Chapter 53 – Grief and Contract

Mage Mainaixi had died, just as an unnamed warrior once said:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is in store for me the crown of righteousness…

It must be said that humans are strange creatures. In the most difficult times, what drives people to live on is often not water, not food, nor medicine, but a piece of true feeling in the heart, a thread of hope. Mage Mainaixi was just such a person…

But the world will not stop turning because of one person’s tragedy. Whether they care or not, the living must continue on!

——————Dividing Line——————

Punk held the parchment that Mage Mainaixi had handed him before dying, weighing an unremarkable ring in his hand. His heart was somewhat hesitant.

This parchment was no ordinary thing. Its rarity could be said to exceed the worth of a Formal-Level mage. This parchment was none other than the “Eye of Judgment Contract,” known throughout the Multiverse as “absolutely just.” Of course, due to quality limitations, Mage Mainaixi’s Eye of Judgment Contract could only be used to bind professionals below Legendary level, but even so, it was enough to surprise Punk.

Speaking of this, one must mention a powerful existence in the Multiverse. He could be said to be the embodied avatar of order throughout the entire Multiverse. As a semi-rule God-Throne level being, he was part of the rule System of the Multiverse, and his semi-living identity that served order completely allowed him to minutely interfere with this Multiverse using God-Throne power. He was one of the two great order existences in the universe—the Eye of Judgment!

Like the other order consciousness—Hell Alaya (Hell’s collective consciousness)—the Eye of Judgment also existed as a contract witness at the end of time and space. But the Eye of Judgment differed from Hell Alaya in that it was a good-aligned notary.

If you signed an evil-aligned Hell Alaya document (Devil Contract), you could freely play all sorts of tricks on it—word games, deceptive methods, even illusion spells. As long as the contract was fulfilled, Hell Alaya would witness it for you. If your methods were evil and sinister enough, Hell Alaya, which loved evil immensely, would even grant you generous rewards!

But the Eye of Judgment was completely different. Believing in “absolute justice” and “absolute order,” the Eye of Judgment despised all chaos and evil. If anyone dared to play clever tricks before it… they could expect to be reduced to ash from flesh to soul!

Punk looked at the parchment in his hand with some bitter amusement. The majestic vertical eye carved in the center of the paper represented that a trace of consciousness from the order guardian—the Eye of Judgment—was watching this seemingly unremarkable contract. The contract had only two conditions:

First: Punk is responsible for doing his utmost to escort Princess Nasia to Duke Nokare’s mansion in Dillon Kingdom.

Second: After signing the contract, the ring containing all the formal spell knowledge that Mage Mainaixi had learned would be opened to Punk!

Very simple two contract terms, one could even say they were full of loopholes. Any clever child could find plenty of places to make trouble, such as there being many people named Punk throughout the Multiverse, or that “opening” didn’t necessarily mean opening all restrictions!

But no one dared to play word games with Eye of Judgment contracts. You must know that while the Eye of Judgment was rigid, it was genuinely an intelligent being. It could clearly distinguish between fraud and sincerity, and it absolutely would not pretend not to see like Hell Alaya! This was also why Eye of Judgment contracts were much more trustworthy than Devil Contracts. Of course, the price was… the resources needed to sacrifice for such an Eye of Judgment Contract were absolutely a thousand times higher than Devil Contracts of equivalent quality!

Holding such a contract, Punk could only smile bitterly. This Mage Mainaixi was truly formidable—who knew where he had obtained such a contract. Now Punk was once again caught in a difficult choice. Although there was something called “Bird of Filth feathers” that could erase the effects of Eye of Judgment contracts, such wonders were rare treasures that even Legendary Experts would covet. The current Punk shouldn’t even think about it!

“Although escorting this princess to that Duke Nokare’s mansion will inevitably bring trouble along the way, as they say, wealth comes from taking risks…”

Punk thought of the formal-level spells he urgently needed, then thought of the substantial foundation of Mage Mainaixi, this veteran Formal-Level mage… Finally, he gritted his teeth!

He would sign it!

Since he had decided, he would no longer hesitate. Punk gently placed his finger in the center of the Eye of Judgment inscription and silently recited “Confirm signing” in his heart!

No grand sound and light effects were needed, nor did any indescribable existence descend. After a trace of the Eye of Judgment’s consciousness confirmed that Punk’s decision was completely voluntary, the ancient parchment spontaneously burned in the air. The white flames were different from mundane ones—each diamond-shaped flame was a completely symmetrical geometric figure. Accompanied by a purple diamond-shaped eye inscription that flashed into Punk’s forehead, when the parchment was completely burned away, the contract was officially established. At the same time, the ring Mage Mainaixi had left behind also released all its locks!

Punk stood in a ray of sunset light, playing with the rough brass ring in his palm. The contract binding process had no extra sensations. Even though he clearly knew that the incredible existence—the Eye of Judgment—had just descended a fragment of consciousness to this tiny place, Punk as the direct party involved had no awareness of it.

However, whenever Punk had any thought of abandoning the princess, that feeling of being watched by eyes from the omnipresent world would flood into the deepest part of his soul—that was the omnipresent “order” itself warning him—don’t forget the contract!

Seriously putting the ring on his left hand, Punk had no time to examine his “reward” right now. The suns Mila and Chikasa had already set, and night had once again shrouded the earth. Punk knew that enemies would be catching up again.

The two warriors still stood on either side in a somewhat dazed state. When they saw Punk approaching, they both showed questioning looks—now that Mage Mainaixi was dead, Punk was the strongest in this team!

However, Punk didn’t answer the two warriors. He only patted the dust off his hood. His Mage Robe, due to not being cleaned for too long, could barely show its original color anymore.

Punk slowly extended his pale hand toward little Princess Nasia, who sat on the ground crying:

“Princess Nasia, our journey must continue. Don’t let down the efforts of your Mother and Mage Mainaixi!”

The little princess raised her tear-stained white face, opened her red and sore eyes wide, and still with a crying voice, whispered to herself: “That’s right, I can’t let down uncle’s efforts…”

She turned to look at the two warriors who were also shedding tears, and the confusion in her eyes gradually dissipated somewhat…

“Let’s go…”

Princess Nasia picked up the Gilded Longsword beside her. Her shadow in the moonlight was faint, small, and fragile, but filled with a power called persistence! The princess forced a distorted smile onto her beautiful face.

“…We must continue on. I promised Uncle Mainaixi that I would definitely live on with hope!”

The last crystal-clear teardrop fell to the ground, seeping into the dust and disappearing without a trace!

(End of Chapter)