God of Contracts: Strongest Businessman

Chapter 55 Punishment

??? Soul oath???

? Soul?

???Name | Isabella???

???Race | Human + N/A???

???Existence Level | Lowe?

???Soul Quality | Medioc?

? Terms?

???N/A???

? Time Limit?

???N/A???

? Enforcer?

???N/A???

? Ongoing Contract?

Elian still had his eyes fixed on the prompt, as if looking for something he had overlooked before. But the more he looked, the more questions he had. The main questions were:

"Is this prompt really the soul oath?" This question might be stupid, but as someone who knows how soul oaths work, it wasn't so obvious. After all, despite being the cheapest of magic contracts, soul oaths are contracts directly bound to the soul. Knowing that anything related to the soul is out of human reach, Elian had the right to wonder if this book really allowed him to peer into such contracts. Yet, the truth was right in front of him.

However, that wasn't his only question.

"Can he read anyone's soul oaths?"

"Can he modify them?"

"Why are there so many N/As?"

"Is there no way to remove them?"

And lastly, the most perplexing question

"Is she even fully human?"

He even went and asked 'the book' but all he received was "X KP for this information" with the last one being the most expensive. But he didn't even dare buy those or trying to use the skill again after seeing this,

[Bill: 'Eye of Contracts' activation has cost 100 Karma and 10000 Gold Coins]

He still couldn't believe it; he felt like he was scammed. And for someone proud of his smarts, that was a blow. When he grilled 'the book' about it, he learned,

[Answer: Skill Activations are a use first, pay later service]

What made him feel worse was that it made perfect sense! So he wasn't scammed; he was just too hasty. After all, if it wasn't like this, skills would take time to activate, possibly leading to your death in a fight.

He didn't even care much about the 100 Karma lost as what's the difference between -1000 and -1100? However, he was really shocked by the gold coins' expense. Those gold coins really disappeared from his space ring. This raised another dozen questions, but Elian chose to ignore it and waited for his mother.

*Chh-ssh*

Yes, Elian was still on a couch, but now he was in Julia's room waiting for her to come out of the bathroom. He had decided to come here to talk before doing anything else.

*Shhhhhh*

As for Isabella? She is on standby outside of Julia's room. She was too insistent and may have ended up crying on her knees if he hadn't accepted to let her follow him. Elian could only accept, but mainly because she is too weak to do anything.

*Creak*

Elian saw Julia coming out of the bathroom, wrapped in her white towel. Along with her wet body, this towel couldn't really hide her body shapes. With each step, her hips swayed, tracing an elegant rhythm that spoke of confidence and sensuality. And once again, Elian couldn't help but wonder once again,

'How did my idiot father bag such a woman?'

Elian knew that his parents really loved each other, but he himself knew that Julia could have found more fitting. His father was just too boorish, yet his mother clearly liked him.

"I will blush if you keep staring at me like that," Julia then said with a shy and coquettish voice. She had long noticed her son staring at her, especially her assets, so she couldn't help but tease him a little.

"Drop the act," Elian replied, getting goosebumps from his mother's playful demeanor.

"Why? Don't you like what you see?" she asked with the same temptress tone.

Not wanting this charade to last too long, Elian honestly answered, "Your waistline displays a lower ratio in relation to your hip circumference, emphasizing the curvilinear contours of your physique. The curvature of your hips and bust is proportionate and conforms to established anthropometric measurements associated with attractiveness. Your body silhouette displays a symmetrical arrangement and harmonious distribution of adipose tissue, contributing to a perceived aesthetic appeal according to our cultural standards. You are indeed beautiful"

"HAHAHAHAHA" Julia burst into uncontrollable laughter, her head thrown back so much that her assets jiggled playfully.

After a few seconds, she calmed down and said with a wide grin, "You are indeed my son." Unbeknownst to Elian, she was also relieved.

Elian didn't realize it yet, but his demeanor had undergone a complete transformation. Even the way he walked was different. He now exuded a newfound natural assurance and pride, a trait that was exclusive to El. But with El supposedly dead, it didn't make sense... unless El wasn't the one who had died. This was one of Julia's biggest fears, but she couldn't confront him immediately.

Now, however, she was certain. Firstly, only her son would speak in such a manner; El wouldn't bother with such language. Secondly, Elian's hormones had been triggered by her body, something that wouldn't have happened with El at the helm since he had perfect control over his body.

But she noticed that Elian had managed to passively tame his hormonal response after seeing her. This, along with his El-like gait, could perfectly be explained if El wasn't truly dead but had instead retreated to his original place: Elian's soul.

'That's even better!' Julia thought, but her thoughts were interrupted.

"Julia, we need to talk," Elian said with a grave tone. He even went so far as to address her by her first name instead of his usual 'Mom'. Elian was serious.

