Daniels took half a step forward and looked up at Red Iron Dragon on the high platform.
"Your Majesty, for the sake of Atlant, and for the sake of Aura itself, please agree."
With a sincere voice and sincere eyes, he said, "As long as we can unite with the outside world, no matter how powerful Abyss's aggression is, we will be able to turn danger into safety, calm chaos, and re-establish stable order."
Then here comes the problem.
Abyss Who caused it? Who caused the chaos?
Garos did not respond immediately.
He looked down at the young human messenger.
The black pupils are like the embers after the flames are extinguished, reflecting the figure of Daniels, but it is impossible to guess what is hidden inside.
There was a brief silence in the hall.
Only the sound of the wind passed through the gaps in the window lattice, making a subtle whimper. The sunlight outside the window shone slantly in, casting mottled light and shadow on the stone slabs. On the high platform, the giant dragon's scales glowed with a dark luster, like solidified lava.
After a moment, he spoke slowly.
"Holden sent you here with sincere words and respectful attitude. You said many words of praise and many words of danger."
"But, from beginning to end, you didn't mention a single thing."
Daniels was slightly startled.
"What?"
"The source of Abyss's aggression is none other than you, Holden."
Red Iron Dragon's eyes fell on him, making Daniels feel an invisible pressure.
"Did you cause this disaster? It was you who developed Abyss, you who extracted energy, and you who brought those things into this world. But now, you are asking others to bear the consequences."
"You let me take action and clean up the mess for you."
"But from beginning to end, you never said a word about Holden's responsibility."
Hearing this, the Holden messenger fell silent. He lowered his head and his eyes fell on the stone slabs on the ground, looking at the mottled light and shadows.
After a few seconds, Daniels raised his head again.
"Your Majesty, you are right."
He did not refute and defend, but chose to stand at attention and take the beating, facing this acute question head-on.
"This is all our fault."
"We developed Abyss and extracted energy. We thought we could control everything, and thought that our wisdom and caution were enough to deal with any risks, but we were wrong."
"We paid the price, and the entire Atlant is also bearing the price for us."
He paused and said, "We are also aware of this, and now, we just want to make amends and try to recover the losses."
"This is not to shirk responsibility or comfort ourselves, but because we have to do it."
"After the crisis of Abyss is resolved, Holden will use the power of the whole country to restore the damage suffered by Atlant."
Red Iron Dragon nodded slightly.
Regardless of whether it can be done or not, this attitude is at least acceptable.
When something goes wrong, it's not about passing the buck, shifting the responsibility to Abyss or Demon or anything else, but directly admitting that it's your own fault... Not many people can do this.
"You said, in Atlant, I am the only one who can destroy the falling Floating City."
Garos changed the topic and said, "However, Holden's influence is not limited to Atlant."
"Among the entire Bernardo, I am not irreplaceable. Orc of Cantum, Elf of Nausir, and strong men from other continents, there are always people who can do the same thing."
"Why didn't you ask these beings for help instead of finding me?"
"In the most widely spread hierarchy, I am just an ordinary Advanced Legendary Realm, insignificant."
Daniels shook his head.
"Your Majesty, there is no need for you to be humble. To us, you are irreplaceable."
His tone was firm and without any hesitation.
"Cantum's Orcs are afraid that the world will not be in chaos."
"For them, the Abyss invasion is not a disaster, but an opportunity, an opportunity for chaos, an opportunity to kill, and an opportunity to plunder. The Deity they believe in is a chaotic and evil advanced being, and the danger is no less than Demon."
"Expect them to help fight Abyss?"
"No, they will just take advantage of it, stab it in the back and make things more troublesome."
"The Elfs of Nausir are not allies with us. However, frankly speaking, if they were not deeply trapped in Fury Curse, Elf might be able to help us. However, they are now facing the Rage disaster and Orc invasion at the same time. They are too busy to take care of themselves and cannot help us."
"And there is no suitable person outside the empire."
Daniels said, "Just like Dragon Race, those Metal Dragon kings are strong enough, but they will not leave their own Dragon Realm or take this risk."
"And Destiny Rank Evil Dragon like White Calamity will also only take advantage of the troubled times to make trouble."
"They wish the world would become more chaotic, the better. The more chaotic the world, the more opportunities they will have."
"The most important thing is that not all Destiny Rank have the power to destroy Floating City with one blow."
When Daniels said the last sentence, there was a hint of exclamation in his tone.
He raised his head and looked up at Red Iron Dragon on the high platform.
"Your Majesty, we can see how powerful you are."
"You cleared the rift twice, including a Archdemon. We know better than anyone what these achievements mean."
"It's true that your level is not high, but that's because you've gone far beyond conventional measures of level."
Red Emperor from the Aura Kingdom is very young.
In the life of Dragonkin, more than two hundred years is just the beginning stage.
Many dragons are still accumulating strength and exploring the world at this age, but this Red Iron Dragon is already standing at the center of the world stage, and his performance is completely impossible to predict based on common sense.
This is exactly the shape of the Immortal Realm.
