Chapter 969

Chapter 963: The Abyss Legion and Rose officially begin their war!

Douglas looked at Locke with some worry, while Locke was unconcerned. As a Star Ring Wizard, even if he ventured deep into the 21st layer of the Abyss, the Evil Heart Plains, he could ensure his own safety.

Locke said to the red orc demon, “Since the master of this place has specially prepared a banquet for us, we naturally have no reason to refuse.”

The fierce expression on the face of this second-ring red orc demon general instantly vanished, replaced by a warm smile with a fierce aura.

“My master said that all who come are guests. Since you are guests from our hometown, we should naturally treat you with the customs of our hometown. This is a visiting card. It’s a pity that there aren’t many books here, and even if my master were to exhaust all the scriptures, he couldn’t fully restore the customs of the wizarding world. Please forgive us if there is any lack of hospitality.”

Locke said, “It’s alright. We don’t pay much attention to etiquette in the wizarding world now.”

The red orc demon general respectfully presented an invitation made of moon-white clover paper with his hands, which were as large as city gates. The invitation was only about the size of a baby’s palm.

This dramatic scene almost made Douglas burst out laughing.

It was as ridiculous as a ferocious demon holding a miniature toy.

Moon-white clover paper was a magical paper created by alchemists. It usually looked ivory white, with some golden patterns in the details. The magical characters on it could only be seen under the light of magic. It was an ancient magical paper.

Moreover, without magic, the words written on it could not be preserved.

This magical paper is incredibly expensive, as its creation requires animal materials from endangered magical creatures, making each sheet potentially cost 100,000 magic stones.

That’s roughly the same value as a crystallized magical artifact.

They just hadn’t expected the invitations they received to be such a treasure.

Locke remained expressionless, waving his hand to make the invitation float into his hand. The red orc demon general immediately turned, ordering his army to clear the way for Locke and his companions.

The three of them followed the demon army for most of the day. Their pace wasn’t slow; these red orc demons moved like the wind, and their movement was automatically accompanied by a slight spatial teleportation ability, making them incredibly fast. Douglas even had to cast a first-level spell, [Thunderbolt Spell], on himself to keep up.

Locke, however, strolled leisurely, following the army at a leisurely pace.

Along the way, red orc demons prostrated themselves in submission, their heads touching the ground, expressing their reverence to Locke and his companions.

Lagmamon glanced at it and said, “These are rituals that only existed in the Age of Stars.”

“In the Age of Stars, when two Witch Kings met, the more followers they had and the more loyal their armies, the more prestige they held. It seems the Demon Grand Duke of this level is very concerned about restoring ancient rituals, but unfortunately, it’s so incongruous, and these are just a bunch of demons.”

Lagmamon even felt a kind of uncanny valley effect.

Looking at these seemingly proper rituals and the various forms of demons, he felt a little apprehensive.

Lagmamon said, “I guess he’ll fire cannons at the gate.”

“Six cannons, probably.”

The Witch King had barely finished speaking when the magical cannon at the city gate, comparable in size to a planet-destroying cannon, suddenly fired eight cannons at the sky of this level. The entire sky seemed to be torn apart; the plane trembled, and the laws of the plane rejoiced, delighted by the chaos.

Lagmamon’s face darkened.

“This is against the rules. Only the Royal Court and the Tower of the Black Sun are allowed to fire eight cannons when receiving guests. I thought he would overstep the bounds of etiquette, but I didn’t expect him to directly use the sacrificial rites of the Tower of the Black Sun.”

“This person seems to value etiquette and norms, but if he were back in the Age of Stars, he would probably be executed by the entire wizarding world.”

“He is truly rude.”

Douglas laughed, “Teacher, this is what they call Lord Ye’s love of dragons.”

King Lagmamon nodded. “That’s right, this is what they call Lord Ye

’s love of dragons.” Locke and the others followed the Red Orc Demon General into the city located in the middle of the tent clusters in the Evil Heart Plains. The city was magnificent and resplendent, making them feel as if they had entered the palace of a powerful magical kingdom in the Age of Stars. There were countless magic mirrors and all kinds of magical sculptures, all of which were architectural styles favored by the wizard kings of the magical kingdoms in the Age of Stars.

