Stuck in a Chinese novel

Unlike what he expected, when Wei Jun got to the deep end of the cave, he saw a man sitting on what seemed like a makeshift throne of stone. His eyes were closed, as if he was sleeping but Wei Jun knew that wasn't it.

His striking spiky red hair, paired with his rosy white skin, he seemed very handsome if not for the fact that he seemed very threatening as well. Of course, the threatening part was for Wei Jun only.

"What do you want, human?" The man asked, his voice heavy, unlike his appearance which could only be one word. Soft.

"Help," Wei Jun didn't know what to say so he said the first thing that came into his mind. Wei Jun kept his eyes straight. A word he hadn't ever said before left his mouth. It felt strange. But there was no shame in his tone. He would ask for help as long as he needed. He just never needed to was all.

"And why would I help you?" The red-haired man asked, his eyes still closed, "Because of that green dragon's power in your heart. Or that imprint on your soul. I have news for you, but that imprint doesn't make you our owners. It's simply there so we don't kill you on the first glance."

Wei Jun remained silent and took a deep breath. "If that is the case," he said, "Then doesn't that mean there's a chance for negotiations?"

The red-haired man finally opened his eyes, his eyes completely red, even the whites of his eyes as well. He looked at Wei Jun and said with a smile, his smile showed that his teeth were spiky as well, "Well, aren't you a smart one?"

"That's right. We need something from you. But the question is…" the red-haired man leaned in, "What do you have to offer?"

"What do you want?" Wei Jun asked.

"Surprise me," The red-haired man said.

"I can't offer anything unless I know what is it that you want," Wei Jun also didn't budge from his spot.

"Haha," The red-haired man chuckled, "Fearless as well."

The first rule of negotiation. Never let the other party know what you have to offer. They will always ask for something more than that. Wei Jun wasn't going to fall for the oldest trick in the book.

"What I want is simple. I want out of this prison. Make that happen, and I'll let you live." The red-haired man said, closing his eyes and resting his head on the throne once again.

'Can I get him out of here?' Wei Jun asked the only person, or entity, who could tell him anything about it.

[There's only one way for the current you]

[Unfortunately for you]

[He might not be open to that suggestion]

'What is it?' Wei Jun asked.

[He will have to turn into your familiar]

[But]

[I wouldn't say that out loud if I were you]

[Wyverns only bow to dragons]

[To no one else]

[Even if they have the power to eradicate them all]

Wei Jun sighed and asked, 'What's the other method?'

[It won't work for you]

'Just tell me!' Wei Jun snapped.

[Fine]

[You'll need knowledge of advanced witchcraft for that]

[Even if you do]

[You'll also need power appropriate to that]

[Right now]

[There's nothing you can offer in return for that power]

Wei Jun remained silent. It seemed like that just as the system said, there was only one option for the current him.

"I know what you're thinking," The red-haired man opened his eyes, "I won't become your familiar."

The red-haired man didn't even give a chance to Wei Jun to put that option on the table. However, he wanted to get out too. And Wei Jun was counting precisely on that option.

"However," The red-haired man said, "I'd be open to a contract."

"A contract?" Wei Jun asked.

[I don't think that's a good idea]

[Contracts are for magicians]

[Mana users]

[Dragons are mana users]

[You're not]

[A stable contract cannot be made between you too]

[In case of penalties]

[The weaker party will be affected]

[That's you]

'What are you saying?' Wei Jun asked.

[I'm saying you're gonna have to take a chance]

[Or call it a leap of faith]

[But you're the only one who'll be affected by the contract]

[Not him]Nôv(el)B\\jnn

[So if you do get him out of here]

[You'll be the one in trouble even if he would be the one to cancel the contract]

Wei Jun's mind couldn't comprehend half of what the system said and even half was a stretch. All he knew was one thing and that was that he needed to trust the wyvern.

However…

'You're a magician, right?' Wei Jun asked.

[Yes…?]

'A very, very good one, right?' Wei Jun asked again.

[Yes...….?]

'Then I'm gonna need you to…'

"Have you decided?" The red-haired man asked.

"Yes," Wei Jun replied, "I'm willing to make a contract as long as you hold up your end of the bargain."

"Very well. But you will have to lose the familiar seal as soon as we get out of this space." The red-haired man said.

"And you cannot kill me afterward," Wei Jun said.

"Sure," The wyvern replied.

"Sure?" Wei Jun asked.

"Haa… Fine. We have an accord. On my name as the eldest blood wyvern, I will not kill you even when our contract ends or our connection as a familiar is terminated." The red-haired man gave a detailed condition which Wei Jun didn't reply to. At least not for some time.

[It's good]

"We have a deal," Wei Jun said in return.

~~

"What's the situation?" Huan Tang asked as he entered the dungeon after the agreed time had passed. After four hours, however, when he entered, he didn't encounter the situation he had hoped for.

Instead, his subordinate platoon was still inside of a barrier, waiting for him by the looks of it.

"Captain Huatan Lei reporting, Sir." The captain gave a salute before he reported the whole situation. Once the Brigadier was aware of the situation, he turned to look at the newcomer behind him.

"It seems I can only depend on you now, Commander Zhao." Huan Tang said as the newcomer came into everyone's view. The entire squad was shocked to see who it was. After all, it wasn't every day such a high brass decided to come to an S rank dungeon.

The newcomer, Commander Zhao of the CSF, the one who reported directly to the knight of the Huanan empire, stood there with an overbearing pressure emitting from him.

He looked around before his gaze settled on the wyverns in the distance.

"Wyverns, huh? That boy must have been dead by now. I wonder how that rat's going to take that news." Commander Zhao said, his heavy voice marred with hate.

"Well, since the CSF was after him, I thought handing him over to you this way would seem appropriate." The Brigadier said, saying the opposite of his true intentions. And while Commander Zhao was also aware of those intentions, he decided to remain quiet.

Sure, he was of a higher rank than the Brigadier, however, the military was at the top of the empire right now. So much so that even the CSF was being asked to help them. There was no need to create unnecessary complications when both of their objectives could be easily achieved.

Commander Zhao nodded, even though he didn't want to agree, he said, "Well, from the looks of it, the boy is dead. Let's find the boss of this dungeon and get out of here."

Just as Commander Zhao finished saying that, an immense wave of power spread throughout the entire area and it didn't come from the people present.

"Mana?" The Brigadier was confused. Shouldn't there be Miasma? How come was there mana in a dungeon? In a dungeon with obvious monsters?

The answer to that came from Commander Zhao, "Blood Wyvern."

"Yours truly." A heavy voice entered their ears, freezing everyone in their spots. Except for the Brigadier, who could keep some of his senses under his control, only Commander Zhao was unaffected by that pressure.

Other than them, everyone was frozen in their spots. Too afraid to do anything at all. Even tremble.

"A strong human. No wonder you needed my help." The red-haired man said, a reddish hue enveloping him. Commander Zhao looked around, seeing no one the red-haired man could be talking to so he decided to fret about it later.

For now, he needed to deal with the monster in a human form in front of him.

A yellowish hue enveloped him, almost as threatening as the one around the red-haired man but anyone, even Commander Zhao himself could tell it was more threatening than his own.

Out of the two, the most likely to live through that fight was the wyvern. After all, mana was the natural enemy of Qi. There was already a disadvantage. And…

"Mana overload." That disadvantage became twofold when the intense reddish hue around the red-haired man reddened further until it resembled blood color.

They both moved at the same time, their fists striking against each other, blowing everyone away from them.