Level Up Legacy

Chapter 1382 Strength is Absolute

The atmosphere changed inside the conference room the moment Lucien finished his words. Although they were enemies for the most part here, fighting over limited resources, they all recognized Lucien as the Seer King among them.

Despite the countless battles against the demi-humans, Lucien remained undefeated by never falling into strategic traps and foreseeing the enemy's movements. His reign over the battle was unmatched, and that's the main reason the rulers came when he invited them.

"What kind of threat are we talking about?" asked a giant man with scaled skin and draconic features. He was the ruler of the Alva Kingdom of Demi-humans, and the main enemy of the Yalveran Union.

"Monsters are evolving because of the merge, far faster than we have anticipated, and they began to form groups. These monsters are capable of evolving to become new calamities like the ones we suffered in the Era of Yore."

Everyone was silent because they understood that monsters were different than sentient creatures. They first appeared before the split because of the mana in their world. The Wanderer Guardian sealed them inside separate dimensions from the rest of the world which halted their evolutions.

If the seer king was certain about these monsters, then the fifty rulers and guild masters had to take actions. It was not the time to fight among themselves only to be exterminated by monsters.

"How reliable is this?" asked one of the guild masters, who was a man wearing a cloak and a mask. "What makes us trust this isn't a trap that the seer has laid for us?"

"Because we have brains to see for ourselves," Empress Ai said with a frown. "I have received countless reports about mythical grade monsters appearing in hordes in my empire. If these mythical grade monsters evolve to be legendary or even calamity level hordes, we are as good as gone."

"I agree with the Empress of Light," Lucien said as he spread his arms to the crowd. "If we falter and dilly-dally as the monsters evolve, we would be facing more losses than any infighting could recover. The time is tight and we have to act now."

"An alliance between two kingdoms or even two guilds require years, if not decades, to create. How do you plan on guaranteeing that the kingdoms and guilds here would not work against one another?" said an old man with one arm, known as Asura to everyone, the Guild Master of the strongest guild in the world, God Blade.

"This alliance would be fragile and momentary at most," the King of Alva said with a sneer. "Those who sacrifice the most in this war would be eaten once the threat is gone. I refuse to endanger my kingdom."

"And should we let the monsters destroy our kingdoms and guilds one-by-one?" asked Lucien with a shake of his head. "There are risks, but we need to work around them." "Survival has always been for the strongest and the lucky," the Alvan King said with smirk as he unfolded his draconic arm. "I can outlast the rest of the kingdoms in this fight against monsters. Once weakened, I can kill the monsters and every other kingdom."

His honesty was disgusting to most, but it was still the truth. There were a hundred different reasons for this alliance to fail, and countless methods for someone to exploit it.

The room buzzed with tense murmurs, each ruler and guild master grappling with the Alvan King's bold declaration. Lucien's calm expression didn't waver, but his piercing gaze swept across the room, as though cataloging every flicker of dissent and doubt.

"Strength alone will not ensure survival," Lucien said, his voice cutting through the hum of discussion. "The monsters do not care for your borders or your ego, Alvan King. They care only for annihilation. Do you honestly believe that you can stand alone against a calamity horde when even your most loyal generals could fall prey to a single evolved beast?"

Before the Alvan King could respond, a new voice interjected, sharp and authoritative. "Then let the question be, not of alliances, but of mutual insurance."

The speaker was a slender woman clad in a sleek black coat adorned with a silver insignia of a phoenix. Her eyes glinted like polished steel as she stepped forward. "I am Lyra Everblaze, Guild Master of the Phoenix Ascendants. We've risen through the chaos of the Level Up Legacy, and we've learned this: survival is not about dominance; it's about adaptability. If we agree to alliances, let them be conditional, with each faction protecting their own interests as long as they contribute to the fight." Another voice chimed in, this one deep and gravelly. "Spoken like someone who hasn't faced betrayal on the battlefield." The hulking figure of Morkan Steelgrip, Guild Master of the Iron Vanguard, leaned forward, his armor clinking ominously. "Conditional alliances are nothing more than ticking time bombs. The moment one side deems the threat less immediate, they'll abandon the cause. We need blood oaths, binding and enforceable."

"Blood oaths?" snorted Empress Ai, her golden armor gleaming in the lamplight. "That sounds like a barbarian's solution. What we need is a system of accountability- milestones, tasks, and contributions to be tracked and shared."

Lucien raised a hand, silencing the rising tide of voices. "The specifics can be debated later, but what matters now is a commitment to action. If we spend too much time arguing over terms, we risk losing everything"

"Then, how do we answer the question that no one can answer: how to trust one another to fight together?" asked Asura, letting his fist rest on the table. "Those

present here have different mindsets, and each can name the ideal way for them. But how do you plan on unifying them?"

"Strength has always been the absolute hammer of justice in the world," Lucien said with a smile. "The members here proposed valuable methods to make this alliance work, but we all know that strength reigns supreme."

"If strength is the answer and someone has it, why not conquer the world and fight the monsters then?" asked the Alvan King with a sneer. "You are "

"Because I have no desire to rule," said a voice that interrupted the king. Everyone turned around to see who it was, and then the doors were pushed open as a new figure arrived. "Apologizes for the late entrance."