If nothing unexpected happens, he is very likely to reach the top of the Immortal Realm and become the strongest dragon in the entire Bernardo.
In the past, Holden would never have allowed such a dragon to grow freely.
They will assess risks and formulate countermeasures, either recruiting him and tying him to his chariot with resources and benefits; or suffocating him and getting rid of the threat before he truly grows up.
But now----
The most important thing is to fight against Abyss.
After finishing speaking, Daniels waited for Red Iron Dragon's response.
Red Iron Dragon finished listening to the Holden messenger's explanation.
His expression remained unchanged. "You hope that I will take action to destroy Floating City that is about to get out of control for you, stop the erosion of Abyss, and continue the existence of the empire."
He paused and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"But what will you exchange for it?"
"I have lived for more than two hundred years, from a wandering Hatchling Dragon in the wilderness to where I am today. I have seen promises made in vain, I have seen people fall out and refuse to acknowledge their promises afterward, and I have seen a kingdom that made a promise at the beginning and finally turned its back faster than turning the page of a book."
"If you come to ask me to take action with only a passion and a few beautiful words, it's fine if you don't talk about it."
Daniels showed a clear look.
He bowed slightly and acted respectfully.
"Your Majesty is right, I was just about to tell you about this."
He stood up straight again, folded his hands in front of him, and maintained a straight posture.
"Saviors need rewards, and so it should be. Although Holden is in a critical situation, the accumulated foundation is still there. We are willing to pay a sufficient price in exchange for His Majesty's help."
Red Iron Dragon didn't speak, just looked at him quietly.
Under his gaze, Daniels began to list them one by one.
"First, Legendary Realm level props."
"Holden's treasure house contains the fine works left by the strong men of the past."
"Weapons, armor, accessories, functional props... a wide variety and high quality."
"We will give you a list. For every Floating City destroyed, you can choose any three pieces. If you have any special needs, we can even customize them for you. The craftsmen of Holden are top-notch in the entire Atlant."
The dragon's claws rise and fall.
Boom, boom, boom...
.. The voice echoed in the hall, as if urging him to continue speaking.
Daniels understood and continued, "Secondly, ancient gems."
"You should know that almost all Primordial Gem are in our Holden inventory."
"Central Continent Those mineral veins, those legendary places where treasures are hidden, have been hollowed out by us a long time ago. What other kingdoms can find are at most some defective products. The real Primordial Gem is in our hands."
"We can give you a Power Gem first."
Garos's eyes narrowed slightly.
Aura There are also a lot of gems in the treasury. They have been accumulated through mining over the years, seized from enemies, and provided by vassal countries... There are many kinds and different qualities, but there are really no ancient gems in the true sense.
There is also a general name for this type of gemstone.
--Primordial Gem.
Refers to the original, oldest and most powerful gemstone.
It is said that they are formed from the blood of Deity and Primordial God, that is, when Primordial Wild God started the war, the blood shed by Primordial Wild God was condensed. Each Primordial Gem contains a trace of original power, so it directly brings various strange and powerful effects.
Just like Power Gem in the mouth of Daniels.
Embedding it on the body can provide the host with a power increase for a long time, which is enough to tilt the balance of battle. It can also be eaten directly to obtain the ultimate burst of power in a short period of time, but the cost is that the gem will completely disappear.
It is worth mentioning that Holden has Primordial Gem Detection Technology.
That is their unique technology, which can detect the existence of Primordial Gem deep underground. With this technology, almost the entire Primordial Gem of Atlant has been hollowed out by this empire's monopoly. There are still many mineral veins in the Central Continent, but there is probably not even a Primordial Gem in it.
"Same as Legendary Artifact, for every out-of-control Floating City destroyed, we will give you a Primordial Gem."
After saying that, Daniels raised his head and looked at Red Iron Dragon.
But he still didn't speak.
He just nodded slightly and signaled Daniels to continue.
The envoy took a deep breath and continued, "Your Majesty is far-sighted. In addition to props, gems and other physical objects, we have also prepared alchemy technology for you."
"Black Oil Crystal Technology."
"This is one of the technologies we are proud of, which can make the purity of Black Oil Crystal break through the tenth level and reach a maximum of twenty."
"You should know that the highest purity of Black Oil Crystal circulating on the market is grade eight or grade nine."
"Only we, Holden, can produce those above level ten."
Black Oil Crystal Technology----
This thing really works.
Aura now relies heavily on Black Oil.
Whether it is Alchemy Workshop, Golem drive, or daily energy, Black Oil is inseparable. It is like blood and the energy that supports the operation of the entire kingdom.
The most important thing is that he needs Black Oil Crystal, the higher the purity, the better.
As for Aura and now Black Oil Crystal, the quality is gradually unable to satisfy him.
Red Iron Dragon nodded slightly.
"Continue."
Daniels was silent for a few seconds.
His expression became a little complicated, as if he was weighing something, and then he spoke.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me, apart from the above conditions, we only have the last one."
"Say."
"We can share the alchemical techniques that allow cities to float in the sky."
His voice is serious.
"Floating Technology?"
"Yes."
Daniels nodded.
