Chapter 74: Project: Making a Pet
Chapter 74: Project: Making a Pet
“Welcome. Oh? A User I haven’t seen in Mule before.”
“Countless Users come and go every day. It’s not strange to see a new face.”
“Ahaha. You’re right. In any case, welcome. Most Users have been flocking to Barbara or Khan lately, so things have been rather slow. It’s a pleasure to have you. What brings you here?”
“This is still a temple, after all. I’m here for a jewel appraisal and to have a contract drawn up. I also came to file an expedition report while I’m at it.”
A male User dressed in a priest’s robe spoke to me with a good-natured smile. As soon as I mentioned the contract, his smile widened. He seemed thrilled at the thought of some long-awaited income, telling me to wait a moment before rushing inside.
Vivian seemed absorbed in looking around the temple, but if I stirred my magic just a little, I could tell her attention was completely focused on the Elixir in my coat. I offered a faint smile at her cute behavior and waited silently for the priest.
Soon, I heard a clatter from the stairs leading to the second floor, followed by the sound of a User rushing down. The temple was one of the few places where Users and Residents coexisted as equals. For the most part, the Residents were in charge of relaying the words of the angels, while the Users handled everything else. The problem was that the Residents interfered in most of the work the Users did.
A female User who looked like she was about to trip and fall came to a stop in front of me, panting for breath, before speaking in an urgent tone. The male priest followed behind her with a bitter expression. Was the temple that desperate for money these days?
“W-welcome. You said you were here about a contract?”
“Yes. And an expedition report…”
“The temple is busy these days, so there’s no one to receive an expedition report. You don’t need to worry about that. First, what kind of contract are you looking for?”
No expedition report? I frowned slightly at her words. It seemed to be a consequence of the Golden Lion Clan’s influence. But to skip an expedition report entirely… No wonder they fail to develop later on. I decided to just get what I came for and leave, then answered her question.
“Between a human and a human… to be precise, a User and a Resident.”
The priestess glanced between me and Vivian behind me, then nodded.
“Hmm. A contract between a User and a Resident is generally possible. Have you thought about the terms?”
“If you give me the contract form now, I can write it up immediately.”
“Excellent. Mincheol, hurry and give this gentleman the contract form.”
The male priest, called Mincheol, immediately handed me a piece of paper and a pen he was holding. I thought for a moment before writing down the terms. The contents I was about to write were simple, yet anything but. In other words, I was planning to write what was essentially a slave contract. After my pen flew across the paper, I carefully reread the finished document to double-check it.
1) User Kim Soohyun shall pay one price that Vivian desires. In return, Vivian acknowledges that she will follow the contents specified in this contract.
2) Resident Vivian shall not defy User Kim Soohyun’s words and will obey him well. While she retains her own free will, User Kim Soohyun’s requests will take priority.
3) Resident Vivian shall aid User Kim Soohyun and his party (hereafter Ahn Hyun, Ahn Sol, Lee Yoojung) in every way possible and will never act with hostility toward them.
This should be enough. A dangerous smile crept onto my face as I showed the contract to Vivian first. With an urgent look, she skimmed it, nodded, and then scribbled her signature before handing it back to me. I also signed it and passed the paper to the priestess. Everything went off without a hitch.
The priestess read the contract for a moment, then let out a “Pfft,” covering her mouth with one hand. She chuckled for a moment and lowered her hand, but one corner of her mouth was still turned up as she looked at me. I met her gaze and smiled back.
“Hohohoho. Are you sure you want me to process it just like this?”
“Hahahaha. I’d appreciate it if you made the binding as potent as possible.”
“Of course. It’s my pleasure.”
The priestess and I shared a good laugh, and she gave me a wink. She then turned her gaze to Vivian and spoke to her.
“Are you really okay with this?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes. All I have to do is listen well and help. There’s no need to be hostile. But does a contract normally take this long? Please do it as quickly as possible.”
