CHAPTER 94: SATYRIAN CONTRACT

"Aihh...how could I ask you when I almost attacked you earlier? It’s fine...I’ll just wait for a decade or two...five centuries, even..."

Kazuraga’s response made Daru frown.

How could he wait that long?

"No, don’t worry about it, just tell me what you need. I’ll do my best to help."

"Aihh...I told you already, young man. There’s no need to help a poor old, disable–"

But then, before the mythical swordspawn could finish his words, the dull clank of a sword echoed as Kazuraga felt a harmless blow on his neck.

[-2]

"Ahh...sorry..." Daru apologized after striking the swordspawn quite heavily.

He wasn’t very good with words and wasn’t very patient. Plus, he could somehow sense instinctively that the mythical swordspawn was wasting time, though he could not pinpoint why.

"YOU DUM–"

Kazuraga was about to explode in anger. However, he suddenly remembered he couldn’t. How could someone who was suffering from such heavy injuries be so energetic?

Taking one deep breath, the mythical swordspawn recollected himself.

"It’s fine...If you’re willing to help, then...ahem! All I need is a map of this continent so I can gather everything I need myself."

Daru once again frowned.

"I’ll get what you need for you, no need for a map. If you leave, how am I going to see you and fight you again? I’ll be back on my continent in a month."

Kazuraga’s brows rose slightly, locking eyes with the young human.

The mad idiot was actually dead serious about fighting him...

"Tch." The mythical goat couldn’t help but look the other way for a moment, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

How the hell was he so unlucky as to lure such a crazy bastard here?

Sure, killing the brat would help, but only a little. Very little.

It was then that Kazuraga got an idea.

Perhaps the human obtaining a map for him would serve him in more ways than one?

"Aihh...but aren’t you a novice? Fighting me right now wouldn’t do you any good. I also wouldn’t be able to recover in a month. It’s simply impossible..." The mythical swordspawn turned to look at Daru again, sighing rather dramatically.

Daru was naturally disappointed.

However, he also didn’t want to force a heavily injured opponent to battle. It wouldn’t feel good even if he won.

Observing his reaction, Kazuraga’s eerie smile widened for half a second before reverting.

"How about this, then. Get me a map from one of the cities down south. With your mask, it shouldn’t be a problem, no? Also, remember that you must immediately return here after you obtain one. No detours, regardless of what happens. If you can do this for me, then I’ll give you a Satyrian Contract, one that would promise you a battle with a mythical swordspawn like me, though I can’t promise I’ll personally fight you."

Daru fell into deep thought.

While he did want to fight the mythical swordspawn in front of him, the injury was quite the massive turnoff, and if he’s being honest, all he really needed was a promise that he would encounter another such elusive spawn again.

The only reason why he’s pushing for this battle, even though he inwardly understood that he was probably still too weak, is because he wasn’t sure if he would even get the chance to meet someone like Kazuraga again.

He simply wanted the experience of fighting a mythical swordspawn.

After thinking for a few moments, Daru asked:

"Fine, but what is this Satyrian Contract? Is it reliable? Also, do you know where the Minotaur is? It’s a bull-like Mythical Swordspawn, from what I’ve heard, and is very strong."

Kazuraga was slightly dumbfounded at what he heard, stupefied for a moment before bursting out laughing:

"MEHEHEHE! Why, of course, I know that dumb muscle-head! And quite well. As for a Satyrian Contract, MEHEHE! It is a contract that is unique to us of the Satyr race. How could it not be reliable when we Satyrs are betting a fourth of our souls on each?"

Daru fell silent at the explanation.

If what this half-goat spawn was saying was true, then a Satyrian Contract is indeed reliable...

"But why are you willing to offer it to me?" he asked with narrowed eyes. "From what you said, you can only have four contracts active at a time, correct?"

The mythical swordspawn was stupefied once more.

Kazuraga fell silent for a few moments, his horizontal, jet-black pupils turning vertical for two moments.

He then began laughing.

"MEHE! MEHEHEHE! It seems you’re indeed not dumb, as you’ve been saying, human. You might have a few screws loose, but you’re indeed not dumb..." the mythical swordspawn said with narrowed eyes.

"Fine then, I’ll drop the act. Since you seem unbelievably earnest in fighting what your race calls mythical swordspawns like me, then you should know that you’re no match for me right now, correct?"

Daru didn’t reply immediately, locking gazes with the Satyr.

"Correct. I just want to experience fighting someone like you, which is why I’m pushing for the battle to happen now."

"MEHEHEHE!" Kazuraga laughed, seemingly pleased. "Fine, fine... since you, a human, are unexpectedly being honest, I will, too."

The satyrian spawn then stood up.

"I will not tell you the reason why I’m offering you a contract. However, I can guarantee you that I will fulfill my part and will give you the battle you crave within five years, as long as you fulfill yours, how’s that?"

"Will I be able to fight a mythical swordspawn in the future? The minotaur?"

"I’m not guaranteeing you’ll be fighting the musclehead, as it’s difficult even for someone like me to find and navigate the bastard’s labyrinths. However, I will try, and if I can’t, then you’ll be fighting a different mythical swordspawn, at the very least. Deal?"

Daru thought for a moment before answering:

"Deal."

"MEHE! MEHEHEHE! Good choice, human. Wait a moment, I shall prepare the contract."

After a burst of unsettling, goatly laughter, Kazuraga turned around, seemingly hiding the process of making a satyrian contract.

[-500,000!]

A rather horrifying damage value then appeared, stupefying Daru for a moment.

He had never seen such a high amount.

Another moment later, Kazuraga turned to face him, a brown scroll with a breathing, deep-purple aura in hand.

There weren’t even any signs of pain or discomfort in the face of the mythical swordspawn.

Only now did Daru realize how small his chances of victory were if he decided to push the battle.

Kazuraga had already lost an arm and a leg, and yet, he took the damage of 500,000 hitpoints as though it was nothing.

"Now then, please prick your thumb with this and sign the contract by pressing your finger at this part."

Daru read the contract carefully.

Then, once he confirmed that the satyr was "being honest", he did as he was told, piercing his thumb with the translucent, purple needle and pressing it at the appropriate area in the contract.

The moment he did, the eerie smile on Kazuraga’s face widened.

"MEHE EHEHEHE! Now, off you go, little novice. Go fetch me a map of Veshara, and a copy of this contract is yours to keep. Who knows? If you do well, perhaps I’ll throw in another item."

Daru’s gaze lingered on the satyrian spawn for another moment before he slowly turned and headed towards the exit of the burrow-cave.

A rather unsettling yet endearing flute melody began playing from the depths as he left to complete his mission, but he couldn’t pay it much attention.

Not when there’s a surprising notification in front of him:

[You have accepted a Quest from [Kazuraga the Exiled]!]

Daru tapped on the notification, expanding it.

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Quest Name: Satyrian Contract

Tier: N/A (Satyrian)

Level Requirement: None

Description: Obtain a map of the Veshara Continent and hand it over to [Kazuraga the Exiled].

Reward: Satyrian Contract - An encounter with a Mythical Swordspawn within five years.

Warning: You have accepted a Satyrian Contract.

If you fail to fulfill your end of the agreement, your soul will belong to the Satyr. You may claim a fourth of the Satyr’s soul if it fails to fulfill its end of the deal or refuses to accept the quest item.

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