72nd

A significant amount of the slaves were already on the second or third level, and many managed to reach the main building as well as the prison yard - spacious enough to hold hundreds of people.

It was sheer chaos and carnage. Guards and Wardens tried to fight back with some success. Dozens of slave corpses lay at their feet, while streams of blood sprayed out with every blow made by the Wardens.

Obviously, the prisoners outnumbered them, but the guards did not give up, for they knew they had a true magician on their side.

Booooooooooom.

The blast of lightning that destroyed part of the topmost tower made everyone stop for a second. Both slaves and guards knew who was there, they quickly realized what was happening.

Someone was fighting the head warden - exactly that thought ran through everyone's heads like an electric shock.

"Let's go! As long as that sick sadistic woman isn't here, we have a good chance of making our way to the main gate!" Some of the slaves exclaimed, pouncing on the nearest guard.

Clearly, none of them hoped that the daredevil who challenged the head warden could win, it was impossible for a commoner to handle a magician. However, it bought them time - that was all that mattered.

...

Dust with small stones fell from the ceiling, showering the young man in a dark coat sitting next to the gaping hole. The light of the blue moon, the only source of light in the vast night sky covered with stars, illuminated the faint rays of the room as well as half of the young man's figure.

"Dodged? Not bad." Astrid smirked, standing confidently in the center.

Evan sighed, rising slowly and glaring at her, "What now? A sword fight? Aren't you afraid you'll lose in that one?"

Astrid smirked as she bit down on her pinky finger with a sly grin.

"Hey, even though you're no longer Kellan, I like that you're fighting back, and even with your skinny body, you still have a pretty face. Naturally, you'll never reach my level, but that's not bad either." Astrid touched her chin, clearly considering herself the very embodiment of beauty.

"No, I refuse." Evan shrugged, "There's no way two narcissus can get along together."

Astrid shrugged, "Then I'll show you what a magician can do - you miserable evil spirit!"

At the same moment, Astrid's blue eyes changed, as if they had become two mechanisms with complicated gears that were part of the complex system of magic in this world.

For a split second, Evan was mesmerized by this sight as deep in Astrid's eyes he saw some object. Evan didn't know what it was yet, but at that moment Astrid set in motion what made her a mage, separating her from the commoners. Her Tantum and Warp activated, quickly elevating her mage power to the peak of her strength.

For a split second, Evan was mesmerized by this sight as deep in Astrid's eyes he saw some object - he had yet to find out what it was.

"Commoner you or Knight, it doesn't matter, you're all nothing compared to a Magician!" Astrid exclaimed, pointing her hand at Evan.

Electric shocks came out of her fingertips, cascading straight at Evan.

His instincts told him that this attack would kill him - there was no other outcome, so he had to do the only thing that would save his life.

Whoooooooooooosh.

Evan threw the sword aside sharply, which in flight drew all the lightning towards him and stuck in the wall. The lightning scattered across the wall, causing the cold stones to partially melt, showing what would happen to Evan.

"Oh, that was clever. Well, I can do it a few more times, but you're not likely to survive even one more." Astrid said nonchalantly as lightning flashed across her hand again. 

Evan should have been afraid, Astrid had been expecting it, but instead, he did something unexpected.

"Agh...?" 

Astrid was puzzled, watching as Evan kicked the wall, knocking out a few bricks - all so that the moonlight would fall on the seal drawn by Evan's blood.

With a sly smirk, Evan showed her his palm, with a wide cut in the center from which blood dripped.

"I may not be a mage, and this body has a terrible physique, but I have something that will forever leave only one emotion on your face - primal terror." Evan's voice spread through the room like a soul-chilling echo.

Then, he placed his palm against the sign or rather - sigil.

"72nd Lord - Count Andromalius - summon!" Evan exclaimed, putting all his strength into his voice.

The sigil shone brightly, releasing outward streams of scarlet energy - violent and chaotic.

Astrid would have wanted to stop him, but as soon as Evan touched the sigil, the world froze - for everyone but Evan.

His consciousness was transported to a vast space - white as snow on the tops of mountain peaks and completely empty. There was no earth here, no sun or cloud only him.

'Agh...? What's going on?' Evan muttered inwardly, looking around puzzled, since although the sigil had worked, the process itself was different from what it was in his world.

Whooooooooooosh.

A long shadow descended from above, quickly approaching Evan. The shadow swirled around Evan like a whirlwind, as if wanting to devour him, but soon it stopped.

"How interesting... A weak Commoner, but you know how to use my sigil..." Count Andromalius muttered slightly surprised, looking at Evan.

It was a long snake with emerald scales, dense and sharp like blades, and amber eyes with vertical pupils like a true predator.

"Wait..." Count Andromalius turned his head, staring intently at Evan, "We haven't met before? No, that definitely hasn't happened. Hah, you seem to be an unusual young man. Now tell me, what do you desire?"

Evan smirked, "Power. I need the power to defeat a magician."

Andromalius nodded, he walked around Evan, pondering, and then shook his head.

"Your body is too weak. I have nothing to take from you. You are feeble, and your lifespan is short. If I were you, I'd worry about every day you have left."

"And? I only need a fraction of the strength, the cost of which will be a few months at most. That my body is weak is none of your fucking business." Evan frowned.

"Oh, looks like you're not that easy, and you even know the approximate prices. Not bad. Hehehe, in that case, there's no point in wasting time with idle chatter." Andromalius chuckled, sticking out his long tongue and peering into Evan's eyes.

Thus, he saw Astrid's silhouette as well as her aura and electrical discharges.

"I see... So this is who your opponent is. Arrogance comes out of her in an endless stream. Just as it does out of you."

Andromalius's eyes sparkled.

"I have an extra deal for you - I'll reduce the price to one month, but in return, I want to enjoy her suffering and screaming. Also, if you die I will eat your soul for not honoring the contract." Andromalius smirked insidiously.

In fact, demon lords didn't lie, most of the time they quoted exactly the price they were supposed to. However, that didn't mean that the deals couldn't have tricks or pitfalls.

Evan smirked, "Fine, I agree."

He understood what Andromalius had done - the demon had lowered the price and added a condition that Evan was going to do without his offer. However, Andromalius's goal was the second part of the deal, since he was sure that even with his power a weak man like Evan wouldn't be able to defeat the magician. So Andomalius baited Evan, hoping to get much more than a few months, and yet he wasn't deceiving - all the terms were clear and straightforward.

A contract appeared between them, the symbols on which were written in blood. The contract shone brightly, and space began to collapse into hundreds of white fragments, sinking into darkness.

"I won't wish you luck, but... If you somehow pull it off, I'll be interested to hear your next deal." Andromalius uttered before disappearing into the darkness just as Evan did.

The sigil vaporized and was replaced by a massive snake that curled around Evan's left arm.

"Now, let's play by my rules." Evan grinned dangerously, taking a step forward.

Astrid flinched as her eyes filled with fear at the sight of Evan's aura as if behind him lurked hundreds of bloody ghosts once long ago who had been people like her, but doomed to eternal suffering.