Trading Interests

"I am very familiar with the situation of elves and Dark Elf."

After Nia led the others to rest (the God of Light and the others naturally returned completely once their business was finished, leaving only their divine messengers there for easy communication), Li Lin led the Elf Queen and the Dark Elf Matriarch to his study and then spoke.

"Population has always been your biggest concern. Neither elves nor Dark Elf have the same prolific reproductive rate as humans, so even a small sacrifice is extremely difficult for you to accept. As for this problem, I don't have a particularly good solution at the moment... However, I do have a suggestion."

As he spoke, Li Lin took out a piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table. This made the Elf Queen and the Dark Elf Matriarch peek at it with some confusion. It was clearly a potion recipe, but the specific effects were not specified. However, Li Lin quickly provided an explanation.

"This is a formula that can enhance fertility."

He looked at the two people in front of him and spoke.

"After taking this potion, your race will be more likely to conceive and give birth. Of course, this is still in the experimental stage, since I can't force elves and Dark Elf to drink it right now... According to my calculations and the results of clinical trials, this drug can allow them to conceive a large number of offspring in a short period of time, about the same as humans."

Upon hearing this, both the Elf Queen and the Dark Elf Matriarch revealed a hint of excitement and joy. After all, the longer a race lives, the harder it is for them to reproduce—this is an ironclad rule of the world. For example, in their race, after two elves unite, their first child typically conceives two to three hundred years later, followed by a twelve-month pregnancy and birth. If all goes well, the child will reach adulthood in about a hundred years, shouldering the responsibility of procreation. While this timeframe may not seem long from the perspective of a long-lived race, it is far too long compared to humans. In the time it takes for an elf to reach adulthood, three generations of humans will have already passed through the human race.

However, this medicine also has very obvious side effects.

Li Lin naturally noticed the fluctuations in their relationship, so he quickly offered an explanation.

"First, the user will pay with their own life... In other words, after taking this drug, the user's lifespan will only be half of what it was before. After all, I can't change the rules of the world, so I can only change ourselves. I think you two should understand what this means."

Upon hearing this, the Elf Queen and the Book of Pictures subtly changed their expressions, but the Dark Elf Matriarch remained completely unchanged. After all, for the Dark Elf, the harsh underground environment meant that most of them couldn't possibly survive a long life peacefully. If they could sacrifice half their lifespan for the prosperity of their race, it would be an extremely worthwhile deal for the Matriarch. Moreover, most elves considered themselves virtuous, while Dark Elf were even more promiscuous in their relationships. Since they were going to do it all anyway, why not kill two birds with one stone?

"Secondly, this medicine is ineffective against the second generation born due to its effects. On the contrary, it will suppress their lifespan. Although you can continue to feed offspring to maintain your numbers, I guarantee that after three or four generations, the lifespan of your race will drop to a level similar to that of humans, or even lower."

This was Li Lin's insurance policy. He didn't intend for humans to monopolize the continent, nor did he want elves and Dark Elf to become the majority. So, when concocting potions, although Li Lin could have done better, he decided to simply create a "semi-finished product." After all, a rapid increase in the number of elves or Dark Elf would bring uncontrollable consequences, and Li Lin didn't want that kind of uncontrollable situation.

Li Lin wasn't worried that they would secretly improve the formula. After all, it was a rule of the world that long-lived races had low fertility, and Li Lin's potion was just exploiting a loophole. Even so, sacrifices were required. So no matter how they modified it, it wouldn't have any more special effects.

Sure enough, upon hearing Li Lin's words, the expressions of the Elf Queen and the Dark Elf Matriarch both soured, clearly indicating that they were also planning to do the same.

"Of course, this only solves a small part of the problem. Even if these drugs are used now, the children born won't be able to immediately join the battle."

As he spoke, Li Lin pushed the blueprints aside, then snapped his fingers. Soon, Suoxiate appeared. She nodded slightly to the Queen and the Matriarch, then placed what she was holding on the table.

"We have some problems right now that need to be addressed."

As Li Lin spoke, he tapped the table. On it lay a beautifully crafted longsword and a strangely shaped object. It looked like a bow at first glance, but it was several times smaller and lay flat on a rectangular piece of wood, with a strange, short wooden handle underneath. It was impossible to tell what it was.

"I believe you two have already understood. To be on the safe side, I do not intend to send the Scourge Legion to cooperate with you in combat. However, with your current strength, you are still lacking the capability to confront the Five-Nation Alliance head-on."

