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You have activated active ability: Grandmaster Beast Tamer!
You have communicated with the Demon Asura Azrael!
You have attempted to tame an Adult Demon Asura…, attempt…
----
"Ugh…!" Azrael groaned.
"…"
"…"
"…."
Silence dominated as the intense battle suddenly came to a pause.
On their guard, the others all watched attentively. Having seen the ferocity of this Demon first-hand for the past few minutes, they dared not let their guards down as they stared at both of them attentively.
With Legolas' both hands on top the Demon's head, both of them froze as their eyes turned white like they just lost consciousness.
It didn't take long though, it lasted only an instant.
Blink!
As soon as Legolas regained consciousness, his game interface lit up.
-----
You have communicated with the Demon Asura Azrael!
You have attempted to tame an Adult Demon Asura…, attempt successful!
You have tamed an Adult Demon Asura!
----
"Phew!" Legolas sighed in relief as he collapsed on the ground.
The others were surprised, Bam Bam looked at him. "Did it…, did it work?"
Legolas looked at him, then he smiled. "It worked".
He barely finished speaking when a growling sound reverberated.
"Grrrr…!"
Instantly, they went on the defensive again.
Turning to look, they could see drool coming out of the Demon's mouth as he glared at everyone around him except Legolas. His hostility could be felt easily, they were stunned. "Was it not successful?"
Even Legolas was stunned as he sprang back up to his feet.
He threw an uncertain glance at the Demon. 'What's this?'
'I thought everything worked perfectly like usual'.
'Even the game interface confirmed it so what is this complication?'
'Is it because we spent so long fighting the willpower battle and it was so close? It could be'. A lot of thoughts went through his head.
"Stay back". Legolas instructed the others as he stepped closer.
Looking at him, the Demon no longer growled though struggle could clearly be seen in it's eyes. Legolas' eyes shone in understanding as he got an idea.
"Sit".
The Demon obeyed and sat quietly.
"Stand".
The Demon also stood up.
The others were shocked, especially Sonya. She could not reconcile the current obedient and docile Demon with the ferocious Demon that she battled against just a few seconds ago. 'What sorcery is this?'
'Is this the power of a Summoner?'
'Hell no! I've met other Summoners'.
'It's him'. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at Legolas.
'Clearly, his beast-taming abilities is not restricted to just wild beasts, he just tamed a sentient Demon, can he also tame me?' She felt threatened.
"I don't know". Legolas scratched his head. "There seemed to have been some complications during the beast-taming process".
"He's not like any other creature that I've tamed before".
"He is self-aware and still has his own will".
"Heck, it seems like it's even possible for him to disobey me". His brows furrowed in worry. "Unlike a normal tamed beast, he seems more like a pet".
"He has natural affinity and love towards me that was ingrained during the beast taming process, he will feel inclined to obey me but not all the time. Afterall, most pets are headaches to begin with".
Bam Bam floated closer, he had an amazed look on his face.
"When you spoke of taming Azrael, I originally thought it impossible, I only gave you the benefit of the doubt, I never expected this". He seemed genuinely shocked. "It would have been even more shocking if there were no complications".
He glanced at Legolas with a serious look on his face. "Azrael is the 2nd most powerful existence in this Underworld, what you just did is crazy".
"I suddenly feel old, I can't believe it's this same Demon that singlehanded thwarted my escape 20 years ago that ended up in this sorry state".
"Well, I'm glad, it's finally done".
The battle may not have lasted long but it sapped them of their energy, for the next few minutes, they stayed in this lair to rest and recover.
Though the others could not recover their energy, just the mental strength to do what they were about to do next was important.
30 minutes later, Bam Bam turned to look at Legolas. "So, the plan".
Legolas looked at him. "I intend for us to use Azrael to get access inside, then I will lead a team with the rest of us to fight him while you take control of the Time Ring".
"No!" Bam Bam rejected the plan instantly. "You're severely underestimating the power of a Grade A veteran".
Legolas frowned, waiting for him to explain.
"We just fought Azrael who is merely a peak Grade B Demon, think about his master who had spent centuries at the Grade A realm".
"No offense but during my peak, add 10 more Grade B powerhouses to this team and still it stands no chance against me in battle". He looked straight at Legolas. "The Bug Emperor is a beast who has not seen the galactic community".
"His combat tactics and knowledge is outdated and weak".
"All he has is raw power".
"He defeated that Crocodile because he was exhausted from another battle. Facing a bonafide Grade A powerhouse, you and your bunch of ragtag team in your Planet stands no chance".
Hearing all that, Legolas calmed down. Having been a Grade A powerhouse in his previous life himself, he was able to see the reasoning in this.
"So, do you have a plan?"
Bam Bam looked at them all. "Yes, the safest plan that will maximize our chances of escaping the Underworld".
Everyone gathered round him. "First, Azrael leads us in".
"Then, I create an energy camouflage like my bamboo world where all of us hides in. Through it, I will slowly and silently move closer to the Demon Master's coffin inside his sanctuary, Demon Masters tend to enjoy hibernations".
"Once I'm closer, I will change my energy camouflage to match the energy of the Time Ring".
He looked at Legolas. "You said it was a ring, did you actually believe we can beat him to get his ring off his finger?"
His eyes turned grave. "We can never get the ring".
"The best we can hope to do is use it while it's still attached to his finger, so any one of you that is greedy to have it, shelf your greedy ambitions".
"They're the ambitions of a fool".
"Once I'm close enough, I will let an opening through which Legolas can touch the ring. Since he has more knowledge about the ring, he will be the one to use it to maximize our chances of escaping".
"No!" Sonya finally objected.
Bam Bam calmly turned to look at her. "I understand your concerns, that is why after great thought I have found a way to ease our worries".
"Have you ever heard of a Soul Contract?"
"It's a contract signed between souls. When a party fails to fulfill the clauses that is listed in the contract, he dies". Bam Bam looked at Legolas. "I am an energy lifeform; I can create a Soul Contract".
The next moment, as Bam Bam manipulated his energy, Legolas received a notification from his game interface.
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[You have received a Soul Contract!]
[Contract Terms:]
[A. All parties involved are to cooperate unconditionally within the duration of this contract, failure to cooperate leads to instant death!]
[Party A Signature:]
…
[B. No party involved in this contract can be left behind to die. If one of us cannot make it out of the Underworld, we all die together!]
[Party A Signature:]
…
[Duration of this contract is till every party escapes the Underworld.]
[Party A Signature:]
[Party B Signature:]
[Party C Signature:]
[Party D Signature:]
[Party E Signature:]
----
As soon as they saw the contract terms, all eyes turned to Bam Bam who shrugged. "That is the only way we ensure that our greed and maliciousness does not butt in, enabling us to cooperate unconditionally".
They all looked at each other, Legolas rubbed his knuckles.
"Fate already tied us together, I guess we're in this together".
"We escape as one or die as one".
Using his Summoner energy, he no longer hesitated as he signed his part of the contract as he instantly felt it registered in his soul.
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[You have signed the Soul Contract!]
[You will be bound by the conditions of this contract until the duration of the Soul Contract comes to an end!]
----
Legolas looked at them all. "Let's do it".