Chapter 1274 Negotiations
'Mystery Mage' Joey Terrain, a secluded expert who lived in the secondary dimension world, was a person from the same era as the foul-mouthed 'Elf King' Dylan.
There was, however, no such person within the galactic history. He had avoided the universe for a long time without leaving any record. The first time he appeared before the universe in Han Xiao's previous life was during the World Tree invasion.
The Mage class was similar to the Mechanic class in that they grew stronger the more they accumulated and learned. For most, their age was directly correlated to their strength. Having stayed in the secondary dimension world for so many years, Joey had slowly accumulated his knowledge like how water droplets slowly accumulate in a bucket to the point that he had reached the pinnacle Beyond Grade A realm. However, due to a lack of talent, potential, and other factors involved, his level was likely lower than the pillars of each Universal Civilization. He would barely qualify to rank as a top-tier combatant in the universe. If one did not count the Revivors, however, he would definitely occupy a spot as one of the strongest Beyond Grade As in the world.
Han Xiao had a deep impression of him. During the World Tree invasion, the secondary dimension world was reduced to a battlefield, and all the secret organizations and hermits turned into objects of conquest, being bombed out of their hiding places. Unable to remain secluded, they banded together to resist collectively.
Joey was one of them. It was said that because the secondary dimension had received severe damage, he was forced to bring his base with him, employing guerrilla warfare tactics against the World Tree Armies. He was eventually killed and absorbed by the World Tree.
Various knowledge flashed through his mind. Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, sizing up Joey before casually speaking.
"Joey Terrain… I was wondering who it was, but it turned out to be you."
Joey was about to introduce himself, but upon hearing his name being called out, he received a huge shock, surprise showing on his face.
"How did you find out my name‽"
He was a little befuddled in his heart. What sort of situation is this? I've hidden myself for so many years. No one in the main universe should be aware of my name. How did this guy recognize me?
Han Xiao laughed. "I guessed it. Isn't it magical?"
Joey choked at his words, suddenly feeling a wave of depression.
He felt that Black Star's character was a little different from the rumors. Secretly suppressing his depressed feelings, he coughed and said, "Well, whether you guessed it or not, you seem to already know who I am… I'm curious, why has the famous Black Star in the main universe come over to visit my homeland?"
"Oh, so it turns out that you recognize me. I thought you had completely secluded yourself and did not pay any attention to the changes in the main universe." Han Xiao smacked his lips.
"… I just keep an eye on the news every now and then." Joey became more suspicious in his heart, having that nagging feeling that Black Star had a deep understanding of him. However, he had never dealt with the other party before, which made him feel weird.
"Is that so?" Han Xiao did not agree nor disagree with him. "However, not long ago, you spied on my friend's base. It seems like your focus is quite wide, not just about news."
"So, it turns out that you came here for this matter."
Joey came to a realization, his inner bells ringing in warning.
He had only just discovered Black Star in the secondary dimension and wondered why he had come over. He initially only wanted to wait in silence and guess his intentions, but the moment he saw Han Xiao raising his hand to break his magic enchantment, Joey could only come out to meet him.
He did not expect that the random object that caught his curiosity would be related to Black Star. Now, the master had come knocking, likely to seek trouble.
Since the other person came all the way here, they must have had some form of evidence. There was no use trying to hide.
Joey's expression changed.
Seeing this, Han Xiao smiled and said, "As the saying goes, 'a visitor from afar is a guest'. Are you not going to invite me into your secondary dimension to discuss this?"
Joey nodded when he heard those words. He made a gap in the barrier before gesturing Han Xiao in.
"Of course, please follow me."
He led the way as Han Xiao flew into the secondary dimension. The world in front of him suddenly transformed, a peaceful world filled with lush nature coming into view. The huge city guarded a white tower that reached up into the clouds.
Passing by from a high altitude, Han Xiao overlooked the scene on the streets as the residents, who were the size of ants, bustled around. The city atmosphere was harmonious and lively.
The duo landed on the top platform of the tower. Joey lightly snapped his fingers, and two sets of high-end tables and chairs as well as a trolley filled with snacks and tea appeared out of thin air.
Han Xiao smiled by the side and muttered to himself, "Magic is really convenient."
Joey glanced at him, not knowing what to make of his statement, before inviting him to sit. "… Please sit. Try my specialties."
Both of them sat opposite each other.
Han Xiao took a sip of tea, and a strong fragrance swept across him. The tea was mellow yet rich, with a faint milky fragrance and an endless lingering aftertaste.
"Pretty good." Han Xiao placed his teacup down before turning to gaze at the city below, smiling as he spoke. "This secondary dimension is not bad at all. It's been a long time since I've seen such a peaceful place."
