Chapter 24: 24. The Changed Man

“So that’s how that works.” Theo mumbled to himself, “But it’s limited to my own, huh. I cannot even see the status of the one I bonded with.”

At the moment, Theo had already changed clothes and was walking down the hallway back to his room. By his side was the purple Floof Demon, walking proudly like it didn’t look at all comical.

“Human, what are you doing? Why are you flailing your hand around like a simpleton that just learned how to move?”

“What, can’t you see the System Board, Apophis?” with a wave of his hand, Theo sent the panel for him to see.

 

Titles: [Saint of Fate] — [The Trash Dragon] — [Dog Waste]

Traits: Misfortunate Luck, Faulty Perseverance, Built Upon Many, Wayward Soul

Status: Fatigue

Abilities

[Eye of All Seeing Fate] - [Lull]- [Hero’s Lodestar] - [Guidance of the Meek] - [Saintly Light] - [Extended Lifeline] - [Uneven Luck] - [Hero’s Charm] - [Hero’s Worth]

Gift

<<Beast Anima>> — <<Devil’s Contract>>

Extra Skills:

<<Demonic Mark of Greed>>

Soul Slots: 1/10

<<Archduke Demon: Apophis>>

Attributes: None

 

[Devil’s Contract — [Devil’s Goodwill]

Holder: Theo Sigurd (Heruzen)

Contract Detail

Will turn the Archduke Demon [Apophis] into the one True Dragon

Lifeblood Pact

Confidential Oath (Holder)

Bloodless Oath (Holder)

Feed the Archduke Demon [Apophis] Spiritual Beings (Bearer).

 Mutual No killing Pact

 

Benefits:

User of the Greed Demon’s

Demonic Pact with the Archduke Demon

 

Punishment to those that disobey: Extreme, Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Pain]

 

 

[Devil’s Contract — [Devil’s Goodwill]

Holder: Archduke Demon [Apophis]

 

Contract Details

Theo Sigurd’s [Heruzen’s]

Lifeblood Pact

Confidential Oath (Bearer)

Bloodless Oath (Bearer)

Souls of killed Spiritual Beings

Mutual no Killing Pact

 

Benefits:

The oath to turn Apophis the Archduke Greed Demon into the one True Dragon

Pact with the Saint Theo Sigurd (Heruzen)]

 

 

Apophis just looked at him like he was crazy, "Are you sure you are not being corrupted by my glorious bei—firrrrr, firrrrr, pururururururrrrrr~."

 

"Good evening, Young Master." From the corner appeared a maid.

 

"Good evening." Theo returned the greeting. 

 

He intended to leave, but the maid looked around, and as she raised her brows in confusion. Before she could raise a question, Theo had already cut her off, "Look down."

 

Theo said as he covered his ears.

 

"???*gasp*!!!" The maid gasped at the sight of the Apo, "Awww, a Floof, when did the Young Master get a Floof!?"

 

"A few hours ago… and she's not listening."

 

The maid was too busy fondling the soft fur of the Floof, and because of its origin, the Woodland Floof's attribute of a floral scent was retained and improved upon by the Archduke. The maid hummed as she delightfully played with the Floof's soft paws and everything else.

 

It was a wonderful thing, but not for Apophis, who has to suffer for it all. He and Theo exchanged gazes, "…floooof~," he said.

 

'No, you can't kill her.' Theo answered his secret demand through their mental connection. 

 

Apophis didn't like his answer, "Floooooof~."

 

Theo sighed at the demanding Floof, "Um… what is your name?"

 

The maid snapped out of it hearing Theo's voice, "Ah, I apologize! A-Alisa, Young Master. Alisa is my name."

 

The maid bowed as she introduced herself.

 

"I see. I have a job for you." Theo said as Floof escaped from the hands of the infatuated young maiden.

 

***

 

Giggling could be heard, echoing in his head. But Theo ignored them all, he didn't want to be disturbed, but a fool rocked him back and forth like an asshole.

 

"Ugh, go away…." Theo grumbled.

