Chapter 1673
“What in the world is that contract?”
Suddenly, an unknown sound echoed, and I blinked in confusion.
“And whose voice is this?”
Just as that thought crossed my mind, the voice continued.
[Shall we renew it?]
Is it urging me for an answer?
I figured I needed to find out the identity of this voice and what “the contract of the Primordial Void” even was.
So I calmly replied, “What is the contract of the Primordial Void? And who are you?”
[Shall we renew it?]
“No… What is the contract of the Primordial Void…”
[Shall we renew it?]
“……”
Seriously?!
This thing is completely ignoring my questions and just repeating itself!
I was frustrated, but arguing with something that only wants to repeat the same phrase is useless. After a moment’s thought, I said, “If I don’t renew, will I die? At least tell me that much.”
[Shall we renew it?]
“Ugh!”
Looking closely, this thing isn’t trying to talk to me; it’s just mechanically making a proposal!
Realizing this conversation was pointless, I decided to choose.
“I’ll renew it!”
No matter what it is, I’d rather take my chances than die!
Moreover, I felt strongly that if I didn’t renew, I wouldn’t obtain any more clues.
[Got it!]
With a flash!
The energy that had been flickering around me intensified, merging into a silvery light as it coalesced. However, strangely enough, this energy felt entirely different from any kind of power I had used before—my internal power, intent, supernatural ability, magic, nothing like that.
‘What is this?’
Can this even be called power?
It felt more like something even more fundamental… a mist-like essence that had no real substance. If I didn’t recognize it as power, it could just be dismissed as a mysterious glowing phenomenon in my body.
‘…Ah, there is a similar feeling I’ve encountered before…’
Soul Power.
It felt vaguely familiar to the force used when the Soul Exchange Technique absorbs souls. But similar as it was, there were still too many ambiguous points to label it as the same kind of power. As I pondered this newfound ability, I suddenly realized I had moved to a strange space.
“…?!”
Huh? When did I teleport?
‘No, I don’t have any physical presence. This means…’
Only my consciousness has moved somewhere!
While I was stunned, a bizarre structure appeared before me.
Rumble rumble rumble…
A colossal tower that seemed to have just erupted from the ground!
This vast tower looked like it was piercing the sky, and its peak was completely out of sight. I glanced up at the tower and noticed some writing etched on its outer wall.
“Uh… It looks like writing… but it’s too close to see clearly.”
I tilted my head to try and see better.
Zap!
Suddenly, in accordance with my thoughts, I found myself more than a hundred feet away from the tower. I hadn’t even exerted any effort, but witnessing my own will being followed reassured me that this space must be the realm of the mind.
“So, I came to the mental realm by renewing the contract of the Primordial Void?”
I muttered and confirmed that I could see the writing on the tower’s outer wall from a distance.
First Calamity (第一劫)
“First calamity?”
What does it mean?
As I pondered the meaning of the words inscribed on the tower’s wall, I reached a conclusion.
“…If there’s a first calamity, then there must also be a second and third?”
If I think simply, that makes sense. Realizing that I had tasks to accomplish to support my theory, I looked back up at the tower.
“I need to climb that tower.”
Whoosh!
Again, I used my will to imagine myself heading to the top of the tower, but in the next moment, I found myself standing before what appeared to be the entrance.
‘As I thought… this tower operates based on a system, and I have to go up one floor at a time.’
Since I had some previous experience with similar realms, I wasn’t particularly shocked. I slowly reached out and opened the door to step into the First Calamity.
Clomp.
The first floor of the tower was like a wide plaza. From the outside, it seemed unbelievably vast—almost as if I had entered a great plain, extending to the horizon. However, it was quite barren, lacking any distinct decorations or furniture, and I walked through the emptiness, scanning my surroundings.
‘Are there no stairways up?’
After searching for a while, I couldn’t find any stairs leading upward.
Just then,
“You’ve renewed the contract, Great Master.”
Suddenly, a dapper gentleman in western attire appeared before me. The odd part? He had the head of a goat. The bespectacled goat man spoke while firmly pressing his cane into the ground.
“Unworthy Abaddon is always thrilled by the glorious achievements of the Master.”
“…?”
Abaddon? I’ve never heard that name before.
I stared perplexed at the goat gentleman Abaddon.
“Who are you?”
“Ho ho… Do you wish to hear the name of an insignificant being brought low by your hand, Master? I am Abaddon, the King of Wandering beings, the Knowing Ones of the Abyss, and the Eminent of Chaos.”
