Chapter 643: Max’s choice
Max didn’t hesitate. "When the time comes, I want you to help me, shield me, protect me with everything the Great Ruler Empire has," he said, his tone unwavering, but beneath the surface, it carried the heaviness of someone who knew exactly what kind of storm was coming.
"I don’t care how you do it. I don’t care if your force can do it. You have the influence. You have the resources. Use them." His words weren’t a request—they were a demand forged from the uncertainty of his path, a plea wrapped in resolve.
The room fell into silence for a few seconds. Lyra studied him, her face still, but her eyes reflecting the shift in mood. Then she slowly nodded, her expression sharpening with a new edge. "Protection from whom?" she asked, her voice lower now, all pretense stripped away.
Max looked at her, his jaw firm. "From the Black Tortoise Nation." He didn’t stop there. He explained everything—how he had entered the Middle Domain disguised as a servant to Elias, one of the direct heirs of the Black Tortoise Nation. How that ruse had already ended. How he had chosen to go off on his own. It wasn’t even defiance; it was simply the only path forward for him. But to the Four God Nation, his departure could easily be seen as betrayal.
Lyra closed her eyes, her brows furrowing slightly. She had expected Max to reach the Middle Domain one day—his potential made that inevitable. But she hadn’t thought he would arrive carrying such a volatile risk. The Four God Nation was not a power to be trifled with, especially when it came to pride and loyalty.
After a long breath, Lyra opened her eyes and extended her hand across the small table between them. "I will accept your deal," she said clearly. "I—or the Great Ruler Empire—will protect you from the Black Tortoise Nation to the best of our power. In return, you will fight under our banner in the Divine Mandate Grand Tournament and help us reach the top ten."
Max looked down at her hand for a moment. His instincts urged caution. He wanted to trust her, but this world had taught him better. "Sorry," he said finally, not unkindly, "but I couldn’t trust your words completely. A soul contract would be much more beneficial here."
Lyra’s eyes narrowed, the amusement fading from her face as Max’s words sank in. "Does that mean you’re that confident in entering the top ten in the tournament?" she asked, her voice quiet, laced with something between disbelief and intrigue.
A soul contract wasn’t a small matter. It was binding, absolute, and merciless. If either of them failed to uphold their end of the deal, their soul would be crushed—obliterated beyond salvation. That wasn’t a price someone gambled with. It was a price only those with unwavering certainty dared to stake.