Chapter 1625: Expanding the offer
"Three pieces of planetary artifact? Are you out of your mind?!" Hedrick roared, his hand crashing down on the map table so hard that the strong wooden frame creaked beneath the force. His face flushed with anger, the veins on his forehead standing out.
"Three pieces," Theo repeated firmly, his tone calm but unyielding. "And I am not asking for scraps or broken junk. I want second-tier artifacts at minimum, or first-tier if the items carry great value—like a Beast-Taming Artifact or a Jar of Greed ."
His eyes narrowed, sharp and focused. "We, the Shadow Swords, are recognized across Sectors 99, 100 and 101 as the largest secret intelligence organization, and that is not just our claim—it is confirmed even by rival groups. Only THE Syndicate stands above us. And yet, until now, we have never once involved ourselves in a direct clash with any major force. Our actions have always been confined to paid assignments, detached and impersonal."
Theo’s brows tightened, his voice carrying a heavy weight. "But if the Shadow Swords step into a cosmic war like this one, we will no longer be seen as just another group. We will be marked as the side that openly dares to oppose not one, but two Behemoths. And think carefully: if you, Lord Hedrick, fall in direct battle after we intervene, what will become of us? We will lose our neutrality forever, our reputation will be shattered, and the side we supported will also crumble. Everything we have built, all the foundations of our power, will collapse into dust. From that moment on, every enemy we have ever made will come for us with no restraint."
Hedrick’s fury eased a fraction, though his face was still tense. "...Even so, three planetary artifacts for every empire you force to retreat? And each one must be at least second-tier? That is too much. You are talking about three hundred pieces in total—you want to strip me bare, to bankrupt me completely!" His voice cracked, torn between rage and disbelief.
For a moment he nearly spat out that Theo had no true idea of the worth of planetary artifact, that no sane man would dare demand such a fortune. But Hedrick caught himself, forcing down the words. He knew the truth—if Theo did not understand the value of such items, then who possibly could?
"Lord Hedrick," Theo said slowly, his tone cold but edged with conviction, "we are not speaking of minor raids or border conflicts. We are talking about shattering empires. I have not even charged you for the intelligence I have already handed over. Do you have the faintest idea how much I spent to uncover the exact locations of those planets, to name every one of the three hundred and thirty attackers, to create files that reveal their hidden weaknesses?" His eyes gleamed like sharpened blades. "Do you know how much I could profit if I chose to use this information against them, to blackmail them directly—or worse, to sell it to a rival power hungry for their downfall?"
The truth was that the Shadow Swords were no longer content to sit in silence, waiting for contracts. Under Theo’s leadership, they had embraced a new reality: initiative.
Hunting down secrets, then selling them to enemies, had become their most powerful source of income. Not long ago, Theo had even demanded an entire planet as payment for one piece of critical intelligence—and once he owned it, he had turned around and sold that planet to the Cradle Centennial Empire.
Even through the long strands of hair that covered his face, Hedrick’s expression shifted, darkened, hardened. His voice lowered into a growl. "Did you just threaten me?"
"How could I ever threaten the side chosen by my own father?" Theo replied smoothly, brushing the thought aside with a slight wave of his hand. "I am only presenting costs and potential profits, so Your Majesty can see clearly that three planetary artifacts per retreating empire is a small price compared to the scale of this war."
With deliberate calm, Theo shifted the star map until it highlighted another cluster of worlds—one Hedrick recognized instantly. His face tightened.
"In no more than two centuries," Theo explained, "the storm will break. Six thousand fleets will move into formation, advancing without pause. At their head will march no fewer than five Guardians and multiple Monarchs, all driving straight toward the Cosmic Hammer starfield. And you, Lord Hedrick, hold almost half of that starfield under your authority. Can you imagine the devastation if you face such an assault without our intervention? ...At that moment, will you not wish you had sacrificed five, or even ten, planetary artifacts to force each enemy to retreat?"
Hedrick slowly raised two fingers, his expression stone. "That makes the second threat you’ve given me in less than five minutes." He lowered his hand, his gaze drilling into Theo’s. "I cannot even tell if I should see you as an ally or as an enemy now... Shadow Swords."
