The pale elf before him spoke with a hint of flirtatiousness, as if acting coy toward someone, even though both the Demonic Dragon Emperor and he were male.
Yet this coy demeanor brought neither disgust nor excitement—only a bone-chilling dread, as though a bottomless abyss were whispering to someone gazing down from its brink.
The Demonic Dragon Emperor gave no answer to the other's question. Even though his greatest secret had been laid bare, and even though there was no one else around, this was a question he would never answer, let alone acknowledge.
The power of time had no effect on this pale elf; the entity before him was without doubt an avatar of a deity.
This chilling sensation was precisely the effect of the intruder's overflowing divine power, but as to who this deity actually was, the Demonic Dragon Emperor could not guess right away.
Forcing down the terror in his heart, the Demonic Dragon Emperor said warily to the pale elf, "As an exalted deity, Your Excellency should know Ao's rules: gods may not arbitrarily interfere in the mortal realm. I am the Emperor of Ryan. You must know full well that exchanging even a few extra words with me could invite Ao's punishment. Not even the Elven Gods could escape it."
The pale elf shook his head and said, "No, I have no connection to Corellon. I simply think elves are quite handsome, which is why I chose such an avatar. Nor did I come to you today to expose your identity. This is a wager between the Dragon Gods and the Lord of the Dawn, and I wouldn't meddle in such a crude, tedious manner... I merely wished to give you a well-meaning reminder."
The Demonic Dragon Emperor did not let down his guard. He did not believe there was any such thing as a free lunch in this world, nor did he believe a deity reeking of such evil would show goodwill toward him without expecting anything in return.
What evil deities and devils loved most was dangling bait, tempting others into falling into ruin of their own accord.
Regardless of whether the Demonic Dragon Emperor believed him or not, the pale elf simply carried on: "I know you are about to attend a rendezvous spanning a thousand years. I trust I need not remind you that it is a trap. The lich knows your identity, so he will certainly make arrangements to ensure you never return once you go."
"I know that well enough."
Now that Arthur Ryan had revived and even sent him an invitation, his true identity naturally could not remain hidden; it was only that they lacked proof to expose him.
And the Demonic Dragon Emperor was very confident. No matter how they tested him, they could never find any evidence, for he had already devoured that poor wretch's soul. Even if the lich came to inspect him, he would find no flaw.
As long as he held onto his identity as the Emperor of Ryan, the Ryan Empire would remain his to command. With the might of an entire empire backing him, combined with his own power, he had nothing to fear from whatever scheme the lich might concoct.
"I know you have your preparations, and that the lich has no chance to kill you right now. But you also know that the lich has made preparations of his own. Even if he cannot finish you off, he will certainly be able to retreat at his leisure. What's more, he can use his various tricks to force you to dance to his tune. You cannot deny that the lich has such capability, can you?"
The Demonic Dragon Emperor did not object. That was precisely his biggest headache.
A time dragon was not easily slain, but neither was that lich easily dealt with.
According to known intelligence, who knew how many phylacteries the lich had prepared.
After the Silvermoon Knight died, there was no one left in the Ryan Empire who could thoroughly extinguish a lich's soul.
The Demonic Dragon Emperor had even considered using the power of time to resurrect the Silvermoon Knight, but he worried the knight had already ascended to a divine realm.
Once inside the divine realm of the Lord of the Dawn, the Silvermoon Knight would learn the whole truth. If he resurrected him, that Divine Smite might well cleave straight into the emperor himself.
And in the Demonic Dragon Emperor's eyes, the Silvermoon Knight's moonlit strike was not necessarily any worse than Arthur Ryan's had been back then. If luck were against him, he would end up with two sworn enemies instead of one.
After hesitating time and again, the Demonic Dragon Emperor did not dare resurrect the Silvermoon Knight. And without the Silvermoon Knight's Divine Smite, it was exceedingly difficult to find a way to counter the lich in this world—to say nothing of the fact that this was a lich who could foresee the future.
For a long time to come, this lich would likely remain a dire threat to the Ryan Empire, and his plan to unify the world would be severely hindered.
Yet from what this pale elf was saying, did he have a way to deal with the lich?
