The Death Emperor wanted nothing more than to emerge from his grave and teach that human brat a lesson; however, he controlled himself. Soon after, he fell into a deep silence.
Aurie was dumbfounded. The fact that the Death Emperor did not immediately erupt in a fit of anger meant that he was taking Izroth’s offer under serious consideration!
The Nether Realm’s current ruler may have defeated the Death Emperor, but one would be gravely mistaken if they believed him to be weak. Just the fact that the Death Emperor was able to survive all this time after their encounter spoke volumes of his strength. If Izroth could gain a peak legendary existence as powerful as him as a servant for one hundred years, even kingdoms would have to think twice before offending him! After all, there were quite a few legendary existences in the Mortal Realm, but those at the peak numbered less than ten! Being able to order such a powerhouse around freely, there would be no kingdom in the Mortal Realm that could bound Izroth. Fortunately, he already had a connection to their Amaharpe kingdom, and given his character, Aurie knew that Izroth would not hold any vile intentions.
Nevertheless, it was incredibly dangerous. Someone like the Death Emperor was too long-lived and unpredictable. But, more important than anything, he was being driven by revenge. Aurie feared that the Death Emperor would find a way to slowly corrupt Izroth; after all, the power gap between them was immense.
However, Aurie had to admit that having the Death Emperor as the ruler of the Nether Realm was a better choice than the Netherworld Monarch. Since her childhood was unique compared to other children, Aurie was aware of some of the darker secrets behind the scenes—ones that even someone with Prince Yan’s standing may never come to know of in their lifetime.
One such secret was that the Netherworld Monarch was naturally drawn to the Mortal Realm, or rather, its destruction, for as long as anyone could remember.
Needless to say, the Death Emperor was not a generous or kind person by any standards. But, he was ultimately the lesser of two evils. At the very least, the destruction of the Mortal Realm would not be his primary goal. Not to mention, the number of secrets he held could assist them in preparing for the inevitable battle against the Nether Realm and their followers. This was even more critical now that a link was discovered between Dolos and the League of the Eidolon, an organization that revered the Netherworld Monarch.
While Aurie wanted to protest against Izroth’s decision, she understood the potential gains outweighed the loss deep down inside. Izroth likely comprehended this as well; therefore, if he wished to accept such a risk, Aurie would not attempt to stop him. She just hoped that he was prepared for the inherent consequences that would surely ensue.
…
A full minute passed with the Death Emperor’s silence, and it was now approaching the two-minute mark. But, a few seconds before that moment arrived, the Death Emperor finally broke his silence.
“50 years, and I will help you remove the mark of deaths hidden in your body. I can even rid you of that curse. After all, I know the individual behind its creation.” The Death Emperor said.
“Oh? Didn’t you say that you would not try to bargain? Anyways, I refuse. Once you’re my servant, can’t I just order you to remove it at no cost?” Izroth noted.
Besides, why would he want the curse removed? If he no longer had the curse from the Envoy of the Netherworld, wouldn’t it be impossible for him to collect Spirit Vouchers for the Netherworld Exchange?
“This brat! He’s too ruthless!” The Death Emperor internalized. He had hoped to pull a fast one on Izroth and get his time reduced. It was true that one hundred years was not a long time for him; however, the Death Emperor wanted to exact his revenge on the one who put him in this pathetic state as soon as possible. But now, he had to spend his time babysitting some human kid! Even worse, he was not a protector or guardian, but a servant? Ridiculous!
Though, in the end, the Death Emperor’s hatred towards the Netherworld Monarch outweighed the humiliation he felt from accepting Izroth’s terms.
“…Very well. If you can repair my tombstone, I will become your servant for one hundred years. However, should you fail to restore my tombstone in less than 24 hours, you must stay here with me in this Minor Realm as my servant for all eternity.” The Death Emperor declared.
After witnessing Izroth’s proficiency in the Laws of Magic, the Death Emperor was well aware of his comprehension ability. Even if Izroth could not fully repair the tombstone now, with some proper guidance from him, it would be possible for them to do so in the near future. In this way, whether Izroth succeeded or failed, he would regain his freedom!
