Circumstances (2)

The five Class holders behind him, though tense and showing fear, actually gave Sutton a strange sense of reassurance.

These men were private soldiers he had personally selected from the outer fringes of the academy, trained, and firmly controlled through various means in his early years. Having followed him for many years, they had weathered many storms, and their loyalty had been tested multiple times.

Any “unsuitable” or overly clever ones had long since been “disposed of” through various means. The remaining five might feel fear, but they would never disobey his commands or harbor traitorous thoughts at a critical moment.

They were extensions of his own limbs, mere tools. As long as a tool was handy and obedient, its emotions were irrelevant.

What truly concerned Sutton, and even made him feel uneasy, was Herbert's thoughts.

He clearly caught the flash of shock on Herbert's face, followed immediately by the rapid rise of a look he knew all too well—the greedy glint of a wizard apprentice beholding rare resources.

This glint set his mind slightly at ease; at least Herbert had no intention of backing down. But then came deeper calculations:

Sutton subconsciously felt the unhealed old wound deep within his spiritual sea. It was a lingering issue left behind by a dangerous experiment, limiting the display of his full strength, and making him desperately crave the high-level knowledge or special materials that might exist deep within the tomb to help him heal his injuries or advance further.

In the blink of an eye, Sutton made up his mind.

They could not retreat. He had to urge Herbert to join him in taking action!

Quickly adjusting his expression, he turned slightly toward Herbert, whose face had returned to a calm expression, though the greed deep within his eyes could not escape Sutton's single eye. In a deliberately lowered but perfectly clear voice, carrying a tone of collaborative analysis, he urged:

“Mr. Herbert, this thing looks intimidating and has plenty of energy, but in the end, it's just a mindless construct. Its intelligence is low, and its attack patterns are bound to be simple and clumsy.

“The weaknesses of those smaller golems from earlier—the joints and the sluggishness of their energy flow—will probably be even more pronounced in this creature. It's massive, so its turning and movement are bound to be slow.

“If the two of us team up, using spells to pin it down and wear it down from a distance while looking for gaps in its core defenses, and coordinate with them to harass it up close and target its vital points... we might just be able to take it down! You also know its value is far beyond those scraps from earlier.”

Hearing Sutton's words, which seemed like an analysis but actually carried a hidden urge and urgency, Herbert couldn't help but sneer inwardly. How could he not see through Sutton's eagerness?

The other party's unhealed old wound and high expectations for this trip's harvest were practically written deep within that forcedly calm single eye.

However... Herbert thought to himself that Sutton's urgency and his own greed happened to align perfectly. He also wanted to capture this golem!

But since the other party had exposed a weakness first, Herbert naturally would not pass up this opportunity to secure more benefits for himself.

A hint of hesitation and gravity appropriately surfaced on his face. After feigning contemplation for a moment, he slowly spoke, his tone far more tactful and objective than Sutton's:

“Sutton, what you say is not without reason. This creature is indeed a mindless object and has its limitations. However, 'nearing the Fourth Grade' is by no means an exaggeration. You and I both know that power at this level, even if unleashed clumsily, is still enough to pose a fatal threat.

“Its energy is so abundant that in a prolonged battle, the consumption of our mana would probably be immense. Furthermore... who can guarantee that it doesn't have a hidden trigger-type counterattack mechanism, or that it isn't connected to some setup deeper in the tomb? The risks... cannot be underestimated.”

He paused subtly here, not continuing with any “but” or “however.” He merely cast his gaze toward the giant golem silently radiating pressure, then seemingly swept his eyes over Sutton as if waiting for something, or perhaps just stating a difficult fact.

Hearing this, Sutton's heart immediately sank, cursing the old fox in his mind. Herbert's words seemed to analyze the risks, but in truth, every sentence emphasized the difficulties and exaggerated the threats. His intention couldn't be clearer—he was shaking him down! He had noticed his urgency and knew he was even more unwilling to give up, so he was forcing him to take the initiative to yield a larger share of the profits!

Sutton secretly felt annoyed with himself for acting too hastily just now, giving the other party an opening. But the situation was out of his control; Herbert's strength was indeed a notch above his, and the subsequent exploration would require Herbert's efforts even more.

With the golem in front of them, if he didn't have Herbert's full assistance, relying on himself and his men alone, even if they could win, they would surely suffer heavy losses, and it might even worsen his old wound, making the gains not worth the losses.

Weighing the pros and cons took only an instant.

Squeezing out a slightly stiff but sufficiently sincere smile, Sutton took over the conversation, his tone carrying just the right amount of helplessness and reliance:

“Mr. Herbert's considerations are indeed thorough; I was a bit too hasty. You are right. This creature is powerful and cannot be defeated by one person alone. This exploration already relies heavily on your strength, sir.

“If we can really take down this golem, it will naturally be thanks to your greatest effort, so you should... receive a larger share. Although I have more hands on my side, we are mainly responsible for distraction and support. The key still depends on your spells to turn the tide.

“What do you think... in the subsequent distribution, you take the lion's share, and I take the smaller portion? As for the specific ratio, we can discuss it in detail after we safely take this down. I will certainly not let you work for nothing.”

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