The Commander had been sitting at the table flipping through documents, but he paused at her words, looking over with a touch of bewilderment.
Sasha froze for a moment, but instead of getting angry, he burst into wild laughter. "It seems you speak from experience, darling—"
The silver-haired youth ran a fingertip across his own cheek, staring at her with a meaningful gaze.
Seeing his movement, Su Cheng suddenly remembered how she had once come into contact with a certain someone's chest muscles, and she momentarily stiffened.
Even though the Commander probably wouldn't be angry, she still felt a bit embarrassed.
Subconsciously, she turned her head away, only to meet a pair of golden eyes filled with surprise.
Su Cheng: "..."
So awkward.
Su Cheng: "Sorry—"
She quickly apologized, not staying to see Kai's reaction before turning to glare fiercely at a certain vampire.
"Next time, if we are discussing a curse, then until the topic is finished, I do not want to hear about anything other than the curse."
Su Cheng suppressed her temper. "Otherwise, I believe there is no need for you to participate. What do you think?"
At the same time, she felt her palm burning.
Upon her curled palm, the pitch-black mark of the God-favored quietly emerged.
The meeting room fell silent once again.
The three men looked at her with varying expressions.
The girl standing by the table raised her head, her clear amber eyes faintly revealing blurred light patterns of vertical lines and triangles.
One on the left and one on the right, they looked like the symmetrical trays of a scale.
"Oh?"
Sasha raised an eyebrow slightly, a thick sense of interest suddenly flashing in his eyes.
If everything he had done before this seemed like bored playfulness, at this moment, it was as if a hungry beast had caught the scent of blood.
A strange excitement appeared on his face as his crimson eyes stared intently at the girl before him. "Is this a contract?"
He emphasized that word as if he wanted to crush it between his teeth, his red, thin lips curling upward. "Then I can promise you, but you must also agree to some of my conditions."
Su Cheng did not speak.
The temperature in her palm grew higher and higher.
The moment he mentioned a contract, she felt a certain suppressed power spreading.
Once she nodded, a contract would truly be established between them.
As a God-favored of the God of Contracts, any agreement she made—whether on paper or verbal—would carry a terrifyingly binding force.
If someone broke the contract, whether it was herself or the other party, they would suffer an extremely horrific punishment.
Although no one had told her this information, based on the descriptions of a God-favored’s power in books and certain instincts currently awakening within her, this was bound to be the case.
"...Forget it," Su Cheng said crossly. "I was merely stating what I thought were common conversational manners."
As she rejected his proposal, the heat in her palm vanished instantly.
That vague, eerie sensation also dissipated.
Sasha looked at her with a beaming smile, the interest in his eyes only intensifying. "Then I shall remember it. I'll be more careful next time. My apologies."
Su Cheng thought to herself, 'As if,' but she maintained a fake smile on the surface and turned to look at the silent blonde mage beside her.
Camus had also been staring at her for several seconds. Now, his gaze fell back toward the girl's back, seemingly deep in thought.
"You said you don't know the identity of the caster," Camus spoke in a low voice. "To what extent do you not know?"
"I have no clue," Su Cheng spread her hands. "I can't think of anyone who would be a suspect, and I feel like this happened before I had any memories."
Camus nodded slightly. "If one is cursed during infancy, it is not strange for it to manifest around the time of adulthood."
His gaze swept briefly over the girl's exposed neck and back. "This is a composite blood curse."
The definition of a blood curse was a curse that required the target's blood to cast, and such curses often flowed within the target's blood, occasionally being passed down to descendants.
Therefore, they were usually very difficult to dispel.
"...But it shouldn't be the hereditary type. A composite curse is a layering of multiple curses. Sometimes they are even created by the caster themselves. This one has a prototype, but the caster likely modified it slightly."
Camus pondered for a moment. "You haven't answered me yet. How did you deal with it before?"
Su Cheng originally wanted to bluff and say she had gone out to find a companion, but meeting those cold, sharp blue eyes, she felt that perhaps she should tell the truth this time.
