Ch.96I’ll do my best

# 96. I’ll Do My Best

“Forced contract? Forced contract? Did I hear that wrong?”

“Sorry. I didn’t misspeak, and you didn’t mishear.”

My firm answer made Yehyun’s expression darken further.

“I understand the situation is urgent. But still…”

Forced contract.

When someone as kind-hearted as her—who had said it was fortunate just to see us after we disappeared—looks this troubled, it’s obvious the term carries negative connotations.

The advantages of a forced contract are exactly two:

First, regardless of intimacy, resonance ability, or other important spirit contract skills and levels, you can forcibly contract with a spirit matching the attribute and grade of your spirit stone. Provided you know the proper method and follow the procedure correctly.

Second, since it’s forced, the spirit master has 100% control. Contracting with a spirit isn’t the end—the power and efficiency of skills change depending on control and resonance ability, but with a forced contract, you can maximize these immediately.

Looking at just these benefits, you might wonder why Yehyun reacted that way. But the disadvantages were significant.

To put it bluntly, it was like selling your future.

First, the contracted spirit’s maximum growth grade and growth ability become permanently locked. Second, resonance and intimacy abilities plummet, meaning you can’t expect any ‘voluntary’ judgment or help from the spirit.

Third, contracting with other spirits becomes difficult (penalties are applied to skill level-ups like Spirit Affinity, Spirit Contract Mastery, etc.). Fourth, after the forcibly contracted spirit is recalled several times, the binding force weakens, and you never know when the contract might break.

These are just the main disadvantages. So why would such a garbage skill exist in the game?

‘Because it has its uses, and there are ways to mitigate and resolve the penalties.’

In the game, as the total number of skills and level values increased, learning new skills and leveling up became increasingly difficult. Many non-spirit master class gamers researched the “forced contract spirit bomb” strategy.

Using spirits contracted through forced contracts as temporary auxiliary weapons.

I’d experimented with it a few times on my alt characters and decided it didn’t suit my style, so I never did it on my main. But in a situation like this, it was quite an effective “means.”

However, in the setting, spirits were friends and companions to spirit masters. Muladabal was a high-ranking spirit master famous for adoring and cherishing her spirits… so Yehyun might have felt betrayed by my suggestion.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think that’s going to work.”

As expected.

Even in this situation, Yehyun apologized to me.

“We’re in this together until the end. No matter how urgent things are, forced contracts just don’t seem right.”

“We might not be able to clear this floor. You said we stocked up, but we used almost all our potions in the lower floors, and other consumables are limited too. Plus, we don’t know what negative events might occur if we stay in one place too long.”

“Then I’ll just be a burden! According to your logic, the difficulty might differ between five people advancing versus six. You know how much of a burden it is to carry dead weight!”

“That’s true.”

“In my opinion, forced contracts cost too much compared to what you gain. I know your judgment and orders are excellent, but… I’d like you to reconsider.”

Yehyun’s plea was sincere. At this point, I looked around at the other party members. I needed to hear their opinions too.

“I abstain~”

“Me too.”

Yuri and Seyeon declined to comment. They would follow whatever conclusion we reached.

“I agree with Yehyun.”

“May I ask why?”

“You’re not gaining anything now, but your soul is bound to that cat for some uncertain future. Asking Yehyun to sacrifice her future for the party’s future? That’s too much.”

“Um, Soyu? Isn’t that a different situation?”

“Unnie. You’re taking her side.”

“W-well, that’s true, but…”

Soyu supported Yehyun with a somewhat sharp tone. Yehyun tried to cover for me but got scolded and looked dejected. Normally I would have laughed, but I couldn’t find it funny at all.

“Me too. I’m with Yehyun unnie.”

“Why?”

“You didn’t do this on your main character because it ‘didn’t suit your style.’ But you’re trying to make a spirit master do it. If I were Yehyun unnie, I would have slapped you already.”

Subin joined the opposition. Yehyun was fidgeting, probably thinking I was being attacked because of her. Yuri was… seemingly feeling better, munching on snacks and enjoying the drama.

