With Hooch's assistance, Viktor settled into new weekly pattern. He'd work out three days a week, maintaining and enhancing his physique to the level of peak human fitness. Each day that he worked out, he'd finish off by sparring against the illusory monsters of the arena. He typically fought five bouts each day, restricting himself to no magic for these combat sessions. His mana channeling and formations weren't strong or fast enough to be applicable in combat, and he also didn't want to reveal to either of his fellow librarians that he had managed to grab an affinity.

He and Hooch would take turns sparring, Viktor learning from the much more skilled fighter. He'd taken to surreptitiously using a combat book suitable for those with fire affinity, slowly but surely getting a grasp of the Way of the Tiger. It still rankled him that even fighting styles that had nothing to do with magic at all had affinity requirements, but he wasn't going to complain too much now that he could make use of them. Over the course of the past month and a half, they'd serviced another two adventurers and Viktor had learned a lot. He'd gotten much better at holding tier 0 spell formations and channeling his fire mana, now able to channel close to the maximum of 15 mana per second that his affinity would allow. At his paltry affinity, the high cost, low efficiency Flame Burst spell could be cast in under two seconds.

He had snuck into the 'breakarena' once to test it out on a goblin, but it had almost been too impractical even against the diminutive green creature. The spell just took too long and took too much focus to aim properly. He had though, picked up another 2% air affinity and 2% water affinity, as well as the promise of a favor in the future from the older woman who'd come through looking for a start on witchcraft. Viktor had sent her off in the direction of a coven of hags with instructions on how to brew a potion that the coven leader had been searching for, as well as a book of low power rituals commonly used by witches. She had a decent earth affinity at 15%, but Viktor wasn't going to put her below the cap for any important items.

His newly acquired 5% air affinity had allowed him to brute force his way into a Tier 1 Smoke spell even without the preferred smoke affinity, as well as learn a communication spell: Message. By channeling magic into a focused spell, or one that he could continue pouring mana into for sustained effects, he could transmit a message on a soft wind to the ear of someone else a short ways away. It was a start, but it wasn't nearly the communication that he required.

Instead, he looked into ways of acquiring messenger pigeons or other such beings. This was how, at the end of six weeks, a physically fit Viktor sat in the arena in the dead of night about to practice his first summoning spell, a Tier 2 spell that opened a portal to the Infernal realm. After having finally unlocked the floors on the languages of Purgatory, Viktor had taken it upon himself to learn Infernal, the language of the devils. Certain ancient languages had power in magic, serving to naturally stabilize spell formations of certain kinds or help out in other ways.

Reciting the additional chant in Infernal would help his spell to lock in on the Infernal Plane, simplifying his formation a bit. Sparks surged in the air as embers coalesced around his palm. The sigils he'd traced in the dust burned with fiery intensity as he chanted in the guttural language of Mephistopheles. It was more mana than he'd channeled ever before, but his practice had paid off in spades. With the assistance of the chant, he kept the formation stable as he poured 150 mana into the spell, ripping open a hole in reality above the ground.

Blistering heat surged into the world, blowing Viktor's hair back. He stood his ground, knowing the importance of first impressions to the hellish being he'd summoned. As quickly as it had appeared, the portal closed, leaving behind a small creature looking not unlike some sort of sunburned, emaciated baby. Its skin was leathery, with bat-like wings furled up above its back. Its arms were sickly with an ashen grey and black color, and skinnier than should have been possible, hiding the strength Viktor knew they possessed. It was maybe two feet tall in total, its wingspan nearly twice its height, and black eyes that just barely hinted at its intelligence peered up at him from sunken sockets beneath two small horns on each side of its head. It launched itself at Viktor, snarling.

Viktor refused to move even as his heart pounded in his chest. The creature got right to the edge of the circle before smashing against an invisible wall at the perimeter, a small yelp escaping its mouth as it crashed to the ground.

"Greetings, Imp." Viktor said in Infernal. The creature paused, perhaps surprised by Viktor's ability to speak its language. It chittered back in a higher pitched version of the Infernal Viktor had been studying.

"I am not yet fluent in your tongue, lesser fiend. We will converse in Common, for the time being." Viktor informed the creature, again in Infernal.

"My name is Viktor, progeny of Mephistopheles," He said, this time in Common. The creature paused now, its previously energetic body now freezing as though paralyzed. It looked up at Viktor. Had its features not been so alien, Viktor would have sworn he saw fear in its gaze. It chittered again, and Viktor swore.

"Are you able to speak Common?" He queried, and the creature shook its head. Viktor sighed.

"But you can understand me?" He clarified, and the imp nodded.

