Chapter 505 – Negotiation Settled

If many powerful individuals commonly experience a sense of loneliness at the peak during certain stages, then Punk believed he would never have to worry about such a situation…

Because he had encountered Kane, this peculiar individual. Perhaps there were simply too many freaks in the world. For the first time, Punk found himself somewhat believing in the concept of “ill-fated relationships,” as Kane could truly be described as the best “partner” he had encountered so far—and also the best… arch-nemesis!

For instance, just as Punk was about to burn the bridge after crossing it, Kane immediately reacted and employed an effective countermeasure. The dagger pressed against Smile’s neck was something no one could ignore, and the message in Kane’s frenzied gaze was exceptionally clear—”Punk, you want to burn the bridge? Well, if you dare ‘burn it,’ I, Kane, will blow up the ‘bridge piers’ so neither of us can cross. This lord may not be strong enough to defeat a Level 19 Peak Spellcaster, but as a dignified Level 18 Master-Level warrior (having advanced over seven hundred years), can’t I instantly kill a Level 6 Stalker at such close range?”

Although Kane had never read the military treatise named “The Art of War” from Earth, his use of the strategy “besiege Wei to rescue Zhao” was nothing short of masterful.

For a moment, Punk experienced the same feeling Kane had when he pressed the “Velocity Kinetic Cone” against Smile’s head—Smile was now the key to unlocking the gates of Legendary status. Punk dared not imagine where he would go to increase that fifty percent success rate for Legendary advancement if this key were to break.

For a while, Punk stared intently at Kane, who was as tense and alert as a leopard, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his staff.

“Meow~ Could the two masters be a bit gentler? This humble one can’t bear being squeezed in the middle like this…”

While Punk and Kane were locked in a serious standoff, Smile, her face pale, was acutely aware of her perilous situation—if either Kane or Punk made the slightest move, even if it were just a misunderstanding, she would be reduced to ashes in an instant under the attack of a Master-Level powerhouse, with her soul permeated by Battle Aura.

Thus, even though Smile’s originally fair complexion had turned ghastly pale under the glow of the golden Battle Aura, she still did her best to speak playfully, hoping to ease the tense atmosphere.

Unfortunately, neither Punk nor Kane paid any attention to Smile.

Easing the tension was utterly useless in such a situation. Both Kane and Punk were Master-Level powerhouses; they could maintain this level of intense confrontation for three days and nights without feeling the slightest fatigue. Meanwhile, the Magic Raven Vector perched on Punk’s shoulder shook its head nervously and whispered to Punk:

“Boss, are we fighting or not? If we’re going to fight, you have to let this humble one know. Battle Aura is blind, and spells kill indiscriminately. If you ask this humble one, maybe we shouldn’t fight. Harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth…”Vector’s advice was solely due to its cowardly fear of being caught in the crossfire. Because this Magic Raven was so timid, Punk was certain that without his forceful command, Vector would have turned and fled by now.

That said, although Vector’s persuasion likely didn’t even pass through its walnut-sized brain, Punk had to admit that Vector might be right about “harmony breeds prosperity” in this instance!

If Punk were to engage in a full-blown fight with Kane now, the only outcome he’d achieve would be gaining nothing. Even if he killed Kane, Smile’s death would mean losing the opportunity to obtain Divinity.

In summary, picking a fight with Kane would bring no benefits whatsoever. As a spellcaster who prioritized gains above all, Punk couldn’t tolerate sacrificing such a tremendous opportunity for mere greed.

Therefore, under Kane’s vigilant gaze, amid Smile’s relieved sigh, and accompanied by the Magic Raven’s incessant persuasion… Punk slowly dissipated the spell he had prepared.

Lowering his staff, Punk spoke coldly to Kane:

“Impressive, Kane! Congratulations on luckily avoiding a fatal disaster.”

Though he canceled his spellcasting, Punk thought it necessary to seize this chance to demand some benefits. After all, in this adventuring party, Punk’s strength was undoubtedly the greatest. As the strongest, he naturally had the right to demand greater rewards—all of which he intended to write into the Eye of Judgment Contract.

Seeing Punk lower his staff, a smile finally reappeared on Kane’s alert and stern face. However, even so, Kane clearly wouldn’t acknowledge Punk’s upper hand. Before Punk could finish speaking, Kane, with equally sharp eyes, immediately retorted loudly:

“Fatal disaster? Luck? This is called skill, pal! Genuine skill! And if I may be blunt, you don’t have what it takes to bring a ‘fatal disaster’ to me!”

The sharp blade he held against Smile’s neck showed no signs of weakening. It seemed Kane had made up his mind not to move the dagger until all three of them signed the Eye of Judgment Contract.

“Weakling who only boasts with words!”

Punk shot a sarcastic glance at Kane but didn’t dwell further on the dagger issue. Though he didn’t know whether Kane’s words were empty bravado or if he truly had some hidden card, it didn’t stop Punk from mocking the knight.

Kane, ever the thick-skinned “tank,” remained completely unfazed by Punk’s sarcasm. The cunning knight simply kept the blade in his right hand steady beside Smile’s neck while slamming the Eye of Judgment Contract onto the gold-crafted table with his left hand.

Bang!

“Enough dawdling. Hurry up and write the contract—keep the terms clear and concise. If there are no objections, sign it under the witness of the Eye of Judgment. Heh heh heh… I can’t wait for this spectacular adventure… Besides, holding this knife is really tiring…”

Because Kane had struck with a bit too much force, the Eye of Judgment Contract was now pressed into a dent on the table. Yet the contract itself remained completely unharmed, calmly emanating an aura of profound mystery as it had since time immemorial.As a mage of the neutral chaotic alignment, Punk couldn’t help but feel somewhat displeased by the profound aura of order emanating from the Eye of Judgment Contract, which reached into the very depths of the soul. Meanwhile, Kane, a knight of the evil chaotic alignment, made no attempt to conceal his disgust toward the contract lying on the table.

But it didn’t matter. Although the Eye of Judgment was somewhat irritating, it was indeed the most reliable “witness” across the multiverse. Moreover, unlike the Bird of Filth, the Eye of Judgment wouldn’t idly meddle with others’ souls for no reason. In fact, its services were quite user-friendly—written “drafts” could be freely modified by the holder before the contract was signed.

Punk had no fear that this might not be a genuine Eye of Judgment Contract. After all, unlike Devil Contracts, even a great power like the Radiant Sun would never be permitted to swindle others under the banner of the Eye of Judgment!

Quietly manipulating his mana to form a straight quill, Punk watched as the magical pen, carrying a trace of his soul energy, automatically hovered over the Eye of Judgment Contract and began writing. In no time, all the contract terms required on his part were fully inscribed.

(End of Chapter)