"This is the place where I've secluded myself. Everything you see here has been built up by me bit by bit…"
When it came to this topic, Joey's tone got a little warmer, as though he liked to hear others praise his achievements.
Han Xiao listened for a bit, smiling. "It's good to live in seclusion here. You won't feel lonely as well. It seems like you've transformed this into a Mage Pagoda as well. Does this place have a name?"
"Yes, it's called…" Joey suddenly paused for a bit before finishing. "The Kingdom of God".
Hearing this, Han Xiao secretly smirked.
This old man thinks that I don't know this place is actually called the Land of Four Gods and did not say its actual name, afraid that I would guess there are three other Beyond Grade As hidden here.
The three of them hid themselves presumably as trump cards, just in case I create trouble. Then they can catch me off guard.
Han Xiao did not immediately expose the other party, instead changing his tone and replying playfully, "However, I saw that many of the residents here are actually the various galactic races in the main universe. You abducted a lot of people from the main universe to accompany you, right?"
Joey remained unmoved, sipping on his tea as he casually replied, "It's not abduction. The universe is such a dangerous place. I only helped a few of them obtain some stability in their lives. Here, they can enjoy the peace that I created for them without fear. What's wrong with that?"
"Sounds pretty good to me. This might be the life that many people dream of, but… heh." Han Xiao only raised his brows but did not finish his sentence.
Dominating the lives of the ordinary was a matter of course for many of the Beyond Grade As. Regardless of whether the masses were willing to accept the arranged life or not, they had no choice either way. This mentality had long been ingrained among the Supers and could not be separated from power and authority.
Han Xiao did not have much to say about it but instead shook his head secretly in disapproval of Joey's practice.
The Land of Four Gods seemed to be an independent paradise, but Han Xiao knew that under the iron hooves of the World Tree, this fragile peace could not even withstand a single blow from them and would forever be on the run. It was not so easy to remain detached from all worldly affairs.
Han Xiao rapped on the table as he leaned forward, getting into the main topic. "Alright, I've already drank your tea, so let's talk business. The target that you used your spying magic not long before was actually my friend. I would like to have an answer for that."
"What do you intend to do?" Joey inwardly tensed up.
Han Xiao waved his hands in dismissal. "There's nothing about it. I just want to know your motive and objective, as well as how you did it."
"You came in such a hurry. Could it be that the object of my spying is that important to you?" Joey frowned, secretly wondering why Black Star would make such a big move.
Han Xiao blinked as he sized up Joey's expression before laughing.
From these words, he probably understood the details behind Joey. The old man likely did not know the full story behind the Holy Accord, but it was unknown how he managed to find the base of the Holy Accord to spy on. He probably did not have a strong motivation.
Because this guy had secluded himself for too long, he had become easy to read.
"Do you think I have a lot of free time?" Han Xiao turned the question back.
Joey seemed taken aback by this question, "No, with your position and authority, I suppose you must be very busy."
"Then since I'm personally here, do you still need to ask about my attitude toward this?" Han Xiao shook his head, his smile vanishing. "Answer me, I don't wish to repeat myself."
Joey's expression twitched. He was shocked by Han Xiao's brief release of his strength and felt a little unhappy.
It was just that as someone who had hidden himself away, his personality was more pliable, so he suppressed the unhappiness in his heart, replying truthfully.
Han Xiao observed his expression, tone, even actions as he listened to his explanation.
According to Joey, this was a coincidence. He said that he did not know the details of this organization, and the reason for spying was because he discovered the Holy Accord capturing many Primal Esper Entities through his 'messenger', making him curious. He thus marked the very 'concept' of the Holy Accord, such that if there ever came a day where their fate string changed or became entangled with his, then he could observe them. This was a spell he had created during his seclusion.
Not too long ago, he had suddenly had a faint hunch, so he had followed his intuition to observe the situation of this mysterious organization. However, the 'messenger' he sent out was blocked, and he saw nothing.
"You said it was a coincidence?" Han Xiao could not prove otherwise.
Although this sounded unreliable, he could not dismiss it as a lie. The secondary dimension was bizarre, with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. The Holy Accord had organized their secret activities for so many years; it was natural that a slight trace of their activities would be discovered. It was not strange for them to be seen by the experts by accident, but not everyone would be able to find out the details of the organization.
The high-level Mages usually had their own set of secret skills. After spending so many years in seclusion, Joey had also developed his own unique set of spells. According to the intelligence from his previous life, his research mainly concerned the environment in which he was located. His spells were extremely suitable for combat in the secondary dimension. On the contrary, it was unsuitable for combat in the main universe, where his strength would fluctuate.