 

He mumbled as he waved his hand around. He found something soft and hugged it tightly to help further his descend into the darkness. The sensation was intoxicating; he couldn't escape even if sunrise had already arrived.

 

The chirps of the birds became a lull and the smell of paper incense. Theo couldn't care less if it was a bed or not; if he had a pillow with him, all was well. 

 

Someone rocked him back and forth once more, "Stop it… just…five more... hours." The oh-so-glorious Saint demanded.

 

But the rocking only intensified.

 

"MRM!" Theo just grumbled this time and turned to the other side.

 

"This little." A small voice reached his ears, "You little…."

 

Pah! 

 

"AH!" Theo quickly got up from the cold wooden floors of the Family Library as a slap cut across his face. Touching his right cheek, he saw Apophis looking at him while in an upside-down position right across him, "…the hell are you doing, Apo?"

 

"…Floooof~" 

 

"Why are you talking like th-"

 

Apophis rolled, answering as he motioned to Theo's right….

 

"Wha-oh."

 

“Humu, humu, I see so its name is Apo? (Humu, humu, I see so its name is Apo?)” Two investigators approached carefully from the side to get a hold of the species known as Floof.

 

"Purple fur, it does not match any domestic Floof species." "

 

"It might be a new species." 

 

The two recorded their findings.

 

Apo had already seen true terror, and the fear had been ingrained in his soft bones since the first encounter. Apo tried to get away, but their hands gently grabbed his fur and were taken to their sides.

 

Apo and Theo locked eyes, pleading, it started. The Demon did not want to return to such an accursed reality, so it looked at the human with which it formed a soul bond. It hadn't been long, but, the Archduke knew, Theo would understand him, "…firrururu~."

 

It begged.

 

Theo smirked in amusement.

 

"Oooohhh, this fluffy fur, and supple body, truly a masterful craftsman. Its smell is also quite unique, like the smell of a dying Rores Flower, a tamed smell of sweetness." Lyria noted.

 

"Agreed, but its feel is similar to that of a Woodland Floof. This Floof is also quite calm despite being surrounded by humans. According to the testaments of the maids, it even helped older brother carry books. It is extremely intelligent for a Floof." Lisa added.

 

Lyria brought out her majestic fountain pen and wrote on Lisa's paper. The two held one of the two, and their other hand continued floofing the Floof. They could not separate from its soft fur.

 

The twins' eyes glowed with joy and the Archduke's with despair.

 

"His name is Apo, and if you call him by his name, he'll love you even more."

 

'WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABO—'

 

"Really!? (Really!?)" they exclaimed in a chorus.

 

"Yes, and he loves belly rubs."

 

With that information, the twins began floofing Apo with even more resoluteness.

 

Their eyes were terrifying to the great Archduke.

 

'NOOOOOOOOOOOOO~ you bastard! I shall hold you for this!' Apo cursed as he began enjoying the gentle treatment.

 

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'…this shit is complaining, yet he's purring like a cat.' Theo could not believe the duality of the demon, '...he's enjoying, the hypocrite.' 

 

"Okay, what are the two of you doing here? Are you still researching me?" Theo asked as he patted the dust off his clothes.

 

"Yes, but are also here to tell you that Father is asking you to wake you up and head over to his room. Doctor Tul is here." Lyria answered independently; Lyria was too infatuated with Apo to even give Theo a second of attention.

 

"Doctor Tul?" Theo said as he walked out of the library.

 

The two girls followed.

 

It was Lisa's turn to surrender her attention. Bringing out a pad of paper, Lisa started reading its contents, "He's the Ghost of Eralian, the greatest of all the doctors in the Eralian Death Mountain. His skills are unparallel in Soul Treatment and many other fields. It is said that he managed to bring a man back to life after fighting a Necromancer for control of the body…."

 

***

"Open your mouth—"

 

"Ah—"

 

"Reach your arms out."

 

"Here—"

 

"Release your Magia."

 

"Don't have any."

