497.Chapter 495: 494 What era is it now that traditional contracts are still being used?

Chapter 495 494.What era is it that you’re still using traditional contracts? You have to keep up with the times, understand!

“You’re saying they’re still alive?”

In the underground area where Murphy was the only one, facing the message thrown out by the Star Realm Beast Manis, the Vampire Lord instantly clenched his fists as he asked rhetorically:
“Are you sure you’re not joking? So many ordinary people have been thrown into that hellish place in the Star Realm, it’s a chaotic place where even gold powerhouses don’t know how long they can survive, do you really expect me to believe that there are still 100,000 ordinary lives languishing there?
It’s been more than four months.
For you to say that they’re still alive is the same as telling me that they’re all Transylvanian Supermen or Transylvanian Captains, do you think I’ll believe that?”

“It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not.”

Mannis the Infinite’s tone also became playful, it was like the card man who held the big and small king in his hand so his mind was not panicked at all, and said slowly:

“Anyway, the truth and evidence won’t disappear just because you don’t believe it, you mortals who walk on the earth and can only look up at the sea of stars have too mediocre an understanding of the astral realm, and I admit that my homeland is a land of chaos, where time and space have built an intricate tower of danger in an unorganized manner.

Yet it is precisely that chaotic disorder that makes it possible for a ‘safe place’ to emerge as well.

Of course, in this case, your compatriots weren’t so lucky as to be thrown into a nice environment where they could preserve themselves.

Nor are they lucky to have survived.

That was only the beginning of a far more horrific ordeal; the tearing of the astral plane that took place in Cadman City was a sacrifice beyond the comprehension of mortals! Murphy, it was a ‘sacrifice’ to the Subspace Shadows.

They will not swallow it in one gulp.

I know that there are over 300,000 people in your city, and now that I tell you that there are 100,000 of them still alive, it means that the ones that are left have embraced a fate worse than death.

On the battlefields of your future and Twilight’s battles against their subspace shadow masters, you will see for yourself that those subspace-warped beings born of the Shadows of Chaos have no use for these, yet their servants in the material world need a force to burn the world down.

Well, do you look shocked?
Then let me reveal to you a little more of the truth that will make you feel shocked.

The city of Cadman was not the first city to be sacrificed to subspace; a comparable number of mortals were thrown into that vortex of filth in the initial sacrifice centuries ago.

They have become the people of Chaos!

Their frenzied hissing in subspace was heard by me on the Astral Plane, and at some point in the future they will return to their ‘homelands’ with hatred and anger, and the denizens of the Abyss, wrapped in iron and blood, will return to you what they have suffered, unchanged or even multiplied tenfold.

If your history studies are good enough, you should know which one I’m talking about”

“The ‘Blood Fear Doomsday’ two hundred years ago, right?”

Murphy immediately made a lot of associations, and he sighed, already believing seven of them, as he said:

“In order to gain an advantage in the Second Black Night War, the Blood Fear Clan took the risk of opening a subspace rift, and overnight more than three hundred thousand residents of the Ice Bay region were swept away into a foreign realm, even forcing the terrain of Ice Bay to be permanently altered.

But isn’t Dusk an organization that has only appeared in the last hundred years?”

“Foolishness! Why do you always have to equate ‘Dusk’ with subspace? The two aren’t even the same thing, or rather, their relationship is a little clearer than you think.

The Subspace Shadows have power yet are blocked from the realms, while the Dusk is a bunch of fools with their brains burned out by the Taboo, who fervently desire to see the destruction of the Material Realm.”

Mannis grunted, his tone casual:

“The Dusk is merely a tool used by the Subspace Shadows to stir up the world, how can a blacksmith dedicated to crafting destruction have only one tool at hand?

Of course, the Subspace Shadows are not a problem you need to worry about, you are too far out of step with them, the so-called soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals, you and the other mortals only need to deal with the Dusk before the Astral Giants fail.

That’s all.

And in the process, you will undoubtedly need the support of the Great Power that is me. Come, Murph, sign the deed of summoning with me.

I know it’s a little early for you, but I’m also sure that after we get used to each other and get over the hump, you and I will take the two realms by storm in different ways.

