Chapter 110

Alamir's residence is not in the bright core camp of the coalition, but is located on a temporarily purified hillside, overlooking the war zone and the relatively calm rear.

It is less of a military camp and more of a perfect fusion of a mobile holy land and a command node.

The core of the residence is a semi-permanent elven-style dome hall, using magic for temporary shaping and reinforcement of a certain white stone material, the surface flowing with white fluorescent light.

It is engraved with fine vine patterns and the Holy Emblem of Light; the edge of the Chenguang Sect's holy emblem is relatively soft, with rays of the rising sun.

The building structure is elegant and light, as if it were a huge glowing mushroom, but the base is heavy, and reinforcement defensive runes can be seen at the connection with the earth, reflecting its dual identity as a temple and a front-line command post.

"Your Excellency Alamir, the fog of avoiding the problem is of no benefit to you and the coalition's future path."

Sakavi's voice was steady, yet carried the unique, bone-deep oppression of a Black Dragon, as if magma were flowing under solid ice.

"Please allow me to remind you of a reality: the granary of the Luo Sen Empire will not be opened indefinitely for this expedition across planes. Their reserves are not sufficient either. When the local people begin to whisper because of food prices, when the nobles' dining tables are forced to cut the third dessert—"

He leaned forward slightly, his shadow sweeping over the Holy Emblem of Light in front of Alamir like a physical presence.

"Even the most pious faith is no match for the calculations born of rumbling hunger. Time has never been an ally of the Abyssal Expeditionary Force, and the patience of the Luo Sen Empire... is already rustling in the hourglass."

Alamir's gaze suddenly became sharp, and the soft morning light around him seemed to stagnate for a moment. He did not get angry, merely emitting an extremely slight, yet full-of-insight cold snort.

"Hmph, Grand Duke Sakavi, this appearance of yours worrying about supplies might be enough to fool others." His voice was still steady, yet shed that warmth, revealing the sharpness of a cleric, "What you are really eyeing is probably far more than the price difference of reselling supplies on the transport line."

He lifted his hand, his fingertips tracing in the air, a faint light outlining a rough terrain contour.

"The black soil plain in the hinterland of the Scorched Trace Wasteland, the area accounts for about thirty percent of this plane, and it is also one of the few areas that has been initially purified and is expected to quickly restore large-scale food production."

His gaze fell on Sakavi's dragon pupils like a physical presence, "Your appetite is probably placed on this true 'granary,' right? This is no longer a reasonable concern for the supply line, but... an advance demand for the strategic lifeblood."

"Your Excellency, this misunderstanding is truly regrettable."

Sakavi's voice flattened, his dragon claws tracing randomly in the void, as if shadow and light were intertwined into a brief terrain map.

"The 'development' I speak of refers to the Iron Blade Fertile Soil, that black beach formed by the Mudu River originating from the east of the Rift Stone Plateau, blocked by the Iron Ridge Mountains and turning southwest, alluvial at the turn of the structural valley.

That is the fertile soil that can be obtained easily, and it is also the sleeping granary that the coalition has not yet cast its eyes on."

His claw tips pointed emphatically to the southwest of the terrain map.

"As for the Soul-Eating Sanjiaozhou at the mouth of the Mudu River... that is the next item on my list. The Rotten Bone City entrenched on it and that Abyssal Lord are like a poisonous thorn stuck in the throat of future water transport.

It's just that currently, my blade is temporarily occupied by more imminent troubles, and I can't spare a hand to deal with it."

Sakavi lifted his gaze, his molten-gold slit pupils showing no ripples when his ambition was exposed, only a frank calculation.

"The plain of the Scorched Trace Wasteland is indeed vast, but it is also an obvious piece of fat in the eyes of the coalition; competing too early only invites trouble.

While the Iron Blade Fertile Soil and the Soul-Eating Sanjiaozhou... are more hidden and practical delicacies that have not yet been put on the table. I have always liked to eat the plate that no one is watching first."

"Controlling the entire Rift Stone Continent." He repeated this word slowly, weighing the weight behind every syllable, "Your Excellency Grand Duke, you are truly... a master of calm."

He took half a step forward, his fingertips hovering over the sand table, pointing virtually at the rugged land contour.

"Although this continent only accounts for one-fourth of the entire plane, your humble appetite, which seems to focus on 'a few pieces of fertile soil,' ultimately points to firmly grasping the entire chessboard in your palm."

He lifted his gaze, the morning color in his eyes becoming as sharp as the first ray of sunlight penetrating the thin fog.

"This still makes people... have to feel worried. Not because of greed itself, but because if this power leans completely to one side, the future balance will be tied to a single rope."

