Chapter 795: Negotiating Terms

Inside the Great Pyramid, Barbarossa, the death dragon, moves closer to Henwell.

"Human, there's no point dragging out this stalemate!"

"Let me go, and I swear I'll never trouble you. We'll never see each other again."

"In return, I'll tell you countless secrets, from martial techniques and secret arts to the locations of hidden treasures."

"Aren't you the leader of a human force? I know where to find the ruins of a magical empire filled with ancient weapons."

"I can also show you a place holding the legacy of powerful human professionals. It could make you far stronger."

Henwell smiles. "None of that interests me."

"I have no interest in scavenging ancient technology. The age moves forward, and it's my responsibility to drive that progress!"

"You've existed for a very long time. Ancient things may be useful references, but that doesn't make them better."

"We should trust the wisdom of those who come after us, not blindly live off the legacies of those who came before. That's a terrible habit."

Barbarossa refuses to give up. "Human, you feel it too. Something is changing outside, and you need to leave this place quickly."

"Your followers are hiding something from you."

"I can sense that many of those who come here are worried, and even more are burdened by guilt toward you."

"Don't you want to know what's happening outside?"

"You're anxious. I'm certain of it. So why keep wasting time on me?"

Henwell falls silent for a moment. "Some things are bound to happen sooner or later. I'm not a god. I can't control every change, and I doubt even the gods can."

"As for you..."

"Barbarossa!"

"You know you can't escape my control. The force binding you is far beyond anything you can imagine."

"You're already a dead dragon. Isn't following me better than falling into the Underworld or being dragged away by the Abyss?"

"Do you really want to leave the main plane that badly?"

"Follow me, and you can devour the flesh and souls of living creatures. As I grow stronger, you can gradually rebuild your body as well."

"Unless you want to become a dracolich, you need a body to anchor your soul."

"Look at yourself. Do you plan to stay like this forever?"

"Your body is dead, and your soul has already lain dormant. Put simply, you're nothing more than a new soul shaped by lingering will."

"With your current strength and knowledge, can you solve any of that yourself?"

"The Underworld pulls at you. The Abyss draws you in. The main plane rejects you. Only by staying with me can you resist those powers of law."

Barbarossa roars, "Never! You cunning human will never make me submit to you!"

Henwell keeps trying. "It wouldn't be permanent. I promise to set you free after no more than five hundred years."

"I won't work you too hard. At the very least, I won't make you fight often, and you'll be compensated for whatever you do."

"My enemies are powerful. You'll have far more delicious flesh and souls to devour."

"Rampage across the main plane alone, and human professionals will soon hunt you down, tear you apart for your bones and hide, and refine what remains into a puppet."

"In your current wretched state, dragonkind will never acknowledge you, much less come to your aid."

"Only by following me can you safely restore your body and recover the missing pieces of your soul."

Barbarossa bellows, "I am Barbarossa, the death dragon! I will never submit to a weak human like you!"

Henwell sighs. "Honestly, I don't want an ugly thing like you either."

"Unfortunately, you're the helper the boss assigned to me. That means you may prove useful someday."

"Otherwise, I'd rather take you apart for materials and forge you into powerful extraordinary equipment."

"You despicable, treacherous human! If I hadn't been disoriented and drained when I first awoke, I would've torn you apart long ago!"

Henwell scoffs. "You certainly know how to talk big. How about I let you out and we fight face-to-face again?"

"If I win, you accept my terms and stop causing trouble."

"If you win, I'll release you immediately!"

Barbarossa roars, "You're no match for me, but I refuse! I won't obey your commands!"

Henwell shrugs. "Suit yourself. I'll finish adjusting my body soon. Once I have time to deal with you, the choice won't be yours."

Barbarossa is panicking inside, but it keeps hurling defiant curses.

In truth, it has already sensed the invisible restraints around it.

The bindings formed by Henwell's power of both locks still seem possible to overcome.

After all, Barbarossa was once a Sanctuary Rank dragon with ferocious combat strength. Even now, it remains immensely powerful.

Henwell alone could never bind the soul and flesh of such a creature.

What Barbarossa truly fears is the pattern inside Henwell, formed from countless complex triangles.

The pattern contains power of law beyond anything Barbarossa can imagine. It lived through the War of the Old Gods and witnessed gods in battle.

Yet none of the gods it knew possessed anything like the force it senses now.

No.

Calling it powerful is not even accurate.

It is utterly unknown, a form of power Barbarossa does not understand at all.

It does not even dare picture the power clearly, much less touch or analyze it.

Barbarossa has fallen into despair. It dares not provoke the entity behind Henwell, but it still hopes to exert as much control as possible over Henwell, its host.

The situation is growing worse for Barbarossa.

After advancing to Glory Rank, Henwell begins sorting through the powers within him.

Then he starts tempering his spirit and will.

Barbarossa senses Henwell's soul growing purer while his violent body gradually settles down.

Henwell's body is the strongest Barbarossa has ever seen.

It surpasses even the naturally powerful descendants of gods. Barbarossa cannot understand how a human can possess such a formidable body.

At first, it assumed Henwell was one of those descendants, but it sensed no power of bloodline inheritance within him.

Compared with Henwell's formidable body, the death dragon is even more concerned about his increasingly solid soul.

Even the greatest spellcasters would struggle to reach this state. A soul this resilient and powerful, paired with such a ferocious body, is a terrifying combination.

Even the well-traveled Barbarossa is shocked. Dragonkind is powerful in both body and soul, so it knows exactly how far such a being can surpass others of the same rank.

Without those concerns, it might have agreed to work for Henwell for several centuries.

But it cannot. Henwell carries far too many secrets.

Over its long life, Barbarossa has encountered too many beings like him. Every one of them was surrounded by enormous trouble.

Barbarossa cannot explain why, but it senses trouble around Henwell beyond anything it has ever known, far beyond all its experience and understanding.

Faced with that prospect, Barbarossa wants to get as far away as possible before it is dragged in.