LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 74. After the Contract
“I’ve changed my mind. I’ll be happy to die at 34, so please come here right away. I’m about to be assassinated.”
Out of nowhere, a trade proposal comes up. An assassin appears after an F-Class subject.
The conversation that followed was, quite frankly, bewildering. Even Kang Chang-ho, who usually had a way with words, was left speechless for a moment.
-……
But the silence didn’t last long.
“Wait.”
Soon after, Kang Chang-ho ended the call with a brief word.
*
Raising my eyebrows, I mimicked the smiles of Earthlings with a few muscle manipulations, while my facial muscles pulled at the corners of my mouth.
And I said,
“Thanks to Mr. Chang-ho, I really survived.”
Considering that this was a place arranged to promise death in ten years, it’s a rather contradictory sentence.
“Indeed, S-Class Hunters are different. Taking out such a strong Awakened in one hit!”
To cut to the chase, I decided to accept Kang Chang-ho’s proposal.
– Mr. Kang Chang-ho! But before we talk, could you please fetch one nearby Awakened?
– An Awakened?
– I’ll let you know the location on my phone.
Of course, the pesky uninvited guest had been dealt with long ago.
With the power of a Great Mage’s magic detection combined with an S-Class Hunter’s strength, there was nothing we couldn’t tackle.
– Wow! Just look at how a human body can be crushed like that.
During the interrogation, an S-Class demonstrated the technique of bending an assassin in half. Well, that’s not particularly important, so let’s move on.
“Um.”
This place was a Japanese restaurant in Gangnam introduced by an S-Class Hunter.
Luxurious wooden interior.
Neatly arranged dishes.
And a firmly closed lattice door.
It was certainly a good place to talk quietly.
‘Just my luck to be dining with an S-Class Hunter with a history of assault.’
Thud.
Losing my appetite, I put down my utensils.
“Shall we stop eating?”
Seeing this, Kang Chang-ho also put down his chopsticks and got to the point.
“Well then, let’s talk about our agreement…”
Right then, Kang Chang-ho handed over a single sheet of parchment.
“Have you seen this before? It’s an item called [Knight’s Pact].”
“Knight’s Pact?”
“It’s one of the top-tier contract scrolls.”
A consumable magic tool obtainable by defeating monsters that appear in a certain Gate in Europe.
Its function was succinct.
“If you break the promise, you die immediately.”
I was taken aback by that and quickly checked the parchment. Fortunately, there wasn’t anything particularly complicated.
Wait a minute…
+
Contract Details
1. Kim Gi-ryeo transfers all rights to his body to Kang Chang-ho upon reaching the age of 34 (as of 20XX-01-01 (GMT+9) 00:00), and Kang Chang-ho will not use the transferred rights for anything other than activating the Enhancement Heart.
2. If entering a Gate voluntarily, Kim Gi-ryeo must priorly report to Kang Chang-ho.
2-1. If leaving the country voluntarily, Kim Gi-ryeo must priorly report to Kang Chang-ho.
3. Kang Chang-ho is obligated to accompany Kim Gi-ryeo to the dungeon reported in 2.
(However, this obligation can be waived with Kim Gi-ryeo’s permission. Also, the criteria for accompanying here…)
+
There are some puzzling parts.
“Number 1 is fine, but what are the others?”
When I asked, Kang Chang-ho began to explain.
“Mostly to protect you. If you die alone somewhere I can’t see, that’s a big problem.”
“Oh.”
The S-Class Hunter calmly continued to explain, as if he had more to say about the contract.
“By the way, it’s best to be careful interpreting the term ‘voluntarily’ here.”
“Excuse me?”
“For example… if you asked someone to kidnap you abroad, even if you left in a state of unconsciousness, it would still be considered a violation of the contract.”
“So…”
“Don’t think about pulling any tricks. If you don’t want to die.”
Kang Chang-ho shot me a sharp glance.
But even after hearing this, I remained unfazed. After all, asking me to check in before going anywhere wasn’t an unreasonable request.
“And if you encounter monsters outside, or how to protect the contractor, etc., I intentionally left out those details…”
“You did on purpose?”
“The more complicated the terms, the higher the chance of dying from a mistake.”
The somewhat lenient contract was practically inevitable.
