Chapter 759 Negotiating VIII

759 Negotiating VIII

The agreement was signed swiftly, as all protections and potential exploitations had already been settled before the main demands were presented. The swearing of the mana oath and the signing of the mana contract were completed within an hour of reaching the agreement. This quick resolution led them directly to the next phase: determining the format of the fight and defining what constituted a majority win.

“How are these fights conducted in the Conclave?” Aron inquired of Liasas.

“It typically involves two individuals battling to the death or until one side concedes defeat. While there are usually some restrictions on the weapons each side can use, there are no limitations on an individual's abilities. These fights are generally held on land, and I doubt you’ll allow us to enter the star system for these confrontations?” she explained, noting that this format was primarily practiced by the Vlathorins and the Xor’Vak, though others occasionally engaged in similar fights, as permitted by Conclave rules, provided certain conditions were met.

“No, no one will be entering the star system until this situation is resolved,” he replied matter-of-factly before asking, “But is it truly necessary for these fights to occur on a planet?”

“What do you mean? The fights need to be face-to-face and are usually conducted on a planet. They could be held on a moon or a large space station with an atmosphere, but our sensors haven’t detected any such locations in the area,” Liasas responded, still trying to discern if he was hinting at something she wasn’t grasping. “Are there hidden locations here?”

“We could repurpose a hundred-kilometer-wide asteroid, cover it with a shield, install a gravity generator, and fill it with mana to create an atmosphere. That should suffice as a battleground where no one has an unfair advantage, right?” he proposed earnestly.

Liasas almost felt her eyes pop out upon hearing Aron's proposal. While the technical aspects of repurposing an asteroid were manageable—many members of the Conclave could achieve it at varying speeds—the idea of filling such a large space with mana was staggering. Doing so without any specific purpose was the equivalent of setting an enormous fortune on fire. It would require about a quarter of the mana needed to activate wormhole technology, meaning the endeavor could cripple an economy of a lower Conclave member.

"Then the majority will be determined by whichever side wins eight fights," Liasas declared confidently.

“We agree to that,” Aron responded calmly, noting her satisfied smile as if victory was already secured.

“Now, let’s move on to what will be allowed and what will be banned,” Liasas continued, producing a detailed list of prohibited items. The negotiator took the document to review, knowing that anything permitted for one side would also be available to the other.

They began negotiating, clarifying specific items, and discussing whether certain weapons or tactics should remain on the list. However, it quickly became apparent that this process could take far too long. To expedite matters, both sides agreed to let their respective AIs handle the finer details, ensuring the rules were balanced and the fights would emphasize individual strength—regardless of how that strength was attained.

It took a few days to finalize the document outlining the banned and allowed items. Both sides also reached an agreement on who would act as the referee which was a critical role in the fight, and they were going to entrust that responsibility to an AI. The AI would monitor the arena, ensuring strict adherence to the rules and detecting any attempts to breach them. Its joint development would take place over the one month allocated for constructing the arena.

Once the terms were settled, both sides signed the agreement, marking the beginning of the final phase of the conflict.

The countdown to the decisive showdown had officially begun.