Child of Destiny

”Do you think your people are daring enough to fight against a Powerhouse Force?”

The instant the question left Shin’s mouth, the entire tent fell into complete silence.

Khavin was unable to answer immediately, as he wasn’t sure how he should respond.

People around him might call him ruthless or crazy—a man who never backed down from a fight so long as the gap between him and his opponent wasn’t too great.

He never bothered fighting those weaker than him, since his subordinates were more than capable of dealing with such weaklings.

Nor would he recklessly challenge someone far stronger than himself. He understood that such a battle would be meaningless if the gap between them was simply too large to overcome.

However, whenever he believed someone was on the same level as him, or only somewhat stronger, he would gladly welcome the challenge and greet them with his saber.

But that was how he acted as an individual.

As the leader of a mercenary company, he had to consider his people—especially the brothers who had stood beside him since he first embarked on his career as a professional gamer.

He might be a crazy lunatic in the eyes of outsiders, but he still had to take responsibility for his people whenever he considered a serious commission.

His demeanor suddenly changed, shedding the image of the bossy leader of a notorious mercenary group and revealing the cautious commander beneath it.

Seeing the sudden change, Shin couldn’t help but grin beneath his mask. ’A beast is always the most dangerous when it’s cornered.’

Khavin took a deep breath before asking, ”May I know which side we’re going to provoke? The Desert Sun Coalition or the alliance between the Illusion Dream and Mirage Soul Guilds?”

Shin stared at him for quite a while before answering. ”That’s the tricky part. We might be fighting neither of them... or we might end up fighting both sides together.”

Hearing the ambiguous answer, the corner of Khavin’s mouth twitched. ’What do you mean by that?’

He then put on a stiff smile before asking, ”What does the Battle God mean by that?”

Shin thought for a moment before continuing. ”Our mission requires us to raid one of the local NPC forces within the area.”

”However, their base is situated right between the territories of those two Powerhouse Guilds. That’s why the current situation is a bit troublesome.”

He gave the mercenary leader a brief explanation without revealing anything beyond what was necessary.

Khavin didn’t immediately answer after hearing this, instead contemplating the information he had just received.

It was only natural for Shin not to fully reveal the details of the mission, especially since Khavin had yet to accept the commission.

Khavin understood this as well, so he didn’t press for more information. Instead, he began weighing the potential benefits and drawbacks of the commission.

He needed to determine whether the reward was worth provoking the two Powerhouse Guilds whose territories bordered their own.

If he accepted the commission and ended up provoking both sides, they would most likely have to deal with the two factions simultaneously with their limited manpower.

Those two sides might not be willing to launch a full-scale conquest to seize Monolith Forest, but suppressing a local force like the Desert Bandits wouldn’t be difficult for either of them.

Worse, they might even force the Desert Bandits to abandon the area and establish their base somewhere else.

Even if Khavin gained the favor of the god sitting before him and the rest of the Empyrean Talons, that relationship would most likely end once the commission was completed.

After all, Shin and the others could simply leave the Green Marbly Kingdom once they finished whatever business had brought them here.

The Desert Bandits, however, would be left behind to face the wrath of the two local powers.

They couldn’t simply abandon their base of operations so easily.

Most of their clients were based in this region, and much of their business was tied to the area. Leaving would mean throwing away the foundation they had spent so long building.

By his initial assessment, Khavin found that the commission might not be worth the risk.

After thinking for a while, Khavin finally asked, ”May I ask what benefits we can gain from accepting this commission?”

’This guy is worthy of being a leader. He knows how to weigh his options—and he knows how to negotiate.’ Shin silently complimented the other party after hearing those words.

What impressed him the most was that Khavin didn’t ask, ”How much will you pay us?”

Instead, he was asking about the actual benefits they could gain from the commission.

Perhaps he was looking for something that would surpass the monetary value of the commission itself.

Shin grinned before asking, ”Alright. Let’s hear what’s on your mind.”

