Chapter 4 – The First Contractor (1)
A dark, gloomy basement.
Kang Yujin sat with his back against the wall.
His body felt heavy, and his mind was clouded. Drugs were being injected into him at regular intervals.
“Ah... Ah...”
It had already been a long time since he had been dragged into the Church of the Morning Star.
During that time, Kang Yujin had been subjected to all kinds of human experiments.
Inside this facility, Kang Yujin was not treated as a human being.
He was nothing more than a laboratory animal.
The Church’s goal was to create modified humans capable of displaying power equal to or greater than Contractors without forming contracts with Constellations.
To accomplish that goal, Kang Yujin had been forced to undergo countless painful experiments.
There had once been many other test subjects besides Kang Yujin.
But now, he was the only one left.
That did not mean Kang Yujin was a successful specimen.
He simply had not failed... yet.
The experiments would continue.
And Kang Yujin’s hellish days would continue with them.
“Mom...”
A single tear rolled down his cheek.
He could no longer even remember the faces of his family.
All that remained inside his mind was a vague memory of warmth.
Still, it was only because he remembered that warmth that he had managed to endure this hell until now.
“Ugh...”
He had to endure.
He had to survive this hell.
No matter what happened, he had to stay alive.
“You look terrible.”
A voice suddenly rang out.
Kang Yujin slowly moved his eyes.
A clown stood before him.
It was someone he had never seen in this facility before.
The clown looked somewhat like a boy, yet also somewhat like a girl.
No matter how he looked at them, they did not seem like someone from the Church.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Arlecchino No. 49. Please feel free to call me No. 49.”
“Ah...?”
“Oh dear. It seems speaking is difficult for you. My apologies.”
The clown politely bowed their head.
“Judging from your condition, you appear to be in a very difficult situation. It must be terribly painful.”
“Ugh...”
“Would you allow me to help you?”
Help?
“Ah, to be precise, I will not be the one helping you.”
The clown smiled.
“The great ‘Nameless One’ whom I serve will be the one helping you. I am merely His representative.”
“Na...?”
“He once said that He is the protector of all those struggling at the very bottom of this world.”
The clown placed a hand over their chest, wearing an expression filled with emotion.
“He learned of your existence and decided to show you mercy.”
“Mer...?”
“He intends to help you escape from this place.”
Escape...
From this place?
“Of course, He can only assist you. Even a Constellation must pay an enormous price if they directly interfere with the fate of a human.”
“Price...?”
“For now, let us begin by forming a contract with the ‘Nameless One’ whom I serve.”
The clown spread their arms.
“That will be our starting point.”
A contract.
The moment Kang Yujin heard that word, a certain phrase came to mind.
A contract with the devil.
The clown standing before him also reminded him of a demon.
But so what if it really was a contract with the devil?
If he could truly escape from this place...
He would gladly sell his soul to a demon.
“Will you form the contract?”
The clown leaned closer.
“Since you cannot speak, blink rapidly twice. I will treat that as your acceptance of the contract.”
“Ugh...”
Kang Yujin tried to blink.
But even blinking rapidly twice was difficult.
That was how badly damaged his body had become.
“Do your best.”
The clown’s voice reached his ears.
“No matter how difficult it may be.”
Then their tone became slightly colder.
“Someone who does not even possess that much determination is not worthy of forming a contract with Him.”
“Ugh...!”
At last, Kang Yujin managed to blink twice in rapid succession.
The clown smiled.
“The contract has been established.”
At that moment, letters suddenly appeared in midair.
[You have formed a contract with the S-Rank Constellation ‘***’.]
[From this moment onward, the S-Rank Constellation ‘***’ will protect you.]
[As a special benefit for forming a contract with an S-Rank Constellation, you may select one of the following five blessings.]
[1. 1,000,000 G Coins]
[2. 10 Enhancement Crystals]
[3. 5 S-Rank Random Boxes]
[4. 1 Constellation Summoning Ticket]
[5. Complete removal of all abnormal conditions and full recovery of Health and Mana]
“Well, I assume you understand even without an explanation.”
The clown’s voice rang out again.
“You should choose number five.”
The clown pointed toward the floating message.
“Blink rapidly five times, and we will consider that your selection of option five.”
Kang Yujin desperately blinked five times.
And then—
“...!”
How many years had it been?
For the first time in years, he regained control over both his body and mind.
“Urgh...!”
He forced himself to stand.
Pain surged through every corner of his body.
But he did not care.
“As I thought, the drugs were what prevented you from moving.”
The clown observed him curiously.
“If they had permanently damaged your central nervous system, then this would have been useless.”
“Haa... Haa...”
“Now then.”
Alarm sirens began echoing throughout the facility.
