Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

"What is it? Are the craftsmen striking again?" Grayson asked, annoyed.

"No, my Lord, we're under attack! Pioneers from another territory are invading!"

"What!?"

Grayson shot to his feet, disbelief written all over his face. He had barely finished reassuring himself, and now an invasion? It was shocking and infuriating all at once.

Grayson stood at the forefront, his lips pressing into a thin line as he gazed at the approaching group of nearly twenty pioneers in the distance. "What do they take me for?" he muttered under his breath. The fact that they attacked without proper planning, arriving within a day, only reinforced the notion that they underestimated him.

Now, any feelings of fear or hesitation were gone. All that was left was the determination to teach them a lesson. He rushed outside, pushing aside his subordinates who had taken positions in front of him. At the sight of the advancing pioneers, Grayson couldn't help but curse under his breath, "Damn it, this is a mess."

As soon as the decision for war was made, Justin immediately ordered Zachary to gather all the pioneers. Surprised but obedient, Zachary gathered everyone as instructed. Despite the tension in the air, none of the pioneers showed significant resistance to the idea of war. It seemed they had anticipated this day might come.

Explore more adventures at empire

'Good. They're prepared,' Justin thought to himself, concealing his satisfaction as he led the pioneers over the hills. Though the enemy territory was quite a distance away, it was manageable to make the round trip within a day. Thanks to Eugene, who served as their guide, they had no trouble finding the way.

Upon reaching the enemy's territory after half a day, the opposing forces began to stir. It was clear they were taken aback by the sudden appearance of the unfamiliar pioneers.

"Boss, should we strike now?" Derek whispered in Justin's ear, watching the chaos unfold among their enemies. Justin hesitated, pondering whether to attack immediately.

"Get your weapons ready! Hold your positions! Do you want to die here?!" A voice boomed from the enemy's side as a man wielding a flaming axe emerged, quickly restoring order among his forces. The man glared at Justin's group with a sharp gaze.

"What do you want? What business do you have here?" the man demanded, his tone sharp and authoritative. Justin couldn't help but admire him—someone who could swiftly quell his panicked troops and calmly assess the situation. He was indeed a leader worthy of his territory. Yet, despite his composure, there was a nervous tension in his expression that he couldn't completely hide.

"We're here for the artisans!" Justin shouted back.

"The artisans?" The man scoffed, disbelief creeping into his voice.

"Yes, I heard you've been oppressing them. We're here to take them back."

The enemy leader let out a bitter laugh. "So, you're throwing a fit just to take some artisans?"

"Not just the artisans, but also a few of the civilians related to them," Justin added.

Grayson spat on the ground in frustration, but his expression softened slightly, as if realizing the situation could be negotiated. "Fine. I can make that happen, but there are conditions."

"Conditions?" Justin raised an eyebrow.

"Give me one of the rewards from the dungeon, and I'll need mana stones from each of your men."

"Hmm." It was a reasonable demand. Considering the value of the artisans, asking for compensation wasn't out of the question. Justin glanced at Eugene, who looked hopeful. While Eugene had pleaded for help to save the territory, it was clear his real concern was his lover and their family. If the negotiation worked out, Eugene would certainly benefit.

After a brief moment of thought, Grayson replied, "No."

"What?!" Grayson blinked, caught off guard. "What did you say?"

"I said no," Justin repeated firmly.

If Justin had come here simply to negotiate, he might have accepted the deal. But his primary goal was to give his subordinates a taste of real combat. If they couldn't end the negotiation with overwhelming dominance, fighting and looting would serve just as well.

"Prepare for battle! Attack on my—"

"Wait! Perhaps I was being too hasty! Let's change the terms!" Grayson hastily interrupted, panic lacing his voice. Justin paused, lowering his hand mid-command. "Fine. What's the new offer?" he asked.

Grayson quickly responded, "Forget the dungeon reward. Just give us 40 mana stones per person. How about that?"

Grayson smirked. That was a much more reasonable demand, one he could easily meet. If they accepted, they could walk away with the artisans without further conflict. Grayson's eyes brightened with hope as he asked eagerly, "Do you agree to the terms?"

"No," Justin replied flatly.

"What?! Why not?" Grayson 's voice rose in incredulity.

"Too expensive," Justin said, shrugging.

"You're insane!" Grayson exploded in frustration. But Justin didn't care. He had brought his troops here for battle, and returning without one would damage his reputation as a leader. This was a perfect opportunity to gain valuable combat experience, and he wasn't about to let it slip away.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Prepare for—"

"Wait! Just wait! I'll change the conditions again!" Grayson screamed, his desperation clear.

Justin halted once more, curious. "What now?" he asked.

"You can take the artisans and some civilians. But leave him behind!" Grayson pointed at Eugene, who had been standing behind Justin, trembling from the sudden attention. It was clear Grayson couldn't forgive Eugene for revealing the location of his territory.

It was a tempting offer. After all, there was even an alchemist among the artisans, so leaving Eugene behind wouldn't be a huge loss. Justin quickly calculated his options before shouting, "No deal!"

Grayson's face twisted in disbelief. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you just want to fight?"

"I'm not leaving without the artisans! Prepare for battle—"

"Let's negotiate! Please, let's negotiate, you lunatic!"Grayson 's voice cracked with desperation as he pleaded for peace. After five more rounds of back-and-forth exchanges, a deal was finally struck: all the artisans and their families would be handed over without any conditions.