4 Chapter 4
A man was floating, a cube of rocks floating in his hands. He turned towards me, his amber eyes staring deeply into my golden ones.
"The time for the contract to end is near." He spoke, his words were like rock, firm, steady and unshakeable.
"When the time comes, go to the summit, the sword awaits." He stared at me. his eyes were like amber not just in colour but also in feeling.
"Mora…the world needs to unite; it is time for mora to be once again brought to the light."
"Trihexa…Evie's…Abyss…Anti-matter legion. The future ahead is tough indeed."
I woke up gasping, I felt aches throughout my body, my bones and muscles felt like clay that has been pounded by a hammer, a hammer the size of a mountain!
The same dream. Ever since six months ago, the time that I woke up in the stupid world of gravity defying boobs that grants a pervert the power to fight against gods, the same dream keeps repeating at least once or twice a weak.
It is driving me crazy…maybe I should meet her, she would probably know what to do. I get up from my sleeping position and sat crossed legged atop the mattress. My chin atop my fist.
I want to learn how to use a sword. The dream, it spoke of a sword. I have no idea what kind of sword or even where it is, but something deep inside me yearns for me to learn how to use a sword before I search for the sword.
Sigh. sighing out loud, I fall back to the mattress, my eyes staring at the ceiling made of wood and leaves.
I don't know who I am….at the beginning I just thought I was just another isekai character who was given a chance by some random omnipotent being, but the longer I stay here, the more I felt that theory start lacking.
My muteness…. rather than feeling like some punishment or some kind of natural unlucky circumstance, it felt more like an exchange.
My current theory was that I did indeed meet a R.O.B, and in return for giving me never no money he took away my voice and memory of me meeting him. or maybe I'm just going crazy and all this is just some dream I am having. Maybe my real body is on a coma and my mind has conjures this dream to keep my mind busy.
Why can it not be easy? Why can't it be simple. Other self-insert reincarnators are always so sure of their origins, their goals already conjured in their minds. I do have a goal, but it is not as grand, nor do I hold unwavering commitment towards it. rather than a dream, it is better to call it a goal. To become part of the Top 10 strongest beings in the world is nothing but a goal.
Yet…it won't be enough. I was not a huge fan of DxD, I only watched the season 1 of the anime, not because I disliked issei but because the other seasons were not on YouTube. Most of my knowledge of this world comes from some occasional wiki diving and fanfiction.
The latter being untrustworthy due to the fact that most writers make some changes to the DxD-verse. But even with that, all the fanfic writers did have one common thing. Trihexa and the Evie's were strong, dangerously strong. I remember reading that the Evie leader killed great red, the current strongest being on our planet, with ease. For reference, great red was said to be able to easily destroy the world, a fact known by every person belonging to any supernatural faction.
Now, not only do I have to possibly face against the evies but also two others, the abyss and the anti-matter legion? What kind of fucked up shit is that?
I massaged my forehead, to cool myself.
Let's go meet her, she would probably know what to do. especially concerning the contracts that Yelan gave me.
…..
….
I walked down the roads, building that seems to be broken down. moans and groans could be heard through some of them, which I am pretty sure were the sounds of people having sex. Seriously this was not the sounds I wanted to hear early morning, especially when I am not the one causing them, even then, I would much rather wake up to sounds of birds chirping than this.
Seriously, why did she even build her house here? is she really that horny that she would build her house in a place where people fuck 24/7. Maybe it's just a quirk of hers, afterall she is an old in human standards, no matter how much she tells me otherwise. Or maybe she is incredibly horny and a deviant who like the sound of people having sex.
Reaching her door, I was about to knock on it, but a melodious voice stopped me.
"Come in, Lucrecio."
Happy that she had woken up, I excitedly opened the door, and skipped my way over to her.
She, as always, was seated on the floor. Her white hair cascading down, a black blindfold with an upside-down crescent moon covered her eyes. And beside her laid a sword, five feet in length, the ebony blade was covered in cracks and its tip was missing.
Every time I would come, that blade would always be by her side. I wonder why? Maybe I should use my ability to buy a weapon. She has helped me so many times, it would be quite dickish of me not to help her back. Or maybe I should find a cure for her sleeping so much.
