The Fool's Freedom

“The Bone Lord’s offer needs to go first,” Alan said. His anger flared up at the thought of what he had gone through, even if Enid’s touch had made it easier to bear. “I don’t know what you do to them, or what you gain from it… and how you even take it away, considering it’s not mine to give.”

That puzzled Alan. The advancement was his, but the offer from the Bone Lord was not.

“Oh, don’t you worry about that dear boy,” Enid smiled, her form moving like smoke. “Taking is our specialty. The Bone Lord will certainly not be happy, but the Spirit Realm has never feared consequences. You might suffer some, though. After all, his offer will be redirected to someone who, after accepting, will make great use of it.”

Someone else will accept the boon of the Bone Lord? A spirit? Do they even have classes? Alan couldn’t make sense of the thing, but it was not his job to do so. All he wanted was a way out, and a path to revenge. However, giving someone who had tortured him so much access to a powerful follower was also not something he wanted.

“I already have something in mind. It… will be quite enthusiastic and pleased to access a Bone Lord, even for a moment.” Odu said from the side. The fatty had been silent this whole time, but now his deep sea eyes were gleaming with what Alan assumed was excitement and mischief.

“I also have quite the use for the Bone Lord’s offer. And as for your worries, dear boy, giving it away to us will not empower the Bone Lord,” Enid added, having read Alan’s mind. She winked again and burst into a cloud of nothing only to appear next to Alan, with a hand draped around his shoulders. Her naked form, as ethereal as it was pressed against him and chased away a bit of his anger and thoughts. “Patrons are a special kind of existence in your realm. Or any realm, for that matter. Close to gods, but not quite gods. Powerful, but oppressed and chained under the laws of the even more powerful. However,” she paused and whispered the next words in his ear. Her breath smelled of green tea. “Because of those reasons, there is a lot they do that they shouldn’t. And they have many secrets. Tasty. Delicious. Secrets.”

Her last words were like the slither of a snake. There was danger in them, a promise of a kind that Alan was interested in. He was only an ant, but if he could inflict suffering upon the mighty and unreachable Bone Lord, he would make a deal with the devil himself.

And it seems dealing with spirits is even worse than that. Enid is convincing, but I dealt with Odu and he tried to cheat me. I hope not all spirits are like that. Or should I just agree, and bear the consequences? I want to hear what they have in stock first. And I have a condition…

“I’ll gladly give up the opportunity to make a [Pact] with the Bone Lord,” Alan said. “However, I want to hear your offers first. I’m under the impression you… work… separately.”

“I wouldn’t be caught dead in the water dealing with this old snake,” Odu grunted, his cheek fat accentuating his point.

Enid waved a hand, “We’re all old if we look at it from a mortal’s perspective. You have a strange habit of caring about time.” Then she turned to Alan, “And yes, spirits seldom work together. There are, as is always the case, exceptions.”

“And I have one condition,” Alan continued making the spirits stare at him strangely. Was he making a mistake? “I’ll favor the offer that is both best for me and… worst for the Bone Lord. I want them to suffer.”

The spirits burst into laughter in the next moment. Water splashed around Odu as he laughed loudly, in deep separate noises akin to waves crashing into the rocks.

Enid laughed too, and the sound of it was even more pleasant now, ringing through the space and making Alan feel warmth inside his chest.

“Dear boy, you are truly the best one we’ve had in a long time,” Enid said after a while. She held a succulent apple in her hand now and she took a bite. “Very well, my offer is this, and listen well. Once, you step unto level 100 and initiate ascension, I’ll intervene with the System and fuel your transformation with a strand of my power. It will help you with your looming death, in a way that will satisfy the shadows inside of you and give you an edge for the future. You don’t have long left.”

That sounded tempting, although she spoke vaguely, without mentioning anything concrete. She can screw me quite easily with the wording such as this.

“I trade the treasures lost and found at sea, and rarely some of those I’ve made myself,” Odu interjected. “My offer will be better this time, as yours is better too. I guarantee you will be left satisfied. Choose between each of these three items.”

A doll of black cloth with rubies for eyes, a shimmering cloak that was like water during the sunset, and a fishbone knife floated in front of Odu. There was strength to the items, something that tickled Alan’s mind.

Their offers were both vague, which irked Alan. He wanted details, but the spirits didn’t seem to care for them. A promise of power was all there was to it, and Alan had to show great trust.

“Moreover,” Enid continued after Odu’s items were laid out before him, “I’ll give the offer to an evil spirit that owes me a favor. Even a momentary connection will be enough to build a hidden channel to his domain, which can be further exploited. This Bone Lord has built quite a little hoard of knowledge and… other things and there are those out there who will give anything to access some of it. Their initial meeting will be less than pleasant too.”

Odu had his chair float forward, “If you chose me, the [Pact] offer will go to a beast long extinct from your realm. It feeds on ancient bones and its prowess was famous many cycles ago, before the Thrones came and shaped the mortal world as what you see today. I can guarantee, that their meeting will not go smoothly, or easily. At the very least, it will take a bite before being banished from the Bone Lord’s domain, where all new [Warlocks] first go.”

Alan remained silent as he thought about it. Both offers sounded good even if the positive effects were very uncertain. He was inclined to take his chances with Enid, considering what he had learned about Odu. The Bone Lord would hopefully feel the effects of whatever she would do for a long while. Someone taking a bite out of the bastard sounded great too though.