“It seems your movements have triggered alarms throughout the facility. People will be rushing here very soon.”
The clown tilted their head.
“What will you do?”
As the clown spoke, more text continued appearing in midair.
[Event: Escape Toward Freedom]
Overview: A modified human who has endured painful human experimentation at the hands of a wicked religious organization for many years. Then one day, a fateful moment finally arrives. The curse that had bound his body and mind disappears in an instant. He refuses to let this opportunity escape him. To obtain his freedom, one man’s desperate escape begins.
Completion Condition: The event participant must escape the facility.
Completion Reward: None.
The clown laughed.
“There is no completion reward for this event.”
Then they spread their arms dramatically.
“But for you, freedom itself will surely be a greater reward than anything else!”
“Freedom...!”
At that exact moment—
Bang!
The door was thrown open.
Researchers whom Kang Yujin frequently saw entered the room, accompanied by security guards.
Their expressions immediately filled with shock.
The laboratory animal that should have been lying unconscious under the effects of the drugs was standing perfectly upright.
“Tr-Tranquilizer gun!”
A researcher shouted at a guard.
The guard hurriedly pulled out his weapon.
But it was already too late.
“OOOOOOOH!”
Kang Yujin roared.
He kicked off the floor and shot forward.
Then he grabbed the wrist of the guard who had drawn the gun—
And ripped it off.
“Urgh...!”
Everyone stared in horror and stumbled backward.
But once again, they were too late.
A moment later, every one of them was lying on the floor with their necks twisted at unnatural angles.
“Heavens, how frightening.”
Kang Yujin heard the clown laughing behind him.
“A modified human experimented on by villains smashing everything apart and escaping from the facility...”
The clown clapped happily.
“It is one of the classic clichés!”
Their grin widened.
“I will watch closely and see just how satisfying your escape becomes!”
The clown continued chattering behind him.
But Kang Yujin no longer cared.
Consumed by his desire for freedom, he stepped forward.
Just as I expected.
I nodded while watching everything unfold on the screen.
Right now, the modified human was advancing through the facility while brutally beating down everyone from the religious organization who tried to stop him.
It was like watching a human weapon straight out of an action movie.
I already knew that guy was ridiculously strong.
I knew exactly how powerful that man was.
Because in my previous life, I had once worked as a security guard at that very facility.
A bottom-of-the-barrel Contractor bound to a D-Rank Constellation was not exactly in a position to be picky about employment.
Even so, I had hated working there.
Eventually, when an event to raid the facility took place, I betrayed the religious organization and sided with the raiding party.
“If we release that guy, the situation will become much more favorable for us. We should prioritize freeing him before anything else.”
I had argued that repeatedly.
But nobody listened.
I was a bottom-tier Contractor bound to a D-Rank Constellation.
Worse, I was someone who had been working for the religious organization until moments before suddenly betraying them.
Of course they were not going to trust a strategy suggested by someone like me.
In the end, the raid failed.
Everyone retreated without gaining anything.
This finally makes me feel better.
Kang Yujin was destroying everything in his path as he advanced.
At this point, the facility was practically finished.
All they had to do was release this guy, and everything would've gone smoothly.
It left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth.
But still...
I looked toward the corner of the screen.
What I was watching right now was the live broadcast of the event taking place in that world.
Various pieces of information were displayed alongside the footage.
One corner of the screen showed how many Constellations were currently watching the event.
However...
I had spent one million points through No. 49 on advertising.
Yet only five Constellations were currently watching.
One of those five was probably me.
Which meant spending one million points had only managed to attract four other Constellations.
And the total sponsorship money sent by those Constellations so far was...
0 points.
Sponsorship money itself went to the Contractor participating in the event.
However, the Constellation hosting the event also received a portion as commission.
But since nobody had sent any sponsorship money, I had earned absolutely nothing.
Even so, I did not feel like I had suffered a loss.
Just getting that guy as my first Contractor already makes this worth it.
He was a monster capable of single-handedly destroying a facility that groups of Contractors had failed to break through.
On top of that, he had an incredibly dramatic background.
A modified human subjected to human experimentation by an evil organization.
If I raised him properly, he could become an incredibly promising Contractor capable of attracting the attention of many Constellations.
And naturally, those achievements would eventually return to me, his contracted Constellation, and become my Source Power.
I still don't know how much a Constellation can directly interfere with their Contractor.
Excessive interference would probably require a huge amount of Source Power.
Should I discuss it with No. 49...?
Come to think of it, No. 49 had handled the event surprisingly smoothly.
They seemed far more competent as an Apostle than I had expected.
But I can't trust No. 49 completely.
I wanted to make contact with other Apostles as well.
How am I supposed to do that?
