Chapter Fifteen: The Contract Holder

"Hey! Su Mo, we just detected that AST operatives are heading your way. Now that Toka's affection for you has reached one hundred, hurry and use your method to seal the spirit power within her," came Kotori's voice through the earphones in his right ear.

Su Mo paused, momentarily stunned, then asked in confusion, "My method? What method do I have to seal a spirit's power?"

He was certainly not Shido Itsuka from the original story, able to seal spirits' powers with a kiss. Wasn't this asking too much?

"Idiot, the contract!" Kotori gritted her teeth and shouted, "How did you seal my power five years ago? Use the same method to seal Toka's power now."

"Five years ago? Contract?" Su Mo grew even more bewildered. What was all this about? He hadn't even arrived in this world five years ago, and he'd never heard of any contract.

As Su Mo scratched his head, the system's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

[Trigger keyword: Contract!]
[Contract: When the affection of the contracted party reaches one hundred percent, they may sign a contract with the host, becoming the host's summoned follower, able to leave this world with the host. From then on, their lives are bound together; if the host dies, the contracted party dies as well, but if the contracted party dies, the host remains unaffected.
At the same time, the host has absolute control over the contracted party, able to execute or seal all their powers with a single thought. Upon signing the contract, the host may extract one ability from the contracted party. However, the contract must be signed with complete willingness; even the slightest resistance will cause the contract to fail.]

After reading the rules of the contract, Su Mo couldn't help but think it was even more ruthless than a slave contract.

Once signed, the other party couldn't resist him at all. It was an utterly unequal agreement—who would willingly sign such a contract?

Su Mo was deeply skeptical about this. But with the AST troops closing in, if he wanted to avoid conflict and allow Toka to truly live in this world, he had to seal her spirit power.

Toka held Su Mo's hand; their gesture had lasted quite a while now.

The warmth passing from his palm made the girl's heart flutter. But seeing Su Mo suddenly bow his head in silence, his brows tightly knit, Toka placed her other hand over his, clasping his hands tightly, and comforted him, "Su Mo, what's wrong?"

"Well..." Su Mo frowned, silent for a moment, but at Toka's persistent questioning, he finally explained the matter of the contract to her.

A gentle breeze swept by, and the setting sun cast its glow between the two of them.

The entire city of Tenko was bathed in golden light.

Toka looked directly at Su Mo and suddenly smiled, "So, only by signing the contract can I live in this world? Then I choose to make a contract with you."

"Hey, you should think it over carefully. Look at the terms before you decide. There won't be any medicine for regret after," Su Mo thought he’d misheard, hastily reiterating the clauses of the contract.

But Toka replied—

"It's alright!" She shook her head.

Su Mo stared at her, full of doubt. With such a contract, any normal person would refuse. He couldn't understand what Toka was thinking.

Toka simply took Su Mo's other hand, placed it against her arm, letting both his hands envelop her delicate, slender ones, and declared loudly, "Didn't you say, Su Mo, that even if the whole world denied me, you would affirm me? I feel the same."

"Even if the whole world doesn't believe you, I will believe you."

The spirit girl named Toka, using the same tone Su Mo had spoken in, solemnly declared this vow to the world.

Seeing this, Su Mo's lips curled into a smile at last.

"So, Su Mo, make a contract with me!" Toka repeated.

This time, Su Mo hesitated no more. Following the information from the Lord God, he stood face-to-face with Toka, opened his eyes, extended his palm, and formally spoke, "Toka, are you willing to make a contract with me?"

"I am willing!"

As soon as Toka finished speaking, a beam of light shot from Su Mo's heart and entered hers. The beam connected their hearts, and in that instant, both Su Mo and Toka raised their heads, gazing at each other.

At this moment, they both felt their bodies change. A subtle, almost intangible connection had formed between them, and Su Mo could clearly sense his heartbeat synchronizing with Toka's, until they completely overlapped.

It was as though something new had been added to his life.

Su Mo realized that from now on, his life would no longer belong solely to himself, but also to Toka. Surely, Toka felt the same; though compared to Su Mo, she was the contracted party, and everything about her was now in Su Mo's hands.

Now Su Mo sensed that, if he wished to erase Toka, it would take only a single thought.

"It's really unfair," Toka murmured after realizing this.

But that was all. The simple-minded Toka didn't care about these things, or perhaps she never doubted Su Mo would harm her. This was Toka's trust in Su Mo, and naturally, Su Mo could never betray it.

As Su Mo savored this wondrous state, he noticed a massive throne had appeared before him, its metallic gleam shining luxuriously, the steel-colored armrests revealing the hilt of a sword at its back.

"What is this?" Su Mo stared at the throne that had suddenly materialized before him.

"Angel of Carnage?" Toka exclaimed in surprise, instinctively summoning her own angel, Tenfold. Two thrones appeared simultaneously before them. Compared to Toka's dazzling, multicolored throne, Su Mo's emitted a black radiance, low-key yet with a chilling aura.

Toka tilted her head, confused. Though the thrones differed in design and color, she recognized the similar aura emanating from both.

Su Mo was equally bewildered, staring at the throne.

But soon he remembered the Lord God's words: upon making a contract, he could acquire one ability from the contracted party. Toka's ability was her angel, Tenfold, representing the power of matter.

So, had he received Toka's ability?

Su Mo stepped forward and slowly drew the sword from the back of the throne. Its design was unusual—jet-black, about a finger's width, not the broad sword of Toka, but shaped much like a normal longsword.

Holding the sword, he excitedly swung it twice.

He could feel the terrifying power coursing through it!

(The contract is signed—please send recommendation votes, bookmarks, and rewards!)