68 Grasp of Avarice (1/2)
”Damn it bitch, wake up!” A gruff voice thundered in Kilian's ears, forcing his eyes open. But instead of the Hellforge's platinum walls, Kilian awoke to his soul world where a fuming Urag lay. As chained as ever, the imp lord threw kicks at Kilian's inert form, while wrestling with his bounds.
”What's wrong with you?” As if awakening from a long slumber, Kilian stood up and stretched his arms as far as he could.
”What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you! You've been out for 22 hours! If you die I die, please don't screw me over!” Urag threw his head back and sobbed like a child. Although he couldn't see what happened in the outside world, changes in Kilian's soul directly affected him.
First, there was the meeting with Adramelech that scared him witless. Then, an inert Kilian appeared and shifting dark-green faces sprang left and right. Fortunately for him, Urag possessed extensive knowledge and could make a few guesses. The new mark on Kilian's neck also helped clear all his doubts.
”Humans just don't know when to stop. You even dared create a Flawless Philosopher's Stone? Good son, I love you!” Urag's sobs turned into a burst of laughter, and if not for the chains trapping him, he would have given Kilian a warm hug—or at least tried to. Arching one eyebrow, Kilian stepped toward Urag, ”You okay?” he asked, and checked the imp's temperature for good measure.
Could a sane imp go from furious to delighted in such a short span of time?
”Bah! Okay your ass! What is is your Transmutation Level?”
”Fiveish.” Having spent weeks tutoring Kilian, although they didn't dwell on personal matters, Urag learned about his core abilities. With a Philosopher's Stone to empower him, Kilian could increase his Transmutation skills by one level. At the same time, unlike the traditional von Skoll bloodline which was limited to nuclear reactions, Adramelech's Arcane Bloodline enabled its owners to fully manipulate atoms.
But while how far they could go also depended on their magical abilities and Dra Reserves, at Kilian's level, he could use Atomkinesis to strengthen both his Fleshcrafting and Transmutation skills.
Combining those two forces, even without Exarch-level Dra Control, Kilian could use Lv. 5 Fleshcrafting and Transmutation. A pity that the massive Dra Cost limited him.
”Perfect! You can transmute my chains into dust and free me from this place. Her Dominion bound me to your soul world, which makes you the only one able to expel me without too much effort. As long as you combine my powers with your Philosopher's Stone, it's just a matter of time!
Haha! In less than three days, Lord Urag will again walk the earth! Bitches and booze! Bitches and booze! B-” Urag's chains weren't absolute bounds. When Kilian's soul weakened, so did the chains, giving the imp the opportunity to fight for control. At the same time, the two could coordinate to release Urag from his shackles.
But as Urag imagined all the lads he'd cuck, ”Wait wait wait. I have nothing to gain from this,” Kilian cut him in his daydreaming.
”What?” Startled, the imp lord blinked at Kilian, wondering if his pointy ears betrayed him.
”Here's the thing. You've been squatting in my soul for half a year, but since you taught me Eromancy, I can consider that we're square. However, breaking your chains and helping you walk the earth gives me no benefit. Worse, I'll have to work hard and waste precious time for your sake—all so that you can spread the lust? Come on dude.” Kilian shook his head. After waking up from his forced nap, he felt that he'd been living his life in vain, missing many opportunities to strike good bargains.
No more.