From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 108: Secret Contract

Gaap, the legendary Fallen Potentate, sometimes manifested in the eyes of mortals as the phantom of a Noble Scion, and other times in the majestic form of a Griffin.

In certain legends, he was also depicted as an Archdemon with ox horns upon his head and bat wings sprouting from his back!

He was a powerful Demon God who could strip away or bestow Knowledge, interfere with human emotions, and who had mastered the techniques of Spatial Teleportation and Time Travel!

"Very good. You are the smart man I had my eye on, not some clueless fool!"

Hearing this, Gaap nodded in profound satisfaction. "I am Gaap, the Noble Scion, the fallen angel, and the grand commander. I am the king of demons, Elves, and the fallen angel legions!"

He gazed at He Sai, the coldness on his face dissipating into profound curiosity. "I am truly curious to know what was going through your head. How dare you place our names alongside that particular entity?"

"Do you think we did not die thoroughly enough? Or do you honestly believe we possess the power to oppose him?"

Hearing these blatant interrogations left He Sai completely speechless.

He could easily guess who the entity was. Since Demon Gods were real, then the rumors surrounding New York were likely real as well!

If they were all real, didn't that mean God was real too?If the seventy-two Pillar Demons couldn't even defeat the Angel Raziel, how could they ever be a match for God?

Just moments ago, He Sai had been preaching a fabricated story about God issuing a decree, commanding the seventy-two Pillar Demons to destroy the world. In the eyes of this Demon God, wasn't he just making their demonic lives infinitely more difficult?

Realizing this, absolute despair washed over He Sai's face. He never could have imagined that a story he had casually completely fabricated would become his very own death warrant!

Given the temperament this Demon God was currently displaying, it wouldn't be surprising at all if he swatted He Sai to death in the very next second.

"Forget it. What could a Mortal like you possibly understand about the rules of the Celestial Realm or the laws of Hell? There is no need for me to explain this to you!"

He looked at He Sai and nodded with approval. "I initially came here searching for a suitable Saintly Figure, and looking at you now, you seem quite fitting! You will do!"

With that, he reached out his hand, conjuring a peculiar Bronze Scroll into his grasp. "Well then, do you wish to sign a Contract, Mortal?"

What else could He Sai possibly say to that? He could only bow his head and declare loudly, "It is my absolute honor, Crown!"

"Excellent!" Gaap nodded slightly. With a mere wave of his hand, the world seemed to turn upside down. Instantly, the two of them, along with all The Faithful inside the Church, were transported into an almost pitch-black void!

The moment the pitch-black space formed, the phantom image of an Hourglass materialized beside an Altar.

He Sai could sense that they had been directly transported into a special dimension by this Demon God. At the very least, they were definitely no longer in Miami.

"Your first task is to pacify these followers. From this moment on, you are the true Archbishop of the Solomon Cult!" Gaap casually instructed. "Consider this your first trial!"

After delivering this command, he vanished from his spot without so much as another glance at He Sai.

'Like I could ever say no?' He Sai glanced at the Hourglass nearby. Time was running out; he had to get ready!

As the final grain of sand fell through the Hourglass, the atmosphere at the scene instantly reverted to its previous feverish excitement!

The crowd was still eagerly discussing the various uses for their Redemption Coins and expressing boundless hope for the future.

However, these people weren't complete fools. Aside from a few still caught up in their frenzy, as time passed, more and more individuals began noticing the stark differences between this place and their original gathering spot!

Outside the windows, there was nothing but endless darkness!

It had just been broad daylight moments ago, and now it was pitch black. Anyone could tell something was dreadfully wrong.

If this sense of wrongness was allowed to fester, it would inevitably erupt into a mass panic!

Therefore, He Sai did not hesitate. He stepped forward decisively, waving his arms to draw everyone's attention to himself.

"Do not panic! I am right here with you. What is there to fear?" He Sai shouted. "You are all incredibly fortunate! This time, our Solomon Cult has invited a true Demon God to forge a Contract with me!"

"This place is the rift between Hell and the mortal realm! This is a sanctuary untouched by the holy light of Heaven or the scorching flames of Hell. Welcome to the sacred domain of the Solomon Cult!"

He was undeniably an outstanding charlatan. Even though he had been hovering on the brink of death mere moments ago, he now exuded an aura of absolute authority and control!

"The sacred domain of Solomon?" The crowd had all been duped into coming here by him. Naturally, anyone easily swindled wasn't particularly bright. Because of this, upon hearing his bold claims, they reacted with a mixture of doubt and tentative belief.

"This is our sanctuary, and it is also the place where I shall sign my Contract! Right here, you will witness the prelude to the Apocalypse!"

He Sai was truly dedicated to his craft, seamlessly continuing the performance of the Apocalypse narrative he had just been preaching!

