Contract

Deep down, both of them resisted the idea. But under Zheng Yichen's gaze, they had no choice but to sign. Ghost Maid had brought the contract, which meant there was surely someone else behind him.

Even if Zheng Yichen did not kill them for refusing, whether they could make it out of Phantom Forest once they were beyond his sight was another matter. This contract was too ruthless... There was no way back.

"Could we take our teacher out first and discuss this when he wakes up? Illusion Demon Forest is still affecting us..."

The ghost maid stepped forward and shook her head. She took out a small milky-white bead. The moment it appeared, everyone felt their minds clear, the forest's lingering negative influence swept away completely.

Zheng Yichen felt no different. It had never affected him in the first place. He was merely curious where Ghost Maid had pulled the bead from.

"You want an adult to decide? Then we'll wait." Zheng Yichen spread his dragon wings and stretched, then pointed a finger into the air. A translucent dome enclosed everyone.

It was an entry-level Warning Barrier. It offered no protection, and its warning capabilities were limited, but it was enough to keep anyone from slipping away.

Ghost Maid glanced at Zheng Yichen. He was lying on the ground with one claw propping up his chin and the other spread before him, drawing a three-dimensional Magic Array Pattern. She entered his Warning Barrier of her own accord and brushed a translucent hand across the middle-aged man's face.

The man jolted awake. The instant he saw Ghost Maid, his pupils contracted, and he instinctively took an attacking stance.

The sound of rapidly forming ice pulled Zheng Yichen's attention back. He looked over and froze in surprise: the students' teacher was encased in ice up to his neck. Zheng Yichen turned to Ghost Maid, whom Petty and the others were staring at in terror.

She looked so delicate, yet she was that powerful?

"All right. Explain what happened to him, then sign the contract," Zheng Yichen told Petty.

Petty nodded quickly and explained the contract to their teacher. Though trapped in ice and unable to move, he soon understood their situation.

He was astonished that a dragon existed in Illusion Demon Forest, but much of what happened next was out of their hands. If they did not sign, they would die!

He had far more experience than his students. Once he grasped their predicament, he offered little resistance to signing, even though the contract was an evil one. Surviving this encounter meant Lady Luck had finally opened her eyes. Trying to bargain for more would be courting death!

After checking repeatedly that the contract held no other traps for them, the teacher wrote down his true name. A contract only took effect when signed with one's true name, and the signer had to do so willingly. They could be deceived, but not influenced by special means. If they signed against their will or without knowing what they were doing, they would find it almost impossible to write their true name.

Seeing their teacher sign, Petty and the others stopped hesitating. Some wrote their names at once, others after a pause. Once every name was on the contract, the dark sheet of paper became a mass of dark flame and burned away.

"May we leave now?" the teacher asked, watching Zheng Yichen cautiously. He was wary of the dragon, but even warier of the unknown being behind him.

"You may." Zheng Yichen waved a claw slightly. "Wait!"

The teacher, just about to lead his students away, went rigid. He stared at Zheng Yichen with confusion and alarm.

"I just remembered something else. Have her come with me." Zheng Yichen pointed at Petty and walked toward a place out of the others' sight. Petty hesitated, then followed his tracks.

The teacher and the other students were left facing Ghost Maid. He did not know how strong Zheng Yichen was, but he had experienced Ghost Maid's strength firsthand. As the teacher leading this group, he was no weakling himself.

Years of observation had established that no particularly vicious creatures lived in Illusion Demon Forest. His strength was not quite at the highest level, but he was very close to entering the ranks. Even so, Ghost Maid had defeated him in an instant—and he had not been in a frenzy brought on by an Illusion!

If the Ghost Maid could take him down instantly, she could wipe out their entire group in one fell swoop!

"What kinds of contracts do you have?"

“Huh?” Petty stared at Zheng Yichen for a moment before an enormous surge of joy filled her. When an intelligent nonhuman creature asked a Summoner that question, it usually meant they were considering a contract. Why else ask?

The timing of Zheng Yichen's question was also incredibly subtle. He had asked just as they were about to leave. Although it left her feeling she had no choice, to her, this was already an extraordinary stroke of luck!

“There's... the Familiar Contract Summoners normally use, and the compulsory Enslavement Contract. Ah! I don't like that kind of contract either! Summoned Creatures are supposed to be partners. Um, then there's the Equal Contract... Mr. Dragon, are you saying you want to sign a contract with me?” Petty looked at Zheng Yichen cautiously.

"Which kind of contract do you have with that rabbit?"

“A Familiar Contract.”

A Familiar Contract. Zheng Yichen raised his brows slightly. It was what he had expected. “Does your Projection Summoning require a Familiar Contract?”

“N-no. Any kind of contract will do, as long as there's a connection,” Petty answered quickly.

“Good. Then let's use an Equal Contract. It can be dissolved, right?”

“Yes...” Petty answered in a daze. “The Equal Contract is the easiest to dissolve. Both parties only need to agree. And if one party is strong enough, they can choose to dissolve it by force on their own.”

She barely heard anything Zheng Yichen said after that. Overwhelmed with joy, Petty was cheering wildly in her heart.

“...” Zheng Yichen watched Petty, who seemed to have drifted into some sort of lovestruck daze. He waved a claw in front of her face several times. Uh, I can't be that charming, can I? Do girls in this world like scary-looking creatures?

A wisp of icy mist emerged from his fingertip and drifted over Petty. The chill finally brought her back to her senses.