This is also true. Putting aside the limitations imposed on the Dark Elf by geographical conditions, just looking at the current predicament of the Elves, it is clear that their current strength is insufficient to fight against the Five-Nation Alliance. Otherwise, they would not have allowed the other side to capture the Elves and enslave them.

"This weapon seems to be the first time you've seen it... So let me introduce it. It's a repeating crossbow. Compared to a longbow, it's shorter and more powerful."

As he spoke, Li Lin muttered a few incantations, then grasped the short wooden handle and held the short bow horizontally. Under the watchful eyes of the Elf Queen and the Dark Matriarch, several silver flashes appeared from the bowstring, and in the next instant, three short silver arrows appeared on the heavy door panel.

"The range and power are roughly the same; it can fire three rounds at a time. I think this will be a great help to you."

Li Lin didn't say anything more. The light in the eyes of the two people in front of him had already said it all, so he just brushed it off and then picked up the longsword that was placed on the other side.

"I think you two are well aware that our Magic Empire always has some unique strengths in manufacturing magical weapons."

Upon hearing Li Lin's words, the expressions of the Dark Elf Matriarch and the Elf Queen immediately changed. They no longer paid attention to the magical repeating crossbow, but instead fixed their gazes on the seemingly ordinary longsword before them. The Elf Queen, born in that era, was well aware of the immense power of the Magic Empire's Weapon Spirit Transformation elves. Although Maya was born after the fall of the Magic Empire, the combined destruction wrought by Li Lin and Nia in the Dark Elf City had left a very deep impression on her.

For them, that's the important thing.

Li Lin picked up the longsword, gripped it lightly, and then tossed it. The sword flashed in the air, and in the next instant, a woman radiating metallic light appeared before them. She looked like a statue cast from refined iron, and her arms had no hands, consisting entirely of two sharp blades.

"This is a low-level Weapon Spirit."

Li Lin introduced them to the two.

"As you can see, they do not have their own consciousness or soul, but they are able to maintain a mental and physical unity with their owner. That is to say, when the owner wants to do something, it will also do the corresponding action."

As Li Lin spoke, the woman suddenly stepped forward, waving her arms forward with a sharp, loud whooshing sound.

"We can provide you with these low-grade elven weapons for free, but we will only offer them to warriors of at least medium strength. Low-level warriors, even if they receive them, will be unable to use them. The reason I am giving you these elven weapons is that both elves and Dark Elf are naturally highly sensitive to magic. You are well aware of the situation with humans; it is difficult to find even one mage among thousands. Therefore, even if they were created, there would be no suitable personnel to use them. Moreover, the Weapon Spirit Transformation is a very complex process and will likely take some time to complete."

"Arcane Mage, why not ask the dwarves for help? Their expertise in forging should be enough..."

"I've thought about that too, but unfortunately, those guys living in caves are much harder to find than you guys hiding in the forest."

At this point, Li Lin shrugged helplessly. He hadn't been unaware of the dwarves' situation. However, it was clear the dwarves were determined to remain hidden in their cave forever. Although Li Lin had spoken with the God of Dwarves before, the dwarven divine system was somewhat peculiar, so those words alone weren't enough to convince the dwarves to join the battle as quickly as the elves. Furthermore, Li Lin didn't have enough time to deal with the dwarves right now. The Ringwraith City and the Magic Empire needed to quickly gain public attention before proceeding with the next phase of his plans. As for the dwarves, there would be plenty of time to deal with them later.

Hearing Li Lin's words, the Elf Queen said nothing more. Although the dwarves were also members of the covenant, like the elves, they had long since gone into hiding and no longer concerned themselves with worldly affairs. The elves, having struggled to survive themselves in recent years, naturally wouldn't care about the dwarves' plight. The two sides had long since lost contact, and since even the Arcane Mage had made such a statement, it seemed there was no other way.

However, the two weapons provided by Li Lin were indeed the best assistance they could need. Leaving aside the formidable threat of the repeating crossbow capable of firing three rounds at once, the Weapon Spirit Transformation spirit was incredibly exciting. Although these weapons weren't as advanced in human form as those of Nia and the others, as leaders, they understood that Li Lin's provision of such weapons was already a great favor. However...

"Arcane Mage, we are very grateful for your help. May we ask... what your request is?"

Arcane Mage are not benevolent, especially the one in front of them who is the most cunning.

My request is very simple.