Sleeping for a month is not normal, I think, at least the humans in my former life didn't sleep so much.
I gave her a smile; she was the only one who I had for a friend and mentor, Jingliu. AKA, the only person I trust in the entire world. though I still didn't tell her about my power.
I sat down in front of her, my legs crossed. She looked at me, a slight smile adorned her face. "You seem troubled." She didn't question if I was troubled, she was sure of it.
Sometimes I really wonder if the blindfold is a fake, and is it actually see through.
"Again, no my blindfold is not seeing though and no I am not reading your mind. How many times must we have this conversation?"
See! She just knows what I'm thinking, it is really, really creepy.
"Hehehehehehe." She giggled. "Anyway, what is ailing you today? last time you were worried about the quantity of money you made, speaking of that, how did it go?"
Taking out my notepad I wrote what happened during her slumber. My "Job", which is just me acting as my usual adorable self and selling some stuff. My initial meeting with Yelan and then how she appeared before me and gave me the contracts. Me learning how to transfiguration, and other stuff I did.
"Hmm."
"The knight of Ningguang Morax. What else did she want?" she asked, though her voice did gain a dangerous edge to it.
I wrote a shortened version of the conversation I had with her.
"Did you sign it, the contract?"
I shook my head to say no, like hell I would sign something that I had no idea about. I wrote that I needed help.
"Help?"
Taking a deep breath, I wrote my request.
[can you train me?]
"Train you? Sure, I can do that."
I stared at her, confusion and other emotions coloring my face. She probably saw my face, somehow, she smiled.
"Whoever wishes to learn my swordplay, I will teach them."
Oh. I guess, she doesn't mind teaching other people as long as they asked.
"Were you by chance worried I would say no?" she ruffled my hair. "don't worry, now that I'm training you, until I find your skill satisfactory, you will not be left alone."
I waved my hands in panic, while I did want to train, I didn't want to use all my time for it. I needed a break, and then I also needed to sell some stuff, 14k liliums was not enough for me, for my ability every single lilium was worth it.
"You said your dream was to be the strongest did you not, do you really think that you could be the strongest by just accumulating some money, you already gain over 10k liliums from this territory, rather than seek more money, you should be training if you truly want to achieve your dream."
"Anyway, from tomorrow onwards we shall begin our training, I will ready your routine."
I nodded my head. Though now that we speak of dreams, I wonder if she has one.
I write my question on a notepad.
[do you have a dream?]
"Do I have a dream?" she read, "yes. I do."
""I will cut down even the stars in the sky." she spoke, the conviction in her voice sent waves through my soul. "That was the promise I made to myself, that my blade would reach the stars and cut them down."
…is this the conviction needed to follow a dream to the end? In comparison to hers, I feel as if I lacked even a fraction of that conviction.
"Come, lay your head on my lap." she tapped her lap a few times, signaling me to come.
Which I immediately did. I placed my head in her lap.
"so, do you want to another story?"
I nodded my head.
"Well…hmm, did I ever tell you about that time that I challenged Miyamoto Musashi?"
I Shaked my head in denial, excitement bubbled in my core. There is a reason I liked her the most, excluding the fact that she is easily the prettiest person I know. it was due to the fact that she is a great story teller due to the sheer number of adventures she had. From fighting dragons to humans and dealing with the fae.
"It all started with me hearing a rumor about a swordsman from Japan who was said to be the strongest. So, I went to search for him so I could test my blade against his…."
…
I tapped my chin in thought, my mind filled with dozens of things. The contract that Yelan gave, my goal, what to buy, should I buy miss Jingliu something, etc.…
Honestly the easiest thing was the contract, which there were two of. One was, while good was just not for him and the other was…simply put an invitation for an evaluation.
So, one will give me an easy life at the cost of my freedom. While the other would make my position pending.
The first contract is simple, I have to become a servant of the Morax house, and if I showed potential, I would be made into a peerage member of Lady Morax. I would be given resources to become stronger, and then I would be placed into entry-level position in one of lady Morax's businesses, in which If I showed enough achievements I would be promoted to higher-level positions.
