“You’re sure you want to do this, Hubby? It seems…dangerous.” Winny looked down at Nick with a frown, as he laid across her lap as a pillow on their bed. The Wolfen girls laid across him like usual, and Kaya laid on the other side of Eirwen, running her claws through his hair and scratching his scalp.

Jasmine was out and about, like she often was when it was time for bed–after either fun in the shower or otherwise taking care of her master. It seemed she was doing her best to earn essence, much like Jasper.

“I think it’ll be alright. This thing, the Archaen Law, represents a monument of good. It somehow punishes evil, and that means it should be my ally. If you can’t bring it into the space, then I will just have to find some other means, like the demon cores.”

Nick had previously attempted to meet with the souls he had judged in a dream, and found that he couldn’t. This was why they were wanting to try something different.

Winny frowned. “The demon cores…doesn’t sound much better. That darkness would become a part of your body, and it could be just like your dance eventually.”

Kaya asked, “In a pinch, can’t you send one of us in to help him in the dream?”

Winny sighed. “That might be possible, but not when hubby and I are stretched so thin as it is. I’m not even so sure we can do it, last night when I probed it, it was too much for just me. It means hubby and I will need to work together to even have a chance. Unless…he waits until we are both stronger.”

Nick thought on it for a moment, and shook his head. “I need to get this mastered, and the sooner the better. Just like what Kaya had said: if I’m not strong enough when it’s needed and I lose, then it will be too late to say I’m sorry. I’m going to have to take this risk to become more.”

Winny gave him a smile, and a look of determination. “Alright. You know I will always have your back on this. Follow me as I weave the dream magic, and do your best to target the Archaen Law within you.”

Nick nodded, and stirred his soul essence. Weaving in his mana, he followed Eirwen’s dream magic and sent it into his mind as he made the connection through his soul. A weight fell over his mind as his eyes became heavy, the dream magic taking hold.

He felt incredibly exhausted by the effort, and it wasn’t long with his wives caressing him and reassuring him that he fell asleep.

***

Nick flew through the created dreamscape, his soul covered in a projection of his body. It looked like a desolate landscape, the ground an inhospitable craggy desert, and the sky was filled with ominous clouds. Thunder rumbled in the distance as lightning struck frequently throughout, the bleak environment offering no comfort, no opportunity for survival.

But much of his view was dominated by a giant stele, its height and width difficult for him to fathom in his current form. It was like a giant slab of black metal larger than the biggest skyscraper he’d ever seen, and the glyphs and scripts covering it glowed white.

Much of the Archaen structures followed this theme, and seeing it this close filled him with awe. Because he knew just what it was.

Archaen Law.

The writing on it was miniscule, but despite its immense size, it was completely covered in them. There were numerous enchantments, glyphs so complex that they actually hurt Nick’s head to examine them. Some felt like they were rules, and from what Nick understood, much of the text was related to the laws.

Throughout the area, it was like a dark haze was present, a weight bearing down on the temporary world he and Eirwen had created. He wasn’t precisely sure what it was, but it almost felt like the spirits or souls comprised of feeding into the Archaen Law stele. Hazy shapes could be made out in the distance, but Nick couldn’t determine what or who they were, even when he tried to control the dream.

Nick could feel a strain in the back of his mind to help hold up the dreamscape, and he knew Eirwen was working hard to make this happen. It was only thanks to both of their growth that they could even manage this at all. He decided to hurry, and called out three of the tainted priests he had planned on targeting.

Their shadowy forms appeared in front of him. They were a lot like the silhouetted figures they faced on the second floor of the Path of Kings Ordeal, and he could just vaguely see their original appearance underneath the shadows. Nick felt like he was looking at some ghosts, but he could see that they were in anguish.

There was a haze drifting from them, and into the giant stele. Somehow, they were powering it.

When Nick used Judgement, a large portion of their essence–their everything, was drank in by him.

Some of that was absorbed using his special cultivation technique with the chains, increasing his level and restoring himself, and finally, empowering his soul. However, a majority of their energy went towards powering the stele itself, and its power over Orion.

Nick probed the souls, and stirred the magic of his Soul Pact. He was trying to find if he could offer them redemption.

When he did, Archaen Law–the stele, lit up further in a few areas–but in a dark red light. It would not allow him to make a pact with them normally, as he already knew.

Nick now tried stirring his Concept instead. He had already made an Oath to walk the hero’s path for Winny, and he had started to walk it in earnest with more than one quest completed. Bringing salvation to the weak or vulnerable people of Orion, he had rescued hundreds from the hands of evil.

Each action of good had a weight on his soul, a purity and righteousness that built up inside of him. But in doing so, he had slain and judged dozens of evil people, their taint affecting him in different ways.

And he would judge hundreds more, for them to suffer inside this odd prison. How long they would suffer in this hellish environment varied, but it wasn’t all that long in the first and second stratum–just a few months at most.

Perhaps it would be more for those that were stronger, but Nick could tell the first bandit he drained when he saved Kaya did not have that much time left.

