Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

– At last, a proper host.

Mimung’s voice was filled with vitality.

Even though its blade had been split in two, it seemed far from defeated upon hearing that lively voice.

– Thanks to you taking down this guy, I got my chance. Thanks, kid!

The cursed sword chuckled lowly.

Bernstein’s body hung limply.

Mimung’s red mana animated his body.

Blood seeped from the hole in his head, drenching his chest and flowing into the sword’s blade.

– Now it’s time to be reborn!

Bernstein’s flesh began to melt away.

His skeletal remains floated in the air.

Binaeril had seen something similar before.

“Like the lich Balram.”

Mimung had a macabre fondness for skeletons.

– Yes. To gain eternal life, one must abandon life.

“Eternal life, my foot. It’s proof of being your slave.”

– Heh, heh, heh. Just wait. I’ll make you look the same.

The creature, now absorbing Bernstein’s life force, shouted.

As he spoke, an army of the dead began to rise, blanketing the surroundings.

Wild dogs, birds, humans, and even the corpses of other monsters.

All rose with glowing eyes, threatening Binaeril and Inyakan.

The stench was almost unbearable.

It was the same smell as the Rotfallen underground cemetery.

“Grrraaahhh!”

A grotesque sound emanated from the undead with decayed vocal cords.

Binaeril recognized them.

“Ghouls.”

But it wasn’t just ghouls.

Gargoyles with bat-like shapes, skeletons with more bones than flesh.

There were dozens of them.

Mimung, still embedded in Bernstein’s chest, flew back, creating distance.

The undead soldiers began attacking the two men.

Inyakan swung Sikrun.

Binaeril used his magic to fend off the attackers.

But there were more undead rising than they could kill.

‘Is this the power of a mere fragment?’

– This fragment is among the more powerful ones. Still, it doesn’t compare to me.

‘Then why don’t you do something?’

– I’m cheering you on, aren’t I?

Mimung hovered in the air, leisurely observing their battle.

Like a hyena waiting for its prey to tire.

‘Continuing a battle of attrition like this will only be disadvantageous. What should I do?’

‘Should I aim for Mimung with a magic bullet? But it won’t be that easy.’

‘It’s risky to leave Inyakan and charge alone. His safety would be compromised.’

Binaeril’s mind was racing, trying to figure out a way to deal with the overwhelming number of undead.

Inyakan, having just decapitated three ghouls with a single swing, called out to him.

“Shouldn’t we just go for that sword?”

“Yes, but there are too many undead. How are we supposed to get to it…?”

“What kind of fool’s dilemma is that?”

Inyakan swung Sikrun with a loud whoosh.

“You just said it yourself. That sword is the source. If we get it, these small fry won’t be a problem, even if there are hundreds or thousands.”

Binaeril realized Inyakan was right. His straightforward thinking cut through Binaeril’s doubts.

“I’ll break through. Cover me.”

Inyakan charged ahead, cutting a path through the skeleton soldiers and ghouls with his powerful swings.

“Grryaa, get out of the way!”

But the resistance of the undead was futile against Inyakan’s relentless assault.

With each swing of Sikrun, the undead fell like a flimsy barrier of oil.

Inyakan made a path that Binaeril could follow, albeit barely keeping up with his pace.

It was a simple, brutish, but effective method, though it had its limits.

No matter how many undead Inyakan cut down, their numbers didn’t decrease.

To Mimung, the undead were mere expendables, easily replaced.

Inyakan continued to lead the charge with unchanging fervor, but it was clear that his sword wouldn’t last much longer.

‘We need another way… Ah!’

A sudden idea struck Binaeril.

[Binaeril!]

His small spirit awoke from a long sleep and flew out of his ring.

[Long time no see!]

Eden greeted with her usual cheerfulness.

“Sorry to call on you suddenly, Eden. I need your help!”

[Of course!]

Without needing further explanation, Eden understood Binaeril’s intentions.

She circled around his head once before shooting forward.

Inyakan nearly swatted the spirit away as she flew past his left ear.

“What is that gnat?”

[I’m a spirit!]

“She’s on our side, Inyakan!”

Eden glared at Inyakan with sharp eyes before soaring above them.

[You wicked creatures, back off!]

Her cute command had a tremendous effect.

[Stop troubling Binaeril!]

The undead army, raised by Mimung’s power, began to fall back under Eden’s influence.

“Eden, keep going forward!”

The spirit glided ahead.

Following Eden’s path, the crumbling undead army looked like a single arrow splitting the sea.

The undead scattered into pieces.

“Inyakan! Follow the spirit!”

“Even I can see that much!”

– What is this spirit?

Mimung tried to create stronger undead in front of Eden, but it wasn’t enough to stop her charge.

Binaeril, Inyakan, and Eden advanced directly toward the floating corpse of Bernstein.

With a clear view, they saw the skeletal Bernstein and the cursed sword embedded in his chest.

“Thanks, Eden!”