As Locke and the others walked up a corridor, their faces were all reflected in the thousands of magic mirrors on the corridor walls.

A wizard dressed in black robes and a wizard’s hat stood at the end of the corridor, his back to them. Four witch attendants, all succubi, stood beside him, their magical powers unknown.

At this moment, the enigmatic ruler of the 21st Abyss Plane turned around. He was a… Red Orc.

He was enormous, even larger than a typical Red Orc demon, with thick fingers, yet he feigned elegance, as if he weren’t a ruthless ruler of the Abyss Plane, but a courteous wizard king from the Age of Stars. The

Red Orc Demon King emanated an astonishing magical pressure, at least at the Sun Ring level.

A jet-black crown adorned his head—the Crown of the Demon Grand Duke, signifying his status as the Demon Grand Duke of the 21st Plane.

“Ah, this must be the Star Ring Wizard.”

“You obtained the Crown of the Sons of Chaos? Heh, it seems we’ll have a lot in common. Are you still living in the Wizarding World?”

An ordinary second-ring wizard dwarf elder beside him coughed.

The Red Orc Demon King immediately realized what was happening. “Please—”

Locke was somewhat dumbfounded, as this was the first time he had experienced such a profound cultural etiquette. Just as Locke was pondering his next move, the Witch King Lagmamon whispered in his ear, “This is the Three Welcomes and Three Refusals Ceremony, a custom from the Age of Stars, for welcoming distinguished guests. From now on, before entering his palace, you will pass through three gates. He will invite you three times, and you must offer your thanks three times.”

“But this Three Welcomes and Three Refusals Ceremony is a royal court ceremony, a ceremony of the Tower of the Black Sun. He has overstepped his bounds.”

“But when in Rome, do as the Romans do. This Demon King wants to indulge in such refined pursuits, Locke, you can play along.”

Locke nodded to the Witch King, then gave a slight nod to the Red Orc Demon King. Immediately, the Red Orc Demon King’s eyes lit up, as if he had found a kindred spirit.

He quickly turned and headed towards the second palace gate, striding forward with the speed of the wind, extremely pleased.

As Locke walked, he said to the Witch King Lagmamon, “But Witch King, don’t you feel offended?”

Lagmamon, the Witch-King, looked at Locke with surprise, then chuckled softly, “What do I have to be angry about? The one who should be angry is the Tower of the Black Sun, not me. This isn’t part of my ritual rules.”

“Besides, aren’t there plenty of people who overstep their bounds when it comes to etiquette? Who wants to spend their whole life just following their assigned role? I’m not one to follow the rules. Why should the main branch of the family chosen by the Tower of the Black Sun be king forever? What gives them the right?”

“Is it the exploration of magic, strength, the choice of the masses, or so-called lineage?”

Locke recalled that if Lagmamon had followed the normal order of succession, he would never have become the Witch-King of the Badaklia Royal Court. His succession was probably not normal. He just didn’t understand why the Tower of the Black Sun recognized him and allowed a burnt offering to the Tower.

In that case, he himself was a usurper.

The Red Orc Demon King then stood before the second palace gate, gesturing for Locke to enter. After Locke responded, he ran to the third palace gate and made the gesture again. Only after Locke agreed to the banquet did he reveal a joyful expression.

“I have prepared a banquet for you in my palace, with singing, dancing, wine, and women—everything imaginable. All the wealth of our Evil Heart Plains plane is gathered in this Red Orc royal city!”

“You can enjoy it all together.”

“I didn’t expect you to be so young, yet so knowledgeable about ancient etiquette. It’s truly remarkable. I’ve hosted some wizards before, but they were all incredibly tactless. The wizards of the Northern Realm liked to criticize me, the wizards of the Eastern Realm stole my treasures, the wizards of the Southern Realm robbed my army, and the wizards of the Central Realm… couldn’t utter a single word for ages…” “

You must be very accomplished in the wizarding world. Where are you from?”

Locke smiled. “The Eastern Realm.”

The Red Orc Demon King paused for a moment, then changed the subject.

“Young friend, please take a seat.”

