Grasp of Avarice

"Damn it bitch, wake up!" A gruff voice thundered in Kilian's ears, forcing his eyes open. But instead of the Hellforge's platinum walls, Kilian awoke to his soul world where a fuming Urag lay. As chained as ever, the imp lord threw kicks at Kilian's inert form, while wrestling with his bounds.

"What's wrong with you?" As if awakening from a long slumber, Kilian stood up and stretched his arms as far as he could.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you! You've been out for 22 hours! If you die I die, please don't screw me over!" Urag threw his head back and sobbed like a child. Although he couldn't see what happened in the outside world, changes in Kilian's soul directly affected him.

First, there was the meeting with Adramelech that scared him witless. Then, an inert Kilian appeared and shifting dark-green faces sprang left and right. Fortunately for him, Urag possessed extensive knowledge and could make a few guesses. The new mark on Kilian's neck also helped clear all his doubts.

"Humans just don't know when to stop. You even dared create a Flawless Philosopher's Stone? Good son, I love you!" Urag's sobs turned into a burst of laughter, and if not for the chains trapping him, he would have given Kilian a warm hug—or at least tried to. Arching one eyebrow, Kilian stepped toward Urag, "You okay?" he asked, and checked the imp's temperature for good measure.

Could a sane imp go from furious to delighted in such a short span of time?

"Bah! Okay your ass! What is is your Transmutation Level?"

"Fiveish." Having spent weeks tutoring Kilian, although they didn't dwell on personal matters, Urag learned about his core abilities. With a Philosopher's Stone to empower him, Kilian could increase his Transmutation skills by one level. At the same time, unlike the traditional von Skoll bloodline which was limited to nuclear reactions, Adramelech's Arcane Bloodline enabled its owners to fully manipulate atoms.

But while how far they could go also depended on their magical abilities and Dra Reserves, at Kilian's level, he could use Atomkinesis to strengthen both his Fleshcrafting and Transmutation skills.

Combining those two forces, even without Exarch-level Dra Control, Kilian could use Lv. 5 Fleshcrafting and Transmutation. A pity that the massive Dra Cost limited him.

"Perfect! You can transmute my chains into dust and free me from this place. Her Dominion bound me to your soul world, which makes you the only one able to expel me without too much effort. As long as you combine my powers with your Philosopher's Stone, it's just a matter of time!

Haha! In less than three days, Lord Urag will again walk the earth! Bitches and booze! Bitches and booze! B-" Urag's chains weren't absolute bounds. When Kilian's soul weakened, so did the chains, giving the imp the opportunity to fight for control. At the same time, the two could coordinate to release Urag from his shackles.

But as Urag imagined all the lads he'd cuck, "Wait wait wait. I have nothing to gain from this," Kilian cut him in his daydreaming.

"What?" Startled, the imp lord blinked at Kilian, wondering if his pointy ears betrayed him.

"Here's the thing. You've been squatting in my soul for half a year, but since you taught me Eromancy, I can consider that we're square. However, breaking your chains and helping you walk the earth gives me no benefit. Worse, I'll have to work hard and waste precious time for your sake—all so that you can spread the lust? Come on dude." Kilian shook his head. After waking up from his forced nap, he felt that he'd been living his life in vain, missing many opportunities to strike good bargains.

No more.

It was high time he milked the freeloaders and screwed the world of all its worth. And recalling the new mark inflated Kilian's greed, Urag felt his dreams splashed by cold water.

"Man, we're almost family. You can't do this to me!" The imp lord pleaded with doe eyes.

"Actually, we really are family. But that's beside the point. You don't buy your dad a Porsche just because he asks. No, you first swindle a Bugatti out of him. That's fair trade.

Point is, I can help you, but you must first give me enough incentive," Kilian tapped Urag's right cheek and said in such a straightforward tone that for a second, the imp lord wondered if he wasn't being too stingy.

"What do you want?" Eager to leave this unpredictable hellhole, Urag caved in. Satisfied, Kilian raised his right hand.

"Grasp of Avarice." Green light surged from his palm, and calling upon the Mark of Greed, Kilian summoned a green sheet of paper and quill. A result of his new mark, Grasp of Avarice enabled Kilian to do two things: rob and bargain.

With his bargaining skill, Kilian could write all kinds of contracts for his target to sign and make the content visible or invisible. Interestingly, he could never write fair contracts and was forced to make the scales heavily tip in his favor. And while he knew the contract would aim to screw him over, when Kilian finished writing it and showed the content, Urag still failed to restrain himself.

"A fucking blank! Are you trying to screw me out of my underpants? Son of a bitch!"

"Apparently, life is a choice. Either you sign and I help you leave your jail, or you don't, and we play cards in my sleep for the rest of my existence. Your call," Kilian countered, unfazed by Urag's outburst. And knowing that he now dealt with a deadly sin, Urag didn't doubt Kilian would live up to his words.

Downcast, the imp lord grabbed the quill and struggled with his chains to write the words that'd seal his fate. The quill and paper turned into light rays and vanished in Kilian's forehead.

"Wow, that feels good. Alright, I will get to work. Within three days, I'm busting you out," Stimulated by a surge of fehl high, Kilian chortled and turned heels.

"Wait, at least tell me what I signed!" The panicky Urag said at Kilian's back.

"Oh, nothing special. You just sold your soul for freedom and also pledged that for every 3 dra you gained, I'd get 2." Struck hard by Kilian's words, Urag staggered, warm tears filled his eyes, and he screamed at the purple sky, "Bastard! Bastard! You can't make me your bitch! I didn't sign up for this shit!"

"Matter of fact, you did. Welcome aboard, sidekick," Kilian leisurely replied.

"KIIILIAAAN!"