Chapter 658.5: Bay Territory Does Not Accept Temptation
The voice stopped abruptly. Eiris, still listening, slightly raised a brow.
But he didn't pursue it. Staying calm, he avoided the Reaper 3000's alert range—clearly not intending to provoke or test them.
Even the legendary Balor Barok remained wary of them, which meant they were nothing like the sluggish, broken machines they appeared to be.
Having explored countless ruins and encountered a staggering number of constructs, Eiris had no intention of disturbing the situation.
He had seen plenty of ancient constructs suddenly display overwhelming power.
Some could easily crush Extraordinary-ranked adventuring parties, and many had slain Extraordinary adventurers.
In many ruin sites, the still-active constructs were often more dangerous than the monsters or evils they were searching for.
Eiris had personally witnessed reckless adventurers or teammates attack damaged constructs guarding seals—only to cause catastrophic consequences.
Eiris kept his mission in mind: just gather intel.
Avoid combat unless absolutely necessary.
Barok, sensing Eiris's cautious behavior, grew increasingly uneasy and roared in his ear:
"It's useless! Your observations are meaningless—all the treasure lies within the seal!"
"Let me see it... the final legacy of the Goblin Empire, legendary magical gear and relics stored in time stasis..."
"Mountains of gold! The secret to immortality! It's all in there..."
Circling halfway around the massive ruin's entrance, Eiris gazed curiously at the river ahead.
He felt the faint heat rising from the river's surface—sensing the danger within.
Hearing Barok's tempting chatter, Eiris remained unfazed and couldn't help but jab back:
"All this? Sorry, but as an elf, none of that really tempts me."
"I have a long life ahead of me, I'm strong, and I've got a lot of good years to enjoy."
"But you—you've spent millennia locked up with all that treasure, and you're still stuck. That's not very convincing."
Barok felt his rage boil.
He had never encountered an elf so brazen in front of him!
And yet, everything Eiris said was true—stacked against Barok's pitiful state, centuries of rage erupted.
Gurgle! Gurgle!
Eiris felt waves of intense heat surging from the underground, spreading outward.
The river nearby bubbled furiously as if boiling.
Even the air turned hotter.
All this, just from a little insult?
Though impressed by Barok's might, Eiris couldn't help teasing him further:
"Tsk. Got upset just because I called you out?"
"So what if you've been sealed for millennia? Just think of it as a nap."
"Demons live long anyway. You weren't going to die of old age."
"Wait—could it be you're the first demon to die of old age?"
"Now that would be a story. If you don't mind, I'd love to document it and send it to interested folks."
"Maybe when you reincarnate in the Abyss, you'll hear the tale of your pathetic demise."
Eiris's words stabbed deep like venomous barbs, drawing furious roars from Barok.
Feeling his goal achieved, Eiris grinned broadly, his opinion of the demon subtly shifting.
"Ha, flying into a rage—classic muscle-brained demon."
"No wonder you ended up as someone's pet."
"Can't even take a joke. Calm down, don't let it get to your head..."
Just as Eiris began to think Barok wasn't that dangerous after all—
He reminded himself: sealed or not, the demon was still a threat.
Ding. Psychic attack detected. Energy shield lost 145 points. Recharging. Current shield value: 355.
The crisp warning jolted Eiris back to awareness.
He instinctively reached up to wipe his brow—only to touch his helmet and realize what had almost happened.
He had nearly fallen for Barok's trick without noticing!
Eiris's grin slowly faded. He spoke with solemn reflection:
"As expected... even your acting is a weapon."
"If it were the old me, I might've fallen for it."
At that, Barok realized his plan had been exposed.
His raging roars vanished.
The surging heat dissipated.
Even the boiling river settled down.
If not for the combat log before him, Eiris wouldn't have believed how close he came to death.
While recharging his psychic defense, Eiris felt a wave of relief—yet he still didn't spare Barok his barbs:
"Too bad. Just a bit more power and you might've had me."
"So close... really, just a sliver more."
Eiris raised a hand, noting a shadow beneath the river and instinctively stepped back.
Still, he had no plans to fight—just continued chatting with Barok.
He was annoyed by his narrow escape and wanted another round.
Of course, Eiris had already relayed everything back and was making his way out.
He had gathered more than enough intel today.
With Lord Matthew's brilliance and Bay Territory's talents—
Barok, now exposed, was destined to become Bay Territory's "spoils."
Seeing Eiris return safely, Leon didn't rush over—instead, he signaled for a full scan and purification.
