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SIS Book 4 Chapter 64: Contracting Silence and Date Plans
🕑 Added 2020-09-08 12:51:26 +0000 UTC
Ho Ran furrowed her gorgeous brow as she squinted at her grandson. "You want me to teach you how to use Gravital body and, not only that but you also want me to promise to agree to join your kingdom as a lesser kingdom after talking with Rose and hashing out the details with her?"
Daz nodded plainly.
"Are you insane?" Ho Ran asked. "Who would agree to such a one-sided deal?"
"Well, to be fair, I wasn't done explaining my offer before you cut in. At least Grandfather is only laughing in amusement," Daz said as he gesturing to the still cackling Lorenzo.
"Oh, no, no, please, do go on. I plan to accept your demands to go with you, live under a strict contract and teach you Survivor's Instinct while also helping those children you mentioned better their own chances at living," the old Italian said seriously while still smiling a bit loosely. "I was just laughing when I saw the look on my lovely ex-wife's face turn so sour."
"I hate you too, Lorenzo," Ho Ran fired back. "Do realise you are only alive right now because I respect my grandson enough and have hope for his growth as a person to the point that I'm willing to spare you."
"I only meant to say that it was surprising for you to pout so much. Did I ever tell you when you were younger how gorgeous you are?" Lorenzo asked only to get a cold stare in return. "No? Well, you are. Beyond believe, some might say."
"I'm not a teenager with daddy issues. I will not fall for you, Lorenzo. Do not even try. You and Davido are exactly the same in that regard. You may claim to have not liked siring so many children but I didn't hear you denying enjoying the sex with so many women which came as a result of that," Ho Ran claimed coldly.
"Aha, well... Bodily pleasures and whatnot..." Lorenzo said coyly,
Ho Ran quickly ignored the fake look of embarrassment on the old man's face as she asked Daz, "So what's the rest of your deal? It had better be good. Otherwise, I will never help you with Gravital Body. I'm quite happy dying as the power's last living level-5 user."
"... I shall reiterate what I said and expand, assuming I will receive no more interruptions?" Getting a curt nod from both grandparents, Daz continued, "Great. To put it in very simple terms, you will train me in Gravital Body whenever I come to visit, you will allow me to build a teleportation station here which only I and a select few will be permitted access through to make said visits simple, and, lastly, you will agree to Rose's proposal of becoming one of my lesser kingdoms. Negotiations with my sister are, of course, allowed, but you will have to accept a proposal before we leave."
He took a moment to pause before saying, "On my side, I will promise to eradicate the entire planet of Esper families; either converting them to acting like normal people or killing them all. Regardless of the method, I'll do it. I will also strive to kill Davido with my own hands. I will work hard to protect those born with a power but lacking an esper bloodline, and, finally, I know you are worried about Lorenzo trying to stick a knife in your back for what you did to him. You know, trying to kill him so many years ago and even just a few minutes ago. If you weren't scared of him in some regard then you never would have agreed to making an alliance with me to Rose during the auction in the first place. I'll make sure he can do nothing to you."
Ho Ran frowned deeply. "I won't deny it. He claims the Hamilios aren't fighters but Survivor's Instinct and Shift Locking are not to be underestimated. Otherwise, this senile old man wouldn't be so scared of our son. Now, you say you'll try to protect bloodlineless power-holders. Explain. What can you do to help them that so many esper families have already attempted yet still failed to do despite their vast knowledge bases?"
Daz wore a serious expression on his face as he answered, "I guess I'd have to tell you at some point. I plan to create bloodlines and implant them in the children once I've confirmed it can be done. Until then, I have very skilled healers who can keep them alive during their awakenings. Rose herself received such healing during her second awakening and she's just fine."
Lorenzo nodded in astonishment. "Incredible. I never thought of using system-born powers to fix the body as it tries to explode. There are healing esper powers that people have tried to use before, naturally. Way back when the families still cared for the non-bloodliners. No such power was strong enough to stop the deaths or the effects of said powers were just too obscure to be of any help."
