"It's the only way. Jones continued, "From the very beginning, we knew that the war against the Black Dragon would not go well, and Heaven and Hell would not want to see the entire Celtic Continent fall under the control of the White Bone Holy Light Holy See. What we seek is justice, and what they seek is hegemony. And if they give it their all, we will be hard to resist. The reason why they have been able to get to this point is actually to take advantage of the hostile relationship between them. If we leave the possibility of peace talks for the Black Dragon, maybe there is still a chance to win in the end, but if not, the Black Dragon will definitely fight us to the end. This will give Heaven and Hell a chance that they can easily control the Black Dragons and make them a powerful weapon against us. ”

Richie stared blankly at Jones.

After a pause, Jones added, "I think it's time for us to reflect. I know that for some time now, you have fallen into complete anger because of your father's affairs. Actually, it's not just you, everyone is angry about it. Including me. But we can't go on like this forever. Black Dragon City was completely destroyed, and both the enemy and our side suffered countless casualties. This is not what we are after, is it? The most advantageous way for us to deal with it now should be to make peace with the Black Dragon alone. Yes, alone, leave heaven behind. If we accept Heaven's suggestion and make peace with the Black Dragon through them, while reaching an agreement, the Black Dragon will also be placed under Heaven's protection and become their puppet. In fact, it is entirely possible that we will conclude peace talks with the Black Dragon alone, and they will agree. As long as our conditions are not too harsh. In this way, we will fulfill our father's dream of integrating the creatures of the continent of Celtes. ”

"I disagree. Richie replied softly.

Jones slowly looked at Richie with wide eyes, a little stunned.

"I don't agree with that. Richie repeated it again, slowly shaking his head and stepping back: "I won't use my father as a bargaining chip. ”

"I'm not trying to use my father as a bargaining chip......"

"You are!" Rich roared violently: "Father's hatred, how can it be used as a bargaining chip!"

Jones was a little anxious, and hurriedly said: "Father's matter is irreparable! Revenge can't solve anything!"

"No! Revenge can solve many problems!" Gritting his teeth, Richie roared viciously, "No revenge, what are you going to use to soothe my mother's heart!" I have not told my mother the news so far, and I even forged my father's handwriting to communicate with my mother. Do you know what happens when your mother learns of her father's death?"

All of a sudden, Jones froze.

"Or do you have only a father and no mother in your eyes?" Rich then asked, "Of course I know that my father's death is irretrievable, but what about my mother? Father is all that is a mother...... You know what that means? Human life is very fragile. ”

Jones stared blankly at the angry Richie.

The confined space was silent, and only the fire burning on the ground was shizzling.

Through the thick layer of soil, they could still hear the black dragon's taunt.

"You don't understand Mother, but I do. The mother would never forgive her husband's murderer. There is no room for compromise on this matter. As her only son, I couldn't have accepted any compromises. My father's dreams are important, of course I agree, but nothing is as important as my mother. My father is gone, and I am the only one who can defend my mother. ”

"But ......"

Before Jones could finish speaking, Rich turned his face sideways and shouted, "Sarina!"

"I'm here. The seductive demon Sarina quietly appeared behind Richie.

"Can you help me get in touch with the Demon Lord? I need to talk to him. ”

"Very happy to oblige. Bowing slightly, Sarina slowly disappeared.

In the confined space, only Rich and Jones were left, and Richie watched Jones quietly with some kind of hostility.

......

Bubbles in the lava bubbled up and exploded, and the steaming heat rose up, and everything was reflected in a dim red color.

Sarina walked down the suspended path, knelt down on one knee, and said respectfully, "My lord, my contract demon envoy Ricky Gruglu, the second Lich King, I hope to talk to you. ”

All of a sudden, the demons present burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! ”

"Is this asking for us?"

"Great news. It seems that our new Lich King is nowhere near as adamant in his approach to faith as his father. ”

"We really should have a good talk to him. ”

Sarina looked up.

The demon lord was silent like a black mist.

"My Lord, your answer is ......"

"Agreed. The Demon Lord replied softly.

......

Jones walked alone in the long tunnel, and Dora crept up behind him, following in small steps.

"Richie was wrong. Jones suddenly spoke: "I really didn't think about how much damage the news of my father's accident would cause to my mother, but this should not be a reason to continue the war with the black dragon. It should not be a reason to form an alliance with demons. I think that now the devil is waiting for us to come to the door, and how can this not be a kind of submission? If we continue to persevere, we will meet a great disaster. Not just us, but the whole of Celts will be in a catastrophe. Do you think I'm right?"

"Master Jones is definitely right. Dora replied quietly.

"No, I don't want compliments, I want to hear the truth. Jones jerked his head back, stared at Dora and said, "Tell me what you really think." If it were you, would you continue to push for war?"

Dora blinked at Jones.

"Tell me what you really think. Jones stared at Dora earnestly.

With her eyes flickering, Dora whispered, "I think...... Perhaps Master Jones can persuade His Highness Rich again. Maybe ......"

"I can't persuade you. Turning back, Jones continued to walk dejectedly: "He has been carried away by hatred...... Of course, maybe we shouldn't be so demanding of him, he's just a kid and he's only been in this world for a few years. Can...... He's sitting in the Lich King's seat now, and it's impossible not to demand a lot of him. Negotiating with the Devil...... Hadn't he heard the saying "Don't make a deal with the devil?" Before, the agreement between the father and the demon lord could still be considered that they had a common enemy. And now?"

Dora continued to follow quietly, whispering, "Aren't they also common enemies now?"

