For countless ages, he had been sealed within a necklace, and as a result, his power had been so severely depleted that even his soul had begun to crumble. Thus, the being before them, who had once been Surt, was hardly deserving of that name anymore.

“Still, isn’t it better to be a lowly creature like you than to be nothing at all?” someone remarked.

“Nonsense. How dare you compare me, a living and breathing ghost, to something as insignificant as yourself?”

“Even if you were a ghost, you were once a prominent figure…”

“Still, I am nothing more than a mere specter.”

Surt shot a piercing glance at the speaker, Kariel, who returned the gesture without flinching. For a moment, they stared at each other as if beams of light would shoot out from their eyes, but then they both turned away, falling silent.

“Is this the work of the gods? Have they come to strike a bargain with me?” Surt muttered.

“What do you mean?” Kariel asked, taken aback.

“Have you also fallen prey to the gods?” Kariel asked incredulously, to which Surt nodded in confirmation.

Their hostility toward each other instantly dissipated, and they grinned at the absurdity of the situation. Then they began to talk behind the gods’ backs.

“All gods are the same, especially that bastard Loki,” Kariel said.

“Ah, Loki is famous, isn’t he?” Surt added.

As if acknowledging his knowledge about Loki, Surt recited the events he remembered. He explained how even Odin was a trash and how the so-called upper gods were also nothing but garbage at that time. He also sneered at the giants, who might seem rough but were actually weak.

“By the way, what is that ‘god’? It seems like you know about it too,” asked Kariel.

Surt was about to say something in response to Kariel’s question, but he remained silent as if he was restrained by something.

Kariel observed Surt quietly without further inquiry, noticing that he seemed to be struggling to express something.

With a frustrated expression, Surt scratched his tousled hair as if it were on fire. “Ah, just consider him as an insignificant bastard. There’s no need to know his identity.”

“Well… what importance does knowing that bastard’s identity have now?” Kariel asked, shaking his head and glancing at Surt. “So, are you going to make the deal?” he continued.

Surt remained silent in response to his question.

“What, are you afraid of being weak?”

Surt snorted, finally pleased to meet someone who suited him.

“Then what’s the problem?”

“If you make a contract with me, you’ll die,” Surt said.

“What are you talking about?” Kariel furrowed his brows.

“If you make a contract with me in your current state, you will die,” Surt repeated.

Although the primal flame had faded and was barely present after generations, it was inevitable that it would ignite again as long as there was a trace of it left. In Surt’s eyes, Kariel’s capacity to handle the primal flame was far too low.

“You said the gods claimed you were the one who could overcome this hellfire,” Kariel said.

“…It’s true. In the long run, if you can endure the moment of making a contract with me, I can help you control the fire to some extent,” Surt replied, nodding as if acknowledging Kariel’s point.

“However, the chances of you dying at that moment are high, so there’s no other way,” he continued.

“Isn’t there any way to endure that moment?” Kariel asked.

Upon hearing Surt’s words, Kariel asked him if he knew about the contract. Surt replied that he had some knowledge of it, citing an example of a spirit contract or a summoning contract where the mana of the contractor is temporarily amplified.

“Yeah, when a summoner and a summon resonate, their mana amplifies… huh? Wait, could it be?” Kariel said, surprised.

“That’s right. The amplification of the hellfire,” Surt confirmed, causing Kariel to express confusion.

“Amplification is just a small matter, though,” Kariel said.

“That’s because your body is too weak to handle it,” Surt retorted with a fact a*sault, causing Kariel to furrow his brows. He could once again realize how weak his physical body was.

“Then, is it possible when my body recovers to some extent?” Kariel asked.

“Maybe? But would it be possible?” Surt asked, shaking his head as if it was hopeless.

“There is one way,” Kariel said, explaining about the Warewolf’s corporeal technique.

Surt seemed unsure, as he had less interest in the lower species, and he had been sealed for a long time, unaware of events outside.

“Anyway, is there a possibility?” Kariel murmured, standing up from his seat.

Just seeing the possibility was enough for him. He had already found the artifact of mythical existence much faster than expected, so it was a win.

“Will you come?” Surt asked, looking at Kariel with a melancholic gaze.

“I’ll be back soon,” Kariel replied, leaving with determination. Surt breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at Kariel’s frail body. Then Kariel spoke while walking away. “Just wait, I’ll be back soon.”

As Kariel spoke, he attempted to leave the cursed barracks. Suddenly, blue flames illuminated his surroundings, creating a path for him to exit.

“Hurry up and come out. I’m bored,” Surt’s voice could be heard from afar.

Kariel turned his head and nodded slightly in response before proceeding with his report.

“Your Highness,” he addressed upon entering the second chamber. A shadow that had been watching the second chamber with concern hastily approached Kariel.

“I need to make a report. Please accompany me,” Kariel said.

“Of course,” the shadow replied before guiding Kariel through the second chamber and towards the entrance of the palace report.

“My apologies, but you cannot bring anything beyond this point,” the shadow informed Kariel.

“Thank you,” Kariel said before exiting alone, with Tarion quickly offering support.

“Your Highness, are you alright?” Tarion asked.

“I’m fine,” Kariel replied, with a steward responsible for the palace report standing by anxiously.

Despite being a prince, it was protocol to ensure that nothing was brought out from the palace report when leaving. This was because they needed to check if any items had been taken, and if so, whether they could be borrowed from the palace report.

“Check him. He shouldn’t be carrying anything,” the steward ordered, trembling as they searched Kariel’s body roughly.

Then Kariel asked Tarion, “Are there any surveillance guards nearby?”

“Yes, but they are far away,” Tarion replied.

Kariel nodded and spoke in a low voice, “I know you’re busy, but I have a request. Bring me all the information you can find about the ancient werewolves. Prioritize this task and keep it as discreet as possible, alright?”

Tarion grinned and responded, “Of course!”

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