As the sun began to set, the atmosphere in the arena grew increasingly tense with the arrival of night. In a standoff, it was often the party that spoke first that showed a willingness to compromise. It was hard to determine who held the weaker position; Fars hovered high above, maintaining an advantage, but defeating two equally high-level professionals like Joanna and Agno was no easy feat. They were not the mere fodder he had encountered before.
Agno, having expended considerable energy, could no longer maintain his spear form and had reverted to using a longsword. After witnessing his incredibly steady swordsmanship, Fars was uncertain if he could break through Agno's defenses. Joanna, with her ghostly presence, made Fars hesitant to descend to a height where she could strike; he certainly did not want to find himself with a gaping hole in his back. Her weapon, a razor-sharp blade forged from Uno steel, lingered in Fars's mind. He had yet to see her use it, but if it were aimed at him, he would surely experience its deadly prowess firsthand.
Wise individuals often lowered their stance to seek opportunities for negotiation in such deadlocks. As long as a discussion could be held that satisfied both parties, it would yield the best outcome. Engaging in a life-and-death struggle might not be the most beneficial route. If Joanna were merely a beautiful and willful young lady, she would not have been sent to carry out such an important task. Knowing how to speak to whom was crucial. In Joanna's eyes, Fars was merely a servant brought in to guide them, and she would not treat him with courtesy. However, given the current situation, Fars was in a position of advantage, having indirectly caused the demise of Joanna's two supports. The mage had been killed by Fars himself, a fact everyone had witnessed, though they could not voice their hatred. Dull had also perished due to Fars's pressure; in a desperate bid to protect Joanna and her companions, the loyal knight had exhausted himself against their greatest threat—the earth dragon. Joanna had already placed the blame for these two deaths squarely on Fars, and she had no doubt that the earth dragon would not have discovered them if not for his involvement. It was even possible that the vengeful spirits and the earth dragon in the forest had been drawn there by him.
However, while hatred could be set aside, the problem was that Joanna and Agno were unsure of Fars's true intentions. This uncertainty made them hesitant to negotiate, as it felt like walking into a trap. If Fars's only goal was to kill them, there would be no need for discussion; they would simply rely on their own abilities to see the outcome. Confident in their martial skills, neither Joanna nor Agno feared Fars, but they were at a loss as to how to deal with him. As long as Fars remained a threat, they could not expect even a moment of peace. If Fars were merely after their possessions, it would be better to offer him something to send him on his way, but if he remained silent, who could guess what he was plotting?
Continuing the standoff was not a viable option. Fars found himself at an impasse; as long as they remained below, he had no chance to descend and deal with the remains of the earth dragon. Having already consumed the blood of a mage and a vigorous young man, Fars felt quite satisfied. Even so, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret at the thought of letting the dragon's blood flow away without taking advantage of it.
The vampire's physiology was peculiar; despite appearing human, it possessed the ability to store vast amounts of energy within, akin to hibernating animals. Perhaps this was due to the long periods of slumber vampires experienced throughout their lives, during which they could not feed. To ensure their vitality, vampires would consume large quantities of blood before entering sleep, transforming it into blood essence stored within their bodies. This essence could then be converted back into energy when nutrients were scarce. The process of converting blood into essence was instinctual; as long as they consumed enough, excess blood would automatically coagulate into essence. This was somewhat similar to human fat, but it did not affect a vampire's physique and was far more energy-dense. Otherwise, how could vampires sleep in their coffins for three to five years without dying?
With nightfall upon them, Fars's advantage grew, allowing him to lower his stance and state his intentions. He genuinely admired Joanna and Agno for their composure amidst the series of events that had unfolded, managing to regain some control in their standoff.
"You've all seen what happened earlier, so I won't bother explaining. How you perceive me is irrelevant. But shouldn't we discuss a temporary resolution to this matter? After all, we can't just leave Dull's body lying here indefinitely. I imagine you wouldn't want the man who sacrificed himself for you to be denied a proper burial," Fars began slowly. Of course, he remained aloft, ensuring he had the upper hand in both position and safety.
With the damned vampire having spoken first, Joanna and Agno, who were equally tired of the standoff, were not foolish enough to cling to their hatred and vow revenge. They exchanged glances; Agno, naturally taciturn, recognized the need to consider the bigger picture. He nodded slightly, conceding the floor to Joanna for negotiations.
