[B1] Chapter 18: Swindled in a Mystical Pact
As he left the basement, Theo ascended towards his room, the walls of the staircase softly illuminated by the glowing magic stones. Carefully, he navigated the stairs, clearly aware of the girl trailing behind him with an energetic spring in her step.
Reaching the second floor, he paused momentarily in front of Elena's room, pondering how how to explain the presence of this unpredictable girl. He shook his head, dismissing the thought for now, and continued to his own room. Behind him, the girl’s eyes flickered curiously toward Elena’s locked door before she resumed following Theo.
As they entered his room, the girl playfully nudged Theo aside to explore ahead.
Her voice, light but tinged with a mischievous tone, "This place is so small... my room used to be bigger," she declared. Yet her words were betrayed by the radiant smile gracing her lips; Freed from her confined space, every corner of this room was a new delight to her.
Her gaze fell on the window in the room, causing her face to bloom even further. She hurriedly moved towards it, flinging the window open. There she stood, eyes closed, soaking in the soothing night air as it tenderly caressed her face. The soft light of the moon and the twinkling stars seemed to wrap her in a comforting embrace, and her whole being hummed with a joy she couldn't put into words.
Turning to him with a happy glint in her eyes, she whispered, "It's lovely, isn't it? You gave me this Freedom. Every sight, every breath I take is a gift from you. But don't forget... I won't let you vanish from my sight. You are, after all, the one who unshackled me."
"You're insane." He replied icily.
The girl could see his annoyance so she turned around to enjoy the scene outside the windows.
Theo watched her quietly, his cold eyes softening. He could understand the depths of her relief and joy; she had been imprisoned in that basement for decades.
Leaving her to enjoy her freedom, Theo moved into the bathroom. Opening the door, he noticed a fresh set of clothes waiting for him. As he shut the door behind him and began to undress, his hands felt a sticky, putrid substance clinging to his skin.
'I have only read about this in that book,' he mused, eyebrows knitting together. 'It described something similar... Isn't this what happens during body refinement, after consuming a rare elixir or precious medicinal pills?'
Resolving to deal with it, he turned on the shower. The comforting rush of water started to cleanse away the foul residue, and as he scrubbed, he felt the grime dissolve under his touch.
But as he rinsed his body, his eyes caught sight of something new, a strange, dark and crimson engraving on his chest, symbols that seemed both foreign and intimately familiar.
'What is this? This wasn’t here before,' he thought, momentarily surprised. 'Is it a result of the pact with that shameless girl?'
With a resigned sigh, he let the matter rest for now and focused on the soothing embrace of the water, allowing it to clear away the day’s physical and mental grime.
Outside the bathroom, having changed into the fresh clothes left by Elena, Theo found the girl standing on top of his bed. She was jumping like a child, her face alive with a wild grin.
Despite himself, Theo allowed an amused smile to tug at his lips as he leaned casually against the doorway, observing her.
In his mind, he tried to link this girl's current face with the terrifying figure he had first met, a demoness who had beaten him senseless and might have killed him after that confrontation, if he had made a wrong choice. But his decision and planning all went perfectly, ensuring he wasn't merely a pawn in her game or a mere source to satiate her insatiable cravings. He'd turned this dangerous girl into a valuable ally.
"What are you doing there, little imp? Get down," he said, his voice dripping with humor.
"Why get down? It's been ages since I danced on a bed. Can't you let me have my fun?" She stretched her arms outward, tilting her head slightly, her voice filled with cheerful tone.
Hearing her playful complaint, a thoughtful expression crossed Theo’s face, as if her words had triggered a realization. "Although we have made a pact, you haven't told me your name," he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Neither did you tell me your name, my only and precious muscular mountain!" The girl sang, gazing his physique with a teasing glint in her eye. Her voice was playful, but there was a strange intensity behind it, a hint of possessiveness.
"Fine, I will just call you shameless witch... or perhaps blood-sucking ghost?" Theo retorted, maintaining his calm tone as he moved to sit on his bed.
As he sat, Lilith swiftly bent her knees and leaned even closer than before, so close that her lips were almost brushing his ear. "You know, if you keep teasing me like that, I might just decide to mark you as mine," she whispered, her fangs threateningly close to his neck.
Her eyes, usually playful, now fixed on Theo with a cold, piercing stare. It was a look meant to frighten, to assert dominance. Despite her best effort to intimidate him, the boy showed no fear.
Holding her gaze, she sighed, "Ah... I can't even scare you anymore... I'm Lilith Silvermoon. Nice to meet you, grumpy old man, sir!" With that, her serene face quickly grace with a wicked smile.