"Succubus blood."
"Mm," Camus didn't seem too surprised. "An effective solution. Do you still have a supply?"
Su Cheng hesitated. "I do, but it gets consumed quite quickly. I want to stockpile more. I heard there's an underground black market in Jinpo City that sells many forbidden materials and items. I was thinking of going there to try my luck."
Camus remained noncommittal. "Hard to say. The Church has been conducting very strict inspections lately."
Hearing his teammate mention the Church, Sasha let out a soft sneer from the side.
The smile remained on his beautiful face, but his expression held a few hints of contempt. "Why not just go and see? If it doesn't work out, just catch one on the spot."
Su Cheng: "..."
He made it sound like catching a rat on the street.
That was a high-level demon.
Any ordinary adult succubus could probably take on a hundred-man squad of Paladins, right?
It was said that during the old war eras, such things had to be handled by the lower-tier deities of the God of Light’s faction.
The one whose blood she had drunk before was still wearing a restraint on his neck, yet he could still come and go like a ghost.
"Setting aside everything else," Su Cheng's eyes flickered, "do you know where to catch a succubus?"
"Perhaps," Sasha looked at her with great interest. "If I tell you, what can you give me?"
Su Cheng narrowed her eyes. "Are you that eager to make a deal with me?"
He blinked meaningfully. "Aren't you here to make a deal with us, darling? I very much enjoy dealing with people like you."
"People like me?" Su Cheng repeated. "What kind of people?"
"Have you ever heard a song?"
Sasha spoke as if answering a different question entirely, and then began to hum in a light, brisk tone.
"It is a promise forged in fine gold, a solemn oath carved in stone, yet they bury traps within the words of the contract, letting the flowers of sincerity and trust bear the poisonous fruit of betrayal. Ah, look at your faithful followers; you call them oath-keepers, but I see only—"
His pleasant voice suddenly soared, the pitch rising sharply.
"...Sophists and deceivers offering you their gifts."
The tone of the final line gradually lowered, and the seemingly cheerful, brisk rhythm turned dark before coming to an abrupt halt.
Su Cheng stared at him with wide eyes. "Huh?"
What was all this nonsense?
Was this some kind of cursed opera world? Why did he suddenly start singing!
"It's not surprising, after all, you are still a human fledgling." The vampire youth hummed a similar melody. "But speaking of blood, I should go get something to eat as well."
He turned and left directly. Su Cheng wanted to stop him, but fearing he might press close to her again, she didn't move for a moment.
The door to the meeting room closed completely.
Su Cheng recalled those lyrics, and a very strange feeling rose in her heart.
The other two men remained calm, seemingly used to their teammate's habit of bursting into song and leaving whenever he pleased.
Camus was still staring at her back.
Kai continued to study the scrolls on the table, occasionally picking up a pen to jot down a few words.
"Gentlemen, excuse me," Su Cheng raised her hand. "What was that song he just sang?"
The mage ignored her completely, but the captain looked up and answered seriously, "That was 'The Death Knell of Thetia'."
Su Cheng looked enlightened.
"An ancient folk song," Kai mused. "The work of a bard, telling the story of an ancient city-state called Thetia. It's said to have been under the protection of the God of Contracts. The residents were mostly honest and faithful merchants until a stranger arrived. He taught them how to use illusions to hide clauses in contracts, tricking others into signing, and how to play with words in verbal promises to mislead people about the nature of a deal. The God-blessed began to reap greater profits through this process, even harvesting the souls of others."
Su Cheng was stunned by the first two sentences. "And then?"
"Later, the city-state was destroyed because two powerful God-blessed deceived each other, leading both to break their promises and inviting divine punishment. All of Thetia was turned to ruins amidst the thunder."
Su Cheng's mouth hung open. "That's what the whole song is about? The lyrics mentioned 'your faithful believer'—does that 'you' refer to the God of Contracts?"
