Chapter 350: A Benevolent Performance? Tang Zheng's Dominance

A "click" sound.

The door closed, and Remedios left with a varied attitude.

"Pink" Isadolo remained skeptical from beginning to end; he did not believe what Tang Zheng said, and his demeanor was more one of guardedness.

"Remedios is indeed easier to fool, though in reality, this isn't really fooling."

Tang Zheng was not surprised by the result that the few from the Holy Kingdom had ultimately failed to decide upon.

"Come to think of it, this woman Remedios, her attitude toward me seems a bit special?"

"Is it because I saved their lives during the hill incident?" Tang Zheng was slightly surprised.

"Forget it, regardless of whether the Holy Kingdom agrees or not, there is simply no choice ahead."

Tang Zheng pondered for a moment, gazing at the hall that had returned to silence, the floor paved with brown wooden planks under the illumination of the bright "Everlasting Light."

The bookshelves, furniture, and corners were somewhat dimmer.

"Since you have already left, would you like to sit down and have a cup of tea together?"

Tang Zheng picked up an empty white porcelain cup, poured warm amber black tea from the spout, and spoke with a smile.

There was no response in the room.

"Since you won't come out, then forget it."

Tang Zheng shook his head, unconcerned: "Pass a word to your Pontiff for me; if you want the 'Integration Potion,' then let's have a proper talk."

"Only this time, people from the Holy Kingdom must be included."

Must seize the initiative!

Naturally, one cannot let the rhythm fall into the hands of the Theocracy; rather than waiting until the Theocracy is fully prepared and the people of the Holy Kingdom are scared off, it is better to strike first.

"Dealing with the forces of this kind of country, it really is troublesome not to expose one's strength."

Tang Zheng complained inwardly.

Time passed bit by bit.

Tang Zheng leaned lazily on the sofa, flipping through the books on the room's shelf that the Theocracy had intentionally placed there.

Whoosh~

A breeze blew past the window that had been opened.

Tang Zheng’s action of flipping the page paused: "Left. This member of the Scripture must have come to monitor and prevent the information about Zesshi Zetsumei from leaking to the Holy Kingdom."

"'Heaven and Earth'? Heh... what a grand reputation."

Hum—

『Skill Points: 137→136』

…………

Skill: Ninjutsu · Concealment

Cost: 5mp～?mp (The more mana consumed, the better the effect)

Description: After activating the skill, eliminate one's own presence and enter an invisible state; it will automatically deactivate once an attack is launched.

…………

"A decent skill, much stronger than the 'Invisibility' in tier magic, but I wonder if the [Ninja] skill can surpass the 'Greater Invisibility' in magic?"

An unexpected skill gain.

It finally eased the unpleasant mood Tang Zheng had been in for some time.

Most skills in the [Ninja] system can increase in power based on the amount of mana consumed, not weaker than some tier magic.

This is also the advantage of the thief-class system.

——Mid-Wind Month.

May 15th.

After two days of silence, the Theocracy side finally made a move.

A conference hall located deep within the Theocracy.

Paved entirely with white porcelain tiles and flooring, the hall had six large glass windows around it, and the light that crept in was cast into six areas.

The entire conference hall was filled with solemnity and holiness.

There was also an invisible pressure and a sense of sacred inviolability!

Not a trace of dirt or dust.

It was clean enough to reflect the dark brown conference table and the six reflections sitting upon it.

These six!

They were the big shots at the pinnacle of the Slane Theocracy, which had a population of over fifteen million.

Unlike the usual seriousness when the six gathered to hold a meeting.

The atmosphere at this moment was quite relaxed.

"Chief Justice Guiride... what a pity." As the only female among the Pontiffs, Fire Pontiff Berenice sighed softly, a trace of grief flashing across her plump cheeks.

A brief silence.

"His contribution will be remembered by the Theocracy."

Dark Pontiff Maximilian’s round-rimmed glasses reflected slightly as he spoke calmly and softly.

The death of Chief Justice Guiride was not just about bearing the responsibility for the infant; his greatest contribution was providing a reasonable excuse to restrain that Team Leader Tang and the people from the Holy Kingdom.

The Holy Kingdom was one thing.

The potion researched by that Team Leader Tang was simply too important; if not for the last resort, they did not want to use a hardline attitude to create a rift with such excellent talent.

"Thank the gods that our humanity still survives today!"

Water Pontiff Zuranon prayed in a low voice.

"Then, let the serious topics end here."

Light Pontiff Ion had long, slender eyes and gaunt cheekbones; his speech gave one a sense of insidiousness:

"Next, let us exchange views on the matters to be discussed shortly."

"This Team Leader Tang has taken the initiative to propose an exchange regarding the potion, so he must have already made his choice; we are merely giving the corresponding promises."

