In fact, what is called commercial warfare is inherently a mutual probing. When it truly involves interests, everyone will instantly learn what 'restraint' means. Ultimately, most merchants' superficial profligacy and open-mindedness are just a disguise, like a sugar coating. Once their true interests are touched, these merchants become more conservative than the last.
Just like Noah's small probe this time, as soon as Noah released the news of contacting foreign capital, these merchants jumped up like cats whose tails had been stepped on. All the contracts that were originally clearly intended to take advantage were replaced with generously compensated contracts. Faced with losing profits, this group of people probably didn't want to see others make this money even more. It's like how they look down on Karlan Trade, but still want Sherag's natural resources.
However, the possibility of pulling off a con in front of SilverAsh was still too low. Even Noah found it difficult to make subtle moves in front of SilverAsh, let alone this group of merchants who didn't even have the ability to perceive emotions. SilverAsh's self-taught acting skills alone were enough to handle everything. Many times, Noah couldn't help but sigh that if it weren't for her perception ability telling her that SilverAsh had no ill will towards her, she probably wouldn't have been able to trust SilverAsh's sincerity so quickly.
SilverAsh, in reality, is a person who repays grievances with grievances and hatred with hatred. As the saying goes, 'give a peach, get a plum.' As long as you don't trick him, he generally won't casually use you as cannon fodder. In the dimension of a partner, you can always trust SilverAsh.
Of course, only in the dimension of a partner—
In other aspects, if Noah trusted SilverAsh's words, even Cliffheart would probably mock her naivety.
There's a saying that fits the current situation quite well: Noah and SilverAsh have a relationship based on interests; talking about feelings would cost too much money. Only Cliffheart and Noah are friends; they don't talk about interests, only feelings.
Noah actually distinguished very clearly: business friends and private friends are not the same thing at all. The most important thing for business friends is 'reliability,' and coincidentally, SilverAsh is very reliable. She is very satisfied.
Compared to Noah's soaring success, Manner's side was a completely different scene. He watched as Maria gathered her Stone source art onto her sword, transforming it into a blade, and then struck towards him. At first, he thought Maria was indeed talented and grasped things quickly. But the next moment, he was dumbfounded—this strike was indeed powerful, but the problem was... why did the flowers and plants outside the sword's target start growing wildly under this strike?
It's no exaggeration to say that with this one sword strike, the weeds shot up as if they had taken stimulants—yes, they shot up. Manner had never seen such an effective growth stimulant. With this one strike, although the opponent might fall, everyone else... would probably receive healing from the Stone source art, right? This sword technique, which injures ten thousand enemies and heals eight thousand, was indeed beyond Manner's comprehension.
More importantly...
...Why can't you receive this healing effect at the same time?
Manner was utterly perplexed. Before, when Maria used her Stone source art to heal herself, he thought this Stone source art was indeed suitable for the battlefield and could even grow stronger with each fight. But when he tried to guide Maria to use her Stone source art to attack others, he found that all the Stone source art that should have healed herself had turned into power to attack enemies. And—why could it heal nearby people, but not herself?
...Huh?
Maria was also dumbfounded. "But... turning light into a sword blade, wasn't that what you taught me, Uncle?"
Indeed, I taught you to turn light into a sword blade... but I didn't tell you to remove the Stone source art from your own body," Manner said, covering his head helplessly. "Don't be so rigid."
...Huh?
Maria was even more confused. Can Stone source art attacks and self-healing coexist? In her impression, Stone source art either hammered people or healed herself. Healing herself while hammering people... was that even possible? "Um... wouldn't that be too difficult?"
"If you can maintain your Stone source art to heal yourself for a long time, then you can definitely maintain healing yourself while attacking," Manner said with certainty. "From now on, you must learn to continuously maintain your healing Stone source art while using your Lightblade."
"...Oysters!" Maria quickly shook her head. "Maintaining healing is maintaining healing, and a Lightblade is a Lightblade! I don't have a second brain to do two things at once?!"
"Can you breathe and blink at the same time?"
"...Yes?"
"Then just get used to maintaining healing as if it were your breathing," Manner said with a smile. However, to Maria, that smile was no different from a devil's. To be honest, she was starting to get scared.
But it was too late. Since Manner had taken over Maria's training, it was naturally impossible for Maria to maintain the status quo. One of the traditions of the Lingguang Family is: you can develop your style, but you must also develop your combat style to its absolute limit. So, after Manner discovered Maria's potential, he immediately decided to build a complete combat flow for her, centered around her talent.
And so, when Plastic Knight truly met Maria in the arena, she almost didn't recognize the face of Maria she had seen in battle reports just a few days ago. The current Maria looked as if she had just returned from a battlefield, with black soot on her face, yet her entire body emitted a faint glow. The previous vivacity in her eyes was gone, replaced by a somewhat dazed look, and she was even muttering to herself.
"Maintain… maintain… must maintain even when sleeping…"
"..."
What's wrong with this child? Why has she suddenly become so obsessed?
Plastic Knight scratched his head. Wasn't she lively and cheerful when he saw her a few days ago? Why, after only a few days apart, has she become like this?
However, no matter what the opponent had become, what he had to do remained unchanged. He had joined the Knight Arena because he admired Trembling Iron Martin, and he never expected to have come this far.
To stand firm in this arena is an ability in itself. Any Knight who can maintain his seat and spot is not to be underestimated.
It would be a grave mistake to look down on himself!
Plastic Knight held his crossbow, and after Big Mouth Mobu announced the start, he immediately began to tentatively shoot two arrows.
She knew Maria's fighting style. To fight Maria, one must either overwhelm her with absolute strength, or absolutely avoid falling into her rhythm.
Then, interrupting that troublesome Stone source art of hers would be enough! The opponent had no one-hit kill moves!
Sorry! You don't have an excellent analysis team behind you, nor will you have capital support! I am now at the point where—
Bang—!!!!
But the next second, the entire arena was plunged into a cloud of dust. As the two crossbow arrows flew towards her, Maria mechanically raised her sword, and then the entire arena trembled.
—Because the arena had split open.
It was completely cut in half by Maria's single sword strike. Plastic Knight, who had instinctively rolled away due to a sudden sense of danger, looked at the cracks that almost reached his feet. He rationally raised his hands.
"I surrender."
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