CHAPTER 184: FLASHBACK

Jack stared up at the sky of Floor 24, watching clouds drift across the purple-red expanse.

Five months since he’d killed Vok’thar, since he’d bound thousands of demons to his will through contracts written in blood and enforced by magic that didn’t forgive defiance.

The memory surfaced unbidden as Fluffy’s massive form padded across the rocky terrain.

The cerberus demon dog had become a great mode of transportation.

Jack closed his eyes, letting the rhythmic movement of Fluffy’s gait carry him back to that final meeting before they’d departed.

---

The throne room of the Aurion castle had been packed.

Not with the three hundred demons who’d attended the contract signing, but with the leadership.

Seryth sat upon her throne, her luminescent form dimmed slightly, exhaustion evident in the way her wings drooped. Beside her stood her two elite guards, their faces carefully neutral.

Across from them, maintaining a respectful distance stood Nyx’ira.

The new War Chief of the Thal’Gorin wore a strip of black cloth across her eyes, a makeshift blindfold that did nothing to hide the scars visible at its edges.

Her remaining vision was so limited that the blindfold made little practical difference, but it served as a reminder to everyone present of what defying Jack’s commands had cost her.

Krath and Zyx’ra flanked her, their shadows coiling defensively despite the supposed peace between the clans.

Jack had stood in the center of the room, Kyren at his side, and addressed them all with a voice that carried absolute authority.

"I’m leaving," he’d said simply. "There’s something I need to handle. It will take time."

Seryth had leaned forward, her light brightening slightly. "How long?"

"It will probably be a year before you hear from me again." Jack’s yellow eyes had swept across the assembled demons.

"While I’m gone, you will maintain order. Both clans will continue to coexist peacefully. There will be no conflicts, no power struggles, no attempts to undermine the contracts that bind you."

"And if there are threats from outside?" Nyx’ira had asked, her damaged voice still carrying that rasp from when the contract had nearly crushed her throat.

"Other demon clans. Monsters from the deeper tunnels. What then?"

Jack had met her blindfolded gaze, or where he assumed her gaze was directed.

"Handle it yourselves. You’re both experienced leaders. I’m confident you can manage whatever comes."

He paused, letting the weight of his next words settle before speaking them.

"But understand this clearly, I will not sacrifice any of your demons for this war with Pho."

The throne room had gone absolutely silent. Seryth’s eyes had widened. Even Nyx’ira, who couldn’t see Jack’s expression, had tensed visibly.

"The contracts bind you to me," Jack had continued, his tone flat. "Which means your lives belong to me. And I don’t waste what belongs to me. When I face Pho, I do it with my own strength. Your demons will remain here, safe, continuing to rebuild what four years of war destroyed."

He’d turned to leave, then paused at the threshold.

"Prove to me that you can govern without my direct oversight. Show me that the clans can thrive under this new order. Do that, and when I return, we’ll discuss what comes next."

The doors had closed behind him, leaving two demon leaders staring at the space where he’d stood, trying to process what they’d just heard.

A Soul Warden who refused to use his bound army.

A human who’d claimed thousands of demons but left them to live their lives.

It didn’t make sense. It went against everything they understood about power, about conquest, about the natural order of strength in Tartarus Spire.

But the contracts didn’t lie. Jack’s command had been clear. And whether they understood his reasoning or not, they would obey.

---

Jack opened his eyes, the memory fading as the present reasserted itself.

"You’re thinking about them again," S observed from his position near Fluffy’s middle head. The contract demon sat with perfect posture despite the creature’s swaying gait, somehow managing to peel a tangerine while maintaining his balance. "The demons you left behind."

"Just remembering," Jack said, his hand unconsciously moving to stroke Corvin’s feathers. The raven had taken up permanent residence on his shoulder, only flying off occasionally to scout ahead or hunt for food. "Making sure I made the right call."

"You did," S said with absolute certainty. He popped a segment of tangerine into his mouth. "Using them against Pho would be a waste. Most would die. The survivors would be traumatized. And you’d have achieved nothing you couldn’t accomplish more efficiently on your own."

Kyren, who sat near Fluffy’s left head with his characteristic stillness, spoke in his hollow voice. "Master does not waste resources. It is one of his strengths."

Jack wasn’t sure if that was meant as a compliment or just an observation. With Kyren, it was always hard to tell. The reanimated demon simply stated facts as he understood them, without emotion or judgment coloring his words.

"Still," Jack muttered, more to himself than anyone else, "they’re probably wondering what kind of master abandons his army for months without explanation."

"They’re probably relieved," S countered, his tone carrying amusement. "Most demons who find themselves bound to a Soul Warden expect to be used as cannon fodder. You’ve given them peace, autonomy, and the stability to rebuild their lives." He smiled. "You’re practically a benevolent dictator."

"Benevolent dictator," Jack repeated, tasting the words. They left a bitter flavor in his mouth. "Is that what I am?"

"Among other things," S said cryptically.

The landscape around them had changed dramatically over the past months.

They’d left the valley behind months ago, traveling through tunnels that wound deeper into Floor 24’s territory.

The environment had shifted from open caverns with crystal-lit ceilings to darker, more oppressive spaces where the walls seemed to close in and the air grew thick with moisture.

Currently, they traversed a massive underground forest. Bioluminescent fungi grew in place of leaves, casting everything in shades of blue and green.

The trees were massive things, their trunks wider than houses, their roots digging deep into soil that probably hadn’t seen sunlight in millennia.

Fluffy navigated the terrain with surprising grace for something so large.

His three heads worked in tandem, the left and right ones scanning for threats while the middle head focused on the path ahead.

Occasionally, one of the heads would growl at something moving in the shadows, but nothing had been stupid enough to actually attack them.

Jack thought, feeling the weight of that time. ’I’ve been traveling for a while now, I wonder how hard Pho will be compared to his brother..’

It should have felt frustrating. Wasteful. Like he was losing precious time that could be spent growing stronger or consolidating his power.

But instead, Jack felt... focused.

The journey had given him something he hadn’t realized he needed, time to think. Time to process everything that had happened.

Time to master the abilities he’d gained and prepare for what was coming.

’And speaking of abilities...’

Jack pulled up his system interface with a thought, the familiar blue screens appearing in his vision.

He had gained skill points and stat points, waiting for the right moment to allocate them.

That moment was now.

’System,’ Jack thought. ’I want to convert Covenant of the Storm from a Lightning Apostle class skill to a universal skill.’