24 Chapter 24
*DING*
[Do you want to use 5 Stats Points to form a Contract with a Fragment Of 'Greed'?]
Klaus hesitated for a moment, staring at the notification in front of him. Five precious stat points was a steep price, especially since his stats were increasing at a snail's pace. He pondered the decision, his thoughts racing as he weighed the pros and cons. But before he could make up his mind, Greed's voice echoed in his head.
{What are you thinking so hard about? The great me is doing you a favor now.}
Klaus couldn't help but find Greed's arrogance amusing. It was as if the sword believed itself to be the most significant thing in the world. Klaus decided to engage in a little banter with his new companion.
"What will I gain by forming a contract with you?" Klaus asked, genuinely curious about what Greed had to offer.
{It depends, but mainly you will have the right to wield me, that's a great honor, you know?} Greed replied with a nonchalant tone, as if being wielded by Klaus was the highest privilege it could bestow.
Klaus couldn't help but chuckle at the sword's arrogance. "And what else, oh great one?"
{Well, there might be some other benefits, but those are for me to know and for you to find out.}
Klaus rolled his eyes at Greed's cryptic response. "Fine, I'll take the deal."
Once Klaus made his decision and accepted the contract, he felt a strange sensation. It was as if something was being extracted from his very being, and he could feel his stats leaving his body and transferring to the sword he was now holding. Greed began to glow with a bright red light as the contract was established.
[The Contract was successfully established.]
As the contract was sealed, Greed's form began to change. The long sword he once was transformed into a more manageable mid-sized sword, perfectly fitting Klaus's hand.
Klaus was genuinely impressed by the transformation. 'It fits perfectly in my hand.'
With newfound enthusiasm, Klaus decided to test the sword's capabilities. He swung it through the air, and with every swing, it felt as if he was tearing the very fabric of reality itself. The power and weight of the sword were astounding.
Greed, always quick to critique, couldn't help but comment on Klaus's posture. {Your posture is bad, and it seems you didn't even form a core. How pathetic. Just what have you been doing all those years?}
Klaus, taking Greed's critique to heart, tried to improve his form. He lowered his left leg as advised by the sword. {Lower your left leg a little bit.}
Following Greed's guidance, Klaus found that his swings became more powerful. The sword's voice continued to provide advice. {Now, straighten your back, and relax your shoulders.}
Klaus incorporated the suggestions, and his swings became more fluid and powerful. Greed kept offering guidance on his posture, and Klaus continued to make adjustments, the minutes turning into hours.
{Now, your posture looks averagely okay by my standards.}
After a long and exhausting training session, Klaus was drenched in sweat. He had never imagined that such minor changes in his posture could have such a significant impact on his movements.
{Am I not great?} Greed couldn't resist a little self-praise.
"Yeah, the Great you is really something," Klaus replied with a hint of sarcasm. He couldn't help but find the eccentric sword amusing.
But as Klaus sat down, he suddenly realized the cost of forming the contract – he had lost five precious stat points. He had been so distracted by the sword's presence and his training that he hadn't noticed the passage of time and the loss of his stats.
Klaus sighed and thought about his reduced stats. 'How do my stats look now?' He decided to check his status window.
~~Status Window~~
Name: Klaus Lionhart
Title: Gluttony Apostle, The Youngest Mage in the Continent
State: Good Condition
Trait: Gluttony Lv1, Ten Eyes Mantra (Two-Eyes), Second Circle Mage
Strength: 14
Agility: 10
Stamina: 19
Energy: 14
Perception: 27
Arcane Power: 10
Willpower: 28
*Additional Abilities have not been unlocked
Klaus assessed his stats, noting the decrease. "I lost one stat point each in Strength, Agility, Stamina, Energy, and Perception. It's still manageable."
Greed, never one to hold back, couldn't resist adding, {You are that weak? Wait, a Mage?? You are a mage?}
Klaus was taken aback by Greed's surprise. "Wait, can you see it?" Klaus said while pointing his finger at the Statut window.
{You are really foolish, aren't you? We now share the same mind. Of course, I can see it. Are you really a mage?}
Klaus decided to have a little fun at Greed's expense. "If you can't figure this out, I guess you are not that great."
Greed was momentarily at a loss for words, and Klaus couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at outwitting the sword.
Klaus felt a surge of fatigue from his extended training session, so he decided to cast a second circle spell to refresh himself. Klaus's body began to radiate a soft gray light, and as the light disappeared, his tiredness and sore muscles vanished with it.
{OOOh!, You really are a mage! No wonder you are so weak!} Greed said, somehow Klaus felt offended every time that Greed called him weak.
{How can I not sense any magic circle around your heart? How can you cast a spell without possessing a magic circle?}
Greed asked, not understanding how Klaus could cast a spell without having formed a magic circle around his heart. To his knowledge, to become a mage, one needed to have at least one magic circle formed around their heart, just like to become a swordsman, one needed to form a core.
"If you can't figure this out," Klaus replied with a smirk, enjoying his little victory over the sword's arrogance, "I guess you're not that great."
Greed grumbled in response, still trying to wrap its metaphorical head around the situation. Klaus figured that even the sword couldn't sense the unique mind realm created by the Ten Eyes Mantra in his mind.
With his newfound companion, Greed, Klaus felt it was finally time to tackle an important task. He stood up from the ground, determination in his eyes.
"Okay, it's time to finally form a core."
As he prepared to embark on this next stage of his journey, Klaus couldn't help but look at the peculiar sword, Greed, and wonder what other mysteries lay ahead of him.
