Chereads / Gods and Glory / Chapter 8 - Chapter 08 : Striking A Deal

Chapter 8 - Chapter 08 : Striking A Deal

"As I said, you're dead. Well after that, as I was watching, I fortunately was able to harvest your soul."

Leviathan reminisced.

"...you stole my soul?"

"You can put it that way, yes. But I couldn't help it! Souls of your caliber are hard to come by."

"...what's so good about my soul?"

He wondered. Enoch, as he was named, had been keeping Leviathan company for quite a while now. Though they slowly came to learn about each other, he still had no sense of trust towards the beast.

"I'm delighted you asked."

It said, then suddenly a sphere was spawned around them with the flick of a claw. Enoch, naturally, was startled.

"Worry not, It's just an [Illusion Conjure], It will help me explain and show you..."

"Let us put it this way, a soul is a unique form of mana, mana that carries our "Conscious". Each and every of these souls are different as their own person, and emotion plays the role of the scale. Upon certain death, an individual's soul automatically compiles all it's memories into one emotion. This is also the reason as to why most say that their life 'flashed before their eyes'. In the end, the most prominent emotion will then brand the soul to which one of the 13 levels of Eden it will proceed to."

He explained thoroughly. A lot of things suddenly popped out of nowhere, matching the descriptions that Leviathan said. It was a beautifully astonishing sight to behold.

"Too simplify, we call the unique mana or the soul as «Life Essence». «Life Essence» is fundamentally similar but structurally different from normal mana. Their both energy that can be manipulated but while mana follows a self-replicating process, making it endless, «Life Essence» can only be produced by two ways. The first one is by turning a tremendous amount of normal mana as a price, for a single existence, usually this is a process only beings of godly-scale can manage to pull off. The second one is through reproduction, two other souls producing another soul. That is why the birth of a child should be considered a miracle."

He continued while new forms took place inside the sphere.

"Hey, this is really amazing and all that but...It still doesn't explain how or why I'm here."

Enoch demanded.

"How impatient you are, truly."

"No, it's you who've been dragging this on."

"Well, alright...You see not a lot of people are designated to lowest level of Eden. Long ago, hateful souls were sent to Hell. But ever since Lucifer revolted and took over the place, a new realm was constructed. The highest level of Eden was known as or in other words "Paradise", while the lowest was titled or "The Discarded". Often those who are sent to the lowest are never seen again, all of them were described as an existence so hateful and infernal that they were never allowed to see the light again. You my boy, were just about to be banished for eternity or in simpler words, Erased from the plane of existence."

An illusion of a pitch black sphere then came into picture, it slowly yet surely pulled the boy towards itself. Enoch was resisting to his utmost, but to no success. Just before he touched the orb, everything was set back in place and the sphere was gone.

"Think of it like this. You, right now, are the most essential piece to my plans. And well, I have taken into consideration that you will have a self-appointed duty to fulfill if given this chance. Then I can easily help you fulfill such duties, there is no limit to what I can do see. Even the gods have been hunting me out of fear about what I am capable of, that's how powerful I am. But I can't help you if you don't help me as per trade."

"...damn, you talk a lot."

"Haha, yes. See, negotiating is one of my multiple talents."

"You said you'd help me with anything. Is murder counted?"

"Hah! Dear me, I forgot to explain. For me to help you, we must enter a . After that you will receive my blessing and you will become my . A is someone who has two or more different «Life Essence» or souls in a single body. The capacity of the body for other souls is two at standard but the stronger the body, the more souls will fit. The body's original owner's soul will have full control over the body, that is an irrevocable position for that soul unless you die of course—"

"Please cut it short, you can explain all of this to me later."

"...alright. So after the , you will receive my blessing. My blessings are…"

*Ping*

{

[Wrath] (Active)

Grants temporary but overwhelming power by feeding on the 's mana till it runs out while affecting the 's rationality and sanity as more power is used.

[Shape Shifter] (Active)

Allows the to transform into any organism he has consumed.

[Intimidate] (Passive)

can release and maintain a deadly aura.

Range and Pressure depends on emotional state. Can kill if an individual is unable to withstand pressure. Does not consume mana.

[Consume] (Active)

Allows to absorb the «Life Essence» of his victim. will receive 50% of each of the victim's stats as a permanent addition to his stats.

}

"As you can see, most of them are prepared for slaughter."

A panel of sorts suddenly appeared out of thin air, displaying some words. Reasonably, all of the skills he would receive will without a doubt, help him grow much faster. He would gain all this by allowing this beast to take up some space in his body, still suspicious but the rent he would receive makes it worth it.

"Hahahahahah!! This is gonna be good. I accept your offer, I can't wait to get back at that fat motherf*cker."

He answered. Just imagining the things he would do to those who had mistreated him made him drool. There was a big grin up Leviathan's snout.

"Then let us begin, oh and by the way. A fair warning, this will sting...a lot."

He said before starting the [Deal].

"I don't care. As long as I get to butcher that fatso, nothing else matters."

Below and above Enoch, magic circles glowing in purple appeared.

"And now for the contract...You can read, right?"

"...I'm not stupid."

"Right~. Then, just as I showed you, the terms are well within demand."

*Ping*

A panel was presented in front of the boy, showing him a letter about what Leviathan just mentioned. One thing caught his eye, on a part of the letter it said.

"

Leviathan

{The Wrathful Ruler | Majister of Trickstery and Deceit | Monster King}

"

'Hm, well I can ask him about this later. And he also emphasized my value to him, so I won't have to worry about him double-crossing me. But, he did revive me, I guess I should trust him at least.'

Enoch thought to himself, before pressing his thumb on top of his name. Then as soon as he lifted it off, the panel disappeared.

*Ping*

Another panel came off.

- CONTRACT RECOGNIZED -

- PROCESSING -

*DUMM*

The circles started to configure itself, turning in various ways. A unseen force suddenly lifted Enoch mid-air while constricting his limbs in a restrictive position. A new circle, now a lot smaller, appeared not to far from his chest. It slowly moved to his left, and shot out a burning-hot laser onto his left pec.

*Whirring*

"NGGHH...GAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"

It was carving on his flesh as a few more rays began to shoot out. He was introduced to a whole new world of pain. The [Conjure] took its time to thoroughly burn a mark on his flesh, branding him. Leviathan also then started to move around the tortured boy, he slowly started to shrink as he sped up.

"AAARRGH!! *coughs roughly* GGUUURRGHH!!!"

Enoch was going crazy due to the pain, he was convulsing. Unable to endure, he fainted. But was awoken again due to the excruciating torment. This went on for about an hour or so.

...

*Ping*

- STIGMA PRINTING COMPLETE -

- THE GATE IS READY -

- PROCEED TO IMPLANT -

By the time it was over, Enoch was still suspended motionless above ground. His eyes were lifeless and bloodshot while every orifice of his body was leaking. Mixing sweat, snot, tears, drool, and even piss. Yet fortunately, he was still sane but barely. His body was then slowly made to face the ceiling.

Leviathan, who is now the size of an overgrown snake, took pity on the boy and was deeply impressed. Not many can go through that kind of tribulation and still have an intact spirit.

'What a find, I am most definitely privileged to be able to witness this boy's growth. You have done well, Enoch, my child. I shall help set a path fit for you to thread, the path of a king.'

He thought to himself. He then soared above the magic circle that held Enoch and dived towards it at full speed.

*SONIC BOOM*

As he passed through the circle, Leviathan vanished. The boy's eyes and mouth were wide open and shone blue.

*Ping*

- PROCESS COMPLETE -

The circles slowly vanished and an unconscious Enoch was slowly laid down on the ground.