Chapter 124: The Diary
Joseph became a billionaire by making a deal with a demon, and it all started with Frank.
Frank once bet Joseph on who could drink more for a stake of fifty dollars. Frank won, and Joseph ended up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning, nearly dying.
During his hospital stay, Joseph learned about the demon at the crossroads and the ritual to summon it.
Joseph's diary detailed the steps and materials needed for the demon summoning ritual, claiming that following these steps could summon a demon for a soul trade.
Joseph discovered the summoning method among the belongings of a deceased elderly woman in his hospital ward. She seemed to be a Gypsy, and Joseph suspected she was a Gypsy witch.
Initially skeptical, Joseph decided to try it since the materials cost nothing.
After leaving the hospital, he conducted the ritual at a crossroads and summoned a demon, exchanging his soul for a wish.
After making a wish, Joseph's life became incredibly smooth. He won the lottery, and a bank error added a large sum to his account, which the bank allowed him to keep.
In a bar, Joseph met a down-and-out investment advisor, who convinced him to invest his money.
The results were phenomenal: his investments never failed, and his wealth snowballed from thousands to millions, reaching billions. He was even featured on financial magazine covers, admired by many.
Joseph's diary not only chronicled his rise to wealth but also his dealings with the demon.
Before becoming a billionaire, Joseph personally killed to offer souls to the demon.
Once wealthy, he paid others to abduct homeless people at night. Their disappearances went unnoticed, as missing homeless people rarely drew attention, and the police did little.
However, the demon's appetite grew over time, demanding more frequent offerings—from every six months to every few weeks—causing Joseph much frustration.
The demon, cunning as ever, had a second contract with Joseph, requiring souls in exchange for not making deals with others.
But the contract didn't specify the frequency or number of souls, leaving the demon to decide. It could demand one soul a year or ten a day.
When Joseph was an ordinary person, being caught as a murderer would cause problems, so the demon allowed more time. Once Joseph became wealthy, the demon's demands increased.
As the demon's appetite grew, it became picky, no longer satisfied with homeless souls.
Soul quality varies; a homeless person's soul isn't comparable to a hero's or a saint's, whose souls could be called heroic or holy.
To satisfy the demon, Joseph targeted more valuable souls, leading him to target ordinary people like Frank, ending in disaster.
Ultimately, it all traced back to Frank.
Had Joseph not gambled with Frank and ended up in the hospital, he might never have found the demon-summoning method among the Gypsy woman's belongings.
"Uh," Stephen mumbled, waking up on the couch, surprised to find a blanket on the floor.
"You," Stephen turned to see Frank at his desk, using the computer.
"Oh, you're up? Want some coffee?" Frank offered, noticing Stephen awake.
Stephen slowly recalled recent events.
"Just brewed," Frank said, handing Stephen a cup.
"How long are you staying at my place?" Stephen asked, sipping his coffee.
"Come on, we're friends and now roommates. Don't be so cold. Hungry? What do you want to eat?" Frank replied.
Despite Frank's shameless behavior, Stephen didn't force him out, tacitly accepting Frank's presence.
Initially, Stephen didn't consider Frank a friend, having met him on the street and barely knowing him.
But as Frank stayed, Stephen gradually accepted him as a friend.
Since his accident left Stephen's hands disabled, he became irritable, driving friends away until he was alone.
Frank, persistent and thick-skinned, was the only one willing to be around him, tolerating his worsening temper.
Frank didn't preach or offer empty comfort; he drank with Stephen until they passed out and even joined him in using substances to forget his disability.
Days passed until one day, a visitor came for Stephen.
"Who are you?" Frank asked, opening the door to a black man in a trench coat.
"I'm here to see Stephen. I'm his former physiotherapist," the man replied.
"Oh," Frank said, stepping aside to let him in.
"Stephen, what happened to you?" The man exclaimed, seeing the disheveled Stephen drinking on the couch.
"You—you are, oh, I remember you. You're the top student from the rehab center here to mock me?" Stephen slurred, sarcastically eyeing his visitor.
(End of Chapter)