"We need to talk, Now."
A female voice growled as it sounded behind him. At that moment, a hand gripped painfully on his shoulder.
Dravin winced in pain as he turned back. Only to see it was Vera. Her eyes were bright as they blazed with fury.
He could even see the draconian slit in her crimson eyes as she glared at him with gritted teeth.
Dravin was about to speak but he didn't even get the chance to speak as Vera's grip tightened in his shoulder, making his face pale in pain as his bones started to creak.
'Ungrateful bitch!'
Dravin couldn't help but curse in his mind as his face scrunched up in pain.
At that time, Slyveria and Aria walked towards them.
The phoenix flames around Slyveria hair flickered but she managed to suppress her anger. Usually, she would have protected Dravin as he was someone she brought. But this time, she was also angry.
The trio had gathered together to seek for a solution on how to get rid of the contract but they realized the contract was an airtight contract with not a single bit of loophole they could exploit to get out.
Without a chance to even voice out, he was dragged away by Vera as though he was a sack of potatoe and was followed by the two other girls.
The people who had survived the disaster where stunned and they frowned as they watched three S-rank ladies drag the mortal deep into the woods of the Ancient Inheritance dimension.
'Are they planning on killing me?'
Dravin's eyes widened as the surrounding turned into a blur as they moved deeper into the forest with insane speed.
Once they reached a secluded clearing surrounded by ancient trees, Vera released her grip on Dravin's shoulder and stepped back, but her eyes were stlll blazing with fury.
All three women arranged themselves in a loose circle around him, their auras creating a form of intimidation as it pressed down on him.
Dravin's eyes was filled with anger as he stared at the ungrateful trio.
"Start talking,"
Vera's grip tightened on her war hammer as she spoke. "We reread the contract and discovered this was basically a slave contract without a single loop hole. There were details that weren't visible during the emergency situation."
She gestured, and a translucent blue screen appeared in the air between them, visible to all four individuals despite normally being private system interfaces. The contract terms were now displayed in full detail, including sections that had been previously hidden or abbreviated.
[XXX Beauty Bonding Contract - Full Terms]
[Duration: Permanent - No dissolution clause available]
[Power Sharing: 20% of partner abilities granted to Host]
[Enhancement: Host may upgrade partner capabilities using System Points]
[Maintenance Requirements: Regular intimate contact required for target's to stay alive]
[Failure Penalty: Progressive mana deterioration leading to death]
[Current Status: All parties bound - Contract cannot be terminated]
At the bottom of the contract, a new element had appeared that definitely hadn't been there during the emergency: a countdown timer showing exactly nine hours and forty-three minutes remaining.
"Death timer," Vera said flatly, pointing at the countdown. "According to the contract details, we have less than ten hours to fulfill the 'maintenance requirements' or we start experiencing 'progressive deterioration.'"
Dravin's eyes flashed and his face turned helpless.
"I didn't know about the timer,"
"The system activated during an emergency situation. Since you three were the strongest amongst us, I had no choice but to send the contract to you to make you stronger.."
"Convenient," Slyveria said coldly. "So you're claiming ignorance about the fact that you've essentially poisoned us and we will die if we don't comply with whatever 'maintenance requirements' you've programmed into it?"
Dravin raised his hand helplessly. "I truly have no idea. I only just awakened this ability but I have no control over it."
Inwardly he was furious. He had saved their lives and made them even stronger and instead of getting thanks, he was actually being blamed!
"Release us from this contract immediately," Aria suddenly spoke as she raised a finger like, pointing it towards Dravin.
Instantly, thorny vines shot out the ground as it wrapped around Dravin's legs, the thorn digging deep into his skin, drawing blood.
"Just because you saved us once, you expected three S rank ladies to forever be your slaves. It you release us, our three academies will make sure you and your family are filthy rich."
"I can't," Dravin replied.
"The contract made it clear from the beginning, the bonds are permanent once accepted. There's no way to undo it. What's done is done."
Vera's beautiful face darkened, and her fingers as well as her canine started to grow as her anger intensified.
Suddenly a smile appeared on her face as killing intent erupted from her like a tide.
"What if the Host dies?"
Before Dravin could respond, her massive hammer rose up and without hesitation, she smashed downwards with the force of a meteor descending!
The weapon glowed as the wind shrieked, compressing downwards as the ground cracked.
With the strength of a Fiend-Soldier, it was obvious she was intending to reduce Dravin to bloody paste!
But the moment the hammer began its descent, the void literally shattered as crimson chains erupted out of it, wrapping around Vera's body.
The chains were wrapped in crimson flames that made the air distorted and space crack.
"Ahhhhhhhh!"
Vera's scream cut through the forest as the ethereal chains wrapped around her body as the soul-fire began burning through her soul rapidly.
The chains tightened with each second, and the flames grew brighter as they fed on her life force.
"P-please! Please! M-Make it stop!!!"
Vera screamed until her voice turned hoarse as she begged.
She involuntarily collapsed to her knees, her talent, the berserk dragon was barely able to let her hold on as she remained conscious.
Slyveria and Aria stepped back in horror as they recognized the flames. This wasn't ordinary fire, it was soul-burn, a form of punishment by the Omni-system.
Once a contract signed by a system is broken, the soul burn will consume that person's soul, feeding it to the system.
After thirty seconds that felt like an eternity, the chains and flames faded, leaving Vera's body twitching helplessly on the forest floor.
"Are you okay?"
Sylveria went towards her with shock as she asked, barely keeping her upright.
"I-I will be fine," Vera voice was barely audible as Sylveria sat her down with her back against a tree.
Aria's face was also pale. Her fingers releasing greenish halo as she tried healing Vera.
"M-my timer, it has gone down to ten minutes."
Both Sylveria and Vera's face changed as they checked their own too. But they heaved a sigh of relief once they realized it was just Vera.
Dravin looked down at Vera with pity on his face but inwardly he was sneering coldly with satisfaction.
He didn't expected the system to be so ruthless. Just the intention of hurting him could actually result to this severe punishment.
He was immediately overconfident! If they couldn't even hurt him, then didn't he own them?
An evil smirk appeared on his lips as he spoke coldly.
"My awakened ability is different from everyone else's,"
He gestured at the countdown timers visible in their interfaces. "And you're right. It's as though you're poisoned. Therefore, you need regular antidote from me so you won't die. Otherwise, you can forget about living."
Vera gritted her teeth and fury burned in her eyes as she clenched her fist weakly. "Capture him!"
The two other women's eyes flashed but then before they could move, their faces changed as a cold ethereal chill spread through the surrounding.
Just the thought of capturing him had Alamo's brought out the Soul burning chain.
"Fine. Give me the antidote. I only have 9 minutes left to live."
Vera whispered helplessly. Her beautiful face and red blood lips opened wide in exasperation, fear and anger.
Seeing this expression, Dravin's face turned perverted as an excited expression took over. He managed to calm himself down.
"Ahem, the antidote is a little special and slightly difficult to procure without the proper encouragement."
Sending something was wrong, both Sylveria, Aria and Vera's face scrunched in confusion and they all asked at the same time.
"What encouragement are you talking about?"
Dravin grinned wildly. "I can't give it with the others watching. Vera, let's go over there."
Dravin pointed to a particular spot where the grasses are humans height and without turning to look behind, he walked forwards.
Vera frowned even more but she managed to get on her feet and staggered weakly. Her face filled with anger but there was nothing she could do.
With the soul burning chain, and just 9 minutes left to live, she was basically helpless right now.