I looked at Kairos for help, but he very deliberately pretended he didn’t see —standing there like so smug owner showing off his prized pet to a crowd. My eye twitched. Traitor.
Around , the air thickened. Eleven high-rank figures, each with the kind of presence that could tilt the balance of whole nations. Their auras scraped against each other like blades drawn halfway from their sheaths.
Anyone else my age would’ve passed out or at least fallen to their knees. But ? Nothing.
With no magic power in my body, their overflowing mana washed over like aningless wind. I stood there, perfectly fine, while they radiated enough intimidation to make a dragon sweat.
"Now that we have eleven mbers, why don’t we have a ranking tournant!?" Dagur bood, cracking his neck so loudly the cave echoed. He probably thought he was using his "indoor voice."
"I’m down for that," William added calmly.
My eyes drifted to him—soft features, warm smile, polite posture... the perfect example of "don’t be fooled." His spear rested against his shoulder, Dawnbringer’s faint, shifting glow pulsing with its own heartbeat.
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Dawnbringer
Weapon: Spear
Ability: Adaptive Force
The wielder can instantly adjust the spear’s weight to any degree, enabling swift, precise strikes or overwhelming, crushing blows. It can beco so light that it feels weightless, allowing for rapid, fluid movents, or so heavy that it becos nearly immovable, capable of anchoring enemies or creating seismic impacts.
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I scanned the room—Dagur cracking his knuckles like an excited gorilla and William casually twirling Dawnbringer like he was warming up for a light jog.
Nope. Absolutely not. Fighting any of them now would be like handing them my coffin and saying, "Please hamr the nails in gently."
Dagur was already bouncing on his feet like a kid about to break sothing expensive. "Co on! This is perfect! We’ve got a newcor—let’s see where she stands!"
"Then go do it outside. I don’t want to look for another hideout again," Akali said lazily, picking at her nails.
"I’m out," Thorne added instantly, turning away like soone who had already calculated every possible outco and decided none of them were worth his ti—or his face.
Dagur leaned down to grin at . "Are you joining in, kiddo?"
I pretended he didn’t exist and looked directly at Kairos. "Can I begin renovating this place now?"
Kairos didn’t answer—just stared at with that unreadable expression of his. Not a yes. Not a no. Just... observing like I was a puzzle piece trying to jam itself into the wrong spot.
"Shouldn’t we give her more ti? She’s still too young," Thorne said quietly, stepping in like so rciful angel.
Bless him. He was right—I needed ti. Years of it.And even then, the best I’d probably accomplish was being dead last with slightly more dignity.
"It’s fine~" William humd, tightening his grip on Dawnbringer. "I’ll go easy. Kids are supposed to grow by getting beat up~"
Easy? Easy for who?! I felt sweat forming along my temple.
Akali tilted her head, licking her finger slowly before tapping it to her lips. "What do you think, sweetheart?"
I swallowed. Hard. She was too seductive. And too strong. And too everything.
"Hey! I told you, she might look like a weakling, but she’s actually—!"
"Dagur," Akali said sweetly, "didn’t I tell you not to shout? Want to stitch your lips shut?"
Dagur blinked—then grinned. "Hahaha, this bitch finally went crazy."
And just like that, the two of them were at each other’s throats.
Thank the heavens. The distraction bought precious seconds of life.
anwhile, the rest of the Nightjars barely reacted—Ghost staring blankly, Seth yawning, Gula scratching his head, Kiel spinning a dagger, and Magellan giving a sympathetic shrug.
Dagur cracked his knuckles, grinning like a maniac. "Co outside so I can crush your pretty little head. I won’t go easy just because you’re a woman."
Akali dragged a claw blade along the wall, sparks flying. "Oh? Our Dagur’s finally asking to have his neck slashed."
"Haha! Why don’t we just do that tournant then!?" Dagur shot back, his laughter booming and reckless, fists clenching as if itching for the clash.
"Quiet," Kairos commanded, his single word slicing through the heated air like a blade, instantly chilling the atmosphere and silencing the brewing storm. Even Dagur and Akali froze mid-argunt, glancing at him like scolded children.
He turned his gaze to , "There’s sothing I need to give you," before gesturing with a fluid motion. A black hole materialized beside him, a swirling void of darkness that pulsed with eerie energy. He plunged his hand into it, rummaging as if it were a re pocket, and withdrew a crisp piece of paper, holding it out toward . "Sign this."
