Without knwing, you time might be up.

(First chapter remade.)

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A large bed, a closet, a minifridge, and a computer. That was his bedroom, the only place where he was not observed with eyes.

Leonard got up on the bed and sat with his back to the guard.

His eyes were cold and calculating. The agreement forced into him was that when he reached Supreme-priest status he would be given a deity's tear. Only with that would his mother heal. But he knew better than to play their game. Who has ever won by playing withing the enemy's rules?

Leonard pinched the soft sheet as he thought. As the Supreme-priest said; a few weeks from now he would become a Supreme priest himself. He could feel the quality of his spirit changing already, But that also meant his time was ending. They would either find a way to bind him more tightly or would just get rid of him. Since he is bringing so much profit with the special prayers, Leonard thought the first possibility was more likely. So he started to think of how they would bind him, but when he did, a weird feeling crept up his body like a snail was walking on his spine.

"...."

"So it's the latter huh." He concluded and laughed. He never doubted his instinct. He did in the past and had his dream eternally out of his reach. So when he felt it, he understood that it was not wise to discard the latter option, rather, that was more likely true. So he sought the reasons for it.

Why would they want to get rid of him now? They left him to be abused by his father for one year until his body could no longer support becoming an adventurer. then they appeared like a hero and even found his mother who was said to have died by his father. But he still did not want to follow the steps o a priest so they blocked any possibilities for him to learn any other professions then paralyzed his mother and took her medicine as a hostage. They did all that only to get rid o him?

After he thought of everything, his eyes widened in understanding. A smirk blossomed on his lips. It wasn't that he was a talented person that they had to pull in no matter what. It was that his talent is useful when he becomes a supreme priest, that's why they shoved all kinds of rare herbs and forced a pure and monk-like lifestyle on him so he could grow faster

They wanted his inner core and not him.

'In the end, I'm just cattle? Haha.' He ignored the pain and rage and focused on thinking.

He started calculating the time it'd take for him to become a Supreme-priest as that was most likely the time he had alive. He thought of what he could do on that deadline.

A villainous smirk stretched on his face.

"I know just what leash will fit your kind." He thought while picturing the Supreme-priest's face.

***

He stood polishing his plan but when the clock announced midnight, his walls slowly turned into a wine red tone.

"That was a pretty hideously smile you made earlier... have you killed some puppies?"

Slowly, a figure appeared beside his window, leaning on to the wall.

Leonard tilted his head while observing the woman's features.

'A dark elf?' He thought then sighted a red symbol on her forehead and canine teeth on her grin. 'A vampire too?' He guessed.

One of her eyes were golden while the other was deep wine red. She smirked.

"So afraid you can't talk? Don't need to look twice, I'm Fernanda, -"

She stopped momentarily as Leonard got up from the bed and started to inspect the walls around him.

She frowned, then laughed.

"You cannot leave, this barrier can block the blow of a sixth tier warrior, or how you say in your church, a saint knight."

Leonard ignored her and kept knocking on the red wall with a rising enthusiasm.

Fernanda took that as panic and waltzed towards him while sexy moving her hips. She took two long daggers from her waist.

"Fear not, little priest, as long as you tell me what I want to know, everything will be over soo-"

"Good barrier!" His sudden shout interrupted her again.

His eyes were wide and mad joy showed on his face. A wide, chilling happy smile was imprinted on her eyes.

"Good! good! good!" He stated three more times while nodding furiously.

Fernanda felt stumped for words. The was too odd even more so than her kind.

Thump!

Time seemed to slow down for her as the laughing man had turned and dashed towards her in an instant. But her body was no faster than her mind. She jumped backward but his opened palm had already covered her face.

'Fast!'

Was the only thing she could think when a sudden barrage of spiritual energy flooded her whole mind.

She couldn't care for the outside as her mind was fighting off an invasion, but like a golden tsunami, his spiritual energy came crashing down on her defenses.

In mere minutes, her arms lost strength and her body tumbled down. With only her head being held by his hand. Like that her infiltration failed.

Leonard gasped for breath as blood came out of his eight orifices, the golden reinforcement on his body disappeared and his body also tumbled down but he held it in and sat down on the ground, his hand still clutching the dark elf's face.

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead after ten more minutes, there was a pond of blood beneath him while his hair completely whitened and a few strands started to fall off as his skin grew soft and wrinkled. He looked to be at the end of his sixties bu his eyes never looked more lively.

As he pulled his hand back, a dark ethereal fog like spiritual essence came with him, the dark elf stood midair until it all left her then she fell unconscious.

from her slightly open mouth, a drop of dark red blood floated all the way to Leonard's chest.

He held in the pain with a savage smile as his veins shined gold and the symbol on her forehead changed from deep red to gold.

"AHH!" She woke up from the pain.

Clutching her head and gasping for air she remembered everything that happened until now.

"You're free now, little bird."

Leonard said and let his back reach the ground. He couldn' move his body anymore.

"W-What, H-How?" She asked aloud and inwardly questioned why she was there, she knew the why and her objective, but that was not something she would normally do.

"You were brainwashed by the vampires. I freed your mind from their influence."

She examined her body and soul and looked at Leonard with panic, both her eyes were golden now."Did y-you take a piece of my spirit?"

He smirked at her, "Payment. I freed your mind, now you're my servant."

She froze. 'What difference was that from the vampires then?'

He ignored her obvious expression and continued.

"You should've attacked me at three in the morning when the spirits and odd races are at their strongest, coupled with this Halloween night, you wouldn't have been caught by me."

A tear of blood came down her cheek. "M-My mother I-"

"I'm sure there's a grudge." Leonard cut her of. "The church hunts down your kind after all, but don't bother me with it, I'm tired of listening to that kind of story."

She glared at him in anger but then realized.

"H-How did you do it? You're a holy man, you should have your soul corrupted by that."

Leonard only smirked. 'How could I know?' He thought. He just took a bet, after all, he despised the god of radiance yet, he was one of the most blessed by it. if an atheist could grow up to be the Supreme-priest, why couldn't he commit any other heretic actions?

He saw Fernanda standing up and spoke.

"I can't move, but I just need to will it or die, and your spirit will disintegrate." She froze with a clear face of rage stamped on her.

"Don't be like that." Leonard said carelessly " As long as you don't intend to harm me, I'll release you if I'm alive after one month. That is my vow to you."

A golden light floated above them and split into two one went into her forehead another onto his.

"Y-You can even make a holy vow with an odd race?"

Leonard smiled. With the sudden appearance of one of the odd race, his chances of surviving increased. And she has around the same level of strength as Arrieta, coupled wit her stealth skills, he will have a lot of uses for her.

He set his phone to set off at two and a half. And not caring for her state he fell asleep. His body needs to heal.