Noticing the shift in his demeanor, Julia dropped her teasing and promptly replied, "Alright, let me get dressed first."

A minute later, Elian and Julia sat facing each other at a table in her room. The woman had donned a loose, comfortable dress that somehow still accentuated her alluring figure. But Elian was oblivious to her appearance, his focus solely on the matter at hand.

With a heavy heart, he began, "First of all, Mom, I apologize. I am deeply sorry for almost taking my own life and leaving you alone. I can't even imagine the pain you must have endured because of me. Go ahead and punish me. I will accept anything as long as you forgive me." His voice trembled with remorse, for almost leaving his mother widow and childless, as he lowered his head, unable to meet his mother's gaze.

Smiling, Julia realized how blessed she was to have such a loving son. He was one who rarely caused trouble and always sought to resolve his own issues before seeking help from his parents. In fact, ever since Elian's birth, she had never truly gotten angry at him. This child was simply too responsible.

For the first time, however, she was furious at his recklessness. She had been waiting for him to mourn the loss of his brother before beating him up for his impulsive actions.

Now that he had apologized, what was she supposed to do? She could directly sense his emotions from his soul, and his guilt was genuine. Empty words they were not. So, she could only accept his apology and admit defeat, though not without punishment.

"Three months without any experiments or lab work!" she declared.

*Shudder*Elian stared at Julia in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock. It was as if she had betrayed him, which in a way she had. She knew perfectly well that Elian's passion for his laboratory work was akin to an addiction, yet she was asking him to abstain from it for months.

"But Mom," Elian pleaded, his voice laced with desperation, "I have dozens of ongoing projects! I can't stay out of the lab that long."

Julia's eyes held a hint of amusement as she observed Elian's animated response. His reaction was a stark contrast to the subdued demeanor she had feared he might adopt in the wake of his father's passing, his brother's death, and Lys's sudden coma. The spark of life in his eyes, the passion that ignited his voice as he pleaded for lab access, was a welcome reassurance that he was not succumbing to the weight of his grief.

However that didn't mean she would just grant his wishes, the punishment, though severe, was necessary to reinforce the importance of safety and to prevent Elian from repeating his reckless behavior.

"Ely," Julia began, her gaze fixed on Elian, "didn't you just say you couldn't imagine the pain I've been through?" She paused, letting her words sink in before continuing, "And didn't you say that I can punish you as I deem fit, as long as I forgive you?"

"Yes, I did say that, Mom," Elian acknowledged, his voice laced with a hint of desperation. "But you, of all people, should know how much I cherish my time in the lab." He paused, his eyes pleading, "So why are you trying to take that away from me? Moreover, you may not know this, but I was planning to use my work in the lab as a way to gradually assuage the grief I feel over El's death. Without that outlet, what am I supposed to do?"

Julia couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at Elian's attempt to manipulate her emotions. She recognized his last statement as a desperate ploy to guilt-trip her into changing her mind about the punishment.

'Ely, it's too early for you to try to con me,' Julia thought to herself, a subtle smile playing on her lips. She could see through Elian's thinly veiled lie, an attempt to tug at her heartstrings and sway her decision.

She had never expected her son to stoop so low as to exploit his brother's passing for personal gain. His willingness to go to such lengths revealed a depth of despair she hadn't anticipated. Looking into Elian's eyes, filled with a desperate hope that she would reconsider, Julia couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.

'Ely, it seems like you're truly growing up,' she thought to herself, a wistful smile gracing her lips.

Elian had never lied to his mother, not once in his life. But today, he had crossed that line, staring directly into her eyes while fabricating a story. Julia, however, wasn't angry. In fact, she was secretly pleased that her son was no longer as innocent as he once was. She could guess what had triggered this change in him, and with a brief closing of her eyes, she thought to herself with a grateful smile, 'Thank you, once again, El.'

And with the same smile,

"I know you love your work, Ely," Julia continued, her voice softening, "but you also have a responsibility to yourself and to those who care about you. Your actions in the lab were not just careless; they were a betrayal of that trust."

"I understand, Mom," Elian replied, his voice filled with remorse. "I was wrong, and I'm truly sorry."

"I know you're sorry, Ely," Julia said gently, "but I can't just let this go. You need to learn from this, to understand that your actions have consequences. That's why I'm going to stand by my decision. You're banned from the lab for three months."

Elian nodded in acquiescence, resigned to the fact that further protest would only worsen the situation. His heart sank at the prospect of spending the coming months in mind-numbing boredom, but a soothing voice soon offered a glimmer of hope.

"Elian," the voice whispered, its soothing tone a balm to his troubled mind, "how about you spend these three months learning healing?"

Edited by MoonsterDark.

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