Chapter 40: Negotiations.

Deon avoided Finn's accusing glare.

Finn sighed, "I thought it was strange that someone came up with the same idea as myself… to think that you just got lucky…"

"Lucky? What the hell is this huge weirdo going on about?" Mikael thought as he watched Finn's dramatic display of disappointment.

"Anyway, since you're already here. You have to help me if you want to get out of here alive," Finn said, thrusting several empty bottles to Deon.

Deon's brown eyes looked alternatingly between Finn and the jars, "Is that a threat?"

"Huh?" Finn blinked in surprise, "No! my bad! Hahaha! I meant that we should work together to clear this dungeon."

"Clear the dungeon? Just the two of us?!" Deon's loud cry echoed across the cave walls. he could still remember the peculiar behavior of the f-class killer ant that he encountered earlier and just the thought of fighting hundreds—even thousands of them in a colony sent shivers down his spine.

"Why? Do you see anyone else here?" Finn asked back, "of course, it'll be just the two of us."

"Did you not notice that these ants aren't just F-class monsters anymore? They're way stronger than they should be!"

"I know. That's also the reason why I came here. I want to know why the ants mutated to be lower C-class monsters."

Seeing that Deon had become silent with shock, Finn assured with a sinister smile that jived well with the torchlight, "Don't worry. I have a plan."

Mikael whispered to Deon, "Hey, kid. Are you sure you're going to trust this guy? What if he uses you as bait?"

"Let's hear his plan first, Sir Mikael," Deon answered, still not giving up hope for humanity.

"So, here's the plan…" Finn looked straight into Deon's eyes, the intensity of his gaze made Deon unconsciously gulp, "You're going to become the bait."

"I KNEW IT! THIS GUY'S A CROOK!" Mikael shouted.

Deon closed his eyes. By now, he had to admit it—Mikael was right. He really didn't have an eye for people.

"I'm sorry, but I won't join you." Deon turned his back on Finn.

"Fine. You want to bargain? 60:40. That's the highest I can give you." Finn crossed his arms as he negotiated with Deon.

"What are you on about?" Deon was confused. He could not understand a single thing that came out of Finn's lips.

"if you help me, I'll let you take 40 percent of the profits. Think about it. With the sheer number of killer ants in this colony, even 40 percent is bound to give you a hefty reward. All you have to do is follow my instructions. So? How about it?"

Finn patiently waited for Deon's answer.

"Ahh… so that's what is was…" enlightened, Mikael told Deon, "Kid, let me take over for a second."

Mikael's years on Earth taught him many things. Of them, the loan sharks had taught him the most unpleasant yet valuable lesson—when striking negotiations, you should show that you are not one to be trifled with.

<Skill: Full integration Lvl. max is activated.>

Finn's eyebrows arched as Mikael took over the host and turned around, 'Huh? We're his eyes always green?'

Mikael straightened his back, projecting as much dominant aura as he could despite being three heads shorter than Finn.

'Deon said Almagi are vulnerable in close combat…'

<Skill: Teleportation Lvl. 1 is activated.>

Finn's eyes almost pooped out of their sockets at Mikael's disappearance. He had never seen anything like it! Not only was space-related magick an unexplored field of Almageia, but he also did not see Mikael draw a mana circle much less utter an incantation!

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'Where did he go?!' Finn searched for Mikael only to feel someone's presence behind him.

"Don't move," Mikael growled as he poked Finn's waist with his own dagger.

"Why are you doing this?" Finn asked. Mikael had definitely piqued his interest. He had assumed that his adversary was a naive young man who could be readily exploited, but he turned out to be more cunning than he let on.

"You said you want me to be the bait. how can I possibly trust you?" Mikael spat, "Tell me everything you know. Then I'll decide whether to follow your plan or gut you alive like you did to these corpses."

"Fine. I understand…So could you please take that blade away?" Finn ceded, "Although I do enjoy pain, my blood is too precious to be spilled uselessly."

'What a sick bastard…' Mikael thought but he still relaxed his hold on the blade, "Now talk." He commanded.

"Angh! Sir Deon, you are so cold~ I like it!" Finn disgustingly purred, feeling elated when Mikael unintentionally pushed his buttons.

"HEY! STOP THAT!" Mikael shouted in absolute repulsion. He had now discarded the idea that this beautiful man was anything as decent as a fairy tale prince.

"Ehem… you're no fun…" Finn grumbled before schooling his expression, "As you know, we, combat Almagi are very strong. We can kill monsters from a distance with our powerful spells. But we have a fatal flaw. And that is our long casting time and weak constitutions. Hence, I want you to protect me while I draw my mana circles since you're a melee fighter."

Mikael nodded in agreement. Certainly, going with a powerful long-range attacker would increase their chances of survival. However, his problem was that this sick bastard planned on sweeping the killer ants instead of just escaping.

"I get what you're saying but how do we clear this dungeon with only the two of us?" he curiously asked.

"hehehehe!" Finn laughed like a madman, cradling a jar of Killer ant organs, "Do you know what this secretes?"

"Pheromones?"

"Right!" Finn produced yet another jar, "How about this?"

"More pheromones?" Mikael guessed.

"Tsk…close but not quite…" Finn wags his finger and puts on a haughty expression, "This, my friend, produces Death Juice!"

"Death…Juice?" Mikael was slightly offended by Finn's remark since he, himself, was already dead, 'This guy! How can he make jokes about death?!'

"Yes! in fact, this juice is exactly the reason why you were carried here." He pointed at Deon's body that was soaked from head to toe in green slime, "to be exact, this is oleic acid. Dead ants give off this particular chemical to tell other ants that they died so the undertakers** could carry them here in the Midden."

Mikael was awed at Finn's extensive knowledge, so he eagerly listened to his explanation.

"Now, this oleic acid can actually be used as ant repellent when mixed with this thickening agent." Finn fished another bottle from his bag, "imagine what would happen if I used this on myself while you use the pheromone…"

"But wouldn't they think it's strange when you look nothing like an ant and you are obviously alive?"

"No. for Killer ants, Dead is what they smell—not what they see."

Mikael's eyes gleamed in understanding. It was a brilliant idea!—if not for the fact that he was to become the bait.

'But if we use teleportation at the right timing, Deon and I would be able to kill lots of monsters!' Mikael excitedly thought, 'this is an opportunity to grind experience points and level up!'

"Great! So, what do I need to do?" Mikael asked the grinning Finn.

--Chapter end--

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** undertakers are ants designated for corpse removal.. Although all ants can carry their deceased to the Midden, the undertakers are much more likely to handle this task.

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