Chapter 112

(Ok, enough procrastinating. Imma skip the keys dungeon fillers and get the story progressing.)

4 hours after conquering the Green Key dungeon, the remaining two dungeons with record breaking speed after each one.

After obtaining all four keys, the Elevator finally revealed itself. A form that looks absolutely inappropriate for the fantasy settings.

A hollow transparent clear tube that extends up to the sky. The thing appeared out of nowhere and just suddenly exists like it always has been. A construct out of sci-fi movies, a space elevator appeared or rather, it finally became visible to his eyes.

"Let's go, Lancelot." Ray called to Lancelot beside him who nodded before dematerializing into motes of energy and entering Arondight.

———

Few minutes after flying at Mach 4 later, Ray arrived at the vicinity of the Elevator and found a terminal next to a large blast door.

He landed and interacted with the terminal which only required him to rest his palm on the screen before the blast door slowly opened itself for Ray.

Just when Ray was about to enter the Elevator, someone appeared out of thin air and blocked his path into the Elevator.

"Lilith…"

Ray draws Arondight, ready to defend himself before he hears a ridiculing laugh from the veiled demon.

"I feel hurt that you would see me with such hostility after our passionate exchange last time. My body still aches from your passionate touches and wants more." She said with an alluring sensual tone while trailing her fingers on her body to emphasize the injury that Ray left on her.

"You wouldn't happen to be that irresponsible to ditch me and escape. Not after that passionate exchange between us."

Ray swears he sees her eyes glowing behind the thin yet thick enough veil to hide Lilith's face.

"Not a step further, Demon!" Lancelot suddenly forces himself to be summoned and wields Arondight that he snatched from Ray's hand. He stands before Ray like a knight protecting his lord from the approaching enemy, or the demon he deemed as enemy after what she did to Ray.

While all this was happening, Ray still silently stood there like a statue. He is wearing Ouroboros which hides his face under the headpiece. But his silence triggered some red flags to Lancelot and caused him to turn his head and body to take a glance at Ray.

"Ray?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing…" Ray quickly replied to Lancelot but he telepathically informed his knight about what happened to him just now.

When Lilith spoke just now, she used Charm or similar ability on Ray that triggered his cybernetics to quickly remove the magical influence from Ray and return him back to normal while his suit of armor sealed his headpiece to prevent more of the voice from affecting Ray.

While he couldn't hear right now, the AI automatically filters any speech in the surrounding area and generates the speech again but without Lilith's voice that can affect him.

"What else do you want from me, Demon." Ray said with a disinterest and indifference to Lilith.

He would rather not deal with her again now that she already knows most of his hidden cards and is more prepared than last time. This means fighting her again is not only disadvantageous, he also risks revealing more abilities he could keep hidden.

All in all, it is a waste of time and effort considering Lilith can wipe the floor with Ray even if she gives him time to prepare and activate all his abilities.

"My, what a cold and heartless man you are, Ray. After doing this and that to my body, you would ask what I wanted from you? Take responsibility for your actions of course."

"After the war 500 years ago. Majority of the strong opponents have already died. The remaining ones now hole up in their burrow and play politics. None of them will play with this Lilith anymore. Until you arrive. You are weak. Too weak that you are nothing but a harmless puppy to me." Lilith recites her words with a myriad of gestures and tone.

"However, that cornered harmless puppy turned out to be a wolf pup, baring his fang on me. I was elated, overjoyed that I finally found a new toy to entertain me. And that is you, my little pup." Lilith ended her words with her delicate gloved finger that pointed at Ray.

"Is that all you wanted to say to me? I apologize but I am in a hurry." Ray put on his indifferent tone. He couldn't care less about Lilith as she is now an obstacle to his goal.

He remembered his agreement with the Demon Prince of Greed that landed him in partnership with Lilith but their partnership is under the basis of helping each other reach their goal. Ray needs information while Lilith needs his help to conquer dungeons. However, Lilith isn't doing her part of the deal and so is Ray. She may be strong and a good assurance for his success to save Ray's wives but now, Lilith is actively jeopardizing his mission. Ditching him most of the time and then drag him around instead of going to the Elevator immediately.

