27 Gudra

[Main quest- Find the divine relics of the past]

[Progress- 0/9.]

[Reward- ???]

[Punishment- absolute death.]

' This.' Jerouch felt as though he was struck by lightning.

' Since when was death part of the system's punishment?' His mouth was opened wide in shock, and so were his eyes.

' What are these divine relics? ' He asked, hoping to get an answer.

However, there was no notification to clarify his confusion.

Jerouch sucked in a deep breath and then released it with a heavy sigh.

Even though the system gave him a grand power, since he came in contact with it, his life has been revolving around death more than often.

It was as though his luck were cursed. Just when he thought he would have room to breathe in fresh air, the system came up with one god-damned quest.

' I guess I've got no option. ' He popped his finger before proceeding forward.

Of course, he didn't. His life was at stake, after all.

One word did draw his attention, however. The system said the punishment for failing the quest was absolute death.

' What was meant by absolute death? And was there another form of death?' He wondered, but he soon put that at the back of his mind.

Presently, he had important things to do. He looked to his right, and there, the unconscious roc was laying.

Jerouch walked closer and squatted close to him. His wings were burnt and his talons seemed to have twisted in unnatural positions.

Not only that, but it appeared that the roc had also suffered from mana exhaustion, as his body felt frosty, and the parts not covered by thick feathers looked pale.

' Blood loss, mana exhaustion, burnt wings, a couple of fractures, and some internal injuries. ' Jerouch mumbled to himself as he analysed the roc's condition.

' Can I even treat this? ' He wondered, not so sure, since the injuries this time were worse compared to the previous one.

Jerouch could leave the roc here and let him die, but he couldn't bring himself to do that. He hadn't fallen that low yet to do such.

Raising his head, he could also see the harbinger of chaos that almost brought their deaths.

The orb was still glowing as ever, even after the long battle, it remained unaffected.

Not just the orb, but the entire hall was also unaffected by the battle that Jerouch at one time considered earth-shattering.

' Just where in hell is this place? ' He questioned the unending silence.

' Healing. '

Jerouch's palms were facing the roc almost with little fate, as he believed that the roc had sustained far too much injury for his healing to show any substantial effect.

However, Jerouch was in for a surprise as soon as he activated the skill.

An emerald glow that radiated an aura full of life was released from his two palms.

The emerald light soon enveloped the roc's entire figure as it began healing its target.

' The advancements have this much effect on my skills? ' Jerouch's brows arched in surprise.

' With this much healing power, I should be able to heal most of the severe injuries. '

' Although I'm afraid he will still be in a weakened state for a while. ' Sweats trickled from his face and fell to his lap

' Mana exhaustion is a serious issue after all… I once heard one of those guards say that it's the nightmare of all Warlocks. '

' I should be careful. ' Jerouch reminded himself, looking at the sorry figure of the large bird.

' I guess I should name him, huh? ' A thought suddenly ran through his head.

The roc had helped him a number of times, and it wouldn't be wise to keep calling him a bird.

' Umm which name to give you big bird? ' He asked, of course, there was no answer.

' Umm…' He racked his brain as he thought of a befitting name.

' Gudra it is then. ' Jerouch finalized in his head.

[Host has named a sentient beast, and the bond between host and the target has increased.]

[Congratulations, host can now form a familiar with Gudra.]

[Would host like to initiate the contract?]

' Oi. '

' Oi. '

Jerouch chuckled, seeing the sudden notification. This was perfect for him.

Of course, he accepted to initiate the contract, which went seamlessly.

That was due to several reasons. The first being that both Jerouch and Gudra had grown a stronger bond after sharing many dire experiences.

Secondly, Gudra was in a weakened state and he couldn't even resist the contract.

At the end of the day, two people were scheming against each other, but one eventually won. And that person was none but…

Jerouch!

' This is enough for now. ' He cancelled the skill and wiped off the sweat on his face and forehead.

He now had an even stronger reason to save Gudra now that he had become his familiar.

After healing the roc, he planned to go out and hunt for any weak beast nearby and then have a good rest.

Before then, however. He decided to walk up to the glowing orb and observe what it was.