[Time to Impact: 3 minutes][Manor Status: EVACUATED][Solomon Status: ALONE][Combat Probability: 0.0034%][Recommended Action: NONE (all options exhausted)]
Solomon stood on the Observation Deck as the sky split open.
Not metaphorically. The sky actually split—a wound in reality carved by something so powerful it didn't bother with subtlety. Through the tear came heat and hatred and the smell of burning civilizations.
[Wrath - Demon Emperor][Distance: 2 kilometers and closing][Speed: Mach 4][ETA: 12 seconds]
Solomon's heterochromatic eyes tracked the approaching figure with perfect clarity, his [Absolute Analysis] feeding him data he didn't particularly want:
[Entity Analysis: Wrath][True Name: Samael the Burning][Level: 789][Class: Demon Emperor / Avatar of Fury][Primary Stats:]
Strength: 3,240 Agility: 2,890 Constitution: 4,120 Magic: 2,670 Rage: ∞ (conceptual stat)
[Abilities Detected: 47][Legendary Equipment: 12 pieces][Kill Count: 2,340,000+][Threat Assessment: You will die][Estimated Survival Time: 47 seconds]
"Well," Solomon said aloud to the empty deck, "let's see if we can make it a full minute."
He raised his right hand, palm forward. The Seal of Solomon blazed like a captive sun.
"Conscription: Global Activation."
[Skill Activated: King's Seal - Conscription (Maximum Range)][Area: 500 meters radius][Target: ALL contracts, oaths, and written agreements within range][Cost: 2,000 MP][Duration: 10 minutes]
Every contract Solomon had ever forged, every pact he'd made with objects and concepts and forces—all 860 of them—answered his call simultaneously.
The air around him erupted with power.
From the Manor's armory, three hundred meters below, weapons began to manifest. Not physical teleportation—they were answering contracts, which meant they could ignore distance. Solomon had learned centuries ago that the best way to ensure weapon availability was to make agreements with the weapons themselves.
[Contract Weapons: Responding]
Solace materialized first—a longsword forged from Celestial Steel, with script running down its blade in silver:
"I, Solace, agree to serve Solomon in exchange for: proper maintenance, worthy opponents, and the promise to never be used for mere execution. I will cut what must be cut. I will defend what must be defended. This is our pact."
[Solace - Legendary Longsword][Contract Duration: 340 years][Loyalty: High][Attack: 890][Special: Cuts through magical defenses][Current Mood: Eager]
Lamentation followed—a bow carved from World Tree wood, its string woven from phoenix feathers:
"I, Lamentation, agree to serve Solomon in exchange for: targets that matter, arrows worthy of my draw, and songs sung in my honor. I will loose what must fly. I will pierce what must fall. This is our pact."
[Lamentation - Mythic Bow][Contract Duration: 290 years][Loyalty: Moderate (bow is proud)][Attack: 1,240][Special: Arrows ignore distance][Current Mood: Skeptical of target's worthiness]
Thirteen more weapons manifested in sequence, each one answering their individual contracts: daggers that promised stealth, hammers that swore to break what couldn't bend, shields that vowed protection, staffs that agreed to channel magic efficiently.
But weapons alone wouldn't stop Wrath.
Solomon's left hand moved through a complex gesture, and different contracts activated—these ones stranger, more experimental.
[Conceptual Contracts: Activating]
"Contract with Gravity: Clause Seven!"
[Contract with Gravity - Signed 140 years ago][Terms: Gravity agrees to alter its pull on Solomon in exchange for: understanding (Solomon teaches physics to natural philosophers), respect (Solomon never abuses this power casually), and limitation (only works within Solomon's immediate sphere)]
[Effect: Gravity Reduction - Solomon's weight becomes 10% of normal][Cost: 50 MP/minute]
Solomon's body lightened, his movements becoming fluid and quick despite his lack of physical enhancement.
"Contract with Air: Clause Twelve!"
[Contract with Air - Signed 230 years ago][Terms: Air agrees to serve as barrier/weapon in exchange for: clean environment (Solomon maintains air purification systems in Manor), acknowledgment (Solomon respects air as a living force), and freedom (air cannot be permanently bound)]
[Effect: Air Barrier - 360-degree defensive layer][Cost: 80 MP/minute]
Compressed air formed a skin-tight barrier around him, invisible but present. It wouldn't stop Wrath's attacks, but it might slow them by microseconds.
"Contract with Probability: Clause Three!"