The priestess shook her head, looking at Vivian with pity. But Vivian just kept urging her on with her eyes. Finally, the priestess looked away from Vivian and spoke in a solemn voice.
“At this moment, I, User Lee Minhye, attest that both parties have read the contents of this contract and signed it of their own free will.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the paper in her hand was enveloped in a brilliant aura. With a sound like a firecracker, it was dyed in white light. This was the process of the contract being approved. Vivian was momentarily captivated by the spectacular sight, but through the light, I could see the two Users whispering to each other. I quickly sharpened my hearing.
“Minhye-nunim. Aren’t we finishing this a little too quickly?”
“Who cares? It’s been a while since we had money roll in. A contract with terms like these is practically top-grade.”
“Still…”
“Besides, if those Resident bastards saw these terms, they’d immediately shut it down. Anyway, I feel a little sorry for that female Resident, but… it’s none of our business.”
They spoke as if muttering to themselves, but my sensitive ears caught every word of their conversation. I was glad I’d entrusted this to Users. A satisfied smile spread across my face as I watched the contract being finalized. How I’d grill her, stew her, cook her, and devour… ahem. Ah, anyway.
After a short while, the brilliant aura faded, and Lee Minhye deftly snatched the paper as it fell from the air. Drawing up a contract usually took quite some time, so my eyes widened at how quickly she’d handled it. As if reading my expression, Lee Minhye smiled brightly, placed a scale I hadn’t seen before on the table, and said.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t cut any corners, as you’ll see. Priests in the temple who are in charge of contracts are granted a special authority in this regard. Of course, it’s an authority that disappears the moment we quit this gig.”
I nodded as I watched her place the paper on the scale. The price I had to pay would be determined by the weight the scale indicated. The result was soon revealed, and both Lee Minhye and Mincheol gasped in amazement.
As expected, the contract’s weight was immense. The needle spun lightly once, then twice, three times, and continued until it had spun nearly eight full rotations. I had already anticipated this, so I wasn’t particularly surprised, but Vivian looked worried. However, her worry wasn’t that she had made a bad deal, but rather whether I would actually pay the higher-than-expected price. After carefully examining the scale’s reading, Lee Minhye approached me with a satisfied look and whispered.
“User Kim Soohyun-ssi. Do you happen to understand the effect of a contract between a User and a Resident?”
“Roughly. A contract between two Users has many restrictions, but since a Resident isn’t affected by the 〈Settings〉… heh.”
I trailed off, and Lee Minhye shot me a knowing glance before handing over the contract.
“That’s right. Since Residents aren’t affected by the 〈Settings〉, the contract’s power is much stronger. It can influence their very inner self… it’s almost at the level of coercion. Anyway, congratulations on getting a fine new slave. She’s quite pretty, too. Looks like your nights will be enjoyable from now on.”
“Haha. That’s not why I acquired her. Please don’t misunderstand.”
“Oh, come on. I can tell just by looking at you. Anyway, the total is 789 Gold, 417 Silver, and 216 Bronze. You know the temple doesn’t do installments, right?”
I lightly brushed aside her joke and paid immediately. Gaining a skilled companion who would remain useful into the later stages for less than 800 Gold was an overwhelmingly profitable deal. Vivian had been startled by the large sum, but when I produced the money without hesitation, she looked at me with open emotion. At that moment, the contract took full effect, though I still had to provide the compensation specified within it.
After bidding farewell to Lee Minhye and Mincheol, I carefully tucked the contract into my coat and left the temple. Ever since the contract was finalized, she had been stomping her feet impatiently and staring at me with longing, but I led her to an even more secluded spot.
“Is it… is it done? Is it really done now?”
As soon as I stopped in a place with few Users, Vivian rushed toward me as if she’d been waiting. I grinned and obediently took out the Elixir and handed it to her. She quickly snatched the bottle and stared at the Elixir with trembling eyes.
