Chapter 377. Final Negotiations.

  “We have much to discuss, Rico, and while I have no desire to strip you of the chance to gain experience from the dungeon, I cannot allow this interruption. Please give me one moment to take care of this,” Tzes’zod said.

  I could feel mana building inside the lich, the air almost vibrating with his power. He waved his hand dismissively and several spells triggered at once. All around us a team of skeletal warriors appeared. I’d summoned skeletons though various means, but these were a cut above anything I could hope to command. A quick examination showed me what they were.

  Legionnaire of the Dead Empire, Tier 5, Rank 8, Veteran.

  Each legionnaire wore heavy plate mail and carried an immense rectangular shield. They had several throwing spears strapped to their backs, and each held a shortsword in one hand. Their bones were also odd and looked like they were made of metal. I wouldn’t want to face one of these and Tzes’zod had casually summoned a score of them. They formed a protective ring around us, shields held high to prevent any ranged attack from interrupting us.

  Further out from the ring of skeletal defenders, a faint green haze blew across the plains. All grass and plants wilted and died. As the field of death spread, several of the sneak badgers were revealed. Instead of attacking, the badgers howled briefly then went silent as their flesh rotted from their bodies. They didn’t stay still for long and soon stood again as skeletal defenders under the lich’s control.

  The cloud of death spread for about a hundred yards before settling into the ground, the spell spent. While the spell may have run its course, the effects lingered and as more and more dungeon creatures appeared and charged toward us, they howled and screeched as their feet began to rot from the lingering corruption of undeath.

  More of the sneak badgers tried to attack, but they didn’t make halfway across the corrupted ground before collapsing, their bodies rotting before their skeletal remains rose and joined the ranks of Tzes’zod’s defenders. A larger, more formidable-looking badger charged from the undergrowth and onto the corrupted ground. It howled in pain but seemed to withstand the damage better than the other badgers had. I was able to identify it just before several skeletal badgers moved to stop it.

  Sneak Badger Alpha, Tier 2, Rank 6, Veteran.

  It lasted a few seconds longer than the weaker, non-veteran badgers. The alpha also managed to destroy one of the skeletal badgers, which retained the same tier and rank they had when they were still living. A fresh wave of attackers emerged from the tall grass and charged into the corrupted zone that the lich had created. This time, instead of badgers, it was a pack of rather burly looking hyenas.

  Savage Pack Hyena, Tier 2, Rank 6.

  “Rico, my spell and minions will handle the dungeon creatures, I need you to focus,” Tzes’zod chided.

  “Sorry, I was just, well, I haven’t seen any magic like this before,” I said, gesturing toward the undead and corrupted field the lich had created.

  “It’s nothing special, and all are spells I’d expect to be in the repertoire of any lich or advanced necromancer. Now, are you ready to hear what I’ve discovered?” Tzes’zod asked.

  “Yes, what’s going on with Gary?” I asked.

  “My efforts at extending the negotiation are coming to an end. The final details are being hammered out, and Gary is using everything at his disposal to get a date set for the confrontation,” Tzes’zod said.

  “How long do I have?” I asked.

  “It’s still unsure, I’ve got a few last gambits to attempt, and Gary didn’t do himself any favors as at least one of his machinations seems to have angered the system. I estimate you have anywhere from a couple of months to four at most. There is also no guarantee of that timeline, and there is always the possibility that Gary has some other ploy at work that I’m not aware of,” Tzes’zod said.

  “I might know why the system is displeased with him. He sent someone to kill me and well, it was an odd situation,” I said, launching into an explanation of what had happened with Professor Dalzrin and Zerallia. Tzes’zod asked a few follow up questions and then nodded when I was done.

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  “That explains much. There was a round of negotiations around that time, one where I was able to get several concessions with little resistance. It was also at that time when new restrictions on interacting with each other went into effect. I doubt you’ll have another encounter like you had with this Zerallia. Don’t put it past the infernal to dredge up some other scheme, one with several more layers of insulation between himself and any attempt on your life,” Tzes’zod said.

  “Do you have any more details on the actual fight?” What can I expect?” I asked.

  “As you know from the message that I sent a while back, Gary is going to have his power capped tier five, rank two. Of course, he’ll still be considered much more powerful than that based on his gear, experience, and the resources at his disposal. That brings up another aspect of our negotiation, the limitation on gear and items,” Tzes’zod said.