This one was his most experimental—a pact he'd forged with the abstract concept of probability itself after 200 years of research into how reality decided what was "likely."
[Contract with Probability - Signed 120 years ago][Terms: Probability agrees to shift slightly in Solomon's favor in exchange for: documentation (Solomon records all instances for Probability to analyze), limitation (only works for "possible" outcomes, not miracles), and payment (costs increase exponentially with each use)]
[Effect: Luck Shift - Improbable outcomes become slightly more probable][Cost: 100 MP + exponential increase][Warning: Can only be invoked 3 times before backlash]
The universe tilted infinitesimally in Solomon's favor.
[Time to Impact: 0 seconds]
Wrath arrived.
The Demon Emperor didn't land—he impacted, and the Observation Deck exploded into fragments of glass and steel and compressed space. Solomon was already moving, his contracted gravity letting him leap forty meters sideways as debris filled the air where he'd been standing.
[Wrath - Combat Status][Current State: ENRAGED (permanent)][Target Locked: Solomon][Intent: KILL]
Wrath was fifteen feet tall, wreathed in flames that burned reality itself, his skin the color of molten iron. Four horns curved from his skull like a crown of wrath. His eyes were empty sockets filled with fire that had consumed too many worlds to count.
He wore armor made from the bones of defeated Demon Lords, each piece a trophy. His weapon was his fist—no sword or spear could contain the fury he embodied.
"SOLOMON," Wrath bellowed, his voice shattering every remaining window in the Manor. "YOU WHO DEFILE SACRED CONTRACTS. YOU WHO MAKE EQUALS OF SLAVES. YOUR HERESY ENDS."
Solomon landed on what remained of the deck's railing, balancing perfectly despite his reduced gravity. "Heresy?" he called back, his voice calm and analytical. "That's a theological claim. Do you have documentation supporting—"
Wrath's fist moved.
[Attack Detected: Wrath's Fury][Speed: Mach 7][Power: 8,400 damage][AOE: 50-meter radius][Solomon's Defense: 340][Damage Reduction: Insufficient][Result: FATAL]
Solomon's [Absolute Analysis] calculated his death in perfect detail—and then he activated seven contracts simultaneously.
"Solace—Clause Nine! Lamentation—Clause Four! Contract with Space—Clause Fifteen! Contract with Time—Clause Eight! Contract with Shadow—Clause Twenty! Contract with Light—Clause Eleven! Contract with Reflection—Clause Five!"
[Seven-Fold Contract Cascade: ACTIVATED][Total MP Cost: 890][Remaining MP: 5,350/10,000]
Solace intercepted Wrath's fist—not blocking it, but redirecting it. The sword had a contract clause about "cutting what must be cut," which included the space between attacker and defender. The blade sliced through the vector of the punch, diverting it fifteen degrees.
Lamentation loosed an arrow without Solomon drawing—the bow had a clause about "independent action against existential threats." The arrow, made from contracted Light, struck Wrath's eye-socket and exploded into brilliance, buying Solomon 0.3 seconds.
His Contract with Space folded the distance between himself and the Manor's outer wall, teleporting him 200 meters in an instant.
His Contract with Time slowed his personal perception by a factor of three, giving him more time to think.
His Contract with Shadow wrapped him in darkness that made him harder to target.
His Contract with Light created three false images of himself, decoys made from bent photons.
His Contract with Reflection bounced Wrath's own killing intent back at him—not enough to damage, but enough to confuse targeting.
[Result: Solomon survives first exchange][Probability Shift: Used 1/3][Wrath's Surprise Level: Moderate]
Solomon landed on the Manor's outer wall and immediately kept moving. Standing still meant death.
Wrath turned with impossible speed for something so massive, and his roar of fury caused the air itself to ignite. "TRICKS. CONTRACTS. YOU HIDE BEHIND AGREEMENTS LIKE A COWARD."
"That's—" Solomon leaped again as Wrath's fist cratered the wall, "—literally what I specialize in!"
He needed to slow Wrath down. Direct combat was impossible—the level difference was too vast. But contracts didn't care about levels. They cared about terms and conditions.
"Contract with the Manor: Emergency Clause Alpha!"
[Contract with Moving Manor - Signed 140 years ago][Terms: Manor agrees to serve as home/fortress in exchange for: maintenance, purpose, respect as semi-sentient being, and promise to let it walk regularly]
[Emergency Clause Alpha: Manor authorized to use lethal defense][Cost: 500 MP from Manor's reserves][Manor's Response: ENTHUSIASTIC]
The Manor, despite being evacuated, was still very much alive and very much angry that someone was attacking its master.
