Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Episode 14
Two hundred years ago, when the Empire was driven from the Holy Land and settled on this continent, their first act was the massacre of the indigenous people.
Under the pretext of enlightenment and missionary work, they oppressed the numerous tribes and small nations that had lived on this land.
The golden heartland where the Empire now stood was territory stolen from the natives.
The Great Tomb was the burial site of the 'Grandel' tribe, who resisted the Empire to the bitter end.
The tomb had been buried underground, preserving the entire village's original layout.
Aiden let out a dry chuckle as he descended to the third underground level.
Souls trapped in scorching heat, suffering divine punishment? What nonsense. The interior was far cooler and more pleasant than outside. If not for the unsettling prayers echoing through the halls, he wouldn't mind staying here for days.
Passing through the corridor, Aiden entered the burial chamber.
A single sarcophagus rested in the wide earthen vault—likely the tomb of the Grandel tribe's king.
When Aiden opened the coffin, black smoke seeped out. A vile demonic energy, emanating from the ritual stakes and curses prepared for the sacrificial rite.
They must have bound the king's soul here.
The king of the Grandel tribe was likely a great warrior in life. A soul of such caliber would make any summoned demon far more powerful.
This was one reason Aiden had asked Tegain for the Tears of God.
He uncorked a vial of holy water.
Sprinkling a few drops onto the king's petrified body, it slowly crumbled into dust until nothing remained.
With the purity of Aiden's divine power, he could have shattered the chains binding the soul himself—but he had no choice but to use the Tears of God.
Using his divine power would alert the Demon Cult.
As he headed toward the rally point, Aiden planned to scout a few more areas.
Martikoras needed to be weakened as much as possible. First, find a substitute. With the sacrificial offering gone, he needed a replacement.
The stakes and rituals had to remain intact for Martikoras to manifest. Just as he searched for a suitable statue, he sensed approaching presences.
Come to think of it, it didn't necessarily have to be a statue.
"Did you hear? The Cromwell Sect has a new leader."
"Yeah, but that bunch has always been..."
Two cultists stopped short upon spotting Aiden standing motionless. Their gazes shifted to the open coffin.
"What the—? Why's that open?"
One of them glanced at Aiden's black priestly robes.
The Demon Cult identified rank by the red lines on their sleeves.
Aiden had chosen a single line—the mark of a novice.
"Hey, why's that open?"
Aiden walked toward them without answering.
"What, are you mute? Answer—"
Before he could finish, Aiden gripped his chin with one hand and seized his skull with the other, twisting sharply.
Crunch. The cultist's neck snapped instantly.
Before the remaining one could react, Aiden drove a fist sideways into his face, caving it in.
Hoisting both corpses, Aiden carried them to the coffin.
Thud. They were shoved inside—substitutes for the king.
Souls that died within the tomb remained trapped here eternally, making them no different from the living. Two centuries ago, the Empire's archmage had cast this spell, which people now interpreted as divine punishment.
Aiden impaled them with the stakes—skewered like kebabs.
Sealing the coffin, he searched a few more burial chambers.
Yuron trembled as he peered downward.
A bottomless abyss yawned beneath him, waiting.
The single-log bridge where Grandel warriors once underwent their rites of passage—this was where Yuron had been teleported.
A gust of wind howled through the blackened ravine, shaking the bridge. The rotting wood groaned ominously.
Of all places, why here? In the past, he might have grumbled endlessly—but not now.
Yuron lay flat, inching forward.
"Haha! Recruit, you planning to take all year? Need help?"
Deril, who had long since passed his rite, waited on the opposite side. They had been teleported to the same location.
Yuron gritted his teeth. I'd rather die than accept help from a half-demon. Crawling forward, he relied on the strength trained while carrying Aiden's armor—it helped more than expected.
"Y-you should go ahead."
"And miss this? Not a chance!"
Yuron's face flushed with exertion. He was slow, but he was moving forward.
Third Underground Level - Rally Point
The shrine once dedicated to the warrior god was now a ruin, its former glory long lost.
After the Empire's conquest, centuries of decay had reduced Grandel's sacred ground to a desolate clearing.
"Time's almost up... Did something happen to the others?"
Sistina scanned the area anxiously.
Sistina, Priest Vandel, and Sein had already arrived at the rally point.
They hid at the clearing's edge, concealed by cliffs and shadows, watching the altar.
Beyond the altar, children caged in iron bars didn't even scream—perhaps resigned to their fate.
Grotesque demons serving the cult poked at the bars mockingly.
A naked, emaciated demon cackled as it thrust its genitals forward, while a hybrid with skin fused to the ground blinked dumbly at the cage.
Priest Vandel frowned.
"...Let's wait a little longer. There's no way Sir Aiden was captured."
"The others will be fine too."
Sistina took a deep breath and nodded.