They sat together at a massive table in a vast palace. The Red Orc Demon King, along with his concubines, wives, and generals, swarmed around the table, enjoying the delicacies and treasures plundered from various worlds. Some of the food even had an enhancing effect on second-circle wizards. The Red Orc Demon King coughed

and tapped the table, immediately signaling his concubines and generals to rise and inviting Locke, Douglas, and the Lagmamon Wizard King to sit. The Red Orc Demon

King picked up a Thundercrocodile leg, took a bite, and chewed, saying, “However, we in the Evil Heart Plains have a rule: passersby must present a treasure sufficient for passage; otherwise, we will not allow them to pass.”

“I wonder if you have prepared such a treasure?”

The Red Orc Demon King’s eyes gleamed.

Locke exchanged a glance with Douglas and the Witch King Lagmamon. No wonder the person in the Central Region’s key laboratory had warned them against carrying any important treasures back on the 22nd level of the Abyss.

It seemed the Red Orc Demons were indeed Red Orc Demons; plunder and robbery were their nature. Therefore, they still needed to ask them for treasures.

Douglas looked at Locke with a probing gaze, wanting to see what Locke planned to do.

Douglas used the first-circle spell model [Electromagnetic Communication] to speak in Locke’s ear: “Boss, we’ve already reached the 21st level. Even if he turns against us, we’re not afraid. At most, it’ll just delay us. I can secretly find the dimensional portal to leave this level.”

“We’ll leave as soon as we find it,”

Locke smiled. Douglas was still too hasty; after all, he was immature and too prone to impulsiveness.

There’s no need to antagonize the Demon Grand Duke of this level right now. Perhaps we’ll need his help later, or there might be opportunities for cooperation. Of course, offering up treasures is absolutely out of the question.

He smiled at King Lagmamon.

King Lagmamon smiled at Locke and said, “Alright then.”

King Lagmamon looked at the Red Orc Demon King and said, “This wizard, I think you’ve made a mistake. Your dining etiquette is completely wrong.”

The Red Orc Demon King was furious, glaring at King Lagmamon.

“You servant, what did you say?”

King Lagmamon stood up, his voice laced with laughter.

“First of all, in the Age of Stars, servants, concubines, soldiers, generals, guests, and the Witch King could not possibly sit at the same table. The table’s dimensions are simply wrong… a long table of specific dimensions is needed…”

“Secondly, as the host, you must sit in the main seat. According to magical rank and status, you and Locke, the Star Ring Wizard, should sit at one table, and the servants at another.”

The Red Orc Demon King, initially angry, immediately became respectful after the Witch King’s detailed explanation, sometimes showing sudden understanding, sometimes nodding in agreement.

The Witch King Lagmamon said, “I’ve finished.”

Then he sat down.

Locke looked at the Red Orc Demon King and smiled, “Well, isn’t this treasure I’m giving you better than what those wizards left you before?”

The Red Orc Demon King suddenly understood, then became extremely excited.

“It’s a million times better.”

“Today I feel as if I’ve heard the most beautiful music.”

“If even one of your servants is so knowledgeable in etiquette, then his master—you—must be even more knowledgeable. May I ask your name? My name is Behemoth Diablo.”

Locke said, “My name is Locke Augustine, the wizard of Mount Golden Crown.”

Diablo, the Red Orc King, had clearly never heard of Mount Golden Crown, so he simply nodded as if he understood, and then said, “Mr. Augustine has given me such a great gift, so I should return the favor with a gift. What do you want? Everything in my palace can be given to you!”

Locke glanced at his palace and shook his head slightly.

“We are friends, we don’t need these gifts.”

The Red Orc Demon King was clearly intrigued.

“No, no, no, I must give you a gift today. I can’t bear this feeling.”

“Just say the word, and I will certainly give your friend a gift.”

Locke feigned reluctance.

Douglas stared blankly at how things had unfolded. He hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. Wasn’t the Demon King planning to rob them at the banquet?

But how did it become that after a few words from Boss Locke, the Demon King was now insisting on giving them gifts?

Did this Demon King even know what he was saying?

At first, the Witch-King Lagmamon looked at Locke with confusion. He didn’t understand why Locke wouldn’t grant the Demon King’s request and simply take some worthless item and leave.

Of course, he couldn’t be foolish enough to ask for anything truly valuable from the Demon King.