Walls became weapons. The stone itself reshaped, forming spears and blades that thrust at Wrath from every angle. Floors became traps, opening into dimensional pockets. Ceilings dropped compressed space that could crush lesser beings.
[Manor's Attack: Defensive Fury][Damage to Wrath: 240][Wrath's HP: 89,760/90,000]
It was like throwing pebbles at a mountain, but it bought Solomon three more seconds.
He used them to activate his most dangerous contracts—the ones he'd made with demon-forged artifacts. These were risky because demon contracts always had hidden clauses, but he'd spent decades negotiating fair terms.
"Contract with Malphas: Clause Six!"
[Contract with Malphas - Demon-Forged Gauntlets][Signed: 95 years ago][Terms: Malphas agrees to enhance Solomon's physical attacks in exchange for: regular feeding (mana, not souls), freedom to refuse truly suicidal orders, and eventual release after 200 years of service (105 years remaining)]
[Effect: Physical Enhancement x10][Cost: 200 MP][Duration: 2 minutes]
Black gauntlets manifested on Solomon's hands, demonic script glowing red along the knuckles. His strength stat jumped from 340 to 3,400—still below Wrath's, but no longer laughable.
"Contract with Zepar: Clause Nine!"
[Contract with Zepar - Demon-Forged Armor][Signed: 87 years ago][Terms: Zepar agrees to protect Solomon in exchange for: respect (never called a "mere tool"), maintenance, and interesting battles to observe]
[Effect: Defense x8, Damage Reduction 60%][Cost: 300 MP][Duration: 3 minutes]
Crimson armor plated over his body, scales of demon-steel interlocking with perfect precision. His defense jumped to 2,720.
"Contract with Astaroth: Clause Twelve!"
[Contract with Astaroth - Demon-Forged Wings][Signed: 76 years ago][Terms: Astaroth agrees to grant flight in exchange for: weekly stories (demons love gossip), permission to critique battle performance, and acknowledgment of superiority of demon engineering]
[Effect: Flight, Speed x6][Cost: 150 MP][Duration: 5 minutes]
Black wings erupted from his back—not flesh, but crystallized shadow and malice shaped into functional form. Solomon's aerial mobility became genuine.
[Solomon's Temporary Combat Stats][Level: 542 (temporary boost to effective 687)][Strength: 3,400][Defense: 2,720][Speed: Enhanced x6][MP Remaining: 4,310/10,000][Survival Probability: 0.2%]
Wrath paused, genuinely surprised for the first time. "You wear demon-forged artifacts. You make pacts with my kind. And yet you claim to be different from those who enslave us?"
"I don't enslave," Solomon said, wings keeping him airborne as he drew Solace and extended Lamentation. "I negotiate. Every demon I've contracted with had a choice. Had terms they agreed to. Had benefits they wanted."
"LIES!" Wrath's rage intensified, his flames burning brighter. "The Seal of Solomon is DOMINION! It cannot be anything else!"
"Then you haven't been paying attention to my research papers," Solomon said, and attacked.
Not because he thought he could win. But because Wrath needed to be delayed, needed to burn through time, needed to be engaged so the evacuation could complete and the Thirteen could get to safety.
He was the bait. He was the sacrifice. He was the cost of their survival.
But he'd be damned if he didn't make it interesting.
[Combat Initiated: Solomon vs. Wrath][Duration: Unknown][Outcome: Predetermined][Entertainment Value: High]
Solomon dove, Solace extended, the sword's contract making it cut through magical defenses. He aimed for Wrath's throat—not because he could decapitate a Demon Emperor, but because the attempt would force a defensive response.
Wrath swatted him aside like an insect, but Solace's edge bit into the Demon Emperor's palm, drawing blood that burned like acid.
[Damage Dealt: 12][Wrath's HP: 89,748/90,000]
Lamentation loosed three arrows in rapid sequence, each one targeting a different eye-socket. Wrath burned two from the air but the third struck home, exploding into light and divine energy.
[Damage Dealt: 34][Wrath's HP: 89,714/90,000]
"You annoy me," Wrath growled, and his fist moved again.
This time Solomon couldn't dodge. Couldn't redirect. Couldn't escape.
The punch connected with his demon-forged armor, and Solomon felt several ribs crack despite the protection. He tumbled through the air, wings struggling to stabilize, pain white-hot in his chest.
[Damage Taken: 4,200 (after reduction)][Solomon's HP: 3,800/8,000]
"Contract with Pain: Clause Seven," Solomon gasped.
