LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 650: 493 Contest
In the city's council hall, the noise of voices buzzed.
"Those elves are too much! They're not here for cooperation at all!" a nobleman who was also part of the welcoming team was the first to stand up and level accusations.
"Yes, the attitude of those elves is too arrogant, not treating us as equals in this discussion for cooperation."
The humans had approached the meeting with full goodwill and enthusiasm, yet the representatives of the Elf Race were hardly willing to communicate, hastily ending the meeting on the pretense that their Prophet was overexerted.
"No! I think they are demonstrating their power completely!" a staff member from the Spiritual Power Managers Center interjected, "They want to dominate in the cooperation with us, that's why they want to put pressure on us from the beginning."
"Whatever the elves can do, can't anyone from the Spiritual Power Managers Center do the same? You've been occupying so much of the city's funds to study the limits of Spiritual Energy, and now you are intimidated by their High-dimensional Space Teleportation?" Some turned their criticism to the members of the Spiritual Power Managers Center; if the city's practitioners of Spiritual Energy could show nearly the same skill level, they wouldn't be so disparaged by those elves.
"There's no point in talking about this now. Let's see what those elves have to say next."
Suddenly, a council official was taken aback, receiving a message from his subordinates, he stood up, drawing the attention of everyone in the room, "Fellow council members, the elves have sent five individuals stating that there is a minor matter regarding the cooperation between our races that needs to be discussed first."
"A discussion? Let's hear what they really want to say." one of the attending elders decided, "Invite them into the council hall directly. I want to see what terms they are prepared to propose."
The invited elves glanced around the hall with an arrogant look, standing at the very center of the circular hall opposite the human elite officials, surrounded by the important members of the city, subject to such a gaze, any creature would feel a certain pressure.
However, to the five elves attending the meeting, it was as if they were being watched by a swarm of ants; in their eyes, those gazes were synonymous with the worship and reverence of insignificant insects.
Do these little scrawny humans really dare to boastfully talk about establishing close cooperation with the Elf Race?
The leading male elf, with a braided tuft at the center of his head and a slightly golden complexion, gazed intently at the few old men who might represent the city's highest will, speaking slowly, "In fact, we have sent members of our race to many of your human cities to express preliminary intentions for cooperation, and those members have reported back on various cities' unique features and advantages. I know your human society is equally fragmented now, with the so-called empire existing in name only; each city is an independent autonomous body. But we of the Elf Race have no time to deal deeply with every single one of your governments. Our chosen partners must undoubtedly be special centers with an absolute advantage throughout the human empire. So I would like to ask, the human officials present, what do you think gives your city an advantage over other human cities?"
This sounded like an inquiry from a superior being to an inferior one, undoubtedly making every human present uncomfortable. Yet, even though those words were unpleasant, they were relatively true.
There is only one Elf Race, but many human cities.
Many cities desire to cooperate with the Elf Race, but why should the Elf Race choose Blackwater City?
The human reception team had anticipated such questions, and one of the older men sitting opposite the elf emissaries smiled benevolently before speaking, "Our Blackwater City possesses a mature capability to create artificial human legions, and in the era of global internet resurgence, our technology is also at the forefront. We have inherited most gifts from the Golden Age in material science and warfare weaponry. Being adjacent to the Bug Race's nest, our battle-hardened army is the bravest and most efficient in the world; top scholars, Spiritual Energy practitioners who hold secrets, enforcers hunting demons...we are the most well-developed of all existing human cities, with the most complete inheritance from the Golden Age."
"If the Golden Age was indeed as wonderful and powerful as you say, why did it crumble over time? If inheriting some technologies from your so-called human empire's Golden Age can be considered your unique advantage, then please forgive me for having little trust in your city," the elf retorted.
The elf's words colored many of the attendees' faces with anger, but since even those who were directly confronted didn't make a sound, naturally, no one else had the right to speak out of turn in this setting.
"Furthermore, I have yet to see…" the male elf's lips curled into an odd smile, as if scornful, yet also friendly, "All that you have mentioned, I have not yet seen."
The elder's eyes flashed coldly, "So you mean to say…"
"Quite simple. Let us see for ourselves." the male elf's gaze swept across the room, and each attendee seemed to feel his eyes scrutinize them, "Your warriors, scholars, Spiritual Energy practitioners, enforcers, your unmatched legions, your great technology... show us everything. If all that your city boasts can indeed move us, then we will consider establishing a more intimate connection with this city. Otherwise… It will be difficult to convince the rest of our race to forsake other better options."