Chapter 25: The Gate of Doros

What kind of reason is that?

Unheard of.

Farusiel had never heard of such a method.

She was about to speak, but then the strange traits of these players—Resurrection, System Protection, Action Restriction—flashed through her mind.

Maybe, on their bodies, there truly existed rules that transcended the laws of this world…

She struggled to digest the shock in her heart and finally spoke.

“Sage, this isn’t our first cooperation, so I have no doubts about the players’ astonishing abilities. But regarding this matter, I still have questions. I need to know, why are you and your so-called guild willing to help us at such any cost?”

“I don’t believe in pure goodwill in this world, especially not among players like you.”

Her voice was like two blocks of ice colliding—crisp and cold.

She pointed straight to the heart of the issue without reservation.

These players’ behavior patterns were bizarre, and they seemed to have no real sense of the suffering of this world.

Such a massive investment surely hid a deeper scheme.

Dolos’ expression shifted slightly at her words, as if wanting to speak to ease the tension, but the [Jingwei Sage] merely smiled and waved a hand, signaling him not to worry.

“Saint’s Envoy, your suspicion is entirely reasonable.”

He met Farusiel’s scrutinizing gaze calmly, without a trace of avoidance.

“I’ve never claimed to be a savior or philanthropist. In fact, my motives are quite simple— and very… mundane.”

He stood up and walked to the map spread out on the pine long table, his finger gliding lightly between the two endpoints of the future Dolos Gate.

“This is a business transaction, Saint’s Envoy.”

A merchant’s excitement for a huge opportunity flickered in his eyes.

“Let me explain our cooperation model. The Imperial Prince provides the funds and covers all regular expenses. In return, the teleportation gate is named after him, becoming his most brilliant political achievement and capital for his future ascension.”

“My guild, the Council of Truth, supplies the core and most scarce technology and materials. The value of these things can’t be measured by money alone.”

“And you, Farusiel, as well as the Military you represent, are responsible for execution. You possess the most professional terrain surveyors and the strongest armed forces to guarantee construction safety.

After completion, the Military receives top priority usage of the teleportation gate. The transfer of soldiers and supplies will be in the first sequence. I imagine this is an irresistible temptation for you, isn’t it?”

Every word he spoke struck precisely at the core desires of the other two present.

“As for me—or rather, my guild—the return we seek is also very simple.”

The [Jingwei Sage]’s smile grew even more meaningful.

“Once Dolos Gate is operational, aside from the Military’s free priority, all merchants, mercenaries, and adventurers who use the gate must pay a certain teleportation fee. Of the operational profits, my guild requires a seventy percent share.”

Seventy percent!

Dolos’ pupils contracted sharply; the number had clearly exceeded his expectations.

This was almost like handing over the golden goose itself.

However, Farusiel remained expressionless.

She didn’t care about money, but about the logic behind this proposal.

At last, she began to understand.

“The investment and return you speak of…”

She said softly, as if to herself, but also as if confirming with the other party.

“…refer to this?”

“Precisely.”

The [Jingwei Sage] gave her an approving look, as though praising a clever student.

“You can think of it this way: through certain…special means, I invested enormous, unquantifiable resources into making this project possible.

So, once the project succeeds, recovering my investment and earning reasonable profit through operation—isn’t that simply the fundamental logic of business?”

From a certain perspective, this explanation was reasonable.

Yet Farusiel’s doubts were not entirely dispelled.

She still felt that the motives behind the other party’s actions were far more complex than just making money.

It was a vague feeling, like looking at someone through frosted glass— you could see their outline, but never their true expression.

She fell silent.

Binding such a vital strategic facility deeply to a group of players with unknown behavioral patterns could lead to countless unpredictable variables in the future.

But the benefits were real.

She closed her eyes, and the faces of those young soldiers floated through her mind.

Many of them weren’t even adults, yet were sent to distant front lines to fight savage magical beasts in muddy swamps.

The supply lines were long and fragile, every delivery accompanied by heavy casualties.

If this teleportation gate existed, everything would change.

If only… when facing the Swarm King, they’d had this teleportation array, maybe eleven subordinates wouldn’t have been lost forever in the Forbidden Marsh of the Demon Realm.

