“Incredible!” Zhang Ye exclaimed with excitement, laughing his head off internally.
He had learned so much! He had analyzed over a dozen Light spells and memorized the mana circulation patterns of dozens of Combat Techniques!
This trip was a massive profit!
He had to admit, Light magic was truly impressive. Having learned so many spells, Zhang Ye’s combat power was bound to multiply once the analysis was complete.
“Alright, I’m going to tell you now,” Zhang Ye said.
Oscar immediately leaned in, his eyes turning into stars again.
“My ability... is Contracting!”
“Contracting?” Oscar looked confused.
Zhang Ye gave a smug chuckle. “It’s not just any ordinary contract.”
“Do you know what breed of slime this Gujiu in my arms is?”
“What is it? What is it?” Oscar asked excitedly.
“An Angel Slime!” Zhang Ye said with a proud face. “Cute, isn’t it?”
This little guy was his little angel!
“Guju~” Gujiu let out a timely cry, acting cute.
Oscar’s eyes nearly popped out of his head, followed by a look of fanaticism. “Can... can I touch it?”
Zhang Ye immediately pulled Gujiu closer. “No way. This is my precious baby. If you want to touch one, go find your own.”
With that, he put Gujiu back on top of his head, ignoring Oscar’s disappointed face, and continued, “My ability allows me to contract any creature with a rank lower than mine.”
Oscar blinked, still a bit puzzled. “Is... is there something special about that?”
Zhang Ye adopted a solemn expression. “I can even contract Demon Realm creatures, and the success rate is one hundred percent!”
As soon as he said this, Oscar’s expression shifted to one of pure shock.
Contracting Demon Realm creatures?!
If one were to name the hardest creatures in the world to contract, Demon Realm creatures were definitely at the top of the list.
Unless they were willing, it was virtually impossible to contract them!
Furthermore, Demon Realm creatures possessed an innate hostility toward the inhabitants of this world. To date, there were only three known cases of successful contracts!
Yet Zhang Ye claimed a one hundred percent success rate?!
Was... was that even possible?
“Can you prove it?” Oscar asked, his gaze burning with curiosity.
He was simply too curious. If this ability to contract Demon Realm creatures with perfect success could be developed, its utility would be immense!
Even setting aside combat, a forced contract—even if the Demon Realm creature refused to cooperate in battle—could still bind it. It would be the equivalent of capturing one alive for research, which would be incredibly valuable!
Zhang Ye snapped his fingers, and a massive bug immediately appeared on the ground.
Oscar’s eyes widened instantly. “A Dark Demon Broodqueen?!”
Zhang Ye raised an eyebrow.
As expected of the Emperor of the Lionheart Empire; he was truly well-informed. Leona had only thought it was a Dark Demon Broodmother, but Oscar had recognized it for what it was.
“That’s right, a Dark Demon Broodqueen!” Zhang Ye grinned proudly. Before Tei Tei could use mana transmission to curse him out, he withdrew her back into the contract space.
“Do you believe me now?” Zhang Ye laughed.
“I believe you!” Oscar nodded.
Was this a joke? He had brought out the real deal; how could he not believe it?
That was a Dark Demon Broodqueen—a creature of the Demon Realm that was absolutely loyal to a Demon King. Their souls were under the direct jurisdiction of a Demon King, making them fundamentally impossible to contract. Yet this little brother “Ye Fan” had succeeded. He had to admit, the abilities of Otherworlders were truly powerful!
Thinking of this, he nodded with satisfaction and smiled. “Alright, I’ll keep my word. Name your condition. As long as it’s within my power, I will grant whatever I can.”
Hearing this, Zhang Ye scratched his head. “Uh... I haven't thought of anything yet. Can I save it for later?”
Was he kidding? If he made a request now, it would be a request “within the power of a Tier Nine Warrior.”
But once Oscar’s identity was public, that request would become “within the power of a Six-star Saint-tier and the Emperor of Lionheart.”
Anyone with half a brain knew what to do.
Oscar was stunned for a moment, then laughed. “Alright then. Come find me when you’ve thought of something.”
Zhang Ye paused. “How do I find you?”
“Every seven days, Cloud Tavern gets a new batch of Cloud Wine. I’ll be there every time, though I won’t stay for long.”
“If you have something, you can tell the tavern owner to pass the message to me. As long as you haven't left Lionheart Royal City by then, I’ll be able to find you.”
“That impressive?” Zhang Ye asked.
He obviously knew Oscar had that kind of power, but for now, he had to maintain a skeptical expression. “You aren't lying to me, are you?”
“Of course not!” Oscar said seriously. “I can swear upon the loyal heart of the Lionheart Empire!”
In this world, one did not make oaths lightly.
Seeing this, Zhang Ye nodded. “Fine, I believe you. But you have to get me back first.”
“No problem!” Oscar gave a large wave of his hand, and the two of them were back in front of the Cloud Tavern, startling several passersby.
“By the way, little brother Ye Fan...”
“Just call me Zhang Ye.”
“Is Zhang Ye also your name?”
