Yu Xiaoxiao walked in the still space.
She bent down, crawled out from under a rock, and accidentally stepped on a book, which was hard and hurt her foot.
No direction, no guidance, no sound.
It was as if she was completely isolated from the outside world.
Except for the contract book in her arms, Yu Xiaoxiao couldn't be sure what was real.
She walked for a long time.
Until her mouth was dry, she found a ruin to sit on.
The girl opened the magic book in front of her and looked at the words, which seemed to be vague. If there was a force pulling her in the dark, then what was happening in front of her was not terrifying.
She always felt that this matter was related to the book in her arms.
"Grelion..."
Yu Xiaoxiao quietly pronounced the name.
The magic book kept wriggling as if responding. However, it was limited to that.
The girl patted the book cover and said, "Be good."
Hmm.
The magic book started to play dead.
Rest for a moment.
Yu Xiaoxiao continued to explore in this void world. This time, she found a slightly flashing place.
In the midst of chaos, the bookshelf stood tall, seemingly foreshadowing something.
The girl walked quickly.
At the far right of the bookshelf, there was a hidden door.
Due to previous commotion, the door was only half intact. As Yu Xiaoxiao approached, she stepped on an iron chain.
She took a half step back and looked inside.
It was more like a dungeon than a bookshelf. She saw a massive creature locked inside, with long, dark blue fur and ancient-looking black iron armor.
Yu Xiaoxiao stared at it intently.
Is it still alive?
Or...has it become a corpse?
She saw the unknown creature chained up, and thought of the name she had read in the contract.
"Hasa?"
On the third page of the book was the contract between the beastman "Hasa" and Grelion.
Before the situation occurred, Yu Xiaoxiao had also recited the name. The locked beast finally reacted, its body moved slightly, and the iron chains made a piercing sound.
The magic book had reacted.
Yu Xiaoxiao wanted to turn to the third page, but the book seemed stuck and wouldn't open no matter what.
"Let me see," she said in a low voice.
The magic book was resisting.
It didn't want her to open it.
Yu Xiaoxiao picked up a stone from the ground and placed it on the book's cover, saying, "If you don't let me see, I'll scratch that pretty face of yours."
The magic book wasn't afraid at all.
After all, it was a divine-grade magic book that had existed for seventeen thousand years!
Unless...
Yu Xiaoxiao added, "Tomorrow I will go ask Lord Roko to teach me the incantation for fire magic."
Not afraid of a scratch, but scared of being burned, right?
Even the indestructible body couldn't withstand the flames of a great archmage.
Reluctantly, the contract book opened.
Yu Xiaoxiao turned to the third page, where the text seemed freshly inscribed and incredibly clear.
At that moment, she could feel a gaze from the front.
She slowly raised her head and saw the locked beast staring at her fiercely.
Although its fur was long and almost covered its face, Yu Xiaoxiao could still barely make out that it was a giant wolf.
The difference was that this wolf was a beast-man and walked on two legs.
It seemed that he was the one responsible for the state of the library. Yu Xiaoxiao asked, "Did you bring me here?"
The newly awakened beast saw a delicious human standing in front of it.
Its stomach growled.
Yu Xiaoxiao: "..."
She cautiously stepped back while holding the magic book.
It seemed that it had been locked up for a long time, and with the iron chains, it shouldn't be able to break free, right?
The giant wolf moved its paw, but the iron chains held it tightly.
It was very tall, at least three meters, standing in front of Yu Xiaoxiao like a building. Its dark blue fur was covered in dust, its sharp eyes fixed firmly on its "prey."
Saliva gradually dripped from its mouth.
Yu Xiaoxiao's heart skipped a beat. She promptly closed the magic book and said, "Sorry for the intrusion."
She excused herself.
So, why did she come to the library after all? This old book was truly ominous. She should ask Lord Roko for the incantation of fire magic, learn it, and then burn it!
The magic book became increasingly heavy, as if it really didn't want the girl to leave.
The giant wolf's gaze also grew darker. If it weren't for the iron chains, it might have already pounced on the girl and devoured her!
The golden text on the contract book blinked intensely, causing Yu Xiaoxiao's eyes to ache.
"What do you want to say?" she asked.
The golden letters were in chaos, rearranging in the air multiple times, but all ending up shattered.
With the giant wolf unable to break free from the iron chains, Yu XiaoXiao decided to wait here in peace.
Finally, the letters formed a sentence in ancient As language—
【Release the seal, forge the covenant anew.】
"..." Yu XiaoXiao raised her right hand slightly, pointing her index finger at her own nose, "Forge the covenant anew, me?"
The magic book wavered slightly.
It was just a book, unable to make specific movements like other living beings.
Whether happy, angry, agreeable, or disagreeable, all it could do was twist its petite waist.
