Chapter 158
Chapter 158
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Taming the Primordial Darkness
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[Contractor, so what's the method to defeat Baal?]
After the contract concluded, Erebos asked.
I shrugged nonchalantly and replied.
"Well, I wonder if there's any point in telling you? Anyway, even if I do, it's a method you couldn't use."
[…What?]
Gooo!
Erebos spoke lowly, his purple eyes glowing fiercely.
[…Surely, you said you'd tell me. Didn't we make a contract?]
"Contract? Sure. But there was no clause about me sharing information."
[You barbaric bastard…!]
Shhh!
Erebos honed his darkness sharply, aiming it at my neck.
One step closer, and my head would be cleanly severed.
Yet I concealed my fear, maintaining a composed demeanor.
'Erebos is a monster on par with Baal.'
Which meant I had to seize firm control.
Showing any weakness would make him impossible to handle.
"Why? Gonna kill me? Do whatever you want."
[…What?]
"Go ahead. Kill me or spare me. Going out to the Primordial Darkness? Not a bad end to life. But… you're prepared for that, right?"
I didn't flinch—instead, I pressed even harder.
Killing the contractor was a blatant contract violation.
If he killed me, his own existence would vanish.
'No way he'd sacrifice himself for one human.'
There was zero reason to fear.
With that conclusion, I looked up to find Erebos staring at me in disbelief.
Flap!
I flashed a faint smile and shook the contract document at him.
In the suffocating silence, Erebos spoke first.
[Seems I chose poorly… Contracting with a lowly worm like you—what a farce.]
Shhh.
Erebos withdrew his darkness as he spoke.
From his tone, he'd clearly abandoned the idea of killing me.
'About time.'
Now I had solid control.
Of course, stopping here felt like a missed opportunity.
Even bound by contract, mutual trust would play a key role.
With that in mind, I tossed him a carrot.
"Don't get too down. The goal of capturing Baal hasn't changed."
[…You're still refusing to spill everything?]
"What's the difference? As long as we reach the goal."
[Ha.]
Erebos let out a hollow laugh, glaring at me, but I had no choice.
'Telling him would backfire.'
The 'Baal extermination method' that had passed even [Lie Detection].
It lay in my magic.
'How could I tell him it's by borrowing his power to evolve my darkness magic…?'
It was a perfectly viable approach, but no doubt.
'He'd lose it. Total meltdown.'
Erebos would go berserk upon hearing that.
He undoubtedly believed he could defeat Baal with his own power alone.
'Sorry to say, but you can't beat Baal.'
It was a fact proven over centuries of combat.
Erebos simply couldn't win against Baal.
And I knew it better than anyone.
'When we clashed, yours was manageable.'
I'd fought Erebos while leveling my zombie swordsman character.
From that experience, his darkness felt far less threatening than Baal's demonic energy.
To the point where I thought I could just crush him if I wanted.
'Didn't kill him, not knowing what variables might arise.'
In any case, for Erebos to beat Baal, the only path was through me—his mythic trait conduit.
A reality Erebos could never accept.
'Keep it hidden as long as possible.'
With that firmly decided, Erebos spoke up.
[Very well, Contractor. I'll trust you for now. It passed my lie detection, after all.]
Luckily, my carrot had worked.
[So, what's your plan now? What comes next?]
"Ah, that?"
Not a tough question.
I had it all mapped out.
Of course, before diving in…
"Can you change your appearance too?"
First things first: I couldn't drag this hideous thing back to Kazandur like this.
***
Step, step, step.
Step, step, step…
At Kazandur's rear gate outpost, a man paced anxiously, glancing around.
It was Barundel, who had returned here just moments ago.
He circled for a while before kicking the ground in frustration.
Pak!
Worry etched across his face.
"Damn, this unease is killing me!"
Deep down, he knew rationally.
Mobilizing every soldier to fight that unknown entity had been the logical call.
But a persistent ominous hunch had held him back.
"…If I'd done that, we'd all be dead."
He didn't know what that entity truly was, but the premonition felt dire.
And Barundel was a dwarf with sharp instincts.
Those very instincts had propelled him to the role of dwarf leader.
So this time too, he'd trusted them and ordered the retreat…
"Not sure if that was the right move."
He still couldn't confirm if his judgment had been sound.
Had fighting that entity been the correct choice after all?
…What if his hesitation got that mage killed?
The anxiety kept building.
Just then.
"B-Ba, Barundel!"
"What is it?"
"Someone's approaching from over there!"
A guard watching the rear gate shouted.
