The Boss Wants to Die

Chapter 27

The Boss Wants to Die

[A 1-star (★) familiar may borrow a ‘negligible’ portion of the Evil God’s power.

As a penalty, they are bound by the restrictions ‘Summon’ and ‘Mouth that Lost Lies.’]

“Summon?”

When I asked, a guide window seemed to pop up for Michael as well, and he explained in my place.

“It appears to be a restriction allowing the Evil God to call me whenever and wherever they wish.”

‘Not bad at all.’

From Michael’s perspective, it meant he could be summoned to me right before dealing the finishing blow to a monster in the middle of a dungeon run.

Finding it interesting, I looked into the other restriction.

“What’s this one?”

“Are you referring to the Mouth that Lost Lies?”

“Yeah.”

“It means exactly what it says. I can never lie to you.”

Hearing that made this one sound even more appealing.

“That’s pretty nice.”

“Will you make the contract, then?”

“It sounds good and all, but…”

Frowning, I tilted my head.

“What do I actually gain from this? It’s not like I really have a use for it.”

“Akt is trying to prevent your death by any means necessary.”

Stopping midway through reading the holographic description, I merely rolled my eyes toward Michael.

“And I am his primary helper.”

“……”

“I will be far more useful than you think.”

“Do you realize how dangerous a statement that is?”

I put my hands on my hips.

I dismissed the hologram filled with text.

Now that I understood what it was about, I had to scold this brat who was spouting nonsense.

“You’re telling me you want to play double agent between Akt and me?”

“……”

“Are you confident you won’t get caught by Akt? And are you confident you won’t leak my information to him?”

Michael seemed ruffled by my questions, but he managed to keep his mouth shut.

I didn’t trust him one bit.

Didn’t he already have a track record of completely ruining the plan right in front of us?

If I got tempted and accepted the offer, it could end up selling my own information to the enemy instead.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that proposal. Besides, what good does it do if you can’t lie to me? What if you just keep your mouth shut, and that’s the end of it?”

“……”

“You’ve got a cunning side beneath that look, don’t you? I almost signed the contract without thinking.”

A 1-star (★) rank was a familiar that received the most negligible trace of the Evil God’s power, meaning my commands held no binding force.

If Michael simply chose to ignore them, I’d have no way to make him move.

Unless I coaxed him by dangling other rewards in front of him.

“You packaged it as if it were such a great deal, but it’s nothing special.”

“You don’t have to accept me as a familiar, but isn’t it too good an opportunity to pass up?”

Michael remained calm.

“All I gain from this contract is merely getting the Holy Sword back. You lose nothing. Lending a negligible amount of power is no different from adding one more bat to the one you already carry around, so it’s virtually nothing to you.”

“……”

“On the other hand, in exchange for borrowing a ‘negligible’ amount of your power, I am bound by ‘Summon’ and the ‘Mouth that Lost Lies.’”

Michael shook his head.

“If anything, this contract is a loss for me, not you.”

“Then why do you want to become my familiar? Even while taking such a loss?”

“I need information on Akt.”

Michael confessed plainly, as if seeing no need to hide it.

“There is something I must find out. I can’t tail Akt around the clock, so I need your information.”

“Hm.”

“If you summon me, tracking his location will at least be a piece of cake.”

“What are you trying to find out from Akt?”

“I’d rather not disclose that.”

Michael drew a sharp line, provoking me for hesitating to form the familiar contract.

“If you find me untrustworthy, you simply shouldn’t leak any information.”

“……”

“Or are you, perhaps, not confident you can keep important information from slipping to me?”

The provocation I made earlier had neatly bounced right back at me.

‘Not bad.’

I let out a scoff and eyed him sideways.

‘To think he’d get back at me the moment I let my guard down.’

I tapped the ground impatiently.

The sun was rising, so I had to make a decision.

“Fine. It’s not a bad deal. As long as you don’t demand more information as part of the contract conditions.”

“There is only one thing I want. Akt’s location. In return, I will use my own judgment regarding what information about Akt to pass on.”

“Do whatever you want.”

A taut tension settled between Michael and me for a moment.

“Are you sure you won’t regret this?”

“I’ve come too far to back out now.”

Michael’s brows furrowed deeply as if he were lost in thought, then he roughly rubbed his face and urged me.

“Let’s make the contract, Evil God. Make me your familiar.”

“All right.”

Splitting my mouth into a wide grin, I grabbed Michael’s wrist and pulled him close.

My body moved on its own.

It seemed the Evil God inside me knew exactly how to turn a target into a familiar.

Michael’s face, pure and clean like a baby angel’s, turned pale as a sheet of paper and cold.

