Chapter 145: Chapter 139: Negotiations
Dean opened the portals to their War Room, a chamber they only used for matters that could directly influence the war’s outcome. No politics, no posturing—only the most serious of discussions earned entry into this space.
He stepped through the shimmering gateway and found that the others had already arrived. The remaining four sat in their designated seats—well, thrones, really—and all of them were staring straight at him, eyes sharp with expectation.
Dean cleared his throat and began, "We have a situation. One that could change the course of this war."
Ramses leaned forward, his expression serious. "Did another Faction gain an EX-Grade powerhouse?"
Dean shook his head. "No. This is something different. Something that could change the course of the war for the better. Something that might finally give us a fighting chance. Because, let’s be honest—once the grace period offered to us by the System expires, we’re done for."
Chandra narrowed his eyes and said, "Dean, quit stalling. Just tell us what’s going on."
Dean took a deep breath. "I lied to all of you. About the Neo-Nephilim and their origin."
Bjorn scoffed. "Of course the damn Neo-Nephilim are involved."
Dean nodded slowly. "I probably deserve that. But here’s the truth: Neo-Nephilim don’t belong to Dimension Zero. They’re originally from a place called Dimension Aurevion. In their prime, they were... terrifyingly powerful. Their race was so naturally gifted that they stood shoulder to shoulder with the Elder Races—Dragons, Phoenixes, Leviathans, and others."
He paused for a moment, letting that settle before continuing, "But unlike the Elder Races, they didn’t suffer from slow reproduction. Like us Neo-Humans, they reproduced quickly. Efficiently. And that made certain other races... envious."
The air in the room thickened.
Dean went on, "Soon, a war broke out. The Neo-Nephilim were strong, but their enemies were too many. Aurevion was invaded. And in a last-ditch effort to preserve their people, the leaders of the Neo-Nephilim performed a Grand Ritual. They separated a portion of Aurevion itself and sealed most of their children in hibernation cocoons, placing them in that isolated realm."
He looked around the room, then added, "That fragment of Aurevion was drawn toward Dimension Zero—its anchor point being Earth."
Ramses narrowed his eyes. "Most of the children?"
Dean gave a small, inward smile. Ramses had caught the detail he’d intentionally left hanging. He continued, "The Neo-Nephilim needed someone to prepare a new home. So, the Primogenitor entrusted the task to his descendant. To protect him from detection, they sealed his bloodline. That descendant arrived on Earth with one purpose—to ensure his brethren had a future when they awakened. That was the beginning of the Neo-Nephilim tribe within the Earth Federation. And from there, well... you all know what happened."
Diana tilted her head, frowning. "That’s... unexpected. But what does this have to do with our current war?"
Dean looked her in the eye. "There’s been a complication. The cocoons, which were supposed to remain dormant for a few more decades, are about to hatch. Soon. That means simultaneous Awakenings on a massive scale—millions of individuals all at once. It’s far beyond anything I can handle alone."
He looked around at each of them. "I need your help. If we divide the numbers evenly among the Five Regions, we might be able to manage. Just barely. But if we pull this off, we’ll have something no other Faction has. You’ve seen my nephews. You’ve seen what they can do. This race was built for war. They’re born warriors."
Ramses raised an eyebrow. "How many people are we talking about?"
Dean took another deep breath. "Roughly two hundred and fifty million."
The room fell into stunned silence. For a moment, none of them reacted—then all four Emperors lost control of their auras simultaneously. Power flared. The walls trembled. The air crackled with mana.
Dean immediately pushed back with his own energy, stabilizing the room before it could collapse around them.
Ramses stared at him. "What did you say?"
"Two hundred and fifty million Neo-Nephilim," Dean repeated calmly.
Bjorn stood up, roaring, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND?!"
He pounded his fist on the arm of his throne. "Let’s say we divide them evenly between the Five Regions. That’s still fifty million per region. Do you have any idea what kind of resources that would take? We can’t just snap our fingers and make that happen!"
Dean nodded. "I know. And I’m not saying it’ll be easy. I’m asking you to invest. Think about what we gain. Their sheer numbers, their potential, their raw combat capabilities. Yes, it’s a big ask—but you all know as well as I do that we’re losing this war. This is the wildcard we need. This is our chance to shift the balance."
The Four Emperors exchanged glances. The fire in the room dimmed slightly as they began to cool down. They didn’t look convinced—but they weren’t dismissing him outright, either.
Chandra leaned forward. "Let’s say we agree. Let’s say we somehow manage to create space for these Awakenings. What then? Where will they live? They’re kids, Dean. Two hundred and fifty million children. We don’t have the infrastructure. We don’t have the manpower to raise them."
Dean’s expression shifted. For the first time, he allowed himself to smile. "You don’t need to worry about that part. Nephilim Pharmaceuticals has been preparing for this for a long time. Their housing, education, and initial training have all been accounted for. They’ll remain in Aurevion for now. I just need space for the Awakenings. Give me two years—just two—and I’ll have everything ready."
The four rulers looked at one another again, clearly communicating telepathically. Dean waited, holding his breath. At least they were thinking about it. That alone was a good sign.
Finally, Ramses broke the silence. "We’ll do it."
Dean let out a slow breath. "You’ve made the right choice."
Ramses gave him a sly smile. "Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We didn’t say we’d do it for free."
Dean’s face fell for a moment before he recovered. "What do you want?"
Ramses leaned back and said casually, "We want to buy all Nephilim Pharmaceuticals products at cost price. For the next fifty years."
