I Can Provide Lodging

The Calamity Lord standing in the dead-silent universe possessed an aura like that of a true god—majestic, impossible to look directly at, sovereign over the entire universe.

But that could not change its current essence as a "seeker of the path." Its road had reached its end, yet it was blocked by itself.

Tragically, it could not kill itself.

Until Tang Qi appeared and gave it a new choice: a fragment of the divine artifact, the Annihilation Life Spear, from God of Death Balaster. The death divinity within overlapped partly with the Calamity Lord's path. It could kill him and allow him to pry open the road that had been sealed shut.

But the price was modifying the contract.

One of Tang Qi's tentacles curled around the projected fragment. Without the slightest embarrassment, he calmly described the new terms of the contract.

"You will remain the Calamity Lord."

"You will belong to the new Calamity Lord Card."

"Your authority will be increased, but you will remain under the control of the Spirit Communication Casket."

"You will open your origin to me, and I will grant you death."

"Your universe will become an appendage of the Dreamland, and you will receive a Dream Seed."

"You will unconditionally accept node summons, but you will also receive divinity feedback."

Anyone could hear the unequal nature of the clauses Tang Qi laid out—an airtight, meticulously crafted Unequal Contract.

There was no need to imagine it. Once this contract was signed—

Whether the Calamity Lord ultimately became a god or not,

he would become Tang Qi's subordinate.

He would give everything, while all Tang Qi would provide was the temporary right to use a spear-tip fragment.

When Tang Qi had taken McAuley as a subordinate last time, he had not been nearly so harsh.