Mystery: The Stranger

Chapter 22 Vilcoras

The demon before us can maintain its human form while also freely displaying its wings, clearly indicating that it is not an ordinary Sequence 6.

Even though he was bound by golden shackles, Snow remained calm. Looking at Karen Tamara's tense expression, he slowly said, "Your Excellency, there's no need to be nervous. If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't have revealed my identity."

Karen Tamara's grey eyes flashed coldly, and a mocking smile curled at the corner of her lips: "Heh, that only proves that you want more."

She lightly tapped the armrest of her chair with her fingertips, the oppressive aura of order still lingering in the hall. "Now, it's time to explain—why were you able to avoid becoming completely demonized, Mr. 'Apostle of Desire'?"

Snow felt a slight stirring in his heart. He had not yet advanced to Sequence 5, the Apostle of Desire, because the materials were indeed quite difficult to collect. It wasn't as difficult as climbing to the heavens, but it just took more time, so Snow hadn't paid much attention to it before.

He didn't point out the misunderstanding, but just chuckled to himself—even without this extraordinary trait, in terms of spellcaster strength alone, this shadow priest of Azeroth, with his accumulated mental power manipulation skills and his signature weapon "Blade of the Dark Empire," was more than capable of dealing with ordinary Sequence 5s.

"The accumulation of multiple low-to-medium sequence characteristics, plus... a little talent that hasn't been diluted in the bloodline." Snow raised his eyes, his tone calm, and gave an answer that perfectly fit the logic of the mysticism of this world.

He attributed all of his Shadow Priest's spiritual strength to "bloodline advantage"—an explanation most easily accepted by Karen Tamara, who came from an angelic family.

As for the characteristics of the multi-devouring demon pathway, that's just supplementary information.

The idea that consuming too much will increase mental burden and require re-enacting digestion is just self-comfort for ordinary players. Extraordinary traits are the crystallization of power. The more you accumulate, the more talent options you have, just like unlocking extra constellations in the game. Although it requires more resources and energy, the resulting leap in strength is real.

"Bloodline?"

Karen Tamara's brows relaxed slightly, and a knowing glint flashed in her gray eyes.

As a direct descendant of the Tamara family, she knows best the power of bloodline—the innate affinity for pathways, the growth rate far exceeding that of ordinary people, and the ancient talents accumulated deep within her genes, which are enough to make ordinary people look up to her in the dust.

"Are you a descendant of some high-ranking demon?"

I guess so.

"I have some Void Demon blood."

Snow nodded, his tone carrying a perfectly measured hint of melancholy. "It's just a pity that this terrifying power has been forever frozen in the Second Era. What I inherited is barely a fraction of what I've gained, and I have no standing in the Abyss today. I still have to come to the human world to find a way out."

As he spoke, he subconsciously tried to shrug, but found that the golden shackles binding him remained firmly in place. Snow looked up at Karen Tamara, his tone calm yet carrying a hint of implication: "Your Excellency, this is far too impolite. I have already proven that I have no power to threaten a demigod; I am still quite a distance from the threshold of being a demigod."

"Choosing to align myself with you is the optimal solution for me." He stopped beating around the bush and laid his cards on the table. "You have taken over the territory of the former demigod Solomon, while I have replaced the former Baron Hawke. Compared to other old Solomon nobles, you are more likely to accept me."

Snow didn't care about a showdown; these were things that should be made clear and could be included in his self-introduction.

Otherwise, who would choose to trust someone whose background is unclear? This isn't a web novel.

Karen Tamara remained silent for a moment, the wariness in her gray eyes gradually fading.

Demons are cunning, but it is precisely because of their cunning that they are easier to predict—their behavior is always driven by "interests." The demon before me doesn't have a particularly strong background; if it truly had a being of Sequence 4 or higher backing it, it wouldn't have needed to risk coming to me. The fact that it managed to remain incompletely demonized before ascending to demigod status is further proof of its special nature.

Countess Karen was truly convinced of this. She herself came from an angelic family and knew very well that anyone who could reach this level basically had no background.

The Void Demon... she had seen this name in her family's ancient records.

That was once a powerful god who dominated the Second Age, whose strength at its peak even surpassed that of the current God of the Dead, the God of Spirits, and even the Goddess of Night. But He ultimately perished in the ancient conflicts, and by the Fourth Age, He no longer posed any threat.

The absence of an angel-level backer means it is controllable.

This was Karen Tamara's standard of judgment. As for other details, she didn't care—her lineage as a direct descendant of the Angel family gave her enough confidence to disregard those insignificant "minor issues."

"You are more worthy of cooperation than the devil in the abyss."

Snow flexed his still-bound wrists, his tone tinged with genuine emotion, "They're always worried I'll turn on them someday, so they often try to eliminate me first. Even now, in the Abyss, Void Demons are almost extinct, but those ordinary demons still envy and fear my origins."

Karen Tamara flicked her finger, and the golden shackles binding Snow vanished instantly. The oppressive aura of the Order side dissipated, and Snow breathed a sigh of relief, returning to his chair with composure and impoliteness.

"Let's sign a contract." Karen Tamara hesitated for a moment before making her decision. "I can accept your allegiance, and the terms won't be too harsh."

In her view, Snow's fearlessness was not arrogance, but a sign of having a solid foundation—perhaps a teleportation seal for a portal, or perhaps some other means of survival.

This was the confidence that a descendant of a high-ranking demon should have; she didn't covet it, but simply considered it the normal foundation of a descendant of a great demon.

As a Sequence 4 Law Mage, she can draft contracts that align with the rules of the world, internalizing the terms as a bond between spirit and body. Unlike the notaries of the Solar Path, the binding force of contracts on the Order side originates from the rules themselves, rather than from the witness of gods or higher beings—at least, that is true for ordinary Law Mages.

Karen Tamara took out a yellowed parchment and a quill pen from her storage space. The quill swished across the paper, making a soft, scratching sound. As she wrote, golden light burst forth from the quill, and a sacred and solemn aura permeated the air, as if she were not signing a vassal contract, but drafting an imperial law.

Snow took the contract and quickly glanced at it.

The content is concise and clear, more like a standard feudal vassal agreement or a commercial contract—he pledges allegiance to Karen Tamara, serving her as a vassal and not harming her or the Tamara family; in return, Karen Tamara provides him with protection and necessary assistance, and shall not harm him before he betrays her.

There were no hidden traps, and it didn't delve into private life; it was more fair than expected.

"I signed it."

Snow picked up the quill pen and, without the slightest hesitation, wrote the word "North" at the end of the contract.

He naturally wouldn't use the Azerothian name "Snor Selin," and even deliberately reversed the root of "Norse" to conceal any trace of the past.

Karen Tamara took the contract, her gaze sweeping over the signature, a barely perceptible smile playing on her lips: "I hope we get along well, North Wilcolas."

Vilkoras—that was the true name of the Void Demon. Snow's heart stirred slightly; he himself had never known this detail. Clearly, Karen Tamara had found the relevant record in the family's ancient texts.