Runebound Reverse Tower of The Dead-Chapter 102: Contract.

Kael walked down the stairs of the shop, looking once behind him to see Baltak snickering at the fanatics of humans.

For him, the struggle and battle and life and death of Climbers was merely an amusement.

A passing moment for Baltak to enjoy and soon forget.

Many of them had gone before, and many will go after. And he’d seen enough of human Pride that feels more like pathetic arrogance at times to even care for the well-being of any of them.

Kael walked between the group, unbothered with their stares until he reached the Sun Clan’s boss.

He made sure his steps didn’t quicken. He made sure his gaze didn’t drop. If he showed hesitation now, they’d smell it the way goblins smelled blood.

"You look different. Glad you survived the night."

"Told you I had a good nose," Kael replied.

It came out smoother than he felt. He hated how he had to keep layering lies over truths until he wasn’t sure which parts of his own story were solid anymore. He hated how easy it was to get used to it.

The Boss dismissed Kael with a glance and stared at the Snake leader.

"Petrov, you’ve been a pain in my side since the Tower of Trial, and you’ll probably continue to do so here in the Reverse Tower. But seeing that there is a Hidden Piece at stake, how about we compete for it?"

Petrov’s face didn’t change much, but his posture did, a subtle tightening, like someone had tugged a leash. There was history there. The kind that didn’t need explaining because it lived in the way they said each other’s names.

"With you? Do I look like an idiot?" Petrov said.

The Sun Clan boss let the insult sit, then leaned into it like it was a stepping stone.

"Why not? We both just started on this floor. Not to mention I died because of your clan back at the Tower of Trials. Or are you afraid or unable to do what your clan had done before?"

The air sharpened. A few Snakes shifted, hands creeping closer to weapons without quite touching. A few Sun Clan members mirrored them. Not escalation, just the reminder that any conversation like this was a thread stretched over a blade.

"I’m not afraid of anything. Fine, compete sure, but what’s the catch?"

"I’m down for a partying up, an alliance. We can all agree that if either of our groups were to attack the Hidden Piece first, they would die if the other group collapses on them. And if we both don’t try to take it, it’ll just be gone. Kael explained it nicely."

Kael didn’t like hearing his name used like a tool in negotiations, but he held his face steady. If his words were going to be a lever, fine. Better his leverage than theirs.

"How can I guarantee that you won’t betray us? I don’t trust you guys."

"Neither do we. So we’ll have it done this way. We’ll attack the Hidden Piece five minutes at a time. Whoever kills it, gets the loot?"

"And who is to guarantee that neither of us would betray the other once the last five minutes are up?"

"Well..." the boss seemed a bit hesitant.

For the first time since arriving, Kael saw a crack, small, but there. The boss wasn’t stupid. He just didn’t like admitting he needed something he didn’t control.

"Sign a contract," Kael said.

Petrov and the Sun Clan boss both turned to Kael, "Contract?"

"Yes, you can sign a contract with the tower for stuff like this. You can ask the Baltak there."

"There is no need," Baltak said.

Though he was inside his shop and far away, his words seemed to sound like he was next to them.

His voice slid through the air with that same unnatural ease the tower loved. It made Kael’s skin crawl a little, like being reminded that even when humans argued, the tower listened.

"I only sign contracts that bring me profit. For those types of contracts and alliances, you can sign with the Tower directly; just call and ask for it. It will oblige." Baltak said.

"Hmm, for a first floor, you know a lot of things we don’t." The Sun clan said.

His eyes cut back to Kael, measuring, suspicious, almost annoyed at the idea that Kael had information he didn’t.

"Well, I got lucky with that information."

Kael kept it simple. Luck was a safer explanation than competence. Luck didn’t make you a target the same way competence did, though in this place, anything could.

"Fine," the Boss said, "I ask the tower for a contract."

Immediately, a notification screen appeared in front of both Petrov and the Sun Clan boss.

The details were scarily accurate; they didn’t even need to do much but sign it.

[Temporary Alliance Contract.]

All the Sun Clan Members, and the Snake Clan members named below, are hereby unpermitted to attack each other for the duration of three days.

If such a thing were to occur, the attacking clan will suffer from a 20% reduction of their overall stats for 24 hours.

Please sign here

The two leaders who received the notice were surprised, especially when someone like Kael, who was a newbie, knew of it, but they didn’t.

The names of the sixty or more total players filled the spot at the bottom, and after a quick skim from both the leaders, they both signed it, rather fast.

The speed at which they agreed to sign the contract was quite suspicious to Kael.

Too quick. Too willing.

Especially after he noticed something that the Sun Clan had missed.

Not even the leader could have seen the glaring issue.

Kael’s name was not on the list.

And the reason the Sun Clan didn’t notice it was that there was a small issue with the contract that could be easily abused.

After all, the contract didn’t state whether the attack had to be premeditated or accidental.

That’s something Kael had noticed was more than certain that everyone else would notice, too.

If someone were to intercept an attack that was going for the basilisk, the whole enemy clan would be punished for it.

Kael kept his face neutral anyway. He didn’t let the thought show. He didn’t let the satisfaction crawl into his smile.

He just watched, quietly, as two groups full of people who’d kill over a single core signed their names under a rule they didn’t fully read.

"Now that the contract is signed. When are we attacking?"

"Not today," The Sun Clan boss said.

"What do you mean, not today?"

"We can’t attack today. We need to gather up some resources and materials, or do you think you’re confident in beating a hidden piece with only four days of preparation? We still have two more days, we’ll attack then."

"Fine," Petrov said. "In two days, we’ll attack the boss. Everyone, let’s withdraw. But I’ll leave a few of my boys here to see if you don’t simply attack the hidden piece while we’re not here."

"Surprisingly, I was also thinking the same," the Sun Clan Leader smiled.

The smile didn’t reach his eyes.

And Kael, standing between two predators pretending to be reasonable, felt the floor beneath the diplomacy: not trust, not peace, just a pause before the next bite.