The Legion

It seemed almost timed, but just when I felt a little hungry again, Artemis would inform me about a use she found for the demon. Too much of a coincidence to be true, at least for me. Artemis should already know and was probably withholding the information to fulfill the damn temporary mission.

<<"My Lord Ascle, I am pleased to inform you that have discovered a way use the spirit of demon with whom previously fought. All need do is force him sign contract benefits you, given circumstances. With your Silver Tongue skill, don't believe you'll encounter difficulties. Would like me establish communication channel him?">>

Certainly, Artemis. Don't waste any time—I can't stand being in this dark hole any longer.

Artemis apparently began establishing that communication channel with the conquered demon's spirit. It caused me discomfort and a headache, as I heard the sound of thousands of voices all at once, screaming in apparent agony.

By God, what is this? This horrendous cacophony is making me nauseous.

("FREE MEEEE! YOUR SOUL WILL SUFFER WHEN I LAY MY HANDS ON YOU!")

A torrent of thousands of different voices—some soft, others hoarse, some high-pitched, others deep—hit me. In response, I ordered Artemis to consume 1% of his soul to see if it would calm him down. His response was a painful roar.

("AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! What did you do? I could feel my spiritual energy draining away.")

"First, I want you to stop screaming immediately. Second, I command you to listen to my proposal. If you don't want to suffer a fate far worse than death, know that I can consume infinitely small portions of your soul for all eternity, and you'll live in eternal torment."

("What kind of being are you? When my ritual struck you, I could swear you were growing stronger. Even though I was weak, that should have been impossible.")

Yes, there were thousands of voices, although somewhat calmer now—tormented, unified. It piqued my curiosity; his soul seemed unique.

"Rituals cannot affect me, just as miracles are dispelled upon contact with my body. Unlike weak demons like you."

("Weak? My name is Legion, for we are many. And my multiple faces were once all angelic. Your luck was encountering me after they threw that cursed miracle at me; otherwise, you wouldn't stand a chance.")

"Listen, it doesn't matter what you say. I didn't come here to engage in an ego contest. What I want is to propose a contract to you."

An infernal silence filled my mind for what felt like hours, even though it was probably only seconds. After so many consecutive screams, having a quiet mind was refreshing.

("And what makes you think we would want to make a contract with you?")

"Do you prefer the second option?"

("Which one?")

"Eternal suffering while being utterly defenseless?"

Another silence followed. I suspected he was arguing with himself during these pauses—probably his multiple personalities clashing within his mind.

("State your proposal…")

"First of all, I must tell you that it is your birthright to serve me, for I am the Antichrist."

Honestly, it embarrassed me to say that to someone. I hadn't quite gotten used to the title, but perhaps it would make him think twice about the contract. I expected laughter, but that's not what came next.

("And can you prove what you claim to be?")

Artemis! Help me out here, buddy. How do I prove it to him?

<<"You can show him the system, since he is within you, but will know everything about you. It's a risky move. However, if you ensure his loyalty through contract, there shouldn't be major issues, I imagine.">>

Very well, then do it.

At that moment, I could almost feel his eyes shining. The voices that were previously arguing and shouting were now hushed, whispering to one another.

("Ah… so it's time. Tell me, what do you desire from me?")

"Your loyalty, your servitude—to fight and live for me, and to kill in my name if I so wish. In return, I will provide you with a body worthy of your dwelling, not a bunch of filthy rats in a cave."

("I have only one humble request, master, aside from apologizing for my previous behavior. I want you to provide me with the body of an unparalleled creature in strength. Only then will I fully believe in you. And in exchange, you shall have the most powerful army ever to tread upon this Earth.")

I could hear various voices dissenting from the main voice—some cursing me and calling me a liar, while others seemed afraid of me. But the majority appeared willing to serve me if I was truly telling the truth, so I agreed.

"As soon as I can, I will bring you the body of a creature worthy of hosting thousands of demons."

And thus, the contract was sealed, and a new mission unfolded before me:

<<Hiiden Hirvi>>

<<Once you are strong enough, hunt down the legendary elk.>>

<<Time to complete: ???>>

<<Rewards: The unparalleled army.>>

<<Feeling like a new snake: Complete>>

With this message, a light began to envelop my body, swirling around me and seemingly pulling me in all directions. It made my head ache again—perhaps due to the silence left by the voices.

And then, in the blink of an eye, I found myself perched atop a tree, surrounded by leaves. The sun beat down on my body, warming me. My serpent-like eyes struggled to adjust to the light, but it wouldn't kill me. I was finally free, and with that freedom came a question.

What the hell is a Hiiden Hirvi, Artemis?

<<"Hiiden Hirvi is a legendary elk that roams the world. It was created by goblins from cursed soil and other components. brings chaos destruction wherever it goes, impossible to hunt. I believe once you are strong enough, we could speak these discover who elk. The creator must possess at least skill have accomplished such feat.">>

So, the Voice of God wants me to hunt an elk whose skill makes it impossible to be hunted? It must be a joke. It would be easier to fight a deity at this point—unless I find a way to nullify its skill.