“That wasn’t the deal,” Aurie said coldly. She saw right through the Death Emperor’s ploy. If the human race- No, if the Mortal Realm lost a great talent like Izroth under her supervision, how could she ever forgive herself?
‘Amusing.’
“Alright. Although there is nothing for me to gain, I’ll humor you once—but, just this once. I accept your terms.” Izroth replied calmly.
“Captain Izroth, you-” Aurie immediately moved to protest.
“It’s okay, Commander. Rest assured, I have no intention of staying in this place for an eternity.” Izroth affirmed.
Aurie furrowed her brows. She was conflicted. However, she no longer tried to talk Izroth out of it.
Aurie sighed, “I really do hope that you know what you’re doing, Captain.”
She gathered that if Izroth was willing to go this far, his confidence in completing the task at hand had to be coming from somewhere. She could only hope that she would not come to regret her choice.
“So you’re not a coward, after all, brat. Then, place your hand upon the Soul Binding Contract.” The Death Emperor said.
The next moment, a black scroll appeared above the Death Emperor’s tombstone. The scroll opened and revealed a glowing purple text with the name “Nekrosatoras” printed in red near the bottom.
Izroth learned about the various type of Soul Contracts in the Amaharpe palace Library. The Queen of Spirits enforced all Soul Contracts; however, not much else was mentioned regarding its origins.
The Soul Binding Contract was similar to a Soul Contract between a person and a spirit; however, the thing that separated the two was their intended purpose.
A typical Soul Contract was a mutual agreement between the two involved parties, while a Soul Binding Contract was a mutual arrangement with consequences attached.
When it came to a Soul Contract, as long as Soul Link did not influence one’s souls, either side could terminate the agreement whenever they pleased. But, such a luxury did not exist with the Soul Binding Contract.
If someone broke the terms agreed upon in a Soul Binding Contract, then they would receive a divine punishment—usually death. In Izroth’s case, it could end with his level being decreased, or worse, he would undergo an existence wipe!
Izroth carefully read over the scroll’s text word for word, making sure not to miss a single detail.
The contents of the scroll were just as he discussed with the Death Emperor. Surprisingly, they had not deliberately misworded or included anything sketchy in the Soul Binding Contract.
After verifying the Soul Binding Contract’s authenticity, Izroth placed his hand on the scroll’s surface. The instant he did so, his name was signed in red at the bottom of the scroll alongside the Death Emperor’s name.
Swoosh!
The Soul Binding Contract burst into violet flames before disappearing. A couple of seconds later, a mysterious symbol imprinted itself on the back of Izroth’s hand. Simultaneously, the same mysterious symbol appeared on the Death Emperor’s tombstone.
〈System Alert: You have signed a «Soul Binding Contract» with «Death Emperor of the Netherworld, Nekrosatoras»!〉
〈System Alert: Warning! Breaking a «Soul Binding Contract» can result in harsh penalties!〉
“Then, let’s begin, shall we?” Izroth said. At the same time, he activated his Energy Vision Sense and moved as close as possible to the tombstone to reduce the amount of Essence used to sustain it.
‘I already examined it once before with my Energy Vision Sense, but the way these magic sequences overlap is a bit chaotic. Much like the War Rank Insignia, it has a randomized magic code embedded into it. However, unlike the War Rank Insignia, the magic code shifts every ten seconds instead of every hour. Without my Energy Vision Sense, it would have been impossible for me to keep track of it. Perhaps the Death Emperor was betting on this fact? Either way… 24 hours? I won’t need a tenth of that time.’
Izroth accessed his inventory and removed a small vial that contained a thick silver liquid. If one studied it closely, they would notice the liquid was moving around inside the vial as if it were alive!
The fluid contained inside the vial was called the Liquid of Silverline, and Izroth acquired it during his time in the Chaotic Dogma Realm.
‘It feels like a waste to use it like this, but there’s no other way to ensure my success.’
Along with the small vial, Izroth removed a small carving knife that had been sitting in his inventory since his visit to the Blazing Temple.
Izroth then opened the lid on the vial and coated the carving knife with the Liquid of Silverline.
