章 22: Dracula??
編集者: Atlas Studios
Why did people want to summon demons?
That was because people had needs, desires. Be it for power or eternal youth, they always looked for ways to achieve what they could not reach or do. Therefore, demon summoning was born.
Generally speaking, those who summoned demons were not good people. People with pure and kind hearts would never think of seeking help from demons. Only those with devious hearts and those that were evil by nature would sell their souls to demons.
Lucius was such a person. Even Roy, a demon, loathed him.
But it could not be denied that demons needed people like Lucius. This was because signing a contract with them guaranteed that demons could stay in another world.
Roy wanted to remain in this world to take a look around, but he could not entirely accede to Lucius's request, so he had used deceit to induce Lucius into changing the terms of the contract. Now, Roy understood a bit about why many religions associated devils with lies and deception. Devils were not like this by nature but rather forced by circumstances. They had to be when they met these excessively greedy people!
Roy felt that Lucius should be grateful to him. If Roy had not eliminated the little demon at the Gate of the Abyss and responded to the summon, then Lucius and his people would have met that little demon. At that time, Lucius and the rest would have only had a little blood and internal organs as offerings. They were reluctant to sell their own souls and only offered a bit of loyalty but were audacious enough to request eternal life and control of the world. That little demon would have been angered enough to tear them all to shreds!
You should not doubt this. Even a little demon was much more powerful than ordinary humans. Killing Lucius and the rest would have been effortless. It was not uncommon for a summoner to receive backlash from summoning a demon, as most demons were violent and chaotic. When the demon found that it could not enter a contract, it would kill the summoner and devour their soul with little regard to being repelled and expelled by the power of that world. Therefore, when a summoner did not have the strength to guard against a demon, summoning a demon was very dangerous.
Maybe only Roy would have the patience to talk Lucius into amending the contract.
In the Abyss of the Demon World, demons and devils were actually the same race. The only difference was that some demons had higher intelligence and knew how to use strategy rather than only violence as the only means of solving problems. They seemed more rational, so humans called them devils. Strictly speaking, Roy could also be called a devil.
The moment Lucius changed his wish, the wording on the demon contract naturally changed. The details of the contract were that Lucius would provide Roy with a hundred souls of any quality. In return, Roy would give Lucius a hundred years of life. The contract, under Roy's doing, had no time limit. This meant that until Lucius provided Roy with the hundred souls as stipulated in the contract, Roy could use this contract to resist the repulsion from the power of the world and stay here.
That was not all. Roy had manipulated the wording to ensure that he only needed to provide Lucius with a hundred years of life and not an additional hundred years of life. Given that Lucius was already forty, Roy only needed to provide him with another sixty years of life if he managed to fulfill the contract!
Despite Lucius being able to see the demon contract—it was an agreement between them after all—the demon contract was a manifestation created by the power from the Gate of the Abyss and inherently biased toward demons, so he could not recognize the demon writing on it. Lucius could only stare at the contract incomprehensibly.
Finally, Roy extended out a shiny fingernail and pointed at a blank space on the contract for Lucius to sign. The contract was only complete with Lucius's signature affixed.
Roy did not need to sign because his name appeared on the demon contract from the beginning. However, it did not show his entire true demon name but only the last segment of his true name, 'Osiris'.
Immediately after Lucius signed the contract, it burst into flames and burned out, indicating that the contract had officially come into effect. And the feeling of repulsion that Roy was experiencing slowly vanished.
What Lucius went through today was both very nerve-racking and exciting, so his chubby face was covered with sweat and oil, making him appear radiant in that fire. His eyes were feverish as he watched the flame engulf the demon contract while muttering, "It's really possible. It's really possible! I've also signed a contract with a demon. Now, I no longer have to fear that damn vampire!"
Lucius should not have said that out loud, but during his excitement, he blurted it out. Of course, Roy heard it, and his heart stirred. "You mean others have also signed a contract with a demon? What is this about a vampire?"
Lucius was frightened by Roy's ferocious look and unconsciously took two steps back. He replied fearfully, "Y-yes, my Lord! I meant Dracula, the vampire Count Dracula! There are rumors in town that he is the son of the Villelis family ancestor. Four hundred years ago, he became a vampire and gained eternal life and strength by signing a contract with a demon."
The vampire Count Dracula?? Roy was stunned when he heard that. What's going on??
Hiding his doubts, Roy remained calm as he asked jokingly, "Oh? So when you originally wanted eternal life, you actually wanted to become a vampire?"
"No, no!" Lucius quickly shook his head. "Creatures like vampires are basically monsters. I don't want to become like that! It's better to exchange souls for life! I don't want to be hunted down by the church."
Roy heard another keyword, church!
Roy had previously suspected that he was summoned through the Gate of the Abyss to a world similar to Earth. After all, looking at Lucius and the others resembling humans from Earth, Roy could not help thinking this way. After hearing keywords like vampires, Dracula, and church, his suspicion grew.
Roy decided to find out more. "Looking at you being so scared, is that vampire attacking you guys?"
"Yes, my Lord!" Lucius took out a handkerchief with trepidation and wiped the sweat on his head. "For the past four hundred years, our town has always been harassed by vampires. However, Dracula was the only vampire then, and he didn't need too much blood. With the population of the town, it didn't pose a problem. However, in recent decades, Dracula has gained three more vampire brides, and their attacks have become more and more frequent. Every day, many people die from having their blood sucked, and the town's population has decreased. At this rate, the town will be finished."
"Haven't you thought of escaping?" Roy asked.
"It's impossible. The escapees were all killed by Dracula. He treats the people in this town as his livestock, so how could he possibly let us go?" Lucius explained bitterly. "Moreover, almost everyone in the town is impoverished, and there is no money to escape to other places!"
"But you mentioned the existence of a church!" Roy grew increasingly suspicious but continued probing further. "Does the church allow vampires to run wild?"
"Not at all!" Lucius shook his head. "After Dracula became a vampire, the Villelis family ancestor was self-reproachful and went to church. He could not bear to kill his only son, but he swore to God that his descendants would kill Dracula. If they fail to do so, all of the family's souls won't be able to go to Heaven. Because of this oath, the church has acquiesced to the Villelis family dealing with Dracula and has not sent any help."
"But the situation now is a little different!" Lucius continued. "The Villelis family have been trying to kill Dracula for four hundred years but to no avail, and they've died in his hands one by one. The once large Villelis Family has dwindled to having only two members left. It is only a matter of time before the Villelis family disappears. After knowing this, the church realized the seriousness of the situation and finally sent someone!"
"Since the church sent someone, how could you still dare to summon a demon?" Roy laughed. "Aren't you courting death?"
Roy was now suspicious that Lucius was trying to hoodwink a demon!
"No, no! My Lord, please don't misunderstand!" Lucius understood Roy's doubts and explained in panic, "The church did send someone, but you know who they sent? It's Van Helsing! He's simply another monster! The people in town did not want him to show up because if he fails, Dracula will vent his anger on the town and completely destroy it! Now, we have no other choice but to turn to you."
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