The High Shaman discovered with horror that the Chaos power—which had once brought him immense solace and satisfied his every craving for strength—was being rapidly absorbed.
The precious reward he had gained by betraying old friends and sacrificing his own kin was now slipping away at a breakneck speed.
“No, NO!” the High Shaman bellowed in fury, “Great Serpent, you dared to deceive me? Fine, fine, fine!”
He spat out several “fines” in a row. Despite the setback, he was still a powerhouse at the peak of the Material Realm. Though his lifespan was dwindling at a terrifying rate as the Chaos power drained away, the High Shaman maintained his composure and quickly devised a countermeasure.
Snap.
A dark green book, bound in the hide of an unknown creature, dropped into the High Shaman’s palm. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and a cunning smirk played across his lips.
“Fortunate that I kept a trump card up my sleeve.”
The High Shaman was no fool.
Although world laws dictated that a Life Contract must be sworn upon the soul—making violations almost unprecedented—this Ancient Evil was no ordinary creature. The High Shaman had prepared a safeguard long ago. This book, radiating an ominous aura and echoing with faint, agonizing wails if one listened closely, was the foundation of his “trust” in the Serpent.
“Book of Curses!”
Boom—!
The High Shaman bit his thumb, and droplets of fresh blood fell onto the book. Instantly, a crimson hue flared up, spreading at an incredible speed and soon enveloping the twisted form of the Great Serpent.
“The world law of the Life Contract might not be enough to handle you, but… what if I add a Divine Artifact?”
A flicker of excitement passed through the High Shaman’s eyes. The frustration of being repeatedly thwarted by Green was finally beginning to ease.
Even though his strength was temporarily diminished by the Serpent’s sudden betrayal, the Demi-god status he had attained through the Chaos Source remained. Relying solely on a Life Contract might be a stretch to bind a majestic Ancient Evil, but with the empowerment of a Divine Artifact and his own Demi-god rank…
“Did you think I was just a servant to be summoned and dismissed at your whim?”
The High Shaman threw his head back arrogantly, letting out a dry, rasping cackle: “How tragic, Great Serpent! For all your status as an Ancient Evil, you’ve been outsmarted by your own cleverness. Now, you shall become the nourishment for my ascension!”
Hiss, hiss, hiss!
The Great Serpent opened its bloody maw, roaring in rebuttal, yet a flash of fear flickered within its slitted pupils.
It was afraid.
“The Book of Curses?” Green, watching from the side, wasn’t surprised by the High Shaman’s trump card. Though he hadn’t heard of this specific item, the man was, after all, a peak Legend and the supreme leader of a powerful nation. How could he not have a final hand to play?
In fact, from the perspective of the peak of the Material Realm, owning only one Divine Artifact was actually quite meager.
“However…” Green stared with interest at the Book of Curses controlled by the High Shaman’s essence blood, a different thought forming in his mind.
I already have two Divine Artifacts, but no one in this world complains about having too much gear. If I can wait for them to tear each other down…
Watching the High Shaman’s dizzying sequence of maneuvers, Green began to plot his next move. After all, that Book of Curses is perfectly suited for my Bard class.
BOOM!!!
As Green was reflecting, a new development occurred between the two combatants.
The crimson light summoned by the Book of Curses clashed violently with the Chaos power radiating from the Serpent. Each shockwave put immense pressure on the surrounding space, instantly throwing the stable elemental balance into total chaos.
Zizizi!
As if unable to withstand the pressure any longer, the space before them shattered into countless fragments with a thunderous roar. What was “normal” to the mortal eye turned to dust without resistance.
“Hahaha!”
The High Shaman looked triumphantly at the Serpent, which was now suppressed by the power of the Book of Curses. Just as he predicted, although this Monster Lord possessed power far beyond a peak Legend—even a typical Demi-god would find it troublesome—its strength had long since withered after being suppressed for years by the Orc ancestors. Even with the sacrifice he just provided, it had only recovered half of its former glory.
If he were just a normal peak Legend stripped of his Chaos power, he might have struggled to take down this monster even with a Life Contract.
