This request was more acceptable than the Focusing Iris.
Thinking of The Nexus's current desolate state, and the other party's overwhelming bargaining chip of "resurrecting Sindragosa," the scales in his heart swung violently again.
"Finally," Obsidian's voice remained steady, yet he threw out the most significant demand, "One hundred Blue Dragon eggs."
"What?!" Senergos's massive body trembled violently, a powerful dragon's might uncontrollably erupting, instantly crushing the frozen earth and rocks within dozens of meters around him, sending ice shards flying!
Unprecedented shock, fury, and disbelief burst forth from his dragon eyes. "Dragon of Radiance! What are you saying?!"
Dragon eggs! And one hundred of them! This was outright robbery!
It was a complete undermining of the future of the entire Blue Dragon race!
Every dragon egg was a spark of hope for the Blue Dragonflight's continuation, the very foundation for Senergos's long-cherished wish to be realized!
This demand touched his absolute, intolerable bottom line!
Obsidian remained motionless amidst Senergos's erupting dragon's might, the flames burning even more steadily, as if the heavy pressure was merely a breeze brushing against a mountain.
His molten gold vertical pupils calmly observed the enraged old Blue Dragon, without the slightest hint of backing down.
"One hundred Blue Dragon eggs." He repeated clearly, as if stating a perfectly ordinary number. "I am not trying to exterminate the Blue Dragons, but rather to protect them."
"They will still be members of the Blue Dragonflight; they will simply be under my care temporarily."
"You also know the current state of the Blue Dragonflight; it is utterly incapable of raising young dragons, forcing them to grow up on their own."
He gave a plausible reason, but it wasn't entirely a lie to Senergos; it merely concealed his other intentions.
Obsidian's other thoughts included two points: first, he wanted to study the backdoor left behind when the Titans blessed the Five-colored Dragons; second, he thought it was somewhat "unworthy of the name" for him, as a "Dragon God," to not even have a single proper Five-colored Dragon follower.
Since these grown dragons were difficult to convert, he would start with the hatchlings!
Senergos's chest heaved violently. Even if what Obsidian said was true, he did not want to entrust the dragon eggs to another dragon!
He stared intently at Obsidian, trying to discern any trace of jest on that dragon face, but all he saw was absolute calmness and undeniable resolve.
The other party clearly understood the weight of this demand, and also the weight of resurrecting Sindragosa and saving Malygos in his heart!
Time passed in dead silence, with only the ceaseless cold wind whimpering through the dragon bones.
Sindragosa's image and the dwindling, fragmented reality of the Blue Dragonflight fiercely clashed in his mind.
Obsidian waited patiently; he had precisely grasped the critical point of the other's psychology.
The information asymmetry was his weapon, Sindragosa was his strongest bargaining chip, and the declining reality of the Blue Dragonflight was the final straw that would break Senergos's psychological defenses.
Finally, the dragon's might emanating from Senergos gradually receded.
His massive head slowly drooped, his eyes revealing weariness, struggle, and finally, a compromise broken by hope.
His already slightly hunched back seemed to bend a few more degrees.
"...Regarding the loan of the Focusing Iris, I will speak with the Spell-Weaver, but if Sindragosa can be resurrected first, my chances of success will be higher."
Senergos spoke, his voice hoarse and dry, carrying a great sense of powerlessness, "As for the right of use for The Nexus, I can decide that, but clear boundaries must be drawn, and the core area must not be interfered with."
He paused for a very long time, as if every word he was about to say was heavy as a thousand pounds.
Finally, that low voice, imbued with an almost desperate weight, laboriously uttered the final compromise:
"The dragon eggs can be lent, but, Your Excellency Emberglow Dragon, can the number be reduced?"
In Obsidian's molten gold vertical pupils, an almost imperceptible glint of satisfaction flashed.
Senergos's plea sounded particularly heavy in the howling cold wind.
Obsidian did not respond immediately, but calmly observed the struggling old Blue Dragon.
Time stood still at this moment, only the wind and snow continued.
"Senergos," Obsidian, after confirming his "thinking time" was long enough, spoke again, "One hundred dragon eggs is my bottom line."
He paused, his dragon wings slightly unfurling, releasing a calming aura.
"However, I can agree to one point: for the hatching of every dragon egg and the growth of every young dragon, you will be allowed to designate Blue Dragon offspring to participate, supervise, and mentor throughout the entire process."
"They will be the initial mentors of these young dragons, ensuring the continuation of Blue Dragon knowledge and traditions."
"Supervise, mentor," Senergos repeated softly, as if weighing the meaning of this additional condition.
The fierce struggle in his eyes slowly subsided, replaced by a heavy compromise.
"Since you are willing to concede, I can only agree."
"Very well." Obsidian nodded.
"As for the remaining two points, it will be as you say." Obsidian continued, his tone becoming more pragmatic, "Resurrecting Sindragosa is the beginning of proving my sincerity and ability."
"But once it is done, you must persuade Malygos, or—I will go and take it myself."
"Understood!" Faced with Obsidian's threat, Senergos agreed without hesitation.
He believed that with Sindragosa and him present, borrowing the Focusing Iris would not be difficult.
"The right of use for The Nexus," Obsidian immediately began to finalize the details of this point, "will be settled now. I will select an independent space in the outer regions of The Nexus, one that is rich in energy but far from the core hub."
"I will give you the specific boundary coordinates later. My range of activity will be limited to this, but do not let other Blue Dragons interfere with me."
Senergos took a deep breath of the cold air.
"—Good. The Nexus's right of use, as you say."
At this point, the core terms of this transaction were settled.
"Then, the contract is made." A fist-sized, rhomboid crystal slowly appeared in Obsidian's front claw.
Inside the crystal, golden-red divine power slowly flowed, emitting a warm and majestic aura.
At the same time, a huge scroll of peculiar material also appeared out of thin air, landing beside Senergos.
"This divine power crystal," Obsidian pushed the crystal towards Senergos, "combined with the spell in this scroll, will be able to resurrect Sindragosa."
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"