The Ability to Shift Anything is Convenient, Even in Another World!

After what felt like an endless walk, they finally arrived at the place Alguis had mentioned. Reika glanced around, taking in her surroundings with curiosity.

"This is..."

Behind Alguis stood a steep cliff, with only a few shrubs sprouting from its cracks. Lush trees surrounded them, their leaves fluttering in the gentle breeze.

"This place should be fine, Miss Reika."

Determining that the area was safe, Reika stepped closer to Alguis and faced him directly. Her sudden seriousness caught him off guard, leaving him confused.

"Mister Alguis, I... need you to offer your soul to me in exchange for my assistance," she stated bluntly.

A heavy silence fell between them, the weight of her words sinking in. The former king's expression hardened with shock.

Alguis stared at her, his eyes flickering with unease and suspicion.

"Miss Reika, are you a witch, perhaps? This sounds like dark sorcery to me..."

Reika immediately waved her hands in protest.

"Wh-what are you saying? D-do I look like a witch to you!?"

Her mind suddenly remembered the depiction of witches according to pop culture back on Earth.

"Oh..."

She sighed as the conversation stalled into silence.

Reika, how stupid can you be sometimes? Just be clear!

"Uh, if that's not the case, Miss Reika, then what exactly do you mean?" Alguis asked, his confusion evident.

Seeing his hesitation, Reika took a deep breath and explained.

"I possess an ability called <Contract>. It allows me to form a bond through the voluntary submission of a target."

Alguis wanted to ask more, but he sensed she wasn’t finished and remained silent.

"My contract isn’t bound to the physical body but to the spiritual essence of the contracted individual. That’s why you must willingly offer your soul—to establish the bond between us..."

Though the concept was foreign to him, Alguis grasped the general idea.

"Then... that would make me your slave, wouldn’t it?"

Reika’s eyes widened in alarm and waved her hands frantically.

"I-I know this sounds like a slave... contract, Mister Alguis, but I assure you, our relationship will remain unchanged. I won’t harm you recklessly..."

Alguis fell silent. Reika could see the doubt lingering in his eyes.

"Don't worry, sir. What I truly seek is the other function of this ability. You’ll understand once I make you one of my contracts..."

"Other function...?"

Alguis hesitated, meeting her gaze with uncertainty.

Despite being human—a race often known for greed and a thirst for power—she seemed genuine. Her words carried no deceit, and I sensed no ill intent from her...

In the end, he chose to accept Reika’s demand.

I’ll trust her. Doubting Miss Reika now would only be a hindrance, especially since we’re bound to be allies in the future.

Alguis rose to his feet before kneeling in front of her, lowering his head in solemn acknowledgment. For a former ruler of the Dwarven Kingdom, kneeling before a commoner was unheard of.

"I, Alguis Fellad, accept your demand and submit to this contract in exchange for your assistance."

Reika was taken aback at first, but she knew this was merely a formality on his part. Without hesitation, she extended her palm over his head.

A bright purple light flared between them, and in an instant, a translucent shackle materialized around Alguis’ neck.

"This is..."

Alguis instinctively reached for it, feeling an unfamiliar restraint. A slight discomfort settled over him, as if something intangible had latched onto his very being.

"Don't worry. It’ll disappear any second now."

As promised, the shackle around Alguis' neck faded, and the discomfort vanished along with it.

"From now on, I hold authority over your soul. Your life and death rest in my hands, and disobedience will have consequences."

"Like... what?"

"Erm... your shackle will tighten a little."

Alguis instinctively touched his neck, frowning at the thought.

"Don't worry, Mister Alguis. I doubt you’d ever think of doing anything harmful to me. I know you’re a good person."

Reika’s reassurance eased his concerns, and Alguis slowly got to his feet.

"So, what’s this ‘other function’ you mentioned earlier?"

"Oh... Hang on a moment."

Reika closed her eyes in thought.

Hmmm... What ability should I use...?

