Chapter 797 — The Terms of Cooperation

He appeared highly confident on the matter of Sandbox One, in order to add to his筹码 in this negotiation—but his confidence was not conjured from nothing.

As a "Satellite Spirit," his mental structure was exceedingly peculiar, almost innately countering all attacks and contamination aimed at the mind in this world, and the mental contamination within Sandbox One should be no exception. Moreover, owing to the influence of the "God-Slaying Fleet Legacy," he possessed a certain degree of "natural-enemy effect" against this world's gods—including divine relics, even divine corpses themselves. And that Upper Narrator in Sandbox One, not yet fully formed, should not exceed that level.

Even at his most pessimistic—if conditions in Sandbox One were stranger than he imagined, if the Upper Narrator broke free of its confinement and became a god sooner than he expected—he still had contingency plans.

He had already had Tyr send word to the Siren Queen, indicating that there might be an extra meal in the near future.

To be honest, if the Upper Narrator remained deep in the dream realm with no "medium" through which to enter the real world, the situation would indeed be somewhat thorny—formless, incorporeal mental contamination was, after all, the hardest to deal with. But if that "god" blundered into the real world and acquired a foundation in reality...

How did the saying go? Once the health bar appears, things get much simpler—a matter of tossing it to those sirens for a bout of blind, frenzied gnawing...

Of course, it could not be ruled out that every method would fail, that even the sirens could not contend with the Upper Narrator, and that a true god full of malice might descend directly and destroy the world. For that too, Gaoyang had a preparation:

He would try to warn the dragon clan, and even prepare himself to face another "War Against the Tide"—that way, at least, everyone could die with some dignity...

He could not be blamed for his pessimism; the main thing was that one had to prepare oneself psychologically for every eventuality before facing a god—the defiers of old had, for the most part, thrown themselves into that terrible undertaking with a similar resolve.

In the great hall, the sound of discussion rose into a clamor; the high-ranking members of the Sleepers were clearly unable, for the moment, to accept the terms Gaoyang had proposed.

Gaoyang merely smiled and sat in his seat, waiting for their discussion to run its course.

Some things had to be stated in advance; otherwise, once the matter was settled, they would be left staring at one another, with nothing remaining but awkwardness and suspicion.

But on the other hand, to take over the Yijin Nether Cult through a single crisis—that was something he had not dared imagine before. Even at this very moment, he was not certain he could succeed; even if circumstance overpowered the individual, it would be hard for him to make one of the three great dark cults bow to him through a single bargain, a single crisis, and a few fine-sounding words—even if he was the "Outsider Wanderer" in their eyes.

Rather, it was precisely his identity as the "Outsider Wanderer" that made the Sleepers all the more resistant.

After all, all their efforts over so many years had been to break free of one shackle—they would not welcome another shackle falling upon their heads.

At last, the discussion in the great hall gradually subsided, and gaze after gaze fell first upon Gaoyang, then upon Megor III suspended in midair.

The latter, after a long silence, finally spoke as well.

"This so-called 'incorporation'... what exactly do you intend to do?"

"I have said that I have no interest in your lives or your souls, but I will not permit the Yijin Nether Cult to continue existing within the order I am establishing—of course, I know your main sphere of activity is Typhon, but my order need not be confined to Cecil," Gaoyang said, unhurried. "I will reform you, from the entire cult down to each one of you; I will judge many, for as heretics you have committed many sins, but if you actively accept reform, I will also permit most of you to live and make amends for those sins; and I will promise that under the new order and law, you may still devote yourselves to your cause—did you not wish to break the shackles left by the gods? Continue, then, for I am very interested in that as well."

Here Gaoyang paused a moment and smiled.

"In a sense, this is in fact a brighter future for you—as the Yijin Nether Cult, you will gain the chance to return to the sunlight, and all you must pay in exchange is to accept 'reform.'

"Finally, let me add one more point: I am not a god, and I will not become a new god. You may swear fealty to me as you would to a mortal king, without fear of gaining a new shackle."

After Gaoyang finished, the great hall fell into a brief silence.

The Yaoyan cultists were waiting for Megor III to make his position known.

Selina Gerfen's gaze, meanwhile, remained fixed on Gaoyang.

"We cannot give you any answer now," the writhing aggregate of starlight finally spoke. "We wish to hold discussions free from interference and surveillance, and will inform you of the result at our next gathering."

Gaoyang breathed a quiet sigh of relief inwardly.

Just as expected.

To incorporate these Sleepers would obviously not go so smoothly and easily.

But so long as Megor III had shown an inclination to discuss, matters were already developing in the direction Gaoyang hoped.

"A reasonable choice," Gaoyang said calmly. He rose slowly to his feet, his gaze sweeping the hall. "But I must also warn you of one thing—you do not have much time, and the Upper Narrator will not wait for you."

"We are well aware of that," Megor III said in a deep voice. "But we must also emphasize one point—whatever the terms you propose, none of this will take effect until the matter is truly resolved. If the crisis of Sandbox One cannot be lifted, then even cooperation itself will be meaningless."

"Of course..."

Gaoyang said with a smile, and as his voice fell, his figure gradually vanished from the great hall.

Only after that majestic, powerfully built figure had disappeared, and the great hall had been quiet for several more minutes, did the Nether cultists finally break the silence: "This time... He has really left, hasn't He?"

"I don't know..." Yuri said, his expression ugly, shifting his body unnaturally, as though he were still not in good shape. "I keep feeling... there is still someone beside us."

Magnum thought for a moment. "How about I throw another mind storm and see?"

"Damn it! Enough! Your mind storm can only hit our own people here—it has no effect at all on the Outsider Wanderer!"

Gaoyang, who had merely dispelled his invisibility and not left at all, sat beside the Nether cultists and nodded in considerable agreement.