Compared to that, the [Jingwei Sage]’s suspicious motives, and the political ambitions of Prince Dolos, suddenly felt much less important.

Everyone is an enemy, but some can be used.

Farusiel opened her eyes again.

All that remained in her ice-blue gaze was absolute rationality and pragmatism.

“I need to see a detailed materials list, and reliable proof that your guild can supply them. Also, the Military will have full authority over site selection and survey, and security during construction will be handled by my direct units.

Once the teleportation gate is complete, the highest authority of the Portal Core Control Array must be jointly held by me and the Military.”

She didn’t agree, nor refuse.

She simply stated her terms.

Dolos’ face brightened with joy at her words.

He knew, as long as Farusiel started negotiating terms, it meant she was already interested.

The [Jingwei Sage] once more displayed that all-under-control smile.

“Of course. The lists and proofs have long been prepared. As for authority sharing— that’s only natural.”

“Our cooperation is built on the foundation of mutual benefit.”

—

Half a month slipped by quietly in the treacherous political atmosphere of Arslan Royal City.

The celebratory banquet, full of probing and power struggles, was like a stone cast into a deep pond—the ripples it stirred had not faded, but instead spread into more complicated undercurrents beneath the surface.

The Pope, in the name of the Council of Cardinals, issued numerous high-reward purification missions, drawing countless adventurers hungry for loot and experience points—and thereby absorbing this formidable force under his own wing.

Meanwhile, Imperial Prince Dolos was immersed in the coming, history-making achievement.

With his wealth, and the seemingly endless magical materials supplied by the [Jingwei Sage]’s player guild, the Dolos Gate project advanced at unprecedented speed.

Countless rare Magic Ores, Energy Crystals, and Construct Components from ancient ruins flowed like water into a heavily guarded secret workshop outside the city.

Nearly all the city’s Magic Craftsmen and Rune Masters were mobilized to participate in this monumental project.

During these half a month, Farusiel attended several lengthy, tedious military meetings presided over by Prince Dolos.

Each had a single focus: selecting an absolutely secure location for Dolos Gate on the other side of the Forbidden Marsh of the Demon Realm.

After countless tabletop simulations and repeated reviews of existing maps, they finally fixed their target on a Highland about thirty li east of Grey Rock Outpost.

The terrain there was open, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one easily defensible route in or out.

It was far from any known Advanced Magical Beast nests—an ideal base for city construction.

With the decision made, only on-site investigation remained.

To guarantee total security and clear obstacles for the construction force, Farusiel herself would lead a joint survey team composed of elite Saint’s Guard, Warriors of the Red Dragon Nation, and several top-tier players, venturing once more into the unsettling Forbidden Marsh.

The afternoon before departure, she visited the tactical seminar room of Nilo at Pascal Military Academy.

The room had changed drastically over the past two weeks.

The huge tactical tabletop had been pushed to the corner, replaced by a massive Obsidian Worktable covered with insulating Rune Cloth.

Strange-shaped lenses and Crystal Prisms crowded its surface.

The air was thick with the scent of fresh grass after a thunderstorm—the lingering aura of powerful magic at work.

Nilo was hunched over the worktable, recording something intently.

He still wore his immaculate instructor’s uniform, but his golden hair was a bit disheveled, and the gold-rimmed glasses had slipped to the tip of his nose.

Pale rings from sleepless study lingered under his eyes, but in his blue gaze burned a spark of brightness and excitement.

In the center of the worktable, the translucent Prophecy Stone hovered silently inside a device made of three rotating magic arrays.

Tiny blue motes flowed across its surface like living dust.

“You’re here.”

Hearing footsteps, Nilo looked up, a slightly tired but genuinely warm smile on his face.

He pushed up his glasses and set the quill beside the inkwell.

Farusiel stepped to the worktable, gaze settling on the Prophecy Stone surrounded by monitoring instruments.

“Is there a conclusion?”

“Yes.”

Nilo’s voice carried a hint of relief.

He picked up a beautifully bound notebook, its cover embossed in gold with the words .

“The conclusion is… both exciting and a little disappointing.”