Renny, though not yet interested in taking a side contract, was curious about something he'd heard Agent Kaviru say. He went to him and asked if he had a minute.
"Ah, Ayo, of course." Kaviru replied. "You're looking for a side contract?"
Renny shook his head. "No, Agent, not that. At the meeting you said something about retrieving a soul's key… and that the wielder of a soul's key can control the soul, no?"
Kaviru nodded. "You don't even need to finish. I know what you're getting at. You want to know if you can find someone's key in that pit and use it to control them, am I correct?"
"Yes," Renny admitted. "If I could find a soul key there, would it work?"
Kaviru gave him a long look, impressed. "Yes, it's possible. You can find a soul's key there, but only if it has already been captured by a demon. Keys tied to completed contracts might show up. Some won't, sometimes they aren't sealed in beasts, sometimes agents hold them. The only way to know is to check the soul's status in the Soul Library."
"The Soul Library?" Renny asked.
"Where all data on souls is kept," Kaviru explained. "Every demon has access. If you have a soul in mind, check there to see if it's ever been targeted."
Renny nodded in understanding, then asked the question that had been nagging him even before this gathering: why did he have no mark abilities in his store? Agent Kaviru's expression shifted, and as if unwilling to answer, he said, "That's because you're the only Ezraphor. Don't worry, if you grow stronger, there may be more abilities in time."
He emphasized may, which only made Renny more uneasy. Before he could press further, Kaviru claimed he had other matters to attend to.
Understanding, Renny thanked him and left the office. Not even the agent was willing to explain why his abilities were restricted, other than the fact that he was the only Ezraphor here. But that was a thought for another day. For now, a new path was forming in his mind. If he couldn't acquire the seed he needed, control would have to be his weapon.
Perhaps Daniel's mother, if her soul had been marked before. If not, someone else close to him, a pressure point, maybe even the orphanage owner. The thought was a game-changer, but it came with risk. If the key lay in the pit, he'd have to face a beast, and with his current strength, an overall of 78, thanks only to the gun, that would be suicidal. He just hoped fate hadn't tied any key he chose to something too strong.
Still, the plan was worth it. With his mind set, he made his way toward the Soul Library.
***
The Soul Library felt more like a cyber café than an ancient archive. Rows of computers hummed quietly, each terminal connected to the vast system that catalogued every soul and contract in Hell. The interface was clean, organized, efficient, you could sort through names, filter histories, and track whether a soul had ever been touched by a demon.
Renny sat down at a terminal, and started with Daniel's relatives. Nothing, not even Samantha's family. It meant none of them had ever been targeted for a demon's contract, a dead end. He moved on to the orphanage owner, but the result was the same. No prior capture attempts. His trail was drying up fast.
Frustration bubbled up. Renny shoved back from the desk and muttered under his breath as he rose. On his way out, he collided with someone.
"Sorry," Renny muttered quickly, Looking up, his breath caught.
Krovanis Omekro. The Vice President of the Lesser Demon Association(LDA).
"Don't bother," Krovanis said with a dismissive wave.
This was Renny's first time seeing him up close. Krovanis had none of the stiff, ceremonial air of the President. He carried himself with an ease that didn't need a title to command respect. So, this was the strongest demon in the lesser grade. Today he wore a black basketball vest, red-trimmed shorts, sky-blue slides, and a matching cap.
Krovanis studied him for a moment, then spoke. "You're the Ezraphor, right?"
Renny wasn't surprised. His face had been plastered all over Hell's meme boards for weeks, a running joke in the lower grades. He gave a curt nod.
Krovanis gave a small nod back, like that was all the confirmation he needed."Did you find who you were looking for?" Krovanis asked, voice steady.
Renny shook his head. "No, Sir."
Krovanis exhaled through his nose, then leaned slightly closer, lowering his voice. "Then do something for me. Search a name. When you find it, bring the details straight to me. Don't waste time."
He slipped the paper with the name of the target and address into his pocket.
"You'll find me there," he added, already turning to leave.
Renny stood there, a bitter sigh escaping his chest. If he'd left five minutes earlier, he might have avoided this entirely. Now he had no choice. But as he went back to the desk and typed the name into the system, another thought surfaced.