Chapter 26: Chapter 26:

Looking longingly one last time at the exit, Kain turned towards the left. After all, this may be his last chance at finding a suitable contract before the admissions exam for Dark Moon College.

Once again surrounded only by darkness, he at least had the sensation of the pull to direct him now. Gradually, he began to see light again through a small opening in the ceiling. Another cavern.

And within this cavern was a steaming hot spring. 'It's you!' Kain thought. The ghost in the hot spring must be what he is sensing.

Looking around Kain tried to see if he could see his future contract anywhere around the cavern.

"Hello? I know your there. I don't mean you any harm, I just want to talk with you. Maybe we can even be friends."

Silence

"I know you've probably been alone for a while now, but don't be scared. I can ensure that you are never alone again."

More silence

Seeing that the ghost wasn't coming out, Kain decided to focus on the sensation of the pull. It was drawing him strongly towards the hot spring. Beckoning him.

"I guess I have to go in there to see you." Kain said in trepidation. After all, although he knows that logically his contract may be an undead creature, he still hasn't fully wrapped his head around it. Asking him to share a hot bath with an undead creature is too much!

Stripping down to only his underwear, Kain entered the water.

"Ahhhh. This really does feel great" Kain took a moment to enjoy the warm water seeping into his skin, and leaned back against the wall of the cave.

However, by the time his fingers were starting to shrivel up from being in the water to long, he still hadn't seen a glimpse of his potential contract.

Feeling for the pull again, Kain tried to see if it had moved. 'Nope. Still in the water. Although it's hard to pinpoint where exactly. It feels like it's coming from all over'

Dipping his below water, Kain decided to see if he could find anything below the surface. Surfacing for air and diving again at least a dozen times, Kain was still unable to find his contract. 'C'mon Kain, think! You are so close to finally becoming an official beast-tamer. You can't give up now!'

He was about to continue diving when he noticed a very familiar pair of golden eyes in the dark. Pacing along the edge of the hot spring.

'No! No way! How could you follow me all the way here!' Before Kain's eyes was his old foe, the Blood Cougar. Likely impatient after finally spotting its long-lost prey, it pounced at Kain from the shore into the hot spring.

"Aahhh!" Kain fell back under the water to escape its claws.

Swimming deeper Kain turned around when he didn't feel it's claws on him.

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'Wow I guess it must really hate water.' Kain thought, assuming that the cougar returned to land.

After holding his breath as long as he could, he resurfaced and looked around in fear.

Still Nothing. 'did it leave?'

Sob

Sob

Kain looked towards the sudden sobs he heard. Sitting against the side of the hot spring was an adorable little girl with blonde pigtails and sparkling brown eyes. "Cherry? Why are you here?

"I got worried so I went to look for you. You said you'd come back soon, but it's already been over a day. And look at you! You're injured, and when was the last time you'd eaten."

"How did you even get here Cherry?! We have to get you back quickly, it's not safe here!"

Kain immediately forgot about his first contract and moved to exit the hot spring. After all, Cherry was more important than a contract. There was only one cherry, but surely he'd find another suitable contract eventually.

However, the moment Kain stepped out of the hot spring he was overcome by a wave of dizziness and nausea. He then felt a bubbling sensation in his stomach. Before he could move, Kain threw up the little contents remaining in his stomach all over Cherry. Or where Cherry had been… she had now disappeared. Just like the cougar.

Calming down, Kain tried to think through the throbbing in his brain he tried to think clearly. Kain wasn't an idiot, he was the top of his class for 4 straight years in the academic exams. He had just been too frazzled by the sudden appearance of Cherry to think.

'Hallucination? Does the ghost perhaps have a mental attribute? Or maybe there is no ghost, and she was also a hallucination the mercenary saw.'

"I know they aren't real! You can't fool me anymore! Show yourself!"

Nothing.

"Stop playing with me and show yourself!" Kain screamed while standing up in anger. Wrong decision. The moment he stood up his vision began to blur as he lost his balance before collapsing back into the water with his eyes closed. Until the very end, the spiritual creature never revealed itself.