Chương 28: Confrontation

[POV Syrin] Syrin stopped her RV just a bit short of the matte black behemoth of a combat vehicle. From the sheer aura of danger it exuded, she was certain it wasn't a tier two vehicle. She'd seen pictures of the vehicles belonging to both the Heavenly Fleet and Green Ghost Fleet captains. They were all tier three and appeared just as intimidating as the one before her. What really astonished her was how in the world Nyx, a seemingly ordinary looking young boy, had managed to come this far in such a short time.

Owning a tier three vehicle, to her knowledge, was downright impossible even for a mid-sized fleet. Much less for a lone person—the only one who even had a decent chance of doing so while being completely alone was the Heavenly Demon. So she felt both curious and somewhat apprehensive about meeting this person. In fact, she'd ordered both Max and Nirun to be on ultra-high alert.

Max in particular was ready to envelope their vehicle with multiple layers of his barriers within seconds of sensing any dangerous movement from the vehicle ahead of them. But she pinged Nyx on the chat, just to confirm whether the one inside the vehicle was him. He replied promptly, asking in turn whether the icy-colored vehicle was hers. She confirmed it. Almost immediately, the door of the matte black vehicle swung open, and a slender, black-haired boy stepped through the retractable stairs.

Strangely, the moment he got down, the stairs automatically retracted as the car's door closed by itself. She didn't notice any switch or remote of the sort in his hands either. She felt her curiosity spike. Activating her skill, she noticed the huge concentration of golden threads around him. He was bathed in it like some king. And this king waved his hand at them from afar, ushering them closer.

The mundane gesture worked to calm her nerves as she slowly drove the vehicle closer to the cave, parking just beside the Black Demon (his vehicle). She stepped out of her vehicle, Max and Nirun following in her footsteps.

"Welcome." Nyx greeted them.

"Thanks, you've changed a lot, huh." she said, eyeing his previously boyish build now carrying more muscle definition and an overall sharper look. He'd even grown a foot taller since we last met. To her remark, he blinked a few times.

"Have I?" She gave a smile and politely introduced both Max and Nirun to him, withholding their specialties just in case.

"Come inside, let's talk in the shade." he said, walking into the cave. Syrin gestured discreetly to Max and Nirun to stay on guard and not use any skills unless absolutely necessary. She'd already instructed them beforehand, but she'd rather repeat it than risk them slipping up even by accident. Together, they went inside, where Nyx had already set out a few plastic chairs. There were only enough for him and her initially, since he hadn't been expecting Nirun and Max, but he quickly fetched two more.

There were already two cans of cola on a plastic table, and he brought out two more of those as well. Once everyone was seated, they first partook of the snacks and cola. After taking a few sips, Syrin started the discussion.

"So, have you considered the offer? We're still a small fleet, but you know of my skill—I can assure you it wouldn't stay that way for long." Nyx set down his can of cola, his expression still cheery.

"Well, I've no issue joining you guys. Uncle Nirun over there looks like a fun guy, and I'm sure Max and I would get along well." he said, eyeing both of his prospective crewmates, who smiled in turn. Nirun kept his antics at bay unusually well.

"But I do have some requirements. If you can fulfill them, I'd join you guys right away." Syrin took another sip from her cola can.

"Okay, hit me." This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

"I want 60% ownership of your fleet, in exchange for joining."??? If Syrin wasn't an avid hater of food wastage, she would've spat the drink right back out from the sheer unexpectedness of that first requirement. Even Max sprang to his feet in shock.

"What're you talking about, huh?" Max shouted.

"You might be strong, and even wealthy, but that doesn't mean you get to make such an outrageous demand. Seriously, how greedy does one have to be to—""Okay, that's enough. Sit down, boy." Uncle Nirun said, his voice devoid of its usual lethargy.

"But uncle!" Max tried to resist, which melted the moment he met the old man's deep black pupils.

