There is a truth no one knows about contracting with gods, especially those sealed away for decades:To make a pact with one of these beings, you must sacrifice something your human mind can hardly accept…Your emotions.
Emotions exist in every living being, no matter their level.And for the contract to be completed, you must give up one of your core emotions.Not to leave an empty gap… but to amplify one of your sins in return.
And I have decided.I will abandon something useless… something that brings me no benefit… something that only slows down progress:
Fear.
The worst feeling a human can experience, and that is exactly what I chose to discard without hesitation.I added my choice into the system's "binding vow," then decided on the mandatory oath I would attach to it.
Suddenly, as the dark, terrifying aura around me and around the magic circle intensified, a notification appeared:
[Error Error Error + × ÷ ==]
Ah, I almost forgot.I possess that useless thing…
[ Warning: Host in critical condition… *#$
Attempting repair… Initializing…
[10% 20% 50% 90% 99%]
Error. Retrying…
Error.
Retrying again…
[10% 20% 50% 70% 98% 99% 100%]
Please select the emotion to sacrifice. ]
Fear.
Then again
Please select the binding oath.
I entered the oath:
A forced restriction against obeying feelings of love or sacrificing myself for anyone, no matter who they are. No self-sacrifice. No heroic moments. No dying for a "lover."
Input completed.
Some people might be shocked by what I did.Restricting myself from sacrificing for love? It may seem selfish…But I am not mentally prepared to die again.And knowing how I died in the original story doesn't help at all.
I sacrificed myself—literally—for that… bitch, and didn't even receive proper appreciation in return.Well, it wasn't exactly me, but still… the point stands.
Sacrifice for love? Nonsense.A delusion born from the thing I despise the most: chivalry… or as I call it:Noble stupidity.
Who dedicates their entire life to serving a powerful family, treated like a slave whose only purpose is to die for them?No thanks. I'm not that type. I never was, and never will be.
Before anything else:I am a member of the Rehnhever family.I am — and let me repeat — the youngest prince of the noble house, Aren von Rehnhever, the cursed one, yes… but with the greatest talent of his generation.
[10% 40% 80% 88% 99% 100%]
[Look! Reward claimed.
Transforming body to match new stage…
Warning to host: This will be painful… try not to scream like a bitch, hahaha.]
Wait—Did this damned system just mock me?
You son of a—
Suddenly, pain exploded through my entire body.Damn it, the anesthetic I used earlier had worn off.
Indescribable pain spread from my core to my limbs.A pain I didn't even know could exist—one I thought I would never feel.
I bit down on my mouth, trying to hold on, but my strength failed all at once, and I couldn't even lift my eyelids anymore.
And I blacked out.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
I don't know how long passed—hours? Days?But when I opened my eyes, I found myself still lying on the ground.The magic circle was gone.
After sitting up, barely, I took out the only thing in this world that would never betray me, from the dimensional pocket.
If love at first sight truly exists, then this was it:
A strawberry juice bottle.
A bottle almost as tall as my head, sweet and delicious, reminding me of my childhood.Maybe I was making the happiest face I could muster since arriving in this world…This world that seems determined to kill me.
I know why it hates me.Of course… jealousy.
Then, the system appeared again.It barely showed up during the transformation, I ignored it, but now it displayed a flood of notifications:
[ Objective achieved.
Evolution completed.
You have contracted with a Goddess???
Please check status ]
Status:
[Name: Aren von Rehnhever
Talent Rank: EX+
Strength: B
Endurance: C
Speed: C+
Luck: C-
Mana: A+
Magic: SS+
Class: Dual (Swordsman / Mage)
Magic Circle: Fifth
Swordsmanship: Skilled
Traits:
Arrogant
Destined for Rule
Noble Pride
Cleanliness Obsession
Stubborn
New Traits:
Emperor's Apathy
King Without a Throne
Heir of Destruction
One Who Walks Against the Will of the World
Bloodline: LockedHeritage: Goddess of Destruction and Ruin(Other heritage information locked)]
Seriously?When normal people evolve, they get stronger in everything.But me? Yes, my mana and magic skyrocketed, but my endurance dropped… and my luck too?
It really seems the world hates me.
What scares me is this:If I evolve again… will my luck keep decreasing?Damn it.
And who the hell is this "Goddess of Destruction and Ruin"?She wasn't in the original novel at all.
Then…
A voice echoed in my head.A feminine voice — cheerful, arrogant, but unbelievably powerful:
"Hellooo! It's me, the most beautiful and magnificent goddess in existence, radiating all my glory~ hahaha."
I felt the blood drain from my face.
Ah… so you're my new partner, aren't you?
I said that with a voice dripping in arrogance — not directed at her specifically, but simply because arrogance had become part of me now, thanks to one of the traits I gained.
To be continued…