[Contract with Pain - Signed 310 years ago][Terms: Pain agrees to be endurable in exchange for: acknowledgment (Solomon respects pain as a teacher), limited duration (cannot be permanent), and purpose (pain must serve survival, not torture)]
[Effect: Pain Suppression - 80%][Cost: 50 MP]
The agony receded to manageable levels. Solomon could think again, could move again.
He activated fifteen more contracts in rapid sequence—each one buying him seconds, shifting probabilities, creating openings:
Contract with Metal—his weapons became harder to break. Contract with Distance—attacks from far away carried less force. Contract with Sound—Wrath's roars didn't stun him. Contract with Heat—the flames hurt less. Contract with Cold—ice formed where he stepped, creating slippery terrain. Contract with Friction—his movements became smoother. Contract with Momentum—his strikes carried more force. Contract with Inertia—he could change direction mid-flight. Contract with Velocity—his speed varied unpredictably. Contract with Acceleration—he could burst to maximum speed instantly. Contract with Pressure—the air supported his weight when needed. Contract with Density—his body became harder to damage. Contract with Elasticity—impacts bounced off more effectively. Contract with Tension—he could store kinetic energy and release it. Contract with Release—stored energy could discharge at will.
[Total Contracts Active: 47][MP Drain: 340/second][Remaining MP: 2,100/10,000][Time Remaining at Current Consumption: 6.2 seconds]
Solomon became a blur of motion and contracts, dancing through the air on demon wings while every force of nature bent slightly in his favor. He wasn't stronger than Wrath—he was smarter, more flexible, more creative.
He dove and wove and struck and retreated, Solace cutting where it could, Lamentation loosing arrows that exploded with various contracted elements—light, shadow, ice, lightning, force.
[Total Damage Dealt: 847][Wrath's HP: 88,867/90,000][Wrath's Patience: EXHAUSTED]
"ENOUGH!" Wrath roared, and his body ignited completely. This wasn't normal fire—this was Wrath's true power, the conceptual flames that represented pure fury.
[Ultimate Skill Activated: Burning World][Effect: All enemies within 1 kilometer take 50,000 damage/second][Duration: Until Wrath wills it to stop][Counter-measures: Insufficient]
Solomon felt his contracts burning away. The heat was too intense, the fury too absolute. His demon armor began to melt. His wings started to disintegrate. His contracted defenses crumbled like paper.
[Damage: 50,000/second][Solomon's HP: 0/8,000][Status: DYING]
This was it. The end he'd calculated. The death he'd accepted.
But Solomon had one last contract to activate. The one he'd kept secret even from himself until this moment, buried so deep in his subconscious that not even his [Absolute Analysis] had flagged it.
"Contract... with Self... Clause... One..."
[Contract with Self - Signed 847 years ago, the moment he received the Seal][Terms: Solomon agrees to always be curious, to always seek knowledge, to never stop asking questions, in exchange for: the universe providing interesting answers]
[Effect: CURIOSITY TRANSCENDENT][Cost: Everything][Benefit: The story doesn't end here]
Solomon's last thought as the flames consumed him was a question:
What comes after death?
And the universe, bound by ancient contract, promised to show him.
[Solomon: DECEASED][Time Survived: 4 minutes, 37 seconds][Final Damage Dealt: 1,133][Final Contracts Activated: 860][Performance Rating: Exceeded Expectations][Phoenix Contract: TRIGGERING][Status: To Be Continued...]
Wrath stood in the burning ruins of the Observation Deck, looking at the space where Solomon had been. The human was gone—atomized by flames that could kill gods.
"Heretic," Wrath muttered. "But... interesting heretic."
He turned to destroy the rest of the Manor, to finish his task—
And paused.
Something was wrong. The human's soul wasn't here. It should have been—souls couldn't escape when killed by conceptual flames.
But Solomon's soul was gone. Taken. By something with authority even Wrath had to respect.
A Phoenix's contract.
"Clever," Wrath admitted grudgingly. "You planned to die. Prepared for it. Made it part of your strategy."
He could chase the soul. Hunt it down. Kill Solomon again in whatever form the Phoenix created.
But Wrath was many things, and one of them was fair. The human had fought well. Had earned his escape. Had proven that even with a 247-level disadvantage, intelligence and preparation mattered.
"Next time, Solomon," Wrath said to the ashes. "Next time, I will be prepared for your contracts."
He turned and left, tearing open reality to return to the Infernal Realms.
