Chapter 17: Chapter 16: When Darkness Descends (1)

“I lost…”

The cacophony of screams and shouts faded away. Everyone at the purple table heard the boy’s muted mumble.

Each player present was very experienced, and when they saw a second Harmony orb appear so soon, they were nearly shocked to death.

How incredulously unlucky did one need to be for such an event to occur?

The biggest cause of everyone’s silence was the fact that they knew how much money the boy had borrowed and bet.

7800 high rank spirit shards!

It was enough money to buy out some of their generations of accumulated wealth!

“Sir… if we may, please come this way. We’ll have to get this sorted out before you can continue.”

One of the guards spoke up at this moment and the boy simply nodded, excusing himself from the table.

At this moment, Meya came into view, walking happily towards the table. A unique aura surrounded her that seemed to elevate her presence. In a way, it was somewhat reminiscent of the time Mistress Cai completed her tower trial.

As Meya got closer, she immediately noticed something was off.

Two guards stood behind her companion, one hand on each shoulder. They steered him away from the table when Meya rushed up in a panic.

“What’s going on here? Don’t you know who he is? He owns a purple room token. Little X, are you okay?”

She spoke in a flurry.

“Ma’am we understand who he is. However this individual owes the house a large sum of money, which will have to get sorted out before he can leave.”

One of the guards explained patiently.

“He owes you money? How could he owe you money?”

“He borrowed money from the hotel to continue gambling… it happened after you left to be verified.”

One of the table participants quickly spoke up.

But I didn’t tell him that he could borrow money, where did he learn that? Ugh, it doesn’t matter.

She calmed herself.

“Okay, I understand. How much does he owe? I can just pay for him instead, right?”

She reasoned with the guards. After all, she was now possessed 10 peak rank spirit shards.

“He owes the house 7800 high rank spirit shards… or 78 peak rank spirit shards.”

Meya’s mouth dropped open.

That’s…

She stared at the young boy in shock, but he averted his gaze towards the ground. He couldn’t bear to face her after she repeatedly told him not to gamble without her.

Meya wanted to interject here. She wanted to tell the guards to leave him be and they’ll get their money in a couple of days. If only they could let him continue gambling.

However, as soon as she thought of the idea, she realized how awkward it was. The whole point of the game was for the house to make more money than the player.

Would they let him keep playing to sink further in debt? More importantly, if she was truly adamant that he could do it, wouldn’t that indirectly mean that they were cheating the system somehow?

If anyone can resolve this, it has to be Manager Xin.

Meya shook her head before looking at the boy.

“Little X, we’ll sort this out. I’ll go get Manager Xin. I’ll be right back okay?”

She stormed off, an urgent bounce in her step.

----

After a short while, the boy found himself in a closed off space with multiple guards. One of them in particular was a burly man, who looked like a seasoned warrior.

“Hey kid.”

He grunted and sat on a nearby desk with one leg up.

“How’d you do it, huh?”

An awkward silence hung in the room.

All of the guards knew what the boy did. Starting with seven high-rank spirit shards, he climbed to the astronomical number of 780 before losing it all in one swing.

The boy simply shook his head.

“It’s fine if you don’t say anything. I’m kinda in charge here though, you know? Boys let’s get that mask off him and see what we’re dealing with.”

The man commanded in a gruff voice.

My mask? But I promised Meya…

The boy panicked, recalling his promise. He could not be outside without his cloak and mask. He absolutely had to wear those two things.

“Hooo, that’s a reaction. Get that mask off him!”

With a lurch, the grown men charged at the boy from different angles.

Energy coursed throughout the boy’s body as he deftly dodged backwards, causing a couple men to awkwardly fall to the floor.

“Watch out, he’s fast!”

After minutes of unsuccessful attempts to grasp the boy, the guards became agitated.

Their assault gradually became more and more aggressive. They flung wild swings towards the boy in hopes of incapacitating him.

Most attacks missed him entirely, but these men were guards for a reason. They had a respectable amount of strength even on floor one. More importantly, there were over 10 guards in the room.

