Chapter 19: Forging the Contract (Patreon)

I stared at the message, unable to comprehend what I was looking at. Yet, no matter how much I stared, I could not deny one fact. The message on the sheet of paper was written in the language of Spirit Earth. I had not read it or heard it spoken in two lifetimes now, but I had no trouble recognizing the language of my first life.

The characters were reminiscent of Earth’s Mandarin, but only on a superficial level. The two languages were fundamentally different. Aptitude in one did not mean aptitude of the other.

What was going on? How had Lorelei gotten her hands on something like this? Had she written it herself? If so, how had she learned the language of Spirit Earth? Or had she just copied something she saw?

“Where did you get this?” I asked Lorelei, looking right at her.

She shook her head.

“I can’t tell you until you agree to what it says,” she said.

Corie and Leroy looked between the two of us in confusion.

“Will someone explain to me what is going on?” Corie asked.

I glared at Lorelei, willing her to tell me the answers. She remained tight-lipped. All right then. If she wanted to play games, I would play along. I looked down and read the message.

“Take my Chosen as your disciple,” the message said. “If you do, I will consider any and all debts between us paid for in full, Immortal. If not, then return my servant to my Chosen to be her familiar instead.”

I stared at the message for a long while, rereading it several times.

“Hey, someone answer me,” Corie said, sounding irritated. “Stop ignoring me.”

“Hush now,” Leroy said. “Leave them be. You will get your answers soon enough.”

Corie huffed, but otherwise didn’t say anything.

I made a mental note to thank Leroy for his hard work, dedication, and patience.

“Do you know what this says?” I asked, looking up at Lorelei again.

She nodded.

“Yes,” she said. “While I can’t read those characters, I know the contents of the message.”

This message confirmed that a divine being of some sort had interfered in my affairs. This being first sent the mana ghost my way, and now it wanted me to take Lorelei as my disciple. And those were just the things I knew about. It was possible that this divine being had interfered with my life in other ways. There was no way to know for sure.

Chosen. That word had special meaning here on Lumina. This world had many gods, chief among them was Sol, the sun god. As the title suggested, the Chosen were the gods’ champions and representatives here in the mortal realm.

Each god had one Chosen, and the criteria for becoming a god’s Chosen depended on the god in question. Whatever the case, each of Chosen was marked in some way by their patron god.

The Chosen were also always special in some way. This was something the Chosen shared in common with Otherworlders. In fact, many Otherworlders were themselves also Chosen. However, unlike Otherworlders, Chosen were special because they received a blessing from their patron god.

How this blessing manifested depended on the god in question. Some gods gave their Chosen powerful weapons or powerful creatures to act as their familiars. Some gods imbued their chosen with divine gifts. Some Chosen were the children of gods, and thus had divine blood flowing through their veins.

Regardless, Chosen were powerful individuals who were not to be underestimated. Some hid their special status, doing their god’s work in secret. Others flaunted it. It depended on the Chosen in question. Regardless of who they were, be they mortal or wizard, Chosen were held in high regard. Any House that boasted a Chosen among as one of their own was guaranteed to prosper.

Most people believed that the Sun Emperor was Sol’s Chosen, that was why he was so powerful and why he had lived for so long. However, no one had been able to confirm or deny this.

Lorelei was a Chosen. I had not seen that coming. And her patron god wanted me to take her on as my disciple. Great. As if my life wasn’t complicated enough as it was.

Lorelei and I already shared some fate because of our interactions so far. However, these connections were weak and easily broken. If I took her on as my disciple, then our fates would be forever linked.

“You know what this means, right?” I asked. “This isn’t a decision you should make blindly.”

“I know what it means,” Lorelei said. “My…friend explained it to me.”

“Including the fact that I would have the same authority over you as your parents?”

“Yes.”

“What?” Corie asked. “What is he talking about? Give me that paper.”

She made to march over to me and snatch the paper from my hands, but Lorelei stopped her.

