touchnovel Chapter 202 Sharing Wealth
Chapter 202 Sharing Wealth
Chapter 202 Sharing Wealth
The atmosphere froze instantly. The sea breeze blew across the dock, but it brought no warmth, only a salty and cold confrontation.
Erm's fingers, gripping the staff, turned white from the force. He could feel the gazes of the islanders behind him, a mixture of fear and dependence.
He knew that Orman was telling the truth; resistance would only lead to destruction.
The aura emanating from those follower wizards was far more powerful than his so-called "Touch of the Black Reef," a level that could only be achieved through systematic training and resource accumulation on the mainland.
Go to Aikael to study?
This temptation entered his mind like poison.
That was the opportunity he had dreamed of since his youth, the ultimate dream of every wizard in the Boulder Islands.
But what's the cost?
It means handing over the island's local specialties and resources, or sending the island's young people to serve a strange and powerful dynasty, with their fates uncertain.
He looked at Orman, trying to find a trace of past affection in the other's eyes, to find some room for maneuver.
But while Oman's eyes held a complex expression, the determination deep within them was as cold as a rock.
"Oman————"
Erm's voice was dry.
"Harvesting that deep-sea black algae is extremely dangerous, requiring specific tides and skilled fishermen—and it's a matter of luck."
As for qualified young people—the archipelago faces a difficult path of inheritance, and every promising talent—
"Erm!"
Oman interrupted again, his tone now clearly impatient.
"I'm not here to bargain with you! Lord Dila's orders must be carried out! If production is scarce, increase manpower!"
If there's danger, find a way to overcome it! As for young people—
Serving the Eternal Night Dynasty is their honor, and the best way for them to escape this remote place and pursue true power!
He took a step forward, and the wizards following behind him also stepped forward at the same time. An invisible pressure surged towards the dock like a tide, causing a commotion among the islanders. Several children were so frightened that they cried out, but the adults hurriedly covered their mouths.
"I need a list of all people on the island who are between sixteen and thirty years old and have wizarding qualifications!"
At the same time, immediately organize manpower; I need to see the first batch of qualified deep-sea black algae on my ship before sunrise tomorrow!
Oman's voice was firm and unquestionable.
"Otherwise, I will consider Black Reef Island to have voluntarily surrendered, and they will bear all the consequences!"
This is an ultimatum.
"Oman, really—can't you make an exception?"
Erm's tone was full of pleading; forcing these people to pick the fruit would be sending them to their deaths.
Looking at Erm in front of him, Oman's tone softened.
"Erm, some things are beyond my control. We're brothers! Come with me. If you just give the nod, the gates of the strong will open for you! Why jeopardize your future for these ordinary people?"
Oman's words were like a poisonous thorn coated in honey, precisely piercing Erm's deepest desires and most painful vulnerabilities.
Brotherhood, the path of the strong, the call of Aikar —
These words buzzed in Erm's mind, forming a sharp contrast with the terrified faces of the fishermen behind him and the suppressed cries of the children.
He looked at Orman, and the feigned softness and genuine urgency in the other man's eyes made him feel nauseous and chilled.
This is not a discussion; it is a threat disguised as friendship, a kidnapping using one's future as leverage.
Erm slowly, very slowly, shook his head. His slightly hunched back straightened little by little, and his hands, which were rough from years of handling medicinal herbs, gripped the staff tightly again.
"Oman".
His voice was no longer dry; instead, it revealed a calm and resolute quality.
"Have you forgotten why we left our respective islands and started adventuring together from one to another?"
Oman frowned, seemingly surprised that Erm would bring this up: "Of course, it's to become stronger, to—"
"It's so we won't be bullied! It's so that people like us, who come from small islands, can live with more dignity!"
Erm interrupted him, his voice rising, filled with suppressed excitement.
"Not to become someone who bullies others! Not to trample on the corpses of our fellow villagers for some worthless future!"
He slammed his staff on the ground with a dull thud, his eyes fixed intently on Orman: "You keep saying we're brothers, yet you want me to abandon my neighbors who trust and depend on me, to become a dog for that Dila-sama you're talking about."
Forcing children to their deaths? Is this the "way of the strong" you learned from the mainland?! Oman, you've changed—"
Erm's words struck Orman's heart like a heavy hammer, shattering the resolute atmosphere that had just begun to rise.
"I haven't forgotten that you saved my life!"
Erm's words made Orman's body tremble violently, and the staff he was gripping loosened slightly.
Those long-buried memories surged forth, supporting each other amidst the raging storm. When facing the sea monster, Erm pushed him away, nearly losing his own life in the process. On the barren island, they shared the last piece of dry rations, vowing to rise above the stars and never let anyone look down on them again.
Oman's eyes reddened as he stared intently at Erm, his voice hoarse with excitement: "Back when we ventured into the Dangui Archipelago, we were looked down upon everywhere because we weren't from a powerful family. Do you remember what I told you back then?"
I will definitely make something of myself! I definitely will!
The opportunity is right in front of you!
Ermu, this isn't bullying our fellow villagers, this is order!
It is an inevitable result of a powerful and unquestionable order!
Only by conforming to this order can people like us truly stand up!
