CHAPTER 67…………………………
Rumble.
The cave wall shook violently, and fragments began to rain down — some as small as fingernails, others the size of fists.
Fearing I might be seriously injured, I crouched down and covered my head.
“What the hell is this all of a sudden…?”
Tsk tsk. “It seems the magic stirring within has provoked it.”
“What?”
You never said that was even possible!
Crackle!
But I had no time to argue. The tremors in the walls were growing fiercer by the second.
I crawled across the floor toward Tristan, wrapped my arms protectively around his head, and gripped Samuel’s sword tightly in my other hand.
‘You’re a holy sword too, right? If I wield you, maybe I can take this monster down!’
—Child of Samuel. Had you truly been his descendant, our compatibility would have been perfect, but…
Snap!
As I tried to swing the sword, sparks leapt from the hilt. Still, I clenched my teeth and refused to let go.
—As you said, I am a holy sword. Do you truly think a black mage could wield such a weapon?
“That’s nonsense!”
I tightened my grip until my knuckles went white. As long as I didn’t let go — even if my palms tore open — I might still slice into the monster’s belly and carve us a way out.
“Hhhngh…!”
—I told you, stop!
Samuel’s sword shrieked. Crackle! Sparks flew again.
A sharp sting ran up my arm, but I didn’t falter — I swung downward from overhead.
—Noooo!
Thud.
Blood seeped out, soaking my clothes. An agonizing pain twisted my insides as if they’d been shredded apart.
—I warned you! How could you act so recklessly?
Samuel’s furious voice boomed.
‘Then you should’ve just let me swing you properly…’
—You think I control everything about this sword just because I’m an ego weapon? That’s like asking a human to stop themselves from blinking!
Ugh, my head was pounding.
I slumped down beside Tristan. The wall hadn’t even been scratched. As a black mage, I couldn’t draw out the sword’s divine power.
As I pressed my lips together to fight the nausea, something viscous began to ooze from the cracks in the wall.
Ssssshhhhh.
A sinister sound filled the air.
‘Digestive fluid…’
The acidic liquid ate through small stones as it slowly crept closer. There was nowhere to run — the cave was bare, with nothing to climb onto.
I watched as the fluid slithered nearer, then shut my eyes tight.
So this is it.
I knew death was closing in, yet strangely, I felt no fear.
If anything, it was almost comforting — like greeting an old friend. Was that part of the black mage instincts I’d awakened to recently? A lack of fear toward death?
‘Yulia would cry for sure…’
When I imagined what would happen after my death, that was the first thing that came to mind. My twin had never lived a single day without me — how would she bear it?
‘Ed will be shaken… Isaac will probably blame himself…’
I could already picture the Walker Duchy drowning in grief.
‘Andrea will probably just think I went on another long journey. And Hazel and Natalie… they’ll be devastated.’
Hazel might even lose control again and go hunting monsters out of rage.
Losing someone precious to a monster — twice — would be unbearable.
‘And then…’
I thought of a friend who’d been by my side since childhood — my black cat, who had vanished without a word one day.
“Lev…”
I murmured his name softly.
—You called too late, Contractor.
“What?!”
I jolted upright — and froze.
A black cat was sitting calmly atop my shadow, licking his paw and rubbing it across his face like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I blinked hard. Maybe I was hallucinating, facing death and all.
—How dare you mistake me for an illusion!
“You’re… really Lev?”
—Would there be a fake one? Hssst!
He hissed softly. Even that was so familiar that I couldn’t help hugging him tight.
HISSS!
He struggled in protest, but I didn’t care. I buried my face in his sleek black fur.
“Where have you been all this time…”
—Hmph. That’s none of your concern. Cause and effect, this wretched mortal shell, rules and restrictions — bah!
He grumbled something incomprehensible, probably about those cosmic laws he’d mentioned before.
Demons often had to bind themselves with constraints when descending into the mortal realm to prevent chaos.
Lev, too, had taken on a cat’s body, unable to use most of his original power.
