He couldn’t continue with this. It had already been five minutes and the boy’s abnormal chemistry made it so that what he was doing wasn’t going to work. Even when he dislodged large amounts of his mana the end result wasn’t enough to disable him. In fact the boy even seemed to be a stubborn jackass. Having watched, it was truly rare to see a seed on the extreme spectrum to this level. Much like many of the others even if he was on the extreme spectrum it was just a few shades off of the norm. There were very few that could really be called polarized extremes. So it surprised him to see the boy accept the seed to such a level that he had started to show such defining traits of the seed. 

 

There was a problem with this setup. His words and actions did follow a rhythm. Everything he had done to this point was all for a bet. As hard to believe as it was, he had made a bet with that crazy bitch he could collapse the boy into hopelessness and take her seed for himself to study and use for his own means. This was blasphemy. The war that had spread through the world and nearly reached the lowest level worlds was caused by something vastly less serious than this. That was to say this bet was something that could very easily lead to intense backlash that could affect the entire universe of the system. Worse yet was that this bet was brought up by her. To give a seed to another being at or near the same level…

 

A seed given to a participant was simply an action that would be equivalent to giving it to a disciple or apostle. This was allowing someone to tread the same path as you. In a sense it was similar to having a child. Depending on their compatibility it could warp the receiver into something completely different. This was because what the seed touched was the deepest reaches. For this reason it was impossible for them to know if their seed was exactly compatible. Usually a seed is only given out at the intermediate worlds. Only when a drastic event occurs and a person is pushed to their limits can someone on the extreme spectrum find out if the seed can even be given.

 

Person that wasn’t compatible would end in a tragic ending. They would very likely die the second they accept the seed. This would not only be detrimental to the one accepting the seed, this rejection between the two could even damage the seed itself. Even he wasn’t exactly clear on the extent of the damage. As a demigod his foundation was still fairly new so at the moment he could only guess that a seed was a reflection of that foundation as a whole. With damage to the seed the reflection of the foundation would also see cracks that even as just a mirage image would likely cause small bits of damage to the person in question.   

 

Thus giving the seed to another being for study would be disastrous. Even without malicious intent it could easily damage the foundation. The amount of positive this could bring to him was enough that even if the damage wasn’t enough to kill her, the amount of damage she already took for doing something so stupid would result in her being unable to do anything to him. They had already signed a contract, there was no going back on their word at this point. Part of this was him only having a certain level of power he could use for a certain amount of time.

 

His original plan was to push the boy to the brick and yet he wasn’t showing any signs of even being close to the edge. Because he knew what she did, he couldn’t understand how this person that didn’t have the strength to wield his own fate was able to accept this seed. Extreme personalities often made their seeds extremely volatile. The reason they used hell participants was because of the lengths they were pushed to survive. Even if they failed to accept the seed usually they would be extreme enough to not completely destroy the seed so the damage was acceptable. It wasn’t even uncalled to have a second god or devil help the individual change seeds. That was how rare and compatible extreme survivors were.

 

Yet this kid wasn’t a true hell survivor. He was fostering karma that weighed vastly more than he could possibly carry. While the news of what she had done was spreading rapidly the end results had just started to spread and so far it was likely it hadn’t make it to many divine kingdoms or even highest level worlds let alone peak. Still he was reaching the end of the limit and he could feel her gaze and could even feel the smile on that detestable face from her gaze alone. With one last punch he didn’t disrupt and redirect the punch this time and sent the boy back into the wall.

 

“Okay, you’ve made me curious. Why do you push yourself so much? Do you even know why yourself? I have been watching and can see that you are simply pushing yourself because of that being that forced you into this situation…” His voice was no longer as cold as it was before he started to shift up his approach. If he couldn’t push the boy into the abyss with one method he would simply use a different approach. 

 

Hearing what was being said he could only pant heavily as he watched the figure in front of him. It didn’t really matter as the being in front of him could easily disappear or do whatever it wanted. He was just being played with to relieve the frustration his existence had caused. Worse yet was that it was by no action of his own. He didn’t have the power or ability to cause problems for this being so he was simply lost on how to survive this.

