Chương 119: Chapter 124: A Matter of Race

"Ah. How are you finding this fine town, human Elias? I sincerely hope you have managed to acclimatize well. You have made some friends too, I hear." The mountain of an alien in front of me didn't move a muscle, and his voice remained cordial, but his sheer presence was enough to convey his feelings.

"Yes, we made some friends, and in times like these, friends are a valuable resource, especially when they are so forthcoming."

"Good to hear. Very good indeed," he said with the same cordial tone. His aura, though, pressed against my body. He was displeased, to use a euphemism. But if I could hide my own presence before, now with my upgraded trait it was even easier. I felt like I could even fake my emotions through it if I tried. Here, it wasn't necessary.

"I couldn't help but notice how none of your people, you included, accepted our generous offer." I still couldn't tell if the man was truly dense or simply pretending, and his aura wasn't helping me decide. Either way, I doubted he wanted me to speak my mind. I had nothing polite to say.

"Actually, if I'm being honest, that contract is absolutely horrible, and you know it." His expression froze in that artificial smile before shifting into a knowing smirk.

"And what are you going to do about it, human Elias?" he asked. His words sounded more like boulders grinding together than anything a throat should produce.

"Well, it was my intention to come to you, Chief, to stipulate another contract." That got his attention.

"You alone? I'm afraid you are not worth it." So we were dropping pretenses. Fine. I unleashed my aura inside the room. It pushed back his for a moment before he tried to crush mine again, and easily at that. I had no doubt he was much stronger than me, but in a contest of aura, I had a clear advantage. I manifested my aura physically. It swirled around me in currents and eddies, flowing through my body and into my eyes. I stared at him directly as I pushed his aura back.

He couldn't resist it in that form, but I could feel his presence eroding mine. It was strange. Not even Vix's aura had that effect on me. It didn't matter. I retracted my aura a moment later. The room fell into a strange silence. The clash had made no sound, but it had been felt on a level deeper than simple senses. Now its absence left something hollow behind.

"I see. It appears we can talk business after all," he chuckled.

"Finally, one of you humans shows a bit of spine. Speak. What do you want?" I put on my best performance. I had to sell this.

"I want control."

"Control… no one truly has control. We are all slaves to fate."

"True. But I want as much control as I can get. I see the truth in your words from before. Humans won't be able to face what's coming. Most are lazy, weak, and useless. Sheep, meant to be guided and herded."

"But not you?" he asked, a hint of mockery in his tone.

"Not me. I am not a sheep. I'm a shepherd."

"I am not here to listen to your boasting. Speak plainly. You have some value. If what you propose is reasonable, we can reach an agreement." He already knew where I was going, but he still wanted me to undersell myself. Not happening. I had spent two days buried in contracts. I knew my worth in this situation.

"I want a contract. Protection, information, guidance. Everything. The full package. And I want my people to be offered the same, but under my authority."

"That is not possible." My heart skipped a beat.

"I cannot extend such a contract to those who have already signed, but we can discuss terms for the others." For a moment, I thought he would refuse entirely. This was acceptable. Expected, even. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Those who signed are weak, low level, and in need of discipline. All they do is waste time and complain. You are not using them properly. You are losing value at the worst possible moment. The tutorial must be exploited fully. But I understand humans. I know how to handle them. Not only that, my team, the combat classes, are strong, and they follow me. They are already open to signing if the conditions improve. They are not fools, and they are not powerless either.

If your offer isn't good enough, we will simply look elsewhere. You are not the only option."

"Mmm. So you want better terms, and authority over your fellows. Special treatment for yourself and your group. That can be arranged. But as I said, those already bound cannot be reassigned. Some bureaucratic complications. However, any new signatories would fall under your division. Do your best to recruit." I made a show of irritation, as if the limitation genuinely bothered me. A stack of papers appeared on the desk before him.

"Let's not pretend. You have value, human, but you are not irreplaceable. We can find terms that suit us both. Review this contract. It is standard, but intended for a higher… echelon." I stepped forward. The desk reached my chest, but I flipped through the pages quickly, giving it a cursory read. He was right. Standard. But not good enough.

