Chapter 786: Chapter 748: Conditions

Upon a single glance at the young man before him, Rocky knew who he was; this Kashu Uranus might be young, but he was the famed Sect Leader of the Uranus Corporation!

Rocky didn’t have a particularly deep impression of the man or even of the Uranus Corporation, only knowing that they, like Sigma Corporation, were developing sixth-generation Armor, and their progress far surpassed Sigma’s. Aside from that, he didn’t know much else.

However, Rocky had been hearing the name Uranus quite frequently lately, for no other reason than that this company was also among those targeting him.

Among the forces that initially backed the Heavenly Ancestor Church to cause trouble for Rocky, aside from the Kafka Empire and the Magic Energy Research Institute, as well as the Shadow Alliance–these three major powers–Sigma and Uranus were also involved. Logically, these two companies should not have muddied the waters, yet this time was an exception. The application of Rune Technology in Armor had seriously threatened their positions in the Armor Domain, and to change this situation, Sigma Corporation had tried to approach Rocky but failed, while Uranus Corporation didn’t reach out at all and joined forces with the Kafka Empire and the Magic Energy Research Institute right away.

The reason for this was naturally based on their judgment of Rocky; Uranus Corporation believed that Rocky would never share Rune Technology. Rather than making futile contact, it was better to pick a side directly–once they were on the winning side, that was all that mattered. And the one who made this judgment was Kashu standing before him now.

It was precisely because Rocky knew about Kashu’s and his representing Uranus Corporation’s attitude that when Rocky looked at him, he slightly furrowed his brows–not out of displeasure but out of confusion. He couldn’t understand what Kashu wanted from him by seeking him out at this time.

Now that Rocky had arrived at the meeting, the longstanding opposition between them was about to come to a head. What did Kashu want by coming to him now? Was he here to declare victory in advance?

If that were truly the case, then Kashu would find himself disappointed by Rocky, because, even at this moment, victory had not yet been determined. If Kashu was so arrogantly assuming that they already held the winning card, that would be exceedingly naive.

“City Lord Rocky, I’ve come to propose a deal to you.”

As if sensing the puzzlement in Rocky’s eyes, Kashu then smiled and, without beating around the bush, straightforwardly voiced his intent.

He wasn’t here to declare victory in advance; he was here to discuss a deal.

This perplexed Rocky even more. With their current relationship having developed to this point, what else was there to talk about? Besides, Rocky had no desire to discuss anything. However, even though he felt this way internally, he didn’t show it, instead smiling: “I’m all ears.”

“City Lord Rocky, Rune Technology will inevitably become widespread. Why cling to this little benefit and keep it to yourself? Better to share it with us, and we assure you no more troubles will come your way.”

“Is that what you came to tell me?”

“Heh, of course not.” Kashu smiled slightly at Rocky, stepping a bit closer: “Those words are just a lofty pretext, trivial indeed, but they serve well as an opening remark.”

“What, exactly, do you want?”

“I hope that you will cooperate with our company.”

Giving Rocky a look, Kashu continued with a smile: “City Lord Rocky, it’s natural to want to control Rune Technology. I would do the same. But to fully unleash the technology’s true power, you need collaboration, and our Uranus Corporation is clearly a more suitable partner than Apple Tree Company. You should have heard of our technological prowess. If our two sides can forge a front, not only could we further the glory of Rune Technology, but also make you the sovereign of the skies in the next era. City Lord Rocky, isn’t that precisely what you desire?”

Indeed, Kashu hadn’t approached Rocky to engage in empty rhetoric; he genuinely wanted to negotiate a deal to have him abandon Apple Tree Company and instead partner with him.

Kashu then continued: “City Lord Rocky, if you agree to work with us, I can ensure your safety today, and I can even guarantee that The Three Great Alliances will not target you in the future; you will also receive the backing of Uranus Corporation’s authority. Trust me, Uranus Corporation has the strength to promise this.”

To propose cooperation with Rocky, it wouldn’t suffice to rely on mere words; Kashu had clearly thought this through and hence offered his conditions. He assured not only Rocky’s safety for the day but also promised that he wouldn’t be targeted by The Three Great Alliances in the future, along with the promise of support from Uranus Corporation’s authority.

If someone else had made this claim, it would be implausible–after all, not even the Heavenly Ancestor Church possessed such power, but Uranus Corporation dared to make such promises. As a giant in the Armor Domain and the company leading the development of sixth-generation Armor, they indeed had the power.

Without a doubt, the terms Kashu proposed were quite tempting.

Yet, after he had finished speaking, Rocky simply smiled and gave Kashu a glance: “Actually, I could share Rune Technology with you all, but what is mine is yours only if I give it. If I don’t, you can’t take it.”

With that, Rocky raised his glass to Kashu, turned, and walked away, completely disregarding the so-called deal.

In truth, Rocky’s last words represented his stance on the entire matter. Those who knew him were aware that Rocky had originally intended to share Mana Rune with others–otherwise, he wouldn’t have joined the Sky Alliance. But as the situation developed, especially when he felt the timing was right and was about to share the Rune, he found people continuously trying to snatch it from his hands. This included other forces and even the Sky Alliance itself, which irritated Rocky. Because, as he said, what is mine is yours only if I give it. If I don’t, you can’t take it!

Now, Rocky still held the same view. He was open to giving away what was his but not to it being taken by force. Both The Three Great Alliances’ current aggression and Kashu’s recent proposal essentially amounted to robbery. The Three Great Alliances were openly attempting to seize it, while Kashu appeared to be offering a trade; in reality, he was leveraging The Three Great Alliances’ pressure to coerce Rocky into a coerced pact. This was utterly unacceptable to Rocky, which is why he paid no heed to the so-called deal.

However, Kashu’s appearance did enlighten Rocky about a few things: the group headed by The Three Great Alliances was not unbreakably united, harboring their own personal agendas–an undoubtedly favorable development. Furthermore, they truly believed they had Rocky cornered, which was also favorable.