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Chapter 4: So… Good
I was staring at the system screen, waiting for the next mission…
When suddenly—
Vĩnh Trương growled.
He moved like something was pulling his strings and charged toward a far-off cave.
I turned to look.
Red eyes.
Dozens of them, gleaming from the shadows, locked on both of us.
Vĩnh Trương walked back to me and whispered something:
> "Fish… need fish."
I handed him a few.
He took them without hesitation and approached the mouth of the cave—
Carefully placing the fish down on the ground.
Then he stepped back.
Even for someone with intelligence, this was… odd.
And then they came out.
No—they crawled.
Spiders.
Small ones. Many of them.
But one was enormous—
And it lunged forward and devoured one of the smaller ones.
It crept toward me, slowly.
But Vĩnh Trương didn't flinch.
It stopped.
And then… a sound I'd never heard before:
> [System Activating: Pact of Exchange]
I stared at the system window—
Then at the spider's shining eyes.
> "You want… more?"
I selected "Yes."
The moment I did, Vĩnh Trương moved toward the spiderlings.
He gently picked them up and brought them back to me.
I scanned their stats.
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> [Name: Unknown]
[Species: Undefined]
[Status: Unidentified]
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They didn't exist in any records.
Something entirely… new.
But one caught my attention.
Its body was smooth, silvery white. Its presence... sharp.
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> [Name: Unknown]
[Status: Unidentified]
[Skill: Control]
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> "Control… of what?"
I didn't think too hard.
I brought them back to the village.
The villagers stared in fear.
> "Don't worry," I said. "They'll be our allies soon."
I traded some more fish for silk.
From it, I crafted wool smoke—dense, soft material used in crafting.
> "W-What are you making, sir…?"
A small boy stared at me with wide eyes.
I took some string, some wood, some silk—
And made a bed.
A soft, warm bed.
I placed it gently inside a house and gestured to the child.
> "Sleep here. Rest well."
That softness would help them recover.
Faster. Smarter. Healthier.
Because I would need them stronger—soon.
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