Timeless Assassin

Chapter 1079: Do You Dare?

(Planet Granada, Leo’s POV)

Leo did not hesitate any further, as once Mauriss placed his signature upon the contract, he reached forward with steady hands, dipped the phoenix feather into the shimmering ink, and inscribed his own name beneath it.

*Scribble*

The moment the ink settled into the parchment, something shifted.

A subtle, invisible weight descended upon him, as though a new shackle had been fastened around his soul, binding him to the terms of the agreement, and more importantly, binding him to Mauriss, the other party who now stood equally tethered to the same fate.

It did not feel like pain, but it was not exactly comfortable either, as it felt like being placed in a body bag, which restricted one’s movements, only, this time there were two individuals inside the same bag, with a thin, unseen thread linking them together.

As Leo could now feel, with absolute certainty, that any attempt to violate the contract would trigger consequences neither of them could escape, the binding enforcing itself across both body and soul without exception.

Only once that realization settled fully within him did Leo exhale slowly, releasing a deep breath that he had not realized he had been holding, as he accepted the weight of what he had just done.

Then he raised his hands.

*Clap*

*Clap*

The sound rang out clearly against the storm, sharp and deliberate, as though signaling the beginning of something far more dangerous than the game they had played so far....

As in response, the final multiplier card reacted.

The concealed text shimmered faintly before revealing itself simultaneously in both players’ hands, the conditions of the contract now unlocking what had remained hidden until this moment.

Mauriss read it first.

And then he laughed.

"Hahahahaha!"

His shoulders shook as he leaned back slightly, his laughter echoing into the storm as though he had just witnessed something truly delightful, his eyes gleaming with a mix of disbelief and exhilaration as he absorbed the implications of what had just been revealed.

"Sever a body part..." he muttered, almost in admiration, as his grin widened further.

The card detailed its terms with cruel clarity, as the cost of power was now written in flesh rather than strategy.

Optional Multiplier:

—----

Sever half a finger for a three times multiplier.

Sever a full finger for a five times multiplier.

Sever a wrist for a ten times multiplier.

Sever an arm for a hundred times multiplier.

Sever both legs for a thousand times multiplier.

—----

Each option stood before them as a choice, as the final exchange was no longer a matter of tactics alone, but of sacrifice, of how much either of them was willing to lose in order to secure victory.

Mauriss lowered the card slowly, his laughter fading into a wide grin as he looked back toward Leo, his eyes carrying a knowing glint that suggested he had already reached a conclusion.

"So..." he said, his voice still laced with amusement.

"What is the weapon that you choose?"

Although the question was spoken aloud, the answer was already clear to him, as his gaze sharpened ever so slightly, watching Leo with anticipation rather than curiosity.

Leo smiled.

A quiet, measured expression that carried none of the earlier tension, as though everything had unfolded exactly as he had intended.

"The Grudgekeeper Dagger," Leo said calmly, his voice steady as he met Mauriss’s gaze without hesitation.

"The one that originally belonged to the previous Cult Master, Soron...

The one that is currently in your possession."

He paused briefly.

"That is the weapon I choose."

He said, as Mauriss burst out laughing once more, the Deceiver unable to believe that Leo could even be so bold.

"Of course that’s the weapon you choose....."

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

He chuckled, as he looked at Leo and shook his head, before retrieving the Grudgekeeper Dagger and placing it on the gameboard table.

*Thud*

The weapon landed with a light thud, its dull gray edge gleaming perfect white when thunder rolled across the sky above.

*KABOOM*

The air thundered, as Mauriss unsheathed the dagger and began lazily twirling it around his fingers.

"I see what you are playing at here, Skyshard.

However, what I’m more interested in now is to see if you yourself have the resolve to see this game through to the end or not?"

Mauriss began, as he peered into Leo’s eyes with the manic look in them restored, as he licked his lips as though he could not control the saliva from dripping out no more.

"As things stand, you need a minimum of an X5 multiplier to go alongside your normal attack, to ensure that even if I use defend, my golem still faces complete destruction.

However, you’re just a mortal.

And for a mortal to be wounded by an origin blade.....

I say, you have a maximum of 30 days to live, before you die of excessive bleeding or origin poisoning damage."

Mauriss explained, as he continued to hold eye contact with Leo.

"This is all of-course unless, in the next thirty days, you do manage to somehow push yourself into the Demi-God stage.

Because a breakthrough from mortal to semi- immortal would expand your lifespan significantly.

However, you would still suffer periodic spasms, and a never ending sense of pain, that won’t fade away even if you someday become a God....."

"..... So tell me.

Do you have the guts to use this weapon yourself?

Or is this match going to end in a draw?"

Mauriss asked, as he leaned forward slightly, his gaze locking onto Leo with a strange intensity, as though the game had finally shifted into something far more personal than before.

His fingers slowed around the dagger, the lazy twirling coming to a halt as his attention sharpened completely, every trace of distraction fading away.

There was no laughter now.

Only curiosity.

A deep, unsettling curiosity that lingered in his eyes, as he studied Leo in silence, waiting to see if the man before him truly had the resolve to follow through on what he had set in motion.