Two men were sitting opposite each other with both having a similar file of papers in each others's hand.
In the hands of glowing youth was a Gold Coloured one while a Silver Coloured One was shining like a moon in the hands of the eccentric man. This picture can remind one of insurance agents soliciting their clients but actually the contract laid down is not one bound by law but Fate itself.
The power of a Fate Contract can't be belittled in any way. If it is written that one has to stab a knife in the back of their children, they have to comply or else even his/her future incarnatioin has to pay the price, , that too with interest.
Due to their immense powers, they are not only costly but are only things which are restricted across The Void. They are also sold to Gods only, with the hope that Gods don't meddle into affair with the brain of a donkey. But some Gods are even worse than a clueless infant, with out any consideration of the future events many of them have signed contracts which not only led to the distruction of themselves but in rare case even the curruption of whole Universe.
Both Grant and Alex are aware of this double edged sword hanging over their necks. One was a Mortal and other was a Eternal Being. In any scenario it is nigh impossible for a Mortal to sit with a Eternal, they are just like a bigger ant in the eyes of Eternal. But infront of Law both are considered equal.
After confirming the covenants, both signed the contact.
*Swish*. The contracts sparkled as they entered in the mind of their respective owner.
Grant felt a slight pain which quickly passed away silently. Rubbing the spot from where it entered he sighed in relief for not having another hole on his body. He was also interested in this contract. Not only it's material was unique and magical, his burdens were now lifted and allowed him to obtain chance to look at the world in peace.
While Grant was relieved of his chaotic thoughts Alex was shaking his head with a bitter smile after witnessing the person opposite him. This laugh was directed towards himself instead of Grant as he remember the discussion held between both of them.
After going through this recent memory his lips formed a awkward smile which was the first genuine smile he made after a very very long time.
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{Alex's Point of View}
I just have to spout some random shit and be done with this mess. This is not even my job for God's sake!! I am The Director of Mystic Department not the bloody Sales Department!
But that snake suddenly came and spouted nonsense as one should have a Underling when they grow up. Heck, I had ton of them but you and your vulture group just had to reorganize the whole organisation.
Towards the Excellence, My Foot! If I was not bound in Contract then I would have been first to leave this house of misfortune.
And here I am dealing with someone who is a loose cannon. We didn't only wasted our resources to find him this time but he is a waste now. Even my troublesome brother was in much better position than him. He was only devoid of having a Child but this man is just devoid of basically everything.
Just look at him, he looked like a Drug Addict. He looks the same even in his Soul State. I have seen many things but looking at a Mortal who don't have any ideal image of his own future is new to him. This selfless service is good for Old ones and they want me to deal with this?!
I don't want this time bomb to come under me! No absolutely not!! I would rather join the Hall of Penance for a few century but I will not have to do anything with a troublesome person like him.
Just looking at him is making me retch my breakfast.
Oh God! Ahem wait I should not be biased here Oh Any Superior Being! Just how much you hated a person to make his life like this. Even his smile is super shady and he act as if he knows all the things. And just look! Look at his confidence, just a Mortal, heck he is even below a Average Mortal, but a arrogance to even leave a 9th Stage Immortal to be speechless.
Heavens, not only you stole his appearance and luck but also ate his character! Shameless! He should have cowered when I made my entry but he act so nonchalantly as if he knew me from his birth.
He is just a mirror image of that problem child. I still get nightmares about all the trouble he caused.
But this is a duty call. Okay fine get together Alex , now, create a happy big smile!! Hmm yes that's good, then let's wrap it up and be done with all this and return back.
"Oh Mr. Grant Walker, I understand you and your circumstances. And your lack of confidence in us is something I would like to resolve. So let me tell you some basic things relevant to you, infact these may be basics but whole essence of your predicament lies in it.
Let me ask you first, did you have any experience of interaction with someone in a place outside your planet or realm."
"Hm, yes when I was severely injured I met someone in a place called Limbo."
Then things will be easier to deal with. Most of the time I meet these noobs, I hate it when I have to explain about existence of realms or all that.
It is not I am lazy but it is insignificant, and well it is not something you can't learn from outside.
