Taking a Step Back?

"I invited you here this time for the upcoming operation." Hays dispensed with all unnecessary pleasantries and did not even exchange a few greetings with Naimus.

To him, all etiquette was merely a set of rules meant to restrain other people.

Given his status and position, he had no need to bow to anyone else.

Moreover, he understood deeply that etiquette was worth less than profit.

With profit involved, no matter how rude you were, the two sides could still work together.

Without profit, no matter how proper your manners were, it was nothing but empty fussiness.

That was how Hays was. His attitude was extremely clear, and it was precisely that undisguised clarity that had made him a prime target.

"We can't change what those old men up there have decided."

"But that doesn't mean we can't get through it safely—as long as the mission fails." Hays bluntly stated the "optimal solution."

The difficulty lay in the fact that they needed to cross the land and travel through the air to the Azure Sky Whale.

Although they had the Bone Ship, which could minimize the effects of the earth disasters.

Crossing the earth disasters would itself consume a great deal, and afterward they would still have to face the Demon Lord on the Azure Sky Whale.

Although a Demon Lord on the Material Plane could have stats no higher than twelve hundred.

If they did this, Naimus would very likely ambush them when they approached the Azure Sky Whale.

"The Azure Sky Whale's location has changed. We might not be able to find it, and even if we do, we might not be able to get aboard."

"As long as we take a detour, it'll still count as having carried out the mission, and then we can just come