Shattered soul

[Warning: If the Host accepts the offer, the Host will be forced into the class "Warlock (Legendary)"!]

"...!?" With the explanation from the system, all thoughts and ideas of Temrosth ceased.

"What is it? Did your system say something that wasn't to your liking?" As Temorsth's surprise reverberated through his face, a clear image appeared in her mind.

"Uh...?" Hearing her words Temorsth's voice wavered. Hesitation appeared in his eyes as new thoughts crossed his mind, but even these thoughts came to a quick end after she continued.

"No, I can't hear it so don't worry. And no, I don't hear your thoughts either. Your face was simply too readable now." Her quick response carried a touch of amusement, her eyes formed a small smile from looking at a little child's confused face.

She felt a strange satisfaction, it was the first time she could truly tell what this strange boy was thinking.

"Oh..." A relieved sigh was conveyed as realization hit him.

"And? What is it that you don't like? Tell me, maybe we can work around it."

"The class..." As the mannequin showed her willingness to find a middle ground for their deal, Temrosth tried his luck with words that had some actual regret.

"Hmm?" Curiosity became evident in her eyes as she awaited Temorsth's explanation.

"I promised someone that I won't choose a class for now." Temorsth's words which were controlled by one of their Five Commands held a strong sense of loyalty and honor.

"A promise...?" Not understanding this loyalty, her voice was filled with a mixture of shocked confusion.

"That's... Who did you promise it to? I'm sure they wouldn't mind since with the level of the deal I have proposed to you, you should have been offered a legendary ranked class."

"Ugh..." Despite the persuasion, Temorsth did not speak, seeing his silence, she attempted to sway him again.

"It is extremely rare to find mortals with legendary ranked classes. To tell you the truth, this is a free ticket to becoming a True Legend something that only a few lucky ones could become." Her words tried to sound sweet as they carried a sense of temptation and allure, her offer laced with promises of both power and prestige.

"Hm? Are you tempted now?" She leaned closer a slight eagerness sparkling in her eyes.

"Sorry..." Yet, Temorsth answered with the same low voice, but rather than being disheartened because of the promise, his voice carried a note of remorse because of his need to break that beautiful spark of light.

"...!" Astonishment appeared, she who had never been refused a Deal before, now was taken as nothing in front of a simple promise?

"Who... Who did you promise it to?" Her voice noticeably changed, she no longer sounded confident nor did she sound playful.

"Ahah... It's a little embarrassing but to tell you the truth it is someone who is still something like a stranger to me." Scratching the back of his head with a fake smile and a joking tone, Temrosth tried to lighten the mood which became heavy from the mannequin's change.

"To a stranger?" Yet, hearing the words simply caused even more confusion to appear.

"Yes... Haha, funny, isn't it?"

"Then..." Since Temorsth's demeanor didn't change, she looked down to the ground, a short contemplation passed through her mind before she looked back up.

"Why can't you just break that promise, isn't it just a stranger?" Her attempt to rationalize Temorsth's decision was marly trying to be a kind and forceless suggestion, but quickly she realized she had made a mistake.

"..." Hearing the words Temorsth's face froze, he fell silent but his eyes, which quickly changed said more than his words would have.

'Oppression...?' She noticed the force only few could show, a moment of hesitation.

"Break... You would...!?" His voice was slow yet loud and commanding, it completely reflected the hostile aura that appeared around him.

Eyes widened, seeing the expression of the innocent child disappear from her sight and shift into such, the mannequin raised her hand.

'Uh...? I tried to guard?' Realizing she moved involuntarily and tried to cover from a kid's energy, a slight redness appeared on her embarrassed face.

"You would...!?"

"...!?" As the same words were spoken with even greater hostility, her actions repeated and her eyes widened even more.

'Uh? Did I actually get... scared?'

"I-I wouldn't... but..." She just wanted to get out of the embarrassing situation her instinct caused, but she was interrupted before she could finish the words.