"The situation is no longer the same. Jones shook his head slowly, then added, "And it's not the same at all. Previously, the father was strictly keeping hell out, and the demon lord desperately needed an entry point, otherwise he would not be able to exert any intervention. Now, it's Richie who asks for it. Just like doing business, the conditions for the active party will always be a little worse than that of the passive party. Richie would push the whole of Celtics into the abyss, even though he didn't want to. ”

"Perhaps......" hesitated, and Dora whispered, "Maybe we can see again? Maybe it's not as bad as Master Jones thought." His Highness Richie has always been very smart, and he certainly won't fall into the trap of demons. ”

Jones glanced at Dora helplessly.

......

The wind swept across the land with wind and snow.

The army of the undead is still restless.

The bone dragon hovered back and forth in the air against the wind, the giant elephant carried the excavated dirt, and the spider pulled the rope made of spider silk.

As for the goblins, they are still digging in the tunnels, day and night.

In the area occupied by the golden dragon, Elder Gagastaph silently stood on the cliff in human form and looked in the direction of the army of the undead, waiting.

......

In the underground space, Richie stood silently, watching the black flames that gradually ignited on the ground in front of him.

The wisp of black flame seemed to seep out of the cracks in the floor tiles, and under its effect, the original gray-white floor tiles gradually turned black.

Soon, the black flames condensed into a human-like face in front of Richie. Because it is still in a state of black flames, it is difficult to see the specific face, but you can vaguely see the high nose bridge and pointed chin.

There are also a pair of eyes without pupils.

After taking shape, the face smiled and said to Richie, "It's nice to meet you, Richie." We are both young and brilliant Lich King. ”

"It's a pleasure to meet you, respected Demon Lord. Richie bowed respectfully.

"I heard Sarina say you want to talk to me? Well, that surprised me. ”

"I know that you once lent your power to my father. ”

"Yes. However, in fact, your father never took the initiative to summon me. It's not so much that I lent him the power, but that I shoehorned it into him. You know, your father was a stubborn man and very difficult to communicate. ”

"I hope you can lend me strength, as you once did to my father. ”

"What benefits will I get?"

"I will help you fight against heaven. ”

"Hmm......" The Demon Lord pretended to be pensive, thought for a moment, and then said, "Is that all?"

"Isn't it enough?" Richie hurriedly said, "Your enemy is Heaven, and weakening the power of Heaven will only do you good, not harm." And the forces of Heaven, once strong, will put great pressure on you. ”

"Yes, you're quite right. But there is something wrong with that. ”

"What do you mean?"

"It's a deal and we should both be equal. The Demon Lord said seriously, "If the two sides of the deal can't get more out of the deal than they originally did, then the deal won't be done, right?"

"I don't understand what you mean. ”

"My question was 'what benefits will I get'. What I'm referring to is more benefits than what is already there. If we don't come to an agreement, won't you fight against Heaven?"

"If you don't give me your strength, if you don't have enough strength to fight against Heaven, I can't fight them. ”

"No, you're still going to fight them. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come to me, would you? You and I both know that demons have insight into people's hearts, so please don't lie to demons. It doesn't make sense. ”

All of a sudden, the atmosphere froze a little, and Richie quietly watched the phantom of the demon lord.

The fire on the oil lamp next to him was buzzing, and the faint light of the fire reflected on his armor.

After a while, the Demon Lord continued, "Let me tell you what will happen if I don't support you. You will still fight against Heaven. Even if you give in, it's temporary. You will not tolerate the continued existence of the Black Dragons in this world, and you will be filled with hatred for the heavens that prevent you from taking revenge. But...... You don't have enough strength to defeat them. In the midst of the confrontation, the power of the White Bone Holy Light Holy See will be compressed. This is also good for us. Your father is so powerful, and his presence is not only a nightmare for heaven, but also for us. You can't negotiate with me with what I'm bound to get, it's disrespectful. ”

Richie listened dumbfounded, not answering, the soul fire in his eyes burning violently.

"Of course, there may be a little problem, the black dragon will completely throw itself into heaven. This is certainly not good news for us. But mastering the Black Dragon also means that Heaven will be your mortal enemy. Again, this is not good news for heaven. And even worse. You'll focus all your power on fighting Heaven, and it's no different from us being allies. ”

"I won't, I'll take revenge on you!" Richie roared.

"Hey, little Richie, I must stress again, please don't try to deceive a demon who has lived for hundreds of thousands of years. It doesn't make sense. You can think that way, but you can't do it. First, the hatred in your heart does not allow it, and secondly, ...... You have rallied the lich with hatred, and you need the support of the lich, and you won't have enough support against Hell. If you do, the power you have will wear off little by little over time. Stop talking about this negative thing, and if you really want to reach some kind of agreement, then go back to the real bargaining of interests. ”

Richie was already trembling with anger, but he was helpless: "As far as I know, when you lent my father's strength, you offered extremely generous terms. ”

"Yes. The Demon Lord smiled, "This can't be compared, little Richie. The devil's contract has never been fixed, and the conditions we prescribe and our considerations may be completely different for different people. ”

"Am I different from my father?"

"Of course, you are very different. You're smarter than your father, and your father thinks about how to use as little of my power as possible, and you think about how to use as much as you can. In other words, your father is much more adamant about the faith than you are. Being able to successfully erode your father is a huge victory in itself. The power lent to him was only a small bet on the table. As for eroding you...... Sorry, I'm not interested. When you negotiate with me, you need to come up with tangible benefits. ”

"So, what do you want?" asked Richie, gritting his teeth.