Quentin's Ambition

Reed looked at the other man with disdain. "So, you just made an empty promise to lure me here. If you can fool me once, you can fool me a second time. Why should I believe you?"

"I wouldn't call it deception, it was just a little strategy," the man said, rubbing his nose. "As for why you should believe me, it's because I'm Quentin. Kairo."

Upon hearing this name, Reed's pupils contracted sharply; he had naturally heard of this name before.

Quentin. Kairo is the former Grand Master of the Punishment Division, and the longest-serving human to hold this position in this era, a full 3.6 million years. Before joining the Punishment Division, he also served as the Warden of the Gate of Purgatory for over 1.5 million years.

This name is practically a legend. Rumor has it that this man had long since become the Strongest King, one of the most terrifying beings in the Human Race Camp. However, after retiring more than eight hundred years ago, no news of him has been heard again.

Reed couldn't believe that such an unremarkable man was Quentin. Kairo. He thought the man was trying to fool him.

"You don't believe me, do you?" The man seemed to have noticed Reed's doubt as well.

Just as Reed was about to say something, he realized that his surroundings had changed. He had been in the port, but now he was in a courtroom.

"This is my Miniature World — Fair Tribunal," Quentin said, flicking out his identification from his wristwatch.

Name: Quentin. Kairo

[Age: 6.87 million]

[Cultivation Level: Tenth Sequence True God]

[Honor 1: Chief Secretary of the Federal Government Punishment Division]

[Honor 2: Warden of the Gate of Purgatory]

[...]

Outland Arena Kill Achievements:

[Tenth Sequence True God: 12]

[The Ninth Sequence True God: 188]

[Eighth Sequence True God: 1527]

[...]

Quentin made no attempt to conceal his identity from Reed.

Reed was inwardly churning with shock. He hadn't expected the other person to actually be Quentin. Kairo. Although he knew from the beginning that the possibility of an imposter was slim—because being exposed at Federal Government Headquarters would be suicidal—he was still somewhat taken aback when he actually saw Quentin. Kairo's identity data.

"You really are..."

"Do you believe me now?" Quentin's lips curled into a slight smile.

"But why me?" Reed was suddenly flattered.

"First, you value loyalty. Second, you have a clean background. Third, you possess the skills of Gambiter and are capable of handling the work I assign you," Quentin stated, explaining his three reasons for choosing Reed.

"In fact, I sent you that email on purpose to test you and see what kind of person you are. And now, I'm very satisfied with the result. A person who is willing to risk their life for a friend is enough to show that you have good character."

After listening, Reed's tense mood finally relaxed a little.

"Although I haven't had any contact with the Council of Elders, I have heard some news about it. The Chief Elder perished under the Heavenly Tribulation, Council of Elders is now divided into three major factions vying for the Chief position. But I haven't heard of any of these three factions being led by you."

"That's because I don't belong to any of these three factions," Quentin answered frankly. "In fact, I've been in the Council of Elders for over eight hundred years and have never attended a single Council of Elders. Of the more than one hundred Elders, I've met fewer than three people in total over these eight hundred years. The vast majority of them thought I had already perished."

"Then what do you have to compete with others?" Reed had already guessed this result when he asked the previous question. "Competing for the top spot. It's not just about strength, you also need connections."

"Of course I know that. That's why I need your help." Quentin's slightly chubby face broke into a smile again, clearly showing that this guy's skin had become incredibly thick.

"Rely on me? Any one of the Council of Elders could crush me with a single finger." Although Reed's strength had improved considerably, he also knew what kind of people were in the Council of Elders. If he got in their way, he could be eliminated without anyone noticing.

"You don't need to worry about that. With me here, no one dares to touch you," Quentin said confidently. He continued, "Although I haven't been to the Council of Elders much, my prestige is enough to recruit some people. However, poaching talent too directly is tantamount to slapping someone in the face. Therefore, I need your help to devise a plan for poaching. I will provide you with detailed information on those people in the Council of Elders, but I'm telling you beforehand, this information is top secret. You must not reveal it to anyone except yourself. Otherwise, I will be the first to eliminate you, without anyone else even needing to hunt you down."

Hearing that last sentence, Reed broke out in a cold sweat. "I understand."

The members of the Council of Elders were all former high-ranking members of the Federal Government. Each of their information is highly confidential, and those with access to it are fewer than five people in the entire Universe Sea. If it were accidentally leaked and discovered by other races, it would be a huge blow to the Human Race Camp.

