Chapter 21
I couldn’t believe my ears….I immediately raised my head. Sudden dazzling light began to flood in beneath my feet, and I had to cover my eyes to protect them.
The magic inscriptions beneath my feet began to burn red–anyone could see that something unnatural was about to begin.
White vines sprouted from the surface of the magic circle and began to climb up my body. I struggled to avoid this strange plant as it began to crawl onto my thighs, but Seo Dawon stopped me. “Stay Still,” he said. I realized that this monstrous plant must be his doing, so I tried to suppress my paranoia.
When the plants had climbed to wrap around my waist, I once again heard Seo Dawon’s voice.
–Are you really going to obey everything I say?
With the goal of the contract in mind, I fervently, with some bewilderment, nodded. “YES! Yesyesyesyesyes!”
–What’s your name?
“I’m Choi–Choi Lee-kyung.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, the vines began to tighten its hold on my hips. At that moment, I discovered that this vine wasn’t made of soft plant material but was closer to hard stone.
It wound and tied my body together like white cord; it completely wrapped around my neck–half threatening embrace, half a noose. A white stem stopped before my nose, and a bud bloomed from the end of the stem. Inside was a strange skull branded with some insignia. The vines that surrounded me started to change. More buds appeared alongside the winding stem, and the branches began to take a skeletal, bony shape.
The huge white bones that embraced my body remained; the rest of the branches began to form shoulder blades, ribs, arms, and a pelvis. At last, two skeletal hands stretched out towards my restrained face and gently grasped my cheeks.
Directly in front of me, I watched as the eye sockets of the skull glowed red, as if a fire had been lit inside the skull itself. The completed skeleton, far taller than me, began to talk.
–Press the contract button in your status window.
-Summon Evil Specters
[Summon – Vengeful Ghosts: Proficiency 0%, Grade: None.]
[Summon – Sacrificial Offering: Proficiency 0.7%, Grade: Lowest Grade]
Summon spirits, through contracts, to serve as your servants. A spirit stronger than the caster may not be able to be registered as a servant, so be careful!
There are two types of contracts: Vengeful ghost summoning and Sacrificial offering summoning. Pressing the button for each summon will start the technique.
When I opened my status window, Seo Dawon’s skull gave me an inexplicable smirk. I didn’t understand the meaning behind his amused expression until he began to comment on my stats.
–You really are remarkable to brave the <Tower of Command> with those specs.
“I planned to be carried by another party….”
–Already talking smart with me?
“S-sorry….”
I had no idea why he suddenly changed his mind and decided to form a contract with me…Additionally, I was just so thankful that he decided to continue with this plan even after seeing my dismal stats; I pressed the [Summon vengeful ghost] button in a hurry.
As soon as I pressed the button, a glowing red air current enveloped the two of us, and, after the sudden airflow died down, a system message in the shape of an old-fashioned parchment, titled [Vengeful Ghost Contract] floated between my body and his skeletal ribs.
–Write your name in the first line, ‘A.’
Obediently, I wrote my name, ‘Choi Lee-Kyung’ in line ‘A’ with my fingers. Next, ‘Seo Dawon’ was clearly written down in line ‘B.’
After our names were inscribed within the parchment, an announcement [Vengeful ghost contract in progress] appeared alongside an ominous locking sound effect.
As agreed, parties A and B have entered into the strongest binding contract until the terms of the agreement have been fulfilled. Until completion of the contract, the contractual relationship between both parties will have priority over any other binding or non-binding agreement.
In the case of a “contract breach,” where the “contract completion” cannot be fulfilled, the party responsible for the revocation will suffer great risk.
The parchment was then populated by a large amount of legal jargon. I quickly skimmed through and was taken aback by the last line.
“Hey, it says that there’s a great risk….”
–If you know what the risk is, will you not go through with the contract?
“Of course not….”
With no further questions, I signed the blank space at the end of the parchment, and Seo Dawon’s ghostly fingers did the same. When both of us finished signing, the parchment shone brightly and updated with the terms of the contract.
