Alfonso finally accepted reality, nodding to indicate he had no questions, and then Duma's voice came again:
"Then, the final clause of the contract is the price."
"Gurgle."
The young viscount swallowed hard; he knew the final gavel was about to fall.
As a minor nobleman with only a title, he seemed to have nothing to offer. Even though the devil claimed he had received a discount, and even though the legendary prince had borne most of the cost, he was still terrified of the price he would have to pay.
What if... what if I were to fall into a permanent slumber?
What if I lose everything?
What if I become...
He glanced discreetly at the expectant Soul Returner returning home.
What if I were turned into one of those mindless (?) demon servants?
But now that things have come to this, his previous boasts and current hesitations are all projections of Alfonso's inner self. He knows that at this moment, it's just the human flaws that every human being has at play.
So in the end, he raised his head and looked at Duma:
Please speak, I'm listening.
"Very well, Mr. Alfonso Lange, as the beneficiary of the contract, as the one who made the wish, I will clearly inform you of the price you should pay and collect it immediately."
"Can."
Alfonso's expression was serious, the Soul Returner held his breath, Duma had an expression that said "the contract is sacred and inviolable."
He said softly:
"Because the customers who shared the order with you have already paid the majority of the cost, after the devil's precise verification, the final cost you should pay is only a quarter of the original amount, which means you will immediately lose half of your lifespan."
As he spoke Duma reached out his hand to Alfonso, and an invisible flame condensed in his palm, eventually transforming into a tiny but dazzling spark.
The spark accelerated through the air toward Alfonso, landing on his shoulder like a snowflake.
At that moment, it felt as if a mountain had been placed on Alfonso's shoulders. His entire body uncontrollably collapsed forward to his knees, and he began to gasp for breath, making a "hoarse" sound.
Duma the spell, spoke again:
"The price has been paid, and your wish will surely be fulfilled."
Alfonso Lange, enjoy the rest of your wonderful life!
Hahahahaha--
Like the demons in many classic works of art, Duma laughed and transformed into a vortex of flames once more, disappearing into the military tent amidst the intense heat and dazzling light.
The last spark of the wooden summoning circle on the ground was extinguished at that moment, along with the invisible barrier, the " Dark Side of the World " unique to demons.
The brightness inside the tent instantly increased, and the noise from the camp returned.
The soldiers' battle cries during training, their conversations while cleaning up the battlefield last night, and their insults at each other over fighting for the best positions—all of these things came rushing in at once.
When the knight Saili, who had been waiting at the camp entrance, saw Alfonso in pain, he rushed over and helped up his newly acquainted lord.
Are you alright?
"I... I'm fine."
Alfonso, supported by Saili, stood up, glanced at the Soul Returner before him, and said with a smile:
"From now on, we are true allies."
[ Practice More If You're Bad ] bowed first, followed by the remaining three newly promoted centurions.
The four people moved in perfect unison, one in front and three behind, and their lines sounded as if they had been rehearsed beforehand.
"I would die for you, Your Excellency."
When they looked up, their eyes were brimming with tears and their lips were curved into smiles.
Alfonso was initially surprised by this scene, but then realized that perhaps this was how they truly considered him one of their own, and he felt relieved.
As for the real reason, it was because the four of them received a hint from the kind-hearted Blue Dragon the moment they looked up.
Ten gold coins have been automatically deducted from each person's account as a fee for inviting Duma to appear.
Ten gold coins!
This is a real drain on players' wallets, but considering Duma's High Tier status, they have to grit their teeth and admit it's very cost-effective.
After all, expecting a High Tier- ranking being like Duma to make an appearance for forty gold coins is unthinkable for most people— Ed still owes Seraphina a considerable amount of money, hence his recent advocacy for paid knowledge content...
In short Duma really gave everyone face this time, practically making a loss-making deal.
So, on one hand, they were happy about acquiring new identities, the appearance of new allies, and the emergence of Nuowa, the hidden leader of their faction; on the other hand, they felt a genuine pang of heartache for their wallets. These two emotions overlapped and interfered with each other, ultimately forming that strange, tearful smile on their faces...
Holy City, Holy Soul Hall, a certain room.
"So, you just took half of his lifespan like that?"
Upon returning to the Holy City, Duma encountered a group led by [ A Huan ] and was surprised to find that they had not yet left.
But upon closer examination, it's quite understandable. After all, these people accepted a commission from [ Howling Pothos ], meaning they were doing their job for money.
Since player-submitted quests don't enter the quest system, there's no kind-hearted Pixel Blue Dragon to give a quest completion notification.
Therefore, before receiving a reply from the other party, [ A Huan ] dared not confirm that the mission was completed, so he stayed here to wait for possible follow-up.
While others still view " World of Disorder " as a game to some extent, [ A Huan ] has truly adopted a local mindset.
Upon seeing Duma's return, and with [ Howling Pothos ] logging off separately to announce the order's completion, the group finally felt relieved, but inevitably, doubts arose again.
Just how serious is the matter that it requires this demon to personally intervene?
Although it was a short period of time, it was indeed a major undertaking.
Seeing that the group was interested, Duma changed his clothes, picked up his tea, and began to tell them the story.
After a brief explanation, [ A Huan ] asked with some surprise:
"You really can take lives?"
No, it's not possible.
Unexpectedly, or rather, completely unsurprisingly, Duma gave another direct answer, and the answer was different from what everyone expected.
The demon shrugged:
"This is just a deception accomplished through Demonic Whisper and psychological suggestion. He thought his life had been taken away, but it wasn't. I wonder how old he could possibly live under such circumstances."
"And don't you think it would be interesting for him to live the rest of his life with this psychological burden?"
Even if he lived to be ninety and died peacefully in his sleep, his last thoughts might still have been—
"I should have never made the deal with the devil; I'd definitely live to be 180!"