Chapter 4: The Binding Contract
Hiroshi turned to Nagi, ready to explain what had just happened, but his voice faltered. "It's because I made a con—" He froze mid-sentence. His eyes widened. Something wasn't right.
A deep, chilling voice suddenly cut through the air, completely interrupting him. It wasn't Nagi's voice. It was… something else.
"You cannot speak of our contract to anyone," the voice echoed ominously in Hiroshi's mind. "If you do, you will die."
Hiroshi's heart skipped a beat. He already expected this, but hearing the words still sent a bit shock through him. A part of him had been prepared for some kind of consequence, but this? This was beyond anything he imagined.
Swallowing his disbelief, Hiroshi forced himself to ask, "We're bound by life now. So why can't I tell Nagi? Why can't I talk about this with him, 'Mr. God of 100 Killers'?" His voice trembled, a mix of anger and confusion bubbling to the surface.
The voice—calm, detached—answered, "You don't have the right to ask such things. And don't call me the 'God of 100 Killers.' From now on, you will refer to me as Orihara."
Hiroshi paused, processing the name. Despite the voice's cold tone, he felt a strange calmness wash over him. he agreed, "Fine. Orihara."
Just as he spoke, an eerie silence fell. Hiroshi's body froze for what felt like an eternity. It was as if his very soul was locked in place. For ten seconds, he couldn't move, couldn't think.
Nagi, standing by his side, began shaking him.
"Hiroshi, what's happening? Wake up!" Nagi's voice cracked with concern.
Slowly, Hiroshi regained his senses, shaking his head to clear the fog. "I'm fine, Nagi. Just... just a recoil from using healing magic," he said hoarsely, trying to act casual.
Nagi stared at him, wide-eyed. "Healing magic? But that's impossible unless you're a follower of Benzaiten, the Goddess of Life! Even then, it's nearly impossible for anyone to master it. How did you do that?"
Hiroshi gave him a smile, which was really more of a weary smirk. "I don't know yet, but... I did it somehow."
Nagi stare at him, processing what Hiroshi had just said. Then, with a long, defeated sigh, he said, "Alright, whatever. But how are we supposed to get out of here?"
Before Hiroshi could respond, the voice of Orihara once again cut through the silence.
"Go to the next floor," Orihara's voice commanded. "There, you'll face purple and red monsters. The boss is a Black Class monster—Domovoi. It's bigger than a human, covered in hair, and its eyes sometimes glow. It can also appear as an animal, like a cat or a dog. Don't worry, I can guide you straight to the boss room."
Hiroshi raised an eyebrow, completely unimpressed. "How do you know all this?"
Orihara's response was almost casual, as if he were discussing the weather. "I once annihilated the original copy of this tower. Killed its owner. No big deal."
"Original tower?" Hiroshi's mind buzzed with questions. "What do you mean by that?"
Orihara's voice grew sharp, almost annoyed. "You're not ready to know that. Don't ask so many questions. Just go to the next floor."
Hiroshi stomach suddenly is growling.Nagi laughing,"I know you're starving, and trust me, so am I. But we can't eat the monsters on this floor. Their bodies are toxic."
Hiroshi shouted "stop laughing at me i know that, it's embarrassing".
Orihara saying On the next floor, you'll encounter purple monsters called Cockatrices. They're a mix of wyverns and chickens. Guess what? They taste like chicken. And Garmr, a wolf-like demon, it's tastes pretty good too. You guys can eat them."
Hiroshi glanced at Nagi, who looked equally skeptical. "Well," Hiroshi said with a smile, "I guess we'll have to move on. Let's head to the next floor!"