Nemo stared at me, his lip twitching slightly. He clearly knew I was flattering him just to squeeze more out of the deal, but my words also stroked his massive ego.
’You possess a silver tongue, human,’ the wolf grumbled, though the hostility in his voice lessened by a fraction. ’Affinity is usually dictated by birth. However...’
The shadows around his paw swirled, condensing into a small, viscous droplet that looked like liquid obsidian.
’For a ruler of my stature, bending the laws of talent is a trivial matter.’
’This is a drop of my Essence. It is formed from the deepest, purest concentration of my domain. Consume it, and your body will be remade to be beloved by the shadows.’
’Perfect.’
I nodded, suppressing the urge to grin. This was exactly what I needed.
’And third. The most important one.’
I raised the third finger, my expression hardening again.
’I want a Soul Oath.’
The atmosphere froze. The shifting shadows around us stopped moving, hanging suspended in the air.
’I want you to swear on your very soul that once you fulfill my part, you will not harm me. You will not deceive me. And you will not let others harm me while I am in your domain.’
’You do not trust the word of a King?’ Nemo asked, his voice low and dangerous.
’My wife is a businessman, Sir Nemo,’ I replied with a faint, polite smile, while silently apologizing to Cassandra. ’She has taught me many lessons, with one of the most important being to trust only contracts—especially when dealing with a partner who just tried to eat me five minutes ago.’
Nemo stared at me for a long, tense moment. The pressure around us grew heavy, enough to crush a normal human flat. But I held my ground.
Time was on my side. Every second he wasted glaring at me was a second Bane got closer to his heart.
’Very well,’ Nemo finally conceded, his voice dripping with resentment.
A complex, crimson rune glowed on the wolf’s forehead.
It pulsed once, sending a wave of binding energy through the mental link and into my soul.
[The Entity ’Nemo’ has sworn a Soul Oath.]
[Terms: Mutual Non-Aggression and Safe Passage.]
[Violation Penalty: Destruction of the Core.]
I read the system notification that popped up in my retina.
’Satisfied?’ Nemo growled.
’Pleasure doing business with you,’ I said, lowering my hand.
’Now,’ Nemo stood up. ’I will fulfill the first condition.’
The wolf stomped its front paw.
Rumble-!
The entire darkness around us shook violently.
’Begone.’
Somewhere far above us, space twisted. I couldn’t see it, but I felt a massive chunk of aura being forcibly ejected from the domain.
’They are out,’ Nemo said a second later. ’I threw them to the edge of the snowy pass, far beyond the bloody guy’s reach.’
Once again, he didn’t lie, which obviously relieved me.
’Good.’
I nodded, feeling a massive weight lift off my shoulders. With Uru’en and others safe, I didn’t have to worry about protecting anyone. I could finally focus.
’Now, the down payment,’ I held out my hand.
Nemo scoffed, but the droplet of [Night Devourer’s Essence] floated into my palm. It was cold to the touch, sending shivers up my arm.
[Item: Night Devourer’s Essence]
[Grade: S]
[Effect: significantly increases Darkness Affinity upon consumption.]
I quickly stored it away.
’Follow the flow,’ Nemo commanded, his form beginning to blur. ’I will guide you to the Heart. But you must hurry. The Parasite is already breaking through the outer membrane.’
The wolf dissolved into a stream of thick, violet-black smoke. It swirled around me once before shooting off into the deeper darkness like a guiding arrow.
’Move!’
I took a deep breath, circulating my aura to warm my limbs.
’Alright.’
I cracked my neck a little.
’Let’s go hunt a prince.’
______ ____ _
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away from the frozen hellscape of the north.
In the bustling capital of the Ardentis Empire.
Deep beneath the lavish surface of a noble estate, in a damp, dimly lit secret chamber, the air was heavy with the smell of mold and rusted iron.
Two figures sat in the center of the room, their bodies bound tightly to heavy wooden chairs with aura-suppressing ropes.
One was a woman with an ordinary but still somewhat charming appearance, her sapphire eyes coldly staring at someone. The other was a young girl, her head hanging low, unconscious or perhaps just pretending to be.
Opposite them stood a middle-aged man.
He had fiery red hair that was starting to gray at the temples and a stern, rugged face that betrayed no emotion. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes fixed on the captives with a cold, calculating gaze.
After a long moment of silence, he turned his head to the right.
There, leaning against the damp wall, stood a young man.
He bore a striking resemblance to the older man, sharing the same red hair and sharp jawline. But where the older man looked dignified, this youth looked sleazy. He was younger, perhaps in his early twenties, but his face was marred by a crooked, unrestrained grin.
His eyes were glued to the female captive, tracing her curves with a disgusting, hungry intensity.
"Ronald."
The middle-aged man spoke, his voice low and heavy.
He let out a deep, weary sigh, the kind that came from dealing with endless stupidity.
"Do you have any idea what you have done?"
The young man, Ronald, blinked. He finally tore his gaze away from the woman and straightened his posture, trying to look proud.
"Of course, Uncle!" he answered, puffing out his chest. A smug smile spread across his face. "I have finally apprehended our enemy! This b*tch has gone too far. She refused to cooperate with our demands and even dared to mock our family name! So I taught her a lesson about hierarchy."
He gestured grandly to the bound woman.
"Now that we have her, we can force her to sign over the rights to her trade routes. It’s a brilliant move, isn’t it?"
"You—!"
The middle-aged man’s composure finally cracked.
His face flushed with sudden, violent anger. He raised his hand high, his palm glowing with a threatening aura, looking ready to slap the foolishness right out of his nephew’s skull.
"Eek!" Ronald yelped, his smug facade shattering instantly. He stumbled back in fear, shielding his face with his arms. "U-Uncle! Wait! Why are you angry? I did this for the family!"