Little did he know that these guards were actually mercenaries that belonged to the third floor.

They proved themselves by accomplishing the tower’s first and second floor trials. In a desperate need for money without danger, they decided to take the easy job of guarding the House of Amaryllis on this first floor.

It didn’t take long for the connecting blows to land on the boy’s upper body.

Eventually, a lose hand shattered the bunny mask entirely, exposing his face for the first time. The boy instantly felt adrenaline course through his veins.

He took it easy the entire time, mostly because he didn’t want anyone to get hurt. In response, the guards treated him like a pushover and refused to stop harassing him.

Now he was in danger of breaking his promise to Meya!

With a surge of strength, he punched the door open, leaving it hanging ajar by its hinges. Seeing a way out, he bolted from the room and disappeared in the distance.

The guards watched with both fear and astonishment.

“Boss… can you do that?”

One of them finally spoke.

“No… No I cannot.”

The seasoned warrior replied as he inspected the door. Heavily enchanted and made of sturdy materials, even if he had twice the strength, he would fail to break it out.

“I really didn’t sign up for this…”

One of the other guards sighed emotionally after realizing what he was up against.

“It’s fine, just locate the boy and keep him in your sights. Madam Lexene is on the way; she’ll have to take care of this one on her own.”

The leader gave out instructions and the guards swiftly dispersed in different directions to find the boy.

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Distraught and out of breath, Meya finally reached the hotel. She rushed to the manager’s office on the first floor.

“Manager Xin!”

She burst into the room.

“Manager Xin called out for the night, Meya.”

A passing employee heard her and continued on their way.

“Oh, thank you.”

Meya rushed off; her destination was Manager Xin’s hotel room.

As the manager of the Flowering Lotus Hotel, Manager Xin had a room entirely to herself. Additionally, the room was on the third floor of the hotel.

A knock sounded from the door.

“Manager Xin!”

Hearing no response, Meya knocked again.

Odd. Manager Xin is almost always in the hotel. Perhaps she’s sleeping?

She reached for the handle and let herself in using her employee token, which was not the first time she had done so. Only those with special permission from Manager Xin would be able to use their employee token to enter.

The moment Meya entered she felt an eerie atmosphere.

To begin with, the room was too dark. Manager Xin almost never left her hotel room in complete darkness. Not only was the hotel room very dark, but in the distance, she could barely see the outline of a figure seated at the table.

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“Manager Xin?...”

She closed the door behind her and reached for the lamp. After turning it on, she noticed Manager Xin with her head buried in her arms. A bottle of some sort of drink stood half empty on the table next to her.

As Meya got closer, she heard small sniffles and light breaths.

“Manager Xin, are you okay?”

Meya crept closer.

“I’m sorry, Meya.”

Manager Xin’s muffled voice came out, giving Meya a sinking feeling.

“I’m sorry. I tried. They called me right in front of her. She knows, Meya.”

Manager Xin rambled onwards.

“Who knows? Who called? What?”

Meya asked these questions and prayed that they weren’t what she thought they were.

Manager Xin finally looked up and met Meya’s eyes. Meya could see the burning red marks on her cheek. They looked painful.

“Madam Lexene… She knows about Little X. The House of Amaryllis called and told her about the debt. She’s on the way there right now. I’m sorry Meya…”

Manager Xin spoke in between her sniffles.

“T-that means… Little X will end up like Jun?”

Meya asked hesitantly.

“I’m so sorry, Meya.”

She got up as she apologized and brought Meya into her embrace.

“Manager Xin, I don’t want him to go through any of that. I don’t want that...”

Meya could feel her eyes welling up as she collected her thoughts.

“I know, I’m sorry. Please forgive your useless Manager for allowing you to act willful.”

She hugged her deeply, but the action didn’t register in Meya mind. It was at this moment that Meya’s efforts had all come crashing down.

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Seated in a dark alleyway, the root of the commotion pressed his back against the wall.

