Kapitel 184: Monster Contract

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...

"Surrender is unthinkable," the monstrous voice boomed solemnly.

These seven chaotic behemoths were considered the Earth's rulers. Their immense size granted them phenomenal power and an extraordinary regeneration ability that rendered them nearly invincible. Even against the gods, they emerged battered but unbroken, their super-recovery keeping them from death's clutches. The gods, left with no choice, imprisoned them in this desolate space.

However, these cosmic powerhouses possessed a fierce sense of pride. How could they ever agree to Ivan's enslavement?

"It seems our deal falls through," Ivan said with a shrug.

"Righteousness isn't for sale. But if you reconsider, you can always reach out. Here's something to remember."

With a flick of his wrist, a bead flew through the air and landed in his palm. He examined it briefly before tossing it to one of the monsters.

"What is this? I don't recall seeing this bead before," the monster rumbled, catching it with a tentacle.

"I was present when they sealed this space sixty years ago," Ivan explained. "This bead, containing the space's sealing power, can function as a spatial coordinate or a communicator to contact me. You haven't noticed it. What do you monsters typically do here anyway?"

The monsters shifted awkwardly. To conserve energy, they remained frozen most of the time, in a deep sleep state. This desolate space, devoid of anything but debris, offered little to keep them occupied. A tiny bead wouldn't exactly pique their interest.

"Well, I'm off!" Ivan declared, preparing to tear through the space and return.

The most irritable monster suddenly roared in protest, a massive tentacle lashing out at Ivan. This wasn't the smaller tendril used before; it was a monstrous appendage with the clear intent to kill. Surprisingly, the other monsters made no move to intervene.

Just as the tentacle was about to make contact, Ivan vanished in a flash, leaving the grasping appendage empty. Moments later, his voice echoed behind them, laced with amusement. "If I couldn't enter and propose terms, how could I escape unharmed? Besides, I excel in spatial magic. Otherwise, I wouldn't have dared offer freedom in exchange for your servitude."

The monsters fell silent, watching Ivan hover above them. The attacker made no further attempts, realizing that escape was a master of space magic's greatest asset. Fighting would be futile.

"We refuse to surrender completely," rumbled the leader. "You'd control every aspect of our lives. We'd rather stay imprisoned. However, we're open to other propositions. If it's within our capabilities, we'll help you. We want out of this damned place."

Ivan threw up his hands in exasperation. "Here's the problem. Knowing your...propensities, I fear the Earth wouldn't last long after your release. You'd likely devour all life, and the blame would ultimately fall on me."

"We guarantee we won't harm a single Earthling! Just free us, and we'll help you rule the planet," a monster interjected eagerly.

Ivan scoffed. "Your guarantees are worthless. Evil gods like yourselves have no history of keeping promises."

His words struck a nerve, silencing the monsters. They genuinely desired cooperation this time, but their past tarnished their credibility.

"Is there no other solution?" one finally conceded. "We understand you face formidable opponents. Free us, and we'll eliminate them for you. How's that?"

"Not a good fit. If I can't trust you to be good, I'd rather face my enemies alone. Your destructive power is too immense a gamble. Here's what I propose: a magical contract. You can be summoned to Earth to help me fight if you need it. You can replenish your energy and prolong your life by consuming the enemies. This way, you can wait for a release while I use your power as a deterrent. It's a compromise, wouldn't you say?"

The seven heads huddled together, their minds buzzing with telepathic communication.

One rumbled, "Should we accept his offer? Honestly, I haven't eaten in ages. My reserves are nearly depleted. If I can't replenish them soon, starvation will be a real threat. Maybe we should agree."

The eldest remained silent. Another chimed in, "Absolutely not! Signing a contract binds us to his beck and call. What's the difference between that and surrendering? We'd be trapped in this infernal space, only called upon when needed."

"This is a game of advantages," a different voice argued. "When he summons us to Earth, it'll attract human attention. They'll learn of our existence; knowing humanity's greed, someone will undoubtedly seek our power. That's our chance – manipulating them into working for our release."

Finally, the leader, Adad-Jahad, spoke. "That's a clever plan. Let's do it. Unfortunately, this Ivan is formidably strong. He surpasses even the ancient gods. Otherwise, we could've overpowered him and taken control. This contract will likely have harsh terms, severely limiting our freedom while it's in his possession."

A sly idea sparked in one monster's mind. "Wait, a boss! Can we add a clause? We'll serve whoever holds the contract, regardless of their strength. He might have family and friends – surely not all of them are as powerful as him. Maybe he'll lend them the contract. That's our opportunity to turn them to our side. Not everyone has his unwavering willpower, right?"

The big monster's eyes gleamed. "Excellent idea! We should try it. What do you all think?"

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the group.

"Alright, let's compromise for now," Adad-Jahad conceded.

"I haven't forgotten this humiliation. If the chance arises, I will make Ivan pay dearly."

"Agreed!"

...

As their telepathic discussion concluded, the big monster addressed Ivan: "We accept your proposal. We'll sign the contract. Whoever possesses it, we'll fight for them."

Momentarily stunned, Ivan sensed a sudden shift in their demeanor, a hint of a hidden agenda. Now operating at an impressive 40% stability, his mind functioned at near-computer-like speed. He quickly unraveled the monsters' plan.

Despite his deduction, Ivan kept his expression neutral. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved a contract crafted from the hide of Smaug, the dragon. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it into the center of the seven monsters. Seven tentacles lashed out, injecting a sliver of soul power into the contract.

Ivan inwardly congratulated himself on his success. He carefully stowed the contract and returned to his previous position, tearing open another series of spatial rifts to return to his original path.

Emerging back in the cemetery, he found Hellboy and his team missing. Scattered around were remnants – torn flesh and mangled tentacles – evidence of the battle with the monster clone and Hellboy's parasitic takeover of Rasputin. Ivan paid little mind to the residue, knowing it was merely the explosion's aftermath.

Spotting the stone tablet used to open the space door still intact, he approached and activated it. The engraved lines glowed, sealing the portal and changing into vibrant runes. He traced them, condensing their essence into a ball of light in his hand.

As he searched for a container for the runes, he stumbled upon an eyeball on the ground, faintly pulsating with magic. Recognizing it as a magical item, Ivan picked it up and used it to contain the magic rune.

He instantly pieced together the origin of the eyeball. After being sucked into the dark space, Rasputin had been resurrected blind. He must have created these magical eyeballs as replacements. Hellboy had likely destroyed one, but this one remained.

An idea sparked in Ivan's mind. He seamlessly integrated the copied runes into the eyeball, adding a hidden extension point to expand its internal space. Then, he began a meticulous transformation.

The process took a full hour. Finally, he sealed the contract with the Chaos Monsters and over a dozen space modulus crystals within the eyeball. He also engraved protective runes to resist intrusion by powerful psychic abilities – a safeguard against the Chaos Monsters potentially attempting to control the eyeball's future owner.

This transformed eyeball now served as the key to controlling the monstrous septet, allowing their summoning for combat. Ivan toyed with the orb, his thoughts turning to a suitable owner. A figure with a black, bald head materialized in his mind – the one-eyed dragon seemed like a perfect candidate.

His mission for this outing had been a success. With the critical element for the second Hellboy movie, the Golden Army, already in his possession, he saw no reason to intervene further in Hellboy's affairs. The potential global catastrophe had been averted. It was time to return home.