Behind him, the Moving Manor groaned—wounded but alive, its master gone but its purpose remaining.
Deep in its foundations, the building made itself a promise: it would walk again. It would find its master again.
And next time, it would be strong enough to protect him.
[Status: ERROR][Location: UNDEFINED][Time: N/A][Existence: QUESTIONABLE]
Solomon opened his eyes.
Except he didn't have eyes. Or a body. Or anything remotely physical.
He was, but he wasn't anywhere.
[Absolute Analysis: ATTEMPTING TO PROCESS...][Error: No data to analyze][Error: Analyzer does not technically exist][Error: Errors cannot exist without existence][PARADOX DETECTED]
It should have been terrifying. The absence of everything—no space, no time, no up or down or forward or back. Just... nothing. An absence so complete it was almost presence.
But Solomon found it fascinating.
His analytical mind—somehow still functioning despite lacking a brain—cataloged the experience with scientific detachment:
Observation One: I am conscious without a physical substrate. Consciousness can exist independently of matter. Interesting.
Observation Two: There is no sensory input, yet I perceive "something." What is the mechanism? Is this pure thought? Pure soul? Both?
Observation Three: I remember dying. Wrath arrived. The fight was brief. The Manor's destruction was thorough. My death was—
The memory cut off, sealed behind something he couldn't quite perceive. The Phoenix's protection, probably. Some traumas weren't meant to be remembered in perfect detail.
Observation Four: I should be more upset about dying. Instead, I'm curious. This suggests either: A) The Phoenix is dampening my emotions, or B) I'm in shock, or C) Curiosity really is stronger than fear for me.
Probably C.
He floated—no, existed—no, persisted—in the non-space for what felt like seconds and years simultaneously. Time didn't work here. Or rather, it worked in all directions at once, which amounted to the same thing.
Then something changed.
A presence. Vast and terrible and beautiful and wrong in ways that hurt to perceive even without senses to perceive with.
The nothing gained a direction. The absence acquired a focus.
And suddenly, Solomon was standing in a room that wasn't a room, facing a woman who was definitely not the Phoenix he'd contracted with.
[Analysis: ATTEMPTING...][Entity Detected: UNKNOWN][Power Level: INCALCULABLE][Threat Assessment: ABSOLUTE][Classification: Probably Divine/Conceptual][Recommendation: BE VERY CAREFUL]
The woman was beautiful in the way that mathematics was beautiful—perfect, elegant, and completely inhuman once you looked closely. Her skin shifted between colors that didn't have names. Her eyes contained depths that suggested she was looking at him from multiple angles of reality simultaneously. Her hair moved like liquid thought.
She wore something between a dress and a concept, and when Solomon tried to analyze it, his mind politely suggested he stop before he hurt himself.
"Solomon," she said, and her voice was every voice and no voice at once. "Welcome to the space between contracts."
Solomon's non-existent heart—or the memory of having one—skipped a beat.
"You're not the Phoenix," he said carefully. His voice surprised him. He had a voice here, apparently. Good to know.
"No." She smiled, and reality bent slightly around the expression. "Ash-and-Ember fulfilled their contract. They caught your soul as you died, preserved your memories, prepared you for resurrection. But there was a... complication."
"What kind of complication?"
"The kind where I intervened." She gestured, and suddenly they were sitting in chairs that definitely hadn't existed a moment ago, in a room that now had walls and a floor and a ceiling, all made of crystallized probability. "Your modified Seal of Solomon caught my attention. Modifying divine blessings is... rare. Doing it successfully is rarer. Doing it in a way that improves on the original design is practically unheard of."
Solomon's curiosity surged past his caution. "You're interested in the theoretical framework? Because I have extensive notes on the modification process. The key was treating the blessing as a magical contract rather than a divine gift, which allowed me to renegotiate the terms through—"
"I know," she interrupted gently. "I've been watching your work for 600 years."
That stopped him. "Watching?"
"I am, among other things, the concept of Contracts given form and will. Every pact made, every oath sworn, every deal struck—I feel them all." She leaned forward, and her eyes captured his attention like gravity. "And your contracts, Solomon, are exquisite."
[New Analysis: Entity Identified][Name: Unknown, possibly unnameable][Classification: CONCEPTUAL ENTITY - CONTRACTS DOMAIN][Power Level: CONCEPTUAL (exists beyond normal power scaling)][Threat Level: ABSOLUTE (can unmake existence via contract nullification)][Interest Level: HIGH (this is either very good or very bad)]
"Most contracts are crude," she continued. "One-sided, exploitative, designed to trap and bind. Humans enslave demons. Demons corrupt humans. Gods demand worship without reciprocity. It's all so... boring." She waved a hand dismissively. "But you. You create partnerships. Mutual benefit. True exchange. You took the Seal of Solomon—a tool of dominion—and transformed it into an instrument of cooperation."
