Chương 9: The contract

A giant flash of magic blue light temporarily blinded Chump, almost like a flashbang thrown at his face. It didn't harm him in any way, but it enveloped his body, leaving him feeling fuzzy for a few seconds.

The next thing he saw was that they were floating in the middle of black space, with the planet Earth beneath him.

"OH GOD NONONONONO…No…no?" Realizing he hadn't moved an inch, he felt stupidity hitting him in the head. "Could you warn me next time?"

Nothing happened. He remained stationary at that point in space. He attempted to look around, but there was nothing to see. He couldn't perceive himself in any way. He could feel the warmth of the stars, yet he didn't understand how.

"Wait a minute, I know this sensation! This is like that weird dream, but I can see it this time... Wait, where is Clem?"

"Over here," Clem spoke without his auto-tuned voice.

Chump tried to turn around, but as he turned, he saw Clem again, repeating the cycle endlessly. He spun without control, unable to stop himself.

"Aaaaaah, how do I make it stop!… Wiiiiiii!" He found himself enjoying the sensation, as he couldn't experience dizziness without a body.

"Oh, my goddess," Clem sounded disappointed.

An odd voice chimed in, "Allow me to help you."

The voice spoke as if it were multiple voices at once, all of them with a serene, blended tone, like an ocean without a breeze.

Chump's soul suddenly stopped in front of her. He was shocked, amazed, thunderstruck. He couldn't help but admire the figure that had come to his aid. Even without a face, he was completely astonished.

The woman exuded otherworldly beauty and a profound connection to the cosmos. Her long hair cascaded like a mystical thread of tiny stars, shimmering in a celestial array reminiscent of the Milky Way itself. Her entire body resembled the vast expanse of deep space, holding captivating darkness interspersed with scattered sparkles.

As for her eyes, they seemed to hold a supernova taking form, their luminosity capturing the essence of a majestic cosmic explosion.

Her eyes were orbs of celestial fire, radiating an intense and ever-changing array of colors, ranging from the vibrant blues of newborn stars to the fiery oranges and reds of a dying sun.

Her gaze possessed an alluring and enigmatic quality, as if peering into her eyes could unlock the secrets of the cosmos itself.

"Your Radiance," Clem's soul illuminated slightly every time he spoke.

Clem's soul took the form of a tiny galaxy of blue tones, ranging from light blue to dark blue, with stars representing the light ones and the space between representing the dark ones.

"Ehm…Hello, I…" The captivating gaze left Chump dumbfounded, and he struggled to find words.

Clem interrupted him. "Excuse my companion. It's his first time in the presence of your Eternal Majesty."

"The impression is comprehensible. Very well, you are my first contract in this new world. I will assist you through the proceeding in the case of need and dictate the punishment if the contract is broken based on what is promised. You. Shall. Commence."

Clem explained. "Yes, Your Majesty. Now, pal, this is how it works. You should be very careful about how you choose your words. While the spirit of the contract is what counts, the interpretation of what is discussed can be flexible as well.

"Okay…" Still looking at the celestial being.

"Since I initiated the contract, I shall decide on the first part of the contract. However, after that, you can state your condition as well as the next condition too… Chump?... Chump! Snap out of it!"

"Y-Y-Y-Yeah! Sorry! I… I, okay okay, got it, be careful how I say it, be clear in the spirit of it. And wait, can I state two conditions in a row?"

Clem continued, "Not exactly. In this case, yes. I start with one condition, then you can state one or two conditions. One if you think it's fair and want to end it there, or two if you want to continue the contract and add more to it.

The golem's soul continued, "You can add a second condition, but that allows me the possibility of adding one to equally balance the contract, or two if I want to continue the contract. It will be like that until both parties agree that it's enough."

"Okay okay, it's fair instead of forcing a party to adhere to the same rules, okay okay… What if I find a condition to be unequal or unfair towards me?"

The celestial figure spoke toward the pair, in a floating semi-static pose, only moving up and down slightly to show that she was part of the scenario.