“Yeah, I have a lot of names. Zhang Xiaoyan, Zhang Tangsan, Zhang Mighty, Zhang Clever...” Zhang Ye spouted them out on the fly, leaving Oscar dazed.
“Hahaha, Otherworlders really are interesting. Fine, I’ll call you Ye then,” Oscar said. “I know a BBQ place where the meat is absolute perfection. Want to go together?”
Zhang Ye’s eyes lit up. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go! I’ve been on that skiff for so long, I’m starving.”
“Hahaha, but wait a second.” As he spoke, Oscar’s figure vanished on the spot.
He reappeared a moment later, but with three bottles of Cloud Wine in his hands.
Zhang Ye’s eyes widened. “Where did you get those?”
Oscar gave a sly grin. “I bought them from people who had already bought them. I offered a price they couldn't refuse.”
Zhang Ye didn't dwell on it. “Let’s go, let’s go. I’m dying of hunger.”
“Coming!” The two then headed toward the BBQ restaurant. Their conversation could be heard along the way.
“Ye, how about I trade a bottle of wine for stories from your world?”
“No problem. You have the wine, I have the stories—and not just stories!”
“Hahaha!”
A short while later, inside a private room at the Little Flame BBQ.
“Battle Qi into a horse, truly terrifying!” After hearing Zhang Ye’s “story,” Oscar sucked in a breath of cold air.
Zhang Ye nodded and took a bite of grilled meat. “Right, enough about me. Tell me about this world.”
“Sure, what do you want to hear?” Oscar took a sip of wine and smiled.
He found Zhang Ye to be incredibly interesting. The stories he told were full of twists and turns, far more exciting than the ones he heard back in the castle!
“Hmm... tell me about the Lionheart Empire,” Zhang Ye said casually. “I heard the Lionheart Empire is one of the Twelve Great Human Empires of the West. Are these twelve empires very powerful?”
“Of course they are,” Oscar said, stuffing a piece of meat into his mouth. “The Twelve Great Empires are the twelve most powerful human empires on the West Continent. Each empire rules over hundreds or even thousands of small kingdoms.”
“Then where does the Lionheart Empire rank?” Zhang Ye asked.
“Uh...” Oscar scratched his head and held up two fingers.
Zhang Ye was surprised. “Second?”
Oscar replied, “Twelfth.”
Zhang Ye: “...”
“So it’s at the very bottom,” Zhang Ye said with a grin.
Oscar waved his hand. “Don't look down on the Lionheart Empire just because it’s at the bottom. That’s only because the empire hasn't had much time to develop.”
“The other eleven empires each have a foundation of ten thousand or even tens of thousands of years. But the Lionheart Empire? It’s only been three thousand two hundred and twenty-seven years since its founding. Compared to the other empires, our development time has been far too short.”
“But that’s exactly why the Lionheart Empire’s strength is so evident!”
“An empire that has only developed for a few thousand years can already contend with those ten-thousand-year empires. If the Lionheart Empire is given another few thousand years, I believe it will definitely become the strongest empire!”
Zhang Ye nodded.
If that were true, the Lionheart Empire’s potential was indeed extraordinary.
“Is the strongest person in the Lionheart Empire the Lionheart King?” Zhang Ye asked curiously.
Was a Six-star Saint-tier the strongest in this empire?
“Of course not.” Oscar shook his head. “The Lionheart King is merely a Six-star Saint-tier. How could he be called the strongest in the empire?”
“In front of the Guardian Mage, he’s just a total amateur.”
Zhang Ye: “...”
Is it really okay for you to talk about yourself like that?
“How powerful is this Guardian Mage?” Zhang Ye asked curiously.
Oscar laughed. “That person is a Demigod!”
In the Lionheart Empire, this wasn't much of a secret.
“It is precisely because of the existence of a Demigod that the Lionheart Empire was able to join the Twelve Great Empires.”
“The criteria for evaluating the Twelve Great Empires include military power, economy, and territory, but there is also one hard requirement: you must possess a Demigod!”
“Why is that?” Zhang Ye asked.
“Think about it. The West Continent is only so big. Every time a new great empire emerges, won't resources be divided further?” Oscar said. “The other empires certainly wouldn't be happy about it.”
“Those empires all possess Demigod powerhouses. Below Demigods, all are ants. Therefore, only a Demigod can contend with them; otherwise, even having a thousand Saint-tiers would be useless.”
“Only when an empire produces a Demigod will it be recognized and spared from invasion by other empires.”
Zhang Ye understood now.
It was the equivalent of a strategic balance.
An empire without a Demigod was like a country without nuclear weapons; it could never challenge a nuclear-armed nation.
Only by possessing a Demigod did one have a seat at the table.
Even if that Demigod wasn't stronger than those of other empires, they were still a Demigod. Other empires couldn't send their own Demigods to invade for fear of something happening to them, which would allow other empires to take advantage of the opening.
This was mutual deterrence—a strategic balance!
The two of them continued to chat about many things.
Zhang Ye talked about various interesting stories and technologies from Earth, while Oscar talked about the fascinating magical beasts and magic he had seen. The more they talked, the more they hit it off, eventually even putting their arms around each other's shoulders as they toasted and drank.
...
...
Rate on N.U.