Kai nodded slightly.
Su Cheng fell silent for a few seconds. "That stranger... was he the God of Contracts himself?"
Camus glanced at her.
Kai nodded calmly. "...According to the lyrics of that song, yes."
"So," Su Cheng breathed a sigh of relief for some reason, "this is all just lyrics? It's not real?"
Kai didn't answer immediately. He thought for a moment before saying, "Perhaps. Who can say for sure if something they didn't witness with their own eyes is true?"
For a moment, Su Cheng suddenly felt her God-blessed brand grow hot.
It wasn't physical heat, but a form of mental pressure.
She knew that the deities of this world were rarely good.
Or rather, by human logic and universal moral standards, they all had evil aspects; only their manifestations differed.
Being chosen as a God-blessed brought her joy—it was a form of protection, after all—but it also brought a corresponding anxiety.
This power symbolized her connection to a god.
And that connection itself could bring destruction.
Silence fell over the meeting room once more.
Su Cheng was lost in thought, while the other two went about their business.
A few minutes later, Camus slowly pulled off his right glove and stared at her with those dark blue eyes. "I can't guarantee I can completely remove the curse, but I want to try."
Su Cheng nodded. "Alright."
She was also afraid that the differences between her constitution and Lin Yun's might cause some adverse effects.
𝑪𝑹
"I need to do some experiments to determine the proportions of certain materials," the blond man said unhurriedly. "If you don't trust me, we can sign a formal contract."
Su Cheng had been considering this as well. "Fine. I'll write a liability waiver. This fee will be calculated separately; I'll pay you for it. Let's not mix this up with my mission for your mercenary group."
Camus didn't object. "If that makes you fully cooperate, then write it."
Su Cheng: "..."
She knew this guy wasn't helping out of the goodness of his heart; he was treating her as an experimental subject.
They were strangers who had met by chance, and under normal circumstances, she wouldn't trust him completely.
In fact, if she weren't a God-blessed, the contract's binding power would be greatly diminished, serving as little more than a basis for a lawsuit.
But if he actually killed her, what would anything else matter?
Su Cheng leaned over the table and began to write with a flourish.
When Camus received the draft, he scanned it briefly, offered no objections, and briskly signed his name.
Su Cheng felt the binding force take effect.
It was a subtle feeling, perhaps incomprehensible to others, but likely a unique ability of a God-blessed.
The last time she signed a contract with Murong Yue, she had just become a God-blessed and was immediately preoccupied with the god's shocking appearance.
This time, she could carefully feel the change.
"Then," Su Cheng said with mixed emotions, "it's settled."
No matter what special identities these people had, they shouldn't be able to rival the power of a god at this stage, right? Otherwise, they wouldn't need to post notices looking for collaborators.
She hadn't played any tricks in the contract; everything was written for her own safety.
For example, if he had any ill intentions toward her during the testing and treatment—wanting to harm her, control her, or maliciously use her as experimental material—
Even if he hadn't acted on it yet and only had the idea or plan, he would be finished.
Camus handed the contract back to her. "No more problems?"
As he spoke, he curled his knuckles and tapped lightly on the table, commanding in a tone that brooked no argument: "Turn your back to me."
Su Cheng turned around. "It won't hurt too much, will it?"
The mage behind her didn't speak. He simply used his hand to pull aside the thin strap resting against her shoulder blade, leaving her snow-white back completely exposed.
His fingers paused for a moment. "...Your hair."
Su Cheng tilted her head and reached back to brush her loose hair aside.
His fingertips soon landed on her back.
It felt as if an ice pick and a branding iron were piercing her skin simultaneously. The pain wasn't intense yet, but the temperature difference was stark.
She couldn't help but shudder again.
The alternating sensations of cold and heat moved across her skin. Su Cheng mentally traced the path, gradually piecing together the shape of the curse totem.
She tried to focus on this to distract herself.
However, the pain in her back grew sharper, as if a layer of skin were being scorched or frozen off.