“Please don’t interfere, Corie,” she said. “This is between me and Lord Gabriel. I promise I will explain everything later. Just trust me.”

Corie studied her friend’s face for several seconds, before she huffed and crossed her arms.

“Fine,” she said. “You better. I’m tired of everyone leaving me in the dark.”

As this went on, I pondered on whether or not to take Lorelei as my disciple. It was a lifelong commitment that came with serious responsibilities. I would have to teach her and guide her along the path of cultivation. In short, I would be like both a teacher and father to her.

I wanted this mana ghost as my familiar, and I liked Lorelei, but was that enough? I mean, this body was only seventeen years old for fuck’s sake.

Plus, I didn’t like the idea of some god messing about with my life. This stunk of some kind of scheme or agenda. Accepting this god’s offer might involve me in something I wanted nothing to do with.

That said, there were upsides to this arrangement. Earning the goodwill of a god wasn’t a bad thing, and if I accepted Lorelei as my disciple, I would also have her as my ally. Not to mention I would get the mana ghost as my familiar; the mana ghost that used to be a divine being.

“Which one is it?” I asked. “Your patron that is.”

Lorelei hesitated, before shaking her head.

“Come on. If I’m going to agree to this, then I should at least know who I’m dealing with.”

“You have a point,” Lorelei said. After a few moments, she nodded. “It’s Lady Terra.”

Terra, the Earth Goddess.

I should have seen that one coming, considering Lorelei’s affinities. While I didn’t know much about Terra, the little I did know suggested that she was on the up and up. At least, I hadn’t heard any stories of her being evil or tricking people into bargains that they later regretted. I hadn’t met her myself, so I couldn’t say for sure.

Decisions, decisions.

“Fine,” I said. “I accept. There’s a ceremony we should go through, just to cover all our bases, but that can wait until later.”

The last thing I needed was Lorelei kowtowing to me three times in the middle of the woods. Besides, I wanted to put together a suitable gift for Lorelei, a token of our new relationship. It was something I had done with my previous disciples.

I also needed to think of a good cultivation name for her. This was also important, because it would also affect her development as a cultivator.

Man, who would’ve thought I would’ve become someone’s master at seventeen? It almost feels like I became a teen parent.

Lorelei wore a bright smile on her face.

“Thank you, Lord Gabriel,” she said. “Or should I call you ‘Master’ now?”

“Call me Lord Gabriel in public,” I said. “I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about our relationship.” I frowned. “Or the right idea for that matter.”

Lorelei was older than me, at least in this lifetime, so people would think it was weird if they found out that I was her master.

“‘Master?!’” Corie shouted. “Lorrie, what’s going on?”

“I am Master Gabriel’s disciple now,” Lorelei said.

Corie just gave her a mystified look. Leroy raised an eyebrow at me. While he hadn’t been as vocal about it, I guessed he was as confused as Corie about what was going on.

“Later,” I said. “I came out here for a reason, and I want to get that over with. We can talk more when we’re on the road tomorrow.”

I pointed a finger at Corie.

“Do you want to also be my disciple?” I asked. “Since we’re on the topic, I might as well ask.”

She was Lorelei’s friend, and my temporary servant, so the two of us already had fate. Plus we both had a connection to House Corwin. It wasn’t a coincidence that she was here. Why not take advantage of the situation while I had the chance?

Corie opened her mouth, no doubt to fling an insult my way, but Lorelei grabbed her shoulders.

“Say yes, Corie,” she said. “Trust me, you won’t regret it.”

“But-…”

“Please.”

Corie studied Lorelei’s face for several long seconds.

“Lorrie, what’s going on?” she asked, a quiver in her voice. “You’ve been acting strange for the past several weeks now.” She glanced at me. “In fact, you’ve been that way ever since he arrived.”

A mark appeared on Lorelei’s forehead, emitted the faintest hint of divine power. It was Lumina’s magical symbol for “Earth”. It glowed a warm, brown light. The mark faded away and Lorelei cupped Corie’s face.