[Call me often!]

“Inyakan, pull the sword from his chest!”

“Can I just smash it?”

Binaeril hesitated for a moment.

The issue wasn’t whether they could smash it, but how far it might fly.

“…Go ahead!”

Inyakan sheathed his blood and gore-covered Sikrun.

With a clang, he clashed his bracers together and grinned wickedly.

“If it survives being split in half, I’ll shatter it into pieces this time. Stupid sword.”

– Get away, you monster!

There was a hint of fear in Mimung’s voice, possibly due to the previous encounter.

Inyakan leaped toward the floating Bernstein with a single bound.

A strange noise came from the wind rushing through the grooves in his bracers.

It was proof of his full commitment.

– You won’t lay a finger on this body!

This was Binaeril’s cue.

He aimed at the red mana splitting from the sword with his index and middle fingers pressed together.

Closing one eye, he focused on the moving target.

― Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Binaeril’s magic bullets shot down Mimung’s red mana tendrils one by one.

“Take this!”

Inyakan’s fist aimed at Bernstein’s chest.

Bernstein’s ribs shattered like paper.

The cursed sword spun out, unable to withstand the impact.

Binaeril squinted, focusing on the flying Mimung.

He noticed a faint, disappearing shadow.

Binaeril melted into the ground.

He emerged from the shadow of the flying Mimung and grabbed the hilt.

“Got it…”

– What… What are you?!

Up close, Mimung looked pitiful.

The blade was in pieces, and there were cracks all over from Inyakan’s beating.

The grandeur it once held was significantly diminished.

Now, it was just an old, broken sword.

“Let’s finish this.”

Binaeril poured Veritas’s power into it.

Once the floodgates opened, Veritas’s immense power surged into Mimung like a flood.

Every bit of it was forcefully injected into the cursed sword.

The concentration made his temples throb and blood drip from his nose.

– No!

Mimung didn’t remain passive.

Its red mana resisted, but ultimately, it couldn’t withstand Veritas’s power.

A visitor entered Mimung’s inner realm.

A boy with curly black hair and a mischievous grin.

“Hello, ‘brother’? Is that what I should call you? Anyway, we’ve met before, right?”

The man with blood-red hair didn’t reply, growling in a low voice.

His eyes, as red as his hair, glared fiercely.

This was Mimung, personified in human form.

“Say something. We’re both from the same origin, aren’t we?”

“Fated to kill each other. You know that well.”

“Yeah, yeah. Nice to see you too. You’ve got a unique way of greeting.”

Veritas circled around him.

Mimung seemed bound, unable to move.

It was due to Veritas’s power flowing into his inner world.

He could only watch as Veritas taunted him.

“Do you think you can win this mud fight? Absolutely not. You’ll lose. Why? Because Starfall is still out there.”

“So just give your power to me. Sacrifice your host’s life to me. If I grow stronger by consuming his life force, someday we’ll overcome Starfall…”

Veritas coldly interrupted Mimung’s ramblings.

He stopped his playful circling and stared directly into Mimung’s red eyes.

“You’re scared, aren’t you?”

“That’s right. You’re scared. Afraid that your existence will be erased forever. Afraid that the precious freedom you’ve never really had will be taken away. Isn’t that right?”

Veritas patted his own belly.

“Don’t worry. You’ll live forever inside me. Inside Binaeril.”

“Arrogant!”

Mimung struggled.

But the chains of mana binding him didn’t budge.

It showed just how weak he had become.

And how much control Veritas had in this encounter.

“I should have devoured you. Bit by bit, finger by finger, until I chewed you up completely.”

“…What’s so funny?”

“You really love talking about eating, don’t you?”

“Your essence must be gluttony. How else could you keep blabbering about eating?”

Veritas mocked him purely to taunt him.

But Mimung, desperate to preserve his pride, lashed out at the boy in front of him.

“And what are you? Vanity? Arrogance?”

“I am the omniscient seed of an almighty mage.”

“Ha! All you have is the gift of gab. Does your pawn know that? That you’re deceiving him, using him to win this competition?”

Mimung continued to shake his head, spewing venomous words.

“You fraud! Swindler! Rogue! Scoundrel!”

“I’d rather not hear that from a necrophile who plays with skeletons.”

But in a battle of words, few could best Veritas.

Veritas tapped Mimung’s forehead, maintaining eye contact.

In Veritas’s eyes, there was clear hostility, mischief, hunger, joy, a sense of victory, and overbearing arrogance.

Mimung thought that perhaps even these complex, playful emotions were all just an act.

“Save your curses for another time. It looks pathetic. Accept your fate and take your place on the table. Now, it’s your turn to be eaten.”

“Book of Truth, please stop! Let me go! You can’t handle Starfall alone!”

Mimung screamed in desperation.

Of course, Veritas ignored him completely.

“Well then, en joy your meal.”

His final words, playfully enunciated, were the last sounds Mimung ever heard.