Chapter 53: The Devil’s Bargain

‘So you weren’t truly mad after all…’ Levi thought.

Levi now somewhat understood the March Hare’s peculiar red-eyed state. Perhaps she had used that temporary madness to break free from the enchantment.

While the March Hare’s madness was still somewhat controllable, the Mad Hatter’s seemed to be on an entirely different level.

“However, there’s no need to think so far ahead,” the Mad Hatter said, pointing at Levi. “Facing the Gate of the Abyss is for when you ascend to a divine rank; you can always give up then.

This prophecy indicates you have a chance to approach a higher rank, meaning you can at least reach the mid-rank. Personally, I’d recommend you try it, especially since you already meet the ritual conditions for this path.”

“I meet the ritual conditions?” Levi paused, surprised.

“To become a ‘Heretic’ of the ninth rank of the Abyss, the ritual condition is to complete a ‘Painful Sacrifice.’ You’ve already used the ‘Mark of Sacrifice’ I gave you, haven’t you?”

“That means you’ve actually completed the ritual already. All you need is a ‘Devil’s Coin,'” the Mad Hatter explained.

“A ‘Painful Sacrifice’? What if I didn’t meet the conditions?” Levi inquired.

The Mad Hatter let out a strange laugh. “Then you’d have to perform the traditional ritual of the Abyssal Cult: under the guidance of a priest, you’d personally pull off one of your own fingernails, sacrificing your own pain to the Abyss!”

“That’s too painful!” Levi couldn’t help but exclaim.

“I have many ‘Devil’s Coins’ on hand, as I frequently visit prisons to reap the souls of sinners. So, for now, you needn’t worry about materials,” the Mad Hatter said. “I can lend you one.”

“So that’s why you’ve been frequenting the Rabbit Hole Dungeon,” Levi mused, trying to understand. “What abilities does the ninth rank of the Abyss grant?”

“The ‘Heretic’s’ abilities aren’t overwhelmingly powerful, but they are very convenient. You’ve actually already experienced them.”

“One is ‘Sacrifice.’ A ‘Heretic’ can sacrifice themselves, paying a price to save others, or exchange their vitality for power from the Abyss. If you sacrifice your life, you can heal the dying or temporarily possess the power of a sixth-rank ‘Demon’ for about half a minute.”

“The other ability is to reap the souls of others and forge ‘Devil’s Coins.’ Be warned, this power can only reap the souls of those who have succumbed to pain or willingly offered themselves. So, what do you say? Care to try?” the Mad Hatter asked, his tone akin to a salesman’s pitch.

Levi weighed the options in their mind. This ability was indeed quite practical.

The low ranks of witches lacked direct combat capabilities. While the ‘Heretic’s’ ‘Sacrifice’ ability came with a cost, it offered a desperate trump card.

For Levi now, merely ascending to the ninth rank of the Abyss held no downsides. After all, they were already a witch hunted by the Church; adding the identity of an Abyssal Cultist who worshipped demons would hardly matter.

“Please, guide me then,” Levi said, looking into the Mad Hatter’s eyes.

“Very well. The Abyssal Cult’s doctrine believes that the root of this world is the chaotic Abyss, and everything originates from disordered freedom. We can only guide the flow of events—but you needn’t memorize all that now.”

“What you need to know is that, according to the Abyssal Cult’s tradition, I am now your mentor. I will lend you a soul to help you enter the ninth rank, but a loan must be repaid.”

“I shall give you a test. You must sign a devil’s contract with me: within one month, you must personally reap the soul of a sinner and bring it back. If you fail, you must repay me with another price, meaning you’ll grant me a request. If you succeed, I will guide you to the next rank,” the Mad Hatter said with a smile.

“Repay?” Levi was momentarily stunned.

“I will ask you to help me bear a portion of the madness sealed within my soul, much like the March Hare does, to reduce my risk of going completely insane,” the Mad Hatter chuckled. “However, you shouldn’t worry, as I imagine you are quite determined to claim that Miss Dumpty’s soul.”

“So there’s a condition like that,” Levi said with a wry smile.