"Tsk, fine." Nyx didn't offer any further explanation, just giving an awkward smile to Max, tinged with a hint of guilt. The guy knew how selfish his demands were, and had still gone through with it. Syrin didn't know what to make of that. In hindsight, it made sense that he'd ask for such things. The concentration of golden treasure threads around him surpassed even that of Fleet Captains Shuai and Julius.

He had somehow managed to level his vehicle to tier three as well, which by itself placed him among the top-level survivors—the one percent of the one percent. A new term had already been coined for people who weren't merely surviving the apocalyptic plains, but dominating them: Rankers. This guy in front of her was easily one of the top Rankers. So it was only natural for him to make such demands. He simply knew his worth. It would also benefit her own fleet massively if he came on board.

With a tier three vehicle holder and a top Ranker in tow, she'd be able to get a whole lot more aggressive with treasure chest accumulation. Dealing with the winged serpent would be much easier too. I'd also be able to use his firepower to bring the whole Stardew Mountain area under my fleet's de facto control. Currently, Stardew Mountain contained five separate small to mid-sized fleets.

Stardew Mountain consisted of two halves, with a valley lying in between—a lush one, currently occupied by a farming-focused fleet. That one was also a subsidiary of the Divine Cultivation Fleet, home to many people with specialized farming skills. And as the plains' economy started developing at breakneck speed, if she could seize that whole subsidiary for herself, it would massively increase her fleet's self-sufficiency.

There's also another farming fleet around the heart of the right mountain that I was already planning to attack and take over, once I'm done with the serpent and evolving mine and my crew's skills. With him in tow, I'd be able to seize it immediately. But this requirement threw a wrench directly into all her plans. If she became an assistant, a vice captain, what would be the point of growing her fleet at all? She wanted to never have to ask strangers for aid helplessly again. That was the vow she'd made.

She'd come here specifically to make an exchange—not to beg, or to cave to demands. There was giving up partial control for greater benefits, and then there was giving up the full amount in exchange for becoming dependent, but safe. She didn't want the latter.

"Okay," she began, "how about this? We become equal partners in the Astral Treasure Fleet—you get to benefit from my ability, and I get to benefit from yours." She offered. Nyx didn't even seem to consider her words, responding immediately as if on autopilot.

"So you're unwilling to give up 60%? Even though you'd be safe under my vehicle's umbrella of protection?" Nyx stood up from his chair.

"We'd also be able to advance the fleet rapidly and actually have a chance at overtaking the other fleets." She pressed on, "The fleet can grow under joint leadership too. I don't see how demoting me to vice captain would increase its growth rate." Nyx eyed her with a surprised gaze before turning around. After what seemed like a genuine moment of reevaluation, he turned back.

"You know well why I want majority ownership of the fleet, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes." It was the fleet's cash reserves and priority access to all its assets. But beyond that, holding a majority ownership allowed one to make whatever decisions they wanted, nearly unhindered. It was similar to a king's authority—for the most part, a captain with majority control over their fleet could impose their will one way or another. There were all sorts of functions in place to allow for that. She herself had explored quite a few of them.

But if they split ownership, these paths of control wouldn't just be divided—they'd disappear outright. That would also increase the freedom of those within the fleet, making it easier for crewmates to rebel during difficult times. Overall, shared ownership harmed a fleet just as much as it strengthened its resilience. Having two captains gave a shared fleet two points of failure instead of one. After several seconds of intense confrontation between her and Nyx, he broke the tension with a deep breath.

"You think I'd let you leave here in peace if you don't agree?" he said, as the sound of a massive engine roaring to life came from outside. Alarm bells rang in Syrin's head as Max immediately erected several barriers between Nyx and them.

"I don't believe this little thing would be able to keep you three safe. And for your information, I can leave this cave at will—this thing wouldn't be able to stop me either." Nyx explained.

"You see, right at this instant, my Heavy Combat Rover's two main cannons are pointed squarely at the cave's mouth. One shot, and not even a bone of you three would be left to investigate on." Syrin felt her heartbeat quicken as she involuntarily took several steps back.

"Choose, Syrin. If you come under me, I can promise smooth sailing going forward."