Translator: Exodus Tales
Editor: Exodus Tales
“Sure!”
Luo Su leaned back and rubbed his back against the stone chair. He smiled and asked, “How do I sign the contract? A handprint, a drop of blood, my soul?”
The blurry face didn’t move, but a yellowed paper slowly emerged from the stone table.
Luo Su stroke the paper. It was very firm and flexible, not at all like animal skin. It had probably been parchmentized, making it the so-called ‘industrial parchment.’
This somewhat affected its impressiveness, but the material wasn’t important. What was important was what was written on top of the paper.
Luo Su carefully browsed the contents, his brow furrowing more and more. Since it was a contract, it had to have certain rights and obligations associated with it. Otherwise, what would be the point?
But if one discarded all the frivolous language, Luo Su could not find many clauses in the contract that favored the user. On the contrary, he would need to fulfill many obligations. It was all obeyed, obey, obey.
It was very disadvantageous. If he really signed it, he would be no different than a slave!
Luo Su put down the contract, his face unhappy. At this point, the system spoke.
“Sign the contract, and you will become a true user, upon which all the privileges will be opened to you…”
“Hold on for a second. This contract has too much nonsense, and a lot of the sections are pointless. I don’t like this. What if there’s some sort of trick?”
Luo Su firmly said. The system fell silent, and then the useless sections on the contract were cleared away, making it much simpler.
“That’s much more refreshing.”
“Your request has been satisfied. You may now sign the contract!”
“No rush! After all, this is a very important thing, and I need to get all my questions answered. Firstly, what benefits do I gain from signing this contract and becoming a true user?”
Luo Su’s were sharp and concise. “To tell the truth, this contract lacks sincerity. I only see your extortion and none of your sacrifice. In contrast to the trial period, my freedom will be greatly restricted if I sign this contract.”
“There is no need to be unhappy. This is just how the contract is. Obtaining the service of the system is your greatest reward! Just think about all that you will gain from traveling through the multiverse. You can become a god that reigns above all living beings, and becoming a god might only be the start. You could transcend everything, being restrained by neither death nor dimension. You will become a supreme and eternal existence.”
“Heh, that’s a matter for the future. But I’m a rather short-sighted person and only care about what benefits me at the moment. I just feel that if I sign this contract, my body will no longer be my own, and I’ll have to begin serving you.”
“By signing the contract, you will become a user, and you and I will become one. I will not pose any threat to you…”
In a rare sight, the system was patiently explaining things to Luo Su, but Luo Su had no intention of believing it. He once more rubbed his back against the stone chair.
The system realized that Luo Su was dissatisfied. It stiffly asked, “What are you doing?”
“I’m wondering where this place is? Could the stone chair under my butt really be the desk chair back in my apartment?”
“You think too much!”
“I think so too. So, where am I? What is this place?”
The system gave an answer, speaking a majestic and divine tone. “This is the Place of Contract, the fairest hall in the multiverse. You and I are the only people here. There is no third party. The spirit of the contract binds us so that there is no deception, nothing hidden, nothing malicious!”
“Those are some good words. So are we all equal here?”
“Yes!”
“So why did the contract’s sudden appearance seem like it was your doing?”
“…”
“Why are you not saying anything? Did you crash?”
“Because…I am renting this place. As a tenant, I have some privileges.”
Luo Su scoffed. “Heh, even fairness tilts in front of money.”
“You do not need to complain. This is a necessary process. All those who sign a contract with the system must go through it.”
Luo Su didn’t ask where all those other people who had signed with the system had gone. The answer was obvious. If those people weren’t dead, he wouldn’t be sitting here.
“Fine, I’ve lost interest in this dull conversation. We Chinese like to negotiate at the dinner table, chatting while slowly building up a relationship so that we can work with greater efficiency. If you can drink the other party under the table, there are nine chances out of ten you can strike a deal.”
The system was speechless. “I don’t drink alcohol or consume food.”
“That’s fine! You can watch me eat!” Luo Su casually replied. “Since you’re the one leasing this place, you should order the food. Since the Place of Contract takes money, it must also have a food-ordering service…is it that kind with beautiful waitresses to accompany me while drinking and eating?”
System: “…”
“Fine, since you seem to be one of those broke systems, we can forget about the beautiful waitresses. I get me some roast duck. Make sure it’s a female duck! Slightly spicy!”
Luo Su acted as if he had plenty of time to sit and chat, causing the system to fall silent.
After a little while, a piping hot roast duck appeared in front of Luo Su, together with a knife, fork, and even sauces. The alluring aroma made his fingers twitch.
Luo Su didn’t use the knife and fork, and he completely discarded any semblance table manners. He ripped a leg off the duck and began to dig in.
The system quietly watched, and it was only after Luo Su had finished the duck leg and a duck wing that it finally spoke. “Just how long do you plan to eat? In this hallowed ground, your blasphemous conduct sullies the sanctity of the contract ritual.”
Luo Su put the wing to the side and wiped his mouth with the napkin. He closed his eyes and savored the taste for a few seconds, and then he smiled. “What a terrible-tasting duck…oh, sorry, what I wanted to say…are you in a rush?”
System: “…”
“Do you need to catch a train? Why are you so anxious to make me sign the contract?”
“Because the rent is expensive and is calculated by time! I have to make use of every second!”
The system gave a very forced answer, but Luo Su pressed on with his offensive. “What is this rent? Where did you get the money? Or is it…that you’re taking it from my mission rewards?”
“No, I don’t have the privileges to take…”
The system was about to explain when Luo Su waved a hand and cut him off. “You don’t need to say it. Something like a lie will never be able to stand on its own two feet. One lie will need a hundred lies, or even more, to explain. If you continue to lie, there won’t exist a modicum of trust between us.”
“I have not lied to you. This is the Place of Contract. No one can lie here.” The system’s voice became rather urgent as it emphasized this point.
“You didn’t lie to me before?”
“I have not lied to you in the past!”
Luo Su’s smile grew even wider. “When I used Liniment for the first time, your notice said that Item Cards could only be used once and had no time limit, but once they were used, they couldn’t be taken out of the current world.”
“…”
“But when I got back to my room, the M9 on my back prodded me. I brought back the M9 that I won from the lottery.”
System: “…”
Luo Su spread apart his hands. “You lied! And in a similar fashion, you said that no one could lie in the Place of Contract. This was also a lie. If we continue on this line of reasoning, this isn’t the Place of Contract at all…so, that place doesn’t even exist, right?”
Luo Su used his oily hand to grab the parchment. Waving it around, he continued, “And this contract! Which contract can be so casually altered after being drafted? It doesn’t feel like a contract at all! There’s no rigor! Only an idiot would sign it!”
“…”
“Come on then, eat this pork chop rice. Telling the truth will be good for both of us!”
“…”
“Hurry up! The rent is very expensive.”
The system’s facial features were indistinct, and one could only tell that it was rather depressed, indifferent, and resigned from its voice. “You’re very smart and are an extremely sharp observer. This is the first time I’ve met someone as rational as you. The previous users agreed to sign the contract as soon as I mentioned it, no matter how harsh the conditions were.”
Luo Su shook his head. “I’m okay. I’m actually rather average when it comes to intelligence. Really, it’s all thanks to my opponent!”
“…”