A small portal suddenly tears open in the dim air of the E-rank gate, glowing with a faint, pulsing light. A few moments later, a small owl shoots out of the portal, its head bobbing back and forth as it flutters unsteadily in mid-air.
?Ah, shit... I really shouldn’t have drank that much, the owl mutters to itself, its voice echoing oddly in Wren’s mind. I had no idea Pride had this kind of alcohol tolerance...
?The owl wobbles mid-flight, completely unable to fly straight. Its wings clip the rough stone wall, and it tumbles downward, crashing hard onto the cavern floor. Its big eyes spin in circles, completely dizzy.
?Shit... why did I even make that stupid bet with him? the owl groans, rubbing its feathered head. I didn’t even know he had already finished the contract...
?Its eyes flash with a sudden, panicked red.
?Memory flashes back to the stupid bet it made with Pride just hours ago:
?"Hey, Pride, let’s make a bet," the owl had chirped.
?"Oh? What’s the catch?" Pride had replied lazily.
?"Let’s bet on who finds a contractor first. Whoever loses has to share half of their system streaming revenue with the winner."
?Pride’s eyebrow had arched upward, a wide, wicked grin spreading across his face. "And what if you lose?"
?"Think about it carefully..."
?"I don’t understand what you mean."
?"Hey, Pride, don’t tell me you forgot the streaming settings! The loser has to give half of everything they earn from it to the winner!"
?Hearing those terms, Pride’s laugh had been loud and triumphant.
?Shit, shit, shit! the owl panics, rolling around on the stone floor. Did Pride already make a contract before we even made this bet?! I had no idea! What am I supposed to do now?!
?(Note: Pride is a bat, while the creature that just tumbled out of the portal is an owl.)
Suddenly, a rich, iron-heavy scent drifts through the damp air of the cave.
?The smell of fresh blood.
?Shaking its head hard to clear the heavy dizziness, the owl stumbles back up to its feet.
?Blood...? It sniffs the air deeply, its eyes narrowing as it tracks the scent.
?Unawakened... zero talent... a total waste. A wide, wicked grin stretches across the owl’s beak.
?It almost feels like pure luck that it ended up stumbling into this specific realm today.
?So, in the end, I actually found a contractor after all...
?Muttering to itself with bubbling excitement, the owl scurries forward, following the thick trail of blood through the dim tunnels.
?This is exactly what it had been looking for. A being with zero talent, zero special abilities, and absolute zero power—someone who is weak enough that only it can form a contract with them.
?It speeds up, eager to seal the deal.
?Hurry up, Envy... hurry!
?Rounding a sharp bend in the tunnel, Envy catches sight of the true owner of that bleeding scent.
?Wren is slumped weakly against the stone wall, blood still dripping from his wounds, his clothes torn and ruined.
?My contractorrrrr...!
?With a shrill, excited screech, the owl—now revealed as Envy—flaps its wings furiously, rocketing straight toward him.
?Noticing the four frozen goblins closing in around Wren, Envy lets out a piercing, high-pitched shriek. Instantly, the time-freeze effect ripples tighter, locking the goblins completely in place like lifeless statues.
?Envy doesn’t stop there. Pumping every ounce of its remaining strength into its wings, the owl shoots forward like a bullet straight at Wren.
?Wren stares in utter astonishment, completely paralyzed, unable to even twitch a finger as the glowing bird barrels toward him.
?With a soft, blinding flash of light, Envy crashes directly into Wren’s chest, sinking straight into his body.
?A sharp, glowing window pops up right in front of Wren’s eyes:
?[ Congratulations ]
?[ You have contracted with %^#&^ ]
?[ Congratulations for becoming One of The Primordial Sins ]
?[ Arga Express Starts in 00:05:00 ]
Wren’s head spins. Nothing makes sense.
?What is that voice? What are those words glowing in the air in front of me...?
?Before he can even begin to process the strange floating text or the bizarre bird that just vanished into his chest, his vision blurs violently. The piercing pain in his mangled shoulder and bleeding legs fades away into a heavy, suffocating numbness.
?His eyes grow unbearably heavy.
?With a soft thump, his body slides down the cold stone wall, collapsing completely onto the cavern floor as darkness swallows him whole.
?He passes out cold.
Earth — The Extenguard Estate
?"Groad, Simon, Nyx... starting today, your younger brother, Wren Extenguard, is officially removed from the succession race."
?The spacious, luxurious room falls completely silent.
?The immense weight of those words hangs heavily in the air, pressing down on the walls like a physical force.
?Standing before the head of the family, the three young heirs nod in grim unison.
?With a single, dismissive flick of his hand, the patriarch signals for them to leave. Without a word of protest, all three turn and walk out of the study in disciplined silence.
?Click.
?The heavy oak doors shut firmly behind them. The moment they are gone, the patriarch reaches across his polished mahogany desk and presses a glowing red button embedded in the wood.
?Instantly, the floorboards ripple. A dense patch of darkness twists and rises from the shadows, warping into a deep void. A few moments later, a figure steps out from the abyss.
?The subordinate drops immediately to one knee, lowering his head, resting one foot flat on the floor while bringing his other knee down in a posture of absolute submission.
?"Give me your orders, My Lord," the shadow-bound agent murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper.
?Cardinal Extenguard looks down at him, his eyes completely cold and expressionless.
?"Any news regarding Wren?"
?"None yet, My Lord. We are still searching. But we can confirm for certain... he has not left the city limits."
?"Very well. You are dismissed."
?With a soft murmur, the shadow dissolves into the floor, leaving the room empty once more.
?Cardinal leans back in his high-backed leather chair, staring coldly out the towering glass window toward the sprawling city below. A quiet, disgusted sigh escapes his lips.
?What a colossal waste of my time and effort... raising that worthless brat.