A creature sitting on a pillar appeared before Rishi, flapping its wings. Its eyes shone purple, and multiple runs on its body were also shining. It scanned the boy in front of him from top to bottom. It circled him without saying anything before stopping in front of him.
'Kid, it looks like you have met many interesting beings. Some can be compared to me in greatness, while a few are above me. You have lived quite an interesting life to be able to meet so many of them. Let's leave them for now. How do you want to make the deal?'
"I want both of us to sign a high-level contract," replied Rishi. After meeting with other high-level beings, he knew how to deal with them. He also learned that words had no value; it was better to make an agreement.
'Ha ha ha ha' A laugh echoed in his mind: 'It looks like you have improved after meeting with many higher-level beings. It's good that you know how things work.'
He smiled, and a strange black-colored book shining in purple light, filled with various patterns, and Rune appeared before him. His one claw was holding a feather pen. He opened the book and started writing on it before sending a paper to Rishi. A piece of paper floating in the air appeared in front of Rishi. It was black-colored with something written on it in a light purple color.
The strange part was that Rishi could understand it without even knowing about it; after reading it, he didn't sign it immediately. A golden light shone in his eyes as he used 'inspect' on it.
[NAME: Contract of Shadow Spirit Raven]
GRADE: Legendary
INFORMATION: A contract created by Raven by keeping 'Lord of Shadows' as a guarantor if the conditions are not fulfilled by any of the parties. He would be punished by 'Lord of Shadows.']
'Oh, Rishi was surprised that this contract was of legendary grade. It meant that the beast before him was also of legendary grade. He also never thought the 'Lord of Shadows' would be a guarantor. A being like that would not go back on his words, especially a proud being like him.
If demons were said never to be trusted in the myths, then dragons were said to be proud and arrogant. They would never go back to their words and can be trusted. Rishi signed it, as even his 'Inspect' confirmed that it was a genuine contract.
As soon as he signed it, the contract moved towards the giant statue behind him, and a dragon roar resounded everywhere. It reminded both parties that they were under watch, and if they defied the terms, there would be consequences.
After signing the contract, Rishi became interested in the Raven and asked him, "Raven, what kind of being are you? What are your strengths?"
'You stupid human kid, when did I give you my permission to call me by my name? Call me Sir Raven,' he heard an angry voice inside his head.
"Alright, Sir Raven! Can you answer my previous questions? As a beast cultivator, I am always curious about the different beings I encounter. Until now, I had never met someone as smart and mighty as your esteemed self," said Rishi.
'Oh! Kids these days,' he said while looking flustered. 'Stop flattering me; I am an awakened being; I would never be affected by your praises,' he said while flapping his wings.
'Listen carefully, kid. I am the shadow spirit that my Lord gave responsibility to manage this place and increase his presence in this realm. I was injured in the battle and sealed by him, and only recently have I regained consciousness.
"How did you get injured? You don't look like a fighting type," asked Rishi in curiosity; he could not understand why a beast like this would go to battlefield.
'How dare you look down on me, kid? Why do you think I cannot fight in wars? I was the supreme commander of the Lord's Shadow Legion. I was the one who helped my Lord fight against an army of multiple opponents. Despite being a Rune Novice, it looks like you don't know what a true expert is capable of.'
'Roar' multiple roars echoed around Rishi. The statues around him shook before moving. They pointed his spear at him. Rishi looked at them and felt that he would turn into dust if even one of them landed on him.
'See clearly, kid, these are what a rune master is capable of. These were just the normal ones that were left. At my peak, I controlled thousands of them. Everyone was scared of me. It was not a fluke that my Lord was able to defeat multiple lords by himself.'
"What is your current self, then?" asked Rishi.
'You can call me the spirit form of my past self; I was extinguished from existence. It was my Lord who gave me a chance to live again by building this shrine. It heals me, and as the influence of this shrine increases, I will be able to regain my strength.'
'Once I rule this realm, I will have the strength to leave it. I may even break through my limits and become even stronger; this shrine exists here because of me. If it were not for me, my Lord would not have to pay such a hefty price,' said the Raven as tears appeared in its eyes.
Rishi could feel its sadness; he also felt a supporting presence from the giant statue behind him. As if telling Raven that it would do it again even if it was given a second chance to make the decision, Rishi could feel the warm aura that surrounded the Raven.
'This is why I want to repay my Lord. The fate of both of us is connected to this realm, and now you are also a part of it. If we are able to conquer this realm, all of us will benefit from it. I don't want to force you to come under us; while that might be an ideal choice, we are also willing to work with you as a partner.' Raven said it in a determined tone.
Rishi's eyes widened as he heard, and his heartbeat raced. He could feel that this would be a very big opportunity, but he was controlling himself. He wanted to first let Raven complete.
Listen, kid, I know you might be powerful and believe you can do everything, but the truth is, you are very weak. You don't feel like that because you have not met stronger opponents. I am not saying this to depress you; I want you to know that opportunities don't come knocking on your door.'
'You will know what real power is once you reach a higher level and move to a higher realm. You might be curious if you are so weak; why am I wasting so much time to convince you? It's because, Kid, you have potential; the things you are able to do with the limited strength and knowledge you have are inspiring.'
'The way you try to understand things and create your own things is inspiring, while part of it is related to umbrakinesis. It is also related to you; umbrakinesis requires one to learn the basics. It requires a unique way of thinking. Most people try to copy the existing spells in their own way, but that's not the right path.'
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