"How?"
The fog rolled back, covering the view of the tree again, but I still didn't stand up and just kept looking at the ground.
'I started feeling like that death wasn't a bad option.'
Didn't all the stories start from an easy tutorial where the main character was given some time to adjust to the changes?
Then what was this? Why was this tutorial so hard?
Thanks to that, whatever delusion I had for this life was shattered completely, and I had come to an understanding.
'This life is not going to be an easy one.'
Well... neither was the first first, but I'd never encountered an ocean class before, let alone two.
'This world is just built differently.'
But that was not going to change anything.
'If I am alive, I will live.'
Even if this world was tough, I just needed to be tougher.
"It's good to have a strong resolve. I like your mindset." Orran reread my mind,
It was quite annoying and dangerous; but he couldn't read everything.
Earlier, he called me Cale Tennebris, which meant he was unaware of my true identity.
Which was a good thing,
"You said it's been a week, then how am I even alive?" Putting everything aside, I asked the most important thing.
"Hmm, normally it won't even take a day for it to devour multiple souls," Orran replied,
"but you have some strong people in your group, and because of their resistance, you are still alive."
Then he turned his head toward the fog again,
"I can sense multiple distortions; it seems like someone had been resisting hard, breaking free from the dream again and again."
As I listened to Orran, my thoughts went back to the red-haired knight.
'So, he was actually helping us.'
I thought he was just a crazy bastard spouting nonsense.
'...That guy seriously lacks communication skills.'
"But it won't last for long," Orran said,
"Dream Eater is a clever monster. Whenever a dream is broken, it creates another one, putting more focus on the... bug, gradually changing its perception.
Soon, it won't be able to differentiate between reality and dreams and will lose its mind."
I stood up and said,
"Alright, I understand the situation... now, how do I get out of here?"
"...I can help you, but..." Orran stopped mid-sentence,
"But?" I raised an eyebrow,
"Why should I?" Orran's red eyes glimmered unusually,
"Why should I get out of my way to entangle myself with another ocean class for a puny demon?"
I sighed,
"Of course, why would you? But you're talking to me and showing all this must be for a reason. right?"
Orran smiled,
"Well, it's been a long time since I conversed with another being. Usually they lose their mind or they try to hunt if they are strong, but you..."
My body shivered at the aura released by the Orran,
"You are different, you may not realize it, but people show their subconscious side in their dreams, but somehow you were fully conscious..."
I glared at the Orran as he retracted his aura,
"To be honest, I also don't know why you are still trapped here... if not purposely,
But that's a good thing; if you had woken up earlier, you would have been eaten by the insect monsters you saw around the tree."
Orran stepped closer to me and tried to touch my chest while smiling creepily,
"Not to mention, this potent soul, how did it go unnoticed till now, people or monsters, they would kill for such a thing?"
"!?"
I yanked away his hand and asked,
"Enough, just tell me what you need in return for your help?"
Ocean class or not, this guy had started to get on my nerves.
'Should I punch him at least once, and accept my death gracefully?'
Orran looked blankly at his hand and finally spoke after some time,
"What I want is simple... You are a spirit user, so form a contract with me."
I froze,
I knew about the contracts; those with the spirit affinity can form a contract with the spirits and can use their powers.
But these contracts came at a high price.
In return for using their powers, spirits could ask for anything of the user, like any part of their body, their memories, or anything that could be important to the user.
Original Cale formed a contract with a demon spirit.
And he paid a heavy price for it.
"What are your terms?" I asked cautiously.
Orran remained silent for a while, then answered,
"Bind my soul to yours."
I blinked once... twice,
"Pardon?"
"Bind your soul with me," Orran replied smoothly.
"No, I heard you first, but please elaborate?"
Orran sighed for the first time and spoke,
"There is nothing to elaborate, form a contract with me, I will lend you my power in return, bind a part of your soul with me, and..."
He paused, strange emotion flashing in his eyes,
"One condition would be to let me have a physical body in the real world."
'What the...'
"It's impossible." I shook my head,
"You are an ocean class spirit, I don't know my core can handle such a burden, and you are asking for a physical body... Are you asking me to give up my body to ocean class spirit and let it roam the land-"
"I will seal my powers," Orran interrupted me while his shaking words,
"And I don't need your body, any other body would do as long as it could feel and move. I am willing to wait as long as it needs."
".."
I fell silent at his words,
If he sealed his power and won't be taking over my body, I guess it was fine, but,
"How would you take any other body? And what would you need me for?"
"Hmm, I know an art for that; all I lacked so far was a suitable medium."
Orran said,
"I have tried many things before but never succeeded, but if it's you... You can do it."
"And if it doesn't succeed," I narrowed my eyes at him,
"...Well, you are going to die anyway."
".."
'This bastard!'
"But don't worry, the rate of success is definitely more than ninety percent."
"What about the other ten percent?"
".."
Orran remained silent at my inquiry.
I thought over his words,
To be honest, his deal wasn't bad, but it was too dangerous.
What if I end up making bigger problems for the future?
'Well, let's just leave it to future me.'
"Orran," I called out to Orran. There was one thing I was curious about,
"I just want to know one thing... Why go so far?"
He was an ocean class spirit. Why would he go so far as to even seal his power and make a contract with a weaker being?
A distant look of longing appeared on Orran's face,
"To roam the real world, it is what I wish for, nothing else."
".."
Well, it was good enough.
"Alright... I will form a contract with you, on condition that you will listen to my every word that won't get in the way of your wish."
I extended my hand toward him,
"It's nothing much, just don't harm any being without my permission and help me when I ask, aside from that, you are free to do what you want."
Orran continued to look at my extended hand for a while, then slowly raised his own.
"Thank you." He said,
I smiled softly,
'Alright, a new slave acquire-'
:: NOW, GIVE ME YOUR LEFT EYE::
Slowly, the fog enveloped the Orran as his body grew larger and larger, standing right in front of me.
Before I knew it, a giant black bird head was right in front of me, its six eyes staring at me.
"What?"
I stood, completely frozen, my eyes wide.
_Flap!
Then, the bird attacked me.