#248
Chain of Pact (2)
The Undead King Hans couldn’t immediately present a solution for Hesperon’s problem, but he was thoroughly knowledgeable about the theoretical aspects.
‘Curses aren’t a type of power that can be rationally measured.’
A curse is the act of wishing misfortune upon someone and the negative power that manifests as a result.
While it was a frequent tool used in black magic, it could be more accurately categorized as a form of shamanism rather than magic.
‘That’s why unexpected events occur like this sometimes.’
The curse residing in Hesperon’s right hand was a kind of mutation.
After various reasons entangled, it completely assimilated with his right arm and, during that process, it claimed life (生) and absorbed thought (念), eventually taking on a spiritual form.
In the end, it had surpassed the limits of existence and obtained its own rank, now resembling a semi-spiritual life form.
The difficulty in properly sealing it was due to this reason.
It wasn’t just a matter of the size of the power possessed, but rather the fact that the one trapped was trying to actively break out using the host.
‘It has only recently been born and lacks a proper sense of self, so calling it a spirit is quite insufficient.’
However, this was precisely why it could be considered the optimal opportunity now.
To fasten a leash around the neck of this unpleasant neighbor who had unlawfully occupied another’s body.
With that, Hesperon immediately began preparing to carry out his plan.
“Hmm, I think this will suffice. Is there anything else you need, Heron?”
“Ah! This will be fine, Master.”
“If you need anything, feel free to ask anytime. I can accommodate most requests.”
And during that process, Hesperon received help from Isea, who happened to stop by the Imperial Palace for a moment.
She was undeniably one of the top archmages in the empire.
While she might have slightly less expertise compared to the royal mages who solely dealt with summoning and contract magic, the ritual they were preparing wasn’t particularly difficult, so her assistance was sufficient.
Most importantly, there was no one more trustworthy than her, the master.
‘This could be considered a trump card of sorts. It’s best to keep security tight if possible.’
He had already been drawing attention from the public recently due to his close association with Princess Riley.
Whatever he did would likely spread quickly as rumors.
Entering such a stage while gearing up for action was not something he welcomed.
‘Well, shall we begin?’
Once all the preparations were completed.
Finally, the ritual commenced.
In the center of a large space filled with a magic circle.
As Hesperon stood alone in the middle and slowly extended his right hand forward—.
Parararack—
The tightly wound bandages unraveled, revealing his bare skin.
The energy of the curse that had been suppressed during that time also emerged.
Puhwaak—!
As the seal was lifted, a black fog violently surged forth.
It seemed to express its dissatisfaction, having been trapped, with an unusually sharp reaction compared to usual.
“I will activate the magic circle.”
And aligning with that, Isea, who was observing from the outskirts, activated the barrier that enclosed the area.
Since it was quite a large-scale operation, it required a significant amount of energy, but for her, who possessed nearly infinite magical power, it was no trouble at all.
Wooong—!
Light and vibrations emanated from the magic circle surrounding the area.
Along with that, the energy constantly flowing towards the center suppressed the swelling black fog, forcing it not to expand.
The curse resisted, transforming into black flames, but it couldn’t escape the effects of the carefully prepared barrier.
‘This part is going as planned.’
Since Hesperon’s mastery of the Chain of Pact was still insufficient to communicate with some invisible force, it was first necessary to materialize it.
Moreover, the fact that its initial aggressive response had considerably shrunk was also a notable gain.
‘Alright, be good now. Shall we have a chat?’
Hesperon immediately used the Chain of Pact to concentrate on the black flames that originated from his right hand.
As he connected with the will of the host in earnest, the curse began to squirm fiercely in response.
‘Good, smooth so far…?’
An unexpected reaction occurred immediately afterward.
He involuntarily flinched and opened his mouth.
“Ah….”
“Uh?”
At the same time, a gasp from Isea came from behind, but he had no time to pay attention to it.
The curse originally had no fixed form.
In fact, it was essentially just energy, so that was to be expected.
Thus, what first emerged as a curse from Hesperon was merely black fog and flames at most…
The moment he tried to connect with the solidified embodiment of the curse, it started to change form according to the host’s imagination.
“······.”
It was an unavoidable force of nature.
The curse had settled on the arm that was usually wrapped in bandages.
Wasn’t it a rather cliched element synonymous with a certain subculture?
‘···Um, to be honest, one can’t help but think someone must have done this on purpose…’
Indeed, no matter how much he thought about it, it was an unavoidable event.
That it had taken on such a form was too much of a coincidence.
With a strained expression, Hesperon gazed at the manifestation that floated before him, trying to rationalize it.
Hwaruurk—!
The black flames blazed.
A long, flowing mane, fangs rising sharply, and a pair of horns erupting aggressively.
Plus, sharp eyes and razor-sharp teeth, twisting like a long serpent…
There was a magnificent Black Dragon present.
“Uh… ahem…”
A subtle coughing sound came from Isea behind him.
His neck felt hot.
A strangely piercing gaze seemed to stab at him from somewhere.
‘···It’s just a stereotype. This isn’t my fault at all.’
With a short sigh, he boldly raised his chin.
In truth, from an objective standpoint, it was a very impressive appearance, and the people here would likely think of it as a peculiar kind of fantastical species.
In other words, the black flame dragon had become a symbol of middle school syndrome merely due to unjust prejudice!
‘Yeah, since it has come to this, what can I do? Let’s not worry about it.’