I stroked his bloodless cheek with my index finger as if comforting him, then deftly unbuttoned the top of his priestly vestments.

Fair skin faintly tinged with a peach hue was exposed.

Swallowing hard, I buried my lips into the nape of his neck near his shoulder.

Feeling the soft, lukewarm lips, Michael shuddered.

With my lips still buried against his neck, I spoke.

“I shall graciously make you my servant.”

Then, baring my fangs, I pierced his skin in a single breath.

Dark blood burst like fruit juice and flowed into my mouth.

Without the slightest aversion, I drank in and savored the sweet metallic fragrance.

Tasting the blood, my heart contracted with an electrifying thrill, trembling in ecstasy.

Reflecting his lifelong devout vocation, Michael’s blood was clear and pure, without a trace of fishy stench.

Ta-da~!

[Michael Iruvre has become a Familiar of the Evil God!]

[Michael Iruvre has become a 1-star (★) familiar. The servant of God who embraced the power of darkness has fallen, and their class has changed.]

Ding!

[Congratulations! You have changed a noble priest’s class to ‘Fallen Priest’!]

[Fallen Priest.

The reasons a priest abandons the divine will and falls from grace vary.

It could be from committing a crime, killing an innocent life, or excessively pursuing worldly pleasures.

Here, today, yet another priest has left the Main God’s side.

― Cause: Becoming a Familiar of the Evil God.]

‘This feels quite strange.’

Smacking my lips, I pulled away from Michael.

“Ugh!”

Clutching the bleeding nape of his neck to stem the flow, he backed away about four steps from me.

He was breaking out in a cold sweat and panting heavily, looking extremely uncomfortable.

“What’s wrong? Does it hurt that much?”

“Th-this is…”

Michael’s face was beet-red, looking as if it were about to burst.

He repeatedly chewed on his lower lip as if trying to suppress a certain sensation.

“Y-you only needed to drink the blood, so why do something so unnecessary…”

“Huh?”

Feeling puzzled, I checked the system window again and found details I hadn’t noticed while slurping up Michael’s blood.

[It’s okay, it’s nothing scary.

It makes the victim being fed upon feel good rather than feel pain.

That way, you can indulge in their blood more comfortably. You might even indulge in more intimate things!

Please enjoy the prey before your eyes to your ‘heart’s content’!]

‘What is this?!’

Seeing the system window, my face turned bright red along with his.

Fanning myself with my hand, I let out an awkward laugh.

“Haha! It’s, well, it’s been a while since I drank blood.”

What did I mean, "been a while"?

Michael was my first.

“I only did it because I was worried it would hurt too much. Next time, I’ll be careful not to activate the skill…”

“There is no next time!”

Michael snapped sharply, hurriedly gathering his priestly robes.

Just as he hastily fastened his buttons to conceal the exposed skin, a new system window appeared.

Ding!

[A new quest has arrived.]

[Human Blood is Delicious!

Congratulations on your first blood-drinking! You have tasted blood for the first time while turning someone into a familiar. How was it? Wasn’t it ecstatic?

By drinking human blood, the Evil God can live in a manner even more ‘befitting the Evil God.’

Instead of eating ordinary food, you can fill your stomach and even heal your wounds by drinking blood.

What if the target is special? That blood will grant a special buff!

From now on, become an Evil God Sommelier and seek out the finest blood.

Who knows? You might find blood that grants a useful buff.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to win them over as a familiar and carry them around like a packed lunch!

― Clear Condition: Drink blood 10 times (0/10)

― Reward: Blood-red Ruby Gem ×2]

I might be dirt-poor without a single penny to my name, but I didn't want to accept a quest like this just for two gems.

The contents were frankly dizzying.

First pushing the quest window aside, I didn't forget to give Michael a warning.

Since he looked ready to flee at any second, I practically had to shout at the back of his head.

“Make sure Akt doesn’t notice the mark!”

Pointing at my neck, I advised him.

“A familiar’s mark must have been left where I bit you. Heart has one too.”

At that, Michael scowled and looked back.

“Are you treating me on the same level as that ridiculous-looking bat?”

“I’m not teasing you, it’s real. Take it off and check if you don’t believe me.”

Michael lifted his collar with a skeptical look, then soon gritted his teeth in annoyance.

He had clearly confirmed the mark was there.

“Damn it.”

“Still, it’s somewhere out of sight. A priest’s robe covers half the neck anyway. That’s why I deliberately bit lower down.”

“You don’t need to explain.”

He snapped back petulantly and hurried away from the spot.

It seemed he felt quite humiliated by the strange, peculiar sensation he experienced while being bitten by me.

‘He acts just like an elementary schooler who had his first kiss.’

Giggling to myself, I called for Heart.

“Did you call, Master?”