CHAPTER 35: CONTRACT MANIPULATION

"You like gold, don’t you? Any Casino owner loves gold."

And just by the mention, the Advertiser’s eyes lit up. It was like the purple man had grown a set of dog ears and a wagging tail. He then cleared his throat, coughing as loud as he could before his posture went rigid again.

"H-how many gold coins do you wish to offer for a deal?"

Bingo.

Elian grinned widely. He then shrugged, acting all innocent to mask his intention. "I mean, you need more followers, don’t you? A forgotten low tier Constellation trying to gain more influence. I’m pretty sure most followers died during the cosmic Game."

[That you started.]

Suckerbot, no one could pass an offer of 50,000 coins just to click a damn option. Not the point.

Before he got a Class update, he had prayed to many many Constellations, even the forgotten ones.

Maybe one would bless him, or choose him and change his fate from a mere errand boy with an E-rank to something greater. And amidst his desperation, Elian too had prayed to the Constellation: Ophiuchus.

But he mostly got ignored. Not that he blamed them, no one wanted a weak piece as an incarnation. It was a bad investment, barely any Pawn had successfully gained class promotion, so no one bothered.

His sponsor may be a deranged constellation to have chosen him. He did exactly nothing to have impressed such a high tier god.

[The Constellation ’Ophiuchus’ is sorry to not have picked you.]

It’s fine. Nothing anyone could have done.

Elian glanced around again. Aven was busy fighting the Colossal Serpent. Or at least luring it out of the Casino, an attempt to increase everyone’s survival... except him.

One more reason why Elian needed to talk fast. Crix is more of an artifact guy with an insane knowledge about monsters and Guilds. This seemed to be an exemption for him since he’s been quiet.

"How about I give you... 500 coins. And you put that giant snake away. And 500 coins more if you reverse your curse by clearing away all the crawling snakes. Every single one of them. And you let us go. And we also get to share this sector too."

[That’s too little, host. He will reject it.]

He’s a broke Constellation’s fragment. He won’t.

The Advertiser folded his arms below his chest. "That is an outrageous demand for such low coins! It cannot at least buy the littlest of dinner! What about the followers? Are you going to offer yourselves? Or not."

[Told you.]

[Just so you know, your sponsor would surely 100% get jealous if he sees you bowing to another constellation.]

[Unless you wanna die for real, don’t offer yourself.]

Does that mean other incarnations can’t serve a different god?

[Of course not! You share a Divine Variant!]

[The Constellation ’The Nameless god’ remains silent.]

He’s not even saying a thing.

"Your... associate would die of exhaustion if he keeps on fighting with my pet. Raise your coins or I must—"

Crix raised his hands as if to surrender. "Okay kawaii snake guy, how about we double it with 10,000 coins to share this sector with you and you take the snakes away..."

"30,000 c-coins to remove the giant scary snake," Moon added, cowering behind Elian.

Sun, too pitched in his offer. "20,000 more to not ever curse us or bite."

"With my 500 coins. That makes it 65,000 coins. Happy?"

However, the Advertiser is a little unimpressed. Even though his mouth had started to water from all the mention of the coins, there was still one more thing that the desperate crew failed to provide.

"My followers."

Right. Right. Elian immediately thought of the Red Halo’s team. He hadn’t seen any of them ever since they entered this Sector’s gate.

Surely he isn’t going to offer those black pieces... right?

"How about six followers? Not us of course, every single one of us here is already an incarnation to different Constellations..."

[Your Title: ’Mad Pawn’ Is Now In Use.]

[You’re slightly resistant to fear-based skills. You look dumber, but hit kinda harder.]

[The fragment: ’Advertiser’ finds your presence stupid but yet, compelling.]

Elian’s eyes flashed a hint of red. "It will be a death wish if we bow to Ophiuchus, we won’t count as true followers for more influence. We will offer a whole board. Three men and three women. They would all be yours."

The Advertiser stared at him for a while, his slit iris suddenly dilated. And Elian swore the man grew a wagging tail again.

"Oh. And I assume you meant these humans?"

The Advertiser’s voice dropped cold as he snapped his fingers.

A thick violet mist flooded the marble floor, oozing from the Casino’s tiles.

A muffled scream echoed between cries as the mist parted, revealing six figures tangled in ropes and green serpents, slithering across their limbs and hissing at them, biting down whenever they struggled.

Oh.

He already captured the whole Red Halo’s team?

The veiled man, the loudmouth Alan, the girls with the hoodie, even the half-succubus lady. Their eyes were wide, glossy with terror. Someone yelled for help, and others just shrieked until their voices cracked.

After all, they are black pieces. They should help. Right?