"There is no such a thing as 'But'! One should never break a promise that they have made with their word in it!" Temorsth's voice carried a steadfast conviction, his unwavering commitment almost overwhelmed even her.

"..." She fell silent, her thoughts momentarily suspended as she grappled with the strange situation.

Her mind clearly told her that in front of her a mortal boy, not older than seven sat, a boy with so little power that it would be easier to erase him than to speak another word. Yet, her instincts, which had saved her so many times that it would be impossible to count, told her the exact opposite.

'Why do I feel this... that the thing before me is extremely dangerous?' As she was getting lost in her thoughts, Temrosth continued his monologue.

"Even if it was a 'stranger' who I have promised to, nothing changes... All words should be kept! Even in death!" A voice full of determination and pride in his unwavering principles.

'Ugh... I don't... I simply can't understand him... Why!? Why are they so alike yet so different at the same time?'

'I...' *Sigh...*

'If, maybe... If he would have been half as willful with his promises maybe something...' In her train of thought, an image came up.

"Ah, you are hurt!" In her sight a boy, looking the same in size and physique as Temrosth stood while swinging a sword that was larger than his own height.

"..." Hearing the pained callout, the boy stopped his sword for a moment. While his green eyes looked down at the blood-dripping shaking hand, that was grasping the hilt of that sword for hours or even days now, with a low and gasping voice he spoke up.

"Don't worry, it's just a scrape..." And after this short sentence wasting no more time the boy continued his training, but not for long.

"What scrape is bleeding so much!?" She grasped his hand.

"Just stop, you can train later but stop for now! It will just bring pain if you..."

"Let go of me!" Even before she could finish her words, his gasping stopped and he swung the sword with an even greater strength making her lose hold of it.

"...?"

"I have to learn it! If I don't become strong enough, who will? Who will face them if not me?"

"Why are you..." As she heard his words which were spoken while he used even more energy, her words became full of pain, a pain which came from her inability to deny his words.

*Sigh* "Don't worry Sis. I will rest... later, I promise..."

'Maybe if he would have held to his promises too...'

"No, nothing would have changed." As she cut off the memories that tried to mass with her head out of nowhere, she involuntarily spoke up.

"What?"

"Nothing I was just speaking to myself."

'Seeker, why did you want to take over for such a short time?'

'Now I understand, her mind.' Even as she dismissed the words and thoughts as a simple blunder, he, who was born from the need to understand the minds and actions of others could easily see through her.

'What are you even saying?'

'It doesn't matter.'

'Hmh, edge bastard...'

"But on the other hand, it's strange... Truly strange... A child with such principles, aren't you too young for something like this?" As she continued the conversation, her voice had a mix of surprise and some other emotions, this was an attempt to convey the curiosity she got from hearing his convictions.

"Too young? How could you be too young to have principles and convictions?" Temorsth's voice carried a hint of incredulity.

"What are you..."

"If someone can have childhood friends that they will call friends for life, then why can't they have laws that they wish to follow for the same amount of time?" As his words still radiated a sense of conviction, for a moment she fell silent again, her thoughts shifted to understand Temorsth.

'What is this crazy comparison? No, it's not the words that are crazy... the one who says it is.'

"I-I finally understand..." The mannequin's voice held a note of realization.

'He really is just nuts.'

"Hm? Do you?" Temorsth's voice carried a hint of curiosity.

"Yes-yes, I do." She reassured and acknowledged since she actually believed she had found the answer.

"Cool then." Temorsth's tone changed to the friendly one with the response and it was even filled with something akin to gratitude.

'And here it's back... I simply cannot comprehend his mind, but now it's obvious why. A sane person can't understand someone insane, now that I think about it, is this affected by his shattered soul? Yes-yes, let's go with this.' The mannequin's thoughts mirrored her earlier confusion.

She attempted to comprehend Temorsth but as she met with bewilderment, she dismissed it with a reason favorable to her, strangely she was quite accurate.

