Chapter 17: The Diplomatic Game (The Global Demand)
[The A-Rank Aftermath]
The report filed by a severely traumatized A-Rank Paladin Jaewon Lee was a chaotic mix of truth and terror. He didn't just report failure; he reported impossibility. His key points were undeniable:
* A-Rank Light Domain Failure: The Divine Purity skill was instantly neutralized by an unclassified, immovable dark mana structure (The Immortal Sepulchre).
* Immortal Infantry: His entire B-Rank squad was neutralized by C-Rank constructs that possessed endless, immediate repair capabilities (The Shadow Legionnaires).
* The U-Rank Brand: He cited a clear, invasive spiritual violation by the U-Rank entity, confirming its ability to fight on a metaphysical level.
The Stellar Halo could no longer suppress the Black Sentinel threat. The internal scandal of Captain Ahn, followed immediately by the military humiliation of the Radiant Blade, forced the Central Command's hand. They needed to contain the U-Rank entity before it became a political catastrophe.
[The Proposal]
Forty-eight hours after the battle, an encrypted, high-security communication was patched through to Sera's private network within the Sepulchre.
Sera projected the hologram of Grand Marshall Sung-Hoon, the supreme commander of the Stellar Halo's entire Asian division. Grand Marshall Sung-Hoon was an S-Rank Hunter, known for his cold pragmatism and battlefield genius. His face, projected in the indigo gloom of the Sepulchre, was etched with fatigue and frustration.
"Sera Song," the Grand Marshall's voice was a deep, resonant rumble. "I know this is your proxy. I demand to speak to the entity currently residing in the condemned Dongdaemun Sector."
Rudraunsh, cloaked and seated on a custom-built throne of stacked mana crates, allowed his Undying Authority to flow freely. The air around him grew heavy, oppressive, and commanding.
"You speak to the Necrotic Sovereign," Rudraunsh's voice replied, amplified and distorted by the Sepulchre's acoustics, sounding like a chorus of whispering shadows. "You will address the U-Rank Institutional Outcast with respect, Marshall."
Grand Marshall Sung-Hoon's eyes narrowed, but he maintained his military composure. "Your actions have exposed critical weaknesses in our defense structure. Your magic is forbidden. Your designation is U-Rank. By all laws, I should be mobilizing every S-Rank asset to destroy you."
"Yet you are here, negotiating," Rudraunsh countered. "Because your Radiant Blade was broken by four C-Rank constructs. Because the very Light Mana you cherish cannot break the Law of Order that is my authority."
"What do you want?" the Marshall cut to the chase.
Sera leaned forward, seizing the diplomatic opening. "The Necrotic Sovereign is not interested in anarchy. He is interested in necessity. We propose a temporary, sealed, non-aggression pact."
"Impossible," the Marshall scoffed.
"Necessary," Rudraunsh corrected. "A major C-Rank Gate is scheduled to open next month in Busan. We already have reports of Contagion Spore anomalies spreading across the peninsula—a clear sign of the impending Continental Contagion."
Sera brought up a genuine threat assessment, generated through her own network, proving her foresight. "Your forces are scattered and demoralized. You cannot handle this scale of Contagion. We can."
[The Terms of the Pact]
The Grand Marshall was silent for a long moment, calculating the risk. The threat of the Continental Contagion was indeed his greatest immediate concern.
"What are your terms for cooperation?" the Marshall finally asked, the question hanging heavy with grudging acceptance.
Rudraunsh stated his demands with absolute clarity, his voice cold and final:
* Absolute Non-Aggression: The Stellar Halo and all affiliated global guilds must halt all active hunting of the U-Rank entity and its associates (Sera). The Sepulchre is declared a Neutral Zone.
* Resources and Acquisition: Rudraunsh will clear 90% of all Contagion threats deemed too dangerous for B-Rank cleanup. In return, he is granted immediate, first refusal of all high-grade Necrotic Catalysts (Grade 4 and higher) and materials recovered from the Gates he clears.
* The Official Lie: The Stellar Halo must issue a public statement: all recent Dark Mage activity was caused by a rogue, eliminated B-Rank asset (Captain Ahn), and the Black Sentinel sightings are merely overzealous reports of a new, unaffiliated, benevolent force known as the Sentinels of Necessity.
"You are demanding we lie to the world and hand over materials that could make you an S-Rank threat," the Marshall stated, his hostility returning.
"No," Rudraunsh corrected. "I am demanding you admit that I am already an S-Rank threat. And I require the catalysts to become the Global Catastrophe you need to survive."
The Marshall ended the call without acceptance, but the negotiation was already a victory. He had listened. He had conceded the necessity.
[The Hunt for the Next Catalyst]
Rudraunsh turned to Sera, the intense focus fading into strategic calm. "He will accept. He has no choice. But he will never trust me. He will send a spy."
Sera was already four steps ahead. "Agreed. But the pact gives us freedom of movement. We need to maximize our power before the spy arrives."
She brought up the inventory of global mana resources. "The largest, most potent source of Necrotic energy recently recovered is not an artifact, but a monster: the Spectral Lich of Gyeongju."
The Spectral Lich was an ancient C-Rank Gate Boss that had been captured during the First Incursions and contained within a deep-sea research facility off the eastern coast of Korea. It was a pure spiritual entity, its body composed entirely of condensed soul shards.
"The Spectral Lich's essence, if properly extracted, would serve as the Grade 5 Catalyst," Sera explained. "It would allow you to evolve the Shadow Legionnaires into Death Knights—B-Rank power, true spiritual combat, and an exponential leap in your summon capacity."
Rudraunsh's eyes narrowed. The increase from C-Rank (Legionnaire) to B-Rank (Death Knight) would be a game-changer, and would certainly increase his maximum summon capacity towards his long-term goal.
"A deep-sea, magically secured facility," Rudraunsh mused. "That facility is guarded by the Stellar Halo's most rigid, passive defenses—the defenses they use when they trust no one."
Sera smiled, a subtle, cold promise in her eyes. "Exactly. We will use the non-aggression pact to get within striking distance, and then we will rely on your Shadow Phase ability and my internal clearance to bypass the passive defenses. We steal the Lich, or rather, the Lich's crystallized essence, and you ascend again."
Rudraunsh nodded, his plan forming instantly. He needed the B-Rank power to handle the global threats that the Continental Contagion would unleash.
"Prepare the submersible extraction route, Sera," Rudraunsh commanded. "We will show the Grand Marshall that his temporary pact was the cost of his most prized prisoner."
As Rudraunsh returned to meditating, focusing on maximizing his 155% D-Rank core capacity to prepare for the energy drain, the communications terminal blinked one final time. Grand Marshall Sung-Hoon's cold, official acceptance of the terms appeared on the screen, declaring the rise of the Sentinels of Necessity to the global stage. The war was over, and the diplomatic game had begun.