Devour, absorb, make it mine...
The mission world was a constant source of resources for Nan Yue.
However, such actions carried certain risks. Nan Yue needed to discuss this with her teammates and required Jiang Siyan's protection.
Nan Yue sighed; at the end of the day, the secrets she carried were far more troublesome.
After all, she appeared to be a pollution-cleaning perpetual motion machine that could be recycled indefinitely.
She felt she was even more valuable than Wen Xiang Yuan, a potential escaped NPC.
That evening, Nan Yue treated her teammates to a grand feast, choosing a high-end restaurant that Zhu Xi Ning had been eyeing for a long time.
It was called some kind of Blue Ribbon Restaurant. Initially, Nan Yue thought it was just a gimmick of the high-level city states, as they had eaten so-called Western cuisine in the lower city states before.
But once she actually tasted the food, Nan Yue had to admit that the exorbitant price was justified.
Everyone had learned the relevant etiquette at school, so they knew how to use knives and forks and how to eat elegantly.
However, they still couldn't compare to Wen Xiang Yuan. Even though she was only wearing an ordinary long dress, her every gesture as she sat there was like that of a princess.
She whispered to Gu Xiang Kai, teaching him how to pair wine and how to taste the freshness of the meat. Seeing Gu Xiang Kai's serious expression, Nan Yue doubted he had ever listened to a lecture with such focus.
Though, it was unclear how much he actually understood.
"Why the sudden treat?"
Nan Yue wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. "It's like this: I have an idea to become stronger. But as you said, we are a team, and we should discuss everything together."
Nan Yue smiled sincerely. "Moreover, I'll need to use your ability, so it's only natural to offer a little bribe."
Jiang Siyan's heart tightened uncontrollably.
Nan Yue's... secret?
His gaze deepened. While he was interested in Nan Yue as a person, knowing her secrets was the first step.
Nan Yue looked at Jiang Siyan with a smile and clinked her wine glass against his, making a crisp sound.
"So... do you mind signing a contract with me?"
Jiang Siyan: ...?
The next day, the two of them went to the coffee house alone to find Dongfang Yuelai.
Nan Yue had asked in advance, and Dongfang Yuelai said she didn't mind. As for the reward, she would decide once she thought of something.
Jiang Siyan didn't say a word on the way there, looking different from his usual self.
It was as if... he was sulking.
It wasn't until they were almost at the coffee house that he finally spoke his first words of the day.
"Did you sign a contract with the others too?"
Nan Yue shook her head. "No."
Jiang Siyan: ...Why are you so nonchalant about it!
Perhaps because his gaze was too full of accusation, Nan Yue felt compelled to explain.
"After all, you are a top 9 high-level player. We ordinary scavengers naturally have to be a bit careful."
Jiang Siyan felt exhausted. The excuse Nan Yue gave was far too perfunctory. Even if he was top 9, he was a healer!
Ultimately, it was because she didn't fully trust him.
Jiang Siyan knew very well that Nan Yue valued his ability but remained wary since they weren't completely familiar yet.
He understood the logic; if he were in her shoes, he might have been even more extreme than Nan Yue.
Yet, Jiang Siyan still felt a subtle sense of displeasure.
Why didn't Gu Xiang Kai need to sign a contract? What if Gu Xiang Kai decided to betray them?
Jiang Siyan thought about Gu Xiang Kai's usual behavior and realized the man truly posed no threat.
What about Zhu Xi Ning?
...Zhu Xi Ning probably wasn't a concern either. Although she had great potential, she could only maximize her use within the team.
Besides, she had no contact with anyone else.
Then what about Wen Xiang Yuan!
...Wen Xiang Yuan had even more secrets. It was hard to say who was more valuable.
Jiang Siyan fell into an eerie silence...
It turned out he really was the one who looked the most threatening...
By the time they reached the coffee house, Dongfang Yuelai was already waiting for them.
She didn't seem surprised at all that Nan Yue and Jiang Siyan were teaming up, or perhaps she was, but she didn't show it on her face.
"Sit down. It's very simple and won't take much time."
Jiang Siyan had seen and signed similar contracts with Dongfang Yuelai before, so she only needed to explain it to Nan Yue.
"For ordinary scavengers, the contract would be much more troublesome and would require an awakened ability user as a witness."
"But since both of you have awakened abilities, it will be very simple."
"A contract is, in essence, a life-binding agreement. If one party breaches the contract, they will be killed by their own ability."
"An ability might not function at one hundred percent during a mission, but believe me, if it is used against oneself, there is no escape."
"Have you two made up your minds?"
Nan Yue realized that they were using their awakened abilities to make an agreement, and it was the stability of both abilities that would uphold the contract.
"I've decided!"
"...Yes."
Dongfang Yuelai placed both hands flat on the table. With a slight movement of her fingertips, Nan Yue saw a surge of black mist erupt from her body, coiling around Dongfang Yuelai's hand.
Similarly, a stream of white mist emerged from Jiang Siyan's body, swirling playfully at Dongfang Yuelai's fingertips.
Nan Yue thought it was interesting at first, but then she noticed something was wrong. The fingers wrapped in the white mist were perfectly fine, but the fingers shrouded in her black mist...
Seemed to be... undergoing corrosion.
Sweat appeared on Dongfang Yuelai's forehead, but her tone remained unchanged.
"State your request."
Nan Yue didn't dare delay any longer. Although she could survive this pollution, others still seemed to be under attack.
"I need Jiang Siyan to promise that after learning what I tell him, he will not, in any way, explicitly or implicitly reveal it to anyone."
Jiang Siyan also noticed that something was wrong with Dongfang Yuelai, and he agreed readily.
Dongfang Yuelai pressed her hands together. The two streams of mist, one black and one white, tangled together, twisting and intertwining...
Then, the white mist was completely devoured by the black mist.
Jiang Siyan: ...
Nan Yue: ...
The black mist finally dissipated into the air. Nan Yue's eyes widened. "...What just happened?"
She had forgotten that the thing inside her body wasn't technically an awakened ability. Did the contract fail?
Why did the other two have such terrible expressions?
Dongfang Yuelai gave Nan Yue a deep look.
"This is the first time I've seen such a situation."
She seemed to be considering her words, waiting a long time before speaking. "To put it simply, the original intent was for each person's ability to bind themselves. However, your ability devoured his, so..."
"So, if he violates the rules, he will be killed by your ability."
Dongfang Yuelai withdrew her hands and crossed them on the table. "Normal abilities aren't usually so... aggressive."
"But fortunately, the contract has been successfully established."
For a moment, Nan Yue didn't know what to say.
What could she say?
What she had wasn't a conventional ability; it was pollution.
Was that why it wanted to attack and devour everything it touched?
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