The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family

Chapter 103: Gluttony

The runes etched onto the egg were far from ordinary. They were the crux of a malevolent scheme conceived by Greed, a being who had long mastered the art of manipulation. These runes weren’t just protective sigils; they were designed to ensnare and consume the very essence of those who sought the egg’s power. This egg was no mere artifact but a vessel of profound and unique energy, its potential so immense that only those of exceptional caliber—whether through innate strength or rare qualities—could hope to awaken it. Greed’s scheme was a trap woven into the very fabric of the egg’s allure.

When a soul deemed worthy approached the egg, the runes would activate in a blinding flare of dark magic. These runes were a mechanism of devastation, searing the soul and siphoning its power. This stolen essence was then channeled directly into Greed or his second Fragment, strengthening them with each failed attempt. For centuries, this wicked cycle continued. The egg became a beacon for those consumed by their own desires, drawing them in only to lead them to their ruin. Each failed attempt to harness the egg’s power only fed the darkness within Greed and his fragments, perpetuating an insidious cycle of ambition and despair.

***

In the abyss of his own existence, where Greed was condemned to linger in the absence of a contractor, the pitch-black space was a cruel and unrelenting prison. This void was an expanse of suffocating darkness, stretching endlessly in all directions. It was here that Greed had been trapped, his essence fragmented and sealed within a sword, rendered powerless and reduced to a mere whisper in the dark.

The abrupt severance of his connection to Klaus, the contractor who had briefly illuminated his dark existence, left Greed in a state of paralyzing dread. Klaus’s sudden disappearance signaled grave danger, and the void, once a familiar torment, now felt even more oppressive. The connection between them had been a rare light in Greed’s eternal night, and its absence was a stark indication of Klaus’s peril—perhaps even his demise.

Greed, once detached and indifferent, found himself grappling with a profound sense of attachment. Klaus was not merely a contractor; he was a flicker of light in an otherwise impenetrable darkness. The resemblance between Klaus and the first man who had wielded the first fragment of Greed—the founding Patriarch of the Lionhart family—had forged an unexpected bond. This striking similarity had imbued Klaus with an aura of familiarity that Greed could not ignore, further deepening his concern.

The first fragment of Greed had been so long without a contractor that the reasons behind his soul’s fragmentation had grown distant and vague. The darkness had consumed his memories, leaving only a pervasive sense of despair. But Klaus had brought something different: a semblance of color and vitality that Greed had not experienced in eons. This fleeting brightness had become more than just a distraction; it was a crucial lifeline in Greed’s otherwise bleak existence.

In the oppressive dark, Greed began to call out with a desperation that transcended mere fear. His voice, strained and echoing, cut through the void in a desperate plea for salvation.

{Gluttony!! Please save him!} Greed’s cry reverberated through the darkness, a haunting scream that sought to pierce the shroud enveloping him. His call was both a plea and a command, driven by a deep-seated hope that someone—or something—might respond.

***

Meanwhile, Klaus was ensnared in a torment so intense it felt as though his very soul was ablaze. The agony was all-consuming, an inferno that seemed to burn from within. His screams, raw and desperate, echoed in the emptiness, each cry a reflection of the relentless pain that tore through him. His sense of self began to fracture under the strain, the boundary between his physical form and his soul dissolving in the searing heat.

As Klaus’s suffering escalated, the world around him began to lose its color, fading into a relentless gray. The normal bounds of time and space seemed to dissolve, leaving him suspended in an otherworldly limbo where reality and pain melded into one. It was as if the very fabric of existence was unraveling, leaving him trapped in a void where time had stopped and only his torment remained.

In this profound darkness, Klaus became aware of a presence looming above him. It was a being of imposing height, easily three meters tall, with immense, dark wings that seemed to stretch into the abyss. His hair was a cascade of ebony that reached the ground, and his features combined an unsettling blend of beauty and menace. The presence was so striking that it could inspire both awe and terror in equal measure.

The being’s gaze was fixed intently on Klaus, and a voice, both strange and resonant, filled the void. [Why do you always like to play with my toys?] The voice was imbued with an enigmatic quality, a mix of curiosity and disdain that focused on the ring adorning Klaus’s finger.

The ring, a symbol of Klaus’s connection to Greed, seemed to intrigue the being. The words were laced with an unsettling quality, hinting at a deeper connection to the suffering Klaus was enduring.

Despite the excruciating pain and the confusion clouding his mind, Klaus managed to summon a flicker of defiance. His voice, though strained, cut through the darkness with a sharp edge. "Who are you calling your toy?"

The response from the ethereal being was immediate—a barely perceptible flinch that revealed a flicker of surprise. The being’s gaze lingered on Klaus, a mixture of intrigue and irritation flashing across his face.

As the tension in the void thickened, the being’s eyes narrowed, and a faint smirk twisted his lips. [Such insolence,] he murmured, his voice carrying a strange blend of amusement and menace. [Do you remember everything now?]

The being’s words hung in the air, charged with an unsettling implication. Klaus, despite the lingering pain, stood up, as if the agony had momentarily receded. He looked up at the ethereal figure with a newfound clarity and resolve.

"You did a lazy job," Klaus said, his voice steady and defiant. "How do you expect me not to regain all my memories?"

His once-blue eyes, now deep crimson, glowed with an intensity that matched the gravity of the situation.