Chapter 4: The Contract

Realization dawned on Lev. "Are you already contracted to me?"

To confirm his suspicion, Darkness responded, "Well, you're correct about that, but..."

"But what?" Lev thought he couldn't be surprised anymore.

"I don't know how I got contracted with you..." Darkness trailed off, her voice a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

"What do you mean you don't know? Aren't you the creepy shadow I saw last night?" Lev said, recalling the bizarre event that had turned his world upside down.

"Creepy? Hmph!" Darkness's child-like voice carried an indignant tone. "I may look like a shadow, but I am different! And I am not creepy! You're the one who's creepy!"

Hearing this, Lev could only backpedal. "Alright, alright. My bad."

"Hmph!" Darkness snorted, her haughtiness radiating through their mental connection.

Lev was lost in his thoughts, his mind a whirlwind of recent events. He had been assaulted by a Soul Pact Warrior, and now he suddenly found himself contracted to a Soul Monster.

He would go insane if he continuously overthought all the events that had happened to him. He could only tackle one problem at a time.

Determined to focus on what was in front of him, he asked the annoyed Darkness again, "Well, if you're not the one I suspected, then how come you're inside me? And doesn't this mean I won't be able to get another contract with a different Soul Monster?"

Darkness was still annoyed, but she had to explain herself. She said, "There are some questions that have to be answered in person. Come here to your Soul Space."

Hearing this, Lev thought deeply and sunk his consciousness into his Soul Garden, a mental feat that felt like diving into an unknown realm.

There, in a beautiful gazebo, he saw what looked like a five-year-old kid. She wore a black adorable dress that seemed to absorb light. Her skin was pale as moonlight, contrasting sharply with her long grey hair that shimmered like liquid silver, framing her face with cute bangs.

Looking closely, he saw her appearance in detail. A pair of crystal dark eyes that seemed to hold the mysteries of the universe, a little pointed nose, small lips set in a permanent pout, and puffy cheeks.

"You're... Darkness?" he asked, though he was quite certain.

"I'm certain that my name is Darkness!" She harrumphed, both hands on her hips, cheeks puffed out adorably.

"How did you get in here?" he was curious. The adorable kid was definitely not looking like the humanoid shadow he saw last night.

"About that, I don't know as well," she replied after a pause, shaking her head.

She then continued, "All I can remember is the contract about us. You and I will be together from now on... unfortunately." The last word was delivered with little enthusiasm.

Lev just ignored her last word, focusing on the important bits. "Tell me about the contract. I never recall agreeing to any contracts before."

He really couldn't remember, no matter how hard he wracked his brain. He wasn't sure if he had forgotten something last night, or if his memory had decided to fail him.

Darkness pouted and raised her chin, thinking how to explain her thoughts. "Regarding that, I believe our contract was a forced contract."

"Forced contract? What does that mean?"

He had no idea at all. He only knew some vague idea about the normal contract with Soul Monsters.

"Forced means the contract was forced upon you. According to your world's knowledge, there are different types of contracts. However, the one that's usually used is..."

"The Equal Contract." Both of them said in unison.

Darkness cutely nodded her head, looking pleased that Lev wasn't completely clueless. "Which means, opposite sides have to come to an agreement that the person and the Soul Monster are on the same standing. The Soul Monster has to let the contractor use its abilities, while the contracted person has to help the Soul Monster grow its power."

Lev understood it. However, he was curious about his contract with Darkness. He voiced his thought, "And what about our contract?"

Lev saw her take a pause and stare at him for a moment, before opening her mouth, "While our contract is... a lifetime contract." She dropped this bombshell with an air of seriousness.

Lev could no longer be surprised anymore. "What benefits can it give me?"

Since it was already here, he just had to accept and deal with it. Nothing would change even if he screamed or got angry at her.

Darkness was a little surprised by Lev's quick acceptance. She expected him to be in shock or be hysterical at first, but no, he just asked her what would be the benefits. Her impression of him increased slightly in her mind.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

She explained, her voice taking on a lecturing tone, "First, compared to other contracts like the Equal Contract, you'll be able to use 100% of my abilities instead of 50%!"

"Wow!" He exclaimed, genuinely impressed.

Darkness continued to explain, warming to her topic, "Second, you'll be able to use a Soul Interface!"

Tilting his head, Lev asked, "Soul Interface? Like a game interface?"

Darkness didn't give him a confirmation. Instead, she said, "Look at me and think that you want to appraise me." Her tone suggested this was a simple task.

Although puzzled, Lev did what he was told. He stared at the adorable doll in front of him and soon saw a hollow screen in his vision.