"I was trying to be ethical," Solomon said, feeling like he was defending a thesis to a cosmic professor.
"Ethics are fascinating," she agreed. "But what interests me more is the potential. You've barely scratched the surface of what contract magic can achieve. The Seal of Solomon, even modified, is limiting you."
Solomon's analytical mind caught the implication immediately. "You're offering an upgrade."
"I'm offering evolution." She stood, and the room expanded with her, suddenly infinite. "The Phoenix will resurrect you as a child in Alexandria, as contracted. You'll have your memories, your knowledge, your curiosity. But you'll be powerless. Level 1. Starting over."
"I know. I accepted those terms."
"But what if you didn't have to start over?" She extended her hand, and above her palm, a symbol manifested: a web of infinite connections, contracts linking to contracts linking to concepts linking to reality itself. "What if you could become something more?"
Solomon stared at the symbol. His [Absolute Analysis] was screaming warnings, but his curiosity was louder.
"Would you like to make a contract?" she asked, and the question resonated through the non-space like a bell toll in eternity.
Dammit, Sophia isn't with me, Solomon thought wildly. Sophia would have already read the fine print, identified the traps, calculated the optimal negotiation strategy. Sophia would have—
But Sophia wasn't here. He was alone with a cosmic entity offering him power, and his curiosity was burning like a star.
"What are the terms of said contract?" he asked, forcing his analytical mind to engage despite the overwhelming fascination.
The woman's smile widened. "You will have the chance to know everything. Every contract ever made. Every oath ever sworn. Every pact that binds reality together. True understanding of the fundamental forces that hold existence in place."
Solomon's breath—metaphorical breath—caught. That was... that was everything he'd ever wanted. Perfect knowledge. Complete understanding. The answer to every question.
"But," she continued, and the word dropped like a guillotine, "you must sacrifice your Seal."
"My Seal?" Solomon's hand—still non-existent but somehow present—moved to his palm where the Seal of Solomon had burned for 847 years. "The Phoenix contract requires it as payment. If I give it to you—"
"The Phoenix will still resurrect you," she assured him. "That contract is already fulfilled. But your Seal, modified as it is, represents your old power. Your old limitations. To gain what I offer, you must surrender what you were."
[Contract Analysis: ATTEMPTING...][Terms Offered:]
Knowledge: Complete understanding of all contracts/oaths/pacts Power: Access to contract magic on conceptual level Cost: Sacrifice the Seal of Solomon
[Risks Identified:]
Unknown secondary costs Unclear what "sacrifice" truly means No time to negotiate better terms Sophia is not here to verify
[Recommendation: This is insane][Counter-Recommendation: But imagine what you could learn]
"What exactly do you mean by 'sacrifice'?" Solomon asked carefully. "Destroy it? Give it to you? Transform it?"
"Transform," she said, and suddenly she was close, too close, her presence overwhelming. "You shall become the contract itself. Your entire being will be able to Contract."
Solomon's mind reeled. "I would... be the Seal? Not just possess it, but embody it?"
"More than that." She gestured, and suddenly he could see it—a vision of what she was offering. "Right now, contracts are things you make. Tools you use. But what if you were the tool? What if every interaction, every relationship, every connection became a potential contract? What if your very existence was negotiation made manifest?"
[Vision: Future State Analysis]
He saw himself—or a version of himself—as something between human and concept. Every word he spoke could become binding. Every promise he made would reshape reality. Every relationship would be a pact with measurable terms and enforceable obligations.
He could forge contracts with elements, with emotions, with abstract concepts. Make a pact with Fire to never burn him. Negotiate with Gravity to fall sideways. Strike a deal with Time to move at different speeds.
The Thirteen's bonds would evolve beyond simple loyalty—they'd become fundamental aspects of his being, impossible to break because they'd be woven into his existence itself.
He could understand any agreement instantly. Spot loopholes in reality's laws. Renegotiate the terms of causality.
But the cost...
"I would stop being entirely human," Solomon said slowly. "I'd be something else. Something new."
"You would be the first of your kind," she confirmed. "A Contract Entity. Neither human nor demon nor spirit, but something that exists in the space between all things, bound by agreements."
