Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 421 With Peace as the Goal
“Be careful,” Silvermoon warned worriedly. “The battle is intense right now, and both sides are on high alert. They might mistake you for an enemy spy.”

“I’ll be careful,” Rowan nodded in understanding, “but we have to try. Every minute we delay, more people will die.”

Using the stealth ability inherited from the Storm King, Rowan stealthily approached the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's command ship. This massive warship was located in the center of the fleet, surrounded by dozens of escort ships, making its defenses extremely tight.

Using his mental abilities, Rowan determined the general structure of the command ship and the location of key areas. He needed to find a suitable opportunity to contact the Imperial commander without causing panic.

The opportunity soon arrived. During a break in tactical adjustments, some of the command ship's defensive forces were redeployed to support the front lines. Rowan seized this opportunity and infiltrated the command ship.

The command ship's internal structure was complex, but Rowan quickly located the command center using his mental detection abilities. This was the brain of the entire fleet, where all tactical decisions were made.

"Halt! Who are you?" When Rowan appeared at the entrance of the command center, he was immediately spotted by the guards.

"I am a mediator from Virtual Universe Corporation. I have important intelligence that requires me to meet with the commander," Rowan proactively identified himself, while raising his hands to indicate that he was not hostile.

"Virtual Universe Company?" The guard was somewhat puzzled, but still reported the situation to the internal staff.

A few minutes later, the doors to the command center opened, and a burly middle-aged man stepped out. He was wearing the general's uniform of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, and the insignia on his chest indicated that he was the commander-in-chief of the Shadow Blade Legion, named Carlos Drak.

“A mediator from Virtual Universe Corporation?” Carlos coldly scrutinized Rowan. “What are you doing here? And how did you get onto my command ship?”

“General, I’ve come to stop this unnecessary war,” Rowan said bluntly. “There’s a huge conspiracy behind this conflict, and you and your soldiers have been manipulated.”

"Being used?" A flash of anger crossed Carlos's eyes. "Young man, do you know what you're saying? The Black Dragon Mountain Empire's army will never be used by anyone."

“Please allow me to explain,” Rowan tried to remain calm. “According to our investigation, a mysterious organization is deliberately spreading rumors about the Storm King's legacy while providing false intelligence to both empires, with the aim of inciting conflict between you.”

“False intelligence?” Carlos sneered. “Then can you explain why the Qianwu Empire began assembling its army before we even arrived? Doesn’t that mean they planned this all along?”

“That’s because they also received false intelligence about the Black Dragon Mountain Empire’s intentions,” Rowan explained. “Think about it, if the Qianwu Empire really wanted to deal with you, why would they choose to start a war in a place so far from their homeland?”

“This just shows their cunning,” Carlos said unmoved. “It’s more advantageous for them to wage war far from our homeland.”

Rowan realized that simple logical analysis would hardly convince this stubborn general, so he decided to present substantial evidence.

"General, we've discovered the ruins of a mind control array used by the instigators," Rowan described in detail the discovery on the desert island, "and we've also directly engaged those instigators who claim to be servants of the Lord of Darkness."

"The Lord of Darkness?" Carlos's expression turned mocking. "Are you trying to tell me that some legendary demon lord is manipulating all of this behind the scenes? Do you think I'd believe such a fairy tale?"

“This isn’t a fairy tale,” Rowan insisted. “The ancient archives of Virtual Universe Corporation do indeed contain records about the Dark Lord. He was an extremely dangerous being who nearly destroyed the entire universe.”

“Even if what you say is true,” Carlos’s tone softened slightly, “the army of the Qianwu Empire is there now, and their attack is real. My soldiers are bleeding, and my warships are being destroyed. I cannot stop fighting because of some unfounded legend.”

“But if you continue fighting, you're playing right into the hands of the instigators,” Rowan said urgently. “Their goal is to collect the negative energy generated by the war. Every attack you launch, every death you suffer, is helping their master to recover.”

