"I heard the Ganghan Guild is acting as a mercenary during the upcoming conflict between Asgard and the Devas," Arthur announced, clasping his hands while staring into Felix's eyes.
The Saint Sealing Devil raised an eyebrow, smiling yet again. "Your information network must be profound. This news was not to be revealed to the public for another month, perhaps two."
"Hasn't it already been leaked?"
"Some of it," replied Felix. Instead of being perturbed that his secretive information had been leaked, the Devil simply adopted the most frivolous expression. "And, who do you think revealed that information? Surely, you don't believe one of my employees did it, do you?"
Silence.
"If you say yes, I'll be very disappointed."
"Yes, I believe it was revealed by one of your employees," Arthur said boldly. The room turned silent yet again, while Felix's expression underwent several changes. From slight shock to subtle annoyance, and finally, excitement.
"What makes you think that?"
"Your behavior, the fact that you just murdered a few of them recently, and your decision to digress from the original topic. Your intentions cannot be more blatant. You're trying to test me."
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"Well, how do you think you did?" Felix inquired, cocking his head.
"I passed… Hopefully."
"Mhm," replied the Saint Sealing Devil. "I'm assuming you wish to join our clan as a mercenary solely to participate in the war… but why us? The Ganghan Guild's offer of recruitment was quite lackluster, to be honest."
"I agree," said Arthur. "But that's not the reason. The real reason behind me wishing to participate using the Ganghan Guild's banner is to stray away from potential enemies who might try to recruit me by force."
"And who says I won't do the same?"
"Because you're bound by the Laws of Oathbinding."
An awkward silence descended upon the room as those words escaped the crimson-eyed man's lips. Felix's expression underwent several changes yet again, in which a certain part of him considered killing Arthur.
But curiosity got the best of Felix.
'How does he know that…?' Felix muttered internally, narrowing his eyes. The Laws of Oathbinding were an abstract set of laws connected to the River of Oaths located on the 51st floor of the tower.
Once one became a Ranker, they usually encountered the River of Oaths. Some decided to sacrifice something precious to them in exchange for immense power, while others made an oath.
The Saint Sealing Devil received his fame for his utterly absurd act of sacrificing the entirety of his family and making an oath to the River.
'This guy… he's interesting,' a sudden urge to recruit the man before he arose in Felix's chest, but he suppressed it. 'He's very interesting, but he's also cautious. He has countermeasures for everything.'
'If the meeting with me fails, he will probably visit one of Ganghan Guild's biggest rivals and blackmail me.'
'And me entering this room is equivalent to promising to not kill him. Fuck, so that's why he made that weird request to my subordinate. It was all to lure me in here with the intention of blackmailing me.'
'With his status, he can probably call a few big shots to his location. Blackmailing them here, right in front of me, would probably not be too difficult.'
Suddenly, Felix burst into boisterous laughter, which soon devolved into soft yet sinister laughter that sent shivers down Arthur's spine. However, the latter held the advantage, and could not–by any means–shy away from using it.
'His attainment… it's more powerful than Hermes's. If Felix had time to grow in my former life, it would be for the alliance between the Tower Administration and Shimmering Dragon to take him down.'
'If he became a Divine Ranker, he may be able to rival someone like Poseidon or Hades.'
"And who says I won't kill you by simply telling my subordinates?" Felix inquired, resting his chin atop his palm. At that moment, he had no intention of harming Arthur and was solely attempting to test him further.
To determine the intensity of the tidal waves that could engulf the tower in the future.
'First Lucas, Aditya, then a mysterious woman named Jenny. Then someone who claims to be Zeus's child. Then a random guy without access to mana… Where are these people coming from?'
'Is this the Golden Age of the Tower yet again?'
"Because you recognize the benefits of this deal," Arthur replied with a deadpan expression plastered upon his face. "If I grow in the future, it will only benefit the Ganghan Guild. With a bit of protection and a little extra allocation of resources, you can secure a valuable asset."
"So you're not opposed to joining?"
"Oh, I definitely am. At least, for now. But… I'll give you a few chances along the way to convince me."
"Look at you, being all cocky."
"Do you not believe I have the right to?"
"Touche," The Saint Sealing Devil admitted. "One last test. If you can endure the pressure of a fraction of my Attainment, we can discuss the terms of the alliance."
"I will create the terms. You can counter if you're unhappy."
"Certainly," said Felix, revealing a faint smile. Then, he wagged his index finger in the air, as if swirling the liquid within a teacup. The air bent around his body like water. Ripples emerged, causing destructive particles to rush from the origin.
A tremendous pressure suddenly assaulted Arthur, threatening to crack his Death Bones. However, he resisted, coating his body in a thick layer of mana while simultaneously cultivating the Unification Technique.
The light around him refracted at a higher rate than usual, while the shadows grew stronger and more profound by the second. Arthur smiled, keeping his eyes shut while sensing the approach of the illusion.
The illusion of Luminescence.
The Saint Sealing Devil was someone who sacrificed both his family and a valuable part of his life–the ability to break promises–for Attainment, the pinnacle of a certain element.
The ending, the conclusion of a Blessing, or a Path.
The Ultimate Mastery.
For the Saint Sealing Devil, it was…
The Attainment of Luminous Constructs.
