"It allows me to convert XP into stats, at a ratio of 50,000 to one."
At that moment, a bright red light shone from the small sphere, which now looked like a tiny fireball. The prince looked at it before turning to Liam again, a sharp glint in his eyes.
"I didn't think you would try to deceive me. A pity. As you can see, the device works. Now tell me the truth, as I have been doing with you all this time."
Liam clenched his jaw. So it was a lie detector, after all.
'Calm down.'
He tried to discreetly take a deep breath. He needed to control his Aura and make it stay exactly the same as when he said the truth. The problem was that he didn't know what that meant. As such, he took the other route.
"It allows me to convert XP into stats."
Naturally, it was the truth. He simply omitted the ratio of the conversion this time. He carefully analyzed his Aura, feeling it in its entirety. He still didn't know what exactly he was looking for. After some time without success, he asked the most important question while he still could.
"Why haven't you annihilated humanity? What is your goal?"
Varlian leaned back. He watched Liam with unreadable eyes.
"Our Empire is being attacked by an enemy. We are losing and if we do lose, extinction is what awaits us. Facing a lack of solutions, I decided to summon another species from outside of the Convergence. Most of my siblings supported the idea in order to kill the summoned species' individuals and gain more XP, therefore increasing our military power. My original objective, however, was to make an alliance with this species and get them to support us in our war. I believe humanity's Racial Ability to be the key to winning this conflict."
Liam was speechless. They had been summoned because the Empire needed help? An alliance? Just for that? Because of something like that, billions had been killed? He felt anger bubble up within his chest.
"Are you fucking kidding me!?"
"Hm?"
"Do you have any idea how many people have died because of that!? How many lives were lost!?"
Liam stood up and slammed his hands on the table, making it shake. It was harder than he expected. Varlian's calm expression watched him as if he were looking at a child.
"And what would you have me do? Wait for my species to go extinct? Wait for our Empire to crumble, our citizens to be butchered, our history destroyed?"
"That doesn't make it right for you to doom billions to their deaths!"
"There is no right or wrong. There is only survival."
The prince's sharp eyes shined as he also stood up, towering over Liam's figure.
"Do you know how many citizens there are in the capital of the Empire? Over thirty billion. Throughout the Empire's entire domain, that number is even higher. You accuse me of killing billions of yours, but I only did so to save tens of billions of mine. If I hadn't summoned you, our defeat would be guaranteed. Now we may have a fighting chance. Your species' Personal Attributes are as varied and numerous as the stars in the sky. They might be what we needed."
Liam's angry expression waned as he stopped to consider Varlian's words. The prince's face neared Liam's own.
"I will save my people. I will save our future. I do not care about the cost. I agree that what I have done is immoral. The amount of blood on my hands will never be washed away. However, even if I go down in history as a monster, I will have done so to save my species. You would have done the same."
Liam shook his head.
"No. I would not have killed billions."
"But isn't that what you're going to do?"
"What?"
Varlian's expression was stern as he looked at Liam.
"There can only be one winner in the Convergence."
Liam's eyes widened as the realization dawned on him.
"Do you understand? It's kill or be killed. You will either exterminate every living thing that isn't human or you will perish. There's no in-between."
"…Why do we fight? Was the System speaking the truth when it said that peace would result in extermination?
This time, Varlian was the one to shake his head.
"How foolish of you to think it wasn't. If two species deliberately refuse to fight for an extended period, both will be annihilated by the System. The announcement was naturally true. Of course, it is rather more complex than that. Alliances are possible. Peace treaties between several parties are not. Long story short, it depends on the intentions of the accord."
"So an alliance created for militaristic purposes is allowed, but peaceful cooperation between all species in the Convergence is impossible."
The lizardman nodded, sitting back down. Liam followed his lead, myriad thoughts racing through his mind.
"You and I are in the same position. You fight for your species, I fight for mine. The only difference is that I'm stronger than you."
Varlian's words shook Liam's very beliefs. All this time, he had vowed to destroy whoever had summoned humanity into the Convergence, but… Wait. Liam's gaze drilled into the prince's face.
"You forcefully summoned us. We were never meant to take part in the Convergence. You summoned innocents who weren't ready yet. Far more people died because of you!"
Contrary to his expectations, Varlian's visage remained serene.
"All species in the Convergence were either forcefully integrated by the System or forcefully summoned by another species. There is little difference. Summoned species also go through the Tutorial, while integrated species do not."
"The Tutorial's mortality rate is over 90%."
"The mortality rate of newly-integrated species in the Convergence is closer to 99%. The established species seldom let a new species settle down. The more competitors, the more difficult the Convergence becomes to survive. From that perspective, it's better to be a summoned species."
"Billions of people would have lived and died before humanity reached the Convergence's standards. Humanity would have been left alone for a long time."
"Or it would have destroyed itself, as many species do. Faraway or near future, it does not matter. What matters is that your species would have eventually either died off or come here anyway, in a much more deadly scenario."
