If the secret of a stable wormhole --one vast enough to allow entire planets to pass through- were ever to be uncovered, there would no longer be a place for them anywhere in the region.
The Syndicate would exploit such a wormhole to its absolute limit: a gateway that links two Young Sectors instantaneously, and connects two Mid Sectors in no more than two months of travel.
And even if one were to ignore the ti factor entirely, this route would erase the need to traverse the border zones between sectors altogether-those infamous boundary regions riddled with temporal storms, violent spatial distortions, anti-life phenona, and the resurgence of newborn and juvenile space beasts that had recently begun spreading through them in alarming numbers.
Everything about this route was irresistibly alluring. Every aspect of it would transform Sector 99 and Sector 100-both dium and Young-into unparalleled centers of comrce and, simultaneously, into inevitable theaters of war.
Any Monarch destined to rise as a future Behemoth would be drawn here without hesitation. The Sorcerer Behemoth Zarghol would storm into Sector 99 dium at full strength, and his presence alone would inevitably attract the Savage Zavaros, the Cursed Darvion, and even Helmor the Destroyer and Arkail the Temporal. In such a configuration, control over one sector would naturally translate into dominion over the other.
Even if Behemoths and open warfare were set aside, every major comrcial coalition would still fight desperately to establish a foothold in these two sectors. This unprecedented link-unlike anything the universe had ever seen- would cause trade profits to multiply severalfold in the blink of an eye.
It was no coincidence that Emily had managed to raise the annual production of the True Beginning Empire and its affiliated branches to nearly 1.5 billion Pearls in raw materials alone, while all other empires typically struggled to reach more than a few million per year under normal circumstances.
Should news of this connection spread-and the Syndicate would most certainly ensure that it did-these sectors would rapidly devolve into a combined military and comrcial warzone, becoming a new universal focal point with every gaze fixed upon it. This was not a place where Robin could safely protect his seed and allow it to ascend in secrecy. In such an
environnt, he would be nothing more than a small fish leaping straight into a pond filled with whales.
If the Syndicate were to lay eyes upon the wormhole itself, then abandoning Sectors 99 and 100 forever would beco inevitable.
Yet the true question was... why should they leave such an advantage to soone else? An advantage capable of overturning the balance of the universe while already resting in their hands-and hidden in secrecy at that. If it could remain concealed, then why allow it to surface at all?!
"...You will not take a look," Theo declared, his resolve hardening.
"Pardon?" The red-skinned man smiled faintly. "Oh-my apologies. Very well, then. I shall contact them and stop them imdiately!"
"I appreciate that you have a sense of humor, sir," Theo replied, his brows knitting slightly, "but please, try to find a rational solution with here. As for the dead, we already reached an agreent. I will pay a fair price for them. I have conducted many transactions with you in the past, and we will finalize a similar contract today-the matter of the fallen is settled."
He leaned forward just a little. "As for the supposed inevitability of traveling to that region, let us forget it entirely. I will provide the Syndicate with whatever it desires-information, assassinations, covert operations. Anything the Shadow Swords are capable of, we will do for you."
This was the absolute limit of what Theo could offer, and truthfully, the deal was far from unreasonable.
The Syndicate's followers were countless in number, yet the majority of their true strength lay in the upper echelons-World Cataclysms or higher. Those below the World Cataclysm threshold were rely unofficial adherents, innurable and expendable. They handled the Syndicate's mundane affairs, hoping one day to be formally accepted, but in reality, they simply lacked the necessary caliber.
The Syndicate leveraged the overwhelming might of its upper ranks to dominate other shadow organizations, forcing them to gather intelligence and act on its behalf in exchange for future favors-or the occasional overlooking of a violation or two. This was why Theo's relationship with them ran extraordinarily deep. His intelligence dominance over three entire sectors ant that the majority of the Syndicate's information regarding those regions originated directly from him.
"This is... tempting" the red-skinned man said slowly, nodding. "How much will you pay for the dead and the vessel?"
"I will pay the highest price allotted for slaves," Theo replied, frowning. "Three billion for a Nexus State, and one hundred million for each World Cataclysm- five billion in total. As for the destroyed vessel, I will deliver two ships superior
to it."
A sharp pang struck Theo's chest. Even after halting financial support to multiple empires, five billion Pearls remained an astronomical sum-nearly everything he currently possessed. It was capital that could have been invested into any of the newly expanding sectors under his control.
"These were not slaves," the red-skinned man corrected calmly. "They were followers of the Syndicate." He shook his head. "I want five tis that amount. And as for the destroyed vessel, I want a full Note Gen-4 fleet in compensation."
"...?!" Shock flooded Théo's expression.
"..?" The red-skinned man noticed and burst into laughter. "Oh? Haha-do you truly believe these demands are excessive?" He shook his head once more. "It seems my polite deanor caused you to forget who we are, little sword. This is not a charitable organization. If you were not useful-and if there were not massive exchanges of value between us-this issue would never have been resolved without completely erasing the Shadow Swords' entire system from existence."
"But this is utterly unreasonable!" Theo snapped, grinding his teeth. "I don't possess that kind of wealth. Even the children of Behemoths rarely hold half of such a sum. They were nothing more than a handful of insignificant World Cataclysms and a low, worthless Nexus State. Why make this so difficult for ? Five billion was already the absolute maximum value they could command!"
He tapped the table twice for emphasis. "Second- a Gen-4 Note fleet? We have never released them to any external party, precisely to avoid reverse engineering and the exposure of their core technologies. We refused to sell them even when offered astronomical figures. And now you want an entire fourth-generation fleet in exchange for a single cargo vessel?"
"Don't worry," the red-skinned man replied with a light laugh. "We won't attempt to decipher the fleet's secrets."
"What exactly do you intend to do with an entire fleet when you don't even fight wars?" Theo snapped, his tone sharp with restrained fury. "Throw celebrations inside it? Host banquets and toast to secrecy?" His voice hardened. "Either you'll attempt to reverse-engineer it yourselves, or you'll sell it for obscene sums to one of the Behemoths so they can carry out the reverse engineering instead. Do you truly take for an idiot?!"
"This conversation has dragged on far longer than necessary."
The red-skinned man's smile disappeared in an instant, as if it had never
existed. His expression turned cold and businesslike.
"These prices will be paid," he said flatly. He fixed Theo with an unblinking
stare. "That is the cost of killing our n. And we haven't even begun to discuss the price of overlooking that protected zone." Then, slowly, another smile ford on his face-but this one was different, sharp and predatory. "So tell , little sword... do you actually possess what is required to pay?"
""
Sweat began to bead on Theo's skin despite his efforts to remain composed.
No. He didn't have what it took to pay.
And this was before they had even ntioned the cost of turning a blind eye to
the protected zone.
What options were left to him? Rush to save Nihari and Greenland personally? Was this truly the mont to abandon those sectors altogether, after centuries
of preparation, planning, and silent investnt? Refuse outright? Declare that he would oppose the Syndicate's interests if this continued? But could he shoulder the consequences of such defiance- especially against an organization that thrived on retaliation and secrets?
Should he-
Humm-
At that precise mont, Theo's Voice Ring pulsed with a gentle glow, vibrating faintly against his finger. A calm, artificial voice echoed in his mind:
(His Majesty requests your imdiate presence in the Soul Society. A ssage
awaits you there. He further instructs you to be aware that his identity as Lord Human has been exposed to the Sorcerer Behemoth.)
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