Why did you suddenly make up your mind?
Ed wasn't surprised by the outcome; he had thought he'd have to do more persuasion to convince her, but Willow had chosen to join so quickly.
"Because of that 'jar man' from earlier."
Willow told the truth.
Now it was Ed's turn to be completely puzzled. Could it be that Gray had offended the lich, which was why she was being asked to stay?
This makes absolutely no sense...
Seeing Ed's puzzled expression, Willow explained:
"His body contains a very complex composition of power, including inanimate matter, plants, flesh and blood, and a little bit of Psionic Energy."
"I think if creatures like this can integrate harmoniously into your territory, then a lich shouldn't be a problem."
"So that's the reason."
Ed nodded slightly and began to think. According to Willow, Gray had four different powers within his body.
If plants originate from themselves, non-living parts from mechanical structures, and flesh and blood from the original body, then where does Psionic Energy come from?
Gray hadn't told himself about this. It might involve the secrets of the Graycast Corridor, or perhaps even he himself couldn't explain it. After all, Gray's Psionic Energy Compatibility was extremely low, and calling someone a Muggle wouldn't be a problem for him.
"Since you agree, let's sign the agreement."
Ed clapped his hands lightly, and [ Zhong Lele ], who had received the mission not long ago, walked in from the door.
What agreement?
Willow was puzzled by this.
"Of course, it's an employment agreement, which will detail your working hours, location, and salary."
At that moment, Ed read shock in the lich's eyes, a feeling akin to a savage seeing a flame for the first time...
Indeed, leaving that primitive tribe in the Demon Realm was the right decision.
Ed turned and left the room. [ Zhong Lele ] sat down opposite Willow with a hastily made folder in her hand. The folder was actually not very useful, but it made her look a little more professional as an HR person.
"Now, Lady Lich, let's talk about compensation."
"Okay... okay."
Having never dealt with anything like this before, Willow followed the Soul Returner's guidance and quickly pressed her fingerprint and signed her name Willow Seretima, on the contract.
Before sending the contract to Seraphina for notarization, Ed began to examine its terms.
As a Middle Tier powerhouse, Willow's salary naturally differs from that of the Low Tier Xilǐ'er and Gray; her base monthly salary has increased to five gold coins, and as for other subsidies...
Willow stated that she could survive as long as she had Psionic Energy, and out of consideration for her boss, she voluntarily gave up her meal allowance.
Although she didn't have specific requirements regarding compensation, Willow was very particular about the work environment.
She stated that she needed a laboratory that was as secluded and quiet as possible, and after understanding the basic prices, she requested that Ed reimburse her for experimental supplies worth ten gold coins each month.
Ed was more than willing to agree to such a request. The fact that Willow made such a demand showed that she was at least genuinely interested in doing something. Sure enough, recent college graduates are kind-hearted and wouldn't slack off at all.
After confirming that the contract was correct, Ed handed over the task of sending the contract to be notarized to [ Zhong Lele ], and then sat back down opposite Willow.
"Alright, Lich Lady, now that we're allies, could you answer some of my questions?"
Ed unknowingly entered learning mode. Facing a lich who had traveled to many places, he felt that his understanding of the world was about to reach a new level.
"If it's something I can tell you, I will."
"That's good. Would you like to tell me about your past experiences? I'm quite interested in why a lich would be here."
Willow's gaze swept in other directions, recalling the explanation:
"I used to live in the Demon Realm with my teacher, but all the demons there had gone mad; they were all Blood Corpse. My teacher risked his life to give me a chance for long-distance teleportation, allowing me to leave the Demon Realm..."
"Etc."
Ed interrupted Willow's narration and took out the map he had just completed:
"You can say that to this."
Willow nodded and pointed to a corner of the Demon Realm:
"My teacher, who is also my mother, and I have been hiding from the crazed monsters ever since the Demonic Tide. This is our last refuge..."
"Etc."
Ed looked at the young lich and asked:
May I ask your age?
Willow's eyes darted left and right:
"I'm ninety-seven years old. The Demonic Tide broke out the year I was born."
Good heavens, this unlucky kid didn't enjoy a single day of good fortune before the Demonic Tide Demonic Tide, but he's been suffering every single day since. It's quite a miserable situation...
"It's alright, it's still not quite as good Haji Dragon."
Ed waved his hand, signaling Willow to relax.
"We have all sorts of ages here. Xilǐ'er is 300 this year, but he's still as crisp as a potato chip next to Seraphina, who's 150. Don't feel pressured."
Willow already knew that Xilǐ'er was the armored man riding a metal horse that she had seen when she came to the castle, so she breathed a sigh of relief.
She was indeed a little nervous beforehand, after all, she knew that the average lifespan of most humans in this world was around fifty years old, and that number continued to decline after the outbreak of the Demonic Tide, so her age might make people feel uncomfortable. But that was not the case, at least she did not feel discriminated against in the Second Holy See.
"So you and your mother have been hunted down for almost a hundred years?"
Ed pressed on.
Willow nodded and said:
"At first, those mindless Blood Corpse were simply chasing the living. We could easily evade those brainless creatures. A hideout could be used for more than ten years. Although the Psionic Energy had been completely corrupted, life was still relatively peaceful. I followed my mother to learn some knowledge and spells passed down from the lich..."
"But then, about twenty or thirty years ago, those old guys woke up, and everything changed."
"What old guy?"
"They're the vampire grand dukes, that's what my mother usually calls them."
"What does 'wake up' mean?"
Willow fell into thought; she and Ed had different habits when it came to using certain words.
She thought for a moment and explained:
"My wording was a bit off. What I actually meant was that around twenty or thirty years ago, those vampire grand dukes regained their sanity."
Ed's smile Solidification.