In that moment, I felt a strange yet powerful force emanating from him due to the bizarre glimmer in Abaddon’s eyes. I sensed it was cosmic in scale, swallowing hard.
‘No doubt about it. This guy is [Old Ruler].’
The goat gentleman in front of me definitely qualified as a powerful entity, ranking at least in the mid to upper tiers of the divine beings I had encountered. Whether he existed in my worldview or not, just judging him purely as [power], he seemed formidable. Compared to my divine powers, I felt he’d probably not be weak at all—maybe even stronger.
The overwhelming Demon God was claiming to be my subordinate here in the first level of the First Calamity, which revealed just how powerful my current master was.
‘…Could it be that he’s more powerful than I am right now?’
Taking that thought in, I tried not to show my surprise as I spoke to Abaddon.
“Abaddon, I’m actually a little confused right now. I’d like to ask you a few questions…”
At that, Abaddon’s eyes gleamed brightly.
“Please, go ahead, Master.”
“So, if I renewed the contract, it was meant for me to come here, right? Where is this place, and what’s the reason for it?”
“Oh ho… That’s where it all begins?”
Abaddon fiddled with his glasses, responding in an elderly tone.
“This is the source of the strength exercised by you, Master, the [Tower of Contracts].”
“Tower of Contracts?”
“That’s correct. Through the contract of the Primordial Void, you possess great power, and as you climb this tower, you boost that power. Also, every time the contract gets renewed, you’re supposed to revisit this first floor.”
“And what’s the reason for coming back to the first floor?”
“Of course, to replenish the necessary supplies and equipment for climbing the tower and to recover stamina… You mentioned before that you couldn’t recover midway unless it’s a special location.”
“Hmm.”
What a peculiar way to build strength…
I hummed thoughtfully, turning to Abaddon.
“…Then why are you on the first floor?”
“I’m here to keep your equipment and possessions safe at your command, Master.”
As Abaddon spoke, he slammed his cane down with a thud.
Whooooosh!
In the next moment, countless gold and silver treasures, gems, cosmic vessels, demon artifacts, and magical creatures appeared, stretching to the horizon. The sheer volume was staggering, and even I, having been through many adventures, was momentarily taken aback.
“…!”
“You often stop by the first floor to take whatever supplies you desire. Moreover, after finishing your climbing, you end up storing the spoils with me.”
“Got it…”
How interesting… using an [Old Ruler] as a treasure trove!
Still amazed, I questioned Abaddon again.
“But you don’t seem surprised that I’ve lost memory, huh?”
“It’s happened often before, so it’s not surprising.”
“Hmm?”
“You’ve lived for countless ages… At times, the memory capacity runs out, leading to things being stored separately. This has been common.”
“…”
Hmm, sounds like I’ve been through something similar…
I contemplated for a while and then asked Abaddon, “Do you happen to know my real name?”
“No!”
“Isn’t that a bit too definitive?”
Abaddon followed up with a statement that startled me.
“Master forgot it a long time ago. You lost your real name along with your memories, and you couldn’t be bothered to look for it afterward.”
“…!”
Wait, what?!
The guy forgot his own name?!
What kind of being is this?!
‘Will it even be possible to pass this trial like this?!’
I was feeling more and more anxious as my situation grew more convoluted. I originally thought the trial would be easy, yet it turned out to be more challenging than I imagined. How can I possibly uncover the identity of someone who doesn’t even know their own name?
Looking at the treasures scattered around, I said, “So among these treasures, my real name is somewhere?”
“It could be, or it might not. I can’t say for sure. You’ve never considered it significant.”
“…”
True, with limited time, searching through these countless treasures for a name would be like looking for a needle in a haystack…
Frustrated, I scratched my head and suddenly asked Abaddon, “So, do you know what the contract of the Primordial Void is?”
“I’ve never once been informed about that over countless ages.”
“What?”
“It’s probably the most crucial source of power, after all. Ho ho ho…”
Abaddon wore a strangely ominous smile. Observing that, I realized this Abaddon isn’t truly submissive to the ‘Master.’ While forced into obedience through a contract, it seems he’d betray the Master if the situation allowed.
‘Hmm… What to do?’
I thought I had gathered quite a few clues, but the most vital detail—the identity of the ‘Master’—remains a mystery. I considered it deeply and then asked Abaddon, “Hey. When I want to climb this tower, do I have to walk up from the first floor again? It doesn’t seem like there are stairs here.”
First, I figured I needed to scale this tower to understand its height and calamities before I could delve into the Master’s identity.
