Chapter 604: The Pact of Advancement
After pleasantries, Maximus and Valoros quickly turned to their main intention.
"Is the message you sent true?"
"Hmm, as long as you merge the Ocean of Truth with the Source of Knowledge, I will grant you a way to advance to the Absolute realm," Maximus nodded in confirmation.
If a mere seed of paths merging with the Source of Knowledge could boost its advancement, then what could a complete path of law achieve?
Furthermore, this was not a mere River of Law but a veritable Ocean of Law.
Usually, only a higher path of law could integrate a lower path; otherwise, it would cause imbalance and collapse.
However, coming from the same source, merging the Ocean of Truth would bring only benefits, not disadvantages.
Meanwhile, hearing Maximus’s confirmation, Valoros could no longer hold back his smile.
Although he had already deduced the matter, he was still in denial.
"So, do you agree?"
"Gladly. The Ocean of Truth was part of the Source of Knowledge; it’s only right to merge it back..."
The advancement of the Ocean of Truth had long come to a standstill.
No matter what he did, without a source, it could no longer grow.
This was also why he had been studying the various properties of Will’s energy.
Unfortunately, before he could make any breakthroughs, the Aeon Plane seemed to be on the verge of a dark disaster.
Otherwise, even if Maximus’s offer was tempting, he would never have agreed.
His life was more important than a mere shortcut full of uncertainties; he would rather remain stuck at the ocean level than take such a risk.
Unfortunately, he had no other choice.
Deducing the coming dark disaster, without sufficient power, he couldn’t even hide, much less escape.
In the face of such a calamity, he could only gamble.
Seeing that neither party had any disagreements, Malgron heaved a sigh of relief.
Both were his friends; he didn’t want to favor one over the other.
Soon, Maximus began drafting the contract he would have with Valoros.
"Here, sign this..."
The contract Maximus presented was a common subordinate contract used by most of the top organizations in the Dimensional Alliance.
Aside from binding their paths together for faster progress, there were no other mandatory conditions.
After fulfilling his agreement, Valoros would be free to do whatever he wanted—become a mercenary accepting jobs for money, an enemy seeking to take over his path, or simply do nothing and sit idle.
Of course, binding a higher path to the River of Knowledge was a dangerous endeavor.
Although the River of Knowledge and the Ocean of Truth came from the same source, they were still different in level.
Thus, the contract he handed to Valoros included several conditions, preventing him from touching the Source of Knowledge in any way.
Who knew if Valoros might suddenly have a screw loose and use the Source of Knowledge for his own experiments?
Knowing Valoros’ personality, this scenario was not entirely impossible.
Meanwhile, reading through the contract, Valoros couldn’t help but nod in relief.
It seemed his deductions over the past centuries were not in vain.
So far, besides the interesting changes to the Source of Knowledge and the extravagant castle, there has not been much deviation.
The contract was also exactly as he had deduced, word for word.
With nothing to worry about, Valoros confidently signed the contract.
As it vanished into the void, Valoros turned his attention to Maximus.
Although he had already confirmed that Maximus possessed the fabled Dimensional Physique, the next Orion, Valoros, couldn’t contain his excitement.
"Since you’ve signed the contract, the 161,217th floor of the Tower of Knowledge is yours,"
"The Tower of Knowledge?"
Seeing Valoros’s puzzled expression, Malgron eagerly explained the matter.
From the previous Dimensional war, the negotiation, the contract they signed, and the price they had to pay, Malgron didn’t leave anything.
"This—"
Knowing that the top powerhouse of the Aeon Plane was beginning its advancement to the Absolute realm, Valoros couldn’t help but be shocked.
Once they succeeded in their advancement, the Aeon Plane would undergo a major reshuffle, destroying the balance.
There might no longer be only two forces ruling the Aeon Plane.
The Dimensional Alliance? The Devourer faction?
With hundreds of Absolutes, even the Overlords themselves might have to step aside.
Seeing Valoros look at him like he was a great devil who was about to tip the balance of the Aeon Plane, Maximus began to explain his thoughts.
"Don’t worry, I’m not stupid. How could my power only benefit the Dimensional Alliance?"
"Furthermore, with the looming dark disaster, how could hundreds of Absolutes be enough?"
"I’m merely giving the powerhouses of the Dimensional Alliance a head start. After the Dimensional Competition, I’ll publicly announce the power of my physique."
Maximus was not satisfied with having only the Dimensional Alliance as his customers.
Although the Devourer faction was not united, they were far richer in rare materials and ultimate treasures.
Furthermore, he didn’t think the fact of his physique could remain hidden for long.
Even if he didn’t reveal it, the progress of those Ocean-level powerhouses would be a major telltale sign that he possessed the Dimensional Source Physique.
Hearing his explanation, Valoros heaved another sigh of relief.
It seemed Maximus truly was the master of the forbidden path of Knowledge—able to think far ahead and take everything into consideration.
Finally, after finishing their contract, Valoros hurriedly began preparing to work.
"Don’t rush. Let’s visit the Etherium Realm first. Then I’ll take you to the Tower of Knowledge," Malgron said, dragging Valoros before he could leave.
"But I—"
According to the contract he had signed, he only had a hundred thousand years to merge the Ocean of Truth with the Source of Knowledge.
Such a monumental task with so little time—if he didn’t work without pause, he had no way of finishing it.
"Don’t worry. I’ll help you later. A few years won’t make a difference."
"Can you?"
With the various layers of protective arrays, it was obvious that Maximus wanted to keep what was happening with the Source of Knowledge a secret.
Familiar with how cautious people acted, Valoros knew only those bound by a confidentiality contract like him could touch the Source of Knowledge.
"Can I?" Malgron asked, turning to Maximus.
"Sure, but you can only help with the initial integration," Maximus agreed.
"Hahaha! See?! Let’s go!"