“Hoo. Hoo.”
Vivian took a few deep breaths. It seemed that being turned into a spider had caused her immense stress. Her will to live was so strong, and she had lost her intellect to reach that state, but I was truly excited to see how she would change from now on. It was rare to find a Resident as skilled as her in the first place.
Seraph might give me an earful for this. But I was already prepared for that. Vivian was a boss monster meant to be killed, but I used a loophole in the records to make her my companion. It was something I had done legitimately and of my own will, so I had my own defense.
Vivian stared at the Elixir with a look of both love and hate. Conflict was written all over her face, but her hesitation didn't last long.
Pop!
“Hah. Gulp.”
She immediately uncorked the bottle and downed its contents in one shot. A cool, refreshing sensation seemed to spread through her body as she shivered, her face awash with pleasure. I approached her and lifted the robe covering her body, and I could see her cracked skin slowly healing.
That wasn’t all. Her skin itself began to turn smoother and firmer, and her somewhat faded hair began to radiate a beautiful jet-black color, asserting its presence. Her pale face gained a rosy complexion, and her cold body warmed as if blood were circulating, turning a faint peach color.
One of the greatest advantages of an Elixir is its instantaneous effect; it doesn’t heal the body over time but immediately upon consumption. As if to prove this, I could feel the powerful mana fluctuations of a fully recovered mage right before my eyes.
The person who could feel the change most clearly was Vivian herself. She stared at her hands and body in disbelief, then clenched both fists as her face filled with joy. What did it feel like to recover power one had lost? Was it similar to how I had felt after falling into the depths of hell during the first run and crawling back into the world?
After savoring her joy for a while, Vivian slowly opened her eyes and looked at me. Her face was still as dazed and charmingly naive as before, but there was one difference. If her eyes before were dull, wanting only survival, now they were alive, filled with a newfound confidence. And soon, her small lips parted.
“…Soohyun.”
“What?”
“So your name was Soohyun. Kim Soohyun.”
“I’m asking why you’re calling me.”
“Soohyun. Kim Soohyun. Kim Soohyun. Kim Soohyun.”
I scratched my head as I watched Vivian continue to repeat my name, ignoring my question. The warmth in my coat told me the contract was being updated. It was showtime. I decided to conduct an experiment and stared at her with a devious expression. Jet-black hair and silver eyes. And a face that looked intelligent, yet somehow gave off a dazed impression. She was pretty. Very pretty, in fact. Under the pretext of testing the contract’s effect, I opened my mouth.
“Vivian.”
“Soohyun. Kim Soohyun.”
“Now. Come here and… huh?”
I was about to say, “Embrace me,” but I stopped as Vivian suddenly rushed toward me. With eyes full of tears, she threw herself into my arms and buried her face in my chest.
I was flustered by the sudden turn of events, but I remained as calm as possible and patted her back. For some reason, I felt like I understood how she was feeling. The mood was good, but what I wanted wasn’t for her to willingly embrace me, but to force her to do something she disliked… that is, to test the terms and coercive power of the contract.
Completely unaware of my inner thoughts, Vivian just kept repeating her thanks.
“Thank you… thank you… thank you so much.”
“It’s nothing. It was part of the contract… Hey. Wait a minute. You’re practically naked right now. If you do this…”
“I never thought I would truly become human again… Yes. It’s all right. If it’s you, I don’t mind. I’ll listen to you from now on. I really, really will.”
What did she mean, it’s okay? Her suddenly forward attitude flustered me, and I tried to push her away. But the more I tried, the more she clung to me with her arms and legs, like a spider from her former days, squeezing me tightly. Was she really that overjoyed?
Watching Vivian press herself against me like Ahn Sol always did, I wore a troubled expression. But she ignored my predicament and continued to rub her body against mine. Feeling the blatant sensation of a woman’s body against me, I let out a deep sigh and made a vow to myself.
Tonight, I would hold a woman no matter what.