Given the stakes involved, Joanna carefully weighed her response to Fars. The vampire no longer exuded the humility of old; he now seemed arrogant and imposing. Joanna remained uncertain of his intentions, so she sidestepped his question and countered, "What do you propose? Are you planning to come down and kill us? Do you have the strength for that?"
Joanna was not one to sugarcoat her words; her latter statement was clearly a threat, aimed at raising her bargaining power while mocking the vampire who had relied on the earth dragon to harm them.
Fars was caught off guard by Joanna's directness. However, if he did not respond to her question, it would weaken his position. Unable to think of a better reply, he laid his thoughts bare, leaving their acceptance or rejection to them.
"I don't wish to disturb the peace between us. You have two options: First, I take the earth dragon's corpse, and I leave Dull's body untouched, allowing him to rest in peace. You swear not to send anyone after me, and you give me that blade of yours as a keepsake. We part ways amicably." Fars paused, allowing them to digest this first option and gauge their reactions.
After a moment of contemplation, when they did not respond, Fars sneered and continued, "The second option: You know this ruin better than I do, and it's unlikely you could enter without me. You've already suffered significant losses before even beginning your exploration. How will you explain this back home? Don't think I'm unaware of the deceit and manipulation among the noble families. Once you return, you won't fare any better. What if we collaborated to explore this place together? I'll take a share of the spoils, but we must agree not to turn on each other during the exploration. We can formalize this with a contract. As for whether you will send people after me later, that's something to consider once you've safely exited the Qihar Mountains. Of course, the distribution of the two corpses will remain as previously stated."
At the mention of the second proposal, Joanna and Agno's expressions shifted dramatically. Joanna had to admit that this vampire was both bold and ambitious. He was also quite clever; otherwise, how could he maintain such an imposing presence while negotiating from the air? She realized she had underestimated him. However, he was right; they had lost a mage and a knight, and with Panasus dead as well, Joanna dreaded the thought of what would happen if she and Agno returned safely. The repercussions of losing the only son of the Grand Chancellor would lead to endless complications, and angering the Medici family's influential side would only worsen her standing in the elder council. She did not want to be cast aside like a forgotten relic. Agno's situation was even more precarious; this defeat had clearly impacted his position as a potential heir within the family.
Fars had skillfully grasped the aspects that mattered most to them, his words somewhat blunt but revealing a lack of experience. Yet, for a young vampire who had only been dead for a little over twenty years, he was doing quite well. As Fars gained more experience, he would naturally grow into a more rational, cautious, and comprehensive decision-maker like those in higher positions.
"I truly underestimated you before. However, we need to discuss this further among ourselves. Regarding their treatment, we have no objections; we will bury Dull first and then give you our answer." Even though Agno had ceded decision-making power to Joanna, she still needed to show enough respect for his opinion. She gestured toward the body on the ground, expressing her genuine respect for Dull and her desire to ensure he found peace in death.
"The night is still young; we have plenty of time. However, the earth dragon's body is quite large, and I won't dare descend without some distance between us. You should take Dull's body elsewhere for burial," Fars replied. Having reached a temporary agreement on certain aspects, he felt a sense of relief, but he still needed to ensure his safety. Who knew if Joanna and Agno would turn on him the moment he descended?
Joanna and Agno showed no signs of dissatisfaction with Fars's caution. Agno directly lifted the knight's body and began walking toward the city outskirts, followed by the corpse of Dull's beast companion, the lion. With its master dead, the beast's life force naturally faded as well. Joanna closely followed Agno as they temporarily departed.
Watching them distance themselves, Fars let out a sigh of relief. However, wary of a potential trap, he used his magical hand to laboriously move the earth dragon's corpse away from the earlier clearing. Only then did he descend, plunging his great sword into the dragon's body. In mere moments, the massive creature, over ten meters long, was reduced to a mere skeleton, its soul devoured by the greedy little Dani. All that remained was the dragon's magical core, larger than that of the Wolf King, though the Wolf King's was blue while the dragon's was a fiery red, radiating a passionate warmth. The dragon's bones were also valuable; after all, Dani's black flames had failed to incinerate them. Though Fars was already immensely wealthy, he adhered to the principle of not letting any good items go to waste. He collected the bones, fortunate to find two spacious storage rings that could accommodate the massive skeleton.