8 DEATH CONTRACT

Author's Note:

I know it's late but I kinda forgot to explain this in my prologue.

"Hi, I'm Author-san" - this means a person talking.

*Hi, I'm thinking* - thoughts are running in their head.

|I'm telepathically talking to you| - talking directly into the mind. But sometimes I place it where I name a location.

/Edikqo/ - this means casting magic.

*"Hi, I can't speak your language"* - this means the Main lead can't understand the dialect.

(Creak~~) - this represents sounds

Thank you for understanding, now for the story. I hope you can enjoy it.

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|Hospital's open field|

|Shut up! Stop bugging me! Can't you see Rouge and Friez are here, what if they saw you?| Rustain replied telepathically to the black orb hovering in front of him.

|Don't worry~ in this form, only you can see me| The black orb replied.

|Form? Can you change your appearance?| Rustain curiously pokes the orb, grabs it, and holds it in his hands, on Rustain's view he is touching and poking the orb but to the others around him, they only saw Rustain caressing the wind.

|Ah~ don't touch me needlessly| The orb moaned as he said that. |Be gentle, ah~|

|ugh. Stop that!!, if you don't want me to shatter you| Rustain was pissed and decided to tightly hold his hand over the orb, squeezing it. |grrrrr!!!!|

|ow! ow! ow! ow! st-sto-stop!!! I'm breaking!!| The orb sounded in pain

|you better behave, Kuro| Rustain said releasing his grip over the orb.

On the other hand, without Rustain's knowing, Rouge and Frieza were already glancing at him with concern.

"Rouge, do you think he well you know~" Frieza whispered to Rouge and slowly glanced at Rustain, she narrowed her eyebrows and looked super concerned when Rustain's action seemed to be unnatural, he poked and caresses something in front of him, but in Frieza's line of vision, there is nothing there. She continued to whisper "He might have damaged his brain after skipping a tier."

"Stop overreacting, he umm.. must be thinking of something, right nothing is wrong with him, it must only because-" Rouge tried all his might to come up with a conclusion but after looking at Rustain getting angry on his own while looking at nothing, he gave up on defending Rustain. "Sigh~ After this, you better check his body for any anomaly check his physical, mental, and magic constitution"

Frieza in response to what Rouge just said, she slightly waves her hand and fingers, and from thin air a green magic circle formed by her palm and soon disintegrated and followed the flow of the wind.

"Don't worry I did just send Keah a message to vacant my afternoon appointment, he'll be okay for now" Frieza said as he took a bite of the sandwich she made.

Rustain who doesn't have a clue on what's happening around him is also facing a dilemma of his own, may look as if he is staring at nothing but he is keen on observing the orb on what form it will shape into.

Kuro the orb hovered away from Rustain's hand and went to his back.

|Hey!, where are you going| Rustain said, He tried to follow the orb with his eyes in the process he saw Rouge and Frieza staring at him discreetly. |Hey Kuro, do you know why they're looking at me like that?|

|They started doing that when you harassed me earlier, I'm invincible remember, only you can see me in this form.| kuro said casually, Rustain, on the other hand, was just branded as a mentally ill person by Rouge and Frieza. Rustain attempted to look behind him to see what Kuro is doing |Don't turn around, I don't want to redirect their attention to me and make you more like a defecting person.|

|Noted| Rustain noded, he also remembered that Rouge and Frieza were staring at him, he again saw their glances but when he looked both of them would avert their eyes away from Ristain's line of vision. |heh? They think I'm crazy, it's all over their faces|

|Not my fault| Kuro replied then went silent.

Rouge while staring at Rustain he immediately just remembered something he must do.

"Oh, right!" Rouge claps his hands together as to when he remembers what he must do. "Rustain! Let's go to town later will buy supplies"

"Now you mentioned it, I never really explored the town, I have been so focused on my training that I forgot this is not earth anymore, I wonder what I would see??" Rustain became very excited after hearing it from Rouge, with his excitement Rustain immediately ate his share of the sandwich, tidied himself, and stood up. "I better go, I also need to take clean my self"

Rustain was about to retire to the room but Frieza said something that caught Rustain's attention.

"Huh?! Why is there a Cat here" Frieza pointed out the cat behind Rustain.

Rustain turned around and saw the cat sitting on the grass. The dark fur drawing you in it as if it's the color of the abyss, it's piercing yellow eyes, and the sophisticated way the cat sits and the posture makes up its domineering aura.

"It's the blackest cat I ever saw, where did it come from?" Rouge said then he took the cat and carried it. "Weird I never felt its presence, how odd?"

The moment Rouge carried the cat it immediately retaliated, squirming, and attempting to scratch him, Rouge immediately let go of the cat, it landed on its four feet and walked towards Rustain.

"It's a feisty type, but it looks like it's fond of you," Frieza said as she poked the cat.

|Tell her to stop damn it!!| Kuro's voice suddenly appeared after being silent. |This is annoying!!|

|Huuuuh!! K-Kuro!| Rustain replied, he immediately took at the cat and in return is glared by it |Is this your other form?|

|what!! Not satisfied| Kuro replied to Rustain angrily.

"You seem to like the cat, you have been staring at it for a while. Haha!!" Rouge laughed, "How about taking it under your wing, I can feel mana flowing from it."

