25 Let's make a deal

I based my idea on the concept of selling your soul to the devil, even if in reality it was more of an acknowledgment for said devil to rip your soul at your time of death.

So based on that I though, 'can't I ask for less than a soul' ?

And it turns out that with rune magic I can create a contract that allow for a permanent transfer of part of the essence of an individual. It's like a bit of soul, but not really. You can consider essence like the 'stats' and 'experience points' that life gave you, and which is recorded on your 'character sheet' (your soul).

The crafting time for a contract was moderate : an hour of deep concentration. The components were easy to acquire, some magical blood (easy to buy in a devil butchery) and parchment made of a 6 year old goat skin.

There are a few limitation to my devil contract though :

The biggest one is that it's human essence I'll tamper with, and thus I can't use it for myself. I can 'eat' it for lack of a better word, but it wouldn't make me stronger. It's like saying that you've gain strength by eating meat. Sure, your body got stronger with the nutriment and all that, but you did not REALLY became stronger. So it will be all for Celina, and she will have to stay human.

It could technically work if a devil signed the contract. The problem is that devil essence is corrupted and chaotic, and mixing that in someone soul is a bad idea. It's at time like this that I realize how much of a genius Ajuka truly is with the creation of the devil pieces.

The second problem is that the one signing the contract must do it willingly, and UNDERSTANDING what he is doing. That is the touchy part. I can't just create a mobile app on the apple store that says 'by downloading this app you give your remaining lifespan to the creator'. So I would need to take a bit of time to prove it would not be a scam.

And the last problem ? I needed to give them something they considered valuable enough for the trade. I could not just tell someone 'give me 10 year of your life for this shiny coin, or I'll kill you right now'. I could still threaten them to sign or die if they hesitated, but the trade must still be worthy in their eyes.

Once my process was good, I stayed the entire week in my workshop creating contracts.

Oh, and I also activated the 'nerd' portrait of Frigga and installed it in a room I had furnished with mangas, DVD, various consoles and my personal computer. I did not forget to plug the internet cable on her painting frame. It was fun to teach the goddess how to play League of Legend. I even played a few games with her. And I was very impressed by her learning curve. Goddess indeed... I had no idea at the time that I was contributing to create the future legend of professional gaming : 'Love_in_your_face'.

After explaining everything to Celina, it was time to go. And I started in easy mode, direction Ukraine !

Why there ? One of the poorest eastern Europe country. And with the political and military tension, people were poor AND scared. Perfect for my needs.

So on our first day we went to the Kiev, the capital and followed the direction given by heart seeker. Yeah, I already knew what I wanted from my first target.

We ended up in what was basically a homeless gathering. There, I saw her, a bit separated from the group. I didn't need to follow my compass anymore, since it was obvious it was her I wanted. A woman that could have been incredibly beautiful if she wasn't sick, dirty, dressed in rags and malnourished. The various bruises on her face did not help either.

Alexander : "Hello lady, would you be willing to give me a few minutes of your time ?"

Victim1 : "The fuck are you boy ? Piss off !"

Alexander : "Now now, no need to be so rude. I come bearing gifts after all." I said with a warm smile.

Victim1 : "Gifts ? I'm not stupid, nothing's free kiddo. Did Kuzma or Maxim told you to come ?" She said while looking at me more seriously. "You're a bit young for that no ?"

Alexander : "Indeed. I do not require this kind of services. I came for a trade with you. You have two things that I want. And I need to know what you're willing to trade it for."

Victim1 : "Look at me rich boy, what the fuck do you think I have that you don't ?"

Alexander : "Your inherent beauty ! I want you to give me the charm, body and face you could have had if life had been more kind to you. That and your sexual experience." I told her, trying to make me sound mysterious and oppressive. I was going with the devil soul trader after all.

Victim1 : "The hell are you saying kid ? You a creep or something ? And why is your maid staying there like an idiot ?" She asked me a bit more wearily.

Alexander : "She's not my guardian, I'm her master. And it's funny you talk about hell. it IS where I come from after all." I said with a creepy smile while making my eyes glow red.

Victim1 : "SATAN !" She yelled, gaining the attention of the hobos a bit further.

Random Nobody : "You OK there Natasha ?"

Alexander : "Before you awnser, keep in mind I want a trade, not to kill."

Natasha : "Yeah I'm good Boris, the kid just surprised me."

Alexander : "Good, now tell me, what do you desire for what I want ?"

Natasha : "You can give me anything ?"

Alexander : "Of course not, you're not selling your soul. Do not presume mortal. The only reason I'm here is because my new servant is in need of a heavy lifting, and you were near. If you're too greedy, I'll just ask elsewhere. I do value equal trade after all."

Natasha : "Could you... Kill someone for me ?"

Alexander : "It depend my dear. Some lives are more important than other."

Natasha : "Petro Shevchenko !"