“But don’t worry. Even though I haven’t mentioned it here, I’ll do my best to ensure your safety.”
At that, the S-Class flashed a slight dimpled smile.
“Of course, since you’re offering your life, I have to ensure this ten years go smoothly for you.”
Kang Chang-ho looked at me with interest and then said.
Realistically, I already knew he would understand that saying I would protect him 24/7 was impractical.
You wouldn’t want a life without privacy either.
So from here on out, let’s flexibly balance protection and freedom.
Though his overly considerate tone was meant well, I had been through too much to fall for such sweet talk.
“This is like I’m placing my trust only in your conscience regarding this contract.”
No matter how high the risks were, in such a deal, the only reliable factor was the magic tool’s effects.
But if that was the case, wouldn’t that S-Class be able to turn their back on me at any moment?
“Wait, let me ask something. What if I get a serious illness before I turn 34?”
“What?”
“Or if a Dungeon Break happens that even you can’t manage, putting the contractor at risk…”
Besides, there wasn’t even a clause in this Knight’s Pact that prohibited killing the other party before fulfilling the term.
“…What do you think I’ll do?”
Perhaps this S-Class could trigger the Enhancement Heart halfway through.
Yet, even so, I accepted his proposal without hesitation.
“By the way, Kim Gi-ryeo, just for clarification, I hope you don’t think you have a choice in this matter?”
About 3 seconds later, an irrefutable truth flew from his lips.
“I’m saying this in advance: without this process, I could easily kill an F-Class. The only reason I haven’t is out of a small sense of pity.”
Sadly, that wasn’t the end of it.
“Plus, you’ve already rejected this deal once. Instead of being grateful for another opportunity…”
“Th-Thank you.”
“Just words?”
Kang Chang-ho seemed to ponder something as he looked up at the ceiling.
“I was in a position of begging last time, but this time, Kim Gi-ryeo, since you’re asking for the contract, let’s modify the terms a bit.”
It seems this S-Class wanted to pin me with a minor grudge.
“Sorry, but don’t expect any financial support.”
“What?!”
“You should’ve treated me a bit nicer then.”
I wouldn’t want to throw money at someone who had treated me coldly; I’d rather just hang onto my life until I’m 34.
Kang Chang-ho scrapped the previous condition concerning financial aid and protection.
‘Looks like this is how it’ll be.’
A dramatically worsened treatment.
But it was a penalty I could accept.
The crux of this deal was securing safety in exchange for my lifespan.
‘Just getting rid of that uninvited guest has already covered my end.’
In the meantime, Kang Chang-ho rolled a fountain pen from his pocket toward me.
“Now, you sign too.”
However, as previously mentioned, there wasn’t much room for someone like me.
He could easily blow an F-Class away whenever he wanted.
So essentially, this contract was merely the bare minimum of insurance for him.
‘If my life is going to be at stake anyway, it’s better to sign this quickly and gain some leverage.’
Scratch scratch.
I wrote my name, Kim Gi-ryeo, in the designated spot on the contract.
Thus, the [Knight’s Pact] was activated.
Boom!
A brilliant blue light that signified the start of the contract seeped into the skin of those present.
‘Huh?’
But when I looked up belatedly, Kang Chang-ho had a somewhat strange reaction.
Rather than looking happy, he appeared more shocked.
‘Did he notice something weird?’
Subconsciously letting my alien side slip, or perhaps…
I thought of a few possibilities and changed the subject to mask my perplexity.
“I have a question. If I die due to a contract violation, what happens to the Enhancement Heart?”
The question that squeezed out could be deemed beneath the standards of a Great Mage, but…
“When that happens, I’ll be considered the one who killed you. Since I proposed the contract.”
Well, given he had stalked me to use his skills, I assumed that wouldn’t have crossed his mind.
“Oh.”
Then, by coincidence perhaps,
The S-Class Hunter began to bring up the exact topic I had just thought of.
“Speaking of which, I had something to say about your surveillance.”
He mentioned the stalking issue himself.
“Actually, what I did wasn’t grand enough to be called stalking.”
“Excuse me?”
“I meant to tell you last time, but you left before I could…”
He began tapping the table rhythmically with his index finger.
“Do you want me to share something interesting?”
