Lucas's breathing slowly steadied. Even though the Nyxclaw had submitted cleanly — thanks to him currently holding only one low-tier Imp — the act of binding a true Mid-Tier beast had still pushed his soul close to its limit. Attempting another summon of similar strength in this state would be extremely dangerous.
He straightened, one hand briefly pressing against his chest as the residual pain faded. His blue eyes, still faintly tinged with purple, looked down at the kneeling beast.
The contract was complete.
But the system's warning remained clear. If he wanted more powerful summons in the future, he would need either a bloodline or a higher rank.
Damn… Lucas thought. I was hoping I could use this chance to start building a proper legion. And stubborn beasts don't contract as easily as the Imp did. Without all the buffs I have right now, bending this one wouldn't have been nearly so simple.
He walked forward.
Even while kneeling with its head lowered, the Nyxclaw Ursus remained an overwhelming presence. Lucas looked almost small in front of the living fortress of black fur, violet crystals, and abyssal power. The beast's violet eyes tracked his every step, filled with wary curiosity rather than open hostility.
Lucas stopped in front of it and slowly raised his hand, placing his palm against the creature's massive forehead. The fur was dense and warm, with faint pulses of abyssal energy thrumming beneath the surface.
"Do you have a name?" he asked.
The Nyxclaw slowly shook its head from side to side, as if it understood the question.
Lucas's lips curved into a small smile.
"Then I'll name you King," he said. "The Mountain King." He paused, then added with a chuckle, "One day, you'll be the king of all mythical beasts. What do you think of that?"
The beast's eyes narrowed. A soft pulse of purple energy flickered across the crystals along its shoulders. It let out a low, rough snort and turned its head slightly away from his hand, almost as if embarrassed by the overly grand title.
Lucas's smile widened.
"What's this? Are you shy, King?"
The Ursus did not answer. It simply kept its head turned, violet eyes half-lidded, the abyssal energy around its body slowly calming now that the contract had fully settled.
Lucas willed the system window to open.
An abyssal interface unfolded before his eyes, its edges framed in dark purple runes.
[Summoned Entity]
Name: King (Nyxclaw Ursus)
Title: The Abyssal Mauler
Race: Nyxclaw (Devil Beast)
Rank: D-Rank (Mid-Tier, Grade 2)
Type: Offensive / Tank
Affinity: Shadow • Earth • Abyss
Height: 4.8 – 6.2 m Length: 7 – 9 m Weight: 40 – 60 Tons
Abilities:
Void Crush — Slams the ground, releasing a shockwave of crushed void energy that fractures the earth and reduces enemy movement.
Shadow Fortress — Crystallized spines rise from its body, greatly increasing defense and reflecting partial damage.
Gravity Suppress — Generates a gravitational field that increases the weight of enemies, slowing them down.
Abyssal Roar — Unleashes a terrifying roar infused with abyssal energy, causing fear, confusion, or mind disruption.
Regenerative Core — Wounds close rapidly when near abyssal energy sources or after devouring high-rank prey.
Nightstep Pounce — Charges or leaps from the shadows with incredible speed for a devastating ambush.
Lucas's eyes narrowed as he read further.
The origins of the Nyxclaw beasts traced back to the era of the Eternal Night Sovereign — a mythical beast and walking calamity that once ruled entire cursed realms.
Every Nyxclaw was born carrying a fragment of that ancient bloodline. From the moment they took their first breath, they were driven by a single purpose: to climb the ranks of the devil hierarchy until they themselves reached Mythical status.
They were patient hunters. They could wait for days, even weeks, studying their prey without making a single sound. But the moment they decided to strike, only death followed.
Lucas stood in quiet awe for a moment, staring up at the kneeling fortress of black fur and violet crystals.
A walking fortress… he thought. And this is only the Mid-Tier form.
From within his shadow, the Imp's urgent mental voice cut through his thoughts.
"Master… the red-haired woman doesn't have much time left."
Lucas's gaze shifted.
Riven lay a short distance away, still clutching the deep wound in her waist. Blood continued to seep between her fingers, staining the webs beneath her a dark crimson. Her breathing had grown shallow. The earlier acid burns and the spider's leg wound had taken their toll. Without treatment, she would not last much longer..
Liora was slowly regaining some neural control. Her fingers twitched weakly against the ground as she tried to drag herself toward Riven's fallen bracelet — the university token that could send a student back to Earth.
Lucas's eyes narrowed. In one smooth motion, he stepped forward and kicked the bracelet away with the side of his boot. The silver device skidded across the webs and disappeared into the shadows.
Shit… he cursed inwardly. I almost forgot about those tokens. If Riven's bracelet hadn't fallen during the fight, she could have already escaped with everything she saw here.
As Lucas walked toward them, the Nyxclaw Ursus — King — rose to its full height behind him. The massive beast's violet crystals pulsed faintly. Standing beside Lucas, the living fortress made Liora feel as though she were staring at a demon wearing human skin.
Lucas stopped in front of Riven.
"So," he said quietly, "what have you decided?"
Riven coughed, blood staining her lips. Her crimson eyes burned with hatred as she stared up at him. Inside, her thoughts were a storm of conflicting emotions.
I want to spit in his face. I want to tell him to go to hell. Darius is dead because of this bastard… and now he's standing over me like he owns the world.
But the wound in her waist throbbed violently. She could feel her strength draining with every second. If she refused, she would die here. And if she died, there would be no chance left for anything — not revenge, not survival, not even the satisfaction of seeing this monster fall one day.
