The world doesn't need succubi to save it.

Because he understood that giving in all the time was meaningless.

Ning Feng admitted that he was indeed very worried about provoking such an ambiguous being, and he also hoped to build a friendly relationship with it.

But this does not mean that Ning Feng enjoys being teased by the other party.

If it weren't for the need to survive, who would enjoy being repeatedly mocked?

But patience has its limits.

Once or twice, it's nothing to take as a joke.

But this kind of frivolous behavior cannot be repeated again and again.

When mockery has no limits, no matter how much it is embellished with words, it is still an insult.

Ning Feng understood his own weakness, and what he sought was not equal qualifications, but the most basic respect.

When he realized that he couldn't even get this, he understood that there was no point in continuing to back down.

Sitting on the ground with his head held high, Ning Feng looked into those eyes, but didn't utter a single sarcastic word.

It wasn't that Ning Feng was too cowardly to speak; he simply couldn't utter a word.

The terrifying pressure emanating from that figure made his muscles stiffen, rendering him unable to move.

Even his loud refusal just now left Ning Feng wondering where the strength came from.

Now that things have come to this, Ning Feng has come to terms with it.

I don't care what it is anymore, I'm just in a fit of impotent rage, so be it if I die.

They stared at each other silently, and as the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, the figure suddenly let out a soft, enigmatic laugh.

The illusory figure floating in the air smiled, then turned into shattered shadows and merged back into the black cat's body.

The terrifying pressure vanished, and nothing in the room had changed; it was as if everything that had just happened was merely a fleeting illusion.

But the sweat dripping from his forehead and his rapid heartbeat told Ning Feng that all of this was true.

Anger gradually rose in Ning Feng's heart, not at the black cat, but at his own weakness and powerlessness.

The black cat jumped off the bed, slowly walked to Ning Feng, sat down in front of him, and looked directly at him, saying:

"Although your anger and pride are meaningless, I don't dislike children with backbone."

Contrary to expectations, the black cat's voice was no longer so alluring, but instead became calm and gentle.

“You son of the weak, you are worthy to know my name.”

"Ariana".

Like an ancient wind that has finally swept across the plains, brushing against the traveler's clothes, whispering softly in his ear:

"I allow you to call me that."

Suddenly, Ning Feng had a peculiar feeling.

Memory seems to have wrinkled, as if something has been remembered, or as if something has been forgotten.

But before he could figure it out, the voice in his ear suddenly became mysterious, as if whispering:

"However, there's one thing I lied to you about before~"

The black cat tilted its head slightly, confidently appreciating Ning Feng's expression, and said softly:

“You don’t need to sign any more contracts, because…”

hiss!!?

Ning Feng suddenly felt a heat in his lower abdomen... uh, a heat in his chest, as if he had been branded with some kind of mark.

Suddenly pulling open his shirt, Ning Feng saw the crisscrossing scarlet lines on his chest fading and eventually disappearing completely.

Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, he was not unfamiliar with the patterns; he had just seen them on that illusory figure!

Ning Feng: ? ? ?

“What your instructor said wasn’t entirely wrong. With the little energy from the sacrifice, my avatar really couldn’t last long and couldn’t save you.”

"So, I made a different choice... I signed a contract with you, the kind you can't go back on~"

Satisfied with his bewildered expression, the black cat, or rather Ariana, nodded with pleasure.

"That's right~ You were already my contractor before."

"You already belong to me, half of you~"

Then, a light flashed in her eyes, and her seductive voice echoed in Ning Feng's heart.

It was as if a demon were whispering to an ignorant mortal who had summoned him, according to custom:

Do you crave power?

……

……

“I can give you power, just as I once bestowed upon mortals who pleased me through rituals.”

Ning Feng sat on the bed, looking at the black cat beside him with a complicated expression.

To be honest, he's in a pretty mess right now. He woke up to find out that his bloodline had changed, and he'd also become a contractor for an unknown entity.

He was powerless to resist all of this, but to be honest, he wasn't particularly resistant, because he had already received tangible benefits.

Ning Feng's abilities have now changed:

Race: Mixed-race human (male)

Strength: Ordinary human (extremely strong)

Talents: Photographic memory, multitasking

Abilities: Tactical Planning (Advanced), Performance (Advanced), Eloquence (Advanced), General Weapon Proficiency (Intermediate), Stealth (Intermediate), Regeneration (Basic), Whip Proficiency (Basic)...

Both the previous blood sacrifice incident and that one-sided conversation made him deeply aware of the importance of power.

At least from the current perspective, what the other party expressed to her could barely be considered goodwill, and moreover, she gave too much.

Really fragrant.

"But you are my contractor, so I will give you the right to choose."

"But before I tell you, there's a question... What do you think is the essence of an Awakened One?"

What is the nature of the awakened?

Ning Feng subconsciously wanted to say that it was a human with extraordinary power, but he felt that Ariana's problem was not so simple.

No reply? You're being cautious. Here's a hint~

The black cat jumped onto Ning Feng's lap, found a comfortable position to lie down, and gently brushed his chin with its tail, chuckling playfully:

"So... how much do you know about gods?"

Gods?

Ning Feng frowned and began to think. Holding the cat, he recalled seeing this description in the Watchers' database:

“In ancient times, the gods came uninvited with their kingdoms.”

The gods appeared very suddenly, without any warning; they descended upon the world with their divine kingdoms.

Then he sent out his messengers and creations to spread his faith throughout the world, and arbitrarily bestowed countless miracles.

Their apostles and some of their creations also left their mark on the mortal world, living alongside the frail mortals and offering them assistance.

Every prayer will be answered.

Gods have followers, mortals have faith, each gets what they need, and everything seems wonderful.

But those willful and great beings did not only bring miracles; their appearance also brought the world another gift.

war.

As the first century passed, the honeymoon period for the gods seemed to have come to an end, and they were no longer satisfied with everything they had originally possessed.

Thus, wars in the name of holy war broke out in various parts of the world.

Driven by their respective beliefs, mortals began to kill one another in an attempt to please the gods.

Warfare erupted on every inch of land.

The endless wars lasted for over a century, destroying all the former prosperity and even setting civilization back to two hundred years ago.

Even in such a dark age, ordinary people in the midst of struggle did not despair, because they had faith.

They all firmly believed that as long as they maintained the purity of their faith, God would surely reward them with everything again after their victory, whether it be life or glory.

But when the second century arrived, everything changed.

A deity personally intervened and destroyed a kingdom, causing the already suppressed flames of war to spiral out of control.

The war of the gods has broken out.

Chapter Ten: The Essence of the Awakened

The gods, due to old grudges, fought fiercely for power and followers, igniting a brutal divine war that used this world as their battlefield.

The war between gods, in terms of both scale and extent, is unimaginable to wars fought by mortals.

The earth cracked, floods spread, elements were annihilated... Vast swathes of land turned into scorched earth and an eternally sealed prison of death.

Countless lives were easily wiped out. Fragile mortals had no power to resist the gods, let alone deal with their creations and possessions.

All they could do was pray, yearning for divine mercy, begging for divine protection, and then...

death.

Endless death occurs in every corner of the earth.

Finally, the repeated ignoring and indifference made ordinary people realize one thing—they weren't that important.

Their god does not care about the deaths of his followers.

Ordinary believers are nothing more than toys that have been played with until they are tired of them, and it doesn't matter if they are thrown away.