"Will you reach an accord for me, a bearer of an Infernal Contract?" He asked, summoning the ghostly contract in one hand for dramatic effect. This time, he was sure of it. The creature definitely looked at him and the contract with something akin to greed. It nodded enthusiastically.

"Good. I wish for you to carry a message from me to Mephistopheles," He pulled out another letter he had written previously. The imp's eyes widened ever so slightly at this charge. It nodded, and Viktor stepped forward briefly before catching himself. An artful flourish of his hand brought an infernal contract out of his soul storage. He spoke, words appearing on the page as they left his lips.

"Imp, you will agree to sign your name on the contract presented. The terms I set forth are thus: You, the signed party, will rturn to the Infernal Realm and continue your subservience to Viktor Faust until a point at which your task is completed. By whichever means necessary, you, the signed party, will make your way to the realm of Mephistopheles and present my letter to him. Upon completion, you will wait for a maximum of one day and one night of my time for a response, then return to me at midnight my time the following night. When you return, I will grant you a 1% affinity for water to help fuel your evolution into a unique devil form. Are these terms agreeable?" Viktor waited for a response. He knew that imps were actually fairly intelligent, and so his first contract with one had no hidden clauses or other tricks up his sleeve. He simply wanted to get into contact with Mephistopheles for one reason: where the fuck was his soul?

The imp nodded at last, and infernal writing appeared on the contract with the imp's name. His contract had, of course, contained a non-aggression clause for both parties, more in-depth information on the time periods allowed, and more common-sense clauses. He'd toiled over it tirelessly as the framework for all contracts he would create with other beings, reading through legalese documents from low floors to help him flesh out his knowledge in the field.

"Excellent," Viktor said, absorbing the contract back into his hand. Blue flame coalesced onto his palm and he shook hands with the imp, the contract vanishing back into his soul storage.

"I release you," Viktor said, canceling the summoning. The portal reappeared and the imp vanished through it, leaving Viktor to continue his arcane work. He opened up the martial book and worked his way through a kata, a martial arts form, as he waited for his mana to refill. Once it did, he re-traced the signs from before and summoned another imp.

Another sleepless night passed, but now Viktor had made tangible progress. He had letters going out to Zachary and a few other choice individuals with gifts, instructions, or letters of introduction. With each contract struck with an imp, the feeling grew more familiar. His storage felt wider, his mana flowed clearer, and his body felt alive with energy. It was exhilarating. The morning came, and Viktor slunk off to the magical libraries to increase his magical ability.

By the end of the week, Viktor could reliably cast several Tier 1 spells without any problems. He'd added several spells to his repertoire since he'd started casting: Fog Burst, Chilling Mist, and Magma Ring. None of the spells alone would turn the tide of battle, but they would serve as a foundation for future magic. Same thing with his Tier 0 spells, his cantrips: Message, Flame Burst, Fire Control, Flare, Quench, Wind Tunnel would help serve as a basis for much more powerful spells.

His Tier 2 spells were still struggling. He knew his mana channels were relatively underdeveloped, even with his constant practice. He simply hadn't absorbed the life energy that other residents of Purgatory would have. His soul was missing, and it was already apparent that this was a major obstacle to his development.

Luckily, though, his will and brain were enough to circumvent these issues for now. He could still cast the couple Tier 2 spells he'd been practicing, but it took much longer. He had to hold the complicated formations for much longer as his concentration struggled to split between maintaining the spell formation in the air and feeding it mana. Oh well, nothing to it but practicing, he thought to himself as another Wind Helmet spell fizzled around his face, failing to wrap his head in a protective bubble of fresh air.

A week passed, and Viktor sat up at midnight again waiting in the arena. He'd taken to sitting in the dust practicing his Infernal as he waited. The time hit 12:01 and Viktor started to get up to summon a sparring foe. The imp was supposed to come at midnight. If his contracts were ironclad, the imp would be here.

As he reached the podium, though, there was a flash of light in the dark arena as a smolder of embers appeared in the air before fizzling out in an even brighter flash of purple. Viktor swore, his hand slapping to his forehead as he realized what might be going on. The library itself might be warded against unsanctioned teleportation attempts!

He rapidly sketched out the symbols for a circle of containment against imps, beginning the chant for the summoning spell. This time, he substituted the imp's name from his contract into the chant for the generalized species of imp. His spell formation burned into the air and the portal appeared after he channeled the requisite mana.

Viktor took an involuntary step backwards as an imp completely different to the one he'd previously summoned stepped through the portal. Its arms, previously black and grey, were now tinged with crimson and blue. Its horns were longer and twined together to just one point on each side with a white coloring. The biggest change, though, was its eyes. They were a vibrant blue and showed off intelligence.

