Chapter 85
Chapter 85
Episode 85
### The Holy Palace, Varanteharan
This was one of many sacred sites within the demonic realm—a palace where the Moon and the Sun once resided together two hundred years ago.
Once the most hallowed ground in the mortal world, it was now nothing more than a scar of humiliating defeat. Rather than a holy palace, it was more fitting to call it a cursed labyrinth.
The remnants of its former glory had long since faded.
The pristine white marble, statues carved in the Sun's likeness, sacred relics adorning the walls, the crimson carpets stretching from the grand hall to inner chambers, the imperial banners that once fluttered with majesty—none of these traces of the ancient empire remained.
Only ruins, drowned in darkness and corruption, rotting and decayed.
Amidst this devastation, someone ran breathlessly across the tainted marble floor.
A woman with bluish hair—Atraxia, the Sun's Beloved.
Or, more accurately, her avatar.
Though Atraxia's expression was frantic as she ran, her grace and elegance remained intact. It was thanks to the divine blessing that preserved her beauty. Even after two hundred years of being reduced to a plaything for demons, she remained breathtakingly beautiful.
Moonlight seeped through the cracks of shattered windows, illuminating her. She struggled forward, dragging her battered body with great effort. The avatar she had possessed after 180 years was in terrible condition—every step was excruciating.
Had she not received her lover's revelation, she would never have descended into the demonic realm again.
"The promised day has come."
The "promised day" meant the moment Atraxia would finally escape this wretched labyrinth.
The moment she heard the Sun's voice, she descended into her avatar and fled the palace's underground.
Now, she had just arrived at the grand entrance of the Sun Hall. Gasping for breath, she looked up at the massive marble doors.
On each door panel, a sun and moon were carved in relief. Atraxia raised her arm and pointed at the moon.
Simultaneously, a faint haze of light began to emanate from her fingertips. A graceful, moonlit glow seeped into the lunar engraving.
With a creaking groan, the massive doors slowly swung open.
Atraxia glanced behind her. No sign of pursuers. Even if someone were lurking in the shadows, she wouldn't be able to sense them—this avatar had lost most of its power. She was closer to a human now than a god.
Her gaze returned to the open doorway. A silent darkness awaited inside. She stepped through.
"Vacheksar's messenger will manifest here."
That was the promise the Sun had made to her two hundred years ago. She remembered it clearly.
The moment she entered, the doors shut behind her. She released a pulse of moonlight.
A bluish glow began to illuminate the Sun Hall, revealing the grandest sanctuary in this world—a place where the divine emperor, the Sun himself, once governed and watched over all.
For a fleeting moment, Atraxia felt deep despair. Her expression turned cold.
Because she sensed something approaching rapidly from behind—followed by a slimy voice from the front.
"Goddess of sublime beauty, I never thought I'd see your pale eyes again."
A man sat upon the Sun Throne, watching her.
An incubus.
His features were delicate, aristocratic—but his eyes burned with lust.
From behind Atraxia, grotesque demons slowly emerged. Those who had hidden in her shadow burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs as they cackled.
Despite the dire situation, Atraxia maintained her dignity.
"That is not your seat. Step down."
The incubus rose, adjusting his sleeves. He straightened his collar and walked toward the Moon.
The sharp clicks of his shoes echoed. Soon, he stood face-to-face with her.
A look of rapture crossed his face. He let out an exaggerated sigh and spread his arms wide.
"Even after two hundred years together, your supreme beauty still makes my heart race."
As he spoke, he licked his lips and dragged his long tongue across Atraxia's cheek, savoring it.
Her face twisted in disgust. She struck his cheek with a sharp slap.
Crack!
His neck twisted halfway, but the blow had no effect. He turned his head back, still grinning.
"Such adorable defiance. The years spent defiling the unyielding Moon are finally coming to an end."
The incubus and the demons here had spent two centuries defiling her avatar.
It was their role—a curse from the Demon God.
Trapped in this sealed labyrinth, they had tormented her for eternity, corrupting her flesh and extending their reach to her descendants.
Beneath the holy palace lay the curse that made it all possible.
The incubus smirked at her.
"When your soul ascended, I was devastated. But now that you've returned, let's enjoy ourselves like the old days."
Atraxia scoffed mockingly.
"Do you really think that's possible? I still remember your pitiful little thing."
"It's quite different now."
Atraxia had ascended exactly 180 years ago. Meaning, she had endured 20 years of torment with a clear mind—yet she never broke.
Had her soul been corrupted, the empire's empresses would have birthed demons, not weak heirs.
The incubus gently took her hand, interlacing their fingers.
"I let you run here in a hurry, but now that you've come to this place... Do you wish to indulge in depravity beneath the Sun's throne?"
