Spreading the Poison
Leanon had felt his appetite return after a long time.
This dark clan hatchling was something different.
He didn't know why or what made it so different.
But if the lust demon Leanon let this soul slip by, he would regret it until the day he died.
*Hehehe... How interesting.*
On the other hand, Rune felt Leanan's aura and braced himself inwardly.
*'If things get bad, I'll have to fight with everything I have.'*
He had been hiding his power until now, but survival came first.
In the worst case, he might have to leave the communication device Christina had given him to Perdikion.
*'Just sending it to Amelia's Water Lair would make the return stone work perfectly.'*
Perdikion had also sensed that a battle could break out at any moment.
*'I'm better at facing him than that young Rune.'*
Perdikion, having taken his stance to respond, let out a sharp breath.
Long shadows began to stretch across the ground.
Leanon, having read their resolve in the hatchlings' figures, stopped them.
- Asara.
"?"
Rune gave Leanon a questioning look.
Perdikion, opening his mouth, didn't ease his guard either.
"What nonsense are you trying to spout."
Perdikion's words were as sharp as the sword he held.
Ignoring that, Leanon swallowed his low laugh and slowly raised his right index finger.
- You.
His fingertip pointed exactly at Rune.
- What do the forest and the other power control?
Rune furrowed his brows at the confident tone.
He had sensed the indication when he received the demon's invitation, but the situation forced him to speak it himself.
After a moment of silence, Rune answered honestly.
"Water, and light and fire. It's not used exactly the same way."
Leanon's lips stretched into a long curve at the corner with a soft exclamation.
It was similar to the smile the mask deputy had been wearing.
A laugh that blurred the line between truth and falsehood.
- An infant beast who hasn't even reached two hundred years old.
"..."
Rune didn't answer.
He had figured out the age when the magic flowed into his wrist and he used the dragon skin.
But the discomfort wasn't because of that.
Rune recalled why Leanon, a demon, could guess his age just from seeing dragon scales.
*'If I had seen so many dragon skins... the moment the magic touched them, could he really guess my age as a hatchling.'*
He was a far more dangerous foe than he had thought.
It made sense anew that Christina had been so wary of demons.
On the other hand, Leanon in the shape of the elf king bowed his head politely.
- My name is Leanon. I am the lord of lust and indulgence.
Leanon’s crimson eyes, newly introducing himself, showed a depth of selfishness that Rune couldn't read.
But Rune wasn't the type to falter here.
"I see you have a lot of interest in me."
Rune casually raised his gaze and looked directly into Leanon’s crimson eyes.
He didn't know what point had piqued Leanon’s interest.
But if handled well, this conversation could turn to his advantage.
- I love eating special souls very much. And your soul is very special and looks delicious.
The words flowed without hiding desire.
The moment Leanon finished speaking, Perdikion glared.
"That crazy bastard."
Rune continued without averting his eyes.
"You guessed it, but Christina is my guardian dragon."
Rune went on, recalling the moment that had been fatal to Leanon.
- There's a troublesome goddess attached to me.
Leanon recalled the light goddess who had been tormenting his spiritual body.
A hellish agony.
The judge's light that had carved up his body.
It had been three days already, yet the memory alone made his tongue click.
Even though he had already taken a significant blow to his spiritual body because of Christina.
He would recover soon, but there was no doubt that she was a troublesome opponent.
- She's the second most insane dragon imaginable.
Especially since Christina was one of the dragons most active in the human world.
If she marked him properly, there might not even be a single contractor left on the continent.
Yet Leanon looked at Rune with eyes burning with longing.
- But... I can't just give up, can I?
The longing etched in his red eyes.
He wanted to devour Rune's soul right then and there, to tear and chew it apart to his heart's content.
When Rune faced that gaze, something flashed in his mind.
*'I can't give up. That's what this means.'*
Rune had thought there was no soul like his.
After all, he was a soul that remembered a past life from another world.
Rune secretly sparkled his eyes.
*'Good. Let's try it.'*
It might seem too proficient and raise suspicion.
Rune, holding the negotiation card, spoke calmly.
"I've heard from Christina. Demons make contracts by gambling their souls, right?"
- Oh? You want to make a contract with me?
"Rune, no way."
Both Leanon, showing curious expectation, and Perdikion, who looked ready to tear him apart at any moment, spoke at the same time.
Rune shook his head.
"I won't. If you're going to make a contract, you'll keep your promises. I was just confirming that."
At those words, Perdikion let out a relieved face.
Leanon blew a small fart with a face where his hopes had died.
After briefly lowering his gaze and raising his head again,
Rune spoke with a little leeway.
"I have no intention of giving up my soul.
If it comes to that, I'll just escape here and tell Christina. That's all."
- Oh... You can escape my barrier. That's a bit too arrogant.
"I can. I possess the Fairy’s Path."
Leanon’s crimson pupils widened slightly at the words.
They soon narrowed again, but.
- The more you know, the more your greed surges...
To the point of wanting to shatter it right away.
He swallowed the words inwardly and licked his lips with his tongue.
It was extremely difficult for Leanon to hold back his core desire of indulgence.
"I see. Then, you don't seem to have any intention of leaving me as I am."
