Gathering Wives with a System Chapter 482 Scamming 101, First Lesson: Make Sure They Are Thankful For Being Scammed

The few remaining individuals present would be ranked as Overlords of high-tier species, and by no means were they considered weak.

On the contrary, they were exceptionally formidable.

The Overlords of high-tier species brought by these individuals possessed potent classes, superior talents, advanced physiques, and highly developed elemental abilities. Many wielded artifacts superior to what most Lords would encounter in a lifetime.

When combined, these strengths allowed them to contend with an average Apex species Overlord on an equal footing.

And the Apex Overlords belonging to these Lords?

They possessed even greater power than the Overlords of high-tier species, boasted superior equipment, more refined talents, and their prowess was more honed.

Avery was indeed powerful.

However, she was only one individual.

The blue-haired woman standing beside Isaac presented an unknown variable. While the Emperor might have taken notice of her, the gathered Lords remained largely unconcerned.

Ultimately, only Avery and this woman, Eleanor, emerged as significant threats.

For Isaac's side to achieve victory, Eleanor would need to match Avery's strength, a scenario that seemed highly improbable.

Avery was a mythical Elemental Spirit. If another being possessed comparable power, the Lords present would have known of it already. Such immense strength simply did not remain hidden.

In essence, Isaac's chances of winning appeared negligible.

At least, that was the prevailing opinion.

As for Isaac possessing another powerful ally?

That possibility seemed even less likely.

Averon was strong, but nowhere near the caliber of the subordinates commanded by these Lords. The same could be said

for Alice. They had witnessed her engagement with the Crimson Sky Wyrm mere days ago, allowing them to estimate her current strength level.

Emily remained the sole uncertain element.

She was undeniably dangerous, that much was evident. However, the Lords had already formed their conclusions.

An individual capable of purifying and taming spirits of corrupted

Catastrophes must face certain limitations. It defied logic otherwise.

Such power always demanded a price; the System ensured that a balance was maintained.

Perhaps she could only summon her most powerful spirits for brief periods. Maybe it exacted a heavy toll on her. Or perhaps she needed to meet stringent conditions.

There had to be some constraint.

Furthermore, she had just concluded her Lord Quest yesterday. She must have exerted herself to the utmost to achieve it.

Consequently, she would logically be weakened today.

Even if she possessed considerable strength, her contribution to the upcoming competition would likely be minimal.

All these factors converged on a single, simple conclusion.

Isaac had no real chance of success.

"Are you certain about this, Lord Isaac?" Hass inquired, his gaze locked onto Isaac.

"I am," Isaac replied, a faint smile gracing his lips.

He possessed no need to decipher their thoughts; their intentions were clearly visible.

It was plainly displayed on each of their countenances.

Underestimation. Overconfidence. A hint of anticipation.

Unfortunately for them, their assessments were flawed on nearly every count.

Alice had recently received a significant power surge following her Physique rank-up. While the Lords might command Apex rank subordinates, not all Apex species were created equal.

Alice was a Sun Dragon.

Even within the hierarchy of Apex species, this positioned her among the very elite.

Her Physique upgrade had amplified her existing capabilities exponentially. Her resilience, her offensive output, her control – all had been enhanced. The same upgrade applied to a standard Apex species would yield vastly inferior results.

And then there was Emily.

Isaac suppressed a chuckle at the thought of her.

Emily represented a true nightmare for individuals like these Lords.

They were meticulously attempting to pinpoint her weaknesses, constructing elaborate theories around nonexistent limitations.

Emily did not suffer from drawbacks regarding her summons.

Had they known she was the daughter of the Netherborn Empress, they

would not be maintaining such a composed demeanor. The entire atmosphere of this room would have shifted dramatically.

They would exhibit caution, wariness, and perhaps even fear.

But they remained unaware.

This ignorance served to Isaac's distinct advantage.

Next, there was Eleanor.

The Sword Empress had conveyed that she had been undergoing rigorous training until very recently. She offered little elaboration, yet Isaac found no need for further details.

If she stated she had improved, then she had.

In this particular instance, he placed more trust in her self-assessment than his own estimations.

Lastly, Averon. He had...

'Actually... yes. Averon cannot contribute much here,' Isaac mused internally.

Averon suddenly reached up to scratch his ear, a frown creasing his brow.

"...Why does it suddenly feel so itchy?" he murmured, glancing around with bewilderment.

Within his tribe's customs, an itchy ear signified that someone was speaking ill of you.

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, though he could not identify who might be the culprit.

Isaac calmly diverted his gaze.

Hass, who had been intently observing Isaac, spoke once more. "How will the offers we've documented on these papers factor into the wager? And what occurs if Isaac emerges victorious? From what I understand, it appears he gains nothing. Why would he agree to such a bet?"

"Whoever emerges victorious will receive Isaac's contribution as written on their submission, along with their offered gifts. This approach eliminates the need for you all to engage in a continuous bidding war." Avery elaborated. "Furthermore, should Isaac be the one to win, he will accept all the provisions and gifts presented by everyone, without committing to any specific Lord's City."

Avery then added, "This arrangement allows Isaac to gratefully accept your generous offerings, as he will have rightfully earned them through this competition."

Bella let out a soft, amused chuckle.

Fafnir responded with a quiet, derisive snort.

The proposition was audacious. Unquestionably so.

Isaac stood to gain everything they offered, with no reciprocal obligation on his part?

On the surface, it appeared preposterous.

And yet...

None of them immediately dismissed the idea.

Upon closer reflection, the proposal wasn't as unfairly skewed as it initially seemed.

If they were to proceed through conventional means, a direct competition would inevitably arise, escalating into a full-blown auction.

Each Lord would vie to outbid the others to secure Isaac's allegiance.

Such a scenario would prove immensely costly.

Conversely, under Avery's proposed system, they were only required to submit a single offer. Following that, the outcome would be determined by the contest itself.

If they were to win, they would secure Isaac's services while incurring only the cost they had already committed to on paper.

Should they lose, however, they would forfeit nothing. This particular aspect rendered the arrangement considerably more palatable.

Naturally, their immense pride would prevent them from submitting meager offers, especially not in this setting, and certainly not in the presence of their peers.

They represented the most formidable Lords, beings who wouldn't even permit lesser Lords to share their presence. Their submitted offers were expected to align with such elevated status.

Nevertheless, even accounting for this, Avery's proposed method effectively shielded them from a spiraling bidding war.

In a peculiar yet effective manner, the system achieved a form of equilibrium.

One by one, the assembled Lords began to nod in thoughtful agreement.

Avery had devised a remarkably cunning strategy.

Mirroring the Lords' internal approval, Isaac was also commending Avery in his mind.

However, his motivations differed significantly.

'Excellent! This way, we can triumph and claim everything without spending a single coin!' Isaac mused. 'Furthermore,' he thought, 'we're leveraging their forces to clear out a substantial portion of the Great Dungeon!'

Avery was, in essence, deceiving these Lords, who harbored the misconception that Isaac commanded insufficient troops. Simultaneously, she was cleverly obligating them to labor for Isaac's benefit by having them tackle his dungeon challenges.

As if this clever maneuvering wasn't enough, the Lords were actually praising Avery for her successful deception. 'Remarkable,' Isaac thought, 'I once considered myself a skilled trickster. It appears I was merely an amateur. Avery is the true master of scams; I must learn from her expertise!"

Avery, privy to his sentiments through their residual telepathic link, felt a surge of pride at his enthusiastic commendation.