Yeah let's skip all this worthless drivel.
"Well, you are very observant, truly a Pride of Earth to even understand about Limbo. To tell you a truth, when I was in your age I didn't even know about all these parallel spaces and pockets. I admire you for this."
"Hey wait a minute it was other person who told me specifically that the place was called Limbo I don't even knew that I was not on Earth at that time."
"Ah so it is. Don't worry you will get to know about all the things gradually. Yes now let me ask you how many times you have faced possible death scenerios."
"Maybe 2."
"Maybe?"
"...I don't remember any accident besides the two. In First I was almost drown in a river and in second I met the metro accident. Besides these two I don't think I faced any deadly accident in my life."
"No, here you are wrong. Maybe your subconscious mind blocked out the details or maybe you didn't even understood gravity of those situation. You were just a teen till a few years before.
Actually you faced 6th Accident which could have led to your death, even a death where a Death God would have kept your soul for itself till no one knows when."
Yup those freaks, they are better than vultures in finding a good target. Maybe I should also apply to a job there.
"Actually the cause for all this is simply A Curse laid on you since your birth. But not a single curse but actually you have two curses laid on to you as soon as you popped out from your mother.
First Curse is what we generally called as Heavenly Curse of Misfortune, which as name depicts is a curse which effects your inherent luck. If you ask me it is a cheap way to influence someone's Fate. Not directly influencing anything but just pulling some strings in background and bam you die from most silliest way possible. I even saw someone got rammed by a driverless truck, which was just a prototype which was supposed to be in atop secret lab."
Hehehe, that was just hilarious. I will see Truck Kun's Funniest Videos this Sunday to revitalize my funny bone. Truck jokes are in vogue after all!
"...I don't know what to say about this. But is thing called curse really exist, I mean, I have seen my quota of shit but still curse is just paranormal to a extreme degree."
"Hmm. It is not so abnormal if you know about Essence. Anything which exist, have any weight, or simply occupy any space is called as Matter. This matter are made of tons of smaller things. Some even smaller than Electrons.
Things will go blow if I just start to explain Nano Physics as your civilization have not experimented it till now.
Whatever, this matter is it is made of a same source of energy called as Nature or 'Essence'. It is the form of energy which exists everywhere and it's different personifications give birth to different types of energy. Nuclear, Electric, Thermal, and many more which you heard are a form of it.
Besides them; Magic, Aura, Ki, Qi, Life Force, Spirit Energy and many more are just a derivation of a single Essence.
So, there is no limit for conversion of Essence to a form of energy. In short nothing is impossible with essence. It is most malleable thing which also happens to be most powerful thing in existence."
"Phew, that was... something new. If this curse is powered by Essence then the person who did all this must be from Supernatural side too. But who did this. My family is just average one. My father is a Civil Servant and my mother is a CEO, both are average human. I am not being insensitive here but both of them are just normal, like others. And I have not heard someone cursing children of CEOs because of rivalry."
"Nah, what! You are just a Naive Mortal!! Lemma tell ya, thing cursed you is a entity which even Gods fear. You were cursed by the Nature of Earth itself. That thing possess Divine Power more than the so called Holy Gods or what not!
Listen here brat, your past incarnations were just too wild. Heck, I am amazed how the hell you are even alive as you are reincarnation of a pretty troublesome person!
But being a reincarnation is not enough for that dumb of the spirit to pay any attention towards you. There are many gods who play lousy games like these. They are addicted to face slapping and acting as a a wolf in the skin of a sheep! They just keep on hopping from one universe to another, leaving behind the army of Demigods wherever they went.
Well, it is not bad as most of our work even revolve around restoring the balance destroyed by those fools. So yeah they are good. Just too good. Not even letting us a holiday for few months!!"
...Ah, shit. I talked just too much here. I am a freaking negotiator here. But how the heck I am talking too much with him. It's scary, how can I talk this much.
Sigh, it must be stress. Yes, S.T.R.E.S.S.
"Ahem, I am sorry to hear your...office woes. Every one is like this, I feel you bro. By the way you were saying about reason for this Heavenly Curse or something."
