Chapter 182: A Small Agreement III

Chapter 182: Chapter 182: A Small Agreement III

Damon turned his attention to the others.

"While I’m dealing with the Zone Heart, you should also send more elemental users into Tempest Hollow. Clear out the remaining beasts and reduce their numbers as much as possible."

"Send more people into the zone?" a family head asked. "The area is still unstable. We could suffer further casualties."

"That’s true," Damon replied. "But leaving the beasts alone won’t make the situation safer. The more they gather, the harder it will be to deal with them later."

He looked around the room.

"Organize your teams properly. Don’t send inexperienced fighters too deep into the zone, and make sure the stronger elemental users lead the expeditions. Focus on clearing the areas around the defense first, then gradually push farther in as the situation allows."

His advice was practical.

Even if he managed to stabilize the Zone Heart, the beasts already inhabiting Tempest Hollow wouldn’t simply disappear. Their numbers had to be reduced, and the surrounding areas needed to be secured to prevent another invasion.

The elders understood the reasoning.

"Very well. We will arrange the expeditions and coordinate with the nearby cities."

Damon nodded.

"Good. It’ll make things easier for everyone."

He turned toward the exit.

"Then I believe we’re done here."

One of the elders stood up.

"Young Master Damon, before you leave, we would like to express our gratitude for your assistance. The frontline would have suffered tremendous losses without your intervention."

Damon glanced back.

"Just make sure you keep your people prepared. That’s more useful than thanking me."

He then walked out, with Caelia and his spirits following behind.

The meeting had ended much faster than many of the elders had expected.

And Damon had left without showing any particular interest in the people who had gathered to negotiate with him.

The room remained quiet after Damon left.

Several elders continued staring at the doorway, their thoughts occupied by the young man’s words and the confidence with which he had delivered them.

He had entered the room without greeting anyone, refused to acknowledge their authority and rejected the Calloway family’s offer without hesitation.

Yet none of them had been able to force him to change his attitude.

They had felt the strength of his aura when he entered, and the battle outside had already shown them what he was capable of. His three powerful Spirit Elementals were more than enough to make even the most experienced elemental users cautious.

But it was his composure that left the deepest impression.

Damon hadn’t tried to intimidate them, nor had he raised his voice to make a point. He had simply stated what he wanted and made it clear that he was willing to walk away if they refused.

They were the ones who needed his help.

And he knew it.

One of the elders let out a quiet sigh.

"He has certainly changed."

Another shook his head.

"Changed? I doubt any of us could have imagined him becoming this powerful."

The Calloway family head remained silent.

He was still thinking about Damon’s refusal.

His son had been offered the chance to return to the family, reclaim his position and receive resources that would have taken years to gather on his own.

Yet Damon had rejected it as though it meant nothing.

The family head’s gaze lowered toward the table.

Perhaps the family had waited too long to recognize his worth.

One of the Calloway elders spoke carefully.

"Family Head, should we reconsider our approach? Damon clearly has no intention of returning under the current circumstances."

The family head didn’t answer immediately.

He knew that forcing the issue would only make matters worse. Damon had already demonstrated that he could stand on his own, and his achievements were no longer something the family could ignore.

"Leave it for now," he finally said.

The elder nodded.

Meanwhile, the representatives from Frostveil Expanse exchanged glances.

They remembered how they had treated Damon when they saw him at the Winterbourne mansion. They had doubted his abilities, questioned his intentions and eventually found themselves begging for his assistance.

Now, he had come to their aid again, even though he owed them nothing.

One of the representatives rubbed his forehead.

"We should be grateful that he agreed to help."

"Of course," another replied. "But I doubt he will tolerate another mistake from us."

No one disagreed.

They had already learned how costly it could be to underestimate Damon.

A family head from one of the neighboring cities finally broke the silence.

"Regardless of what happened in the past, we cannot afford to lose his support. If he can truly stabilize Tempest Hollow within a month, then the resources we provide will be a small price to pay."

Several elders nodded.

They had treasures worth protecting, but an expanding distorted zone threatened far more than their reserves. It endangered their cities, their people and the stability of the entire region.

They had no choice but to rely on Damon.

"Make sure the resources are ready before the deadline," one elder instructed. "And begin organizing the teams for the next expeditions. We cannot afford to waste the time he has given us."

The others quickly agreed.

Damon had promised to stabilize Tempest Hollow within a month.

Now, all they could do was prepare and hope he could deliver.

******

Outside the command building, Damon walked alongside Caelia as they headed out

Caelia glanced at him.

"You certainly didn’t make things easy for them."

Damon shrugged.

"Was I supposed to?"

She smiled.

"Most people would have tried to be a little more polite when speaking to so many powerful figures."

"They’re powerful, not special."

Caelia laughed softly.

"You’re really not worried about offending them?"

Damon looked at her.

"Why should I be? They need my help, and I gave them a reasonable condition. If they don’t want to accept it, they can always try stabilizing the zone themselves."

Caelia shook her head, amused.

"You make it sound so simple."

"It is simple. They have something I need, and I have something they need. We reached an agreement."