Chapter 35: Preparations
Sollivan smiled and extended his reddened hand once more, but this time his demeanor was completely different, and even his gentle smile carried a mysterious coldness.
"I want to make a simple deal: help me reach the ancient treasury in the forest, and I’ll give you the ingredients. Also, you can take anything you like from there if we succeed."
Darnell looked at the outstretched hand and listened without showing any clear expression. But despite his calm appearance, he was struggling internally to make a decision. He hesitated a lot about the matter. Even though he had gotten his hands on a precious ingredient he desperately needed, he felt there was something off about the crippled young man in front of him.
’This person isn’t normal. How is he doing all this? Who is he really? I need to be cautious. Those dead eyes of his are plotting something. And why does he want to reach the treasury in the first place? That’s almost impossible.’ His thoughts paused, and he showed a lost expression before his eyes regained their sharpness.
’This isn’t a trap, but it could become one if I make rash decisions.’ He made up his mind, then hid the small box in a pocket inside his armor over his chest. After that, he calmly extended his hand and shook Sollivan’s, saying coldly, "I agree, on the condition that my life isn’t put in danger. And let me make this clear: I’ll help you, but if we get into trouble I can’t handle, I won’t save you."
Sollivan’s smile widened, and he shook Darnell’s hand firmly, replying with obvious happiness, "That’s very straightforward. But don’t worry, we won’t die today." His gaze filled with confidence, then he quickly removed his smile and said, "Alright, since our deal is now in effect, you’ll need to follow my orders to the letter."
Darnell’s expression showed annoyance, and he wanted to interrupt, but Sollivan stopped him. "Just hold on and don’t argue with me. Listen carefully to what I’m about to say because it will make things easier for us."
A strange smile appeared on Darnell’s face, and he looked at Sollivan with amusement, as if watching a monkey perform tricks.
He didn’t know why, but Sollivan’s exaggerated seriousness and his noble way of speaking, which didn’t suit his current situation, seemed funny to him in some way. So the slight resentment he felt disappeared, and he became amused by what was happening. Inside, he mocked, ’Let’s see how far this joke will go.’
To him, getting the ingredients in exchange for such a task was worth the effort. However, he decided not to take things too seriously. The reason he followed Sollivan was his desire to uncover his true identity.
No matter what schemes he was planning, they wouldn’t harm him. In his view, what could a crippled person do to an Arcane Master at the peak of the early Path Opening realm, who had previously been in the late Path Opening realm, making him different from ordinary Arcane Masters at his level?
Snap!