Chapter 523 - 509: Sign This Agreement, and I Guarantee You Won’t Die

Chapter 523: Chapter 509: Sign This Agreement, and I Guarantee You Won’t Die

A dead silence fell over the square.

The shadow cast by Thanatos pressed heavily upon the hearts of the four Witch Kings like a tombstone.

That casually mentioned word, "obstacle," carried more weight than any Demon’s roar. It echoed repeatedly in their ears, crushing their last sliver of hope.

The gemstone at the top of the Silver Staff in the hands of the True Silver Grand Chairman—a symbol of the council’s authority and glory—flickered erratically before finally dimming into darkness.

His spine, which he had tried to keep straight, bent inch by inch under the pale halo emanating from the Soul-Trapping Lantern.

He remembered his impassioned declaration in the council hall not long ago: "Ionia must be ruled by Ionians!"

Looking back now, it felt like a resounding slap in the face.

In this world, after all, whoever had the biggest fist had the final say. They had just driven away wolves, only to invite in tigers and leopards. Now, they simply had no other choice.

"We... agree to cooperate." The True Silver Grand Chairman squeezed the words out of his throat with all his remaining strength. His voice was hoarse, as if he had instantly aged a hundred years.

The moment he spoke, the invisible, mighty force gripping the souls of everyone in the square abruptly dissipated.

The freezing deathly stillness receded, the air became breathable once more, and the extinguished Magic Lamps lit up again one by one.

Hundreds of First-level Wizards kneeling on the ground gasped heavily for air. Many collapsed, lacking even the strength to stand up.

"Excellent. Efficient communication is the first step to winning a war." The voice coming from within Thanatos also seemed to lose its eeriness, becoming as calm as a scholar chairing a meeting. "Since we have reached our first consensus, let us discuss the second matter."

"Lord Wesren," the Master of the Verdant Tower, Kassen, forced himself to calm down and proactively took over the conversation. "We are willing to cooperate with all your military operations. But Ionia’s resources..."

"Resources are precisely the focal point of what I want to discuss." Allen interrupted him directly, giving him no room to bargain.

Thanatos raised a hand, and a curtain of light unfolded before the four Witch Kings, displaying a detailed map of all of Ionia.

"Before that, tell me all the intelligence you have regarding the invading Demons. Everything."

The four Witch Kings exchanged glances, not daring to hide anything.

"The invading Demons call themselves the ’Burning Legion,’ possessing the ability to fight across Planes..."

"Their Commander, Abyssal Commander Baroque, is merely the vanguard..."

"According to the interrogation of captives, their Lord, Sargeras, is a Demon Monarch from Purgatory..."

Allen listened quietly, musing that the name "Burning Legion" sounded quite domineering.

Only after they finished speaking did his fingertip tap lightly on the illuminated map.

"A veteran Dawn Star Level Lord of Purgatory. His main forces could descend at any time. How long do you think you can hold him off with just your Magic-guided Cannons and Bloodline Wizards?"

The four Witch Kings fell into silence once again.

Just the vanguard officer, Baroque, had pushed them to the desperate strait of initiating the "Seed of Cyan" for mutual destruction. Facing a true Dawn Star Level Demon Monarch and his endless army, even visualizing resistance filled them with despair.

"Do you... need us to hand over the command of our army?" the Storm Witch King asked tentatively.

"I don’t need it."

This clean and crisp answer made all four Witch Kings freeze in astonishment simultaneously.

"Your army is incapable of participating in front-line combat at the Dawn Star Level," Thanatos’s face revealed no expression. "Forcing them into my combat system will only increase the cost of identifying friend from foe and drag down my legion’s advancement efficiency."

Allen’s words were spoken very politely. However, the subtext was incredibly hurtful: You are all too weak. Don’t get in the way.

"Your responsibility is to maintain order in the rear cities, organize civilian evacuations, escort strategic supplies, and eliminate any scattered Demons fleeing the battlefield.

"The front lines will be handled by my Golem Legion.

"If Sargeras descends in his true form, I will deal with him," Thanatos paused, shifting the topic.

"However, mobilizing my legion consumes a massive amount of energy. The Golems require repairs when damaged in battle, and constructing new defensive fortifications will take an astronomical amount of materials. None of these will just appear out of thin air."

