《The Greatest Evil》 Origins (I) So it has finally come to this. Depressed, unemployed, and hungry. That had described Justin perfectly but a mere three weeks prior, but now all will change. He was somewhere within the Canadian Rockies staring down at his furry target. A four-foot tall grizzly bear was leisurely minding its own business on a slow moving stream looking to snag a quick lunch. Justin stared at the bear, trying to calm his palpitating heart. I made a promise with myself. It is time I¡¯ve grabbed hold of my life. Having underwent an intervention from a higher power, Justin aspired to turn his life around. He would get a job, maybe marry and have three kids, and die a content man. But words are wind. Promises are all lies that have yet to be revealed. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. He refused to be stuck in the never-ending rut that so many were caught in(?) before him. The shades of past NEETs and shut-ins seemed to appear from the earth, whispering soft temptations in his ear as they tried pulling him back into the abyss. ¡°I WILL NOT BE LIKE YOU ALL ANY LONGER!¡± He roared, dispersing the spirits. His shout also attracted the attention of the bear, but that was a minor issue. That¡¯s right! The bear was his sole purpose for coming here. He needed a grand act, an achievement to really kick off his metamorphosis into a successful man. And what¡¯s a better achievement than fighting a bear in the mountains? Mounting his video camera on a tripod, he ensured that he would get a good view of the beast. Stripping his shirt off, he challenged the bear with a wordless scream. As if unsure what to do, the grizzly backed up into the river, confused. ¡°YOU LIKE THAT?! YOU PUSSY ASS BITCH! I WILL SKIN YOU AND SHOW YOU OFF AT THE NEXT JOB FAIR!¡± Justin taunted, sizing the bear up. It didn¡¯t seem so tough. He could totally taste the feeling of his fist smashing into the bear¡¯s jaw. The bear growled softly, but Justin paid no heed as he marched before it. Finally having had enough, the bear roared in anger as it reared up onto its hind legs. It went from being a convenient four feet to a towering nine. Maybe this was a bad idea. Justin quickly expelled the thought from his mind. He did not come here to hesitate! He did not come here to regret! He came to fight a motherfucking bear! ¡°COME AT ME!¡± He roared as he swung his fist at the bear¡¯s muzzle. July 16 - 2017. Justin Law - mauled to death by a bear while ¡®hiking¡¯ in the mountains. Summoning (II) ¡°Grandpa! Is this one alright?¡± In a dim room filled with dusty tomes and questionable food materials sat a young girl barely past the age of ten. Her twin golden pigtails shimmered in the flickering candlelight, her face already devoid of all baby fat, hinting at the beauty she was sure to become in the future. She wore a dark hooded robe adorned with metal plated stars. She stared onto a flat stone tablet as a middle aged man in similar attire appeared behind her. "I thought I told you to call me Master or Lord Horus during your lessons Nelly!" "Really now grandpa?" "I am your teacher now! Not your family, and you will address me as such!" "...You know this is why grandma wanted the divorce." The man harrumphed and removed his black hood, revealing a bright shiny dome that scattered the candlelight. He sat beside her, peering onto the stone tablet. Though it would appear to be a normal stone slab, his discerning eyes he could read the complex magical matrix contained within. The countless invisible streams of light coalesced into a singular image of a lumpy quadruped casually sitting down. "It looks like a bear. Zero magical signature. Threat level: minimal" "So it should be okay right?" "Even if you''re summoning from a dead zone. A large carnivore is still dangerous. Why don''t you try a rabbit, or perhaps a chicken?" "No! I want this one. It''s cute!" "You''re keeping it as a pet?! It might be weak, but it''s still a wild animal!" "That''s ok, it won''t hurt me." She seemed so sure of herself. He supposed that having an all-powerful magician as a mentor sure helped her sense of security. That was also ignoring the problem of having to feed and clean after it. "It will still be another four months before I teach you magical enslavement!" "That''s ok, Grandpa will do it for me!" "I thought I told you to call me..." *Sigh* The old man facepalmed. He knew he was fighting a losing battle, but he still had to instill a sense of discipline into this spoiled child. "Fine, but this bear seems a bit too big. Why don''t you find something more manageable like a panda and grandpa will help tame it for you!" He lost. "No! I want it! It looks so fluffy. I want to ride it, have it as a pillow, wash it in the bath! I''ll also name it Boris!" "That sounds remarkably similar to my own name." "Yeah! Because he''s big and strong and cuddly!" The bald man couldn''t hold onto his stern expression any longer as his face cracked into a smile. He sighed. This was why children were just so... "Fine, but don''t expect me to help you feed it" The little girl grinned. No old person could withstand her charms for long. Especially not this spineless old man. "Keep track of its location while I set up the summoning circle" Taking a battered pouch from within his robes, he gingerly sprinkled fine pink powder in a circle before placing a carefully inscribed lodestone in the center. "Whenever you''re ready Nelly" She stared at the stone tablet. Apparently, the bear had gotten into a fight in the ten seconds it took for her grandfather to set up the circle. It ended fairly quickly though. Removing her robe with one hand, she threw it to the side revealing a tight fitting ornate costume with a billowing long jacket and red scarf. *Wait. When did she have time to make that?* "I..Nel Von Heifin beseech the Lords of Magic! I tribute all three units of mana to summon thee" The stone tablet shivered and floated on top of the lodestone as Nelly''s hands glowed with power. Countless shapes and runic characters surrounded the summoning circle, turning around the tablet like a gyroscope. Seeing the intensifying brightness, the old man could only smile in his heart. This girl''s talent was beyond compare. With but a few years, she was sure to create waves when she debuts in the new world. Finally, the light reached its apex, leaving a pulsating swirling mass in the center of the room. It was time. "COME FORTH! My Ultimate Servant! Blue Eyes White Drag-- " *Thud* "CAN YOU BE EVEN A BIT SERIOUS?!"Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The old man rapped his knuckles sharply against the girl¡¯s head. Perhaps it was a bad idea to have summoned a bunch of picture novels for the girl''s enjoyment. Squealing the girl clutched her head in agony as she tried to stifle the tears welling up in her eyes. She didn''t understand what was wrong. She thought she looked pretty cool. A tad exasperated, the old man felt a slight twinge of regret. He really shouldn''t bully his granddaughter too much, lest she hates him in the future. Fortunately, he ensured that the spell was finished before tapping her on the noggin. Any problems with the spell would''ve been negligible at most. The shining sphere cracked open like an egg, and from its innards leaped forth her new guardian beast! *Splat* A bloodied body landed in a heap on the ground. Its limbs were mangled and the wounds appeared fresh. Her grandfather hesitated for a moment, inspecting her summon. "...It''s smaller than expected" "Grandpa you idiot! Boris! Give Boris back!" The little girl kicked her mentor, all the while nursing the painful welt on her head. "Ouch! Stop kicking me, child! You never summoned him in the first place!" "I would have if you didn''t hit me!" "The fault obviously lies with your summoning spell. I had no part in the problem" Horus knew that he was obviously in the wrong, but he''d rather die than admit that to a little girl! He still had his pride, you know! "Ah, wait, grandpa is sorry! It was all grandpa''s fault! Don''t cry. Shh Shh! Don''t cry" So much for pride. After consoling his precious grand daughter for a good five minutes, he finally managed to calm her down. "We can get Mr. Bear tomorrow ok? I''ll quickly go make another summoning tablet, and we can try again" "His name is Boris!" "Yes, yes. We''ll find Boris again" The old man was quite thankful that he would probably never father more children in his old age. Having wiped her tears away, Nelly finally became interested in the sack of meat that she summoned. "Oh! This was the person who fought the bear!" "He fought?" The world that they pulled the person from was one where animals still held relative physical(?) superiority over human beings. "Yeah! He punched Boris for a bit, but Boris won in the end!" "With his hands?" Even in a world such as theirs, only men with supreme confidence in their strength or martial abilities would take on wild beasts with their bare hands. Pleased, the old man thought the summon wasn''t a complete waste. At least he would have some worthwhile material for his necromantic experiments. "He seems rather skinny..." Perhaps it was muscle compression? The corpse''s owner didn''t have the body of a warrior, or was there something else? "Yeah, he didn''t last one hit from Boris before keeling over" The girl pouted. Obviously still vexed that she didn''t manage to acquire her summon of choice. Confused, the old man appraised the body once more. The normal reaction would be to run or hide when faced with a bear, but this man fought it. There must be a secret locked within the body! Bringing mana to his eyes, he employed a quick clairvoyance spell as he inspected the body once again. His eyes widened as a smile cracked across his lips. "Ohoho? What is this?" (It''s Santa Claus!) -break- *Well shit* A little ball of light was floating about in a canvas of bright blue. Like seriously, there was nothing else besides the color blue. The ball of light, or Justin''s consciousness, was torn between a mixture of self"pity and euphoria. *So I fought the bear, and now I''m here...* *Is this a lucid dream, or am I just dead and in some Assassin''s Creed purgatory?* No answer came as he floated about in a singular direction. *Well if I''m lucid dreaming, I should be able to control my surroundings.* *A piping hot blueberry muffin will appear before me. Right Now! Go!* ... Nothing happened. *Right. Dead. Got it.* *So do I just float like this or does something happen eventually?* *I hope I don''t go insane* *Oh wait, I''m already talking to myself. Ahaha, I really don''t want to go crazy* The light ball was getting rather sick of all the endless blue. *Well if it''s any consolation, at least I fought the bear. I made the first step towards being a fulfilled man!* *Too bad I''m dead though* *Now that I think about it, was it necessary to fight a bear with my bare hands? I could''ve used a weapon or a gun, and it would still be a rather impressive story...* *Wait¡­ I could''ve used a gun?* A spiritual light bulb lit up within the light blob''s ''head''. *...Oh you are fucking kidding me.* The blob started convulsing erratically before finally shooting explosively in one direction. *No! I can''t die like this! (although I''m already dead) Give me a redo! A redo! Nobody has even seen me die to a bear, I''ll just end up as compost. Actually, screw a gun! I''ll just wear some hockey gear and wield a stick, that''s fair right? Oh Lord, o(?)h heavens, I have so much to live for. Please have mercy!* The heavens were silent as the blob ''screamed'' with increasing intensity. *I don''t need another life. Just another shot at the bear! Yes, the bear. He is the cause of all of this. I swear, if I ever get out of this blue hell, I''ll murder the bastard.* *Give me another chance God! I know you''re listening! You''re probably giggling to yourself while hiding behind some blue shower curtains! I won''t have it! DO YOU HEAR ME? I KNOW YOU''RE THERE!* His mind may have slightly broken then and there. *Ahahaha! When I get married, I''ll do it in a science museum. My pastor will be vegan, and the wedding cake will be bear flavored topped off with lots of ''fuck you''* *I''ll be a zoo keeper, and I''ll capture the bear that killed me. For all other bears, I''ll feed them choice cuts of triple A beef, while I''ll feed it stale raisin bran, without the raisins!* *Do you think I''ll be stuck here forever?* He drawled. *Well, you''re right! But don''t think you''ll be safe up there forever! One day you will slip up, and when that happens¡­ hey, can''t I just have another chance? Please? I haven''t even lived yet. My last girlfriend only wanted me for my pog collection. Don''t you feel any sympathy?* //2 hours later// *Actually, I ate five pounds of pineapple at once because I was too lazy to put it back in the fridge. I was raised to never waste food, so I kept eating it through a bloody mouth. Nobody told me the hell that would await me nine hours later...