The other contract, is that lady Morax would invite me at her convenience to come meet her, where she would evaluate me and give me a contract depending on the results of her evaluation. The best part is, the contract mentions that I can also reject the contract that she would give me after the evaluation but then I would need to pay 25% of all money I make to her. it also mentions that it would scan and analyze me, to ensure I was not a shapeshifter or someone with nefarious intentions. Also, it said that I cannot hold any malicious plans toward lady Morax until at least a week after the evaluation. If I did, I would suffer the consequences.
Honestly, while the first one did give me more immediate benefits, since having the opportunity to join the peerage of a pillar head was something most low-class devils would kill for. Since resources, status and more would be easily obtainable by the whoever joins. But it would cost me my freedom, at the end of the day, doesn't matter if the collar is made of wood or gold, a collar will always be a collar. And a slave would be a slave.
The second option would be much better, I can use some of my future knowledge to ensure that I will at least have a positive evaluation, like using some locations and identity of some sacred gear users. And even if the next contract would not be positive, I could always deny it.
Afterall no Morax would ever harm someone who refused to sign a contract, unless of course the ones who refuse were vile scum that should not be kept alive on this planet.
I bit my thumb, and without a second though I spread open the second contract and signed it using my blood.
Invisible chains flowed from the contract and I felt it biniding my soul, making sure that I would not go against the contract I signed.
Though the chains felt unusual, it was as if they were very reluctant to bind me.
-Ningguang Morax-
she stared at the information she gained from the signing of her contract. She had many thoughts on what she would learn, mostly nothing. She was ready to dismiss the paper after seeing the threat rating, but unfortunately, she saw the others especially the name or names as it was.
Name: Lucrecio (Rex Lapis/Zhongli/Morax)
Race: Devil (???)
Strength: Mid-class.
Age: 9 (6000)
Ability: ???
Threat: means no harm.
Seeing the details she got, Ningguang leaned on her chair. A sigh escaping her lips.
"So, the person that Yelan told had potential was the original Morax, or the reincarnation of the original Morax. In other words, I just made my ancestor sign a contract with me, and gave him the option to be my servant…" Ningguang covered her face with her hands in shame. She had a sudden urge to strangle her knight and longtime friend.
Sighing she accepted her fate. And tried to remember all information she knew about her ancestor.
The son of the goddess Nuwa. He was said to be a just and kind person, who never broke his word. During the beginning of the devil race, Lucifer disguising himself somehow was able to be owed three favors from him.
Lucifer cashed in these favors making him join the devils, although reluctant to join, her ancestor had no choice but to do so. Thus, the son of Nuwa was reborn as a devil of the 72 pillars, he even gave up his original name and renamed himself as Morax.
Her ancestor, focused on accumulating wealth to improve the society of devils, while it was said that he hated lucifer and most pillar devils, he did care for the common non-pillar devils. He created lands that were inhabitable by devils. And much more acts of kindness towards the low-class devils.
Anyway, her ancestor did not take part in the early stages of the great war. But the only account of him participating in the war were only three battles.
The battles between him and the Olympian gods.
The battles between him and the god of vortexes.
And finally, the battle where he sealed the heavenly dragon, Azdaha.
These three battles were all of her ancestor's participation in the great war.
Ningguang had no idea what happed after, sources said that he survived the war and went into seclusion, leaving his territory for his descendants.
Though form what Ningguang sees, looks like her ancestor had died and reincarnated. Though the how is very important, all research indicated that devils would go to oblivion when dead.
The only way he could somehow live was if he signed a contract with someone? It was said that the contact of the original Morax was absolute, maybe he had signed a contract with God of death. though which one?
Sigh. she took out her smoking pipe, lit it up and puffed it.
She looked at the wall beside her, a frame containing a picture of rex lapis on the wall.
Rex lapis, his arms crossed, a white hooded coat. Stared straight, his amber eyes held the Morax symbol on them. his brown locks messy. His trusty weapons floating by his side.
A stone dumbbell that was said to be the gift from a goddess, memory of dust.
A sword caved from a slab of a gem that Morax swore a pact to and cut a mountain top, summit shaper.
The sword used to seal a heavenly dragon, the unforged.
The spear that was used to slay the god of vortexes, the vortex vanquisher.
These weapons each have countless requirements to be used, and some of them were also lost to time. Among the four weapons, Ningguang only knew of one, her personal weapon, the memory of dust.
