Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Episode 37.
Sharp claws lunged toward Yuriel's eyes.
Aiden immediately drew Gargantua and infused it with divine power. The holy spear shot forward, aiming straight for Elpis' skull. The demon gracefully arched backward, evading the strike.
KWAANG! Gargantua slammed into the wall, sending stone fragments raining down.
Despite the chaos, Yuriel continued her hymn.
Elpis sharply turned its head toward Aiden.
KIIEEEEK!
Aiden couldn't fathom how a creature without a mouth could produce sound—only that it was a disgusting noise that made him want to vomit.
As the demon grew frenzied, the Demon-Slaying Seeker also went berserk.
Aiden slightly shortened the spear's shaft and wrenched it free from the wall. In the same motion, he swung it horizontally at the demon's torso.
THWACK! The impact sent Elpis crashing to the ground. Aiden leaped down, putting his full weight behind his holy sword as he drove it straight down.
But he felt no resistance—no sensation of flesh being pierced.
Black marble shattered, scattering debris everywhere. The demon was already behind him.
The moment Aiden twisted his torso, long claws raked diagonally from his left shoulder to his right hip.
SHWAAAK! His holy armor tore like paper as crimson blood sprayed into the air. Immediately, the Saintess raised her prayer.
"Holy Vacheksar, grant us thy divine grace."
A swarm of floating light particles clung to Aiden, sealing his wounds. The bleeding stopped instantly.
Some of the pain faded too.
His holy sword traced a horizontal arc toward the demon's neck—but it didn't connect. Elpis reacted instantly, raising an arm to block.
KWAANG! Claws clashed against steel, sparks flying.
The demon couldn't withstand Aiden's monstrous strength and was sent skidding backward. KWA-DDDDUK! The marble floor screeched under the friction.
Aiden didn't pause. He lifted his heel slightly, his thighs swelling as if ready to burst, his calves hardening like stone.
CRACK! The ground cratered beneath him. The moment the recoil exploded outward as a shockwave, he shot forward like an arrow.
Closing the distance in an instant, he drove his holy sword into the demon's lower abdomen.
This time, it pierced through.
The sensation of tearing through flesh traveled up the blade.
KIIEEEEK!
The half-skull shrieked. Black blood splattered across Aiden's face.
He twisted the blade horizontally inside the demon's body. Muscles clenched around the steel, but he forced it through.
ZZZGGGRRK! The sword emerged halfway out the other side, dripping with dark blood.
Ducking under the incoming claws, Aiden cleaved through the demon's upper body. Entrails and muscle fibers clung to the blade as they spilled out.
The upper half of Elpis' body thudded to the floor.
He couldn't waste this chance.
Phase 1 Elpis wouldn't die no matter how many times it was cut apart. Even reduced to the size of a fingernail, it would keep attacking—making it an extremely troublesome opponent.
"Saintess!"
Yuriel immediately recited a passage from the scriptures.
Simultaneously, condensed light struck Aiden like lightning.
His entire body blazed with golden radiance. All his stats skyrocketed.
One second—that was all.
A momentary blessing from Yuriel that drew out the target's latent potential.
The world around Aiden froze.
The sensation of time standing still was a side effect of his perception and physical abilities transcending human limits.
It was a bizarre moment.
Aiden had never imagined Yuriel's blessing could produce such an effect.
He raised his sword—Elpis didn't move.
He brought it down—no reaction.
While he repeated the motion hundreds of times, Elpis remained frozen in time.
To Yuriel's eyes, Aiden looked like a wax statue, rigidly gripping his sword.
She could only stare blankly at the chunks of flesh turning to dust in the air.
The delayed shockwave tore through the palace, shaking the foundations. The ground split with a CRACK!
When the second passed, the backlash hit Aiden like a hammer.
Bones shattered. Muscles screamed.
Pain like being flayed alive coursed through him.
Aiden dropped to one knee, driving his sword into the ground to barely keep himself upright.
Yuriel, still perched on the chandelier, looked horrified.
Her blessing was based on the target's latent potential—it couldn't exceed their inherent limits.
Moreover, the backlash was so severe that she had to restrict its effects.
Which made it all the more incomprehensible. Despite the limitations, Aiden's movements had far surpassed human comprehension.
She couldn't even begin to gauge the power sleeping within him.
Of course, the side effects were just as brutal.
Aiden thought he might lose consciousness any second.
His vision blurred. The grip on his sword slackened.
Seeing this, Yuriel desperately shouted from above.
"P-Paladin Aiden!"
Her voice sounded distant.
Don't collapse now. He repeated it like a mantra.
The battle wasn't over.
They had only just cleared Phase 1.
Why did I use the blessing so soon? He regretted it. Had he known the efficiency and backlash would be this extreme, he would've saved it for the next phase.
Aiden bit his lip—but even the pain couldn't anchor his fading vision.
His body tilted forward—
THUD!
A dull impact and a groan echoed at the same time.
Aiden weakly turned his head.
Yuriel had jumped down from the ceiling, crawling toward him with a broken ankle.
"...She's pretty extreme too."
Yuriel's judgment had been correct.
