Viktor's heart sank. He had been lost in his thoughts, temporarily forgetting the reality of his financial obligations. Panic swept over him as he frantically considered how to respond.
"Huh? Oh, no. I'll pay the rent," he stammered, a nervous tension coloring his voice. A flush crept up his cheeks as he fumbled in his pocket, producing a crumpled wad of bills. "Just wait a moment...."
His fingers worked with a mixture of urgency and desperation as he counted out the meager amount he had managed to scrounge together.
The sum fell significantly short of the required payment, leaving him with a dilemma.
The landlady's stern gaze remained fixed on him, her impatience evident. In that tense moment, Viktor made a decision.
Sacrificing his own sustenance for the days ahead, he separated a portion of the money, leaving himself with barely enough to eat.
"Wow, are you really paying it all?" The landlady's skepticism was palpable as she watched the scene unfold before her.
"Yes, take the money," Viktor replied, his voice a mixture of determination and a touch of bitterness. "Besides, I'm going to get help from a demon goddess soon, one way or another. I'll regain my success."
The landlady's gaze softened slightly, a flicker of sympathy dancing in her eyes. But she chose to remain indifferent and left with the money in hand.
***
That night, Viktor immersed himself in the contents of the book he had purchased, dedicating his time to deciphering its pages.
According to the websites from the deep web he had stumbled upon, the book had been printed in a limited run of only five copies distributed across various corners of the world.
"Well, that eccentric old man. How could he have sold a book like this for such a low price? Was he clueless about its value? Or was he lacking information?" Viktor chuckled to himself, his disbelief and amusement evident in his tone.
As the evening settled in, Viktor found himself seated in the dim glow of a single bulb, the book laid out before him like a precious artifact.
He flipped through its pages, absorbing the intricate symbols, cryptic incantations, and enigmatic illustrations that adorned its ancient parchment.
It was as though he had unearthed a treasure trove of secrets that had long been concealed from the world.
His fingers traced the intricate patterns on the pages, his mind racing with excitement and curiosity.
He was on the cusp of unlocking knowledge that had remained hidden for generations, knowledge that promised to grant him power, answers, and perhaps even the key to restoring his former glory.
The room, once a haven for clutter and decay, now pulsed with a sense of anticipation. The journey Viktor had embarked upon was not just about curiosity; it was about finding purpose and redemption amidst the ruins of his past.
And as he delved deeper into the forbidden pages of the book, he could feel the currents of destiny shifting around him, ready to carry him toward the unknown.
The entire content of the book detailed the methods through which humans could establish a connection with demonic deities.
Regardless of humanity's tendency to amass wealth and power solely for personal gain, Viktor's intentions were no more than an aspiration to acquire the ability to steer human destinies toward better outcomes.
Reflecting on his past, Viktor's parents had fallen victim to insidious curses, woven with malice by those envious of their relentless endeavors and burgeoning success.
The memory of their once-thriving family reduced to a tragedy fueled by dark intentions haunted Viktor's thoughts.
Initially skeptical, Viktor had brushed aside such notions as mere superstitions and baseless claims. The idea that his parents' deaths were orchestrated by supernatural forces seemed preposterous, a product of overactive imaginations seeking to explain inexplicable tragedies.
However, the book he now held in his hands presented a compelling array of evidence that he found increasingly difficult to ignore.
Its pages detailed accounts of similar fates that had befallen others who had crossed paths with the malevolent forces described within.
As he delved into the accounts of unexplained phenomena and eerie coincidences, he couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that there was a sinister connection to his parents' untimely demise.
The accounts detailed in the book were like a haunting mirror image of the circumstances that had surrounded his parents' deaths. The memory of their lives being cut short by a cascade of tragedies sent a shiver down Viktor's spine.
Unexplained phenomena, unusual coincidences, and testimonies from those who knew his parents suggested a sinister presence lurking in the shadows, orchestrating their fates in ways beyond comprehension.
He recalled the inexplicable illnesses that had struck his parents seemingly out of nowhere. His mother's vibrant health deteriorated rapidly, despite medical interventions that yielded no answers.
She withered away before his eyes, her once-lustrous hair turning dull and her eyes losing their sparkle. His father, too, succumbed to a mysterious ailment that left him weakened and bedridden.
Doctors were baffled, unable to pinpoint the cause of their afflictions.
The series of unfortunate events that followed had been equally baffling. Viktor's parents were meticulous in their daily routines, yet accidents began to occur with alarming frequency.
A gas leak that resulted in a near-fatal explosion, a car crash that seemed unavoidable despite his father's cautious driving—these events unfolded as if guided by an unseen malevolent force.
It was during this time that rumors of envy and dark intentions surfaced. Whispers of jealousy and resentment from competitors and rivals filled the air.
Viktor's parents had achieved success through their hard work and determination, but it seemed that their prosperity had garnered them enemies who sought to undermine and destroy them.
The more Viktor read the book, the more he began to see the patterns of manipulation and control that mirrored the tragedies that had befallen his family.
The idea that an otherworldly force had been behind these events became less absurd and more plausible.
The descriptions of ritualistic practices and incantations within the book seemed to offer a glimpse into the very methods that could have been used against his parents.