"Here are some supplies, materials I don't need, but they can help you quickly improve your strength."
"Thank you, great Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard."
Leo was thrilled. The benefits later were for the future, but the benefits right now were real and tangible.
"I will summon you again when the plan begins, and I hope your abilities will make me even happier then."
"I will definitely work hard and not let the great Stigmata Wizard down." Leo's voice was passionate and stirring, and the huge hall reverberated with the sound of Leo voice. If he could, Leo would like to show the Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard his sincere heart. With so many benefits, if he didn't work hard, who would?
"Go."
The Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard waved his hand, indicating that the meeting was over and that Leo and Alexander could leave.
Alexander bowed and took her leave, but it was noticeable that Leo did not move an inch.
"Is there anything else?" came the voice of the Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard.
"Great Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard, I'd like to inquire about Alice's situation. I wonder if she has also successfully advanced to the First-Level Wizard?"
After hesitating for a moment, Leo finally asked the question that had been on his mind. He and Alice had known each other for so many years, and it would be a lie to say that it was pure friendship between opposite sexes. But it wasn't that Leo had fallen in love with Alice; he just wanted to find out what had happened after not seeing her for so many years.
" Alice successfully advanced nine years ago and is currently adapting to Level One strength. You will naturally meet again in ten years," the Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard said in a calm tone.
Leo was relieved to hear that Alice had already advanced. After all, he had delayed Alice by a lot, and Alice's magic power had been dissipating due to forcibly suppressing her advancement time, which was a very dangerous act.
A successful promotion would be the best outcome!
Once the spatial teleportation array activated and Leo and Alexander left, the Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard let out a low laugh inside the enormous palace at the crater's edge.
"Interesting."
In his mind's eye, Leo looked at Benji again, who was bound by countless golden chains, and couldn't help but reach out and play with the back of his head several times.
"So? Have you made up your mind?"
"It's decided. I agree to your request, but I have one more request."
The three-tailed fox-like Benji spoke sadly and was in low spirits, but he no longer showed the hesitation he had during their last meeting, as if he were always ready for Leo's arrival.
Tell me about it.
Although Leo was surprised that Benji had hesitated last time but agreed so readily now, the fact that he could make a request meant that things were open to discussion.
Benji noticed Leo's surprise, but he had no interest in explaining to Leo why he had changed so quickly.
Benji was heartbroken. After being intimidated by such a terrifying being, how many lives could still maintain their moral compass?
"I demand that I and my people be treated fairly, at the very least as second-class natives of the Wizard World," Benji said fiercely, staring at Leo.
Agreeing to cooperate already crossed his bottom line; the best outcome would be to secure some benefit for himself in the end.
"Impossible. Your best outcome is to sign a contract with me. I won't ask you to become my slave; becoming my fighting partner is your only way out."
"Only by becoming my fighting partner can you best protect your people."
"Too many ideas are a path to death."
Leo snorted coldly. What was he thinking? He wanted the status of a second-class native. If it weren't for the little bit of information that Benji knew that was still somewhat valuable, he would have been reduced to ashes long ago. His own sea of consciousness could not accommodate other life forms.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible, I am Demigod..."
Benji roared, and even as the golden chains sealing him tightened their grip, they could not suppress Benji agitation.
"You've only just been promoted one level; our strengths are not equal. You can't treat me like this."
"I can descend upon the Shadow World even without you. I possess the most primal aura of your world, and will not be recognized by the World Will as an invading alien creature. Your only purpose is to gather that negligible amount of information."
"Your information might be useful to others, but it's of no use to me."
"I hope you've thought this through before you speak. Giving you this chance isn't about letting you make exorbitant demands; it's about giving you a chance to live out of consideration for our decades-long relationship."
Leo pointed at Benji's nose and ruthlessly tore apart his last trump card. All Benji relied on was that he could act as an inside man.
Faced with Leo's furious attack that trampled on his last shred of dignity, Benji fell completely silent. No matter how unwilling he was, he still couldn't refute Leo.
Leo paused briefly, then slowed his speech and continued earnestly:
"Your change of attitude is simply because you've seen the Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard and have lost hope in your world. We've been together for so many years, let's be honest. Even if we can't reach an agreement in the end, I will let you go."
"You know my character well. No one in this world understands me better than you. Only I can grant you the right to live."
Even though Leo was just a wizard who had just been promoted one level, he still dared to look down on the Demigod Benji, and even dared to utter the word "bestow".
