Contract Adventurers

Qi Ji arrived in the hall.

The adventurers were all cheering jubilantly.

"Xiao Ya, what happened? Why is it so noisy?"

"This is bad, my lord—the First Level of Doomsday Frenzy has been cleared!"

Nan Xi Li Ya had mixed feelings.

For the past two days, she had been watching the adventurers' expeditions.

After watching them die countless times and narrowly survive to finally make it through Doomsday City, even a spectator could not help feeling thrilled and inspired.

This was a great victory.

It was a testament to wisdom, courage, and luck!

But the adventurers' successful breakthrough was not good news for the Dungeon.

Nan Xi Li Ya had grown increasingly impressed by Lord Qi Ji's talent for inspiration and his creative abilities. The secret realms he created held a deep attraction even for her. He was undoubtedly a genius lord with immense potential!

Lord Qi could have made the secret realm much more hellish, more sinister, and more brutal.

He could have made it so the adventurers could not clear it for ten days or half a month, or even made it nearly impossible to ever clear. That was how many Dungeons operated.

Yet Lord Qi seemed to possess overly noble artistic ideals. The secret realms he created were more like gripping dramas, each adventure full of excitement and the unknown, always offering abundant fun and thrills, yet clearly without pushing the difficulty to its limit.

If this continued,

once the secret realm was fully cleared,

the territory's profits would inevitably plummet.

Nan Xi Li Ya had come to think more and more highly of Miracle City.

She did not want to see its potential damaged or even cut short.

After all, this Dungeon might become the hope of the Eternal Night Great Forest.

The adventurers immediately stepped forward to show off.

Cat MeowMeow said, "Lord Qi, we're really sorry about this. You spent so much to build the First Level of the Raging Tide Secret Realm, yet we cleared it completely so quickly!"

Bright Moon Reflecting Snow said, "We've already found the Safe Door's exact location!"

Pig King said, "You underestimated us adventurers too much. You didn't even put a few Tanks and Witches by the Safe Door. We'd be letting ourselves down if we didn't clear the stage quickly!"

"..."

"Lord Qi won't get farmed into bankruptcy, will he?"

"I'm worried about that too. Anyway, I've already handed in the souls I farmed. It's just to keep Miracle City alive a little longer!"

"Lord Qi, why not consider raising the difficulty a bit?"

Black Stone Hammer King said, "Damn, as an adventurer, I'm actually asking the lord to make things harder. Even I think I'm enough of a masochist!"

"..."

Qi Ji learned that three teams had already cleared the stage one after another.

He had not placed his strongest combat power near the Safe Door. Theoretically, as long as they were lucky enough, they could avoid the Tank and the Witch, drastically lowering the difficulty of clearing the stage.

Once they had mastered the method for clearing it,

quite a few adventurers would probably get through the First Level.

Facing these smug adventurers with their noses in the air,

Qi Ji could not help complaining inwardly. Give them a little sunshine, and they bloom right away. I'm only giving you a taste of sweetness so you'll farm more resources for the territory. The real good times are still ahead!

Before he could say more,

"My lord!"

Irritable Little Chicken impatiently squeezed her way in front of Qi Ji.

"I apply to hand over a Witch Essence Soul. The terms can be the same as Bright Moon Reflecting Snow's, but I want to contract a Tank Zombie Essence Soul!"

Irritable Little Chicken was a short-haired maiden. She was not tall, only around five feet, with distinctly androgynous features—the typical tomboy.

She was friends with Pig King, Lone Wolf, and Black Stone Hammer King.

Yet instead of choosing a perfectly good Witch Essence Soul,

she was determined to become a muscle monster?

What a bizarre girl!

Qi Ji mercilessly refused.

"No."

"Why?!"

"Bright Moon Reflecting Snow was not only the first adventurer to hand over a Five-Star Essence Soul, but also the first to request a contract with Miracle City. Naturally, she received preferential terms. Others cannot enjoy the same treatment!"

Qi Ji paused before continuing.

"However, I can give you 300 Contribution Points and promise that as long as I have a Tank Zombie Essence Soul, I will provide it to you first at half price. I will also waive all other fees generated by the ritual contract."

Bright Moon Reflecting Snow had exchanged a Tank Essence Soul for 300 Contribution Points, plus a free contract for a Witch Essence Soul.

Irritable Little Chicken could also receive 300 Contribution Points.

But she would not receive a free Essence Soul.

Only a half-price discount.

Qi Ji announced, "From now on, adventurers who wish to contract with Miracle City should apply as soon as possible. The territory currently has very limited contract slots, and these benefits will gradually decrease until they are completely canceled."

Want to contract with Miracle City?

Of course there would be a fee!

A Five-Star Essence Soul cost at least 300 Contribution Points!

Miracle City currently had none of these Essence Souls in stock. They had to be applied for in advance, followed by a wait in line!

