For the staff of the Violet Thorn Castle, their compensation was directly tied to performance.
Sometimes, the reward from receiving a single major client could exceed what they would earn through hundreds of thousands of years of diligent work.
As family members of the Sovereign's legion—and servants of the Sovereign himself—the income of Violet Thorn Castle's staff was far superior to that of Demigods who served as protectors of minor tribes.
Their base pay alone amounted to one hundred inkstones every ten thousand years.
Of course, their primary source of income still depended on the spending power of the gods they received.
For every one million inkstones traded, they earned a commission of one inkstone.
From Locke's recent transaction alone, this receptionist would receive nearly nine inkstones in additional reward—
roughly equivalent to nine hundred years of income.
As for metal lifeforms, even the cheapest cost over one hundred million inkstones.
In other words, if Locke truly purchased a metal lifeform through her, she would earn at least a hundred inkstones in commission!
Clients like Locke were the kind they might not encounter even once in ten thousand years.
"This lord, our castle currently has three metal lifeforms available.
The ordinary ones cost one hundred and thirty million inkstones and can travel one million li per day."
"There's also a higher-quality one priced at eight hundred and seventy million inkstones, capable of traveling three million li per day."
"Oh? I see…"
Locke stroked his chin. From what he knew, a metal lifeform capable of traveling a million li per day was already considered fairly good among ordinary models.
Although he wasn't in any particular hurry right now, a metal lifeform was something one could choose not to use—but could never afford not to have.
At the very least, when faced with a danger he couldn't handle, a metal lifeform's speed far exceeded his current flying speed.
At present, Locke was only slightly faster than an average God, flying at around 2,300 meters per second.
At most, he could cover 190,000 kilometers per day.
Highgods, by contrast, exceeded 4,000 meters per second, traveling roughly 350,000 kilometers per day.
A metal lifeform capable of fifty thousand kilometers per day already surpassed Highgod speed by a wide margin—making it the ultimate tool for escaping danger.
Given his current circumstances, Locke had no plans to break through to Highgod in the short term.
Having a fast metal lifeform would undoubtedly be the best insurance.
However…
"A Highgod that an ordinary metal lifeform can shake off poses no real threat to me."
"And a Highgod who can threaten me won't be much slower than an ordinary metal lifeform anyway."
"So for me, a basic model isn't particularly useful."
"As for a better one… I don't yet have enough inkstones."
With that thought, Locke shook his head. Ignoring the receptionist's expression as it shifted from eager anticipation to disappointment, he left the Violet Thorn Castle.
Afterward, Locke rented a small courtyard in Rockpeak City. After paying ten years' rent up front, he plucked Little White off his shoulder.
"Little White, I'll be entering closed-door cultivation for a while. Unless it's important, don't disturb me."
Then he tossed a spatial ring to Little White.
"There are inkstones inside. Use them as you see fit."
"If I haven't come out after ten years, renew the lease for another ten."
"Understood?"
Little White clutched the spatial ring and nodded furiously.
Since this was Locke's first time forging a soul defense artifact, he didn't know whether he could complete it within ten years. Giving Little White some inkstones was simply a precaution.
Just as he was about to close the cultivation room door, Locke paused.
"Oh, right—Little White. Before you fully refine the divine spark and advance to godhood, you'd best not wander around."
"Without a soul contract between us, I wouldn't know whether you were captured, killed… or ran away."
"I won't be staying in Rockpeak City for long. If I come out of seclusion and you're not here, I won't waste time looking for you."
"Decide for yourself."
With that, Locke shut the cultivation room door with a loud bang, activated the defensive magic array inside, and released all the Amethysts from his spatial ring, letting them float before him.
The sound of the door jolted Little White awake. Its fur stood on end as if struck by lightning, and it shuddered violently.
Only then did it realize—
It had already been Locke's pet for over thirty years.
And yet, all this time, Locke had never signed a contract with it.
Clearly, aside from its own "cuteness," it held no real value in Locke's eyes.
To Lord Locke, it was merely a pet to pass the time.
That was why Locke had said that if he emerged from seclusion and didn't see Little White, he wouldn't bother searching for it.
In Hell, red-eyed rabbits could be found in any random forest.
As one of the lowest forms of life, their greatest advantage—compared to Saint Domain beasts in material planes—was probably their absurd fertility.
One batch dies. Another batch is born.
"No… I can't let Lord Locke abandon me!"
That single thought filled Little White's mind.
In its heart, Lord Locke was a terrifyingly powerful Highgod!
Hadn't it obtained a wind-element Demigod divine spark after following him for only a few decades?
If it left Lord Locke, it would merely be an ordinary Demigod who had refined a divine spark—
becoming a God might remain forever out of reach.
But by staying at Lord Locke's side, there was absolutely a chance it could one day obtain a God wind-element divine spark.
Who knew—if Lord Locke was in a good mood, he might even give it a chance to become a Highgod.
Even if not, as Lord Locke's pet, others would still treat it with respect.
"I've decided!"
"Even after fully refining the divine spark and advancing to godhood, I'm not leaving this place."
"If I happened to wander off just as Lord Locke came out of seclusion…"
Imagining the scene—stepping out to play, only for Lord Locke to finish cultivation and leave after not seeing it—Little White shook its head furiously like a rattle-drum toy.
After calming down, Little White didn't return to the courtyard.
Instead, it lay down right outside the door of Locke's cultivation room, closed its eyes, and quietly began refining the divine spark.
It had made up its mind.
Even if it died, it would die right in front of Lord Locke.
Well—technically speaking, a Saint Domain being didn't need food or drink. Absorbing the ambient elements was enough to live indefinitely.
Unless Lord Locke personally said he no longer wanted it.
Otherwise—
For the rest of its life, Little White was clinging to Lord Locke no matter what.
(End of Chapter)
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