 

"Is that so." An old man garbed in a long black coat jotted down his findings. The old man combed his long white beard, "Interesting."

 

Inside a room, there were four people, Butler Viel, Alba, Theo, and the Doctor named Tul, otherwise known as [The Ghost Doctor of Eralian].

 

Theo did not know who this old man was outside what Lisa listed for him. Normally, however, anyone given the title of a Ghost Doctor means that if the patient has yet a single pulse, then said doctor would be able to bring him back. But surely, Theo did not think the title of Ghost Doctor in this reality was quite different. 

 

The Ghost Doctor of Eralian was, without any influence of drugs —to Theo's knowledge—was an incorporeal being who was nothing but a wandering translucent soul.

 

An actual Ghost.

 

'I thought he'd be some hidden wandering expert.' Theo was wrong.

 

Tul Tharian Diseman was a Ghost Doctor who happens to be an authentic Ghost.

 

The translucent old man touched Theo's glabella, "You will feel a little itchiness, but do not move and try to scratch it. You'll be rendered…well… a simpleton. I don't want to fight with the Dragon Slayer again, so work with me here."

 

Theo did what he was told and remained still. The old man's finger glowed white, like an alien trying to head home.  

 

A cool sensation streamed inside Theo's body; he felt something tingling deep within. Theo's very soul was touched, a surreal but familiar experience.

 

'He's not trying to destroy my soul. That's nice.'

 

He had nothing to fear, 'So, is this a skill or something else? It is not a spell because there was no voice activation. Maybe a racial ability? If that's the case, does that mean Ghosts and Wandering Souls are considered a Race? Or is it a special technique?'

 

Soul destroying spells, skills, racial ability all were considered normal by Theo. He who traveled from one life to next had seen most things if not all.

 

This world has no [World Voice] further proven that only he has the System through Fate. From all the books he read last night, Theo also concluded that everything he found in his previous lives could be found in this world, with the exception of Systems.

 

In the rare chance of Fate being helpful, she explained why Systems were abandoned in the Prime Reality. 

 

'Systems allow for quick progression, but that's the only thing they give. Systems result in uneven power scaling and if the higher powers try to balance it, either the users' revolts or "true balance" becomes the catalyst for a world's demise. The system is also limited in progression. It is linear with little to no secrets. After five hundred generations, systems typically have all their potentials tapped out. Class base Systems also lead to oppression and discrimination. Leveling generally makes any long-lived race rule on top of those who aren't.'

 

There were many more reasons, but these were just a few that stood out to Theo, 'So they are thinking more than I thought. Gods aren't just mindless rulers here. That's also new.'

 

Theo's mind wandered, and when it returned, 3the old man's glowing eyes were locked onto his, "Your eyes seem to be too serious."

 

Theo averted the old man's gaze, "I have a lot in my mind, Ghost Doctor."

 

"Call me Doctor Tul, Theo don't act so distant. I am a friend you asked to cure your Erectile Dysfunction, you know? Though I failed."

 

"…what?" Alba, who was listening on the side, bellowed in his usual tone, unable to believe what he had just heard.

 

"I DO!?" Theo looked at his package down below, and almost immediately, he panicked. 'Is that why I have not had an erection since my arrival? No… this is not good; my partner cannot die in this way.'

 

Theo has already begun devising a plan, 'I have decided what I'll be doing now. Don't worry, junior, I'll revive you!'

 

"Hmm? Genuine confusion, well, if that's how you react to that, then that means you're not lying. Well, I already examined you, and with all this information, the only thing I can give you is that—" He paused and looked sternly at Alba, "—I have no clue what's wrong with him."

 

"Are you serious?" Alba said, still alarmed by the earlier verdict but relieved now.

 

"Look, I am a doctor who decided to become a Ghost to continue treating others. Do you think I'll joke about this? I am offended, Alba… I'm going to make you pay double for that."

 

"You owe me a favor. Several, in fact."