Odu must’ve sensed how his decision was leaning because he spoke again, “And I’ll tinker with the Tome. I cannot fix it, but I’ll put a skill inside that will certainly be useful to you. Or, if you’re unsatisfied, I can exchange it.”

Enid rolled her eyes. “That you will do even if he chooses my offer. We’ve already established that. Or maybe I should go tattle?”

Odu squinted. “You wouldn’t.”

“Dear boy, friend of the spirits, to prove further that I’m worthy of trust and hope, let me show you something.”

She closed her eyes and held her hands forward. The surroundings churned and a strange energy washed over all. It was wild, prickly, yet gentle. It was familiar but stronger than the one Alan remembered. Then a single rose petal appeared in Enid’s hands and floated there for a moment and existence centered on it.

Thorn’s presence.

Enid saw the recognition in Alan’s eyes and smiled. The petal disappeared and everything returned to how it had been, far from normal, but further from weird too. Odu visibly deflated and mumbled something, then stretched a hand.

“Are you convinced, Fatty of the Lies?” Enid asked.

Odu ignored her and turned toward Alan. “Summon the Tome. I’ll return it to you soon after I try to make some changes. It’s a loss for me, but I need to make amends for cheating one of theirs. Do you wish to keep any of the skills inside? Or perhaps, do you want to trade it for something else?”

The spirit sounded almost like a scolded child, not a shred of the lofty aura around him remaining. Was the petal that significant? Was Thorn? It certainly seemed so.

The decision was difficult for Alan. To him, the Tome signified an additional lifeline. Something that he could prepare ahead of time and use in times of need. [Mountainbreaker Waves] was a good skill, but he didn’t really feel the need to hold on to it.

“Can I trade it for one of your new offers?” Alan asked.

“No. Their value is not comparable.” The answer was instant, and Enid stayed silent this time, despite her previous digs at the fat spirit. Alan took that as her agreeing.

“Then… can you tell me what [Hateful Sea Cut] does?”

The surroundings changed. Alan stumbled for a second as he appeared floating above a great mass of water. There was nothing else there apart from a faceless person there. He swung his arm in an arc toward the sea.

Something appeared, reminiscent of [Shadow Slash] but so much grander the scales weren’t comparable in the slightest. The skill hit the sea causing a wide line to appear in the waters. It remained for a moment as if invisible energy was holding the wound open before the waters filled the newly empty place.

“This is the original skill. It is called [Hateful Cut] and uses both one's hate and mana as fuel. The tome simply added a water attribute to it, as it is what it does now.” Odu’s voice sounded in Alan’s ear as he found himself back where they were.

It was a good attack. Much stronger than [Shadow Slash]. A good ace in the sleeve, and he didn’t trust whatever skill the spirit added would be an attacking one.

“What skill will you add?” he decided to ask.

“That remains to be decided, as the skills will have to be given up due to the nature of the Tome. I’m sincere in my desire to rebuild our relationship.”

“That means, when he cheats you in the future it will be more harmless. We’re spirits, after all, we need our entertainment,” Enid winked and once again draped an arm over Alan.

He reluctantly summoned the Tome. He didn’t like her words, but it was what it was. Odu picked it up from the air where it had floated, and just like that, it was gone. Alan couldn’t sense it anymore, but there was an emptiness inside.

“Keep the [Hateful Sea Cut], and replace all else.”

“It will be done. Now make your choice.”

Alan hesitated only for a moment. It all felt like he was gambling. Hopefully, Odu would keep his word. “Enid.”

The spirit cheered and kissed Alan on the cheek without restraint. There was sunshine and rainbows all around and the air grew warm and pleasant.

Odu was nowhere to be seen.

“Great! We will see each other again, dear boy. This time it was only us two who came, but the more contact you have with the spirit world, the more of us will find out about you. Be careful when you send a call. And don’t worry, the Bone Lord will suffer and I’ll throw in a freebie too. Go back now, you have things to do.”

“Wait!”

It was too late. She was gone and Alan was back on the long table. There was no [Pact] offer ringing ceaselessly in the back of his mind.

The hazy figure stood still for a few moments, and Alan turned toward it with hate. His System was back, and so was his power. He could feel it inside of him. Not that he assumed he had any chance against the being on the table, however, this was a mind’s domain and he felt safe now.

“What did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO?” The figure screamed and its features became clear to him. It was a skeleton with some flesh and skin still attached in places. What was not of bone, was bloody, dry, and disgusting.

“I made a deal.”

The figure screamed and banged on the table. “The Lord! Something is there! Something encroached on the Lord’s domain using me! You—”

Then, the hall was gone, the figure was gone, and Alan opened his eyes to find himself on the floor of the now familiar room he occupied in the outpost. Bonez was there too, staring wide-eyed at him. Alan felt the rage inside of him explode and the shadows reflected that.

“Oh, I better go. Bye for now!” Bonez said. There was a pop and a bone dropped from the empty air.

However, it fell right on Bonez, who was still there. The [Warlock] looked confused and used his skill again and another bone fell on the floor near him.

Alan summoned his daggers and covered himself and them in shadows. He prepared to pull on the connection of the curse and use [Sacrificial Attack] once more, no matter the price. However, there was something off.

“What the fuck?” Bonez asked with fear. His eyes widened and he raised a hand toward the coming Alan. “Stay back!”

No aura of power came from Bonez, nor did anything of note happen apart from a bundle of ribs clattering on the floor.

Enid’s bell-like laughter echoed around the room from somewhere far away.

Alan grinned. Maybe he could take his time.