“I am Lady Terra’s Chosen,” she said, wearing a serious expression. “I’m sorry I hadn’t told you this before, but she asked me to keep it secret until Master Gabriel accepted me as his disciple.” She nodded in my direction. “Having him as my teacher is my divine blessing. If you become his disciple, you will gain the same benefit. We will be like sisters.”

Both Corie and Leroy stared at her in disbelief. I didn’t blame them. Having your best friend come up to you and say they were a god’s Chosen champion would be difficult for anyone to swallow, even with the mark proving Lorelei’s status.

Meanwhile, I stood off to the side, somewhat offended that a goddess had used me as her Chosen’s blessing. Then again, I benefited as well, so I couldn’t complain. If I hadn’t accepted Terra’s offer, the mana ghost would’ve gone to Lorelei.

“You’re not joking with me, are you, Lorrie?” Corie asked. “Because if you are, it’s not funny.”

“I am not, Corie. I would never do that to you.”

The two women stared at each other for a while, before Corie nodded.

“Fine,” she said. “I trust you. I’ll be Lord Gabriel’s disciple.” She shrugged. “I mean, I’m already his servant, so what difference does it make?”

Lorelei let out a happy squeal and pulled Corie into a tight hug.

“Thank you!”

I looked at Leroy. He must have predicted what I was about to say, because he shook his head.

“No thank you, young master,” he said. “I’m fine with the way things are.”

I shrugged.

“Very well,” I said. “Suit yourself.”

Now that we settled all that, it was time to forge the familiar contract.

***

I sent a mental message to the mana ghost residing in my dantian. My head throbbed with pain.

‘I assume you saw everything that happened?’ I asked.

Yes, Great Gabriel, it said. This feels right. As if this was supposed to happen, though I don’t remember how I know that.

‘Considering that you were apparently Terra’s servant, of course you’d say that.’ I let out a sigh. ‘Anyway, let’s get this over with. Ready to begin?’

Of course, Lord Gabriel.

The mana ghost flew out of my dantian and hovered in the air in front of me.

“Did that mana ghost just fly out of you?” Corie asked.

“Yes,” I replied without looking at her. “This little one is going to be my familiar.”

Both Leroy and Corie looked at me as if I had grown a second head. Only Lorelei seemed unfazed by this. I assumed that was because she knew more than she let on. The two of us would have a conversation about that. How much did she know? How much had Terra told her? And how did Terra know about me and Spirit Earth?

“Young master,” Leroy began. “Are you sure this is a wise decision? Mana ghosts are  not the most ideal familiars.”

Translation: Young master, are you crazy?

Corie didn’t bother being subtle about it.

“I’m doomed,” she lamented. “I’ve taken a mad man as my master. No one in their right mind would take a mana ghost as their familiar. They’re so weak and useless.”

I grinned at both of them.

“Ah, but this mana ghost is special.” My grin widened at their skeptical looks. “Don’t worry, you’ll see. Stand at the edge of the clearing. I’m about to forge the familiar contract, and I don’t want any of you to get caught up in it.”

Corie looked around.

“Here?” she asked. “I thought you needed a magic circle to forge a familiar contract.”

Most familiar contracts required a magical circle, accompanied by a lengthy ritual. If the magic beast or spirit was unwilling, then it would also involve a battle of wills.

“I’m curious about this as well, Master Gabriel,” Lorelei said. “Lady Terra told me what you were planning to do, but not how.”

“The familiar contract I have in mind is simpler but far more profound than a normal one. Again, you’ll see. Stand at the edge of the clearing.”

The three of them listened, though both Leroy and Corie remained skeptical. Lorelei just looked curious.

“In order for this to work,” I said. “The two of us need to exchange pieces of our souls, the essence of our being. Do you know how to do that?”

Yes, Just Gabriel, the mana ghost said. I don’t know how I know this, but I do.