"Sir Alguis, pick any random ability you have."

Alguis blinked at the strange request but answered anyway.

"Uhm... Surface Liquefaction...?"

Surface Liquefaction was a terran-type ability I spent months mastering. It’s perfect for ambushes and area-of-effect attacks… I wonder why she asked, though?

Before he could voice his thoughts, Reika suddenly placed both hands on the ground.

"H-Huh...?"

The earth beneath them softened into a thick, viscous state. Alguis’ eyes widened in shock, while Reika, though stunned, was thrilled that her contract had worked.

However, in her excitement, she overlooked one crucial detail—the ability’s effect. Alguis noticed it first and reacted immediately.

"Miss Reika! The ground...!"

Reika followed his gaze and realized, to her horror, that they were sinking. She tried to pull her legs free, but the more she struggled, the faster she sank.

"Miss Reika, deactivate it before we sink any further!"

Panicking, she quickly canceled the ability, and the ground solidified once more. However, even with the liquefaction gone, both of them remained stuck.

"Ugh... I messed up real bad!"

Alguis turned to Reika and saw that she had sunk far deeper than he had. The soil managed to block her airways completely—the rest of her body was completely trapped underground.

"Miss Reika...!"

They both struggled to free themselves, trying various ways to escape.

"Mmpphhh!" Reika whimpered, her eyes darting toward Alguis.

Since Alguis hadn’t moved much when the ability activated, he had only sunk up to his waist. Escaping was just a matter of time for him. Reika, however, wasn’t so lucky.

On the other side, Reika continued to struggle, but the soil around her held firm, refusing to budge.

"Mmpph!"

Not good, not good!

Meanwhile, Alguis had managed to free himself. He hurried to Reika’s side, assessing the situation. He considered pulling her out, but her small, frail frame made him hesitate—if he applied too much force, he might end up hurting her.

"Miss Reika! Hold on! I'll find a way to get you out!"

Frantically, Alguis scanned the area, searching for anything that could help.

I don’t have any tools or abilities suited for this… What should I do…?

He paused, weighing his options.

Should I just dig her out by hand…?

His gaze shifted to his weapon—Gotheimmer, his trusted hammeraxe.

"Maybe if I use the axe side, I can carve out the soil around her…!"

A quick glance at Reika told him he was running out of time. Her struggles were growing weaker.

"Ghh! There's no time to hesitate!"

Without a second thought, Alguis dashed toward his hammeraxe, gripping it tightly before raising it into the air.

"Miss Reika! Stay awake! Don't close your eyes—I’m getting you out!"

Reika’s muffled whimpers grew faint as she lost strength. Just as Alguis was about to swing, a familiar voice spoke behind him.

"What are you doing?"

He froze, turning his head slightly. It was Reika’s companion—Soru.

Soru saw Reika buried deep in the ground. Their eyes met, and she recognized him.

Soru...? What's... he...

Before she could finish her thoughts, she passed out from asphyxiation. Soru, unaware of the real situation, assumed the dwarf had done it on purpose rather than by accident.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand. Up ahead, Alguis noticed and sensed something ominous. He tried to explain.

"Kid... It's not what you—"

Before he could finish, he was suddenly appeared above the ground—then sent crashing down. His weapon was gone, and Reika had disappeared.

"Huh..?"

He quickly scanned the area and spotted Soru, still standing below, watching as he fell.

A heavy thud followed as Alguis hit the ground. Pain surged through his body, and he groaned as he forced himself up.

"Urghhh..."

Reika was no longer trapped underground. Instead, she was now sitting unconscious on a tree behind Soru.

What...? How did that happen?

"Veylir. Help her out," Soru said calmly.

Without warning, Veylir appeared out of nowhere.

"Urk... Okay..."

While Veylir worked to revive Reika, Soru confronted Alguis.

Alguis, still shaken, couldn't react in time to process what had just happened. But then, he noticed something approaching from above.

