I Don't Agree to the Terms-Chapter 1084 - 570: The Wizard World Where Eternal Winter Approaches

"Recently, it seems to have gotten much colder, and many crops have frozen to death." Philas looked at the report from the serfs under him, and couldn't help but frown.

Ruben, sitting in the main seat like a giant, seemed to be dozing off, then reacted sluggishly, "I can't fix these things."

Ruben had many visible wounds on his body, some deep into the bone, and some had healed, leaving only scars.

In recent days, he's been very tired, constantly fighting with the Jade Tree, and for now, he has temporarily gained the upper hand.

But even though he holds the upper hand, injuries are inevitable, and the Jade Tree is also heavily wounded.

Both sides have strong recovery abilities, so although it looks severe, it's not as heavy for them. Ruben is now recovering, because he's so tired, and after eating a lot to replenish himself, he naturally grows sleepy.

"I'm not asking you to fix it, just mentioning it so you can put on an extra layer of clothing." Philas sighed, growing increasingly worried about Ruben's condition.

Since his power has increased, Ruben's intelligence has sharply declined, showing behaviors such as extreme laziness and reluctance to use his brain.

Luckily, she was there to help him, and combined with his powerful strength granting Ruben a terrifying sense of intuition and perception, it's impossible to lie in front of him without being immediately detected.

So don't be fooled by his clumsiness; he's not muddled at all.

"I understand," Ruben said in a muffled voice, then opened his eyes abruptly and said, "Something terrible is coming, my intuition tells me."

"What?" Philas was startled, not expecting Ruben to say such a thing.

"Cold, it's the cold!"

"Mother, you must act quickly, we may have to face eternal winter."

Ruben's voice was agitated; he didn't know how to describe it, but he knew the winter had already taken root in the tides of magic power.

"Eternal winter, will this... really happen?" Philas was somewhat horrified, as she naturally understood what winter was like.

"I've already felt the cold within the magic power growing stronger, believe me, mother," Ruben said helplessly.

Philas nodded hurriedly, "I understand, I'll prepare immediately."

"Also, prepare to abandon all territories, and huddle in the castle ready to act, damn it, I just remembered, we must modify the entire castle, otherwise the cold will engulf you." Considering the King of Kings lineage coursing through Ruben, he could perhaps ignore this cold— even if he were naked amidst it, he wouldn't have any problems.

But the others wouldn't stand a chance.

"Is it that serious?" Philas didn't expect Ruben to be planning to abandon the extensive territory he personally conquered.

After the Expeditionary Army was annihilated, Ruben occupied two-thirds of the noble territories, and the church had become a thing of the past. As for the remaining third, well, it had become a no man's land. Because of the Jade Tree's presence, no one could survive there; entering would trigger a curse.

First, a green bracelet would appear on one's hand, then they'd be lured, finally publicly tormented, and then become part of the Jade Tree.

The battle and conflict between the two sides had never ceased, apart from Ruben and the Jade Tree's top-tier forces occasionally clashing, the Jade Tree continuously infiltrated Ruben's power using spies, seduction, and other means.

Even if Ruben seems to be winning, in terms of power struggle, Ruben's side keeps retreating step by step.

Fortunately, this doesn't impact much, because as long as Ruben remains alive, what difference does it make if the nobles are turned? Would they dare to rebel?

"I'll go prepare at once." Philas naturally intended to follow Ruben's suggestion to gather supplies.

"At least a century's worth must be prepared, because I don't know how long the cold rooted in the magic power will last," Ruben reminded, with his mind not sharp, though his intuition remained effective.

"That much, alright!"

Philas gritted her teeth and agreed, because this also concerned her own safety.

"However, should we inform the other nobles, we..." Philas suddenly remembered this issue.

"No need to inform them; the supplies will be insufficient, and it'll cause chaos." Ruben was completely indifferent to the lives of the so-called nobles. In recent days, he's seen their true nature — sluggish and greedy, always changing.

Even if they surrender now, most noble families have contact with the Jade Tree, intending to gain powerful strength and obtain autonomy.

Unfortunately, the Jade Tree had been dangling bait all along, never granting these nobles any transcendent powers.

Ruben understood the reason as well: there was only one way to gain the Jade Tree's transcendent strength, and that was by becoming a part of the Jade Tree.

Naturally, the nobles refused; they desired supreme power, not to be dogs for the Jade Tree, so they kept exploiting Ruben's influence while negotiating with the Jade Tree, expressing their willingness to betray Ruben for enough benefits.

The Jade Tree knew the nobles well, saying they should betray first and then it would grant them what they seek.

Thus, the two just kept exchanging interests with each other like this for a long time.