Chapter 13: DarkLord of the Endless Abyss

A Red Illuminance!

It held a special significance—one that only a handful of humans had ever witnessed.

There was no ordinary reason behind it; a red illuminance signified that a contract was being offered by the beings most despised by the gods. These were the beings that dwelled in the lowest depths of Hell—Demons!

Unlike contracts with the gods, demon contracts always came with conditions—often demanding the human soul in exchange.

At this moment, a similar event was unfolding deep in the wilderness, within a labyrinth where Levi, barely clinging to life, found himself bathed in the ominous red light.

[A soul forsaken by the Gods and a body on the verge of death—The Darklord of the Endless Abyss has noticed your existence and offers you a contract. Will you accept?]

Barely conscious, with his vision blurring and his eyelids growing heavy, Levi heard the voice he had longed for. Though something else appeared below the message, Levi was in no state to read it. Instinctively, he thought, Yes.

[The Darklord of the Endless Abyss is satisfied with your answer.]

The illuminance flared briefly, then vanished without a trace.

[A contract has been successfully made with the Darklord of the Endless Abyss.]

[The Darklord of the Endless Abyss pities your state and has granted you a bonus reward.]

Suddenly, Levi felt as if something foreign had entered his body—no, it felt more like something long dormant within him had awakened.

He couldn't fully comprehend it, but he could feel it... whatever it was, it was terrifying.

[You have awakened your trait—Demonic Soul.]

Suddenly, the demonic essence crystal Levi had taken from the dead goblin began to shine, its essence flowing into him.

Not long after, Levi's wounds began to heal at an astonishing rate, but he was in no condition to notice—he had already lost consciousness.

For a moment, silence reigned, before the voice of Providence spoke once more.

[The Darklord of the Endless Abyss frowns upon you, wondering if you are dead.]

[The Darklord of the Endless Abyss sighs heavily, observing your state.]

[The Darklord of the Endless Abyss grumbles that you should be grateful, as a significant amount of power was used to transport you.]

He cried out in agony, collapsing back onto the soft bed beneath him. Moments later, a familiar voice reached his ears.

"I wouldn't try moving if I were you."

Levi turned his head toward the source of the voice, and there she was—the female soldier he had met before entering the Bliss Portal.

He looked at her for a movement. She was just as beautiful as he remembered, but he couldn't understand what was happening. He struggled to piece together the fragmented memories of what he remembered.

The last thing he recalled was the voice of Providence, speaking of a contract... and then, nothing. Everything after that was a blank. Before he could voice his thoughts, the female soldier spoke again.

"Seems like you made a contract with a pretty decent god. I haven't heard of any god going so far as to teleport their followers to save them."

'Huh?'

Levi was dumbfounded by her words. A contract with a god? That couldn't be right. Not after the insulting words that he had spat out! There was no way any god would extend a contract to him. The mere thought was laughable.

Yet, a chilling realization began to creep into his mind.

'Don't tell me...'

An ominous premonition took hold of him, but he fought to keep his expression neutral, choosing to lay back down instead of reacting.

"It's a miracle that you are even alive. Anyway, just rest. The healers have patched you up well, but you still need time to recover," the female soldier advised, moving forward as she noticed Levi's relative calm.

But beneath his outward composure, Levi's mind was in turmoil. He had to know the truth.

'Status.'

He silently called out, and within seconds, deep red runes materialized in front of his eyes.

Name: [Levias Drake]

Rank: Demonic Follower

Levi didn't need to read any further. The first two lines told him everything he needed to know. His heart sank as the reality of the situation hit him like a hammer.

'I've made a contract with a Demon.'

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