Neither of them gave an inch, in a battle of ideals that sought to justify their own actions. Liam tried to maintain his hostility against the Drakkhan Empire, while Varlian explained his point of view and his desire to save his kind. Both stared at each other.
"…I can't forgive you, Varlian. You have caused too many humans to die."
"I never expected you to. But I'm sure you understand me. Just like I would have never forgiven you if we were in switched positions, but would have understood your actions."
It was true. He did. Liam could see that Varlian was trapped in his own desperate battle for survival and like all living creatures, would do whatever was necessary to win. The burden they carried was also similar, both needing to protect not only themselves, but also their species. Hundreds of millions relied on Liam, while billions counted on Varlian.
"…You're right. We are the same."
Liam sighed.
"I'm glad we have found some common ground. Now, then. What is the ratio of your Conversion Skill?"
Liam was suddenly reminded of their little questions game. He immediately focused on his Aura.
'I will lie one more time.'
It was in order to identify what changed in it when he lied.
"40,000 to one."
'There!'
A small ripple, almost imperceptible, ran through the maelstrom that was his Aura. Like a snake, it slithered all the way to the sphere, which then started to glow red. Varlian looked at the sphere and then back at him.
"…Fine, it's 35,000 to one."
He detected the same ripple again. This time he was prepared. His Aura twisted and turned upon itself, but could not keep the ripple from spreading. As it neared the sphere, Liam got more and more anxious. He needed to be able to hide his information from the sphere. If his Aura Manipulation wasn't great enough, there was only one thing he could do. The weight of his existence descended and closed in on the ripple, smashing it into nothingness.
Varlian's eyes widened. The reptilian stood up once more, gazing at Liam with renewed interest. Then, he grabbed the sphere and crushed it between his fingers.
"That must have been the interesting power Arimiar mentioned. How very odd. It isn't Aura and it's unlike anything I recognize. I take it it's part of your Personal Attribute?"
"I don't know."
Liam looked at the crushed lie detector, tightly gripped in Varlian's fist.
"Oh, this has become useless since you figured out a way to deceive it. This conversation would have stopped being fruitful soon, as well."
The prince opened his hand, letting the black dust fall through the air. His gaze never left Liam's figure. He asked one more question.
"What are your stats' values?"
"I see no need to answer that."
"If you don't answer, I'll have Arimiar place you in an elite squad. If you are too weak, you will die."
"An elite squad? Why?"
"Your greatest ability is your personal power, but you're still weak. You will be most valuable in this alliance by helping my soldiers execute their operations until you become stronger. Do you disagree? You are free to surprise me."
Liam frowned, feeling uncomfortable under Varlian's watchful eyes, but he knew it was true. Right now, he couldn't even compare to some of the soldiers he'd seen on the way here, much less to Arimiar. Getting stronger was his highest priority, not only to be more useful in the alliance, but also to escape the Drakkhan Empire itself. Following that logic, going to war against the Empire's enemies would be the quickest way to get XP and increase his stats, as well as train his Skills and acquire new ones in the midst of battle.
'It will probably be hard for me to get killed. I've already regenerated a cut-off head, after all. Wait, there's no guarantee that the enemies can't attack my soul or something. I should keep my guard up.
"…Fine, I'll take it. I'll be part of your elite squad or whatever."
"Very well. So, what will it be, Liam Allister? Will you make an alliance with me and fight beside us against our enemy, or will you have your species be hunted and exterminated by my siblings?"
"I can't make that decision on my own."
"You can. You must. You are the strongest of your kind."
Liam frowned. Truthfully, there was no other choice. Refusing would mean annihilation while accepting would mean survival. It was that simple. And as long as there was life, there was hope. As long as they survived, they would one day manage to turn the tables. He was sure of it.
'I need to surpass my limits.'
He needed to become stronger so fast that it utterly surpassed any projection of the Drakkhan. He had no doubt that he would be kept on a tight leash due to his potential. If he proved to be too much of a threat, he would be eliminated. As such, he had to hide his power while also becoming so strong that the Drakkhan Empire would not be able to kill him even if they tried.
"…I accept it. I will make an alliance with you."
Varlian extended his hand once more, as he had done at the beginning of their conversation. This time, Liam shook it firmly.
"To a good alliance. And…"
The prince lowered his body, making his face get closer to Liam's.
"…Know that one day this alliance will end. As I said before, there can only be one winner in the Convergence. One day, I will point my weapon at your people, and you will point yours at mine."
Liam met the prince's golden gaze, his blue eyes ferocious.
"When that day comes, I'll kill you myself. I swear."
From the start, he couldn't have been able to forgive Varlian for the amount of death the creature had caused, in spite of his understanding of his mentality. Not to mention that the prince had directly stated that he would one day go after humanity. They were fated to be enemies all along.
"Then you better take care that I don't kill you before that."
Both of them let go at the same time. Turning around, Liam left the room. Through his Aura Sight, he managed to glimpse Varlian's laughing figure as the reptilian turned to the window once more.
The prince stared into space, unmoving.