 

“I have changed my mind. There isn’t much of a reason to kill you. While it allows me to vent my frustrations, what is done is done. You don’t have the worth to make up for the problems you caused. But there is a way for you to offer me the worth. It is clear you don’t want to die from how much you are struggling.” He left this statement hanging in the air as he watched the boy’s expression. He was still panting but there was a new light in his eyes.

 

“How about it, I will let you live. In fact I will send you to a world that could be considered paradise. While I had no interest in your conversations there were simply too many problems with the contestants, I am sure you know about the symptoms of mana deprivation?” He paused slightly to study the face in front of him. He was still using that bitches seed to mask his emotions but he had disrupted the flow very faintly before the connection was reintroduced. Still there were some gaps between the two. He could see slight changes in his eyes that he could only interpet on his own.

 

“Unlike a certain someone I am not insane enough to send you somewhere random against the system's will. While the price is a bit steep I will send you on your way. Only I am not sure if you know, not all the people that take on the trials give up out of fear… Nobody likes to talk about it but once in a while they will find worlds that are like paradise. It can be said the system is emotionless and heartless. As if fitting your journey to the top isn’t so simple as growing stronger and passing trials that test if you have the qualifications to climb.

 

Instead there are trials in the transition worlds too. This trial for example was testing more than just your physical means to progress. There are worlds so beautiful with many people that have the ability to climb but with the exact right combination find an equilibrium. This equilibrium will bring that world into a level of peace that nobody can realistically expect. No world is perfect but if paradise did exist it does exist in the system. I will send you to one such world. Eat, sleep, play. You can do anything you want, your strength will allow you to do basically anything you want. I can even pay a steeper price to seal that world to stop anyone else from being sent to that world for the remainder of your life.”

 

By this point he had caught his breath to an extent, he didn’t completely understand what was going on but he did understand that something much bigger than himself was occurring. “What are you asking of me in exchange for this?”

 

“The seed inside you. If you allow me to extract it you will have completed your end of the bargain.”

 

Using this time to catch his breath and allow him to gather some mana and release the pressure that was previously being applied to him he tried to delay this moment, “What is this seed you’re talking about? And what happens if I let you take it?”

 

With a bit of a patronizing smile he just watched without saying anything about the mana he was gathering. In fact he could even see a tiny bit of what he believed was praise, “Seeds are something that is taboo to talk about. You’re too green to hear the exact details you’re asking for. What I can tell you is, the extraction process will hurt a bit but it is more discomforting than pain. The only side-effects you will experience after will be the absence of your class abilities. But that also means the side-effects from your class will also disappear. You won’t lose your strength or your mana. With your current amount of mana you will be able to do anything you want in that world without too much caution.”

 

Pondering slightly, “So the seed has something to do with my class?”

 

With a bit of a more pronounced smile that wasn’t nearly as patronizing, “Yes. But not entirely true. But in this context it could be said to be the truth. You have time for one more question, I will give you time to think about it. But you should stop wasting my time. As I said because of you I will now need to put a great amount of effort into this trial again. So I am not in much of a mood for your delaying tactics.” 

 

As he finished speaking the pressure that had seemingly disappeared started to show itself again. Much like when he first came into the room there was a building of pressure like filling a pool slowly with water. It wasn’t malicious but simply pressure that existed because the other party existed. It was only being held back because he was trying to be nice. Still his delaying tactics seemed to be pushing the little bit of patience he had. 

 

He didn’t hear that voice again. But after accepting the calling from inside he had an increase in his perception. He couldn’t exactly explain what it was. The best way to put it was that he became more sensitive to everything. It wasn’t drastic but he could even feel his ability to absorb mana had increased slightly. He could feel the other party's emotions to a certain extent. It was likely the other party was allowing him to read it as it was nearly as clear as a normal person. 

 

It was for that reason he hesitated even more. What the man said wasn’t exactly clear. He could understand each word but when put into a single sentence he wasn’t exactly sure of its exact meaning. From the feelings being shown to him it appeared everything he had said was true. Even worse, he wanted to believe them to be true. By this point he could feel his emotions but they were currently being screened. Like an invisible barrier between him and them. Given this small window he was given time to understand how he felt about that opportunity. There was hope, joy, and excitement. Nearly an endless amount of positive emotions that wanted to accept this deal without any hesitation. His negative emotions were being shoved down by the overwhelming desire to accept this deal.