"I have returned, my liege," It said in a rasping voice. Viktor's mouth fell open with shock before he quickly resumed a neutral expression. THIS was the imp he'd dismissed previously? And why was it calling him 'My Liege"?

"What happened?" He asked calmly. The imp gave an exaggerated bow, looking up at him.

"I was able to make contact with the Lord Mephistopheles after a few days of travel through the realm. I made myw ay to the edge of his territory before I was seriously accosted by any other denizens of the realm. I was stopped by a Pit Fiend, nearly struck down in my travels. It was only by invoking the lord Mephistopheles' name that I was not immolated on the spot. The Pit Fiend brought me to a stronghold of Mephisto, where I gave him your letter per your instructions.

I have never been more afraid, my lord, than I was at the moment his eyes traced your lettering on the page. He glanced at me, and I felt my blood freeze over, before he laughed. I have never, in 3 years of living in the Infernal Realm this life, heard a more chilling sound, my lord. In a flash, he'd handed me a response and given me instructions to return to you. Being in his presence alone was enough to trigger a mild evolution, my lord. I am a Greater Imp, now, and at your service." The imp finished its story with another bow.

Viktor retrieved the letter from the greater imp and unfurled it. In letters made of what he hoped was red ink, the letter read:

Dearest Viktor,

I admire your tenacity, resourcefulness, curiosity, and ambition! Unfortunately (for you), I am intent on maintaining a hold on your soulheart for the allotted time of one year and one day from retrieval. I believe you have about eight months left, assuming your little imp friend does not wait too long (that would make me unhappy)!

That being said, I would be remiss if I did not inform you of a few things you've likely been wondering about. I am aware that you have used my name... Good! I reserve the right to revoke this privilege of yours the instant that I think it would be funny or your actions displease me, but until that instant arrives you are welcome to continue to do so. In fact, when I told you that you are effectively my progeny, I meant it. Included with the imp is the writ that marks you as a prince of the hells with the accompanying title of Duke. The writ also includes the appropriate coordinates for you to reach the one (READ: ONE, AS IN SINGULAR) room I have dedicated to your use in my stronghold. Consider these perks of nepotism, alright?

Yours Truly,

Mephistopheles

PS: I would recommend you bind this greater imp to your service for future labor. As your exploits grow, so will he. Suffice to say, you are quite lucky that he was able to reach me so quickly... I suspect that many an imp in the infernal legions would have perished or failed in their mission. Just a word of advice from your old man... I will see you at the expiration of my hold on your soulheart, my young contractor.

Viktor looked back at the small imp, studying him closely. A wave of his hand split the orb of water affinity he possessed in half and then floated the 1% orb into the greater imp's chest.

"And there is the conclusion of our deal. If I may, I would like to propose a new deal, as a Duke of Hell." The imp's eyes widened at this, and it bowed once more. A sycophant, Viktor mused. He would likely have use for it regardless of its tendencies.

"And what would this deal entail?" The imp rasped.

"I would appoint you as my second-in-command. A chancellor to manage my affairs in the hells and to go on various missions in this world when necessary. I would hope for you to grow alongside me and evolve. A symbiotic relationship in which we both prosper."

The imp considered this. "What would my lord be requiring of me?"

Viktor thought about it for a moment. In truth, he hadn't considered being nobility in hell. It had only really been a spur of the moment decision to bend more imps to his will.

"I would need you to manage collections of valuable artifacts and relics, manage my information networks, run communication lines, convey orders or negotiate contracts with other fiends in the hells when I can't summon them, and maybe other odd tasks."

"This does sound attractive to mine ears, yes... The lord would not be sending me to reform in the hells through combat?" The imp asked.

"No, Varkul, I would not expect you to enter into combat except to preserve your own life. You would be in a more administrative role under me," Viktor said, using the imp's real name to remind it that they had just successfully completed one contract.

"I wish to evolve more, my lord..." The imp began, "Can you promise me more affinities or things of that nature?"

Viktor shut it down immediately.

"I cannot. It's not a given that I will have spare affinities to feed to you. Instead, what I will pledge is that I will give you reasonable resources to promote your evolution and growth. The more powerful you become, the more useful you are to me. Are these terms agreeable in nature? Will you serve me?" Viktor asked a last time.

The imp looked at him, uncertain. After a few moments, it sunk to one knee and nodded, wings splayed out behind it.

"I do." Blue flames flared out as a new contract was formed and signed between man and devil in the dark, dusty arena beneath the library of the divine.

"Then rise, Varkul, as my Chancellor. We have work to do."