Arkz continued to explore forward.
Water droplets on the rock walls fell with a crisp 'pat-pat' sound, adding some noise to the quiet place.
Arkz bent over, passing through the tunnel left behind by the miners. The foul air and the silent atmosphere were becoming unbearable for him. Fortunately, he soon arrived at an open area, and he silently straightened his somewhat sore waist.
Thud!
A stone was kicked away by Arkz, landing in the open space ahead.
This seemed to be a camp built by the miners for resting and stationing inside an abandoned cavern. Tents, wooden tables, stoves, and wooden crates filled with miscellaneous items—everything was there.
To have a better living environment here, the miners had even laid wooden flooring on the ground so that this damp area would have a pathway no longer covered in mud.
Just then, Arkz's pupils suddenly contracted.
In the center of the camp, a black figure was seated, seemingly waiting for him long ago.
"A guest who has come from afar, I, Zhong, have been waiting here for quite some time."
Arkz's pupils instantly constricted, and his heart began to beat violently. Why was he here?
The person who had suddenly appeared in the center of the camp was leisurely sipping tea. The oppressive darkness and foul smell inside this cavern did not seem to disturb his refined pleasure in life in the slightest.
"Traveler, every journey will eventually end. There is no need to rush. Why don't you sit down and have a cup of tea?"
After hesitating for a moment, Arkz slowly carried his little lamp grass lantern and walked next to the person. He placed the lantern aside and then sat down opposite the person in a reserved and respectful manner.
"Lord Zhongli, how did you end up here?"
Arkz looked up and cautiously sized up the person before him: the most common black-brown long hair in Liyue, pupils shining like gold in a pair of phoenix eyes, complemented by thick, upward-sweeping eyebrows, making him look naturally authoritative. The dark orange eyeshadow around his eyes softened his features, reining in some of the majesty of a Martial God and adding the plain gentleness of a Liyue native.
Morax, Rex Lapis, God of Contracts, God of Precious Metals, Martial God... The person before him had a large number of aliases, but the name he used most often while wandering the mortal realm now was Zhongli.
Zhongli put down the teacup in his hand and looked up at Arkz before him. It was just an ordinary gaze, yet it made Arkz feel immense pressure.
Arkz was extremely familiar with this 'old man' who roamed the streets in the game. He could even recall many fan creations about Zhongli in an instant, such as 'Old Man Blooms,' 'Zhongba,' 'Zhongli,' and so on.
However, sitting opposite Zhongli now, the Nameless pressure was like solidified flowing water pressing down on him. Although Arkz really wanted to joke around, after careful consideration, he decided to play it safe.
Arkz picked up the teacup in front of him, which had already been filled with tea, and drank it all in one gulp.
At this moment, Arkz felt the pressure on his body suddenly ease, and his psychological state also felt much more relaxed.
Arkz understood. This cup of tea was a 'toast.' If he refused this toast, he might have witnessed Morax's Geo spears piercing the earth. Thinking of this, Arkz felt a strange sense of regret.
For Venti's sake, if he joked around a bit, surely Old Man Zhongli wouldn't directly kill him, right?
Although Zhongli didn't know what the young man before him was thinking, he always felt that if he didn't speak soon, this young fellow would say something astonishing and put on quite a show.
Looking at the eagerness shining in Arkz's eyes, Zhongli knew that this kid, just like Hu Tao, was the type he couldn't handle.
"Guest from afar, I have come this time for a new contract."
"A contract regarding this mine."
Arkz was stunned and asked, "A contract? Could you elaborate? Also, Mr. Zhongli, just call me Arkz."
Zhongli nodded. He was not surprised that Arkz knew his name. Guests from other worlds all possessed some strange abilities and knowledge; there was no need to investigate deeply, as it would only lead to unnecessary trouble.
"I have come at the invitation of the System to sign a contract with you."
"You may mine all the ores in this cavern, and all the ores you excavate belong to you. You can use these ores to exchange for some treasures with me, or you can keep them for yourself."
"According to the terms of the contract, when you encounter danger within the cavern, I will step in to save you, and the price will be a portion of your Mora."
The Martial God of Liyue providing protection, with only some Mora as the price—such a good deal?!
Hesitating for a moment was merely out of respect for the Martial God and the System. This contract must be signed, sign it decisively!
Arkz immediately took out a pen from his inventory space and signed his name on the contract.
A golden light flashed in Zhongli's eyes. The contract, with the name already signed, floated above the two of them. A Geo Element mark shone brightly and, under Zhongli's control, was imprinted onto the contract. Then, Zhongli called out solemnly, "The contract is established! Those who break it shall suffer the punishment of being consumed by Geo!"
Putting away the contract, Zhongli's expression became gentler, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Young friend Arkz, since the contract is complete, I shall not disturb you further. I, Zhong, will take my leave now."
Arkz quickly stepped forward to stop him: "Old Master Zhong, you're just leaving like that? At least stay and chat with me for a bit."
"To be honest, I'm the only one in this mine, and I'm a little scared."
Zhongli stopped and turned around. Of course, it wasn't because he believed Arkz's nonsense about being scared, but because he remembered something he had forgotten.
"Young friend Arkz, please cooperate. I need to run through my lines."
"Run through lines? What does that mean?" Arkz looked at Zhongli, somewhat bewildered.
Zhongli nodded and said, "Very good, that's the expression."
Then Zhongli's expression turned solemn, and he sighed while looking deep into the mine.
"Hmm..."
"... I only want to know how deep this mine goes."
"I must kill these monsters before they crawl out of the mine and enter Liyue."
"I have seen many heroes in my life; I recognize your eyes."
"Erosion has not taken away my judgment of people, nor has it taken away my strength. At least for now, I can still protect Liyue."
"Take this Geo Vision. It might not look like much, but it can help you manipulate Geo Elemental Power. With it, you can fight to your heart's content against the monsters here."
[Ding! System prompt: You have obtained a Geo Vision.]
"I will be watching over you. Prove yourself. Also, Liyue welcomes you."
After saying this, Zhongli turned and left without giving Arkz a chance to plead with him or ask questions.
Arkz rubbed his eyes hard, looked at the amber-like Vision in his hand, and unbelievably put it in his mouth to bite it—it was hard! He wasn't dreaming!
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