Li Lin sat back down, leisurely took the black tea that Suoxiate handed him, took a sip, and then placed it on the table. He was full of confidence in the current situation. Neither Maya nor the elven queen had any experience dealing with the Arcane Mage of the Magic Empire. Therefore, his request should not be refused.

"Your Majesty, I have only one request of you... that is, once those elven slaves currently living as slaves in the human world are rescued, I wish to have priority in recruiting them. As for Miss Maya, my request is even simpler. I know that you Dark Elf always like to abduct the defeated and enslave them, but I have no choice but to do so... I wish that you would kill all the prisoners in this war."

"This..."

Li Lin's request was strange and unusual, yet it did indeed put the Elf Queen and the Dark Elf Matriarch in a difficult position. After all, there were quite a few elven slaves on the continent, and once these slaves were released, they would greatly increase the number and vitality of the elven population. For the Dark Elf, living underground, the harsh living conditions prevented them from enjoying a leisurely life like the Dark Elf; the existence of slaves was essential for them. Moreover, once the war began, the Dark Elf would require various forms of assistance and support in terms of operations and supplies; they couldn't very well be expected to do all that themselves.

"Of course, I'm not unreasonable. I'm well aware that the Dark Elf' current situation is incomparable to that of the elves."

Li Lin's words were shrouded in mystery; no one knew what his true meaning was.

"If you truly need it, you can create some... slaves by abducting human women, but all the men must be killed. I don't want to see the remnants of a Five-Nation Alliance on the earth a hundred years after the war ends!"

Clearly, this is a demand with no room for negotiation.

Regardless of whether it was truly feasible, both the Elf Queen and the Dark Elf Matriarch ultimately agreed to Li Lin's exchange. After all, if they couldn't win the war, it would all be nothing but empty talk. And if they could win, the sacrifice would be well worth it, since they would also acquire incredibly powerful weapons.

"Call..."

After everything was settled, the two said goodbye and left, and Li Lin leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

"That way, everything is fine."

Although this is only the beginning, Li Lin already has the process under his control. As long as nothing unexpected happens, the outcome should be as he expects.

While I don't expect everything to go smoothly, as long as it's within my control, minor deviations are acceptable.

This is Li Lin's quirk: he must ensure that everything is under his control and mastery. Li Lin detests change and chaos, especially meaningless chaos, which is what he loathes most. This is also the origin of his title "Dominator," not only because of the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys Li Lin possesses, but also because of his absolute desire to dominate. This is also one of the reasons why Li Lin basically doesn't have romantic relationships with any women—human women's thinking is too unpredictable and uncontrollable; occasional fun is fine, but emotional involvement is out of the question. The reason why his emotional exchange with the Elf Queen was quite harmonious is also simple—elves' personalities are very easy to understand, and even if something happens, it's easy to predict their actions and responses. As for those Divine Descent —well, everyone's just relaxing and having fun; he hates anything romantic.

As for Angela...

"Suoxiate."

Thinking of this, Li Lin opened his eyes.

Where did Angela?

She went to college.

Faced with Li Lin's question, Suoxiate gave an answer almost without hesitation. Upon hearing this answer, Li Lin smiled slightly.

"What's she going to the academy for? Is it to train her own clan or find a free blood donor...?"

Speaking of which, Mina and Fina were sent by Nia to the academy as guards, responsible for the entire academy's security. It seems they're doing a pretty good job so far, and according to Li Lin's observation, Mina is clearly more adapted to this life. She seems quite comfortable not being by Angela's side. However, Fina is clearly unwilling to leave her master. These sisters are quite troublesome, from all angles.

However, as long as it's not a major issue, it's fine.

"..."

This time, Suoxiate didn't answer immediately, but silently handed over a list of students from the academy. After seeing one of the names, Li Lin shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"I wonder what Mina and Fina will think when they discover this side of the little guy."

After thinking for a moment, Li Lin asked the question.

How were her grades?

"Very bad."

Suoxiate's smile and her answer were completely unrelated.

"It's practically impossible to see any improvement."

"I thought so... You haven't noticed, have you? Angela actually quite likes her, you know?"

"Yeah?"

This time, there was a hint of surprise in Suoxiate's voice.

"Excuse my rudeness, but I don't see any reason why Angela would like 'her'."

"It's just a gut feeling."

Li Lin placed the student list back on the table, interlaced his fingers, and closed his eyes.

"Well then, I need to rest for a while... Please let me know if anything comes up."

"Yes, Master."