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Chapter 12 — The Deal Was Struck
Even though that was impossible.
Let alone the fact that they barely knew each other—
And strictly speaking, in terms of age, he was probably old enough to be her brother… or more.
The people from Black Flame all had backgrounds that didn’t match their appearances. Their real ages were likely not what they seemed.
The streets around them gradually thinned as they walked. They crossed a block and entered a quiet tavern, then slipped out through a small door in the back kitchen.
The staff in the kitchen ignored them completely, as if they didn’t exist.
The back exit led into a narrow, uneven alley. The stone pavement was full of potholes and worn dips.
Dark green moss grew thick in the cracks, and the occasional stubborn blade of grass swayed from the corners of the walls.
It looked like it had rained not long ago—the stone slabs were still slick with moisture. Su Cheng nearly slipped.
Kai, walking beside her, reacted instantly and caught her.
His thick hand gripped her arm, palm pressing against her elbow. With a single hand, he fully stabilized her, effortlessly supporting her entire weight.
“…Thanks,” Su Cheng said quickly. “I guess I really don’t get much exercise.”
Kai released her. “Everything has a beginning. Since you’ve decided to go out on an adventure, things will change.”
Su Cheng tilted her head slightly, studying him.
She knew he was considerate—someone who didn’t pry unnecessarily. That was probably why he hadn’t asked anything about what happened in the guild hall.
They wound through several twisting alleys. Low stone houses lined both sides, their gray-blue walls heavily weathered and peeling.
After two more turns, a downward staircase appeared ahead.
Kai went first, stepping down the uneven stone steps, then stopped and turned back, offering his hand.
Su Cheng tried it once and immediately realized the steps were still slippery.
Silently, she took the guild leader’s hand.
The difference in their builds was obvious—less like holding hands, more like she was being held in his palm.
He wore some kind of beast-leather gloves. The texture of the leather pressed against her delicate skin as he held her.
In that brief contact, she could feel the taut resistance of the material, and beneath it, the powerful strength in his bones and grip.
She jumped down—and as expected, her foot slipped.
Fortunately, he held her steady.
Su Cheng pursed her lips. “…Do all mages who go to the underground market have the agility of warriors?”
“No,” Kai replied casually. “Half of the mages you see with bruised faces in those shops probably fell here.”
Su Cheng couldn’t help laughing. “And the other half?”
“Probably fell somewhere else,” he said faintly. “This isn’t the only entrance. It’s just the closest one.”
She laughed out loud. “Are you joking or serious?”
Kai didn’t confirm either way. “I’ve seen it happen.”
At the bottom of the stairs, Su Cheng caught a strange scent in the air—pungent mixtures of potions and medicine, mixed with the damp, moldy smell of old books.
Several hurried passersby brushed past them, all cloaked or hooded, ascending the stairs without stopping.
And sure enough, one of them slipped on the steps.
But since he was going upward, he simply steadied himself on the railing, stood up without a word, and continued on.
Su Cheng: “……”
Strangely… she felt comforted.
Passing through the arched corridor, they turned into a dim alley.
Stalls lined both sides.
Everything imaginable was being sold.
Strange insects and stones floated in glass bottles, liquids suspended unnaturally in midair. Bones etched with intricate runes—so complex she couldn’t even tell what creatures they came from. There were also scroll-like objects covered in chaotic scripts, written in countless different styles.
Su Cheng couldn’t help glancing more closely.
In a major city like Golden Amber City, under strict surveillance from both the Church and the Mage Association, it was difficult to find many high-grade contraband items in the city proper.
Even in the underground black market, most goods were only unverified magical materials of unknown origin.
She followed Kai as he turned left and right, eventually entering a dead-end alley.
It was very quiet here, with no stalls. At the end stood a dilapidated stone building.
A crooked bronze sign hung above the doorframe, its edges engraved with broken runes that faintly glowed with dim blue light.
They pushed the door open.
Inside, the ground floor hall was dimly lit. Rusted pipes coiled across the ceiling, wrapped in chains and dark green vine-like plants. Dozens of hanging lamps were suspended from the chains—but only two were lit, casting weak light over wooden counters filled with bottles and jars.
The cabinets were full of cracks, looking as if they might collapse at any moment.
The air smelled of sulfur, herbs, and metal.
Behind the counter, the owner looked up and squinted at them.
Kai walked forward. “Mature-stage Bloodthirst Vine core, refined dissolving oil from red-tail scorpion, high-grade froststone powder…”
He listed more than ten materials in one breath.
The shopkeeper had an excellent memory and didn’t even bother writing anything down. She simply repeated the prices in order.
When they reached one item, she mentioned it was out of stock—confiscated by the Church.
