The system’s warning made Rin feel irritated and he almost missed the next reading.

Teressa stepped forward and Madam Yao grabbed her hand and looked into hers next.

"Girl, your past and future are a mess. Just what kind of life have you been living? Don’t play around too much or your betrayals will come back to bite you one day."

Madam Yao warned but Teressa just laughed at her words.

"Don’t worry. I have put that life behind me. I am living an honest life now, so nothing will happen.

"Are you living an honest life? If you believe this, then I won’t say much to you. But do remember that your choices will affect your future."

"I will remember your advice."

There was a slight friction in the air after Madam Yao and Teressa finished talking but all Rin got out of their conversation was that there was a chance Teressa could betray them.

’Should I break our contract and send her away before she causes me any harm? But she had yet to do something and based on Madam Yao’s words, she had a chance to change...’

Rin thought about this for a minute before he reached a conclusion.

’I will take Teressa out the second she betrays me. Until then, I will give her the benefit of the doubt.’

Madam Yao sighed and straightened her back before she looked between Rin and Shelly. She extended her hand toward Rin but Shelly stepped forward first.

"I would like to be next."

"Oh! Are you volunteering now? How brave."

Madam Yao somehow sounded sarcastic without even meaning to. But Shelly just smiled and placed her hand in Madam Yao’s.

Five minutes passed in silence. Neither side spoke, and then, Madam Yao pulled her hand back with a terrified gasp.

Her eyes were wide with shock as she looked at Shelly.

"You! What was that past? What was that future? I could not make sense of anything. There was so much blood and destruction and your mind... I think I need a break."

Madam Yao complained as she looked around for support. Her elder daughter steadied her, looking uneasy on her face.

"Is something wrong? What did you see? Was Rin there?"

Shelly asked with a smile on her face and Madam Yao took a deep breath to calm herself down before looking at Shelly.

"What I saw was your past drenched in red. As for your future, it’s also filled with red. Your obsession will swallow this world, but it is also something that carries the hope to save this world. How can a human be so contradictory?"

Madam Yao asked in a low voice.

Rin felt curious to know more about what she had seen, but Madam Yao grabbed her head and called an end to the session.

"Let me rest for a while. Dealing with this monster has drained me mentally. We shall resume our negotiations in two hours."

Madam Yao left without even looking at Rin’s future, which felt unfair But Rin also felt relieved that he did not have to hear anything negative about him.

it would hurt to hear that he might die or be manipulated.

Still... he was more worried about Shelly at the moment.

"Shelly, are you feeling alright? Don’t let Madam Yao’s reading get to you. I am sure your future is bright."

Rin assured her and Shelly smiled at him.

"Of course my future is bright. It has you in it. As long as you are here, I will never lose myself."

Shelly promised but for some reason, that did not reassure Rin.

"Please come with us. We will show you to your rooms for now."

Unfortunately, their guides arrived before Rin could reassure Shelly and they headed toward their assigned rooms.

...

"Ah, lying on a bed feels nice. These beds are just as nice as my room back in the settlement."

Reina threw herself at the bed and relaxed until she sank into the mattress. She was not the only one feeling tired after what happened.

they each took a bed and relaxed

Finally, Teressa was the first one to break the silence.

"About Madam Yao’s reading...I don’t think we should put too much emphasis on what she is saying. I, for one, have no intention of betraying anyone here."

Teressa made herself clear, and Rin pretended he agreed with her.

"I agree. Let’s focus on the present and not the past or the future. Our current objective is to see this alliance through."

Everyone agreed and waited for the meeting time to start.

Someone knocked at their door exactly two hours later to escort them to the meeting. It was to be held in the conference room and they followed behind their guide.

The conference room was decently sized, with enough space for around 30 people..

Both sides took a seat and Madam Yao presented her case first.

"Girl’s Battle Frontier proposed this alliance so allow me to put my conditions first. We need rations from your side along with enhanced weapons. My research told me that the weapons your soldiers were spotted carrying felt different. They had additional status effects I would like to possess as well."

Madam Yao’s conditions were clear but heavy. The reason she was putting this forward likely was because she was confident she could offer something equally valuable in return.

"Hmm, this is something that is possible. However, it depends on the compensation you can promise us."

"How can you even ask for compensation? Don’t you know who we are-"

"Mellisa, stop talking."

Mellisa’s elder sister quickly smacked her hand on Mellisa’s mouth before she could offend someone. Her tired expression indicated that this was clearly not the first time something like this had happened.

"I apologize for my young sister’s behaviour. She was dropped on her head as a baby so she’s a bit slow to mature..."

"Are you calling me a retard? How dare you do that. Mom, I’m being bullied—"

"Mellisa, don’t be mean to our guests. Alex, you can let go of your younger sister. I am sure she has learned her lesson. As for my dear future alliance members, I have a proposal for you. If you agree to the terms of this alliance, I will share exclusive information about the upcoming tasks with you. For example, the next task is-"

"A scenario-type puzzle where we will have to complete a story’s objective before time runs out."

Madam Yao started to speak but Rin finished her sentence, leaving everyone speechless.