"It has to be an illusion! It is not possible to create these types of golems with the immortal essence of a peak immortal! Don't be scared! ATTACK!" Shouted Kenno to the large army that had momentarily stopped their march towards Finn and Fyro.
It is important to understand that a cultivator would only be able to create a golem that was limited by the amount of immortal essence that its creator possessed. After the creation of one of these golems, a cultivator would need to wait for more immortal essence to be produced by his body, before he could create another one. From Lenno's point of view, it was much more likely that Fyro had a comprehension of multiple essences, and was using them to trap their army into a massive illusion.
What they hadn not realized, was the fact that while each golem felt as powerful as a peak immortal, they had been created through the usage of an amount of immortal essence that would match a mid stage immortal. The feeling of power that they emanated, was only due to the increase in battle prowess granted by Daniel's system, and their numbers, was thanks to the higher rates of regeneration of his immortal essence, which he had started to eject and accumulate underground ever since they had arrived in the grass field in case of a battle.
Naturally, between an incredible possibility, and a more realistic one, the warriors did not hesitate to believe in the latter, and intead of staying still, they decided to ignore the golems.
"You overdid it. It seems they don't believe you." Muttered Finn to a quiet and calm Fyro, who hardly seemed to be paying attention to what was happening around him.
Finn was speaking the truth. His intimidation was too absurd to be taken seriously, and had been discarded as a simple bluff. However, the army of cultivators started to change their minds when Fyro took a step forward, and began to focus on the movements of the golems.
His eyes were the only part of his body that was moving, and yet, had caused for each of the massive golem to raise both of their arms above their heads, before hammering down against the wave of fearless cultivators.
One of the cultivators that was standing right underneath one of the golems, said, "Do you think we will fear an illusion? Who do you take us for? Haha-huh?"
The moment the joined fists of the golems touched the ground, there was no sound. No eartquake, gust of wind, explosion, or shock wave. What could be heard insetad, was the sound that a semi-solid liquid made when falling down from a great height. The extremely hot body of the golems turned liquid upon impact, and propagated through the entire area occupied by the thousands of cultivators.
Massive clouds of vapor began to emerge, bubbling through the wave of liquid flames and molten metal and rock, just to join back with the atmosphere. Only a few hands could be seen moving over its surface, almost as if in an attempt to swim up.
While only at the peak of the immortal stages, the bodies of these cultivators, paired with the protective effects of their immortal essence, were still enough to protect them from the extreme heat. However, right when they were starting to panic due to the eccessive consumption, the liquid of which they were covered with began to solidify, blocking them into a massive slab of solid metal.
The attemps to free themselves were desperate, but their immortal essence could do nothing to oppose against the higher quality immortal essence of which this slab was made out of.
To escape, was impossible.
Lenno, Jova, Rosa, and the nine cultivators that followed them observed with horror as seven thousand participants were played around with by a cultivator who was part of a group that he did not seem to even be the leader of. Their idea of taking the gems away from these cultivators quickly turned from 'the right thing to do,' to a really bad idea, but what they were more wary of, was about what would happen if Finn, who had been calm and polite until now, would unsheathe the rapier whose hilt he was holding on.
"Hold on.. Wait." said Rosa with trembling hands. She couldn't see a bit of the attractive and polite gentleman she had seen a few minutes earlier. Only an extremely dangerous warrior which they had done the mistake of provoking. "I am okay with buying your gems." She then added awkwardly.
"Me too! Me too.." chimed in Lenno, the stout young man which was more than happy to fight it out with them only a few seconds earlier.
Surprisingly, Finn did not push his threatening behaviour, and instead smiled back at them, and while letting go of the hilt of his sword, he said, "Of course. We are all on the same boat. We should not fight amongst ourselves."
The reason why Finn and Fyro had not bothered with killing or robbing these cultivators, was because there was much more to earn from them, than there would be otherwise. After all, there was no guarantee that they would be able to keep the gems they had obtained during the test. To sell them, was the best option.
"Are you guys done?" asked Finn to Nilo and the others, who until now, had been writing something on numerous sheets of paper.
"What? No. It's hundreds of papers, what do you take us for?!" Said Nilo with annoyance, before picking one of the finished sheets of paper, and using his control over the wind to make it float next to Finn.
Finn casually grabbed it, and without even reading it, he stepped towards the twelve scared cultivators, and handed it over to Jova.
____________________________
I ___, represent the ____ company in the purchase of five hundred (500) essence gems in exchange for one thousand (1000) essence gems that must be delivered to the Golden Karma company before the conclusion of the 'One Above All' competition hosted by the universal government. This contract is eligible to be enforced in case of a dispute caused by nonpayment.
From the moment of the purchase, the members of the Golden Karma company, or Hiel academy, will never forcibly reclaim the possession of the gems. However, the responsability of said gems will befall on the buyer. The payment must be made regardless of whether the item's possession will be maintained, or lost. The interest rates is set at 100% per year of failed payment.
Signature: _____ Company stamp: _____ Personal stamp: _____
____________________________
"What the hell.. Is there a need for this?" Asked Lenno, who had never been asked for guarantees when making a deal with another cultivator. Usually, the name of his company was more than enough.
"We can't make this decision for our companies. We would have to ask for their permission before accepting. What if we agree, and they decide they are not accountable for our decision?" Asked Jova with curiosity.
Jova's words were true. They were amongst the strongest young cultivators of Cato, but not all of them were the inheritors of the companies to which they belonged. Most of them were only talented members who had been selected to represent their groups.
"It won't be a problem. I know a few people that will be able to enforce this agreement. It might take a bit, but the contract will be respected.. Willingly, or not." Responded Finn casually, showing the complete absence of a doubt that anything could go wrong. When talking about 'a few people', he was naturally thinking about Daniel and the others. What he did not know, was that while he spoke, Daniel was already outside, barely containing his laughter.
"Smart kids." said Dehlila's grandfather just loudly enough to reach Daniel's ears. "They will make you rich." He then added.
"They are making themselves rich.. But I will help them if they need it." Responded Daniel calmly, but with a tone powerful enough to reach the other end of the planet. A warning for all of the conglomerates or companies that chose not to respect the contract in case their children decided to sign it.
A strange feeling was looming all around the planet. For the very first time, the company owners and conglomerate leaders were unable to make a decision for their companies. Their involvement was forced by one of their members, and they did not have a say in it.
Naturally, each individual was free, and if they wanted to, they could have easily chosen not to repect the contract, even if that brought them to face a monster of galactic proportions.
As soon as Jova and the others began to use the friendlier approach, Fyro dissipated the massive slab of solidified metal, and let the thousands of cultivators go.
"So, who wants to enter the tower?"
—–
After more than five hours, the number on the chests of Nilo and the others had decreased to exactly 500, just like that of roughly eighteen hundred of the participants, who were now quietly standing in front of them. However, on the faces of these cultivators was no trace of happiness.. Only doubt.
They did not know if they had made the right decision by accepting Finn's terms. After all, their parents and leaders were the ones forced to pay double of what they had signed a contract to obtain. Who knows if they would be scolded once back, or if they would end up making their groups waste a thousand essence gems by being eliminated immediately after entering the tower?
As one participant after another accepted the agreement, the same did their group leaders, who teleported next to Daniel, the old man Golden Cauldron, and the Silver Alchemist, to deliver a spatial ring that contained exactly what was owed to them.
"Now that this is done, let's move." Said Jova to the member of his group, who counted around three hundred and fifty people. The rest had, at some point during the past few hours, given up to the one or two gems in their possession, and had been teleported back to Cato.
The other group leaders followed suit, and prepared their own groups to move. Since Gannet's death, the members of the Egregious Mercantile Ethics had decided to give up, leaving only eighteen hundred out of the original twenty four thousand participants of the two islands.
The group quietly moved towards the tower, which became bigger and bigger the more they closed in. The gate of the tower was extremely simple, to a point where, had the participants not known where they were, they would have thought that they had stumbled upon a run down castle. From the other side of this gate, the sound of stepping was the only thing that could be heard.
The group of cultivators waited quietly a few meters away. They were trying to gather as much information as they could before entering. However, before they could even discuss about what there could be on the other side, they noticed Nilo and the rest of his team walk past them, and approach the gate.
"Hold on!" Said Lorwin with worry.
"Nothing inside will come out. Otherwise there would be no use for the first rule." Responded Nilo while keeping on walking.
Before Lorwin could respond, Zack grabbed the two large iron knockers, and pulled the gate open. What appeared in front of them, however, was not the source of the noise they were hearing before, but a wall of black smoke.
"Come on. You might not want to fall behind." Said Finn as Nilo, Zack, Fyro, and Cynna walked into the smoke wall, disappearing completely.
"Damnit.. Okay, let's go." Said Lorwin before unsheathing his sword, and following Nilo's group. The rest of the teams followed suit right after.
Once inside, the participants felt a deadly sensing ability probe into their spatial containers, only leaving them be after verifying the amonunt of essence gems in their possession. From how aggressive this power was, the participants realized that, had they tried to enter without the correct amount of gems, they would have probably died.