<<"Perhaps we should leave that for when you truly desire to hunt it. I fear merely finding the tribe of goblins will be challenging enough.">>

Well, you're right. For now, I need to focus on finding a human body, don't I?

Just as I uttered those words, a man sprinted through the trees at an insane speed, only to stumble and fall against a trunk. He was panting, injured, and his armor severely damaged. Tall, fair-skinned, with dark hair, he had a rugged handsomeness despite the cuts on his face.

Speaking of the armor, as he fell, it began to disintegrate, revealing only a chainmail he wore underneath. Carrying so much weight, it was impressive that he could move so swiftly. But a human body must be my first step toward gaining a human form, and I wouldn't waste this help from the Voice of God.

I activated my Stealth skill and began to approach him, walking along the branches of the interconnected trees. However, when I got close enough, I was surprised—he had already noticed me.

"Stay right where you are. I may be on the brink of death, but I'd be honored to take the life of a demon before I go. How the hell did you emerge from the cave?"

Somehow, he even knew that I was a demon, which left me somewhat frightened. He didn't seem like an ordinary knight if he could detect a stealthy enemy like me.

"You guessed right. I'm far from ordinary. Now come down here and explain exactly how you simply appeared in the middle of the forest."

Did you read my mind? What the hell is going on?

He pointed his sword at me, and it glimmered slightly, so I thought it best to comply with his order. I leaped from the tree and landed in front of him, far from graceful.

"Answer the question."

Well, I'm immune to the Sacred Field; crossing it wasn't difficult, you know.

"Excellent, but that's not what I asked. How did you materialize out of nowhere? And why didn't I sense any presence or magic until you were here?"

<<"Warning: Silver Tongue had no effect on him. Be cautious, sir. I also cannot activate Preparation to use Weaknesses.">>

Alright, I'll be honest with you. The Voice of God pulled me out of the cave after I completed a mission. I was trapped there.

Finally, he lowered his damn sword, seemingly believing what I said.

"A demon with a character role… now I've seen it all. Look, I want to make a contract with you. Is that alright?"

It was a different proposal than I expected, but I'll refrain from overthinking it so he doesn't read too much into my thoughts. Go on.

"I want to surrender control of my body to you before I die. I won't give you any of my skills—I'm not crazy enough to empower a demon that much—but you won't need to possess me. I'll willingly give myself over. That's my part of the contract. Interested? Being a snake must be tough for you, right?"

Well, it does interest me, but nothing comes for free in this world, does it?

"Of course. You'll have to fulfill your end, and the clause I'll establish is that if you ever refuse to comply, you'll sacrifice all your skills. Plus, the contract's effects will dissipate as usual. And, of course, you'll revert to being a simple snake, but I assume you already know that due to your nature."

Alright, but I still don't understand how you know I'm a demon.

"It matters little to me. You're made of chaotic energy, so you can form contracts. You confirmed your own demon status."

You remain quite strong for someone claiming to be dying.

"Your mistake—proof that your assessment skills need improvement. I've been hit by many miracles; I won't last another hour. But at least I have you to seek revenge for me and my friends."

I'm interested. I understand what it's like to lose your group to bastards.

"Excellent. I just killed the King of Brittany. My group was wiped out either invading or fleeing the castle. I survived, but the priests cast miracles on me that are killing my soul. I won't even have the right to reincarnate. Also, you should know that I'm part of the group known as Belles Roses. With my death, there won't be any members left, but if someone recognizes you in the future, you might have problems."

He began coughing heavily, blood spilling from his mouth. He seemed more wounded than he cared to show.

"The problem is that the mission was a failure. We were supposed to kill the king and the prince—the one who was already secretly ruling the kingdom since his father was old. The former prince, now King James III, is the one I want you to kill. All you need to know is that the wretch is a slaveholder. He enslaved my country and reduced it to nothing, which is why we undertook this mission. Additionally, we had an artifact to capture his soul, ensuring he would never reincarnate. If you manage to do that, as a bonus clause, I'll grant you one of my skills. Do you accept it?"

But undoubtedly, killing a slaveholder and becoming stronger because of it? I'd do it for free, but since they're paying me with strength, I'll be even happier. I'd shake your hand, but I'm afraid I can't.

"Alright, just having the contract accepted means I can die in peace. Accept my body, young demon. Before I go, can you tell me your name?"

It's Ascle, go in peace, my friend. But speaking of that, wouldn't you like to hand over your soul to me? Maybe I'll find a way to bring you back in the future.

"Do you already possess such an ability? Cursed one, you're stealing one of my skills for free. Well, I suppose it's better than oblivion."

And with that, he closed his eyes and gently opened his mouth. A large, brilliantly yellow soul emerged, being absorbed by me. I could have consumed it since the contract didn't specify otherwise, but I decided to remain fair.

Suddenly, I felt as if my own soul was being sucked into the man's body. It's hard to describe the sensation, but imagine someone sticking a vacuum cleaner in your mouth.

Everything went black all at once.