Chapter 757 Negotiating VI

Chapter 757 Negotiating VI

While surprise and anger roiled through the room, Aron remained oblivious, as none of it had been conveyed to him by Liasas. She found herself at a loss, uncertain how to proceed. The moment he presented his demands, the mental network had descended into chaos, leaving her grappling with the turmoil unfolding within it.

The scene within the mental network was a stark contrast to Aron’s calm demeanor. Anger boiled over, with most participants venting their frustrations freely, no longer holding back. However, three groups remained conspicuously silent amid the uproar. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The Xor’Vaks were quiet, having already accepted the empire’s audacious demands. The Valthorins, bound by their unyielding pride, refused to stoop to complaints, maintaining a dignified silence. Lastly, the Zelvora stayed composed, both due to their mental discipline and because, in the broader context of demands, what had been asked of them was relatively insignificant. Much of their racial abilities were public knowledge, limiting the risk of exploitation. If the empire's intention was to sell the gathered information, as many feared, the Zelvora knew they could easily safeguard against that by including restrictions in their agreement.

After what felt like an eternity to the silent civilizations, the rest gradually calmed down, their anger dissipating after venting their frustrations.

“Just like the Xor’Vak, we will be accepting their deal with one modification: the shared knowledge will remain exclusive to the Terran Empire, restricted solely to their use,” Xylor, the commander of the Zelvora fleet, announced. His composed tone carried the weight of a decision already made. He had contacted his leadership back home and received clearance to proceed as he deemed appropriate.

However, the danger lay in the possibility of the knowledge falling into the hands of someone capable of replicating their abilities or, worse, developing artificial workarounds—something the Trinarians themselves excelled at, as seen in their wormhole technology. Although they had created simplified versions of the technology for other civilizations, distributed under strict mana-bound oaths. This would effectively strip them of the leverage they held over others, potentially birthing a rival force capable of threatening their position.

For the Trinarians, even entertaining the remote possibility of creating a competitor was unacceptable. Regardless of how unlikely defeat seemed, they had no intention of letting such knowledge leave their grasp.

As for the Shadari, they were among the most anxious members of the top ten civilizations, though they masked it well. Their concern might seem excessive, but while the other top members estimated the Terran Empire's chances of victory at 0.2 percent, the Shadari placed theirs at a precarious 1 percent—an alarmingly high risk given their renowned abilities.

The root of their anxiety stemmed from the Empire's remarkable advancements in stealth technology, which had successfully eluded even the Shadari's sensors—renowned for their unparalleled effectiveness. While the Empire's demonstrated stealth capabilities were primarily associated with large machines and not attributed to any individual within the breaching forces, a lingering concern persisted: the possibility that the Empire might harbor an individual with exceptional stealth abilities.

If such an individual were to be utilized strategically, it could jeopardize the Shadari’s chances of victory. Moreover, the risk of the Empire gaining access to their own knowledge of stealth posed an even greater threat. Such knowledge, when combined with the Empire's existing technology, could very well topple the Shadari from their longstanding position as masters of stealth. This potential loss of their competitive edge weighed heavily on their minds, creating an atmosphere of unease that they struggled to conceal.

If members of the Conclave had overheard their concerns, they would have laughed them to death, viewing it as a giant fretting over the threat posed by an ant. The idea of such a powerful civilization being anxious about an insignificant competitor would seem absurd, as it appeared the giants were scrambling to find ways to avoid an unlikely downfall at the hands of a much smaller foe.

What held back these two civilizations, along with all others who had already accepted or proposed changes to the deal, from outright flipping the table was the prospect on the other side of the scale: mana stone and black hole bomb technologies. These advancements promised unimaginable riches and weapons of mass destruction, ensuring that if they won—a result almost certainly guaranteed—they would gain an overwhelming advantage that could make any civilization think twice before engaging them in battle.