The boy merely shook his head at her mischievous action, "I'm Theo," he replied casually before lying down on his bed.
However, his mind, remained aware of the odd, Yandere-like creature he'd just made a pact with. There was something captivating about her unpredictable cheerfulness, but also something undeniably menacing.
He added, "You should also clean yourself, you must not have bathed for a decade."
Theo didn't know how she had maintained her healthy good looking appearance despite her confinement, but he still suggested she get clean.
As if she could read his mind, she answered with a gloomy tone in her voice, "I used to clean myself with the scant power I had left. They sealed my energy core, but I managed to survive using the limited mana that seeped through those seals on the door. I think those seals were probably placed there to keep me alive. But bathing? I can't do that now; I don't have another set of clothes." Lilith sighed in sad resignation.
He turned to look at her and caught a glimpse of sadness in her eyes. Silently, he made a mental note to help her get another set of clothes, or perhaps ask Elena if she could assist. But he knew he would have to be careful in doing so.
As she was back to her usual dancing on his king-sized bed, he gave up convincing her to not jump. ignoring her presence, he looked at the notifications floating in front of his eyes.
There were plenty of notifications waiting for him to check.
<<<<
[Warning: System detects an overwhelming absorption of abyssal energy!]
[Alert: User's capacity to hold abyssal energy has reached its limit. Initiating fix protocol...]
[Processing: Utilizing excess energy to awaken class...]
[Awakening Initiated]
[Class Awakening: In progress...]
[Merging demonic energy with user's innate talent...]
[Success: You have awakened a new ??? class - "Novice Shadow Farmer"]
[The class has been bound to you]
[System Notification: Ancient Guardian Pact Formation Initiated...]
[Processing: Binding Guardian Pact with Lilith Silvermoon...]
[Success: Ancient Guardian Pact Successfully Forged with Lilith Silvermoon.]
==[Pact Details]==
[Commanding Lilith]
~ You can seek Lilith's aid and guide her actions. Undue force may strain and weaken your bond.
[Termination Conditions]
~ Pact can be dissolved at your discretion or upon Lilith's demise.
~ Caution: If your life is extinguished, Lilith's will follow.
[Communication]
~ Telepathic links established, enabling seamless exchanges.
[Guardian's Duty]
~ Lilith's primary role is your protection. Her assistance is available upon request.
[Lilith's Expectations]
~ Basic Needs: Provide essentials like food, clothing, and shelter.
~ Safety: Ensure her security from external threats.
~ Respect: Maintain the dignity and respect she deserves.
~ Freedom: Grant her personal freedom and recreation.
~ Shared Resources: Share resources and knowledge for mutual growth when possible.
~ Shared Growth: Don't withhold opportunities for Lilith to grow, enhance her skills, or evolve.
~ Emotional Well-being: Ensure regular interactions for her mental stability and contentment.
~ Physical Protection: Guard Lilith from unnecessary dangers.
[Warning: Cherish the bond. Overstepping may risk weakening your partnership and the pact's integrity. In the face of a weakened bond, Lilith may choose mutual destruction over continuation.]
>>>>
Theo stared at the notifications floating before his eyes, 'Wait a minute... Did I just get swindled in a mystical pact? Supposedly I’m in the 'dominant' 60% position, yet it feels like I've been conned by a street vendor into paying extra for a “free” gift. It’s like I’ve bought a pet, only to realize it’s the pet that actually owns me! I imagined her as my guardian, but here I am, turning into her babysitter and emotional pillar. Shouldn't it be the other way around?'
His thoughts were interrupted by another realization, 'I’m thinking too much. I can still command her in certain situations. I just need to tread carefully, as long as I don’t cross her boundaries... or try touching her tail, I should be fine. A fang to the neck isn't on my wish-list for a pleasant day.'
A soft smile appeared on his face as he tried to look at the brighter side. 'All things considered, I did gain a powerful ally. And meeting her demands shouldn’t be that challenging; after all, I am a Baron.'
Deep down, Theo was aware of his advantage. In rare circumstances, he could exert command over her. However, a gut instinct warned him of the invisible lines with her. Crossing them, especially violating her principles, would likely unleash a side of her he wouldn’t want to meet.
'While she's my guardian on paper, mutual respect seems to be the real binding force here,' he mused. One thing was for certain: his life had just taken an interesting turn.
After finishing one section of the notification, he scrolled down to see what was next. A series of messages greeted him, making his eyes widen in surprise.