* *I tried it again the next day, but I also drank milk this time. Obviously, a base counteracts an acid right? But it just gave me more pain, but less blood...* Perhaps some higher power felt pity, or perhaps it just wanted him to shut up, but there was a single small wooden door that materialized before the blob. Is this a mirage? Unable to believe his eyes, the blob quickly rushed over towards the door. It bumped against it, feeling the gnarled hardwood, excitedly feeling the first sensation in what seemed like an eternity. *Uhuhuhu* Barely able to stifle his joy, he reached out with his hands and... wait. He didn''t have any hands! He pounded against the doorknob, trying to get some form of grip on the thing, but his ethereal body just slipped around it. He tried envisioning hands as hard as he could, but again, nothing happened. "Damn you, God! Is this how you decide to torture me? Well, I renounce you. I renounce you and your family, your wife, your cow, your kids. I won''t rest til the day I see you""* The door began fading away into nothingness. *Waiwaiwait! I''m sorry your benevolence! I would never presume to question your almighty power. Please don''t leave me. Please ;-; * The door slowly came back into existence but remained firmly shut. *Um...Lord God? Could I humbly ask you to open the door?* The door remained shut. *Do I have to do something? Is there a password? Oh! Maybe this is related to my goals prior to my death by bear!* The door creaked slightly which he took for confirmation. *I...uhh promise to live a fulfilled life from now on!* ... *I vow to not be too shy to talk to people with resting bitch face!* ... *I SWEAR TO STOP FLATTENING ALL MY PILLOWS! * ... It couldn''t be? *I promise to fight the bear again* The door knob wriggled as if unconvinced. *The bear shall meet its demise by my hands* Another wriggle, this time a bit stronger. "I WILL KILL THE BEAR!!" The blob roared. Sound echoed out for the first time as his resolve resonated throughout the world of blue, eventually piercing the heavens! The door unlocked with a click, and swung open revealing a dark abyss. Malicious shadows swirled within, dissipating into hazy wisps around the door. Sheepishly the blob looked around, as if uncertain of his next move. The door squeaked. As if unsure why he wasn''t charging through. Where was the heroic spirit that was flaunting his hate boner for the bear earlier? The door squeaked twice more as if agitated, quickly bringing Justin back to his senses. Passion welled within his ''chest'' once more, as courage...or insanity took hold of him. *FOR A FULFILLED LIFE!* Throwing all its sheepishness aside, the blob plummeted into the darkness, filled with a fiery madness. Contract (III) *What is this feeling? My body feels...like rubber?* Cracking open an eye, Justin found himself in a dark room. *Hey, at least I''m not in the mountains anymore. Did somebody find my body?* *Hey...why can''t I move?* He heard an odd gurgling noise as he called for help. It seemed to have come from...himself? *I can''t talk? Why!!!* He saw a pair of legs appear before him as an old man squatted down and stared at him. "How incredibly lucky! A revenant! This fellow must have been harboring a serious grudge" "Who cares? He''s not as cool as Boris!" A feminine voice pouted. "Now, now. His deep grudge is very useful. No matter how small, it is still slightly bigger than formally created undead which have none" *Wait! What''s small? I''ll have you know that I''m still bigger than most guys...who are chronic steroid users* "Unlike animals, we can have intelligent undead do a variety of menial tasks and chores for us. A pity that those in the wild are usually hostile and don''t allow us the opportunity to capture them" *Who''s going to do your chores? This isn''t what I came back! I''m going to be a fulfilled man! And maybe kill a bear!* "Its broken state is perfect for us as well! Nelly, let''s begin your lesson on magical enslavement early!" *Wait, Wut?* Justin felt a bright light above him. "Watch carefully Nelly, Magical Enslavement is simple in essence. You just have to link your will with the target''s soul" *Ha, he wants to connect with me. How ga-ow ow ow ow* It felt as if his entire body was being slashed open with a serrated knife. *That all you gyaaaaaah! It hurtsss THe F@#!$%$#@* (Internal screaming) Now his insides were being scooped out with a spork. It was not a pleasant sensation. "Grandpa I think its in pain" The little girl said glumly. "Indeed, the soul is the most inviolable thing in all living beings. It¡¯s natural that it will struggle a bit" Seeing the thing writhe in agony, Nelly couldn''t help but feel a bit bad for bringing it to this world. "Sorry little guy, after this is over, I''ll let you read my manga collection" *Aww that''s sweet. Uh, I mean. Oh, God! The pain. Make it stop* "Pay attention Nelly, this is the most important part. Now, one must spiritually dominate the foe. Crushing every last ounce of will and assimilating it into our own. Intelligent beings are dangerous though, so we''ll start you off with small animals" Justin felt a pressuring sensation against the walls of his mind. His mental defenses (if there were any) were easily hacked away as Horus instantly dove into Justin''s exposed consciousness. *Gross, I have the taste of old man in my head* "HA! So it is sentient! Good good! Now submit!" *Never! I still have a life to live! "You were already dead! Become this old master''s servant for eternity. Ehehehe" "Seeing grandpa''s gross face, I don''t think I want to bring Boris over anymore" "Psh what are you saying now? Animals don''t feel pain like humans. Since this is an advanced lesson, grandpa will be with you every step of the way" "What happened to bears being dangerous?" She pouted. "No problem. No problem. Grandpa is in a good mood, I''ll be extra vigilant" *Bear?* "Eh? My corruption was halted?" * ************************ * "What''s that noise?" *Killkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkill...* "...Oh shit" *KILL THE BEAR!