Chapter 3-2: An Unexpected Turn of Events

"You want me to absorb my dad's longing for my mom?" I asked, "But if I absorb it, won't it harm him?"

"Of course it will. The world must maintain balance. To gain something, you must give up something. No one can deny this law except the one above," Rahab explained, "If you consume your dad's desire, he will certainly lose some lifespan."

"Why does consuming his desire shorten his lifespan? Shouldn't it just reduce his longing for my mom?"

"Lifespan is composed of soul, desire, and other elements. A person without the will to live won't live as long as someone who desperately wants to survive," Rahab sneered, "Humans, just like us, have always relied on desire to live. So when I say consuming desire, it means consuming lifespan."

"In that case, I'll consume someone else's," I said, because unless necessary, I didn't want to harm my dad.

"Your dad is almost here. Before you decide, listen to these three things."

"What things?" I frowned.

"First, to gain power, there are only two methods: either make a 'blood pact' with someone or personally induce negative emotions in others, like beating someone to make them so terrified that their energy flows out, and then you absorb it," Rahab yawned and then said to me, "However, in the second method, the energy flowing out of a person's body is limited and far less than the direct transaction in the first method."

"What about the second and third things?" I asked while nodding as I listened.

"Second, you have opened your demon eye twice today, consuming a lot of negative energy. If you can't open it again within these three days, you're done for," Rahab gave me a cold look and said, "Third, if you only consume a year or so of energy, it won't have too much of an impact on your dad."

"Can I control the amount I consume?" I asked curiously, "If it's just to shorten my dad's life by a year, that's manageable."

"Controlling the amount, well, you can't do that yet. The technique of consuming is a profound skill," Rahab laughed, "But since you've just obtained the demon eye and become a demon, you can't consume much anyway, at most just a year of his life."

I thought about Rahab's words and finally nodded, "Alright, how do I make a 'blood pact' with my dad?"

Since this was my first time as a demon, the idea of consuming someone else's soul made me a bit excited, hoping it wouldn't have too much of an impact on my dad.

"The method of making a pact is neither too difficult nor too easy," Rahab explained with an evil smile, "A 'blood pact' involves mixing your blood with his, then asking him questions like 'Are you willing to give up ten years of your life to see someone?' As long as you state the terms of the deal and he agrees, the 'blood pact' will be formed instantly."

"After that, as long as I fulfill the content of the 'blood pact,' the terms of the deal will be automatically fulfilled?" I asked.

"That's right," Rahab nodded, "For example, if the condition is to get ten years of the other person's life, then once you fulfill the content of the 'blood pact,' the ten years of life will be transferred to you immediately."

"I see." After listening to Rahab's explanation, I thought carefully about how to make my dad agree.

It didn't take long for me to come up with a plan.

When Dad comes back, I'll deliberately break a cup and clean it up with my bare hands, letting the shards cut me.

Seeing this, Dad will inevitably come over to check my wound. At that moment, I'll use the cup shards to slightly cut his hand, thus fulfilling the first condition of the 'blood pact.'

Then, I'll talk to Dad about Mom and ask him if he would shorten his life by a year for a chance to see her again.

Given Dad's longing for Mom, he'll surely agree, and the 'blood pact' will be established.

Finally, I'll use the "Eye of illusions" to create an illusion of Mom for him.

The more I thought about it, the more perfect the plan seemed. Just as I was feeling pleased with myself, a faint sound reached my ears.

I immediately realized it was the "ding" sound of the elevator arriving.

"Rahab, my hearing seems to have improved a lot," I said in surprise. As I focused on my hearing, countless sounds flooded into my ears.

"Heh, silly boy, the benefits of the demon eye are far more than this. You'll understand more in time. For now, focus on deceiving your dad," Rahab said.

"I've already thought of a way. It should go smoothly," I said with a confident smile.

"Good. As long as you feel comfortable and full of energy afterward, it means you've successfully absorbed a soul."

Just as Rahab finished speaking, I heard the sound of the front door unlocking.

My house is small, but the soundproofing between rooms is excellent. Even if I shout here, as long as the doors and windows are closed, not a sound can be heard in Dad's bedroom next door.

But now, I could hear the doorknob turning and even Dad's heartbeat as if I were right next to him!

This newfound ability to hear everything was so refreshing that I couldn't help but focus intently on Dad's every move.

I closed my eyes and listened, first hearing the sound of something being placed on the table.

The sound was somewhat heavy, likely Dad putting down his briefcase.

Next, I heard footsteps on the floor, slowly moving from the living room to Dad's study.

Once in the study, the footsteps stopped suddenly, followed by the creak of a cabinet opening.

Soon, Dad's footsteps resumed.

This time, they stopped right outside my door.

I could hear Dad standing outside, about to open the door.

But suddenly, an unusual feeling surged in my heart.

Wait.

Something felt off, and my hand paused on the doorknob.

"Kid, your dad's emotions seem a bit strange," Rahab said, puzzled, "Why do I sense a hint of killing intent?"

I nodded, staying silent, focusing on the sounds outside the door.

Dad's breathing was right outside, occasionally interrupted by the sound of swallowing.

The two of us and the cat remained silent.

"Click."

to be continued…