30: Chapter 30 Dark Pact, Transforming Miyano Akemi

The night was deep; in the bedroom of the Lin Family Manor, only a single bedside lamp remained on, its warm yellow glow filtering through the sheer lampshade and casting hazy shadows on the carpet.

The moonlight outside was blocked by heavy curtains, leaving only the occasional sliver of silver light that slipped through the gaps to land on the blood-red hair at the edge of the bed, giving it an eerie, bewitching luster.

Miyano Akemi was curled up in Lin Long's arms, covered by a soft silk quilt, her breathing steady and gentle.

Her cheeks were flushed with a healthy glow, and a faint smile played on her lips, clearly still immersed in the sweetness of the day.

Since that time at the private cinema, their relationship had progressed rapidly, and there was a newfound sense of dependence and infatuation in the way she looked at Lin Long.

Lin Long looked down at the peaceful sleeping face of the person in his arms, his fingertips gently brushing through her loose long hair.

His red eyes were exceptionally bright in the dim light, reflecting her face with an unprecedented seriousness.

After becoming the King of Darkness, he gained the ability to transform ordinary people into Shadow Creatures—this was the "Contract" permission unlocked after the system upgrade.

Although Shadow Creatures did not possess the absolute power of "immortality" like him, they could still gain a lifespan far exceeding that of ordinary people, self-healing abilities, and the basic ability to traverse shadows, all while remaining absolutely loyal to the creator of the contract.

He wanted to give Miyano Akemi eternal life.

The reason was simple: it was not out of pity, nor was it out of duty, but because Miyano Akemi was his woman.

Since he had the ability to do so, he had the obligation to free her from the constraints of life and time.

"Akemi."

Lin Long called out softly, his voice as gentle as a feather brushing against the heart.

Miyano Akemi opened her eyes drowsily, her long eyelashes fluttering with the lethargy of someone who had just woken up.

"Mr. Lin Long? What's wrong?"

"There's something I want to tell you."

Lin Long supported her shoulders, making her more comfortable, and his fingertips grazed her cheek.

"You should know that the Shadow Soldiers I summon are immortal dark creatures."

Miyano Akemi nodded. She had seen the Shadow Guards remain unscathed in a hail of bullets and had seen them reassemble from the shadows after being shattered, so she was long accustomed to this "immortal" ability.

Lin Long looked into her eyes and asked seriously:

"If... I could let you possess similar abilities, to have a nearly immortal life, would you be willing?"

"Ah!"

Miyano Akemi instantly woke up, all sleepiness gone. She broke free from Lin Long's embrace and sat up straight, the quilt sliding off her body to reveal her delicate collarbones.

She looked at Lin Long in disbelief, her eyes wide, sparkling with shock and anticipation.

"Re-really? Can I too?"

She had never imagined that an ordinary person like her could touch the realm of "immortality."

Having seen life and death in the organization, she understood the fragility of life better than anyone, and she longed to live for a long time more than anyone else—to live by her sister's side, to live... by Lin Long's side.

"Yes."

Lin Long nodded, his red eyes devoid of any hint of a joke.

"This is a permission I gained after my abilities were upgraded some time ago; I can transform you into a Shadow Creature through a contract."

He paused, his tone becoming serious.

"But you need to think clearly. After the transformation, you will be completely loyal to me, and your life and death will be under my control.

Once the contract is signed, it can never be undone. Are you sure... you want to sign this contract?"

Lin Long did not want to hide any consequences.

The connection between him and the Shadow Creatures was absolute; he could easily bestow it, and he could easily take it away.

He did not want coercion; he wanted Miyano Akemi's willing choice.

Miyano Akemi looked at Lin Long's serious face, at herself reflected in his red eyes, and there was not a hint of hesitation in her heart.

From the moment Lin Long had desperately rescued her from the organization, she had already entrusted her life to this man.

He had given her a new life, given her warmth, and given her a sense of security she had never had before.