Yet, many remained skeptical. Given the sudden shift in space, could this Archbishop actually be some sort of human trafficker?

Just as He Sai loudly proclaimed the Doctrine of the Solomon Cult to placate the masses, the crowd suddenly fell dead silent, plunging the entire scene into an eerie quiet.

Their eyes were filled with a crimson glow—a reflection of a bizarre object manifesting before them, bringing with it a deep, primal terror! Under everyone's stunned gazes, He Sai couldn't help but turn his head to look behind him, wondering what had utterly captivated them.

Now, he finally understood exactly what these people were staring at!

Behind him, a Sacrificial Altar burning like raging flames slowly rose into the air. Sixty-six bronze pillars descended sluggishly from jagged dimensional rifts, gradually merging with the Altar right before their very eyes.

The moment the bronze pillars protruded from the rifts, the pungent, scorching stench of rust and sulfur permeated the air, causing the whispers of The Faithful to freeze in their throats.

And at the very top of the Altar, amid the flickering firelight, a figure cloaked in black materialized.

The body beneath the black robes was completely shrouded in shadows; only a pair of eyes, burning like molten gold, pierced through the gloom.

He Sai dropped to his knees without a sliver of hesitation. Looking up at the Demon God before him, he immediately launched into his act. "He Sai, Archbishop of the Solomon Cult, implores the Crown to forge a Contract!"

He cleverly framed the Contract—which had actually been forced upon him—as something he actively sought out. This quick thinking earned a silent nod of approval from Gaap!

The demon extended a pallid hand toward the kneeling Mortal, his voice echoing like the depths of the abyss.

"Mortal, you have called upon my true name—crossing the path of illusion to knock upon the gates of the abyss.

I am Gaap, the scepter that commands sixty-six legions, the Pillar Demon who holds the key to the 'unknowable'!

The power you thirst for... lies here!"

As he spoke, the hundreds of people below dared not make a sound. Across the surfaces of the sixty-six bronze pillars, contorted human faces had begun to surface, locked in expressions of endless agony and struggle!

This convinced them entirely that this was indeed a sacred domain, and the being before them was the Pillar Demon known as Gaap!

A continuous torrent of Wish Power surged into the void, causing Gaap, who was orchestrating the Ritual, to make his movements even more solemn and majestic!

At this moment, he tore away his black robes, revealing his true Demon God physique. Standing over thirteen feet tall, with bat wings and ox horns, his massive shadow blanketed the entire venue. This sight left The Faithful below so terrified that they did not dare to breathe heavily!

Gaap picked up the Bronze Scroll in his hand, tapped it lightly, and continued.

"O lost soul thirsting for wisdom! Do you truly desire this Knowledge enough to sign this Contract?"

He Sai lowered his head and shouted, "I am fully prepared, Crown!"

Suddenly, a freezing chill gripped his chest, as if an ice pick was being pressed directly against his heart.

This was not merely a sensation; it was an omen of the future!

The Bronze Scroll flew open. From a blank page, Dark Gold Chains abruptly shot out, plunging straight into He Sai's chest and ripping out a trail of silver-white mist from his body!

"Ah!" He Sai let out an agonizing, stifled scream, which was quickly cut short as the page from the Bronze Scroll floated right in front of him. Upon it was a Secret Contract, inscribed entirely in blood!

He Sai could feel that something vital had been violently stripped from him and etched onto that page. Yet, at the same time, it felt as though something profoundly alien had been planted within his body!

Gaap then tapped the Bronze Scroll in his hands, and to everyone's horror, the book shrieked in agony, sounding exactly like a human!

"Your name has been branded upon the thirty-third page of the Abyssal Roster. My legions now march among the grinding gears of your spine!"

In that instant, horrifying laughter echoed from the sixty-six bronze pillars. It sounded as though they were mocking He Sai for straying onto this damned path, while simultaneously welcoming him to their ranks!

"When the final grain of sand falls into the blood vault...

Everything you have ever loved will become but a reflection in the sand, and you...

...shall become a newly forged bronze pillar!"

The molten-gold glow in Gaap's eyes flared with a seemingly infinite, unearthly light, making his final decree resonate like a sacred ritual!

"Now, feel the agony of the biting gears... For this is your eternal crown!

Drink deep of this power—and then, burn away time in my name!"

Gaap's finger lightly brushed the top of He Sai's head, and a golden essence surged directly into his body!

Under the watchful eyes of all The Faithful, Archbishop He Sai finalized this flawless Contract with the Archdemon Gaap!

Demonic power flowed drop by drop into He Sai's body. Golden light, devilish fire, and inextinguishable flames... all swelled and erupted across his form!

This public Contract left every spectator utterly speechless, while subjecting He Sai to an absolutely indescribable torment!

Forging a Contract with a demon, whether willingly or not, always demanded a heavy price!