Soul Contract

[ 31 Dec 2099 ]

Ray woke up with a jolt. He was lying on a bed completely drenched in sweat. Taking a look at his surroundings, he recognized a familiar ceiling striking a feeling of déjà vu to him.

'Huh, w-where am I?'

he thought just a second before remembering his last moments with all of his memories rushing back to him.

'Was it only my imagination? but I remember it too clearly to be a dream'

Just as he was contemplating, a familiar voice called out from downstairs-

"Ray! Are you still sleeping? Wake up or you will be late for college"

His heart stopped for a moment, recognizing the voice immediately. Unknowingly tears started welling in the corner of his eyes.

He didn't seem to care now if it was a dream or reality,

He threw the sheets aside and ran for the door. He jumped halfway through the stairs almost breaking his legs.

Within seconds he was in the living room and there he saw her -

Her warm gentle face and her cascading brown hair streaked with few strands of silver.

Her eyes, the color of the ocean, deep and comforting radiating kindness with a tint of worry and affection.

She was in her usual attire but for Ray, she looked more beautiful and precious than ever.

"Ray, what's wrong? Why are you running like that? Is everything okay?" She asked, her voice laden with worry.

"Mom—Mom," Ray stuttered, his voice trembling with a mix of disbelief and overwhelming emotion.

"You can take a day off today if you don't feel like it," she said worriedly, noticing the tears in his eyes.

Before he could say anything, a familiar, comforting voice came from the kitchen,

"Ray, don't worry. I'll talk to the dean about those kids" his father said, stepping into the room. His father's presence was as solid and reassuring as ever, with unyielding eyes that mirrored Ray's own.

Ray's mind went blank with crushing emotions at the sight of his father. His heart raced uncontrollably within his chest with his legs trembling beneath him, unable to bear the weight of his emotions.

"Ray, you look exhausted," his mother observed with concern. "Why don't you take a bath and then try to get some rest?" his mother suggested kindly.

Ray's mind was in havoc. Unable to comprehend what was occurring, he slowly walked up to the bathroom and glanced in the mirror,

"Wha-what?" he stuttered in absolute disbelief

He saw his younger self looking back at him with his deep blue eyes resembling his mother's and a good-looking face with dark hair akin to his father's.

His face was covered with light wounds reminding him of the past he hated.

'It can't be...'

he thought trembling all over.

'Is it all in my head or...

have I really returned to the past?'

***

It's been three hours since Ray woke up. He was lying on his bed with not even a bit of sleep. His mind was creating several possibilities about what could have happened and how he had returned to the past.

'One thing I know is that this is definitely linked to the game.' His gaze fixated on the brand-new VR pod lying in the corner of his room.

He remembered his dad bringing it home, a special gift to all of the employees of the gaming company.

The sleek and futuristic design of the VR pod made it look like something out of a sci-fi movie. The entrance hatch was a seamless, sliding door that opened with a soft, hydraulic hiss. Tiny LED lights blinked rhythmically along the sides, indicating the pod's readiness for use.

'But there is a much bigger problem I have to address first'

He looked at himself in the mirror focusing on his right eye in the reflection,

In his right eye amidst the blue shade, a sight shadow of black was swirling around. It was a tiny dot but he could locate it clearly because he was familiar with it.

"So you won't leave me alone huh"

Ray clenched his fists, his mind racing back to that ominous night and the demon's name still echoed in his memories—

Asmodeus, the Demon Lord of Lust and Deceit.

***

In Ray's previous life, the guild

'Holy Crusaders' was one of the top guilds belonging purely to the light faction. It was a guild that was considered to be the most righteous guild by many, NPCs and players alike.

But a major problem arrived for the guild in due time. The world quest took a different route and went opposite to the light faction. Now they had no choice but to play against the light faction if they wanted to compete against other guilds.

It was at the same time that Ray found himself in dire need of money. The guild leader of holy Crusaders owned the hospital where his mother was being treated. He was looking for a player who could work on his whims through the shadows completing the quests for their guild without their reputation decreasing with the light faction.

There the doctors informed him that a potential player had arrived there who needed a large amount of money at once. The guild leader approached Ray with his kind smile giving him a glimmer of hope of saving his mother.

Ray who was emotionally distraught at the moment took hold of his 'generosity' without thinking much, only realizing later how easily he was manipulated by him. He promised him that he would help Ray with his mother's treatment and in return, he had to play for him in Etherea.

At that time he thought that someone from such a high-ranking guild would be interested in an average player like him however it didn't take long for him to find out.

he was forced to make a soul contract with one of the 72 demon kings - Asmodeus. Which allowed him to borrow an immense burst of power for a short amount of time against the NPCs of light faction.

But the downsides of this power were massive. His level was forever stuck at the same level with all the experience he ever got being offered to Asmodeus.

Not only this, he got a massive reputation drop with the light and neutral faction which made his life miserable inside the game. He couldn't afford to die now as his level wouldn't increase now if he deleveled.

Because of these conditions, he was completely defenseless against the players and other NPCs not belonging to the light faction. Each day felt like a relentless struggle to survive, with his enemies getting stronger while he remained stuck, unable to level up.

***

'This time, It won't be the same'

He thought, his eyes resolute with a newfound determination that hadn't been there before. His past failures and raw emotions further fuel his determination.

'I will not let them ruin my world again'

'In this life, no one would be able to harm my family again.'

'I will shake the balance of power in the world of Etherea. Demons, Angels, Archangels, Dragons, Gods - whatever may come.

I will destroy this game from within.'

"'But first, I will take my revenge against you, Asmodeus''

He said grinning, his smile looking more devilish than the demon in question itself.