NOVEL NEXT Chapter 10: The Stage
"Who are you?" I ask aloud, even though I'm alone in the hallway.
"Why are you helping me?"
[[ AHAHHAH! SO YOU'VE NOTICED, THEN! AFTER ALL, SHE HASN'T DONE MUCH TO HIDE IT! ]]
"Reveal yourself."
[[ DO YOU WANT THE STAR TO TAKE THE STAGE? ]]
[[ >YES
NO ]]
Of course, I select yes.
Time freezes.
Everything around me is still.
The clouds, the plants, the people.
From the window of the Academy hallway, I can only observe and wonder at this inexplicable phenomenon.
Before me appears a stunning woman dressed in a black tailcoat, with purple accents on her attire.
Her tie and pocket square match the same shade of purple.
The color complements her deep, unnaturally violet eyes, while framing her flawless face are long, fiery-red, wavy hair.
"Who is the crowd that peers through the cage, as we perform here upon the stage? Tell me a lie in a beautiful way, I believe in answers just not today." She recites poetically, "She loves that song, it represents a bit of our troubled existence, our unstable, precarious, and ephemeral situation, don't you think?" she asks me.
"Who are you?" I ask coldly, unimpressed by her antics.
"Well met, She's Raqahela. Very much at your service," the woman introduces herself with a bow, referring to herself in the third person.
Although I remain on guard, I am unimpressed and stay silent, waiting for her to continue. It doesn't make sense for me to introduce myself; I'm sure she already knows who I am.
"She's a silent observer, a passionate spectator, now ready to break her silence. She should have remained an impartial observer, but she couldn't resist. You are too amusing, dear reincarnate," she says.
The woman twirls with a pirouette, gracefully swaying and then stopping next to me, staring me straight in the eyes.
I struggle to maintain eye contact.
"She knows what you're thinking. Who is she? A friend? Potentially. An adversary? Plausible. But if that were the case, why would she have helped you? No, she is your guardian spirit, your savior, your ally," she says.
Her words leave me confused, but it's evident that she's behind my powers. "Are you behind this system?" I ask her directly.
"You overestimate her, although she enjoys that. The system is something too vast to believe it's the product of a single individual, no matter how powerful they may be. The system is like the air, like fire, like water, like earth. It was here before us, and it will be here after us. As you humans say? Raqahela doesn't like it; the term is not very elegant, but she believes it best represents the idea. Raqahela 'hacked' the system," she explains.
Raqahela's response raises further questions in my mind.
"What is your purpose?" I inquire, eager to know the intentions of this mysterious woman.
"To entertain herself in this harrowing, decadent and magnificent spectacle called life, existence, non-death," Raqahela declares with a mischievous smile.
"Are you a demon?" I attempt to verify my suspicion.
"Yes, you could define her as a demon. For the sake of details, Raqahela is a succubus," she proudly declares.
I feel a shiver run down my spine, but I don't believe she's telling me the whole truth.
"I don't think you're just a simple demon," I voice my doubt.
Raqahela laughs. "Strauss Wagner: Reincarnated, Ventures, Alchemist, Cleric, Curse Crafter, Corrupted Demonic Bishop of Lust, and now a demon expert!" she lists grandiosely.
Then she snaps both her fingers.
Suddenly, we're in another place.
We are no longer in the academy.
We're in a vast hall worthy of a royal castle.
The room is lavishly decorated with gold, jewels, and on the walls hang artworks of indescribable beauty.
In the center of the room is a table set with a high-class banquet that could feed an army.
I try opening and closing my eyes to make sure this is real.
It's not the only thing that's different.
Raqahela has changed her appearance.
She no longer wears the elegant tailcoat in which she first introduced herself.
In its place, she wears a provocative outfit that leaves little to the imagination: a black leather babydoll that barely covers the most scandalous parts.
But the most shocking thing is the two bat-like wings sprouting from her back and the two horns on her head.
She has revealed her true form.
Terrifying, yet at the same time, wondrous.
"What's better than a demon? An archdemon? No, a demon you know. She stands before you in all her glory."
She speaks in riddles, but I want answers. "What do you want from me?"
Raqahela approaches me with a seductive smile. "Fun," she whispers in a tempting tone.
"She wants you to unleash your creativity with the powers she granted you when you chose the class she offered. So far, you haven't disappointed her, but she knows you can do better. She wants you to burn the world with passion, with your perverse love, with her lust of which you are the bishop."
"Very interesting, but it all seems rather vague to me. You say a lot of words but little that's concrete. I don't think fun and entertainment are sufficient motivations to 'hack' this system, as divine as you define it," I tell her skeptically.
"Do you want clarity? Do you want a simple, direct, banal, boring answer? What do the gods want? What do demons want?" she recites with a melodramatic tone and particular emphasis. "Souls. It's that simple. That's the simple and boring answer to your question. They want souls. The source of their power and what allows their existence. Souls. Pure, evil, corrupt. It doesn't matter, although Raqahela admits to having a particular passion for the latter."