[The vow between ‘Choi Lee-kyung (hereafter referred to as “A”) and ‘Seo Dawon’ (hereafter referred to as “B”) are as follows]
A, to the best of their ability, must strive to avenge B. This item shall have priority over all other terms in the contract. The contract will automatically expire after revenge has been satisfactorily achieved. Party B shall be obliged to protect the safety of Party A–further, B’s ability may be shared with A at A’s request. However, A cannot execute absolute commands that would typically apply to his other ‘Servants.’ A and B will not share experience points. Party A is forbidden from limiting B’s activities or agency without B’s consent–such as storing B inside a system storage or leaving B behind over a large physical distance. During the contract’s duration, if A lets B know of some physical discomfort during the quest for revenge, party B is obliged to yield to A’s needs. B shall not make any requests of A beyond his ability. Penalties will be imposed if the above terms are not properly observed. Parties A and B have the discretion to mediate penalties between themselves.
Well, the content was invariably in favor of party “B,” Seo Dawon…however, the conditions were better than I had thought. I signed my name underneath, where Seo Dawon’s bones pointed.
When I finished signing, the parchment shaped system hologram ripped in half, and each piece dropped into mine and Seo Dawon’s hands.
‘Is this supposed to go into my inventory?’ As I puzzlingly stared at it, the parchment soon dissolved into a red string that wriggled its way to my left hand. The string permeated into my skin and branded itself, in the shape of a ring, on my left ring finger.
Seo Dawon’s left ring finger, the same as mine, was also branded as well–like a tattoo ring…I was struck by the system’s strange sense of humor. To share a mock wedding ring with a dead man…did the contract really have to mark us in this specific location?
The ‘Vengeful Ghost Contract’ has been signed.
All conditions of the ‘Vengeful Ghost Contract’ apply, starting now.
A new servant, ‘Seo Dawon,’ has been added.
Successfully contracting has greatly increased your level! Please check your status window!
Name: Choi Lee-kyung – Lv55
Class: Low-rank Necromancer
HP – 81, 500
MP – 30,000
Title:
Greenhorn Adventurer – You’ve tasted the bitterness of life!
<The title ‘Greenhorn Adventurer’ increases movement speed by 5% while active.>
Key Stats (Top three stat values will be preferentially shown):
Magic: 408
Magic control: 3.4%
Movement speed: 22.7% (+5%)
Skill
— Summon evil specters
[Vengeful Ghost Summon: 100% proficiency. Grade: Intermediate.]
[Sacrificial Offering Summon: 0.7% Proficiency. Grade: Lowest]
Summon spirits, through contracts, to serve as your servants. A spirit stronger than the caster may not be able to be registered as a servant, so be careful!
There are two types of contracts: Vengeful ghost summoning and Sacrificial offering summoning. Pressing the button for each summon will start the technique.
-Summon Low-rank Skeleton (1/1)
-Name of Skeleton (Lackey)
The initial registration of a name in the skill above cannot be later changed. You can summon without any restrictions, even if you are far away from your summoned spirit, if you call their name. (Cooldown time 1 minute 30 seconds)
–Command Servant
Current number of command-able beings: (1/2)
(‘Lackey’ currently has two main skills available.)
–Possession (New!)
When special conditions are met, a servants’ abilities may be used from the body of their master.
–A new servant, ‘Seo Dawon,’ has been added. (New!)
(‘Seo Dawon’ currently has 115 main skills, 33 sub skills, 25 summon skills, and 3 ultimate combat magic skills registered. However, because of the level disparity between servant and master, some skills are currently unavailable and many have had their attack power significantly reduced.)
All my discomfort disappeared as soon as I saw the status window.
Unbelievable. I gained 13 levels?!
Considering how it took half a year’s worth of constant effort, grinding low-level dungeons, to gain 13 levels before, I couldn’t believe how one contract could award so much experience all at once.
My stats have risen a lot as well, and I seem to have gained new skills….Furthermore, my eyes widened at the description that the system attached to Seo Dawon.
What do you mean 115 main skills? Right now I only have about 5….So, even though Seo Dawon himself stood right in front of my eyes, I rushed to enter his status window.
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