"Then I shall adjust the conditions accordingly. No contract, deal, or promise shall be unfair in my light."

Chump nodded in a hurry, even though he didn't have a head in the cosmic scenario. "Okay okay then… You shall start— Wait, is it acceptable to discuss this out loud in the presence of such eminence? I don't wish to waste her time…"

"Do not fear, child of the world. I shall not interrupt your discussion. I am merely an observer until you are finished."

As the divine being spoke, her words carried an unexpected reassurance that washed over Chump. A sense of calm settled within him, allowing him to think clearly and without fear while Clem spoke.

"Thank you for your guidance, Your Radiance. Very well, I shall start as soon as possible."

Clem's condition nº1:

"You shall teach me the wonders, uses, interpretations, and all information regarding technology, as well as the uses and viewpoints of your culture related to these advancements. No lies or hidden information."

"A-Alright, cool! …My condition shall be…" Chump took a moment. "Okay, got it!"

Chump's condition nº1:

"You shall teach me all the information you know related to your culture, including the magic powers, aka the Remenant, the kingdoms, or whatever type of society you have, as well as your people. No lies or hidden information."

Chump's condition nº2:

"You shall offer me refugee status for as long as we need to fully exchange and fulfill this contract, plus a few extra days to be ready for departure. This shall include freedom of movement and rights, as well as not revealing my whereabouts to anyone else."

Clem asked cautiously, his tone curious.

"Revealing my whereabouts is the intention of telling my location or revealing anyone who I am or what I am or anything related to me, or anything that could harm me in the short or long term. Am I right? Just to be on the same page."

"Indeed! I need time to prepare to face my world, after all this mess. I know I cannot fight or confront anyone alone, so I prefer to be stealthy and survive on my own after we are done."

"Very well, your condition for survival seems fair to me. However…"

Clem's condition nº2:

"You shall not inquire about my powers, skills, or personal information, nor the people I know and interact with. Nor shall you gather this information from me in any way or by any means."

Clem's condition nº3:

"This second condition can be overridden if both parties agree to share personal information within a specified time limit."

"That is an unusual condition. I thought you wanted complete privacy to protect your family or…well, your group."

"Yes, I want complete secrecy for them. However, I thought that if we exchange information, perhaps we could put some examples out of it for the time being. This way, I could unintentionally break any stipulation we've created, and thus, I'd allow a bit of leeway so we can share examples without invoking punishment."

"Oh yeah, that could be problematic. Now, a condition from me… Okay, sure."

Chump's condition nº3:

"You shall not ask or know my name. You must call me Chump or any nickname in the future, but not my real name."

Chump paused for a moment before continuing. "And… I don't have any more conditions for now. I've only known you for like ten minutes, and I'd need more time to think about these things."

"Very well, I find the stipulations to be excellent. Are they acceptable to you, Your Graciousness?"

"The terms have been established. Both parties find them fair, so I won't impose any restrictions or conditions. I will now dictate the punishment for a breach for both parties:

"In the case of any unintentional violation of the agreement, the one breaching it shall feel an impending sense of doom and a great pain in the chest. Only once they rectify their breach will this punishment be lifted."

The celestial being added, "In the case of a deliberate intention to break this Promise, your soul shall be judged by me."

Her voice, resonating like distant thunder, sent shivers down Chump's spine. He thought the weight of her judgment alone would be enough to determine his fate.

At that moment, he couldn't help but feel the gravity of his actions, as if every decision he had ever made was laid bare before her discerning gaze.

Chump simply nodded or thought he was nodding while remaining silent.

"Do not forget. I am always watching."

They returned to the train. The blue lines on Clem were gone, but strange marks had appeared on both of their hands. A thunder mark on Clem's and a circle in Chump's palm. After leaving the cosmic realm, the radiant entity returned to her realm, with a final remark.

"Fascinating. The essence of the nervous entity's soul was fully transparent, without a defined form, yet I knew it was present. I've never encountered anything like it before. I wonder why it didn't emit light like the other souls."