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Chapter 749   Greed: The Mother of Ruin

"Although it’s crude, the plan has some usable parts that can work for now," Zorvas finally said, breaking the contemplative silence.

Following his comment, the network quickly began to generate suggestions for modifying the proposed plan. With their collective mental connection, the modifications happened at an impressive speed. Within about twenty minutes, the original plan was barely recognizable, having undergone several significant revisions.

The higher-ups then carefully reviewed the final version to ensure no critical aspects had been overlooked, although it was unlikely at this point. After the review, Liasas spoke up, "I\'ll take care of informing the other civilizations."

With that, she disconnected from the current mental network and created a new one. This time, her focus was on including the leadership of various fleets from other civilizations. A few minutes after initiating the expansion, she had successfully pulled in all the key figures who could make such a significant decision without needing to report to higher authorities, as they had been granted full autonomy for long-range missions like this. As long as the objectives were met, they wouldn’t face any reprimands for their actions.

“I really hate this,” muttered a representative of the Shadari Forces, as he found himself suddenly pulled into a mockup meeting room. Instantly recognizing what had happened, his disdain was palpable. The Shadari, masters of stealth, loathed nothing more than being thrust into situations they did not fully control.

What made the Zelvora so dangerous—and equally unsettling to the rest of the Conclave—was their unparalleled mastery of mental warfare. Most other races in the Conclave had evolved with a focus on physical conflict, leaving them vulnerable to mental intrusions. Although countermeasures had been developed to fend off such attacks, they required immense mental fortitude to be effective. Even so, these defensive strategies only amplified one\'s baseline mental defenses, making those with weak minds more susceptible to being overwhelmed.

In this case, many of the representatives had been preoccupied with physical threats and the damage dealt by ongoing battles. They never anticipated an attack on their mental state during such a precarious time. As a result, they were plucked right out of their tasks and into this network without warning.

Though this forced gathering was irritating to most, they refrained from voicing their displeasure openly. The representatives knew that if the Zelvora had wanted to harm them, they could have done so by exploiting this momentary lapse. Instead, the Zelvora had simply created a private mental network, not illusions or an assault despite doing so being extremely difficult and mental energy-intensive due to the vast distance.

Those drawn into the network could leave it at any time, which tempered their irritation. After all, they knew the Zelvora only summoned these mental meetings when there was something beneficial to propose for all involved.

Even the top ten civilizations, who had more sway, opted to remain silent, knowing it would do little good to complain. They left the habitual bickering between the Shadari and the Zelvora to continue as usual.

“But why are two members missing?” an Erythian representative asked, glancing around. It was uncharacteristic not to hear complaints from the Valthorins, who often saw such mental intrusions as an affront to their honor, and the Xor’Vaks who found it disgraceful.

"We need to reach an agreement before we can contact them," Liasas stated, cutting off any potential reactions. Without waiting for their responses, she immediately began outlining the plan in full detail.

The moment they heard the plan, all their previous frustration about being pulled away from their work vanished. The Zelvora had just offered them a way out of the chaotic situation they were trapped in. They also understood why the Vlathorins and Xor’Vaks were not included in the discussion. While the Vlathorins were known for scheming, they would never do it openly, and in order to protect their honor, they would likely oppose the plan. The Xor’Vaks, on the other hand, weren’t as invested in such political maneuvering, but their exclusion made sense due to their predictable nature.

Seeing a path forward, the representatives quickly got to work, each eager to contribute suggestions. However, some grew greedy, attempting to shape the plan in ways that would secure more benefits for their own civilizations. In this mix of self-interest, it became clear that the most powerful factions would ultimately set the rules. After some debate and compromises among the strongest civilizations, it was agreed: that each group could send their challengers to face off against the Empire\'s champions. If their champions won, their civilization would gain a more favorable deal within the agreement. If they lost, they would receive the baseline benefits initially proposed.

The situation had now evolved beyond just giving the two stubborn civilizations a face-off to satisfy their egos and recover their honor. Now, any civilization that believed they had strong fighters could participate, offering their champions a chance to win additional advantages for their people.

At the same time, the deal was structured in such a way that if the Empire\'s champions emerged victorious overall, they would gain a massive advantage in the final agreement—as it needed to be structured that way to make it enticing enough for the Empire to agree to the terms.

While their greed opened the door for the Empire to become the largest beneficiary if things played out in a certain way, none of them believed that outcome was even remotely possible. Despite already overestimating the Empire, none of the representatives considered for a second that their civilizations could lose. They were not sending their average forces; they were sending their strongest, most elite warriors. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Now that we have come to an agreement, I will inform our two friends and secure their acceptance before approaching the Empire," Xylor finally spoke up, breaking his silence since the start of the meeting. "Once we have their agreement, we\'ll entice the Empire into accepting the deal and allow for some minor adjustments on their part. After that, we can update everyone on whether the plan succeeds or not. We should have the results within a few days."

With that, the private mental network was promptly dissolved, and everyone returned to their respective tasks.