Just then, Deril and Yuron approached from behind.
"Hey, everyone's here."
"Has Sir Aiden not arrived yet?"
"Keep your voices down."
Sein pressed a finger to her lips.
"Look."
A translucent purple barrier began encircling the altar.
A ward—the signal that the sacrificial rite had begun.
As the purple deepened, Sein's expression darkened. The spell was far more advanced than expected.
"W-wait, this isn't what we heard. At this level, dispelling it might be impossible..."
Sein immediately began sketching calculations on the ground—not to dismantle the ward, but to prepare an escape route if needed.
A teleportation circle using scrolls.
Normally, such high-level magic was beyond her, but scrolls changed everything.
Each scroll cost a small city's annual budget—but their power was undeniable.
"If the paladin were here, we might have a chance... For now, let's prepare to retreat."
The chanting grew louder. Cultists encircled the altar, screaming in an incomprehensible tongue as they summoned their god.
In response, the demons convulsed. Beings steeped in malice danced wildly, cackling with frenzy.
Priest Vandel recited scripture quietly, shielding the group from fear.
Black smoke billowed from the altar, forming shackles that seized the tomb's wandering ghosts.
Echoes of bitter resentment filled the air as the spirits were swallowed whole, howling in agony.
They could wait no longer. Sistina shouted:
"Sein! Can you dispel it?"
"I need more time! But if Sir Aiden doesn't arrive—"
"No need."
Aiden's voice cut in from behind.
All eyes turned to him as he strode forward.
"S-Sir Aiden!"
"P-paladin! If we don't dispel the barrier before the summoning—"
"It doesn't matter."
Aiden was calm.
"Vandel and Sein, hold your positions. Yuron and Sistina, cover them. Deril, with me. Understood?"
"Understood!"
Only Yuron answered loudly. The others looked bewildered.
"Paladin, if we don't dispel the barrier—"
"No, the summoning's already started! We should retreat—"
Aiden unleashed his halo without a word. The blinding radiance melted the encroaching darkness instantly, stunning them into silence.
The demons' frenzy faltered as the light doused their madness and soothed the group's panic.
Priest Vandel froze mid-prayer.
"Keep reciting."
The divine eyes burned fiercely against the dark.
Sein felt she understood why Elohimderk had chosen Aiden.
"I'll ask again. Understood?"
"Y-yes—"
"I'll tear the barrier myself."
Aiden's thighs swelled with power, cracking the ground as he launched skyward.
Deril winced at the divine energy's sting but followed.
The cultists panicked at the paladin's sudden appearance—yet they didn't stop chanting.
Perfect.
Aiden roared as he slaughtered the demons blocking his path.
"Filthy maggots—!"
His greatsword crushed a dwarf's skull, then tore through rotting flesh.
The Slayer of Evil raged uncontrollably—from Tedrang's incubus to the half-demon Deril. Suppressed instincts surged forth.
With each swing, black blood erupted like a geyser. Flesh and entrails littered the ground.
Deril found the paladin terrifying.
That merciless blade could turn on him at any moment.
"Deril! Prove your worth!"
He owed Sein a debt—but not Deril. Aiden needed justification to free him from the cult. A rationalization. He had to convince himself Deril was necessary to endure.
Deril wanted to live. Steeling himself, he summoned daggers into the air.
Blades rained down, shredding demons.
Sein's ice magic froze the survivors. Sistina and Yuron cut down charging hybrids.
Aiden reached the barrier.
His halo flared violently. The hypocrisy he'd built radiated undeniable presence.
With a blinding flash, he slashed at the ward.
Crack! The translucent shield splintered.
Aiden tore it apart with brute force.
Deril gaped—he'd never seen anything like it.
"Follow me."
"Y-yes!"
The cultists still didn't stop chanting as Aiden approached.
Aiden didn't kill them—he walked slowly toward the altar.
Deril didn't understand but followed silently. At this point, whatever the paladin did seemed right.
Aiden climbed the steps and stood at the center.
Cultists chanted at his feet.
Suddenly, their syllables grew disjointed. The catalyst atop the platform trembled.
Aiden swung his greatsword in perfect sync.
Heads flew. Blood geysered from severed necks. Deril finished the survivors with thrown daggers.
Aiden's gaze shifted to the catalyst. The platform split, revealing an abyss staring back.
He poured the remaining holy water downward. A furious roar echoed from the depths.
Something horrific climbed forth. Deril gulped.
BOOM. Crimson eyes emerged slowly.
Aiden faced them head-on, grinning savagely.
The demonic beast's face twisted in rage as it ascended from hell's depths.
The human faces embedded in its massive visage evoked visceral disgust.
Aiden reversed his grip on the greatsword.
A gale howled from the abyss. The moment Martikoras emerged, Aiden struck.
Burying the blade between its eyes, he rode the demon skyward.