The old leather-backed book slaps against his palms.
'The guidebook.'
Carnage thinks to himself, flipping the book to its back.
'In a hell where information should be scarce, this is the most useful thing they can give us.'
He recognizes that though he was from a realm abundant with countless free information, hell isn't such. Hell is the exact opposite of heaven; if you want something, it comes with a price; nothing is free.
The book is no longer seen as a saving grace. From the front, it takes on the persona of a normal book, one you'll find in any bookstore, a vintage leather-wrapped notebook, one you'd see poets writing their deepest desires into, yet it all falls away at the sight of the pentagram burned into the center of its back.
'Hmm, I wonder what type of pentagram this is.'
Carnage ponders deeply, gathering his fragmented memories to piece together any recollection of what type it might be, which only results in a throbbing headache that he cancels out.
"Nothing," He exhales, tracing its lines with his finger, before turning it back around and attempting to open it, and it doesn't budge.
「To open the guide, you must apply your blood to the pentagram.」
'A price...of blood.'
He peeks up at Nullen. "Do you know?" He questions.
Caught off guard, Nullen looks up, first confused but gradually understanding. "Sadly, I do not. Two types of pentagrams hold this similar formation with slight differences that I could never quite decipher."
"And those are?"
"A contract or summoning," Nullen says.
'So the only way to find out is by doing as it says.'
Carnage drops his gaze to the book, tugging the shard of glass out from the hold of the pants; he aims at the flats of his palms and slices into it. Blood pools and drips to the floor, staining the wood.
"Blood hell!" Nullen hisses, turning his chestnut eyes away. "Could have given me a warning."
'This should be enough.'
Titling it, the blood flows down, landing directly on the symbol. Nullen follows suit, using his piece of glass to prick the tip of his finger, wincing as it sinks in.
A sudden glow surges through the lines of the pentagram, illuminating it in radiant light. From that light it drops below, and letter by letter, his name inscribes itself under it.
"Amazing!" Nullen's eyes light up.
Click!!
The latches of their books unlock.
「Contract formed!」
'Look like we got our answer.'
'Never thought I'd ever be contracted to a demon.'
"I'm technically not a mere demon." A voice clarifies.
「Your ferryman has chosen you.」
"A ferryman?" Nullen's uncertain voice carries over to him.
「Ferryman's name: Elzub」
"Greetings, sinner!" A squeaky voice echoes in his head.
Taken aback, His head jerked upward. to see a miniature ball of black flames descending to his eye level.
"H-hello?"
"I am your ferryman; well, I shall be your future ferryman if you pass the admission exam."
'A ferryman? I'm sorry but I can—'
"Understood. Ferrymen are demonic guides for sinners, essential for the final dimension of Purgatos." It replies evenly. "Until that time comes (if it does), we are helpers, in both combat and knowledge."
Carnage's mind remains on Elzubs quiet retort.
'It will come.' He states firmly.
"Admirable confidence. Nevertheless, for now, the only information I can provide is those in the guidebook. Pay heed to all the information written inside."
Carnage remains quiet for a while, deep in thought, pondering if there's anything more to it.
'That's all? No games, no back door or hidden meanings? Just read and understand what's written in your guidebook?'
"Precisely." It spirals around his body. "At your own expense, of course."
'Elaborate?'
"The choice of trusting the words of a demon or not is entirely up to you. Should you fall believing the words I have placed in this book or not, it will be your own doing."
The system words flash in his mind again.
「Trust none.」
The understanding comes like a noose tightening around his throat; he has not forgotten. How could he? Demons, devils, ferrymen, angels, and gods—they're all the same. Trusting them costs at your own expense.
'The only person I can trust is myself.'
"Well, that should be it; let's see whether you survive or fall trying." It vanishes back into the book, its words lingering in the corners of his mind.
"Bloody fucking demons..." Nullen grumbles as veins bulge from his forehead and neck. "I never knew they were this off-putting."
Carnage only glances at him, then back at his book. "Nine rules of hell."
「Rules you should follow for survival:
1. Avoid outwardly speaking of your sins.
2. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you have willed more than you can manage, you will lose all you have received.
3. A sinner must never align themselves with those of the heavenly realm.
4. Harm against children is advised against.
5. Harm against non-human animals is prohibited only for the sake of power.
6. Death is inevitable; if one dies and is not granted any immunities, their time in the game will come to an end.
7. Murder among sinners is prohibited unless they're under certain conditions.
8. You must complete your main quest to move to the next circle.
9. A sinner never tells the truth.
BONUS: One of these rules is a lie.」
The only thing that caught his full attention was the bonus.
'One lie, huh? Should I even trust that?'
A few minutes pass as they both move through the pages. Carnage is lightly absorbing the information but not trusting a single one.
'If any of these are proven true, I'll come back and mark it.'
That's his plan; the only way to know whether it's true or not is by having proof.
'That should be it.' He turns to the last pages, closing the book at once, and it evaporates into thin air.
「Stored in inventory!」
'Inventory?'
「To activate your inventory, you'll have to call upon it; the same function follows withdrawing something from inside it, whether in mind or not.」
'Noted.'
"We should get going." Nullen suggests. "We're wasting valuable time."
"Yeah." He gives a slight nod, and the two of them make their way to the door.