 

At this point he had hesitated enough and knew he needed to give an answer. The metaphoric pool had refilled and he could feel the resistance starting to build up as the man was losing his patience. This could be felt because he was starting to feel resistance not from just moving but even from his breathing as his chest expanded and contracted. He opened his mouth a few times and found he was still extremely hesitant to give a reply that would affect his immediate future and the rest of his life. 

 

In the end he stood up and started to gather his mana. The man in front of him looked at him with doubt. That was an emotion he could agree with. Everything the man had offered was what he wanted. While there was some doubt and disillusion of the truth of the matter. He was more inclined to believe the man. But there was one large issue, the voice he heard and the man in front of him changing so drastically. “You two made a deal didn’t you?”

 

The man didn’t reply but his expression gave him away. It was only for a split second but he could feel it. He had a great amount of doubt but if he added everything together he felt too many odd things. He hated it, rather it was now or before. Time and time again he felt like there were people playing with his life and he wanted it to stop. The illusion of paradise that was given by another was simply paradise by extension of an illusion. He felt like he wouldn't truly find peace in that happiness as it was something that would have been given to him. 

 

One of the horrors of being in hell was coming to the realization after that he missed it a small bit. Now more than ever the simplicity of fighting for his own life and happiness. Every single day he fought for a chance to find peace. All those nights he spent finding a peace that would allow him to sleep. For that small moment when he made that decision that changed everything, every moment after changed everything. He slept peacefully and his nightmares for months had disappeared. He didn’t need to pretend, he might have missed the connection to other people until he realized that this connection was simply exhausting. Maybe if he found that someone special it would change but the need to act every single moment of every day around other people was simply exhausting.

“Why?” There was some confusion in his voice as the pool type pressure was slowly dissipating as it was all condensing into a weight that was attempting to make him fall.

 

At first he thought it was simply imaginary but as he looked down he could physically see his feet digging into the ground as he could feel the alleviated pressure return as he could feel his bones groan. This was his last chance to change his mind, and yet he still felt more at peace just like that short period near the end of hell. In the end he could only close his eyes and sigh, “I am a difficult person. I can only find paradise on my own. If it's given it might feel good for a while but in the end it will simply be an illusion of peace.”

 

When he heard himself speak he was surprised himself. There was an incredible amount of emotion in his voice. The barrier that had been keeping his emotions at bay had also deteriorated until it disappeared. He felt his emotions but they currently didn’t mean anything. He had complete control over them, therefore at the moment they were simply a nuisance and would bring him no benefits so they were quelled and locked in a corner. 

 

What he didn’t know was that there was an imaginary pair of black wings that faintly appeared behind him. This made the man's eyes twitch slightly. In order to win the bet he had attempted taking salvation before changing his approach to offering salvation. In the end not only did both fail but now the boy had actively accepted the seed. The wings on his back were extremely imaginary and wouldn’t be seen by anyone under the level of a demigod. The woman had simply said something to him and the boy had found the seed himself and willingly held it. It didn’t mean much, but now the two were starting to merge together.

 

The act of accepting the seed was dangerous. But it also meant that no longer was the boy holding a colored lens in front of his face. It was similar to the sense of being forced to hold the lens in front of the eyes. Completely unaware they’re fighting with themselves as they’re forced to look through a colored lens that changes everything around them. Now the boy had accepted this action and put on a pair of glasses. No longer did he need to hold the lens. Even if he fought with what he was being shown because of the colored lens he knew it was there and could simply adapt.

 

No matter how he looked at it, the chance of him winning this bet was now nearly completely gone. He could hear the crazy bitch laughing at him and it was pissing him off. She was doing it on purpose as only he could hear it. He refused to give up. Forcibly sending someone into hell and just surviving was nearly impossible. To then accept an extreme seed and survive the process was basically impossible. He refused to believe, if he pushed just right he could force the destabilization. Once the two didn’t match the seed would eat him alive from the inside of his soul out. While he likely would see the destruction of the seed it would also mean he won even if he didn’t get to study the seed. Because of the contract she couldn’t stop him, even if she was to die in the process.