Ozriel felt as though his soul was being shredded and then stitched back together with threads of ice. The sapphire light of the portal faded, replaced by the damp, heavy scent of moss and ancient stone. His eyes snapped open, but he didn't see the blood-stained ceiling of the warehouse. Instead, he saw a canopy of obsidian-colored trees and a sky stained a deep, bruised purple.
He tried to sit up, expecting the agonizing flare of his missing organs, but there was nothing. He pressed a hand to his stomach. The skin was smooth, unmarred by the scalpel. He was whole, yet he felt a strange, cold weight behind his eyes—a presence that was mechanical and indifferent.
A series of translucent blue windows flickered into existence, hovering in the air before him. Unlike the hallucinations of a dying man, these were sharp and steady.
[Host Transfer Successful.]
[World: Aethelgard.]
[System Initialization: Slave Contract Binding System (Non-Sentient Core).]
Ozriel stared at the words. "So, it wasn't a dream," he whispered. His voice sounded different—deeper, carrying a faint metallic edge. He stood up, noticing he was now dressed in simple, dark traveling clothes instead of his tattered suit.
The system did not answer him. There was no friendly AI to guide him, no snarky voice in his head. There was only the data. Another screen expanded, detailing his primary objectives.
[Main Quest: The Sovereignty of Aethelgard.]
[Objective 1: The Conquest of the Three Dark Sovereigns.]
[Objective 2: The Subjugation of the Four Light Monarchs.]
[Failure Condition: Soul Dissolution.]
Ozriel's jaw tightened. He didn't know who these Sovereigns or Monarchs were, but the system had made one thing clear: his life depended on their downfall. He scrolled down, seeing the sub-functions of the system.
[Core Function 1: Slave Procurement and Empowerment.]
[The Host gains power by contracting 'Broken' entities. Upon signing, the Host may select three skills from the slave's arsenal. Selection can be delayed to observe performance.]
[Core Function 2: The Trust Restriction.]
[Due to Host's psychological trauma and lack of trust, all contracts are initially categorized as 'Slave-Tier'. Restrictions are absolute. Betrayal is impossible. Note: Slave-Tier contracts cause the contracted to be wary, fearful, or hostile toward the Host.]
[Core Function 3: Retributive Justice.]
[The System tracks those who have betrayed the trust of the Host's slaves. Punishing or eliminating these targets provides massive experience and bond boosts.]
Ozriel let out a cold, dry laugh. "So, I'm a Master now. Because I can't trust anyone, the system treats them like tools. Fitting. I've seen where trust gets a man."
He looked around. He was in a dense forest, the air humming with a type of energy he had never felt on Earth. It was thick and intoxicating. Before he could take a step, a new notification flashed red.
[Emergency Mission Detected!]
[Target: Vespera Shadow-Step (Class: Villainess).]
[Condition: Critical. Death imminent in 300 meters.]
[Reward: Initial Contract, System Integration, 1x Random Skill Slot, 1x Unique Skill.]
The cold logic of the bank manager took over. He didn't know Vespera, but she was his first "investment." He began to run, his new body moving with a speed and fluidity he hadn't possessed before. The sound of clashing steel and shouting men echoed through the trees ahead.
He burst through a thicket and skidded to a halt. In a small clearing, a woman was backed against a jagged rock. Her clothes were shredded, soaked in blood that wasn't hers. Shadows danced erratically around her feet, but they were flickering out, exhausted. Five men in heavy leather armor, bearing the crest of a royal household, were closing in on her with spears leveled.
"You've got nowhere left to run, murderer," one of the men spat. "The Prince's soul won't rest until your head is on a spike."
Vespera's eyes were wild, filled with a mixture of defiance and despair. She clutched a broken dagger, her knuckles white. "He deserved worse than death," she hissed, her voice cracking. "I would kill him a thousand times over."
"The law says otherwise," the leader said, raising his spear. "Die."
"Stop," Ozriel said. His voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the clearing like a guillotine blade.
The soldiers spun around, startled. They saw a lone man standing at the edge of the clearing, his eyes devoid of any warmth.
"Who the hell are you?" the leader demanded. "Get lost if you don't want to be branded an accomplice."
Ozriel ignored him and looked directly at Vespera. She stared back at him, her gaze guarded and sharp.
"I can save you," Ozriel said, ignoring the soldiers as if they were nothing more than insects. "But it comes at a price. You will belong to me. You will be bound by a contract you cannot break. I offer safety and the power to punish those who hunted you. In exchange, I own your life."
Vespera let out a ragged breath. She looked at the spears closing in, then at the man offering her a different kind of cage. "Anything is better than this," she whispered. "If you can kill them... then do it. I accept."
[Contract Conditions Met.]
[Initializing Slave Brand: Vespera Shadow-Step.]
A searing black mark appeared on Vespera's collarbone, glowing with a dark light. At the same time, Ozriel felt a surge of power rush into his veins.
[You have contracted your first Slave.]
[Three skill slots available for selection from Target: Vespera.]
[Warning: Bond level is 0%. Target is highly wary and hostile.]
The soldiers didn't wait for an explanation. "Kill them both!" the leader roared, lunging forward with his spear.
Ozriel didn't flinch. For the first time in his life, he didn't feel like a victim. He watched the spear tip approach, and the system flickered in his peripheral vision.
[Would you like to observe the Slave's skills before choosing?]
"Yes," Ozriel muttered. "Let's see what a Villainess can do."
Vespera, despite her wounds, felt the brand on her neck pulse with energy. She didn't trust the man who had just saved her—in fact, she hated the way he looked at her, like a piece of property—but the contract gave her a sudden, violent burst of adrenaline. She vanished into a plume of smoke just as the spear pierced the space where she had been standing.