Journey to Become the Zenith

The Contract Beneath the Eternal Moon

"And yet..."

"From your appearance..."

"You’re merely a human child of around ten years old."

There was a brief pause.

Then the mysterious woman continued with unmistakable curiosity.

"The swordsmanship you’ve displayed..."

"...doesn’t belong to this world."

"Did you create that style yourself?"

"And your magical talent..."

"It is exceptional."

"So much power..."

"At such a young age."

Her laughter carried a hint of admiration.

"Tell me..."

"Are you one of those so-called geniuses?"

Young Eddy remained completely silent.

Instead of answering...

He slowly adjusted his stance.

His grip around the longsword tightened.

His senses sharpened to their limit.

Victor could feel every instinct inside the boy screaming the same warning.

Someone is nearby...

But where?

He couldn’t sense a presence.

Couldn’t hear footsteps.

Couldn’t detect even the slightest fluctuation of mana.

Is it because I’m exhausted...?

Or is this person simply beyond anything I can perceive?

Before he could find an answer...

The mysterious woman spoke again.

"I see..."

"So you’re cautious."

Her voice carried clear amusement now.

"Remarkable."

"Not even fully grown warriors possess such composure."

"I’ve taken quite a liking to you, little boy."

There was another pause.

Then...

She said something completely unexpected.

"I think..."

"I’ll help you with your current predicament."

Young Eddy frowned.

His eyes swept across the silent forest once more.

He still couldn’t find the speaker.

Someone he couldn’t see...

Someone whose strength he couldn’t measure...

Had suddenly offered to save his life.

Instead of feeling relieved...

His caution only deepened.

He answered without lowering his guard.

"I don’t even know who you are..."

"And now you’re suddenly telling me you’ll help me?"

His voice remained steady despite the situation.

"What is your aim?"

"What do you want in return for helping me?"

He stared into the empty forest, speaking to someone he could neither see nor sense.

For a fleeting moment, a bitter smile appeared on his young face.

"I really must be going crazy."

"I don’t even know who you are..."

"And now you’re suddenly telling me you’ll help me?"

Young Eddy’s voice remained steady despite the desperate situation. Although exhaustion weighed heavily on his body, his mind remained remarkably clear.

"What is your aim?"

"What do you want in return for helping me?"

He slowly turned his head, carefully scanning the silent forest. Towering trees surrounded the ruined clearing, yet no matter where he looked, he couldn’t find the owner of the mysterious voice.

For a fleeting moment, a bitter smile appeared on his young face.

"I really must be going crazy."

A soft, amused laugh echoed through the forest.

"Kukuku..."

"Really, does it matter who I am?"

The woman’s voice was calm, elegant, and strangely soothing.

"If I don’t help you, it’s evident that you will die."

"So I think it is in your best interest to accept my help."

The words were spoken casually, as though she were merely stating an obvious fact.

Eddy remained silent for several heartbeats.

Then...

He laughed.

"Hahaha..."

His laughter was weak from exhaustion, yet there wasn’t a trace of fear within it.

"You make it sound as though death is the worst thing possible."

His grip around the longsword tightened.

"Let me tell you something."

"I know there are things far worse than death itself."

The mysterious woman fell silent.

Eddy continued, his golden eyes remaining vigilant.

"And besides..."

"You still haven’t answered my question."

"What exactly do you want from me?"

The forest grew quiet once more.

Even the wind seemed to pause.

Several moments later, the mysterious woman spoke again.

"I see..."

There was unmistakable admiration in her voice now.

"You truly are remarkable."

"It makes me wonder..."

"Are you really just a human child?"

A faint laugh followed.

"Very well."

"In exchange for helping you..."

"I wish to form a contract with you."

Eddy frowned.

"A contract?"

His expression became even more cautious.

"Are you a demon?"

The woman sounded genuinely surprised.

"Huh?"

"I’m no such thing as a demon."

A trace of pride entered her tone.

"My race is far older than those demons."

Eddy’s curiosity deepened.

"Then what manner of being are you?"

There was a brief pause before she answered.

"I’m an Ethereal."

"Ethereal?"

Eddy repeated the unfamiliar word.

"What’s an Ethereal?"

The woman let out another elegant laugh.

"Oh?"

"I thought you were the scholarly type."

"I assumed you would already know what an Ethereal was."

She sounded almost disappointed.

"Hmmm..."

A slight pause followed before her tone became more serious.

"Judging by your condition..."

"Your firewall is about to disappear."

"So I’ll keep the explanation simple."

Victor, observing everything through Eddy’s memories, silently listened.

The mysterious woman continued.

"My people are a race that forms contracts with beings who possess mana."

"In exchange for receiving mana from our partners..."

"We lend them our own power."

Her explanation was concise.

Yet it answered the most important question first.

Eddy immediately asked another.

"Why do you need mana from other races?"

The woman’s voice became noticeably quieter.

"Unlike every other race..."

"My people cannot regenerate mana."

"Once we expend it..."

"It is gone forever."

"We can only replenish it through the contracts we form."

Eddy quietly digested the information.

So that’s how it works...

His expression didn’t relax.

Instead, another concern surfaced.

"If I give you my mana..."

"Will it drain me until I die?"

The mysterious woman chuckled once again.

"Kukuku..."

"What a cautious child."

Her tone carried amusement rather than annoyance.

"I won’t take such a ridiculous amount."

"I’ll only receive enough mana to continue functioning."

"If you ever require me to unleash greater power..."

"You’ll simply have to provide me with more mana."

She paused before continuing.

"And unlike me..."

"Your mana naturally regenerates."

"So whatever you provide won’t be lost forever."

There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in her next words.

"As long as you continue supplying me with mana..."

"I will never betray you."

"That is the covenant every Ethereal lives by."

Her voice became calm.

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