Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Episode 36.
The barrier shattered.
The translucent membrane burst like a balloon, scattering fragments in all directions.
The seawater no longer trickled in—it crashed over Atlantis in an instant, carrying the full pressure of the deep sea.
Aiden wrapped one arm around Yuriel's waist and descended deeper.
Even if the mutation abilities of the Seirun tribe had vanished, Aiden and Yuriel could still transform into merfolk.
Because it was power borrowed from Yona.
As the sole inheritor of the divinity left by the Sea God, she would never lose her divine authority.
But for Aiden, there was a time limit. If he didn't finish quickly, he would drown along with Atlantis.
The shattered barrier fragments dissolved into the seawater, flowing toward a single destination.
The fragments pointed toward Elpis's ruins.
Aiden swam after them. Glancing upward, he saw the water pressure pulverizing buildings.
Whirlpools formed by the recoil swallowed debris and raged violently.
Had Aiden hesitated even slightly, he might have been caught in that hellish maelstrom.
He turned his head again. In the distance, the outline of their destination shimmered into view.
Dozens of crimson-black pillars rising from the depths of the trench.
The luminous barrier fragments descended along the cliff, illuminating the trench.
Yuriel looked utterly bewildered. It bore no resemblance to a hero's ruins.
There stood Elpis's palace.
The structure, seemingly stained with demonic blood, was corroded by grotesque inscriptions, exuding an unsettling aura.
A stark contrast to Arhan's pristine white palace.
The barrier fragments that had once enveloped Atlantis now encircled the ruins, forming a dome.
As if trying to prevent something inside from escaping.
Before the barrier could fully solidify, Aiden swam swiftly toward the palace.
The moment he grasped the massive door handle, the barrier sealed the palace completely.
The seawater trapped within the dome drained away instantly.
Aiden and Yuriel reverted to their human forms.
Yuriel stared at Elpis's palace with a shocked expression. It was far too sinister-looking for a memorial to a great hero.
Aiden spoke in a firm tone.
"You must stay alert. One wrong move, and we die."
"Don't worry."
She deliberately avoided his gaze, her emotions too tangled to face him directly.
Aiden steeled himself and pulled the circular door handle.
Screeeech— The crimson-black gates groaned with rusted friction as they opened.
Black smoke seeped through the gap, spreading outward. Demonic energy. Yuriel's expression hardened.
"Why is demonic energy here...?"
"I'll illuminate the interior."
As Aiden prepared to unleash his halo, Yuriel stopped him.
"Let me."
A small orb of light flowed from her fingertip, seeping into the palace.
Circular light sources scattered across the ceiling, walls, and floor, illuminating the interior.
The ability to manipulate divine energy with such precision was unique to saints.
It differed slightly from the paladins' methods.
When Aiden fully opened the doors, the palace's interior was laid bare.
Yuriel couldn't help but gasp.
Because she saw the demon.
Dozens of support pillars stood facing each other in rows. Chains connected to the crimson-black pillars bound a grotesque entity.
At the center of the pillar cluster knelt a demon—faceless. Its grayish skin lacked vitality. Its withered body couldn't hide the outline of its ribs.
Though its frame was that of an adult male, its nails dragged over thirty centimeters across the floor.
It hadn't awakened yet.
"Follow me."
Aiden led the frozen Yuriel between the pillars.
The closer they got, the more terror Yuriel felt. This was no ordinary demon. It was one of the primordial beings known as the Origins.
It stimulated humanity's primal emotions—even clergy couldn't remain free of fear.
Aiden, however, only felt murderous intent, amplified by his Oath of Demonslaying.
By the time they reached the black pedestal beside the demon, Yuriel's steps faltered.
"...Forgive me. Just a moment. I won't take long."
Aiden, who had been walking ahead, turned back.
She was taking deep breaths to steady herself.
"You need to come to the pedestal. There's something I must tell you."
Because the reason for the ruins' state and the demon's identity were recorded on the stone slab.
At Aiden's urging, Yuriel forced her heavy feet forward.
Seeing her pale face, Aiden extended his hand.
"Hold on."
He remembered what happened underwater. When he held her hand, her trembling had stopped.
Yuriel hesitated, glancing between his hand and face. Is he doing this on purpose? But he didn't seem the type.
She couldn't afford to waste more time being a burden.
Slowly, she reached out and clasped his hand. His rough, steel-like grip brought unexpected relief.
Strangely, her heart settled.
Aiden and Yuriel stood before the pedestal beside the demon.
"Decipher it."
Ancient script was engraved into the black stone slab—a language Aiden couldn't read. But he already knew its contents.
It was background knowledge required before reading the records, something Yuriel needed to understand too.
Her eyes ignited with divinity. As she read the inscriptions, anguish flickered across her face.
Because the demon was the great hero Elpis.