In response, Abaddon answered with what seemed like he anticipated it.
“That’s precisely why you exist. I can send you directly to the highest level of the contract tower that you reach last.”
“Oh!”
That’s possible?
Well, that would be way more convenient when scaling the tower!
I excitedly shouted, “Send me right away!”
“I’ve approximately heard that over twenty times. But I cannot send you.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“In a state of memory loss, the order is to master the basic techniques of [Great Power] before sending you up. That was an order from you before you lost your memory.”
“…”
I could guess what was happening.
‘Sure, if you lose your memory, you’d forget all the techniques you learned until then, so going directly to the peak would be tantamount to suicide… Thus, Abaddon was ordered to train me in techniques.’
That made sense, but I also found him to be quite a bizarre being.
‘Wait, is it normal for someone to forget their memory so often? Forgetting over twenty times doesn’t quite make sense… come on!’
Regardless, I figured it was fortunate for me, so I told Abaddon, “Alright. Teach me the basics of [Great Power]!”
“It won’t be difficult. You’ll likely manage it in an instant, just like you did until now.”
Thus, Abaddon mumbled and continued, “Focus on the intent to transmit the Primordial Void according to the contract, and shape the chakram in your hands. That’s the fundamental form for all powers.”
“Transmit the Primordial Void? What does that mean?”
Abaddon shrugged.
“That’s a query I hear too frequently. I only know the teaching method, and the meaning of this method is known only to you, Master.”
“Hmm… Let’s give it a shot.”
I thought to myself as instructed by Abaddon.
‘I transmit the Primordial Void according to the contract…’
And then I just need to visualize the shape of the chakram in both hands, right?
Swirrrrr!
“……!”
Just as Abaddon said, silver rings wrapped around my wrists rose, taking the form of chakrams!
It truly formed just like that, and I turned my gaze to my hands in shock.
Abaddon, enjoying my reaction, smiled through his glasses and said, “As expected. Next, you need to visualize moving the chakram with your will to attack or send it flying.”
“Hmm.”
It feels like I’m casting techniques similar to Sword Flying Technique…
Enthused by the sensation, I followed his instruction and set the chakram in motion. It zipped through the air at a terrifying speed, lighting up the void as if defying the laws of physics.
Swishhh!
In the midst of this, Abaddon’s voice echoed in my ears.
“Have you grown accustomed to handling the chakram? Then now, think of creating a chakram around your heart and protecting your body.”
Around my heart?
I wasn’t quite sure why, but I tried to do as instructed.
Hiiiiing!
“Hmm!”
This time, a silvery aura wrapped around me, applying intense power to my entire being. Abaddon explained.
“That’s the defensive technique. Protecting your body with the chakram and using it to defeat foes is the foundation of all strategies you employ, Master.”
“…”
“Seems like there’s something you want to ask?”
Holding the chakram around me, I asked, “What exactly is this chakram? Why does it take the shape of a chakram?”
“As I said earlier, I don’t know the nature of the power. But to answer the latter question, you mentioned once that you had learned martial arts.”
“Huh? Martial arts?”
“You referred to it as the Blood Heaven Demon King’s Wheel, a martial art attained from beyond the realms. I honestly don’t know what that means, though. Regardless, it seems that particular memory has influenced your technique to take the form of chakrams.”
“…!”
Abaddon stroked his goat-like beard.
“Well, as per your narrative, what matters is the power; the form is not that significant… yet it still looked quite cool.”
He actually learned martial arts…? Why has he been saying others don’t need martial arts training? And if he mastered the Blood Heaven Demon King’s Wheel, why are there no signs of that training in his body?
The more I found out, the more contradictory he seemed…
Deciding to remember the Blood Heaven Demon King’s Wheel for now, I planned to look it up once I returned to my original world.
But where have I heard that before…?
While I was pondering, Abaddon smiled and said, “Alright, with the basic attack and defense covered, we just need to add applications.”
“What should I do?”
“Create a pair of chakrams in each hand, then cross them. That’s it.”
“…?”
What? This is just the application?
Bemused, I generated a pair of chakrams and crossed them as instructed.
….
Nothing happened.
I looked at Abaddon, confused, and said, “Hey. What’s the application? Nothing’s happening…”
“…”
But something felt off. The guy who had been looking at me with a docile demeanor suddenly had dark, foreboding eyes, exuding palpable hostility.
It was an unmistakable threat.
Abaddon spoke for the first time using the unique language reserved for [Old Rulers].
[Your soul is different. Who are you?]