Raqahela gets even closer, our faces just a few inches apart. Her eyes shine with mystical lust as she speaks with a seductive voice.
"Corrupt and spread your seed. Transform pure souls into corrupted slaves addicted to lust. Raqahela will reward you, and as you've already seen, her gifts are precious."
The system screen appears before me.
[[ CORRUPTION POINT:
By corrupting a soul, you earn these points that can be spent to get enhancements, new abilities, items.
More information in the details section.]]
"The ability she gave you when the Church's paladin had you on the ropes is not a gift. How do you humans put it? Another inelegant expression: 'Free Trial.' Raqahela requires a [CORRUPTION POINT] from you. Don't feel rushed; you have all the time you need. But you will have to settle the bill. If you wish, you can use your own soul..." she says mischievously, always emphasizing her words.
Perhaps I was too reckless in accepting that help.
"I don't like having debts. How do I corrupt souls?"
"You do it by spreading your seed and indulging in lascivious acts, but it takes time. Also, you already know one of the best methods."
"The Master - Servant Contract," I think aloud.
"Exactly, but that book was written by ignorant humans who don't understand how the ritual works. Raqahela will explain it to you. She will teach you how to harness its power. In return, you'll make offerings at her altar."
I feel a sense of power and danger in the air. I am both fascinated and intimidated by Raqahela and her enigmas. "What if I refuse?" I ask, trying to maintain a certain caution. "Will you take away the System from me?"
Raqahela steps away from me, moving gracefully once again. "Free will," she says with an enigmatic smile. "You cannot remove the System. The system is there. She has no authority over the system. The System is above all. You can always refuse, but remember that you have already tasted the taste of power. And once known, power can be irresistible. Remember that you owe her a soul or a CORRUPTION POINT."
I remain silent for a moment, trying to process everything I have just learned.
I have entered a world of secrets and ambiguity, and there is no way out.
Raqahela tilts her head slightly, like a theatrical diva ready to perform her next monologue. "Ah, her dear Strauss, you are like an actor on the stage of life, ready to play your destiny. Your actions are the script, and the world is the audience hungry for a spectacle. She is just the director of this dark comedy."
I listen carefully, trying to decipher the hidden meaning of each word. "So, am I just a pawn in your theater?"
Raqahela approaches even closer, her eyes shining like stars in a dark night. "Not exactly, her dear. You are the protagonist, the main artist of this performance. But she is the prompter in the shadows, whose whispers will guide your performance."
"And what will be the plot of this drama, Raqahela?"
Raqahela laughs, a melodramatic and seductive sound. "The plot, dear Strauss, is a surprise that unfolds little by little. On one side, the forces of good, the flawless and fearless heroes led by the gods; on the other side, us, the conspirators in the shadows, passionate manipulators, ruthless executioners of hypocrisy, those who want to corrupt and embellish this meaningless existence. Many have failed before you due to incompetence or simply weakness. But she senses that you are different. Your destiny is in your hands, but she will be here to observe and direct when necessary. And remember, in every good drama, there are always plot twists."
I don't let her words bewilder me; I am the puppeteer, not a marionette. As long as it suits me, I'll play along. I am confident that I will have the opportunity to take control of the game, and when the opportunity arises, I won't let it slip away.
"Raqahela is more and more infatuated with you, Strauss. The fact that you are conspiring with that little head to stage the plot twist of betrayal confirms that she made the right choice in selecting your soul. Despite this admiration, she advises you to think carefully about backstabbing. Raqahela is an experienced player and is several moves ahead," she exclaims mischievously.
Can she read my thoughts? Damn it.
[SCAN EYE]
[SCAN EYE]
{{ STATUS
RAQAHELA
AGE: ????
LEVEL: ????
RANK: ??SSSS?????g?O?(D)?
CLASS: ?????
MAX HP: 666666?????
MAX MP: ?????666666
STRENGTH: ?666???
DEFENSE: ??666??
AGILITY: ???666?
INTELLIGENCE: ?666???
ABILITY:
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?????
?????
?????
?????
?????
?????
STATUS}}
"What the hell is that?!"
I'm astonished.
I imagined she would be extraordinary, but she's literally out of this world.
"Her dear Strauss, it's impolite to peek into a lady's private places! Raqahela is not pleased. But for this once, she forgives you," she says with a smirk.
I'm terrified by what I've seen, or rather, what I haven't seen.
I can't take this lightly.
"For today, the curtain falls. You have much to think about. Raqahela can't wait to witness your first Master-Servant contract ritual. See you soon, her beloved."
Raqahela blows me a kiss with her hands and then bows.
She snaps her fingers.
I'm back in the academy, alone, and time has resumed its flow.