Chapter 122: The Loophole

Now that she had some time, Rachel placed a hand against the contract, using her Baroness affinity to read the specifics. "Dammit. Hah. Devils are a lot trickier than I thought," she mumbled. "I have to convince you to find her... Why are you going to help me find her?"

The fire running along the woman’s hair flared. "Because...she’s taunting me! Thalia doesn’t think we’ll be able to find her in the time limit. I can see her smug face grinning at me in that contract—do you see it?! Ugh. She’s the worst. Irida, don’t do this! Irida, don’t do that! I’ll bite her!"

"Let’s punch her face in! Oh, where’s your hammer?"

"Here?" Rachel asked, bringing it out of storage.

"Yes! And..." She took it and smashed her fist against the side, making Rachel wince as a shockwave hit her ears and the rubies lit up to their brightest. "Okay. She’ll expect me; it’s impossible to sneak up on her. But you...can get a good whack to her nose! Deal?"

Rachel doubled over with laughter upon finally getting the solution that Thalia gave her to this challenge; devils loved contracts and double-crossing. It was all a game, and her big sister was a bigger fish than her.

"Deal."

Nia... I have your solution.

"Then tell me! She’s already taken half my fluff—I swear!"

Let’s play the game...

Running through the streets with her new, unlikely ally, Rachel informed the incredulous bunny how to get the hounds on their side. They were pleasure and business, but their overbearing big sister was the sweetest pie they could offer.

Soon enough, the emerald hound was in her beast form, running through the streets with the bunny between her shoulders, looking for Thalia. It was a challenge of devils, not power. And devils dealt less with raw destruction and more through deceit and mind games.

Several seconds before the one-minute mark, Irida jumped over the river with a snarl, landing on one of the long boats lazily traveling downstream. Rachel touched down on the other side, Nia and Aleka howling in rage at not being the ones to find her, united in their frustration at not beating Irida and her.

Wearing a disguise and straw hat, Thalia’s clothes burned away to show her tank top underneath. She got up with a short chuckle, entirely focused on her puffed-up little sister. "Congratulations on finding me, Iri—"

Rachel walked up, summoned her hammer, and smacked Thalia upside the head, launching her into the river, and Rachel used its reversal Feat to take her into the sky as the boat went under. Laughing with Aleka and Irida, more at the ridiculous nature of this challenge than their big sister, Rachel spun out of the sky to land on the side of the river with her bun and two wolf allies; the clock hit 1 minute.

Thalia soon trudged out of the polluted river, drenched in mysterious muck, to laughter from her little sisters. "Ha-ha-ha."

She slowly clapped before grinning and diving at her now-screaming sisters, carrying them to the ground to share in the mud bath; Thalia ended by grabbing their tails and throwing them into the river. Nia peaced out the second Thalia went on the offensive, leaving the oldest triplet and Rachel on the beach as the hound burned off the Hell-laced grime.

"Congratulations, Rachel, you found my little sisters’ weakness... Me. Now, our real contract." She held out her hand again, seriousness coming over the Hellhound. "There is a powerful devil who we can’t personally go after that is going to be entering your world...but if we had a contract with you to aid you, then that is what we call a loophole... You’ll know when that time comes, and we will only be there for that one fiend."

Rachel grinned and took her hand. "To loopholes."

"To loopholes..." Thalia’s mark burned again, and the sisters exited the river with a snarl as the world faded away. "Do not summon us for anything else."

Taking the hint in the shepherd of Hell’s intense sapphire eyes, Rachel nodded. Conner was probably angry with how Yseress said she saw this ending. Again, she felt Cerridwen’s hand and Izanami’s warning. But was it really her or Izanami and Cerridwen’s doing?

Her misfortune had guided her here, perhaps more of a combination than anything else. She was learning secrets about these Seeds and how they functioned, which both goddesses appeared to need.

This Legend Quest was orchestrated to give her the kit to handle what Cerridwen saw was to come, and Izanami didn’t appear too trusting in the cauldron-using nightmare goddess, as well, or were her misgivings more about her? There was something odd happening, and Dionysus may have been onto something.

How can I talk to Eostre beyond these dimensional walls? Am I something more than just some Korean girl who likes to fight? The Scarlet Hand thinks I should be dead... I did almost die once.

Rachel’s mind returned to the tragic moment of the car accident that had changed her life forever, along with the misfortune abilities that she seemed to carry. She didn’t like it, but [Strategic Mind] wouldn’t let her release the thought. One idea sprang to mind as her next level came after overcoming the challenge, and the sisters vanished, parting with a wave and devious, toothy grins.

Mom is a mudang by lineage, and she actively practices Korean shamanism, which is meant to connect with the spiritual realm and deities. It was a great source of support for her in the years following the accident. Grandpa practices Taoism’s nei-dun and wai-dan training methods...Is it related to what is happening to me?

* -- * -- *

[Level Up - Level 10]

[1 Stat Point Added; 1 Available]

[1 Refinement Point Added; 1 Available]

[1 Equipable Feat Choice Added; 1 Available]

[1 Feat Slot Added]

* -- * -- *

[Limit Break Perk Unlocked]

[Attack Feat Branch: Curse: Karma I - Retribution]

* -- * -- *

[Grade Advancement - Bringer of Misfortune II Unlocked]

[Grade Advancement - Divine Beast Empowerment II Unlocked]

* -- * -- *

[Lunar Pool - Advanced to A-tier]

[Divine Lunar Surge - Advanced to B-tier]

[Lunar Cap - Advanced to A-tier]

[Bestial Instincts - Advanced to D-tier]

[Mental Acceleration - Advanced to D-tier]

[Strategic Mind - Advanced to D-tier]

* -- * -- *

[Hell Moon - Yomi - 45% Lunar Pool]

[White Moon - 65% Lunar Pool]

* -- * -- *

[Nia Base Grade Increase - Grade V Achieved]

[2 Style Points Added; 3 Available]

[1 Synchro Point Added; 1 Available]

[1 Feat Point Added; 1 Available]

* -- * -- *

[5 New Inventory Slots Added]

[19/20 Inventory Slots Available]

* -- * -- *

[Stored Lunar Energy]

[Blood Moon - 21% Lunar Pool]

[Black Moon - 16% Lunar Pool]

[Greater Harvest Moon - 100% Lunar Pool]

[White Moon - 24% Lunar Pool]