He walked past Lilith and toward the Elevator with confidence. Confidence that Lilith wouldn't attack him. If she wanted, she wouldn't have bothered to talk and already fight the moment Lancelot appeared with his sword pointing at her. Yet all she responded to was by words.

Although he didn't know Lilith for long. He knows that she is quite a blunt or forward person. She wouldn't hide her intention probably due to her strength.

Well, true to Ray's prediction. She didn't resort to violence. Instead she once again steps in front of Ray to stop him.

"Well, before you leave. I still have something for you." She said before an image appeared that showed the Demon Prince Mammon in his throne room.

"We meet again, hero. Let's cut the chase. I admit I am indeed at fault here and I would like to apologize for my daughter's unruly behavior that breached our cooperation. I hope you will give her and myself a second chance to redeem your trust." The Demon Prince said with his ever present smile of a winning person.

Ray didn't answer or walk away which made the smile on the Demon Prince grow slightly wider. Even if Ray feels betrayed by Lilith, actions that breach their verbal agreement. Ray still needs Lilith's help especially when dealing with the gods later due to his insufficient strength. That's why Ray remained and listened instead of leaving. It's because Mammon managed to catch Ray's interest. The basis of any negotiation is to get the interest of another party or the negotiation is bound to fail.

"So, here's the deal. To assure the mistake wouldn't repeat again. She will be under contract with you for the duration of our cooperation. With the contract, she will not be able to be hostile toward you. I also took the liberty to prepare the contract in advance." Lilith took out a magic scroll and handed it over to Ray.

"Read through it and we can alter the contract if you find it not to your satisfaction. I will not take more of your dwindling time. Until next time we met again." Mammon said before the magical image of the Demon Prince vanished, leaving Ray awkwardly looking between the magic contract and Lilith.

Ray has doubt, immense doubt in the whole setting. Why would Mammon, a Demon representing the Sin of Greed. This definitely is not charity work when the demon suddenly feels extra generous. There definitely is something Mammon profiting from this but the problem is Ray didn't know what. However rejecting this offer is quite an impossibility either because like Mammon said when they first met. H

Ray himself is too weak to fight the gods directly while trying to save his wives. There was little to no time to gain strength either as the more time he wasted, the longer his wives were at the mercy of the gods that kidnapped them.

Ray looked at Lilith while also glancing at him behind her veil that was held over her face by an inconspicuous tiara on her head crown.

"Don't worry your head over the contract. I am in fact willing to accept it despite its restrictive manner and the nature of this contractor and contractee relationship. It is the order of my creator which I will follow regardless of my willingness. Besides, I would have an easier time making sure you wouldn't die in the hands of others before you could satisfy me."

Halfway through her talk, Ray unrolls the magic contract and reads it through.

The contents are fairly basic, covering the standard for a contract with a demon.

In exchange for Lilith service to Ray, in combat or mundane to knowledge.

-All services provided outside the agreement between Mammon of the Greed and Raymond D'Angelo, are expected to be compensated by tribute that shall be determined by both sides.

-The contractor and contractee are not allowed to inflict harm, directly or indirectly to people both sides considered as allies unless in self defense.

-The contract is valid until the wives of Raymond D'Angelo are rescued successfully.

Reading through the content of the contract, Ray finds no fault. Other than the validity of the contract. The assessment from the AI stated the only possible way Mammon can profit from this is after rescuing his wives, the contract will expire and Lilith can then kidnap his wives. Then use them as leverage on Ray. However, he didn't fear. He has ways to keep his wives out of their reach.

Besides, he still has doubts about the analysis of his AI.

If Mammon has a desire to use his wives as hostages to gain leverage on Ray. Why would Mammon promise to return Ravel and Raynare that are in the hand of the other Demon Prince to him as soon as he reaches the zeroth layer or the layer in between the upper and lower 7 layers.

