Chapter 114: A Peculiar Contract

Chapter 114: A Peculiar Contract

“What is this?” Back in the Workshop, Zheng Yichen looked at the piece of parchment Dan Marina had taken out. “A Contract?”

“A Contract,” Dan Marina nodded. “I am preparing to leave.”

“Hmph… what perfect timing.” Zheng Yichen slightly curled his lip. Not leaving earlier, not leaving later, but choosing to leave just a few days before the Witch Hunt was about to begin… He picked up the Contract and began to read.

The contents of the Contract stated that after this separation, she would not disclose any information she had seen or learned during her time with Zheng Yichen. In exchange, Zheng Yichen must meet her in person with another Witch within one year. That other Witch was Loris. During this period, Dan Marina could not use any means to disrupt or indirectly disrupt the possibility of Zheng Yichen and Loris meeting her together.

For example, using methods to interfere so that Loris could not meet her together with Zheng Yichen, forcing only one of them to meet her alone. It also forbade using this meeting to do anything harmful to them, directly or indirectly.

The consequences of violating the Contract… Zheng Yichen glanced at Dan Marina with some surprise. Never mind how strange this Contract was, just the consequences of violating it made him suspicious!

The complete goodwill of a Witch—perhaps to others, such a consequence for violating a Contract seemed far too light. But saying it was too light also depended on who violated it. If she violated the Contract, it meant this woman would be unable to do anything to harm Zheng Yichen or show hostility toward him in the future.

Because that was precisely the penalty for violating the Contract. Even if there was no follow-up punishment for violating the penalty itself, it didn’t mean there was none! If she still didn’t abide by the Contract after the initial penalty, then Dan Marina would suffer an even worse consequence, a price even a Witch couldn’t bear!

As for the price if Zheng Yichen violated the Contract, it was to meet her in person alone and fully cooperate with Dan Marina in doing one thing. This thing would not threaten his life or put Zheng Yichen in a difficult position.

The reason Zheng Yichen understood all this in such detail was purely because he had read books related to Contracts in the Underground Library. The color of this parchment was dark, with faint threads of black aura swirling around it. The power it contained felt even stronger than the aura of that evil Contract Loris had shown him before!

Holding this thing, Zheng Yichen felt as if a grotesquely laughing demonic illusion appeared before his eyes. Evil whispers even seemed to swirl around his ears. The power contained in this Contract was actually affecting his true body directly through his projection!!

Zheng Yichen could withstand the influence of its Negative Power, but he was sure that any ordinary person who came into contact with this parchment, even just glancing at it from afar, would be driven mad by its dark, evil power. No wonder he hadn’t seen Petty in the Workshop when he returned today. Dan Marina must have intentionally sent her away.

If Petty had stayed here, she would have already been affected by the power radiating from this Contract. Based on the contents of the Contract, Zheng Yichen felt Dan Marina was more like using this Contract to bind herself!

“Are you deliberately putting a chain on yourself?” Letting out a soft sigh, Zheng Yichen put the parchment down. Dan Marina’s name was already signed on it. Zheng Yichen just needed to write his True Name on it for it to take effect.

This Contract was far too easy to violate. For example, it required Zheng Yichen and Loris to meet her together, but it didn’t specify what would happen if an accident occurred during that period. Given the Contract’s dark, evil power was so strong, there was no need to discuss ‘what ifs’—any such accident would likely be counted as a violation.

Meaning, during the Contract’s effective period, if Zheng Yichen went to see Dan Marina alone, just by himself, and met her… she would be the one violating the Contract. Zheng Yichen doing this wouldn’t count as a violation, since the Contract didn’t require him not to do it!

So, faced with such a powerful Contract with terms so favorable to him, Zheng Yichen had to be extremely cautious. Who knew what schemes Dan Marina might have!

“I thought you would really like this Contract,” Dan Marina said, resting her chin on her hand with a relaxed smile. “Signing it gives you a great chance to gain a Witch.”

The slightly seductive whisper only made Zheng Yichen more alert. This woman definitely had some plot. Witches were all cunning, especially this frivolous and provocative one before him. “I already have a Witch by my side.”

“Tch, what’s so good about that Witch who usually only dares to maintain that flat-chested, no-hipped, little-girl form?” Dan Marina curled her lip. “If you don’t sign this, you’ll only regret it. You now have half a day to consider.”

“…” Zheng Yichen suppressed the Illusion and the evil whispers in his ears that appeared after touching the Contract. He carefully analyzed the contents, trying his best to find any possible loopholes that could reverse the overall meaning. But… he couldn’t find any!

The Contract’s requirements involved very few things. The main core was for Zheng Yichen and Loris to meet her in person together. With that as the central point, the traps the Contract could set were very limited. Despite the Contract’s brevity, Zheng Yichen spent several hours reading it, his spirit growing somewhat weary, yet he found no flaws or shortcomings. From any angle analyzed, this Contract was extremely advantageous for him.

Dan Marina, waiting, didn’t display her usual frivolity. She waited with unusual patience for Zheng Yichen’s reply, only speaking after he placed the parchment on the table. “Holding it for hours… wasn’t it irritating?”

“It was fine. After listening for a while, I got used to it,” Zheng Yichen said rather indifferently. After adapting to the generated Illusion, Zheng Yichen wasn’t afraid anymore. Just an Illusion—once you got used to it, no matter how evil, what could it do? Could it come alive and rush to bite him?

As for the evil whispers, Zheng Yichen noted that he had heard plenty of brainwashing tunes on some websites back on Earth. They couldn’t harm him. Lowering his head, Zheng Yichen didn’t notice Dan Marina’s smile, which had brightened a fraction.

“Add one more clause. My True Name must also be kept secret, permanently effective!”

“Agreed.” Dan Marina raised a finger and gently drew it across a blank spot on the parchment. A new line of text appeared. Zheng Yichen saw that a black mark had formed on the finger she withdrew. Although the mark was slowly fading, the speed was very slow!

This Contract… its strength was probably even higher than Zheng Yichen had imagined!

Zheng Yichen looked at the new content added to the Contract: the non-disclosure of his True Name. This confidentiality was extremely strict. The moment Dan Marina intended to reveal his True Name to someone else, before she could speak or make the corresponding move, it would be judged as a violation!

If she continued this behavior after violating it, that would be a second, more serious violation!

“Alright, that’s it…” Zheng Yichen picked up the Contract and turned to walk towards a sealed room. A Projection could also sign a Contract, but it required direct physical contact.