[Verifying contract details.......]

[Verifying rate of contract fulfillment.......]

‘...At last.’

The text appeared before the Grand Duke’s eyes.

As he looked at those words, the Grand Duke recalled the past.

‘So the time has come.’

To achieve his goal.

The moment he realized that one single thing was missing.

To fill that gap, he had used every means available to him.

Every last one of the day-dwellers in that homeland had bowed in submission.

The entire planet had even become his territory.

And yet, even so.

That final one had not been filled.

Because it was... never the sort of thing that could be replaced by ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ quantity in the first place.

‘A fragment.’

The blood the Progenitor had bestowed upon them.

Because of a certain curse, they had been unable to receive the Progenitor’s power in full.

So the Progenitor had divided that power into fragments and passed it down.

And one day.

If they ever succeeded in reclaiming all of those fragments.

Then they would reach the realm the Progenitor desired for them.

‘The Progenitor’s fragment... something that could never be filled simply by devouring countless souls.’

That final fragment had already vanished.

Which meant the Grand Duke’s goal was all but impossible to achieve.

And when the Grand Duke had fallen into despair at that fact—

-Ding.

There had been a sound.

Suddenly, in his ear.

[You, drowning in despair!]

And it.

As if mocking him in the depths of that despair.

[It may still be a little early to give up, don’t you think?]

It was so...

unbearably frivolous.

***

After that.

“It” proposed a deal to Valarak.

[1. The contractor will protect and support the selected one to the best of the contractor’s ability.]

And.

When he heard the terms of that deal, the Grand Duke was dumbfounded.

[The contractor will devote maximum effort to ensuring the selected one’s survival.]

[The contractor may not use force, martial power, or supernatural power to coerce the selected one. However, the reverse is permitted.]

[If the selected one does not desire a relationship with the contractor, the contractor may not force further conversation. However, the reverse is permitted.]

[If the selected one wishes to sever ties with the contractor, the contractor may not refuse. However, the reverse is permitted.]

[If the selected one.......]

[The contractor.......]

‘Even a slave contract would favor the slave more than this.’

Restrictions so endless they seemed to have no end no matter how long one listened.

And terms arranged so absurdly in favor of only one side.

The contents were so ridiculous as to be laughable.

But even so.

[If all of these contracts are faithfully fulfilled.]

Sometimes.

There are situations where one has no choice but to choose.

For example.

[Provided the selected one agrees to it, the contractor will be permitted to engage in a transaction with the selected one.]

When.

There is no other option left at all...

[Contract fulfillment rankings for contractors have been updated!]

And so.

Valarak accepted that absurd contract.

A gamble in which, if he failed, his entire race might be reduced to slavery.

But.

[Contract Fulfillment Rankings]

[1. Blood Drinker.]

[2. Sunken One.]

[4. Overturned One.]

[3. Ark Architect.]

[Contract Fulfillment Failure]

[Guide, Cutter, Warehouse Keeper,]

[Congratulations!]

[You, “Blood Drinker,” who have entered into a contract with this system, have fulfilled your contract more faithfully than anyone else.]

[Despite every disadvantageous condition, you succeeded in drawing out a transaction with the selected one without violating a single one of the complex contractual clauses.]

[It is the greatest achievement among all contractors!]

In the end.

Valarak had won that gamble.

[Although the agreed-upon point of transaction between contractor and selected one has not yet been reached.]

[In consideration of this truly outstanding accomplishment.]

[An early transaction is hereby established as a reward for your achievement!]

“Thank you, Jinlei.”

“Th-that, uh......”

Pulling his mouth away from the man’s throat, now shriveled like a dried corpse.

Valarak gave his thanks with genuine sincerity.

“It is thanks to you.”

Thud.

The body fell to the floor.

[Transaction Details]

[The contractor will devote maximum effort to granting the selected one’s desire.]

Only after coming here.

Had he found a better option.

But he had found it too late.

And because of that thing’s resistance.

The path to completing that option had become complicated.

On the other hand.

[The selected one will cede part of the “system” to the contractor.]

This first option.

The one that had been proceeding steadily from the very beginning.

Had now reached its conclusion.

Paaaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!

From the translucent window before him.

A tremendous power came pouring out.

[Corrupted Window]

[Awakening Name: ————]

[Class: ————]

What he had sought to obtain through the transaction

was only an extremely small part of the system.

He had never needed all of it to begin with.

Nor would that system ever have allowed it.

[Corrupted Data]

[Strength: ————]

[Corrupted Stat: ————]

That was why.

Most of the domains originally held by the system were not manifested for him.

What was manifested for him.

Was only one thing.

[Conquest War]

Just one.

A single section so small and insignificant.

And then.

Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!

From that single section.

An immense power came pouring forth.

***

[Conquest War Status]

[1. Jinlei - 91.42%]

[2. Valarak Melchiorn Zakardios - 6.58%]

Because he still had not reached that goal.

His rank still remained that of a Grand Duke.

And yet, even so, the Grand Duke, who had come so near a realm beyond that, could tell.

[Conquest War Status]

[1. Jinlei - 88.09%]

[2. Valarak Melchiorn Zakardios - 8.91%]

The power being digested into his body.

The power that had originally belonged to that Jinlei.

This was...

‘Power that originates from this land.’

This power came from the earth.

That was why.

The more dominion one gained over this land, the stronger the system’s power became.

Ordinarily, perhaps.

It was power designed to support entire groups.

As multiple awakened formed things such as [guilds] and carried out conquest wars.

But now.

[1. Valarak Melchiorn Zakardios - 51.31%]

[2. Jinlei - 45.69%]

More than half of that power.

Was concentrating into him.

‘Ah.’

As that power began to fill his body.

In response.

‘Sister, brother... so you have emerged.’

