Chapter 270 — Deal

In the end, after the Slave Lord showed surprising insistence, seemingly unwilling to leave otherwise, Liora was forced to listen to her words.

After she signaled Alpha to take a step back and stand on the side, she perked up her ears and listened to what this True Devil had to say.

"I understand that it’s impossible for us to trust each other, especially after what happened earlier today."

"But this does not mean that we can’t form a temporary alliance. We can always sign a Devil Contract to ensure that neither of us suffers any harm.", the Slave Lord said.

As if she were afraid that Liora would still disagree, she immediately followed this up.

"In fact, it’s been a while since I discovered the Hollow."

"For the past months, I have been looking for people to come with me and explore it."

"Although I can invite the other Lords of Bloodflower City, the disagreements between us and their general strength make it impossible for me to trust them."

Saying this, the Slave Lord paused before she continued:

"I was originally planning to wait until I found a suitable candidate. However, since I happened to witness Your Excellency’s power, and considering your fit with the Hollow, I took the initiative to extend an invitation."

Her words seemed outlandish at first, but made sense upon further thought.

Liora understood that although Hollows were considered treasure troves, this didn’t mean that they came with no danger.

Since they were an entirely different demi-plane, various dangers lurked inside.

Some of these threats stemmed from the demi-plane itself and its potentially dangerous environment, while others came from the powerful creatures born within the Hollow, which targeted anyone who dared to step inside.

As such, the reason that the Slave Lord came to Liora might indeed be what she said.

She perhaps noticed Liora’s powerful strength and her affinity to fire elements during the earlier fight, and decided to give it a try.

Unfortunately, although everything made sense and there were no obvious loopholes, Liora was still unwilling.

Even if there was a Devil Contract as a guarantee and a basis of trust between them, this didn’t mean that the two could fully trust each other.

The two times that Liora had signed a contract in the past were clear evidence of this.

In the end, she had ended up being "betrayed" both times. Once from Lord Embers and once from Duke Dandelion.

Liora did not need to voice her thoughts aloud. The Slave Lord quickly noticed her hesitation and guessed what Liora was thinking.

After a brief pause, she gritted her teeth and put forward another, more stringent condition.

"I’m willing to give up everything we find in the Hollow to Your Excellency. I only want a single item from that demi-plane."

As if she sensed that she seemed too desperate, the Slave Lord took a deep breath and added:

"In fact, I’ve noticed that there is something extremely beneficial to me inside the Hollow. I can sense that my bloodline will transform as long as I obtain that item."

"At that time, not only will my strength improve massively, but it will also be far easier to become a Greater Devil in the future."

Listening to her explanation, Liora remained noncommittal.

It was impossible to say whether she really believed the Slave Lord’s words.

Regardless, the desperate behavior she displayed made her subconsciously narrow her eyes, as a suspicion couldn’t help but form in her mind.

After a few seconds of deep thought, Liora raised her head and looked at the Slave Lord opposite her.

"I can help you venture into the Hollow. However, the Devil Contract still needs to be signed.", she said.

"Moreover, besides the common contract clauses such as not attacking and scheming against each other, there are also several other things that need to be added."

Her agreement, though not absolute, made the Slave Lord quite happy.

She breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed, as if the heavy weight weighing on her shoulders had been taken off.

Then, together with Liora, the two began drafting up a Devil Contract that suited their respective needs.

Several clauses were added, some common ones like preventing the two parties from attacking each other during the trip, and others, less obvious, like the distribution of what they gained inside the Hollow.

Since the two were True Devils and possessed ample experience in creating contracts, it didn’t take long for the Devil Contract to take form.

As the parchment packed with Devil Runes and text floated in front of her, Liora stretched her hand and pressed her palm onto its bottom.

Following a faint crimson light, she pushed it towards the Slave Lord, who did the same.

With another, this time much brighter crimson light, the Devil Contract was soon established. A connection was formed between them, binding them together and forcing them to perform their respective obligations.

Having achieved her purpose, the Slave Lord did not stay here for long.

After the two agreed on a time and place to meet, she got up and hurriedly left, claiming that she was going to prepare herself for the trip to the Hollow.

Soon, only Liora remained in the inn’s room, as Alpha followed the guest out.

Part of Liora’s mind stayed on the earlier conversation, while another part hatched various plans.

"An unexpected invitation to visit a Hollow together...", she whispered and glanced towards the sky before she shook her head.

It was obvious that there was something wrong with this trip.

Liora knew it, and perhaps even the Slave Lord knew that she already knew it.

However, the Slave Lord pretended not to notice while Liora still agreed.

Not because she had lost her mind, but because she was quite confident in her own strength and means.

"After digesting the cores of the Fire Elementals and the World Origin, my strength is bound to undergo another transformation."

"At that point, my strength should allow me to escape from the hands of a Greater Devil, if not fight against them evenly.", she analyzed.