"And the Seal of Solomon? What happens to it?"
"It dissolves into you. Becomes you. You become it. The distinction ceases to matter." She tilted her head. "Think of it as evolution. A butterfly doesn't mourn the caterpillar it was."
Solomon's analytical mind was racing through implications:
[Pros:]
Unlimited potential for contract magic Complete understanding of binding forces Ability to make pacts with anything Perfect knowledge of all existing contracts Could potentially find and reconnect with the Thirteen faster Would be fascinating to experience
[Cons:]
Unknown transformation effects Might lose humanity (whatever that means) Irreversible change Could make him more vulnerable to contract exploitation Sophia would be furious at the lack of due diligence No way to predict all consequences
His curiosity was screaming yes. His caution was screaming no. His analytical mind was trying to calculate probabilities without sufficient data.
"Why me?" he asked, stalling for thought-time. "Why offer this? What do you gain?"
"Entertainment," she said simply. "Existence is long, Solomon. Most contracts are dull. Predictable. But you? You'll make interesting agreements. You'll push boundaries. You'll ask questions no one else thinks to ask." She smiled. "You'll be the most fascinating experiment I've conducted in millennia."
"I'm an experiment?"
"All existence is an experiment. At least be an interesting one."
Solomon thought about the Thirteen. About Sophia's perfect memory and Tiamat's unwavering service. About Morrígan's promise to find him again and Eve's strategic brilliance. About all the people who'd evacuated the Manor, trusting him to survive somehow.
He thought about Alexandria and the dimensional magic demonstration he'd never attend. About the library with 3.7 million books he'd wanted to read. About all the questions he still wanted answered.
He thought about dying, about Wrath's overwhelming power, about how helpless he'd been in the face of absolute force.
And he thought about power. Not power to dominate, but power to understand. To make better contracts. To forge stronger partnerships. To ensure the people he cared about never felt that helpless again.
His curiosity, as always, won.
"Sophia is going to kill me when she finds out I agreed to a contract without her reviewing it," Solomon said.
The woman laughed, and the sound was like reality remembering how to be joyful. "Then it's fortunate you'll be very difficult to kill."
"Fine," Solomon said, extending his non-existent hand. "I accept. I'll become the contract. Transform me."
She took his hand, and her touch was like lightning made of pure agreement.
[CONTRACT INITIATED][PARTIES: Solomon (Human/Deceased) & [NAMELESS] (Concept Entity)]
[TERMS - Solomon Receives:]
Transformation into Contract Entity Complete knowledge of all contracts Ability to forge pacts with anything Conceptual understanding of binding magic Resurrection in child form (via Phoenix, already arranged) Potential: Unlimited
[TERMS - Solomon Surrenders:]
The Seal of Solomon (modified version) Full humanity (transformation is irreversible) Predictable future (cannot calculate final form) Safety (will become target of interest for multiple factions)
[TERMS - [NAMELESS] Receives:]
Interesting entertainment First successful Contract Entity Observation rights (non-invasive) Pride of creation
[SPECIAL CLAUSE: The Thirteen]
All existing contracts with the Thirteen will evolve, not break Bonds will strengthen through transformation Solomon's obligation to reunite with them remains absolute They will be able to sense his transformed state
[ACTIVATION: IMMEDIATE][REVERSIBILITY: NONE][WITNESSES: All of Existence]
"Wait—" Solomon started to say, because he'd just noticed a clause about being observable, and that seemed like something Sophia would have flagged as problematic—
Too late.
The Seal of Solomon erupted from his palm—or where his palm would have been if he had a physical form—blazing with 847 years of accumulated power. The six-pointed star unfolded into something vastly more complex: a three-dimensional mandala of contracts and clauses, obligations and benefits, terms and conditions written in every language that ever was or ever would be.
The woman gestured, and the Seal shattered.
But it didn't break—it dissolved. Like sugar in water, like boundaries in ink, like self in infinite. Every piece of the Seal merged with Solomon's essence, rewriting him from the conceptual level up.
[TRANSFORMATION: 1%]
Pain. Except not pain because he didn't have nerves. But something like pain, something that was to pain as pain is to a gentle touch. Every contract he'd ever made—all 860 of them—activated simultaneously, rewiring themselves into his being.
[TRANSFORMATION: 23%]
He could suddenly see contracts. Not metaphorically—literally. They were everywhere. The contract between molecules that created matter. The agreement between energy and mass that sustained E=mc². The pact between cause and effect that made time flow forward.
