After Donatan finished his explanation, Bronya took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke: "This… This is an astronomical amount…"
As soon as she said this, March 7th muttered in their team chat, "Wait, is she crying? This performance is way too realistic!"
Pei Guang: "Realistic, my ass! It's too forced. The acting is too obvious. But the other guy doesn't know Bronya, probably doesn't even respect her. He's way too arrogant. Really too arrogant. He actually believes what an enemy is telling him. Tsk…"
Stelle, amused, said, "Ah Guang, you sure have the nerve to call someone out on that? Don't you trust people who come to you for help without question?"
Pei Guang: "Of course! But I only trust my teammates. Have you ever seen an enemy of mine still walking around?"
March 7th thought about it carefully. From the Antimatter Legion Doomsday Beast at Herta Space Station to the low-level Fragmentum creatures—none of them had survived. Then in Belobog, everything in the Underworld's Fragmentum was wiped out, and Cocolia had been completely destroyed.
In Xianzhou, every single Mara-struck was captured, and Phantylia's humiliation had spread across the entire universe. Meanwhile, her physical body had been reduced to mere Star Destroyer resources.
And then there was Earth… The Legion probably hadn't even fully realized what was happening before they found themselves facing a rapidly evolving humanity, now armed with a fleet of warships built in just a few days.
As for that Lord Ravager and his subordinates? Their days were numbered before Pei Guang dealt with them as well.
Looking at it that way, anyone who became Pei Guang's enemy never met a good end.
March 7th nodded, "You're right. Your enemies sure do get cleaned up thoroughly. But the company is seriously scummy: they ignored Belobog's struggles for seven hundred years, but now that peace is restored, they show up demanding payment?"
Pei Guang: "That's why I said they're up to no good. If nothing else, that arms factory they left behind but never gave instructions on how to use? We should be the ones demanding compensation, not them asking for money."
While they continued their sarcastic remarks inside the trash can, Donatan smiled confidently as he listened to Bronya's words and watched her expression.
"Lady Supreme Guardian, I assume you now acknowledge the authenticity of this debt?"
Bronya fell silent and then looked at Donatan. "Belobog has only just recovered. We simply…"
Seeing Bronya's troubled expression, Donatan smiled. "I completely understand your predicament, but to speak objectively, since Belobog continues to exist as an independent entity, this debt cannot simply be written off as bad debt. However, if your planet is unable to repay the full amount, I do have a proposal."
A projection appeared in front of Bronya, displaying an extensive contract filled with text that would make the average person dizzy. However, amidst the overwhelming details, Bronya quickly caught several key points.
If this contract was signed, all of Belobog's resources and the future of its people would belong to the company. If Belobog's assets were not enough to cover the debt, its citizens would be required to work for the company.
According to the contract, they would receive normal wages, and the company would oversee their education, employment, and even provide essential social welfare.
The company would also dispatch personnel to restore Belobog's ecosystem, making it a more livable planet. Moreover, once the debt was fully repaid, Belobog would regain its freedom and be allowed to trade freely.
Additionally, the contract promised abundant food, high-quality education, comfortable housing, and clothing for Belobog's people.
At first glance, this contract seemed to offer everything a post-apocalyptic world could ever hope for. But precisely because of that, a cold sweat broke out on Bronya's back.
When she read through most of the contract, what she felt was not hope—but an abyss.
Signing this contract would appear to grant Belobog's people vast resources and a bright future, but it would strip them of the most critical thing—
Freedom.
Not just physical freedom, but the freedom of choice itself. The company would assign individuals to specific education tracks and predetermined jobs based on their aptitude. In other words, no one would have any say in their own life paths.
While the company seemed to be offering abundant resources, Bronya noticed a key phrase hidden before the list of benefits:
"Based on the planet's value, the company will provide…"
This sentence was placed subtly at the beginning, appearing insignificant next to the long list of welfare benefits. But recalling Pei Guang's words and past analyses, Bronya immediately understood its meaning.
It meant that if the planet was deemed valuable, these benefits would exist. If not, then there were no guarantees.
A beautifully crafted contract, offering a miraculous, seemingly cost-free future—yet it reminded Bronya of something Pei Guang had said in the Underworld.
"Miracles and magic are never free. Even if I help you, you still have to compensate me with appropriate labor."
Yes, from the moment they met Pei Guang, he had never done anything for free. He accepted tasks, completed them, and took his rewards—even if saving a life only cost a single candy.
Helping someone find a lost item? The price was goodwill. To Belobog's people, this might feel like getting things for free, but in truth, it never was.
The rule was simple: You take someone's money, you solve their problems. For a player, whether it was money, emotions, rare items, or treasures collected in a game's region, everything was a form of compensation for clearing that area's challenges.
As Bronya recalled those past events, she remembered why she had fought against her own mother—not just for the survival of Belobog and the planet, but for the freedom of its people to choose their own future.
Yes, Belobog had faced destruction, but back then, she had thought that if Belobog were truly to fall, she at least wanted its people to have the freedom to choose their own path rather than being dragged into the abyss by Cocolia.
And now, as she looked at the contract in front of her, she realized how much she resembled her mother in that moment. If she signed this contract, what difference would there be between her and the mother she had once opposed?