Both doubtful and slightly excited, the Demonic Dragon Emperor asked, "Respected deity, do you have a way to solve the problem of this lich? Deities aren't permitted to act against mortals, are they?"
The pale elf shook his head and said, "Naturally, I could never strike in person. By now, that lich has practically become a curse upon the gods. Still, dealing with him is not difficult at all. You are entirely capable of doing it yourself; you merely need a little hint from me."
"Not difficult?" The Demonic Dragon Emperor almost laughed. The lich had frightened the gods to the point where they hardly dared speak loudly before him, yet this deity had the gall to call it not difficult. Whoever this unnamed god was, he was clearly desperate to save face.
Once again, the pale elf saw right through the Demonic Dragon Emperor's thoughts. Chuckling mockingly, he said, "Be it gods or mortals, most believe that only killing your enemy counts as vengeance, counts as success. But look at all that lich has done—how many times has he actually eradicated an enemy completely? A psychological victory lasts far longer than a victory won by violence, and accomplishes your goal far better. Wouldn't you agree?"
"A psychological victory... You mean..." The Demonic Dragon Emperor pondered for a moment and reached a preposterous conclusion: "I should put up a fortune to bribe him?"
The pale elf gave a wicked smile and nodded. "You're catching on! That is precisely the first method, and the most direct and effective. Guess what price that lich would name to sell the revived Arthur Ryan to you? Guess again how much gold it would take to make him work himself to the bone for you?"
The Demonic Dragon Emperor clenched his fists. The thought of the lich submitting to him gave him a rush of excitement.
It was true: everything that lich had done, wasn't it all for money? And Ryan had no shortage of gold.
Any other Ryan Emperor might have refused to cooperate because of his undead status, but he was a resurrected Demonic Dragon. In his eyes, humans and undead alike were all 'alien races'.
The Demonic Dragon Emperor mused with emotion, "If that lich stands on my side, everything becomes simple. But I'm afraid it won't be that easy."
It wasn't that he feared the lich had unbending resolve; he only feared that he couldn't afford the price.
Not long ago, when the lich had only a single castle and looked on the verge of bankruptcy, offering him a million gold coins would have made him his court wizard. But now, how many gold coins would Ryan have to pay to make this lich—whose wealth rivaled nations—willing to work for him?
Or, settling for the next best thing, simply throwing enough money to buy an initial agreement of cooperation?
Even that seemed enough. Even if Arthur Ryan were revived, with his personality, he would never amass vast wealth. In a contest of riches, he had no chance of winning at all.
Without the lich's backing, how long could Arthur Ryan hold out alone?
Would he dare reveal his identity and force Ryan to split apart? From what the Demonic Dragon Emperor knew of Arthur Ryan, that reckless brute would only sneak into his palace to stage another duel of kings, rather than dragging the people of more than half the empire into the flames of war.
This path was indeed viable. Just as the Demonic Dragon Emperor was about to express his thanks, he saw the pale elf shake his head and say, "Don't be in such a hurry, mortal sovereign. Have you considered what happens if the lich doesn't accept?"
"That is his obsession. Could an undead possibly resist it?" the Demonic Dragon Emperor countered.
A sneer curled the pale elf's lips. "It is precisely because he has such restraint that a certain high-and-mighty figure took a liking to him. If you underestimate this lich, you will surely suffer for it."
The Demonic Dragon Emperor then asked, "Then I presume Your Excellency has a backup plan."
"Of course. Let me tell you a secret: do you know what this lich's greatest weakness is?"
The Demonic Dragon Emperor frowned. "Being countered by the Holy Light?"
The pale elf shook his head and said, "No, it is the wisdom he has always taken pride in. He was an adventurer for centuries; that experience honed his willpower and gave him a deep understanding of human nature. Unswayed by faith or emotion, he can always analyze problems and seek solutions with the calm detachment of an outsider.
"Yet this is also his greatest weakness. Once he fails to keep calm, this lich is utterly finished. And only you can make that happen. Do you understand what I mean?"
The Demonic Dragon Emperor pondered in silence for a long time, then snapped his head up.
Rising to his feet in excitement, the Demonic Dragon Emperor clenched his fists and said, "So that's how it is! I understand! If this lich refuses to cooperate, he's a dead man!"
Chapter 494