Looking up, he saw his hammeraxe falling straight toward him.

With quick reflexes, he caught it and swung his weapon in the air. He was about to ready himself when several shadows spread across the ground.

He looked up again—and his eyes widened. Several boulders were descending from the sky, falling toward him like a storm of stones.

It didn’t take much to figure out who was behind it.

He's capable of doing that?! I need to dodge it!

With no time to spare, Alguis dodged each boulder with precise movements. As they crashed to the ground one after another, faint tremors rippled through the earth.

He pushed himself to evade every last one. Just as he thought he had avoided the final boulder, another suddenly appeared above him. This time, he was mid-air—with no foothold to escape.

Tch! I can’t dodge it in time!

Gritting his teeth, Alguis tightened his grip on his hammeraxe.

In that case…!

He swung with all his might, aiming to shatter the falling boulder.

"Hyaaa—GHUUUUKKK!?"

The moment his weapon struck the boulder’s surface, a sudden force slammed into his side. His strength vanished instantly, and the impact sent him hurtling through the air.

What was that!?

Before he could process it, his body crashed against the cliffside.

"GHHAAAKKK!"

Pain exploded through him as he collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Whatever had struck him was beyond anything he had expected.

What is happening...? How did I—

"BLEURRGH!!"

He coughed up blood, clutching his chest.

Urk... Few of my ribs are broken...

Through the pain, he looked up at the boulder he had tried to destroy. It was still intact—completely undamaged.

What…? How is that even possible?

Then, his gaze shifted to Soru, who was now approaching him with an unreadable expression.

That… That kid had such power?

"What... did you do?" Alguis asked, struggling to suppress the pain.

"You human! What do you think you're doing to our majesty!?"

A sharp voice cut through the air.

Soru turned to see Aeden and Völun rushing toward him.

"Kid! I don’t know what happened, but harming a royal is an act of treason!" Völun roared, wielding his massive hammer.

"No! Don’t attack him—"

Alguis tried to warn them, but his voice was lost in their rage.

Völun’s hammer was the first to reach Soru's skin. But what happened next was beyond their expectations.

In an instant, both Aeden and Völun felt an overwhelming force strike their backs. The impact was so sudden and powerful that they were slammed to the ground.

"Ugghhhh...!"

"What... was that!? I didn’t even see the attack!"

They struggled to rise—only to realize their weapons were no longer in their hands. Stunned, they scanned their surroundings.

Their weapons lay just ahead of them.

Our weapons...!

Desperate, they reached out to retrieve them, but the moment they tried, an invisible force locked their hands and legs to the ground.

"My hand wasn’t stuck a second ago!" Völun shouted in shock.

"Why!? When did this happen!?" Aeden added, equally bewildered.

Their confusion deepened as the ground beneath them darkened. They instinctively looked up—a massive boulder was plummeting straight toward them.

"What!?" They shouted in unison.

Panic set in. They struggled frantically, freeing some of their limbs, but time was running out. The boulder loomed closer, ready to crush them beneath its weight.

Alguis watched in horror, finally grasping just how terrifying the young man before him was. Desperation crept into his voice as he pleaded for his subordinates' lives.

"I beg for your mercy, Mister Soru—"

His words faltered as his eyes met Soru’s. In that moment, a chilling realization dawned on him.

The eyes of a man were said to be the window to his soul. But when Alguis looked into Soru’s grayish gaze, he saw nothing. No emotion. No sympathy. Only emptiness.

These were the eyes of someone who felt no remorse, someone who views life and death as equal. A being who would do as he pleased without the slightest flicker of emotion.

And in that fleeting moment, Alguis reached a single, undeniable conclusion.

They had provoked the wrong person.

He lowered his head, regret weighing heavy on his chest. His own actions, his words—they had led them all to this point of no return.

Just as despair threatened to consume him, a voice suddenly rang out, cutting through the tension.

"M-MASTER SORU! HEAR ME OUT JUST ONCE!"