"Well it is not so much now. The main reason is that before being a reincarnation you are the Alpha of the Earth. A mutated Alpha who should not have been born. And since Earth always dislike new methods for cultivating essence since a few million years, it's will wanted to shut you down. It is as simple as that."
"What is this Alpha thing. I didn't feel any different from others in any sense."
"About that. You see, a Alpha is a Ancestor or Progenitor. He or she is basically the one who is prayed by the masses as Son of God or even Gods in some tribes. A Alpha holds mystery over a different way of harnessing Essence. And only one Alpha is born on a planet. They are the one which humans mentioned in their Sacred Texts as First Human."
"...Sooo, being a Alpha is good thing or not."
"What a noobish question is that! Cough, Sorry for this... Grant being a Alpha means you are basically the Head of whole Race, one alpha can control the Life and Death of everyone who is bestowed by their Life Blood. They have the easiest way to reach Godhood. But at Earth, there were already many Alphas before you."
"Eh? You said that only one Alpha or Ancestor exist on a Planet. So how come I am A Alpha when there were many before me and also if you ask me, there is no need for this Alpha Business on Earth in 21st Century."
"Here, once again, you are wrong. Previous Alphas were born during the First Heavenly War which led to one of the biggest Inter Universal War in the recent times. And they were all stupidly Powerful! Just too much OP. Almost most of them still live in Void or other Universes. And I said it in plural sense. Earth got power from other will to create more Alphas to save your race.
Okay, let's forget about them. First you must understand that you were not created by Will of Nature. You are like a Virus to earth and the Curse was the Simpleest Antibody to solve the issues.
I don't know what happened during your multiple past reincarnation as almost all of us had past lives. You don't remember your past but your soul is so powerful that it has a innate Soul Force from your birth.
Your abnormally high Soul Force changed your body structure when you were just a fetus. It created not only Meridians or Spiritual Veins in your body but also made your body receptive to Magic, not only that you even have those Chakra Points which were supposed to be extinct. Your body adapted as you came in contact with the forms of Essence.
In summary you are Mutant in eyes of others. A freak who don't have only one power source but many, even we don't know full extent of your body's capacity to mutate. And we were monitoring you for a long time.
So the thing is, you became a Self Made Alpha and actually you are not so unwanted too as Humans will have another Evolutionary Phase...but in Hundred of Years later. But you are a unwanted one so In order to kill you it cursed you."
Huff Huff, I am tired as F*CK!! I do have some talent to become a Rapper. One more way to kill time for me. Kukuku.
.
.
.
Ahem. It is good that I have a good poker face.
"....This thing is actually...just twisted! Now you are telling me that during whole of my life I was just a Adopted Heaven's Child, who is bullied by a Step Mother to death! This is not fair!!!"
"Oh calm down, it is not bad to receive this curse of Misfortune but the real problem is that in mid way you obtained another Curse and that too of a Orange Grade one, if you ask me in your language.
That epic curse has a simple name Curse of Death God. Yes, a simple and self descriptive name. But many forget the last word and believe that it is just a simple Dark Curse of Death, which is just a Arch Mage's folly in spare time. This is curse given by a Death God a person who sits even above The King of Underworld.
This Curse of Death God, is very strange, we don't know what is its medium and even reason you are cursed. The fickleness of them does play a role in causation of this curse, they are just twisted beings so that's not weird. You must have pissed off a Death God in your previous life.
Anyway, this Curse has 9 stages or Phases for you. Each phase involves a life threatening accident. The accident you faced recently was 6th Phase. You were meant to die in this phase but your strong inherent vitality and our help helped you to survive. But the cost was heavy too. Now your Earth's Will is vigilant against us. We will not be able to make big movements in Omega Solar System for some years."
"Thank you for telling me all this. It actually helped in clearing most of the doubts of mine. I now know I am a unwanted person on Earth, no problem, I will manage somehow. But what I want to know is that why you are helping me."
No shit Sherlock!! Even I was thinking this. Yeah now for final move. He is confused I have to get him rely on us and get him sign that Contract as soon as possible.
