Chapter 88
Chapter 88
### Episode 88: One Week
From this moment onward, Aiden had to endure seven full days sitting on this iron chair.
Chimurem's dog-like antics. No doubt, he would try every method to break Aiden. He had no desire to indulge the demon, but he had no choice. To lift the Demon Lord's curse, he had to honestly pass through Chimurem's gate.
Aiden closed his eyes.
The torture that awaited him would be slightly different from ordinary acts of cruelty. It was clear that it would be based on torment through sex. The thought was utterly revolting, but he was confident he could endure it. He only needed to remember three principles: don't die, don't beg, and don't moan in pleasure. Even if he screamed or writhed in agony, as long as he adhered to those three principles, he would pass.
Of course, Aiden had no intention of letting his expression change at all.
Just as he steeled himself, footsteps approached from the right.
He turned his head slightly and opened his eyes. Atraksha was walking toward him.
She glanced at the empty air and spoke.
"Demon, prepare another seat."
At the same time, an iron chair thudded down beside Aiden.
Aiden frowned as he looked at her.
"...What are you doing?"
Atraksha grinned.
"I have more experience than you, you know?"
The Moon had been trapped in this underground chamber for 200 years. The number of times she had sat in this seat was beyond counting.
Before Aiden could respond, she had already taken her seat.
Clank. Restraints shot out, binding her. The moment the seven days were reduced to three and a half, the Moon smiled in satisfaction.
"Time is money, after all."
Watching this, the Empress suddenly struck Yuriel on the back of the head, knocking her unconscious.
Then, she slowly walked toward the center and spoke.
"A monarch feeds on admiration and awe. So, what better stage could there be? The multitudes will remember this moment. Aiden, do not stop me."
In short, she intended to put on a show. The scriptures would record this moment.
She glanced at the grotesque instruments lined up around them and smirked.
"Consider it entertainment."
There was a hint of forced bravado in her voice. The Empress was human, after all—she was afraid, but she refused to show it. A defense mechanism, perhaps.
Aiden hesitated for a fleeting moment. Atraksha might be fine, but could the Empress truly endure this? That worry vanished as soon as it arose. He remembered her narrative.
In the original story, he vividly recalled the Empress arrogantly smiling as she strode into the pits of hell.
That woman's pride would never break, even if her body died.
As Aiden's thoughts concluded, the Empress took her seat.
She looked at Aiden and spoke.
"This body requires someone to heal it. Therefore, I took away Yuriel's choice. You should be relieved."
It was true. Whether Yuriel could endure it or not was irrelevant—Aiden didn't want to see her suffer.
Aiden nodded.
"Well done. However, Your Majesty must take responsibility for your actions."
"I have no intention of holding you back, so don't worry."
Aiden murmured softly.
"My eyes weren't mistaken."
To even consider participating after seeing those horrific instruments—Aiden couldn't help but acknowledge the Empress.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. It will begin soon, so steel yourself."
As he spoke, he turned his head forward. The demonic sigil marking the seven days had now changed to two and a half.
Almost immediately, an unpleasant voice echoed through the air.
"Disgusting creatures, do you think the Trial of Lust is so easily overcome? You will weep tears of blood, steeped in regret."
Aiden replied calmly.
"Shut up and hurry. Once this is over, I'll tear you in half."
"...This is different from Gusian's illusions. This is real. Whatever it is, do your best."
Despite his words, even Chimurem lacked confidence. Aiden had been infamous as a stubborn bastard even before gaining divine authority. If even the Grand Demon Gusian acknowledged him, the rumors must be true.
Atraksha was also a tough woman to break, leaving only one viable target—Empress Raphelia. The demon vowed to showcase every refined technique he had before vanishing.
Simultaneously, horrific abominations began floating through the air as if they had wills of their own. They circled the group before slowly extending their grotesque appendages.
Yuriel had never seen or heard of such cruelty in her entire life. She couldn't even imagine it.
Before her eyes unfolded a scene that embodied all the evil in this world.
There was no trace of beautiful sex—only twisted, repulsive depravity, the kind too vile to even speak of.
The group's stomachs grotesquely swelled. Yuriel, who had been singing hymns, felt an unbearable urge to vomit.
If she stopped singing even once, the Empress would die—Aiden and Atraksha might survive, but she wouldn't. She couldn't allow that.
Gritting her teeth, she continued scattering divine energy.
Amidst the solemn hymns, screams tore through the air. The Empress convulsed, checking the time before her—less than forty minutes had passed.
That clock was a device that made this hellish moment even more unbearable. It would have been better not to see it at all.
The Empress howled.
"Take it away—!"
Chimurem materialized like smoke, grinning.
"Giving up?"
Conflict flickered across the Empress's face for an instant before twisting into fury. She spat directly into the demon's face.
"...Didn't you call yourself the origin of lust? Yet you can't even balance pleasure and pain properly. Either you lack philosophy regarding sex or haven't studied it enough. Truly, your name is wasted. You're nothing more than a cheap imitation of Gusian."
Chimurem wiped away the spit, narrowing his eyes.
