There is a common misunderstanding about this world, and more importantly about the game it comes from. Many players believe that NPCs do not have cores. Even more believe that they cannot use magic. This is not true. If they could not, they would never have survived the dungeons that connect each leaf.
NPCs do have cores, but they work differently. High Humans, also known as players, summon their cores through mana. Because of that, we have the ability to use every type of magic, though spreading too thin is never recommended. NPCs, on the other hand, can only align themselves with one element, or more importantly, with the dragon that embodies that element.
If someone ever gained enough mana to shape mana itself, or if they found another method that required less of it, then humanity would surpass all limits. This world is made of mana. To control mana is to control reality. For now, we remain stuck in the age of NPCs, where each person can only stay tied to one or two elements at a time.
Lyra is an exception. She has mastered six.
There are also ten types of contracts that can be formed with bosses. A contract must be made before the boss dies. If the boss falls without a contract in place, or without an avatar ready, then the secret class it holds is lost forever.
In the game, bosses after the tutorial would often hide themselves, quietly watching. They looked for players who matched their element, players who proved themselves worthy of carrying that power.
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Possession Contract
After death, the boss takes complete control of your body, spirit, and soul. You live only as their vessel, your will buried beneath theirs, wielding great power at the cost of yourself.
Servitude Contract
You remain in your own body but live under the boss's commands. They grant you strength as long as you obey, and defiance brings punishment or loss of power.
Oath Contract
You swear an unbreakable vow to carry out the boss's cause. Their power flows through you, growing stronger the more faithfully you uphold their ideals, but betrayal brings death or curse.
Stewardship Contract
The boss names you as their heir, entrusting you with their legacy. Protect their territory and their strength blooms within you; neglect it, and your borrowed power fades.
Equals Contract
You and the boss merge your cores, bound together yet still distinct. Each victory strengthens both, but failure drags you down together.
Pact of Exchange
You sacrifice something vital. Years of life, treasured memories, or pieces of your soul. In return for raw strength. The boss feeds on what you give, but the trade can hollow you out.
Assimilation Contract
You consume the boss's core, fusing their being into your own. Their instincts and abilities remain inside you, but so does the danger of madness as their will seeps into yours.
Hollow Contract
You and the boss craft terms through ritual, promises written into the soul. On the surface it feels like balance, but hidden bargains often cut deeper than they appear.
Leash Contract
The boss binds you with an unseen chain, granting you strength while keeping your soul tethered. You walk free until they pull, and resistance only strangles your power.
Empty Throne Contract
You seize the boss's throne, claiming their class and legacy as your own. Their name is erased, replaced forever by yours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I stare at the snow. I stare at the boss. Its chains coil tight around its own body, its skin a pale, frozen blue. I wonder what I want from it. More importantly, what it wants from me. This is nothing from the game. This is alive, unlike the code I once knew, and if we are to shape it, it will be with both our wills.
He looks like a prisoner bound by ice, an echo of myself. I thought of this moment many times, never imagining I would actually feel it. The cold of it, the resonance that gnaws at me.
I am cold. I am so cold.
I explain the contracts to Iskander, honest and clear, because if we are to become one then honesty is the only way forward. Sera does not agree. I hear her muttering to herself. She whispers coordinates. She's tracking someone who isn't even there.
When I finish, Iskander smiles. The mask covers most of his face, but I can feel the warmth behind it, strange and out of place on this frozen floor. I shiver, holding to that feeling like it is absolute.
Iskander sighs.
Snow spills from the ledge and drifts down between us. His voice comes calm and unhurried.
"I have some demands. I want our contract to be hollow, but I want it shaped like an equal's bond. Our souls will remain alive, and our cores will merge. But hear me well. I will take control of your body whenever I choose, whether you will it or not. If I decide you are in danger, I will retreat us, even if you would rather fight. Unlike other avatars, I will not become a whisper or a thought. I will remain whole, my mind untouched inside you. You will only touch my abilities when I permit it, and I alone will decide the terms. If you face someone with more mana than you, I will take control. You will not be allowed to speak with anyone who uses ice magic. And when your emotions break … when fear, rage, or despair overcome you. I may override your will without warning. Above all, you will not tell anyone about this contract."
His words fall like heavy stones.
"I cannot agree to all of those terms," I shoot back, breath slow with exhaustion from the climb. "But I will negotiate. I will not marry anyone who uses ice magic and I will no use it either. If I must agree to that, then at least allow me to stay with my best friend."
"Fine. I accept this compromise," Iskander replies.
"Then I want to be able to access your abilities at all times," I demand.
"Oh?" His voice tilts almost amused. "Why?"
"I am already giving you so much. I will keep that freedom."
"Are there any other objections?" he asks.
"You being able to take control at any time overlaps with the emotional outbursts," I answer. "I want it to be that you ask for permission to gain control. However, if I am not in a state to answer, or if I am drowning in fear, terror, or despair, then you can override it."
Iskander nods slowly. Snow slips from the crest of his helmet. It's carried off by a subtle breeze.
"I agree with these amendments."
A white sheet of pale light unfurls between us
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hollow Contract
Parties: Iskander and Teruki Raimei
Fusion of Souls
Teruki grants Iskander the right to merge his spirit and soul with hers.
