148: The Devil's Pact

"Estimated remaining time: 7 hours, 59 minutes, 43 seconds."

On the bridge's main screen, the crimson countdown numbers ticked away ruthlessly, like a ticking heart bomb.

Chen Feng stood before the screen in silence. He opened the Interstellar Exchange interface; the glaring balance—734 credit points—silently mocked his helplessness.

This amount wasn't even enough for a fraction of the cost of the most basic gene repair solution.

"I told you... I told you so!" Fili, slumped on the floor, found a trace of morbid pleasure in the situation, muttering gloatingly, "Something bought for over two million turned out to be a death warrant! Hahaha, what a huge joke!"

Chen Feng closed the regular product list.

Taking a deep breath, he clicked on an area he had never truly ventured into—the deep waters of the Exchange's black market.

[Missions], [Bounties], [Contracts].

This was where gamblers and lunatics sought miracles, as well as a hunting ground for scammers.

Chen Feng abandoned all complex filters and typed in the three most direct keywords.

"Law Contamination."

"Life Extension."

"Pre-payment."

Hundreds of messages instantly popped up on the screen, most of which were vague scams or traps demanding high deposits.

His gaze swept across them rapidly until a peculiar publisher ID pierced his vision like a cold needle.

[The Collector].

Its credit rating was a chaotic gray, with neither positive nor negative reviews.

And there was only one mission it had posted, outrageously simple:

"I provide miracles; you pay with a 'first-time experience.' I need you, at some point in the future, to experience an emotion I have never felt, or a situation I have never encountered, on my behalf."

Chen Feng's pupils constricted slightly.

As if possessed, he sent an inquiry to [The Collector]: "I need to save a subordinate dying from Law Contamination."

Almost the instant he sent it, a reply popped up.

It wasn't a price quote, but a string of cold text that seemed capable of seeing through one's soul.

"Sensing that you are currently in a state of 'the anxiety and self-reproach of a leader who has exhausted his wealth to save a loyal subordinate.' This experience... I have already collected. My apologies, it is not a new item."

Chen Feng felt a chill rush from his spine straight to the top of his head!

The other party not only knew his situation but could even precisely define his current emotions!

Before he could react, a second message followed.

"However... that thick 'loneliness of a transmigrator carrying the hope of a civilization's continuation' upon you is still a new item. Its quality is excellent; I am very interested."

"Who are you?!" Chen Feng roared internally, but the text he typed out consisted only of those three words.

"An... existence pursuing completeness," the other party's reply carried an inhuman indifference. "Accept the contract, and your subordinate can live for another seventy-two hours. That is enough time for you to find a real solution."

"Refuse, and you will soon experience 'the regret and powerlessness of watching loyalty fade away because of you, only to eventually carve a tombstone in the cold universe.' By the way, I already have that experience. The quality was average."

"A lunatic... this is definitely a lunatic..." Fili also saw the conversation on the screen and backed away in fear. "Boss, don't believe him! This must be a scam! Trading with feelings? How is that possible!"

"Alarm! Alarm!"

The medical AI's voice rang out shrilly again. "Target is experiencing the first energy shock! Vital signs are extremely unstable!"

The countdown on the screen abruptly dropped from over seven hours to six!

Chen Feng stared intently at the last sentence sent by [The Collector], then glanced at Reno's wildly fluctuating life signs on the screen.

He no longer hesitated.

He reached out and tapped the virtual "Accept Contract" button forcefully.

"Are you sure...?"

"I'm sure!"

The moment he confirmed, a complex mark composed of pure, incomprehensible laws seemed to penetrate the light screen and sear itself onto his right wrist!

A bone-chilling pain shot through him, as if a small piece of his soul had been torn away.

When he came to, a small, shimmering mark was etched into his skin, like a bizarre tattoo.

At the same time, an item appeared in his Exchange account.

Without a moment's delay, Chen Feng retrieved the item from the matter transport port and rushed into the medical bay.

It was a transparent chip the size of a fingernail, with internal light patterns constantly shifting.

[stasis sliver].

Chen Feng shoved the chip into the core interface of Reno's life support system.

*Hum—*

A miracle occurred.

The violent and chaotic energy fluctuations on Reno's body instantly subsided. All his vital signs were forcibly "frozen" at an absolutely stable level, as if time had completely stopped for him.

However, an ominous, freezing shimmer began to emanate from Reno's entire body, causing the temperature of the entire medical bay to drop several degrees.

He no longer looked like a living person, but more like a specimen... sealed in eternal amber.