Chapter 403 Securing The Core
403 Securing The Core
"Let's see whose side fate will take," A deep voice sounded in the calm of the spacious chamber.
After receiving the message, Alex returned to the palace, and now he was seated face-to-face with the collector, a man who was an anomaly without question.
Tragus belonged to the undead race, a bony figure standing 8.6ft tall, exuding an imposing and formidable presence, with Luminous eyes that emitted a cold glow, and a battle staff was firmly held in his grasp.
He had a pulsing green rune etched onto his slightly exposed chest, and as for his attire, he wore an ancient Regalia, two dark pauldrons covering his shoulders, and a dark cape made from some scaly draconic skin.
Alex felt like none of his secrets were hidden before the luminous green eyes, and the featureless face of the undead that conveyed every emotion without moving only added to the mystery and horror that permeated the surroundings of the enigmatic figure before him.
Alex saw him as an anomaly not because of his strength or presence but because of the strange way he talked, as for the last ten minutes that they had spent face to face, he had multiple stage statements while not even answering back to his greetings.
The statements ranged from Haha, so he did not lie, A grand Abyse, Chosen, A Chosen with a burden like a mountain, a strong will, weak, very weak but a seed of problem, anomaly, cunning monkey, wasteful could be wasteful.
Alex understood nothing, as every statement seemed random yet also profound and filled with meaning, and they appeared to be connected to him yet shrouded in an enigmatic veil that defied comprehension.
The guardians beside him also understood nothing, and after saying nonsense for ten minutes, he finally said something that made it clear he was back to his senses.
"It looks like the trip was worth it," Tragus said, his bony face showing no emotion, yet Alex could tell he was happy.
"Boy, I will give you the Core of Alistair, and in return, I want a favor from you without any restriction, with the sole condition being that it will not harm you or the people you care about," Tragus said, as a small crystallin box appeared on his hand and placed it on the table.
'What?' Alex questioned as he looked at Tragus's luminous eyes, failing to understand why he was giving away something so valuable for a single favor.
The same was the reaction of his guardians, yet it was not because the ask was cheap, but they were surprised at the audacity of Tragus for making such an unfair offer.
As a Ruler, Alex had access to things that only he could acquire, and while he himself didn't realize it at the moment, Tragus could ask him to acquire something from the Ruler shop, which could cost him vastly more than the core of darkness or even the seed of renewal would have costed him.
"I will not ask him to buy some rare artifact from the Ruler shop," Tragus said, knowing what everyone was thinking.
"What do you intend to use the favor for? I'm aware you've already had something planned," Varon questioned.
"I can't disclose that information, and before you propose that my request should be of equal value to the core and nothing more, save your breath because I won't agree to such terms."
"The duration of the favor and the extent of my requests are non-negotiable."
"My ask will only need to meet the agreed-upon requirements, and that's the extent of it," Tragus said, his luminous eyes unwaveringly fixed on Alex.
By now, Alex had grasped that the offer held a little benefit for him as he would be bound to do a certain thing, and while there were pretty tight requirements in place, he knew better than to underestimate the old monster who would undoubtedly exploit it to his advantage.
Alex couldn't understand what Tragus could use the favor for, as his best value was his status as a Ruler, and with the request not being valid if it harmed him or the people he cared about, that didn't leave any real ways he could he exploited.
"If your demand will not do any financial, physical, spiritual, or psychological harm to the Domain Ruler and those he holds dear, then we can make a deal," Varon said after a moment of silence and received a head nod from Tragus.
'Domain Ruler, it's important to note that while Tragus never engages in deals that result in direct losses, his interpretation of profit and loss deviates significantly from conventional understanding.'
'The primary concern with this favor lies in the time period, as I am certain he will wait a long time before he comes to collect it.'
'Despite the strict restrictions preventing calamitous requests, if the prospect of owing him a favor makes you uncomfortable, it's best to refrain from accepting this deal.' Varon said telepathically, leaving the final decision to Alex.
Alex understood that Varon was comfortable with the deal and was leaving the final decision to him, so he had nothing to worry about, and without delay, he voiced his agreement to the deal.
"Boy, It was a pleasure doing business with you," Tragus said, extending his bony hand for a handshake.
Alex shook the giant bony hand while having fleeting thoughts that he had just been scammed, yet the happiness of acquiring the core overwhelmed such thought, as his mind was busy calculating the immediate benefits.
Tragus left shortly after the deal was made, and the following moments were of celebration as Elder Ana?lle thanked him for his help and made a promise to repay him to the best of her abilities when she ascended to the state of Mother World Tree and also pledging eternal allegiance as an ally.
Alex was given three Platinum-grade System Wishes and a staggering 12 billion galactic coins on the completion of the mission's first stage, which was surprising as he received no rewards after saving the Human Emperor.
After a moment of thought, Alex didn't find it surprising as the rewards he received were not even listed, and the true rewards would be given to him when Elder Ana?lle truly became the Mother World Tree, and the Dryad Race and their Empire were revived.
However, Alex was over the moon with the rewards as the three Platinum-grade wishes could greatly help in the upcoming turbulent times.
Elder Ana?lle also became emotional as she held the core of her brother, and after minutes of silent grievance, she shared her plan to return to her mother continent, the Verdant Pyre.
A continent located not far from the Domain, a jungle continent with Beasts as its Ruler, it housed the world's biggest volcano and the remnants of the once towering Mother World tree.
Alex would have liked to visit it with Elder Ana?lle, but there was nothing for him there, as Elder Ana?lle would need years to make her transformation and decades to grow to a similar level as her mother.
After half an hour, Alex said goodbye to Elder Ana?lle after she introduced him to Ruellia Aldoris, the matriarch of the Royal Dryad clan living in the domain, and Jazarius Faras, the patriarch of the Darkling clan.
The Darklings were humanoid creatures standing seven feet and some inches on average, with pointy ears much longer than elves, angular pointy chins, and, at a glance, looked a little different from the present-day Dark Elves.
It would be more accurate to say that dark elves looked like them as they were their descendants, and after their introduction, both figures not only pledged their eternal loyalty to him but also offered their complete support with any of his desires.
After a final goodbye, Elder Ana?lle left for the Verdant Pyre continent, while Alex, happy with how things, returned to the wilderness to continue with his hunting and training.
The following two weeks went by without any major events besides clashing against beasts and monitoring the organization's affairs from time to time, he did nothing else.
Alex planned to return to the human continent to deal with the demon cult once his Mana body was fully formed and was reaching near his stat limits, which should be done in six or so weeks.
After two weeks, Alex himself was contacted by Guild Leader Hecate of the Ravenglades Guild, informing him that she had located a Zaratan turtle that came to the surface only amid a raging storm in the Black Ocean.
She believed it was the place along with the Tomb of Dragon Monarch Oberon, and Alex himself didn't need to think twice to know it was the place.
Hecate shared how she would certainly truly appreciate and even compensate if the organization could help her reach the Tomb, and he consented to go along with her, knowing the treasures awaiting in the tomb.
They decided to meet on the Human Continent in three weeks, and now looking forward to an adventure, Alex himself returned to his own daily routine routine.
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