They never did.”
“They chose something far more entertaining.”
Jasper tilted his head.
“They sentenced him.”
“They forced him to use the Marathon Treasury as punishment.”
“Anyone capable of completing the Marathon earns the right to take one treasure from his collection.”
Jasper nodded slowly.
“So that’s why the Treasury exists…”
“Exactly.”
Leon smiled.
“But Aravus is Aravus.”
“If there’s a loophole…”
“He’ll crawl through it.”
“He couldn’t refuse to give away treasures…”
“So he rewrote everything else.”
Jasper frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“The treasures rarely work exactly the way people expect.”
Leon pointed back toward the Treasury.
“You saw pills that supposedly raise someone all the way to Apex God.”
Jasper nodded.
“I did.”
“They won’t.”
“The best they’ll realistically do is help someone reach the Ox Stage.”
“They’re still incredible.”
“They’re just nowhere near what the description makes them sound like.”
Jasper thought back to the cultivation bangle.
“And the bangle?”
Leon laughed.
“Another one.”
“It claims that every breakthrough doubles your cultivation.”
“It doesn’t.”
“It makes breakthroughs easier.”
“Useful?”
“Very.”
“Broken?”
“Not even close.”
Jasper slowly rubbed his chin.
“So… everything in there is technically telling the truth…”
“…just not the truth people expect.”
Leon pointed at him.
“Now you’re thinking.”
“He twists wording.”
“He manipulates expectations.”
“He rushes people.”
“And when they’re forced into choosing…”
“He simply smiles and says, ‘You chose it. Not my fault.'”
Jasper groaned.
“That explains… everything.”
“It also explains the gin.”
Leon nodded.
“Exactly.”
“The gin is probably the greatest treasure in the entire Treasury.”
“Three genuine wishes.”
“That alone is priceless.”
“So Aravus attached conditions.”
“Once the three wishes are gone…”
“The gin immediately returns to the Treasury.”
“He keeps his greatest treasure forever.”
“And those two ‘compensation’ items?”
Leon snorted.
“That’s simply his way of making people feel better.”
“He spins a wheel.”
“You receive two random treasures.”
“Whether you can actually use them…”
“Whether they’re useful to you…”
“Whether they’re even remotely compatible with your cultivation…”
“He couldn’t care less.”
“It’s compensation in name only.”
Jasper looked down at the golden bangles around his wrists.
“So… these Crimson Dual Blades…”
“They may be far beyond what I can use.”
Leon nodded once.
“Correct.”
“You’ll grow into them.”
“Eventually.”
Jasper let out a long sigh.
“So… if everyone knows he’s doing this…”
Leon laughed so hard he nearly doubled over.
“Because he’s already serving his punishment.”
“The gods don’t care whether he enjoys it.”
“They care that treasures leave his vault.”
“As long as Marathon winners walk away with something…”
“His sentence is being fulfilled.”
“And Aravus?”
Leon shrugged.
“He’s almost never home.”
“At this very moment he’s probably wandering another world…”
“…trying to rob someone…”
“…or hiding from someone he already robbed.”
Piper nodded.
“That sounds accurate.”
Leon smiled.
“So you see, Jasper…”
“Filing a complaint won’t accomplish anything.”
“If, by some miracle, Aravus actually reads it…”
“He’ll probably grin at it…”
“…pat himself on the back…”
“…and tell you that you should have chosen more carefully.”
Jasper stared into the distance.
“…I don’t like him.”
Leon laughed.
“Very few people do.”
“But they all keep running the Marathon.”
Jasper sighed again.
“I guess that’s because the Treasury still has amazing treasures.”
“Exactly.”
Leon smiled.
“And every once in a while…”
“Someone walks away with something truly priceless.”
He looked meaningfully at the lamp hanging from Jasper’s belt.
“I have a feeling…”
“You might be one of those people.”
Jasper looked at the lamp.
“…I’m still filing the complaint.”
