"Yeah, that’s pretty much it," Evan said after Agnes finished speaking. "A completely self-serving goal."
He continued, "I still rember yours. Your fascination with souls, and your desire not to let the billions of potential unique souls you could observe simply die off."
Agnes was about to comnt on Evan’s choice of words, but he continued before she could, cutting her off.
"You also said you want to protect this world your dear friend cares about so much."
The words Agnes had been about to say caught in her throat, and Evan continued.
"Soone just took advantage of that desire of yours and led you down the wrong path."
Evan leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, before saying, "Coming to et in the GEE that day was honestly one of the best decisions you could’ve made, because it helped realise you were just misguided. And because of that, I was able to create a plan that gives you a chance to be guided back toward the right path."
He paused for a mont, then shook his head before continuing, "No. I can’t say it’s completely the right path, but it is the most efficient path toward your goal, the one that brings your dear friend the least suffering."
Agnes leaned forward slightly, tilting her head as she asked, "And what is this chance you’re offering?"
Evan smiled softly before replying, "The chance to delay the invasion from Gozon until this world is actually ready for it. The technological advancents considered revolutionary here are things that have been commonplace on Gozon for tens of thousands of years.
Aidos is still far below the minimum required level for interplanetary warfare. We need ti to strengthen her forces and reach that minimum level."
He paused for a mont to let his words sink in before continuing, "Ferrid knows Aidos needs that ti, and he knows things won’t be nearly as easy for him if Aidos gets it. That’s why he’s been orchestrating these ’Disasters,’ to feed the World Formation and use it to force the Dinsional Rift open earlier than it would naturally break.
If his Disasters are stopped, Aidos gets more ti.
More Transcendents would rise during that ti. I’m currently working on a project to increase the number of Transcendents, and I’ll tell you more about it later. I might even add you to my list of potential Transcendents.
Aidos’ technology will also advance significantly during that ti, naturally with my heavy involvent. There are other parts to it, but the core is simple. Aidos needs ti.
One or two more decades that Ferrid is trying to steal away by accelerating the collapse of the rift’s seal. We can gain that ti by stopping his Disasters, and your soul manipulation abilities are going to be necessary in stopping the second most dangerous disaster Ferrid has planned.
That is the chance I’m giving you, Agnes."
Evan extended his right hand toward Agnes, activating the Dominator’s Decree skill he’d mimicked from Zara as he asked, "So, what say you?"
Agnes noticed the light of the skill rune on Evan’s soul and imdiately understood he wasn’t asking for a simple verbal agreent. She realised that taking his hand would likely bind her through so kind of contract that would restrict her actions.
"Wait, wait, what the hell are you talking about, Evan?" Abigail interrupted. "What plan are you talking about? What disaster is this? And why do you keep ntioning Ferrid? What does he have to do with any of this?"
Evan looked at her in mild confusion for a mont before realisation dawned, and seeing his expression, Laurene chuckled lightly before saying, "You’ve gotta rember not everyone has figured out that Ferrid is the leader of the Demonic Hand, Evan."
The mont she said that, both Alisa and Abigail’s eyes widened in shock as their gazes snapped toward her.
"What?!"
"What do you an Ferrid is the leader of the Demonic Hand?!"
Evan imdiately raised a hand to stop the Q&A session they were clearly about to begin.
"Wait, hold on. We’re NOT getting into that right now. I’ll send a mory gem with everything I know about the Demonic Hand later."
He then looked back at Agnes and said, "So, are you in or out? Decide now, Agnes."
Agnes looked at Evan’s still outstretched hand before saying, "You want to cease my affiliation with the Demonic Hand and work with you instead to stop them."
When Evan heard that, however, he blinked in confusion before asking, "Who said you were going to cease affiliation with them?"
"What?" Agnes asked, confused.
Then a mont later, she understood what Evan was implying, and her eyes widened slightly.
"You want to beco a double agent??"
"I do need updated information on the Demonic Hand’s inner workings, and you do have a direct line to Ferrid," Evan replied, shrugging lightly as though it was nothing major.
Agnes, still faintly surprised, imdiately shot back, "You do realise I’ll be putting myself at severe risk, right?"
"Don’t worry," Evan said with a dismissive wave. "If you’re ever in danger, call . I’m strong enough to handle Ferrid right now since he’s still restricted by his oath."
At the ntion of ’oath’, Agnes paused before muttering, "Ah, right. That thing tied around Ferrid’s soul."
"However it appears to you, I don’t know. What I do know is that Ferrid is under an oath, and if he breaks it, the consequences will be severe, so he has to wait for it to expire.
That timing is around the sa period the Dinsional Rift on the Dark Continent is supposed to naturally break. Maybe a year or two before then, but we’ve still got ti."
"And what’s the alternative?" Agnes asked.
Evan tilted his hand slightly, and Agnes noticed the change in the glow of the skill rune on his soul.
When he noticed that she’d caught it, he said, "Between willing employnt and a slave contract, which do you prefer?"
