144: Collaboration 2

Linn laid out the conspiracies of the Aulai Kingdom one by one, naturally including some exaggerations.

Sorein sat on his throne, quietly listening to Linn's words.

He understood the logic behind it; if not for the need to guard against the Saijia Orc Kingdom bordering the Dwarf Kingdom, the allied forces of the Aulai Kingdom and the Fama Kingdom would not have been able to win this time.

"Count Linn, there is no need to continue talking about things everyone already knows. The military and resource trade you just mentioned obviously cannot move me, and it is impossible for me to let the Dwarf race give up the millions of square kilometers of land in the Great Wilderness Forest."

Sorein's meaning was clear: the chips were not enough!

Upon hearing this, Linn knew there was a chance. He looked toward Sorein, ambition flashing in his eyes:

"Your Majesty! My ultimate goal is to destroy the Aulai Kingdom, and I am willing to sign a contract with you. Our two sides will never go to war, and at the same time, I can create another Legendary Expert for the Dwarf Kingdom."

Inside the hall, the air seemed to freeze.

The six words "create another Legendary Expert" struck like a heavy hammer against an adamantine anvil, echoing a thousand times in the hearts of all the Dwarves.

The Dwarf nobles and generals standing on both sides, even though they were battle-hardened and had seen many storms, could not hide the shock on their faces at this moment.

An old general with graying beard and heavy armor even subconsciously took a half-step forward, looking at the throne with rapid breathing.

In King Sorein's dark golden eyes, lava-like light flickered violently.

His fingers gripping the metal horn cup tightened slightly, and fine cracks actually appeared on the cup wall!

This was a sign of the intense emotional fluctuation of an Epic powerhouse, although it was suppressed by his powerful self-control in just an instant.

What does a Legendary Expert mean in this world?

It means one person can block ten thousand troops, it means strategic deterrence, and it means the cornerstone of a kingdom's status.

The Aulai Kingdom only had three Legendary Experts, yet they could stand firm among the Human Race nations; the Dwarf Kingdom possessed six Legendary Experts, which allowed them to confront the Saijia Orc Kingdom in the Gray Iron Mountains for a hundred years without falling behind.

With every additional Legendary Expert, the kingdom's influence, safety margin, and strategic options would multiply.

And this young human lord before them said it so casually! He could "create another Legendary Expert."

"Count Linn," King Sorein's voice was as low as the tremors coming from the depths of the earth, each word carrying immense weight, "Do you know what you are saying?"

Linn turned calmly to face the throne again.

In his hand, a delicate mithril box had appeared at some point. The lid opened to reveal three potions sealed in crystal tubes.

The potions themselves had no dazzling radiance; instead, they presented a restrained, deep amber color.

But looking closely, countless tiny runes seemed to be born and die within the liquid, faintly resonating with the elements in the surrounding space.

"Advanced Peak potion—'Legendary Barrier'." Linn's voice was calm and clear. "Specially developed for breaking through the Legendary barrier of the Warrior class. It is made with seventeen rare main ingredients, requires three hundred and thirty-three harmonic adjustments of the medicinal power within ninety-nine days of a complete lunar phase, and is finally catalyzed into form with Legendary-level life energy."

Of course, these were the processes required by other alchemists; with the help of the breath of life, he didn't need nearly that much time to refine this potion himself.

He gently placed the mithril box on the black iron table between the two of them: "This potion can increase the success rate of a Sky Peak Warrior breaking through to Legendary from less than one in ten to… over five in ten. It can increase an existing five in ten chance to over eight in ten. And it can be used repeatedly, although the effect of the second use will be greatly reduced, the degree of its effect compared to relying on one's own chances is self-evident."

"And currently, I only refine this Legendary potion based on luck, mainly because the medicinal materials are too rare! Now, I am willing to give up my own chance to break through to Legendary to your kingdom."

"Wow!"

Whispers broke out in the great hall. Sorein had long since seen through Linn's strength as a Sky Peak Mage.

Now, he was actually giving up his own Legendary Breakthrough to trade for cooperation between the two sides.

The old general with the graying beard gasped. He was one of the military commanders of the Dwarf Kingdom, and his Sky Peak strength had been stagnant for nearly eighty years; he had tried to impact the Legendary realm countless times, only to fail.

A success rate of three to five in ten was an almost dreamlike number to him.

Sorein's gaze locked onto the three potions, the fire in his dark golden eyes seemingly wanting to pierce through the crystal tubes to discern every bit of the medicinal structure.

After a long while, he slowly raised his eyes to look at Linn:

"Count Linn's price is indeed tempting. But I have one more condition, which is to launch a cooperation with you on Earth and Sky grade potions."

Linn agreed without hesitation. Although the Dwarves were an alien race and he was essentially aiding the enemy with such a move, right now, befriending distant states while attacking neighbors was his only choice.

"Count Linn, let us sign the treaty now!" The Dwarf King ordered the recording official to bring out the contract scroll and looked at Linn.

Linn felt a boost in spirit, knowing the negotiation had entered a substantive stage.

He walked back to the sand table and traced his finger across the eastern and central regions of the Great Wilderness Forest:

"First, military mutual trust and intelligence sharing. Star Sea Territory and the Dwarf Kingdom will establish a standing liaison mechanism to inform each other of major military movements on the border, especially intelligence regarding the Aulai Kingdom, the Fama Kingdom, and the Saijia Orc Kingdom."

"Second, strategic synergy. When a full-scale war breaks out between the Dwarf Kingdom and the Saijia Orc Kingdom, Star Sea Territory will maintain high pressure on the Aulai Kingdom on the Eastern Front, pinning down its northern forces, and if necessary, launch limited-scale border conflicts to force the Aulai Kingdom to be unable to fully advance north and threaten your country."

"Third, trade and technical support." Linn pointed to several points on the sand table. "Advanced potions from Star Sea Territory will be supplied to the Dwarf Kingdom at the most favorable prices. At the same time, we will obtain some non-core technical support from the Dwarf Kingdom in rune forging, earth vein engineering, and large-scale war machinery."

"Fourth, long-term goal synergy." Linn turned around, his gaze burning. "My ultimate goal is to destroy the Aulai Kingdom, or at least destroy its existing ruling structure and establish a new order led by Star Sea Territory that better aligns with our interests. And your country's long-term goal is obviously to completely resolve the threat of the Saijia Orc Kingdom and fully control the central and western regions of the Great Wilderness Forest that border your country."

"Fifth, I need your country to help lobby the Orc tribes in the eastern part of the Great Wilderness Forest to launch an attack on the newly established Brussels Province of the Aulai Kingdom. I, on the other hand, need to occupy hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of land along the coast from East Sea Prefecture to Laixiao Province."

He rested his hands on the edge of the sand table, his voice firm: "Our goals do not conflict; on the contrary, we can support each other. The reason I chose to attack from the coastal area is that I do not wish to conflict with the Orcs and your country. After all, only by having my territory border the Aulai Kingdom can I better realize the grand plan of destroying it."

"When the time comes, when I am pinning down the human kingdom, your country can focus on dealing with the Orcs; when your country is suppressing the Orcs, perhaps many years later, we can share the eastern part of this continent in a peaceful way."