Chapter 33: The Irresistible Contract

Though Yufinika’s renown preceded her, Yalin was hardly acquainted with her.

While he often heard tales of her glorious deeds, this was, by his reckoning, only their second encounter.

Their first meeting had occurred when Yalin, on his way to gather materials, happened to pass by the Adventurers’ Guild.

At that time, Yufinika had single-handedly vanquished an S-rank demonic beast that had terrorized the mountain range.

Returning victorious, she was hailed as a hero, standing regally at the very pinnacle of the Guild’s esteem.

As she faced the adoring gazes of the crowd, she resembled a haughty queen, her stern countenance betraying not the slightest ripple of emotion.

That was until her eyes met Yalin’s, who was merely passing through the throng.

In that instant, those usually indifferent eyes had quivered almost imperceptibly.

At the time, Yalin had dismissed it as a trick of his own perception, but now, it seemed Yufinika must have taken notice of him even then.

But why him?

Yalin had never harbored any interest in the Adventurers’ Guild.

They constantly espoused “free adventure,” a noble-sounding phrase that merely masked the Guild’s true purpose as an organization established by the kingdom to manage its more dangerous elements.

After all, in this world, the disparity between humans was far greater than that between humans and dogs.

Ordinary folk couldn’t even defeat a wild boar from their own village, yet true powerhouses could contend with demonic beasts capable of laying waste to an entire town.

In other words, a single individual possessed strength comparable to an entire city.

Not everyone, however, was willing to submit to the kingdom’s jurisdiction.

Rather than accepting generous stipends, they yearned for a life of unrestrained freedom.

Thus, to keep these formidable individuals in check, the Adventurers’ Guild had come into being.

By registering as an adventurer, one could avail themselves of numerous Guild services, such as high-priced material recovery and mission assignments.

Moreover, every adventurer received a personal ranking; the higher the rank, the greater the privileges enjoyed.

Reputation, wealth.

These two enticements alone were enough to captivate ninety percent of the populace.

Indeed, this method had proven exceptionally effective.

Take Yufinika, for instance—a formidable individual capable of soloing an S-rank demonic beast.

If left unchecked to mingle amongst the populace, who could say when this potential bomb might detonate?

Yet now, Yufinika had become the Guild’s public face, her every movement under their watchful eye, all for a minor cost to the Guild, which sometimes even managed to profit.

One had to admit, the person who devised this scheme was nothing short of a genius.

The question remained: why was Yufinika so fixated on him, a complete stranger with no apparent connection?

Could it truly be that she was merely swayed by appearances?

“You may take your time to consider,” Yufinika murmured, “I assure you, I will not treat you poorly.”

As the faint, lingering scent around his nose dissipated, Yufinika gracefully distanced herself from Yalin.

“Nor do you need to fear any harm from me; I can enter into a contract with you.”

A contract, as she referred to it, was a ritual conducted by invoking the God of Oracles and Judgment.

Under mutual consent, words or phrases that otherwise held no power would be imbued with certain ‘rules’ through divine influence.

Should either party renege or violate the terms of the contract, they would suffer the backlash of divine power.

Thus, even the most formidable individuals on the continent could not defy the power of a contract.

“Well, what do you say? A rather excellent bargain, wouldn’t you agree?”

“The only price you need to pay is a mere shred of your dignity.”

Yufinika’s seductive voice was akin to a devil’s whisper.

‘Dignity, huh…’

A cold laugh echoed in Yalin’s heart.

From the moment the Evil God had taken residence within his body, notions of dignity had been utterly discarded into the rubbish bin.

To be frank, Yufinika’s terms were simply irresistible.

Presently, Yalin was not only desperately short on funds but also in urgent need of high-quality materials.

Having summoned the Conceptual Gods more frequently these past few days, Yalin could distinctly feel the surging impulse within his body steadily diminishing.

This led him to a bold conjecture.

The reason he had developed such a unique physique was due to an excessive influx of Aether from the Evil God, which had profoundly affected his body.

If not for regularly expelling the excess Aether through a medium, he would, sooner or later, completely lose his mind under the Evil God’s influence, much like the original host.

‘Forget it. I’ve been a bootlicker for so long anyway; at this point, Yalin wouldn’t mind bootlicking one more.’

“Since Miss Yufinika holds me in such high regard,” Yalin replied, “I naturally have no reason to decline.”

“Does that statement signify your agreement?”

A captivating yet dangerous smile blossomed on Yufinika’s face.

“After all, this is merely my job. If you don’t mind, then it’s certainly no issue,” Yalin stated indifferently.

“Excellent.”

Yufinika extended a hand, hooking Yalin’s chin and drawing him closer until he was directly before her.

His proximity caused her breath to quicken involuntarily.

His lean face, fragmented black hair, and those gentle eyes and lips.

He was practically a spitting image of that person.

The thought of completely possessing this young man instantly sent Yufinika into a frenzy of excitement.

The sensation was even more exhilarating than when she had slain the great dragon in the Sunshadow Mountains.

Forcing down the fiery agitation within her, she clasped her fingers around Yalin’s hand, squeezing it tightly.

“In that case, let us return to my home at once to finalize the contract.”

Yufinika’s home was a villa nestled in the suburbs.

Perhaps owing to elven customs, she preferred dwelling in such tranquil, nature-filled locales rather than bustling, populous areas.

While the villa’s decor couldn’t rival Luluti’s opulent mansion, it was certainly luxurious enough for a single occupant.

As Yalin stepped onto the soft carpet, his gaze swept around, taking in numerous demonic beast heads and claws.

These once incredibly dangerous beasts now hung casually on the walls like common ornaments, displayed for viewing.

They were all Yufinika’s trophies.

Yufinika walked to a wooden bookshelf, retrieved a yellowed parchment scroll, and unrolled it flat upon the table.

It was a contract scroll already inscribed with a magic array; no elaborate ritual was needed.

One simply had to write the contents and drip both parties’ blood onto it, and the contract would automatically form.

This item was exorbitantly priced, so rare as to be virtually unobtainable, yet Yufinika hadn’t even blinked.

She took a quill from the inkwell and swiftly, elegantly penned the contract’s terms onto the scroll.

Yalin glanced at it; the contract’s stipulations were straightforward.

In brief, Yufinika was prohibited from harming Yalin, and Yalin, in turn, could not disclose the matter.

Beyond that, there were no other demands.

Yalin understood, however, that this wasn’t an act of benevolence on her part.

Rather, Yufinika possessed ample confidence that she could control him at any moment, even without explicit restrictions.

Hence, there was no need to clutter the contract with a multitude of conditions.

‘What an arrogant woman.’

‘Though, to be fair, she certainly possessed the capability.’

After completing the contract’s text, Yufinika returned the quill to its place, then produced a small, gem-incrusted knife and cut a wound on her index finger.

Bright red blood dripped onto the scroll, staining a crimson patch.

She then offered the small knife to Yalin.

“If you find no issues, then sign it.”

“Very well.”

Yalin smiled faintly as he took the blood-stained knife.

‘Perfect. There are some things he also wished to try.’