111: Even demons have to work 996? The Flame Demon Lord works with tears in his eyes!

"...voluntarily transfers ownership of myself, Agni, the sole Lord of The Second Layer of the Abyss, along with all subordinates' Souls, bodies, and all property, unconditionally and permanently to Party A, the fourth calamity player Alliance."

"This contract shall take effect from the date of signing and holds the highest, irreversible priority. For those who breach the contract, their Souls will be cast into the Myriad Realms Crusher and reduced to the purest inorganic matter."

When Lin Xiaowan finished reading the last page of this hundred-page-long [Universal Myriad Realms · Ultimate Overlord Clause · Labor Dispatch Contract] in an emotionless tone, as if reading a product manual.

Agni, the Balrog Lord, who was being held by the neck and suspended in mid-air by Li Qiang's giant mechanical hand, found his brain—composed of magma—had turned completely into mush.

Irreversible?

Highest priority?

Myriad Realms Crusher?

Where on earth did these Mortals get such an overlord clause that even a Demon God would weep upon seeing it?

He even had the illusion that these guys weren't doing this for the first time. Their proficiency made them look like a professional team that traveled through the myriad realms all year round, specializing in "cross-planar labor dispatch" and "distressed asset disposal."

"Sign, or not?"

Li Qiang impatiently shook his giant mechanical hand, and Agni's massive body swayed back and forth in the air like a skewer of mutton waiting to be grilled.

"I... I'll sign..."

Agni squeezed these words out through his teeth, almost in a crying tone.

Better to live a dog's life than die a hero's death.

Compared to being turned into a Genetic Potion or dismembered into various Materials, being a slave didn't seem quite so unacceptable.

At least, he still retained a complete "Demon Core."

As Agni pressed his Soul brand onto the scroll flickering with the eerie light of a contract using his lava-dripping claws.

A dark golden light shot into the sky, instantly spreading across the entire Second Layer of the Abyss.

In the depths of the Souls of all surviving demons, whether they were Shadow Demons still shivering in the corners or the simple-minded Horned Demons, a cold, unquestionable voice rang out simultaneously.

[Ding! Your ownership has changed.]

[New Owner: fourth calamity player Alliance.]

[Please obey all instructions from your new owner; otherwise, it will be considered a breach of contract.]

...One hour later.

In front of the ruins of the Bone Palace, a crude but ceremonial high platform had been erected.

The background of the platform was a huge red banner temporarily sewn from the skin of Abyssal Worms, with a line of large characters written in crooked Common Tongue:

"Warmly Celebrate the Establishment of the Second Abyss Construction Corps and the First General Staff Mobilization Meeting!"

Tens of thousands of surrendered demons were driven by players using various weapons, arranged in dark phalanxes on the square according to race and size.

They looked blankly at Li Qiang on the platform and the large red flower made of red silk pinned to his chest, completely unable to understand the situation.

Not killing them?

Not torturing them either?

Gathering them together to... have a meeting?

Li Qiang cleared his throat, picked up a modified megaphone with a built-in reverb effect from Dwarven Technology, and began his first speech as the "Honorary Commander of the Second Abyss Construction Corps" to the tens of thousands of apprehensive demon heads below.

"Fellow countrymen! Comrades! Friends!"

"I know you are all very afraid and confused right now! You don't know what we 'visitors from beyond' are going to do to you!"

Li Qiang's voice spread across the square through the megaphone, full of passion and charisma.

"I can tell you all very responsibly right here! We are not demons! We are civilized people! We don't do massacres; we only do construction!"

"From today on! The Second Layer of the Abyss will turn a brand new page!"

"From today on! This place will no longer be a lava Hell filled with blood and slaughter! It will have a brand new name full of hope and opportunity—Black Iron City · Energy Development Zone No. 02!"

"You! You are no longer those low-level demons who only know how to fight and kill! You will have a glorious identity—Honorable Laborers of the fourth calamity!"

"Our slogan is—Treat the factory as your home! Work hard on production! Use your industrious hands to create a beautiful tomorrow together!"

