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“Not that hard, huh?”

Lucas furrowed his brow, seemingly mulling over Jinseong’s words, and soon his expression hardened.

“All three?”

“Yes.”

“Oh dear.”

He rolled his eyes momentarily at Jinseong’s nonchalant reply. Then, as if recalling something, he exclaimed, “Ah!”

“Looks like I might have made a mistake.”

He brought his hand to the panel on his Crystal Arm. After scanning his fingerprint, he drew a shape, activating a device embedded in the arm.

Ziiing—

At that moment, a small mechanical sound emanated from the Crystal Arm, and light began to emanate from it. The light glimmered like it was flowing through veins, illuminating for about a second before vanishing, coalescing around his palm. The gathered light started to shine at the tips of the artificial fingers, weaving a luminous picture in the air.

It was a hologram.

The hologram shaped into something resembling a parchment contract, and he continued speaking while displaying it to Jinseong.

“I didn’t mention the conditions. That’s my mistake.”

Lucas raised his index finger and started to rub the forearm of his artificial arm. Moving as if his finger was a pen and quickly scribbling as if it were dipped in ink, the Crystal Arm reflected his movements on the holographic contract, filling it densely with text from top to bottom.

“Take a look.”

After finishing writing on the holographic contract, Lucas shifted his hand. The contract, which had been floating in the air, gently landed on the table as if it were real paper, even flipping over for Jinseong’s convenience.

Jinseong slowly gazed at the holographically produced contract. It was loaded with specific details that required diligent attention.

“Hmm.”

Firstly, there was a clause stating that there shouldn’t be any damage to the buildings and shops. Moreover, it explicitly defined the scope of “damage” in thorough detail.

The meticulousness was absurd, akin to an insurance contract, and the range of “damage” that Jinseong could inflict was extremely narrow. Just the basic elements such as exterior walls, windows, lighting, doors, not to mention the interiors, water pipes, sewage, and even the tiles were all explicitly detailed.

If damage exceeded a certain extent, Jinseong was obliged to provide compensation, the standards for which mirrored the current interiors or items of the same grade. These materials were meticulously listed in the contract, making it almost unbelievable for a hastily drafted document.

Additionally, there were clauses regarding image-related issues, biological and chemical contamination, contamination caused by magic and the resulting damages, effects of using spiritual beings leading to supernatural phenomena, provisions for detecting spiritual entities installed in the buildings, and initiating compensation claims for major fluctuations in magnetic fields before and after the commission. It included requests for necessary items, stipulating that if confirmed to breach the contract afterward, the cost of those devices would be charged.

Big chains filled the contract.

These chains would bombarde Jinseong the moment he breached the contract, crushing him under the colossal weight of dollars, fitting for America’s infamous reputation as a land of lawsuits.

Of course, that was only if the contract wasn’t adhered to.

While the particulars regarding “damage” were overwhelmingly detailed, a careful review revealed that the scope was manageable, and there were even provisions noting that in unforeseen circumstances—for instance, when he had to defend himself or felt threatened and engaged in battle, all losses and damages would be borne by Lucas. In certain situations, Jinseong could even stand to benefit!

On top of that, he would be linked to a major U.S. law firm with whom Lucas had long-standing connections, offering various privileges when taking on commissions. There was even a mention that Lucas would be able to invoke the “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law proactively on Wall Street.

‘Almost like being a mercenary…?’

Self-defense requires justification. In the U.S., this is known as the “Duty to Retreat,” which mandates demonstrating attempts to avoid conflict and efforts to escape from dangerous situations.

However, there were areas exempt from this duty. These included homes, cars, and private properties.

This principle, known as the Castle Doctrine, stems from the old belief that “an Englishman’s home is his castle,” empowering individuals to defend themselves at home, which has become the basis for general self-defense exemptions in the U.S.

And the “Stand Your Ground” law expanded the scope of this doctrine, removing the duty to retreat.

In simpler terms, it meant gaining the right to exercise “active self-defense” anywhere.

Of course, it wasn’t a license to kill.

Achieving recognition of this Castle Doctrine necessitated strict conditions. Just because the duty to retreat was removed didn’t mean one could recklessly swing a weapon around.

But… if one could leverage this “active self-defense” well… it could be a huge help.

For both Jinseong and Lucas.

‘Let’s see… There it is.’

Jinseong nodded while focusing on the text at the bottom of the contract.

There was a clause that the effectiveness of this contract only applied while Lucas was alive. The support from the U.S. law firm hinged on Lucas being the key player, meaning it would naturally end upon Lucas’s death.

Moreover, details regarding compensation and various benefits obtained through the contract would all vanish like bubbles once Lucas died.

In other words, if he entered into this contract, Jinseong would become obligated to protect Lucas’s life.

‘It was four things, not three, huh?’

The intention was transparent.

The man with the Crystal Arm in front of him wanted to use Jinseong as a bodyguard.

Of course, the three prior requests weren’t lies.

Signals faintly visible from Lucas’s body and the strength evident in his words were genuine. At the very least, there was no falsehood in what he spoke.

Plus, he seemed a bit stressed about the current situation.

But….

‘Gulp. There really are so many snakes in suits dealing with money, huh? Just like back in the day…’

Maximizing benefits with minimal effort was almost instinctual for them.

“Hmm. It’s not bad, but I see a lot that needs fixing.”

Well, it wasn’t as if it was wrong.

Isn’t that just the way of the world?

Jinseong had been through this plenty of times during his mercenary days, and it was something he often encountered when dealing with power holders.

This much was your everyday level.

There were many cases where people tried to suppress contracts with brute force, avoiding even a penny in payment, attempts at betrayal during conduct, and threats involving nano machines or poisons to force compliance.

There were instances of dual contracts intertwined with artifacts or divine objects to ensnare souls into slavery and using hostages as bait for free labor or bombing the area mid-assignment.

Considering all this, tweaking the contract a bit was like… just playful banter.

‘And on top of that, he even looks young… so this much is understandable.’

Moreover, what condition was Jinseong’s current body in?

It wasn’t even a fully grown adult yet.

Considering that East Asians generally look younger than Westerners, Lucas sweating bullets at how Jinseong appeared would be quite the juvenile sight.

Thus, what Lucas had done was just give a slightly unfair contract to a newcomer.

In fact, what he handed over wasn’t an actual contract but merely a sample; not a binding one where the soul was mortgaged nor an item infused with the powers of transcendent beings, nor an overwhelmingly powerful contract instigated by injecting nano machines which would lead to death upon breach.

It was merely an example.

So….

They could just negotiate it.

“Let’s start by removing the obligation to protect your life.”

 

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