But with the Book of Curses?
“Your power belongs to me now!”
The High Shaman shouted with delight, the greed in his eyes no longer hidden. He could already see the beautiful future where he seized the magic of an Ancient Evil and became a true Demi-god in his own right, rather than relying on borrowed Chaos power.
“Oooooh!” The High Shaman sensed the Serpent’s aura becoming increasingly withered and stepped toward the massive, blurring figure that looked ready to dissipate at any moment.
“Wait, something’s wrong!”
Green, who was preparing to intervene, noticed a subtle abnormality.
“That Serpent… it’s…”
“From now on—” The High Shaman naturally ignored Green’s warning. Driven by desire, he practically lunged toward the Serpent as if this monster—which had devoured the souls of countless of his kin—was the most precious gem in the world.
“—you are my most loyal slave!”
With a glazed look in his eyes, the High Shaman spoke to the Ancient Evil in a state of near-madness. Under the influence of the Book of Curses, the Serpent’s pitch-black soul was being drawn out. A powerful soul of the Demi-god rank was now seemingly defenseless under the shackles of the Divine Artifact.
“Hey, wait!”
Realizing the High Shaman had completely failed to notice the danger—realizing he was actually being deluded—Green dashed forward. He attempted to pull this “enemy,” who had tried to kill him just moments ago, out of the trap.
“Damn it, I was dead wrong. I thought this guy was the mastermind behind the whole incident.”
But I was mistaken!
“The real enemy predicted from the very beginning that I would personally move to take the fortress. No, wait!” A chill ran down Green’s spine. “To set these traps in advance and even numb my intuition… they didn’t just predict I would appear at the Orc defense line. More importantly… they… they know my tactics?!”
BOOM!!!
While Green was still reeling from the realization, the High Shaman had already reached out and touched the Serpent’s soul.
“Master-Slave Contract… SIGNED!”
The High Shaman stared fervently at the Serpent’s soul, and then… his eyes widened.
Within the Serpent’s seemingly defenseless soul, chains were drifting—but they weren’t the chains planted by the Book of Curses.
They belonged to someone else.
Who?
“If a Master-Slave Contract fails, it backfires.” Looking at the High Shaman who had fallen completely into the trap, a wave of irritability washed over Green. “So, next, this High Shaman…”
Zizizizizi!
The chains summoned by the High Shaman via the Divine Artifact suddenly pulled a 180-degree turn. Before he could react, they wrapped around him tightly.
“The Puppeteer?” Green stomped his foot in frustration, seeing it was too late to stop it. “Forget it, the priority is to protect the Princess and the others!”
Whoosh!
Green vanished from the sky in an instant.
General Love’s Manor, Warehouse.
Bam!
Green landed steadily on the ground.
“Mr. Green, you’re back?” Theresa asked with pleasant surprise. “That High Shaman, and… and that monster, have you dealt with them?”
“Well, about that…”
Green was about to explain the current danger.
Clatter.
But Theresa didn’t give him the chance. Instead, she excitedly grabbed his hand and led him to the side. “Just as you were dealing with that Orc Shaman, our reinforcements arrived!”
Reinforcements?
Colonel Renn’s ambush force?
Oh no!
Green looked up just in time to see Colonel Renn, looking travel-worn in his military uniform, happily reaching out a hand toward Andy.
“Thanks to the intelligence you provided, Mr. Andy, we were able to complete the mission smoothly.”
“Not at all. Actually, my intel wasn’t even used. This time, it was mostly thanks to Green…”
Shing!
With no time to explain, Green moved first.
A sword light flashed, striking toward Colonel Renn’s extended arm.
Splat.
Blood sprayed from Renn’s arm. But eerily, even though his arm had been severed, the smile on “Colonel Renn’s” face didn’t change in the slightest.
“Mr. Green?!” Andy was about to ask in shock, but then he caught sight of the grotesque scene and felt his scalp go numb.
As a Legendary class holder, he faintly realized the truth.
“The… Pup-pet-eer.”
For the first time since entering this third life simulation, Green felt true rage.