Undead Beast Master: Living Solely for My Desires

Eldros was sure that his owner was pulling his leg. There was no way that somebody would want to buy him, that was for sure.

No matter who or what, once they witnessed the power of the Judgmental Gaze, they would strive to be as far away from him as possible.

It was just in human nature—one would always try to run away from the unbearable pain, and somebody owning Eldros would mean that they would have somebody that could cause them immense pain constantly next to them.

This was why he was stuck in a cold cell, alone. Even his owner—the one who held control over his soul—wasn't safe from the eye and its powers.

'Maybe somebody that is without a single sin?' Eldros wondered. This was the only way he could imagine somebody would be okay with binding their soul to him.

Eldros's owner—a short man with a large stomach and a small green hat—did not wait for the answer from his slave as he stepped to the side and another figure entered.

As soon as Eldros saw who it was, he recognized him. This was the person that had made the eye angry before.

As the figure stepped into the room, Eldros's owner pulled the door shut and muttered, "When you're done, knock."

The room became pitch black once again. Of course, Zaroth didn't have any problem seeing beyond the darkness, but he was sure that the man before him didn't have that ability, so he made a small fireball and kept it in his hand, illuminating the whole room.

Walking forward, he sat a few meters ahead of Eldros. The gloomy atmosphere in the room, alongside the eerie green flames of his fireball, made the scene look like something out of a nightmare.

Zaroth spent a few seconds to get a better view of Eldros's body. Just as he thought, the man had a muscular and lean build with a lot of scars from his countless battles. He pursed his lips, ready to speak, but before he could, Eldros beat him to the punch.

"What have you done?" were the words that came out of Eldros's mouth. It was safe to say that Zaroth was caught off guard by them.

"What do you mean by 'what have I done'?" Unsure how to answer, he responded with a question of his own.

Eldros's eyes darkened, and without another word, the Judgmental Gaze reappeared above his head. Its pupil instantly locked onto Zaroth, and red lines began crawling across its surface. The pressure returned. It felt like a mountain had been dropped on Zaroth's chest—breathing became a struggle.

"This is the Judgmental Gaze. Once it sets its gaze on you, it judges your sins and delivers a punishment. The worse the sin, the worse the strain and pain your body will be under," Eldros explained.

He paused, his tone turning grim. "I've spent years with this eye, and never once have I seen it angry. Its gaze has fallen on the worst people imaginable—killers, abusers, rapists, torturers—and it remained cold, impartial. But now, it burns. For the first time… it burns."

As Eldros spoke those words, his hands began to move to his back where his two weapons were sheathed.

"So I ask again, what have you done? What sin have you committed?"

Thanks to the explanation, Zaroth had a solid grasp of how the eye above Eldros's head worked. 'Just as I thought—this guy will be useful,' he mused.

But Eldros's words stuck in his head. If the eye judged based on sin, and it was furious now, then something he had done must be… unforgivable.

He thought back. Eldros had seen monsters in human skin and remained unaffected. 'And yet it's angry at me?'

Zaroth was certain his sins weren't nearly as severe as the ones Eldros had mentioned. '...Wait, could it be?' His mind suddenly kicked into overdrive.

Then a few seconds later, he burst into laughter as realization struck him. He found the situation so amusing that he even placed a hand on his stomach, unable to contain himself.

Eldros stared at him in disbelief. He had just accused this man of committing an unimaginable sin, and instead of denying or defending himself, the man was laughing like a madman.

'He must be the devil himself! No, something far worse!' he thought as he unsheathed his swords and was ready to attack. He was a true slave, bound by a contract. As such, he wasn't in chains, as a single word from his owner and he would be forced to stop. But his owner wasn't in the room right now! If there was a chance to strike, it would be now!

Eldros readied his weapons and his eyes began to shine like gems, getting ready for a fight he knew he would most likely not live to tell the tale. But if he gave his life in an attempt to rid the world of this evil, he figured it wouldn't be such a bad way to go.

However, before he could attack, Zaroth's next words stopped him.

"My sin… I suppose I do have one severe enough to make your eye react like this. A god… I have killed a god."

Silence

Eldros blinked once, twice, thrice, then he slowly gazed at the eye. It was because he wanted to confirm if these words were true. The eye wasn't only able to pass judgment, but it could detect lies as well.

That was why Eldros's body shivered as he saw that the eye was still staring at Zaroth, unblinking. There was no indication that what Zaroth had said was a lie. That could only mean one thing.

Taking a shallow breath, Eldros gazed at Zaroth with even more caution now as he asked, "So you're saying… you're a godkiller?"

Moving both of his hands, removing the goggles and the mask on his face, Zaroth revealed his face and the unapologetic smile on it.

"Yes, I am. Now, let's talk about why I came here. I believe we both stand to gain if you bind your soul to mine."