The moon shone bright overhead, and the traffic of people walking towards the House of Amaryllis could be seen and heard at the alleyway’s entrance.

It was like a world of light and joy, one that he no longer felt a part of.

Haah… maybe I shouldn’t have run away.

He only fled on instinct to conceal himself, but he quickly realized how bad that looked, considering how much money he owed. Even now, he easily sensed multiple guards watching his location from a distance.

Just as he was about to leave and turn himself in, a young man stood at the entrance of the alleyway.

The boy buried his face further into the depths of his cloak while peering at the handsome man. Clean shaven with short brown hair, he gave off a noble aura—as if he could fix any problem and bear any burden.

The man walked deeper into the alley with a charismatic gait.

“Little X, I presume.”

He called out in a low voice as he got closer.

The boy nodded in response—it was useless to pretend otherwise.

“Show me your face. Don’t worry, my name is Jun and I’m on Meya’s side.”

Jun knelt towards the boy as he pulled the hood back. An airy whistle escaped his lips.

“My you’re charming. There’s no chance she won’t try to contract you. Kid, listen up, no matter what the woman tells you, absolutely do not sign a contract with her.”

Jun narrowed his eyes when he said this. The gravity in his voice was especially striking.

“Trust me, do not sign any contracts with her. I know you owe money, just think of a way to get the money instead. Don’t accept any contracts. Got it?”

Jun stared right into the boy’s eyes until he got a nod in response.

“Good… Speaking of which.”

His voice grew quieter.

“She’s here…”

“Jun? Did you find him?”

A sweet voice rang out from the entrance of the alleyway.

“Yes, Madam Lexene.”

Jun promptly stood off to the side as the woman came into sight.

She was both beautiful and business-like at the same time. Her body was lithe with mature elements, while her angular face gave her a pleasant appearance.

However, if one were to use a single word to describe the woman, it would simply be modest.

“Hello, Little X. I am Madam Lexene.”

She smiled sweetly as she got closer. Although she still couldn’t see his face, she still treated the situation delicately based off the rumors about him.

“I’m here to arrange how we might…“

She stopped mid-sentence once she stood in front of the boy.

“It’s you!”

She exclaimed excitedly.

It’s the boy! The boy from the road!

Her thoughts exploded once she recalled the angelic face those weeks before.

She calmed her breathing and began once again. Unbeknownst to anyone, an extremely faint cloudiness appeared deep within her eyes.

“Excuse me, but I feel this is a certain fate.”

She cleared her throat and continued.

“According to the House of Amaryllis, it appears that you owe 78 peak rank spirit shards. Can I presume that you do not have a way to repay this debt?”

Her eyes glowed with expectations when she said this.

“I can pay it back…”

His response took Madam Lexene by surprise.

“Oh, how will you do that?”

“Let me keep gambling.”

His innocence was comedic in its own right, but from his perspective, he said nothing wrong.

“Pfft! Haha!”

Madam Lexene stifled her laughter.

“That’s really cute… However, that won’t be possible. I have a way that can allow you to repay the debt. A simple contract, I’ll have you do what I say until you’re 23 years old. Once you’re 23, you’re free to go and all debts will be cleared.”

The boy shook his head in refusal.

“No? May I ask why not? This is a very good deal. 78 peak rank spirit shards would take some people multiple lifetimes to acquire.”

She explained patiently, but the boy still shook his head.

Madam Lexene’s eyes narrowed as she calmed herself.

“You’ve been staying in the Flower Lotus Hotel, have you not? That hotel happens to be owned by me as well. Do you know the price of the room you’re staying in?”

Madam Lexene quizzed the young boy.

For once, he was taken aback. He thought about the first night he got into the room and nodded his head.

“It’s 10 low rank spirit shards each night.”

Madam Lexene’s lips curled after hearing this.

“No, it’s 10 high rank spirit shards each night. Meya, that girl, lied to you because she thought you didn’t have the money. Not only that, but she erased a guest’s name from the roster and wrote yours in. Do you know what this means?”

The boy’s eyes went wide.

