Now Grid’s thinking ability wasn’t easily buried. He didn’t neglect the title of Different Species’ King because he was lazy or lacking. Rather, it was because he concluded that he could be wasting energy if he cared about it and chose to be patient.
He needed a reliable helper to utilize the Different Species’ King title.
[Different Species’ King]
[You have proved your king’s qualification by embracing non-human species.
★ Permanent Effects
* Difference species are very favorable to you.
* If the target is a different species, the probability of increasing affinity will double.
* However, some warlike species will want to test your abilities.
★ Limited Effects
* The ‘contract’ system is activated with the title effect.
* There are three contracts available. (3/3)]
[Contract]
[If the target is another species, you can propose a contract.
The target you contract with will ‘awaken’ strengthened racial characteristics. You will acquire some of the racial traits of the contracted target.
You can’t destroy a contract once it is made.
However, the other person can destroy the contract at any time and the racial trait you acquired will disappear. Additionally, the contract will be canceled if the target permanently dies and the racial trait you acquired will disappear. In both cases, the contract count can’t be recovered.]
The effect of this contract was unconditionally positive. It was a tremendous benefit to acquire the characteristics of other species. For example, if Grid signed a contract with a member of the evil eyes species, he was likely to open an evil eye even without affinity with the king.
However, Grid didn’t propose a contract with the evil eyes king. He didn’t even contract with his close confidant Sticks. This wasn’t because he didn’t trust them, nor was it because he was worried they would break the contract.
It was painful, but he was concerned about the possibility of their death. Unlike players, NPCs were mortal, and death was a fate that even a high elf with a life span of thousands of years couldn’t avoid. What if an accident took away their lives? If he couldn’t protect them, the contract could be wasted at any time. Thus, Grid concluded that the target of the contract should be a player.
It was clearly a reasonable conclusion. The problem was that the difficulty was very high. First, the fundamental problem was finding a player who had a non-human race—dwarves, orcs, elves, goblins, and so on. Unlike normal games where different species could be chosen when creating a character, there was no such option in Satisfy. Players could only change to a non-human species by performing a hidden quest. It was a quest similar to the quest that gave Grid a chance to become a half-god.
So far, Grid had only met a small number of players with a different species, and there were problems even if he found them. The problem was that the target must be a species with ‘usable’ characteristics. He also needed to determine if he could trust the player. If the target one-sidedly destroyed the contract, Grid would waste a contract and lose the racial trait.
Thus, he had to find someone he could trust. How could that be easy? His trust in his colleagues was accumulated over the years. Grid thought it needed a great deal of time to find new people and establish a trusting relationship. However—
[The title effect of Different Species’ King is limited to three uses. Are you sure you want to use it?]
“I will use it.”
Today, Grid saw Hao’s willpower, and he felt Hao’s liking toward him. He was convinced he could trust Hao, who was a half draconian.
“I will contract with Hao.”
[The player ‘Hao’ is the target of the contract.]
[......]
[.....]
[....]
[The target has accepted the contract!]
[You will randomly acquire one of the half draconian’s characteristics as a contract reward!]
[...Interacting with your amazing luck!]
[Congratulations! You have received the top trait of the draconian ‘Dragon Wings’!]
“...!?” Both of Grid’s eyes widened, and he trembled. Then he lost his dignity in a scene where hundreds of rankers had died. The Overgeared members and dukes were watching him as it happened. Grid spread his arms wide open and cheered loudly, “Niceeeee!”
Was it because the sound was too loud? The old door of the silent temple covered in fog started to open. The eyes of the dukes, who were stunned by Grid’s action, naturally turned toward the temple.
Step. Step. An old monk in a cotton robe walked through the fog.
“Huhu, it has been hundreds of years since someone visited,” he muttered with a kind smile while raising his long white eyebrows. “Now, come in. You should visit the war god’s shrine first.”
“...”
The attitude of the monk guiding the party was very kind. However, the expressions of Grid and the Overgeared members were stiff. It was due to the name of the monk. The name of the monk wasn't a follower.
“What are you doing? Come on in.”
[Bentao].
The benevolent smile on the round face of the old monk didn’t disappear, just like how a clown’s thick makeup wasn’t erased.
***
In the capital of the Ark Kingdom, at the center of the Rebecca Temple...
Pure white light started to gather at the place called the resurrection point. The light gradually expanded and formed the shape of a human. Soon, the light faded.
