Chapter 512: Unthinkable Stakes

He stood dumbfounded for an unusually long moment.

After taking a deep breath, Wang Tian pushed aside the shock in his heart and bowed deeply, promising to carry out Yenir’s wishes.

It wasn’t that his thoughts were overactive; they were just downright terrifying.

It was the sheer enormity of the funds that made it hard to swallow…

Three hundred billion! Without even factoring in ongoing expenses, by Yenir’s plan that amount could raise an army of nearly one million men!

And these wouldn’t be ordinary soldiers—they’d all be Awakeners!

Noticing that Wang Tian seemed to have guessed his intentions—or perhaps read too much into them—Yenir neither confirmed nor explained further.

In a way, he was indeed planning to stand on his own.

Quite a change from the naive ideas he had when he was first reborn.

Ever since he realized the immense internal resistance within both the Military and the Authorities, Yenir had decided to shift tactics—first, he’d assemble his own force!

After all, he needed a vast manpower pool to build his projects and carry out his plans.

Even after a trip to the Far Frontier, he began to nurture new thoughts about the Battle Zone he’d been forced to abandon in his previous life.

With the Capital’s situation growing increasingly complex, starting anew might not be such a bad idea.

When the catastrophe finally hit and the tides turned completely, seizing the moment would be his best move!

Dreaming of raising legions of the undead just wasn’t realistic!

“If there’s nothing else, then get on with what I said,” Yenir instructed.

“And if possible, help me acquire some A-Class or better skills—specifically sword techniques. I’d like those that boost Third-Stage mid-level attributes. The more, the better.”

With a casual wave of his hand, Yenir signaled Wang Tian to set off.

Though he longed to learn a couple of extra sword techniques immediately and boost them to SSS-Level, after much thought Yenir decided to proceed cautiously.

He had already reviewed every sword technique kept by the Capital Military, and none suited him.

Once learned, there was no turning back. Since these techniques directly affected his combat power, he had to be extremely careful.

Just as Yenir began scouring his memories for any high-grade skills he might secure, Wang Tian—standing by—hesitated before speaking:

“Lord Yenir, regarding sword skills… I actually know of one.”

Uncertain if he should even mention it, after a brief pause Wang Tian spoke in a low, odd tone:

“Here’s the deal: a Private Faction contacted me a few hours ago. They claim they want to trade a skill to make up for the Credit Points they lost to us.”

“According to their information, the skill in question is a sword technique—an S-Class one at that!”

“They even said that if their Safe Zone commander weren’t so inept with swords, he would have mastered it on his own long ago!”

Huh!?

Raising an eyebrow, Yenir looked at Wang Tian in unexpected surprise.

“Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

“S-Class? Are you certain?”

“No problem—just swap it over immediately!”

It was as if sleep itself had offered a pillow.

Listening to Wang Tian’s news, Yenir’s interest was instantly piqued.

An S-Class sword technique?! Such a rare skill was nearly unparalleled! Frankly, he wasn’t even sure how many of these existed. If it proved suitable and he secured it, his strength would get a massive boost!

Yet, judging by Wang Tian’s hesitance, Yenir suspected there might be more to the story.

Sure enough, once Yenir expressed his keen interest, Wang Tian could only force a bitter laugh.

“My lord, I held back earlier because I thought their offer was a bit outrageous.”

“I know you’ve been hunting for high-grade sword techniques, but their price was ridiculously steep—in all honesty, they were practically treating us like fools.”

With an awkward expression, Wang Tian cautiously mimed a number and whispered:

“They’re from the Phantom Safe Zone. We lost nearly 900 million Credit Points in that Death Duel, along with the full set of Equipment for a thousand-man troop!”

“According to our contact’s terms, they’re looking to offset that loss with this one sword technique.”

As he spoke, a mix of exasperation and amusement flashed across Wang Tian’s face.

An S-Class sword technique is priceless—but it’s never worth such an outrageous sum!

For instance, an A-Class skill typically goes for a few hundred thousand, with the top tier fetching around a million.

S-Class skills command even higher prices—though seldom does anyone actually pay up. In an Awakener’s eyes, an S-Class technique is valued at roughly tens of millions. The very best might even cost seventy to eighty million!

However, these assets have no fixed market, making their actual value hard to determine.

But no matter how you slice it, 900 million was absurdly high—it was as if they were being taken for complete fools!

“900 million? And all the Equipment for a thousand-man troop went with it?”

Yenir paused, and as Wang Tian finished his description, he immediately understood why Wang Tian had kept this under wraps.

Under normal circumstances, no one would ever accept such a price.

But for him…

A light drizzle began.

If the conditions were right, it might not be out of the question.

“And who’s selling? The commander of the Phantom Safe Zone? Hah, that’s downright crazy.”

“Losing 900 million shows impressive strength, sure—but clearly, his judgment is off.”

Curious, Yenir decided to press for more details.

In the next moment, seeing that Yenir wasn’t angry, Wang Tian let out a relieved breath and quickly added:

“My lord, the seller is none other than the second son of the Phantom Safe Zone commander. The kid didn’t even have that sword technique—in his own words, he was secretly betting against his father!”

“If you’re truly interested, I can contact him right away. But honestly, that price is still outrageously high—we have plenty of room to negotiate!”

A trace of disdain flickered in his eyes, as Wang Tian recalled the frantic manner in which the offer had been made, and he chuckled softly:

“That kid was absolutely beside himself—terrified out of his mind.”

“He used to have dealings with our Merchant Guild. I know him fairly well.”

“Just a typical second-generation kid with little sense. He planned to steal the skill! Without patching that massive gap, the entire Phantom Safe Zone will be in chaos!”

Losing 900 million plus the full gear of a thousand-man troop—such a colossal shortfall made Yenir realize that the other party was likely driven to desperation.

No wonder they were willing to part with an S-Class technique. Otherwise, even their own kin might have been mercilessly beaten.

“Alright, get in touch with him now.”

“But I need to see the sword technique first! If it meets my standards, a price of a few hundred million is acceptable!”

A surge of bold determination filled the air!

Handling billions in funds, Yenir wasn’t bothered by such trivialities. For him, every increment of strength was worth far more than a few hundred million Credit Points!

If that S-Class technique truly met his criteria, he wouldn’t hesitate to claim it outright!

After all, it wouldn’t be long—at most, within a year—the purchasing power of Credit Points would plummet dramatically.

In the face of successive disasters, essential survival supplies and enhancement resources were the only things of real value!

“Yes, my lord! I’ll contact him right away!”

Watching Yenir’s commanding tone, Wang Tian couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. After all, having followed Yenir for a while, he’d witnessed plenty of major events.

At that moment, Wang Tian decided not to hesitate any further.

Now that’s what I call a true heavyweight… either absolutely badass or just plain awesome—Yenir truly is on another level!