He pointed to the ship behind him, and to the respectful wizards: "Look at this now!"
I am no longer that wandering apprentice who can be scolded by anyone!
I represent the Eternal Night Dynasty! My word can decide the fate of many! This is power! This is what we once dreamed of!
"And now, I can lend you a hand!"
We can stand together at a higher level!
Instead of what we're doing now, you're guarding this broken island, confronting me here for a few black algae and a few ordinary people who may never become first-level wizards in their lifetime!
Is it worth it?!
Oman was emotional, and his words came out like a machine gun, filled with resentment, anger, and a twisted desire to prove himself.
He was eager to prove to Erm that his choice was right, that he was on the correct path to "getting ahead."
Erm stared blankly at the almost hysterical Oman, at the familiar yet strange fanaticism in his eyes. The anger and determination in his heart dissipated quickly like a punctured balloon, replaced by a deep, almost suffocating sorrow.
"Erm, it's just some ordinary people dying! Didn't we see plenty of dead people back then?"
Oman's words were like an icicle, instantly piercing the last trace of warmth and illusion in Erm's heart.
The excitement and desire to prove himself faded from his eyes, leaving only a cold-blooded "pragmatism".
Yes, dead people.
They've seen too many dead people.
Shipwrecks, battles, resource scarcity, monster attacks —
In the days of struggling to survive in the archipelago, death was as common as a shadow.
Auman seems to have completely distorted that period into a testament to "survival of the fittest," and regarded this ruthlessness as a sign of strength and maturity.
Erm looked at Oman as if seeing his former brother for the first time for the first time.
He stopped arguing, stopped feeling sad; an extreme chill spread from the bottom of his heart, freezing all his emotions.
He slowly, extremely slowly, gripped the staff tightly in his hand.
His straight back was slightly bent, as if bearing an invisible weight.
He avoided Orman's "taken-for-granted" gaze and looked at the undulating black sea in the distance, where the black algae that could kill people were hidden beneath the waves.
"you're right."
Erm's voice was eerily calm, without the slightest ripple.
"It's really not a big deal if some ordinary people die."
Upon hearing this, Oman showed a satisfied look on his face, as if to say, "You've finally figured it out." He was about to say a few words of praise, or even pat Erm on the shoulder and imagine the future of his two brothers in the Eternal Night Dynasty.
But the look Erm gave him immediately made him choke on his words.
The struggle, sorrow, and even anger that had been there before were gone from those eyes; only a steadfast, unwavering determination remained, as if all worldly cares had been washed away.
Calm, yet containing an undeniable power.
"But I can't just stand by and watch these people go to their deaths."
Erm's voice remained calm, yet it was like a silent thunderclap, shattering the satisfaction that had just risen in Oman's heart, and clearly reaching the ears of every islander behind him who was holding their breath.
Oman's smile froze, gradually turning into astonishment, then into unbelievable rage: "Erm! You tricked me?! You just—"
What I just said is true.
Erm interrupted him, his tone still calm, but with a kind of toughness that Oman found unfamiliar.
"The death of some ordinary people is no big deal to the Eternal Night Dynasty, or to you, Lord Oman. But it's no good for Erm, or for Black Reef Island."
He slightly raised the staff in his hand, no longer in an attacking stance, but rather as if making a declaration: "They stayed on this island because they trusted me. They entrusted the future of their children to me, hoping that I could find a way for them to survive in this barren sea. This trust is heavier than any future prospect."
His gaze swept over the powerful wizards behind Orman, finally returning to Orman's face: "Orman, you've chosen your path, I won't stop you. But I have my own path. Black Reef Island has its own way of life."
"I will not submit the list. Black algae cannot be harvested now. If you insist on enforcing this—"
Erm paused, and the sea beast crystal core at the tip of the staff began to emit a faint but firm light.
The islanders behind him, who had been terrified, seemed to be inspired by his determination. Although they were afraid, they gripped their weapons tightly, took a small step forward, and stood silently behind their Lord Erm.
"—Then step over my dead body. Let's see if the Eternal Night Dynasty gets a Black Reef Island that's willing to cooperate, or a scorched wasteland filled with hatred and corpses."
Erm's voice was not loud, but it carried a resolute will to die, echoing clearly in the sea breeze.
He didn't roar, he didn't get excited, he simply stated a choice.
An option to completely pass the ball back to Oman.
Is it to forcibly suppress them at the risk of paying a certain price, or even delaying Lord Dila's orders?
Or should we back down temporarily, give them a few days, and try to achieve a more favorable outcome?
Oman's face turned extremely ugly. He stared intently at Erm, his chest heaving violently.
He hadn't expected Erm to be so stubborn, and he certainly hadn't expected that the other party would use such a shameless method—tying his own life and the future of the island together—to defy the dynasty's orders!
The wizards following behind him exchanged hesitant glances.
Their orders were to requisition and register the land, not to massacre the island.
If the opposing leader really threatens suicide, things become complicated.
The dock fell silent again, with only the sound of waves crashing against the rocks and Auman's heavy breathing.
This time, the cold confrontation was tempered with a heavy sense of courage stemming from a desire to protect.