Shadow Contract

[ Name: Ram]

[ Health: 100/100 (+157)]

[ Spiritual Power: 84/100 (+141)]

It's been more than four hours since he woke up. By now, both his health and spiritual power had fully recovered to 100%. Yet, he still had hundreds of extra points of Life Energy and Spiritual Power. Ram felt amazed by this surplus energy. It was clear that his abilities had grown far beyond what he initially thought. 

While he was still thinking about what to do next and recalling the details of the Shadow Society he knew from before getting kidnapped, he heard footsteps again. This time, it wasn't the female doctor who had been checking on him earlier. Instead, a middle-aged man with glasses, wearing a white lab coat, appeared. He held a holographic tablet in his hands, which flickered with various data and images. The man had a calm, methodical demeanor, and his eyes scanned the room with a sharp, assessing look.

First, he met some other experimental subjects. After a few discussions with them, guards came and escorted these experimental subjects out. Then, the middle-aged man approached him. Unlike the female doctor before, this man seemed easy to get along with. He was the fifth person Ram had met since waking up.

The man, identified as Dr. Stone, approached slowly and checked the monitoring device beside Ram's bed. Once satisfied that everything was in order and Ram was in good condition, Dr. Stone spoke with a slight smile on his face.

"Hello, Mr. Ram," he began warmly. "I'm a senior doctor here. You can call me Dr. Stone. First, I want to congratulate you on your successful awakening. Next, just now I checked your stats. You are perfectly alright now; your vitals are very stable and you can be discharged."

"One of the guards will accompany you to the registration area where you can finalize your professional details and gather your belongings," Dr. Stone explained to Ram. "There will be someone at the desk to guide you through the Shadow Society's policies and the next steps you need to take. Okay then, Mr. Ram, have a good one."

After giving Ram a few more instructions and ensuring he understood what to do next, Dr. Stone called for a guard outside. He quickly briefed the guard, then departed, heading off to attend to his next patient.

Unlike the sinister guard Ram encountered before, the guard instructed by Dr. Stone this time was different. He wore a black combat uniform and held an Assault Rifle in his hands. As the guard entered, he remained silent and gestured for Ram to move, using the rifle to indicate his instructions. The weapon was aimed towards him, ready to shoot if Ram didn't comply.

Feeling a sense of unease at the guard's demeanor, Ram quickly followed the silent instructions, understanding the seriousness of the situation. As they made their way towards the registration area, Ram remained silent, keeping pace with the guard's brisk movements.

Both of them stayed silent throughout the journey. Ram couldn't help but feel a sense of vulnerability; even though he had become an awakener, he was still no match for firearms. A single shot from any of the guards' weapons could end his life in an instant.

Despite the tension in the air, Ram focused on maintaining his composure as he followed the guard through the maze of corridors. After a few minutes of traversing the dimly lit passageways, they finally arrived at the registration office. Inside, Ram saw a few other experimental subjects who had been sent ahead of him. The registration process appeared simple and quick, with officials noting down details like names, professions, and other information.

Ram approached the registration desk, the guard from before continued to follow closely, his rifle still trained on Ram. Despite the tension in the air, Ram remained calm and composed. He was confident that the guard wouldn't shoot him unless he did something drastic, like attempting to escape. Ram understood the gravity of his situation; he knew that even if he had awakened the teleportation ability, attempting to flee now would be foolish, he would still be plagued by the mind shadow parasite inside his body.

Ram glanced around the registration office, taking note of the other experimental subjects who had been processed before him. They all seemed resigned to their fate, their expressions a mixture of fear and resignation. The person at the registration desk was a beautiful young woman with short black hair. She looked at Ram, who was still in his hospital gown, and spoke with a voice that was soft and pleasant to hear.

"Hello, Mr. Ram, congratulations on your awakening," she said warmly. "My name is Xia Lin, you can call me Sister Lin. First, I'll need some of your details."

With a gentle motion, she pushed a holographic device towards Ram, inviting him to input his information. The form displayed on the device was straightforward, requiring simple data such as his name, age, height, weight, federal ID, and details about his awakened profession and talent.

Ram carefully examined the form displayed on the holographic device, scanning each section for any signs of suspicion. Much to his relief, the details requested were indeed basic and mundane—information that could easily be found through a simple search. With a sense of cautious ease, he entered the required information hiding some details regarding his talent, before returning the device to Sister Lin.

As she crosschecked the details he provided, Ram felt a flicker of anxiety flutter within him. "Yes, Mr. Ram, the details you entered are all correct," Sister Lin confirmed, her voice soft and measured. "Now, I need you to sign a few documents." This time, she didn't provide any explanation about the contents of the documents. Instead, she silently pushed them forward on the holographic device for Ram to read and sign.

"Documents? What documents?" he asked swiftly, his brow furrowing in confusion. Xia Lin didn't offer any further explanation, simply replying, "You will know once you read it. Please do it quickly."

With a glance behind him, Xia Lin indicated the line of people waiting, urging Ram to expedite the process.

Ram didn't bother to look back but hurriedly checked the document. As he skimmed through its contents, realization dawned upon him. It was as the old man had mentioned before: in order to become an awakener, he needed to work with the Shadow Society for 15 years.

According to the contract, now he was bound to serve the Shadow Society for the next 15 years. However, there was a grim clause attached to it. If he breached the contract or attempted to escape, the Society reserved the right to hunt him down and terminate him. This wasn't just any agreement; it was an official contract sanctioned under the legal jurisdiction of the Dwan Federation. Should he violate the terms, he would become a fugitive within the federation, subject to pursuit and potential capture.