"We've only just begun. Let's enjoy ourselves."
With a gesture from the demon, bundles of tentacles slithered out from the void. Disgusting things formed of mucus, varying in thickness and length, swayed sickeningly.
Aiden, watching this, unleashed divine energy to obscure their view of time. Then, he turned his gaze to Chimurem.
"So you were the trash left behind in the Demon Realm. To think you'd be manipulated by humans."
The demon's eyes flashed.
"Silence."
Aiden closed his eyes.
"I'll take a nap. Wake me when it's over."
Atraksha clicked her tongue as she watched them. Truthfully, even she didn't seem particularly affected.
She looked at Chimurem with pity.
"Chimurem... you poor demon."
Chimurem was on the verge of losing his mind. These three were utterly beyond common sense. That left only one target—the Saintess. He had to break her.
But not now. Once the trial began, no new participants could be seated. Breaking the rules would mean Chimurem's defeat.
Fifty-five hours remained. It was agonizingly slow, but they were undeniably approaching the end.
Finally, the crimson demonic sigil displaying the countdown faded as it reached zero.
At the same time, the three figures dropped from the air, hitting the ground.
The grotesque instruments restraining them clattered to the floor.
Aiden, the Empress, Atraksha—all of them were in states that barely resembled human forms.
Aiden's regenerative abilities allowed him to recover almost instantly, while Atraksha regained her beauty thanks to her authority over aesthetics.
The problem was the Empress. Yuriel rushed to her side, pouring all her divine energy into healing her.
Aiden slowly rose from his seat.
"Thanks to you, we saved time. Everyone, you've suffered."
Gradually regaining her senses, the Empress shuddered.
"...My dreams will be filthy for a while."
Atraksha smiled faintly.
"Fydnagh will repay you in scriptures."
The Empress gave a small nod, then looked at Aiden.
"...Did you really sleep?"
"I woke up toward the end."
As fellow survivors, they couldn't help but laugh.
Yuriel watched them with guilt-ridden eyes.
"I'm sorry... While everyone endured such torment, I was the only one at ease... I'm truly sorry."
Aiden shook his head. Just as he was about to speak, Chimurem interrupted.
"Let me lend a hand in atonement."
The ground abruptly collapsed beneath them. After a short fall, they landed on something hard.
Rectangular glass tubes—each person had their own isolated space, and far below, demons and insects seethed.
The transparent glass allowed them to see everything beneath them clearly.
Hybrid creatures grew excited, anticipating their fall.
A dwarf boasting genitals larger than its body scratched itself obscenely. A mass of writhing tentacles rolled about, and insects coated in viscous fluid squirmed.
Demons of all kinds cheered.
Chimurem smirked and snapped his fingers. At once, Yuriel's glass tube began to crack.
Atraksha and the Empress paled in panic, immediately turning to Aiden. Yet Aiden remained composed.
He looked at Chimurem.
"Can you just decide this on your own?"
"Are you going to handle it? In exchange, the trial ends in this zone. If that girl endures, it's your victory."
Yuriel's eyes trembled with terror as she stared at the demons below. But she clenched her fists, steeling herself. She couldn't always be carried.
The Empress screamed violently.
"No—! Aiden, save your Saintess! Now!"
Aiden could have done it easily. But he chose not to.
When he checked Yuriel's status in the Mirror Room, he had seen Saya's curse.
Its effects were described in detail.
Aiden gestured to Chimurem.
"Then, do as you please."
Suddenly, Chimurem felt uneasy, but he had no other choice.
"That girl won't last."
Crash! The moment the glass shattered, platinum blonde hair fluttered in the air.
Yuriel clenched her eyes shut as she plummeted into the horde of demons.
She hit the ground. Crack! Her leg broke, but she stifled her scream.
The hybrids panted like dogs in heat as they rushed toward her.
Atraksha's expression darkened sorrowfully. The Empress glared at Aiden with accusing eyes.
"How... how could you—?!"
"Watch."
Amid the mountain of demons covering Yuriel, strands of blue light began radiating outward.
The nine-tailed fox's curse had activated—a prohibition against forming intimate relations.
Saya had threatened Yuriel with suffering if she engaged in intercourse, but in truth, she couldn't harm her.
Because Aiden would hate her for it.
Nor could she allow harm to come to her partner. If that partner were Aiden? That would be disastrous.
So, it merely repelled those around her, just like now.
BOOM! The tide of demons was instantly flung back, slamming into the walls.
Blue serpents coiled around Yuriel's body.
Chimurem's face twisted as he glared at Aiden.
"This violates the rules! Unless you accept this, you'll be trapped here forever—"
"Time is still passing."
The crimson demonic sigil floating in the air had already begun counting down again.
Chimurem recoiled in shock.
"H-how—?"
Aiden spoke calmly.
"Did you think your rules stood above a divine beast's curse? Enjoy what remains of your life—you have ten hours left."
Four years had passed since he fell into this world. He had slaughtered demons in countless ways, but never before had such a creative method occurred to him.
I'll make sure you die in the most painful way possible. Aiden swore it firmly.