Evan's sharp eyes locked onto Lloyd with unwavering confidence. There was only one thing he wanted, to assert dominance in this negotiation. By tearing apart Lloyd's contract, he symbolically rejected the role of a subordinate.
This was also a test for Lloyd. Did The Void truly need Evan, or was it merely trying to use him as a pawn?
'If Lloyd still wants to negotiate, that means there is something it wants from me.'
Was he special?
Was it because he was a soul from another world?
Was it because he was the only successful subject of the experiment?
Beyond that, there was another reason why he had torn the contract and proposed a new one, the reaction of Right Hand and Left Hand.
He had no way of perceiving their true forms due to the absolute limitations of dimensional existence. After all, he was merely a three-dimensional being. It felt as though he was challenging entities from a higher Existential Hierarchy, ones who could crush him with the flick of a finger if they wished.
They were both witnesses of the contract and guardians of balance. He wanted to see whether they would allow a new contract to be forged.
If they remained silent, then they were more neutral than he had anticipated. Or perhaps, they wanted to observe this negotiation unfold.
But if they acted, would that mean they favored Lloyd over a mere mortal?
The most likely scenario was that Lloyd would accept my proposal. Why? Because I had an exceptionally strong bargaining position. He had even come to pick me up and brought me here, meaning I already had an advantage in one way or another.
If Lloyd got angry or felt insulted, it might reveal that he actually had a hidden agenda that could be jeopardized by the changes to this contract.
If Lloyd laughed and remained calm, it would mean he was deliberately giving me the opportunity to rewrite the contract, most likely to assess how cunning I was.
"Lloyd, I want to ask you a question. Do you mind?"
Evan's voice rippled through the intricate structure of space and time until it finally reached Lloyd in the distance.
"Hmph, of course."
He had no idea what kind of expression Lloyd was making. There was only emptiness and infinity as far as Evan's eyes could see.
Taking a deep breath, Evan sharpened his gaze. He was ready now.
"First question. Is 'Lloyd The Void' truly your real name? Or is it merely an identity created for the sake of making a contract with me?"
Lloyd gazed at Evan with eyes filled with something indescribable. It was not warmth, nor was it anger, but rather a faint sense of amusement. A subtle smile formed on his lips, as if the question was a private joke only he could understand.
"Are you still doubtful after everything we've been through, my would-be Contractor?"
His voice flowed softly, like a whisper carried by the wind in the void.
"A name is a form of existence, and I… I am The Void. I am Lloyd."
He paused briefly, allowing his words to sink in before continuing in a calmer, more assuring tone.
"But if you're asking whether I have always been known by this name—then the answer is far more complicated, isn't it?"
Lloyd walked slowly, his shadow wavering as if he was not entirely present in that place.
"The name 'Lloyd' is something crafted to bridge the gap between my existence and your world. A form through which you can comprehend me. Did I use it before our contract? Perhaps. Perhaps not. A name only holds meaning insofar as one assigns it, does it not?"
It turned fully toward Evan, its eyes glinting with something indecipherable.
"You seek the truth? You already possess it."
Lloyd raised a hand, pointing toward Evan's chest.
"You are the one who gave this name meaning. You are the one who made it real. If you now choose to doubt it... does that mean you also doubt my very existence?"
Lloyd was not entirely lying, but it was far from the whole truth. It was a truth bent, tinged with smooth words that made Evan feel nothing but disgust.
Evan stood firmly atop Right Hand, and now, he would launch his next question.
"Who were you before becoming an Existential? Did you once belong to a lower hierarchy of existence?"
Lloyd fell silent for a moment. There was no visible change in expression, yet something in the air shifted, something indescribable, like a void inhaling all sound and light around it. As if the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for his answer.
Then, he smiled.
"Evan, your question is intriguing,"
he said, his voice soft, almost sympathetic.
"You seek the origin of something that has no beginning. Something that exists… simply because it does."
He stepped closer, his shadow lagging behind his body as if it was not entirely bound by the conventional rules of existence.
"But very well, let me answer in a way you can comprehend."
Lloyd clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze locking onto Evan's piercing yet not threatening.
"Before I became what I am now, I was something smaller, something more limited. Yes, I once existed within a lower hierarchy. I was once something you might call… a fragment of something greater. A piece of something deeper. A spark from a vast and boundless void."
He let those words linger in the air before adding,
"But time changes everything, doesn't it? A spark can grow into a blaze. A fragment can shape something new."
Lloyd let out a fabricated sigh, as if reminiscing about something distant, something hazy and unreachable.
"I learned, I evolved, I transcended the initial boundaries of my existence. Until, at last, I became who I am now. I became something that can no longer be compared to anything that came before."
