Chapter 249: Negotiation

Chapter 249: Negotiation

(3rd person perspective)

The troops in the service of the Archangel of Hope had managed to suppress the Ancient One Cthugha, but none of the soldiers showed any joy at this legendary feat.

The demons and cultivators who had been waiting for an opportunity to attack had to fall back as the barrier of fire disappeared since Auriel's troops were ready for combat showing no signs of fatigue.

The soldiers stood in a defensive formation awaiting reinforcements causing the enemies to decide to ignore them as there were other priorities other than trying to capture Cthugha.

The real main goals were to take control of the sect and capture Azathoth so both groups were unwilling to waste their forces.

The golden-armor general had performed a feat that would give him great prestige, after much effort and with the use of many divine artifacts he had managed to capture Cthugha.

Although this feat was worthy of a legend, the man had a gloomy expression as he found no trace of the Hero of Harmony who had disappeared along with Cthylla, the man's only consolation was that the Hero was still alive as the blessing of Auriel in the body of the Hero had not disappeared.

"Prepare for combat!" – The general shouted suddenly as he raised a stone shield and a sword of fire. - "Show yourself!"

The general shouted into the air, but no one answered him.

The general's holy energy covered his body making...

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[System Notification: The skill 'Mythomania' managed to cheat the defense of a skill to protect information]

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The general had sensed the presence of a powerful analysis skill that was totally different from the skill used by the Hero of Harmony.

Heroes often use skills to know the battlefield to predict enemy attacks, but this skill was trying to analyze the general's secrets and personal information which caused the general to rage.

"Show yourself, you damn bastard! I'm not in the mood for this!" – The general's holy energy increased in intensity.

In the air, space distorted into a strange portal formed from demonic energy, divine energy, cultivation energy, and spatial laws. The portal was a chaotic mix of different energies, but somehow it managed to stay stable.

From the portal came what looked like a man, although it was difficult to recognize his sex or age since his body was completely covered in thick black clothing.

The person was wearing a black robe, his face was covered with a black mask with a long beak resembling a bird's head, his hands were in leather gloves, and on his head was a black hat.

The person looked like a cross between a dark arts priest and a plague doctor.

The general frowned. - "Who are you?"

"I'm sorry for my indiscreet introduction" - The doctor bowed elegantly, although his movements were strange as if his joints were stiff. – "It was my mistake, I didn't think that a brainless brute would be able to sense my graceful skills... Well, it really doesn't matter... I doubt your brain understands the complexities of my actions..."

The general was not angry at the doctor's contemptuous attitude, he was more concerned that the enemy had a strange presence that seemed to mix different types of entities.

Demon, deity, Outer God, human, monster... The doctor gave the impression of being a chimera composed of many races.

What was more unpleasant was that the general couldn't completely block the analysis skill so he could feel that his surface thoughts were being watched like an open book.

"Well, I don't have time to talk to Neanderthals..." - The doctor's voice was a mixture of thousands of voices speaking at the same time, but somehow it was easy to understand his words. – "Give me the Ancient One, in return, I will give you something you need"

The general frowned.

The presence of the doctor caused him a feeling of disgust that he could not explain.

"Why don't you speak?" – The doctor seemed to be getting angry.

When the general came to this conclusion, he tried to send an emergency message to the main troops of Paradise, but only now did he realize that the entire place was covered with a powerful cultivation matrix that cut off any form of communication.

"Can't you stay still for a moment? I just want to negotiate" – The doctor shook his head and finally took out what he was looking for inside the portal.

The general's expression turned into a face of utter fury. - "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

What the doctor was holding was a human male in his 20s, the Hero of Harmony and Auriel's knight, Seiji Ichijo.

The young man was nearly unconscious as the doctor held him by the hair like a broken puppet.

Seiji was dressed in a hospital gown, but his body was in terrible condition.

Seiji's limbs were severely injured with bumps and burns, it even looked like his tendons had been severed.

It seemed that Seiji's body had been subjected to horrible torture, and although the wounds were easy to heal through Auriel's blessing, just imagining the kind of pain the young man suffered could cause nightmares.

The most terrible thing is that Seiji's body was covered with putrid miasma which seemed to be able to suppress Auriel's blessing and prevented Seiji from recovering from his injuries.

"Coincidentally I met this boy and an Ancient One" - The doctor shook Seiji as if he were a used rag. – "After capturing the Ancient One I tried to make this boy tell me the location of the other Ancient One, but he turned out to be quite stubborn... Stubborn idiots are too much too annoying, I even think this boy is a masochist since refused to speak even when I ripped his skin and nerves... The worst thing is that this guy has an innate skill to protect his mind so it was useless to use mind control or read his memories... Fortunately, the fire barrier was very striking and I was able to get there before your reinforcements arrived"

The general bit his tongue to resist the fury that boiled in his heart, he couldn't lose control of his emotions or his mental defenses would drop allowing the doctor to explore the information in his mind.

"I offer you this boy in exchange for the Ancient One" - The doctor pointed to a red-haired girl who was unconscious inside a golden cage that was guarded by the soldiers.

"Bastard..." – The general was doing his best not to attack the doctor since a pair of fangs came out of the doctor's arm which was a clear threat.

If the general refused to make the exchange then Hero Seiji's existence would be destroyed.

The general looked at the doctor with absolute hatred. – "Make an Oath that you will deliver the Hero alive and without damaging his soul, only then will I give you the Ancient One"

"He swore that I will deliver this boy in exchange for you giving me the Ancient One" - The doctor easily agreed. – "I already said it, I do not want problems, I am only here for business"

The general sighed with relief and gestured to the soldiers. – "Give him the Ancient One"

Although delivering the Ancient One to Paradise would increase Auriel's prestige, she valued loyalty and companionship above profit.

If Auriel had to choose between obtaining a treasure or protecting one of her subordinates, she would choose her subordinate without hesitation.

This ideology was ingrained in the soldiers and that is why they were such a united and efficient group.

In Auriel's army, all the soldiers would see their comrades as their brothers, and even though Seiji had only cooperated with them for a couple of hours, they already saw him as a comrade.

The soldiers opened the cage and threw the unconscious girl toward the doctor, at the same time the doctor threw Seiji toward the general.

They both caught their targets at once.

The general hurried back to the soldiers and began using his holy energy to disperse the miasma covering Seiji even though he himself was being invaded by multiple corrosive curses.

"Finally..." - The doctor held the girl. – "My precious experience points..."

The doctor's mask beak opened like a bird's mouth.

The mouth continued to expand until it was capable of devouring a human in one bite and in one movement the doctor devoured the girl.

The general saw this and her expression was a mixture of hate, disgust, and disgust.

"Well, my work here is done" - The doctor headed back to the portal from which he came. – "Even though you are a stupid creature, it was nice doing business with you, next time we see each other remember not to be so stubborn or I will not be so civilized"

The doctor disappeared as traces of his analysis skill began to disappear....

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[System Notification: The skill 'Reader's Perspective' has been disabled]