I stared at the docunt. It was a Seal Bound.
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Seal Bound (Contract Type)
Recognizes each party’s identity and binds them through a powerful magical seal. Those linked by the Soul Bound are sworn to uphold the terms of the contract, ensuring fidelity and secrecy.
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I checked the content of the contract.
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Terms of Conditions
Clause 1. Party A (Remillia Lockhart) cannot betray (Party B) .
Clause 2. As long as Party A does not betray Party B, Party B will do his duty to Party A as the boss.
Clause 3. Whoever breaks the contract will suffer a magic power deviation.
(Duration – 6 years)
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There were only three childish clauses written on the contract.
I lifted my head. "Umm, boss?"
Kairos tilted his head slightly. "What?"
I tried to think of how to phrase it gently. Obviously, a magical contract didn’t need to be the sa as a legal one—but vague wording always opened doors to loopholes.
"Umm..." I started again, fumbling for the right words.
Kairos must have misinterpreted my pause as reluctance. His expression cooled, voice dropping a degree. "Are you afraid of joining us?"
Imdiately, ten pairs of eyes fell on .
"Are you afraid of joining us?" Kairos repeated, eyes calm but voice sharp enough to cut steel.
Instantly, nine pairs of eyes locked onto , the hideout’s atmosphere shifting like a predator sensing weakness.
Dagur stopped cracking his knuckles.
Akali froze in the middle of a practice swing, her claw blade suspended in the air
Ghost’s usually vacant stare sharpened into sothing terrifying, his presence amplifying the tension.
Gula blinked awake.
Kiel stopped twirling his dagger, the blade glinting ominously.
Seth ceased his lazy yawn, his mouth hanging open in mid-stretch.
The rest stared at .
I sighed internally. ’Of course he’d jump to that conclusion.’
"Of course not," I replied calmly. "I just thought these clauses were too loose."
Kairos’ brows relaxed slightly, and he let out a quiet breath before replying, "You don’t need to worry about that. It’s an expensive contract, so it’s quite intelligent."
"Oh... then I got worried for nothing," I admitted. An intelligent contract. Now that was interesting.
I activated my Spectral Seal, channeling a surge of magic power into the contract. A pulse of golden light spread from my hand. The contract drank it in eagerly, reacting as if it had never tasted sothing like this before.
In truth, this contract was unlikely to hold any real control over —magic had no place inside my body. It flowed around , through my seal, but never within. I only had magic because the system gave it to as a ’gift’ for being the creator of this world.
The light dimd and the contract floated lightly to Kairos’ hand, now recognizing as its "Party A."
"Will this do?" I asked.
Dagur’s eyes widened at the sight of my magic power, his usual bravado giving way to genuine awe. "Oh? What’s this? Your magic power is so shiny! This is more golden than the real gold!" he exclaid, leaning in closer, his massive fra vibrating with excitent as he expressed his interest, his gaze locked on the fading glow like a child srized by fireworks.
I chose to stay silent.
Dagur, of course, took this as encouragent. "Wow, this kid is seriously a treasure." He stood up, cracking his knuckles like an overexcited gorilla. "Argh—I can’t hold it back anymore. Co out and spar with !"
"I’ll co watch," Thorne added lazily, already stretching as if he’d been waiting for this exact chaos to unfold. Even he—usually so detached—showing a spark of interest in witnessing the spectacle.
"Quiet, both of you," Kairos intervened, his command cutting through the excitent like a whip, thankfully reigning in the escalating fervor. He then infused his own magic power into the contract, the paper absorbing his dark energy with a low, resonant hum, sealing the deal irrevocably.
"There, the contract is done," he announced, tucking the docunt back into his pocket void. "Oh, and here’s a gift." He extended his hand, offering a feather-like pendant that dangled from a delicate chain, its iridescent surface catching the light in srizing patterns.
Each mber of the Nightjars received a symbolic item upon joining, tokens imbued with aning and power, markers of their allegiance to the shadows.
"Oooh, looks like that thing finally found an owner. Now, let’s go spar to celebrate," Dagur suggested once more, his grin widening, practically bouncing on his toes. Why was this guy so obsessed with fighting ? It was like I’d beco his new favorite toy.
"Sorry, I don’t feel like celebrating," I said, hoping Dagur would finally back off.
He didn’t.
"Then let’s go straight to sparring," he grinned, already rolling his shoulders like he was warming up to crack like a glowstick.
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