Chapter 340: Signs of Awakening (1/2)

”Are you sure about your choice, Argentum? Although I'm repaying kindness with kindness, don't go too overboard,” Melzarin responded through the connection they had, emanating a surprisingly strong combat intent, which was aimed towards Argentum. Eleanor and the others could not help but look at Melzarin with slight shock, wondering what was going on.

As for Argentum, he went ahead and applied all of the buffs he could onto himself with the amount of energy he currently had in his body to resist the pressure. Even though he had the option of binding Melzarin in place if ever he made a move on him, he felt that there was no need to do so since in the first place, he was in the wrong…in the moral sense anyway.

Scratching his head as he let out an awkward chuckle, Argentum went ahead and removed the connection connecting him with Melzarin, Felix, and Rosalia as he looked at Melzarin and said, ”I know not to go too overboard, but considering what I've done for you is almost fatal to any other Normal-grade Pseudo-Animate out there, don't you think such a reward is fitting?”

”What's going on between the two of you?” Rosalia could not help but look back and forth between Argentum and Melzarin before asking. While that was happening, Eleanor arrived to where Rosalia, Felix, Argentum were standing, an aura of curiosity radiating from her.

”Argentum, after what you've done for me, I've already considered you as a good friend of mine,” Melzarin said in a solemn tone as the combat intent surrounding him gradually intensified. ”If you still want us to stay as friends, then I'd suggest asking for a reward other than the ownership of my inheritance.”

”Huh. Surprisingly, I was expecting something like this to happen between the two eventually,” Felix could not help but say. Not long after, Eleanor chimed in as she said, ”Then again, the reason why he can achieve that strength is due to what he has done, though his buffs are no joke.”

”What are the two of you talking about?” Rosalia's ears perked up as she listened to the conversation Felix and Eleanor were having, prompting her to ask the two this question. In response, Felix imitated the sound of one clearing their throat as he answered through a strand of energy while pointing at Argentum, ”You can hear quite well that Argentum is asking for ownership over Melzarin's inheritance, right? Although I'm not sure if he's serious or not in that regard, all I know is that he'll definitely settle for a partial ownership…since that's what he asked from us two quite some time ago.”

”Are…are you serious?” Rosalia could not help but mutter in response, utilizing the connection Felix had created. Soon after, Eleanor butted into the conversation as she sent a strand of energy of her own, saying, ”It is true. Haven't you noticed that we've become slightly weaker than the last time you met us?”

”Well, Felix has his own ways of strengthening himself so I wouldn't even notice the difference,” Rosalia replied to her question with a tone of confidence. ”As for you Eleanor, your strength is like that of a gorilla even if part of the ownership over your inheritance is given away, so I wouldn't notice the difference as we—”

”Hm? Did you just say I'm a gorilla?” Eleanor hastily appeared in front of Rosalia, grasping her tightly by the head before lifting her up. Not only that, one could even see that the flames surrounding her body were gradually turning dark. With that, Rosalia hastily replied as she waved her hands in disapproval, ”I didn't say anything! I didn't say anything!”

Soon, Rosalia was brought down as Eleanor let out a light chuckle as an aura of glee exuded out of her.

”I see,” Eleanor soon said, which gave both Rosalia and Felix the shivers.

While that was happening, Melzarin and Felix were having a different conversation.

”You did tell me that I could ask for anything in exchange, right? If that's the case, why are you barring me from gaining ownership over your inheritance?” Argentum asked in response to Melzarin's previous words, prompting the combat intent surrounding Melzarin to intensify once more as a layer of armor was gradually forming over his body. With a slightly cold tone, Melzarin looked at Argentum and said, ”Don't push your luck if I were you.”

Hearing that, Argentum let out a light chuckle as he said, ”I guess this is what I could consider as the limit. Alright, I won't ask for you to give up your ownership over the inheritance anymore.”

With Argentum's words resonating around his sense of hearing, Melzarin could not help but let out a sigh of relief as his combat intent started to gradually disappear. But just as it was continuing to dissipate, it gradually returned once Argentum said his next statement.

”Although I can't ask you to give up your ownership, how about a partial ownership instead?”

Seeing as there was no way for him to dissuade Argentum from eyeing his inheritance, Melzarin felt that him asking for a partial ownership was still leagues better than asking for full ownership. With a light sigh as the combat intent surrounding him had truly disappeared, Melzarin then asked him, ”How much control do you want over the inheritance?”

”You sure you want me to choose that?” Argentum could not help but ask, to which the dark skeleton replied with a nonchalant shrug, ”Well, I did say that you could choose anything, though I rejected your offer of full ownership over my inheritance. I still want our relationship to become good, so wouldn't giving you control over how much of a share you want over my inheritance be a step in the right direction?”

”I like the way you speak, Melzarin,” Argentum said while laughing with slight glee. Soon after, he asked him, ”How about a 50-50 cut?”

”Lower,” Melzarin succinctly replied. Although he was fine with Argentum asking for a specific amount of share from him, that didn't him he would hastily agree to it.

”40?”

”Lower.”

”35?”

”Lower.”

”30?”

”Even lower than that.”

”Man, you told me I could choose the amount of control I have over the inheritance. How come you're being so stingy?” Argentum could not help but say as he had a hunch that this final offer of his would possibly work out. ”25 percent. Surely, this amount would be fine, right?”

At this point, the conversation between Rosalia, Felix, and Eleanor had finished, prompting the three to look at the current state of Melzarin and Argentum's bargaining session. Hearing the offer that Argentum gave to Melzarin, Felix could not help but radiate an aura of slight mockery as he let out a malicious chuckle.

”Knowing Melzarin, he'll definitely accept that offer,” Felix said, to which Eleanor pondered over for a bit before speaking her mind. ”Yeah, pretty high chance.”