The subsequent statement was somewhat anticipated.
However, as it progressed, it became increasingly convoluted…
“I can see other people’s mana with the naked eye.”
“Is that a trait of the Dragon’s Eye?”
“Yep. But among all the Awakened out there, only one person stands out differently.”
Kang Chang-ho lightly pointed at me with his index finger.
“Did you know your mana is always wavering?”
Wavering mana?
There was no reason for it to be.
“Thanks to that, it’s easy to pinpoint your location. If I go up to a rooftop and scan the city, there’s only one spot flickering.”
I couldn’t grasp what he meant by ‘wavering.’
Even though we spoke the same language, our knowledge fundamentally differed.
‘Is it seeing the movement of particles caused when mana circulates in the body? No, if that were the case, Earthlings would all look shaky too…’
A problem that only arose for one person unlike the rest of the Awakened.
And the biggest difference between me and the other Awakened.
‘Soul?’
In that moment,
Kang Chang-ho seemed to have some questions lingering, scratching his neck as he continued.
“Anyway, I won’t pry too much into your private life, so you can relax…”
His deep blue Dragon’s Eye gazes at the center of the table. The very spot where the pact document lay.
“Why didn’t you bring up this topic earlier?”
“Excuse me?”
“Honestly, I expected you to negotiate a lot before the deal. Like adding a clause against surveillance to the contract…”
Well, among other things.
“But in reality, you accepted the deal quite submissively.”
There was less resistance than I expected.
Kang Chang-ho leaned forward, resting his arms on the table while probing.
“Kim Gi-ryeo, what’s your ulterior motive?”
But the only answer I could give was one.
“No, I just needed help, as I mentioned on the call.”
“Hmm.”
“If someone hadn’t protected me, today would have been a funeral for me. I truly had no options.”
“That’s true.”
“Moreover, before coming here, when I asked if you could extend the term to about 15 years, you said absolutely not.”
Now comes the negotiation?
I made my expression as innocent as possible.
Kang Chang-ho pondered for a while before creating some distance again.
“Alright.”
Since it was clear I had signed the pact, further probing was pointless.
“Anyway, I look forward to working together.”
Swipe.
I reached out for a handshake with Kang Chang-ho, who took my hand without suspicion.
Finally, this unethical contract was sealed.
Hahahahahaha!
Of course, I won’t uphold my end of the promise!
‘Do I have ulterior motives? Of course I do! Why ask such a question?’
Indeed.
From the start, I had no intention of acting according to Kang Chang-ho’s wishes!
I already knew what Earth’s Hunters used to make significant contracts from my prior research.
‘You dare to present this rag as a contract?’
[Knight’s Pact] is a magic tool based on curse skills.
It plants a powerful suggestion in the contractor—one that even an S-Class cannot escape—and upon violating the terms, induces brain death.
But as you know, I’m the greatest mage of the Alphauri.
Hahahaha!
I’m immune to brainwashing, paralysis, curses, and all manner of sorcery.
I plan to break every single clause in this contract.
‘You inferior mammal.’
However, the time constraint of ten years could still be valid.
Once it becomes evident that I disregarded the contract, Kang Chang-ho wouldn’t sit idly by.
Ten years.
Setting a goal for myself isn’t such a bad idea.
‘I’ll surely reclaim my past power within that time.’
After a while,
I rummaged through the sorbet that was served for dessert while glancing at the Awakened sitting across from me.
“Kang Chang-ho.”
My mana levels are decent enough.
With that much muscle mass, physical activities would be much easier.
“Excuse me, but could I borrow a cigarette after the meal?”
“A cigarette?”
“I just ran out of the ones I was smoking.”
“I don’t have any. I don’t smoke.”
And lastly…
A non-smoker, huh.
“Oh, is that so?”
After thoroughly evaluating the Earthling known as Kang Chang-ho, I reached my conclusion.
He is a rogue willing to target others’ lives for his selfish skill, Enhancement Heart, without hesitation to commit violence against fellow Hunters.
What better condition could I ask for to seize a body?
I mimicked a human guise with the dead skin.
‘Wait for me, Kang Chang-ho. Soon, I’ll crack that thick skull and take over your S-Class body.’
And so my silent plans began stacking up inside.