[Soul Name: Darkness]

Type: Dark

Grade: Unknown

Soul Level: Tier 1(1★)

Soul Power: 250

Soul Defense: 200

Potential: Unknown

Abilities:

* Dark Power: ability to control darkness itself. Increased defense and power by 100% (Limited to Tier 1)

* Dark Restoration: increased overall restoration by 50%

* Soul Morph: materializing into soul form outside of the contractor's body.

* Origin: unknown

Lev read the contents of the interface in front of him. A complex of emotions appeared on his face. He was shocked, surprised, and amazed at the same time.

He was shocked to learn about the Soul Interface ability, surprised at Darkness's stats, and amazed by the benefits his contract had.

He had a lot of questions, but he held them all inside. He just stared at Darkness, waiting for her to continue, like a particularly patient student.

Seeing this, Darkness continued, her voice taking on a tone of satisfaction, "Third, since the contract was forced upon you, I won't take the slot of a Soul Monster. It means you will be able to get a contract with another Soul Monster!"

Darkness dropped another significant revelation.

This benefit surpassed all the other said benefits by far. He had never heard of someone in his life having two contracted Soul Monsters! He would be the first one in history!

Although in disbelief, Lev had to verify its truthfulness, "You're just messing with me, aren't you?" His tone was that of someone who'd just been told something unbelievable.

Lev saw the little girl sigh as though she was getting tired of his doubt. "The reason why warriors in your world could only have a single contracted Soul Monster in their lifetime is that contracting consumes part of their soul." She explained and paused, letting the gravity of her words sink in.

"On the other hand, the contract between you and me consumed most of my soul and not yours..." She added, her voice trailing off. She also had no idea why she was in this situation. She couldn't recall no matter what she did, as if something was blocking her mind.

Seemingly satisfied with her explanation, she saw Lev didn't ask for further clarification but instead asked, "And the other benefits?" His tone was eager for more information.

Darkness frowned, feeling annoyed, but her lips turned to a wide smile. Hands on her hips, she said with a proud tone of voice, still child-like but with an unmistakable air of superiority, "And lastly, you will have a pretty lady as your companion for the rest of your life!"

Lev was stunned for a moment before saying, "That's it?" His voice tinged with disappointment.

"What? Are you not satisfied with this lady?" Darkness asked with a lift of her eyebrows, her tone suggesting that not being satisfied was unacceptable.

"No, I'm very satisfied with your highness." Lev quickly responded to her antic, his tone a mixture of amusement and mild panic.

Soon, his amused expression turned serious. Since the pros had been stated already, it was time to face the potential drawbacks. "So what are the cons of this contract?"

Although he was excited and happy about the pros of the lifetime contract, he knew the saying 'there was nothing free in this world'. Hence, he didn't let his happiness go to his head. It was time to brace for impact.

Hearing his question, Darkness's expression also became serious, her childish demeanor giving way to something far older and more somber. "Well... for the cons, first, when you use my power, there's a chance that you might lose part of your humanity or worst... you might lose your sanity..."

Her voice trailed off, observing his expression carefully.

Lev was at a loss for words. He understood the weight of her words. Her abilities were indeed powerful but had a huge cost, a risk that might cost him even his life.

He frowned, deeply lost in his thoughts. However, soon enough, his expression brightened. He had already vowed to himself before that he would do everything to be a Soul Pact Warrior. Now that he had become one, it would be unwise to suddenly become indecisive and back out of his own power.

He might not even lose his sanity - no one knows. He might find something that could help him prevent the side effects. Only fate could know what the future holds.

Determined, Lev asked the silent Darkness, "Anything else?" His tone suggested he was ready for whatever she could tell him.

Darkness nodded, "Second thing is, you have to feed me more than the normal amount consumed by a Soul Monster."

Hearing this, Lev closed his eyes and lifted his head. He could already feel the strain this would put on his resources. Soul Monster food was not the same as human food; they had to be fed monster meat!

No chance but to accept the situation since the contract was already sealed, he continued to ask while hoping she wouldn't have any more surprises, "Anything else?"

"Yes, lifetime contract means our life is already as one. Once one of us gets killed, the other one will die as well..." She said, full of seriousness, delivering this final revelation with gravity.

Although it may sound scary to others, to Lev, it was nothing. He had already decided. He just had to make sure not to put himself or Darkness in danger. Once he resolved himself to follow the path of a Soul Pact Warrior, he knew that he had to risk his life sooner or later.

He just had to make ample preparations and make himself the strongest warrior!

"I understand. That is all, right?" He asked, hoping there were no more surprises.

To his relief, he saw her nod.

After conversing with Darkness, Lev finally arrived at his school. However, he realized that the atmosphere was strange, as if something significant had occurred.

Reaching his classroom, he saw his classmates whispering with each other, their hushed tones suggesting something out of the ordinary had happened. He frowned, walking towards Leo, who was also whispering with one of his classmates.

He asked, "What is wrong with the school?" His tone suggested he was prepared for any kind of news after his recent experiences.