The Path to a Man’s Heart is through his Stomach

Jason turned his attention to the Doom Monkey, sweating buckets, glued to the ground with fear. Feeling an unpleasant tension at the back of his neck, Karl stiffened before slowly raising his head to meet the sharp gaze of the unknown teenager. Using these precious few seconds, he glanced around and appraised the situation.

In all honesty, the young man standing in front of him didn't seem very powerful. He had wanted to take revenge for his friends, slashing him with his axe and cussing him out while doing it. Having lived in the Curious Grove for over a decade, where skirmishes and territorial wars were common, the Doom Monkey had honed his survival instincts to their utmost limits, and he was confident that he could beat the teenager with a single blow. He knew his own strength, and the man in front of him had no perceivable aura.

However, for the first time in Karl's life, reason, not instinct, screamed at him to surrender. He had witnessed first hand how close the relationship between the vampire and the black-haired man was, and seeing that he had fed her blood for hours upon hours, he knew that the man was not just an average, everyday warrior. In fact, he had watched him survive the full brunt of a Snuggleby's surprise attack, further sowing doubt into his mind.

As he watched Jason assume a fighting stance, similar to the one Eve used to kick and destroy his real estate, Karl reluctantly chose to make the smart decision and shot another thumbs up gesture into the air, surrendering once more. Meanwhile, the girl who had made his life a living hell continued to snore, blissfully unaware of the current situation.

Jason let out a sigh and relaxed his fighting stance. With a quick nod, he gestured for the Doom Monkey to come closer.

"Little monkey, you have dared to hurt my sister when we were simply performing our morning training routine, even daring to gang up on us when we posed you all no threat. Your two friends have already paid the price."

He then grabbed the Monkey's axe, which had been lying on the floor, and in a voice laced with contempt and anger, said ominously, "Now, how will you pay for this sin? Through death or through eternal servitude?"

Frankly, he had found the Doom Monkey's retorts, over-the-top cussing, and brutal honesty a breath of fresh air in the Isles of the Gods (being a hate reader himself) and had even felt a little bit of pity for the poor being who had been beaten black and blue by Eve. Though he wouldn't allow anyone to harm his loved ones a second time, he wondered if it was possible to form a contract with a unique beast, similar to the ones he had with his magician "friends" back in Butterpond.

Jason's doubts quickly vanished as he saw the Doom Monkey stick his fingers into his nose in a hurry. The monkey had already intended to surrender and knew that he was fortunate to have this second lease on life. Not wanting to take any chances, he blessed his lucky stars and quickly recited the necessary oaths of servitude.

"By the wishes of the God of Contracts, please oversee the oath that we are about to make. I, a humble servant, swear to never directly harm Master Jason and his sister or I will forever be reduced to ashes by your eternal flame."

Jason nodded and similarly prayed to the God of Contracts, accepting Karl's proposal. Though he had noticed that the contract was different from his previous one, his mind was quickly forced off the issue by an insatiable hunger.

Hearing his stomach growl again, this time significantly louder than before, Jason tasked Karl to bring him back a few vegetables. He would prepare the dupig and befish for the night but given the heavy amount of protein he had already consumed on his trip, he wanted to eat a few of the region's specialty greens.

"Of course Master." Karl replied.

And in a heartbeat, he was off. Karl had just come up with a master plan! He smirked as he thought about the various tricks that he could pull against the stupid humans that had wandered into his territory. If he couldn't beat the man through force, then he would find another way to survive. And what better way than through a man's stomach.

Ten minutes passed before Karl returned with six brightly colored mushrooms, two purple, two yellow, and two black, placing them on the ground in front of his "master."

Famished, Jason grabbed a mushroom at the speed of light and tossed it into his mouth. He crunched and munched until he felt a burning sensation. First in his stomach, then throughout his entire body, Jason felt as though his organs had slowed to a halt and wriggled in excruciating pain. His mouth felt parched, and his pupils dilated. As time slowly passed, he began to foam at the mouth and could no longer breathe until…

Ding!

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