Too good to be true indeed. As the power fills my soul the mysteries of autolife flourish inside my mind.
A life for a life, for me to keep going someone must die.
The spell would automatically choose the one to pay my price, it can be anyone, the only rule it's that the person chosen will be someone I know, even if I only happened to glance at the person for a second it would render him a potential sacrifice.
If I become a hermit and there's no one I know left alive the spell would claim the nearest person to work. It's a not negociable, passive and always present side effect. Even if I go to a world without humans the spell will find a way to work by taking the energy from another type of life form and since it's at max level the chances of automatically triggering the spell are 100% without consciously casting it.
There's no escape from life, even if I died of old age the spell would treat it as a form of sickness and restore my body to a younger self. Realization that I just got granted something similar to eternity dawns on me. Just the price may be more than what I'm willing to pay. I know that from this day the fear of death will haunt my days, the threat of the unknown, dread of causing a loved one's demise.
As fear carves itself into my very core the avatar explains the way to terminate the contract
"It's quite easy, a way made just for your soul: Beg me to take you. When despair encroaches even the very core of your soul, When all you knew has turned to dust and the will to live is no more, beg me and I'll come.
The contract would be then void, the power gained will remain yours to use, teach and even remove from your soul. Of course I'll grant your wish and take you with me, body, soul and karma, all that is, was or could be I'll take with me to my realm."
It takes time for my brain to process that nonsensical way to terminate the contract, beg to be taken to the underworld? I struggle to see the difference between that and the loss of my soul.
As if reading my mind by seeing my confused expression, the avatar continues explaining
"The difference between this taking and contractual prize it's that your soul won't really be mine".
So putting this another way, he'll just be carrying me to his domine and if I find the way to leave I might have a chance. Sounds a lot like the heralds of old, saints of the gods that could come and go into their holy realms. Thinking like this, It doesn't sound as bad as belonging to Zarte for an eternity.
"There is something I still don't get" my voice drifts to the avatar's ears "Is my Lord Zarte gay? why would you be interested in taking me whole, body, soul, karma and all?"
A soft chuckle escapes from the avatar's mouth "idiot child, don't try to put me together with your ideas of self, I'm a God self turned devil, I can be as I please!"
His voice thundered across the empty space of my mind, as it reverberated the tone changed from a strong masculine sound to a bewitching female voice, the avatar had changed into a beautiful curvy goddess.
"Since its easy to grasp, this little knowledge won't have a price, take it as me showing some camaraderie with my new contracted ward: Those you call Gods, demons and devils are just a means for sentient energy to represent itself.
What I crave now are souls, what I used to like is karma, the easiest way to have both it's to take the fleshy self that envelopes both"
Remembering the common knowledge, demons are unable to lie, but might tell you half truths, it's always written to take their word with a grain of salt. But there's something, like a faint whisper from deep inside, that tells me that all that she had said is true.
"I been chasing shadows half my life now, so perhaps it's time to wait, I'll see you again little one, when despair comes for you so will l".
Her voice sounded like moonlight above the sea waves, soft, smooth, like a brush of velvet in my skin, trying to touch all over me, as lovely as it could sound, it made my skin crawl. And in a blink she was gone.
I was left were I was before this all happened, on my bed looking at the tached ceiling of my humble abode.
If not for the quest in my mind and the feeling of autolife, I would have thought that it was just a dream.
First Quest: Find a truth
Completion Prize: Heal (area of effect {range()}, power input {mana ()//life Force ()},targets [selectable (list)]) ( complete version)
Undertaking Prize: Heal (target) (abridged version)
A few days of journey away, following the northern star, lies a inconspicuous cave inside a mountain surrounded by a forest. A secret passage to one of the last temples of Mirthe can be found if on the wall shines the all healing light of Zarte. Enter the temple and marvel at it's wonders.
Time limit: Eternity.
Will you take this quest?
No time limit and even gives a simplified version of a spell, again it smells fishy.
Abridged spells normally are weaker versions of the original, for the description I can infer that it is a single target lesser heal, maybe like the druids magic first aid?
Thinking seriously, my life might not really be my own anymore, and if I really want to help people learning heal it's definitely the first step to take. So I take the quest.
A mind map appeared before my eyes, this common skill can be learned on any adventurers guild for 3 silvers, it's essential for anyone wishing to explore and travel the world, sadly is expensive, as 3 silvers could buy around 6 weeks of food for a 4 people's family around here. At least it was more than what my father made a month in the chiefs farm.
Another freebie form Zarte? this devil really behaves more like a God than he might believed, it seems like just his... hers? speech is like a devils, with her sounding all high and mighty cursing me to misery.
If not for the fact that I might really fall into hopelessness I would love to thank her for the treat.
Well, just because I took the quest doesn't mean I'll be on my way right now, there's my apprenticeship to finish and the test for my blacksmith license would be next month, since there's no time limit let it be on hold.
Now lets see how does Heal, even if abridged, actually works.
Since this spell isn't engraved upon my soul I'll have to learn it the old fashion way: Studying.
Analyze and practice makes perfect when magic is the goal, or at least that's what the teachers said as I have always been unable to cast a single spell.
The way to cast heal seems easy enough, it mostly says to tap into our Mana and imagine the loving embrace of Zarte's light enveloping the target.
The loving embrace part makes my skin crawl again. Can the description be more cheesy and uninformative?
So tap into my Mana while thinking of a glowing Zarte shinning upon someone? I'll pick the female form, thank you very much, if I have to think of a shinning marble statue, It rather be the sexy one.