"We are not saints. We also want to mantain our running costs. Honestly speaking, In recent years there is a lack of our work. I am working overtime because most of our employees left the job already. There are only 10 persons in our company besides you. But in past there were more than 1000 of us!"
"Damn! that's a big lay-off! What happened!?"
"Sigh, Hero Business happened. Hero business. It is a vile practice of abduction, even worse than those Grey ones I tell ya. Those God and Goddesses found a cheaper way to resolve their issues. And who wouldn't, by using 17 Year Old hormones fuelled Brats, who are not even acknowledged as Mid Schoolers in Void, one can get all the problem solve. They are full of energy, just show them some boobs and some feral ears they become incarnations of Demon Kings, with only violence and girls on mind."
"They are most easiest to exploit. Even I am tempted to hire them."
"Yes, they are just like those Child Soldiers on your Earth, tell them they will reach heaven upon dying in combat and baam a new terrorist attack."
"That is a perfect analogy. They are like mindless ones. But, Why do I feel that you are very close to Earth?"
"For your knowledge I am also from Earth."
"Eh, that's a nice surprise. Your fashion sense is also similar to us. I would have asked it if you had not told me now. That Havaian Shirt is still in fashion "
Oh, He is more sensible and likable than Richard, I don't want to have another dumb creature in my watch. It is my duty to not let him go astray.
"Boy, I said I lived on Earth but in a parallel Universe. You are from the Earth of the Prime Universe, codenamed X01. They are different. Completely different."
"Ohhhh!!! So parallel universes exist!?"
"If there are realms then it is not impossible to have parallel universes. Just know that there are uncountable Universes and each are seperate and distinct in their own sense."
"That is so Cool!!"
"Hahaha, yes it is. And in future you will leave your own mark on them, if you join us. As you now know we are lacking in staff even when our work is at rock bottom level. You are a genuine powerhouse in making. With our resources and guidance we will groom you as a Hot Commodity in Omniverse. While you will gain power we will have a capable hand to do our bidding."
"It sounds interesting but not material. What is the use of power and glory if I can not even live to see it. So thank you for your concern, and kindly leave me alone."
...What the F*CK is this bastard spouting now!!??
"H-H-HEY! What is going on? Why such a sudden rejection."
"It is a logical reasoning Mr. Alex. You are a higher being not a mortal like me, as you already spoke off so many times. I am cursed with Death and as you are saying in next Phase I will surely die, then why work hard? I have money to sustain myself and my hobbies, that is enough for me. I am not a greedy enough to demand any thing more than that."
Oh, I actually forgot about his mortality. He is quite right, ok now what can I offer...
"Uh, Yes this can work. Mr. Grant you are saying that if you can survive this curse you will join us."
"Eh!? No way, haha, I am saying that I can consider to travel outdoors if I am alive to do so."
"Yes, so it is. This poor me actually forgot that matter. My bad. Hahaha. To solve this issue I can help you to make in stronger, strong enough to battle any obstacle."
"But even if I am strong, I can not be strong than a God in a few years or so. You are just making me work hard before dying. Absolutely no, I will not join."
Argh, damn he is nice fella but still is a hard nut to crack. It is good that I have not told him that there are less than a 100 survivors from this curse, since the recordings of data began.
But in order to overcome it, all of them had to beat the respective Death Gods in one way or another. The main issue is to ensure his survival till the Last Phase. For that..
[Fixer it is me~ Sarah. There is a message from Elder Sister.]
Strange, but anyway Sarah run it for me.
[Okay doky~ here you go.]
{???: Fixer for your current task I am giving you Tier 3 Authority. It is the highest authority I can give to you in such less time. I just want positive results.}
Her tone is only cold when she speak to others but to him she became sweet as honey. Such a freak! Sigh. And how the hell she knew what I was going to demand. The mind is strong with this Granny.
[Oh, hey, Fixer wake up. Another message came.]
Another message? Okay play it.
[Hmm..let me skip it. It will not be good for your health. In summary your year end bonus is cut to half.]
Ehhhhhhh!!!!!????
DAMN!! ON WHAT CHARGES SHE CAN STEAL 'MY' MONEY?!!
[Well she is the CEO of UMC too, you know the way you smitten her was just too horrible.]
