanted to say something, but Garen stopped him.
“Alright, carry on.”
“…Okay.” The Advanced Wizard heaved a long breath. After he signed that contract, he had basically thrown his lot in with Garen, so he could not help but worry about these other troublesome possibilities.
Leaving the Wizard Tower slowly, Garen headed toward the right to continue his patrol. This was Andrew's base.
Recently, he had opened a new large-scale fluorite mine nearby and was currently gathering people to go down and excavate it. At the same time, he was using these fluorites to construct a military base nearby, specifically there to defend the mine.
Garen casually waved his hand through the air, and instantly a half-moon screen appeared before him, displaying Andrew in his suit of armor sitting on a high seat as he discussed something with a bunch of people who looked like merchants.
“Looks like these are merchants from other planes. The development of the fluorite mine was on the right track as well…”
Garen did not disturb them. Turning off the screen, he checked on the progress of Irene and her two companions.
After he sold off that male knight once, the man had gone through a round of torture before Garen bought him back again, and this time he was a lot more obedient. He worked quietly and properly with his two companions, having clearly experienced the brutality of the Abyss' slave market.
All three of them experienced changes in their personality, growing colder and more extreme. Garen transferred them, putting them in charge of punishments and other miscellaneous jobs.
That put them to good use.
The other vacancies were filled by the remaining Level Ten powerhouses.
“Sir, Kratos is requesting a meeting.”
Suddenly, the Succubus' voice came from Garen's bracelet.
“Kratos…? Why is he here?” Garen was slightly shocked. Back then, Kratos nearly killed him, and now he still dared to come to Garen's territory. Before this, there was no trace of him at all, not even a glimpse of his shadow.
“I don't know, but he did not come alone…” replied the Succubus in a small voice.
“Bring them back to my mansion, I'll be back there in a moment.”
Garen thought about it for a moment and gave the orders.
His mansion was the safest place. Many powerhouses had placed many matrixes there, and Lady Vengeance had also personally installed a single-use secret mechanism that could be activated at any time to devastating effects. Even if the attacker was a pinnacle powerhouse, he would still have the time to escape and ensure his own safety.
Turning around and flying back toward his mansion, Garen quickly drew a rune in the air with his claw.
Instantly, the rune in the Void exploded apart and vanished.
“White Feather, awaiting your orders.”
A gentle woman's voice rang out slowly in the air.
“Target location, my mansion, set up a Collaborative Matrix. The guests this time might not be that easy to deal with,” Garen said determinedly.
“Understood.”
In the giant white mansion floating in mid-air.
After he shrank himself, Kratos' body was only two meters tall. He was shaking his dragon head and looked left and right, considering the decor in this mansion.
Nearby, there were two other white-robed elders seated with him. Compared to properly he was sitting, these two elders were both closing their eyes slightly, sitting quietly in place, completely motionless. They seemed to be pretending to sleep.
Vaguely, several powerful auras gradually appeared outside the mansion. Kratos was not particularly strong, but his senses were unnaturally sharp, so he could sense that several auras, each at least Level Ten, were slowly surrounding this place. His expression also grew slightly solemn.
But when he turned around and glanced at the two elders subtly, his heart instantly settled again.
“For our clan to produce a new generation descendent like this, not bad.” One elder opened his eyes, his expression actually comforted.
“Yes.” The other elder spoke concisely, responding with only one word.
“Please have some tea.” A Succubus waved her seductive waist, dressed only in a thin translucent veil, as she came up and served them three cups of blood-like tea.
“Has your master not returned yet?” Kratos ran his hand down the Succubus' thigh, his eyes narrowed pervertedly, as he asked in a low voice. “It doesn't really matter if he keeps me waiting here, but if he wastes the time of these two lords from the White Dragon Mountain, isn't Garen thinking just a little too much of himself?” He purposely raised his voice as he said this.
One of the two elders frowned slightly, but did not respond.
“I see, so it's the Elders from the White Dragon Mountain who have come visiting. It's Garen's fault for not greeting you in time.” Just as the Succubus was about to explain, a clear voice came instantly from outside the door.
The doors were thrown wide open, and Garen's shrunken body flew in slowly, landing on the ground. He was just about as tall as a man.
“Since you know that we're from the White Dragon Mountain, I believe you must also know the reason we're here, yes?” One of the elders stood up, looking at Garen with an admiring gaze.
“The reason you two are here…” Garen paused slightly. “I truly don't know. May I know why the two of you have come to our Vengeance Fortress? Pardon my bluntness, but my relations.h.i.+p with the White Dragon Mountain isn't that good, is it…?”
“You're being modest, Deputy Commander.” One of the elders laughed. “Although it is true that we're not on the best of terms, no matter what you're still a member of our White Dragon Mountain. The blood of the White Dragons flows through your veins. I believe even you cannot deny this, no?”
“That is indeed…” Garen did not know what these two were planning by coming here, but faced with two Level Fifteen pinnacle Ancient Dragons, even he had to be cautious.
“Then that makes things easier.” The elder continued to smile. “There have been indeed many misunderstandings between us in the past, but seeing that we're connected by blood, none of that is a problem. Our Ancient Parliament has unanimously decided to allow you back into the Main Clan, back under the Main Clan's protection. The Vengeance Fortress can also act as a base for our Main Clan in this area, what a happy coincidence.”
