As Lock's words fell, the atmosphere in the entire room became incredibly solemn, causing Azuth's heart to skip a beat.
"Kid, you are..."
Azuth hadn't even finished speaking when, in a blur, Lock was already in front of him, his throat clutched tightly by a hand as hard as steel, instantly making it difficult to breathe.
Splat!
The wine glass in his hand involuntarily fell to the ground. Azuth immediately used both hands to pry at Lock's hand, but he was still lifted by the young man, with no power to resist.
"Mmm~"
Azuth let out a suffocated grunt, his eyes hardening. He used all his strength to strike at Lock's head and chest/abdomen with his hands and feet.
Unfortunately, his attacks were completely ineffective, as if they were hitting an energy shield like a magic barrier upon contact with the other party's skin.
The more he struggled, the closer he got to death. By the time Azuth realized this, it seemed it might be too late, for when faced with certain death, who wouldn't fight back with all their might?
Just as his vision began to blur and he was about to lose consciousness, the hand gripping his neck loosened slightly.
"Ugh... cough, cough!" Azuth fell onto the sofa, his palm soothing his aching neck. For a moment, a sense of relief at having escaped death surged through him.
Looking at Lock, who had a faint smile on his face, Azuth felt a surge of anger. But he was not a hot-headed youth, and quickly composed himself.
"How was it, Azuth? The feeling of being on the brink of death, it's not pleasant, is it?"
Calming his ragged breathing, it took Azuth a while to recover. A hint of apprehension and fear flashed in his eyes as he asked, "Kid, what is the meaning of this? Are you planning to declare war on our Crimson Dewdrops?"
"Declare war?" Lock scoffed, a sneer on his face. "Sorry, it's not that I look down on you, Azuth. All of your Crimson Dewdrops combined couldn't defeat me with one hand!"
Azuth looked at the young man before him, recalling the information he had received from his elder brother about Lock and his subordinates.
It was based on this that he had become interested in this young man, traveling from the northern kingdom back to the capital to meet Lock. He just hadn't expected the other party to give him such a unique 'surprise.'
Based on Lock's skill just now, Azuth's trust in his elder brother's judgment increased. It was best not to conflict with the other party for now.
As long as he put on his equipment later, it wouldn't be too late to get even.
"Alright, alright~" Thinking this, Azuth shrugged, feigning indifference. "So, Baron Lock, the invincible one, what exactly do you want from me? You're not just trying to show off your powerful strength, are you?"
"That was just a small test. It proves you're even weaker than I imagined. If it weren't for your enchanted armor, you wouldn't even be qualified to stand before me." Lock pulled out a handkerchief and lightly wiped his palm. This lecherous uncle seemed a bit too greasy. "I'll be direct, Azuth. Are your Crimson Dewdrops willing to work for me?"
"Oh~ So you want to recruit us?" Azuth smiled knowingly, picking up the wine bottle from the table. "I'm sorry, but I currently have no intention of joining any faction. My teammates probably feel the same. I'll ask them later for you."
The refusal was expected. Lock didn't get angry, but instead sat down.
"Alright. With the trivial matters out of the way, we can get to the main topic."
Hearing this, Azuth couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Did this mean that their Crimson Dewdrops were not Lock's main target, but rather a side dish, so to speak? Hmph, the classic move of disparaging the 'goods' when a deal can't be struck. An immature brat.
However, it did pique Azuth's curiosity. What could be more important than them?
"Azuth, can you currently contact Rigrit, the Necromancer among the Thirteen Heroes?" Lock asked in a serious tone, his face grave, his eyes fixed on Azuth.
This caused Azuth's frivolous smile to recede slightly. Mentioning that old woman, even he had to show a little respect.
"What do you want with that old woman?"
"I want to tell her something, the truth about the death of the leader of the Thirteen Heroes."
Azuth immediately frowned. Once it involved a powerhouse of that caliber, it was no small matter. "You know what you're saying, right?"
Lock's lips curved slightly as he nodded and said, "Of course. I wouldn't joke about the death of a hero. This also concerns the future of all humanity, so it's not something to laugh about."
Though a bit exaggerated, it didn't matter. Lock's true goal was to trip up the Platinum Dragon Lord, who was far away in the Council State.
Many members of the former Thirteen Heroes group were still alive. Although not all were human, recruiting them would be a significant help.