To put it bluntly, after his interactions with the Demon King, he had come to understand him. The man seemed hospitable, but he couldn’t hide his true nature as a bandit.

He seemed willing to give things away easily, but if Locke asked for something expensive, the Demon King would immediately feel the pinch and change his mind.

After all, the Demon King’s primary identity was that of a Demon Grand Duke, and only secondarily a demon who liked to cosplay as a wizard.

Moreover, even legitimate wizards wouldn’t be so generous.

If Locke asked for something valuable, they might not be able to leave this Abyss Plane easily.

However, the Witch-King Lagmamon quickly figured out what Locke really wanted.

At the banquet, Locke looked at the Red Orc Demon King and said, “If you ask me if there’s anything I need? I’ve thought about it carefully, and it seems there’s nothing.”

The Red Orc Demon King became very distressed, clutching his chest, and said, “My friend, please don’t say that, it hurts my feelings too much.”

“My Evil Heart Plains is so vast, with so many treasures, surely there’s nothing that can interest you? I don’t believe it, there must be something.”

The Red Orc Demon King commanded a demon with his eyes to pour Locke a cup of expensive wizard’s wine called [Spring and Autumn Intoxication]. This wine could even make a second-ring wizard black out, and a single drop could leave a mortal in a small world drunk for an entire day, even if added to a river in that world.

If a mortal drank it directly, they would likely never wake up again.

Locke sighed.

“But I’m so wealthy in the Wizarding World, and I’ve even just conquered a world. I really can’t think of anything I need.”

Douglas was completely out of sync with the psychological game between Locke, the Red Orc King, and the Wizard King, so he was utterly bewildered. He had no idea what Locke was talking about. Who was it that kept telling him he didn’t have enough money?

The Red Orc Demon King Diablo’s eyes brightened slightly. “Conquered a world? What scale?”

Locke replied, “Medium-to-large scale.”

This wasn’t a lie, because after his advancement to the Star Ring, the Three Hole Worlds had gained the ability to officially transform into medium-to-large worlds, and were currently undergoing the transformation. Although it might take a hundred years, wouldn’t you say it was a medium-to-large world?

The Red Orc Demon King’s gaze towards Locke became even more enthusiastic and admiring. Abyssal demons all admired the strong, and in his eyes, Locke was already a plane conqueror as powerful as himself.

No wonder he came from the Wizarding World.

He was truly outstanding.

The Red Orc Demon King also felt a sense of apprehension towards Locke, and his contempt weakened.

Locke said, “Well, I’m a bit troubled by the fact that I haven’t been able to mine any ore in the world I just conquered. That’s a problem. But if I just let anyone in, I’m afraid someone will take over the world I just acquired. So that’s probably my only headache right now.”

The Red Orc King’s eyes lit up.

“So simple. I have countless men under my command. I’ll just give you a hundred first-ring red orcs and make them obey you for life, won’t that solve the problem? These red orcs are quite capable.” “

I want to be your friend, Mr. Augustine. I believe your name will one day resound throughout the endless void.”

The restless Douglas suddenly froze, then turned to his teacher, the Witch King Lagmamon, who nodded slightly to him.

He himself looked at Locke, his eyes filled with disbelief. Good heavens, his boss even tried to trick the demon’s army by passing by the demon palace.

So that was his purpose.

Indeed, these creatures with exceptionally high physical density were the best for mining, because their body’s magical pressure density was so high that they might not even need tools, they could mine ore directly with their hands.

If he could just teach these red orcs some basic magical knowledge, or enchant them with magical abilities through magic scrolls or the like, he couldn’t imagine how efficient these red orcs would be.

Locke said, “Let’s not give it away. I’ll just buy it. Or maybe a half-buy, half-giveaway would be fine.”

Locke had accurately gauged the Demon King’s feigned generosity. He knew that if he tried to get something from him without paying, even if he succeeded, it would be incredibly troublesome.

Besides, his appetite was considerable; a hundred first-ring red orcs weren’t enough.

He needed more.

Mining the Azure Spirit Breath ore vein required a large workforce, and these red orcs, with their high physical abilities, seemed perfectly suited for mining.

If he were to hire wizards from the Wizarding World to mine, the cost would be incalculable.

Increasing revenue was important, but controlling costs was second most important.