Garen looked at the smile on his face and felt his heart sink.
He did not know how his reputation reached that place, but seeing as the White Dragon Mountain had already sent someone here, that clearly meant they were planning to get serious.
The reason he had to escape to the Abyss in a hurry was that of two emissaries from White Dragon Mountain, and now that he had finally steadied his footing and begun to develop his influence here, that d.a.m.ned place still had the nerve to send someone here and try to take over his territory?
Could things really go that well for them?
He smiled coldly in his heart. Well, if you want to play pretend, two can play at that game.
“Although I desperately want to return to the great White Dragon Mountain Main Clan, unfortunately I'm also facing some challenging problems over here…” Garen's expression was full of deep regret.
“Problems?” The other elder raised his eyebrow. “The two of us are here to solve your problems for you.”
The two Level Fifteen pinnacle powerhouses would be the strongest people here, aside from the Fortress Master. They did indeed have the right to say something like that.
“Oh?” Garen's heart sank. What they were saying was becoming slightly obvious now.
But if two Level Fifteen powerhouses really wanted to make things difficult for him, all he could do was run away in an instant. However, without Lady Vengeance here right now, it was practically impossible to keep the two of them here.
In truth, by coming here, the White Dragon Mountain was already making their intentions quite clear.
They did not really care about him when he had not really developed yet in the past, but now that he was making ground and had such a vast enterprise under his belt, some of the for-profit organizations within the White Dragon Mountain was trying to devour him whole under the name of the Main Clan. White Dragons were selfish and self-centered by nature, so it was understandable.
But understanding it was one thing, for Garen to just submit to the White Mountain… That was bordering on a daydream.
“Whatever problems you have, just state them all and we'll solve them for you,” said the other elder concisely. Anyone could tell at a glance that he was the straightforward and cold type.
“My biggest problem now is that I can't steady my footing here in the Fortress… I lack truly high-level powerhouses here to help me hold the fort. That's why many of the mercenaries from the outside planes don't listen to my authority at all.” Garen's expression was helpless.
“Although I really want to return to the Main Clan as well, I'm still facing someone who's trying to challenge my position as Commander right now.”
He came up with a random excuse.
“Oh? Who dares to challenge your position?” The old man raised an eyebrow. “Tell me who it is, and I'll eat 'em!”
“It's a guy called Nylirica.” Garen looked troubled as well. “I still haven't recovered from the injuries I sustained from the last time I agreed to his challenge for a duel, and now I have no choice but to accept yet another challenge. After all, this concerns the position of Commander. These are the laws of the Fortress, and also the laws of the Abyss.”
“Nylirica?” The two old men exchanged a glance, indicating that they had never heard this name.
“That's fine, we'll deal with this person for you,” the slightly colder old man replied in a low voice.
Garen could tell that the two old men had stayed in their nest for too long and were not so aware of the ways of the world. Although they were powerful, they seemed slightly stiff when it came to these matters. They bought Garen's story, hook, line, and sinker.
Garen's heart was decided. As long as they went off in search of this Nyrilica, everything else could be easily dealt with… Once he thought of that, he began to approach the two old men pa.s.sionately.
“This isn't just an excuse of yours, is it?”
Suddenly, Kratos' words instantly cooled down the atmosphere that had just begun to warm up.
The two old men looked at Garen suspiciously once more.
Garen hurriedly explained, “An excuse? Kratos, I know I offended you before, and we have some bad blood between us, but how could I possibly dare to simply lie to these two Ancient Dragon Masters? You just have to ask some questions around the Fortress to know whether or not this Nyrilica is the troublesome problem I said he is, so there's just no way for me to lie, now, is there?”
“That's true. If he's strong enough for you to find him troublesome, this guy must be no ordinary fellow. Such a being can't possibly be unknown around the Fortress. We'll just have to ask any pa.s.serby and we'll immediately know the truth,” said the slightly friendlier elder, nodding his head in agreement.
The atmosphere instantly calmed down again.
“But who knows, maybe you found an outsider to be your accomplice, trying to…” Kratos did not complete his sentence and instead began to laugh evilly.
Garen saw the two elders turn their suspicious gazes upon him once more.
He cursed inwardly. These two geezers were pretty easy to fool to start with, but this Kratos was getting in the way. It looked like Garen needed to find a chance to kill off this guy as soon as possible.
The intent to kill rose in his heart.
But on the surface, he continued to perpetuate his lie.
“If I could find such a powerful outsider to collude with me, haha, do you really think I would still only be a Deputy Commander?”
Kratos was merely at the pinnacle of Level Nine, and yet he dared to act so bold in front of Garen.
Garen's gaze on him instantly turned vicious.
Ans Kratos actually met his gaze, completely unafraid.
“I hear that Commander Garen was initially ambushed by the emissaries from the White Dragon Mountain, and that was how your essence as one of the Dragons of Disaster was revealed. In the end, the Snow City from the Primary Plane chased you here into the Abyss. It wouldn't be surprising if you harbored a grudge against White Dragon Mountain…” Kratos had even investigated the intel about this matter thoroughly. Right now, he was staring at Garen with a malicious gaze.
“This guy…!” Garen's heart sank, and as expected, he saw that the two elders had grown suspicious.