“Hrmm...” A man showed up. It was a man with long black hair. The man was handsome with impressive eyes and a pointed nose. As a high ranker, the process of ‘death’ and ‘resurrection’ was a system he had long been used to. After opening the status window and inventory, he found that he lost 38% of his experience, the durability of his items was lowered, and his spear was destroyed. Death was a fatal loss. His expression was dark as he planned how to recover it.
“It was because of a lack of training.”
Hao didn’t blame others for the situation. Instead, he merely rebuked his weakness and vowed to work harder. He controlled his heart as a cute girl with double ponytailed hair approached.
“Brother, are you okay?” The identity of the girl with a somber voice was Mei Xiao. She was Hao’s younger sister.
“I’m fine. Sorry for worrying you.”
She was a poor girl who had lost her family early in life. The child who was always trying to be cheerful was also smiling today.
“My level is low. I can recover it soon.”
“Yes, things have already passed. It is better not to dwell on it.”
Hao had grown up in a martial arts school, and the spear had never left his hand since childhood. He patted his sister’s head with a hand that was full of hard calluses.
‘Grenhal is strong.’
Grenhal’s strength and stamina were twice as high as Hao’s, and the skills he possessed were truly powerful. The swordsmanship that had been strengthened by training for many years had pierced through Hao’s dragon scales easily, and it was a state that couldn’t be easily matched in Satisfy.
‘Absolute supremacy.’
No matter how hard Hao tried, there was no way for him to go against Grenhal right now. A powerhouse who could never be surpassed—how did Grid become friendly with him? Grenhal was even an enemy noble.
‘Did Grid make an item as others expected?’
No, that guess was too unreasonable. A named NPC wasn’t someone who could be exploited by wealth. If that was possible, all the rich people in the world would have one named NPC as a subordinate.
It happened when Hao’s thoughts were deepening.
[The Different Species’ King, player ‘Grid’ has proposed to share the ‘oath that transcends species’ with you who is a half draconian.]
[The king who proved his qualifications as king to all different species can only contract with three people. Your status will rise if you contract with ‘Grid.’]
[The increase in status will awaken and strengthen the half draconian traits.]
[Some of the traits of a half draconian will awaken in ‘Grid’ who is the subject of the contract.]
[You can destroy the contract at any time. Once the contract is destroyed, ‘Grid’ will lose the characteristics of a half draconian. However, the awakening effect you experienced will remain unchanged.]
[Would you like to accept the contract?]
“...”
It was a one-sided disadvantageous contract for Grid. This was the first thought that came to mind. The person who could destroy the contract was Hao, not Grid. Additionally, Grid was the only one who would suffer from the loss of the contract. It was a contract that couldn’t be offered unless Grid thoroughly trusted him.
‘The contract is one-sided for a reason.’
Grid could contract with a total of three people. He would gain a lot if he maintained contracts with all three of them. Maybe the gains were too unreasonable. These constraints were to contain the minimum of fairness.
‘Anyway...’
Hao vaguely noticed the reason why Grid could attract even the nobles of an enemy nation. Was it due to the trust he showed first? Seeing Grid’s true heart gave an overwhelming impression.
“I’ll accept the contract.”
‘I won’t betray your favor,’ Hao swore.
[You have accepted the contract of the Different Species’ King, player ‘Grid.’]
[The increase in status will awaken the half draconian traits.]
[The dragon scales, dragon’s breath and dragon wings are strengthened.]
[The dragon’s blood has become thicker. The level of Draconian Transformation has increased from 2 to 3.]
[Draconian Transformation’s increase in strength, agility, health, and resistance has risen from 15% to 20%. The fire ability and regeneration ability has strengthened. Your flying ability is more stable.]
[However, your skills are still lacking.]
[You have become a bridge between ‘Grid’ and the half draconians. As long as the contract is maintained, the militancy of the half draconians will be somewhat tempered against Grid.]
“...!” Hao was filled with boiling power, only to come to his senses.
He was surprised by the last notification window. The half draconian’s militancy would be softened? In the past, Hao visited the towns of the half draconians for his racial quest and saw their madness. Their ferocious temperament was similar to that of the evil dragon, Bunhelier, who had given birth to them, and Hao thought they were a species that could never reconcile with humans.
‘Their strength...’
No matter how strong Grenhal was, it was only in the human world. Hao was reminded of the half draconians after a long time, and his expression changed.