[B1] Chapter 18: Swindled in a Mystical Pact
As he left the basement, Theo ascended towards his room, the walls of the staircase softly illuminated by the glowing magic stones. Carefully, he navigated the stairs, clearly aware of the girl trailing behind him with an energetic spring in her step.
Reaching the second floor, he paused momentarily in front of Elena's room, pondering how how to explain the presence of this unpredictable girl. He shook his head, dismissing the thought for now, and continued to his own room. Behind him, the girl’s eyes flickered curiously toward Elena’s locked door before she resumed following Theo.
As they entered his room, the girl playfully nudged Theo aside to explore ahead.
Her voice, light but tinged with a mischievous tone, "This place is so small... my room used to be bigger," she declared. Yet her words were betrayed by the radiant smile gracing her lips; Freed from her confined space, every corner of this room was a new delight to her.
Her gaze fell on the window in the room, causing her face to bloom even further. She hurriedly moved towards it, flinging the window open. There she stood, eyes closed, soaking in the soothing night air as it tenderly caressed her face. The soft light of the moon and the twinkling stars seemed to wrap her in a comforting embrace, and her whole being hummed with a joy she couldn't put into words.
Turning to him with a happy glint in her eyes, she whispered, "It's lovely, isn't it? You gave me this Freedom. Every sight, every breath I take is a gift from you. But don't forget... I won't let you vanish from my sight. You are, after all, the one who unshackled me."
"You're insane." He replied icily.
The girl could see his annoyance so she turned around to enjoy the scene outside the windows.
Theo watched her quietly, his cold eyes softening. He could understand the depths of her relief and joy; she had been imprisoned in that basement for decades.
Leaving her to enjoy her freedom, Theo moved into the bathroom. Opening the door, he noticed a fresh set of clothes waiting for him. As he shut the door behind him and began to undress, his hands felt a sticky, putrid substance clinging to his skin.
'I have only read about this in that book,' he mused, eyebrows knitting together. 'It described something similar... Isn't this what happens during body refinement, after consuming a rare elixir or precious medicinal pills?'
Resolving to deal with it, he turned on the shower. The comforting rush of water started to cleanse away the foul residue, and as he scrubbed, he felt the grime dissolve under his touch.
But as he rinsed his body, his eyes caught sight of something new, a strange, dark and crimson engraving on his chest, symbols that seemed both foreign and intimately familiar.
'What is this? This wasn’t here before,' he thought, momentarily surprised. 'Is it a result of the pact with that shameless girl?'
With a resigned sigh, he let the matter rest for now and focused on the soothing embrace of the water, allowing it to clear away the day’s physical and mental grime.
Outside the bathroom, having changed into the fresh clothes left by Elena, Theo found the girl standing on top of his bed. She was jumping like a child, her face alive with a wild grin.
Despite himself, Theo allowed an amused smile to tug at his lips as he leaned casually against the doorway, observing her.
In his mind, he tried to link this girl's current face with the terrifying figure he had first met, a demoness who had beaten him senseless and might have killed him after that confrontation, if he had made a wrong choice. But his decision and planning all went perfectly, ensuring he wasn't merely a pawn in her game or a mere source to satiate her insatiable cravings. He'd turned this dangerous girl into a valuable ally.
"What are you doing there, little imp? Get down," he said, his voice dripping with humor.
"Why get down? It's been ages since I danced on a bed. Can't you let me have my fun?" She stretched her arms outward, tilting her head slightly, her voice filled with cheerful tone.
Hearing her playful complaint, a thoughtful expression crossed Theo’s face, as if her words had triggered a realization. "Although we have made a pact, you haven't told me your name," he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Neither did you tell me your name, my only and precious muscular mountain!" The girl sang, gazing his physique with a teasing glint in her eye. Her voice was playful, but there was a strange intensity behind it, a hint of possessiveness.
"Fine, I will just call you shameless witch... or perhaps blood-sucking ghost?" Theo retorted, maintaining his calm tone as he moved to sit on his bed.
As he sat, Lilith swiftly bent her knees and leaned even closer than before, so close that her lips were almost brushing his ear. "You know, if you keep teasing me like that, I might just decide to mark you as mine," she whispered, her fangs threateningly close to his neck.
Her eyes, usually playful, now fixed on Theo with a cold, piercing stare. It was a look meant to frighten, to assert dominance. Despite her best effort to intimidate him, the boy showed no fear.
Holding her gaze, she sighed, "Ah... I can't even scare you anymore... I'm Lilith Silvermoon. Nice to meet you, grumpy old man, sir!" With that, her serene face quickly grace with a wicked smile.
