Abel, Abel...
Arthur murmured this na in the depths of his heart.
None of the mystic books he'd read had ever ntioned this na.
But Arthur wasn't disappointed.
On the contrary, he was pleased.
Because—
It ant that he was about to encounter more unknown histories and legends.
And knowledge.
Moreover, it was of the most precious kind.
With the addition of Yumir Manor's collection and the tos from the mad Master Alchemist Geppetto found under the beach, Arthur's understanding of the Mystic Side's history and folklore had far surpassed that of the average Mystic Side person, and what Arthur had not heard of must be exceptionally secretive.
In the Mystic Side, secrecy often signified value!
With that in mind, Arthur utilized the power of the contract to call upon this fragntary Bloodsucking Ancestor Worm—
'Abel, tell your origin.'
Abel: ...
Bewildernt flowed back in response to Arthur.
Sensing this confusion, the corners of Arthur's mouth curled up.
With eighteen contracts laid as a foundation, this bewildernt was naturally genuine, neither a ruse nor deceit. but while the contract was inviolable, it had loopholes to exploit.
Just as Arthur and Abel had entered into a contract, Abel could have sealed his own mory monts before the contract, to slowly wait for an opportunity for a resurgence.
Or...
Before signing the contract, he could use another contract as insurance.
For instance: Once reaching the 'Entry' or 'Ascend Step' level, the sealed mories would automatically return, offsetting the contract's backlash with the loss of corresponding props or abilities.
Or even, taking this as a starting point, to devise other contracts that would counteract the one signed with Arthur.
Arthur was unafraid of this.
Nor was he wary.
After all, he still had the eighteenth contract as a supplent.
The purpose of this eighteenth contract was to address such situations.
He, Arthur Kredos, wasn't a person of nasty character, how could he possibly enslave a worm without reason?
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
He, Arthur Kredos, was rely cautious and curious.
Caution was innate, as well as pressured by the world he lived in.
And curiosity...
To be precise, expectation!
Arthur was keenly anticipating what prop or ability Abel would co up with if he anticipated Arthur's move, to counter his eighteenth contract.
Conservation of energy was not exclusive to the world of science.
It was the sa for the Mystic Side.
Therefore—
"Now, let add three more terms to our contract.
Firstly, if Abel voluntarily seals his own mory, after the Awakening of mory, he must repay tenfold everything he gained from .
Secondly, if Abel harbors resentnt because of this, the repaynt will be multiplied by ten.
Thirdly, if Abel cos to hate because of this, the multiplication for repaynt will be increased by a further ten."
Arthur once again entered into a contract with Abel.
The fragntary Bloodsucking Ancestor Worm was extrely dissatisfied, hissing repeatedly, but to no avail.
Not only because 'Mikhail's Touch (Fragntary)' was its life.
But also because, with those eighteen previous contracts supplenting it, it had no strength to resist.
After these three contracts were signed, Arthur smiled.
'Look, how strong our bond is.
Now with twenty-one contracts, let's call it...
The Twenty-One Clauses!
How logical, just, and fair!'
Arthur thought to himself and placed 'Mikhail's Touch (Fragntary)' upon the 'Blood of Doting.'
Almost instantly, the antique ring underwent a transformation.
A sar of blood-red dyed the entire ring.
The crimson, as if blood, began to glow like jade.
After that, ripples spread out and a small green bug with distinct spots on its back crawled out. The bug itself was very small, but when only the head remained, it beca even tinier.
However, even with only the head remaining, it still had a ring of spiky projections akin to a cactus.
'Foreign prickly ash?!'
Arthur was taken aback.
When Arthur was a child, he had been pricked by a foreign prickly ash and it hurt terribly.
It was indeed a mory that remained fresh in his mind.
anwhile, the Abel that was crawling out paused montarily.
Although there were no specific words, this pause spoke louder than a thousand words.
And it was only monts later that the pent-up emotions could no longer be contained and erupted forth.
They surged overwhelmingly like a tidal wave—
You beep beep beep beep you beep beep beep!
Arthur just shrugged his shoulders in response.
Let it curse.
It's not like he'd lose a piece of flesh.
Just keep tabs on it.
He intended to recover everything, with interest.
Abel, reduced to just a head, climbed onto the [Fragntary Mikhail's Touch], and began to devour it bit by bit, much like nibbling on leaves.
Arthur curled the corner of his mouth.
Ever eaten noodles?
Slurp them up!
Co on, slurp them up!
With the contract in place, Arthur didn't specifically hide his thoughts. Fragntary Abel could certainly sense these thoughts, but what could Abel do about it?
The contract was in Arthur's hands.
It's just a broken little bug.
There's no chance of resisting.
Slurping noodles was also out of the question.
It's not that it didn't want to, it's just that its current bodily structure made it unrealistic.
Which bug, with only a head left, could slurp noodles? I'm not a rice weevil!
The eating pace was not fast. It took a full ten minutes for Abel to completely consu the fragnt of [Mikhail's Touch], growing a small segnt, roughly turning from just a head to having a neck as well.
As a result, [Blood of Doting] underwent a transformation, not just gaining an amber hue with a faintly red exterior, but more importantly, the attributes—
[Na: Blood of Doting]
[Type: Ring]
[Quality: Above Heroic]
[Attributes: 1. Child of Blood; 2. Contract]
[Requirent: Belongs to Arthur Kredos]
[Remarks: A ring forged by the Blood Marquis and his wife for their son, yet the hidden Abel inside made you realize that the incident of the Blood Marquis hunting the mbers of his fiancée's family was not as simple as the rumors suggested. This was definitely not about 'washing away sha' but had a deeper purpose. You cannot yet know what happened, but the fragntary Abel has repaired a bit of its body]
…
[Child of Blood: While wearing this ring, it will continuously consu the fresh blood within your body to feed the fragntary Bloodsucking Ancestor Worm, which in return will grant you power. You will beco akin to a Bloodline Clan mber with the 'Entry' bloodline who possesses the purest bloodline, allowing you to transform into mist, bats, use the power of frost, walk on vertical walls ignoring gravity, command bats as your spies, and gain a power boost on moonlit nights, reaching its peak during a full moon; the wearer will obtain an 'Entry' level Physique and can use their own fresh blood to create semi-complete Blood Brides, as well as complete Blood Slaves, Blood Gladiators, and Bloody Warriors]
[Contract: The existence of twenty-one terms makes Abel obey you, your loyal servant]
(Note 1: Blood Brides still have strict training conditions to control a crucial step, but Blood Slaves, Blood Gladiators, and Bloody Warriors now only require the wearer's fresh blood; anwhile, due to the partial restoration of fragntary Abel, the needed fresh blood is significantly reduced)
(Note 2: Controlled Blood Brides are highly unstable. When the fragntary Bloodsucking Ancestor Worm is affected, it may self-destruct)
(Note 3: Among the Blood Slaves, Blood Gladiators, and Bloody Warriors you create, you can select up to 13 individuals to beco your next generation of Bloodkin; currently at: 0/13)
(Note 4: Because of the suppression by the contract, fragntary Abel cannot drink blood without your permission)
(Note 5: If the wearer dies, fragntary Abel will consu the wearer's body, and if you die, fragntary Abel will self-destruct with you)
…
'Not bad!'
Looking at the brand-new attributes of [Blood of Doting], Arthur imdiately thought of his 'Blood Descendant' vest. Originally, as the enemies he encountered grew increasingly strong, the 'Blood Descendant' had beco inadequate and started to fade into the background. But after this, the 'Blood Descendant' could beco active again.
And the first thing to do...
Was naturally to declare his return!
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