Yu XiaoXiao waved her hand repeatedly.
"No, I can't do it."
This giant wolf wanted to eat her, so if she didn't leave the library immediately, she might not survive if it really broke free from the iron chains.
The magic book wavered even more significantly.
The letters appeared in the air again, rearranging repeatedly until forming the words it wanted to say.
【Third page, with a blood imprint.】
The third page of the magic book, the covenant procedure of the beast shaman Hassa. Back in the day, its master must have put in a lot of effort to bring it under his command.
Yu XiaoXiao turned the pages.
She looked at the names signed by both parties, with a nearly faded thumbprint.
The girl hesitated for a moment.
Looking at her own thumb, she squatted down and pressed it onto the ground.
Yu XiaoXiao suddenly frowned, feeling the blood surging out. Not wanting to waste it, she quickly pressed it onto the contract.
The nearly faded imprint, after receiving fresh blood, slowly merged, with the letters shining even more brightly.
Almost comparable to the sun.
Yu XiaoXiao closed her eyes.
After a long time.
She heard Ineng's voice.
【Welcome back, master.】
Yu XiaoXiao quickly opened her eyes and found herself standing on the side of the library, where the place that had just disintegrated was now perfectly intact.
Was it an illusion? She lowered her head and saw the blood imprint on the contract, very colorful.
And the words "Hassa" were once again illuminated.
"Ineng, I just experienced something very strange."
【I know.】
"I saw a huge wolf, walking like a human, and wearing tattered armor."
"And it wanted to eat me."
"But the book let me—let me—"
Yu XiaoXiao looked at the quiet and orderly library, but couldn't find the figure of the giant wolf.
So, it was indeed an illusion.
A tinge of disappointment flashed through her heart, as she had not been able to perceive it in time.
Ineng spoke.
【This is a covenant book. If the master truly renews the covenant with the beast shamans inside, then they will be at the master's disposal.】
【This life, until death do us part.】
【If one day the master dies, the covenant may end.】
【Just maybe.】
Yu XiaoXiao sat down on the ground, she was sweating a lot, at least in that place where things seemed unresponsive, she had walked for at least a few hours.
"What about its human form?" she asked.
【It's sealed where it was sealed.】
"I don't have to go back there again, do I..."
【It's sealed in a corner of the library, you have to find it yourself. Friendly tip, it has been sealed for 13,000 years and is very hungry.】
【For your own safety, it's best to bring it some food.】
"Well, I happen to have a packed meal today."
Yu XiaoXiao messaged the slime with her communicator, asking it to bring the bento box from the bar.
In this gap, Yu Xiaoxiao sat in a chair in the library, staring blankly at the contract book.
Did she really make a contract with a huge beast?
Does it really belong to her?
"Yi Neng," Yu Xiaoxiao asked, "Can I bring it into the Underground Legion?"
[You can. But it's not necessary. Beasts of this level usually join the Secret Legion.]
[The master can create a secret legion to help the master secretly.]
The territorial legion needs to be registered at the palace, and the information of each member will be made public within the palace for easy management. But the Secret Legion is different. It is a private exclusive legion. As long as the strength is strong enough, it can do a lot of things.
Yu Xiaoxiao readily agreed.
"All right, then let it join the Secret Legion. The underground city is short of people."
The current underground city doesn't even have a soldier. However, she can apply to the public country on Monday. When the documents are executed, there will always be a few people willing to join.
[First, it needs a name.]
After thinking for a while, Yu Xiaoxiao said, "Wasn't this place the Dark Night Empire before? Then let's call it the Starlight Legion."
With a legion, even if there is only one person, she feels safe. She has to tell the third prince about this.
The slime ran over noisily. It placed a lunch box on the library table and asked, "Madame Xiaoxiao, are you hungry again?"
"I'm not hungry." Yu Xiaoxiao pushed the lunch box aside. She opened the magic book, turned to the third page, and said, "Look, what's this."
"It's a contract book," the slime glanced at it.
In the Calia Empire, the contract book is a very common thing. Of course, the one in Yu Xiaoxiao's hands is more powerful.
"Look carefully again." The girl's lips curved slightly, and a hint of smile flashed in her eyes.
The slime stared at it for a long time, then its gaze fell on the contracting party, suddenly widening its eyes!
- Yu Xiaoxiao!
The name of the contracting party changed from the previous Grelion to Yu Xiaoxiao!
"Awoo!" The slime was so excited that it couldn't even speak properly. "Madame Xiaoxiao! You actually have your own beast!"
Beast! In the Calia Empire, there are many kinds of beasts, but contracted beasts like the ones in the ancient books are so high in rank that it is unimaginable.
Yu Xiaoxiao touched her chin with her finger and said, "I also established a secret legion. If you want to be the leader of this legion, I can consider it."
Leader! The slime's eyes sparkled!