Chapter 1274: 1274
Canceling a contract was a very troublesome thing to do, but there were exceptions nonetheless, like in cases of forced contracts . If Fycro was willing, one contract-canceling scroll would suffice to get it done .
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Saleen looked at the scroll and felt rather reluctant to put his name on it .
It was a scroll that was made of pure dragon hide . There were 12 scales on the scroll and every scale had three-dimensional holy prose on it . A scroll like that could be used to create a level-12 magic scroll if Saleen and his teacher had it .
The key point was that the scroll was one that consumed dragon scales, which meant that the scroll could be used 12 times . The effect of each use would not diminish it . Each use was capable of creating scrolls surpassing major levels .
It meant that Saleen would be capable of creating level-14 scrolls when he was at level-12 . When unraveled, the scroll would be able to cast the properties of dragon tongue magic as well .
However, it was still more important to cancel his contract now, so Saleen put down his name down and Fycro wrote his name as well . The scroll did not burn, a dragon scale crumbled instead . The holy prose on the scale disappeared as well .
Saleen felt things deep within his soul light up as that thing that bound him disappeared .
“Lex…”
“Her contract was bound with yours . You could check with her and see how it went . ”
Saleen shook his head . He knew what had happened and he simply wanted to hear it from Fycro . It was very important for mages to get such things in words .
“You’re indeed sincere, Fycro, and I’m touched . ” Saleen had not actually changed any of his opinions about Fycro despite the fact that the holy master had gotten more friendly . His remark was a sarcastic one . Fycro was not doing this for Saleen, he was only doing this because his hands were being forced .
It was probably due to the luck he’d acquired from the Goddess of Myers . The contract seemed to have a negative effect on Fycro . If the contract continued, both sides would suffer dire consequences . It seemed that he had been right to go about tearing the temples apart .
The fewer the number of temples left, the better his luck would be .
“I’m touched . ” Fycro did not look like a powerful being at all when he said that . His expression hardly changed as he talked nonsense with Saleen .
“Well…” Saleen was defeated . He was still too young for this .
“Speaking of which, I’m here to make a deal with you and I’m afraid you won’t agree to it . As such, I’d like things to go your way for a bit . You’re a decent mage . You know when to advance and when to retreat . So, I don’t mind giving you some benefits in advance . ” Fycro finally got to the point .
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“I’m interested in deals, so long as they’re reasonable . You’re quite a decent holy master yourself, Fycro, and you know the principle of equivalent exchange well . ”
“It’s like this… Lex’s assassin got something from the Glorious City . The Pivotal Council does not know of its importance . It was only due to the extent of damage that the assassin wrought that the Holy See went all the way to Lonestar City . I take it you don’t know what I’m talking about here . ”
“I don’t, indeed . ” Saleen did not try to bluff . What Bain had brought home was something that looked complicated . After the Sreeger Island mages took it apart to analyze it, they were unable to put it back together again .
However, the core was a semi-liquid metal . It was very heavy and had a structure like mud, making it capable of changing shape .
“I guess that thing is still intact, no?”
“The core is intact, but the outer parts have all been taken apart . ”
Fycro sighed a breath of relief . He was worried that the mages might have gotten too curious and had taken apart the core as well . He would be at a disadvantage if that turned out to be the case .
“That thing is not a piece of mage equipment, nor is it one meant for a holy master . It is a living being . That living being is so precious that its value can be compared to dragons, and the dragons would be trash in that comparison,” Fycro said, showering praise upon that thing .
“So what is it?” Saleen grew curious, seeing how Fycro was not bothering to hide the facts from him . Fycro would have definitely paid a good price for something like that, but it happened to already be in his possession .
“An abyssal soul . That thing can release abyssal matter continuously and expand territories . If nurtured, I’d be able to connect with an interdimensional space with abyssal properties, then use it in an interdimensional space . Furthermore, that would make me a god in that interdimensional space . ”
“Fycro, you’re being really honest here, so…”
“I’m about to give you an offer that you won’t be able to resist . ”
“And what would that be?”
“The method of nurturing that thing, in exchange for half of it . With that, both you and I would be able to open up half of the abyss plane . ”
“Fycro, opening up a plane requires up to 100 million years . I won’t be able to live that long . ”
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“No, Saleen . This ‘opening’ doesn’t refer to creating a plane through sheer power . That thing is capable of emptying the space beneath the magma and creating abyssal properties within that space . You only need to be rich . Be it magic nuclei, crystals or whatever, all of that will enable that creature to grow quickly, making another world out of the underground . ”
“What if that thing comes up to the surface?”
“That thing loves high heat and rocks and metals . The surface is too cold for it, and it would simply go into hibernation . ”
“What do you plan to offer then?”
