猩红色的Asger当我遇到八只脚，八只眼睛的黑色生物的可怕凝视时，我就尽可能快地加快了跑步速度。门飞快地飞过我，因为我忽略了指向相反方向的箭头，使我远离那些蜘蛛–我能听到谁跟着我–尽可能。最终，我走到了死胡同，所以我选择了一扇随机的门并通过它进入，希望我没有’不要选择错误。我在门的另一侧发现的是一间装饰相当豪华的办公室。它的后面有一张木头制成的大桌子，前面有两把舒适的椅子，后面有一把办公椅。一个看起来比我自己公寓里的椅子更舒服的。我小心翼翼地走进房间，我敢打赌，在铺满大部分地板的巨大地毯上，吸尘是一个巨大的痛苦，然后跌跌撞撞地向前，把自己放在两把椅子之间的桌子上。说真的，什么’我有问题吗？不知从哪里冒出来，我的视力开始模糊，只有一切都变得红色，然后恢复正常。得到红色，然后再次恢复正常。一遍又一遍，因为我的眼睛周围和眼睛后面的疼痛越来越严重。我听到一声咆哮的声音，让我转向门，只是想起了恶魔是蜘蛛亚种，如果我不得不猜测的话。没有任何可能或应该能够咆哮的东西。如果那样’是这样的，那声音是从哪里来的？我的异象一遍又一遍地重复，直到我失去力量，倒在地上。我听到蜘蛛般的脚步声在房间里飞来飞去，只是我眼睛里的红色突然强烈地闪烁着，以至于我觉得我看到地板上反射了一点红光。然后蜘蛛发出惊慌失措的嘶嘶声，冲出房间。在我对他们的行为提出质疑之前，我听到了一种阳刚但机器人发声的声音在我的耳朵中产生共鸣。“好奇。”
尽管所有的疼痛现在已经蔓延到我的整个身体，而不仅仅是我的头，但我几乎无法将头转向声音的方向，只是发现了某种…什么？不，说真的。什么？某种tanuki只是坐在空中，漂浮在适当的位置。还有-“非常好奇。”
-不知怎么跟我说话？我惊讶地眨眼，不知何故忘记了我的痛苦’我只呆一秒钟。只有一个。tanuki叫我奇怪吗？“是的。我是。但是我’我不是塔努基。我’我是fae。”
哦。好吧。抱歉…等等，什么？“你的道歉被接受了，凡人。找到一个半恶魔是值得的。”
随着疼痛的加剧，我吟着，使我摆脱了震惊的昏迷。“您的恶魔一半已被唤醒，并试图吞下您的人类一半。”
疼痛可能非常严重，但事实并非如此’阻止生物’在我脑海中登记的话语。半恶魔？“如果这样继续下去，你就会死。”
随着疼痛的持续增长，我感到眼泪开始在我的眼中积聚，只是在一秒钟后突然又消失了，让我吸了一口气，然后筋疲力尽地倒在地上。刚刚发生了什么？!“我已经确定，当您感到如此痛苦时，对话不会取得成果。因此，在我们的谈话期间，我已经麻木了你的神经。”
我惊讶地眨眼。它做了什么？等一下，没关系。这是什么tanu- err，fae，它怎么能读懂我的想法？!有问题的生物漂浮在我的胸口上，因为他–我’我假设它’s a he，考虑到它的声音–说，“我是fae的人，或者作为非合同的人称呼我们，是一种精神。我在陛下的仁慈下授予你一份合同。你，唯一出生的半恶魔。”
我震惊地睁开眼睛。我’硕士…半恶魔？这是怎么回事…如何’有可能吗？“恶魔和人类-”等等，等等，等等!我不’不是那个意思!我是说为什么会这样？为什么人类和恶魔…你知道的!“你’你在问为什么你的母亲和你的父亲会聚在一起而不是打架？”
我反复点头。The fae–不是塔努基–没有’谁知道多久，什么都没说。所以我试着移动我的身体，却发现我这样做有很多困难。“你的问题的答案是未知的。我建议不要动，否则你’会加速你的死亡。”
我的嘴张开一秒钟，然后再次合上。对。他只说他不知何故麻木了我的神经。不是他治好了我。人类和-“除非您想在35秒内死亡，否则我建议您停止提问，并与我订立合同。”
哦。一想到我离死亡有多近，一种模糊的恐惧感就席卷了我，但我深呼吸将其扫除，这可能不会’无济于事。我们如何形成合同？“只是互相分享我们的血。”
我惊讶地眨眼。“你同意和我订立合同吗？分享一小部分生命的力量，你从你一生中杀死的任何恶魔和人类中流失？”
生活…力？当我为那个想法炖汤时，沉默了几秒钟。但是过了一会儿，fae让我想起了剩下的时间。“二十秒。”
我做了一个决定。就在这里和现在。之后会发生什么，我不知道’我不知道。但是我想成为生活棋盘游戏中那些有能力获得自由的玩家之一。做出改变的力量。或者简单地说，谁有权力。So yes. I agree to this contract.“Very well. So shall it be done.”The tanuki raises its paw and chomps on it before lowering itself to my face and dripping its blood into my mouth. And as soon as the blood touches my tongue, I feel my eyes widening in shock as a strange yet not unpleasant feeling spreads through me, despite my nerves apparently being numbed.It then scratches at my face, drawing only a tiny amount of blood that it quickly brings to its own mouth and swallows.My eyes widen even further as I stare agape at what I know to be one of those System Notices that the Guardians always talk about on the news. And the only thing that comes to mind at the sight of it is that it really does look like a video game.System Initialization in progressPlease wait…“You are now awakening to the System. This process will stop your demon genes from obliterating your human side for the time being.”I stare at the notification for who knows how long, a feeling of hope spreading through my still numbed chest, only for me to blink in surprise as the fae’s words register in my mind.For the time being? Actually, why are you helping me anyways? Aren’t the ‘fae’ supposed to be helping humanity against demons? So why are you helping a half demon in the first place?I don’t really want to look a gift tanuki in the mouth, but it just doesn’t make sense. And that doesn’t sit well with me.The spirits, or according to this one the fae – from what I’ve learned back in school – are mystical beings that come from who knows where to help humanity in its time of need against the demons. They first appeared about two centuries ago, only a few years after the first Demonic Assault, and have been contracting with Guardians, giving them access to the System ever since. And they only ever appear in the middle of a Fracture – an enclosed area being assaulted by demons during a Demonic Assault like the one I’m in now – to offer a contract to one of the humans stuck inside of the Fracture.The fae just stares at me for a few seconds before snapping its little tanuki claws in a ridiculous display that immediately has me regretting questioning it as the pain returns to me.“I will tolerate your insolence this time because of how unique you are. But you are not to question us ever again. Do you understand me, mortal?”I hurriedly nod my head in agreement.No questioning the fae, and especially no angering it. Got it.The fae snaps its claws again – which I still question if that’s even possible in a tanuki form – before answering my question despite its rather arroga- err, benevolent display.“His majesty, King Oberon, Ruler of all of the Fae, believes that there must only be one sapient mortal race and has therefore ordered all fae to assist both sides of the war in forming contracts, answering limited questions, and granting their contracted initialization into the System.”My mouth drops open.They’re… helping the demons too?