"That's right, such an excellent talent in alchemy should be able to develop even more useful potions in the future."

"And what about the Holy Kingdom side?"

"A mere Holy Kingdom dares to interfere in this matter!"

"That Miss Remedios... hmm, impossible to judge, but 'Pink' Isadolo is a smart man; he knows what choice to make."

"Hehehe, this Team Leader Tang wants to borrow the power of the Holy Kingdom."

"How could an adventurer understand that exchanges at the national level are not as simple as dealing with a few magical beasts or completing a few quests."

"……."

A series of discussions arose; the attitudes of the six Pontiffs were extremely relaxed, believing the result was already set.

Having witnessed the power of the God-kin and the attitude they displayed, as long as this Team Leader Tang was a smart man, he would know how to choose.

Suddenly.

"They are here," Wind Pontiff Dominic said faintly.

The sound of discussion paused.

Six pairs of eyes—some calm, some gentle, some sharp, some indifferent—quietly looked toward the direction of the conference hall doors.

Woo—

A thick wind pressure followed the sound of the pushed-open doors.

A "clatter" sound.

The friction of the metal fittings on both sides of the door.

Obvious light poured out from within the hall.

Having just walked through a long corridor, the suddenly bright light made it easy for one to subconsciously close their eyes.

However.

Tang Zheng and "Pink" Isadolo were not affected by the glaring light in the slightest.

What first caught their eyes!

Was the bright light shining down from the six towering glass windows, illuminating the white-tiled conference room with a stark whiteness.

It set off the figures of the six Pontiffs, making them full of majesty and pressure!

The loose white sleeves swayed slightly.

"What an honor."

Tang Zheng was not affected by the invisible pressure at all; his vision easily captured the expressions of the six Pontiffs as he stepped into the hall with a smile:

"To be able to see all the Pontiffs at once, I thought I would only be seeing the same two as before."

The disrespectful voice echoed, breaking the sacred and solemn atmosphere. A few Pontiffs frowned imperceptibly.

This rude behavior caused some Pontiffs to have complaints in their hearts, but thinking that the other party was merely struggling in vain, it was indeed not surprising that he would show dissatisfaction.

"Pink" Isadolo remained expressionless.

But from his faintly tensed neck, one could tell that he was not as relaxed as he appeared.

"Truly a headache."

"Pink" Isadolo thought to himself.

He did not want to attend this so-called meeting!

Or one could say, he had already intended to represent the Holy Kingdom in cutting ties with this Team Leader Tang, but facing the Theocracy's invitation, he had no choice but to attend this meeting with a predetermined outcome.

Seeing that the Holy Kingdom had actually only sent "Pink" Edström, the six Pontiffs each felt a hint of a smile emerge on their faces.

This was enough to show that the Holy Kingdom had already given up on supporting Team Leader Tang.

Tap!

Tap!

Tang Zheng and his companion stepped onto the smooth white stone slabs, each step producing a crisp reverberation, their shadows stretching longer and longer as they approached the light.

——However.

As they drew closer to the conference table, their shadows began to rapidly retract under the illumination of the six tall glass windows.

Eventually, only a shallow trace remained beneath their feet.

It was as if, within this sacred room, nothing dark should exist.

As Tang Zheng and his companion took their seats.

The atmosphere in the room went quiet.

"Pink" Edström kept his eyes lowered, maintaining a noble demeanor, sitting on the council bench which featured a pointed arch back and reliefs.

He was well aware that his presence here was merely to make up the numbers, and he had no intention of speaking.

"Team Leader Tang..." Water Pontiff Zuranon spoke first, his tone gentle.

The two sides had previous contact, so it was most appropriate for him to open the conversation.

"First, I must state one thing."

Tang Zheng interrupted what the other was saying: "I absolutely do not allow any infants to be used as materials for the integration."

Water Pontiff Zuranon swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue; being interrupted did not make him angry, but he had not expected Tang Zheng to be so direct.

"This matter is our responsibility."

"Judiciary Captain Gu-Li-De is also because of this... sigh, in short, Team Leader Tang, please feel free to speak your thoughts."

Fire Pontiff Benez appeared sorrowful, speaking softly and magnanimously, presenting the image of a compassionate mother.

The rest of the Pontiffs nodded, their attitudes more amiable than imagined.

In reality.

None of them cared about the infants used as experimental subjects; since the Team Leader Tang before them cared, they naturally had to appear as if they cared too.

As for what to do later?

They would certainly not take orders from a mere adventurer.

Seeing these Pontiffs acting so agreeable.

"If everyone is like this, then I am relieved."

Tang Zheng let out an inexplicable chuckle.