She didn't know about Phase 2, but she knew Yona's power was fading.
If Aiden passed out now, they might be trapped in the abyss forever.
She had to heal him before he lost consciousness.
"Paladin Aiden!"
She desperately crawled forward, grabbing his ankle with both hands.
She tried pulling—but with her strength, she couldn't budge him. Instead, her own body was dragged toward him.
Yuriel began climbing over Aiden's prone form.
Her broken ankle hurt terribly, but she clenched her teeth and endured.
All Saints carried the taboo of being unable to heal themselves—so she couldn't pray for grace.
His back is oddly broad, she thought, despite the situation.
Shaking her head, she pushed the thought aside and moved toward his face.
She gently pried open one of his half-lidded eyes. His pupils were dilated.
"Hold on just a little longer."
Her breath carried a sweet scent.
Yuriel pressed a finger to Aiden's forehead and closed her eyes.
As she began singing her hymn, a dazzling radiance enveloped them both.
Aiden felt warmth.
For a moment, he imagined himself lying on a grassy plain, basking in sunlight as a cool breeze brushed past.
The light traveled through his body, soothing every torn and broken part.
The excruciating pain gradually subsided. His mind cleared.
It was divine power so potent even high priests would gape in awe.
Aiden's eyes snapped open. He grabbed Yuriel's shoulder—still mid-prayer—startling her.
She looked at him with wide eyes—then instinctively averted her gaze.
"Can you use that again?"
"...Huh?"
"No—you have to."
Aiden immediately pushed himself up. Yuriel stared at him, utterly bewildered.
His gaze was fixed on the black smoke slowly gathering in the distance.
The moment Yuriel saw it, she knew—this wasn't over.
"Saintess, when I give the signal, I need you to do it again."
Yuriel answered firmly.
"Absolutely not."
Aiden turned to her.
"You might die."
For an ordinary human, using the blessing once or twice more would've been fine.
But Aiden's latent potential exceeded what his current body could handle. His vessel might shatter.
Even Yuriel couldn't bring back the dead.
At that moment, an idea flashed through Aiden's mind.
He immediately hurled his holy sword at the podium inscribed with Elpis' monologue.
The marble shattered instantly, collapsing inward.
Scooping up a very flustered Yuriel, he ducked between the pillars.
As the podium crumbled, a stone slab hidden within was revealed.
A well-known easter egg—an artifact players used to trade divine abilities.
With only one chance to use it, everyone was cautious.
"Read it."
Aiden pointed to the instructions carved at the bottom.
"Uh—put me down first."
He gently set her on the ground. She coughed awkwardly before examining the text.
After reading, Yuriel let out a hollow laugh and nodded.
"Well, at least it doesn't say to gouge out my eyes."
"I am human."
Aiden paused before continuing.
"I received a resurrection blessing from the Sea God—unfortunately, it's one-time use."
Yuriel looked up at him with disbelief.
"Trade Clairvoyance for Revival, then if you die from the blessing's backlash, I bring you back. Are you seriously suggesting that?"
She was almost impressed by Aiden's shamelessness.
In the end, she'd be left with nothing—no Clairvoyance, no Revival.
Aiden knew it was an unreasonable request. But he had no choice.
"As you've noticed, the battle isn't over."
He pointed to the miasma condensing in the air. This was just a temporary lull—they couldn't kill the source so easily.
"Honestly, I might not be able to win as I am now."
"You said our chances were good."
"I was counting on your blessing. But I never expected this level of efficiency and backlash. That's my mistake. I'm sorry."
Yuriel's power was a double-edged sword.
It could push his abilities to the extreme—but only once.
And since his body wasn't fully healed, receiving the blessing again might actually kill him.
Yuriel wondered if all of this had been Aiden's plan from the start.
If they failed to kill the source, they would be the ones to die.
In a way, she had no choice.
If Aiden had intentionally backed her into a corner, the man before her was truly terrifying.
It would mean he was the kind of person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
If Elpis broke free, the Seirun tribe would be slaughtered.
Aiden was essentially holding countless lives hostage, forcing Yuriel to surrender Clairvoyance.
She prayed that wasn't the case.
Her pupils shimmered with uncertainty.
After hesitating, she finally spoke.
"Paladin Aiden, answer me honestly."
"We don't have time."
"One word is enough. Was this your intention?"
Aiden understood the gist of her question. He could guess how she saw him now.
He exhaled deeply.
"Yes."
When she heard his answer, her heart sank.
This is the man people call a hero?
But the moment her Clairvoyance activated to judge the truth—she couldn't help but laugh.
Because it was a lie.
Aiden also smiled wryly.
"Like I said—I'm human."
Yuriel glared at him.
"Don't joke like that. Ever again."
"Then give it to me now."
As Aiden approached the slab, Yuriel watched him with an exasperated expression.
"If you die, I'm leaving you here."
"Fine."
"I'll try my best to survive. It's a waste to use this power here."
But they had to make the trade.
They always had to prepare for the worst.
"You talk as if the Revival blessing is yours to begin with."
"Not necessarily."
Another lie.
Yuriel found him a little annoying.