You can save your city, save your country, and I will step onto the stairway to godhood that I have always dreamed of.”

“Forgetting the contract for a moment, what makes you so sure that I will be able to enter the heart of the world left behind by the Creator?”

Murphy asked suspiciously in return:

“You don’t really know me, do you?
Trusting a stranger so blindly either means that you’ve lost your mind, or that you’re not as winning as you’ve shown yourself to be.

To take another irresponsible guess, perhaps you need me far more than I need you in this immediate phase”

Mannis the Endless was silent.

But Murphy could feel a wave of irritation brewing across the room, perhaps because Murphy had spoken the truth, but just before Mannis could lash out, the vampire lord laughed as he said:

“I’m just kidding, great Star Realm Beast, I can’t be too happy to have the help of a powerful demigod, I should even call it an ‘honor’.

I am certainly willing to accept you as my Astral Guardian, but I feel that in the current scenario of mutual need, we might be able to draw up a summoning contract that is responsible to both parties . Ahem, I mean, contract!”

“That’s more like it.”

The tone on Mannis’s side relaxed again as it said:
“You’re quite the ritualistic fellow, so I’ll give you enough time to complete this contract, is one day enough?”

“Enough, of course, please be patient and wait for my response.”

Murphy stood up, he said to Mannis:

“Of course, you know all those secrets you need to confess to me after the deed is done, I don’t want to hear that the survival of 100,000 people was just a lie.”

“No, it wasn’t, I am a Time Ethnic, I have my own dignity, Murphy, I won’t use a lie to get what I want, but you have to be ready for it.”

Mannis cautioned:

“If you confirm that you are going to save the wretches who are falling into the abyss, that means that the pressure you will have to bear in the black plague that is about to break out will be unprecedented. I think that would crush my poor indentured servants, but how?

The path is chosen by the people themselves, right?”

With that said, in a voice so bizarre that it was completely unlike anything a snake could produce, Mannis’s scent faded from Murphy’s perception, and almost as soon as that contact subsided, the no-man’s-land shimmered with teleportation light.

Tris appeared beside Murphy with a disheveled Raven Rider, but Fuyuki, who was supposed to be back with him, was nowhere to be seen.

“Poor touch you poor lost in the astral realm!”

Tris exclaimed:
“How bad luck must this be? After I improved the teleportation spell, the probability of accidents has dropped to a very low level.”

“Ugh.”

Murphy sighed as he said softly:
“Endless One, help.”

“Of course, I’ve been waiting for you to ask.”

Mannis’ harrumphing voice sounded like a ghost in Murphy’s ears, and as the rift in the star realm quietly opened up, Little Richie, who had already been dumbfounded by the chaotic landscape of the star realm, covered his head and was dropped from mid-air, plopping down on the ground with a plop.

“Next time you ask me for a favor call ‘my lord’, my indentured servant, I’ll be happy if you show proper respect.”

The Endless One replied in a feminine voice, before becoming invisible once more.

“Is that Mannis? Mannis the ‘Endless One’?”

Raven Knight, who would still be rubbing her eyes, was immediately on guard when she sensed Murphy’s aura around her, the Star Realm Dragon devotee subconsciously reaching out to grip her sword, but in her cute bear pajamas she really lacked majesty.

As Murphy and Tris watched, “Pajama Knight” Leaven blushed profusely as she said:

“Why would you associate with such a guy?

That is an arrogant person born in the Star Realm, and in the eyes of many Star Realm Demigods, it is the heir of an unadulterated Evil God, acting wildly without any rules to speak of.

It is even arrogant enough to dare to challenge my god.

Although its provocations were easily suppressed by my god, and it is said that the Endless One was greatly injured in this tragic defeat and escaped by fleeing into the time turbulence of the Star Realm, it is still too dangerous for mortals.

There have always been evil legends about the Endless One in the Ancient East, and it is said that it has formed groups of cult worshippers belonging to it many times in the ancient kingdom of Calum, and then, as in the games and jokes of the evil gods, abandoned those poor people mercilessly as soon as the Dragon Emperor took notice of those evil servants.

Your Excellency the Governor, you must have no further contact with it.

