Mage Adam
Chapter 262: Imaginary Balance

At the Royals Council meeting, a dispute broke out after Lord Svorsi shared Adam's request with the rest of the Royals.

The Titans were enjoying a peace they hadn't had for over four thousand years, and the advanced knowledge from a visitor from another world was transforming their society. No one wanted to upset this fragile stability.

They knew this was just the calm before the storm, and the next war would be a fight for survival.

Among their enemies was a god-like being, which made them even more cautious about taking rash actions.

If a Titan had made this scouting request, they would have prepared thoroughly. But because it was Adam asking, they hesitated and were overthinking it.

The Royals viewed the situation from a racial perspective: if a Titan were in another world and a war between two races could help the Titans, what would they do? The answer was clear.

However, Adam had helped the Titans greatly. He had contributed to their progress, uncovering secrets of an ordinary Titan's body and Flames. Refusing his request could lead to a breakdown or the destruction of Flames.

"Can you guarantee it?" Lord Svorsi asked, staring directly at Adam. "My friend."

Adam met his gaze and replied sincerely, "Don't worry. Starting a war won't benefit me. The Titans' interests are my interests, and I have no reason to harm them."

He was telling the truth. The Devourer was a looming threat over both the Titans and himself. He wouldn't provoke it without proper preparation or certainty. Unable to connect to the Mage Network or leave the plane, he was truly fighting alone now.

Lord Svorsi was still skeptical but stopped dwelling on the matter. Instead, he asked, "What do you plan to learn in the Metal Eaters' territory? The data the Titans have collected over four thousand years should give you plenty of information about those traitors."

The Titans' knowledge of the Metal Eaters was limited to their combat capabilities: their battle skills, the traits of their attack and defense fields, and the layout of their nests near the border. Beyond that, they knew almost nothing. Being pushed back for so long, they couldn't see past the border itself, remaining unaware of what the Metal Eaters were doing or planning deeper within their territory.

"The Metal Eaters have the power to crush you, but they remain satisfied with this deadlock, why? Forgive my bluntness, but if the Devourer decides to act, all 47 of your Royals together could only hold it off briefly. At best, you might choose who dies first and who dies last, but death is inevitable either way."

"You should know better than anyone that the balance you believe in is imaginary."

"What are their real goals? Why are they so determined to control Titania's Origin? They know the paths to other planes. Why remain on this metal plane? Other worlds could surely offer them the tools they need to evolve. Under the Devourer's rule, few races in void could stand against them. There must be motivations you aren't yet aware of."

Svorsi sighed, "These are the answers I seek. This is the vital information that could truly change your war strategies and outcomes."

These questions weren't ignored, but the struggle for survival left the Titans little time to pursue them. With a sigh, he conceded, "Maybe you're right."

There was another reason Adam hadn't shared yet. He had deciphered the data from the electric telescope. The scattered words were too fragmented to make clear sentences, but what he understood troubled him deeply. If the message's sender was Titans' god, the plane's situation was far more complicated than it seemed.

...

In Ironburg, Iron 27 gazed at Adam, who hovered before him and was barely taller than his eye sockets. With a conflicted look, Iron 27 said, "I thought the next time we met, you'd be a real Intelligent. I didn't expect to see you like this. When others told me you weren't a Titan, I almost didn't believe it."

"I'm sorry."

"No, there's no need to apologize. I believe you mean no harm to the Titans. Otherwise, you wouldn't have helped us destroy that parent nest. And the changes you've brought have been significant. Ironburg's combat power is much stronger than before. Our patrolling clansmen haven't suffered any losses in a long time."

Adam felt a bit embarrassed. He had helped kill the parental body because he wouldn't die from it, and he had assisted the Titans only because it benefited him.

While the results were positive, his motives weren't entirely pure. Still, he didn't share these thoughts.

In his early days of having a physical body, he had little emotional intelligence, and even now, he wasn't much better. However, he had learned how to tell harmless white lies.

Qi 31 gave Iron 27 a firm pat on the shoulder and said, "Exactly, no need to apologize. We're all thankful for what you've done. But don't you think you should recruit more Warlords? Just the two of us might not be enough to protect you."

Initially, Adam had chosen only Iron 27 as his companion because of his formidable defensive skills. Qi 31 insisted on joining after hearing about the mission, and Adam couldn't refuse.

It wasn't that Adam didn't want to bring more people, but Garfield's spatial abilities could only conceal two companions. Iron 27's current size was already a little too tall for this.

"You need to shrink a bit. Match his height," Adam said, pointing at the 20-meter-tall Qi 31.

"Forty meters is my limit. I can't shrink further without your help."

Adam nodded and led them to an open area. He had prepared a special metal for Iron 27, which would ensure that his strength wouldn't diminish after shrinking. In fact, with the increased density, his defensive power would only grow stronger.

...

A day later, all the mission supplies were ready and stored in the weapon space. Meanwhile, Garfield returned to Adam, pretending to be exhausted, and handed over the spatial anchor and coordinates. He seemed to want to say more, but Adam didn't let him. He revoked Garfield's control over that body.

Garfield was too unpredictable, and this mission was extremely risky. Adam didn't trust him and preferred to handle the crucial task of concealment himself.

After completing the preparations, Adam and his two companions left Ironburg, venturing deep into the Metal Eaters' territory---an area no Titan had explored for over four thousand years.