Barundel whipped his gaze that way.
"…The mage!"
There stood none other than Yoo Han.
Relief washed over Barundel instantly, and he dropped everything to rush over.
"Ar-Are you alright? Any injuries?"
"Yes, as you can see, perfectly fine."
"Thank goodness… Truly, thank goodness!"
Barundel sighed in relief while quickly scanning him.
Fortunately, just as he said—no visible wounds.
That was when.
"…What's this?"
Barundel's eyes locked onto Yoo Han's shoulder.
Perched there was some unidentified black thing…
Palm-sized, roundish, with big sparkling purple eyes.
Toy-like armor and shoulder guards.
An abnormal ratio of a massive head on a tiny body.
'A doll?'
Its appearance naturally evoked that thought.
The problem was.
"See me again? Dwarf."
That it was alive and moving.
It even spoke.
"What in the…?"
Barundel had never laid eyes on anything like it in his life.
Noticing his shock, Yoo Han gave an awkward smile.
"Haha, this is Erebos. You saw him earlier, right?"
"…Earlier? You don't mean…?"
"Yeah, this was that guy."
"…!!"
That guy?
Did he mean the massive black knight?
The question lingered only briefly before Barundel reached a conclusion and bellowed.
"C-Combat ready!"
***
Clank, clank, clash!
The dwarf soldiers thrust their blades forward.
"…"
A choking tension hung in the air.
Well, it was a situation I'd fully anticipated.
'They can't help but be on guard. I brought Erebos, after all.'
Sure enough, Barundel shot him a wary glare.
"Ma-Mage! What is the meaning of this! Dragging that ominous creature here…!"
His voice trembled—he was seriously on edge.
I made a calming gesture and spoke carefully.
"Easy now. He's not a threat at the moment."
"Wh-What do you mean? Not a threat?!"
"Well, see…"
That was when I started explaining calmly.
"Hoh, you dare try to attack this body?"
Shhh!
Darkness began rippling around the shrunken Erebos.
Startled, I reflexively smacked the back of his head.
Ppak!
"Wh-What was that for, Contractor!"
What was that for?
That was my line.
"What were you just about to do? Forgotten our contract already?"
"I remember perfectly! I'm supposed to lend you my power!"
"No, it's more than that."
The contract with Erebos went beyond mere power lending.
He had to be maximally cooperative throughout our journey ahead.
That was the core clause.
I pointed it out, cornering him.
"How is slaughtering everyone here 'cooperative'? You nearly obstructed my path just now. We can't have that."
"Wha… They were about to attack you! I was simply helping my contractor!"
"Killing my comrades is 'helping'? And they were aiming at you, not me. Don't you want to catch Baal?"
"…Kng."
Erebos clamped his mouth shut, face full of resentment.
"…What a troublesome contractor."
Ignoring his grumbling, I turned back to Barundel.
"…What kind of situation is this?"
He seemed pretty shocked.
No wonder—I'd just walloped the head of this colossal being.
"Hey, Erebos. Stay put here for a bit. Don't do a thing."
"…Fine."
I set Erebos down momentarily and dragged Barundel to a secluded spot.
Then I explained everything step by step.
"…Erebos? Destruction contract?"
Barundel was skeptical at first, but showing him the contract details gradually won him over.
Even so, after the full explanation, his doubts weren't entirely erased.
"Still, I can't relax just because of a contract. Especially with an unknown entity like that."
"Of course. We should always stay cautious."
"Hm. At least he won't cause trouble right now."
Barundel peeked out cautiously as he said it.
Glancing over, I saw Erebos waiting obediently in place.
Even with dwarf soldiers still aiming every manner of weapon at him.
'He listens well enough.'
Thankfully, he wasn't so unruly as to be useless.
Feeling a bit more at ease, I sought Barundel's permission once more.
"Anyway, like I said before, I'll need to stick around here with him for a while. That alright?"
"You confident you can keep him in check?"
"Yes, I'll do my utmost to avoid any harm."
"Hmm…"
Barundel pondered deeply before broaching tentatively.
"Staying here's fine, but the central district's off-limits. There's a nice spot on the outskirts for laying low—I'll guide you there. Sound good?"
"Yes, that'll work."
A touch disappointing, but staying in Kazandur was what mattered.
With that settled, I asked my final burning question.
"By the way, where are my comrades? I haven't seen them since I got here…"
It was strangely hard to spot them.
Normally, they'd come rushing out the moment I set foot in Kazandur.
Barundel scratched his head at the question.
"Well… they're locked up right now."
"…What?"