They would be reborn with whatever remained of their taint, and they would likely be bad people or creatures such as demons in the next life–just less so because they had been judged and purified to an extent.

But Nick could do more. He could offer them Redemption. An opportunity to purify their sins, for Nick to eliminate evil even going into their next lives. Using this, Nick would become a hero that eliminated evil from the world, making it a better place–forever.

His Concept stirred at this, his representation of his body being covered with a near-golden haze as the light and darkness mixed. Knowing he didn’t have a lot of time, he attempted the magic of the Soul Pact.

Areas that were red on the stele went away, though some still remained. However, Nick felt his Soul Magic connect to the three targets this time, rather than be outright rejected.

His eyes grew white, as he allowed the wisdom of the pact to help him make his offer. “You three have sinned, and you have paid some for your wrongdoing. You left your family and community behind due to your hatred and selfishness. Your friends and family lament your passing, but I, Lord Noblefrost, now protect them in your stead.”

The ghosts wailed at him in anger, their souls trembling in anguish. They attempted to swipe and claw at him, but his soul covered in his heroic Concept was nearly a dozen times stronger than theirs. It was like children slapping at him, and he ignored their efforts.

Nick got a feel for what he could offer them, as he thought about how to phrase it. He could not offer to end their suffering entirely as they remained here.

“I come here today to offer you Redemption. If you remain here, you will suffer for a time, but eventually be released into the essence to be reborn. But if you accept my offer for a Soul Pact: You can protect your family, your community. You can protect the weak and defeat evil, undoing your wrongs. Through me, you will find penitence for your sins.”

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

The spirits wavered, their anger subsiding. But they hesitated, the pain from their suffering too immense. The idea that their suffering would continue for longer was difficult to overcome.

Nick drew up his Soul Magic like he was casting Judgement again. Their wrongdoings were brought to the fore just like during the spell. Specifically, where their actions had hurt a friend or family member. The Bishop may have ordered them to, but they carried them out with hateful, twisted justifications.

One had convinced a woman to take a perilous pilgrimage–a cousin of his. She had been against the brothel in Zura, and the Bishop wanted her voice silenced. Another had led an unsuspecting beastfolk to a tavern, where they would subsequently be drugged and shackled.

“Do you not have remorse for what you’ve done? The people you’ve hurt, your friends and family you let down? Now is your chance to make things right. With your help, I will protect them all from even more terrible evils, and uplift them. Frosthaven will become a beacon of hope, a land that stands against the darkness. And you three will become the pillar of that beacon.”

The ghosts froze in place, their spiritual bodies shaking as their sins were laid bare. A wail of lament left them, and more lights on the stele shifted away from the angry red.

As one found acceptance, Nick’s Concept stirred. A chain of gold formed between Nick and the soul, connecting to his heroic concept, and his soul pact–a piece of their soul stored with Nick willingly.

The darkness began draining away from the male ghost and into the shackles, and his features became more distinct. The pain from the stele subsided somewhat, but it still remained.

A somewhat satisfied expression arrived on the priest’s features, but there was still a feeling of enduring pain, the man’s face scrunched up in a pained smile. The other two ghosts saw this, and accepted it too. New sets of chains latched onto them.

It seemed they would instinctually understand what was being offered, just like his other Soul Pacts. When he activates his heroic concept in the future, the pain from the drain on their dark essence will increase–perhaps to levels even greater than what they were experiencing before.

What they didn’t know, was that once they had fully redeemed themselves and had been cleansed of the tainted essence, was that they could be reborn–Nick only needed to use the Genesis Chamber.

However, that couldn’t be a part of his offer. These souls had to desire redemption, and accept his painful pact to redeem themselves on their own. Because most likely, these souls would have been reborn in just under a month or so without their memories somewhere on Orion, their taint less significant than many others.

The stele lit up, and Nick got a feel for what else he could offer. These souls had been accepting of the Redemption Pact, but not all those he killed would be filled with remorse, or be so willing to earn their redemption. In this case, he had used the priest’s love of Zura, but would all the bandits from Havendale really care about helping Nick be a hero, protecting the weak? Likely not.

Nick had other offers he could give, and methods he thought he could entice those he had judged to accept. The priests of Zura wanting redemption from the bottom of their hearts was ideal, but the other options were more…forceful.

But Nick didn’t care. To protect his people, he’d be a demon disguised as a hero if he must.

For now, Nick got what he was hoping for–a pact with the priests. He knew that he would now be able to call upon the darkness, just like when he used his Ideal of the Archaen Monstrous Swordsman.

The dreamscape started to deteriorate, so Nick used his ability to control the dream, and pushed himself to exit it, and enter a dreamless sleep. His hazy golden figure disappeared from the bleak landscape.

A single, powerful shadow peered through the darkness at his disappearing form, its gaze burning with hatred and resentment.

***

Nick woke up full of sweat, his mind overworked from keeping the dream active. Winny was exhausted too, having slumped to the side with him on her lap pillow. Judging from the light in the room, he must have slept to recover for several hours.