Wait a Minute.. You TRAITOR!!
[Please, every thing is valid in office and war.]
That is not even the correct idiom!!
Huff Huff. Oh my poor heart!
"Mr. Alex are you alright?"
Just look at this. JUST.LOOK.AT.THIS. I insulated such a nice bro, a bro who is the only one caring for me. Such a bleak fate I have to bear on my shoulder that even my loved ones forsook me as time's wheel moved.
Ah, my lonely heart.
[... Drama queen.]
"*Inhale* Thank you for waiting for me."
"Are you alright."
"Yes I am. Thanks for your concern."
"...Maybe we should have a break so that you can collect yourself."
Ah he is an Angel.
[Nope, it is your leaking eye that is promting him to shove you away. You look disgusting.]
Ah such a Sadist A.I. This is burden I carry for my sins.
Now go away Sarah. I have to deal with this brother.
[Tch, who even want to talk with you in first place. Moreover my main node is going to be reallocated soon.]
Oh so Durant returned.
.
.
.
She really left, that too on a cliffhanger. Such is the life.
"Mr. Grant I can solve your problem with the curse very easily. By following our method you can reduce the danger of each following phases by a astonishing 50%. And after adding your training you will be able to breeze through just like a gust of wind."
"If there is a such a method then we can talk further. And by 50%, do you mean maximum or minimum, is there a range or is this thing just random."
"No, we can guarantee exactly 50% reduction in Danger Level but only if you follow the method, that we will provide you as a welcome gift."
"Okay, let's leave your welcome gift aside for now. All this premise is just like those novels where MC meets a God and get some cheats or such to ravage some poor world."
"Yes, I am afraid it is indeed so."
"So where is my God. Why I am not meeting a God. I am dead, no? So where is wish gacha or something."
"As I previously said your life was in danger. But you are not dead."
"Then tell me why I am all sparky. I am not connected with a power plant for god's sake."
"Oh that, you are currently in your Soul State. Your soul to be mirror of your body, with some changes, is just unique. Actually your body is being made ready in the container infront of us. We have modified it to the utmost possible level. You will feel like driving a Ferrari after discarding a Bicycle. Even if we part ways here we will do it after reading your memories of us and recalibrating your soul and body perfectly."
"Is my soul really so powerful?!"
"Hahaha, not so powerful but yes it is top notch quality. Let me tell you, in whole existence there are many lifeforms and different criterias of powers exists through the existence. At Void, in general, we divide Lifeforms on the basis of Soul level or quality of Life Form, for you to understand.
There are Mortals, Immortals, Eternals, and Gods. Some do exist beyond the Gods but they don't appear before masses so frequently for us to grade them.
In mortals, souls are in dormant state. They train their body and a power called Soul Sense.
When they reach the final stage and obtain balance between soul and body, their body mutate and get filled with a large amount of vitality. This increase their life beyond 1000 Years. And their Soul Sense evolve into Soul Force.
After repeating the samilar process Eternals come and after Eternals one can become Gods. Their progress path is complicated, you will know it in future by yourself.
I am a 5th Step Eternal. I can live a few million years without a sweat. But I am not the strongest one in our company. The president cum CEO is only variable among our top brass beside her all 10 of us are atleast 4th Step Eternal. We also have a person who is a High Level God.
Now here comes your scenario, Alphas have mutated body from their birth, nature guide their upbringing in a very protective manner as their survival leads to permanent growth of it too. You are a reincarnation of a God, a High Level God, when a God occupy a mortal body they have to lose all their powers but they retain all their memories.
You are completely different, you don't remember anything of your past lives but your soul quality reached to the level of a Immortal, which should not have happened as all beings start from the same starting point from the birth, excluding some other freaks who are blessed with cheats.
Here the issue is that your body is a bad vessel for your Soul. You had to obtain a way to cultivate Essence or else you would have died even if the curses left the stage. We will help you with this too as without it your body will keep on being malnourished even if you ate like a elephant."
Yeah I know, we are so sweet!! Now come on and just agree and sign that Contract. I am tired of speaking, it may be due to the lack of lackeys around me. Note to self, speak for few minutes a day to increase speaking capability.
