The next day, Kael and Lila didn't wake up until eleven. After another lazy, intimate hour spent in bed, they finally logged on around one in the afternoon.
They materialized in their private room at the embassy. The rates were steep, but the absolute security was worth it.
The mont Kael logged in, he was bombarded with a flood of notifications.
System: Your summoned creature has killed player PewPewMcGee. Your Infamy score in Thaloria has increased by 1.
System: Your summoned creature has killed player NoManaNoCry. Your Infamy score in Thaloria has increased by 1.
...
System: Your Infamy score in Thaloria has exceeded 5 points. You are now wanted in all major towns.
System: Your summoned creature has killed player...
The kill notifications scrolled on and on, hundreds of them. His friends list was blinking just as frantically.
SugarRush: Be careful. Your na is on the wanted list.
SugarRush: Kael, the guild leaders are freaking out. Where are you?
Then there was a ssage from Draco: Sir Dawnbreaker, the plan went off perfectly. We took Dragon's Tooth Quarry last night, but they managed to hold Veridian Vein. Contact when you're online. Nyria is looking for you. Sounds like she wants to negotiate a truce.
Kael replied simply:
Tell Nyria to co to the Mythrosia Empire's embassy. And have your people send a few representatives.
He ignored the ssages from Orion, Rena, Hazel, and Isolde and closed the window.
When Kael stepped out of his room, he found the embassy's main hall packed with people and buzzing with tension. The mont he appeared, a dead silence fell over the crowd.
Kael scanned the faces. He didn't recognize a single one. Judging by their nas, none of them were from Earth.
A warrior in the crowd broke the silence. "Dawnbreaker! Are you just a coward who knows how to hide?"
The dam broke, and others chid in.
"You're only tough because of your OP gear! Let tell you, I'm not afraid of you! Don't believe ? Step outside and fight !"
"Yeah, Dawnbreaker! 1v1 , bro!"
Kael watched them, listening to their jeers, and instantly understood their pathetic little plan: lure him outside, where the city guards could arrest him.
He chuckled and addressed the mob. "You think you can kill with this level of skill? Please. I could stand right here and let you wail on for half an hour, and you still wouldn't even scratch the paint."
That did it. The crowd erupted in fury. "Arrogant bastard! I can't take it anymore!"
A storm of spells, arrows, hidden weapons, and magic scrolls rained down on Kael. A string of "-1" damage numbers popped up all over his body.
He just smirked.
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Before he could even react, the female NPC secretary representing the Mythrosia Empire suddenly changed. Her prim uniform dissolved, replaced by shimring plate armor. In a flash, she leaped into the center of the room, her sword a silver blur.
Half the players in the hall vanished in a single cleave. Every single person who had attacked Kael was instantly killed.
She stood over the spot where they had been, her greatsword resting on her shoulder, her expression grim. "This is sovereign soil of the Mythrosia Empire!" she announced, her voice ringing with cold authority. "No disturbances will be tolerated!"
With that, she walked back to her desk, her armor lting away and reforming into her cute, demure secretarial outfit.
The remaining players who had co to ambush Kael stared, dumbfounded. That ek-looking NPC was that powerful?
Kael chuckled to himself. Any random NPC here was stronger than a city guard captain.
After that little farce, the hall cleared out considerably. It wasn't long before Nyria and Eldric arrived, followed by Draco, Joel Blackwood, and representatives from the Valois and Beaumont families. Kael booked a conference room from the NPC, and the eight of them filed inside.
After a few brief, awkward pleasantries, a heavy silence descended. Nyria and Eldric looked grim. Draco, Joel, and the others were filled with hopeful expectation. They all eyed each other, trying to read their opponents' bottom line.
anwhile, Kael and Lila sat off to the side, playing a ga of chess.
Finally, Nyria couldn't take it anymore. She ignored Joel and Draco and addressed Kael directly. "Sir Dawnbreaker, perhaps you could tell what it is you want?"
Kael gave a dismissive wave without even looking up from the board, indicating he had no interest in talking.
Thwarted, Nyria turned her sharp gaze to Joel and Draco. "And you? What do you want?"
Joel and Draco exchanged a look, and Joel spoke for the coalition. "It's simple. We get the Dragon's Tooth and Veridian Vein quarries. After that, we sign a non-aggression pact."
Nyria shot to her feet and slamd her hands on the table. "In your dreams!"
Draco tapped the table gently. "Norlun's summon ability is off cooldown," he reminded her calmly. "We can march on Veridian Vein whenever we like."
Nyria sat back down, a contemptuous sneer on her face. "And the mont Norlun leaves, do you really think you can hold Dragon's Tooth Quarry?"
"How will we know unless we try?" Joel retorted.
"You don't need to try to know the outco!" she snapped.
They were at a stalemate again.
It was then that Kael finally spoke, his tone light and breezy. "Let's all just talk this out nicely. Why all this talk of fighting and killing?"
Eldric, who had been stewing in his hatred for Kael, was about to leap up and curse him out, but Nyria grabbed his arm, holding him back.
She began to lay out her own terms. "You withdraw from Dragon's Tooth Quarry. In return, we will cede a share of its profits. We can manage it jointly. House Myrden takes fifty percent, your coalition takes fifty percent."
The Valois representative stood up. "Fat chance! We already hold Dragon's Tooth. Why would we give you half?"
Nyria shot him a withering glare. "On what grounds? On the grounds of strength! If it weren't for Dawnbreaker, your entire collection of trash guilds put together couldn't beat House Myrden."
"But the reality is, Dawnbreaker is helping us," Draco said smoothly.
Nyria laughed, a cold, sharp sound. "For how long? Three days? Five? What happens after he leaves? Can you hold the mines then? No. You'll be left with nothing." She turned her head, fixing her gaze on Kael. "If I rember correctly, the maximum duration for a cross-server visit is five days. Isn't that right, Sir Dawnbreaker?"
Kael nodded from his chess ga. "She's right. I can only stay for three days this ti. I'm leaving tomorrow."
Nyria was visibly taken aback by how readily he cooperated. She couldn't figure out what ga he was playing.
The representatives from House Blackwood and the others, however, were furious, practically rolling their eyes in anger. Why is he helping the enemy? Couldn't he have just lied and said he got a one-year visa or sothing?
Kael had just revealed their biggest weakness, completely torpedoing their negotiating position. He was their only real bargaining chip!
They quickly began a frantic discussion in a private chat channel.
Draco: Should we just settle for half the mine?
Valois Rep: It's not the worst deal. Dragon's Tooth is a high-quality quarry.
Beaumont Rep: Right. And we also have a mine in [Tydrisa's Quarry].
Valois Rep: That should be enough for us to start catching up to House Myrden.
Beaumont Rep: We'll never fully catch up, but at least the gap won't be as massive as it was before.
Joel Blackwood: If everyone is in agreent, then I consent as well.
The four representatives nodded to each other, ready to accept the terms.
"Alright, we'll agree to—" Joel began to say.
But he was cut off by Kael clearing his throat.
All eyes turned to him. He was casually toying with a small, crystalline bottle filled with swirling, crimson liquid.
"Wait!" Nyria shouted, her eyes wide with shock and recognition, bringing the entire negotiation to a screeching halt.
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