Below the stage, tens of thousands of demons looked at each other in silence.

They didn't understand what "fellow countrymen" meant, nor could they comprehend what "tomorrow" was.

But they could sense that these terrifying "bipedal upright apes" really didn't seem to intend to kill them.

"Now! I announce! The job assignments officially begin!"

As soon as Li Qiang finished speaking, Lin Xiaowan stepped onto the stage with a team of "Human Resources Department" players holding various blueprints and forms.

"Horned Demons! Strong bodies, great strength! All assigned to the 'Mining Department'! Responsible for excavating obsidian and sulfur crystals!"

"Shadow Demons! Fast speed, good at stealth! All assigned to the 'Logistics and Transportation Department'! Responsible for delivering Materials and documents between various mining areas!"

"Imps! Dim-witted but obedient! All assigned to the 'Logistics Support Department'! Responsible for cleaning and bringing water to the miners!"

"As for those Flame Demons..." Lin Xiaowan paused, showing a kind and amiable smile characteristic of a capitalist. "Your control over fire is quite good. The Energy Department just happens to be short of boiler workers. You'll be responsible for going to the Geothermal Power Station to maintain stable energy output!"

Thus, a "reform through labor" filled with postmodern magical realism colors unfolded in full swing in The Second Layer of the Abyss.

Meanwhile, the former Abyss Lord, Agni the Flame King, was personally "received" by Lin Xiaowan.

Lin Xiaowan pointed to a piece of land that had just been leveled and was still steaming, handing Agni a design blueprint.

"Mr. Agni, this is the rendering of the 'Abyss Seven-Star Hot Spring Resort Hotel' that our group plans to invest in and build."

"Your task is very simple."

"See that lava river in the distance? I need you to divert it here to serve as the natural heat source for our hotel."

"Remember, the water temperature must be strictly controlled at 42.5 degrees Celsius. One degree higher or lower will result in a deduction from your salary."

Agni looked at the blueprint, then at Lin Xiaowan's smiling face which had "exploitation" written all over it. His heart, composed of ten-thousand-year-old volcanic rock, felt the emotion known as "humiliation" for the first time.

To think that he, the dignified Balrog Lord, the Incarnation of fire, was now reduced to heating bathwater for Mortals?

This was simply more painful than killing him!

At first, the demons' resistance was very strong.

In the mining areas, the Horned Demons swung the poor-quality pickaxes given to them by the players; it was less like mining and more like slacking off. They could only knock off a small piece of Ore in an hour, not even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.

The Shadow Demons of the Logistics Department, relying on their ability to merge into shadows, would just slip away with the documents and run to some nook or cranny to sleep.

The Flame Demons of the Energy Department simply lay down in the boiler room and let the boiler fires go out, causing the entire base's power supply System to collapse several times.

Regarding this passive sabotage, the players did not resort to violent means.

Because Lin Xiaowan said that violence could only bring temporary submission. To squeeze out their surplus value in the long term, they had to... give them a bit of sweetness.

Thus, on the first "Payday."

When the players dumped cartloads of [High-Purity Mana Crystal Residue], flickering with an enticing luster, in front of the demons.

The entire scene instantly spiraled out of control.

"My god! This... what is this?!"

A Horned Demon tremblingly picked up a piece of residue only the size of a fingernail and put it in its mouth.

The next second, a surge of mana, purer and more majestic than any sacrifice it had ever eaten, exploded in its mouth! That pure energy flowed through its throat and into its limbs and bones, making it shiver with comfort and let out a groan of satisfaction.

This residue, which players treated as industrial waste and didn't even bother to recycle, was an ultimate delicacy to these demons who struggled year-round in the mana-depleted bottom of the Abyss—it was like the nectar and ambrosia that only gods could enjoy!

"Too... too delicious!!"

That Horned Demon was so excited that tears streamed down its face; it felt like the Bottleneck it had been stuck at for hundreds of years showed signs of loosening.

"Is... is there more? Boss! I want more!"

All the demons went crazy.

