0.1 seconds

Every demon was different from each other, from appearance and abilities to habits and communication manner.

Prince Seere had the demeanor of a noble family member and he demanded the same treatment in return.

"I greet you." Evan said respectfully, bowing slightly.

Prince Seere nodded in return with an approving smile.

"I see you are in a difficult situation. You activated my sigil just in time, a few more seconds, and you would have been nothing but pieces of flesh."

Evan gulped, he realized that Seere was right, especially now, when he had some time to think about the situation.

"I need the power. I'm willing to give as much as it takes to defeat this monster." Evan said seriously.

"Sure." Seere nodded serenely, "Everyone needs power, after all, you didn't come here to talk. However... you must realize that this is not going to be an easy deal."

Evan remained silent. There was no need to argue with the demon, at least not until he made his offer.

Seere glanced at Evan as his face changed slightly, "How strange... You're so weak and young, yet you act confidently as if you're not seeing me for the first time... Well, this is not what we should be discussing right now. I can't give you the power of my ability."

Seere pointed at Evan, "Your body just can't withstand it, you'll die in an instant."

Evan looked at him intently, "There is no need for that. I only need physical might. Even my weak body will be able to endure it, if only for a moment, won't it?"

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully he replied, "Yeah... even a little more - 0.1 second is your maximum, the most I can offer, otherwise you'll die."

'0.1... second... Fuck, that's less than I expected, but considering it's Seere, it should work out. Now, there's only one thing left...' Evan pondered.

"How much?"

Seere extended his hand with an open palm, "Five years."

Evan's face went pale. Considering his current lifespan, it was equal to 10% of everything he had. In fact, the price was really high, and Seere realized it too.

"However... I have another deal for you." Seere turned sideways as if looking at the moose, "Surely you know about another ability of mine..."

Evan nodded.

Sometimes, demons could offer several options at once if they saw an opportunity to get an extra benefit out of a situation. Earlier, something similar had been attempted by Andromalius.

"This moose was an ordinary beast, however, now it has become a monster because of a parasite. This parasite is just a larva, one of many, yet it has a hell of a lot of energy in it. I will show you where the nest is, reduce the price to 1 year, and give you an extra reward if successful. You will have one week to do everything, I need the main larva or whatever it is. If you don't make it, I'll take another 10 years from you in a week." Seere calmly explained without any tricks.

Evan's eyes grew deeper. In fact, what attracted him the most was not that Seere had lowered the price significantly, but the unknown additional reward.

'Well, the risks are great, but I can't pass up an opportunity like this. If I succeed, it will be worth it!'

"Alright, I agree." Evan said seriously while clenching his fists tightly.

Seere smiled and with a slight nod said, ''It's a pleasure doing business with you young man. I hope you don't disappoint me."

A long contract written in thick blood appeared out of nowhere, only to fade away in a bright flash.

"See you later!" Seere elegantly waved his hand before flying upwards on his majestic horse. 

Space began to collapse, quickly sinking into darkness just as Evan did. Soon enough, he would back in the real world, and was ready to act now.

As the links of the broken chains flew apart, the wolf preparing for mortal combat and Klaus's eyes filling with fear, Evan's gaze only grew colder.

Evan's time was short, but human vision was capable of catching every change, no matter how brief it was.

'Agh...?' Hana blinked, and now Evan was emitting streams of white aura, surging from bottom to top - violent, yet radiating a strange nobility.

Then, in Evan's hand appeared a massive knight's lance, heavy and powerful with many carved runes covering it like an ancient artifact.

Evan bent his body forward and took a step.

At the moment his foot touched the ground his left eye turned blue, and a few locks of his hair became silver.

In no time, Evan crossed ten meters, in a snow-white flash, piercing the moose, and passing through the monster's body exactly in the middle.

Lance's tip tore through flesh and blood, an invisible barrier protecting Evan so that clots of organ parts wouldn't fall on him.

Under Klaus's shocked gaze, Evan stopped a few meters away from the moose, whose wide hole in its body was so large that it split the monster in two. 

The time Evan had gained, 0.1 seconds in exchange for a year of life, came to an end.

The lance disappeared, Evan's look returned to normal, and the aura dissipated without a trace. Then, it was time for the aftermath.

Many small wounds opened up all over Evan, spurting out blood as if his body was ready to be torn apart.

"Argh!!!" Evan's eyes went wide as a stream of blood gushed out of his mouth. He fell to the ground, coughing and holding his throat as if trying to contain the ensuing damage.

"Evan!" Klaus exclaimed anxiously, running up to him.

"I'm fine... You don't have to worry about me..." Evan replied in a hoarse voice with a wave of his hand, "You better make sure there's nothing left of that monster!"

Though his words were directed towards Klaus, the first to act was the wolf, who tore towards the moose's head, starting to tear off chunks of flesh with his powerful jaw.

"Right!" Klaus exclaimed, pointing his rapier at the moose's backside and quickly activating the weapon's ability.

Purple lightning rushed forward, intending to finish off this monster with precision. 

At the same moment, the parasite emerged from the moose's skull, breaking its way through the dense layer of bone.

The wolf's claws came down on the parasite immediately, but it was too late.

The piercing scream of a hundred wailing souls echoed for hundreds of meters, marking a new stage of mutation.

The flesh began to grow at an abnormal rate, absorbing all the damage and quickly turning the moose into something shapeless and horrible.

Dozens of outgrowths with blade-sharp tips covered a hideous mass of flesh and bone that seemed to be able to grow indefinitely.

"No way..." Evan muttered while trickles of blood ran down the corners of his mouth.

He couldn't summon another demon, his body was already at its limit. The situation was hopeless - only a miracle could save them.

Cutting through the wind currents, a massive double-bladed axe came crashing down on the monster with a distinct whistle like a falling comet.

Then, runes flashed on the axe, causing wild heat.

A fleeting spark ignited a pillar of flame that exploded like magma in a volcanic eruption, destroying everything in its path.

That day, for the first time in many months, the snow around the river disappeared, escaping the heat and leaving bare ground that would soon be covered in rain of blood.