"Hahaha, you monster! I didn't expect you'd slip up. Even after I've been crippled, you think I'd tell you anything? Now, no matter how much you interrogate me, it's useless, hahaha!" Zaki laughed loudly, a mixture of relief and rage in his voice, yet tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.
Although he could get a small revenge on Ur now, the fact that he became a cripple was undeniable—and how could he not feel hatred in his heart?
Ur's expression remained cold.
Looking at Zaki's manic laughter, he casually reminded him, "Don't forget—you still have a fifth limb."
The laughter abruptly stopped.
Zaki spun his head toward Ur, his face frozen as though carved from stone, a trace of barely noticeable terror flickering in his eyes.
"Damn it… I—" He wanted to curse, but recalling Ur's recent threat, he swallowed the words whole.
His face pale, Zaki forced a grim smile. "You win."
Hearing this, Ur's face broke into a friendly smile. He patted Zaki's shoulder cheerfully and gave a thumbs-up. "Good. I like talking to someone who understands the rules."
Zaki looked at his arm, which had just been stitched together by the cold, only for Ur's pat to draw fresh blood. Pain contorted his face green, but thinking of Ur's threat,
Even if a million curses wanted to escape his lips, they all ultimately turned into a single thought: I guess… I am too!"
Ur nodded with satisfaction. "Now then, tell me—what's your real name? And why didn't you leave with Delina and the others?"
"My name is Idris, a wandering mage. Half a year ago, Miss Delina recruited me. When she came here, I used spatial concealment to sneak in," Idris explained. He glanced at Ur before continuing, "As for why I didn't leave with them this time… it was mainly to guard against you. Your power is too terrifying, so Miss Delina feared the 'trade' might go wrong. She arranged for me to steal the Azure Water if anything happened."
Ur snorted inwardly.
Just stealing it?
Even he found that hard to believe.
Still, he didn't pay much attention. He had never expected Idris to be completely honest. Instead, he asked, "How many people does Delina have?"
"Besides me and the pair of sisters, there's only a female steward guarding the ship. The rest are just sailors operating the vessel."
"Did you set anything up in the back mountain?"
"Almost nothing. Against you, extra people don't help much…"
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Ur asked, Idris answered.
Perhaps the prior negotiations had softened him, but Idris was much more obedient now.
After a few more questions, Ur decapitated Idris, letting his head roll on the ground. Shock and disbelief lingered in his eyes, as if saying: I cooperated, and yet you still kill me?
Ur only believed about 30% of Idris's words. Regardless of Delina's exact setup, Idris's space magic was undoubtedly her trump card. No matter what, Idris could not live.
Killing and destroying the body!
Unfortunately, Ur found nothing of the space magic Idris practiced. The Power of Time and Space was one of the most mysterious forces. Even in this era of abundant magic, it remained extremely rare.
He burned Idris's body completely.
Finally, Ur carried the Azure Water toward the back of Gulya Glacier.
It was a massive, monolithic peak with little distinction between front and back. The so-called "back mountain" was just a small island behind the ice mass.
Arriving at the back mountain… as expected, Delina's ship was docked there. It was a large vessel resembling the Dori XVII.
On the back mountain, observers constantly monitored the ice mountain.
As soon as Ur appeared, a group of people immediately emerged. At the forefront was Delina herself.
"Ur, you finally showed up. If you hadn't, I really can't guarantee my dear 'brother's' safety!" Delina's lips curled into a cold smile, a mix of pride and arrogance.
After all, she could toy with a powerful figure like Ur while appearing ordinary. That gave her every reason to be confident.
"Cut the chatter. I brought the goods. Where's Pasfield?" Ur went straight to the point.
"Heh, you really care about that idiot?" Delina clapped her hands, and behind her appeared Pasfield, bound tightly and gagged, only his eyes showing the fury of his struggles.
"How do we trade?"
"Heh… simple. Either you obediently let us seal your magic, and we return Pasfield to you while taking back the Azure Water, or you hand over the water now and let Pasfield sail back himself after we leave. Your choice," Delina smiled at Ur.
Ur narrowed his eyes. "Neither. You can board the ship first, but Pasfield must be left on the island, and I'll throw the water to you. That's my bottom line."
Delina's smile vanished, her eyes cold. "Are you sure? You're not afraid I'll kill that idiot Pasfield?"
Ur's face remained indifferent. "Try me. I guarantee everyone on your ship dies. Don't forget—this is just a mission for me. Even if Pasfield dies, the worst that happens is mission failure."
Ur remained calm throughout. After all, this was just a mission. He wouldn't put himself at risk for Pasfield.
Delina's two proposed methods, unless she was outright crazy, were completely unreasonable.
Wait.
If it were Natsu, things might really get weird.
The atmosphere tensed.
After a moment, Delina finally relented. Her expression softened slightly. "Fine. I agree to your terms, but first, you must throw me the Azure Water. Only then will I release him."
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Next Chapter: At Someone Else's Door
Next Next Chapter: The Giant Turtle
Next Next Next Chapter: Mission Complete