In the Wizarding World, unless a wizarding academy was established on the spot, and a large number of apprentices were recruited specifically to study mining, the cost of other hiring practices would be astronomical. Establishing a wizarding academy required approval from the White Wizarding Association.

It was possible, but managing it would be very complex, and the academy itself required long-term investment to yield returns.

The Red Orc Demon King was even happier after hearing Locke’s words.

He thought Locke was indeed a good person; not only did he not want his gifts, but he also offered him money, only wanting to exchange a few useless, brainless Red Orc demons for him.

Locke said, “But I want elites. I see a first-ring Red Orc; I can offer 100,000 magic stones. We can sign a contract.”

The Red Orc Demon King patted his chest and said, “Good, of course. The currency of the Wizarding World is hard currency in the Endless Void. From now on, you will be a friend of the ruler of my 21st-level Evil Heart Plains, and I can even give you a half-price deal.”

“This time, let’s do a half-price sale. You buy as many as you want, and I’ll give you the same amount. I’ll also directly sell you my well-trained and loyal army. What do you think? Hahaha…”

Douglas calculated that a first-ring creature could be bought for only 100,000 magic stones, which was too good to pass up.

Because a first-ring wizard’s monthly salary is generally around ten thousand, and the value of red orcs is obviously incomparable to that of a first-ring wizard, but the problem is that it’s a buyout for one hundred thousand magic stones.

These first-ring red orc creatures are definitely high-quality first-ring creatures in the endless void.

Even he has to put in a lot of effort to fight these beings.

And the sale of a first-ring wizard debt slave will cost at least a million.

Locke said, “Then I’ll buy a hundred first-ring red orc demons first.”

Buying a hundred would cost ten million magic stones, and at the same time, they would give him another hundred first-ring red orcs, which means he could get two hundred red orcs.

With so many red orcs as miners, that would definitely be enough for him.

Of course, demons have the problems of being difficult to manage and prone to betrayal. If these two problems are not solved, then even if these demons are bought, they will still be a burden.

This is also why wizards generally do not capture demons as slave laborers.

If you want to make these demons obedient, you have to send guards and pay a huge cost, then the cost-effectiveness is not very high.

Locke had observed them along the way, and among all the demons in the Abyss Plane, these Red Orc Demons were definitely the most obedient. Moreover, he possessed a status that genuinely commanded their obedience. He held the power of the Abyss Dragon, the qualifications to contend with the Supreme Eye Demon for the position of Lord of the 78th Abyss Plane, and the crown of the Child of Chaos.

Therefore, at this moment, his identity as the Child of Chaos and the Abyss Dragon was not merely a disadvantage, but rather a unique advantage.

Besides, mining was the most basic and unskilled job.

Asking these demons to produce anything refined, such as enchanted scrolls, was clearly unacceptable; he would definitely lose money.

Diablo, the Red Orc Demon King, considered the situation and realized he had nothing to lose.

After all, these orc demons were practically worthless; the Abyss was full of people. Giving away two hundred first-ring demons was enough; he could simply plunder some more people from other planes in the Endless Void or other Abyss Planes to quickly replenish his demon roster.

Locke produced a contract and activated the Eye of Truth as guarantor. The Crimson Orc Demon King then rose and led Locke to the training grounds of the Evil Heart Plains. Standing there, he commanded a legion of two hundred Crimson Orcs, clad in full Abyssal black plate armor and wielding Abyssal black spears, to step forward.

These Crimson Orc demons left trails of Abyssal flames wherever they went; tall and imposing, they resembled demon gods. These two hundred Crimson Orc demons alone were enough to form a terrifying nomadic army capable of plundering countless worlds.

After all, an army of two hundred beings with around ten thousand magic power was not weak.

Locke had acquired them for ten million magic stones, a significant bargain, not only because he had successfully outmaneuvered the Abyssal Plane Lord of this level, but also because he himself seemed to hold a relatively high title on the Abyssal side.

At this moment, the Red Orc Demon King addressed them, “From this moment forward, your master is this wizard, Locke Augustine. You will be completely loyal to him and will leave the 21st plane.”

“Understood! This is my order!”