The demons cackled as they closed in on her. The humiliation was about to begin.
Since she had descended into this avatar, she couldn't return to the celestial realm for a while. She steeled herself—just as she had endured for 20 years in the past.
All she could do was hope that the Sun's messenger would arrive a little sooner.
Aiden.
She knew him well. Among the gods of the celestial realm, there was no one who didn't know of him.
Aiden was the only mortal ever recognized as divine by the greatest throne. Atraxia herself had watched him many times.
She had granted him love and heard his oath:
"Lady Moon, I will fulfill your wish."
Their interests aligned. He would surely come.
The incubus grinned lewdly as he slowly began to undo her dress.
"I'll treat you with elegance and grace."
The demons drooled as they watched.
"Though they only see you as a bitch in heat."
He forced her torso down, bending her at the waist.
The Moon closed her eyes, expression blank. They could defile her flesh, but her pure soul remained untouched.
She accepted it calmly.
But the moment she had prepared for never came.
When she opened her eyes again, she saw the demons frozen in panic.
A tearing sound came from behind her, followed by a scream like scraping metal. Black blood splattered across her back.
She turned her head immediately.
The incubus had his own member stuffed into his mouth.
No—a massive hand had forced it down his throat.
A man emerged from the darkness, his voice low.
"Chew and swallow."
The incubus tried to resist, but the hand gripping the grotesque thing shoved deeper, crushing his throat.
CRUNCH!
His jaw shattered, his esophagus ruptured.
The man lodged the object deep into his stomach before yanking his hand free.
The incubus vomited black blood like a fountain. His eyes rolled back in agony—his very identity had been destroyed.
The man gave him no reprieve. Grabbing his upper and lower jaws, he ripped them apart.
The torn skull thudded to the ground. A massive foot stomped down, crushing it to pieces.
Without even a final scream, the incubus was dead.
The Moon looked at the man. As moonlight peeled back the darkness, Aiden stood there.
He steadied Atraxia and spoke.
"I've come in the Sun's stead."
Her frozen expression softened. A faint smile appeared.
"Your timing is always impeccable."
Aiden helped her sit on the dais before turning to the retreating demons.
"This won't take long."
The Sun Hall was soon drenched in black blood.
Over thirty demons were reduced to chunks of meat in barely ten seconds.
Atraxia could only accept Aiden's earlier words—"Three princesses are enough."
With that level of power, calling him a one-man army wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Aiden flicked the gore from his holy sword and approached her.
She looked at him and said,
"If you ever shed your mortal limits, you could even contend for the Throne of War."
He answered calmly.
"The Sun's Throne."
"He has too much already."
"Then I'll take it from him."
Unlike the frowning princess, Atraxia smiled faintly.
The princess removed her outer robe and handed it to the exposed Moon, bowing deeply in respect.
"I greet the original."
"I don't deserve that title. Take it back."
Atraxia saw her own incompetence as the root of this heresy. She had no right to be revered by her descendants.
The princess shook her head.
"I know of your noble sacrifice. Please, don't say such things."
Before Atraxia could reply, Aiden cut in.
"Save the talk for later. First, we head underground."
To return to the continent, they had to kill the "Origin" governing this place and fully break the curse.
Failure meant being trapped in the demonic realm forever.
Yurien, who had been silent, spoke softly.
"A divine barrier envelops the entire labyrinth. Even demons can't enter, but escaping will be difficult for us too."
A barrier created by Vacheksar. Thanks to it, no other demons could invade the labyrinth. Without it, Aiden wouldn't have come here in the first place.
Since the barrier only blocked demons, Aiden could technically leave if he wanted.
But Yurien's concern came from sensing the malevolence outside. The moment they stepped out, death would be unavoidable.
Even if they survived by sheer luck, the land they'd tread would still be the demonic realm.
They had to end things here.
Aiden nodded.
"If we finish this, we can make it back alive. Let's move."
With that, he stepped forward.
Moonlight gently parted the Sun Hall's grand doors.
A corridor shrouded in darkness greeted them.
Disgusting screeches echoed intermittently. The demons had noticed Aiden's presence. A silent ambush would have been ideal, but that ship had sailed.
Aiden unleashed his halo.
Brilliant divinity burned through the darkness, illuminating the hallway.
Portraits lining the walls glared at him—until their eyes melted away.
For some reason, "Elohimderk" reacted, but there was no time to dwell on it.
Two centuries' worth of malice raged at the end of the passage.
Aiden's divine form flared like lightning. By the time his foot left the ground, he was already face-to-face with the demons.
A split second later—
CRACK!
The walls and floor split apart.
SHATTER!
Every remaining window exploded simultaneously. Not a single pane remained intact.
Aiden swung his holy sword.
A blinding slash of white cut through the darkness like the Red Sea parting.