Saleen loosened up even though he wanted more . He was capable of modifying Raphael’s interdimensional space . He had learned of things like the abyssal soul within the materials of the astrology tower, but no astrologers bothered with that thing .
The astrologers were only interested in killing anything that they were able to find as to prevent the cores of stars from being modified .
Mages might not have cared what a star’s core looked like, but astrologers cared a lot about that .
“Wouldn’t the methods of nurturing that thing be enough?” Fycro asked in a rather dissatisfied manner .
“I have no need for that thing, but you do . ” Saleen went straight to the core of the problem . Fycro might have been the only one who knew about how to nurture an abyssal soul, yet Saleen had no need for such beings to create abysses or anything .
“You have a point!” Fycro scratched his head . Saleen was indeed a decent trade partner, yet it was precisely due to this that Fycro was unable to get any extra advantage out of their deals .
“Fycro, you’ve put up quite a show . All those god idols on the altar, you wanted me to take note, no? Alright, I won’t be greedy . I want to know how to make those idols . ” Saleen stopped beating around the bush . Fycro was sincere, so Saleen saw fit to get the deal sealed .
“Hah…” Fycro sighed . It was his choice . That abyssal soul was too important to him . He would not have disclosed the methods of creating the god idols otherwise . While it would have been difficult for a mage to replicate the processes, it was not impossible .
Furthermore, Saleen had no shortage of holy masters . While the number of holy masters within the Nature Faith was small, there were thousands of them .
Only something of such a bargain would have moved Saleen .
“So, we have a deal?”
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“We have a deal!” Fycro answered like a merchant .
“Alright, Fycro . You wish to have the support of mages, no?”
“Indeed . Divine smiths pale in comparison to mages in the creation of machines . I don’t have a lot of smiths with me . When the great war comes, I’d need to arm my troops . ”
Saleen smelled profit and pressed on . “Equipment capable of upgrading the level of soldiers, and more powerful than Heaven Knight armor?”
“Well indeed . You have experience in making the metal flyers, so it would be comparatively easy for you to make this equipment . It’s not that I can’t make them myself, but I lack the manpower to mass-produce them . ”
“How would you guarantee…”
“I’d need a million sets of said equipment . I’d give you the full schematics and about half of the required materials . ”
“Isn’t this going to be quite a loss for you?”
“No, Saleen . The contract has time limits . You need to provide me with a million sets of said equipment within the time stipulated by me . I’m guessing that your mages will only be able to research the core secrets of the schematics once the contract is over . I’ll provide you with the control part when everything else is finished,” Fycro explained to Saleen . What he meant was that he would be the one crafting the core control components .
When Saleen was done with the contract, he would be free to research the equipment . However, he was confident that before Saleen would be able to complete a million sets of equipment, the mage would not be able to successfully unlock its secrets .
Saleen had no qualms about waiting . Fycro would give him the full schematics after the contract was done .
“Unless you tell me what is going to happen, I won’t dare promise you that . I need to fork over half of the materials for the equipment you asked after all,” Saleen said in a roundabout manner .
“I’d definitely tell you what is going on, but even if I were to not do so, you don’t necessarily have anything to lose . Saleen, the equipment I was talking about, is this . ” Fycro pointed at the metal insect on the table and continued, “This is a personal use flight armor . It could be made out of metals or fragments of fossilized gods . You have more of those fragments than I do, and you’re capable of modifying this thing . You would eventually come to possess an extremely powerful army . ”
“Extremely powerful?”
“Indeed . Bug angels, the combat weapon of the insect plane . ”
“I take it you’ve got the contract ready?” Saleen asked Fycro .
“Indeed, and I’ve been waiting for you . ”
“How much time would be required to get a million of these up?”
“Begin crafting in June and finish production by December . ”
“Half a year . Seems like this thing is really complicated . ”
“It is indeed complicated, so much so that I’d be willing to provide whatever you need, to let you help me fix it . ”
“Fix?”
“Indeed . This thing has massive defensive properties, making it hard for the soldier to get injured, but it would still break, and fixing it would be very tricky . I’m hoping that your alchemy factories will provide me with the service . ”
“Would this need to be written in the contract?” Saleen asked carefully .
“Let’s have it separated . I don’t want to cause you extra concerns about me!”
“Hah…” Saleen sighed and said, “Fycro, having dealt with the Holy See for so long, you’re the first one that I find satisfying to deal with . ”
Fycro smiled and asked, “So, everything is settled then?”
“More or less . Set Picasso free first . ”
“I’m fine with that . ” Fycro took out a book and flipped the pages, erasing Picasso’s name from it . He then summoned Picasso and said, “You’re now free . You could choose to follow Saleen . ”
“Yes, Lord Fycro . ” Picasso remained respectful as he bowed deeply to the holy master .
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