  “While I’d hate to see any of my gear removed for the fight, I expect any restriction would hit Gary harder than me,” I said.

  “Correct, and there will be a preparation time before the fight where you both may choose which gear to bring with you. Since you’re the weaker of the two combatants, the system is going to let you choose first and restrict Gary’s choices based on what your total selections.

  “Use caution, don’t overstock on weak gear, but also don’t add powerful items you don’t think you’ll use. Gary will have a myriad of options to choose from and will be able to create synergy with his choices, so keep that in mind as you acquire more resources,” Tzes’zod explained.

  “Is there any benefit to just going in with minimal gear? Will that restrict Gary more than me?” I asked.

  “No, I recommend restraining yourself, but bring what you think you might need. As far as the total number of items and their tier and rank, Gary will be given considerably less than you as a further restriction of his power advantage. That being said, you need to remember that he has acquired gear and items for longer than you have been alive. Some items are far more powerful than their tier and rank would suggest,” Tzes’zod said.

  “So, be honest with me, Tzes’zod, is this hopeless? No matter what I pick to bring with me, Gary will have something better,” I said.

  “No, not at all, you have a solid chance at victory, or I would not have backed you like I have. I just want you to never underestimate the foe you face or become complacent if you acquire a powerful item. You still have time, become more powerful, and with each rank you gain, the gap in power closes a bit more,” Tzes’zod said.

  “Okay, don’t worry, I’m not giving up or anything, I just want to know my realistic chances in all this. What else can you tell me of the confrontation?” I asked.

  “A final battleground has been chosen. Your conflict will occur in your world, in an area near where you currently reside. I’ve been able to negotiate the removal of any innocent bystanders, but I think Gary wants to not only beat you, but also ensure you get to watch your home being destroyed. Infernals are often rather petty in that manner,” Tzes’zod said.

  “I have nothing material that I care about back home, so destroying my neighborhood or where I currently live is no big deal. It’s not going to have the emotional impact that Gary thinks it will. What about allies, you said you would help, will Gary be able to bring in people like you to assist him?” I asked.

  “He was planning on that, which is another thing I wanted to bring up. To prevent any further advantage by Gary, I have elected to remain neutral in the actual conflict. Don’t worry, it’s for the best as my tier and rank for the fight were going to be reduced to a full five ranks below whatever yours is when the battle begins. Instead of my physical presence, I’ve been allowed to offer you one boon during the battle,” Tzes’zod said.

  “Wow, this keeps getting better and better. Part of me accepting the fight with Gary was because I was going to have a lich on my side,” I grumbled in frustration.

  “Fear not, Rico, having a low tier and rank undead fighting with you would be no more beneficial than a similar tier and rank consumable figurine. Instead, you’ll have my magic enhancing one thing during your fight. An enhancement by a lich of my caliber is worth far more than another weak body to throw at Gary. Even better, I get to grant you my boon, and the system didn’t give Gary anything similar in return,” Tzes’zod said.

  “What kind of boon are we talking?” I asked.

  “That I cannot say, as I can choose when and what to enhance. Just know that I will act when it is most beneficial to you,” Tzes’zod said.

  “I understand, and I know you’re doing the best you can for me. Is there anything else I should know? Will we speak again before the showdown with Gary?” I asked.

  “We’ll speak again during your preparations for the battle. If anything changes or I get a more accurate timeline, I’ll send a message. Also, I was able to secure a rather useful concession from the system, that I’m not allowed to disclose yet. I was curious why the system was so generous, but after hearing what Gary tried to pull, and his use of system restriction scroll, I now see why. Stay safe, Rico, and grow in power,” Tzes’zod said, handing me a scroll as he opened another portal to leave the dungeon.

  When he left, the skeletal legionnaires were unsummoned, though the undead created from the bodies of the dungeon creatures remained. They were friendly, but I wasn’t able to command them in any way. Worried, I looked around to see what other threats might be heading toward me, but the dungeon was quiet and given the number of undead that were standing around, I figured the entire place had been cleared out during my conversation with Tzes’zod.

  A system prompt appeared, confirming that Tzes’zod’s magic had proven more than enough to defeat a tier two, rank six dungeon. Sadly, it looked like there wasn’t going to be any power leveling today.

  You have successfully completed your first run in the Savage Plains. As another being outside the power rating of the dungeon assisted you, no experience has been awarded, and no other rewards will be granted.