Nighttime, the hidden headquarters of the Treaty of Legends.
At the edge of a cliff, a tall woman in a black gothic dress stood as strong, humid winds of the ocean brushed past her curvaceous figure, fluttering her long black hair in the air.
She looked at the half-moon in the starry sky in a daze as if in deep thought. She was the leader of the Treaty of Legends, Queen!
At this moment, the Queen suddenly snapped out of her thoughts, and her eyes behind her mask suddenly narrowed dangerously.
She coldly uttered, "What it is, Diminutive?"
Almost instantly, a midget suddenly appeared beside her and cackled in his impish voice, "I thought I would find you here. What, admiring the waning moon again, or is there something bothering you again, my fair lady?"
The Queen's eyes turned icy, "Even if we are alone, you don't have the right to speak to me in this tone. If you are here to waste my time, then scram!"
If the other members of the treaty were here, they would've been absolutely shocked after seeing Diminutive get away with just a retort but not lose a limb or two by talking with the Queen like this. Everyone knows just how dangerous and short-tempered this woman is, and no one had the guts to talk with her like this, but Diminutive was doing just that.
Diminutive, however, didn't back down and cackled again in amusement, "Heh, as feisty as ever, I see. But this just makes you even more charming in my eyes; there is really no one like you in this fucking dump!" He was literally playing with tiger's whiskers at this moment!
However, the Queen still didn't decapitate his head and only released her bone-chilling aura in warning, "Are you sure you want to continue? I'm no longer like my past self!"
Diminutive lips curled up, revealing his sharp fangs. He clearly wasn't bothered by her aura, but suddenly, he raised his hand in surrender and playfully said, "Alright, I'll try another day, I guess. We have all the time in the world, and by fate, we are stuck together."
"Unfortunately." The Queen scoffed as she retracted her aura since Diminutive could no longer spout more nonsense and asked again in a cold tone, "Now, out with it."
"How beautiful…" Diminutive clicked his tongue, and before the Queen could go on a rampage, he quickly continued without teasing her anymore, "Well, my fair lady, the good news is, the formation is at its final phase of completion. The bad news is, the Fog Island above the Vicious Calamity Fog Zone had left the ice plains for some reason, and it's heading directly in the direction of the Conflict Plains!" The Queen's eyes suddenly widened with surprise. She knew about the Vicious Calamity Fog Zone, especially the true reason it was declared a no-return zone: the floating island, which they called the Fog Island!
Furthermore, since this news was coming directly from Diminutive, she knew it must be true because this guy might look like the weakest of the treaty. In truth, he was unfathomable and just liked to hide under sheep's clothing.
After all, the Vicious Calamity Fog Zone's Fog Island was even bad news for her, but he could easily spy on it, and this was just one of his mysterious abilities. If she weren't wary of this midget and not confident enough to beat him, she would've long gotten rid of him because he was simply too dangerous and manipulative.
Nonetheless, he was still one of the reasons the Treaty of Legends could be reached at this point, and without his help, it would have been very difficult to control the Unique Plains!
"Has someone provoked the Locust Queen? No, there shouldn't be anyone who could provoke her and then live to tell the tale. Why is she up to after all these years of peace, why reacting like this now?" The Queen asked in a serious tone as she knew just how grave this matter was, and if the Locust Queen really wanted to raise hell in the Unique Plains, then it might thwart their plans. Diminutive shrugged his shoulder dismissively as he said, "Who knows what's going on in that insect's mind? I'm pretty sure there wasn't anyone who had visited the Vicious Calamity Fog Zone, and there was no trace of battles in the Ice Plains. But I'm not completely certain since I can't always keep an eye on that insect. I would rather keep my eyes on you, my fair lady."
The Queen's eyes narrowed dangerously, "You still have a mind to play your mind games? This is no longer a matter that we can ignore. If, by any chance, Locust Queen went on a frenzy on the Conflict Plains, we both know the three factions would have acted, or the SAAI would make sure to strip them of their lofty statuses. Without their connections and status, they are nothing but a useless waste of space for us!"
Diminutive didn't refute her words and sighed, "It's quite ironic, don't you think? Those ignorant mortals think that the Star Network is there to protect them and make their lives easier, but the reality is they are just like sheep who were being raised for someone's entertainment. Even more ironic is that those fools were willing to become the shepherds.
"The moment this sheep farm was threatened, those shepherds would have to protect it even with their lives, or they would lose everything, and they didn't even know about it. Hahaha!" the Diminutive lampooned as he burst into chilly laughter filled with deep resentment and hatred. He didn't appear as carefree as before.
The Queen knew why Diminutive was reacting this way and commented in a profound, bitter tone as deeply looked towards the vast endless starry sky, "Nothing is free in Zodiac Plains. If you get something, then you have to prove you are worthy of keeping it, or it will take it back just like it gave it to you in a heartbeat. But when it takes back, it will also take back your life as compensation.
"Only by breaking free from this vicious cycle can you truly be free. Otherwise, we are all just puppets dancing for its entertainment until we break!"