Han Xiao believed around sixty to seventy percent of what he had said. Not only was he observing the actions of the other party, but he was also basing it on his behavior in his past life. This person was not a guy who liked to snoop around, nor did he work for other organizations. He seemed reliable.
It was precisely because of this that while Han Xiao did not know how much Joey had learned about the Holy Accord, he still stated outright that he was connected to the Holy Accord. This was because the moment he recognized Joey, he changed his initial strategy, planning to pull this man aboard.
Furthermore, Joey also recognized him quickly and was even being compliant. Han Xiao could roughly guess that the other side also wished to side with him in order to enjoy the Sanctum Revival.
All sorts of thoughts flashed through his mind, and since Joey had finished speaking, Han Xiao took the chance to sip on his tea before smiling lightly as he spoke.
"Ok, I'm now clear about this matter. It seems like it was just a coincidence."
"It's good that you're willing to believe in me…"
Joey breathed out a sigh of relief. The reason he tried his best to comply was because he wished to resolve the misunderstanding, not wishing to clash with Black Star.
At this time, Han Xiao's words took a change, and he meaningfully said, "However, this isn't my true objective of coming today. Let's talk about something else… You should be interested in the Sanctum Revivals, right?"
Joey was a little surprised. He did not expect Han Xiao to actually change to this topic. After a brief moment of hesitation, he nodded.
"That's right. I am very interested."
Han Xiao laughed. "If you wish for it, I can also include you."
Joey was dumbstruck.
He originally intended to look for a chance to contact Han Xiao in the future and try to obtain an opportunity to have a Sanctum Revival, but he did not expect it to be so effortless, which made him feel a little lost.
This is the first time we've met, but you're already giving me a chance to revive? Has Black Star always been so generous?
Seeing Joey's expression, Han Xiao immediately knew what he was thinking. He helplessly sighed before saying, "Of course, this chance does not come for free. Right now, the relationship between the association and the three Universal Civilizations is pretty strained, with conflict ready to erupt at any time. I need to enhance the strength of the association, so as long as you join the association and stand on our side, you will have your share in the Sanctum Revival."
Hearing this, Joey hesitated before whispering, "But I have long decided to live in seclusion. Matters of the main universe are not something I wish to interfere in… Can I join in name after the association has reconciled with the three Universal Civilizations?"
"You don't wish to invest anything, but you expect returns. Don't you think this sort of dream is too good to be true?" Han Xiao rolled his eyes as he replied.
For him to even say such nonsensical words, this person really had been in seclusion for too long.
Joey was a little troubled. "Can you change the terms?"
Han Xiao raised his brows in reply. "I don't think you are in any position to bargain. Besides, what do you have that I actually need?"
Joey was speechless.
Han Xiao suddenly stood up and patted his clothes.
"Your hesitation mainly stems from the fact that you do not trust me, so you think that my chances of failure are high. I believe we need to spar for you to understand. How is it? Shall we exchange a few moves?"
"This seems a little too rushed…" Joey had an expression of surprise, but he did not refuse. "That's good as well. I'm curious about your endurance. Let's have a spar outside here."
Black Star had an outstanding reputation, and since Joey had secluded himself for so many years, he also wished to see where he stood against Han Xiao. Making friends through battles had always been standard procedure for the Beyond Grade As.
However, Han Xiao shook his head.
"You're mistaken. I wasn't asking for spar with you one-on-one but with all of you."
As he spoke, he turned away, speaking in another direction.
"The three of you, I believe you have eavesdropped enough. Please come out."
As his voice sounded, three figures appeared a few seconds later. As they landed on the tower, they shared helpless glances.
These were the other three Beyond Grade As of the Land of Four Gods. They thought that Black Star did not discover them, but it turned out that he had known about it a long time ago.
Thinking of this, the trio could not help but feel embarrassed. Hearing how Black Star wished to take four of them at once, they got even unhappier.
"Are you sure you wish to go against all four of us?" Joey frowned, feeling that he was being underestimated.
"That's right, otherwise I believe it will end too soon. There'll be no excitement."
Han Xiao chuckled softly.
He had already prepared himself to fight against all four together. Whoever had the strongest fist would have the most rights, so only when these four were convinced could he then facilitate the negotiations.
"You're too arrogant."
Joey's tone was cold. He might have had a good temper, but he was also somewhat prideful. Being looked down on, his anger also soared.
Seeing their unsatisfied expressions, Han Xiao also wiped his smile off his face, his eyes transmitting electric arcs. His aura gradually rose, and golden Mechanical Force crackled around his body.
A voice laden with energy blasted out from his mouth.
"It is you guys who've stayed hidden for too long. You've already regressed. I don't mind helping you clearly identify whose era it is now!"