Let alone her life and death being in his control, she would be willing even if the price were higher.

"I'm sure."

Miyano Akemi nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling with firm resolve, and a faint smile even curled up at the corners of her lips.

"Mr. Lin Long, what do I have to worry about with you? Being able to stay by your side forever is something I've dreamed of."

She leaned closer to Lin Long, gently holding his hand, her fingertips trembling slightly with nervousness, her eyes filled with infatuation, yet she said with absolute firmness:

"I'll sign."

Seeing her lack of hesitation, Lin Long felt a warmth in his heart, and a gentle smile flashed in his red eyes.

He took her hand in return, feeling the warmth of her palm against his fingertips.

"Good."

Just then, Miyano Akemi seemed to suddenly remember something; the smile on her face faded slightly, and she spoke hesitantly:

"Um... can Shiho also...? I want her to also..."

She knew that although her sister Shiho didn't say it out loud, the fear of the organization deep in her heart had never vanished.

If Shiho could also gain this ability, wouldn't she no longer have to fear being hunted down?

Lin Long ruffled her hair and smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll handle Shiho.

She doesn't quite trust me yet; when she figures things out, I'll bring up the contract with her."

Lin Long understood Shiho's personality—proud and sensitive; bringing up the contract directly would only make her wary.

It was better to take it slow and let her truly lower her guard.

"Okay."

Seeing that he had a plan, Miyano Akemi didn't ask further, her face once again revealing an expectant smile.

"Then shall we sign it now?"

"Yes."

Lin Long nodded, released her hand, and focused his thoughts.

"Hum—"

A ball of thick black energy surged from his palm, slowly rotating and condensing in the air, gradually forming an ancient-looking contract paper.

The paper was a deep black, covered in twisted, ancient incantations written in dark red ink; the incantations seemed to come alive, slowly flowing across the paper and exuding a mysterious and majestic aura.

The contract paper drifted lightly into Miyano Akemi's hands, carrying a hint of a cold touch.

"How do I sign it?"

Miyano Akemi held the contract paper, her eyes full of curiosity.

"It's simple."

Lin Long pointed to the blank space at the very bottom of the contract paper.

"Just drop a drop of blood from your fingertip onto it."

Miyano Akemi did not hesitate at all; she picked up a delicate brooch from the bedside table (the gift Lin Long had given her a few days ago) and gently pricked her fingertip.

A drop of bright red blood seeped from her fingertip, glistening in the lamplight.

She lowered her head cautiously and let the drop of blood from your fingertip fall onto the blank space of the contract paper.

"Drip."

The moment the blood drop landed on the paper, the air in the entire room seemed to freeze.

The ancient incantations on the contract paper suddenly lit up, emitting a blinding red light that illuminated Miyano Akemi's face in a deep red glow.

The drop of blood seemed to come alive, spreading rapidly along the patterns of the incantations, staining the entire contract paper red in the blink of an eye.

"Whoosh!"

The contract paper suddenly burst into flames, turning into a ball of pure black fire; it had no scorching heat but carried a feeling of warm envelopment, instantly shrouding Miyano Akemi within it.

"Ah!"

Miyano Akemi cried out in surprise instinctively, but she felt no pain; instead, she felt as comfortable as if she were soaking in warm water.

The black flames burned brighter and brighter, completely consuming her body.

Lin Long sat by the side, watching quietly, his red eyes reflecting the dancing flames, able to clearly perceive that the contract was taking effect—

Miyano Akemi's body was being remodeled by shadow energy; her cells were reorganizing, her bones were strengthening, and her life form was transitioning from a carbon-based organism to a Shadow Creature.

In the flames, the silk pajamas Miyano Akemi was wearing gradually burned into ashes, turning into black specks of light that dissipated into the air, revealing her fair and slender body.

But she couldn't care about being shy at this moment; she only felt a warm current surging through her entire body, every pore breathing happily, and all her fatigue and pain vanished in an instant.

She could feel her senses becoming unprecedentedly sharp; she could hear the sound of Shiho turning pages in the next room, smell the fragrance of roses outside the window, and even perceive the shadow energy flowing within Lin Long, which was of the same origin as the energy currently merging with her own.

The black flames burned for about half a minute before gradually subsiding and extinguishing, transforming back into specks of light dust that merged into Miyano Akemi's body.

The room returned to calm, with only the warm yellow glow of the bedside lamp remaining.

Miyano Akemi slowly opened her eyes, blinked, and looked at her hands.

Her skin seemed fairer than before, exuding a near-translucent luster; the wound on her fingertip had long since disappeared, and even the scars she had accidentally left in the past were gone without a trace.

She instinctively touched her cheeks and then looked down at her body—her form seemed more symmetrical than before, and her curves were even more graceful, as if she had been meticulously sculpted.

"Is... is it done?"

Miyano Akemi was somewhat incredulous and turned to look at Lin Long.

Lin Long's gaze fell upon her waist, and a hint of a smile flashed in his red eyes.

"Not entirely."

Miyano Akemi followed his gaze and looked down—on her waist, where her skin had originally been flawless, there was now a dark red tattoo.

It was a butterfly with its wings spread; the patterns on its wings were clearly visible, and the edges shimmered with a faint black light, looking so vivid as if it were about to fly out from her skin the next second.

"This is..."

Miyano Akemi reached out in surprise and gently stroked the tattoo; the texture felt the same as normal skin, yet she could feel a faint trace of energy flowing within it.

"This is the mark of the contract."

Lin Long explained.

"It's equivalent to an 'ID card' for Shadow Creatures; it also allows you to sense my location at any time. When you encounter danger, as long as you activate the mark, I can immediately travel through the shadows to your side."

He paused and added.

"With this mark, you can also initially master the ability to traverse shadows. Although you can't do it as freely as the Shadow Guards, it's no problem to perform short-duration shadow movement or hide your figure."

Miyano Akemi looked at the butterfly tattoo on her waist, then looked at Lin Long, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

She could clearly feel that an invisible connection had formed between her and Lin Long, as if no matter how far apart they were, she could sense his presence.

"Mr. Lin Long..."

Miyano Akemi threw herself into Lin Long's arms and hugged him tightly, her voice choked with a hint of emotion, yet filled with joy.

"Thank you."

Thank you for giving me a new life, thank you for giving me the chance for eternity, thank you... for letting me stay by your side forever.

Lin Long held her, feeling the warm and soft body in his arms, sensing the shared energy flowing between them, his red eyes filled with a satisfied smile.

"Silly girl, why are you thanking me?"

He lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"From now on, we can be together forever."

Miyano Akemi nodded vigorously in his arms and buried her face in the crook of his neck, feeling the familiar scent of cedar on him, her heart filled with an unprecedented sense of peace.

The moonlight outside had unknowingly slipped through the gaps in the curtains, spilling over their embracing figures and onto the butterfly tattoo on Miyano Akemi's waist.

Lin Long released Miyano Akemi and looked over her fair body; it was plump where it should be, and slender where it should be, especially the mysterious tattoo on her waist, which added a touch of allure.

"Akemi, it's getting late. Let's hurry to bed and rest."

Lin Long laughed, suddenly scooped up Miyano Akemi and threw her onto the bed, pouncing on top of her.

"Ah..."

Miyano Akemi let out a soft cry.

The night deepened, and the bedroom returned to tranquility once more, with only the sound of their steady breathing, intertwined like a gentle lullaby.

Lin Long held the person in his arms, feeling her life force drawing closer and closer to his own, a hint of anticipation flashing in his red eyes.

After Miyano Akemi's transformation was complete, it would be Shiho's turn.

After all, they were sisters.

A flame of desire flashed in Lin Long's blood-red eyes.

Lin Long felt that,

he was just giving the two sisters a truly safe and eternal home; what could he possibly be doing wrong?