After the banquet ended, Leilin and the others remained at Blood Keep for the time being.
As for intelligence and materials regarding the Crystal Mountain Range, they continued to stream in to Leilin without interruption.
The Crystal Mountain Range was the crux of this conflict with Jupiter's Thunder — a vast mountainous region situated along the edge of the Athel Corridor.
It earned the name "Crystal Mountain Range" because this territory was rich in a type of high-energy crystal ore.
This ore could, to a certain degree, serve as a substitute for Magic Stones, functioning as an energy source for constructing magical arrays, forging Magical Items, and even powering magical golems. As such, it enjoyed excellent market demand and commanded an extremely high price.
The Crystal Mountain Range was teeming with rich deposits of this crystal, and exposed veins were abundant everywhere. Mining was exceptionally convenient — the region was essentially a natural treasure trove.
Of course, even so, this would at most make many small and mid-sized wizard organizations jealous, or perhaps whet the appetite of a single Morning Star
Whether it was Jupiter's Thunder, the Psychic Circle, or even within the Ouroboros Circle itself, deposits of this scale existed in several places — certainly not worth Morning Stars going to war with each other.
What truly made it worth their while was a certain rumor about the Crystal Mountain Range.
Legend had it that this place had once been the headquarters of an ancient, large-scale wizard organization — the
At first, many wizards dismissed the rumor as a joke or utter nonsense.
But after Hebrew and several others conducted an on-site investigation, they discovered that the ruins very likely did exist — and harbored tremendous wealth!
Jupiter's Thunder also knew this information. And so, conflict and battle over ownership of the Crystal Mountain Range became inevitable.
In the early stages, both sides had shown relative restraint, confining the fighting to the World Rift. Only existences above the Morning Star level participated.
But once that Brilliance Moon Wizard failed to gain any advantage — and even lost face — in the combined assault of the three Komoïn Dukes and Hebrew, the matter escalated dramatically.
What followed was the spectacle of the three Dukes collectively vanishing into an alien world and a coalition army besieging the Ouroboros Circle.
Had Leilin not risen to prominence so suddenly, the Ouroboros Circle would likely have been obliterated in this wave of conflict, and the legacy of the Komoïn Giant Serpent Warlocks would have been severed from the continent forever.
"Taking just a small loss and responding with such savage retaliation!" The image of that Brilliance Moon Wizard from Jupiter's Thunder had already been sketched out quite clearly in Leilin's mind — cruel and narrow-minded. Such a person wasn't frightening on their own, but when they possessed formidable strength, it became Leilin's turn to start getting headaches.
"According to the rumor and the materials Master and the others collected, the time when the Scarlet Crescent Moon ruins are set to appear should be when the sun, moon, and stars converge — when the Ocker Arc appears..."
Leilin set down the memo marked "TOP SECRET," and the Chip immediately began processing.
"This is a method of time calculation from the ancient era. And if converted to the standard calendar of the Central Continent... it seems like it won't be long now..."
Leilin stroked his chin. "No wonder both sides have suddenly become so fierce in their fighting — they even want to drag me into it..."
He understood their intentions perfectly. The Psychic Circle and the Wind Wolf Den had probably signed some agreement with the three Morning Star Dukes of the Ouroboros Circle beforehand, specifying how the profits from the ruins would be distributed.
Now that the Dukes had gone missing, the contract was still in effect. They weren't willing to relinquish the concessions they had previously made.
Therefore, bringing Leilin in — having him represent the Ouroboros Circle to renegotiate the division of profits — had become an urgent matter.
Otherwise, if Hebrew and the others fought tooth and nail to secure the ruins only to hand a portion to Leilin... just thinking about it, that was clearly impossible.
However, Leilin was actually rather in favor of this arrangement.
Quite simply, because the previous profits had been designated for three Morning Star Warlocks, while the current share — though smaller — would be his own.
After all, he was currently the sole representative of the Ouroboros Circle, possessing the authority to sign binding contracts. So to win him over, it was understandable that they would be willing to give up a portion.
This way, although the Ouroboros Circle's total take would certainly be reduced, what he personally gained would far exceed the original amount.
If that was the case, why not go for it?
"Is Lord Leilin here?" Right at that moment,
"I'm here!" Leilin opened the door.
"If you've made your decision, we can proceed with the contract-swapping ceremony!" Paul wore a smile on his face.
"Very well." Leilin nodded and followed Paul to a side hall.
Inside, Hebrew, Bellis, Philip, and two other Psychic Warlocks were all present. In the center of the small hall stood a long table draped with a red tablecloth, upon which a contract lay spread open, accompanied by ink and a quill pen.