“Enough,” Carlos waved his hand impatiently. “Even if there are instigators, the fact that the Qianwu Empire chose to believe them and attack us demonstrates their hostility. A ceasefire is unacceptable to the Black Dragon Mountain Empire.”

“What if I can provide solid evidence?” Rowan tried one last time. “Virtual Universe Corporation’s aid is arriving soon, and then we can conduct a joint investigation to find the real mastermind.”

“Evidence?” Carlos sneered. “Can you resurrect my dead soldiers? Can you repair my sunken warships? Whatever the conspiracy behind it, the war has begun, and it can only end when a victor emerges.”

Rowan looked at the stubborn general and felt a deep sense of powerlessness. Once war begins, hatred accumulates, clouding people's judgment. Even with ample evidence, it's difficult to convince those involved.

“General, I implore you to at least consider a temporary ceasefire,” Rowan made a final effort, “give us some time to prove the truth.”

“Impossible,” Carlos refused flatly. “The Black Dragon Mountain Empire will not bow to any enemy. If you truly want peace, go and persuade the Qianwu Empire to surrender.”

Seeing that the negotiations had completely failed, Rowan had no choice but to leave the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's command ship. But he did not give up and decided to try to persuade the commander of the Qianwu Empire.

The Qianwu Empire's command ship was located on the other side of the battlefield, and it was also heavily fortified. Rowan infiltrated the warship using the same method, but this time he chose a more direct approach.

“I request an audience with the commander,” Rowan identified himself directly to the soldiers of the Qianwu Empire. “I am a mediator from the Virtual Universe Corporation, and I have an important peace proposal.”

The soldiers of the Qianwu Empire were clearly more cautious than those of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire. They took Rowan to an interrogation room and conducted a thorough identity verification before allowing him to see the commander.

The commander of the Thunder Legion of the Qianwu Empire was a female general named Elena Storm. She looked a little younger than Carlos, but her eyes were equally firm and cold.

“A mediator?” Elena scrutinized Rowan. “When did your Virtual Universe Corporation start getting involved in conflicts between empires?”

“When conflict threatens cosmic peace,” Rowan replied, “General, a vast conspiracy lies hidden behind this war; someone is deliberately sowing discord between the two great empires.”

"Provocation?" Elena sneered. "Then can you explain why the Black Dragon Mountain Empire would send such a massive fleet here? If they have no malicious intent, why bring so many weapons?"

“Because they also received false intelligence about the intentions of the Qianwu Empire,” Rowan explained patiently. “A mysterious organization is simultaneously spreading false information to both empires, causing you to misunderstand each other.” “Even so,” Elena’s tone didn’t soften, “the fact that the Black Dragon Mountain Empire chose to believe these reports and actually sent troops here demonstrates their hostility towards us.”

“But this hostility was artificially created,” Rowan emphasized. “Without that false intelligence, you wouldn’t have had any conflict at all.”

“Young man, you’re too naive,” Elena shook her head. “The conflict between the Black Dragon Mountain Empire and the Qianwu Empire has a long history; it couldn’t have been created by just one or two instigators. This is merely the eruption of that conflict.”

“But the timing and manner of this outbreak are too suspicious,” Rowan argued. “Why now of all times? Why is it because of the Storm King’s legacy?”

“Because the legacy itself is worth fighting for,” Elena replied matter-of-factly. “The legacy of becoming a king and achieving immortality is a tremendous temptation for any power. The Black Dragon Mountain Empire wants to monopolize it, and of course we cannot agree to that.”

Rowan discovered that Elena was just as stubborn as Carlos, both blinded by the hatred of war. He decided to present more concrete evidence.

“General, we’ve discovered the ruins of a large mind control array nearby,” Rowan described their discovery in detail. “This proves that someone is indeed manipulating the situation from the shadows.”

"A mind control array?" Elena asked, somewhat surprised. "Do you have any evidence?"

“Yes,” Rowan said, taking out a recording crystal containing detailed images of the magic circle ruins. “We discovered it on a deserted island, and the scale of the magic circle was large enough to affect the entire Reno Port region.”

