Chapter 772: The Spirit Contract
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Han Sen and Zhou Yumei began crossing the mountain, and not long after, they stumbled across another human. Zhou Yumei almost leapt for joy.
"Bad guy! You can’t threaten me anymore," Zhou Yumei said to Han Sen in a mocking tone, after asking the fellow if there were any shelters around. She then bounced up and down in childish glee.
"Once we arrive, prepare the sum of money you owe me. I have the stack of IOUs here, sealed and signed. Don’t even think about trying to duck and dodge your way out of paying me," Han Sen coldly said.
"Hum." Zhou Yumei stuck out her tongue at Han Sen and turned in a huff to walk in the direction of the shelter.
"You’re just walking off like that?" Han Sen stopped Zhou Yumei.
"Well, what else can I do?" Zhou Yumei asked, with apparent confusion.
"You can go, but if you keep Little Orange in a shelter, aren’t you afraid of others seeking to kill him?" Han Sen said.
"What is there for me to worry about? Even I know nothing can compete with Little Orange," Zhou Yumei said, as she proudly patted Little Orange’s head.
"You’re suggesting you will allow Little Orange to go around murdering people in the shelter?" Han Sen asked.
Zhou Yumei frowned and said, "Well, what else am I supposed to do?"
"I can establish a camp here, and you can allow Little Orange to remain." Han Sen retrieved his tent from the packs lining Golden Growler, and erected it. After setting it up, Han Sen told Little Orange, the silver fox, and the little fairy to stay inside. All those who could not be teleported would remain.
Then he summoned Steel Prince and commanded that he stay behind to guard the camp, as well. If anyone drew near, the Steel Prince could parley with them to prevent their approach.
If people would not heed what the spirit told them, what happened next was not something Han Sen could be held accountable for. If someone had a death wish, then that was on them.
After setting up everything, Han Sen led Zhou Yumei to the human shelter.
It was only a small knight shelter of little renown, but they were told that a few hundred miles past it rested another shelter that was grand in size. That one was a royal shelter. It undoubtedly served as a hub for countless other humans.
Han Sen and Zhou Yumei were in a rush to get there. Without stopping anyone else for information, they journeyed to the shelter as quickly as they could, so they could teleport back to the Alliance.
When he returned, Han Sen called Ji Yanran to inform her that he had been safe in his absence. They talked for a while, and during their discussion, Han Sen made sure to ask about the Third God’s Sanctuary.
"Wait for me in your room; I’ll bring Annie along with me. This is not an appropriate subject to be discussed on a communicator." Ji Yanran then hung up.
Not long after, Ji Yanran visited Han Sen’s room with Annie in tow.
After Han Sen greeted them at the entry, and had them take a seat, Ji Yanran turned to speak to Annie. "Annie, tell Han Sen about the situation in the Third God’s Sanctuary."
Annie looked at Han Sen and with a muddled expression, said, "The reason why the Alliance prevents surpassers from discussing the Third God’s Sanctuary is because we are the lowest tier of the Third God’s Sanctuary inhabitants. The real masters of the Third God’s Sanctuary are spirits, and they rule the place."
"No way. Shouldn’t there be a million human surpassers living there?" Han Sen was shocked at this revelation.
"There are a million, yes. But they are lost and scattered across the Third God’s Sanctuary. Encountering another human is rare, and you’d be fortunate to encounter just one in a journey that spans the distance between ten shelters. If you ascended to enter the Third God’s Sanctuary, and ended up arriving at a human shelter, it would be like winning the lottery." Annie explained the situation emotionlessly.
"That’s pretty grim," Han Sen said with a wry smile.
Annie suddenly gave a complicated smile and said, "Grim? You think that’s grim? That’s not the half of it! When humans enter the Third God’s Sanctuary, they are all sent to a shelter. If they don’t end up at a human shelter, you know where they end up, don’t you?"
"Spirit shelters? How is that possible?" Han Sen’s eyes opened wide, unable to comprehend what such a scene might look like.
In the Third God’s Sanctuary, even ordinary creatures could be Celestial Beings, and even the lowest tier of spirit shelters would be packed to the gills with spirits and creatures. Any human who arrived in the Third God’s Sanctuary to be greeted by such horror would be doomed. It would be impossible for them to resist such power.
"No wonder so many people choose not to move to the Third God’s Sanctuary, then. Going there sounds very much like a death sentence. The million evolvers surviving there must be fiercely strong." Han Sen had a wry smile.
"Strong? Again, I must tell you that you are wrong. They bring shame to the human race," Annie coldly said.
"Why? What is the issue?" Han Sen was too lazy to think about what she was implying, so he asked her to spell it all out.
"Eking out a living for yourself in the Third God’s Sanctuary can only be done in three different ways. First, you might end up being sent to a bottom-tier spirit shelter. Spirits and creatures roam there, but if you can escape, then you live. Secondly, you can be sent to a human shelter and be safe from the get-go."
Annie stopped for a moment, but then continued by saying, "As tough as the first option may be, the second one is by no means easy to achieve. Human shelters are a rarity. Compared to the countless spirit shelters, the number humans own is very small. It is rare to end up at ordinary spirit shelters too, due to most having been destroyed by competing spirits. When conquered, they aren’t taken over. They are put into ruin and left like so. Inferior shelters are quickly overcome by greater ones."
"You mentioned three different possibilities." Han Sen frowned, understanding the third had to be the most important.
"Yes, there is one other option. And that is to concede to the rule of spirits. You can sign a contract with them, pledging allegiance and fealty to their rule. A forfeiture of your life, as it were," Annie calmly said. Han Sen’s reaction, however, was anything but. He was aghast.
That was why the Alliance didn’t make the situation there known to others. In the Third God’s Sanctuary, humans are made slaves, more often than not.
"All I can assuredly tell you is, if you do end up at a bottom-tier spirit shelter, then congratulations. You’ll most likely live. They are interracial, and if you do sign a contract with those, you will be treated as a fair member of their society. Only if it was a higher-class shelter might you be offered a contract to submit yourself to slavery. And if you cannot provide the resources they task you with obtaining or that they first desire upon your arrival, then you may not even be granted the mercy of being their thrall. They will slay you without hesitation."
Annie didn’t talk anymore, but Han Sen was beginning to get a fair grasp on the complexity of the situation in the Third God’s Sanctuary.
Through this discussion, one thing was clarified for Han Sen, though. When that spirit brought the rhino to the Third God’s Sanctuary, it must have espied the power within Han Sen and thus marked him. In the future, it would most likely bring Han Sen with it, also.
Of course, it was only a mark. It wasn’t as if a genuine contract had been signed. Contracts were only signed if both parties agreed.
"I wonder what class that spirit is? If it can come over to the Second God’s Sanctuary and give the rhino a lift home with it, its level cannot be that low," Han Sen thought deeply, not wanting to become the slave of some spirit.
"Still, signing a contract with a spirit is not all bad. There may be benefits to such a thing," Ji Yanran said.
"What benefits would there be?" Han Sen asked with surprise.