Agnes’ expression beca incredulous as she complained.
"That’s not much of a choice, is it?"
"It’s very much a choice," Evan replied with a chuckle.
He returned his hand to its original position, switching the Dominator’s Decree skill’s Path.
Noticing that shift, Agnes couldn’t help but sigh.
"Fine. I don’t wanna die. Even worse if it’s by your hand."
With those words, she reached out and shook his hand, and the instant she did, the Dominator’s Decree contract finalised, causing her eyes to widen as she felt its effects.
|Dominator’s Decree;
Type: Unique Skill
This skill marks the souls of those who surrender or fall in battle, binding their existence to the user’s shadow. To the willing, it is a pact; to the defeated, it is a cage.
Abilities;
The Two Paths of Domination
1-The Supplicant’s Grace (Willing Submission): Targets who submit voluntarily receive the "Dominator’s Blessing." They gain a 20% Stat Boost when near the user. User gains 2% Magic power for every Vassal.
2-The Vanquished’s Burden (Forced Defeat): Targets defeated in combat (HP < 5%) are hit with "Total Domination." They receive no benefits and instead pay with their stats. User gains 2% of each Vanquished’s base stats.
The Three Pillars of the Decree
The Mark of the Dominator-A soul-bound brand that physically anchors the target to your authority, allowing for instant tracking and summoning. The Collective Will-A sensory hive-mind that feeds the sight, hearing, and knowledge of every subject directly into your consciousness.
III. The Absolute Veto-A total override of the subject’s autonomy, instantly paralysing their body if they attempt an action you have forbidden. Costs magic proportional to target strength
Restrictions:
If a dominated subordinate dies, the user feels a montary "Soul Lash" (brief stun).
The Rebellion Threshold: If the user shows significant weakness or their HP drops below 5%, subordinates with high "Willpower" may trigger a "Mutiny Check" to break the skill.
Strain: Maintaining a "Total Domination" on too many high-level targets simultaneously causes a permanent drain on the user’s maximum magic power.|
"This is rather generous. I thought I wouldn’t be getting any benefits."
"It’s not a slave contract, so of course you get benefits," Evan replied to Agnes as he rose to his feet.
Then his eyes turned to Alisa, and his voice beca cold.
"You’re different from Agnes. You don’t get a chance, and you don’t get benefits."
A magic contract appeared from his inventory, and he poured his magic power into it, writing out its terms before placing it directly in front of her.
"Sign it quickly. I’ve got places to be."
Abigail imdiately stood up and grabbed the contract, pulling it toward herself as she read through it. As her eyes moved across the contents, they widened in shock.
"What? What the hell is this?" she asked, staring at Evan.
"Exactly what it looks like," Evan replied calmly. "A glorified slave contract, except you’re the one taking responsibility for her. You created the body she’s in, so you’re taking responsibility for what she does.
And unlike how Alisa was, I have no qualms about using my Authority as the Leader of the Seven Heroes to restrict the actions of other Heroes.
With that said, sign it, both of you. Do it, or I’ll delete Alisa from the surface of this planet right now."
Evan’s mood, attitude, and entire deanour were completely different, a full 180 from how he’d been treating Agnes just monts ago.
"Be quick. I’ve got places to be," he added, tapping his fingers against the table impatiently.
Agnes wanted to speak, but Evan shot her a look and used the Dominator’s Decree skill to silence her before turning his attention back to Abigail and Alisa.
"What are you both waiting for? I’ll have you know that the other option makes you worth less than a slave. You’d be a dog on a leash, and if you so much as breathe wrong in my direction, your head WILL go flying."
Evan summoned his sword and placed it on the table, its blade as sharp as his will to use The Vanquished’s Burden on Alisa without hesitation.
With no choice under his threat, they both reluctantly agreed to the contract, binding Alisa’s actions under Evan’s subjective judgnt of what served the world and what aligned with the Heroes’ side.
Once signed, the contract burst into flas and split into three fragnts linking all involved.
After he confird that everyone involved was properly bound by the contract’s effects, he tapped Laurene and Eliza on the shoulder.
"All right, girls, we’re done here. Ti to go."
Looking at Agnes, he added, "I’ll co talk to you later about our deal. I want to go pick up another collaborator that you’ll be working with on our plan to stop the Disaster. Naturally, you can’t tell anyone about the collaborators and the plan."
He stepped back as he spoke and walked out of the gazebo, his dragon wings unfurling as he moved.
Then, with a bright flash, his body transford, and Agnes’ jaw dropped as she saw the shape of Evan’s soul change.
When the light faded, and Abigial and Alisa opened their eyes, before them wasn’t the humanoid Evan they’d seen seconds ago, but a giant white and faint gold-scaled dragon with a large wingspan.
Eliza and Laurene climbed up onto Evan’s back, like this was a normal thing, and Evan then spoke.
"Until next ti."
With that, he flapped his wings, lifted off the ground, shooting up into the sky, and with another powerful flap, dashed off into the distance.
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