Kai frowned slightly. “…I only need a small amount. You really have nothing left?”
The owner let out a cold laugh. “The big workshops outside can’t even get any, let alone us small traders. Those supplies are all going to the mages serving the kingdom’s garrison.”
She clicked her tongue. “And what can we do? The Church is just doing inspections. If we resist, we’d be labeled heretics.”
While they spoke, Su Cheng continued observing the shop.
Along one wall were honeycomb-like stone niches. Inside each sat a miniature magic array, with a floating orb of light about the size of a fist at its center.
But upon closer inspection, it wasn’t ordinary light—it was condensed elemental spirits.
She stared blankly.
Each orb was over ten centimeters wide, the density of elemental spirits extremely high, tightly bound by the magic arrays.
Logically, such a concentration of elemental spirits should have been easy to sense.
And yet… she could barely feel them. At most, she could faintly detect wind elements.
Even more strangely, because they were sealed within the arrays, she couldn’t manipulate them at all.
That wasn’t surprising.
Her wind resonance level was already “advanced.” Above that was “special grade.” As a supporting character, she was never going to have top-tier talent settings.
Still, for an elemental mage, it was an uncomfortable feeling.
Unable to resist, Su Cheng extended her mental perception, focusing carefully on the fire spirits.
Within the tiny array, crimson runes flowed like molten lava. Violent fire elements surged restlessly, trying to break free.
But this wasn’t something she “felt”—it was something she saw with her eyes.
The moment she closed them, they seemed to disappear entirely.
Su Cheng suddenly missed last night.
After tasting the demon’s blood, her sensitivity to elemental spirits had surged dramatically.
Back then, it had felt like she could control everything.
But that boost seemed temporary. Now she had been thrown back to her original state.
Even so, that “original state” was already considered genius-level—but once she had tasted that higher perception, it was hard to be satisfied again.
“…Yes, humans are like that.”
Suddenly, she heard a voice—like an illusion.
Her blood pulsed sharply at her temples.
A deep vibration crawled up her spine, as if a hammer were striking her bones. Even the back of her neck burned faintly.
Her consciousness grew hazy.
“You’ve started to learn the rules of the game,” the voice said. “Do you want to truly experience that feeling?”
“What…?” she murmured dazedly. “What do you mean?”
“If you agree,” the voice continued, “your elemental resonance will advance further. Those elemental spirits will never disappear from your perception again. Is that what you desire?”
Su Cheng froze for a moment—then understood.
Her already foggy mind was flooded with sudden, dizzying excitement.
“…Really? I agree!”
She heard laughter.
A deep, resonant male voice, rich with amusement.
“Then the deal is struck.”
The voice was too close—as if whispered right beside her ear.
She turned sluggishly and saw a faint golden light drifting in the darkness.
Within it stood a tall man.
His features were strikingly handsome, his expression gentle and almost kind.
His hair was a deep, dense black. His skin was a warm honey-brown, like polished bronze.
One of his eyes was gold, the other silver—like two gleaming coins placed on opposite sides of a scale. Intricate patterns cracked across his irises, and black triangular markings crossed through the eye sockets.
At first glance, his eyes looked like weights on a balance.
“As payment,” the man said with a slight tilt of his head and a faint smile, “before sunset… offer me a traitor with a special-grade talent.”
Su Cheng snapped fully awake.
That face—
She had seen it before. The manifestation of the God of Contracts had worn the same face.
Her expression changed instantly. “No—I didn’t agree! The deal isn’t finalized!”
It was the God of Contracts.
She remembered the warnings: never touch the essence of a deity’s domain.
In other words—don’t fight the God of War, don’t bargain with the God of Wealth, and never make deals with the God of Contracts.
The man blinked, smiling gently. “Oh? Are you trying to back out?”
“Your Excellency!” Su Cheng broke into a cold sweat. “I—I didn’t mean that, but normally a deal shouldn’t be finalized before all terms are stated—”
He leaned closer.
The divine projection towered over her, easily twice her height.
His upper body was bare. His bronze-toned physique was powerfully built, muscles carved like blades and stone. His broad chest rose and fell like gilded waves of wheat.
A thick golden-red chain crossed diagonally over his chest and wound around his waist, engraved with serpentine, dragon-like creatures.
Rubies served as eyes. Emeralds and sapphires formed their scales, scattered like shattered starlight—cold, dazzling, and otherworldly.
He lifted his arm. His muscles tightened like coiled roots, the waist chain pulling taut across his abdomen and letting out faint bell-like sounds.
Then he raised a finger—and pressed it gently against her lips, cutting off her words.
The touch was burning hot.