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes glinting with satisfaction.
"So, did I once come from a lower hierarchy of existence? Perhaps. Or maybe I was always meant to become this from the very beginning. Does it really matter?"
This... is more complicated than I thought.
I don't know if he was saying 'yes' or 'no' when he confirmed that both things happened under the same condition. I know he was telling the truth. But the way he twisted that truth, it was so subtle, so seamless, that it was difficult to see where the deception began and where the facts ended.
That was actually crucial information regarding Lloyd's origins. However, Evan chose to set it aside for now, prioritizing the real question at hand, Lloyd's true intentions.
"Then, I have another question. Lloyd, what was your motivation when you first offered me the contract—no, let me ask something else instead. Why are you interested in me?"
Evan's voice was firm, his gaze unwavering.
Lloyd grinned widely. His eyes gleamed with something indescribable… not madness, not amusement, but something that lay somewhere between the two.
"Why am I interested in you?" He repeated the question, his tone carrying the faintest hint of mockery, as if the answer should have been obvious.
Then, he chuckled softly a light, casual sound, almost like an old friend reminiscing over a long-forgotten joke.
"Evan, you should know… I don't offer contracts to just anyone. I don't choose humans simply because they are special, talented, or have some grand destiny written in the stars."
He drifted effortlessly through countless dimensions, the unseen boundaries that separated Right Hand and Left Hand. Then, with a leisurely stride, he began circling Evan, as if they were merely engaged in a casual conversation.
"I chose you because I want to see this world burn."
Lloyd paused, locking eyes with Evan, and this time, there was no trace of playfulness in its voice.
"I want to see the Hierophant brought to its knees, their church reduced to rubble, and the foundations of their power collapsing into the void."
It smiled again… smaller, colder.
"And I need someone who can make that happen for me."
Lloyd leaned back against the empty air, as if resting against something unseen.
"This world has been trapped in the same chains for far too long, Evan. The Hierophant and the Church of the God's keep weaving an illusion of order, yet they are nothing more than cowards worshiping the shadow of gods long gone. I want… change. And you are my most intriguing piece in this game."
It watched Evan, its expression shifting back to something more casual, as if what it had just said was nothing more than idle conversation.
"So? Are you disappointed by my answer? Or maybe…" it grinned, "you're a little intrigued by the idea?"
Evan was taken aback. Was this truly the intention of this being?
"Why… me?"
He asked.
Lloyd shrugged, utterly unbothered.
"Why must it be you?"
The question was repeated as if Evan had just asked something utterly dull.
"Are you serious, Evan? Do you think I chose you because you're special? Because I saw something extraordinary in you?"
A short laugh followed… indifferent, dismissive.
"No. I chose you because you possess an exceptionally high affinity with the Void. It's as simple as that."
Lloyd folded their arms behind their head, leaning back against something that didn't exist.
"I don't care who you were before. I don't care about your origins, your dreams, or your past. I'm not looking for a hero or someone with grand ambitions. I just needed a suitable vessel, and you just happened to be one."
They glanced at Evan with a lazy expression.
"That's why I came to you, even reaching into the depths of your subconscious. There's no deeper meaning behind it, no grand destiny or elaborate conspiracy. It's just… compatibility."
Lloyd let out a small yawn, as if the conversation itself was beginning to bore them.
"So, satisfied? Or are you still hoping I have some other, more dramatic reason?"
He stared at Evan in disbelief.
"Ermm… you must already know, don't you? That I'm not from this world…"
Lloyd scoffed, his gaze remaining relaxed yet brimming with mockery.
"So what?" he said, his voice trembling with amusement. "Do you want me to send you home? Ah, impossible."
He let out a small chuckle, but this time, there was something colder lurking behind it.
"I might be able to shatter the concept of heaven and the existence that shapes this world, but returning you to where you came from? That is beyond my authorities. If I could do that, I would have done so long ago just to prove that I could."
He looked at Evan with an expression difficult to decipher, a mixture of boredom and something deeper, something almost like… curiosity.
"But that doesn't mean you are without hope."
His voice grew quieter, deeper, almost like a whisper in the void.
"If you wish to return, then become something more than just a mere human. Become something that can defy the very boundaries of existence itself. If you reach the point where you stand as an equal to the Existential, perhaps you will find the answer on your own."
Lloyd grinned, teasing yet filled with challenge.
"So, Evan, will you cry because you can't go home? Or will you seize the power that can take you anywhere you desire?"
Evan's eyes burned with longing and ambition as he stared at Lloyd's outstretched hand—flawless, appearing more human than any hand could ever be.
"I..."
Lloyd's grin widened.
"Welcome, Contractor of Void."