Chapter 73: Risky Plan

Zaos navigated the bustling streets quickly and returned to his home.

He placed the small chest beside his bedside table before changing his clothes and getting some sleep.

He woke a few hours later when the dark sky had gained the radiance of the stars.

After getting up from bed, Zaos changed into a black coat, simple black trousers, and a pair of black shoes. He took out fifteen mana gems from the stash in the chest and placed them in a small bag.

He then left his home with the bag of mana gems, heading to the tavern.

It didn't take long for Zaos to arrive at his destination, he walked over to his usual corner and awaited the arrival of Whisperer who likely stayed on the upper floor of the tavern.

A few minutes later, Whisperer arrived at the table. He still sported his black hooded robe in an attempt to conceal his identity.

"Did you succeed?" Whisperer asked with a voice too deep to be natural. Although Zaos couldn't see the latter's face, he could conclude that Whisperer was a male based on his figure and subtle mannerisms.

Not willing to waste any time, Zaos produced the bag of mana gems and tossed them over to Whisperer.

The information broker caught it skillfully, opened the bag, and counted the mana gems.

After confirming the amount, he nodded at Zaos and said.

"Pleasure doing business with you as always, Ghost. I'll inform you if I find any other bounties," The hooded information broker slowly rose to his feet.

Zaos nodded, but then he thought of something and casually inquired.

"How's the situation in the warzone?" Zaos asked. Since there were no newspapers or news stations to report the latest happening in a region, the only way to remain informed was to seek out an information broker.

However, there were special occasions where important news was announced to the masses by the governing officials.

Whisperer paused in his tracks and turned to face Zaos.

"The situation is still dire, if you want a more detailed account, hand over two poor-quality mana gems." The Whisperer spoke.

[I might as well do it, staying informed during this period is important after all,] Zaos slowly nodded and fished into his pockets for the required sum.

He managed to find a total of five poor-quality mana gems. Seeing that Zaos had the intention of continuing the conversation, the hooded information broker returned to his seat and received the payment from Zaos.

Whisperer then began to speak, "Since the war started, it has only been the low-ranked guardian clans that have been engaging the enemy at the border, however, a week ago, the situation at the border became more chaotic as more powerful mystic humans joined the fray. The higher-ranked guardian clans consisting of Noble clans and Royal clans have been forced to make an appearance. If things continue at this rate, the border might be lost." He spoke in a grave tone.

Zaos' expression turned solemn, however, he wasn't as worried as he seemed.

[It is easier to grow in more chaotic times!] He thought with eagerness.

Contrary to his inner thoughts, he maintained his solemn expression and asked.

"What about our allies?" Zaos asked, feinting concern. The reason he maintained the facade around Whisperer was because of the other party's profession. He was an information broker, an individual always eager to find out the secrets of others so they could make a profit off of it.

If Zaos remained nonchalant at the news of an impending catastrophe, it would raise some suspension in the eyes of an experienced information broker like Whisperer.

Although this was a subtle detail, Zaos wanted to avoid unnecessary complications.

Whisperer scoffed a reply, "They are in a similar position to us. According to my sources, the mystic humans launched an all-out assault on all elven tribes." He lowered his tone to avoid others listening in on their conversation.

"I can't tell what exactly is going on in other regions but, it should be no different from our situation." He concluded with a sigh.

Zaos frowned, he stood up and addressed the Whisperer with a grave expression.

"Thank you, I'll take my leave now," He didn't wait for a response as he exited the establishment swiftly. He played the role of someone deeply disturbed by the information he received perfectly.

Once he returned home, Zaos settled into his living room chair and began to contemplate.

[Although the chaotic situation generated by the war will be ideal for my growth if I don't get stronger quickly, I will end up being swept away by the tides.] Zaos rapped his fingers on the wooden desk in the living room as he mused.

[It has been two months and I haven't assimilated any of the six types of mana I need to advance my edict rune…] Zaos sighed.

The second stage of the void edict rune; devour, required Zaos to integrate all six of the basic types of mana with his physique and edict rune.

[My progress with dark mana is the best. That should be because this body was once that of a dark elf and there is an abundance of dark mana in the Ever-night Continent.

[Flame Mana, water mana, earth mana, and wind mana are moving at a steady pace, however, my light mana assimilation process is incredibly slow…] Zaos frowned.

[Is it because of the lower amount of light mana in my environment compared to others or is it because I have conflicting properties with the light element? How do I speed this up…

[I can't leave here and head to the light elves' territory, I'll probably be killed before I can make it past the border…] As Zaos contemplated, an idea suddenly struck him.

[The mystic humans use magic which is said to be similar to elemental weaves. If I can devour a large number of their attacks, it would be much faster than having to slowly gather the limited amount of light mana in the surroundings!] Zaos was so thrilled by this realization that he almost jumped for joy.

Yet, before he could celebrate, he thought of an issue with the method that dampened most of his initial excitement.

[This will require me to enter the battlefield and I will also be showcasing one of my most prominent abilities in public…]

[Showcasing the ability to devour entities and attacks on the battlefield will lead everyone to view me as an arch-elf!] Zaos rubbed his temples to relieve the brewing headache.

His devouring abilities were similar to the ability showcased by the arch-elf city lord of Grandum City. Zaos suspected that it was an ability gained from the third stage property of the darkness edict rune.

If he displayed this ability openly, his enemies would assume he was an arch-elf. Normally, misleading your enemies into thinking you were stronger was a good thing but, this was a warzone!

If an "arch-elf" suddenly appeared in the battle between high elves and elves, the true arch-elves wouldn't sit still and watch it happen.

The likelihood of Zaos being pitted against an actual arch-elf was high.

[I haven't faced an arch-elf in battle before, but based on my experience from fleeing from one, I have at least a fifty percent chance of winning the battle. However, there is a possibility that the arch-elves' equivalents in the mystic humans' ranking system are more powerful than arch-elves. If that's the case, my chances of triumphing will decrease…] Zaos was in a dilemma. The issues attached to his strategy just kept on piling up the more he speculated.

After a few seconds of indecisiveness, Zaos sighed as he resolved himself to the task.

[I can't avoid risks in my quest for ultimate power. As long as I have a proper plan, I should be able to survive this ordeal while also achieving my goal…]