“I should warn you that doing this will reveal your true nature to the world.”

Since I don’t remember what my true nature is, I have no problem with that. Besides, didn’t you say that this contract will change my nature to suit yours?

“Yes. I just wanted to let you know, in case you had any objections.”

I don’t.

“Then let us begin. You go first.”

A soundless shock wave rippled out from the mana ghost as it did something. The world around us began to shake a little. The wind stirred. At first it started out as a gentle breeze, before growing stronger. Clouds gathered in the sky above us. They whirled around the edges of the clearing, almost as if we were in the eye of a storm.

I sensed divine energy emanate from the mana ghost as a mote of light separated from it. This mote of light was golden-silver in color. It was like a star, brilliant and pure.

At the same time, an illusory figure formed behind the mana ghost. This was the spirit’s true nature, or at least what it had been before it descended from the heavens.

The illusory figure was a green serpent, long and winding. It was impossible to tell how large it was. Even though the illusory serpent filled out only half of the clearing, it felt much bigger to my divine sense. It felt as large as a mountain. No, larger. It felt as if the serpent could encircle the world itself. The serpent’s head was just above the mana ghost. It stared at me with those unblinking, reptilian eyes.

The world around us sighed when the serpent appeared. All the plants in the clearing and all the trees of the forest stood up straight. It was as if the earth itself was basking in the presence of divinity.

I heard Lorelei, Corie, and Leroy let out surprised gasps.

“A World Serpent,” Lorelei whispered with reverence.

Her reverence was warranted. World Serpents were mighty spirits, primordial beings of Earth that were second only to the gods themselves. Terra showed me great favor by having one of her greatest servants become my familiar.

Of course, only a being such as this was worthy of being my familiar.

Now it was my turn.

I formed a blade out of my divine energy and cut off a piece of my soul. Indescribable pain wracked my body. It was as if countless blades slashed every inch of my being. It was almost enough to make me lose focus. Almost, but not quite. I bit my tongue, and infused the piece of my soul into the blood that seeped out.

The world around me rippled, shaking far more violently than it had when the mana ghost revealed its essence. The wind around us was whipped into a frenzy. It howled and screamed, sounding like angry spirits. The clouds above roiled and raged. Thunder roared, and lightning flashed across the sky.

I spat out the drop of blood infused with the piece of my soul. The blood hovered in the air, pure gold in color. It was as bright as the sun, and filled the clearing with divine light.

The moment I spat out the blood, flowers bloomed to life all across the clearing, covering it like a blanket. Even the trees around us flowered and blossomed, including the ones that didn’t produce flowers. Golden lotus blossoms appeared in the air around me, falling to the ground. They melted into the earth wherever they landed. Life flourished in those spots and the mana in the area rose exponentially. It was as if the clearing had become sacred ground, a holy land.

An illusory figure of a man appeared behind me. He was tall and slender, with jade like skin and long black hair. His features were breathtakingly beautiful, as if a god had carved them from a heavenly stone. The man wore white robe with gold trimming. His amber eyes seemed to glow from within. He wore a serene expression on his face, though there was an undercurrent of something darker beneath that serenity.

Immortal Celestial Thunder.

The others stared at me with shocked expressions on their faces.

Everything fell still as an awed silence filled the clearing. Nothing moved or made a sound, as if the world itself held its breath. Then, as one, everything bowed.

From the plants and trees, to the wind and the clouds in the sky. It was as if heaven itself had descended, and the earth exulted in its presence.

Without a word, I sent the drop of golden blood towards the mana ghost. It sent the golden silver mote of light towards me. I swallowed the mote of light at the same time that it swallowed the drop of blood.

The mote of light headed towards the empty space where the piece of my soul had been and fused with my being. Changes rippled out immediately. First and foremost, I felt a connection to the mana ghost in front of me. It was different from the connection we shared before, when we communicated via divine sense. This connection was deeper, stronger. We weren’t two separate beings. We were one.

The other changes would become more obvious as time went on.