They were like a pack of mad dogs that hadn't eaten for hundreds of years, rushing toward the pile of residue, not hesitating to fight until they were bloodied just to snatch a tiny piece of crystal.

Lin Xiaowan stood on high, watching this scene with satisfaction.

She slowly announced through the megaphone: "Employees, do you see this? This is the welfare of our 'Fourth Calamity Group'!"

"As long as you work hard and complete your daily KPIs, there will be plenty of these 'Mana Meat-Bones'!"

"The outstanding employees of each month can also receive an additional [Complete mana crystal] as a reward!"

"Boom—!"

The entire demon population completely boiled over with excitement.

From that day on, the vibe of The Second Layer of the Abyss completely changed.

The once lazy Horned Demons were now transformed into model workers, swinging their pickaxes to mine until sparks flew, even proactively applying for the "007" work schedule, refusing to stop until they mined through the center of the earth.

The Shadow Demon couriers, to compete for the title of "Monthly Delivery Champion," ran so fast they left afterimages exceeding the speed of light, greatly promoting the communication efficiency between various departments.

And the Flame Demon boiler workers even used their own bodies as fuel, providing stable and efficient thermal energy for the base twenty-four hours a day without interruption.

Even Agni, after "accidentally" tasting a piece of [Premium mana crystal Dessert] bestowed by Lin Xiaowan, completely cast aside his pathetic dignity.

His happiest thing every day now was to squat by the pipes of the hot spring hotel, using his hands that once controlled the destruction and rebirth of billions of lives to precisely regulate the temperature of every drop of hot water.

Occasionally, when a player soaking in the hot spring complained about the water temperature, he would run over bowing and scraping, apologizing while pulling a piece of red-hot charcoal from his bosom and throwing it into the pool to heat it up.

That humble appearance left all the visiting players in awe.

The entire Second Layer of the Abyss, in an atmosphere of prosperity filled with involution and struggle, turned into a massive, high-speed war machine, continuously providing Su Mu with vast amounts of resources and energy... Inside the secret base in the suburbs of Haibin City in the real world.

Su Mu leaned back comfortably in the commander's seat, looking at the resource data on the "Kindling" System's backend, which was rising as fast as a waterfall, and showed a satisfied smile.

The creativity (and exploitation ability) of players is indeed infinite.

He glanced at the energy reserve progress bar. After absorbing the geothermal energy of the entire Second Layer of the Abyss and the "labor" contributed by the demons, the number that was originally only 12% had now soared to an unprecedented peak.

[Energy Reserve: 98.7%]

[Alert: Energy is about to overflow; please consume it as soon as possible.]

"Is it finally... enough?"

A meaningful smile appeared on Su Mu's face.

He stood up, walked to the console, and pulled up a program marked as the "Final Protocol," which he had hidden under countless layers of folders.

He slowly channeled that massive energy from the other world, enough to destroy a city, through the "Kindling" hub into an unknown secret facility located at the very bottom of the base.

It was an incredibly huge underground cavity, large enough to hold an aircraft carrier.

In the very center of the cavity stood a giant ring-shaped machine fifty meters high, featuring a style that intertwined sci-fi and magic.

Its structure fused the rune technology of dwarves, the energy circuits of the celestial realm, and the spatial warp theory from that alien scout ship. Countless thick energy pipes were wrapped around its main structure like giant pythons.

[Planar Interference · Energy Offset · Reality Stabilization Gate (Prototype)]

This was Su Mu's true trump card.

A valve capable of "leaking" the "rules" of the other world into the real world in a relatively mild manner.

As the massive energy from the Abyss was slowly injected.

Buzz—

In a low roar that seemed to come from the beginning of the Universe, countless profound runes on the ring-shaped inner wall of the giant portal were lit up simultaneously for the first time.

A stable and pure blue halo slowly emerged in the center of the ring-shaped machine, like a newborn Universe.

Su Mu looked at this magnificent scene and muttered to himself.

"Thirty years on the east of the river, thirty years on the west."

"The energy is enough."

"It's time... to let Earth experience a bit of 'Spiritual Qi Recovery' as well."