* A massive psychic scream ejected the old man from the recesses of Justin''s mind. Blood thirst poured out in massive waves. The old man almost destroyed the body in pure reflex. "The hell is this deep seated grudge against... bears?" "Grandpa is something wrong?" The old man slumped to the floor, not minding his slovenly appearance as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "Amazing, such a powerful will. Though I could crush it with a little effort, it would be a waste. Such a waste" "What do you mean?" "With enslavement, the intellect and willpower of the slave decreases. For a specimen like this, it''d be too much of a waste" "You were going to make Boris dumber? Like I''d let you!" "Hush for now. I want to know the source of this abominations hatred for bears, and if there are any other secrets locked within" " Are you going to do the mind domination thing again?" "No ... A gentler approach is required. Ah. I know! ''Flesh Mending!''" Justin felt his body being wrenched into place. His bloodthirst dissipating as he could finally move his head around. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The sliced up body of his slowly knit itself back together, leaving only a few open wounds that had lost chunks of meat from where the bear slashed him open. *Ooh magical* It was already long determined that these people probably weren''t normal. Whether he was transported to some fantasy world or they were hidden wizards that walked the earth, he had already been exposed to the supernatural. Trying to speak, he coughed and spat out a globule of congealed blood, but before he had the chance to move. "Bind" Great invisible chains coiled around each of his four limbs, easily hoisting him into the air. "Now, let''s have a chat shall we?" "I invoke my right to remain silent" "Don''t you want to know why you were called here?" "I invoke my right to remain silent" "...Want a blueberry muffin?" "Yes Please! Crap" "I managed to have a brief look at your memories while I was in there" "Kuh! Violated by an old man. How can I get married now" "Grandpa, that wasn''t very nice you know" "Not Now Nelly!" Taking a few quick breaths to calm himself, Horus started again. "You were summoned to this world due to a series of unfor--" "I invoke my right to remain sil--" "SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME AND I''LL VAPORIZE YOU" "Grandpa!" "NOT NOW NELLY!" "Yes Sir..." x2 The old man cleared his throat once more. "Long story short, I have developed an interest in your body" "...Grandpa" Justin shivered, wanting to run or perhaps deck the guy across his shiny bald head, but his restraints prevented all movement. "Kuh! You can do what you want with my body, but don''t expect to have your way with my heart!" The light within Horus''s eyes died, and flared to life in his palm as lightning crackled between his fingers. "Grandpa no, don''t do it!" Nelly tackled the old man, sending them both tumbling into a sorry heap. *Thank you, little girl. If you weren''t ten years younger than me or dressed like a bad cosplayer, I would be falling for you about now* It took a while for them to get sorted out, but they had finally reverted to their original positions. "As I was saying, I was wondering what sort of martial training you had to dare fight a bear." The corner of Justin''s eye twitched at the word bear, but he managed to remain calm. "Martial training? I took Tae Kwon Do for like three months in Elementary" "... Do you have a unique warriors bloodline?" "Wuts dat" "Did you do some specialized training? Maybe had some steroids or drugs?" "I listened to the Eye of The Tiger for 10 hours straight on my drive over there." "Then the fuck compelled you to go fight a bear?" "I thought it would be a cool story, for my debut in normal society. "..." The veins in the man''s forehead popped as his fingers started to grow heat up again. "Uhhh Grandpa, I never said he did any damage to Boris" "Whoa! Easy old man, I just came back to life!" "There''s no problem if I send you back a little early!" Blue flames sprung to life around his hands this time around. Who needs a new servant anyways. It''s not like they lived in a giant mansion. If he hung around Nelly too long, she was sure to catch the stupid. "THIS IS WHY MOM AND GRANDMA LEFT YOU, GRANDPA" Blood sprayed from the old man''s mouth as he bit his lip. "I can totally see where you''re coming from. No woman likes a guy with anger issues!" "Right?" Justin smiled at her, flashing his crooked teeth. Apparently, flesh mending doesn''t do much for a bear punch to the jaw. While her grandfather was busy hacking out blood, she approached Justin, touching his torn up shirt. "You know, for an evil undead monster filled with grudge and rage, you seem like an okay guy." "Aww, thanks. For the grandkid of a perverted megalomaniac, you¡¯re pretty swell too" The little spray of blood became a waterfall, as Horus inadvertently bit down on his tongue. "So why the hate for bears?" "It ruined my hopes and dreams." "Which are?" "Living a fulfilled life!" "That''s not all too specific." "I''ll start by murdering that damn bear." Maybe she shouldn''t tell him about Boris just yet. "But bears are cute though." "Little girl, let me drop you some nuggets of wisdom. Bears are the root of all evil. Especially the one that killed me!" "Uhh..." "In my world, there are even bears that specifically target little children, and...do things to them." "Wh"What sort of things." "Alas, as an adult, I cannot tell you. But every child afterwards becomes traumatized, carrying the burden with them for the rest of their lives." "How horrible!" "Indeed, which is why I must exterminate every bear I see! Only after I get my revenge, will my soul be at peace." "But what if the bear that killed you dies before you get to it?" "I will slaughter its descendants! Its friends! Its family. I will purge its very existence from all sources of knowledge! And as I stand over the smoldering remains of its legacy, I shall snatch it''s soul from the very pits of hell and make it watch the destruction that I have wrought. " "Whoa...That''s hardcore." "I know right?" "So what will you do after you get your revenge? For your fulfilled life?" "I... You know I''ve never thought about it. Hey, this is a different world right?" "Mmmhmm" "And is this magic or some kind of superpower?" "Mhmmmm" "And does this world have bears?" "... Yes" "Then I will free this world of the great evil!" Exasperated, the little girl had to suppress the urge to punch the zombie in the face. Maybe she was a bit too hard on grandpa. "Do you only think about bears?" "Not until recently." "So apart from bears, is there anythinggg you might be interested in?" "Writing a biography of my crusade against bear"kind(?)