Forsaken By The Gods, I Made A Contract With the Demon King

Professor Fauna was on an expedition to Paradise, so the Xenobiology class that was supposed to take place was suspended and we were given free time to enjoy!

But my mind kept drifting to Professor Vale's summons. Despite my unease, I was determined to face whatever awaited me.

So, I gathered my things and headed for Vale's office. Each step felt heavier than the last, memories of the "devil" stories echoing in my head.

The office matched Vale's reputation. Books lined every wall, their ancient spines adding to the room's oppressive atmosphere. Vale sat behind his desk, his sharp eyes following my every move.

"Levias Drake, sit." His voice carried an undertone I couldn't quite read.

I took the chair across from him, trying not to fidget under his gaze. The silence stretched uncomfortably long before he spoke again.

"Your actions today were... intriguing," Vale leaned forward, his eyes boring into mine. "Disarming an armed opponent barehanded, showing such composure... Unusual skills for a freshman."
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My heart stuttered. Was this praise? Or was he building up to something worse?

His expression remained unreadable, adding to my anxiety.

"However," Vale's voice hardened, "fighting within academy grounds is strictly forbidden. You understand you've broken this rule?"

Here it comes. I braced myself for whatever punishment The Smiling Serpent had planned.

"As punishment, you will join me for morning training before classes and evening training after classes. For one month."

"...?" I blinked, caught off guard.

Was that all? The notorious Professor Vale, whose punishments were legendary, was just assigning extra training?

"Do you understand?"

"Yes, Professor. I accept." I tried to keep the relief from my voice.

Actually, this might be an opportunity. Vale was a seven-star mage, after all. Training with him could be invaluable.

"Good. I'll see you at 3:00 AM tomorrow morning."

"What?" The word slipped out before I could stop it.

"You're dismissed."

I walked out in a daze. Three AM? When did that qualify as morning?

Little did I know, I'd just agreed to my own personal hell.

***

I stumbled out of Professor Vale's office in a daze.

When reality finally sank in, I felt like laughing at my own misfortune.

I already had training sessions scheduled with Professor Valerius at 5:00 AM and we have not even started yet, but now Professor Vale wanted me at 3 AM?

At this rate, sleep deprivation would kill me before any monster got the chance.

'Sigh…'

I had an inkling that Professor Vale asked me to arrive at 3:00 AM probably because he knew about my training schedule with Professor Valerius.

But I couldn't dwell on that now. A more pressing matter demanded my attention - weapon selection!

The classes had already started and soon everyone would start their own training, but here I am who has not even picked his weapon yet!

Actually, mastering all the weapons seemed like a better choice than concentrating on a single weapon - after all, if I wanted to fight against powerful monsters then I would require an equally strong artifact.

And I didn't need to say anything about how hard it is to find weapon-type artifacts not to mention a particular one and if I did fine one - I had no credits to purchase it!

That was a more serious problem.

But I was in the academy!

The Favored Ones didn't get their prestige for nothing, there are ways to custom order a weapon to be made exactly to our needs.

The weapons that are made by the followers of the gods like Hephaestus and Manon are no less than that of the artifacts.

Of course, the students had to work hard and have particular achievements to get that privilege, but it wasn't impossible.

Anyway, for now, I decided to try out all the weapons and directly went towards the armory,

The training grounds' armory beckoned its vast array of weapons waiting for inspection.

The weapons hall stretched before me, illuminated by essence-powered lights that cast a warm glow over the assembled arsenal. Racks of weapons lined the walls, each section dedicated to different fighting styles.

I walked past the standard swords first.

While versatile, they required dedicated practice to master. A sword user needed to commit to their style - you couldn't half-ass sword training and expect to survive. The academy's sword masters spent years perfecting their craft.

Even though I had the Blaze artifact that I stol….won from Kai, I decided to keep looking for something else.

The spears caught my eye next. They offered reach and versatility, good for both thrusting and sweeping attacks. But they were difficult to carry around campus, and their length made them unwieldy in tight spaces. Plus, I'd need incredible upper body strength to wield one effectively.

Bows hung in neat rows along one wall. Their power and range were undeniable, but they required both hands and left you vulnerable at close range.

There were also some essence-powered guns, though they would be effective against low-rank monsters, anything above the Vile rank would take little to no damage from them

Axes and maces promised raw power, but they were slow and predictable. Against the agile monsters we'd face, that could be fatal. Daggers offered speed and precision, but their short reach meant getting dangerously close to enemies.

My eyes lingered on a section of chain weapons. Among them, one particular weapon stood out - the kusarigama.

It was the same weapon that I had tried in the second examination during the academy assessments.

Two sickle attached to a weighted chain, it combined the lethal edge of blades with the versatility of a chain weapon.

I lifted it carefully, testing its weight. The sickle end could slash and hook, while the weighted chain offered range and control.

It could entangle opponents, block attacks, or strike from unexpected angles. More than that, if combined with the strength of my demonic transformation and Lunacy, I could literally turn into a grinder that could cut anything in my path!

Of course, the blade itself was below subpar - it was only a training weapon so that was understandable,

But there were also downsides to the weapon.

It demanded exceptional coordination and practice. One wrong move with the chain could leave you tangled instead of your opponent. The learning curve would be steep.

But something about it felt right.

The complexity of the weapon matched the nature of my abilities. Like Lunacy and Fractured Fate, it required finesse and careful control rather than brute force.

Plus, not many students chose chain weapons.

They preferred more straightforward options. That meant potential opponents wouldn't have much experience defending against it.

As one would rank up, it was these small things that would matter the most.

"The kusarigama," I murmured, spinning the chain experimentally. "A weapon that's as unpredictable as fate itself."

It would take months, maybe years, to master. But combined with my growing abilities and Vale's training (assuming I survived it), this could become a deadly combination.

I approached the weapon master's desk, kusarigama in hand.

"I'd like to register this as my primary melee weapon."

The gruff older man raised an eyebrow. "Interesting choice, kid. Not many have the patience to master chain weapons. You sure about this?"

I nodded, more certain with each passing moment. "Sometimes the hardest path is the right one."

That was a cool quote!

Anyway, the old man shrugged and recorded my selection. "Your funeral if you tangle yourself up in combat."

Did he have to say that?

Damn old man!

If it wasn't for the fact that I needed to register my primary weapon, I would not even come here. Well, the academy did not actually mandate the registration of primary weapons.

But there was actually an upside to registering a primary weapon.

That is, the academy would provide as many training weapons of that type as a student would need throughout the six years, provided that one had to give back the damaged one.

And to enjoy this, we needed to register out primary weapon - there was also an option to change the primary weapon, it was just that the procedure would get complicated.

Nevertheless, as I left the weapons hall, I couldn't help but smile. Between Professor Vale's brutal training schedule and my chosen weapon's learning curve, I was definitely making my life harder.

But then again, nothing worth achieving ever came easy. The path of the Favored Ones wasn't meant to be simple - it was meant to forge us into something extraordinary.

I just hoped I'd have enough energy left after Professor Vale's and Professor Valerious' dawn training sessions to practice with my new weapon.

---***---