Mental Contract

Zhang Han realized that the woman beside him with her eyes closed was communicating with him mentally.

How could a medieval civilization possess such an advanced means of communication! In the Swarm's memories, few civilizations could communicate through Psionic Power. Most interstellar civilizations lacked such technology.

Only civilizations with extensive technological knowledge of brains and genes, or those lucky enough to awaken a certain gene by chance during their evolution, could master mental communication technology.

This technology was also one of the key indicators of a civilization's level. It could improve communication efficiency between individuals, allowing them to learn faster and providing an enormous boost to scientific and technological progress.

Without exception, civilizations possessing this technology were extremely powerful.

Could these people actually come from an advanced civilization? Uncertain of their background, Zhang Han decided to probe further.

"You call yourself my friend and companion, yet you're hurting my subordinates. I don't trust you. Where are you from, and why are you attacking me?"

Zhang Han's questions made Chloe nervous. Even before hatching, this high-level magical beast was already very intelligent. It did not seem easy to deceive.

"No, my best friend, you've misunderstood. I haven't attacked you. We thought these strange magical beasts had abducted you. We're here to protect you. I come from a distant human kingdom, and fate guided me here. Fate said we would be the best of friends."

Since it isn't easy to deceive, I'll put everything down to a misunderstanding. Humans must surpass magical beasts in intelligence, Chloe thought arrogantly.

"A human kingdom? Your race is called human?" Zhang Han looked in puzzlement at the humanoid beings around him. They merely resembled humans; their physical characteristics differed greatly from those of humans on Earth.

Their eyes were larger, and their ears slanted upward into points, making them look somewhat like half-elves. They were tall and slender, almost all over 1.8 meters tall. Their other features did not differ much from those of humans.

So the term "human" had most likely been translated through mental communication for ease of understanding. It meant their species already dominated Tabi Star and was the intelligent life at the pinnacle of all species.

"Yes, we're called humans. We've established kingdoms and a civilization. You might not quite understand. It means lots of humans living together. It's wonderful there, with plenty of delicious food and fun things to do. You can come with me. I'm their princess, and I can give you an excellent life. We're the best of friends, after all."

It was good to arouse the magical beast's interest. With the right gradual guidance, she could make it serve her. Chloe concentrated, not daring to let her guard down at all.

Now Zhang Han understood. This woman communicating with him mentally wanted to trick him into serving her. She was treating him as some sort of beast she could keep.

Ridiculous. No civilization had ever tamed the Swarm. It was not that none had tried, but every attempt had failed. The Zerg might not appear to use tools or have scientists, making their technology seem backward.

The exact opposite was true: the Swarm's civilization was technologically advanced. The Swarm was a scourge that had devoured several galaxies. Even the technology plundered from defeated civilizations alone was extensive.

Normally, these technologies lay hidden within their genes as codes. Only the Zerg's special genes and Psionic Power could unlock them. As Zerg technology continued to improve, these codes would grow increasingly complex.

Without cracking these codes, no civilization could control the Zerg. Crude cloning could only produce malformed, defective specimens. Never mind using them in battle-even their lifespans were pitifully short.

He had intended to mock this woman who did not know her own limits, but after considering his situation, and the fact that she did not know his true background either, Zhang Han changed his mind. Hadn't she said she was a princess? Perhaps he could make use of her.

"I'm at a critical stage of hatching, so I can't go with you. If you're really my friend, would you be willing to help me?" Zhang Han made his message sound as calm as possible.

After receiving Zhang Han's message, Chloe felt she was close to success. She immediately agreed. "Of course. Helping my best friend is only natural. Let's sign a Mental Contract now. That way, we can communicate even when we're far apart."

With that, Chloe took out some blue powder and inhaled it through her nose, then grasped the ornament around her neck with her other hand.

These two things could greatly increase the strength of her Psionic Power. Not only could she control magical beasts of unremarkable intelligence, but even an adult human would submit before her powerful Psionic Power.

She was ready to stake everything on this.

After receiving the message from this woman named Chloe, Zhang Han found it strange. The message gave him a sense of closeness, as though she really were a friend he had not seen in years, or a relative connected to him by blood.

Could she carry the Swarm's bloodline?

"I'm the Overmind. Are you part of the Swarm too?" That strange feeling prompted Zhang Han to voice his question.

The mind control actually failed! Chloe was extraordinarily surprised. Although her Psionic Power had not reached the level of an Astrologer Master, it was still among the strongest.

With the additional enhancement from the Illusion Powder and mental ornament, her Psionic Power had received an enormous boost. At that moment, even if she truly faced an Astrologer Master, she was confident she could blast them into idiocy.

But this high-level magical beast's power far exceeded her imagination.

"Yes, I'm your friend, aren't I? Of course I'm part of it too. Let's sign a Mental Contract first." Chloe intended to go along with what he was saying for now.

This puzzled Zhang Han even more. A humanoid Zerg was not impossible. The Zerg's superb genetic technology could let them take any form, with no discernible difference unless their underlying genes were examined.

But why would there be a Zerg in such a strange place? Could she be a hidden pawn planted in advance by the Swarm consciousness?

And for some reason, Zhang Han's mind desperately wanted to believe what this woman said, even though her words really were full of holes.

She said to sign a Mental Contract. Does that mean reconnecting to the Swarm network? Then I'll give it a try.

With that thought, Zhang Han made his decision. "All right, let's try signing a contract. What do I need to do?"

It worked! Chloe was so excited that her body trembled uncontrollably.

"It's very simple. Just imagine it with your mind and take hold of my mental power." Chloe inhaled another dose of Illusion Powder. Taking too much placed a tremendous burden on the body and could even shorten her lifespan, but she could not worry about all that now.

Zhang Han sensed a thin silver thread extending into his consciousness. It was so small that, within his vast mental domain, he would not have noticed it without looking closely.

Since I've found it, I might as well give it a try. His enormous mental form extended a hand and gently pinched the silver thread between two fingers.