If I'm alive… I still have a chance.
Her pride screamed against it. Submitting to someone like him felt worse than death. Yet the cold reality of her situation left her no other path.
"…You're a monster," she forced out, her voice rough and strained.
Lucas smiled softly.
"Who isn't?" he replied. "Would you have left me alone if our positions were reversed?"
Liora, still struggling to lift her head, looked at Lucas and gave a small, difficult nod.
Riven closed her eyes for a brief moment. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. When she opened them again, the defiance was still there — but it was buried beneath something colder and more pragmatic.
I'll survive this. I'll take whatever he forces on me. And one day… I'll make him regret ever binding me.
She met Lucas's gaze directly.
"We'll do whatever the fuck you want."
Lucas clapped his hands together softly.
"Good choice."
He raised one hand and whispered the skill name.
"[Contract of Ruin]."
A large runic circle of purple and black flame ignited beneath both Riven and Liora. The webs around them burned away without leaving ash. A deep, abyssal voice echoed directly inside their souls.
"Do you wish to submit to the Heir of the Abyss?"
Riven's body trembled. For a second, every instinct she had screamed at her to refuse. The image of Darius's corpse flashed through her mind. Her fingers dug into the ground hard enough to draw blood.
Then the presence of the Nyxclaw and the overwhelming pressure of the contract crushed what little resistance remained.
"…Yes," she forced out through gritted teeth, each word tasting like ash.
Liora, still mostly paralyzed, could barely move her lips. Tears of frustration welled in her purple eyes, but she still managed to form the word.
"…Yes."
The abyssal voice spoke once more.
"The contract is sealed."
Purple flames surged upward, wrapping around both girls like living chains. The flames did not burn their flesh — instead, they sank into their skin and disappeared, leaving behind faint, glowing runes that quickly faded from sight. A cold, binding sensation settled deep within their souls.
The runic circle slowly vanished.
Lucas lowered his hand and looked down at the two newly bound women with calm, satisfied eyes.
"Welcome," he said quietly.
Riven didn't bother responding. Instead, she forced the words out through gritted teeth, her voice rough from pain and blood loss.
"You promised you would heal me."
A normal healing potion would not be enough. She knew it, and so did he.
Lucas first turned to Liora. He pulled a small vial of anti-venom from his storage ring, uncorked it, and carefully poured the contents into her mouth. The effect was almost immediate.
Color slowly returned to Liora's face. Her fingers twitched, then her arms. After a few moments, she managed to push herself up onto her elbows, then her knees. With heavy, uneven breathing, she finally stood on shaky legs.
Her purple eyes locked onto Lucas with pure hatred.
Lucas only smiled faintly before turning back to Riven.
"As for you," he said, "I don't have any rare potion that can miraculously heal those wounds. But I do have something that might save you."
He reached into his storage ring and brought out the Arachne's Heart Crystal. The deep purple crystal pulsed faintly in his hand, the viscous liquid inside swirling like living blood.
"Swallow this," Lucas said, turning the crystal slowly between his fingers. "It will grant you a bloodline and mutate your body. If you survive the process, the wounds won't matter anymore."
Riven's face twisted with disgust at the thought of swallowing a spider's heart. But she also knew she had no better options left.
"…What are the chances of failure?" she asked, her voice strained.
Lucas shrugged lightly.
"It depends on how long you can endure the pain. It will be more painful than you think."
Liora looked at Riven with clear pity, her fists clenched tightly at her sides.
All of this… because of that stupid treasure, she thought bitterly. And now this is the only way left to save her.
Riven was silent for several seconds. Blood continued to drip from the wound in her waist. Finally, she let out a long, resigned sigh.
"Give it to me."
Lucas passed the crystal to Liora. She knelt beside Riven, her expression conflicted, and spoke softly.
"Are you sure? The chances of surviving this are very low."
Riven met her gaze without flinching.
"It's better than dying from blood loss."
Liora hesitated for only a moment before placing the crystal into Riven's hand. Riven took a deep, difficult breath, then forced the Arachne's Heart Crystal down her throat. Her throat bobbed once as she swallowed.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then her left arm twisted at an unnatural angle with a sickening crack.
"AAARGHH—!"
Riven's eyes flew wide. A raw, agonized scream tore from her throat.
"AAAAAHHHHH—!!"
One after another, parts of her body began to break and reform. Bones snapped and realigned with wet, grinding sounds. Her spine arched violently.
"NNNGHH—! AAHHH—! FUCK—!"
Dark red webbing began to seep out from her skin, wrapping around her limbs, her torso, and finally her entire body. The silk pulsed like living veins as it tightened.
"AAAAAHHHHHH—!!"
Within moments, she was completely enclosed in a pulsating, blood-red cocoon of thick, living silk. Her screams became muffled, but the cocoon continued to tremble and thrash from the inside as the mutation violently rewrote her body.
"MMMPHH—! NNGHHH—!"
Lucas stepped back several paces, watching the transformation with great interest. His blue eyes remained calm, almost analytical, as the cocoon continued to pulse and tighten around Riven's screaming form.
King, the Nyxclaw Ursus, let out a low, curious rumble from behind him, its violet eyes fixed on the blood-red mass.
Liora stood frozen, one hand covering her mouth, unable to look away from the grotesque process unfolding in front of her.
The chamber filled with the wet, tearing sounds of flesh and bone being rewritten, mixed with the muffled, continuous screams from inside the cocoon.
****
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