"Human, what are you looking at?"
The infernal demon spoke.
There was a domineering strength in that voice that felt like it was looking down from above.
Elias felt a sharp sting in his eardrums.
He clenched his back teeth tightly, forcing down the acidic bile churning in his stomach.
"This is the Everburning Blade of Calovius."
The massive red demon did not attack immediately.
It simply held the flaming heavy greatsword casually in one hand and introduced it in a muffled, booming voice.
The demon's pupil-less yellow eyes stared fixedly at Elias.
"Every infernal demon has one."
"If you help me, I will give it to you!"
Upon hearing this, Elias, who was struggling against the immense physiological pressure, forced his mind to work.
It was time to display the reading comprehension skills of a modern nine-year compulsory education!
'Calovius?'
Elias silently chewed over the extremely tongue-twisting name in his mind.
Analyzing it based on the context of the conversation...
This was definitely not a person's name.
It should be a place name!
Calovius.
This was most likely the habitat where these infernal demons lived deep within the spirit world!
However...
Elias's gaze involuntarily fell upon the sword.
Just giving away this burning greatsword like that?
It turned out this thing was just mass-produced standard equipment!
Still, putting aside its value, the fact that the other party promised a reward as soon as they spoke meant they were truly here for a 'deal'.
But the problem was...
While enduring the terrifying pressure of facing a high-scale spirit world creature at close range, Elias looked at the massive sword in the infernal demon's hand with utter speechlessness.
He quickly made an estimate in his mind.
The length of that blade had to be at least one and a half meters!
With his current physique...
Take that sword?
Damn it, the sword would probably think I'm too light for it!
"No need to trouble yourself."
Elias took a deep breath and squeezed those words out with great difficulty from between his teeth.
His current state was extremely poor.
All the spirituality in his body was surging uncontrollably and frantically.
It was trying to fill the cracks in his soul barrier.
He had to put all his effort into resisting this uncontrollable physiological reaction.
However, when the infernal demon heard his refusal, its yellow eyes suddenly widened.
"That will not do!"
The infernal demon interrupted Elias rudely.
"A deal must involve an exchange!"
"You help me, I give you a reward. That is the rule!"
Elias felt like he was about to spit blood.
Wasn't this just a blatant forced sale?!
Just shoving it on me, is that it?
Elias cursed inwardly.
If he could bring that profiteer Redbeard here right now to face this infernal demon one-on-one, he really wanted to see which of these two was better at aggressive sales!
They were a perfect match.
Of course, it was impossible for this infernal demon to know what Elias was thinking.
It didn't even realize that the violent spirituality of Calovius unconsciously leaking from its body was suppressing the weak human in front of it to the point where even speaking was difficult.
"Otherwise, you die."
The infernal demon spoke again.
It slightly lifted the one-and-a-half-meter-long Everburning Blade in its hand.
The flames on the blade suddenly surged higher, scorching the remaining wooden ceiling above.
"Make your choice!"
Short, blunt, and filled with an unquestionable threat of death.
"..."
Elias now only wanted to mobilize the remaining spirituality in his body to condense a giant question mark.
What kind of logic was this?!
Oh, if I don't come over, I die?
If I come and don't make a deal, I still die?!
Is it sick?!
So, no matter what, I have to complete this deal with you today?
Was this the 'spirit of contract' that the old scammer Ed had so confidently guaranteed?
What kind of goddamn spirit of contract is this?!
This is clearly just being stubborn!
Single-minded!
A late-stage case of obsessive-compulsive disorder!
If this entire race was like this, then they were truly finished.
Besides, this thing looked exactly like the legendary image of a demon!
A stereotype!
Since its appearance was so stereotypical, perhaps its personality was the same!
Maybe its way of doing things was just as stereotypical as the demons in mythological stories!
How were demons described in the myths and legends of his previous life?
Although Elias didn't know much about the Bible, he knew clearly that in any cultural context, demons were generally synonymous with greed, cruelty, cunning, and treachery!
How many mortals who made deals with demons ended up with a good outcome?
None!
Elias was now a hundred and twenty percent sure that this infernal demon would definitely find a way to go back on its word after completing the so-called 'deal' and then kill him along the way!
Killing for loot and destroying the evidence was the standard operating procedure for a demon!