Of course, first, he needed them to sever ties with the Platinum Dragon Lord; otherwise, Lock couldn't trust them.
Two hundred years ago, numerous 'Demon Gods' ravaged the continent. The leader of the Thirteen Heroes, one of the 'Players,' led members of various races to quell this unrest. The Platinum Dragon Lord had once hidden his identity and infiltrated this team. Although he later fell out with other members for this reason, they were still companions who had shared adventures, and some maintained contact with him.
What Lock wanted to do was completely cut off this bond, making the other Thirteen Heroes turn against the Old White, or at the very least, ensuring they wouldn't become the Platinum Dragon Lord's helpers.
"So, what is the truth you speak of?" Azuth asked in a deep voice, staring into Lock's eyes, as if trying to discern if he was lying.
Lock's words contained little falsehood, so he naturally remained calm under Azuth's scrutiny. "Azuth, believe me, knowing this matter will do you no good."
Azuth was silent for a long while before letting out a sigh of relief, a relaxed expression returning to his face. "Alright. I'll go look for that old woman, but I can't guarantee I'll find her."
"That's enough." Lock nodded, then took out a small flask from his storage space and placed it in front of Azuth, saying, "Consider this a small apology from me. Please accept it."
"Hm?" Azuth put down the wine bottle in his hand and unceremoniously picked up the flask Lock offered, opening the stopper. "Oh~ What a fine wine! This rich aroma is so captivating."
Azuth happily took a sip, looking at the small flask in his hand with surprise. This was probably the best wine he had ever tasted.
"I'm glad you like it. Please help me deliver this to Lakyus later."
Lock placed a small box on the table and stood up, preparing to leave. But after a few steps, he suddenly stopped and turned his head to Azuth behind him, saying, "Oh, by the way, Azuth. Let me give you some advice: don't get too close to that dragon from the Council State. He is a dragon, after all, not a human. In his eyes, you're like a child holding a gold brick, because that enchanted armor is far more valuable than you are. Never overestimate a dragon's conscience, after all, that fellow has a record."
With that, Lock walked out of the room.
Azuth watched Lock'sretreatg. Although he wanted to smile, the thought of their brief meeting earlier kept him from doing so.
It proved that Lock's sudden attack during their meeting had left a considerable psychological shadow on Azuth.
Unconsciously, it added weight to his words. If it had just been a normal conversation, even if Lock had talked until the sky fell, Azuth would probably have just laughed it off.
But now, Azuth couldn't help but ponder the events and their underlying meaning.
"Zar, are you the kind of person he spoke of?" Azuth narrowed his eyes. He didn't actually know the strongest Dragon Lord very well. Perhaps he should ask others. Before that, he should remain a little wary.
Although Azuth had known before that he would be very weak without that enchanted armor, this feeling had never been as direct as it was today.
"In any case, first, find the old woman."
"Uncle."
Just then, Lakyus and the others walked in from outside the door. When she saw the very clear handprint on Azuth's neck, she immediately had a bad feeling. This scene felt familiar.
"Uncle, are you alright! What did the Count do to you?"
Azuth noticed his niece's concern, shrugged, and said with a smile, "Nothing, just a friendly exchange between men."
Lakyus looked at him with suspicion, feeling that her uncle was hiding something important from her. But since he didn't want to say it was a junior, he couldn't force him.
"If there's anything, I still hope you'll tell me. Perhaps we can help."
"Yes, yes~" Azuth responded dismissively, but then suddenly changed his tone, teasing Lakyus. "Speaking of which, my niece, that young man seems quite interested in you."
"Eh!" Lakyus blushed for a moment, immediately retorting, "What nonsense are you spouting!"
"Heh, in this regard, you can completely trust my uncle's intuition. He exudes the same aura as I. From that perspective, he's quite pleasing to the eye." Azuth said playfully. Although he didn't fully understand what kind of person Lock was, that didn't stop him from teasing his niece, did it?
"Here, this is the gift that the young man asked me to pass on to you. He's probably worried you'd reject him directly. Though young, he's quite clever! He knows to send gifts through an elder. Open it and see, it might be valuable jewelry or something!"
At Azuth's prompting, Lakyus also saw the exquisitely wrapped gift box on the table. For a moment, she didn't know whether to accept it, and Lock's gently smiling face couldn't help but appear in her mind.
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A/N: 40+ Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded.
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