The Advertiser sighed, almost theatrically. "Disrespectful. Ungrateful. They came to my nest, spoke ill of my décor, and even tried to strike me. Can you imagine such rudeness?"

He pressed a hand to his chest, affronted. "I refuse to entertain followers with no manners."

Elian’s face stayed neutral, but his mind spun. But of course not. He can’t waste such precious pieces just like that. Six potential sacrifices wrapped in fear.

The perfect currency for a perfect exchange.

He turned slightly toward Crix. "You can... modify the contract, right? A higher rank Merchant could do that."

The merchant caught his look and blinked once. He smirked, a wide grin crept up his face.

"I didn’t survive in the South sector for nothing. Good thing I used the Shadow deity as a contract binder. Nothing a couple gold coins can’t fix."

Great.

Crix raised his hand lazily, and a golden scroll shimmered into being before him — the one that bound the Red Halo team to cooperate for the Territory raid.

Elian then turned back to the Advertiser. "I will make them cooperate by modifying the contract terms. Your Constellation gains more popularity, you take back all the snakes and let us claim the Sector. Plus the 65,000 gold coins."

"And what guarantee," the Advertiser said, "do I have that you won’t swindle me?"

"You don’t." Elian smiled wider. "But he—" he pointed to Crix "—can make sure the deal is airtight."

The scroll hovered between them as Crix’s fingers began to rewrite the clause.

[Contract Clause Adjustment in Progress...

Under the authority of a mid-tier shadow deity.]

Another male member of the Red Halo’s board gasped. Choking on his own air as he wailed. "You piece of shit! Selling your own kind for an entity?! Are you crazy?!"

[Using skill: Contract Manipulation lv 6.]

[A new clause has been added.]

[Any Party B pieces who refuses service to the Constellation ’Ophiuchus’ shall be bound in permanent blindness and infertility until repentance. Rebellion voids your souls.]

Crix’s grin widened, ignoring the other teams. "There we go... minor tweaks," his eyes traced the whole team and met the S-rank veiled man. He’s a lot weaker than I’d assumed. An S-rank pawn should still do something right? Did anything happen to him? He’s the only one not bawling his eyes out. He kept the thought to himself.

However, Alan screamed and thrashed against the snakes, but the grip only tightened.

Elian stepped out of the shield, taking many dangerous steps closer to the advertiser. He then crouched beside the closest captive, his voice low, soft in a way to mimic comfort.

"Don’t worry. I’m only a pawn lucky enough to be an... errand boy on my board. What was the word again? Ah... a little rotten fetch rat. Collecting scraps, feeding on shit, lucky enough to even be alive..." he patted Alan’s head. Not that I can die...

Then, he stood up. "I’m not heartless. If you serve well — if you bring him more worshippers, more voices to your master’s name... I’ll tell Crix to rewrite it again. And you’ll be free."

The Advertiser watched in delight, his body twitching in pure excitement to which Elian found weird.

"Ohhh, how deliciously wicked," he cooed. "Faith bought and sold like a game of cards! I must admit... I’m entertained."

The casino’s gold chandeliers flickered above them.

The Advertiser extended his hand, grinning. "You have yourself a deal, little Pawn."

Elian smiled, shaking the purple man’s hand. He looked back at his team, grinning with all his teeth with his eyes slightly closed.

Sun’s heart almost jumped out of his chest. He had never thought Elian could do something like that. His previous toys can’t even stand still without his aura choking them.

But shaking a snake’s hands? Gross. He grimaced at the sight.

Only one thing was left now.

Elian signalled to Crix, and the man exited his shield, leaving the twins behind. Crix’s floating golden scroll came into view again. A new space for a contract signature appeared just at the bottom of the contract.

"You also need to sign... just right here... your thumb please?"

The Advertiser was very much taken aback with the request. "I see. You dare swindle me too?!"

Elian waved both hands, smiling. "Oh no,no,no. I could never. Just take a look at my class. I’m a mere Pawn with stupid skills. We just need confirmation you will really really take away all the snakes, and not curse us. Plus the colossal serpent up there." He pointed back at the giant snake Aven was busy with.

Aven’s clothes now looked like it’d been in a shredding machine. His coat—nowhere to be seen. Sweat coaxed his skin, as his breath became heavier each second. Flying up in the air again to strike the horned snake.

"My friend there is of a Queen-class. And he hasn’t laid a punch on your... pet. We’re giving you 65,000 hard gold coins you can bite. That’s two years’ worth of gold you could ever gather in a casino—"

[You don’t know that. You’ve never been to one.]

Let me do as I please, gingerbread.

"—All we need is your signature... downnn here," Elian pointed at the contract, "and your Casino will get running again."