Vengeance of the Returner

Chapter 101: Mutiple lives

"Astaroth, help me out in training..."

Nix requested hesitantly staring at the rusty dagger in his hand.

{Yes, firstly we need to go for the more vacant places. It'd be better off to leave this city. It has been months since you've made a problem with Zerast's deputy commander right? Then there is the king who is scheming. There is also the thing you made in Ferandel. }

"Yes, But..."

{Open your eyes and see what you did! You are in the center of a mess...}

{There is no time to hesitate. You have made more enemies than you could handle. You will be better off fighting one enemy instead of getting locked by all the sides. Use your brain! Are there any particular allies you know outside of this city?}

"No..."

{You have to travel and gain experience first. Make more allies, but before that, you need to go for Labrinth exploration. If you want to level up my first advice is to go for labyrinths while doing it you can train.}

Astaroth was not actually a bad guy regardless of being a demon yet, you can't say he was a good guy either. He possessed his own share of sins just like any other. Justice and evil are only about perspective.

He was someone that started from the bottom of the underworld through hard work and rose to the level of the other supremes. Well, this story is not about Astaroth, so you'll overlook part of his story later on...

"Labyrinth huh? I've seen some achievements of people in their information list... So What exactly is a labyrinth?"

Nix asked with doubt.

Astaroth's manifestation of voice entered his ears and his tone was certainly monotonous, so Nix was not particularly able to figure out his emotions much. 

{You don't know? Okay, I will explain... Labyrinths are complex dungeons. it goes deep down reaching the top layer of the underworld. Souls are born naturally in the mid-world as you know. But, where do you think monsters are born? They need a congested disturbance less environment.}

{In the beginning, they spawned around without much of a problem but, those changed when humans and other intelligent beings restrained their birth by building labyrinths around the places they are born. Then following by it the labyrinth coexisted with the spawning. Over years the monsters began to live in the Labyrinth instead of the outer world. That doesn't mean monsters don't come out but, Labyrinth is where they tend to stay.}

"I see but, what do you gain from exploring it?"

{Gold,silver,Nitantite ores...You name it. You can find valuables like even diamonds to get a fortune. There may also be monster materials and monsters... What's that? you said, boss?... Yes, boss monsters could be there.}

"Ohh... First, let me discuss leaving the city with Cinzia."

And that was the end of their conversation before he could; he was already in front of his clan house.

For the past few days his members stopped working as bandits moreover there was no other job they could take on. So they were all just there sitting idle. For the most, Nix didn't secure a big clan house and a place to train. He was still in need of stabilizing his clan and introducing hierarchy. That'd come later on. Now his problem was about leaving the city.

He made a mess! He made a complete mess. He already knew he'd be tailed after stirring up things in. It was partly worrying him. And then there was his last conversation with Al-Zalam. He declared, No! He prophesied that Nix'd come back to him. Even if it was not a prophesy he could still make it into reality if he wanted to. He could send his servant or a devil just like the last time in saragame which would be terrible to face. 

There was a lot more he had to think about. He wanted to ignore those damn things and improve on himself. So Firstly he decided to become a shut-in. In his room for a while. There was something that he prolonged. Yes! He prolonged to find out the information of his Soul contract with Draconians.

The room was all dark and only his chains that were bound with him glimmered in faint orange giving out a little brightness to support his vision in reading the books.

After a few hours of researching and reading, he was surprised and perplexed thinking about how noble the draconians actually were.

"Why? Why did you all choose to do it?"

He said staring at the chains.

"Wong! Wong!"

The chains shook. Even though he didn't understand their words he felt empathy towards them. What's funny is that he was the one that made them go through such a thing.

After researching the books he learned about his contract of eternity and the nature of Draconians that worship the great dragon Negatan.

Negatan loved his followers and gave them some freedom. Unlike other great existences. He gave his followers to have their own freedom and choice.

One of those freedoms is the decision-making about their lives. A Draconian can choose to go to Ether world if they want to. If not they could be reborn as a new soul in Empyrean and relive their life or choose to do what they want with their soul. The only thing is they need to ask for permission.

Now coming back to the soul contract of eternity. The title Eternity was just made up for the name and its use and purpose were entirely different. To be exact it means until you die.

Out of all things the Draconians had abandoned their very one existence in the hands of Nix. Which means their souls are slaves for Nix until he dies. From what he read he was extremely agitated and questioned the world's entire complexity.

He felt like the entire concept of the contract was bullshit. It was actually defying the very nature and laws of death although he didn't test it. Such an overpowering thing would practically be considered a godly power if this was in the hands of humans on earth.

He came to know that now, he possesses fifteen lives. Yes, you heard it right! fifteen fucking lives. Well... To be exact it is sixteen. And the sixteenth life is his very own so it cannot be counted. The count is fifteen because he is contracted with fifteen draconians.

What abandoning existence means the draconians chose to give Nix extra lives like a shield. If he were to be killed once. The power of the chain weakens and his life count decreases and protects Nix. Once he gets killed one of the Draconians will die. They cannot go to Ether or be reborn. They will be simply wiped out of their existence and this was what meant to be abandoning their very own existence. The trivial thing is why or how they agreed to be contracted with him.

Well, It was simple. The women, men, and children everyone was terribly tortured and made to go through excruciating pain beyond imagination. Their mental strength and physical strength were very much destroyed to the point they lost their hope in living and when Nix forced them readily accepted it as a way of redemption from a cruel world. Perhaps they could have possibly seen through Nix's mind of suffering. It was rather a mystery that cannot be answered.

Anyway, this ability is something that could be practically compared to immortality. The only thing is he could die the thirty-first time.

"I'd like to talk to you," Nix said, staring at the chains.

There was another thing he understood. He was far from mastering the usage of chains and drawing out its hidden potential.

"Wong! Woong!"

The chains shook and glimmered.

Whatever it may be. They are now part of Nix's life. You could assume it as a partner. 

"I'd like to thank you, people."

Nix said with a warm smile on his face.

Actually, he should be warm with them. Because they've practically sacrificed themselves to him.

He opened his door and went to the hall. There was the beast kid, Uryen munching his snack.

He just gave a warm smile and Uryen just gave out an innocent smile.

Nix took a seat next to him and began to talk indifferently.

"Mind telling me why you chose to work under me?"

Uryen began to talk excitedly with sparkling eyes.

"Goddess Felishia told us that you are someone she has her faith in, So I wanted to serve you..."

Nix couldn't help but get shocked. It's not like he didn't know she was powerful but, hearing that she is a god is something far from believable. Moreover, he banged a goddess.

"Goddess?" He asked.

"Yes, She is a Demigod...Master, You will help us right?" Uryen asked excitedly.

"Yeah-yeah, I will..." Nix said hesitatingly.

He actually thought of the possibility of her being powerful after checking out her information but, he didn't expect her to be a goddess.