Signing the Contract

On the official website of "Despair Expedition OL," millions of soul imprints were left behind, appearing as light points of varying brightness in Li Li's eyes.

For Li Li, it was only right to mindlessly choose from the brightest light points.

These individuals had money and free time, weren't weak, and due to their first-playthrough accounts being deleted, they carried a significant amount of sunk cost. Under the threat of their accounts being banned if they misbehaved, they were unlikely to cause trouble.

However, Li Li learned from related forum discussions that equipment prices in "Expedition" had recently skyrocketed. Some wealthy players, who weren't short on cash, specifically bought a pile of highly enhanced equipment, just waiting to get their hands on beta test qualifications.

This kind of behavior was undoubtedly like mixing sand into the "bright pool."

So, Li Li thought of a new method. Since the "old pool" was a mixed bag, why couldn't he establish a "new pool"?

Posting combat videos on the forum allowed Li Li to specifically screen for strong players, and the comments from other players below the videos could filter out those with extremely poor character.

The event Li Li posted on the Blue Star late at night quickly set the forum ablaze with excitement.

But beneath the videos of various powerful players, a non-video post surged against the trend, firmly holding its place on the forum's trending list and capturing Li Li's attention.

[Planning to get into "Glory Expedition OL"? Ten things you must know. (140k+ replies)]

[Invincible Chatterbox King: One, "Glory Expedition" is currently only half-finished.]

[Invincible Chatterbox King: Two, "Glory Expedition's" system updates will be arranged with relevant in-game storylines to make everything seem logical.]

[Invincible Chatterbox King: Three, killing NPCs will result in severe punishment, but the exact severity is unknown.]

[Invincible Chatterbox King: Four, Chatterbox speculates that the Creator God's avatar can be nurtured. The more experience points fed to it, the stronger its power will be, and the more players it can summon.]

[Invincible Chatterbox King: Five, every NPC in "Glory Expedition" is unique; once killed, they are gone. Because the game content is entirely controlled by AI, even popular characters cannot be revived.]

[Invincible Chatterbox King: Six, some bosses, factions, and NPCs who were destined to die in the first playthrough can be saved at the current stage.]

[Invincible Chatterbox King: Seven, the additional penalties for death are unknown, as no player has died yet.]

[Invincible Chatterbox King: Eight, make good use of the favorability system. NPCs with low favorability might still greet you with a smile, but beware of them stabbing you in the back.]

[Invincible Chatterbox King: Nine, the in-game social system has not yet launched.]

[Invincible Chatterbox King: Ten, in-game quest rewards are not generated out of thin air. Currently, only main storyline NPCs can issue quests. Before accepting non-quest commissions, consider whether you can get paid.]

This post, which seemed a bit superficial, was indeed useful for those who hadn't followed the entire livestream.

Li Li casually gave Invincible Chatterbox King a beta test qualification, then put away his mirror and began planning his bargaining chips for today's negotiation.

The location for discussing specific cooperation matters was set at Tear Tower, located in the city center and under the umbrella of the Transcendence Merchant Guild.

Led by a dedicated driver, Li Li's group, dressed rather inappropriately, didn't encounter any ill-mannered individuals who dared to confront them.

They proceeded unimpeded, taking the elevator to the conference room on the top floor of the building, where they met their negotiation counterparts for the evening.

On the Guild's side, besides the somewhat effeminate beastman from before, there was a sharply dressed Stone Golem. The Academy was represented by a Female Mage wearing a pointed hat and a White-bearded Old Man who fit the stereotype perfectly.

What surprised Li Li the most, however, was the familiar face he often saw on the big screens by the roadside – the Mayor of Iron Wall City, who had also arrived early with his team.

It seemed they had already held an internal meeting before Li Li's arrival.

Li Li's own team consisted of himself, Aer, who was of Legendary rank, and six Gold Rank Knights to provide presence. As for a certain teddy bear and the red-clad Magical Girl holding it, they had also tagged along.

Among the players, besides "Lost a Leg," there was "Golden Wind," who had been notified by the Gaudeliv Gang, and "I Don't Want to Pay Breach of Contract Fees," who was close to the Academy.

There were no strange attempts to put them down; the attendants arranged Li Li's group's seats in the round conference room.

However, before sitting down, Li Li rather impolitely stepped forward and shook hands with the representatives present.

During the handshakes, he leveraged his high status as the Creator God and, without reservation, probed the information of everyone present, essentially showing off his power.

Among these representatives, two were Legendary rank, one was Demigod rank, and the highest among the rest was only Gold Rank.

After Li Li sat down in his assigned seat, the Stone Golem, with a displeased expression, spoke first. After a few pleasantries, he skipped the self-introductions and had his subordinate bring over a cage covered with a black cloth.

"This is the basis for negotiation," the Stone Golem said, looking towards Li Li's side.

The black cloth was removed by a waiter, revealing a dying Headless Centaur Phantom inside. Runes on the cage glowed faintly, firmly restraining the centaur.

Before the other players could understand what was happening, "I Don't Want to Pay Breach of Contract Fees" voluntarily left his seat and walked to the front of the centaur. He took out a mechanical arm from his personal storage and attached it to his right hand. With a short blade made of electric arcs, he pierced the helpless centaur.

The next moment, the centaur, which should have dissipated into nothingness, transformed into a faint glow and was absorbed by the Gnome holding the mechanical arm. The remaining light condensed into a beating heart within the cage.

"Astonishing!" the beastman wearing gold-rimmed glasses exclaimed again.

With this "warm-up" performance, smiles appeared on everyone's faces, and they began enthusiastic self-introductions.

The Stone Golem was the chairman of the Transcendence Merchant Guild, the White-bearded Old Man was the president of the Academy Federation, and the Mayor was a Human Demigod who had come to power through elections.

These old foxes, immersed in power for many years, left Li Li somewhat weary of dealing with them.

Aperria, sitting behind him, was like a hedgehog. Whenever she felt Li Li was being offended, she would jump out and protest sternly, nearly drawing her sword a few times, forcing Li Li to command her to be quiet.

The players' performances also varied.

"Golden Wind" was no less shrewd than these old foxes. He used a pile of empty promises to secure a "seat at the table" for his guild, which currently only had two members.

As for "Lost a Leg" and "I Don't Want to Pay Breach of Contract Fees," under the subtle guidance of the old foxes, they inexplicably took on the responsibility of gathering players, becoming partners with the Transcendence Merchant Guild and the Academy Alliance, respectively.

After poaching their rivals right in front of them, the representatives of each faction breathed a sigh of relief when they didn't see any displeasure on Li Li's face.

The cake Li Li brought was so large that these factions began to worry if their appetites could handle it, so large that they could overlook what ultimate goal this suddenly appearing deity intended to achieve.

Finally, Li Li signed the drafted contract.

He secured the conveniences that players who played normally should have for the players.

Once the roads to the new stronghold and Iron Wall City were opened, the Academy would provide a teleportation array to the new stronghold, while the Guild would continuously transport supplies there.

Whether the subsequent contents of the contract could be fulfilled would depend on how Li Li faced the first wave of ambushes from the opposing forces.