The Wolfen girls and Kaya must have left already for their training, likely after making sure they were okay.

Eirwen stirred as he did. “That was tough, Hubby, I actually passed out in the end. What a strange dreamscape you had me make. It seems it worked?”

“It did. Like what happened with the demon, it appears I have additional options for pacts. I may be able to be a little more…forceful if the situation calls for it.”

“Forceful? But I thought Soul Pacts were supposed to be a…somewhat equivalent exchange?”

“It’s different now that I am a Lord of Orion, that walks the Path of Kings and the Hero’s Path. I have the weight and responsibility of all those I protect, both against the evils here on Orion, but also its Trials and Tribulations. Those I have judged are evil, and even if they aren’t desiring of redemption, I can force them to aid me in bringing salvation.”

Eirwen frowned in thought. “That sounds like that can’t have the same effect, can it?”

Nick shook his head. “The effect will be more difficult for them and harder on me. But I will drag them kicking and screaming if I must. Facing the lava elemental proved that to fight a Concept, you really need to have one too. For the enemies we are going to face, I need to be as strong as possible.”

Jasmine entered the room rapidly, holding two mugs of liquid. “You’re up! I got just the thing for you, but breakfast is ready.” She handed one each to Nick and Eirwen, and it was the odd whiskey energy drink.

He took a large pull of the drink, the energy shooting through his body quickly, and soothing his mind.

Winny sighed, and shivered as the odd liquid helped restore her. “That’s got a big kick, thanks, Jasmine. That sounds dangerous, you really think this Concept is worth it, Hubby? The books say there are ways to remove it–and find another. It shouldn’t be too late when you are only at the fragment stage.”

Nick was sure. “Didn’t you see how strong the Bishop’s attacks were? And you saw how easily I stomped that obstacle course, and that’s just as I begin to make this thing my own. I’d have crushed that Demon Overseer in seconds, and the Lava Elemental wouldn’t have stood a chance. I need to be able to punch above my weight, and this will do that.”

Jasmine beamed. “Don’t worry, Winny! Master will be fine. I think the Divine Concord will help, besides!”

Eirwen arched her brow at Jasmine. “How can you be so sure?”

“Just a feeling! When Master absorbed that faith energy from the throne, it purified some of the tainted essence, restored his soul, and strengthened it. Making these special pacts might increase the burden for a time, but it probably also increases the benefits. This feels like a powerful path to strength!”

Nick nodded. “I also have the demon cores as an option for absorbing darkness, but I think this is the right path, as that might transform me in a negative way. This makes me a hero for all, even those I defeat. Let me try it out after I recover a bit more, then we’ll have breakfast.”

He drank the rest of the mug, and stretched out a bit. Eirwen did the same, and some of her stretches made him raise his brow. She was a lot more flexible than he remembered.

Standing with her hoofed leg above her head against the ring of the post of his bed, she waggled her brows at him when she caught his eye. How her fit, peach shaped butt cheeks peeked out of her nightwear, her panties, was extra inviting.

“Damn, Winny. Didn’t know you could do that.”

“You like?” She shifted to her other leg, her tail swishing back and forth as she leaned forward. “For you, I can do a lot more than this.”

He couldn’t help but stand behind her and get a solid grip on her firm behind, before kissing her lips from the side, with her head turned as it was. “Definitely. You did this for me?”

“Mmm…you know it. Even Kaya is working on this, too.”

Nick kissed her again, but eventually pulled back. As much as he wanted his hot sheep wife, he didn’t have a whole lot in him. “Later. We’re definitely going to try out some of that flexibility you’ve been working on.”

Ready to try out his Concept, he stood in the matted area in the corner of his room. He drew upon his desire to be a hero, and stirred his essence. Normally, he had difficulty when he wasn’t in a Trial or Test, or fighting evil, and this moment was no different.

Until he tried instilling the importance of training and understanding his Concept. After a brief moment, the white and dark light filled him, his muscles being filled with heroic power and strength.

Gauging just how much energy he thought could flow, he thought these three souls alone would be able to power him to about halfway through the third stanza of his Archaen Monstrous Swordsman Ideal, the phrase, bleed with haste. It was where darkness would start being released into his body.

Thanks to this Redemption Pact, he could now draw darkness and light out at will, and he knew those he just made those pacts with were suffering even as a result of his test. As he fought his battles against evil or Tested himself to become more, the maximum amount would get drawn out, and they would suffer immense pain as he was empowered.

There was a vast difference between the amount of darkness released in the third, fourth, and fifth stanza. He would have to gather many more pacts, and among the stronger evils among those he judged, to even come close to the final stages of the dance.

And this would match up with however much faith and light energy he could bring to match it. He was eager to try it, as he could feel just how strong it made him. Even with just this, he would have easily crushed that Demonic Overseer in the mines.

Nick felt vindication for his choice, and Eirwen and Jasmine both beamed at his success.

Finally, Nick had found his true path to power.