The Status of the War [C156]

Both the man and Aura Azusa were in disbelief, what kind of speed was that? However, noticing how Shu Himo appeared in pain, they discerned that such speed was not something he could always use.

While they were walking toward him, Shu Himo heard the usual, *Ding*

[Quest Success: Protect the unknown man from Met-2!]

[Quest Difficulty(Protect the man): SS-]

[Quest Difficulty(Kill Met-2): SSS-]

[Quest Reward(Protect the man): 800 BS points + Loyalty from the unknown man.]

[Quest Reward(Kill Met-2): 2000 BS points.]

[You now have 2804 BS points!]

Seeing the abundance of BS points, Shu Himo smiled, forgetting completely the pain he was feeling for a moment; 2800 BS points… such great quantity, who knew how many phases will he be able to buy with them?

However, his happiness was short, as he felt again the pain. This made him frown, such pain… while he knew that he was not damaged fatally, his whole body was in a mess, and he could not feel anymore his right leg.

Luckily, the movement of air due to his speed moved the melting gas far from the palm, or else, he would be with one hand less too.

Shaking his head, he knew that there was another problem; while the system promised loyalty from the man, how could he trust it? The man knew that Phylia was a slime, so he had no other choice but to focus first on that.

Looking toward the man, he was about to make a contract, when he saw the latter running up to him and kneeling down, "If it wasn't for you I would be dead right now. Please accept my loyalty, I will follow you for the rest of my life!"

Shu Himo was stunned, was the system enforcing its will on him? Otherwise, how could he react like this, wasn't he a bit exaggerated?

[How mean, the system would never do something like that. The reason it was on the rewards is because the system calculated it as the only possible future upon succeeding the quest.]

Narrowing slightly his eyes, Shu himo didn't really know if he could believe the system, but even if the man declared loyalty, he knew that it was safer to use the contract. After all, the man knew about Phylia, and that was a secret that it was not ready to be divulged.

Looking toward the man, he then thought, 'Contract!', and seeing the display appearing in front, he began to set it as usual. A moment later, a display appeared in front of the man.

[Contract: Loyalty.]

[From now on, you will swear loyalty to Shu Himo. Any action that can be considered as betraying him will make the contract fail. Any information about Phylia has to be held as a secret.

Note: you will still retain your freedom of choice, if you decide afterward to stop following Shu Himo there will not be any repercussion, as long as you don't do anything that can be damaging to him or his family.]

[Difficulty: C]

[Contract Reward: none.]

[Contract Failure Penitence: Instant Death]

[Will you accept the contract? Y/N]

[Once accepted, you can read again the contract anytime by thinking 'Contract'.]

[Warning: Any attempt to reveal the existence of anything related to the contract will immediately kill you. No matter if the attempt is by talking, writing or something else, anything will be punished with instant death.]

The man stared the display in shock, what kind of power was this? Feeling a semi-imperceptible power around him, aiming to stop him from revealing anything about the contract filled his back in cold sweat. At that moment, he was filled in doubts, what was the real background of Shu Himo?

Lightly shaking his head, he knew that he could not get an answer to such questions, so he accepted; after all, if he wasn't saved by Shu Himo he would already be dead! To follow him was a decision he already took before, when he saw his strength against Met-2.

Noticing that he accepted, Shu Himo smiled, he needed his help only for a brief time, so he purposely put loosened conditions, allowing him to live his own life freely in the case he changed idea.

Now that the man swore loyalty, the risk that he would reveal Phylia's identity lowered, however, Shu Himo still warned him about it.

However, Shu Himo's eyes suddenly widened in shock, how could he forget to ask the name of someone who swore loyalty to him?

"What is your name?"

Lightly smiling, the man replied, "My name is Cai Xiang, I was originally a part of the defenders, positioned here by the Angels."

While he wanted to know more about it, Shu Himo was more worried about something else, so he nodded and asked, "In which situation is currently the war?"

Frowning, the Cai Xiang replied, "The war is in a critical situation, there are over two hundred Met-2 and thousands of Met-3! While normally our Longevity Realm experts should be able to fight against the Met-2, the numerous Met-3 kept sneak attacking, increasing the pressure on all.

If you didn't save me, I would be dead by now... I got separated from the others due to a sneak attack of thirty Met-3, and was afterward chased by this Met-2, and, since I was injured by the sneak attack, Met-2 was stronger than me... at the same time, the others Met-3 slowed the reinforcements..."

Shaking his head in regret, Cai Xiang's expression was in dismay. If everything continued like this, the war was going to be lost!

Shu Himo could not believe it, thousands of Met-3? Was the Demon King stingy last time, not wanting to give more than three? Shaking his head, he knew that it was not the moment of think about that; if they lost the war, the Shu Kingdom would be destroyed, and not only that, his family may die! How could he let such a thing happen?

Feeling once again the pain in all his body, he frowned, knowing that he had to think of a solution, "Do you know a way to heal quickly?" To ask the system was only a way to lose BS points, so he decided first to ask Cai Xiang.

"Considering your injuries, it will be hard! The angels have herbs that can help, but you may need several months at best… wait, there is a way!" Narrowing his eyes for a moment, he thought of it, but he shook his head in regret immediately afterward, "But... nevermind, it's completely impossible!"

Shu Himo already knew of the herbs from the angels, as he studied quite a lot of them. However, none was adequate to resolve the problem immediately, requiring weeks or even months of time.

However, hearing that there was a possibility, his eyes lit up, "What way?"

"Well, usually, when someone breakthrough to a higher realm, your body gets quickly refined… by abusing it, you could swiftly heal your injuries! However… you are currently in the Dantian Core Formation Realm of the 8th string… there is no way you can reach Nascent Soul in less than multiple months, or even years…"

Hearing his words, Shu Himo almost facepalmed, how could he forget about something like that? Recalling the feeling he had when breaking through to Dantian Core Formation, he believed that just by reaching Nascent Soul, he could heal quickly!

"I see… then I will breakthrough now!"

"Don't worry, it's normal if you giv- wait, what?!"

He will breakthrough now? Cai Xiang was shocked, was he joking? "To reach a breakthrough, it's normally needed multiple months… yet, to say that you're going to breakthrough now… are you trying to achieve a shallow foundation? No… even like that… it's still impossible!"

The more he thought about it, the more baffled he was, even if someone didn't care to build a decent foundation, it was still impossible to achieve a breakthrough in less than a couple of months!

About to ask again him, his face jolted in disbelief, seeing that the other party closed his eyes and began cultivating, as if ignoring him completely! Frowning for a moment, he thought back about the contract and fell in thought, perhaps he had some special way?

Shivering at the thought he immediately dismissed it, if he could so casually breakthrough, wouldn't it mean that the world could easily fall into his hands?

Shaking his head, Cai Xiang seated close to a tree, wanting to rest. The battle from before almost killed him, so, even if he was able to walk, his body was still full of injuries.

Meanwhile, Shu Himo's eyelids were twitching continuously, 'How stingy, isn't this just a scam?!'

[The system is fair and just, there is no way this is a scam.]