"Hmm Okay this is so considerate of you for thinking all this in advance. Most of those who would have been offered with same benefits would have felt greatful and joined you in instant. But as I am seeing you are just like a Scout who is poaching a young prospective footballer, who happened to be born for football. I have a bargaining power to decide and I have 3 requests."
Argh, this is quite a pain. What does he wants now?!
And whatever it is, it is not a little request. I have a Tier 3 Authority so brat you can actually demand some other benefits. But, as your senior I am responsible to tone you down a notch, you are just too shameless for your own good.
"Mr. Grant are you serious. We not only saved you but are actually giving a one way ticket to Heaven. Not many can become a God even in Void. While I admit you are a prospective talent, you are not a matured one, if I have to say you are just a Ugly Duckling who is given opportunity to be disciple of a Dragon."
"Yes, but as I said I am not interested in your opportunity. My opportunity cost is way too high for my little heart. You are sending me to a battlefield, literally. If I don't have my requests fulfilled consider this deal done.
And how do you know that they are shameless or not, without even hearing about them.
First, I want Infinite Arrows. I am not suited for a Vanguard and while I may love to sneak around, I can't be assassin. I will be Marksman, more specifically a Magic Archer or something. I will just fire from distance, for now.
Second, I want a Damn System!! Not inhuman but like Jarvis who acts as a friend cum assistant.
Third, I want Privacy. I don't want my actions to be monitored unless it is some dire situation. I too value my life but what I value more is that someone directing me to a direction which I am not inclined for. I want enough autonomy to choose my mission."
"... These three requests, are just too much."
"Oh come on, didn't you bragged about being a Entity above a Mortal and close to being a God. Even those Gods in Novels are able to fulfill these requests. They are not too much."
"I am telling you don't expect too much and moreover this is reality, not your world of Fiction."
"Duh if this is not a fiction then Eiffel Tower was also made in China."
"What?"
"Tell me can you fulfill my requests or not."
"*Sigh* It seems that I don't have any other choices.
Your First request is easy to fulfill.
Your Second request will also be fulfilled.
Your Third request is something I don't want to honour. It is very difficult to fulfill and none of our employee has this kind of privilege."
[Hey! You are lying! There is no one spying over even you. If you caused this deal to be cancelled, I will report back to Elder Sister. Humph, Lying is bad!]
Tch, you are just stupid. All his requests are just a child's play for me. He is not so aggressive as I imagined him to be and I quite like his attitude too, it is good to extract some privileges when there are chances. He is opportunistic but he can not hide his emotions well. Just when I told him to that only by getting stronger he can survive he already made his descision to join us.
And moreover, if I had agreed over all these requests instantly, I would have lost our advantage. And in future he could have become complacent thinking that he has powerful backing and can do anything.
[Tch, it seems you are in safe zone, only for now. For his system request let me deal with that.]
That will be best way to deal with. And also make sure that I get a weekly summary of his work.
[Oh this is first for you to demand any kind of report before final evaluation.]
He is a complete novice, and as I hate to admit, his best years of growth are well behind him. It will be difficult to grow but luckily he has nice disposition and is also a Alpha. I can't predict his path in any sense so it is better to keep having tabs on him from time to time.
[Wow...Are you really our Fixer!??]
No, I am a freaking Ghost! You stupid A.I!
[Fixer I know is a extreme nerd who have broken through the limits of introvertism. You are only person among us who does solo mission even now. And Grant here is the reincarnation of your biggest shadow. You are mean and devious and I wouldn't have been surprised if you had even robbed him from his basic freedom. Actually I was not even supposed to monitor you but elder sister was afraid that you mess up the whole deal.]
Tch, thanks for knowing me till now. But I regret to inform you, you stupid machine, you are wrong about one thing.
This is not the first time I am helping a novice. And even if I hate that Rudra business, it is due to the fact that he messed up my life. I don't have life or death enmity with him.
"Well, if you have trouble regarding privacy I can think of contacting you once in while. I want freedom to move as I like if I am doing this job."
He read my heart once again.
It surely feels nice to have a smart one for company.
"It's a Deal!!"