“W-what does that mean?”

The boy asked worriedly.

“It means that Meya will be gravely punished…”

Madam Lexene’s voice lingered for a moment.

“She can pay the fees back now and she can apologize. I’m sorry as well.”

The boy thoughtfully offered.

“No, even if she pays the money back, the damage is already done. She’s already in trouble. She has sullied the reputation of the hotel for her own desires. The punishment… it will be bad. Perhaps she won’t ever be able to make up for this.”

The boy’s nerves were stretched thin, and his mind spun in circles for a solution.

“There’s a way for her to get out of punishment. If you sign the contract, not only will I write off your debt, but I’ll also excuse Meya’s actions entirely…”

Madam Lexene smiled gently as the boy looked down in thought.

This guy just told me not to sign any contracts… no matter what.

On the other hand, Meya could be in grave trouble if he didn’t. Meya only helped him out of kindness, and he couldn’t leave her to a random fate.

“I’ll sign the contract, but first you have to let me talk to Meya.”

The boy secretly felt like it would be a long time before he would get to see her again.

“You’ll sign it then? Great! I don’t see that as a problem. Let’s go back to the hotel then.”

Madam Lexene’s face beamed a bright smile, while Jun shook his head in the background.

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In unit 401, Meya sat on a couch with a tearstained face, patiently waiting in the main room.

The door opened and closed, catching her attention. She flung herself off the couch with a whirl. Her hopes were raised.

“Little X!”

She cried out as she rushed towards him.

“Hey Meya.”

He waved and smiled back to her.

She hugged him deeply before checking him over as if he was some lost child who had recently been found.

“I can’t believe you’re okay. This is perfect! Little X let’s run away from this place. Who cares about the debt. Who cares about any of it. We’ll pay it back later, but for now let’s escape!”

Meya fervently ushered him toward the door.

“Meya… Thank you for everything.”

He took the initiative to hug the maiden for the first time, taking her by surprise.

He buried his face into her comforting chest and tightly squeezed for many moments, before finally letting her go.

“Little X?”

She called out unsure.

“I have to go now. Meya, find Mistress Cai on the second floor in that city, Rheiton. I’ll catch up, I promise.”

He said only this, before turning away and walking out the door, leaving Meya alone to crumble to the floor and confront her fears of reality.

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At the front desk, Madam Lexene and Jun waited for the boy. Now that Madam Lexene knew who he was and his appearance, she wasn’t worried about him escaping.

As soon as they saw him return, the trio left the hotel together. Sending them off were two rows of maidens just as before, except Manager Xin was clearly missing.

However, Madam Lexene couldn’t care less about this small detail.

Excitement and anticipation were bursting at the seams inside her heart. Her thoughts were filled with the desire to return to her primary estate and finalize the contract, adding a new servant to her collection.

Before long, they were in the carriage, which sped along to a certain location in Central Moldun. No words were spoken throughout the duration of the ride.

The boy was lost in his thoughts, while Madam Lexene was too nervous to create conversation before the contract was signed. She didn’t want to accidentally scare him off after successfully convincing him to sign it.

The third person, Jun, was simply caught in the middle of their silence.

Jun maintained a stoic face and watched the scenery go by. He felt that, deep down, a type of change was about to happen within Madam Lexene’s Manor, all because of the boy sitting next to him.

“Welcome to Rose Manor.”

Madam Lexene’s voice broke the silence, and both men followed her out of the carriage. The boy eyed his surroundings in amazement.

Put simply, it was beautiful.

An exquisitely designed fountain spouted water in the center of the courtyard, which was surrounded by sculpted trees and bushes. Neatly marbled tiles carved a pathway to the main entrance, which was framed by a type of metal that glistened in the moonlight.

“Jun, prepare the room. Little X, this way.”

Madam Lexene took the lead and entered the manor doors.

The large doors crashed open when she pushed them apart. The boy noticed an odd detail, the doors seemed quite heavy like a fortress gate.

Just how strong was this woman to be able to open them so forcefully?