He looked at the four of them, his gaze seemingly piercing through the illuminated map to see right through their final inner struggles.

"I am not here to do charity work. The mission issued by the Association is to ’prevent the Plane from falling,’ not to ’protect your private property for free.’

"I require the supply of all mineral resources across the entire Plane, as well as the highest priority requisition rights for all Extraordinary Materials. Your Cyan Tower and True Silver Council must provide all logistical supplies for my legion. Free of charge, and without delay."

The Storm Witch King’s face instantly flushed red, and he finally couldn’t help but speak out, "What is the difference between this and just handing the entirety of Ionia over to you?!"

"There is a difference."

Allen understood the principle that going too far is as bad as falling short. His finger tapped lightly on the light screen. The vast territory on the map belonging to the Star Secret Place—parts of which were now tainted dark purple by the Demons’ Evil Energy—was outlined separately with a red circle.

"The difference is that I am still willing to divide the spoils of war with you."

The four Witch Kings were stunned.

"The Star Secret Place has already been annihilated. Their territory is now a hotbed and breeding ground for Demons. During the execution of my mission, I will completely take over this land. I will build my frontline fortresses and industrial bases there, serving as a bridgehead against the Burning Legion.

"In exchange, your two major organizations can immediately dispatch personnel to transfer all surviving populations, intact crucial facilities, and the Witchcraft Scriptures and repositories of knowledge they have accumulated over thousands of years within the territory of the Star Secret Place back to your own lands," Allen stated his final, and only, condition.

"I only want temporary land and minerals. You take the people and the knowledge, and just ensure logistical support. I will handle the main forces of the Demons. That is very fair.

"Additionally, while the agreement is in effect, my Golem Legion has the right of free passage throughout all of Ionia, as well as the right to temporarily requisition any non-private facilities when necessary."

The True Silver Grand Chairman slowly closed his eyes. He knew they had no right to refuse, nor even the power to bargain. If they refused, they might become the newest collectibles inside the Soul-Trapping Lantern in the very next second.

"We... need an agreement," he said hoarsely. This was the last bit of dignity he could fight for.

"Of course," Allen nodded slightly, fully displaying the elegant demeanor of a High-level Wizard.

As soon as he finished speaking, a contract materialized out of thin air. The Wizard text in the title was vigorous and powerful, exuding an air of majesty.

"Resource Integration and Wartime Protection Agreement."

The terms were clear, and the rights and responsibilities were sharply defined. It was exactly everything Allen had just stated, without a single ambiguous word, leaving no loopholes to be exploited in the future.

Half an hour later, under the humiliated gazes of the Wizards from their respective organizations, the four Witch Kings stepped forward one by one and branded their own Soul Marks at the end of the contract.

At the precise moment the Soul Mark of Kassen, the Master of the Verdant Tower, lit up, Allen’s eyebrow twitched imperceptibly.

Within his vision of the Soul Law, Kassen’s soul produced an extremely subtle reaction upon coming into contact with the contract, as if another will resided deep within his soul.

He commanded internally, "Jarvis, record this. The Master of the Verdant Tower, Kassen, shows traces in his soul structure that are highly suspected of being ’parasitic’ or ’symbiotic.’ Threat level elevated to: Medium. Classify as monitoring target number one."

Allen felt no ripples in his heart, merely silently updating his evaluation. Among Wizards who studied souls, there was no shortage of those who messed themselves up.

The contract was established. From this moment on, Allen Wesren became the de facto supreme Commander of the Y-417 Plane.

"Excellent." Allen watched the agreement take effect without any emotional fluctuation, as though he had merely signed for a batch of raw materials on a production line.

He immediately issued his first order.

"The agreement is now in effect. We will begin executing the first task immediately.

"Immediately draft the most elite scouts and intelligence personnel from your two major organizations to form a joint investigation team."

The map on the illuminated screen shifted once again. The former site of the Star Secret Place—Stargazing Mountain—was prominently marked by a continuously flashing red circle.

"I want you to infiltrate the occupied zone in the north and head to Stargazing Mountain. At all costs, investigate one thing for me," Allen’s voice, transmitted through Thanatos, became incomparably profound. "How exactly did the Burning Legion manage to silently descend their first unit onto this Plane?"