"I'm more concerned with the other thing that he said. Create bloodlines and implant them? Have you lost your mind? If that was possible, the families would have done it millennia ago," Ho Ran scoffed. "If that's all you have to offer me, I'll have to reject. I'll still talk to Rose and hear her out, bu-"
"Be quiet," Daz demanded.
"Excuse me?" the president of Korea hawked in amazement.
"I assume you want proof to back what I wish to do, yes? I can give you that proof, however, what I will show you does not leave this room. I will have the system bind you both by contracts and you, Grandfather, will work hard to nullify all futures where Father could learn of what I have managed to achieve on this front thus far," Daz said sternly.
He had already spent quite a lot of time doing just that himself in the past week; crushing futures where Davido learned of his silver bloodline by using Future Vision.
It served as good training for the power and it also covered his ass, hiding one of his valuable trump cards from his father.
Lorenzo smiled. "You've done something impossible, haven't you? I knew my plan would work. I agree wholeheartedly. Give me a contract to sign, I'll sign it, safe it, then toss that safe in the ocean before eating the key personally."
"A bit dramatic, but appreciated nonetheless. Grandmother?" Daz asked.
'That's cruel. He speaks without emotion but then calls me 'Grandmother' out of nowhere... Damn it. I hate myself for enjoying this feeling...' Ho Ran sighed. "Fine. I agreed to listen to you, so listen I will. So long as the contract is purely about secrecy, then I can agree to signing it."
Daz nodded and then called upon the system to create a contract that bound the three of them to never speak of what Daz was about to show them. Everyone signed it and was then notified by the system.
[The host has successfully entered a [Contract of Secrecy] with the hosts [Lorenzo Hamilio] and [Ho Ran].
No signer of this contract may speak of what has and/or will happen in the [President's Office] between them, either willingly or unwillingly.]
That was the summary and the actual contract was more detailed like his one between Ak, Tek and himself, of course.
'Lovely. Now I just need to make this permanent when I first get the chance after everything with the Truthians is settled. Contracts are pretty final but if it can be made, I'm sure the system can also break it for a price. Otherwise, those mummies wouldn't have demanded I use my first Star of Permanence on our contract regarding El Dorado. It doesn't hurt to be overprepared,' Daz made a mental note.
"Give me a moment," he ordered to which his grandparents nodded.
Daz cleared his mind then brought up a very simple question of success or failure in his thoughts; out of his two grandparents, which of the two, if either, could dodge a full power punch from him?
He then channelled internal energy through his Hamilio bloodline before splitting it off and funnelling it into the cracked and far smaller silver bloodline.
Slowly he peeled open his eyes, revealing his right one to be pure silver. Through that eye, Daz saw both Ho Ran and Lorenzo Hamilio and they were covered in the black and misty fog of failure, which didn't surprise Daz too much.
His power didn't lay in his physical strength, not really. That was Crusher's domain. He could rip a building from its foundations but his true fighting strength came from Hamson, Rimmy, his clones and two of his skills; Archreaper's Aura and Laughing Skull.
A few seconds passed before Daz closed his eyes then reopened them. They were back to their usual lifeless grey colour. "That was a unique application of Survivor's Instinct that I created myself."
Lorenzo's eyes were wide in both disbelief and utter excitement. "How?"
"I'd like to ask the same. That... whatever that was, it shouldn't have been possible. What did you even do, besides make your eye silver? And why only one eye?" Ho Ran questioned.
Daz flashed a subtle smile. "As for what I did, I created a new bloodline within my own body. Why one eye? No clue. Future Vision is the same."
Shock ran through both of his grandparents' entire body. They found it very hard to believe that someone so utterly new to the esper world had done something so... miraculous.
"It wasn't easy and the new bloodline is very weak, needing to leech off of the Hamilio bloodline to survive, but my goal is to nurture it and eventually separate it, creating a new bloodline," Daz said. "With me as the very first... shall we say 'test subject', I intend to slowly develop new bloodlines in the children lacking one."
