[343] Contract

August had long since lost interest in the Succubus Shop. In this small world, various species of monster girls had already formed an enhanced legion, each type represented.

Most of them came from less fortunate backgrounds, following August for money, only to choose to stay forever in the end.

A brand new world, expanding every day, and the man they had devoted themselves to was the master of this realm. These factors alone were enough to entice most women to offer themselves willingly.

Thus, just four months after arriving in this world, August had achieved all his objectives.

In the past, he would have left by now, but because the World Tree seedling was currently siphoning the essence of this world, he could not depart just yet.

The seedling was still in its sprouting phase, relying on August for its manifestation in this realm. If he were to leave, the roots of the World Tree seedling would become ineffective.

So, August continued to linger here for eight months.

During these eight months, he exemplified what it meant to live a hedonistic life surrounded by thousands of beautiful women in a harem.

The number of monster girls continued to grow each month; after all, in this world, there were simply too many types of monster girls from various races, especially within a single race where the types varied.

For example, cat girls from the feline race were diverse; not all of them looked alike.

Having completely indulged himself, August's strength reached the limits of the Demon King level just before his departure. As for reaching the ninth tier, known as the Transcendent, he had yet to find a clear path.

In this world, August had indulged in countless desires, a land teeming with succubi in every corner.

[Name: World Tree (Seedling)]

[Owner: August]

[Growth Stage: Sprouting (35%)]

[Innate Skills: Space, Elemental, Devour, Plunder, Contract (Those who enter a contract with the World Tree will have their souls returned to it upon death, and consuming magic power can lead to rebirth)]

Over the course of these eight months, the World Tree seedling successfully achieved 35% growth.

At the 30% mark, it even awakened a new innate skill: Contract Power.

After awakening, August had everyone around him form contracts with the World Tree seedling. This way, even in the event of an unforeseen incident, there would be a final safety net.

Now, the day for the end of this 'vacation' drew ever closer.

"Meidri, Lacnella, it's time for us to leave," August announced as he once again entered the tavern, delivering his final ultimatum.

At that moment, both women paused their activities. Lacnella was fine with this; she came here mainly to pass the time and to accompany Meidri, helping to alleviate her stress.

However, Meidri had developed feelings for this place.

After all, this was where she had spent many years working and living. The thought of leaving, perhaps never to return, left her feeling a twinge of reluctance.

"When?" she asked.

"The day after tomorrow," August replied.

"Is it really that soon?" she exclaimed.

"Yeah."

Meidri nodded, fully aware of August's plans, and she understood that her departure was inevitable. But still, she felt a deep attachment to everything here.

"Oh no, we're really leaving?" the tavern owner, a tree spirit adorned with vines, emerged at that moment.

"Indeed. Are you coming with us?" August inquired.

"I'm fine either way. I have no real ties here. But, honestly, I'm quite concerned about you, Meidri," the owner replied.

"Then let's go together," Meidri said.

"Alright."

Seeing the owner's immediate agreement left Meidri stunned.

"Wait a minute, you won't be with August in that way, will you?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"No, no! My relationship with August is not like that," the owner reassured them.

"Then why did you agree?" Meidri pressed.

"Because August asked me previously if I would take care of a forest. I agreed, and since he's leaving, I should naturally accompany him," the owner explained.

"Eh?"

Now it was Meidri's turn to be baffled, while August simply smiled.

The tavern owner was an ancient spirit, and her claim about caring for the forest was just an excuse; the real reason was her fondness for Meidri.

Having lived for several centuries, the tree spirit had come to see Meidri as a surrogate daughter over the years, which explained her concern.

August had drawn her in based on this connection.

Of course, the primary reason was that he hadn't found another tree spirit. Tree spirits were rare, and finding one that suited him was even harder.

Eventually, the choice fell to the tavern owner, and the outcome was undoubtedly successful.

With Meidri's assistance, the owner withdrew all her accumulated wealth from the tavern. August was taken aback by the sheer amount.

Though he knew taverns could be lucrative, this was beyond his expectations.

Nearly thirty million gold coins, all in cash, piled up in a hidden underground storage room of the tavern.

To be honest, August was somewhat perplexed. If she had so much money, why would she still run a tavern? She clearly didn't lack for funds.

"If only we could take the tavern with us," Meidri sighed, gazing lovingly at the establishment, her 'home.'

"That's possible," August replied with a grin.

"Really? Is that true?" she asked, eyes wide with excitement.

"Absolutely! You've been to the small world before, right? It's just a matter of fitting an entire town into a corner," he assured her.

Indeed, the small world had already evolved into something akin to a 'realm.'

When it had just reached 1%, it covered one square kilometer, and now at 35%, it far surpassed August's expectations.

After all, reaching 1% didn't equate to merely one square kilometer; the rate of growth was accelerating continuously.

But putting that aside, the current small world was already quite expansive.

Boom!

Then, before Meidri's astonished gaze, August effortlessly uprooted the entire tavern, leaving behind a massive pit.

He then directly tossed the tavern into the small world, establishing it as a new residence there.

Next, August planned to build the first town within this small world. Although the population was still small, it would continue to grow over time, allowing for the constant expansion of the town.

One day in the future, this world would form a true system, becoming a realm of its own, rather than just a vast space reliant on August.

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