"Huh??" Rustain heard Rouge's voice but he couldn't catch any of it, he was too focused on talking to Kuro. "W-What??"

"You seem distracted since earlier, how about going to your room first, we'll have to delay our sightseeing for today, I'll just call you later," Rouge said and gave Rustain a warm smile.

"Then I'll take my leave, thanks by the way for the sandwich Aunt Frie!!" Rustain immediately left the scene running and headed to his room while carrying Kuro away.

•••••••

|Rustain's Room|

(Panting!!)

Rustain arrived in his room, he immediately locked the door and released Kuro. Kuro then walks towards the bed and jumps on it and laid down comfortably.

"Huff!!. huff!!. Why did you change from there?! How should I explain if they realized what you are? That was reckless!!" Rustain said to Kuro.

"I thought you wanted to see my other form," Kuro said, blustering.

"Sigh... That's not what I mean back then, wait you can talk?!" Rustain said. His eyes shrink in size while watching Kuro grooming himself.

"Huh??! Of course, I can talk, what kind of questions is that? Did you damage your brain after we formed a contract? And don't look at me like that, it's annoying" Kuro said as he was pissed.

"No, no it's not like that, I thought you can only use telepathy, and why a cat?" Rustain said and gave Kuro a disappointing look.

"It's not my fault this is the scale of your mana, if you want to see my other form you better increase your capacity to hold mana," Kuro replied. "Also try to avoid holy magic as much as possible, remember your dead"

Rustain after hearing it he glared at Kuro with the intent to kill, he slowly gave off a domineering aura and his eyes glowed brightly in the shade of gold.

"How could I forget, this heart of mine!!" Rustain clenched his fist on his chest tightly, he bites his lips and glared more sinister toward Kuro. "Is gone!!"

"Sigh... You're hopeless, try clearing your head before talking to me, you know how to call me, see ya" Kuro instantly vanished leaving Rustain on his own alone in the room.

Over a few minutes had passed.

Rustain afterward sat down and was trying to clear his head, he managed to calm down but he was not ready to talk to Kuro yet. He first needs to sort things out in his head.

Rustain starred in the ceiling and recalled the first time Kuro and he met officially.

•••••••

|Earlier at dawn| 5:18 am

"Ahh!!" Rustain yelled loudly while being dragged into the dark space.

(Thud!!)

Rustain was suddenly released from what had pulled him into the darkness.

"Welcome!! Rustain" a distorted voice suddenly appeared and can be heard behind the back of Rustain "I have been waiting!!"

Rustain panicked and fell on his back after he turned around, he saw a creature unknown to him and can be described as the embodiment of evil, its body is enveloped in darkness and only it's distorted white smile and eyes is different compare to the rest of its body, Rustain observed the creature and all it did was to stand a few meters away from Rustain.

* it's only standing there, it looks evil but I don't feel any intention to harm me, maybe I can reason with it* Rustain thoughts.

Rustain slowly stood up.

"W-What are you?! What do you want from me??" Rustain said and it's clear in his voice that he is shivering from fear but stood firm.

"Let's form a contract, I like you. You have met the requirements to be my contacted person." The black distorted creature reached its hands towards Rustain.

"Can I refuse?" Rustain said but the creature only smiled at him giving off a sinister vibe. Rustain immediately knew what would happen to him if he refused. "I guess I have no choice, but could you Introduce yourself first, you seem to know me but I don't have the slightest idea what you are."

Rustain waited for a reply then out of nowhere the creature laughed.

"Hahaha!! How amusing I like you more as the second goes by, I'm Kuro the spirit of Death, and I have been eyeing you since you've entered EL" Kuro explained and it's clear by how Kuro talked he has no intention of letting Rustain go.

"Enter? You know I'm not from here?" Rustain has started to feel curious about Kuro.

"No. You were born from this land I can tell, but I'll leave it at that, you may not know this but you owe me your life." Kuro said with confidence.

"Huh?!" Rustain instantly became confused after hearing what Kuro said.

*he owns my life, what does he mean--* Rustain stared at Kuro with confusion. After a deep thought, Rustain remembered something. * In the forest!! Was he the one?*

"Looks like you figured out some parts, now have you thought about my offer" Kuro walked closer to Rustain, and instantly Rustain felt a suffocating pressure towards him. "Come one don't you need power for revenge I can help you achieve that."

Without a choice Rustain in front of overwhelming strength, he has no choice but to give in.

"I-I Accept " Rustain grabs Kuro's hand, For the first time in his life, Rustain feels the hands of a dead man.

"Interesting!! With this, we formed a contract. I Kuro spirit of Death shall aid you to grow stronger." Kuro shakes hand with Rustain he then used the other hand to touched Rustain's head. "I'll help you reach tier 3, oh by the way you're dead!"

Rustain after hearing it a flashed of memory appeared to him it was the time in the forest where he unlocked the 1st tier, he saw Kuro's perspective who helping his lifeless body that died because of blood loss and by fusing his stagnant heart with a mysterious black fog Rustain regain immediately his life and as if nothing had happened, and the rest that has happened that night.

After witnessing all of that he fell flat, he looked up and saw Kuro glaring at him.

"I died"

"That's the requirement," Kuro said.

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