Chapter 2099 - 560: The "Hive" and the "Sea of Consciousness"_2

Because at all times, the effect of force is mutual.

The Demon King is not always dominating Erin's decisions; occasionally, the latter takes the initiative in making unexpected choices together.

The other meaning of mutual benefit is just that, and Luo Yan is certainly aware of this. He is a master at pretending to be ignorant, but not truly ignorant.

The two joined hands gradually grew together; speaking of one side's influence on the other, it is very much like a tyrant contemplating themselves.

It must be said that although tyrants in the feudal era always refuse to admit it, they are indeed influenced by the peasants they govern, but that's only because they refuse to look in the mirror.

The coldest physical laws are never swayed by anyone's will; naturally, they also align with the iron law that "the effect of force is mutual."

The result of treating people as fools is inevitably a group of fools fooling one big fool, then all holding hands and jumping together into the septic tank.

Roland City nowadays is roughly like this; even if their king tells them the sky is green, the people there would simply have an epiphany—

Oh hell, am I colorblind?

"I don't deny your statement, but is this all you want to say?"

"Of course not."

Marinus gently shook his head, and those eyes that were as gentle as the spring breeze gradually ceased to conceal the inner desire, with a gleam of greedy madness in them.

"Since we are alike, why should we fight to the death for a bunch of mortals? We can completely join forces and collaborate together."

"Collaborate?"

"Yes, collaborate on development."

Marinus cast his gaze northward, towards the direction of the Ryan Kingdom, and his gentle voice gradually carried a tone of disgust.

"The 'Mine Veins' of the Ryan Kingdom have already been depleted. Those mud-covered folks, although they look human, have souls as weak as autumn wildgrass, of as poor quality as the sand on the riverbank."

"Those folks are either logically scrambled madmen or self-proclaimed scholarly illiterates... Although the mages of the Academic State say it's harmless, I can't help but worry that if we continue to extract soul quality from such trash, our nobles will become just as dull as they are."

This concern is not baseless, as the rejection reactions between humans are minimal, and some people are slowly becoming less human.

Luo Yan smiled knowingly, asking a question he already knew the answer to.

"Oh? Then how did those folks you mentioned turn into such a ghostly state?"

"There are many reasons, but they are all unimportant; what matters is we need more quality material." Marinus casually brushed the question aside as if waving off a fly.

Then, he turned his head, and his gaze fell south of the Ten Thousand Ridges Mountain Range, where the Rushing River flows downstream toward the direction of the Campbell Duchy.

"The Campbell Duchy is different."

"Thanks to your meticulous nourishing, the people there are spirited, their souls pure, brimming with hope and vitality... I have no doubt their spirits are no worse than the citizens of the Holy City; they are top-tier materials, and we can absolutely develop this untapped rich mine together."

As he spoke, he took a deep breath, as if already smelling the fragrance of souls drifting on the wind from hundreds of kilometers away.

Even Alakdo felt a chill from the morbid expression, his legs shifting uneasily beneath him. If it weren't for Lord Demon King's restraint, he might have already fled!

Luo Yan sighed softly.

"Saint Sis above, this is so blasphemous."

"But for a Demon King, isn't it just right?"

Believing his olive branch was favored, Marinus smiled and continued to add chips to the table.

"Think carefully; I can even 'persuade' our Majesty to let you have Twilight Province. If necessary, we can coordinate with you to stage some wartime dramas to eliminate those useless burdens."

"Besides, there's the 'Holy Water' that you care about most. I can persuade the Academic State to let you participate too, giving you a thirty percent share! Don't underestimate this thirty percent... It can not only make you as strong as me, it might even help you become a Demigod!"

Marinus was very confident in his proposal; giving a thirty percent share to an ally joining midway is already a very sincere offer.

He did not feel remorse for the possibly relinquished benefits. Because if he could also pull the Campbell Duchy onto his chariot, they would not only access an unexploited soul ore mine but also eliminate the southern hazard.

Previously, they had to do these things in the Ten Thousand Ridges Mountain Range, without being too blatant. But as long as the surrounding area is filled with allies, they can join forces to block information, not only kicking mice out of the game but also placing Mage Towers forged from souls in Twilight Province and even Roland City and Thunder City!

This is clearly a cost-effective trade.

After all, the breeding environment in mouse holes is nowhere near as suitable for human habitation as cities.

Faced with the olive branch offered by Marinus, Luo Yan raised his eyebrow slightly. He wasn't actually interested in this guy's proposal itself but rather found intriguing information between the lines.

"Lord Marinus, your blueprint is indeed grand; even demons must praise your efficiency. However, as a Demon King, I must consider the future more... If you mine uncontrollably like this, once the population dwindles and souls are exhausted, wouldn't we become rootless duckweed? After all, mines always have a day when they are completely drained."