"Congratulations! You've satisfied all the criteria of a contract," Manual declared in that dark space, leaving Finn and Orochi in shock and confusion. "Orochi can now be a member of Nightmare," Manual added.
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Orochi exclaimed. "What do you mean a member of Nightmare?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"You can now live in Nightmare," replied Manual.
"And where is Nightmare?" asked Orochi, raising her eyebrows.
However, Finn chimed in. "Nightmare is the name of my physical body, the house," he clarified.
"And why do I need to live there?" questioned Orochi.
Just as she asked the question, a large, transparent, glowing screen appeared before them, and Manual said, "Perks of becoming a member:" as the benefits she listed began to display on the screen.
"1. Personal Room
You will have your own room in Nightmare, and its size and interior can be customized to suit your preferences. Whether you want it to be a regular room or a replica of the Serpent Forest, the choice is yours. The maximum size for your room is 50 square kilometers, and the entire room will exist in a separate dimension, much like this current space. Nightmare will grant access to that dimension while helping you to alter its aesthetics to your liking.
2. Shared Ability
As a member of Nightmare, you will gain access to one of the skills that Nightmare has acquired from various creatures or fellow members. You'll have the option to swap your skill with another one once every 30 days, provided that the chosen skill isn't currently in use by another member of Nightmare.
3. Status Boost
Your status will be enhanced by half of Nightmare's baseline status. To clarify, this baseline status refers to Nightmare's attributes when there are no members of the Nightmare. For example, If Nightmare's physical damage and mana are 200 and 100 respectively, then your physical damage and mana will be boosted by 100 and 50 respectively."
Despite her initial lack of interest, Orochi took a brief pause and then asked, "So, if I agree to this contract, I'll have my personal room that I can customize however I like?"
"Yes," confirmed Manual.
"However I like?" Orochi inquired again, raising her eyebrows.
"Yes, your imagination is the only limit. However, you won't be able to introduce any fauna into your room, and once you finalize its form, you won't be able to make changes for 30 days," Manual informed her.
"What if I want to get out of the contract?" asked Orochi.
"You can do that anytime, but canceling the contract will mean forfeiting all the perks associated with your connection to Nightmare," replied Manual.
"Alright," Orochi said with a sigh. "I'll give it a try."
Finn had been quietly listening to the entire conversation, and he was rather surprised when Orochi agreed to the contract.
"Wait, hold on," he interjected, his gaze shifting to the screen. "What's in it for me?" he inquired.
"Nightmare will also benefit from this contract," Manual explained, and as she spoke, the perks began to appear on the screen.
"1. Shared Ability
During the contract signing, you have the opportunity to select a skill from the other party, in this case, Orochi. This skill becomes accessible to you as if it were any other ability, and you also have the option to share it with any other members who are bound by a contract with you. However, it's important to note that you can only acquire a skill at the initial contract signing.
2. Status Boost
Your status will be augmented by half of the signing member's baseline status. To clarify, this baseline status refers to the member's attributes when they aren't benefiting from any additional buffs or equipment. For example, if the member's physical damage and mana are 200 and 100 respectively, then your physical damage and mana will be increased by 100 and 50 respectively. Furthermore, for every contract created, your maximum HP will increase by 50%.
3. Weapon Sharing
You can utilize any weapons owned by the member if they are within the house's vicinity. All the buffs and status enhancements conferred by the weapon will also apply to you."
After carefully considering the perks of the contract, Finn remarked, "Sounds cool to me." He then added, "Still, I do have one more question. What is the criteria to activate the contract skill?"
"Contracts can only be formed between you and an intelligent life form," Manual clarified. "You simply need to ask that being to be your friend or family member, and that being should genuinely be interested in your proposal. By 'interested,' I mean they should also consider you a true friend or family member."
"What!" Finn exclaimed, turning his attention to Orochi. "Does that mean Orochi actually considers me her friend?" he asked with a curious expression.
However, Orochi chose to look away, her cheeks blushing. In a stoic tone, she replied, "Huh. I think you are mistaken. I just agreed to be your friend because there aren't many intelligent life forms in the Serpent Forest."
Finn couldn't help but smile, understanding that she might be too shy or proud to admit it. After a brief pause, he said, "Maybe you are right. This criteria thing does seem broken."
Upon hearing this, Manual interjected, "It's not broken. I only state the facts and nothing else."
Manual's statement caused Orochi to blush even more. Deep down, she knew she wanted a friend, but her prideful demeanor prevented her from admitting it. Her proud personality viewed Finn as a lower life form, and on the surface, she didn't want to be on equal footing with someone she considered beneath her.
Meanwhile, Finn inquired, "So, do you want to proceed with the contract?"
Orochi turned around to face Finn, resuming her stoic demeanor. "Yes," she replied. "But just remember, I'm only agreeing to this because I like the personal room option. I am the ruler of the Serpent Forest, and you have not reached a level where I can consider you as a friend."
"Not a problem," Finn replied with a smile as he and Orochi both turned their attention to the screen. He then said, "Let's sign the contract."
"Very well," Manual responded. She then directed her question to Orochi, "Orochi, the ruler of the Serpent Forest, do you wish to enter into a contract with Nightmare, the sentient Haunted House?"
Without hesitation and without displaying any emotion on her face, Orochi simply replied, "Yes."
Finn couldn't help but smile upon hearing her response.
"Finn Darkling of Nightmare, the sentient Haunted House, do you wish to enter into a contract with Orochi, the ruler of the Serpent Forest?" asked Manual.
"Yes," Finn confirmed with a delighted expression.
"What skill of Orochi do you want to add to your skill list?" Manual inquired, displaying a list of Orochi's skills on the screen.
However, Finn decided to take a different approach. He turned to Orochi and asked, "Which skill would you like to give me?"
"Take whatever you want. I don't care much," replied Finn.
"Well, you see, friendship is all about giving and not about taking. So, I will accept whatever you offer," Finn responded with a warm smile.
Orochi smiled very faintly, and said, "First of all, we are not friends. However, if you want me to choose a skill for you then from my present skill repository, I think Mirage will be the most suitable one for you."
Finn didn't think for a moment as he faced the screen and replied, "Alright, I will go with Mirage then."
"Very well," Manual acknowledged, and in an instant, the screen vanished, returning Finn and Orochi to the dark space. Manual then declared, "Congratulations! The contract between Orochi, the ruler of the Serpent Forest, and Nightmare, the sentient Haunted House, has been successfully created."
A moment after Manual's declaration, Orochi and Finn found themselves back on the island. Unlike in the dark space, Finn had returned to his apparition form. Almost immediately upon their return, they heard a shout: "DON'T WORRY, YOUR HIGHNESS, I WON'T LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO YOU."
Turning their attention to the source of the shout, they saw Butterbell standing boldly between a towering Flamehowler and Moonlight, his sword pointed at the formidable creature. Despite Butterbell's aggressive stance, everyone else on the island appeared remarkably calm, from the other creatures to Moonlight and Creambell, who stood by.
The tension in the air was palpable, but Butterbell remained the only one visibly agitated.