Divine Beast Ascension

Chapter 432: Value of King-Grade Techniques

Nodding as calmly as ever, the man replied, ‘Yes. Though, not ideal, it still wouldn’t be the worst-case scenario, Treeda, Ania. The worst-case scenario would be if the quadrant ignored decorum to annihilate a lowly territory, like yours. And even if they dared attempt that, I would interfere personally, no matter how much it would change my plans. But such is the promise I made to Oli, to protect you, the clan, and those that Oli cares about.

‘However, despite that, Bradok is as free-willed as you’d believe, Ania. He’s determined to help however he can. Right, Treeda?’

Again, Ania was left out of the loop, blinking in confusion.

‘Yeah...’ Treeda begrudgingly kicked up some dust in frustration. ‘Ania, do you know how an alliance ceremony is held?’

‘No, I don’t.’

‘There are any strict guidelines to follow in terms of ceremony, so long as each clan involved offers something to their new partners.’

‘... No. NO!’

.....

‘Right now I would guess that, regardless of the winner, Bradok will offer the peak-king technique anyway. And, knowing Warak, he’ll accept regardless. That’s the power of a peak-king technique like your late husband’s,’ clarified Treeda.

Just when Ania was about to get back up, her knees gave out again. ‘You mean... But if Warak is a god, why is he so interested in it?’

‘Treeda, I’ll allow you to keep explaining,’ remarked the man, finding that Ania was taking the information much better when it came from Treeda.

‘Very well...’ sighing, Treeda couldn’t help but chuckle in her own disbelief. ‘Ania, guess how strong my clan’s cultivation technique is, the same one that my strongest ancestor used to become an early-god.’

‘... Peak-king grade?’

‘Mid-king grade,’ stated Treeda, causing the gorilla to shudder. ‘And that’s already among the strongest in the world. High-king techniques are beyond rare to get your hands on. And Peak-king techniques? They’re nigh non-existent. Your husband, Dioro, only got one because Kartzal had no choice after Dioro’s record-breaking performance at the Global Exhibition. To be honest, apart from the rulers of the quadrants, it’s regarded as impossible to get your hands on a peak-king technique. Such is the structure of the quadrants, to keep the strongest in power and to keep the rest from surpassing them.’

‘... In other words, this alliance is practically established?’

Treeda nodded. ‘Seeing how well those two get along, I would assume so. If anything, the bet was just a way to test each other’s willingness and the value of their offerings... That sly gorilla, I had no idea he was so scheming!’

‘... Either way,’ Treeda continued, ‘your Iron-body Clan will gain an unlikely, hidden ally and Warak will get his hands on a technique that will give the Razor-hide Clan the best chance of raising more gods... I won’t lie. If you had a peak-king dark technique, I’d make the same offer as Warak, despite the risk of getting caught.’

A scroll appeared in Ania’s hands. She unrolled it and looked at it with a fresh pair of eyes, blinking over and over and over again. ‘... You mean... this is that valuable?’

‘It’s rumored among the prefecture lords that Lord Zrand from Tempest made Dioro a fugitive not because Dioro killed his son, but because Dioro refused to share his winning technique,’ remarked Treeda, stunning Ania further. ‘However, since it was a direct gift from God Toseko, awarded at the Global Exhibition in front of hundreds of prefecture lords and all four quadrant gods, how could Zrand simply take it without facing a lot of trouble in public? Instead, making Dioro a fugitive was far easier, and he already had a good enough excuse to do so.’

Suddenly, the mysterious man chuckled and quickly broke out in laughter, making Treeda feel uneasy.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing. You’re not wrong. Your words merely reminded me of something else,’ verified the man. ‘If anything, the combination of Dioro’s potential as a cultivator and his fame led to his greatest struggles, and not in the usual sense. So, of course, Warak will take the chance to upgrade his clan’s mid-king technique to a peak-king technique. He might even do it himself. Gods will do anything for a chance to break through, even changing their techniques if it will get them just one krin closer to the next level. I’m sure you’re starting to feel similarly by now, aren’t you Treeda?’

‘... Either way, how in all of Dominus are we going to keep this alliance a secret?’

Perplexed again, Ania asked, ‘What do you mean? Since we’re just a territorial clan, why would we be suspected so easily?’

The man shook his head and chuckled, ‘Ania... I thought after that today’s event you would realize something unique about your clan. Bradok did, and Vloz eventually believed it as well thanks to Warak’s earlier comments.’

‘... And what is that?’

‘Do you think the petty Noxious God, ruler of all West Quadrant for thousands upon thousands of years, wouldn’t keep tabs on the one, undeniable true champion his quadrant has ever produced? I guarantee that he knew about Dioro’s death before that idiot Brak ever reported it to Tempest...

‘Don’t believe me?’ the man chuckled and groaned. ‘Then why did Kartzal not only hold the event here, in your tiny territory, but also pay for the expansion of Iron Town to accommodate everything? Don’t you see that your clan has always been under Kartzal’s microscope? That realization is why your father is taking new risks, to try and find a way out of Kartzal’s control.

‘Though, I’ll admit that I was wrong,’ stated the man, startling the women. ‘I wasn’t expecting Warak to respond in such a way, admitting that he’d love to see the world order shaken up... That’s a rare quality nowadays, especially among the dragons. If you ever get the chance, either of you, please try and learn why Warak has a fascination with gorillas. I need to know where that fascination truly originates.’

Almost overwhelmed to the point of exhaustion, Ania couldn’t even utter her next question.

But the man nodded, answering the thought in Ania’s mind, ‘Yes. Warak wasn’t lying when he said that Kartzal is fixated on getting a powerful gorilla subordinate. That’s why I had to hide Oli and get him into the Mortal Championship as a human.’