"Phew..."
Elias exhaled a long breath of murky air.
In those brief seconds, the look in his eyes had changed.
It shifted from initial fear and resistance to the desperate, murderous glint of a worker pushed to the brink.
"Fine."
Elias twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a cold smile that looked worse than crying.
"Come, let's trade."
He looked directly into those burning yellow eyes, and his tone actually became strangely calm.
"What do you need me to do?"
In his heart, Elias was actually prepared to tear off the mask and fight for his life at any moment.
Since it was death either way, if the deal failed, there would be no mercy left. It was a blade to the neck whether he stretched it out or pulled it back.
Since this monster didn't plan on being reasonable, he would have to try that newly acquired trump card in a bit!
Ten resonance stacks.
He hadn't used it yet, so it was the perfect time to test it out and see exactly what kind of power ten resonance stacks could produce when layered together.
Furthermore, he would have to take out that bone flute and give it a blow.
If he was going to die, he would die spectacularly, considering it a way to see the world!
After all, in his Spirit Vision, the deep red spirituality leaking from this infernal demon was like a literal pillar of fire reaching the sky.
That kind of pure destructive power and pressure even faintly surpassed Branch Manager Guardian!
In Elias's assessment, this monster was at least a Scale Five or even higher.
It was an absolute stomp of a match.
But the strange thing was also right here.
The spirituality leaking from this monster exerted an absolute suppression on Elias.
This suppression was different from the negative spiritual pollution caused by Cecil's metronome earlier.
It didn't drive people mad, nor did it cause hallucinations.
It was just a very pure form of suppression!
But the problem was that the unfathomably powerful Branch Manager Guardian had never produced such an exaggerated physiological pressure on Elias when they were face-to-face.
Elias was trying his best to stay calm.
He guessed that this might be related to the place name the infernal demon mentioned—Calovius.
The other party was, after all, a pure spirit world creature.
It was quite normal for spirit world creatures to have some fundamental differences in life form and existence level compared to creatures of the material world, right?
"Help me remove the holy emblem locks on these cabinets."
Just as Elias was frantically doing his psychological prep work, the infernal demon finally stated its trading condition.
Its thick finger pointed toward the corner of the ruins, at those several intact solid wood cabinets and the metal safe at its feet.
On the surfaces of those cabinets, a faint, tranquil glow belonging to the Moon Lord's power was emanating.
Those were locks that had been granted divine protection.
"I will give you half!"
The infernal demon waved its hand, appearing extremely generous.
"We can sign the contract now!"
"Half of what?"
Elias was slightly stunned and instinctively asked back.
What kind of rare treasure was inside these cabinets that it had to be split in half?
"Money."
The infernal demon's answer was extremely blunt and concise.
There was not the slightest bit of nonsense.
Along with this word filled with the stench of worldly copper, a parchment contract burning with a faint light actually condensed out of thin air in the infernal demon's hand!
In the bottom right corner of that contract, there was an emblem radiating holy light—the emblem of the Dawn Lady!
"Money? Split in half?"
Elias stared at the cabinets and pondered for a moment.
The alarm bells belonging to a bottom-tier worker of a capitalist society immediately triggered the highest level of air defense warning.
Splitting money?! Sharing money with an outsider?!
This demon definitely had no good intentions!
Doesn't this mean I'm definitely dead?
This was a classic move. Once he painstakingly helped it unlock the holy emblem locks and it got the money, it would immediately turn around and kill him for his share.
A classic that never gets old!
It was definitely a setup!
But...
Elias glanced at the burning Everburning Blade and swallowed his saliva.
It didn't seem like refusing was an option right now either.
If he didn't do it, he'd be cut in two immediately.
If he did, he could at least live for a few more minutes, and maybe he'd find a chance to slip away.
'Let's risk it.'
Elias gritted his teeth and secretly mobilized the spirituality in his body, preparing to step forward and touch the cabinets imbued with the Moon Lord's power.
However, before Elias could even take a single step, in the center of the ruins, the doctor's corpse that had been lying quietly on the ground suddenly moved!
He scrambled up in an instant!
Elias froze in place, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head.
"What?"
"Did he get so angry at the thought of his money being taken that he came back to life?!"
Rate on N.U.