"You know this isn't what I had in mind. There isn't even a clause covering compensation for limb loss. Don't insult my intelligence. I may be insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but I don't intend to remain that way. And I see nothing formalizing my authority over others. I want that clearly stated." He nodded once, and the papers vanished.

"This version should be more suitable. Do not push further. The next tier is beyond you, though we can adjust details." I skimmed it again. Much better. The section about forming a new division was there, but it still needed a slight adjustment for my plan.

"Terran Development and Acquisition Division?"

"TDAD," he said. The acronym rolled smoothly despite his gravelly voice.

"Fine," I said reluctantly.

"But I want to work exclusively with humans."

"Not fond of other races? The multiverse is vast. You may regret such a limitation." I grimaced.

"No. I won't. Add it." The contract shifted instantly, a new clause forming in place. I reviewed everything again. The necessary articles for my plan were there. For good measure, I pushed for additional benefits for myself. In the end, I secured a contract I would not have minded signing under different circumstances. Then we drafted a second, less favorable version for the others. It took less time than expected. The structure was fixed. Only parameters could change, not the underlying framework.

Exactly what I had anticipated. Now came the real challenge.

"I respect you about fifty percent more now, human," Bikrmorr said. So still zero.

"Good to know. I'm sure our cooperation will prove very fruitful," I replied. For me. I reviewed everything one last time, then signed. The moment I did, a sensation wrapped around me. Like an invisible chain tightening. I hated it. Another restriction. As if my curse wasn't enough. It wouldn't last long. No need to grow accustomed to it. Better to hate it. To remember it.

"It is done," the Chief said.

"Begin your recruitment. In a few days, there will be an opportunity. Prepare." I straightened slightly.

"Of course. I will begin immediately. A pleasure doing business."

"Likewise, human Elias." I left the room. The door closed behind me on its own. I stepped outside and took a deep breath. The hardest part was over. Now came execution. Talking to people. Convincing them. And then breaking the contract. I found my group. Many were skeptical, but they trusted me enough to sign. It was necessary.

"Man, I really hope you know what you're doing… this feeling is awful. You feel it too, right? It's not just me?" Quinn asked after signing.

"I feel it. It's not something I would recommend. Trust me, by tomorrow we'll be rid of it." I turned to Rhea.

"From what Chloe and I found, it's a form of soul enforcement triggered by the System witnessing the contract. It's borderline illegal to force Tutorial participants into these agreements. Don't expect this to be common. But that same mechanism will allow us to break it. A double-edged sword." She gave me a look of realization. The similarity to her ritual was obvious, but this wasn't the place to discuss it.

"I really hope so…" Tom muttered.

"I'm certain. We could even break it now, but the key is this. Do not accept anything from the aliens. Not even food. That is critical."

"Why? Doesn't the contract guarantee support and equipment?" Melissa asked, then paused.

"Oh… I get it now."

"What? I don't get anything. This whole contract is a mess!" Quinn snapped.

"We'll use their failure to provide promised support to trigger a breach," Chloe explained.

"On its own, it won't be enough, but it strengthens our case." Exactly.

"Alright, everyone. Gather people in the common room. We move to the next step. No delays." It took longer than expected, but eventually everyone gathered. The room was packed. Not enough chairs. Some stood, others sat on tables. I stood at the front with Tom and Chloe. Many faces were tense. Some hopeful. In this case, we were their solution. Though not everyone would like it.

"Everyone," I began, raising my voice just enough. Within moments, the room quieted.

"My name is Elias Mercer. Before the tutorial, I was a lawyer. Over the past days, Chloe and I have been working on a way to free you from the contract you signed." They leaned in.

"We found a solution." Murmurs erupted.

"Impossible! I read that contract!" a woman shouted.

"How do we get out?" someone else demanded. I raised a hand for silence.

"The process is complex. The contract is extremely restrictive. Under normal circumstances, escape would be impossible. But due to the nature of the Tutorial and the System shop, we have a unique opportunity." Now I had their full attention.

"For this plan to work, certain conditions must be met. The first was the creation of a subsidiary division. That part is already handled." Now came the moment of truth.

"What is required of you…" I let the pause stretch.

"…is to change race."