Facing twisted desire and murderous intent, Rune raised his hand and held the spatial pocket.
"I'll make you a proposal."
Rune took something out of the spatial pocket.
"Here."
It looked like a large mana stone at first glance.
But Leanon sensed that the mana stone wasn't ordinary.
- An artifact, huh.
Rune nodded in affirmation.
"This is called a Mokoji Stone. In simple terms, it's a communication artifact."
The mana stone Rune had taken out was one of the spare Mokoji Stones from Jed's keepsake box.
"!"
Perdikion, having guessed Rune’s thought, looked shocked while Rune explained the Mokoji Stone.
"If you use this, I can send you a message."
*Hmm.*
The bold and practical proposal continued with the simple usage method.
"Anyway, I'm never going to make a contract like that with a demon. I don't like connecting with you or leaving any traces in any way."
Rune opened his arms and threw and caught the Mokoji Stone.
"But I can give you a way to contact me."
*Contact method?*
Rune added to the hesitant Leanon.
"If you have this, even when I become an adult, I can contact you. But if you try to harm me now, you'll earn Christina's resentment."
Perdikion stood halfway in front of Rune.
"Don't even dream of it. I don't plan to stay still either."
Leanon’s eyes narrowed.
He was swept up in the desire to immediately break the brazenness of this young dark clan life form.
No way.
Leanon muttered inwardly.
The soul that had finally sparked his appetite.
A premium soul that had never been tasted before.
He couldn't ruin such a rare soul out of greed.
After some time, Leanon nodded.
- If I accept your proposal, I wonder what you want.
'!'
Rune, having sensed he had taken the bait, answered calmly.
"You have the Forest Insignia, the soul of the Elf King, and the World Tree."
- Oh my. How greedy.
At the unhesitating proposal, Leanon stroked his chin as if in thought.
Killing hatchlings who hadn't even finished growing wasn't difficult.
But what he wanted was a contract through which he could receive souls.
And souls could only be received through contracts.
Since Leanon didn't answer immediately, Rune spoke without changing his expression.
"Think it over. I won't get your soul right away, but we have very long lifespans. Perhaps we can seize the opportunity within that time."
The hatchlings would grow into adults, and at that time, they would be independent from Christina.
A demon and a dragon with long lives might meet sooner or later.
With the Fairy’s Path, escaping right away wouldn't be difficult.
It was only because Leanon held the World Tree that he had proposed the deal.
After all, it wasn't a power he could wield properly.
So passing on a power that's difficult to use properly and marking a delicious soul on it wasn't a bad proposal for Leanon either.
When Leanon stayed silent for a while, Rune, thinking of the possibility of fighting, revealed darkness in his hand.
And then.
- Good. I'll accept.
"!"
Killing the World Tree, or even the Forest Insignia that wouldn't be used properly anyway.
For a demon like him, it was just a tool to eat the souls of common elves.
He could easily get thousands or tens of thousands of those common elf souls.
But Rune's soul was the only one in this world.
It was irresistibly desirable.
To make it even tastier.
To feel a more special taste when he tore and swallowed it.
Leanon was the type who could put in any effort for indulgence.
- The time when you'll grow up is something to look forward to.
A sly smile formed at the corner of the demon's mouth.
- But the soul of the Elf King is already a done deal under the contract. I can't hand that over.
*'It seems not.'*
It was regrettable.
But a demon's contract was on par with a dragon's word of power.
Since the soul of the Elf King had been fulfilled according to the contract, there was no choice.
Sensing that, Leanon added words.
- In exchange, I'll make a proposal too.
The eyes of the black-haired boy, whose thoughts couldn't be read, contained Leanon's red eyes.
"What is it?"
- Bring my sword.
The demon's sword.
It was fearsome and terrifying, but it was, after all, a summoned item.
It was rather strange that he would simply hand it over.
"Why?"
When Rune asked, Leanon laughed satisfiedly.
- In case you meet another demon. Just showing this sword will make any lower-ranking guy than me not even dare to approach.
Rune nodded as if he understood.
*'In other words, it's for smearing poison.'*
It was very rare to meet demons on the continent, but who knew what the future held.
"I know that the Mokoji Stone only works on the continent, so I'll take care of that."
*Whoosh.*
Rune threw the Mokoji Stone to Leanon first.
*Tap.*
Leanon, holding the Mokoji Stone, examined the sparkling magical stone.
- You've made a strange thing, little beast.
Leanon fumbled with his hand a few times and then held the Mokoji Stone.
Next, he planted the magic stone on the floor of the World Tree and took a step back.
- Even though the mana is deep because it was one of my long-term minions, it should be fine for you, right?
"Yeah. No problem."
*'I plan to seal it and imprison it anyway.'*
Leanon chuckled and held up the Forest Insignia in his hand.
The Forest Insignia, which had originally been a fresh leaf color, now showed traces of dark magic from the demon's touch.
- Here it is.
The Forest Insignia flew from Leanon's large hand.
Rune caught the insignia skillfully.
The light flickered and the emerald light shook unsteadily.
*'This is the Forest Insignia...'*
The recovered Forest Insignia had an exhausted light somewhere.