Chapter 3: Soul’s Bargain

Chapter 3: Soul's Bargain

With a firm grip around Ty's neck, the man then inquired, "Now, where was I?"

After that, he raised his arm above his chest, and proclaimed with a smirk, "Don't worry, it will hurt only for a moment."

As he said that, his fist began to get enveloped in a bright orange radiance, with a flow of energy swirling around it.

Just when he prepared to make the final strike, a crack of a whip echoed at a distance followed by a straight line shooting right between Ty and the man. In response to this, he simply chuckled before catching the incoming strike with his glowing hand, seemingly at ease, revealing a pristine blue aura that glowed at the end of the whip.

Meanwhile, blood dripped down Kieran's face as energy slowly filled the space around her.

The man chuckled, saying, "I told you it's too late."

With that, he flicked the end of the whip, changing its color from blue to a dark orange hue, snapping it back at a rapid pace. The impact from the hit threw Kieran through a tree, making her crash along the pavement. After hitting the tree she fell to the ground with a resounding thud that echoed throughout the walls of the park.

"SCREW YOU!"

Meanwhile, Ty, still struggling to breathe, somehow managed to get a word out, spitting on the man before trying to punch him, however, his efforts didn't succeed, instead, shattered his knuckles, feeling the pain of his bones shattering, Ty let out a shriek of pain as blood dripped from his hand.

"ARHHHH"

The man scoffed before tightening his grip on Ty's neck, reigniting the orange flame around his fist, and thrusting it into Ty. As the flaming fist landed, blood poured from Ty's chest, creating a deep cavity while the man closed his eyes and stated in a sadistic tone, "It's really nothing personal, young man. But at the end of the day, a job is still a job." He then uttered, "Come forth, Divinity."

The dark shade of Ty's pupils started to gradually fade away while the strength in his arms, which had been grabbing Man's arm, trying to resist, waned before dropping limply to his side. A cascading blue energy poured from him, coalescing around the man's arm.

Upon witnessing this, the man exclaimed, "Well, now, if this isn't a great find."

"To think a Platinum-level Spirit would simply walk into my lap," he mused, removing his hand from Ty's chest, letting Ty's body fall helplessly to the ground with a resounding thud. Streetlights along the path of the park flickered as the mist slowly started fading away, allowing the moonlight to illuminate the park.

Squatting down with a Platinum-blue hazed sphere that was now resting in his hand, he grabbed Ty by the chin, saying, "In any other situation, you could have been something great.

Unfortunate for you, you ran into 'Erebos Alkandros,' the Lord of Shadows." He stared into Ty's eyes, revealing his crimson eyes as Ty's mind slipped away, before retracting them into a standard black, letting Ty slide back to the ground and become a lifeless body.

A powerful vacuum pulled all the souls toward the light, placing them in a vast open area surrounded by what appeared like towering pillars of light. Ty's vision encompassed a complete 360-degree panorama, revealing every single detail that was in all directions.

The chamber was nothing short of a spectacle. The fiery cobblestone beneath Ty's feet contrasted sharply with the imposing obsidian walls.

Meanwhile, the sinister red lines crisscrossed the walls, forming intricate patterns that seemed to be pulsing with otherworldly energy. Above him, the ceiling soared to towering heights, shrouded in a perpetual crimson haze which bathed the room in a hauntingly, yet beautiful glow.

Massive black pillars of light pierced the space as they reached toward the ceiling, and between them swirled ethereal motes of light, dancing like fireflies on a moonless night.

Amid this surreal landscape, the Demon King's throne was an imposing structure adorned with fissures of blue and red, radiating a mesmerizing light that illuminated the Demon King's form, making him appear even more imposing in his stature and presence.

Ty's attention was immediately drawn to the figure who had identified himself as the Lord of Shadows before killing him. Anger surged within him, but he realized that the Lord of Shadows was about to engage in conversation.

At a distance, a colossal creature loomed, roughly 20 to 25 feet away, with a towering height of 40 feet. The creature sat on the throne that was adorned with blue and red cracks, emitting a powerful light.

The Lord of Shadows remarked with a hint of annoyance in his tone, "As per our arrangement, Demon King, I have brought you 20 souls from the Mortal Realm in return for my belongings."

"Watch your tongue, Lord of Shadows, lest you might get erased right where you stand," the Demon King responded curtly.

With a forced smile, the Lord of Shadows created another portal similar to the one he had used before and added as he pointed in Ty's direction, which was radiating in a platinum-silvery glow and taking a step into the portal, "I've brought you a special gift, it's one of a kind."

Before the Demon King could ask any further questions, the Lord of Shadows had already stepped into his portal, which promptly closed behind him, leaving no trace of his presence.

The Demon King extended his hand toward Ty, generating a gravitational force which first pulled Ty's soul orb and then violently yanked all the souls towards himself. As the souls converged on the Demon King, a brilliant sight unfolded. The plain blue souls were separated from Ty and swirled through the air as they followed the Demon King's gestured command.

They embedded themselves upon a massive wall that was adorned with skulls, each skull was carved with an eerie, emotionless expression on itself. As the souls embedded themselves within the wall, it began to pulsate with an ominous energy.

Among them, a particular skull stood out, its empty eye sockets were blazing with a brilliant, fiery red glow. The crimson glow persisted, casting a permanent, eerie scarlet radiance all over its surroundings.

Standing in awe of the immense door that loomed before him, Ty estimated that it was at least twice the height of the towering Demon King while the room itself could easily rival the dimensions of a football field, dwarfing Ty in its vastness.

Amidst the overwhelming grandeur of the room, Ty was awestruck by the echoing voice of the Demon King, it boomed, commanding Ty's attention as it inquired, "What crimes have you committed?"