Adventurers could also bring their own Essence Souls. This would save them the cost of the Essence Soul, but they would still need to pay a 100 Contribution Point ritual fee!

The adventurers stirred restlessly. Although Miracle City had built an Essence Soul Altar, there was a limit to how many adventurers could contract with it. The slots were extremely valuable, and once they were gone, they were gone!

But even if they could get a discounted Essence Soul or bring their own,

the 100 Contribution Point ritual fee

was no small sum!

Almost no one could afford 100 Contribution Points right now!

Farm souls, quickly!

They had to farm souls with everything they had!

Every adventurer felt a sense of urgency.

They had to earn Contribution Points and get their contract secured first. Otherwise, there would be no seats left if they were too late!

After doing the calculations,

Irritable Little Chicken decided to hand over the Witch Zombie Essence Soul.

Though her deal was not as good as Bright Moon Reflecting Snow's, being guaranteed a contract for a Tank Essence Soul was not bad either!

"My lord!"

Qi Ji had just finished the recovery transaction

when Bright Moon Reflecting Snow eagerly jumped out.

Qi Ji glanced at her. "Don't worry. This lord always keeps his word. I'll use this Witch Essence Soul to contract you today!"

Bright Moon Reflecting Snow was overjoyed. "Thank you, my lord!"

A quarter of an hour later,

atop the Essence Soul Altar,

under the watchful eyes of the adventurers,

Miracle City's first Contract Adventurer was born!

Bright Moon Reflecting Snow had several First Order Essence Souls within her body, all originating from Sky Cloud City. Her Natal Soul's Fusion Degree had already reached over 70%, and she had not been far from breaking through to the Second Order.

Recontracting

would cost her at least half her cultivation.

Bright Moon Reflecting Snow did not find it regrettable!

She did not want to follow the path her grandfather had arranged for her!

She believed in her own judgment and Miracle City's potential!

Contracting with this Dungeon would absolutely not put her at a loss, and as Miracle City's first contractor, she would surely receive many benefits in the future!

Besides,

Bright Moon Reflecting Snow's Natal Essence Soul

was only a four-star Essence Soul.

How could it compare to the powerful and useful Witch Zombie Essence Soul?

You are conducting an Essence Soul contract for adventurer "Bright Moon Reflecting Snow." This contract will consume 30 Mental Strength. Continue? Yes/No!

Contracting adventurers

consumed Mental Strength.

It had nothing to do with the Essence Soul used.

It always consumed 30 Mental Strength.

Qi Ji did not hesitate and immediately completed the ritual.

The Essence Soul Altar released powerful energy, instantly branding the Witch Essence Soul into Bright Moon Reflecting Snow's body. This Essence Soul became Bright Moon Reflecting Snow's Natal Soul, forging a connection between her and Miracle City.

All the Essence Souls within her that did not originate from Miracle City

automatically broke down, releasing a great amount of energy.

Though more than half of it inevitably dissipated, part of it became nourishment for the New Natal Soul.

Bright Moon Reflecting Snow's foundation was fairly solid. When the Witch Essence Soul absorbed this dissipated energy, its Fusion Degree directly reached around 50%. Though her cultivation—or rather, her Experience Bar—had suffered some loss, she had not been stripped all the way back into a rookie adventurer.

The contract succeeded!

From then on, Bright Moon Reflecting Snow would be deeply bound to Miracle City.

Because the source of an adventurer's power came from the Dungeon they had contracted with.

If the contracted Dungeon were completely destroyed, the Life Soul within their body would disappear as well. Though it would not kill them, they would lose all cultivation, an enormous price to pay.

Although Bright Moon Reflecting Snow had not yet fully fused with her Life Soul,

that did not stop her from transforming into a Witch through the Soldier's House and wielding the Witch Zombie's full power. Compared with mercenary temporary workers, even if she died in battle, it would not cause any loss to the territory's Soul Essence.

If she could cultivate her Essence Soul's Fusion Degree to 100%,

then without relying on territory facilities, and even without transforming, she would be able to wield part of the Witch Zombie's power. Both her lifespan and Adventurer Stamina would increase considerably.

In other words,

from this moment onward,

Miracle City had two long-term, high-quality combat forces at its disposal.

One was a Tank Zombie Monster Soldier.

The other was an adventurer Contract Soldier fused with the power of a Witch Zombie.

The former had no mind and would be gone once killed, but its loyalty, stability, and obedience were absolute.

The latter had a mind and could be reused indefinitely. It had low costs and high growth potential. In the future, it could be allowed to roam freely across the Chaos Continent, actively exploring and uncovering opportunities or carrying out all manner of complex tasks.

Though Contract Adventurers could never match pure Monster Soldiers in obedience, they were deeply bound to Miracle City as a community of shared interests, so they could also be used without concern.

With two Five-Star Combat Powers in hand,

Miracle City's strength had increased considerably!