Control and Override
Iskander must request permission before taking control of Teruki's body. Exception is granted if Teruki is unable to make decisions or if her judgment is compromised by overwhelming fear, pain, or despair. In such cases, Iskander may override her will.
Retreat and Protection
Iskander may withdraw both souls into their shared soul-space whenever he deems. Iskander may withdraw from fights if Teruki is in danger, even if she wishes to continue fighting.
Identity Retention
Iskander retains his complete mind and identity within Teruki. He will not be diminished to a whisper or echo.
Ability Access
Teruki may access all of Iskander's abilities. Iskander may access all of Teruki's abilities.
Secrecy
Neither side may disclose the existence or details of this contract to any other individual.
Duration and Severance
The contract lasts until the death of the host. It can never be severed. If severed, both parties perish.
Death Clause
If Teruki dies while Iskander is in control, neither soul perishes. If Teruki's core is destroyed, she can no longer use magic. If Teruki's essence fractures beyond repair, Iskander ceases to exist.
Boundaries of Control
Iskander cannot harm anyone Teruki herself would not harm. If both sides disagree on an action, Teruki's will takes precedence unless she is unfit to decide.
Sacrifice and Freedom
Teruki sacrifices her body's exclusivity, while Iskander gains freedom from the chains of #$%%#$ #$, who bound him.
Growth and Nourishment
Both cores grow together as normal. Shared victories and nourishment allow them to strengthen.
Elemental Restriction
Teruki may never use ice magic. Teruki may never marry anyone who uses ice magic.
Enforcement and Consequences
Violations result in soul fracture. Each fracture causes intense pain and loss of magical ability. If Teruki's core shatters, she can no longer use magic. If Iskander's essence fractures beyond repair, he ceases to exist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We both sign the papers. I trace my signature in the air with my finger, watching the strokes glow briefly before fading.
Iskander mirrors me with a small gesture. A tiny dash of light forms on the page, perfectly replicating his signature, as if it had always been there. The paper hums softly, the energy of our marks sinking into it, sealing the contract between us.
I swallow, feeling the weight of what we just bound ourselves to. This isn't just ink. This is power, promise… and something that can't be undone.
The paper glows for a heartbeat before retreating, sinking into our souls like a flash of light that leaves me trembling.
"What happens now?" Sera asks, her voice small but curious.
An explosion.
A small orb floats toward me. It's blue and white. It pulses like it has a heartbeat of its own. I instinctively raise my hand.
A sharp pain lances through me. White-hot. It tears through my chest and spine.
I finally have something to live for. I smile at her. "I promise… I'll make you strong." My hand tightens around the sword, I stab myself and my vision blurs, the edges of the world flickering as my eyes gloss over.
The air hums with anticipation. Power coils in me, a cold, sharp energy that feels alive. For the first time, I feel a tether.
Between us and the promise I just unsealed.
I stumble, my knees hitting the snow, and instinctively cry out.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!"
The laughter cuts through the wind. It's jagged, hollow, echoing inside my skull.
"It's so warm… I'm WARM."
My vision blurs. The orb floats closer, blue and white, pulsing like it has a heartbeat of its own. It almost laughs with him, teasing, alive.
"I'm finally free… FREE from that ice!"
Pain lances through me. Sharp and consuming. White-hot and relentless. My knees hit the snow. I cry out. I clutching my chest.
The world snaps back to normal. The cold fades. My vision clears.
"Are you okay?? Tenshi!" a small voice asks, soft and shaky.
I blink. I try to shake off the lingering heat in my chest. "I'm… great. Thank you, Sera."
"I apologize." A voice … My voice? It rings in my head. It doesn't feel like me. "I had to see… what it felt like not to be cold."
"Is that what that was?" I whisper aloud, more to myself than anyone.
"Are you okay?" Sera asks again, tilting her head. "Is this… the part where you turn evil and we have to fight?"
"No, no," I shake my head. "I'm fine. Let's go … Crusaders … we need to be the first to Floor 10."
What's on Floor Ten? Iskander thinks.
"A Slime Queen," I said, my voice tight.
We're fucked.
"Yeah… we are," I admit.
"Is this why you needed me?" Iskander asks.
"Not specifically," I say, my eyes fixed on snow. "I just… wanted to be the first to bind with you."
"Who are you talking to?" Sera asks, her voice small, cautious.
"She can't hear us," I murmur.
"Only your soul can hear me."
Sera tilts her head. She's unsure. I give her a small, reassuring smile. "Go on, Sera. I'm fine."
Sera disappears into the snow, swift as a shadow.
"So… a Slime Queen."
"Yeah..."
I could tell his eyes widened. "I will not be helping in this fight, I can promise you that."
"That's fine," I say. "Just having you with me… is enough."
A tense silence stretches between us.
"Why are you so bound to me? I don't remember you."
I swallow, the memory raw. "You were always there. This game… it was my only comfort when high school crushed me. When I started at a new school. When I felt completely alone. Every friendship fell apart, every connection failed. But you and this game, you were there with me."
"I don't know what to say."
"You don't need to," I say, my voice low. "Let's beat this tower together. Surpass it."
I reach for him, offering nothing in return, no reward, no expectation, only trust.
I close my eyes.
I see Iskander finally free from the ice. His form is blurry, shimmering, yet unmistakable. He reaches for me and our hands meet, warm, solid, grounding.
A pulse of energy hums through us, a tether forged not by contract but by choice.
"Thank you."