Jack entered the hall to find a scene of celebration among the Adventurers.
"Nancilia, what's going on? Why is it so noisy?" he asked.
Nancilia's expression was a mix of emotions. "This is big news, Lord. The first stage of Doomsday Frenzy has been broken!"
She had been observing the Adventurers' journeys for the past two days. After countless deaths and narrow escapes, they had finally broken through the End of the World City. Even as a spectator, it was hard not to feel excited and uplifted. It was a victory highlighting wisdom, courage, and luck!
However, for the Underground City, the Adventurers' success wasn't entirely good news. Nancilia admired Jack's creative talent and his ability to craft secret realms that captivated even her. He was undoubtedly a talented Lord with immense potential!
Jack could have made the secret realms more sinister and cruel, making them nearly impossible for Adventurers to conquer for weeks or even longer, as many other Underground Cities did. But he seemed to have noble artistic pursuits; his secret realms were like thrilling dramas, full of excitement and the unknown, offering fun without making the difficulty insurmountable.
If this trend continued, once the secret realms were fully cleared, the territory's income would likely decrease significantly. Nancilia, more invested in Miracle City than ever, didn't want its potential to be disrupted or halted. This Underground City might be the hope of the Eternal Night Great Forest.
The Adventurers eagerly stepped forward to share their triumphs.
Mandy said, "Lord Jack, we're really sorry, haha. The first stage of the Tidal Secret Realm you built was completely broken through by us so quickly!"
Sarah added, "We've already found the exact location of the safe door!"
Pig King boasted, "You underestimated us Adventurers. You didn't even put a few Tank Witches at the safe door. If we didn't clear the stage quickly, we wouldn't be doing ourselves justice!"
"The Lord won't be wiped out, right?"
"I'm worried about that too. I've already handed in the soul essence I obtained, just to extend Miracle City's life for a while," another Adventurer chimed in.
"Lord, why don't you consider increasing the difficulty a bit?" Black Stone Hammer King suggested. "Oh my god, actively asking the Lord to increase the difficulty—now that's something!"
Jack realized that three teams had cleared the stage. Without placing the strongest combat power near the safe door, they had managed to avoid Tanks and Witches, thus reducing the difficulty of clearing the stage. Once the method to clear the stage was known, it was likely many others would follow.
Facing the proud and enthusiastic Adventurers, Jack couldn't help but think they were getting ahead of themselves. The initial benefits were just a strategy to gather more resources for the territory; the real challenges were still ahead!
Before he could respond, Violent Little Chicken eagerly approached him. "Lord! I want to hand in a Witch essence. The condition is the same as Sarah's, but I want to contract a Tank Zombie Soul!"
Violent Little Chicken, a short-haired girl with a neutral face, was good friends with Pig King, Lone Wolf, and Black Stone Hammer King. Despite her appearance, she wanted to become a muscle monster—a Tank Zombie.
"I'm afraid not," Jack replied.
"Why not?" she protested.
"Sarah was the first to hand in a five-star essence and request a contract with Miracle City, so she received preferential treatment. Others won't get the same deal," Jack explained. "However, I can offer you 300 contribution points, and if I have a Tank Zombie Soul available, you'll get priority and a fifty percent discount, with all ritual contract fees waived."
Sarah exchanged a Tank essence for 300 contribution points and a free contract for a Witch essence. Violent Little Chicken could also receive 300 contribution points but only a discounted essence and no freebie.
Jack announced, "From now on, Adventurers who want to contract with Miracle City should apply quickly. Our contract slots are limited and discounts will decrease until they're gone."
Contracting with Miracle City came at a price—a five-star essence required at least 300 contribution points. Miracle City had no stock of these essences, and Adventurers needed to apply and wait in line. If they provided their own essence, they could save on essence costs but still needed 100 contribution points for the ritual fee.
The Adventurers were abuzz with urgency. The slots were precious, and if they didn't act fast, they might miss out. Even with discounts or self-provided essence, the 100 contribution point fee was significant!
Violent Little Chicken decided to hand in the Witch Zombie essence. Although the discount wasn't as favorable as Sarah's, securing a contract for a Tank essence was a good deal!
"Lord!" Sarah jumped in eagerly.
Jack smiled, "Don't worry, I always keep my promises. Today, I'll use this Witch essence to contract for you!"
Sarah beamed, "Thank you, Lord!"
A quarter of an hour later, at the Essence Altar, Miracle City's first contracted Adventurer was born!
Sarah had several first-order essences from Tianyun City, with her life soul's fusion level over 70%, close to breaking into the second order. Re-contracting would lose at least half of her cultivation, but she didn't mind. She believed in her judgment and Miracle City's potential!
Contracting with this Underground City wouldn't be a loss. Being Miracle City's first contractor would surely bring future benefits! Her life essence was only four-star, making the Witch Zombie Soul a more powerful and useful choice.
**You are performing an essence contract for Adventurer "Sarah." This contract will consume 30 points of mental power. Do you wish to continue? Yes/No!**
Contracting an Adventurer consumes mental power, unrelated to the essence used, always requiring 30 mental power. Jack completed the ritual without hesitation.
The Essence Altar released energy, imprinting the Witch essence into Sarah's body. This essence became her life soul, linking her to Miracle City. Non-Miracle City essences decomposed and released energy, some of which nourished her new life soul. Sarah's solid foundation allowed the Witch essence to reach a 50% fusion level, maintaining her experience and avoiding a complete reset.
The contract was successful! Sarah was now deeply bound to Miracle City. Since an Adventurer's power stems from their contracted Underground City, if it were destroyed, their life soul would vanish. This wouldn't cause death, but it would mean losing all cultivation.
Although Sarah hadn't fully fused her life soul, she could transform into a Witch through the "Soldier's House" and wield the full power of the Witch Zombie. Unlike temporary mercenaries, her death wouldn't result in essence loss for the territory. If she cultivated her essence fusion to 100%, she could use the Witch Zombie's power without relying on territory facilities, enhancing her lifespan and stamina.
Now, Miracle City boasted two high-quality combat powers: a Tank Zombie monster soldier and an Adventurer contracted soldier with Witch Zombie power. The former was completely loyal, while the latter offered growth potential and strategic flexibility.
With these two five-star combat powers, Miracle City's strength surged significantly!
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