Angel Round

"Touch me, and let me unlock the potential you have hidden within the shadows."

Under the watchful eyes of a crowd of NPCs who wanted to speak but held back, Lost a Leg took Li Li's hand. His personal interface updated accordingly, and the 72 Faith he had stored became 360,000 Experience Points.

After thinking it over, the shadowkin spent 210,000 Experience Points to reach level 20 and changed class to Stealth Master. All the remaining Experience Points went into skills.

"Truly astonishing!" The orc, who had been silent for a long time, could not help clapping. "This is the first time I've seen such a pure bestowal of power!"

The witch in the pointed hat, whose entire body was made of moonlight, nodded slightly.

After leveling up Lost a Leg, Li Li looked at the bespectacled orc and took the initiative to explain.

"As you can see, these Otherworlders from the future can seize corrupted monsters and turn them into their own energy, which I then convert into their power."

"There is no such thing as a bestowal of power. From your perspective, they seem to become Transcendents in an instant, but in truth, they already possessed the corresponding power before this. They simply had not yet realized it."

"This power belongs only to them. However, I do not object to any faction trying to recruit the Otherworlders I summoned from the future."

Those few sentences contained so much information that it took everyone several seconds to fully process them. By then, they had missed their best chance to question him, allowing Lost a Leg to be the first to ask, "How did you know we came from the future?"

"After living with you for so many days, have you ever tried to hide the fact that you know the future?" Li Li asked in return.

Lost a Leg was stunned.

So this game did not treat NPCs like idiots. The players' strange behavior had all been noticed by the NPCs, who then drew conclusions that fit their understanding.

"Hey, wait. You said those people can cleanse the corruption from the world?"

The little bear doll hanging in front of the warehouse door suddenly spoke.

The moment it finished speaking, an ancient tree walked in from outside.

The lush branches atop the Old Treant's head knocked the little bear doll on its rope, making it sway back and forth with a "Wugaga!"

He slowly made his way to Li Li's side, drove his thick roots through the floor tiles, and rooted himself deep underground. He declared to everyone present, "The Gaudeliv Gang is an ally of this divine lord."

The female mage in the pointed hat refused to be outdone and stated, "The academy's attitude is equally friendly."

Now it was the turn of the orc representing the Transcendence Merchant Guild. He narrowed his eyes, his voice sharp.

"You say you do not mind us recruiting the Otherworlders you summoned, but there is more than one form of cooperation in this world. If the academy wants to study your Otherworlders and drags them into laboratories, will the few Otherworlders you summoned be enough to divide among all the major factions?"

"Who knows?" Li Li smiled. "There will certainly be factions that do such things, but I do not wish to put the price into words."

"After all, before an iron fist comes crashing down, the words of a worthless god like me, who can only linger behind a barrier, do not even count as an empty threat."

"But that is the advantage of standing here today. At least you can choose to cooperate with me in goodwill first. Once you see other factions make a move against the Otherworlders I summoned, you can decide—based on the price they pay—whether to continue your friendly cooperation with us or turn around and betray us."

"You are more open-minded than I expected." The orc's expression softened considerably.

Seeing that everyone present was inclined toward cooperation, Li Li continued.

"As for the individuals I have summoned, you may recruit them as you please. Negotiate your own terms with them."

"But you must take responsibility for your own actions. If you are deceived by an Otherworlder, or if an Otherworlder breaks an agreement after making a deal with you, I will not offer any compensation. That is a matter between you."

As he spoke, Li Li took out a map. He had copied it from the forums. Unlike the rough maps found online, this one marked every location in detail.

He took out a pen and drew a straight line between Endemic Plague Village and Iron Wall City.

"My heroes have already completely cleansed the corruption in Endemic Plague Village, turning it into a pure land. They are also clearing the corruption along the way, and soon they will ensure that no monsters appear on the route between the two places."

"You should understand what it means for these Otherworlders below demigod level to cleanse corruption bit by bit as though bleeding it out. The Thirteen City Alliance may become fourteen cities, fifteen cities, or perhaps an entirely new faction may emerge."

"This is what I wish to discuss with you in my capacity as a god."

"I need the factions behind you to assist me in establishing a settlement outside the city."

"Trust must be built gradually. I intend to use Endemic Plague Village as a starting point and establish a small expedition camp first, complete with supporting facilities, including roads, housing, and supplies."

The bespectacled orc could not help taking out a fountain pen and asking, "Even if you can clear the monsters along the route, workers willing to leave the city will not be easy to find. What price can you offer?"

"After I have given this whole presentation, do you still think I am negotiating a deal with you?"

"Oh? Are you saying you are looking for investment?"

"Don't you think being an angel investor in a god has a promising future?"

He looked toward the Old Treant beside him. "The treants can provide military force, firearms, combat training, and natural terrain modification."

Then he turned to the intrigued female mage. "The academy can provide scrolls, education, research into monsters outside the city, and paid instruction in secondary professions such as potion-making and equipment enchanting."

Finally, he looked at the tempted orc and the elf behind him. "The merchant guild will provide construction for the territory. In return, it can monopolize the sale of consumables such as potions, as well as the most profitable business of all: purchasing all kinds of monster materials."

"Even without any other cooperation, this is a guaranteed profit. That Centaur Heart is merely the first taste of sweetness."

"It sounds tempting, but only if the people you summoned can truly cleanse the corruption outside the city," the orc said.

"The Gaudeliv Gang can vouch for that," the Old Treant replied.

"The academy has also received similar reports," the female mage in the pointed hat stated.

Once everyone had shown an intention to cooperate, they began their initial discussions.

As the only remaining representative of the "Otherworlders," Lost a Leg listened to everyone's preliminary demands from beginning to end and accepted invitations for further detailed negotiations.

It could be said that he had been fully involved throughout the entire storyline and had gained quite a few benefits whose value was not yet apparent.

That was how NPCs were. Players only needed to throw themselves into battle and find monsters to kill, kill, kill, but NPCs had far more things to consider.

Equipment, medicine, shops, repairs, enhancements... Only by staying orderly amid their busy work could they better support the players.