She gritted her teeth, her breathing becoming heavy and ragged. She instinctively tried to dodge away, but he caught her waist with his other hand.
"Try to stay still," Camus said in a deep voice. "I need to feel how deeply it's integrated with your body. Endure it for a bit."
He began to chant a strange incantation in a low voice.
Su Cheng couldn't understand it; it clearly went beyond the scope of a typical elemental mage's knowledge.
She gritted her teeth and tilted her head back. "I'm really not trying to be uncooperative, I..."
"I know," Camus whispered. "Don't move again."
Su Cheng was drenched in sweat, her fingers gripping the edge of the table tightly. "I'm sorry... I'm really trying to endure it. Fuck, I can't take it anymore. Let's try again tomorrow!"
The blond man was silent for two seconds. Then, he suddenly took a step forward, pressing himself against the girl's slender, soft body.
His firm chest pressed against her arched shoulder blades.
His knee was wedged between her trembling legs, preventing her from shifting away.
As the rhythm of the chanting slowed, the girl's broken whimpers became more high-pitched.
Su Cheng's composure shattered.
This was too painful!
Waves of shock and pain radiated from her spine, each one worse than the last. She felt as if she were being split in two, her head pounding as if struck by a heavy hammer.
She was practically seeing stars, her fingers frantically clawing at the scrolls on the table, sweeping draft papers into the air.
The blood mage behind her gritted his teeth and grabbed her wrist. "You must stop—"
His gaze dropped, and the words he intended to say suddenly halted.
The curve of her waist and back, rising and falling, was like white foam surging with the tide.
It now swayed with the confluence of magical energies, her tailbone occasionally knocking against the delicate buckle of a belt.
The girl's weak arms braced against the table, tears and sweat dripping onto its surface one by one. The fingers pressed beneath her were white from the force and lack of blood.
"..."
The two abruptly separated.
Su Cheng collapsed onto the table as if all her bones had been pulled out.
Her mind was in chaos, thoughts swirling about the God's Favored, the curse, and various plot points. She finally managed to hold on without fainting.
She initially wanted to let out a couple of miserable groans, but found the pain had quickly faded.
She pulled a small mirror from her pocket and checked her back, noticing the color of the curse's sigil seemed to have lightened slightly.
Su Cheng: "...Huh? A miracle doctor!"
Camus leaned against the table, breathing slightly heavily. "No, it only delayed the next onset. If nothing unexpected happens."
His originally pale skin now seemed tinged with a faint blush. A hint of sweat beaded on his forehead, dampening a few strands of his curly hair.
"It is indeed complex. We'll start with the potion. Let me write down the materials needed for the formula."
He spoke as if to himself, bending down to retrieve several blank scrolls and a large stack of draft paper from a drawer.
The golden-haired mage wiped the sweat from his brow with a silk handkerchief and lowered his head to begin writing furiously.
After writing for a while, he slapped a piece of paper onto the table. "Go and buy these first."
The dark-haired man opposite stood up, his tall frame unfolding.
He picked up the heavy sword leaning against the wall and secured it in the scabbard on his back, his sharp golden eyes turning their gaze.
"I will take you to the underground market to gather the materials. We can also see if there's any succubus blood for sale, as a backup."
Su Cheng readily agreed.
She picked up her clothes from the table. "...Thank you. And thank you too, Mr. Camus."
Even though it had been excruciating just moments ago, the pain came and went quickly. Besides, a certain blood mage seemed to have expended considerable effort himself.
Camus seemed still immersed in his research, only turning his head after a few seconds. "?"
Su Cheng took two steps over, leaned down close to his ear, and said loudly on purpose, "I said, thank you!"
Camus was slightly taken aback. His gaze swept over her face, passing over the sweat-dampened front of her vest, the thin fabric semi-transparent against her skin.
He turned his head away, his tone rather cool. "You're welcome."
With that, he adjusted his coat, crossed his legs, leaned back in his chair, and didn't look at her again.