Elena carefully examined the image within the crystal, her expression turning serious. "This is indeed a mind control array, and a very ancient one at that. But what does that mean? Perhaps it was set up by the Black Dragon Mountain Empire to control our minds."

“This magic array is at least several months old,” Rowan explained, “and judging from its technical features, it’s not a modern invention. The Black Dragon Mountain Empire couldn’t possibly possess such ancient technology.”

“That’s some kind of third-party force,” Elena acknowledged the possibility, “but that doesn’t change the status quo. The Black Dragon Mountain Empire’s attack is real, and we must defend ourselves.”

“If both sides cease fire, we can jointly investigate the truth,” Rowan suggested. “Experts from Virtual Universe are arriving soon; they are capable of finding out who is behind this.”

“A ceasefire?” Elena shook her head. “Impossible. A ceasefire now would be a sign of weakness for the Qianwu Empire. Besides, who can guarantee that the Black Dragon Mountain Empire will abide by the ceasefire agreement?”

“Virtual Universe Corporation can act as guarantor,” Rowan proposed as a solution. “Our support is strong enough to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.”

“Oversight?” Elena’s tone turned unfriendly. “When did Virtual Universe Corporation have the right to oversee the Empire’s actions? We don’t need outsiders to tell us what to do.”

Rowan sensed the hostility in Elena's words. Clearly, the general was very unhappy with the Virtual Universe Corporation's involvement.

“General, our intervention is solely for the purpose of maintaining cosmic peace,” Rowan tried to ease the tension. “We have no intention of taking sides.”

"Maintain peace?" Elena sneered. "If you truly want to maintain peace, why don't you stop the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's invasion? Why are you trying to persuade us to cease our self-defense?"

"Because we also approached the commander of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire," Rowan answered truthfully, "but he also rejected the ceasefire proposal."

“See, this shows the warlike nature of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire,” Elena seized on this information, “They don’t want peace at all; they only want to solve problems through force.”

Rowan realized that in this hostile situation, any attitude from either side would be interpreted as proof of hostility. The logic of war had taken over, and the voice of peace had become insignificant.

“General, I implore you to reconsider,” Rowan pleaded as a last resort. “If this war has truly been instigated, then continuing the fight will only allow the real enemy to succeed.”

“Even if it was instigated, the war has already begun,” Elena said firmly. “We are facing a real threat now, not a hypothetical conspiracy. My responsibility is to protect the interests of the Qianwu Empire, not to investigate any mastermind.”

“But if we don’t find out who’s behind this, similar conflicts will happen again,” Rowan warned. “This may just be the beginning.”

“Then let it happen,” Elena said with unwavering resolve. “The Qianwu Empire fears no challenge. If anyone tries to create conflict, we will respond with strength.”

Seeing Elena's stubbornness, Rowan knew the negotiations had completely failed. The commanders of both empires were blinded by the hatred of war and unable to rationally analyze the situation.

“General, I hope you won’t regret your decision today,” Rowan concluded. “If the situation deteriorates further, the responsibility will not lie with Virtual Universe Corporation.”

“The responsibility lies with the Black Dragon Mountain Empire,” Elena replied coldly. “If they hadn’t launched this war of aggression, we wouldn’t be in this situation now.”

After leaving the Qianwu Empire's command ship, Rowan felt an unprecedented sense of frustration. As a professional mediator, this was the first time he had encountered such stubbornly opposing sides.

After returning to the safe zone, Rowan reported the results of the negotiations to Silver Moon.

“Both commanders rejected the ceasefire proposal,” Rowan said dejectedly. “They both believed the other was the aggressor and that they were acting in just self-defense.”

“That’s normal,” Silvermoon reassured her. “Once war begins, hatred builds up. Every attack provides a justification for the next.”

“What’s more troublesome is that they all suspect Virtual Universe’s motives,” Rowan continued, “and see our involvement as an infringement on their sovereignty.”

“That’s understandable,” Silvermoon analyzed. “Powerful empires usually don’t like external forces interfering in their affairs, even if it’s for peaceful purposes.”

(End of this chapter)