." "Do I need to sick Grandpa on you?" "I''m sorry miss." She seemed rather serious, so Justin did his best to wring the portion of his brain that wasn''t obsessed with bear violence. "I suppose traveling, eating new foods, live, laugh, love. All the usual things on a girls Tinder profile." "What''s Tinder?" "Something that you will never need to use." "Well, why not hang out with me for a little while? Studying with grandpa is oh so boring." "Perhaps after I avenge my death?" "LIKE HELL!" The old man who had been relatively quiet from the sidelines piped up. "You think being a revenant allows you to be so carefree? Well, let me tell you, once the object of your hate perishes, your soul is laid to rest and you die as well!" "Oh... Guess I can''t play with you anymore." Justin sighed. It was a pity, he rather liked the little girl. "Wait, you''re choosing a bear over me?!" "I made a promise." "To who? I''ll make them release you!" "The door." "What?" "Now wait a second. You have no way of escaping these bonds, nor can you return to your old world. If you truly want vengeance, how about we make a deal?" Justin narrowed his eyes. There was no way he could trust a man who wanted to vaporize him just a few minutes before. "You will serve my family hand and foot for twenty years, and at the end of your service, I shall summon your nemesis." "Deal!" "Wait wut?" "I said deal!" Twenty years was plenty for him, not to mention he could fulfill his revenge at the end as well. "Grandpa... after twenty years, wouldn''t the bear have died of old age?" *What? I''ve never even thought of that. This girl is so cunning.* The old man just smiled and nodded his head. "No problem. No problem. I will just transport the bear into a pocket dimension, where it will stay until we require it." Justin looked at Nelly skeptically. "Can he do that? "Can you do that?" "Of course! They didn''t name me the third of the five Great Lords of Evil for nothing!" "That''s a horrible naming sense." "You think so too huh." "Shut Up! I''m doing you a favor, now you''ve agreed, yes?" "I just gotta say. You being nice is kinda creeping me out. Especially considering how you''re a ''Great Lord of Evil''" "We could always go with plan B, and return you to dust instead." Black hell fire covered Horus'' hands as he gave a benign smile. "No no. How can I refuse your kindness?" "Good. Let us begin." Removing a roll of parchment from his sleeve, he quickly scribbled down a few lines using a pen. *I wonder if that pen is apart of this world, or summoned from mine* Finishing in but a few minutes, the contract floated before Justin as the chains restricting his left arm were removed. "Actually, I''m right handed." With a snort, his right arm was freed as well as he fell face first onto the floor. Oddly enough, it didn''t hurt, though his pride stung a bit. Reviewing the document, he paused. "I can''t read any of this." With a sigh, Horus threw him a rather outdated looking brass monocle. Barely catching it, Justin held it to his eye, realizing that the illegible scribbles quickly became plain English.
[Hastily Written Soul Contract]
The party [A] will serve party [B] and affiliates for a total of twenty years, or the equivalent of eight thousand business days. Services include all suggestions that party [B] can think of that do not directly compromise the life of party [A]. Party [A] is not allowed to intentionally conspire against or negatively influence the well-being of party [B] and affiliates. Affiliates include, but are not limited to: Direct Family, Friends, and whomever party [B] designates as an affiliate. In recompense, after twenty years of service, party [B] shall conduct the summoning of one bear at the request of party [A]. Failure to meet these conditions will result in the eradication of the soul, overseen by the Goddess of Contracts. Signature for party [A] _______________ Signature for party [B] _______________
*Whoa, this is more professional looking than I thought* Though lacking, and filled with loopholes, Horus didn''t put too much worry on Justin''s choices. Obviously, his madness for bear violence would be the greatest insurance for ensuring the contract was kept. "This contract is horribly unfair!" Nelly who was reading the contract from Justin''s side quickly rushed to keep her newfound companion from being scammed. "It needs to be rewritten! Signing it is the equivalent of giving one''s life away!" "Done!" Quickly signing the dotted line beside party [A], Justin handed the magical contract and pen back to Horus, who signed the other section with a flourish. "You idiot!" The little girl pounded on the undead who was unaware he just signed himself into a life of student loans slavery. *I don''t get why you''re mad. I get to hang with you for twenty years* The old man merely grinned at the squabbling duo as he magnanimously opened up his arms. "Welcome to the family!" Onions (IV) "Alright. This is nice." Justin muttered as he lugged a giant pot up a winding flight of stairs. "This is nice." He had reached the top which exited out to a precarious cliff face. It was easily a 500-foot drop straight down. "This is very nice." He emptied the contents of the pot off the cliff edge, watching it scatter to the winds. "This is bullshit!" He screamed, contemplating hurling himself off the cliff along with the contents of the chamber pot. "...This is nice." Justin muttered as he collected the pot again, preparing for the trek down the stairs. He had been here for a week already. He found that the room he was summoned in was actually apart of some medieval wizard''s tower inside a mountain basin. It would''ve been a nice change of pace as well if he wasn''t overloaded with chores for twenty-five hours a day. Seriously, if he weren''t an undead, he would be dead right now. Fortunately, he didn''t tire and still retained enough sense of touch to be able to feel objects. His body was cold due to his lack of a beating heart, but oddly enough his body doesn''t rot. Any cuts and injuries would have to be repaired by Nelly with ''Flesh Mending'' or creation, but they were few and far in between. As he finally reached the base of the stairwell, he picked up an axe, and started to chop the mountain of firewood that would be required to heat the whole tower. *Guh, here''s another five hours of my life...or unlife ehehe* Justin slowly fell into a state of melancholy as he resigned himself to his fate. *Why does a master of magic need firewood anyways? Can''t he heat up his house without it? All powerful destroyer of the world my ass* *Muhhhh I want to fight bears* *I want to chop bears* *Was this really worth it?