"See us," Theo said softly, his voice calm like still water, "as friends bound by mutual interest. I know my father struck some deal with you, but I do not believe he did it out of the power of friendship. There was surely a clear contract between you. If you wish, we can expand that contract—reshape it to meet the demands of your coming war. But if you do not wish to..."
Theo then stepped back with a polite gesture. "Then take the information I have shared as a gift from Lord Robin Burton. And with that, I will excuse myself."
"..." Hedrick hesitated for long minutes, his jaw tightening and loosening before he finally forced himself to speak. "I do not have the power, nor even the proper authority, to give you those numbers— not even if I truly wished to hand them over right now."
"The Crumbled Dreams Millennial Empire possesses exactly 1,218 planetary artifacts," Theo replied with calm composure, his tone carrying both confidence and weight. "They are carefully distributed among generals, commanders, and special forces whenever wartime erupts, so you should understand why I speak with certainty."
"You... you even broke into my empire’s deepest records?" Hedrick’s face hardened, and veins bulged on his neck. "...Damn it all, do you expect me to hand you a third of what I have gathered by sheer force and ruthless wars over millions of years? To strip my followers of their weapons and leave them to fight wielding frying pans, kitchen knives, and charcoal skewers instead?!" Hedrick’s deep, rumbling voice rose like thunder.
"We will take our payment only in case of victory and in the aftermath of the plan’s success—never during or before the war itself," Theo added, his words calm yet cutting like steel. "We know, with absolute certainty, that planetary artifacts will matter more than anything else in the coming war." He leaned forward slightly. "So what do you say, Lord Hedrick? You will not hear, nor ever receive, a better offer than this one."
"..." Hedrick’s gaze locked with Theo’s, holding his eyes for long, suffocating seconds. "...I cannot read you at all. I thought you had cultivated and rooted yourself in the Path of Darkness, but what I sense from you is... different, strange, almost alien. Tell me, what law did you build your pillars on exactly?"
"Void Darkness," Theo answered without hesitation, his honesty deliberate. Anyone who had made a pact with his father and received the aid of the Demons would surely know what his father was capable of. "It is a perfect merge born of both Major Heavenly Law of Darkness and Major Heavenly Law of Space."
"A law that dares to merge the essential Darkness with the Fundamental Space itself?" Hedrick’s eyes widened in open shock. "Unbelievable... astounding... no wonder you are prepared to risk your life for you adoptive father."
"Without him, I would not be. I’m a mere mirror of his greatness—it’s as simple and absolute as that." Theo replied with a smile that carried both pride and certainty. "And he who places all his eggs into Lord Robin’s basket will, without doubt, emerge victorious. My father has proven that fact, time and time again, in every battlefield and every era."
"..." Hedrick stayed silent for a little longer, his thoughts weighing heavy on him, before he finally gave a slow nod. "Fine. If we survive the storm of the coming war, then I will pay you exactly what you ask."
"No wonder you have reached such great success, Lord Hedrick," Theo said with a small, deliberate step forward and a polite yet piercing smile. "Firm and immediate decisions like this are what separate true kings and rulers from all the rest who merely sit on thrones." He tilted his head. "Now, with that settled, we can finally talk about the further details and expand the boundaries of the offer."
"What details, and what new offer?" Hedrick frowned deeply, an uneasy weight pressing on his chest as a bad feeling gnawed at him.
Theo shrugged with deceptive lightness. "We will, of course, need to arrange some reliable allies for you before your war begins. Even if our plan succeeds in rolling back and neutralizing a third of the 380 allied powers currently marching against you, you will still be forced to deal with the rest through sheer force. You must have allies who can stand with you—supporting you with weapons, manpower, fleets of ships, and, just as importantly, voices that will defend your name in the soul society, swaying public opinion to lean in your favor instead of against you."
"...I have no allies except for the Shattering Meteor Empire and your father," Hedrick said with a heavy shake of his head. His brothers had proven unreliable, treacherous even.
"That is more than fine," Theo answered with a broad, satisfied smile. "So tell me, Lord Hedrick... how many allies do you want?"