The one who, under Vacheksar's command, had sealed the Seirun tribe in the deep sea. But she had come to regret her actions.
After decades of witnessing the horrific cycle of predator and prey, she grew disillusioned.
She loathed herself for weaving that cruel fate.
Primordial demons are born from the emotions of sentient beings.
Rage, sorrow, ennui, hatred, resentment, self-loathing, jealousy, obsession, irritation, disgust, despair... and so on.
When a single emotion reaches its extreme, humans fall and become demons known as Origins.
For Elpis, it was guilt.
She gouged out her own eyes and ears. She couldn't bear to see or hear their screams.
Yet the guilt that refused to fade ultimately corrupted her.
Then what if—
If the source of her guilt vanished? Wouldn't she be freed from this torment?
Her twisted thoughts turned toward the Seirun tribe. If they went extinct, she would no longer suffer this guilt.
If I kill them all, it ends. Her judgment warped into something monstrous.
The upper slab detailed this in Elpis's own monologue. After reading it, Yuriel couldn't hide her devastation.
"...Is all of this true?"
"Yes."
Yuriel looked at Aiden.
"You knew even this, didn't you?"
"Correct. Elpis's goal is to exterminate the Seirun tribe. If this demon awakens, it will tear through the barrier and head for the surface."
Yuriel almost asked how he knew such secrets but stopped herself. The answer was obvious.
"...I see."
"You have a choice. Awaken the demon, or leave it be and turn back."
Yuriel fell into thought.
In a great hero's ruins, one might find records from two centuries ago or fragments of lost scriptures.
Aiden had clearly stated that secrets about Vacheksar lay hidden here, so the ruins likely held such records.
But they couldn't simply take them. One had to prove their worth—by overcoming trials or labyrinths—to claim holy relics.
Yuriel knew this well. This time, the condition was slaying the fallen hero.
She spoke cautiously.
"If—God forbid—we fail to defeat it, we'll be the ones unleashing catastrophe."
"Correct. As you read, Elpis bound herself here. She knew few could stop her."
Elpis had sealed herself while she still retained some sanity.
Vacheksar had then cast her—ruins and all—into Atlantis, leaving her to awaken at her own will.
The latter was something Yuriel didn't know.
She swallowed hard.
"If we awaken that demon, we're essentially gambling lives for our goal. That can't be right."
Aiden replied calmly.
"Chains rust. No punishment lasts forever."
Meaning the demon would break free someday, whether they awakened it now or not.
Yuriel stayed silent for a while.
She didn't know how this man foresaw the future, but he clearly possessed more knowledge than most. Her spiritual senses judged his words true, leaving only one choice.
Yuriel closed her eyes briefly before speaking.
"If Elpis is truly one of the Origins, we'll be risking our lives."
Because such beings existed on an entirely different level.
"There's a chance."
Alone, it might be impossible. But with a saint, their combat strength multiplied.
The achievements from Arhan's trials also bolstered Aiden's confidence.
Yuriel opened her eyes. Her expression was calm, as if she'd made her decision.
Her pupils burned white.
"Shall we begin?"
As Aiden nodded, the saint knelt on the black marble floor.
She began reciting a prayer.
"O Holy Vacheksar—"
Yuriel pressed her palms together. A white haze emanated from her.
"Your sword cries out for demon's end."
Radiance erupted from her. Pure divinity devoured the darkness corroding the space.
"In place of the sun, I light the night."
Light flooded the vast palace.
"To sever darkness and deliver judgment."
Luminous orbs scattered like snowflakes.
"Answer my plea, I pray."
A hymn flowed softly from her lips.
Aiden drew his holy sword. The divine energy permeating the chamber gathered around the blade.
It wrapped around the steel, burning it white.
Aiden unleashed his halo. The immense power vibrated the sword.
The divinity Yuriel lent him was deep and potent—so much that even Aiden struggled to control it. He gripped the hilt with both hands.
Then raised it overhead.
A pure radiance surged upward, blazing brilliantly. It absorbed all light in the palace, standing alone in its brilliance.
With a roar, Aiden brought the sword down with all his might. The light split the darkness, descending upon Elpis's head.
The blade cleaved the demon's skull, trailing down to its groin before striking the ground, scattering divine energy in all directions.
BOOOOOOM! The palace trembled with a deafening roar. The chains binding the Origin's limbs shattered into fragments.
The bisected demon twitched.
Aiden instantly spun around, grabbed Yuriel, and kicked off the ground.
The moment he placed her atop a massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the demon moved.
A half-severed body rose unsteadily on one leg—then vanished.
The chandelier swayed. Turning her head, Yuriel saw the demon crouched beside her, stroking her hair.
The saint suppressed her terror and continued singing the hymn.
Long claws slowly approached her eyes.
Clairvoyance. No—Yuriel couldn't be harmed.