Leon burst out laughing.
“I know.”
“And Aravus is still going to ignore it.”
A mischievous smile slowly spread across Jasper’s face.
Leon noticed it immediately.
“…Jasper.”
Jasper reached for the lamp hanging from his belt.
“I have an idea.”
He rubbed the lamp.
A swirl of blue smoke spiraled into the air before gathering into the familiar figure of Jenna Lockwood.
She smiled warmly and bowed.
“Greetings, Young Master Jasper.”
“How may I serve you?”
Leon raised an eyebrow.
“Jasper… what exactly are you doing?”
“Oh,” Jasper said, rubbing his hands together like a cartoon villain.
“I have a wonderful idea.”
Piper folded her arms, curiosity written all over her face.
Jasper looked at Jenna.
“I’d like to make a wish.”
Jenna nodded.
“As you command, Young Master.”
“What is your first wish?”
Jasper thought for a moment.
“My first wish…”
“…is that my second wish shall not be fulfilled until after my third wish has been completed.”
Jenna blinked.
“…That is certainly an unusual request.”
“But it is within my power.”
She snapped her fingers.
“It is done.”
Leon frowned.
“…I don’t like where this is going.”
Jasper’s grin only grew wider.
“My second wish…”
He looked Jenna directly in the eyes.
“…is for you to become my personal servant.”
Jenna smiled sadly.
“I’m sorry, Young Master.”
“I cannot grant that wish.”
“I already belong to the Treasury Pavilion.”
“My contract binds me to the lamp.”
Jasper’s grin became even wider.
“I know.”
Leon looked between the two of them.
“…Jasper?”
“Oh, don’t worry, Master Leon.”
“You’ll see.”
Jasper took a deep breath.
“My third wish…”
He smiled.
“Jenna Lockwood.”
“I wish to set you free.”
“I free you from the Treasury Pavilion.”
“I free you from the lamp.”
“I free you from every contract, seal, chain, oath and binding placed upon you.”
Silence filled the pavilion.
Jenna stood completely still.
Her eyes slowly widened.
“…Young Master…”
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“No one…”
“…has ever wished for my freedom.”
Another tear followed.
“For countless years…”
“They only wished for power.”
“Wealth.”
“Revenge.”
“They never once wished…”
“…for me.”
She lowered her head.
“Thank you.”
“I gladly accept your wish.”
She raised one hand.
“So let it be.”
Blue light erupted from the lamp.
Ancient runes appeared around Jenna’s body.
The chains of light wrapped around her wrists, ankles and neck began cracking one by one.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
With a final brilliant flash—
They shattered.
The lamp trembled violently before splitting down the middle.
It crumbled into glittering dust.
Leon stared.
“…He actually did it.”
Piper’s eyes widened.
“…Impossible.”
The Treasury itself shook.
Golden light descended from above.
A single radiant seal appeared over Jenna’s heart.
Words slowly engraved themselves into it.
Servant of Jasper Crimson.
At the same moment, an identical golden seal appeared over Jasper’s chest before fading beneath his clothes.
Master of Jenna Lockwood.
The seals glowed once…
…then vanished from sight.
Jenna looked down at herself.
Her blue skin slowly faded.
Color returned naturally until it became a warm, light ebony complexion.
Her pointed ears softened slightly.
The magical aura surrounding her changed completely.
She no longer felt like a spirit imprisoned inside a lamp.
She felt…
Alive.
Jenna looked at her own hands in disbelief.
“…I…”
She laughed.
Then cried.
Then laughed again.
Without warning, she threw her arms around Jasper and hugged him tightly.
“Thank you…”
“Thank you so much…”
“You have no idea what you’ve given me.”
Jasper awkwardly patted her back.
“I… uh…”
“I just thought nobody deserved to spend forever trapped inside a lamp.”
Leon slowly rubbed his forehead.
“…Aravus…”
“…when he finds out…”
“…he is going to lose his mind.”