* Unbeknownst to the wood chopper, a wicked old man was chortling from the tower window. "Isn''t it a beautiful day Nelly? The sun is out, there is a nice fresh breeze, and the view is outstanding!" "No, it''s not! I''m stuck reading old textbooks, and aren¡¯t you being a bit cruel to Yorkie?!" "... Yorkie?" She dropped the scroll that she was reading and scratched her ears shyly. "Well, since he''s in a new world, he obviously needs a new name too. I felt Yorkie was the best translation." "... You know what? I''m not even going to question that. After you finish the last set, tell our little corpse to make preparations for dinner." He didn''t even bother turning around to see the little girl dancing in delight. "You don''t like my cooking, do you?" "I didn''t say that." "You were thinking it." "Well, maybe you should start seasoning the food." "It''s plenty nutritious and the flavor is good enough!" "If I wanted to eat raw leaves and carrots, I''d join the rabbits outside!" Meanwhile, Justin...or Yorkie was rhythmically splitting wood in a trance-like state. *Come to think of it, this isn''t too bad. Bears are brown. These logs are brown. Thus I''m not actually splitting wood, I''m splitting bears.* The chopping quickened. "Ha! Do you feel my rage! Do you feel my fury?! YOU. ARE. NOTHING. BEFORE. ME." Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop. Accidentally mis-swinging at one particularly tough cord of hardwood, the axe was knocked out of his hands, falling to the ground with a melodramatic *flop*. "STOP RESISTING. Just accept your fate!" He lifted the cord of wood high above his head before bringing it down against the stump, again and again. "DO YOU REGRET IT NOW? DOES IT HURT? HAA HAA YOU THINK I''LL TIRE? THAT I''LL GET BORED. THAT I''LL LEAVE YOU ALONE? IN YOUR DREAMS. DIE FOR ME. DIE. DIE. AHAHAHAAHAAAA!" Finally smashing the cord of wood into an unusable pulp, his body felt fatigued as he tossed the remains to the side. He gasped for air having just undergone a strenuous effort filled with passion. Not that he needed to breathe. "Haa... You like that? Hahaha" Elated at his latest conquest, he brushed the stump clean and took a well-deserved rest. He slowly brought his hands against his head. "I really need a hobby." Aside from his lust for bear violence, his current lifestyle at the moment did not seem to be contributing to his ideals of a fulfilled life. *This doesn''t make sense. Technically this is a job, so why don''t I feel satisfied? Do I need to do other things too?" Reminiscing about how happy his old college friends were with their first jobs out of school, he started to grow suspicious. -Yeah, I just got signed in with a huge accounting firm. I work eighty hours a week. #finally an adult- -I''m currently starting a new churro truck business. I''m following my dreams. Here''s my card.- -Yeah, I just took out another loan for my master''s in library science. Life is going to be so good.- -Have you met Cindy? We met three months ago, but oh my God she''s so wonderful. We got lucky and are now having a kid! I always wanted to be a dad!- *You know, thinking back. Some of those guys were probably lying through their teeth.* He could just imagine their eyes pleading for help while their faces were contorted into forced smiles. *No, that can''t be right. Maybe I''m still a bit cynical from the past ''me''. This is a new world, a new me, I can force myself past this!* He smacked his head around. Forcing his mind to accept that his past self was restraining his happiness, he continuously rained blows. His head gradually become lighter. *That''s it! I am happy! If I just smile and show my happiness, I should feel that way too!* He was wrong. Yorkie pulled his lips back, trying his best to show off a smile. *I really wish I had a mirror right now. Oh! OHHH! I think I can feel it working!* The vibrations from impact traveled up his arm and into his brain, making his whole body quiver in response. *I wonder what happens if I work while smiling?* Maintaining his grin, he picked up his axe and set down a cord of wood on the chopping log. The wind whistled as the axe split the wood neatly into two halves. *Amazing! Chopping a log feels so enjoyable now!* He was delusional. *I see, it''s all about one''s frame of mind. How insightful.* That was not the case at all.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. *If I just hold this smile, the next twenty years will be a piece of cake!* He had successfully managed to delude himself. Regardless, he busily got to chopping when he heard a voice peep up from behind him. "Hey Yorkie! I''m feeling pork chops for din-- Ugyaa!" "What?" "The heck is wrong with your face?!!" "I''m not that ugly ok?!!" "Actually I''d rate you a four out of five, but that isn''t what I meant! Why are you making that disgusting face?" "Again, I''m not that ugly ok? --Uhuk!" He was knocked to his knees as the little girl smashed her fist into his sternum, knocking the wind out of him. "Good, your face looks better now." "But you didn''t hit my face...Oh, You were talking about my smile!" "That was not a smile!" "Sure it is! See?" He pulled his teeth back, and poked both his cheeks in what would normally be a cute pose. Nelly: (Internal Screaming) "Stop It!" "But it makes me happy!" "Does it really? Does it really?" "Are you hungry? I''ll make you something." "Yes, but stop making that face!" "Let''s go then!" "Don''t ignore me!" "The weather sure is beautiful today..." Yorkie ''smiled''. He steadily marched towards the tower, seemingly unaware of the little girl who had clambered onto his back, pulling at his hair. -break- They were in the tower''s kitchen, which admittedly looked like any normal modern kitchen. There was an assortment of pots and pans, a cold box that acted as a refrigerator, and a large heating platform controlled with a metal dial. "...Taste" "Flavour is a bit thin" "...Taste" "I don''t like onion too much." "...Taste" "Why is there more onion now?" "Taste!" "THE SPOON IS COVERED IN ONION" "Little girls shouldn''t be picky. Vegetables are good for you." Yorkie was halfway through sauteing half a dozen pork chops in a small saucepan. Feeling that just eating meat alone would be a poor choice for a growing little girl, he tossed in some mushrooms and onions as well