Danya was peacefully sleeping on my thigh.

I contemplated.

Whether to push harder or concede.

‘Party members who usually follow my orders without question—not just one but three of them are opposing me. Two are staying neutral, but they’re not taking my side either, so they’re practically closer to the opposition.’

If I pushed harder and tried to persuade them, they would probably eventually follow my lead… but I decided not to.

The solution I proposed was wrong.

And I’m someone who knows how to admit that.

“Alright. I’ll withdraw it.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Thank you!”

Yehyun grabbed my hand. Her eyes were welling up. I cleared my throat and carefully removed her hand.

“Ah, sorry. I did that without thinking.”

“It’s fine. So, unnie. Spirit contract. How long do you think it will take?”

“That… I’m sorry. I can’t promise anything.”

Our natural recovery rate was terribly slow right now. As time passed, status ailments like potion addiction would resolve and recovery would speed up, but it would still take at least a week.

Within that time, either Soyu would have to learn a status healing skill on her own, or Yehyun would need to contract with a water spirit and provide pure healing water.

‘I don’t know.’

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with any alternative to forced contracts. The party members avoided eye contact with me. They opposed my idea but couldn’t think of a better solution either.

“I, I’ll really do my best. Since you brought up forced contracts, you probably have quite a few spirit stones, right? Can you give them all to me first?”

Without a word, I scraped together all the spirit stones and spirit stone fragments from my inventory and handed them to Yehyun.

“And about the tent. Could I use it alone for a few days?”

“Is that part of your ‘best effort’?”

“Yes.”

I pointed to tent number 3. Yehyun nodded, with a somewhat bitter smile.

“Please understand if I don’t come out of the tent for a while. If you need to talk to me urgently, just speak from outside.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, no. I should be the one apologizing for opposing without offering alternatives. I’ll go now!”

Yehyun entered tent number 3. I let out a sigh I’d been holding back. Feeling helpless about this unsolvable situation, I was rubbing my face in frustration when I heard Subin’s voice.

“I don’t think you need to be in such a hurry.”

“This isn’t neutral territory.”

“Did you forget what the fortune teller told you?”

“Don’t be greedy? Hey, how is this being greedy?”

Did she think I made that proposal because I wanted to? Did she think I didn’t know about Muladabal’s versatility?

I snapped for a moment.

“Calm down. I’m just saying we should think more slowly. This might be a transit floor.”

“What if it’s the next quest? What if it’s progressing on its own while we’re wasting time here?”

“We weakened those monsters quite a bit in the lower floors. You saw the result message and heard from Seyeon. They won’t get unmanageably strong even if some time passes.”

“You know that quest 3 is tougher than quest 2 under the same conditions, right?”

“Why wouldn’t I know that? You’re not the only one who remembers. I remember too.”

Feeling frustrated, I set Danya down and stepped away for a moment.

‘Am I being unusually impatient? Is it just me?’

I thought I had been acting consistently from the beginning. But maybe I wasn’t.

Despite hearing Subin’s words, I felt anxious just sitting still in the current situation. So I walked around the campsite, constantly thinking about finding a reliable method that didn’t depend on chance and luck.

I kept going until someone told me I’d been walking around too long and should rest since I wasn’t feeling well.

**

“Maybe I should have spoken to him privately.”

Inside tent number 3, Yehyun sighed while fidgeting with a spirit stone. Recalling the party leader’s expression made her uncomfortable.

‘I said I’d do my best, but this is no better than a rain dance.’

Yehyun, who thought she had already shown more than enough embarrassing sides of herself during their first meeting, absolutely did not want to show anyone the ‘various attempts’ she was about to make.

“Haaah…”

Even though she was alone, she needed courage.

After several minutes of deep breathing and repeatedly gripping and releasing the spirit stone…

The first attempt by Raeyehyun—a human with none of the innate skills of a game spirit master—was…

“Ugh, it’s cold!”

Taking off her clothes.

“Should I pour some water on myself too…?”

And placing spirit stones all over her body.