He followed her up the stairwell and into an orderly office space. Different types of books lined one of the walls behind a solitary desk, while exotic figurines were placed on shelves throughout the room.

“Take a seat, this will be over shortly.”

Madam Lexene’s words brightened the mood as she gestured to a chair, which the boy claimed as his own.

She walked over to a portion of the bookcase and pulled on a book. To the boy’s surprise, the bookcase opened up revealing a hidden safe. She then procured a seal and connected it with the matching impression on the safe’s surface.

With a soft click, the safe opened and she swiftly reached inside to grab a piece of parchment.

“Ah this is a soul contract… Don’t worry too much about the details. Anyway, look here.”

She wrote on the parchment with her finger.

Much to the boy’s surprise, words formed in the locations she passed through.

“Okay, that’s the conditions of the contract. Go ahead and read it.”

She slid the contract towards the young boy.

“In exchange for the signee’s enslavement up till the age of 23, I, the contract holder, will excuse the individual, Meya, of any punishment or consequences that have occurred during her employment at the Flowing Lotus Hotel. Additionally, I will exempt the signee of this contract from all monetary debt owed.”

The boy read the contract out loud.

True to her word, there was little ways for Madam Lexene to skirt around the edges on the contract. If he signed this, then he would receive everything that she proposed.

The only issue was one word in particular, enslavement.

“What do you think?”

She masked her nerves. Her inner thoughts begged for him to sign the contract without question.

“Does it have to be enslavement? Does enslavement mean you can control me?”

His cautious nature rang alarms in his mind.

“Oh no, no. I won’t be able to force you to do anything against your will. It’s mostly to prevent you from attacking me, otherwise it’s just a word that describes your relationship with me for the next coming years.”

She explained calmly as if it were trivial.

“I see… I accept then. How do I sign the contract?”

Madam Lexene deftly nicked the tip of her finger with a knife before handing it to the boy.

“With blood, this will bind it to both of our souls. Of course, this only works if the people are signing it willingly. Please.”

She pressed her finger on the contract, which absorbed her blood instantly.

After some hesitation, the boy nicked his finger and pressed it down as well. As soon as the blood touched the parchment, all the words flashed brightly before returning to black.

“It is done!”

Madam Lexene rolled up the contract. Without a word, it disappeared into her personal storage ring.

“What is… this?”

As soon as the contract was finalized, the boy was able to sense Madam Lexene as if they were bonded in some way.

“So, you can sense it? That is because I’m allowing you. Don’t worry, it just means the contract was successful. The first thing I’ll have you do is touch that device over there. Just place your hand on the top of it for me.”

She pointed to a stone plaque that was about the height of a child.

The boy curiously placed his hand on top, causing it to glow faintly on its front surface. Fourteen lines shimmered into reality with additional line over halfway formed.

“Almost fifteen years old?... Tch.”

The woman clicked her tongue in disappointment and the boy withdrew his hand.

“Looks like I’ll have to wait a bit over a year or so… Also, I didn’t tell you to withdraw your hand.”

A wicked smile spread across her face, putting the boy into a state of confusion.

“This can act as an introduction to how this relationship will go. You do something wrong, or fail to follow instructions… then…”

She paused and stared at the boy.

Why is she staring at me?

Initially the boy formed a strange expression, until something deep within his core began to heat up.

“What… is this?

The burning became more profound.

“That is your soul. Your soul is connected to your very being, and as the master of the soul contract I can exact a certain amount of… punishment… on your soul.”

The moment she stopped talking, an excruciating pain seared the boy’s mind.

“Achk!”

He choked on air and tried to cry out. His neck muscles pulsed with intensity as the burning feeling soon drilled its way throughout the rest of his body.

“Doesn’t feel good, does it?”

The woman smirked as she stood over the boy, who kneeled on the ground with his hands clenched.

“My, what tenacity… However, once we pass a certain threshold, it’ll be goodnight for you. So, goodnight.”

With one last impact of destruction on the boy’s soul, he passed out completely.