Pillar of Yita

Lady Nicopolis fell silent for a moment, and finally spoke, ”That’s impossible, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. Show some sincerity and don’t treat me like a fool.”

The overwhelming desire to regain her freedom ultimately prevailed, and the importance of the object compelled her to suppress the anger in her heart, softening her tone accordingly.

This statement made Fang Hong realize that his efforts prior hadn’t been in vain.

He then got up from the ground, pressing on his chest as he coughed twice, and replied, ”Cough cough, sincerity is mutual, Lady Nicopolis.”

His prior foolish antics, of course, weren’t to play the fool, but to make her realize that he was also a threat to her.

After the journey to the Elf Ruins, he had long come to understand that the principle of trade was equality; a completely disadvantaged party had no right to negotiate terms with a dominant one. Because, instead of reasoning, people’s first instinct is to trust in their own power.

The woman before him was far more powerful than the Dragon Horn turned Giant Dragon he had seen at the Traveler’s Rest, and the gap in their strengths was too vast to describe as mere disparity. It’s like comparing dust to an elephant, as they are not on the same plane of existence.

But power and influence are not only about the display of strength; there are many other insubstantial and intangible factors to leverage, such as public opinion, reputation, faith, and perception. While he could not match Lady Nicopolis in terms of power, he could exploit her obsession.

Being bound in this Phantom Realm for thirty years, one could imagine her desperate daily yearning for freedom, a possibility that now hinged on a small parcel given to him by Mr. Mazak.

For some special reason, she seemed unable to seize the object from him directly, and even killing him might not guarantee success due to the unique rules of Eteliria.

Fang Hong bet that she wouldn’t dare to make such a decision lightly, hence his words to increase the burden of her judgement.

And he had succeeded.

At that moment, they were back on an equal footing, and he even had the opportunity to probe further with caution.

His mind was fully engaged, much like analyzing those classic missions undertaken by the Grand Guilds in the community years ago, with previous clues, logic, and connections clearly presenting themselves.

He, of course, never placed his hopes on Lady Nicopolis genuinely sparing any others.

He knew all too well what a Dark Giant Dragon was.

Lady Nicopolis watched him with an icy gaze, filled with disdain, yet she was compelled to speak, ”Are you saying, you want to negotiate a deal with me?”

Not far away, Tianlan squeezed Gita’s hand gently. Gita, curious, looked up at her, and the little French girl seized a moment of privacy to quietly flip open a Light Page and typed:

”Brother Ade has succeeded halfway.”

”Why?” Gita was curious.

”The most important part of negotiation is to bring the opponent into one’s own domain of expertise. Lady Nicopolis giving up the use of force is akin to relinquishing her biggest advantage.”

Enlightened, Gita mused, ”But Mr. Mazak once said that Nicopolis is also a cunning Black Dragon. Can Brother Ade really deceive her?”

As a negotiation expert, Tianlan narrowed her eyes with excitement. ”That’s not important, Brother Ade may be a bit slow, but the gap is much less in this domain than with physical strength. More importantly, I believe Brother Ade must have another way.”

Gita fell silent, unlike the carefree Tianlan, she had only one modest aspiration—to follow in her brother’s footsteps and become a true Chosen Invoker.

But she had to ask herself if she was capable of standing out amidst such fierce competition. Like Luo Yu, she had never dared to be too confident—how could anyone be?

She looked at the young man speaking eloquently and suddenly felt admiration and envy—perhaps he was someone who truly pursued his dreams, and nothing could stop his stride.

Be it Stargates or Dark Giant Dragons.

And indeed, Fang Hong had another plan.

He was aware that it wasn’t wise to outthink a Dark Giant Dragon, but in the domain of negotiation, brainpower wasn’t everything—information asymmetry was more crucial.

He was facing the Phantom of Lady Nicopolis from over thirty years ago.

In turn, Lady Nicopolis was dealing with a version of herself from over thirty years later. He understood the history of those thirty-plus years, while she was ignorant of what had happened after three decades.

A simple fact was that over thirty years ago, there were no mass Invokers in existence in this world.

He feigned hesitation before replying, ”Lady Nicopolis, if you don’t even give me a chance to bargain, how can I believe in your sincerity?”

”Sincerity?” Lady Nicopolis wished she could tear the word to shreds and burn it into ash. Why should she show sincerity to a mere Mortal? Yet she was still forced to say through gritted teeth, ”Fine, but sending everyone out is impossible; don’t let me hear such a foolish request again.”

”Then I’ll just speak plainly,” Fang Hong said, carefully weighing his words. ”Half the people, you send half the people out, and keep the rest as hostages until the deal is done and you send us out.”