The Fifth Hundred and Sixty-Fifth Transaction
Within Moncala, inside Junhai Fortress.
In the grand audience hall, an elderly pirate wearing a dignified navy uniform sat upon his throne. His mouth half-open, he looked at the object in his hand with hazy eyes. In his withered hand was a short braid of hair, intertwined with a dried-up snake.
“I never thought… After all these centuries, you still kept this thing…”
Pirate Edward, with an aged voice, slowly spoke as he looked at the object in his hand. Opposite him, on the red carpet laid out in the audience hall, a figure responded to his words.
“Of course, this is a symbol of your identity as the bl**d Wave Captain back then. The deity naturally keeps such things,” said Tonik, a man wearing a cloak with a bald head, looking at Edward on the throne. He showed no reverence towards Moncala’s ruler, and Edward did not blame Tonik for his disrespect, continuing to mutter about the braid in his hand.
“The title of bl**d Wave Captain… How nostalgic. I haven’t set sail in thirty years. If not for you mentioning it, I would have forgotten. The deity remembers this well… truly considerate.”
“Haha… How could they not be? You were the captain who caused the greatest loss to the deity when you betrayed. Many in the deity’s ranks remember you forever; they can’t sleep well until you’re gone,” Tonik said seriously, staring at the old man on the throne. Edward responded by placing the braid aside.
“Yes… I still remember. When I first switched allegiances, assassins came to me endlessly. Fortunately, the new sect’s deities valued me, or I wouldn’t have survived. Later, as my territory grew and my foundation deepened, the deity’s influence weakened, and assassins posed less threat to me… Let me think… It’s been nearly a century since I was nearly assassinated by the Red Tier. Since then, there haven’t been any significant attempts on my life. Minor issues can be handled by the smaller factions outside…
“So, the deity sent you here to continue this game? Even after so long, they still want to clean up this great traitor?”
Edward watched Tonik below him quietly before speaking slowly. Tonik shook his head in response.
“No, no, no. The deity has lost interest in killing you. Your time is limited; even if we ignore you, you’ll soon finish yourself off…” Tonik said with a mocking tone. Edward’s gaze hardened, and his expression turned grim as he gripped the armrest of his throne tightly.
“So, the deity sent you just to humiliate me in my final moments?”
“Of course not. Respected Captain Edward, I am here neither to k*ll you nor to humiliate you. On the contrary, I’m here to save you. The deity is prepared to show great mercy and save your wretched life with the Fountain of Eternal Youth…”
Tonik, with a peculiar smile, approached the old man emitting danger on the throne. Edward froze slightly upon hearing Tonik’s words, disbelief flashing in his eyes.
“What did you say?”
“Ah? Can’t you hear clearly? I’m here to prolong your miserable life with the Fountain of Eternal Youth,” Tonik continued smiling at Edward. Upon hearing the name of the fountain, Edward’s eyes widened, and he stood up shakily from his seat.
“Fountain of Eternal Youth… Fountain of Eternal Youth! The bountiful gift… the water of life! Have you found it? Have you taken control of it?”
With an incredulous tone, Edward said excitedly but tremulously. Tonik replied casually.
“What do you mean ‘taken control’? It was always the deity’s possession. Now it’s back where it belongs. Old man, let’s cut to the chase. The deity has prepared a bottle of the Fountain of Eternal Youth for you. The dosage is enough for fifty more years. All you need to do is repent and return to the baptism of the Abyssal Lord, and that bottle will be yours…”
Tonik told Edward. Hearing this, the agitated and somewhat out-of-control Edward suddenly paused, regaining his composure. Underneath his frozen expression, he seemed to be silently contemplating something. After a moment, Edward looked at Tonik again and spoke softly.
“Returning to the deity… extending my life by fifty years… This seems like a fair deal for me. But the price I pay is much higher. If I publicly declare my return to the Abyss Cult, Moncala, which I’ve built over the years, will be destroyed by the cannon fire of the Sacred Summit’s crusade.
“I believe the deity wants more than just my insignificant Red Tier combat power. The unique position of Moncala and myself in the current Secret World and the mundane world is also very valuable. If the deity wants me to abandon everything to publicly return, isn’t fifty years too little?”
Edward said slowly, and Tonik did not deny his reasoning.
“Indeed, the resources under your control are too valuable to waste directly. Thus, the deity won’t require you to publicly announce your return. Your return will be secret. You will continue to rule Moncala with your current identity while secretly serving the deity.”
“Oh… So that’s how it is. The deity thinks thoroughly…”
Hearing Tonik’s words, Edward nodded thoughtfully, a cunning glint appearing in his originally serious gaze.
“Alright, I accept this proposal. I will secretly return to the deity. As long as the Fountain of Eternal Youth is ready, I will serve the Abyssal Lord in the shadows… So, where is the item now?”
Squinting his eyes slightly, Edward looked at Tonik and asked. Tonik responded with a cold laugh.
“Hmph, the item won’t be given to you so easily… Old fox, your two-faced nature, don’t think the deity has forgotten. If I were to give you the fountain directly, you might immediately seize it and turn around to hand me over to the deity to prove your loyalty and seek merit.”
“Why would I do that? I value my reputation greatly. As long as you give me the fountain, I promise I’ll return safely and will work diligently in secret for the deity in the future…”
“Your reputation is worthless! Edward, even if you let me go, you won’t remain loyal to the deity. Instead, you’ll continue to play both sides, trying to gain benefits from both the deity and the Sacred Summit. Eventually, when it comes to making a choice, you’ll surely choose the Sacred Summit over the deity!”
