Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Golden troves.
He hadn't expected her to respond with such determination, her eyes now fixed on his with a resolve that both surprised and intrigued him.
Seeing her acting this way, Laim pretended to be thinking for a moment as he glanced towards her territory outside of the window.
"What benefits will I gain if I were to give you the strength to do so?"
Liam questioned, his tone laced with a hint of curiosity as he observed back towards Irene's gaze.
Without hesitation, Irene took several bold steps forward until she stood directly before Liam, her gaze meeting his without flinching.
Though she was dwarfed by his towering form, she held her ground with a quiet determination. With a slight tremor in her voice, she spoke, her words while stuttering.
"Y-you can have me"
"I can give you my body, my soul, and my everything"
Irene began, her voice steady despite the nervousness evident in her demeanor.
"All I ask is the aid for me to achieve my dream. No matter how hopeless it might be, I want to try"
"I want to give the human race a chance, a chance for true peace"
Liam regarded her for a moment, his expression unreadable as he contemplated her offer.
'what a strange woman... '
'One moment she is fearful and scared, and the next moment...'
'her demeanor changed... offering herself as the substitute to win over her dreams'
'A prostitute of ideas?'
'An exchange for dreams?'
Liam mused at the sight of her stubbornly looking towards him as if he owed her some money.
Liam's decision will not be driven by Irene's physical attributes or the offer of herself but by the prospect of something deeper, something he had been yearning for—a sense of connection, of love, that had eluded him for so long.
If he were truly a beast, Elera would have already been his first mistress long ago.
But he chose to let her approach him on her own terms, curious to see what surprises she might bring, and whether they could fill the void within him.
Returning his focus to the present moment, Liam regarded the determined woman before him with a small smirk playing on his lips.
His intense gaze met hers, causing a flicker of fear to pass through her eyes as she clutched her skirt nervously, seeking solace from his chilling presence.
Finally, breaking the silence, Liam spoke in a deliberate, measured tone.
"I agree... to lend you my strength for your ideas"
His words hung in the air, laden with an unspoken weight, as Irene processed the unexpected response from the formidable man before her.
Or is he even a human anymore?
She doesn't know and doesn't care, as long as he is willing to help her.
"R-really?"
Irene's voice quivered with disbelief, her eyes wide as she sought confirmation from Liam, who simply nodded in response, his expression unreadable.
With that, he took the lead, striding forward and leaving Irene momentarily stunned in his wake.
Shaking off her bewilderment, Irene hastened to catch up, her heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.
"Now, let's get down to the real business that I came here for"
Liam's voice called out from ahead, breaking through Irene's swirling thoughts.
She could only manage a breathless.
"Y-yes"
In response she trailed behind him, feeling as though he knew her castle better than she did.
Finally, they arrived at the back garden, a serene oasis amidst the chaos of their earlier conversation.
A canopy of flowers enveloped the area, casting dappled shadows on the ground below. Irene took the initiative this time, gesturing towards the seating arrangement prepared for them.
It was situated in the middle of this haven, a sight to behold Liam must admit it.
A small sanctuary situated in the middle of the vast garden, made out of white wooden wood, with flowers adorned from above, creating a net of beauty to be looked at.
"P-please has a seat, Lord Liam"
She stammered, her cheeks flushed with a delicate pink as she hurriedly settled into one of the chairs, awaiting Liam's response.
As Liam settled into the chair, Irene's nervous energy was palpable, evident in the way she fidgeted with her fingers.
Summoning her courage, she broached the subject that had been weighing on her mind since his arrival.
"T-then, regarding your application to my alliance"
Irene began tentatively, her words hesitant but earnest
"To be honest, I don't dare to put up requirements on you as I would be yours from now on... "
"Then, it's settled that you will now become a part of us."
Irene's smile was hopeful, her eyes searching Liam's face for his reaction.
Liam, however, remained composed, his expression unreadable as he processed her words.
He wasn't surprised by her direct approval.
After all, their agreement had been reached long before he arrived here. In truth, Liam's mind was preoccupied with something else entirely regarding this alliance feature.
"Approve my application first within the panel, I still can't enter the alliance"
Liam reminded her calmly.
"Oh, yes, I forgot to do it manually"
Irene admitted sheepishly, quickly summoning her panel and navigating to the alliance feature.
With a tap, she approved Liam's application, and a series of notifications followed inside Liam's ears.
[Ding, congratulations to the lord for joining the 'FARMING ALLIANCE']
[Alliance Mall is unlocked]
[Alliance Event is unlocked]
[Alliance building is unlocked]
[Alliance chat is unlocked]
[Alliance research is unlocked]
[First time joining an alliance, granting 200 contribution points. The contribution points can be used to purchase items in the Alliance Mall]
[As for the rest of the features, the lord is advised to explore independently]
Hearing the prompts, Liam attention was immediately attracted to the Alliance Mall feature that was unlocked, pondering whether his cheat was still in effect for this mall too.
'what if I can use my cheat on this alliance mall too?'
'One item per week from the System Mall and also one item per week from the Alliance Mall. That does seem to be logical'
'And in the future, there must be a similar event to those games back in my past life'
'A limited-time event that allows players to collect tokens or some sort of currency under a certain duration, and finally the event mall will be unlocked for the players to purchase items from it using the currency that they had accumulated'
'There must be more of this that is to come in the future'
And the more Liam thought of it, the brighter his eyes became as if he had discovered the world's greatest treasure.
He knew that his current self-achievement was all the cause by the skill that he bought randomly. And where did he gain this skill?
Yes, the system mall.
The system mall to him is akin to a treasure trove filled with golden fingers. And his ability was simply the key to unlocking them one by one every week.
If only this ability isn't restricted to one item per week, then it would be much easier for him to become the strongest in this world or even, beyond this world.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone