"I promise you that I will be the best support out there! Since people cannot see me, I can help you gather information with ease, and I can even warn you of dangers way before you can even detect them!" Lilith tried to convince him to agree by giving him reasons why he should, something that most people would die to have.
After pondering for some time, Leo spoke, "I have one last question. What will happen if I run out of mana to support you?"
"In that case, I can just absorb the mana in the air until you have enough mana again. Since the world is filled with mana, I don't have to worry about instantly dying the moment you run out of mana. However, I won't be able to last like that for long."
"Is that so… I will give you my answer after I make a quick purchase." He said as he opened up the Magic Shop.
<Confirm purchase 'Increase Mana Regeneration' for 500 MP>
"Confirm."
Ding!
<You have purchased 'Mana Regeneration' from the Magic Shop>
<Your mana regeneration has increased by 110>
[Mana Regeneration: 125]
'110 mana regeneration! This is even better than I anticipated! Even Miss Camille's S-Rank artifact cannot compare to this!'
He looked at Lilith and said, "Due to the Magic System, I now recover 125 mana every second. If you require more than that, can the contract be canceled?"
"Yes, the contract can be canceled." She nodded.
"Alright, then I accept your proposal. Let's do the contract."
"Really? You're going to trust me?" Lilith looked like she was about to cry.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Isn't it a little too late to be asking me that? Hurry up before I change my mind."
"O-Okay! Here's the magic circle! Please take as long as you need to memorize it!"
Leo took a seat on the bed and stared at the magic circle hovering above Lilith's hands.
Many minutes later, after requiring more time than memorizing a Tier 3 magic circle, Leo finally memorized it.
<You have learned the Magic Spell: Soul Enslavement>
[Soul Enslavement]
[Affinity: Dark]
[Tier: 5]
[Mana: 10,000]
[Mastery Rank: F]
"Tier 5 magic spell?! And what the hell is up with its name? Soul Enslavement? What an unpleasant-sounding spell!" He exclaimed after seeing what Lilith taught him.
"I told you that I am also taking a very big risk, right? You're going to enslave my soul and then bind it to your body. It's the only way that I know of."
He swallowed nervously and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this? I won't bear any responsibility if anything happens to you…"
She nodded with a serious expression on her face. "I am prepared. Do it."
"Alright…"
Leo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
After opening his eyes, he lifted his arm and pointed his palm at Lilith, who was floating right in front of him.
He summoned the magic circle inside his head and prepared to activate it.
The moment he activated the magic circle, almost all of the mana inside his body was instantly drained.
A large red magic circle suddenly appeared on Leo's palms, and it started to absorb Lilith the next moment.
Lilith did not resist and allowed the magic circle to absorb her until there was nothing left.
<You have enslaved the soul 'Lilith'>
The Magic System notified him.
<Would you like to destroy the soul 'Lilith'?>
Leo's eyes widened with shock after seeing this notification, and he quickly exclaimed, "No! I want to bind her to my body!"
<Acknowledged>
<The soul 'Lilith' is now bound to the host's body>
Ding!
<You have acquired a new Soul Slave>
<In order to sustain Soul Slave 'Lilith', you will lose 100 mana every second>
His mana would decrease by 100 every second, but due to his mana regeneration, it was almost as though it never happened.
Once Leo successfully bound Lilith to himself, he waited for her to reappear again.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmA few seconds later, he watched as Lilith's head popped out from his chest, then the rest of her body.
"How do you feel?" He asked her.
"Pretty normal," she said in a calm voice.
"What about you?"
"I'm feeling a little exhausted right now due to mana fatigue, but that will recover soon," he said.
"Looks like everything went well then. Once again, thank you for this, Leo. You have no idea how much this means to me."
"Save your words. I don't want any thanks because I had my own reasons," he said.
"Oh? What kind of reasons, if you don't mind me asking?" She looked at him with an intrigued gaze.
"Not telling you," he immediately refused.
"Don't be like that, Leo. We are what most would call 'more than just friends' now! You can tell me anything— even your darkest secrets!"
"..." Leo was speechless.
'Did I just make a grave mistake?' He wondered if he would regret his decision later.
"Anyways, I'm going to the Adventurers' Guild now. There's not much time before the Wilderness Training Course and I am still an F-Rank Adventurer."
"By the way, now that we're bound together, you can speak to me through your mind like telepathy." Lilith said to him without moving her mouth, her voice resounding inside his mind like magic.
"Like this?" Leo tried speaking to her through his mind.
"Yes."
"This is pretty convenient. Now I can speak with you in public without looking completely crazy," he said.
Sometime later, Leo signed out of the academy and called a taxi to the Adventurers' Guild.
"When was the last time I left the academy premises? I don't even remember, but things have changed so much that it feels like I have stepped into a new world." Lilith viewed the city with her head phasing through the car's ceiling, her face filled with excitement, almost like a child going to the amusement park for the first time.
Once they arrived at the Adventurers' Guild, Leo went straight to the front desk and asked about the promotion examination.