Without hesitation, Tonik exposed Edward’s intentions, causing Edward’s previously mellow attitude to darken. His voice carried a hint of sternness.
“So, what exactly do you want?”
“What do we want? Simple. We can give you the Fountain of Eternal Youth, but you must provide proof of your sincere return to the deity. Once you do, the fountain will be delivered to you immediately.”
Tonik spread his hands and said directly to Edward. Edward frowned slightly and spoke.
“Tell me, what do you want me to do?”
“You should know that the nun recently in the spotlight from the Sacred Summit has been appointed as the Custodian of Holy Relics and has chosen your territory as her first pilgrimage stop…”
“Nun? Are you referring to Vania Chafelin, the savior of Adus and XiaTree? The treasure of the Salvation Faction? Do you want me to harm her? This is no different from openly declaring war on the deity.”
With a solemn tone, Edward said to Tonik. Tonik immediately shook his head and replied.
“We don’t plan to have you openly harm that nun. What we need is for you to subtly influence her during her visit. In other words, subtly corrupt her. We will provide you with some drugs and gifts. During her visit, find a way to mix them into her food and then give her the gifts.
“These items… are seeds of corruption for that nun. As long as she accepts these seeds, we can use them as a starting point to gradually implement our corruption plan. This process will be long. From the time Vania accepts the seeds to becoming one of us, it will take a considerable amount of time. Even if she is eventually corrupted and discovered by the deity, it will be a long time from now. During this period, the wandering nun will have traveled to countless places and experienced many things, and no one will know where she first encountered this initial corruption… This doesn’t threaten you…”
Tonik said with a slight smile. His plan also had an underlying purpose: to hold something over Edward, preventing him from being too arbitrary in future collaborations. With this leverage, Edward would be easier to control by the Abyss Cult.
After hearing Tonik’s proposal, Edward instantly understood their intention and did not respond immediately. He fell silent, deeply contemplating. Seeing Edward’s silence, Tonik remained patient and waited below.
Finally, after some thought, Edward focused his gaze and looked at Tonik again.
“I cannot make a decision now. I need a few days to consider.”
“Good, take your time. Until that nun leaves Moncala, you have ample time to consider. I will patiently wait for your reply… bl**d Wave Captain…”
Tonik said, then bowed to Edward and slowly retreated.
…
Several days later, still in Moncala’s Junhai Fortress, Tonik stood on the red carpet in the audience hall, looking up at the old man seated on the throne, speaking calmly.
“Have you made your decision, Captain? Seven days have passed… You’ve been bargaining with me every day, but I can still tell you that our demand remains the same: plant the seeds of corruption in the nun… Otherwise, no Fountain of Eternal Youth!”
Tonik loudly said to Edward, but Edward did not directly respond. Instead, he sat silently on his throne, gazing at Tonik.
“Now that the nun is already in your territory… what are you hesitating about? Let me think… You don’t think the nun came to Moncala with some secret mission from the Sacred Summit, do you? Like you think she brought something to extend your life, thinking the Sacred Summit will save you, and you won’t be threatened by me…
“I met your son when I arrived… He should be the one accompanying the nun. Did the nun reveal any secrets to you? Or did she discover your secret contact with the deity? Or do they have a method to extend your life with great mercy and sent her to do it?”
Seeing Edward’s lack of response, Tonik continued in an unchanged tone.
“There’s nothing… The nun didn’t mention anything related to me when she came… She simply came here for her pilgrimage…”
Edward said solemnly. Hearing this, Tonik was momentarily stunned, then laughed.
“Haha! Indeed, you were abandoned! Edward, to them, you are an uncontrollable factor. They’ve always disliked you because of your past contributions. Now that they can finally wear you down, they wish you would d*e quickly. Why would they send someone to extend your life? After you d*e, your unremarkable children won’t have your strength, and Moncala will obediently become a puppet of the Sacred Summit or the continental royal families!”
Tonik said boastfully. Although his words were unpleasant to Edward, they were true. Despite his increasingly grim expression, Edward did not retort.
“Accept your fate. If you want to live now, you can only beg the deity! Return to the embrace of the Abyssal Lord, and you can walk alongside Him again, witnessing the revenge tsunami against the Sacred Summit! The greatest society is now drawing closer under divine guidance. The reunion of the Abyssal Lord and His brothers is imminent. You need to choose your position in the coming epochal wave…”
Tonik continued, his voice filled with undeniable madness. After a long silence, Edward sighed and spoke slowly.
“I accept the deity’s terms and will help you plant the seeds of corruption in the nun. Then… where is the Fountain of Eternal Youth now?”
With his life in the other’s hands, Edward had no room to bargain. He had to reluctantly accept Tonik’s proposal. Hearing Edward’s submission, Tonik’s smile became even more sinister.
“Hehe… The Fountain of Eternal Youth is not with me now, but with Lord Sword Scale. He is currently in Moncala, and only I can contact him through special means.
“Since you have agreed to our conditions, you need to execute the plan. Afterward, Lord Sword Scale will find a way to verify your success.”
“How will he verify it?”
“You don’t need to worry about the specifics. Just invite her to the auction three days from now. It’s the largest gathering of upper echelons in Moncala recently, and Lord Sword Scale will attend secretly and use his own methods to verify your results. Once verified, he will deliver the item to you in a way that won’t arouse suspicion…”
Tonik smiled and replied to Edward. Edward rubbed his temples, unsure what he was thinking.
On the other side of the hall, a pure white fox sat there, watching everything that happened in the hall with undisguised astonishment.
In the real world, Dorothy sat on the sofa in her room, recalling the dream scene seen through the fox’s senses, and couldn’t help but frown and mutter.
“It’s also in three days… the auction?”
