Chapter 360: Spirit Contract

Chapter 360: Chapter 360: Spirit Contract

Chapter 360 – Spirit Contract

Cassius stepped inside the Realm of Mountains and Seas, finding himself over a large river, hovering just above the water.

Behind him, a cascade gushed down from a towering mountain peak that vanished into misty clouds overhead.

The scene was mystical, an air of ancient history clinging to everything around him.

Cassius wondered once more just where this realm had come from, and how his master had obtained it. That question felt even more pressing now that he knew an Echo of his family had once existed inside this very realm.

And based on his master’s reaction, she didn’t seem aware of that at all.

So he tilted his head and stood on one of the rocks scattered through the river.

His master appeared right after him, not bothering to stand, simply hovering, without touching the water.

"Are you ready?" Mallory asked, crossing her arms over her chest again.

"I am," Cassius nodded, looking around, his eyes fully active, letting him see the spirits zipping around excitedly. "However, I do have one question before we start."

"You always have questions," Mallory growled, frowning. "Ask it now and let’s be done with it. Or do you think the Academy runs itself? Especially now, with Adam Kai being oddly active."

"Oh?" he reacted. "Now I need to ask how Teacher Kai got the White Phoenix’s support?"

"Because he’s against me."

"Why doesn’t the White Phoenix like you?"

"That’s not something you need to know," she replied flatly. "Was that your question?"

Cassius shrugged. "My question was actually about how you obtained this realm. It feels... old."

"Hm." Mallory hummed, tilting her head as if weighing whether to answer. Then she shrugged lightly and spoke:

"I stole it," she replied, smiling. "I found this realm while wandering the Dark Continent. There was no master except a member of the Ouro clan guarding it."

"Ouro clan?"

"It’s one of the three clans in the Dark Continent that can hold their own against the monsters there," Mallory explained, snapping her fingers.

Fire and water burst into existence, swirling around each other, twisting and merging into a strange shape.

It looked like a human. Well, it was human, going by its shape, except for the single horn in the middle of its forehead, its very lithe build, and eyes that were literal horizontal slits.

"This is what they look like. Don’t underestimate them based on appearance," Mallory warned. "They’re monstrous, and it seems they carry an ancestry tied to snakes."

"Oh my," Cassius exclaimed, filing away the snake-ancestry detail. "And you just killed the clan member?"

"Yes."

"And then stole the realm?"

"Yes."

"Then what?"

"What do you mean, then what? I ran, of course," Mallory grinned. "I used that opening to escape the Dark Continent. It wasn’t easy, they hunted me everywhere. I even wanted to sail to the Sand Silver Continent to witness the wedding of the High King’s third daughter, but they blocked the route and destroyed my boat in the process."

"High King? You mean High King Trenovar?"

"Yes," Mallory narrowed her eyes at him. "You know him?"

"Only through legend. I’ve been looking into the past Golden Generation," he replied. "So yeah... I kind of know him."

"I see."

"Anyway," he steered the conversation back on track. "Why didn’t you just fly with your... dragon wings when they destroyed your boat?" Cassius eyed her skeptically. "You do have dragon wings, right?"

"I do," her lips twitched. "But first, flying as a dragon makes you a huge, easy target...especially over the sea. Second, part of the sea route to the Sand Silver Continent is a no-fly zone."

"How did you manage to escape, then? I assume you succeeded, since you’re here with me."

"I made a clone to keep the Ouro clan busy while I built my own boat, using the scales I’d torn off their dragonic forms," Mallory said, smiling. "It was stressful and painful, but it made for a great adventure. I managed to build a simple, one-person boat before fleeing after detonating my clone."

Her grin widened.

"I bet they still keep a portrait of me somewhere in their clan hall, just to spit on every day."

Cassius stared at her blankly, unsure whether to face-palm or be impressed.

"You make me regret binding my fate to yours a little more every passing second, Master," he muttered.

"I guess that makes two of us," she replied. "Well, I obtained this realm in the Dark Continent. If you ever go there, don’t mention that you know Silver Voice. In fact, wherever you go, don’t tell anyone you know that name."

Cassius nodded, exasperated. "Let’s hope I don’t forget that warning."

"Perfect. Now, shall we?" she said, clapping her hands together.

At once, the triplets appeared around Cassius. They immediately started talking, saying everything and nothing at once.

"Are you finally going to make a contract with us, Human Chosen by Dragons?" they asked, in perfect unison.

"I am," Cassius nodded, looking at the three of them.

"At the same time? All three of us?!"

"Yes."

They cried out in joy.

"Première, I told you he’d do it! I was right, I win the bet! Give me the clothes the Princess of Whales gave you! I want that one!" Deuxième, the one on the left, said with a big smile.

"Hey, Deuxième, I won!" Troisième, the one on the right, cut in. "I said he’d accept within one week! You said one month! So I won! Première, I want the necklace from the Fallen Prince of Sandworms of the Earth State!"

"You two!" Première, the one in the middle, and the one who spoke to Cassius the most, glared at her sisters. "Why do you both want my things?! We already share the same face and body, that’s enough sameness! Stop trying to be me!"

"No! Give me the clothes!"

"Quiet! Give me the necklace instead!"

Cassius chuckled, watching them bicker. "I don’t mind your discussion, I assure you, but my master looks ready to bury the lot of you if you don’t stay quiet."

The effect was immediate. The triplets fell dead silent the moment they caught sight of Mallory’s cold silver eyes.

All three ducked behind Cassius, peeking out at Mallory like frightened cats.

"You don’t carry a bloodline like the Handoff, blessed by spirits, nor a dragonic bloodline of your own," Mallory said. "Which means that even with a Spirit Affinity, for you to contract a spirit, you first need the agreement of the Primal Queen of the spirit you wish to contract."

The dean paused, taking in the serious expressions of Cassius and the triplets.

"Which means you’ll have to meet the Primal Queen of Fire, and she’ll decide," she continued, snapping her fingers to summon a runic circle beneath Cassius. "The meeting will last between 10 and 15 seconds. That’s enough for her to see who you are at your deepest core, and choose accordingly."

"It’ll be fine!" Première said, grinning. "Mother will like you!"

"Yes, Mother will accept!"

"Mother is great!"

Cassius said nothing to them, just nodded, then looked towards his master. "Any advice?"

"Shut your loud mouth. Don’t talk back," Mallory warned. "Now, all four of you, drop your blood. Cassius, you go last."

They obeyed. The three spirits wounded themselves and let their blood drip onto the runic circle beneath Cassius.

The moment they did, all three lost consciousness and fell to the ground, onto the rune itself.

The rune shifted, growing brighter and taking on a strange, distinctive new shape.

Cassius watched it form into three flames, each a different color, one beneath each sister, linked together like a triangle.

Red, white, and yellow fire.

The center of the triangle, the very heart between the three flames, stood empty. Yet Cassius could see the three fires subtly drawing towards the middle, coalescing into something entirely new.

"Drop your blood, Cassius," Mallory said, studying the Spirit Contract formation, unlike anything she’d seen before. "Drop it right into the center of the three fires."

The Last Born closed his eyes, steadied himself, then let his blood fall into the center, just as ordered.

The moment his blood touched the middle, all three flames surged into it, devouring it hungrily, and then...

Splash!

...Cassius fell into the river, unconscious.

Darkness.

—End of Chapter 360—