Event Horizon World (Warhammer Universe)
October 11, 2050
Earth – United Kingdom – London
St. Paul's Cathedral
Sitting on a wooden bench in the central nave of the cathedral, Orsaga gazed at the crucifix and the statue of the crucified Jesus in front of him.
Calmly, he asked,
"Does a place like this make you nostalgic for the past?"
The tall man named Ra looked at the sculpture in the distance. A fleeting trace of remembrance crossed his face.
"Maybe. After all, those days have always stayed with me."
No matter who you are, once you've experienced enough, a part of you will inevitably grow sentimental about the past.
Even someone immortal like him was no exception.
"Back then, I tried to use religion to reshape the primitive mindset of ordinary people. That's why I created many religions on this planet—
From the oldest, most primitive nature worship to more individual-centered cults. I changed doctrines step by step, slowly correcting what was wrong."
'Christianity was both the most successful and the most disappointing of them all. In the beginning, it encouraged goodness and uplifted humanity. But over time, it became twisted—doctrines were misinterpreted, power was hoarded, and wars were waged in its name."
"All of this taught me that religion is ultimately too intangible. Only practical systems can truly reshape humanity's future. So after that, I began studying sociology and science. Slowly pushing history forward, hoping to change the human condition from the ground up…"
After finishing, Ra fell silent. He wasn't even sure why he was saying all this to Orsaga.
Perhaps it was the mounting pressure from somewhere far in the stars. Or perhaps, after being alone for so long, he simply needed someone to listen.
Unaware of Ra's internal thoughts, Orsaga only chuckled softly after hearing him out.
His gaze pierced the ceiling above, looking toward the deep, distant, and pitch-black sky.
"Sounds noble. But it seems like none of that is going to matter anymore."
To him, that sky was filled with endless threats.
Even while standing here on Earth, he could clearly sense countless waves of malice drifting through the stars.
Ra didn't try to deny it. He let out a faint sigh.
"You're right. There's never enough time. And humanity is still too weak…"
Orsaga stood up and walked to the crucifix at the front.
He gently touched the ornate metalwork and, sensing the lingering faith embedded within it, shook his head calmly.
"So, you don't really have a choice. Summon me."
Ra was silent for a long moment. Then, his expression turned solemn.
"But the threat you pose is no less than the others out there."
Orsaga wasn't the least bit bothered by the caution in Ra's voice. Calmly, he looked him in the eye and replied:
"So what? From your perspective, this situation is already a sinking ship full of holes. Dozens of hungry beasts are already circling humanity's little lifeboat. My arrival just adds one more beast to the pack. The difference is negligible."
"But, I can offer you a promise. For the next twenty thousand years, no matter what threats humanity faces, I can ensure its survival."
After hearing that, Ra thought for a moment—then frowned.
"That's not enough."
He immediately corrected Orsaga:
"I don't want you to simply help us survive.
Prolonging life without purpose is meaningless. I want humanity to have enough time to develop and evolve its civilization."
Orsaga didn't mind that his subtle trap had been seen through.
As a demon from the Abyss, it was second nature to slip in vague language and twisted clauses.
If Ra had agreed to his earlier offer, Orsaga would've considered his job done by freezing a few human civilians and preserving them in stasis for twenty thousand years.
Or even a hundred thousand.
Survival and growth under protection—those are two very different challenges.
But even so, Orsaga didn't hesitate.
This world offered rich rewards. It was a universe uniquely suited to his interests.
The risks might be higher, the effort greater—but it didn't dampen his desire to claim it.
So he simply followed Ra's lead and amended his offer:
"Fine. I can provide humanity with twenty thousand years of relative safety. Enough to develop its civilization. But everything has limits. There's no such thing as perfect safety in this world. I'll block most threats—but if something truly unstoppable comes along,
That won't be my responsibility. I only handle what's within my power. Anything beyond that? You'll have to find another solution.'
Compared to his initial proposal, Orsaga's new terms were far clearer and more straightforward.
There were no verbal traps. He even defined the limits of his involvement.
Only then did Ra nod, seemingly satisfied.
Compared to lofty, vague promises, this offer was at least honest.
They then began to negotiate additional terms—such as the technology Orsaga had once promised.
As a leader, Ra understood how transformative advanced science could be for human society.
And as for those side deals?
Orsaga didn't mind one bit.
So long as the price was right, he was perfectly willing to sell useful knowledge.
After all, for someone who possessed the accumulated knowledge of multiple worlds, such requests were trivial.
---
Fifteen days later.
After countless rounds of negotiation and debate, they finalized the contract.
A total of 24,785 clauses.
With a combined word count of 58,774,549 words.
Almost every conceivable scenario had been accounted for in painstaking detail.
By the time it was done, even someone as powerful as Ra—an evolved superhuman—felt utterly exhausted.
Reading through tens of millions of words over and over, simulating every possible outcome in his mind just to ensure Orsaga couldn't exploit a loophole…
It was mentally draining—worse than drafting dozens of legal codes.
Even a superhuman had his limits.
As the contract, filled with endless provisions and bearing both of their signatures, slowly dissolved into the air—
Ra could feel a binding connection forming between him and Orsaga.
And somewhere, in a distant corner of the cosmos, a vast, incomprehensibly powerful entity had taken notice—monitoring the contract's enforcement.
This left Ra deeply convinced that the Abyssal Contract was legitimate.
At the very least, it wasn't some empty gimmick.
It provided real, enforceable guarantees.
After everything was settled, Ra rubbed his temples and looked at Orsaga, who sat nearby with his usual unreadable expression.
After thinking for a moment, he finally said:
"I want to ask you something."
Since the contract was now sealed and his mood was fairly good, Orsaga didn't object.
"Ask away."
Ra posed the question that had been bothering him the most:
"Why did you come to me to summon you? Wouldn't it have been easier to trick someone else into performing the ritual?"
_____
T/N:
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