Rebirth of the thief who roamed around the world (BOOK 1)

Chapter 68 - Alchemy King Signs Away His Soul

“Mhmm… Not a bad hidden skill.”

“But what use does it have for me? When I concoct pills, my success rate is only a third of those around me! If someone came looking for me to create a pill, potion, or whatever, it’d only be a fluke if I succeed!”

“Since I took the effort to recruit you, naturally it means I believe in you. If you’re willing to follow me, sign this agreement.” Within the game world of Conviction, any contract was valid as long as it was within the scope of the real world’s laws.

Bird suspiciously glanced at the contract in Nie Yan’s hands before taking it and carefully reading over its contents. As he slowly read it through, word for word and line by line, he realized the clauses were rather simple. In layman’s terms, Nie Yan would provide him with the ingredients and materials required to train his Alchemy. In exchange, jurisdiction over how his creations—pills, elixirs, tonics, potions, and so on—were used would all be decided by Nie Yan. Moreover, he would receive a thirty percent share if the sales of his concoctions produced a net profit.

The conditions on this contract were roughly the same as the ones given by guilds when they recruited an Alchemist. However, he could see one key difference: the contract Nie Yan presented him stated a thirty percent cut. In contrast, nearly every guild would only share twenty percent of the revenue at most, even if the Alchemist was highly valued. In terms of benefits, Nie Yan’s terms were much more generous than those guilds. Yet, nurturing an Alchemist gave rise to enormous expenditures, all of which would be taken on by Nie Yan. The number of responsibilities he needed to assume were staggering.

“This contract… You’re really willing to let me sign this contract under these terms?” Bird asked, his heart stirring with emotion. Even if you searched high and low, it would still be quite difficult to find such generous terms.

“Mhmm.”

“Since the moment I learned Alchemy, I’ve always been a failure in concocting. Why else would have my guild kicked me? Calculating the worth of all those medicinal ingredients I’ve destroyed to this day, it would probably reach two silvers at the very least! Please don’t blame me if you end up making a loss. Consider carefully; it’s still not too late to renege on this.” Bird presented the contract back to Nie Yan, gesturing he could take it back. As the piece of paper fluttered in his hands, he felt a mix of apprehension and anxiousness in his heart. What if Nie Yan were to take it back? What would he do then?

“I’m not lacking in money. Even if I make a loss, then so be it. I know how to recognize my own faults. However… my insight has never been wrong. Rarely do I ever make mistakes when it comes to these things.”

“Still… Isn’t thirty percent too high of a price to pay for me?” Bird’s voice was lacking in confidence. Even in those guilds that paid well, their Alchemists would still receive no more than twenty percent.

“It’s already been decided. I believe you’re worth the price,” Nie Yan replied, waving his hand and motioned Bird to hurry up. To gain his absolute loyalty, it wouldn’t do if he simply gave him money. No, Bird needed to have good will. Bolstering his confidence and making him feel appreciated was a good place to start.

Bird truly didn’t understand just where Nie Yan’s trust in him came from. However, he could tell, from both actions and words, that Nie Yan believed in his ability. When a person was at their lowest point and felt like a failure, what they needed the most wasn’t anyone’s pity, but rather only a single line of acknowledgement. Nie Yan’s words were unremarkable; his tone was normal, and there was no hidden meaning. Yet they were able to bypass the guard Bird had raised and entered his heart.

“Alright.” Bird paused for a moment to compose himself. “I’ll sign the contract! I’m also fine with you lowering my share, but please don’t blame me if you make a loss.” Bird couldn’t help but repeat the last clause as he gave his response.