"You do realise that even if what you say is possible it's absolutely insane, right?" Ho Ran asked.
Daz shrugged. "The esper powers came from somewhere, the bloodlines too. Whether from evolution or a gift from a past civilisation, I do not know. Perhaps you two do, but regardless, I see no reason why I can't be the source for the new generation of espers as we step into the greater system."
"I agree that it's insane," Lorenzo noted, "however, it's exactly the kind of insane we need to beat Davido. Consider me on-board."
"And you, Grandmother?" Daz asked with a softer tone than usual.
'Again with the 'Grandmother'...' Ho Ran showed a troubled look as she thought a moment before answering. "... Fine, but I will be monitoring you every step of the way. If you truly mean what you say then I can put aside my hatred for the Hamilio line, but only in your and Rose's case."
She pointed a slim finger at Lorenzo and said, "You, I never want to see again. Ever."
Lorenzo laughed as he raised his arms in surrender. "Of course, Ran, of course."
***
A few hours late, while meditating on the Ember of Love after his encounter with his elderly family members, Daz pried his eyes open slowly. Someone had disturbed the door to his assigned room in Hotel 28 of Myeongdong - a former members-only luxury hotel of Seoul.
Madison practically flew into the room with Mr Barrier sitting atop her head motionlessly. She quickly jumped onto Daz's lap and cuddled him. "Missed, you."
"I missed you too, Maddy," Daz answered warmly before planting a soft kiss on his girlfriend's lips.
"I would say get a room but you kind of already did," the nasally and annoying voice of his precious little sister said as Vanessa wheeled Rose into the room.
"Hi Rose, Vanessa," Daz said as he wrapped an arm around Madison and held her closely.
Rose was typing away on her laptop as Vanessa brought her to an open area before leaving her side to explore the room.
"How'd you do it?" Rose asked as she peered up over her laptop to look at him.
Daz smiled. "I assume talks with Grandmother went well?"
"Too well. Suspiciously well. The system won't let me guess why you were able to convince her to be so... normal. All I can figure out is that Lorenzo is involved somehow, but I don't know in what way," Rose admitted.
"Frustrating, isn't it? Not being in the know?" Daz asked teasingly. 'I guess Grandfather took my advice and went back into hiding. I hope he doesn't start any trouble until we're ready to leave.'
Rose sighed. "Yeah, very. Care to fill me in on the details?"
"I'd love to but I'm afraid that I'm bound by secrecy. I'll tell you this though, what your brother lacks in eloquence, he makes up for in logically and factual persuasion," Daz said.
Rose rolled her eyes. "You're full of it."
Vanessa giggled. "I knew it was fine. You worry too much, Rose. I mean, sure, the drive here was a bit tense with the soldiers but Daz knows what he's doing. How was your Grandma, by the way? She's very pretty. Did you get to catch up?"
"Something like that. Rose, we need to speak about our family later. Just the two of us," Daz said seriously.
Rose frowned. "Okay? I can guess why but sure. I can do that. Not today or tomorrow though. I want to relax right now and work. Tomorrow I'll be busy formalising the deal with Grandma."
"That's fine." Daz turned to look at the quiet Madison in his arms before saying, "What would you say to me inviting you out on a date both tonight and tomorrow?"
Madison's eyes sparkled. "Mmm! Yes! Would, love!"
"It's settled then," Daz replied before kissing her again.
"It is kind of embarrassing watching them do that. Uh, Rose, should we go to our own room now?" Vanessa asked a bit sheepishly.
Rose quickly shook her head. "No. Here is fine. If they want to get nasty they can move to the bedroom."
Daz sighed. "The only thing nasty here are the words coming out of your mouth."
"Bite me," Rose snapped back. 'Spending time alone with Vanessa? In a fancy hotel room? I think not. I'd rather not lose my mind, thank you very much.'
Vanessa, upon hearing Rose's opinion, chose to lean over Rose's shoulder and play computer games with her. Madison, meanwhile, excitedly discussed the details of her upcoming late-night date with Daz.