Honestly, there was no way he wouldn’t care, but he consciously turned a blind eye to it and concentrated on utilizing the Chain of Pact.
It had the form of a dragon but didn’t quite possess substantial intelligence.
At best, it had the mentality of a puppy.
However, given the troubles he had dealt with so far, it wasn’t an easy existence either.
As the cursed black dragon thrashed violently, black sparks flew in all directions.
‘Alright— calm down, buddy.’
What was needed in such a situation was a consultation for a pleasant coexistence.
In fact, who was in the advantageous position was already evident.
Thorough preparations to prevent the curse from going wild, his status as the rightful owner of the body it inhabited, the unknown abilities of the skill, and countless reinforcement mechanisms tied to the avatar, to name a few.
Above all, no matter how much it had awakened to some spirituality, at its core, it was merely a parasite embedded within Hesperon’s body.
He was even showing mercy by providing an opportunity to negotiate despite the ability to simply sever the arm and eliminate it!
Wooong—
Thus, within a brief span of time that felt not so long in reality,
Through their communion, many mutual wishes were exchanged.
What Hesperon wanted was for it to submit to his will and become a source of strength when needed.
What it desired was… to grow beyond its current state, build its rank, and return to a more complete form.
‘Like a spirit or a phantom.’
That much he could sufficiently assist with.
No, if it reached that level, it would actually be a greater help to him, so it was something he would actively support.
In this way, a dramatic agreement was reached between them—.
Hwaruurk—
The black flame dragon twisted its body once more and returned to settle within his right arm.
The marks resembling dark stains left by the serpent transformed, as if they had always been in the form of a dragon.
《The individual has gained enlightenment through the contract. You acquire the special skill “Right Arm of Desire.”》
《The individual has achieved the conditions for growth. The skill “Curse Resistance” evolves into the special skill “Curse Devourer.”》
Thus, Hesperon finally obtained the black flame dragon on his right arm.
At the cost of some embarrassment.
*
[Individual Information]
-Individual Name: Hesperon
-Common Traits: Mind Hub, Persona, Super Recovery, Clarity, Great Strength, Nerve Sensitivity, Insight, Xenoglossy
-Individual Traits: Chain of Pact, Right Arm of Desire, Curse Devourer, Introduction to Magic, Martial Arts
-Special Notes: The right eye has been lost. Through the pact, he can now control the power of the curse embedded in his right arm. The potential of the energy bound by the effect of the Chain of Pact has significantly increased. Immunity to all curses; when devouring a curse, all abilities increase temporarily.
After all the rituals were concluded and while he was tidying up.
Right after obtaining the optimal result he had hoped for, Hesperon had no time to bask in it and found himself making excuses to Isea repeatedly.
“…That’s how it is. You know how it feels, right? So it was just a natural physiological phenomenon, so to speak….”
In fact, there was no real reason to explain himself, as he hadn’t done anything wrong, but the truly odd gaze he sensed made him feel like a thief with his feet stuck.
With his pitiful efforts, she simply nodded in agreement.
“I understand, I understand. I fully comprehend.”
“Phew, yes… I’m glad to hear that.”
“That’s not particularly weird either. In fact, I had guessed from the start.”
“Uh, what do you mean?”
The direction of her understanding had veered a bit off course, which was the issue.
“Well, you know… the name Hesperon isn’t that common, right?”
“…A?”
“Moreover, choosing that name for a fresh start is a bit… Hm, that was an unintended remark. Preferences should be respected.”
“No, Master? That’s a misunderstanding!”
His past rampage came back like a boomerang.
And considering it, the fact that it wasn’t just a misunderstanding was the bigger issue.
What had seemed cool at the time of its creation was, in fact, just that!
Time passed, and…
“Haa.”
As the tumultuous day was coming to an end.
Hesperon slumped down on his bed with a light sigh, glancing at his right hand.
The arm was still wrapped in bandages inscribed with sacred characters, but the situation was distinctly different from before.
The effect of the Chain of Pact was not merely binding the target, but also enhancing it and allowing him to control it.
‘Hmm, it’s definitely nice but…’
What he had acquired this time was not just the ability to manipulate the power of the curse at will upon unsealing it.
All the curses that had formerly been problematic and the seals designed to prevent them were now under his control, allowing for subtle plays with the projected energy to utilize it in stealthy and unconventional ways.
With the energy meticulously stored, it was a collaboration ability between the Right Arm of Desire and the seal.
‘…Well, since I planned to wear a mask while operating on Earth, it doesn’t really matter.’
As long as the performance was good, who cares how embarrassing it may be!
No one would dare to mock him in the face of overwhelming power.
‘I’ve got more practice ahead.’
He then buried himself in the bed, lightly waving his right hand towards the side.
Then, the light from the glowing magical equipment dimmed, plunging the room into darkness.
And as the space darkened,
A translucent, thin thread was sucked into his fingertips.
*
In the Northern Mountain Range of the Ion Continent, the Undying Castle.
Krhahahah—!
From its deepest recesses, a booming laugh echoed out, filling the space where the Undead King resided.
Although the interior space was isolated, so the laughter didn’t spill out, even if it had, he wouldn’t have cared much, for he was in a very good mood.
[…Finally completed it.]
And no wonder…
[I’ve found a way to another world!]
It was one of the research projects he had invested quite a long time into.
At last, it was finished.