After all, he'd just seen the bright red flash when Eiris touched the purification barrier.
Eiris, familiar with procedure, regretted not continuing the chat but quickly activated his thunder armor's self-check and purification mode.
Crack!
Lightning flickered across the armor.
Feeling the electric wash surge through him, Eiris shuddered slightly.
The sting and numbness were intense—but the internal relief was even stronger.
Even with all his caution, he had still touched something forbidden.
Thankfully, the purification process neutralized the danger, and Leon came to assist.
No further risks detected, Leon escorted Eiris back to the main purification array.
Eiris took a specially-made purification potion and downed it. The bitter taste made him wince:
"This stuff tastes awful."
Leon, drinking his own dose, grimaced and repeated what researcher Elona always said:
"That unique taste clears the mind, ensuring it can't be confused or corrupted."
"So—what did you find in there? Any other intel to report?"
Eiris glanced into the darkness and answered softly:
"This is the core of a goblin ruin. Likely not much treasure—more probably a deadly seal."
"It's housing a legendary-level Balor. The seal is damaged, letting it project its influence..."
Leon relayed this valuable intel to Bay Territory, then said with admiration:
"You've gone above and beyond. The Lord will surely reward you."
Recalling the transformation procedures, Eiris exhaled and shrugged:
"I'm not ready yet. Still need to train a lot more skills—maybe two more weeks."
Remembering the old village chief's advice, Leon subtly reminded him:
"You can start adapting early. Big moves are coming."
Surprised, Eiris met Leon's resolute gaze and nodded.
He still wasn't quite used to Bay Territory's open kindness and honest communication.
Maybe that's what he needed to learn most—
To open his heart and become part of Bay Territory.
But as he waited for Bay Territory's reply, his curiosity peaked, and he asked:
"This place clearly has value—why not mobilize more people and handle it now?"
In his experience, few powers could resist excavating a ruin like this.
Whether for magical artifacts or rare tech, the gains were immense.
Leaving this treasure trove untouched felt strange.
Leon, knowing Eiris hadn't fully adapted, smiled and explained:
"Simple—we don't do destructive excavation."
"Instead, we'll clean and restore everything thoroughly, missing nothing."
"It'll take years, yes, but it'll be safe. And adventurers will get the best rewards."
"Of course, we'll handle the real threats before opening it."
From Leon's tone, Eiris heard no fear or concern about Barok—only contemplation.
He knew full well how powerful and terrifying Barok was—and worried they underestimated him.
Before he could warn them again, a golem train's rumble echoed from the tunnel.
As Matthew and Yaya stepped down from the train, Eiris immediately dropped his concern.
The reason was simple—behind them walked the towering, muscular Beelzebub and his elite Greatsword Squad.
They no longer wore bulky heavy armor like when first formed.
Each now wore Magitek Combat Armor crafted by the Viktor Institute!
This gear traded the thunder armor's speed and flight for immense strength and defense.
Unlike thunder armor, it had its own energy supply, amplifying the user's strength.
Though sacrificing some mobility, it empowered the squad's crushing offensive rhythm even further.
Feeling their aura, Eiris noted each had reached high-level Professional strength.
Especially Beelzebub and the other leaders—he could faintly sense a threat from them.
It made Eiris reflect—
Only in Bay Territory could you regularly feel threatened by those once weaker than you.
Matthew reviewed the collected data, then turned toward the sealed area.
After a moment's thought, he instructed Beelzebub and the others:
"Clear a path—we need to approach the seal for detailed observation."
First on scene were the civil engineers.
Excitedly operating bulldozer golems, they swiftly cleared the rubble.
The massive noise brought life to the silent cavern.
Sensing danger, Barok grew tense, eyes locked on Bay Territory's approach.
To his shock, his usual chaos whispers and psychic decay had no effect on these mortals.
For the first time in ages, he felt afraid.
Desperately, he reached out to Matthew, his voice dripping with temptation:
"Welcome... free me, and you'll have wealth and power beyond measure."
"You'll even have my loyalty—honored True Dragon."
True Dragon?
Interesting.
"Too bad—I don't have time to play."
"Otherwise, we could've had a nice chat about this seal."
Matthew raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by the offer.
He knew Barok well—this was one sly demon.
Looking at the seal's entrance and the decaying Reaper 3000—
Then at the dazzling Elemental Fusion Engine glowing within, he shook his head and said calmly:
"Don't worry. We're not here for you. Just stay put."
Bay Territory does not accept temptation!
Only the spoils they can seize for themselves!