Chapter 41 - Mysterious Woman 2 (2/2)
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The long pursuit continued deep into the forest outside of the capital, until before him stood the silver haired woman holding a dark scythe.
“Where’s the Princess?”
“...”
Rather than answering, she attacked with her scythe.
Calang! Calang!
Their metal weapons continued to clash against each other, drawing streaks of light through the air.
As the battle reached its peak, gold pupils shone brightly, causing her entire scythe to be bathed in a menacing black flame.
‘She is using demonic powers.’
A Demonic energy poured out of her body on a level he hadn’t expected.
It was a natural ability and not obtained from a contract. A chimera experiment that had used the corpse of a High tier Demon as its base.
“Who created you?”
Woohyuk asked the silver haired woman while parrying her attacks.
It was a true masterpiece. Her appearance was identical to Isabella’s, who had died of an incurable disease, but the inner organs had been completely switched out.
“Haven’t you heard that curiosity killed the cat?”
A red head appeared in the air and exclaimed. Her identity was quite clear from the small pair of horns protruding from the top of her head.
“You are a follower of the Demon God?”
“Let’s say I once was.”
“Are you trying to challenge for the vacant Throne?”
If the Demon God had perished, there would naturally be a succession battle to decide who would take his place.
“You’ve deduced so much, quite impressive for a human. I, Demon Aris can acknowledge as least that much.”
With a single glance from Aris, the silver haired woman backed off.
“This is Irene. She’s one of my better works,so I felt it was worth naming.”
“How did you mask her Demonic energy?”
“Well.. I found the right vessel.”
Saint Marina was Leonhardt’s wife, and her descendants had a chance of inheriting her divine powers.
She had managed to hide the Demonic magic on the inside, by choosing a vessel whose corps had a trace of Divine power.
“You’ve truly done quite the sacrilegious thing.”
“Actually this success only came after 665 previous failures. Although she is still a bit unstable, she’s at least played her part in this plan.”
For Higher tier Demons, Chimera specimens were very much disposable. Regardless how well they were made, they would only ever be nothing more than a hybrid.
Even if the vessel held traces of Divine power, it would still be discarded once it's served its purpose.
“If you’re trying to break into the Royal’s Treasure room, she won’t be enough. There are many magic arrays to prevent any demons from breaking in.
Irene’s beautiful body only needs to hold up until I manage to obtain his power.”
“As expected, the hidden treasure is indeed the Demon God’s legacy ”
From the very beginning he didn’t fully believe in the legends. Now that he stopped to think about it, all the Quest he had completed in the previous floors were somehow connected to Demons.
Although there were varying levels of difficulties, that was the one point they always had in common.
He now better understood why Nakron had instructed him to head to the top of the Twilight Tower.
“I will exterminate this world after having his power. All hypocrites and people who always put on pretenses deserve to die.”
“You have a dangerous way of thinking.”
“Dangerous? It’s completely normal in this system.”
Aris let Woohyuk in on a little secret that humans weren’t aware of. That this was a world that underwent a cycle of Destruction and Creation every five thousand years.
Only the Heavenly God and Demon God were outside of this cycle, and human history would repeat itself over and over again.
When one day, the Demon God began to question its purpose.
What is the point of a world that can’t progress?
“He tried to put an end to such a system, but was instead struck down by the Heavenly God and the humans that sided with the Creator.
Demon God’s power was sealed within his own sword, and the first emperor, Leonhardt hid it under the Beatrice Cathedral in accordance with Heavenly God’s orders.
That way, when the time came the world would be destroyed once more.
“Why are you telling me all this?”
“Just on a whim. It’s my first time meeting a human that is aware of the existence of the Thrones. The preparations are all in place anyways so there isn’t anything that you can do to stop it.”
She wanted people to know the truth behind what Leonhardt had done.
Not even his wife Marina or his descendants knew the specifics about what had gone down, nor what the secret treasure actually was.
Just what kind of expression will they have in their final moments?
It was something that Aris, who had been in love with the Demon God, was truly looking forward to seeing.
“Can you become a Demon God by obtaining the sword?”
“Eventually, but first you’d have to escape the cycle of reincarnation.”
“Interesting.”
“Unfortunately that is impossible for you, because I hold the key.”
Aris smiled like a mischievous kitten, as she pulled out a ring with a large red ruby set upon it.
It was the same style as the one Prince Joffrey had been wearing.
“It’s known as a Key Stone.”
“Leonhardt split the actual Key into three different pieces, as a precaution.”
Rather than taking control of the entire continent, the Valencia family was tasked with protecting this Divine Treasure, generation after generation.
A man who thirsted for power, yet wasn’t brave enough to challenge for his right to sit on the Throne. Hiding the weapon which could put an end to this ridiculous system.
Leonhardt, who had been praised as the Hero in a chaotic world, had been such a man.
“Then there are still two more out there.”
“They will be in my possession soon enough. I’ve always kept an eye on them, and have prepared the perfect stage for the end of the world.
As Aris finished speaking, an earthquake struck, causing a huge tremor
At the same time, Demon energy began to flood in from the capital’s outskirts. It was on such a scale, that it looked like countless Demons had been awakened from their slumber.
Quazizic
The Earth itself began to crack, as the entire capital city began to rise into the air.
Woohyuk summoned Leifina to him, and quickly grabbed hold of a nearby tree to stabilize himself
“Ha Ha! Do you understand now? The Marlene Capital was built upon the Demon God's eye
The epicenter where the world’s destruction would begin.
Leonhardt had built the city upon the injury where he had struck to kill the Demon God, despite knowing that it would eventually be the first place to be destroyed.
“This is on a completely different level.’
Beyond anything he’d ever seen, even when he had clashed with Solomon’s 72 Demon Kings.
Be it the time he captured Delpheon, the capital of the Holy Epherian Empire from the Central Plains, or even when he had gone up against the three Goddesses of Urdabrun. None of it could compare.
“The time has come. I no longer require the Princess, so you can have her back.”
As Aris finished speaking, a black portal appeared and Princess Elizabeth fell out.
She was in quite the predicament since her hands and feet were bound.
“The Imperial Palace’s magic defenses are so strong that I couldn’t capture multiple people.They no doubt increased their defenses even more since the attacks so, I’ll need to send in this little girl of mine.
By sending in Irene that would pose as Elizabeth, obtaining the remaining rings was a foregone conclusion.
As Woohyuk moved to catch the falling Elizabeth, his Quest was updated.
[New Chain]
Name: Prophesied End
Type: Chain (2/3)
Content: Protect Princess Elizabeth and prevent Aris from getting her hands on the Demon God’s Sword.
Other: If failed, can not be retaken
‘Those are some extreme requirements.’
Still, there must be some reason for saving Elizabeth, perhaps the divinity within her could be of some use in completing this Quest.
“Lord, it’s dangerous here!”
Leifina shouted as she held onto a large rock.
As the entire capital city of Marlene broke off from the ground and rose into the air like a floating island, the air currents threatened to throw them off.
“Don’t worry.”
Woohyuk stabbed Grandia into the tree in order to not be blown away.
He held on tight, barely able to keep his balance.
“What the hell is going on?”
“This world is about to be destroyed.”
He didn’t know if everything Aris said was true, but he would have to find a way to stop her.