Chapter 14: He Volunteered

Chapter 14: He Volunteered

“Got a general idea, thanks for the intel. We’ve decided to accept you. Here’s a gift for you, wear it around your neck.”

Gilbaris pulled a seed from his fourth-dimensional underwear and handed it to Belial. It was the same kind of seed used by him and Harker before—the Seed of Chaos. Eating this seed would mutate the consumer into a total monster, even messing with their sanity. Belial held the seed in his hand, inspecting it closely.

“What is this thing? Looks like a seed.”

“Indeed, it’s a seed. A symbol we insiders use. In a crisis, you can eat this seed to gain immense power. But before that, let me warn you—don’t eat it unless you’re pushed to a dead end. Only consume it in a real crisis. Got it?”

“Oh. I thought it was a big deal, but it’s just that? Don’t worry, I won’t eat it unless I’m backed into a corner. Can I stay on this ship? I really don’t want to go back to that cold royal palace.”

“Of course, you can. Thanks for your intel. Go rest up.”

Gilbaris casually assigned him a room and let him rest while he and Titan returned to the Conference Room.

“Hey, Gilbaris. Are you sure it’s okay to take that guy in just like that? He actively betrayed Gaia and if he can do that, who’s to say he won’t sell us out one day? Why not just let me take him out now?”

Titan unsheathed his sword once again, clearly having no fondness for traitors. He looked down on Harker when he was at their base too. If it weren’t for Gilbaris protecting Harker, he would have sliced him in half already.

“Don’t be so hasty. Titan, remember our goal. Besides, he’s brought us useful intel that gives us an advantage in battle. Let him serve a purpose for us here.”

Gilbaris wasn’t foolish; he definitely wasn’t going to keep a traitor around. If he voiced his true thoughts now, Belial would definitely overhear him, as Belial was eavesdropping at the door.

“Alright, get some rest while it’s still dark. When it’s time for battle, we’re going to strike fast and hard.”

“Okay, I get it. Wait a minute, why do we need to rest? We already know they won’t give Ailin and the others up, right? Why not just charge in now? Why wait until dawn?”

Titan, just about to head back to his room, suddenly sensed something was off! Why not launch an attack right now?

“Titan, you have to understand—we are the Ultimate Life Forms. Pulling a sneak attack is beneath us. Especially when we’re all here, we should confront them head-on to show our superiority as Ultimate Life Forms.”

Gilbaris’s thought process was simple; he wanted to smash their opponents in a fair fight, letting them know that opposing Ultimate Life Forms came with dire consequences.

“Fine, fine. You’re just like Diablo, always wanting to crush the enemy upfront, huh? I’ll go along with your little game. I’m off to get some sleep. Gilbaris, take care not to overexert yourself.”

“Don’t worry, I’m attentive to my health.”

After seeing Titan off, Gilbaris looked at the little time left and simply lay down on the sofa for a nap.

The remaining peaceful moments before battle slipped away like that.

When dawn broke, Gilbaris initiated contact with Gaia as planned, who was already waiting.

“Good morning, Mr. Gaia. How was your night?”

“Cut the small talk! You surely know how our night was, since you were flying above us the whole time.”

Gaia didn’t give Gilbaris a friendly face.

“Sorry, I’m not that sadistic. I’m not interested in your private lives, so I didn’t spy on your castle’s interior last night.”

“Well, thank you for that.”

“By the way, how did your little chat go last night? Have you decided whether you’ll hand them over today? If you’re still undecided, I can give you another hour to think about it.”

“No need. There’s no further discussion necessary. We’re not handing them over unless you wipe us all out. Otherwise, good luck trying to take them back to your base.”

“Wow, starting off with such hardball? I think you should leave yourself some leeway. Sometimes, being too absolute isn’t good for anyone.”

“With your kind, there’s no need for leeway. Mark my words: I won’t hand over Ailin and the others. If you want to take them back, just come at us with everything you have. We definitely won’t just give in.”

“Alright then, fitting for a king, very imposing! But I wonder how long that imposing attitude will last? Since talks have broken down, it’s settled. But I’ll give you an hour for goodbyes. I’m nice enough to allow that; feel free to say your farewells. An hour from now, I’ll attack you. Bye bye!”

There was no need to continue the conversation, so Gilbaris ended the comms. Gaia let out a slight sigh of relief. He was prepared for battle, yet he hadn’t expected the enemy to grant him another hour. Well, he could use this time to chat with Ailin a bit more.

“Speaking of which, aren’t we missing someone?”

As Gaia scanned the Conference Room before leaving, he felt something off; it seemed like someone was absent.

“Lord Gaia, it’s Belial. He didn’t show up.”

“Where is he? Why didn’t he come to the meeting?”

Even if his opinions differed from others, he should have shown up for this meeting. How daring to skip out!

“Lord Gaia, actually this morning I went to his room to call him for the meeting, but he wasn’t there at all. I waited around for about ten minutes and still no sign of him.”

…

Listening to the reports from his underlings, Gaia suddenly had a very bad feeling and quickly opened the comms to contact Gilbaris.

“Oh? What’s up? The king is replying so soon? I’m quite touched! Did the king change his mind?”

“I don’t have time to chit-chat. Just one question: Did that Belial guy switch sides over to you?”

Gaia stared intently at the face on the screen.

“Well, well, as expected of a king! You guessed it right—yes, he’s currently with me, but he came here of his own accord. If you don’t believe me, you can ask him yourself.”