Fooling him (2)

"That's too long, make it a year."

"3 years... that's final."

"Your standards are too high. It will not be easy finding a perfect body for you to possess."

'That's a lie; I already have candidates in mind.'

Even though I can probably find a suitable body for Damascus to possess in a year, my strength will not be the same as his, thus making my plans to control him less effective. Additionally, prolonging the time frame may give me additional methods and preparations to manipulate him.

Damascus seemed to ponder for a moment before responding, "Fine, but I expect results within the next three years. No more delays."

"I'll work hard to make it shorter." Adrian smiled mischievously at Damascus.

It's time for me to rip off this mask of innocence and show Damascus my true intentions. I must carefully strategize and manipulate the situation to ensure that I get what I want.

"Maybe I'll find a body for you in around a year and a half..."

Adrian's expression and tone of voice hinted that he wanted something, suggesting that maybe he could shorten the search for a suitable body for Damascus within a year or a year and a half in exchange for something.

"I know that kind of look... What do you want?" Noticing Adrian's expression and tone, Damascus immediately sensed that Adrian had ulterior motives, and he couldn't help but be irritated.

"Nothing much... I just want your pet snake."

The Akashak snake thought his master was dead, But their contract was just temporarily cut off by the seal of this place.

Adrian's request for Damascus's akashak snake caught him off guard. Damascus was taken aback by the unexpected nature of Adrian's desire. He thought that Adrian would just want an item in this room, but it turns out he wanted something much more precious and valuable.

"Are you out of your mind?" Damascus slammed his fist onto the table, and it shattered into pieces, sending shards of glass flying across the room. His anger and confusion surged through him as he struggled to comprehend Adrian's audacious request.

Adrian's lips curled into a mischievous curve as he leaned back in his chair, unfazed by Damascus' outburst. "I thought you hated the Imperial family? The Akashak snake is its symbol."

"Akashak is a very rare beast... known for its control of the chaos." Damascus interrupted, his voice is filled with disdain. "I don't care if it's the symbol of the imperial family. If you want the Akashak snake, forget it. I will just kill you now!"

'This is getting interesting...' Adrian thought to himself, a spark of amusement igniting in his eyes. He had enjoyed pushing Damascus' buttons and seeing how far he could go. But now, sensing that Damascus is on his limits, Adrian has no choice but to step back.

I've already pieced the whole puzzle together. It looks like Damascus stole the egg of an Akashak snake from the Imperial family before he got poisoned. And that egg was likely very important to the Imperial family. They even ordered a mass purge for the members of the Damascus group in a bid to find the egg thief.

'I need to get my hands on the snake.' Adrian thought to himself. 'Damascus will lose a chip, and he'll be solely dependent on me.' Adrian knew that Damascus was just keeping the snake as leverage, and if he could obtain it, he would have an easy time making Damascus one of his most valuable assets.

"It's too bad. I wanted to give something in return If you give me the Akashak snake." Adrian's mind raced with thoughts of how he could convince Damascus to hand over the snake. He knew that offering something valuable in return would be his best chance at persuading him.

"..."

"I thought that the mirror of endless emptiness is somewhat suitable for you... What a waste."

The Mirror of Endless Emptiness is a powerful weapon that is said to be the possession of an ancient angel who wielded the power of chaos. In the original timeline, a demon had found it.

The results are catastrophic, as the demon unleashed chaos and destruction upon the world. Its ability to help the owner further manipulate chaos and create a ripple in the air, creating a portal directed to the dark continent, making it a dangerous artifact in the wrong hands.

Damascus, being a revenge-driven and power-hungry individual, would surely see the value in possessing such a weapon.

'I will use Damascus and the mirror to wreak havoc on the continent.'

"What did you say?..." Damascus paused, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Adrian.

"It's nothing. Forget about it."

"Don't play with me! Where's the mirror?"

Adrian yawned, seemingly unconcerned by Damascus' aggression. Damascus's face contorted with anger, and dark particles around him thickened as his fury grew. He lunged at Adrian, grabbing him by the collar. "Tell me where the mirror is, or I will possess you and search your mind for it." he snarled, his grip tightening.

"Then possess me." Adrian said after flickering his eyes with a hint of defiance and maintaining a confident smile on his face.

Damascus removed his hands from Adrian's collar and attacked the wall with a powerful punch, leaving a deep crack in its surface. The force of his anger reverberated through the room, causing objects to tremble and shake.

"Fine... I'll give you the Akashak snake."

"Good. After you possess a body, I'll give you the mirror."

I need to find the mirror before I give Damascus a body, if my memory serves me right. The demon found it near Ramiel City. A free city at the border of two continents: the middle continent, where humans and other races live, and the abyssal continent, the home of the demons.

"Let's sign a contract. I don't trust you."

"Let's sign then; I'm sure that you have at least a B or A rank contract in your possession, Mr. Damascus."

Contracts of a higher rank typically offer more protection for both parties involved. The higher the contract, the stronger the backlash if one fails to fulfill or follow one's terms and it will be harder for a ranker to break it.

A beautiful parchment suddenly appeared in front of Adrian, seemingly materializing out of thin air. Its edges were delicately adorned with intricate designs, and the surface exuded an aura of ancient power.

"A-rank contract. Even your master, the angel of knowledge, will not treat the backlash lightly." Damascus said, teasing the possibility that the angel of knowledge might violate the agreement between the two.

Adrian nodded, and they decided to put their terms on the contract.

When he touched the floating parchment with his mana-coated hand, words appeared there instantly. 'Adrian Sinclair.'

After almost an hour of deciding each other's terms, the two finally came to an agreement.

The contract stated that both parties would uphold their end of the agreement and that any violation would result in severe consequences.

Reading the terms carefully, the words written on it, reflected on his eyes.

Each party cannot use external help to break the contract. And both cannot harm each other or their own interests.

Adrian will find a suitable body for Damascus in the next 3 years. Failing to do so would result in the termination of the agreement and the potential death of Adrian.

Both parties would be allies in the next 10 years. During this period, they would collaborate on harming the Imperial family, and they could ask each other for assistance in achieving their shared goals. Additionally, any disputes or disagreements between the two should be resolved through peaceful negotiation and mediation rather than resorting to violence.

Damascus will hand over the ownership of the Akashak snake to Adrian. In return, Adrian agrees to hand over the Mirror of Endless Emptiness to Damascus when he finally possesses a suitable body.

Failing to fulfill their agreement, both Damascus and Adrian would face severe consequences.

"..."

"..."

"I am done reading it. Let's imprint our mana onto the contract to make it official." Adrian said, extending his hand towards Damascus. Damascus paused for a moment before firmly grasping Adrian's hand, their eyes locked in a silent understanding.