Chapter 28: Third Level (2)
“Is that a bad thing or a good thing?”
[It's not bad. As a favored one of a transcendent, you can have numerous abilities. They give you something better than what you can receive as a reward. It's significantly helpful in clearing the labyrinth.]
Mark of Struggle, Ritual Knife. Something even better than these? If he received it, he might even continue running without stopping until the 10th floor.
“So what’s the downside?”
A contract with a god would not be purely beneficial. The ghost said.
[Your soul belongs to the transcendent. And the other gods don't like it much? There are several transcendent beings in the labyrinth. What they all want is different.]
Lakiratas is the god of struggle and death. Levynenoff is the beloved goddess.
It was unlikely that transcendents would play nicely together.
[Lakiratas is a god with particularly many enemies. Quite a few gods don't like his free-spirited actions as it lowers their dignity. You'll probably have some trouble as you descend. And there's one more thing. As much as they give you power, you have to follow the transcendent's decree. You cannot refuse, no matter how unreasonable it is.]
There were quite a few disadvantages.
Above all, the lack of freedom to take action was a big deal. It meant that a god could drive him to the edge if they so desired.
It was even more dangerous, especially with a capricious god like Lakiratas.