The Final Boss Has Returned 180

Chapter 180

The first thing that greeted me when I returned to Snow Castle with Sharp, who had been reborn as a Dark Elf, was an envoy from Troika.

“The Sword Emperor sent you to me?”

“That is correct.”

The reception room of the Winter Palace.

There, I was meeting the Sword Emperor’s envoy with Sharp, Ignis, Paul, and Layla.

Ice Queen Yume.

She was the guild master of the Blue Phoenix guild and the only Japanese user to achieve the rank of Over-Ranker.

I looked at Yume and said,

“So, what message did you bring?”

As soon as I finished speaking, Yume took an item out of her inventory.

It was a long-distance communication crystal ball.

“Argen-nim wishes to speak with you directly. ” ” Interesting. Continue.”

At my words, Yume activated the long-distance communication crystal ball, and soon a blue light appeared in the crystal ball, followed by a holographic image on the table.

It was the figure of Sword Emperor Argen.

[It’s been a while, Drakan. Is this the first time since the Broken World?]

“Skip the pleasantries and get to the point. What do you want to say to me?”

At my words, the holographic Argen smiled and replied.

[Straight to the point? That’s Drakan for you.]

“The point.”

I left a short remark to Argen, who was beating around the bush.

[Alright. I’ll get to the point. I have a proposition.]

“What kind of proposition?”

[Maintaining the current power structure without major confrontation for the time being. That’s my proposition.]

“The current power structure, you mean the three-way standoff?”

I asked back at Argen’s words.

Currently, the power in Ard World was divided into three factions.

But now Argen was proposing to maintain that three-way standoff for the time being.

It wasn’t a particularly absurd or difficult proposition.

If it literally meant maintaining the structure, all we had to do was stay put.

However, because it was conversely an easy proposition, I predicted that there was a hidden motive behind it.

Argen continued speaking.

[That’s right. A three-way standoff. After all, both you and I need time to properly confront Eugene, don’t we?]

I remained silent after hearing Argen’s words.

Time.

His words made sense.

Despite my efforts to manipulate public opinion, the sentiment in Ard World was still in favor of Eugene.

Even a rotten tooth can still bite, and the hegemony of Ard World was still in Eugene’s grasp.

It was true that we needed time to prepare to seize the hegemony that Eugene held in his hands.

Well, if he was trying to persuade me, it would be a problem if his words didn’t make sense.

However, apart from that, I had no intention of playing along with his plan.

[So, I’m saying let’s take some time to breathe for the time being while maintaining this current structure. How about it? It seems like a model win-win proposition for both of us. What do you think?]

Argen’s words stuck in my ears.

“In short, you’re saying that you, me, and Eugene should divide Ard World amongst ourselves for the time being?”

[Yes, the Three Kingdoms Strategy. That’s exactly what I’m saying.]

The Three Kingdoms Strategy (天下三分之計)!

The moment I heard those words, I completely understood Argen’s intentions and laughed inwardly.

Argen’s proposition to divide Ard World into three axes, aiming for short-term consolidation of power and long-term competition for hegemony, sounded like a win-win situation for both of us, as he said.

Unless it was a one-on-one situation, as he said, if the Three Kingdoms Strategy was fully established, leading to a one-on-one-on-one three-way standoff, there wouldn’t be any major wars for the time being as each faction would be watching and checking each other.

This was because if a full-scale war broke out between two factions, the remaining faction would naturally take advantage of the situation.

Therefore, if the Three Kingdoms Strategy was actually implemented, it was easy to predict that both he and I would gain time to deal with Eugene, as Argen had said.

A model win-win proposition.

At first glance, the proposition seemed persuasive.

However, I now understood all the traps hidden in his words.

Argen.

He not only led the secession of three guilds from the Five Eyes, but also recruited the Saintess and the Fist King.

Troika was the faction that currently possessed the most Over-Rankers among the three major powers.

Moreover, he was being sponsored by the global corporation SI Games.

This meant that he had near-infinite access to external funds endlessly provided by SI Games.

If we gave him time, he might even rise to become a powerful force that could cause us to risk major losses in the future.

And that must have been the ultimate goal of the grand strategy he had devised.

To use the time gained through the Three Kingdoms Strategy to complete internal consolidation, receive a massive influx of external funds, and become a powerful force capable of taking on both me and Eugene at the same time.

‘It’s a transparent trick. Argen.’

I looked into the eyes of the holographic Argen and thought……

‘The fact that he proposed the Three Kingdoms Strategy means that, conversely, Troika is currently in a state of disarray, lacking internal cohesion. To the extent that they need to buy time with such a transparent and shallow trick.’

Argen may appear to have a relaxed expression on the surface, but in reality, he was the one who was desperate.

There was a reason why Troika, a hastily formed force, needed time, but above all, he wouldn’t have made this proposition to me first if he wasn’t in a hurry.

‘That means, now is the perfect opportunity to get rid of the Sword Emperor with minimal losses.’

Thinking that far, I smiled.

Time?

Of course, it would be nice to have, but as Argen said, it wasn’t crucial for me.

The Iron Blood Alliance had also just become independent from Jeil Group, and with the addition of Sharp, it might have seemed internally chaotic like Troika on the surface.