Somewhere inside him.

The two drops of blood he had isolated because he could never hope to contain them.

Began moving toward his heart.

‘And I as well......’

The blood he had inherited from that Progenitor.

The blood that could be called the very essence of the Grand Duke.

Also began moving in response.

With his eyes closed.

He observed his own heart.

There, as if it had been designed from the beginning.

There existed four small holes.

Tap, tap, tap.

Into those holes.

Three drops of red liquid fell.

Yes.

He had reached this point once before.

‘What is lacking is the last one.’

And then.

Sliiide...

There was something.

Something alien to the others.

Beginning to fill that last hole.

‘A path different from the one the Progenitor intended.’

That was why.

If possible, he had wished to follow that intention.

But.

At this point, it no longer mattered.

‘I do not walk this path for the Progenitor.’

If only he could meet the Progenitor.

He had already resolved himself even to stray from the path the Progenitor had laid out.

Paaaaaaaaak!!!

Valarak could feel it.

No.

He had known it ever since that thing had first offered him the transaction.

‘The essence of this power... is the same as the drops of blood the Progenitor left to us.’

Yes...

What the Progenitor had wished for from descendants.

The goal the Grand Duke had been reaching toward.

‘An arrangement... to achieve transcendence...!’

Its essence.

If the purpose contained within that power was the same.

Then it was more than possible for it to replace that final missing place he had been unable to fill.

[1. Valarak Melchiorn Zakardios - 87.12%] 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

[2. Jinlei - 9.88%]

Under the original arrangement.

It would have been proper to achieve transcendence only after bringing not merely this land, but the whole world.

The entire planet.

Under one’s dominion.

But he was different.

‘All I need is the final one...!’

Three quarters had already been filled.

What he needed was to fill the remaining quarter.

Ordinarily, it would have been a fragment that could never be easily filled.

But this land carried within it the history and thought of a nation that had once been among the greatest in this world.

A nation that had contended for hegemony over the entire globe.

If he accepted all of that power.

Then he would be able to fill that lacking final piece.

And so...

[3. Jinlei - 0%]

The power of this land that Jinlei had held.

Passed entirely to the Grand Duke.

“At last!”

Filled with ecstasy, he spread both arms wide.

Now all conditions had been fulfilled.

Only now, at last.

What the Progenitor had desired of them.

“Transcendence......!”

Transcendence.

To go beyond the realm of ordinary mortals.

To become an existence that directly intervenes in the fate of the world.

Some call it a god.

Some call it an immortal sage.

And in other cases, a great rank called an outer existence.

He thought...

that he would now be able to reach that stage.

......And yet.

“......”

Valarak, standing there with both arms spread and his eyes closed.

Sensed that something was wrong, and opened them.

“...What is this?”

At some point.

...That power that had been burrowing into his body like madness.

That power which had nearly filled the final hole to the end.

“What... has...”

[1. Valarak Melchiorn Zakardios – 97%]

“...happened?”

He could feel it no longer filling any further.

***

“What...?”

The system window floating before him.

No longer poured forth that storm of light.

“What trickery is this!”

There had been so little left.

And then suddenly, the transmission of power had stopped.

“System! Is this not contrary to our contract!”

The Grand Duke assumed this situation must be some manipulation by that system.

And understandably so.

Because there existed no other agent besides that system capable of stopping the transmission of power toward him.

But.

[Verifying.......]

When he shouted in fury, convinced that this situation was the system’s doing.

[There is no abnormality in the contract.]

[The transaction between the selected one and the contractor proceeded without issue.]

“What?”

The reply he received.

Was nothing more than a thoroughly formal statement that there had been no problem whatsoever.

‘Impossible.’

His plan had clearly been perfect.

He could hardly begin to count the amount of preparation and effort that had gone into this moment.

And yet, not only had that plan suddenly been thrown off course.

But now the culprit was not even the system.

Something.

Unless some transcendent existence beyond his expectations had intervened...

“Huu......!”

He had been thinking exactly that.

At that very moment.

“Seriously, I thought that might happen.”

Grinning.

There was a man.

Dragging his exhausted body upright.

“Good thing I prepared for the possibility, right?”

***

“What is this......?”

The Grand Duke stared at me, eyes wide, unable to believe it.

‘I really did think it was only a remote possibility.’

And then.

Looking back at him, I thought.

‘Now I’m sure.’

Not long ago.

Just before I left to find Ariella.

I’d headed to the hospital room when Karhin called for me.

There.

I spoke with the man who was keeping his eyes open through sheer superhuman force of will.

‘I had to find out why Jinlei was still human... still an awakened.’

I became certain that I had to learn that reason.

And then.

Something Luca had said in the past came back to me.

‘Luca said this system exists to make us level 99.’

All awakened had accepted its help so naturally that I’d let it slide.

But the true nature of this thing called the system was likely far more complex and advanced than I’d thought.

And also.

‘And it said that power comes from this land.’

The moment I remembered that as well.

One fact came to mind.

According to Ariella.

The vampires had no particular need to expand their territory.

And yet they had cast even the dangers inside that territory to the rear.

And were simply trying to occupy this land as fast as possible.

It felt pretty familiar.

That was about how we’d gone about the conquest war in Gangwon Province too.

In other words.

“That thing you were trying to take belongs to us.”

“......!”

That bastard.

Was trying to use the power of the [system] that came from this land.

That was why it was carrying out a conquest war.

“I’m a pretty greedy bastard, you see.”

The moment that thought occurred to me.

What I needed to do was obvious.

“So there was no way”

Blankly, I raised my head.

And looked at the display floating before me.

[Conquest War Status Board]

[1. ???]

[2. Central Military Commission - 3%]

“I was just going to sit back and let you have it.”

“You bastard......!”