Chapter 148: Do you want both?

Chapter 148: Do you want both?The room fell silent. Xavian and Nathaniel exchanged glances, their expressions growing serious. They hadn’t considered this angle before, but now that Caesar had pointed it out, they realized—he was absolutely right. The four powerhouses—Fake the Demon King, Skylon, Amaterasu, and Vishnu— They weren’t just top-tier players; they were the faces of their respective nations, symbols of national strength— Hell, they were practically living superweapons. And now, Ethan had obliterated them. Not just defeated them—he had forced a PK kill on them. The kind of grudge that would create... it was beyond personal. It was a blood feud of the highest order. If those four decided to throw caution to the wind and band together for revenge, it wouldn’t just be dangerous—it would be terrifying. And that wasn’t even the worst of it. The arrival of the 12-Tier Royal Units was a massive threat to the top powers of Europe, the Middle East, and Russiania. There was no way they’d just sit back and do nothing. Sure, even with all their combined strength, they still wouldn’t be able to stop the unstoppable force that was the 12-Tier Royal Units. But expecting them to surrender without even putting up a fight? To just roll over and hand over their dominance of the global stage? That was never going to happen. Which meant, when this all played out to its inevitable conclusion— North America might end up standing alone. Against Korea. Against China. Against Japan. Against India. Hell, maybe even against Europe, the Middle East, Russiania— The entire goddamn world. The thought alone was enough to make Xavian and Nathaniel’s faces darken even further. They were starting to panic. "...Alright." Just then, Ethan’s calm voice broke the silence. "I can lease you the 12-Tier units. Lease, not sell. Their ownership stays with me." In other words, he was simply deploying his forces on a temporary mission. At any moment, with just a single command, they would return to his side—no hesitation, no exceptions. That was what leasing meant. "Of course!" Caesar nodded without hesitation. "Mr. Ethan, for each 12-Tier unit, Lich’s Covenant is willing to pay an annual leasing fee of... 10 million coins. How does that sound?" 10 million per year. Ethan froze. Not because it was too little— But because it was way too much. A 12-Tier unit only cost 600,000 to recruit. And that was a one-time purchase. No annual salary. No upkeep. Nothing. Ethan chuckled and shook his head. "No wonder Lich’s Covenant is ranked number one among the top ten guilds. You guys really are loaded." "It’s not about being loaded—it’s about having no other choice." Caesar let out a bitter laugh and explained, "Mr. Ethan, let me be straight with you. Even for Lich’s Covenant, paying 10 million coins a year... we wouldn’t be able to sustain that for long. General Grant and Xavian both know this too. Sure, the guild has money, but our expenses are massive. A sum this big puts a huge strain on us." "Don’t worry, Caesar. We’ll pitch in too," Nathaniel reassured him. Strictly speaking, Caesar wasn’t renting these 12-Tier units just for Lich’s Covenant. This was about securing the stability of all of North America. Which meant the government and military had a responsibility to contribute as well. "I have two 12-Tier units available right now. Do you want both?" Ethan suddenly asked. Hiss— "W-what?!" "You’re saying... we can rent both?!" Nathaniel and Caesar froze in shock. Xavian, however, reacted the fastest. His excitement was palpable as he immediately spoke up. "Mr. Ethan! Could you lease the second 12-Tier Royal Unit to Holy Concord Guild? Please give us this opportunity! I promise, we’ll pay every single coin upfront—right now, no delays!" Clearly, they had only expected to get one 12-Tier Royal Unit. Two? That was beyond their wildest dreams. But now, Ethan had just dropped an absolute bombshell on them. Both 12-Tier Royal Units were up for lease?! This... this was insane! It was like winning the lottery—except a thousand times better! Sure, they had been complaining about the financial strain, about how tough it would be to afford this. But deep down, they all knew— The value of a 12-Tier Royal Unit wasn’t something that could be measured in mere millions of coins. Take the simplest example: With a 12-Tier Royal Unit, they could easily complete high-level A-rank missions in bulk. Which meant they could rapidly accumulate 11-Tier units. Give them just a little time to develop quietly, and their overall strength would skyrocket to an entirely new level. And that wasn’t even the best part. With these 12-Tier Royal Units, they could stand tall against the pressure from the rest of the world— Unshaken. Unbothered. Completely unfazed. No exaggeration— In the current era, a 12-Tier Royal Unit was more terrifying than a nuclear bomb. More devastating than a hydrogen bomb. If war broke out— Russiania? Europe? The so-called strongest players in the world? The so-called top ten global experts? All of them would be nothing. Right now, in the player community, there was absolutely no one— No one— Who could stand against the power of a 12-Tier Royal Unit. And this wasn’t just one unit. It was two. Do they even realize what that means? It was the kind of power that could dominate the entire world. Hell, if they were bold enough, they