To even use it, she had signed a contact with the dying will inside it, if she were to violate the contract, she would be unable to use its powers. And its power was great. And even with the contract in place, without the permission of the original Morax the true power of the memory of dust cannot be witnessed.
Ningguang was not much of a fighter, she would much rather go to a random store and haggle for a lower price than fight. It is not that she is weak, as an ultimate-class devil she is quite strong, not to mention with use of the memory of dust she can rival even Serafall herself. She just does not find the amusement in battle like most devils, now that she thinks about it, none of her peerage members like battling.
Whew. She blew out a ring of smoke. Should she tell the information to them. If he really was the reincarnation of her ancestor, what should she even do?
Should she offer him a position? He is the original Morax, or should she just treat him like she would normally treat people.
She brought her hand and massaged her forehead.
Why couldn't he be a normal devil with potential? Why does he need to her ancestor? Huh, does he not know how much of a headache he is causing her? wait, does he even have his memories? Sigh. dammit Yelan!
She blew out another ring of smoke, this one bigger than the last.
Her clawed fingers tapped the armrest in thought.
Should she kill him? she has suffered way too much, lost too much sleep, sweat, tears and blood, just to hand it over for someone else. He is the original Morax, what If he didn't like how she ruled her territory, he has the right to take the position of head of house from her.
But forgetting the fact that she could never harm a child, especially one who had done no wrong. It would do more than leave a bad taste in her mouth, if she were to kill the person she used to look up to.
Three children huddled together were reading a book, their eyes shown in amazement as the young Ningguang read aloud.
With a single slice, he cut a corner clean off a mountain, and upon it he swore a most solemn oath to the people—
Those scattered, he would gather — and those who broke the contract, he would punish. Those who had lost their loved ones, those robbed of their possessions, those deprived of justice — they would receive recompense.
Perhaps this is but one of the many tales that shroud the ancient land of Liyue.
But the solemn oath that Rex Lapis swore is nonetheless at work within it.
To break a contract is to make an enemy of this land where gods once ruled,
And sooner or later, the mountain Rex Lapis cut will fall upon those who break contracts—
"So cool."
"I can't wait to be that strong."
Ningguang had wonder in her eyes as she reread the entire book.
The day she found out she was a Morax, it felt as if all her dream came true. She admired the legends of rex lapis, said to be the oldest of all devils, older than lucifer himself. She admired his willing to follow contracts even if they were disadvantageous to himself.
And thus, no matter the future consequences, she won't be able to do anything to him. also, with rex lapis on her side, she would be able to make contact with the Chinese, Sumerian and Shinto pantheon. Not to mention the dragons, since her ancestor holds the title of honorary heavenly dragon, due to the fact that he could transform himself into a dragon that could blot out the sun.
Also…
Yelan was wrong, she never wished any of her would be suitors to be perfect. She only wished of them to be like the tales she read of rex lapis. She wished they were steadfast, true to their word, kind and most of all….
…. all Ningguang needed was rex lapis. Others cannot compare to him. maybe she was the weird one, afterall she fell in love with her own ancestor while never even meeting him.
She stared at the paper, containing information about the person who signed the contract, her lips curled up and her eyes glowed.
"He is mine."
-THE END.
Ningguang Is yandere, wonder what would happen to my poor Protagonist.
Over 3k words, damn good job me.
Anyway, this chapter was a bit of a lore drop, learning the status of rex lapis, and also insight into the mind of the geo mommy herself.
Speaking of mommy's, should I put Lisa in the peerage? Or maybe I should turn venti into a girl and fill the peerage with archons. That would be fun….it would also be boring.
I don't have much to say, but anyway read, comment and like/favorite this.
Your criticism is very much appreciated.
You can also read chapters in advance on p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m./ Lucinziel
Current peerage plan-
Queen -???
Bishop 1 -???
Bishop 2 -???
Knight 1 - Jingliu
Knight 2 -???
Rook 1 -???
Rook 2 -???
Pawn 1 -???
Pawn 2 -???
Pawn 3 -???
Pawn 4 -???
Pawn 5 -???
Pawn 6 -???
Pawn 7 -???
Pawn 8 -???
