"Don't you think that will enrage my father...at least the part 'equal to your life'? Have you ever considered that your words might cause your entire race's annihilation?"
When the Elvyrs heard this, their eyes widened for a moment, and Jason's assumption about their inexperience and ignorance was evidently proven correct.
As such, Jason turned serious as he said
"I can understand the reason for demanding something like this from me, but I can't promise anything about my father because I have never really met him.
The only thing I can promise and sign in a soul contract is that I will return the favor I owe. Other than that, I won't sign a contract saying that I owe you a favor equal to my life or anything like that.
Take it or leave, but understand that your decision might as well decide over the future of your entire race! Be responsible about the decision you will take and live with the consequences!"
At that moment, Lusan, who was only 25 years old and still considered a child in his race, couldn't help but think that Jason was like their race's elders.
Despite being younger, Jason had experienced much more than Lusan, let alone the other Elvyrs that followed Lusan to Argos.
The Elvyr embassy was trained in combat, but their diplomatic skills had yet to be developed.
In the end, it was the Elvyr race's higher authorities' fault to think that the mission, Celestia Yaldra had given them, would be easy to solve.
Not sure what to do, Lusan tried to think of the best solution that allowed them to reap the most benefits without possibly endangering his entire race.
Whether it was creating hostility with two higher races or displeasing, if not enraging a being from the Celestia race, Lusan wanted to avoid both scenarios at the same time.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Unfortunately, he had to accept that this was more difficult, maybe even impossible to achieve!
Neither Jason nor Fasro said anything while Lusan and the Elvyrs were pondering about the best possible solution.
Yet, Fasro stared at Jason with interest, thinking that he had utilized his intel greatly, pressing the inexperienced Elvyr prodigy, who was likely to lead his first important mission on a different planet.
As such, it was only obvious that Lusan wanted to get the best possible result as it would most likely be evaluated by the higher-ups, and his teachers!
When 20 minutes had passed Jason suddenly said.
"If you don't want to support us, just because I adjusted the soul contract a little bit, that's fine too, but please make a decision. There are many preparations for the oncoming large-scale war to make and I'm not sure whether mankind will survive this!"
After Jason had said this, he looked at Fasro for a minute before he forced a small smile on his lips.
Jason was relatively sure what the Ariyor race would do if the Elvyr embassy were to leave instead of supporting the human race.
The chances that the employed Ariyors would remain on Argos were nill under the current circumstances, and Jason was fully aware of this!
As such, Lusan, who was under a lot of pressure from every possible side, would have to accept Jason's condition, otherwise, mankind's situation would only worsen.
That was something, everyone knew except the Elvyr race.
Fortunately, the young Elvyr had not expected Jason to act like he was currently doing, thus he said
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})"Alright, we will help out! The soul contract will simply state that you owe us a favor and we don't even mention Celestia Yaldra. At the same time, we will only stay for half a year, at most!!"
Jason couldn't suppress a faint smile, despite the short time interval the Lusan gave him.
This was a great opportunity and it was only a moment later that a voice transmission from Fasro reached him
[You are quite witted! I think you've already sensed it, but now that the tides have changed, the Ariyor race will also stay for half a year too!]
Despite the worst time mankind was currently facing and Jason's days that were filled with agony and despair, he was able to grasp the faint ray of hope he found right in front of him.
With the help of the Ariyor race and 100 Elvyrs that had nine small solidified prismarine crystals in their mana core, mankind seemed to have gained the upper hand for the first time since the Great Argos war had started!
At least the casualties caused by the Blood eclipse weren't as severely damaging to their combat force as before anymore, and the problem that the Argos alliance had to face two higher races at once had been balanced out.
It was even better than that, and Jason assumed that Lusan and the others would be able to take care of their opponents without too many problems, despite the numerical disadvantage!
Jason nodded towards Lusan who was waiting for his reaction, as he held out his hand.
"We can set up the soul contract whenever you want. But don't think of adding any weird favors! Simple favors have their limits too!"
He knew to some extent how soul contracts worked. His knowledge about them was not perfect, by far, but Jason knew that a simple favor was not something that could be directly forced upon someone else.
It would still be his free will whether or not he would help the Elvyr in the future, at lest to some extent.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})A favor with certain clauses added was similar to a wish, he would have to fulfill once spoken out!
As such, Jason remained vigilant which was something Fasro praised inwardly.
'It's a wonder that he can stay so calm and think everything completely through despite recently having lost someone close to him!'
Even Jason was astonished that he was able to stay calm, not thinking about anything except a path to drag mankind out of their current pathetic state!
Maybe it was because his masters' last wish was to help and protect the weak and to not abandon mankind.
However, it could also be something completely different, yet, Jason was unable to tell what exactly it was that caused him to strive forward.
The thought about never losing anyone ever again sounded ridiculous to him, and the same applied to becoming stronger in order to protect those he loved.
Both were thoughts he had in his mind since Scorpio had died and Jason had given his utmost efforts to become stronger, only to notice that it had been useless.
Not even his unleashed bloodline had been enough to protect his masters as it had already been too late at that time, and Jason started to question himself more than ever.
'If there is always someone stronger taking something from others...Is there even someone who tries to protect and take care of the weak? What is the meaning of life if everyone can be taken away in a single moment by those who are greedy or jealous of someone else's strength and abilities?'
Jason was aware that his thoughts were one-sided and that he should have included the fact that he had killed thousands of opponents in the last three years.
But even then, the rule of the strongest applied everywhere and Jason was unable to think of a way to make the human race's soul awakenings less attractive to other races.
"Is it not possible to close all world bridges, to prevent anyone from intruding Argos….?" Jason mumbled, subconsciously without any meaning as he heard Fasro next to him.
"If you're strong enough and able to wield elemental runes, you can do that, but that's not something for someone at the Prismar-, let alone the Lique stage to deal with!"
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