“The contract takes effect immediately. The first month's rent will be automatically deducted from the Star Coins you acquire later, or you can pay after exchanging equivalent materials for Star Coins at the Star Coin Exchange Machine.”
Lei Lie didn't reach for the contract immediately.
His gaze fell upon the shimmering text while he kept a close eye on the other vagrants signing their contracts nearby.
He watched with his own eyes as the contracts, along with the thumbprints, dissolved into specks of light and vanished into thin air once the vagrants pressed their prints!
They weren't taken by the robot; it was as if they were truly absorbed by some kind of rule!
The vagrants who finished pressing their prints would receive a metal tag engraved with a room number and then be guided into the building by a robot.
A Rule Contract? Spatial storage? Or some higher-level binding?
Alarm bells rang in Lei Lie's mind.
He had traveled far and wide, witnessing many strange abilities and technologies.
He knew clearly that methods involving “contracts” or “binding” with obvious spatial or rule-based attributes often implied significant restrictions or hidden costs.
For a Level 3 hunter like him, who carried secrets and refused to be controlled by others, a contract of unknown origin carried extreme risks.
Once he pressed his thumbprint, who knew what would happen?
Was it just a rental agreement? Or some deeper form of shackles?
Would his abilities, his strength, or even his freedom be affected?
However, without signing the contract, he couldn't enter the building, let alone investigate the Shadow-Stalker Beast or the core secrets of this “Terminal Station.”
He tried to subtly probe the contract with his mental perception, but it was like a stone sinking into the ocean, failing to stir even the slightest ripple.
He was caught in a dilemma.
On one side was the long-sought clue to the Shadow-Stalker Beast; on the other was a completely unknown Rule Contract that might carry immense risk.
Time passed as Butler-C1 waited impassively, and the vagrants queuing behind him began to mutter impatiently.
Lei Lie's intuition was screaming at him—he couldn't sign this contract!
At the very least, he absolutely could not sign it until he understood its nature and the intentions of the person behind it!
A hunter's nose for danger was often more accurate than any rational analysis.
He trusted his gut.
Finally, before Butler-C1 could issue a second prompt, Lei Lie took a deep breath and stepped back, avoiding the floating contract and the inkpad.
“My apologies,” he said, keeping his voice as calm as possible, laced with the typical wariness and suspicion of a Ruin Zone hunter. “I need to think about it. I don't quite... understand the rules yet.”
Butler-C1 didn't seem surprised by his sudden withdrawal. Its electronic eyes flickered as it said calmly, “Understood.”
“Please clear the path and do not obstruct those waiting behind you. If you change your mind, you may rejoin the queue.”
Lei Lie nodded and squeezed out of the line, retreating to the edge of the crowd under the confused gazes of the surrounding vagrants.
While Su Wan was immersed in the thrill of Points rapidly flowing back into her account, a special notification from the system broke her train of thought:
【Prompt: Through a deep scan and analysis of the target individual (Code: Unknown) by the registration node (Butler-C1), abnormal energy reactions have been detected.】
【Target Strength Assessment: Level 3 Ability User (Hybrid Physical/Mental bias). Energy Intensity: High. Threat Level: Medium (Currently non-malicious).】
【Special Discovery: Regular resonance fluctuations of an unconventional ability spectrum detected within the target. Suspected awakening of a rare trait-type or rule-perception-type ability. Specific function unknown, but rarity rating: A-.】
【Recommendation: Individuals of such strength and potential are extremely rare in the Ruin Zone. Successfully recruiting them as an Official Tenant will significantly enhance the shelter's overall strength and Reputation, and may bring unexpected benefits.】
【The system will issue additional special bonus Points based on their final assessed value.】
A Level 3 Ability User! A rare ability!
Su Wan's spirits lifted as she immediately pulled up the real-time footage and location data from Butler-C1's scan.
In the footage, the image of the tall, steady man with a sniper rifle on his back was crystal clear.
Standing in line, his aura was vastly different from the confused or numb vagrants around him; he was more like a beast with retracted claws.
She watched with interest as he underwent the scan, noting his hesitation and scrutiny toward the shimmering contract. She saw him ultimately choose to back out, calmly retreating to the side to observe the building and the crowd in a more discreet manner.
“As expected... he's no ordinary vagrant or scavenger,” Su Wan thought to herself.
A Level 3 expert with a rare ability wouldn't blend into a crowd of vagrants without a complicated motive.
Was he hiding from something... or was he after something else? Or perhaps, he had come specifically for the “Terminal Station”?
The system's mention of bonus Points also tempted her.
Su Wan figured that bringing such a powerful individual under her wing would undoubtedly be a major boost to the Terminal Station's development and security.
She continued to silently observe Lei Lie through the surveillance linked to the system.
Lei Lie was patient, moving between the outskirts of the crowd and the shadows of the ruins. His gaze swept over every corner of the building, and from time to time, he would close his eyes to concentrate, as if sensing something.
His movements showed that he had been scouting around the Terminal Station the entire time.
After wandering for about another half hour, Lei Lie seemed to have reached a decision.
He glanced at the Terminal Station building, then at the endless registration queue, and finally shook his head, turning to leave.
“He's leaving? I can't have that,” Su Wan's lips curled slightly.
How could she let such a big fish slip away when it had practically delivered itself to her doorstep?
Even if she couldn't get him to sign a contract right away, she at least needed to make contact and suss him out.
Through the system, she directly issued a command to Black Rat, who was maintaining order nearby.
Just as Lei Lie turned to leave the bustling area, a short, stocky figure blocked his path.
The man had a hideous scar across his face like a centipede—it was Black Rat.
Although his strength was far inferior to Lei Lie's, his years of struggling in the Ruin Zone had given his eyes a glint of bandit-like ferocity and shrewdness.
He stood before Lei Lie, neither humble nor arrogant, but his stance was firm.
Lei Lie's footsteps halted, his gaze instantly becoming as sharp as a blade. His hand rested loosely on the hilt of the weapon at his waist.
The aura of a Level 3 expert leaked out slightly, carrying an invisible pressure.
“Is there something?” his voice was low and filled with caution.
Feeling the pressure, Black Rat's expression remained unchanged. He simply bowed slightly and lowered his voice. “Brother, our Landlord requests your presence. She wants to see you.”
The Landlord? The mysterious master of the Terminal Station?
Lei Lie's heart skipped a beat. He should have realized it sooner.
How could a building that remained unscathed under artillery fire and absorbed vagrants with such a bizarre contract not have a controller?
Rate on N.U.