I continued watching the screen.
Back at the facility, my first Contractor had reached the final battle before the facility’s main gate.
It was an incredible spectacle.
Even so, I did not throw him any sponsorship money.
I was not watching the broadcast as a spectator seeking entertainment.
Instead, I pressed a button on the Observer screen that I had been keeping my eye on for a while.
Win.
I removed my hand from the screen and silently cheered him on.
I hoped my Contractor could escape from the very bottom of the world...
And begin walking down a new path.
“Eat this, bastard!”
Thwack!
A crossbow bolt pierced Kang Yujin’s shoulder.
His body crashed and rolled across the ground.
“Ugh...!”
He had successfully escaped from the facility building.
However, a tall wall surrounded the building.
The only way outside was through the main gate.
And the path leading toward that gate was blocked by security guards whose original job was to protect the facility from external threats.
These were no ordinary guards.
Every one of them was a Contractor who had formed a contract with a Constellation.
Each possessed tremendous combat power.
Kang Yujin had heard that Contractors had once attacked this facility in an attempt to rescue the prisoners.
But even they had failed to break through these security guards and had been forced to retreat.
“UOOOH!”
Kang Yujin charged forward recklessly.
But his enemies were professionals.
They coordinated with one another, surrounded him properly, and concentrated their attacks on him.
“This bastard is strong, but he doesn't know how to fight Contractors!”
“He's just charging around like a wild animal! Keep your distance and take him down properly!”
“Don't kill him! He's an important test subject!”
If Kang Yujin could only get his hands on them, he was confident he could snap their necks or rip out their hearts.
But he could not reach them.
More and more wounds appeared across his body.
The human experiments had made his body incredibly durable.
However, if this continued, he would eventually collapse from blood loss.
Is this... the end?
Fear gripped him.
He had finally been given a chance to regain his freedom.
But now...
The thought of failing and being dragged back into that basement filled him with despair.
“Ugh... Ugh...”
Tears began flowing from his eyes.
He wanted to curse his fate.
Does God truly not exist in this world?
“AAAAARGH...!”
Just as his desperate scream erupted—
A message appeared before his eyes.
[Your contracted Constellation ‘***’ has bestowed a Blessing (Extra Large) upon you!]
[All of your stats will greatly increase for 5 minutes!]
A powerful sensation surged throughout his entire body.
There was no need to check exactly what had happened.
His instincts alone told him everything.
His body had surpassed its limits.
The next moment—
Kang Yujin grabbed the nearest guard.
Crack!
And snapped his neck.
His movements have definitely changed.
I rubbed my chin as I watched my Contractor rampage across the battlefield.
So this is the effect of an Extra Large Blessing.
It had consumed a considerable amount of Source Power.
But its effectiveness exceeded my expectations.
Well, I've never received an Extra Large Blessing before.
That damn D-Rank Constellation I had been contracted with was stingy even when it came to granting an ordinary Blessing.
It probably thought using Source Power on someone like me was a waste.
Either way, this should be enough for him to break through this crisis.
Thinking that, I glanced toward the corner of the Observer screen.
The number of Constellations watching had dropped from five to four.
What a shame.
The climax was happening right now.
Just as that thought crossed my mind—
“You have an interesting way of playing, rookie.”
A cold voice suddenly came from behind me.
“It has been a long time since I watched something this entertaining.”
When had he arrived?
A handsome man with cold features stood there, silently staring at me.
He wore clothing reminiscent of modern-era Europe.
His skin was so pale that he almost looked like a vampire.
“You are...”
“Allow me to introduce myself first.”
The man smiled elegantly.
“The King of Vengeance.”
His smile deepened.
“That is my Constellation name.”
The moment I heard that name, my breath caught in my throat.
The King of Vengeance.
That was the name of a legendary S-Rank Constellation.
He was on an entirely different level from an amateurish S-Rank like me.
A legendary existence truly worthy of being called a King.
“My True Name is Edmond Dantès.”
The man continued calmly.
“But I suppose it would be easier for people like you to recognize me as the ‘Count of Monte Cristo.’”
The Hero of Vengeance, also famously known as the King of the Cavern.
In our world, he was merely a character from a novel.
But within the Grand Fantasy Realm, he had undeniably existed and performed legendary deeds.
The greatest avenger among all avengers.
And now, that very being had become an S-Rank Constellation...
And had personally visited my domain.
Wait.
He didn't send me a message.
A Constellation came here personally?
Back when I had been a Contractor, if I did something that caught a Constellation’s attention, I would sometimes receive messages like:
[XXX applauds your performance.]
But apparently...
When you became a Constellation and did something that attracted attention...
Instead of sending you a message—
The Constellation themselves came to visit.