Reality was made of contracts, and Solomon could read them all.
[TRANSFORMATION: 47%]
The Thirteen's bonds blazed like constellations in his perception. Thirteen points of connection, evolving, strengthening, becoming fundamental aspects of his existence. He felt each one:
Eve's bond became Truth—he would never lie to her Sophia's bond became Memory—he could never forget her Tiamat's bond became Service—he would always honor her dedication Morrígan's bond became Protection—he would always shield her from despair Lilith's bond became Desire—he would always respect her wants Hecate's bond became Threshold—he would always give her choice Astraea's bond became Justice—he would always deal fairly with her Ariadne's bond became Path—he would always follow through on promises to her Bellona's bond became Honor—he would always fight beside her Seshat's bond became Record—he would always acknowledge her witness Mnemosyne's bond became History—he would always remember their shared past Brigid's bond became Hearth—he would always provide her home Nyx's bond became Shadow—he would always see her even in darkness
The contracts weren't chains—they were foundations. Not obligations but definitions of who he was in relation to them.
[TRANSFORMATION: 89%]
Solomon felt his humanity dissolving, but not disappearing. It was being compressed, concentrated, transformed into something denser and more resilient. Like coal becoming diamond. Like potential becoming purpose.
His curiosity remained—amplified, actually. Now he was curious about everything with the precision of someone who could understand anything.
His analytical mind expanded to process the infinite data streams of cosmic contracts.
His memory became perfect, because he was now partially made of Record.
His will became unbreakable, because he was now partially made of Oath.
[TRANSFORMATION: 100%]
[COMPLETE]
Solomon opened eyes he didn't have in a place that wasn't a place and understood.
He understood everything.
The woman smiled at him. "How do you feel?"
Solomon looked at his hands—metaphysical constructs that represented his ability to forge agreements—and saw them glowing with script in languages that hadn't been invented yet.
"Like I just signed the most interesting contract of my existence," he said.
"Good." She stepped back. "Now go. The Phoenix is waiting. You have a childhood to live through, a kingdom to explore, and eventually, thirteen very worried women to reunite with."
"Wait," Solomon said, and this time he was faster. "What do I call you? You never told me your name."
She paused at the threshold of the non-room. "Names are contracts too, Solomon. Powerful ones. If I give you mine, you'll have power over me." She glanced back. "Let's save that negotiation for later. When you're stronger. When you can offer me something interesting in return."
"That's fair," Solomon admitted. Then his curiosity flared. "One more question?"
"Always," she said, amused.
"Did you plan this? The Demon Emperor, my death, the Phoenix contract, all of it?"
She smiled mysteriously. "I am the concept of Contracts, Solomon. I don't control what agreements are made. I simply ensure they're kept." A pause. "But I may have mentioned to certain parties that a modified Seal of Solomon existed, and suggested it might be interesting to see how far modifications could go before breaking..."
"You set me up to die so you could make this offer."
"I created interesting circumstances. You chose how to respond. Free will is important in good contracts." She began to fade. "Now go. Your new life awaits. And Solomon?"
"Yes?"
"Try not to accidentally contract yourself to anything too strange in your first few years. Child you will have all your knowledge but limited impulse control. It could be... problematic."
And then she was gone, and Solomon was falling—
—falling through dimensions—
—falling through space—
—falling toward a body that was small and new and waiting—
[Phoenix Contract: ACTIVATING][Resurrection Protocol: INITIATED][Target Body: Prepared][Location: Alexandria, Capital City, Orphanage District][Age: 4 years old][Status: About to be very confused]
Solomon's consciousness slammed into a physical form, and suddenly he had sensory input again: cold air, rough cloth, the smell of bread and milk and unwashed children.
He gasped—actually gasped with physical lungs—and opened eyes that were brown and young and saw a ceiling made of wooden beams instead of cosmic possibility.
[Status Update][Name: Solomon (?)][Age: 4 years old (physical), 847 years old (mental)][Level: 1][Race: Human (?) / Contract Entity (Primary)][Unique Status: Most Overqualified Preschooler in History]
He tried to sit up and discovered several things immediately:
His body was tiny His muscles were weak He had no mana pool yet (it would develop as he aged) He could still see contracts everywhere The Thirteen's bonds were present but distant—they hadn't found him yet
And most importantly:
He was lying in a small bed in what appeared to be an orphanage, and someone was calling for breakfast.
Solomon—the 847-year-old Contract Entity in a 4-year-old body—looked at his small hands and laughed.
This was going to be interesting.