For a second, Liam sounded as if he was going to be generous, but hearing him repeat the same dreadful words again, the two women looked dumbfounded.
"Why! Why are you being so unreasonable!" Alex crumpled the sheets and stared at him wide-eyed.
"Is this because you can't trust us?" Mia asked. She also failed to understand why he was being so stubborn about this.
"I know we got off on the wrong foot. Please, this concerns my brother's life. If you just help us this once, we will be eternally grateful."
"We will not go up against you. We can be your allies. I promise this. I give you my word." Mia pleaded.
Alex as well did not continue to remain arrogant and quickly added. "Please Liam. I know I foolishly did a lot of things, I will apologize for everything. But you have to help my brother."
"Please we can be on the same side. I will never again do anything stupid. Please just this once." The two begged and pleaded with Liam.
However, Liam only shook his head, smiling helplessly. "I really cannot help unless you sign the contract. My hands are tied."
"Don't think of it as a slave contract. Think of it as a subordinate contract or even as a friendship contract. I will not treat you both unfairly."
"Why? Why are you being so stubborn like this! Why can't you just trust us? Why do you need a contract like this?" Alex shouted.
She hated that this guy was being so stubborn, not budging at all even though the two of them were groveling at his feet.
Did he like seeing them so miserable begging him like this for help?
"I could say the same thing." Liam shrugged. "Why don't you both trust me? I already told you the contract is just for namesake. I am not sure what more you need from me."
"If you need my help, this is the only way. And…"
"Trust me, you need my help. Your brother's condition just like this game is not so simple. You should have realized at least this much right?"
Mia nodded silently. Even Alex closed her mouth, not saying anything else.
They also had this nagging doubt for a while now which was why they had strictly asked Rey to not log in anymore.
The doctors in the top hospitals also couldn't explain his condition. They did all sorts of tests on him but it only left him more weak and vulnerable.
So the two women looked at Liam, wanting more explanation but his mouth was tightly shut. He was not saying anything else.
As if he could read their thoughts, he lightly chuckled and added. "I can tell you more after the contract."
Alex bit her lips and started once again, but Liam interrupted her. "Are you two really trying to bargain here? With your brother's life on the line? Hmmm?"
"Well, be that as it may. You might have all day on your hands, but I am not that free. I really have to take care of some things."
Liam once again prepared to log out, but Mia quickly panicked and stopped him. "Ok. Ok. we will do it."
"But Mia… you…" Alex was shocked. Who was Mia and why did she have to become this person's slave? "Let her go. I will sign the contract with you."
"Nope." Liam was still adamant. "It doesn't work that way. It has to be all three of you."
"Why are you-" Mia raised her hand and stopped her. "All of us will sign, but can you guarantee that my brother will be fine?"
"No. I cannot. I can try. I am not sure I will be successful though." Liam honestly answered.
"What? Then they the fuck are we signing this thing? Are you serious right now?" Alex was furious.
She forgot that she was half-naked and stood up from the bed angrily, making her two melons bounce from the action and her hardened nipples revealed.
Liam took a good long look at her and then smirked. "Your wish. You can choose to sign or not, just like you can choose to wear clothes or not."
"YOU!"
"Alex, stop it." Mia sighed. She didn't know much about business but she knew that this was a losing deal and yet this was the best or rather the only option they had at the moment.
Rey's condition was truly bad and they had seen some cases where players had inexplicably died from playing this game.
So they were extremely worried.
"Yes, we will still sign it." She clenched her fists and muttered resolutely.
If this game was just a game, then this contract had no meaning. However, if this game was not just a game… then something very wrong was happening.
And this would be their only chance to find out about everything and get ahead of things, starting with Rey's recovery.
In the end, it was just a blind leap of faith and Mia decided to take it.
"You won't regret this." Liam nodded. "I don't have the scrolls with me right now. Why don't we meet back in this same spot in a few minutes?"
"You can take this time to help Rey log in."
"Even he has to sign?" Alex gnashed her teeth, to which Liam sighed. No matter how many times he explained things, it would only be useless.
After all, signing a slave contract was equal to signing one's life away.
Though these two were not completely aware of what they were doing, and probably assumed that this was simply within the game, it was natural to have this kind of apprehension.
He sympathized with their plight, but he also couldn't afford to take any chances. Especially when the redhead was a ticking time bomb.
"I know there is a lot of resentment and hatred between us at the moment. But I hope with time all of this can change and we can coordinate together as a team."
He did not say anything else and left the room. Alex and Mia as well silently logged out, exchanging looks with each other.
And after a few minutes, just like they had already decided, everyone arrived one after the other.
"Bro, I can't believe that we are finally on the same side again." Rey immediately gave Liam a thumbs up as soon as he walked in.
He ran over to him excitedly, wanting to give a hug but Liam stopped him. "Stay back."
He was already assaulted by a member of their family today and he didn't want it to repeat again.
"So you are all fine with signing the contracts?" Liam asked again, taking out the three scrolls from his inventory space.
"Bro, is this the guild contract?" Rey asked.
"Yes, something like that. Basically, we would be on the same team." Liam smiled and patted him. The two women couldn't help but gawk at him.
Just minutes earlier he was so rude and arrogant with them, but when it came to Rey, they were talking as if they were best buds. What the hell?
And Rey as well did not question Liam any further and was more than happy to sign his contract.
Why are you so happy to bend over backward for him? Alex rolled her eyes staring at this ridiculous scene!
She as well begrudgingly took the contract and signed it. After that, Mia did her part and signed as well.
The two then looked at Liam hoping for more explanations at least now, but he silently pointed to Rey who had already fainted on the bed.
"Let's talk after you both help him," Liam said. He took the three contracts and carefully placed them back into his inventory.
Alex gritted her teeth but didn't say anything. Looking at Rey like this, she couldn't become angry like before. She woke him up gently and then helped him log out.
She then looked at Liam angrily and spoke. "Now can we talk?"
Liam smiled at her and not in the sarcastic way that he always did. "See, you can still freely become angry with me. Signing the contract doesn't change much at all." He chuckled.
"Um. That's alright. Can you tell us how to help Rey please?" Mia asked.
"First sit down. Trust me. You are going to want to sit down for this." Liam said and he took a seat as well.
Seeing him, Mia quietly sat down and Alex as well begrudgingly sat down.
"So what I am about to say is not common knowledge yet. It is something I personally discovered but before I reveal this, let me ask you a question first."
"What do you think of this game?"
"Only what everyone knows." Mia curtly answered.
Liam saw that they were in a hurry to know things so he did not dilly dally and came straight to the point. "I think… again this is just my theory…"
He took a deep breath and then said. "The things that happen within this game are reflected in the real world too."
***
Bonus Chapter~~
***** END OF VOLUME2****