before julienning a head of purple cabbage. "It''s not that I don''t like vegetables, but onions are much too spicy, and the taste makes me si-- WHY ARE YOU ADDING MORE." Having cut a couple onions into thin slices, he swept those into the pot too. "Only through hardship, can one grow as an individual." "Stop! Stop!" She pleaded as she clutched at his arms which had wandered to grab another onion from the ''fridge''. The sauce pan was already covered in sliced onions, and she was in no mood for more. "Proper nutrition makes for a healthy body. A healthy body makes for a healthy mind..." "It''s too much! I can''t eat that much. I''ll get fat!" "Actually meat and bread are far more fattening than vegetables. I can just remove those from your meal, and you can eat healthily. "I LIED. I LIED. I can''t live off vegetables alone, I need meat!" The pungent smell of pork wafting from the saucepan had already stimulated her appetite. She would surely go insane if she could only eat vegetables after smelling that aroma. *As if I''d eat any of that gross stuff. I''ll just finish the good parts first, pretend I''m full then I''ll run off* "It''s also not good to waste food. Not everyone is so fortunate. When I was but a poor college student, the people who threw away good food were scum in my eyes" "Guh" Using a pair of tongs, he removed the pork chops from the bottom of the pan, placing them on the mountain of onions. He turned off the heat. "I''ve already done you the favor of cooking them. Be thankful." "That''s one favor that I can do without." The little girl grimaced. "Oh, they aren''t so bad. Look!" He took the onion that was set on the side and took a large bite. Juices streamed down his chin as he chewed noisily. "Very juicy, with a sharp crunch. It''s hard to get this kind of quality, even from farmer''s markets." Nelly cringed as Yorkie finished off the onion with a gusto. She suddenly stopped as a question popped into her head. "Wait, Undead can taste food?" "Nope." "Then why are you eating it!" "I enjoy the mouth feel" "Isn''t it weird?" "Nah, it feels like a very crispy apple...that has layers" "Wait! That''s no fair! How can you know the pain of having to eat onions?!" He stared at her blankly. "You know I was alive up to around a week ago. I remember what onions taste like you know." "You''ve never had a food you hated? Something that you absolutely can''t eat?" "Well I was allergic to peanuts, but that''s not the same thi--" "Exactly! It''s the same for me! I will die if I have to eat this much onion. I thought you were my servant huh? Where''s the compassion? You were supposed to care for my well-being!" "I don''t think that was included in my labor contract..." "Well, it is now!" Slightly dumbfounded, Yorkie had to reevaluate his impressions of the little girl. "You''re not being very cute right now." "Who wants to be cute for you?!" *Well look who''s being all cocky now. You think I''m going to let you win so easily? Well, think again!* "What about all this food, it''s not good to waste it." "Kuh! You...You can eat it! I saw you eating an onion with no problem just now." "Little girl, the nutritional value becomes wasted on me. Besides, as an undead, I don''t think I actually digest anything..." "So? You can still eat it! A cook should eat his failures alone!" "... Do you want me to eat the meat too?" "No...Sorry..." "Anyways, though I can eat things... it doesn''t actually come out." "Oh... So..." "It''s been a week, I haven''t used the bathroom once yet." Nelly stared at his relatively flat stomach. Do undead have some way of disintegrating organic matter? Or was all the food that was eaten this week still in there...fermenting? "So I''m a time bomb. One of these days my stomach will burst, and everything I ate will splatter onto the floor" "Bleh! Not before dinner!" "I only ask you to eat them for today. I will make note to cook less of them in the future." "So cruel!" "It''s part of being an adult." "I don''t want to grow up!" "I believe in you, Nelly!" -Hic- *Wait a second. An adult?* Within the confines of Nelly''s mind, she frantically searched through her five years of memories with her grandpa, searching for something, anything to save her. She stopped at one of the thousand war time stratagems that her grandpa made her memorize. It might be a bit crass, but at the moment, it was her only hope of escaping this predicament. -break- Horus had been relaxing in his study when he heard his little granddaughter yell. "Grandpaaaa It''s time for dinner!" He smiled to himself as he pulled himself up. ''Hiring'' that corpse had been an excellent decision. Not that this life in seclusion was necessarily bad, but he missed the times in his youth when he was waited on hand and foot. He might have been a bit cruel with the never-ending list of chores. Even for an undead, there was sure to be some mental fatigue, but what of it? *With sheer cliffs all around, and my handy dandy illusion barriers, he couldn''t even run away if he wanted to* He cackled maniacally as he found himself before the kitchen door. Scents of Sweet and Savoury tickled his nose as he found himself unconsciously salivating. Although he hated to admit it, the corpse had better cooking skills than he did. It was too troubling to cook anything more complex than a soup or stew, much to Nelly''s disappointment. "What''s for dinner...?" He found himself staring face to face with Yorkie who was making...a face. It was reminiscent of the expression of a cave troll whom he drove to insanity a few months past. "Hi, Grandpa..." There was Nelly, but why was she so... distant. Why was she looking away? Suspicious. This was all too suspicious. "Sir your dinner!" The ghastly apparition showed him to the dining table nearby. A solid rectangle of mahogany propped up with two stone pillars. On it lay a single plate laden with food, and a porcelain glass filled with chilled liquid. "Ah, finally. It looks deliciou-- wait, why are there so many onions?" The plate was literally covered with all the onions that were in the sauce pan earlier, stacking into daughter''s mountain. "Vegetables are good for you. They are a vital part of a healthy diet." Yorkie so helpfully chimed in. "Yes, but that doesn''t explain why there are so many onions! Is there even anything here apart from onions?" He dug into the mountain with a silver fork, finding absolutely no trace of the delicious smell from earlier. "Ah, well you see. Nelly wasn''t in the mood to eat her own vegetables, so I''m trying to teach her the importance of nutrition." Looking at Nelly''s plate, he noticed a much healthier proportion of onions to everything else. In fact, there were maybe two slivers of onion amidst the finely chopped cabbage, and pork chops covered in mushroom sauce. *The hell is this. That looks way more normal than this pile of onions!