The two hundred Red Orc demons exchanged glances, their demonic eyes beneath the masks made of abyssal black gold remaining unchanged. They all looked at Locke, but made no move.

The Red Orc Demon King smiled, but he couldn’t care less. In the abyss, making other demons obey was simple: you just needed to be a demon stronger than them.

For an outsider to subdue an abyssal demon without being betrayed, or to prevent them from causing trouble in secret, was extremely difficult.

But for the abyssal lords, as long as they followed the abyssal law of the jungle, that was enough.

Diablo looked at Locke and said, “My good friend, you can now take over your army.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the lord’s mark on these demons vanished. The principles of the 21st plane rejected them, meaning they were no longer the abyssal demons of the 21st plane.

Locke didn’t look at them immediately.

He took out a thousand magic crystal cards from his astral ring and handed them to the red orc demon king.

Then, Locke’s shadow on the ground transformed into a demonic dragon.

Locke remembered the dragon wizard smoking opium. As he turned, his dragon nature erupted, abyssal energy enveloped him, and he briefly transformed into a colossal abyssal dragon, towering to the heavens. The

abyssal energy and the dragon’s power mingled, radiating a terrifying, unique, and destructive force.

A star ring belonging to the dragon appeared on its back—a dark purple star ring, its head biting its tail, a pattern of an ouroboros.

As if the end of the world had arrived, the abyssal dragon walked here.

The Abyss Demon wore the Crown of the Son of Chaos atop its head, a special title bestowed upon it by the Abyss plane as the embodiment of chaos.

Diablo’s face showed a hint of apprehension. Although Locke had only displayed Star Ring-level power, the dragon’s unique power made him feel suppressed, and he hadn’t even received the Crown of the Son of Chaos yet!

Upon witnessing the dragon’s immense power, the two hundred red orc demons finally moved. They knelt before Locke, bowing their demonic heads, acknowledging him as their new master.

“Master. We are your most terrifying legion. We will plunder and loot everything for you.”

A beam of abyssal light flashed from the Crown of the Son of Chaos atop Locke’s head, followed by his lord’s mark imprinted on the souls of these Abyss demons.

This was a lordship relationship.

Of course, the position of an Abyss lord was not particularly secure. This lord’s mark could only roughly sense their location, vaguely indicate what they were doing, and let these red orc demons know who their lord was.

The problem was that these demons were merely ordinary first-ring level, while he was a Star Ring Wizard. The difference in strength between them was simply too great, so the Lord’s Mark was amplified.

Locke could even detonate the Lord’s Mark within them to kill or weaken them.

This was the Abyss.

The greater the difference in strength, the greater the Lord’s power. If these demons’ strength suddenly increased, the function of the Lord’s Mark would decrease. If they approached the second ring, even the basic function of vaguely sensing location might fail.

When Locke turned around again, he had transformed from a dragon into a human.

The Red Orc Demon King was even more convinced that Locke was not someone to be trifled with, and that they shared a very similar interest.

“Hahaha… my good friend, I’ll send you away from the Abyss now. I only hope you can visit the Evil Heart Plains often when you have time. Hahahaha…” …

On

the banks of the Tianjiang River, at the headquarters of the Silver Peach Garden, Wizard Terence kept trying to contact Locke, but all his messages were like stones sinking into the sea.

He rubbed his forehead in frustration.

Because the Aureille Shop Alliance seems to have dropped its last pretense. Previously, they were merely developing quietly, slowly encroaching on Silver Peach Garden’s market share. But since publicly announcing their involvement in the research of the Peach Dart Branch yesterday, it means they’ve completely shed their disguise and are ready to take action against Silver Peach Garden.

The Peach Dart Branch is Silver Peach Garden’s signature magical plant weapon and currently its best-selling super-product.

If the other side announces its involvement and research on this super-product magical plant weapon, it means they intend to completely replace Silver Peach Garden.

Wizard Terence is extremely distressed. Since yesterday, a large number of designers and wizard employees have again submitted their resignations, and even an entire team has been poached by Aureille. He tries to contact Locke Augustine, but to no avail.

He rubs his head in frustration.

“Even if we contact Mr. Augustine, it might not solve the current problem, but… as the administrative head, he must know about these things. Moreover, he is the core figure of the Red Dragon lineage; only he has the ability to deal with Rose the Witch.”

