Chapter 144: The Awakened Pawn

Chapter 144: The Awakened Pawn

"Work for me for twenty years, and we can sign a contract, just like the employment contracts at the Dragon Factory. When the contract expires, we can part ways or renew it as you wish."

Yu Sheng'an tempted him.

Twenty years was neither long nor short for a Saint Magus's lifespan—a cost entirely bearable, even lenient.

For Yu Sheng'an, twenty years was merely a pretense. Once someone boarded his ship, he didn’t believe they would ever want to disembark.

Because he was generous!

Because he understood the meaning of mutual benefit.

"Twenty years? Are you serious?" Darnell asked, half-doubting.

"Of course."

"Dare I ask, sir, what is the basis for your claim of 'increasing my breakthrough probability by another thirty percent'?"

"Source Essence! Is one million standard units of Source Essence enough?"

Darnell's pupils dilated sharply.

Of course. Ajef was a follower of the Internet God—how could he lack resources like Source Essence?

With an ocean of Source Essence as support, not only would his soul's quality and strength improve, but his mastery over magic would also rise accordingly.

The probability of breaking through to the Saint Magus realm would indeed increase by thirty percent!

"Deal!"

Darnell gritted his teeth and agreed.

This one’s quite decisive… Yu Sheng'an mused inwardly. With a wave of his hand, he conjured an employment contract.

Darnell scrutinized the contract carefully, ensuring there were no hidden traps in the wording before solemnly signing it with his Soul Power.

As his signature settled, the employment contract transformed into three streaks of light.

Two vanished into the bodies of the parties involved, while the third disappeared into the Void, returning to Yu Sheng'an's true Godhood.

"I’ve added your account. The Light Magic knowledge and Source Essence will be sent to you shortly! Work hard—I have high hopes for you!"

Yu Sheng'an patted Darnell’s shoulder with an air of paternalistic encouragement, then turned and walked away.

"Wait… how do you know my Soul ID?"

"Of course I do."

Darnell, dumbfounded, was about to ask how the Source Essence would be delivered when—

"Ding-dong!"

A faint chime rang in his ears.

It was a notification from the Internet Social Platform.

He opened the internet in astonishment, only to find that a new contact—Ajef—had somehow appeared in his contacts list.

At that moment, Ajef had just sent him a file.

Darnell opened it and skimmed through it, his pupils dilating once more.

The file contained a vast trove of Light Magic knowledge.

At the same time, a surge of Source Essence suddenly reversed its flow from the Internet Divine Technique, pouring ceaselessly into his aged and withered body, nourishing his soul.

For a moment, even the battle-hardened Darnell couldn’t suppress the trembling that wracked his body.

The Saint Magus realm was within reach!

The Saint Magus realm was truly within reach!

……

……

While Darnell was exhilarated by the imminent Saint Magus breakthrough, in an inconspicuous territory within the Kaman Union, Baron Badma’s pupils also dilated as he glimpsed hope for expanding his domain.

"You’re telling the truth? Someone is really willing to deliver goods here?"

Baron Badma stared at the warlock before him, his expression a mix of shock and a flicker of deep-seated suspicion.

"Of course, Baron Badma!"

The figure shrouded in black robes, Raymond, rasped hoarsely.

The warlock in Baron Badma’s eyes was none other than Raymond, the sole member of the Redemption Corps, casually established by Yu Sheng'an.

Raymond had become a warlock!

At least, that was how others saw him.

After summoning demonic figures to slaughter the village that had sentenced him and his companions to death by fire, he had fled deep into the Kaman Union.

The Kaman Union, ruled by fragmented noble factions, was an extremely isolated place.

Alone, he faced countless threats along the way.

Slave hunters, merchant caravans, bandits, mercenaries, even private armies of nobles—countless groups sought to capture him.

There was no reason.

Or rather, these groups could shift identities at any moment, becoming something else entirely.

To survive, he had no choice but to repeatedly commune with demons, summoning them to fight.

Gradually, he drew the attention of mages and even nobles.