 

"Shit, that's right." Doctor Tul clicked his tongue and sighed, "I'm going; if I can't make money here, I'm going somewhere I can. Your son is fine, and he's a Saint; he has divine protection. As they say, Gods have reasons for what they do." 

 

Doctor Tul turned to Theo one last time, "Don't worry about your situation, kid. You might have hit your head harder when you fought that dog. You'll be fine, just jerk off and hope for the best."

 

Damn, Alba, did you notice that many rising brats these days have the title of Royalty attached to their names? Pretty amazing coincidences, right? So, about that favor… I'm going to need another. I really need some cash right now; I had too much fun at City of Stars, you see."

 

"Viel, stay right there; I want to ask you about something. About the thing about erectile dysfunction, was it true?"

 

"Huh? No, it was—"

 

The words were cut short when Doctor Tul phased through doors, and Alba shortly followed, leaving Viel and Theo alone.

 

'FINISH WHAT YOU WERE ABOUT TO SAY!' 

 

But he never did get to hear what the ghost had to say.

 

Viel moved close to Theo, "I am sure that your member is all right, Young Master."

 

"Thank you?" Theo answered with an awkward smile, 'Wait, so was it real or not!? Dammit… I need to check myself for later. Having a dysfunctional companion is not fun at all.' He was speaking from experience.

 

Other than the thing about his junk, the examination went quite well.

 

Nothing was found abnormal on him, and Doctor was left to beg for money. 

 

"Young Master, is there something you want to do today?"

 

"Mother Thalia said she would teach me about Spells last week. Can I ask to meet her now?"

 

"I apologize, Young Master, but Lady Thalia left earlier in a hurry and told me to inform you that she's been in the Magic Tower. She cannot teach you for the time being. Why not read, Young Master?"

 

"I read everything related to Spells at the Family Library and Ancient Library last night."

 

"Is that so, then if you have nothing to read, I recommend [The Path of Power — Research of "Gift" and "Arts" Vol. 1-12], it is a great introductory —"

 

"I finished reading the whole collection last night."

 

"Wait, Young Master finished them already?" 

 

"Everything." He answered as if it was normal. 

 

"Then, I am sorry to tell you this, but, without the Magister Library, I cannot provide Young Master any new reading material."

 

"Is that so, then, what about Mother Laura? I want to meet her. I would like the examine the poison and create an antidote." He said before walking exiting the room.

 

"I understa—wait what!?" With Theo's nonchalant way of speech, Vile took a few minutes to register his words, "Young Master, do you understand what you are saying? Lady Laura's poison is not something you can make an antidote for just because you want to. We have been through dozens of premier doctors, and none of them had been able to concoct an antidote! Please, don't say these things so lightly."

 

"Hmm? Oh, but I wasn't kidding. When I awakened as the Saint, I received a lot of things, like information outside this reality." Theo answered as he exited the room, "If you can't do that, then just arrange me some blood samples and doctoral notes of Mother Laura's condition since he got poisoned. That should be possible, right?"

 

"Ye-yes, it is." Viel lagged behind the Young Master and saw him walk down the halls with his back straight. With absolute confidence, he walked, 'The Young Master has changed. He's so much livelier now than ever….'

 

Even though he didn't want to. Even could not help but feel that Theo could save Lady Laura when others couldn't.

 

Viel could not help but shed tears of joy, "I understand, but this would take time. Would that be all right?"

 

"Yeah, why not. But without any books, then I'd have to find a way for me to spend my time."

 

"Ah! Then, I have something that might help you past the time, Young master."

 

"Oh? What's that?"

 

"The People from the Light Church we rejected audience yesterday are outside again. While we get what you asked of us, you should meet with them and finish the meeting. After all, it is the Saint's job to address the believer of his Sect, like a Priest, Bishop, Cardinal or a Pope."

 

"I see... I see… hey, Father and Doctor Tul finished talking and is calling for you, Butler Viel."

 

"Really?" Viel turned around and saw no one, "Huh, what are you talking about, Young Mas—wait!"

 

When Viel turned around, he found Theo hauling ass towards the nearest window.