Greatest Idol C3 Deal

Nephilim?

The word stirred ancient memories from mythology books—but the creature before me looked nothing like the towering beings of legend. This was something else entirely, despite its grandiose claims.

A tiny magical being promising to change my life? It sounded like the setup to a particularly cruel joke.

"I see that doubt in your eyes, human." Lux's tail swished with knowing confidence. "But trust me, I can transform everything about your life—I can make anything possible! Fame, power, strength, wealth, and especially..."

He paused for dramatic effect, his grin widening mischievously. "I can make you devastatingly handsome!" His tiny hands gestured expansively. "Women will chase you through the streets! You'll become a man among men, a king among kings, a god among gods! My power knows no bounds!"

I studied the creature thoughtfully, stroking my chin. "You're claiming you can make anything possible? Even the impossible?"

"Yes, yes!" Lux bobbed eagerly in the air. "I can make every dream come true!"

Dreams coming true, just like that?

Twenty years of life had taught me to be wary of promises that seemed too perfect.

"Lux, is it?" I asked carefully.

The creature nodded enthusiastically.

I rapped my knuckles against the desk for emphasis. "There's an old saying: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Right now, you're setting off every alarm bell I have."

"No, no!" Lux fluttered frantically. "This isn't a scam! I truly can make your wildest dreams reality!"

He snapped his tiny fingers with a dramatic flourish. "Just like that—everything you want, yours in an instant!"

Though I was certain Lux was full of it, I decided to play along. "Even if what you're saying is true, that you can grant any wish... I know nothing in this world comes free." I fixed him with a steady gaze. "What's the real price for making dreams come true?"

"There's no price at all, trust me!" Lux insisted.

"I don't believe that for a second," I said flatly. "Especially given your rather... infernal appearance. What's the catch?"

Lux shook his head vigorously, conjuring a paper and pen from thin air. "No catch, no payment! Just sign this simple contract..."

A contract? Of course.

I couldn't help but smile. "And there it is—the catch. You want me to sign a contract."

Lux chuckled nervously, wings fluttering. "The contract is just a formality! A tiny requirement to make your dreams come true, trust me!"

"Sure it is, little guy," I drawled, leaning back in my chair.

As I continued deflecting with sarcasm, Lux's composure began to crack. His tail lashed in frustration.

"Listen here! I've been watching you for a week now!" he burst out. "I've seen your miserable existence—the bullying, the poverty, and that..." He gestured at my face with undisguised disdain. "Unfortunate appearance."

"Yeah, I'm ugly. Your point?" I replied flatly.

"My point?" Lux's tiny hands balled into fists. "You need me! Need me to become everything you've dreamed of!"

I shook my head, unmoved.

Lux launched into a desperate sales pitch, words tumbling out like a late-night infomercial.

"Let me see this contract of yours," I finally said, more from curiosity than interest.

"Here!" Lux practically thrust the paper at me, his excitement palpable.

I tried to read the terms and conditions, but the text seemed to shift and swim before my eyes, written in some impossible script. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Can't even read this. I'm done here."

"It's nothing important, just standard procedures!" Lux insisted.

My silence spoke volumes.

"Fine! I'll find someone else then!" Lux threatened, his voice rising an octave.

"Good luck with that." I turned away.

Lux's facade finally cracked. "I... I can't actually do that. I'm too weak right now, and I chose you specifically..."

I stayed quiet, watching as the tiny being deflated.

"I was once a powerful Fame Nephilim," he continued, his voice dropping. "Strong, respected... until it all vanished in an instant. The others—they couldn't stand my special abilities. Their jealousy consumed them..."

Interesting. Sounds like there's quite a story here... Despite myself, I found my curiosity piqued.

"That's why I need your help, human! I'm begging you!" Lux's tiny eyes welled with tears.

I had to admire his performance—worthy of a Best Actor award. "That's enough theatrics, little guy."

His eyes lit up with hope. "So you'll sign?"

"No." I kept my voice firm.

"Please!"

"I'll only sign if I can actually read what's written there," I said with a sigh.

Lux ground his teeth, clearly caught between desperation and reluctance.

"You're running out of options here, little guy." I leaned forward, genuinely curious about what he was hiding.

With a defeated sigh, Lux waved his hand. The mystical script shimmered and transformed into readable text.

As I read through the contract, an interesting detail caught my eye. Apparently, I would become Lux's "puppet," required to feed him something called 'Fame Energy' to sustain his existence.

That word—"puppet"—stood out like a red flag.

"A puppet, huh?" I couldn't help but snort.

"It's not literal!" Lux fluttered anxiously. "You'll maintain your free will."

"If that's true, then change 'puppet' to 'master.'" I countered.

Lux recoiled as if struck. "What? Absolutely not!"

"Then we have no deal." I turned away.

Suddenly, Lux's wings vanished with a soft poof, startling us both.

"Damn it all!" He clutched his tiny chest.

"What's happening?" I asked, watching him fade slightly.

"I'm... dissolving. Running out of time!" His voice carried genuine fear now.

The reality of his situation became clear—he was literally facing extinction.

"Change it to 'Master' if you want to survive," I pressed my advantage.

Lux's face twisted with frustration before he spat out, "Fine! I'll change it to Master!"

He snatched the contract, erased the offending word with a spark of magic, and scratched in "master" instead.

"There!" He thrust the paper at me, barely concealing his annoyance.

I stroked my chin thoughtfully, studying the revised contract one last time before taking the pen and signing my name.

The moment my signature touched the paper, the words lifted off like luminous dancers, swirling through the air in an ethereal display.

The contract's terms were actually quite modest—no promises of wealth or power, just the gift of appearance. The rest would come later, dependent on how much 'Fame Energy' I could feed him. Still, it seemed enough for now.

I waited for some dramatic transformation, but felt nothing. Lux, however, seemed to revive—his wings regenerated and his form expanded until he was larger than my hand.

The celebration proved short-lived. Lux suddenly flinched, his body contracting without warning until he was smaller than my palm. Though his wings remained intact this time, he had shrunk considerably.

"What's wrong with—" I began, but Lux cut me off with a panicked shout.

"Tell me the truth, human!" His tiny voice cracked with urgency. "Have you signed a contract with another Nephilim before?"

"What? No, of course not," I replied, baffled by the question.

Lux clutched his head in distress. "Then why am I being punished? I just tried to feed on your 'Fame Energy' but received the backlash meant for attempting to claim an already-bound human!"

"I'm telling you, I've never even seen another Nephilim," I insisted.

Lux seemed to sense my honesty but remained troubled. "I believe you, but..." He shook his head sharply. "Never mind, we have more pressing concerns!"

While Lux wrestled with his confusion, I examined my reflection. Same unremarkable face stared back. "Hey, what gives? The contract promised immediate results, but I look exactly the same. Wasn't the deal supposed to make me handsome the moment you became my Nephilim?"

Lux studied my reflection with equal bewilderment. "Yeah, this isn't right..." He pondered for a moment before continuing, "There's only one solution, human. You'll need to start generating 'Fame Energy' for me to feed on—only then can I grant you the promised transformation."

"Fine by me," I said, stroking my chin thoughtfully.

In truth, I'd signed the contract for two reasons. Yes, I wanted to be handsome—Lux couldn't provide wealth directly, but good looks had a way of creating opportunities that led to everything else. But more surprisingly, I'd also felt compelled to save this strange little being. Which, considering my usually cynical nature, was rather odd.