Read Novel Full Chapter 2172: Lolth Wants To "Negotiate"
Chapter 2172: Lolth Wants To "Negotiate"
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As we stepped down the long stone stairs, walking deeper and deeper into the heart of the structure, we finally found Lolth’s palace and her vast throne room. The chamber was seamlessly enormous, with a gigantic black throne at its center where a massive being sat in complete stillness.
The divine power she exuded, which permeated the entire area like a heavy invisible fog, had been partially sealed by my grandfather. Because of that seal she could not do much even if she tried. Nonetheless, her form was quite monstrous and at the same time mildly humanoid, similar to the many avatars she had taken in the past.
Her lower body resembled several giant spiders fused together into one messy, writhing entity. Her upper body was clad in dark purple and black exoskeleton armor, complete with four delicate yet long arms that ended in sharp, needle-like nails.
Her head seemed vaguely humanoid but also resembled a metallic helmet that displayed eight small jewel-like red eyes. Her mandibles were long and sharp, though currently closed tight, and cascading purple hair fell around several red and purple horns made of pure crystalline divine energy.
She exuded immense power, but not completely. Since she was only partially sealed, she could not exert her full strength. However, even this reduced power and the natural curse she radiated as an evil god would still be enough to kill most people at our current cultivation levels with utmost ease.
But this, without a doubt, was an Evil God in the flesh.
She was not hiding. She was not merely a mass of divine power. She had completely materialized right in front of us.
With my grandfather’s sealing runes still active, we could... probably take her down if we truly wanted to. It would not be as difficult as I had once imagined.
We could cut her vertically and horizontally, shatter her divine core, destroy her divinity, and mince her soul into pieces.
Alone it would take me a while, but with everyone here we could surround her and kill her mercilessly.
She knew that.
She was deeply aware of how cornered she truly was, and that was exactly why she was not fighting back. That was also why she was not trying to run away either.
She knew that attempting any of those things would be futile and would only force our hands.
Because Lolth, despite everything she had done, was not stupid.
We had clashed against her before. She had proven smart and stubborn enough to survive all this time.
Sure, she had been tricked by the Evil God of Dungeons and abandoned in the end... but what else would anyone in her position have done when he appeared in front of her and offered that tempting deal?
Nonetheless, these thoughts were unnecessary right now.
"Lolth," my grandfather spoke first, gazing into her monstrous form with his bright, unwavering eyes. "We meet again."
She responded with a rather somber and mocking voice. "Oh, the great king of the elves... Who would have thought you would not only help your children this time, but also seal my power to such an extent? Truly, you have exceeded my expectations."
"Even when you are cornered you never fail to run your mouth however you wish, do you?" my grandfather sighed with clear irritation. "Your sarcasm is not welcome here. Speak with sincerity, because you are the one sitting here asking and begging to be spared, despite what you have done being not only unforgivable, but fully deserving of the greatest form of punishment — a death sentence!"
"Hmph..." Lolth kept her dismissive attitude and her strange, superior way of speaking to everyone. She always felt superior to others, but not in the same way Armageddon had, whose pride was mixed mostly with pure hatred. Lolth was not just prideful. She was extremely selfish and self-serving. She loved to praise herself, to mock others, and she did so in a way that deliberately enraged everyone around her. "Oh well, that is right. But I did not desire to speak with you. The deal I wanted to make was with her..." She turned her eight glowing eyes toward me. "Hello... Princess."
"...Lolth," I crossed my arms and met her gaze without flinching. "As you can see, you are completely cornered. One wrong step and you are dead. There are only two things I believe you want from this meeting — either to buy enough time to escape somehow, or to beg for forgiveness."
"I propose a third option," she said with a slow, calculating smile. "I will never bow down to anyone. That is the promise I made the day I left the Gods high above and chose to make my own way in life. And I do not plan to escape. I know the Dungeon Bastard will likely wish to ’finish me off’ or something similar. So I will not even entertain that idea."
"...And?" I asked, raising one eyebrow.
"I propose... an alliance," she smiled wider. "How about it? An alliance between us! You will receive the honor of becoming my first subject. We will build something together, with me in the lead and you by my side. Now that he will target you even more than before, I presume there is little else you can do, right? You need my strength in the end."
"Really?" I asked, still crossing my arms.
What an incredible alliance. She was offering almost nothing of true value to me.
Lolth, you are such an incredible negotiator. It almost feels like you have been relying on that godly power of yours to force most things to go your way, never learning how to properly convince people without using force or threats.
I guess it is up to me to teach her a proper lesson.
"We are not going to play your games, Lolth," I said coldly, unsheathing Scarlet in one smooth motion.
She looked at me and my sword with a paralyzed expression, almost unable to even believe what I was about to do.
I’m sorry, but I am not here to negotiate anymore.
I’m tired of your bullshit.
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