"Should we really be eating our fill like this? I mean, do you have enough food in there to last us till we reach the top of the Labyrinth?" Inquired Lumena with a concerned frown, as she munched on a cereal bar.

"Mhm, I do. I’ve been continually adding canned, preserved and dried food into my Pocket Dimension regularly for the last several years. Since I’m technically a wanted criminal in my country, I wanted to prepare for the possibility of having to lay low somewhere with no resources. For three people, I’ve got enough food stored up to last, maybe, three to four months? Actually, maybe even a couple of months longer, since Izzy technically doesn’t need to eat," I explained, as I cracked open a can of soda and took a deep gulp.

"Yeah, but I feel kinda left out when I’m the only one not eating, and the smell of food can make me crave it," Izzy grinned sheepishly.

"Well, at least we aren’t going to starve down here. It’d be pretty depressing if we survived an encounter against a Demonic Grade Monster and then ended up dying due to starvation," Remarked Lumena apprehensively.

"I mean, we wouldn’t necessarily starve either way. This Labyrinth is almost definitely overflowing with Monsters, so there’s plenty to eat," I pointed out, as I finished my soda and tossed the can away.

"Ew, what?"

About half an hour has passed since I regained consciousness. I decided that we should fuel up before making our way up the Labyrinth, after quickly shooting down Izzy’s suggestion to bust through the ceilings straight up...while a quick escape does sound appealing, the last thing we want is for the entire place to come collapsing down on us.

I also took my phone out to check if there’s any signal, but of course, there’s not. Not only are we way deep underground, but we’re also in the Dead Zone. With no way to let Prysm and Argent know where we are, I can’t help but worry about what course of action they might opt to take.

They’ve probably interrogated the guards at the border and found out that we were caught on a teleport trap and sent to the Dead Zone, but it’s unlikely that those guards know about the teleport traps outside the Dead Zone Labyrinth, since it’s the Light Continent that placed those traps.

Oh, well, nothing I can do about it...they’re both pretty powerful, so they should be fine. I then switched off my phone to conserve the battery and put it back in my Pocket Dimension, and we began eating. There’s one more matter to address though...

"By the way, the Slime King isn’t dead, just trapped in my Pocket Dimension. Keeping him sealed away in there is probably the best move, you two have any thoughts?" I asked them.

"Hey, we just barely got out of that fight alive...I see absolutely no reason to let him out," Lumena shook her head immediately, before adding, "I say we just keep him sealed away in your Pocket Dimension forever."

"I mean, he wouldn’t be much of any threat in his current weakened state," I replied, before opening a tiny, pinhole of an opening into the section of my Pocket Dimension that I’d put him in to get a sense of what was inside, "Oh, the barrier I put around him hasn’t taken any damage whatsoever. Hang on, I’m gonna get in there real quick and see for myself..."

"Sounds like a really bad idea, but so long as you don’t drag me into it, I don’t care," Shrugged Lumena indifferently.

"Wait, are you thinking of...?" Trailed off Izzy as her eyes widened in realization.

Oh, guess she’s caught on...yeah, maybe this is a bit greedy on my part, but hey, it’d be a waste not to try.

"Mhm. Well, if I’m not back in, say, ten minutes, just assume I’m dead and go on without me," I replied with a wry smile, before dropping down into a portal.

’Uh, do I not get a say in this? I’m not sure how I feel about this...,’ Muttered Azazel, feeling conflicted.

Come on, let’s just see how it goes. Looks like he’s noticed me...

"What is this place you’ve trapped me in?"

"Just my Pocket Dimension. I’ll get straight to the point, Plasmuk, King of Slimes. You have two choices...either spend eternity in here, or-...," I began.

"Oh, that won’t happen. That Half-Demon, Half-Dragon girl, her rampage damaged my core, a feat that even the Demon King himself failed to accomplish. My life will come to an end soon. At most, I have but a few hours left to live," He interrupted me, the ball of slime inside my spherical barrier slumping down.

"There’s an alternative...and if you go for it, your life will be extended for a few more decades. Not only that, you’ll get to see things that, I can assure you, you’ve never seen before," I tantalizingly remarked with a smirk.

"Oh? And what is this alternative you speak of?"

"Isn’t it obvious? Form a Contract with me," I stated bluntly.

"A Contract? Are you serious?"

"Sure am. I’ve already got a Contract with a Demon, and there’s room in my body for one more. I have knowledge that doesn’t exist in this world, and I’m more than willing to share if you accept my offer. You’ll have all the entertainment you could possibly want. Not to mention, this is something unprecedented, a single person possessing two Contracts. Don’t you want to find out what that’ll be like? If you’ve only got a few more hours to live, what do you have to lose?" I surmised objectively.

"Well, now, color me intrigued. No human has ever made such a proposal to me..."

"So, what do you say, Slime King? Will you form a Contract with me? Or wait out the clock until you die?"

_____________________________________________

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this Chapter! Don’t forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!

Also, check out my Insta account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.

Join the Discord server, I plan to tease upcoming Chapters and future story arcs here, and you can also discuss or ask me any questions about the story and characters. Use the invite link to join:

https://discord.gg/sRbx9VbTVP