Quentin revealed this information to me, which clearly shows that he trusts me extremely. On the other hand, it also shows that he really wants to compete for the chief position.

Reed knew that the other party had already revealed too much to him, and he had no way out. He hesitated for a moment, then asked again, "Are you sure that as long as you become the chief elder, you can help me rescue Gu Ding?"

"If it were someone else, there probably wouldn't be a good solution, since the rules of the Gate of Purgatory are there and not easy to break. However, Gu Ding is Epoch Monster, and as long as a suitable reason is found, his sentence can be shortened. In fact, if he agrees to some conditions from the Federal Government, it's not impossible for him to be released directly." Quentin raised an eyebrow, not thinking it was a difficult task.

As Quentin spoke, Reed kept a close eye on him, and he could tell that Quentin wasn't lying about this.

"Do you have any other questions? Ask them all at once, and I'll try my best to answer them truthfully. After you've asked, we can officially start working." Quentin knew that Reed was unlikely to refuse him now, so he generously gave Reed the opportunity to ask questions.

"Why are you vying for this chief position? It can't be for power, can it?" Reed felt that the motive of power was unlikely. The other party had disappeared for more than eight hundred years and had not cared about the affairs of the Council of Elders. He was obviously not a person who was keen on power.

Upon hearing this question, Quentin stared at Reed for a long while before speaking, "I can tell you the reason, but what you're about to hear is something you must keep completely to yourself. Don't let anyone else know."

"Yes." Reed nodded quickly, and he could see that Quentin's gaze had become serious.

"Every Strongest King dreams of breaking through to the True God Realm, and I am no exception. During the more than eight hundred years I disappeared, I was trying to break through to the True God Realm, but I failed every time. But even if I failed, I did gain something. I found the reason why I could not break through: my understanding of the rules was not enough."

"As you probably know, I used to serve as the warden of the Gate of Purgatory, and for quite some time. Within the Gate of Purgatory lies a truly powerful being. My attainment of the Strongest King was due to a single word of guidance from him. Therefore, I have now discovered the crux of my inability to break through to the Celestial God realm. I hope to re-enter the Gate of Purgatory to visit that powerful being. This is my only chance to break through to the True God Realm."

"However, anyone who has served as a warden or Order Keeper at the Gate of Purgatory will be refused entry once they lose their position and leave the Gate of Purgatory. Only the human leader and chief elder have special privileges and can enter and leave the Gate of Purgatory any time. I can't very well compete for the position of human leader; the responsibility is too great."

"I have served as the Chief of the Punishment Division for many years and have witnessed too many power struggles. I have long lost interest in power. My struggle for this chief position is only to seize the opportunity to become a god. Once I become a god, I can resign from the position of chief elder. Then, whoever wants to be the chief elder can take the position. It will have nothing to do with me."

"So, you're only vying for this position to break through to the God level?" Reed frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Then what will those of us who helped you get if you leave?"

Many people would help the other side fight for the position of Chief Elder, undoubtedly hoping to curry favor with the Chief Elder. However, judging from Quentin's words, he's ready to resign at any moment. In that case, it's unlikely many people will be willing to help.

"Don't worry, before I leave, I will definitely appoint someone I trust to take this chief position. You can just side with that person then. When I reach the level of a Celestial God, I will appoint a chief elder, and no one will dare to say a word against it." Quentin had also considered the follow-up matters.

"The elders in the Council of Elders can pledge allegiance to that chief elder, but given my status, I'm afraid I'll become a pawn to be discarded." Reed shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"With your status, you indeed cannot enter the Council of Elders. To enter the Council of Elders, one must have sufficient qualifications and merits. Even if I reach the True God Realm, I cannot change this rule." Quentin nodded. "So, where do you want to go? I can pave the way for you. If you want to enter politics, my apprentice is the current Chief Justice of the Punishment Division. He can guarantee you a smooth career path."

"I want to join the military," Reed said, shaking his head and giving a different answer.

"Although I've never worked in the military, I do know some old friends, and I believe they'll give me some face. However, promotions in the military are much more rigorous; it's not something that can be done with just a word from above. You have to accumulate enough merit." Quentin hadn't expected Reed to make this choice.

"I will earn my own credit. I just hope that I can do what I want to do without restraint." Reed was clearly a very ambitious person.

"I understand, it's settled then. You help me get the position of Chief Elder, and I'll help you rescue Gu Ding and arrange a position for you in the military." Quentin said, extending his hand. "Pleasure doing business with you!" (To be continued~^~)