Chapter 108: The Subject Covenant

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Ye Da gazed toward the east. Long Er and the others had come from that direction, so if his guess was correct, their main base had to be somewhere over there.

But even knowing the direction, searching like this...

Just thinking about it gave Ye Da a headache!

The Novice Forest was vast beyond measure. If he had not relied on the map left behind by the goblins, he would never have found the path to the Sinkhole World.

Now, with only a direction to guide him, finding a mine—or even a few tree houses—would be extraordinarily difficult. One could almost call it impossible.

As the saying went, the slightest deviation could lead one a thousand miles astray.

He knew the base lay to the east, but even if Ye Da headed east and strayed by just a single meter, the chances of finding it would probably approach zero.

“Help... help me!”

While Ye Da stroked his chin and pondered how to find Long Er and the others’ base, he heard a groan from a nearby “corpse.”

Ye Da glanced over and discovered that the player was still alive.

His supernatural ability appeared to be related to healing.

A spear was still lodged where his heart should have been, yet he was somehow able to let out weak, broken cries instead of dying!

“Why should I save you? You know that you and I are enemies, don’t you?”

Ye Da looked at the man before him. He was about thirty years old, with a crew cut and somewhat dark skin.

He looked rather honest and simple, but his eyes were bright, as though he still held great hope for life. Even now, despite having lost so much blood and standing on the verge of death, his gaze held more longing and yearning for life than panic or resentment.

“Brother, I’m sorry,” the crew-cut man said. “I’m just a wage earner. I truly never intended to kill anyone from the start. I only wanted to show my boss some support, slack off a little, and earn a bit of salary and a bonus from him.”

“I really didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Please save me, Brother. I can’t die.”

“I still have to go home and see my daughter. She was born not long ago. I want to watch her grow up. I really don’t want to die. Wuwuwu...”

As he spoke, the man began to cry.

His sobs were filled with boundless sorrow, and even Ye Da found himself unable to remain unmoved.

They said that a true man did not shed tears easily—unless he had reached the point of utter heartbreak.

“I can give you a chance.”

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Ye Da said calmly, “I’ll ask you a few questions, but you must answer truthfully. If you haven’t lied to me, I may consider sparing your life.”

“Big Brother, ask away!” the crew-cut man immediately replied. “I swear I’ll tell you everything I know!”

“Enough nonsense.”

Ye Da had no interest in such grandiose declarations. He simply asked, “What’s your name? Does your boss have a mine? Do you know where it is?”

“My name is Chu Ping. I’m thirty-one this year and live in Lianyungang. I work at the post office. I got married last year, and my wife gave birth to a little girl named Mimi...”

Perhaps he was too nervous. The crew-cut man, Chu Ping, unexpectedly began introducing himself.

Ye Da interrupted him. “I don’t need your entire family register!”

“Yes, yes.” Chu Ping hurriedly stopped himself and answered the other question. “The boss did find a stone mine. There’s even a small amount of iron ore inside.”

“I was originally in charge of mining under Big Brother Long Yi, but Big Brother Long Yi suddenly...”

Chu Ping had been about to say that Long Yi had suddenly died, but he suspected that this man was the one who had killed Long Yi. He quickly changed course.

“Big Brother Long Yi suddenly ran into trouble, so Long Er summoned us and told us to avenge him.”

“Do you know where the mine is?”

Ye Da could not help interrupting the long-winded Chu Ping again.

It was not that he lacked the time to listen. All the enemies were dead now, and he had plenty of time.

He was simply worried that this fellow would talk himself to death.

After all...

His wound was still bleeding without pause.

The white snow beneath him had even turned red.

Yet the man seemed unaware that he was about to die. It was as though he had entered his final burst of vitality and forgotten the pain, knowing only how to chatter endlessly.

“I know!”

Chu Ping nodded repeatedly.

But perhaps the motion pulled at his wound. Only then did he finally remember what mattered most.

“Big Brother, I’ve told you everything I should. Save me! Please, save me!”

“As soon as I can walk, I’ll take you to find the mine. I’m even willing to hand over all my possessions to you and work for you!”

“I can even swear that I will never betray you!”

[Contract conditions fulfilled!]

[Chu Ping has sworn that he is willing to become one of your subjects. Would you like to accept him into your territory?]

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[Postscript: Once the contract is established, you will be responsible for caring for and protecting your subjects!]

[Your subjects cannot betray you at will. Should a subject begin to harbor thoughts of betrayal, their loyalty will rapidly decrease. You can determine their attitude toward you through their loyalty.]

[A loyalty score of sixty is the passing mark. Eighty or above signifies loyalty. When a subject’s loyalty reaches one hundred, that subject will enter a state of worship toward their lord and may even willingly die for them!]

[Of course...]

[A subject’s loyalty is influenced not only by the subject themselves but also by their lord. If the lord mistreats a subject, leaves them hungry and inadequately clothed, or even abuses them, their loyalty will rapidly decline.]

[When a subject’s loyalty falls to thirty percent, they will harbor hostility toward their lord.]

[When a subject’s loyalty falls to twenty percent, they may attack their lord.]

[When a subject’s loyalty falls to ten or below, they are highly likely to attack and kill their lord.]

[When accepting a subject’s allegiance, Lord, consider carefully whether you possess the ability to protect and care for them. Otherwise, when your subjects rise up collectively, you may suffer extremely severe backlash!]

“Hm?!”

Ye Da had not expected Chu Ping’s surrender to activate the Subject Contract.

Was this the crucial reason the villages in the Sinkhole World could expand so rapidly?

Gathering subjects!

After all, there was only so much Ye Da could accomplish alone. Mining ore, gathering timber, digging mud, and other such labor-intensive tasks all required vast amounts of time.

Ye Da had limited time each day to venture out and explore. It was impossible for him to waste even more of it on mining and gathering.

If someone could help him extract various ores, process different kinds of food, and even list them on the trading market in exchange for materials, Ye Da would be able to save more time, find more treasure chests, and obtain greater profits!

So...

Why would he refuse?

[I am willing to accept “Chu Ping” as one of my subjects!]

[Contract successful!]

At the instant the contract between them was completed, Ye Da saw a line of text appear above Chu Ping’s head!

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