In the vast space, Kyle stared at Nesis, the horned man who had achieved true consciousness and a physical form after a thousand years of hard work.
No, more specifically, the latter had consumed a lot of people's lifespans to reach the divine rank.
Kyle found out about this when Nesis pulled a piece of paper out of thin air and placed it in front of him with a smile. But Kyle didn't even look at it.
Instead, he tore the paper and burned it right in front of Nesis's eyes. There was no way he would sign a contract with something that feeds on the lifespan of others.
Kyle patiently waited as Nesis placed his fingers on his wrist. After his threat, the man agreed to answer his questions in exchange for only ten years of lifespan.
'After all, if he didn't, he would have to stay stuck here with me for a long time.'
A sharp pain traveled through his body, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.
Kyle saw it clearly when white energy emerged from his skin and entered Nesis's head, which glowed brightly.
'I said it would be okay to give away ten years of my lifespan, but I still feel bad about it... Well, once I'm out of this place, I'll take it back. And if I can't, I'll just destroy his true body as compensation.'
His eyes turned cold, but they returned to normal when Nesis opened his eyes wide with pure shock and astonishment. The man even distanced himself from Kyle, his forehead sweaty. Kyle raised an eyebrow, surprised.
'Did he somehow figure out what I was thinking?'
Nesis took a moment to pause and wiped his forehead. However, the gaze he gave Kyle had completely shifted. If before, he wanted to take Kyle's lifespan because of the otherworldly thing inside his body, now he wanted nothing to do with the human in front of him. Not after learning about his past.
"... Just as I told you, I can't see your future, but I have already taken ten years of your lifespan. Not only that, I have also read everything that you've gone through up until now. So, I'll fulfill my end of the deal."
He spoke with a calm voice, but his trembling fingers revealed his true feelings.
'I need to run away! This person isn't dangerous, but the Celestial essence inside him is too terrifying! How did it make him stay alive for so many years when his body couldn't even contain such vast power?'
The first time Nesis saw Kyle, he knew the human had a strong soul and a powerful bloodline in his body. He wanted to devour Kyle's lifespan because after consuming his last contractor's lifespan, normal human life energy no longer gave him power. Yet, never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that the human's fate would be blank. Not to mention his past...
It's been too strange to say. It's like whenever the human was in danger, the celestial essence inside him would conjure up something entirely different to make him avoid the dangerous path. So, he could stay alive for a little while longer.
Or rather, he could have a bit more time to get stronger, so his body could finally have enough strength to truly contain the tremendous power within him. And the essence has been successful because, after so many years, its host had finally gathered enough power to truly possess a part of it.
However, in all its attempts to steer clear of the most dangerous path, the other paths weren't exactly safe either. Ultimately, no matter which path it chose, there was always some level of danger. So, in the end, instead of avoiding danger altogether, it shifted its focus to avoiding death.
If Kyle noticed Nesis's trembling fingers, he didn't say anything and just gestured for the man to answer his questions.
Nesis stood up, his expression growing paler by the second. After all, now that he had harmed the owner of the same essence, the consequences would surely come back to haunt him in the future.
'I only took ten years of his life, but gained strength equivalent to consuming a hundred years from a divine being.'
However, he knew the essence inside the human had already marked him as a threat.
'If only I had read his past before taking his lifespan! Now, I need to get as far away from this human or else I'll lose my life... and the reason could be anything.'
Nesis opened his mouth, but what came out was far from pleasant.
"Your body should have withered the moment you were born, and the essence within you should have returned to nature. No, you weren't supposed to stay alive in the first place..."
He paused because the pair of brilliant green eyes staring at him narrowed dangerously. Nesis sensed the faint blue particles trembling around Kyle's body and quickly shut his mouth with a loud click.
'Now, I'm not sure if nature is favoring him or if the essence inside him is forcing nature to compensate for the fact that it didn't write his fate.'
Nesis went up to Kyle, feeling a bit scared but he knew he had to answer the human's questions if he wanted to leave. He put his middle finger on Kyle's forehead. Kyle furrowed his brow, but he didn't feel any danger, so he didn't stop him.
"How about seeing your past from my perspective?"
Kyle blinked but nodded. He also felt the blue particles on his skin getting a little restless, but he wanted to know.
He wanted to know everything about himself. The moment he thought about it, the particles calmed down a bit and let Nesis do what he wanted to do.
Instantly, a white light emerged from Nesis's finger and entered his forehead. Kyle closed his eyes when a worried voice echoed inside his head.
...
Kyle opened his eyes and found himself floating inside a room he recognized. It was his father's room, a place he had seen many times before.
His gaze paused on the beautiful woman sitting on the bed. She had a worried expression, her eyes fixed on the newborn baby lying beside her. Kyle couldn't look away as the woman grabbed the arm of the healer who was checking the baby.
"What happened to my son? Why isn't he waking up?"