He could clearly feel that the "amiability" of these Pontiffs was not from the heart, and precisely because of this, he could perceive their arrogance even more.

It was just like a powerhouse occupying an absolute advantage, patiently listening to the whispered demands of a weakling.

A term surfaced in Tang Zheng's mind—a performance of benevolence!

"Speaking of which."

"This arrogance of the strong facing the weak, I also inevitably had some of it before."

Facing the six gentle faces, a sincere smile also appeared on Tang Zheng's cheeks:

"Thank you to everyone in the Theocracy for your research on my 'Integration Potion'."

"I also didn't expect that the accidentally developed potion would have such powerful effects. Judiciary Captain Gu-Li-De handed me a map."

"Only until the moment I saw the map did I finally understand the crisis and situation humanity is in. If I can increase humanity's strength, I will naturally do my utmost."

Tang Zheng sighed deeply.

Hearing these words,

The smiles on the faces of the six Pontiffs deepened a little more.

"As far as I know, 7th-tier magic already belongs to the power that can be used by 'Demon Gods'."

Tang Zheng leaned forward, resting his arms on the tabletop:

"But it cannot be cast by the power of an individual human... By the way, that person holding the peculiar weapon, the cross-spear, should be a warrior, right?"

"Therefore, the only way for everyone in the Theocracy to summon the highest-tier angels is to use the method called the 'Grand Ritual'."

The smiles on the faces of the six Pontiffs faded slightly; they had not expected Tang Zheng to mention Zesshi Zetsumei in this situation.

Furthermore.

There seemed to be no expected fear in the other's words, and the information provided made it somewhat difficult to guess what exactly he wanted to express.

"As a summoner, I am also clear on one point: without a specialized class structure, any summoner can only summon one monster at a time."

The smile at the corners of Tang Zheng's mouth grew a fraction more:

"'Integration Potion' can indeed allow monsters to exist for a longer time, but it will also occupy the summoner's monster summoning quota."

The atmosphere became somewhat quiet.

There was not much change on the faces of the six Pontiffs, only "Pink" Edström was stunned, seemingly pondering something.

Ta—

"This leads to the real effect of the potion, under normal circumstances, not necessarily being as... useful as it appears."

Tang Zheng took his arms off the table, leaned back in his chair, and spread his palms with a smile:

"Well, using this word still feels appropriate to me personally."

"After all, the advantage of a summoner is that when a summoned creature is destroyed, they can re-summon it to continue weakening the enemy's strength."

"Just like elite teams in the Theocracy such as the [Sunlight Scripture], there is no need for long-lasting summoned creatures to occupy their own summoning quotas."

"Because everyone can only summon one in the end."

"Then—"

Tang Zheng's smile faded, becoming serious, and he raised a finger and shook it: "The role of the potion on higher-tier angels becomes even more important."

"This is also what everyone in the Theocracy values most."

"It's just that, due to the summoner's limitations, even with the help of the Grand Ritual's power, one can only control one highest-tier angel."

"So... how to circumvent this problem, let me guess."

Tang Zheng sat on the council bench, pretending to be thoughtful, then flicked his finger:

"It must be that 'Magic-Sealing Crystal' that Mr. Nigun used during the Hill Incident, right? My knowledge is limited, so I cannot evaluate how magic is injected into such an over-spec item."

"However, the basic means should be similar to the methods of manufacturing magic scrolls or magic items."

"First use the Grand Ritual to activate 7th-tier magic, then use special means to inject that magic into the 'Magic-Sealing Crystal'."

"This way, the summoner's limitations can be circumvented, right?"

"It's just—there aren't many such over-spec items in the Theocracy, are there?"

Tang Zheng said to the group of Pontiffs with a beaming smile.

Regarding the "Magic-Sealing Crystal," Tang Zheng actually knew the specific quantity; there were only four in the entire Theocracy, and one was now lost, sitting in his item box.

Now only three remained. As for how he knew?

When he killed "Funny Guy," he had extracted quite a bit of intelligence regarding the relics of the Six Great Gods from him.

At this very moment!

The complexions of the six Pontiffs gradually began to change.

And Tang Zheng had no intention of stopping at all, continuing to speak with a smile: "Even if one can use such over-spec items as 'Magic-Sealing Crystals' to achieve the summoning of a greater number of high-tier angels."

"But what about the people?"

"I happen to know a piece of information: the basic condition for activating the 'Grand Ritual' is that the core caster of the ritual must be at least a 5th-tier magic caster."

"Only a Hero-level magic caster can withstand the impact of the ritual, and to activate 7th-tier magic, the caster should be a 4th-tier caster?"

"And for a 4th-tier magic caster to use the Grand Ritual—even if they don't die, they would be crippled."

(End of chapter)