“That contract of yours... it’s quite professional,” the fly demon said slowly, nodding with a trace of admiration.
In truth, it had not fully understood the contract.
Although it was relatively brief, with only twelve clauses, the specialized terminology made it seem somewhat obscure.
Nevertheless, it had managed to slog through a couple of books and could grasp a general sense of it. It was clear that Lynn had structured the contract in a way that afforded him certain advantages.
However, it was not overly concerned, and in fact, it felt a sense of relief.
If Lynn had demanded nothing at all, the fly demon would have been far more uneasy.
A business partner who requires no share of the profits—what could their true intentions be?
Having lived in the Abyss for many years, the fly demon had witnessed its share of cruelties and deceit. It had been raised amidst the harsh and unforgiving environment of the Abyss and had seen many of its darker sides.
“I don’t have enough ores here, but I recently discovered a vein controlled by a demon clan. If you can provide the weapons, I’ll find a way to seize that vein,” the fly demon said.
“Then I look forward to our cooperation,” Lynn said with a beaming smile.
Aside from the blood essence, ores, and high-level demon slaves, Lynn was not particularly interested in any of the other items offered by the fly demon. Before leaving, he made sure to hand over the drafted contract.
Upon returning to Demon City, Lynn retrieved the pink gemstone he had purchased from the market and placed it on the table.
“Aren’t you curious about what this is?” Toby asked.
Lynn nodded and then shook his head. If Toby wanted to say more, he would.
“You’re familiar with the Abyss Mother River, right?
“The Abyss is a collection of all things forsaken and destroyed, but where there is death, there is also life. It’s unimaginable that life could emerge from such a ravaged place, but indeed, it was in the primordial Abyss Mother River that the first group of Abyss Demon Gods were born.
“Since the first generation of Abyss Demon Gods, as the Abyss continued to consume the planes and expand its dominion, the reach of the Abyss Mother River also grew.
“Over time, the Abyss Mother River gave rise to the ancient and primordial Abyss Great Lords, the Abyss Sovereigns, and the Abyss Lords.
“Until now, the Abyss Mother River no longer gave birth to powerful beings, but instead had transitioned from a qualitative to a quantitative role, producing a vast number of demon eggs daily. These eggs hatched into the countless demons that filled the Abyss.
“And this crystal came from the Abyss Mother River,” Toby explained to Lynn.
Was this also an egg?
Lynn eyed the pink crystal on the table. Could collecting a hundred of these pink crystals summon a demon lord?
Toby continued, “Legend has it that long ago, a powerful Abyss Great Lord was slain by a formidable enemy, leaving behind only a fragment of its soul, which managed to drift into the Abyss Mother River. Thanks to the river’s nurturing, after tens of thousands of years, the Abyss Great Lord was reborn, its strength greatly enhanced. It not only reclaimed its lost territory from its enemies but also touched the realm of the Demon God.”
“Did you find any promising candidates among the goblins with engineering talent?” Lynn asked the goblin engineers.
The goblin engineers responded in a flurry of voices, excitedly discussing their findings.
Among the newly emerged goblins, they had identified a promising group. 35 goblins in total had begun their training, though progress was slow without the transformation ritual tokens.
Lynn had already arranged for inquiries into purchasing the necessary raw materials for the transformation ritual.
He had the ritual array. With the right raw materials, he could perform large-scale transformations for the goblins.
However, in the next decade, Lynn knew he would need to engage in a more substantial collaboration with the fly demon.
Over the coming ten years, Lynn planned to prepare a large number of followers adept at weapon production. Such a task was definitely impossible for him, a wizard apprentice, to do it himself.
Meanwhile, the fly demon, having packed up, boarded its evil-winged bird and headed towards the far side of the plains.
In the vast kingdom, buildings reflecting both demonic and elven styles were scattered across the plains.
Large groups of dark half-elves, transformed by the Abyss’ influence, were proliferating and thriving across the land.
At the heart of the plains, atop a mountain, a white castle came into view.
The flying creature descended, and the fly demon entered the castle.
“Is it done?” In the heart of the castle, Dyo, clad in blood-red armor in her seat, turned her head to inquire.
“It has been completed,” the fly demon replied. “However, he and I struck a deal as well. He left this for me before he departed.” The fly demon recounted the terms of the transaction with Lynn and handed Dyo the contract Lynn had written.
Dyo glanced at the document and a knowing smile crept across her face. “It seems he suspected that I was behind you.”
“How could it be? I didn’t say a word,” the fly demon exclaimed in shock.
“Do you understand the contents of this contract?” Dyo inquired.
The fly demon shook its head.
“Then why did he insist on giving it to you?” Dyo questioned.
The fly demon suddenly realized.
“He didn’t give it for you to read; it was meant for me.”
——