* "As you can see, Nelly was refusing to eat, so I was hoping the master would be a role model and show that vegetables aren''t a big deal." "But why are there so many onions!!!??" "That''s because grandpa always seemed to like onions the best, so I asked Yorkie to cook more of them." Yorkie threw a nasty look at Nelly, as if to say that if this didn''t work, then she would be the one to eat all the onions. *Did I ever tell her that I particularly enjoyed onions? But still... how sweet* The old man''s heart was pierced through with his granddaughter¡¯s mindfulness towards the things he enjoyed, but still, this amount was a bit... "Fine, but why is there no meat? You can''t expect me to just eat a bunch of onion for dinner." "The pork chops will be served after you finish your meal" Yorkie''s expression remained unmoving as he explained. That face was actually quite disturbing. "Am I a child? Are you anything more than just a slave forced to serve my every whim? If I want meat with dinner, then I will have it now!" His cheeks flushed angrily as he had been forced to say some rather childish lines. "If grandpa gets meat, he''ll just eat the meat first, then say he''s too full to eat the rest! Don''t think you can trick me into eating vegetables! I''m onto your tricks!" "Indeed. Saying you''re too full to eat more is a common tactic for picky eaters to throw away food they don''t like." What was this feeling... Horus felt as if he had been caught in some sort of plot, but this was just dinner. The heck was going on? "Onions have a great nutritional value, with high fiber and vitamin content which helps keep a body regular!" "And a healthy body makes for a healthy mind!" "But this amount..." "You wouldn''t want to give bad ideas to your precious grand daughter, do you? At this age, proper nutrition is most vital to her growth!" "Yeah! If you don''t eat them, I won''t ever eat vegetables again." Nelly said stubbornly. She pursed her lips and puffed out her cheeks as if making a life- changing decision. ....Seriously, what was this bad feeling? He looked longingly at the brown pork chops sizzling in the saucepan. His stomach acid churned as his own meal looked paltry in comparison. "But..." "As the elder generation, one must set the standard for the younger." "You like onions right? I told Yorkie to make lots just for you!" Looking at Nelly''s sparkling eyes, he could not refute her. Looking down at the pile of mountains, he pumped himself up. It¡¯s not like onions were particularly bad anyways. He stabbed through a few slices and brought them to his mouth. First bite. It was alright. There were onions of varying degrees of rawness which made the dish fun to eat. From the sweetness of the caramelized onions cooked in pork fat to the spicy crunch of the onions that barely touched the saucepan. Third bite. It was still alright, but he was wishing that there was some meat to accompany it. Nelly had already begun to happily gorge herself. God, those pork chops sure looked good. Twentieth bite. Really getting tired of onions. His jaw moved mechanically as Nelly had slowed down as well. Staring at his each and every bite. On her plate was still a clump of sliced cabbage and one remaining pork chop. Thirty-fifth bite. Oh god. Make it stop. It''s so gross. He took a deep draft of the chilled water which helped slightly, but the disgusting soggy yet crunchy texture persisted. He was of mind to stop then and there, but upon seeing the innocent eyes of his granddaughter, he knew he had to persist. Blurgh. He seriously wanted to throw up. Fifty-seventh bite. He wished he never had kids. To hell with being a good role model. The remaining pork chops in the pan were probably getting cold as well. He might as well chop the revenant up and eat him. Eating a week old corpse sounded infinitely more appetizing than this softcore torture device. Last bite. His hands quivered as he brought the fork to his mouth one last time. He had a splitting headache. He was sick of onions. He was sick of zombies. He needed a lie-down. "Most excellently done master, would you like your onion-- pork chops now?" "Blurgh-- That''ll be fine. I am full now. Hurgh. Excuse me." Managing to keep the contents of his stomach down, Horus glared at the corpse before shuffling out of the room. *If you weren''t already dead, I would have killed you thrice over right now* "Grandpa was so cool!" A little cheer piped up from behind him. Managing a small wave, he grimaced as he went to find a bucket to stick his head in. "..." "..." "Let''s never tell your grandpa what happened here, shall we?" "Agreed" "Still, it''s impressive that he managed to eat it all, I put like four whole onions in that thing." "So you were adding more just to spite me!" "Oh no, when you said your grandpa was coming, I sliced up two extra raw ones before adding it to the plate." "You are so evil." "I learn from the best" "So, can I have the remaining pork chops?" "You can eat even more?" Yorkie goggled at the little girl who had just previously inhaled half a kilogram of food. "Hey! I''m still growing. I need my nutrition." "You''re just saying that because your grandpa ate all the onions." Nelly stuck her tongue out at the corpse, before shoving her plate under his nose. "You can add any other vegetable to it, just top me up! Also, stop making that face! It makes the food taste bad." "Can''t. Was born with it, but let me heat up the chops for you." Ignoring the pouting little girl, he turned back to the stove. It wasn''t long till the chops were heated and sizzling. Removing the chops, he placed them on a bed of cabbage which was quickly snatched by Nelly. Not even bothering to head to the table, she stood and ate on the counter beside him. As she was tucking in, she noticed Yorkie who was about to start washing the dishes. Forcing down a bite of cabbage, she gasped and called out to him. "Hey Yorkie!" "Hmm?" "High five?" Nelly grinned cheekily and held out a palm, to which Yorkie met with his own non-deformed smile. He was starting to like this girl. "High five!" [Slap!]