The instant he stepped into the small hall, Leilin's entire body trembled. In his perception, it was as if he had entered a vast and boundless domain — a force of impartial judgment filled the space.
"This is the Domain of Justice! Last time, when we signed the contract with the three Dukes, we also invited it to serve as witness..." Hebrew explained.
Contracts between Morning Star Wizards were already virtually unbreakable, but with this additional binding force, the effect was absolutely doubled. No wonder even old monsters like Hebrew had to abide by the terms and seek Leilin's consent before they could amend the agreement.
Leilin walked to the long table and compared the old and new versions of the contract.
Compared to the previous agreement, the new contract reduced the Ouroboros Circle's share by roughly half, which made Leilin frown slightly. However, the beneficiary clause had also been changed from the three Morning Star Wizards to him.
Under the old contract, Hebrew and the others had to confirm that the three Komoïn Dukes were dead before they could transfer any benefits to the Ouroboros Circle. Now, the benefits would go directly to Leilin.
"How is it? If you have any concerns, raise them directly — we can make changes on the spot!"
It was evident that Hebrew and the others were in a great hurry. The time for the ruins to open was running short, and if they couldn't even settle their internal disputes, how could they compete for anything else?
"The contract states that additional gains will be distributed based on combat strength and contribution. What's the basis for that?" Leilin closed his eyes to think for a moment, then asked.
"Based on combat performance against the opposing Morning Stars, naturally!" Hebrew answered without hesitation. In his view, any wizard force below the Morning Star level didn't count as combat strength.
"Good. I also need to add an emergency evacuation clause at the end: in the event of encountering irresistible force — specifically if the opposing side deploys a Fifth-level Brilliance Moon Wizard — any means of leaving the battlefield are permitted. Post-battle loot distribution must still follow the contract as written! Any objections?"
Leilin's demeanor was remarkably like that of a litigious courtroom lawyer, leaving Hebrew and the others exchanging slightly stunned glances.
"Since it's your request — fine!" Hebrew nodded, and Philip immediately stepped forward, quill in hand, to make the revisions.
"I have no further objections!"
After several contested clauses had been amended, Leilin finally nodded and produced a seal from inside his robes, pressing it onto the contract.
Hummm!
The moment the seal was stamped, a black serpent biting its own tail and continuously rotating materialized on the pale yellow paper.
This was the official seal of the Ouroboros Circle, previously held jointly by the three Komoïn Giant Serpent Warlocks. It had now fallen into Leilin's hands.
Fortunately, the three Dukes had — for whatever reason at the time — signed the contract under the Ouroboros Circle's name. Otherwise, Leilin truly would not have been able to make any amendments.
Once the last Morning Star Wizard also solemnly pressed his mark onto the contract, the force of justice within the entire hall reached its peak.
The new contract slowly floated into midair, radiating a golden glow, while the old agreement silently crumbled into a pile of ash.
"Good. Now let's discuss our next moves..."
Seeing the contract exchange go smoothly, Hebrew and the other Morning Star Warlocks all let out a long breath. Their opinion of the cooperative Leilin improved somewhat, and Hebrew eagerly pulled everyone into a war simulation, clearly unable to wait any longer.
Leilin wore a pleasant smile on his face, but inside he was rolling his eyes.
"Was I supposed to refuse? I'm just one person — no match for Master's trio. If I'd stubbornly held my ground, not only would I have ended up with nothing, but I'd have earned the enmity of both organizations..."
Weighing everything carefully, Leilin had chosen to go along with the contract swap. It was the best course of action available.
He believed that even when the three Dukes returned from the alien world, they wouldn't hold this against him.
"Apart from a single Fifth-level Brilliance Moon Wizard, Jupiter's Thunder has more than a dozen Morning Star Wizards below that rank..."
Inside a room resembling a command center, Hebrew spoke in measured tones as Jupiter's Thunder's formidable strength was gradually laid out before Leilin.
"Their Sect Master will be held in check by our Brilliance Moon Wizard, so there's no need to worry about that. The rest comes down to their dozen-plus Morning Star Wizards — we need to handle those..."
"Among them, Jupiter's Thunder still has many important territories and missions that require Morning Stars to oversee. So I estimate the maximum force they can commit to the Crystal Mountain Range is no more than nine Morning Star Wizards!"
Hebrew was clearly very familiar with Jupiter's Thunder — whether through his own intelligence channels or planted spies, it was hard to say.
"The Psychic Circle can neutralize three of them," Paul stepped forward to guarantee.
"Good. Bellis and Philip can each hold down one more, which leaves four Morning Stars..."