If you need it, I can call upon the power of my god to apply a blessing to you, so that Mannis can no longer be a threat to you.”

“If you had come five minutes earlier, I would have undoubtedly accepted your offer and the blessing from the Star Realm Dragon, but that is no longer possible.”

Murphy sighed and said:

“The Endless One threw out a bait, the bait that I, the ruler, could not pass up, I knew the danger but I had to bite on it, what a cunning man.”

“Murph!”

Tris frowned tightly as she chortled:
“I don’t know what kind of promise Mannis gave you, but I know you’re not a person who will be blinded by power, you shouldn’t lose your mind and make peace with such a dangerous guy, listen to me .”

“Those people in Cadman City who were thrown into the Astral Plane did not die.” Murphy looked at Tris, he said softly with a subtle tone:

“The nature of the disaster we experienced that nearly killed everyone was a Dusk sacrifice to the Subspace Shadows to create something called the ‘Burning Demon Soldier’, and the Dusk’s ruse succeeded by a large margin.

But there were still a hundred thousand people who weren’t corrupted, and Mannis told me it could help us get them back.”

“O Mother of Midnight above!”

Tris was shocked by the news, but more shock was yet to come.

After hearing Murphy say that the Bleeding Fear Clan’s hocus-pocus two hundred years ago had also shaped an army of three hundred thousand Burning Demon Soldiers who were currently hidden in some otherworldly abyss but were ready to rejoin the material world, the Scarlet Witch’s entire being was not well.

“You see, it’s too late to run now, Mannis’s appearance was a pleasant surprise that told us of the other side’s scheming as well as the plans of the arrows.”

Murphy reached out and took Tris’ cold hand in his as he whispered:

“The dusk hidden in the shadows has already put the gun against our head, now the only thing left to resist is to have the last chance of survival, I will tell Venerable Lord Paying this news at the right time, I believe that Venerable Lord who has been fighting with subspace for a thousand years should have been prepared for this.

But Mannis’ appearance at this moment is not a bad thing, we can do our best to save the bad situation, even if it’s just to break the balance back a little bit.

I have decided to accept Mannis’ request to become my Astral Realm Guardian.

But don’t worry.

I already have a way to minimize that effect.”

“How do you plan to do that?”

Tris looked to Murphy, who shrugged and said:

“Mannis may be like a cunning devil, but I have a ‘devil’s advocate’ right here beside me, and Lord Raven has been thriving in the hallowed halls of Avalon long enough, hopefully that part of his pedigree as a lawyer is still intact.”

“Ding.”

At the same moment, Crow, who was acting like a sincere believer and cleaning up in the Avalon’s sanctuary, heard the buzzing of the arithmetic bead, and he was surprised when he looked down at his character interface, and found that a hidden quest called “Make the best use of what you have” had been activated.

His Excellency Murphy, the local governor, had invited him to the Blood Vulture Corridor and offered him a rather good reward.

“Well, interesting.”

With a humble smile, the raven leaned down to bid farewell to the icon of Avalon behind him, and left the sanctuary again with a graceful and proper stride as the young priests and nuns gazed adoringly from the sanctuary.

From his appearance alone, anyone would think that this elegant man was a sincere believer.

But only a few knew that this guy was an abominable unbeliever.

Not only was he a faithless man, but he also held important positions in the present-day Avalon Church and Adventurer’s Guild as a faithless man, and even more frighteningly, many sincere believers regarded him as a person of Avalon’s blessing and were willing to obey the raven’s instructions to act.

That’s scary, brother.

“Where are you going?”

The heavily armed demon hunter girl asked as Natalie, who was leading her warhorse back to the Sanctuary, crossed paths with Raven just as he mounted an old horse and left the camp:
“Is this the time when you finally can’t take the rebuke from my god and plan to flee this place of faith with your tail between your legs? You faithless one.”

“No, no, no, I was simply called and I must answer.”

Raven said in a gentle tone as he saluted Miss Natalie from his horse:

“The revisions to the Avalon canon are not yet complete, and the church reforms are only just beginning, the young monks need my guidance to know right from wrong, and to reshape their understanding of the proper relationship between gods and men.