When discussing with Mammon in his divine realm, he promised that Ravel and Raynare will already be waiting for him at the zeroth layer. It is included in their verbal agreement and Mammon never lied to him yet. Which made Ray give Mammon the benefit of doubt until he lied to him at least.

After 10 whole minutes of staring at the contract. Long enough to bore a hole through the magic imbued paper with his stare. He signed the paper with a feather pen that has mysterious ink on it that never dries or stains the paper unless he is trying to use it to write his signature.

Then the paper levitated away from Ray's hand and combust into pale blue arcane flame.

A magical chain appeared in his right hand. On the back of the palm, a symbol of a crescent moon with the blade of an upside down sword crossed on the lower half of the moon while almost fully surrounded by an owl's head with its wings fully spanned into a circular shape, was inscribed into his skin. Although Ray had yet to see the mark on the back of his palm, the searing pain of inscribing the mark is clearly felt by Ray.

To Lilith however, the end of the chain connected to a choker made of the magic from the contract. The said choker rested snugly around her neck. Not too tightly or loose because it was made to perfectly fit the contractee's neck.

[User successfully obtained Lilith Excelsis Mammon as contracted summon.]

[Congratulation user manage to fulfill the requirements to unlock Summoner, Demon Summoner and Demon Contractor job classes]

[Summoner]

A practitioner of a specialized school of magic that dabbles in the art of summoning.

-Summon creatures into battle

-Can turn defeated or willing monsters into summons.

[Demon Summoner]

Just like a normal summoner but specialized and exclusively only able to summon Demons

-Summon only beings with attribute or archetypes of Demon.

[Demon Contractor]

An advanced branch of contractor. Mages that lack talent for pursuing craft seek out stronger beings and make contracts to borrow strength and power. Most of the time, the contractor ends up being devoured due to recklessly establishing contracts with stronger beings. Most common benefit is rapid strength improvement and borrowing abilities of the Demon.

-Benefits depend on the contract established between both sides.

[Notice: System detected user already unlocked Job Class function but not in use. To access the function, user need to pay 10,000 points to unlock.]

[Pay 10,000 points to unlock?]

'Motherfucker' Ray thought.

No wonder he never discovered the damn thing. Turn out each function and subsystems need to be bought from the Hub System to unlock. The system never clarified this which made Ray think the Job Class function is shared from his SAS 4 system. But no, it's actually separated.

Why under the gaze of Lilith and Lancelot. The seemingly absent minded Ray suddenly cursed profanities.

"Take my money bitch! And gimme the damn function already. Who would know I need to pay for each and every function to be unlocked when you never clarify this shit properly." Ray complained to the invisible screen, not visible to Lilith's or Lancelot.

(Lancelot can only see through shared sense that unavailable when he is summoned.)

"What else did I miss?" Ray questioned the system.

[Unlocked Functions: Crafting function, Pet Management function, Guild function, User's Auction function]

"Buy all of them." Ray replied with annoyance to the system.

[There is also an upgradable function.]

"..."

"By any chance the system is made by EA?"

[No, the system is created by #######. Definitely not EA.]

"Just take my money already and upgrade it." Ray huffed with veins popping near his brow after being stressed by his bad memories of the scummy mega corporation in the dystopian 2064 that would literally charge you separately for everything including the ability to walk in game.

—————

I remembered something important that I should have told a lot earlier.

Ray by my full intention is to be within the modern world. My ambitious project for this fanfic is to stay within a universe that has a modern world. The main cross worlds I intended were actually Campione and Toaru. However, I'm not good enough to write about the Toaru world at all.

Imagine how Ray will thrive with his equipment and etcetera if he is in the modern world. No need to be too modern. Someone actually suggested the Saga of Tanya the Evil which is even greater. Ray will essentially become one-man-faction in that world.

The devastation he can create as he enters enemies HQ and calls for Aerial Bombardment. Undying soldiers that each worth ten mage soldiers. The only faction with proper satellites in the sky which dominates information warfare.

However, it's too late to change shiz now that it's done.

Sigh… this is what happens when you try to write a story not in one go or sitting and instead few paragraphs every ten or so minutes sneakily during work when bored.