Chapter 474: A Rigged Game (2/2)

”Marcos, do you think Guan Dongyang had set that fire?” Randolph asked with a cigar in between his lips.

”I doubt it. However strong he is, he wouldn't be able to unleash that mighty blow right after dealing with a level seventeen dark one.”

”So, we are not going to give the share of the spoils?”

Marcos shook his head. ”The Battle Wolf had sustained much fewer casualties than us. It's not fair to split the spoils equally.”

”I doubt that Guan Dongyang would agree to that. Plus, if it was Guan Dongyang who had sent that column of fire from the sky, then what?”

”Captain... allow me to provide you with a solution. That super METAL was cream of the crop of the spoil. Why don't we host a tournament? Whoever wins will take that super METAL home. This way, not only can we divide up the spoils fairly, but we could also use it to find out the real power of Guan Dongyang. ” It was Li Xiu who had spoken. He was Marcos's trusted adviser.

The others at the meeting quickly picked up the subtle nuance of his proposal. Although there were plenty spoils to be divided among the three factions, one or two of the pieces were so exceptionally rare that they overtrumped the value of the other loot. Due to the scarcity and great value of the precious loot, it was almost impossible to share it equally among the three groups.

The varying degree of contribution to the battle further complicated the issue. Although Guan Dongyang and his mastery caster were responsible for the downfall of the toughest enemies, Thunder Fire and the Rock Buster were the ones that had faced the bulk of the enemies head-on. As a result, the two factions had lost many values resources, including a few expansive heavy METAL.

On the surface, Li Xiu's proposal seemed to be the only fair solution to the conundrum. However, the odds would be against the Battle Wolf before the tournament even started. However mighty and powerful the mastery fighters were, they stood no chance against METAL warriors in a one on one competition.

Marcos knew that Guan Dongyang would know that the game was rigged, but he wasn't worried. The METAL factions already had the loot, and the tournament was the only chance that Guan Dongyang could get anything out of this raid.

Also, the tournament would be a great opportunity to clear some questions about Guan Dongyang's real power. Everyone knew that Guan Dongyang was a good friend of the almighty Michaux, and their friendship had also cast a mysterious light on the young leader. Marcos feared that the mysteriousness had fanned much of the outrageous claims of Guan Dongyang's power.

On the other hand, if the rumors about Guan Dongyang's power were real, Marcos would have no intention of offending such a powerful warrior, and therefore, he would hand over the spoils willingly.

They said chaos was a ladder for the powerful. Although the scourge of the Zergs had brought destruction and corruption, from the many holes it tore out in the fabric of human society emerged many powerful leaders and game-changers.

The time had changed from five years ago, and so did the power balance in the human world. The old structure was shattered the moment Patroclus turned to the Zergs. House Dower diminished in a matter of weeks, and House Zhang became the leader of the lunar resistance force. After Patroclus had firmly established his power in the Zerg army, he sent most of the Zerg forces to the Moon and the Earth, leaving the planet of Mars to his competitor. Thanks to Patroclus' familiarity with of the confederation's combat strategies, he had never lost a battle against the resistance forces.

A couple of years later, Patroclus' brutality had again surprised the world when he slaughtered his father. By then, Patroclus had become the most infamous Dower the world had ever known. Whatever contribution his ancestor Rilangalos had made to the humanity was smeared by Patroclus' outrageous cruelty and deceit.

However powerful and ambitious the House Dower was, they had met an ironic and tragic end.

Meanwhile, on Mars, the only place that was free of Zergs' corruption was the Kaedeians' city.

The Kaedeians had lasted this long mainly due to their physical incompatibility with the Zerg parasites. After five years of struggling for survival, Princess Heidi had grown into a capable ruler. She no longer waited for the arrival of the promised savior. Instead, she fought actively against the Zerg invasion while maintaining close contact with the Mars resistance group. Having waited for five years, Heidi's faith in the prophecy had started to waver as dark clouds loomed over her path.

Although Kaedeians had fended off the invasion of Moye temporarily, the relative peace was only a short reprieve; destruction would return when Moye recovered.

Sometimes, in a fit of indignation, the Kaedeian Princess would even envy the humans. Even if the remaining humans were wiped out, their legacy would stay with Patroclus. However, when the last Kaedeian fell, the world would quickly forget that such a proud and beautiful race ever existed.