As Father Eugene’s most capable assistant, my mission here is only just beginning.

I know you have a problem with me, Ms. Natalie.

But please don’t doubt my desire to help you, and besides, you’ve already missed two counseling sessions, and I don’t know why you’re resisting a therapy that has served you so well, but I do hope that you’ll be in my tent on time this evening.

I must ensure that the head of the Church of Avalon does not have a psychic vulnerability that can be exploited.”

“You’re just prying into my past! I loathe you!”

Natalie whispered:

“You’re trying to drag me from my sincerity to Avalon into the abyss, into being as faithless as you are! You’re a villain, the worst guy I’ve ever seen in the first half of my life!”

“What’s wrong with being like me? You have to detach yourself from faith if you want to see it for what it is; you can never see the mountains from the clouds, and when you understand the meaning of faith’s existence, you will become a true earthly messenger of Avalon.”

Raven asked softly:

“Look at what your faith has done to you, a thousand holes in your heart that need to be filled, and you have never been able to let go of the sin of ‘patricide’.

Even if you had nothing to do with the death of the old Lord Finok.

Lady Natalie, be obedient.

You need to heal!
Otherwise you will go down a path that Avalon does not want you to go down, and you will be facing an enemy that is very good at breaking you down on a psychic level, and your psychic armament is still horribly flawed.

I’ll meet you in the tent at 8:30 tonight.

If you do not come, I will persuade Lord Eugene to bind you here, and know that many people care about you and you should not let them down.

That’s all.

There’s no need to be hostile; you and I are just patient and doctor; you need help and I offer it, that’s all.”

After saying that, Raven smiled, pulled up the reins of his horse, and galloped off in the direction of the Blood Vulture Cloister.

Behind him, the Demon Huntress clenched her fists.

She gritted her teeth as she looked at this exotic bastard in front of her, if only she could be better in the field of Scripture Discernment . Damn it! One should never have put all their talent points in Force and Detection.

Ten minutes later, Raven knocked on the door of Murphy’s office, this was the first time he had faced His Excellency the Governor alone, and had several sets of tactics to show a little bit of respect for the mainline NPCs in order to brush up his favor, but it turned out that Murphy’s side of the door opened up and said to him:
“Your Excellency Raven, I know that you are familiar with the code in your world and are very proficient in deeds and contracts, therefore, I need you to draw up a deed for me.”

“Oh?”

Raven blinked in surprise and said:

“May I ask what kind of contract? Personally, I’m only good at the criminal code, and my understanding of the commercial code isn’t exactly outstanding.”

“In words you can understand.”

Murphy sat in his office chair, his hands interlocked and propped up his chin as he looked at the raven in front of him and said:
“A contract with the devil!
I have to ensure that I seize more initiative with close cooperation, of course, this is a contract of equality, so I need you to give me as much power as possible to move freely without interference while maintaining fairness.

Can you do that?”

“Oh, what you need is not a contract, but a disclaimer.”

Raven smiled imploringly as he said:
“It is against my professional ethics to produce a contract that offends the concept of law in such a way, His Excellency the Governor, so I…”

“Avalon is watching you.”

Murphy said softly:
“I can sense that the God of Nature is angry with you for running amok on His holy ground, trying to turn a faith-based organization into a dynamic group with a purpose by deconstructing the relationship between God and man.

You’re trying to replace the original system of the Avalon believers with a set of ideas centered on ‘fair exchange’.

You are attempting to release the flock of the gods into the wilderness, so that they will no longer live for faith but for their chosen beliefs.

That’s really bold.

If you weren’t in Transylvania, you’d probably already be tied to the stake.

You see, Lord Raven, I’m not asking you to violate your professional ethics, I’m simply asking you to protect my precarious soul to the fullest extent possible in the deed I will perform.

You are a lawyer in your world.

I have learned about your culture, and isn’t it the job of a lawyer to protect the weak?

You know, before he died, old Finnock entrusted me with his daughter, and for what you’re doing to Ms. Natalie right now, I have every reason to banish you from Transylvania.

But I know that you are only helping her in your own way, and that you mean no harm.

So please help me, too, as a vampire in need.”

(End of chapter)