The boy merely shook his head at her mischievous action, "I'm Theo," he replied casually before lying down on his bed.
However, his mind, remained aware of the odd, Yandere-like creature he'd just made a pact with. There was something captivating about her unpredictable cheerfulness, but also something undeniably menacing.
He added, "You should also clean yourself, you must not have bathed for a decade."
Theo didn't know how she had maintained her healthy good looking appearance despite her confinement, but he still suggested she get clean.
As if she could read his mind, she answered with a gloomy tone in her voice, "I used to clean myself with the scant power I had left. They sealed my energy core, but I managed to survive using the limited mana that seeped through those seals on the door. I think those seals were probably placed there to keep me alive. But bathing? I can't do that now; I don't have another set of clothes." Lilith sighed in sad resignation.
He turned to look at her and caught a glimpse of sadness in her eyes. Silently, he made a mental note to help her get another set of clothes, or perhaps ask Elena if she could assist. But he knew he would have to be careful in doing so.
As she was back to her usual dancing on his king-sized bed, he gave up convincing her to not jump. ignoring her presence, he looked at the notifications floating in front of his eyes.
There were plenty of notifications waiting for him to check.
<<<<
[Warning: System detects an overwhelming absorption of abyssal energy!]
[Alert: User's capacity to hold abyssal energy has reached its limit. Initiating fix protocol...]
[Processing: Utilizing excess energy to awaken class...]
[Awakening Initiated]
[Class Awakening: In progress...]
[Merging demonic energy with user's innate talent...]
[Success: You have awakened a new ??? class - "Novice Shadow Farmer"]
[The class has been bound to you]
[System Notification: Ancient Guardian Pact Formation Initiated...]
[Processing: Binding Guardian Pact with Lilith Silvermoon...]
[Success: Ancient Guardian Pact Successfully Forged with Lilith Silvermoon.]
==[Pact Details]==
[Commanding Lilith]
~ You can seek Lilith's aid and guide her actions. Undue force may strain and weaken your bond.
[Termination Conditions]
~ Pact can be dissolved at your discretion or upon Lilith's demise.
~ Caution: If your life is extinguished, Lilith's will follow.
[Communication]
~ Telepathic links established, enabling seamless exchanges.
[Guardian's Duty]
~ Lilith's primary role is your protection. Her assistance is available upon request.
[Lilith's Expectations]
~ Basic Needs: Provide essentials like food, clothing, and shelter.
~ Safety: Ensure her security from external threats.
~ Respect: Maintain the dignity and respect she deserves.
~ Freedom: Grant her personal freedom and recreation.
~ Shared Resources: Share resources and knowledge for mutual growth when possible.
~ Shared Growth: Don't withhold opportunities for Lilith to grow, enhance her skills, or evolve.
~ Emotional Well-being: Ensure regular interactions for her mental stability and contentment.
~ Physical Protection: Guard Lilith from unnecessary dangers.
[Warning: Cherish the bond. Overstepping may risk weakening your partnership and the pact's integrity. In the face of a weakened bond, Lilith may choose mutual destruction over continuation.]
>>>>
Theo stared at the notifications floating before his eyes, 'Wait a minute... Did I just get swindled in a mystical pact? Supposedly I’m in the 'dominant' 60% position, yet it feels like I've been conned by a street vendor into paying extra for a “free” gift. It’s like I’ve bought a pet, only to realize it’s the pet that actually owns me! I imagined her as my guardian, but here I am, turning into her babysitter and emotional pillar. Shouldn't it be the other way around?'
His thoughts were interrupted by another realization, 'I’m thinking too much. I can still command her in certain situations. I just need to tread carefully, as long as I don’t cross her boundaries... or try touching her tail, I should be fine. A fang to the neck isn't on my wish-list for a pleasant day.'
A soft smile appeared on his face as he tried to look at the brighter side. 'All things considered, I did gain a powerful ally. And meeting her demands shouldn’t be that challenging; after all, I am a Baron.'
Deep down, Theo was aware of his advantage. In rare circumstances, he could exert command over her. However, a gut instinct warned him of the invisible lines with her. Crossing them, especially violating her principles, would likely unleash a side of her he wouldn’t want to meet.
'While she's my guardian on paper, mutual respect seems to be the real binding force here,' he mused. One thing was for certain: his life had just taken an interesting turn.
After finishing one section of the notification, he scrolled down to see what was next. A series of messages greeted him, making his eyes widen in surprise.
