The Wolf King stowed away all the boxes of bullets into his spatial card. Upon hearing the name of the Locke Group, his expression changed momentarily, but he soon laughed, saying, "So you are with the Locke Group. I've heard about you—losing a significant number of personnel and falling into dire straits due to the machinations of a few enemies. Your current situation must be quite challenging."
Snooker no longer exhibited the arrogance he had just days ago, refraining from rebutting the Wolf King's jibes. He fixed his gaze on me and said, "The message from the group is clear: I must secure your cooperation at any cost. We can no longer afford to delay the treasure hunt. Here are four gifts that the group has asked me to convey. If you assist me in obtaining the colorful fruit, you will gain the status of VIPs within the Locke Group. When the group establishes its mercenary corps on Demon Island, you will all hold senior positions, free to choose your titles."
"What a grand gesture! But it sounds rather desperate," I muttered under my breath, rubbing my nose before clearing my throat and replying, "The Sludge Dragons seem to yield little reward. For now, I can overlook that. However, the Lesser Demon Hunters are beyond our capabilities to capture, and we can let them be. As for the Thunderbirds, I have other requirements. While I don't necessarily need to complete the task, I at least aim to capture five..."
"Is it for the Eternal Wings technique?"
"Have you learned the alchemical array?"
The interjection came from Bullet. My six alchemical magic array cards originated from him, so there was no way I could conceal my progress from their original owner.
"Indeed, I believe that possessing the ability to fly will greatly aid in fulfilling our tasks. If your gifts satisfy me, I will immediately explore the treasure after capturing the Thunderbirds."
Snooker slowly shifted his gaze to the Wolf King, who grinned like the ferocious beast he resembled, and said, "Given the boxes of bullets from Wang Lin, I agree with his suggestion."
Hachi Masufumi didn't hesitate to follow up, stating, "Wang Lin's decision also represents my stance."
After that, he fell silent. Jack gently clapped his hands, elegantly stepping forward and bowing deeply to me with a flourish, adopting a tone that was both teasing and noble, "Congratulations! You are now the one authorized to make decisions on our behalf."
This unexpected change took me aback momentarily, but my gaze quickly hardened. I vividly remembered Jack's provocations from yesterday, and I couldn't fathom his motives; he was far more inscrutable than either the Wolf King or Hachi Masufumi.
However, Jack's words seemed to relieve Snooker. He realized he had accurately assessed the situation: this small team had indeed become centered around me as its leader, regardless of talent or qualifications, simply because my strength commanded respect. In the game of Demon Island, the strong held the power to speak.
"Snooker, you're not a negotiation expert. I give you one chance; don't skimp on the conditions the group has provided us!"
My light-hearted threat hung in the air as I turned to walk back to the hotel. We had been standing outside the hotel for quite some time, and while many passersby cast curious glances our way, none seemed eager to confront us—each man appearing easily provoked, yet no one dared to challenge us at that moment. For discussions of a more sensitive nature, the hotel café would surely provide a better setting; conducting negotiations at the entrance could lead to misunderstandings.
At that time, the café was nearly empty, and we found a corner to sit separately. Lilith, as always, chose to sit beside me, and I felt the alluring aura of the French beauty beside me, though my expression remained unchanged.
The practice of my nameless martial arts technique not only chilled my internal energy but also greatly enhanced my composure, allowing me to maintain a calm demeanor and sharp reflexes amidst any upheaval.
Snooker produced four ornately decorated wooden boxes, placing one before each of us. In a low voice, he said, "These items were sent over today via the teleportation magic array. I cannot say what is inside, but I believe they will satisfy you. Those old geezers are on edge after facing continuous setbacks and are unlikely to be stingy this time."
Jack was the first to open his box. He merely cracked it open, glanced inside, and with a beaming smile, closed it again, securing its contents. His enigmatic behavior made it difficult for me to discern the nature of the items that the Locke Group had used to entice this ruthless killer.
Taking a deep breath, I reached out to open my box without the subtlety of Jack. I acted openly, sensing no energy fluctuations within, which led me to speculate that the contents were unrelated to power, thus alleviating my concern about being observed. Although these individuals were driven by greed, they had surpassed the level where monetary temptations could sway them.
To my surprise, the box contained only a handwritten ancient scroll, thick and composed of an unknown material, feeling exquisitely smooth and somewhat cool to the touch.
Snooker, Hachi Masufumi, and the others shared looks of confusion, unsure about the nature of the scroll. I gently unfurled it and immediately recognized the familiar script, eliciting a wry smile from me.
The intelligence system of the Locke Group was indeed impressive; how had they managed to gather such detailed information about me?
Honestly, upon receiving such a valuable gift, my first reaction was one of fear. The scroll's worth was undeniable, as it contained precisely what I most desired: "The Complete Compendium of Mys Magic Inscriptions."
Noticing the fluctuation in my expression, Snooker spoke in a low tone, "The group has indicated that their situation is quite precarious and they can no longer send any further items. If Mr. Wang Lin is dissatisfied with this gift, I can ensure that the wishes granted from this expedition yield four pieces of the fruit. This is already the last concession."
I silently perused the magic manuscript, finding the opening page adorned with notes from the ancient mage who had created the Mys magic script.
This wizard devoted his life to the study of magic and, in his attempts to employ various scripts to execute the same spell, discovered a phenomenon: the older the script, the greater the efficacy and efficiency of the incantation.
Ancient scripts were often more obscure and complex, characterized by brevity yet laden with intricate meanings. For every mage, deciphering these archaic scripts constituted a challenging learning process, often requiring knowledge of dozens, if not hundreds, of ancient languages. This immense scope led many mages to lament their plight.
While mages prided themselves on their erudition, such knowledge was often the result of much repetitive and inefficient toil.
Despite each mage knowing that the power of a spell was tied solely to the magical principles behind it, rather than the language of the incantation itself, they remained helpless to change this reality.