He understood that Khavin must have already weighed the pros and cons of the commission, meaning he most likely had an ideal reward in mind as well.

After all, this involved the possibility of provoking two major powers in the kingdom.

Khavin fell silent for a moment before carefully asking, ”How about... granting us a base in Gold Mountain?”

He immediately aimed for the most ideal—and most ’expensive’—deal he could think of.

The moment those words left his mouth, the entire room fell silent once again.

Shin remained calm, seemingly expecting a request like this.

Owen, however, couldn’t help but interject mockingly. ”Your appetite sure is big.”

’Is this guy crazy? Does he know the value of having a base in Gold Mountain? Not even a major Powerhouse Guild would dare ask for something like this in exchange for a ’simple’ operation.’ Owen couldn’t help but think that Khavin was asking for far too much.

Gold Mountain was only open for garrisoning to the close allies of the Hand of Midas and the Empyrean Talons.

Khavin understood that his request sounded absurd, but he also knew he couldn’t simply back down. ”Sir must understand our situation as well.”

”We aren’t merely accepting a regular commission this time...” He paused for a moment before sighing. ”...We’re also risking our livelihood by accepting it.”

His words were reasonable.

If this were merely a regular commission, they could simply accept it alongside their usual mercenary fee.

However, this situation was different.

They were essentially betting their livelihoods by provoking such major Powerhouse Forces in the region, so they needed something of equal value in exchange for risking everything.

Owen was about to refute Khavin’s request when Shin suddenly stopped him by casually raising a hand.

Owen swallowed his words and silently stepped back.

Shin, on the other hand, spoke. ”I understand your predicament. It’s only natural for us to show you our sincerity since we’re asking you to undertake such a heavy commission.”

He paused for a moment before releasing his aura.

Bang!

The entire room was suddenly subjected to overwhelming pressure, nearly forcing all the executives of the Desert Bandits to their knees.

Shin then continued. ”But... aren’t you asking for a bit too much?”

”S-Sir... Battle God... I...” Khavin tried to reply while resisting the overwhelming pressure.

However, Shin didn’t give him the opportunity to continue. ”I know what you’re trying to say, but Gold Mountain is out of the question.”

He then retracted his aura, causing those on the opposing side to nearly collapse onto the ground.

Fortunately, they managed to steady themselves and remain standing.

Shin continued. ”However, I can also give you a path to ensure your survival.”

”A base is not something I will offer...” He paused for a moment before continuing. ”...But I can give you something of equivalent value.”

”Something of equivalent value?” Khavin mumbled as he tried to recover.

Shin nodded. ”That’s right.”

He stared at the mercenary company leader before revealing his offer. ”I can give you a partnership contract.”

”A partnership contract?” Khavin repeated.

”That’s right,” Shin confirmed before elaborating. ”The Hand of Midas is currently considering whether to establish a branch in this kingdom.”

”As their close ally, I can naturally recommend a few forces that could partner with them...” He paused, giving the opposing side a meaningful look before continuing. ”For example... an escort group or a material supplier.”

Hearing this, Khavin felt as though his mind had suddenly short-circuited.

Of course!

Such a deal wasn’t inferior to his previous offer at all.

After all, they could accomplish a great deal through such a partnership.

They wouldn’t only retain the foundation they had painstakingly built since joining the game.

Their existing business would remain intact, while their contacts and connections would also be preserved.

Most importantly, even if they were eventually forced to leave their current base by the two Powerhouse Guilds, they could simply migrate to another region within the kingdom.

Given their existing connections, doing so wouldn’t be particularly difficult.

The business they lost in Monolith Forest could be compensated for by the new opportunities that came from partnering with the Hand of Midas.

For Khavin and the rest of the Desert Bandits, this was the best possible deal they could have imagined.

However, the trio standing behind Shin thought otherwise.

They looked at Khavin and the other executives of the Desert Bandits with expressions filled with contempt and pity.

In their eyes, these guys had just fallen for the sweet words of the Devil sitting before them.

...