Amid relentless pursuit, he bartered "internet secrets" to stay alive.

In the end, Baron Badma recruited him.

Baron Badma’s territory was barren, and he was forced to pay tribute to a greater lord for protection, leaving his subjects in dire poverty. Rebellions and desertions to banditry were common.

The baron’s goal in recruiting him was simple: to use his power to eradicate the bandits in his lands and intimidate his people.

Raymond was exhausted from running.

He also needed time to recuperate.

So he agreed to Badma’s offer.

Soon, he demonstrated a power that both thrilled and unnerved the baron.

With an undead demon squad at his command, the bandits in Badma’s territory crumbled like clay dogs before a storm.

Alone, he was like an army, wiping out every last bandit in mere days.

Not just scattering them—they were truly gone, never to regroup.

As the heads rolled, Baron Badma felt both delight and regret.

Inviting a god was easy; sending one away was hard.

What if this man refused to leave his territory and made outrageous demands?

To his surprise, Raymond’s calm demeanor in the following days gradually eased the baron’s worries.

Raymond behaved like a traditional mage, holed up in his private residence, studying magic.

It was then that Badma learned of the internet’s existence.

For a time, he was thrilled.

But soon, frustration set in.

The internet did share knowledge and magic, but mastering either Battle Aura or magic was no overnight feat.

For commoners, the knowledge was merely a means to fill their bellies—their expectations were low, and their goals easily met.

But he was different. He was a noble lord.

His ambitions were greater power and vaster lands.

If possible, he even dreamed of a ducal title, elevating his territory to a grand duchy!

So the benefits of the internet fell far short of his appetite.

However, the internet still brought significant changes to his territory.

Through the internet, he acquired a set of basic magic and battle aura knowledge, quickly training a group of guards loyal to him.

Although these guards weren’t particularly strong—many could only cast a small fireball—it was still awe-inspiring enough for their limited understanding. The promise of further knowledge made them grateful to the point of tears, swearing to follow him to the death.

It was more than sufficient to intimidate the lowly peasants.

Additionally, he broadened his horizons, learning much about governance. By balancing firmness and leniency, the frequency of peasant defections dropped sharply.

If his territory weren’t so far from the Keville Empire, with its high transaction costs, he could even purchase cheap grain from the empire to strengthen his private army.

Unfortunately, too many constraints held him back.

Especially recently, when the internet’s Conquest of Subdomains opened the Kazad-dûm dungeon, even allowing the exchange for Source Essence, sending him into ecstasy.

He could almost see a brand-new path before him.

He could use his forces to form a mercenary group in Conquest, plundering wealth or exchanging for Source Essence.

Though this would risk exposing the internet’s secrets, the lure of profit made him grit his teeth and proceed.

As it turned out, the Internet God was indeed generous.

He exchanged for a considerable amount of Source Essence, which elevated the quality of his soul and noticeably improved his magic-learning efficiency.

The only frustration was that the wealth he plundered in Kazad-dûm couldn’t be withdrawn.

Because his territory—no, even the entire Kaman Union—lacked Interconnected Bank branches.

He could only watch helplessly as the wealth in his private account grew, utterly useless.

It was then that Raymond suddenly approached him, offering to help Baron Badma spend the money in his Interconnected Bank account.

"Who are these merchants? I want to speak with them personally," Baron Badma said sternly, still distrustful of Raymond.

"No problem. In fact, you and the leader of this merchant group are old acquaintances."

"Old acquaintances? Who?"

"Mr. Tony."

As Raymond spoke, a flicker of complexity flashed in his eyes.

He, a despicable heretic yet a sinner saved by the gods, had finally been remembered by divinity once more.

No—the great Internet God would never spare a thought for His lowliest believers.

But someone remembered him!

A few days ago, Lord Ajef had suddenly contacted him, assigning him a secret mission to expand Kaman Union’s commercial network.

He didn’t know what deeper meaning lay behind this task, which clearly benefited the Union’s nobles, great and small.

But he knew his time to prove his loyalty had come.