But Benji still didn't deny it, because he knew that what Leo said was true.
But when he looked at Leo, who had softened, his eyes revealed disdain. Some of Leo's words were indeed very true, and that was that he understood Leo best.
It was only after getting to know him that I realized Leo was lying when he said he would leave if they couldn't reach an agreement.
If he disagrees, Leo will kill him without hesitation!
What "feeling like decades"? That's all bullshit!
After advancing to the next level, Leo gained control of the power. He would not allow any power that did not belong to him to appear in his sea of consciousness, nor would he allow any life that understood him so well to exist. Therefore, anything not in his control could only be destroyed.
Benji knew even better than Leo himself that if he didn't agree, he would be the first to die when conquering the world—he wasn't referring to this consciousness clone, but to his true self!
It should also include his entire race!
"Then I choose to be your soulmate. As long as you live, I will live." Benji took another step back, looking aggrieved, and made his request.
"No, you can only be a regular combat partner. I can't give you the position of soul partner. Your strength isn't enough for me to make such a sacrifice. But I can give you a guarantee: I won't let you die willingly. I will do my best to ensure your survival and that of your people." Leo's tone was resolute, giving Benji no chance to bargain.
Benji remained silent, as did Leo, their minds falling into stillness. After an unknown amount of time, Benji finally let out a long sigh of deep helplessness and said, "Very well, I agree to your request. I hope that, considering our decades-long friendship and the fact that I helped you cultivate, you will treat me and my people well."
"Don't worry, we've relied on each other for so many years, don't you know me? If you're still worried, I can write all my promises into the contract."
Leo smiled, but his smile sent a chill down Benji's spine. He realized that Leo had changed; his personality had changed drastically. Before, there was still about 60% kindness in his personality, but now at most only 30% remained.
He even harbored murderous thoughts towards his old friend, something Leo would never have done before.
"By the noble Wizard Will, I hereby enter into Battle Partner Contract with Benji, respecting his life, respecting his consciousness, guaranteeing his and his race's right to survival, remaining loyal and inseparable, and jointly spreading the Great Wizard civilization. Respectfully submitted, Leo, Level One Body Refinement Wizard."
In his sea of consciousness, Leo read the contract aloud. When he finished reading, a powerful pressure entered from the outside, connecting Leo and Benji.
The Wizard's Oath one that no wizard can break. Once the oath is made, it must be fulfilled 100%, or the Wizard Will will bring down the cruelest punishment!
In an instant, Leo and Benji were bound together, each leaving a mark on the other's soul, except that Leo was the master, controlling Benji's life and death.
Benji's face showed reluctance, but Leo pretended not to notice. He reached out and placed his hand on the golden chain, chanting a complex incantation. Instantly, the golden chain shattered, and Benji found that the seal on his body had been broken.
Without the chains binding him, Benji kept moving his body. He had been sealed for forty years; even a split consciousness couldn't withstand such a desolate life.
The wizard who set up the Energy Sealing Technique was truly ruthless; he didn't treat him as a life at all.
"Now you can tell me about the information in your world, right?" Leo said.
"No problem."
"No, let's go outside and talk."
Leo could not tolerate the existence of other life forms in his sea of consciousness, so he immediately took Benji and left.
When Leo opened his eyes, he was already in a luxurious room. This was the tallest tower in the Purple Flame Academy Purple Flame Academy.
After his promotion, Leo was no longer suitable to stay in the Gru Courtyard, so Alexander arranged for him to live in the tower. Leo was on the thirty-seventh floor, while Alexander was on the thirty-eighth floor.
In Alexander's words, it's easier to take care of.
This is the first time Benji has appeared in the Wizard World. Although he could see the outside world through Leo's eyes before, it was still very different from his own personal experience.
A completely different world with distinct cultural systems; the wizarding civilization surpasses his world in every way.
Having already signed Battle Partner Contract with Leo, Benji inevitably felt a little guilty. After all, it was normal to feel uncomfortable about selling out his world. However, the thought of living in a more advanced wizarding civilization in the future brought a lot of joy to his guilt.
While Benji was looking around, Leo was also observing Benji. A level three consciousness clone, a semi-illusory body without a physical form, it could freely move between physical bodies, more like a soul. Physical attacks were ineffective, it could only withstand elemental damage, and its aura was very weak, about the same level as Leo at the moment.
However, in terms of actual combat strength, Leo believed that the Benji before him was not as good as himself. According to the records of the wizard civilization, no race of the same level with combat strength similar to that of wizards had been found.