But I, the owner of the Iron Blood Alliance, knew very well that the reality was different.

All the Over-Rankers of the Iron Blood Alliance were already on the same boat and faithfully following my will, so I didn’t need any internal control.

The best strategy I could choose in this situation was only one.

To break the Three Kingdoms Strategy and eliminate him right now.

But there was no need to foolishly reveal all my intentions to him right now.

Pretend to agree with the Three Kingdoms Strategy, put him at ease, and then smash the back of his head!

That was the best course of action.

Having thought that far, I pretended to be pondering, remained silent for a moment, and then replied.

“It’s quite a reasonable proposition. I’ll accept your offer.”

[Good. Then I look forward to working with you in the future. Drakan.]

Looking at the Argen in the video saying he looked forward to working with me, I said,

“Likewise.”

I look forward to working with you until I hit you in the back of the head.

Swallowing the rest of my words, I said this.

Thus, the remote meeting with Argen ended, and immediately after Ice Queen Yume left, I logged out on the spot.

[Logging out.]

After the connection was cut off, I got out of the capsule and immediately grabbed my phone on the table and made a call.

Click.

As soon as the dial tone ended, a cold voice rang in my ears.

[What’s the reason for your call?]

The Great Sage Verda.

It was her voice.

I smiled as I listened to Verda’s voice and said,

“I have a very good proposition for you……”

▄ ▄ ▄

A high-class Korean restaurant on the outskirts of Seoul.

Inside a private room with excellent soundproofing, often used by political and business figures for secret meetings.

With a table full of delicacies, enough to make the table legs buckle, Drakan sat face to face with Verda, silently continuing their meal.

‘This tastes good.’

It was a Korean restaurant with a price tag that was unbelievable for a single meal, but Drakan savored the taste of the food, thinking that it was worth the price.

Unaware of Drakan’s thoughts, Verda’s inner thoughts were already not only burning with fury but had turned to black ashes.

Verda was already convinced that Drakan had orchestrated the dating scandal.

It was just that there was no physical evidence, and since it was true that Eugene had been involved in multiple relationships, she kept her mouth shut.

Drakan.

Verda had already learned through several clashes with him that she needed solid evidence to tie him down, and that he would immediately slip away if she cast her net carelessly.

Drakan and Verda.

It was none other than Verda who broke the awkward silence that hung between the two, who could hardly be called on good terms.

“What is the reason you wanted to see me?”

The reason why Verda met with Drakan despite her dislike for him.

It was to find out the ‘proposition’ that Drakan would present.

Of course, there might be a trap in that proposition, but in any case, Drakan was her greatest enemy, the one who had tricked her several times, and a dangerous figure who had to be defeated for Eugene’s sake.

Verda was willing to meet with Drakan as long as it was to understand his inner thoughts, and that was why she was currently facing Drakan alone.

In response to Verda’s words, Drakan put down his spoon and said,

“Just now, that bastard Argen came to me and made an interesting proposition.”

Verda’s cheeks trembled at the mention of Argen’s name.

Sword Emperor Argen.

She already knew that he was secretly carrying out a Mythical grade quest without informing Eugene and the Lightwing Guild.

Therefore, Verda had been keeping in mind the possibility that Argen might leave the alliance someday if he completed the Mythical grade quest and reached EX rank.

But just because she had anticipated it, it didn’t mean that Argen’s betrayal wasn’t painful.

He had betrayed Eugene and even disbanded the Five Eyes, which was something Verda could never forgive.

The current Argen had become an enemy to Verda, almost on par with Drakan.

A proposition made by such an Argen to Drakan.

From Verda’s perspective, it was impossible not to be curious.

“The Three Kingdoms Strategy.”

The moment those words came out of Drakan’s mouth, Verda immediately grasped Argen’s intention hidden within the phrase “Three Kingdoms Strategy.”

Argen.

The fact that he was trying to buy time to prepare himself to leap further by using the flimsy tactic of the Three Kingdoms Strategy.

Drakan looked at Verda and smiled.

“As expected, you’re smart, which is why I like you. I don’t need to explain further.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

Verda looked at Drakan and said.

It was clear that Drakan also needed time.

That’s why Argen proposed the Three Kingdoms Strategy to Drakan.

Because he thought that since Drakan and Argen’s interests aligned, they would be able to implement the Three Kingdoms Strategy.

However, Drakan was currently revealing Argen’s entire grand strategy to Verda in this place.

If he agreed to the Three Kingdoms Strategy, telling Verda would be a disadvantage.

Turning his words around,

‘Drakan has no intention of following the Three Kingdoms Strategy.’

The moment Verda, who had grasped his intentions, was looking at Drakan.

Drakan spoke.

“But I really don’t like that Three Kingdoms Strategy. He’s not Zhuge Liang or anything.”

Drakan started speaking with a light joke.

“So, let’s get rid of him, Argen. You and I, joining hands.”

Drakan’s gaze turned towards Verda.

“After we take him down, let’s divide the world into two, not three.”

The Two Kingdoms Strategy!

Verda’s cheeks trembled at Drakan’s shocking proposition to temporarily join hands and eliminate Argen and Troika, then divide the vast Ard World in two.

Drakan looked at Verda and said,

“How about it? Isn’t it a great offer?”