If he was here now, it could mean only one thing — he’d used his power for something.
“You used your power, didn’t you?”
—I did.
“When?”
—When? Hah! When that so-called saint nearly roasted you alive with divine power, of course!
“Oh.”
I recalled the fight with Penelope — when Sion had unleashed all his divine energy to purify the entire area.
That blast had nearly killed me.
“You protected me?”
—Yes! Though you’re a pitiful human, that saint’s holy power was something else. If I hadn’t intervened, you’d have been obliterated.
Now that I thought about it, I had recovered quickly — up and moving not long after coughing up blood.
—But meddling with causality made things… complicated. I couldn’t return to the mortal realm for a while, that’s all.
“I see…”
—And on top of that, that bastard Saleos stole five bottles of my special wine! Five!
Sounded like Saleos made sure to get his cut too.
“I’ll get you better wine next time.”
—You’d better! Wine cellars are a demon’s pride, you know!
I patted his head absently, thinking how demons really weren’t that different from people.
—Honestly. Leave you alone for one moment, and look at the mess you’re in.
“Heh…”
I had no excuse.
The moment he looked away, I’d ended up in a monster’s stomach.
“Lev, can you get me out of here?”
—If you’re asking whether I can, of course I can. But as I said, my causal balance is… delicate right now.
Lev grinned slyly.
—If you want my help, you’ll have to pay a price.
“A price?”
—Yes. Up until now, you’ve been a provisional contractor — I could make excuses for lending a hand. But to use my true power for you, I need a proper justification.
He sighed, muttering about how annoying the laws of the underworld were — something about consulting his “legal department.”
“What do you want in return?”
—Let’s see… Hmm.
He pondered, then spoke.
—I promise, it won’t harm you.
“What kind of payment takes that long to explain?”
—I can’t tell you.
“That’s… not exactly a fair deal, is it?”
I let out a dry laugh. But Lev didn’t.
—Trust me.
“When a demon says that…”
I chuckled weakly. Still, I had no other choice. I could barely move — there was no other way out of here.
Even if Lev demanded my soul, I couldn’t refuse.
“…Fine. Do it.”
As soon as I said it, Lev’s eyes narrowed.
Then — everything stopped.
“…Huh?”
The creeping acid, the falling debris — all froze in place. A heavy silence fell over the world.
I looked down at my hand. I could still move — but everything else was frozen, except Lev.
“This is…”
—Contractor.
His voice echoed from everywhere at once.
Startled, I looked at the black cat’s body — but he didn’t move, only blinked.
—By the laws of the higher world, I claim my due for the power I bestow upon you.
I swallowed hard.
—Emily Walker. Do you, in your name, accept this contract?
“…Yes.”
The moment I nodded, the air rippled.
The space before me twisted, a graceful arc distorting as the world itself split apart.
—Your flesh, your soul, your every breath — all shall belong to me.
A massive crimson eye opened within the rift.
Ah. It wasn’t ruby-red or rose-colored — it was the deep, blood-dark shade of something forbidden.
My instincts screamed that I was witnessing something no mortal should ever see.
The sheer immensity of it made my vision blur.
—Without my permission, even death’s rest shall not be yours.
Through my fading sight, I saw the red eye slowly close.
The oppressive weight in the air lifted a little — but my body was still broken, my eyelids too heavy to raise again.
Rustle.
Something brushed against my cheek. Too soft for a paw.
Human?
Then, a faint touch at my neck — followed by sharp fangs grazing my skin. Goosebumps ran down my spine.
Wait—
Through my dimming vision, I saw it:
Crash!
The monster shattered like glass.
—How dare it covet what is mine. Death is too kind a price for such insolence.
Lev’s voice murmured faintly.
The scene was surreal — that massive, powerful beast, breaking apart into glittering shards and scattering through the air.
—The contract is sealed, Contractor.
Lev’s voice faded into the distance.
And all I could think, before losing consciousness, was—
What did he take from me?