"Then, Your Excellency, compared to the decisive battle pointing to the 72nd large Abyss, what does the ownership of this continent count for?"

Sakavi's voice dropped suddenly, like the thunder echoing in the Abyssal rift. His dragon wings spread slightly, his shadow almost covering the entire temporary sanctuary.

"Please don't forget—this plane is just a springboard; the coalition's true goal is that more massive and dangerous Abyssal core. When your Demigods cast their eyes on the deeper darkness, who can be like me—"

His slit pupils flowed with molten gold, every word hitting the clean stone surface:

"In the shortest time, who can turn scorched earth into fertile fields, transform demon nests into supply stations, and continuously transport food and arrows for you?"

"The coalition does not need a perfect ally, but someone who can solve practical problems. And I, happen to be that person."

"A very good response, to be honest." His voice returned to warmth, yet sounded deeper than before, "Your wrist is always like this... precisely stepping on the edge of the cliff, yet just enough to make people unable to find a reason to push you down."

He leaned forward slightly, those eyes accumulating holy light gazing at Sakavi, his tone flat yet every word clear:

"Even if I could purify your soul right now, you still have a way to make me feel that keeping these claws of yours now is more useful than cutting them off."

"However, as a hunter who has dealt with countless darkness, I still want to give you a piece of advice." The faint light around him seemed to dim for a moment, making the following words appear particularly solemn.

"People who walk a tightrope between the Abyss and order, no matter how exquisite their skills... will eventually have a day of slipping and falling. At that time, everything you carefully calculated might instead become the coffin that buries you."

"Your support is reassuring." Sakavi nodded slightly, his voice steady as usual, as if the dangerous conversation just now had never happened.

"Then, when will the coalition be able to transport the basic purification cores and soil improvement runes I need to the designated location? Time is now a bargaining chip more precious than gold."

"Compared to this, I am more concerned about how much effort you can contribute in the subsequent cleanup war; we risk our lives, you earn our gold coins, there is no such good thing."

"I will send three hundred dragons, including three Legendary Dragons and twelve Master Rank dragons, to participate in the war, and I will personally lead five Ogre legions to clear the scum on this land."

"Very good. Since we have clarified each other's needs and contributions."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice steady, yet clear as a brand:

"Then please allow me to clarify my bottom line—the plain of the Scorched Trace Wasteland, you cannot touch."

"For the coalition, it may be just one of many strategic goals; but for me, and the order I represent, it is the cornerstone for establishing long-term stability in this plane in the future."

The halo around him rippled slightly, as if drawing an invisible line, "I do not doubt your vision, Grand Duke Sakavi. There is no piece of true fertile soil that will not attract greedy eyes. And I will ensure that this land belongs only to light and order."

His tone slowed, but every word had the weight of a thousand jun:

"This is the foundation of cooperation, and the guarantee that things between us... will not become complicated. I hope you can understand and respect this point."

"Then what about the Rotten Swamp Continent? This southern continent on the Abyssal plane seems to be wanted by no force; I think I should be able to get some benefits from it."

"Rotten Swamp Continent... Heh." He shook his head lightly, as if sighing that Sakavi always accurately finds those "unmarked" corners, "That mud puddle occupied by poisonous gas, plague, and mutated swamp creatures has indeed not been formally put on the agenda of any party."

He shifted the topic, his eyes becoming clear and sharp.

"But Grand Duke Sakavi, no one asking doesn't mean it's ownerless land, and it doesn't mean it can be grabbed at will. If the 'benefits' you speak of mean clearing that continent, establishing outposts, and providing a springboard for the coalition's front line that may extend southward in the future... we can talk."

His tone deepened slightly.

"But if your 'benefits' mean trying to turn it into another private territory without supervision, like managing the Rift Stone Continent, or even using its complex environment to conduct some... unknown dealings. Then, my answer will be the same as the Scorched Trace Wasteland: you have already taken enough."

"The Rotten Swamp Continent can become a new pilot for cooperation, provided it is open, transparent, and conforms to the overall strategic framework of the coalition. You want to intervene, you can. Submit a plan, clarify input and output, and accept necessary supervision. It can be your next 'business scope,' but it will never be your another 'back garden'."

"Since that's the case, then I have to submit an application. Anyway, in the coalition, only I have Lizardman troops good at swamp warfare, Hahahaha!"

"I appreciate your efficiency, Grand Duke Sakavi. I just hope your application can be as convincing as the Lizardmen under your command."

"It's just that I don't know how much manpower and material resources you can have to develop so many places at the same time; you know this land is not short of bandits and evil forces."