The illusory figure of Immortal Celestial Thunder merged with me and disappeared.

The changes to the mana ghost were more visually dramatic. The illusory serpent went from a solid green color to a bluish green. It grew a pair of wings and flew into the air, circling around the clearing. Antelope-like horns emerged from its head. It grew arms and legs that ended in wicked looking claws. Lightning crackled in the air around it.

The serpent had become a dragon.

The dragon roared, before it rushed towards the mana ghost and merged with it. The mana ghost’s form shifted and changed, until it was no longer an orb. Instead, it became a miniature version of the illusory dragon.

When the illusory dragon disappeared, everything calmed down little by little. The mana ghost, or dragon spirit now, drooped in the air in front of me. It looked tired and exhausted. I felt the same. I hadn’t realized it at the time, but the changes brought on by the familiar contract took a lot out of me.

“Get in here,” I said, my voice tired and strained. “We can talk later.”

The dragon spirit nodded and flew into my dantian. It coiled around itself at the bottom of the pool of mana and fell asleep. Unlike before, however, it just needed to rest. It wouldn’t be asleep for several weeks.

Hmm, I needed to give my new familiar a name. Calling it “dragon spirit” all the time was disrespectful. That was something I would discuss with it after it woke up again and we could have a proper conversation. For all I knew, the dragon spirit already had a name. I mean, it had an entire existence before it descended from the heavens and met me. It was bound to have a name.

I turned to find the others still staring at me. Each of them wore an expression that was a mix of awe and reverence, with a hint of worship.

Oh no. That wouldn’t do.

[Water Spray]

I held up my hand and hit each of them with my Water Spray spell. Lorelei and Corie both let out surprised shrieks, while Leroy sputtered.

“What was that fo-…?” Corie started to ask.

I hit them all again with another Water Spray.

“Young master, will you sto-…” Leroy tried to say, but I cut him off with yet another Water Spray.

I dowsed them with water until they were all completely drenched. Corie glared at me, Lorelei just looked confused, and Leroy crossed his arms with a stern expression on his face.

“Oh good,” I said. “You stopped.”

“Stopped what, Master Gabriel?” Lorelei asked.

“Looking at me as if I were some kind of god. That is the last thing I need right now.”

Corie spat out some water.

“Did you really have to soak us?” she asked.

“Would you have preferred it if I slapped you across the face and called you a bitch?” I asked. “Because that was my second idea.”

“You really are an asshole.”

“Yes. Don’t forget it.”

I started marching in the direction of Little Cross.

“But seriously, what the hell was that?” Corie asked. “And who was that pretty man who appeared behind you?” Her eyes took on a dreamy look. “I wouldn’t mind giving him a ride.”

I stopped where I was and stared at her with barely concealed horror. Lorelei covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, while Leroy turned away as his shoulders shook. It seemed they both had realized who the illusory figure was, but Corie hadn’t.

“That’s…” I said. “That’s a conversation for tomorrow. I’m tired, and I’m sure the rest of you are as well.” I looked at Lorelei. “We have a lot to talk about.”

“Aw, come on,” Corie said, throwing her arm around my shoulder. “Don’t be like that. Who was that guy? Can you introduce me to him?”

I gaped at Corie with my mouth hanging open.

“I can’t tell if you’re being serious right now or not,” I said. “Do you really not know, or are you just pretending?”

“What do you mean?”

“Master Gabriel,” Lorelei began. “Corie doesn’t have the context to understand what just happened. I do because Lady Terra explained a few things to me.”

Corie pointed a finger at her.

“Don’t think I forgot about that, Lorrie,” she said. “I mean, my best friend is a Chosen! You have to tell me everything.”

Lorelei gave her a gentle smile.

“I will,” she said.

“Tomorrow,” I said, pulling Corie’s arm off me. “We’ll have plenty of time for that tomorrow.”

With that, I managed to wrangle my newest disciples and the four of us headed back to Little Cross.