"With it, you can raise Red Emperor Royal City to the clouds and overlook the entire Lain Plateau. Even, if you want, you can build a new royal city above Central Continent and overlook the newly acquired territory, just like Deity."
"You will become the true Lord of the Sky."
Garos said calmly, "Your engine will be corroded by Abyss, so don't worry."
Daniels shook his head.
"Your Majesty does not know something."
"The eroded engine is our Fifth-Generation Cloudpiercer Engine."
"Its core design does rely on Abyssal Energy. That is the choice we made in pursuit of the ultimate. The power of the fifth-generation engine is more than five times that of the fourth generation, but the consumption is minimal. For this advantage, we have bet too much."
"But we still have Fourth-Generation Cloudpiercer Engine."
"It does not require Abyssal Energy at all, it only requires a massive amount of Black Oil or other adapted energy sources to operate. Although it consumes a lot of energy, it is stable, safe, and not corroded."
Having said this, the Holden messenger sighed slightly.
"Back then, in order to achieve national advancement, we gave up the fourth generation and chose the fifth generation."
"Everyone thinks that the fourth generation is outdated, a backward technology, and something that should be eliminated. Now that I think about it - maybe it was a mistake."
Garos raised his head.
He looked through the skylight at the distant outline of Floating City.
Almost all Dragonkin prefer the feeling of overlooking the world from high altitude.
The commanding perspective, the majestic view of the mountains, and the feeling that the whole world is at your feet are temptations that all Dragonkins find irresistible.
Frankly speaking, Garos also likes it.
One of his hobbies is to stand at Summit of the Dragon Court and enjoy the vast and magnificent scenery.
Standing there, watching the sea of clouds rolling under his feet, the sun rising from the east, and his kingdom waking up in the morning light, that was the most relaxing moment of his day.
But no matter how high Dragon Court is, it is not really in the sky.
If only we had the manufacturing technology of Cloudpiercer Engine----
He withdrew his gaze and looked at Daniels.
"Continue."
Daniels Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
"Your Majesty, we need your strength, so we will naturally come up with something of sufficient weight to show sincerity. But----"
"That's all."
He said, "Legendary Artifact, ancient gems, Black Oil Crystal Technology, Floating Technology... this is what Holden can give in exchange for all the conditions for your move."
"We can further discuss the specific quantities of the first two, but this is all we can come up with."
Garos looked at the Holden messenger carefully.
Almost there.
No more pressure can be squeezed out.
So, Garos gave it up as soon as it was good.
"Yeah. I feel Holden's sincerity."
he said.
Daniels breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding."
He leaned forward and said, "Special personnel will come to discuss with your country about the specific technical handover and material delivery. What do you think?"
At this time, Garos only needs to nod, which is considered as agreement.
But Red Iron Dragon didn't answer immediately.
His dragon claws gently tapped the edge of the high platform, making a low muffled sound. Each sound seemed to fall into the heart of the messenger and hit his expectations.
For a moment.
Two times.
Three times.
After a few seconds, Red Iron Dragon spoke.
"Did Holden send other envoys? To other kingdoms?"
he asked.
Daniels was slightly startled, then nodded.
"Yes, we have sent many envoys to several stronger kingdoms. Holden needs all the power we can get, and fighting Abyss requires everyone's efforts."
He paused and added seriously, "But I can guarantee you with my life that you are definitely the most valued."
Garos asked, "What can they do?"
Daniels thought for a while and replied, "Clean up Demon, contain small and medium-sized cracks, and provide support when necessary."
"We have predicted that more cracks will spread in the future, but they will not be large."
"They can guard the ground, prevent the spread of Demon, and prevent the spread of small and medium-sized cracks, but - we don't expect them to destroy Floating City. The only one who can do this is you in the entire Atlant."
"Other strong men may be able to destroy a city, but they cannot destroy it with one blow and cannot ensure that cracks will not form."
"Only you can do it perfectly."
Garos's dragon claw stopped tapping.
He looked down at Daniels, his eyes shining with thought.
Holden has shown enough sincerity, including technologies and resources that would never be passed on to others before, Black Oil Crystal Technology, Floating Technology, these are the foundation of Holden's country, and now, they are willing to share them.
The messenger's posture was also very low.
Daniels remained respectful from beginning to end, admitted mistakes, accepted criticism, and cooperated with negotiations.
And this explains to some extent----
They basically have no choice.
After a short weighing, Garos had the answer in his mind.
Actually, there isn't much to think about.
No matter whether Holden's attitude will change in the future, whether they are sincerely grateful or just a temporary solution, whether they will fall out in the future, at least we are in the same boat now.
If Holden falls too early, Aura will also suffer damage.
Once those Floating City fall, more large cracks will form, and Aura will not be able to survive alone.
Moreover, Holden is not just empty talk.
What it provides is real, and both parties can say that they each get what they need.
He looked at the messenger.
"You can go back and ask your people responsible for specific negotiations to come over."
Daniels looked happy, then bent down deeply and gave a big salute.
"Your Majesty is wise."
"Holden will be prepared. Once Floating City is about to lose control, we will notify you as soon as possible."