Terence, the wizard, thought of his three meetings with Rose the Witch, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Each time, he was the one who suffered.

Each time, Rose the Witch looked at him with her aggressive gaze, as if he were merely food.

He even felt a fear of Rose the Witch.

The Olayer Shop Alliance seemed to have established a firm foothold along the Tianjiang River, and Silver Peach Garden seemed to have lost its best opportunity to suppress them.

Just as Terence was at a loss, a wizard reported to him that Rose the Witch of Olayer and Joshua the Wizard requested an audience.

Terence hesitated for a moment, then had the wizard invite the two in.

At this moment, Rose the Witch curiously walked through the rather ancient-styled corridor of Silver Peach Garden, then entered Terence the Wizard’s office. She uninvitedly sat down at his desk, startling Terence, who had just stood up to pour three cups of wizard tea.

Rose suddenly spoke to him, “Terence the Wizard, I admire your talent. Why don’t you leave Silver Peach Garden and come work for me?”

…

At Golden Crown Mountain, Locke himself was in deep meditation in his dormitory. He did nothing, completely following his senior brother’s advice.

He wasn’t unaware of the message Terence the Wizard had sent him. However,

Locke was firstly too busy, and secondly, unwilling to intervene now.

If Olayer wanted to be the Peach Dart Branch, then let them be.

In a sense, he even tacitly approved of it. Rose’s methods were indeed ruthless, each move striking at the very root of Silver Peach Garden.

Whether it was squeezing out business, poaching talent, cutting off Silver Peach Garden’s current cash flow, or accelerating its decline…

The problem is, he tacitly approved of these things.

To put it bluntly, what he wanted was a truly revitalized, miraculously successful business, not a startup led by a bunch of parasites destined for bankruptcy—that would be too exhausting.

Previous new administrators failed to see this, believing they could restore profitability with a bunch of rotten flesh. But no matter how they reformed, those reforms would be devoured by that rotten flesh.

“After reviewing those documents, I don’t believe I have better management skills than them. So naturally, if I take over Silver Peach Garden, these rotten parts must be removed. Even if Rose doesn’t help me remove them, I’ll fire them.” “

The truly valuable ones, I’ve already had Terence use concentrated resources and increased salaries to win them over. Whether Rose wants to bring a bunch of opportunists over is her own business.”

Locke stopped thinking about such things; he had other plans for Silver Peach Garden.

At this moment, he received a message from the wizard Trajan, informing him that the process was complete and he needed to go to a designated location tomorrow for a [Power Component Check].

“This check is probably why my senior brother wanted my main body to do nothing for a week,”

Locke pondered.

“My potion-making and clone-making negotiations in Dragonfall Lands are almost complete. It seems I can indeed focus some of my attention on the Tianjiang Riverbank.”

“Of course, my priority is to familiarize myself with the environment of the key laboratory as soon as possible.”

…

On the Tianjiang Riverbank, Wizard Terence glanced at Locke’s side, which hadn’t responded, and whispered, “Ms. Rose, Mr. Locke Augustine still hasn’t replied to me. In such a terrible situation, he hasn’t said a word.”

Witch Rose curled the corners of her lips. “He’s really capricious.”

“That’s in line with the personality I know him to be. Although he seems very composed, I can sense his unruly nature that no one can control.”

“Well, you’re really scared of such a capricious leader, aren’t you? Want to come with me? I’ve prepared a suitable position for you, with a half-level raise in salary, you…”

Wizard Terence said, “That’s precisely why I can’t switch jobs. After all, it shows that the lord is confident. To be honest, I was really panicked just now. If that lord had contacted me immediately, I would have been even more panicked. But now it seems that in that lord’s eyes, there’s nothing to worry about right now. Is my position easy to hold, Lady Rose?”

Witch Rose stood up, her face displeased.

“I know you love this shop alliance, but as a wizard, you’re still too sentimental. I will absolutely not offer you such a condition a second time.”

Wizard Joshua shook his head and immediately followed.

“Lady Rose, wait for me.”

I originally wanted to write more, but the author really can’t write too much… I’ll write more when I have the chance. After all, I need to maintain the quality and the plot.

(End of this chapter)