could even take these 12-Tier Royal Units and start conquering foreign territories— Crushing their enemies. Forcing them into submission. Expanding North America’s influence while squeezing out the competition. And as their enemies weakened, North America would only grow stronger. Stronger. Until, eventually— They would stand at the very top of the world. Unrivaled. Unstoppable. The absolute strongest. ... "Well, that’s fine, but could you pay two years’ rent upfront?" Right then, Ethan spoke up. "I want 28 million gold. Convert the rest into crystals for me. Deal?" Why did he need so many crystals? Simple. He was planning to use the money to recruit a Tier-13 Green Dragon and a Tier-13 Ancient War Tree. Ideally, if there were enough recruitment slots left for Green Dragons, that would be the best choice—9 million gold and 480 crystals per unit. Best value for the cost. But there was only one recruitment slot left at Dragon Cliff. So, he had no choice but to go for the Ancient War Tree instead. And that thing? 20 million gold and 1,000 crystals to recruit! Just thinking about it gave him a headache. But what choice did he have? No matter how expensive, he had to recruit it. Renting out those Tier-12 units? That was basically free money. Pure profit. Like looting a legendary chest with someone else’s key. So why hesitate to spend it? "...Alright!" Caesar, Xavian, and Nathaniel exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and agreed. Gold wasn’t the issue. Crystals, though—that was a huge problem. Unlike gold, crystals were always in short supply. Every major faction burned through them like crazy, and stockpiles were never enough. But no matter how big the problem, they had no choice but to make it work. Screwing this up? That would be their regret to bear. "Mr. Ethan, this is a huge amount. Could you give us a few days to gather everything?" Caesar asked cautiously. "Sure." Ethan nodded, smiling. "I’ll be in Dunmire for a few more days. No rush." "That’s a relief..." Caesar let out a breath. "Alright then, I’ll be off. If anything comes up, just contact me." Ethan gave them a casual wave and turned to leave. "Understood, Mr. Ethan. Safe travels..." "Take care, Mr. Ethan..." ... Ethan strolled leisurely out of the town, ready to leave, when suddenly— Someone appeared in his line of sight. He stopped in his tracks, slightly surprised. "You?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, half-smiling as he looked at the man in front of him. A Cavalier hero from the Castle faction—Roland. But deep in Ethan’s eyes, there was a flicker of doubt and curiosity. What was he doing here? "Hah..." Roland took a deep breath, then spoke slowly. "Lord Count Valkarion, Lord Cain wishes to meet you." "Cain?" Ethan blinked. "Who?" "My lord," Roland said expressionlessly. "Wisdom Angel Cain of the Castle faction." Wisdom Angel? Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly. He fell silent. Ethan had heard quite a bit about the Angel race of the Castle faction from Cicero. The so-called Wisdom Angel—it was actually a unit hero. And not just any unit hero, but a Tier-13 Legendary Unit—an Angel hero. That put him on the same level as Seraphina and Cicero—a Crimson Ultimate existence. Maybe even stronger. After all, the potential and innate abilities of the Angel race far surpassed those of the Green Dragons. Seeing Ethan fall silent, Roland’s eyes flickered with a hint of mockery. But he still spoke slowly. "Lord Cain said you can choose the time and place. Anywhere, anytime—it’s up to you." Ethan blinked, then suddenly chuckled. Was this disrespect? Or just absolute confidence in his own strength? "Lead the way," Ethan said casually. "...What?" Roland was momentarily stunned, staring at Ethan in surprise. "You said Cain wants to see me, right? Then let’s do it now. Take me to him." Ethan’s tone was indifferent, as if this was just another routine meeting. Roland fell silent. He gave Ethan a long, deep look before finally turning around and gesturing forward. "Count Valkarion, this way." ... In the same town, inside a nameless tavern, a tall man in a gray robe sat quietly, sipping his drink. The hood covering his head left just enough space for golden hair to spill out, radiating a holy glow—a sight so surreal it felt almost dreamlike. The aura around him was... strange. Unreal. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Footsteps echoed through the tavern. Roland, the Cavalier hero of the Castle faction, appeared before the man and bowed deeply, his posture filled with utmost respect. "Lord Cain, Count Valkarion has arrived." The tall man in the gray robe lifted his head and looked at Ethan. In that instant, Ethan was met with a face that was pure, sacred, and radiant—yet carrying a gentle, almost kind smile. It was the kind of face that made people instinctively lower their guard. "Lord Valkarion, please, have a seat." Cain smiled. As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward Roland and said lightly, "Roland, step outside for now." "Yes, Lord Cain." Roland bowed again before turning and leaving. At the same time, Ethan pulled out a chair and sat down across from the Wisdom Angel, Cain. And in that very moment— His entire body tensed. His pupils shrank. His expression changed drastically. Because right in front of him— A rough outline of Cain’s status panel had just appeared. ...