“I don’t do business at a loss, my friend,” the Mad Hatter stated, as if it were the most obvious thing. “If you’re truly so inept that you can’t even reap a single soul, that would be quite a discredit to me as your mentor. After all, I am one of the few remaining high-ranking priests of the Abyssal Cult.”

“But rest assured, bearing a portion of my madness won’t actually make you completely lose your mind.”

“Alright, that risk is acceptable,” Levi nodded. “Even if I fail and help you bear it, it can be considered me repaying your favor.”

Levi was determined to get revenge. If it meant reaping a sinner’s soul, they would certainly not spare Camilla.

The entrance exam was just a month away. Duchess Liddell’s scheme would deal with Camilla before then. Levi had some confidence in the Duchess; an intriguer capable of usurping an entire dukedom would surely find it easy to handle a fallen noble’s little girl.

“Excellent!” The Mad Hatter snapped his fingers, a smile on his face.

A burst of flames suddenly erupted before Levi, startling them.

The flames instantly dissipated, leaving behind a contract with fiery red text floating in front of Levi. It detailed the conditions the Mad Hatter had just spoken of.

“This is the ability of a fifth-rank ‘Devil.’ Read it carefully, then say ‘I agree’ to the contract, and it will take effect. The contract’s binding power doesn’t come from me but from your own soul, so no matter how high your rank, once you agree, you cannot renege,” the Mad Hatter explained.

“Your contract won’t have any loopholes, will it?” Levi tilted their head, glancing at the Mad Hatter.

“You’re very clever. Indeed, ‘Devils’ have the right to interpret contracts, and the ‘Devil’ who drafts the contract can exploit its loopholes and errors. The root of the Abyss is chaos, and a devil’s contract is, in essence, a mockery of order.”

The Mad Hatter laughed openly. “However, I wouldn’t trick my own kind. Don’t worry, if I truly wanted to harm you, I could do so now; there’s no need for such circumvention.”

Levi considered this; it was indeed true.

“Very well, I agree,” Levi said.

“Then the contract is established! What a splendid deal!” the Mad Hatter cheered loudly. “Brother Levi, welcome to the Abyssal Cult! And welcome… to the tea party! Rejoice, we have a new comrade!”

After his cheers, he looked at the Dormouse and the March Hare. The March Hare was impassively sipping tea, while the Dormouse was still half-asleep.

Suddenly, silence fell, and the atmosphere grew a little awkward.

“You’re all so unresponsive; it makes me lose face,” the Mad Hatter complained.

“Oh, welcome,” the March Hare said, looking at Levi with disinterest.

“Celebration,” the Dormouse mumbled, raising a hand to point upwards. Suddenly, confetti cannons exploded above their heads, showering colorful paper flakes like snow.

“Hey, Dormouse, you’re getting paper bits in the tea!” the Mad Hatter grumbled.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s all just a dream anyway, all an illusion I’ve created,” the Dormouse replied drowsily. “Your cup can hold the best tea from your memory, or it can hold urine.”

“Um…” Levi interjected, a little awkwardly, to prevent their conversation from straying too far.

“Oh, my apologies,” the Mad Hatter said with an apologetic smile, then snapped his fingers again. “Take what I’ve lent you!”

The contract floating before Levi suddenly burst into flames. The text glowed crimson, and Levi felt as if the contract’s contents were being seared into the depths of their consciousness.

The contract vanished within the flames, and at the same time, something new appeared in the fire—a grayish-white, coin-shaped crystal.

The Devil’s Coin descended, and Levi reached out to catch it.

The moment they grasped it, ‘Alice’ opened her eyes, awakening from the dream back to reality.

She lifted her face from the Dormouse’s desk, bewildered, to find the Dormouse still dozing. She withdrew her hand from the Dormouse’s grasp and discovered the Devil’s Coin in her palm, cold to the touch.

The Mad Hatter had managed to deliver such an item into her hand through the dream.

Just then, a hand clapped onto Alice’s shoulder, making her flinch.

She turned her head to see the March Hare.

“Membership fee, please,” the March Hare said, extending a hand towards her expressionlessly.