"Alright anyway, so you were saying that the class isn't good as payment... Since I need to give you something as well according to the laws of deals and you don't want actual power... then..."

"What about a weapon?"

"Umu?" Temrosth called out after he saw a sword appear on the coffee table from a slight sift of her hand.

The sword had an ominous feel to it as its dark blade had a beautifully intricate-looking energy emanating from the glowing green runes.

"Oho? Interesting! Can I take a look?" Seeing this energy, Temorsth's eyes sparkled with interest.

"Yeah, if you like it, something like this can also be a good payment." With that confirmation, Temorsth took the sword into his hand and the system instantly reacted and brought out its panel.

"Hmh?" But as quickly as it appeared, his gleaming eyes dimed the moment he saw the sword's description.

"Do you not like it?"

"Uh? Oh, it's just... I think my current one is a little bit better."

"What?"

"Yeah, see for yourself." Similarly to her, with a small movement of his hand, he brought out his spear from his space ring and gave it to her without hesitation.

"Uh? Ah-ah!? A Great God!?" As she infused a small amount of energy she quickly understood the weapon's powers, even those that were attached later.

"Why... Why does a mortal have such a weapon? You can't even use ten percent of its power!"

"Yeah, I heard this once before."

"Ugh... Then..." Now she wasn't even surprised by his nonchalance rather it was just that the weapon he brought out wasn't something, not a Mortal even a True Immortal would get their hands on easily.

"If-if a weapon is not good either... What about a technique!?"

"Hm?" Similarly to the sword a scroll appeared in her hand.

"Um... I don't know if this is better so, can you please compare it for me to this one?"

"Uh?"

"What the... An Original Art!? Where the hell did you get this!?"

"From Dad, he gave it to me when I was going out to hunt and train, but I could not use it much. Sadly it's a little hard to get into it on my own."

"This... Are you the successor of the Ester Continent's Yin-Yang Sect?"

"What? What, Yin-Yang?"

"You... are you not?"

"Uhm... I don't know of any Yin-Yang Sect, sorry."

"Your Dad... Who is he?"

"Do I need to answer?"

"Uh? No, not really but..."

"Then I would like to not say it."

"Ugh?"

"Yeah, it's a promise."

"Uh?"

"What? Now it was your face that was readable. Doesn't like it when someone does the same to you?"

"...? You... You're so petty, you actually got offended over this?"

"Hmh... Are you sure that you have the time to speak about this, don't you want to give something satisfactory to me, or will you just give up?"

"Uhm? You... I will show you who I am..." Determination blazed up in her eyes from the provocation, but sadly...

A few moments later.

"Argh! I can't fucking believe this! I, someone who is at the threshold of becoming Great can't give a satisfactory Deal offer to a kid!?"

"Uhm... Don't get so worked up... I'm..."

"Don't you dare say it's because you are different! You are a Mortal! The only difference I sense in you is your shattered s..."

"Hm?" As she cut off the words confusion descended onto Temrosth's face.

'Wait, if he has a shattered soul...'

"Hey!"

"Hm?"

"You have a shattered soul, right? I think you already know but there are 17 pieces so..."

"...!"

"If you want, I think we could make another Deal."

"...!"

"I will help you recombine it."

"You...!"

'Hm? Oh no...'

"...!"

'Feral, calm your rage!'

'I will kill it!'

'You can't do it...'

'That doesn't matter, we are immortal! How dare he call us pieces!?'

'She doesn't know what she...'

'Leve it at that for now.' A word of advice came from Original, making even Feral and Seekre shut up.

'What happ...!?'

'We are in extreme danger...' Hearing the words all of them looked outside at the same time.

"Quickly we have..." With a voice slightly tinged by panic, the mannequin stood up and stretched its hand out, but even before she could grab Temrosth, the door leading to the room started to slowly open, from it a disgustingly distorted voice came.

"Oh, who have I found...?"