The Forgotten Grand Temple of the Pantheon (2)
A space utterly different from the clock tower moments ago unfolded before their eyes.
The ominous energy unique to dungeons—demon aura. The cursed presence filled this place as well, making his stomach churn slightly.
"It feels just like stepping into a dungeon. The energy is the same."
"Exactly, Young Master Yulian. This hidden space is essentially akin to the dungeon within a Kaotic Gate."
"Quite the peculiar place."
A gray, gloomy mist blanketed the surroundings. Through it, the scenery resembled the temple district of ancient Greece.
Crumbled statues and ruined temples came into view here and there.
In that instant, a pale green divine power emanated from Lilia's body. She spoke gently.
"Would you come closer to me, Yulian?"
Lilia swept away the ominous mist around them in one go with her divine power. Then, gripping his hand tightly, she continued.
"According to ancient texts, this hidden space spawns phantasms or specters akin to monsters. Especially those wicked beings—they can invade the mind, conjuring illusions filled with confusion and terror. Extremely dangerous ones, at that."
Lilia then recounted the exact contents from the imperial palace's ancient tomes. The truth about Kaotic Gates and monsters.
The details differed slightly from common knowledge.
"Most people believe monsters first emerged from Kaotic Gates a century ago. But chaotic entities like monsters actually existed far earlier. It was precisely because of those beings that the Goddess of Darkness, Unir, fell and became the Demon God."
He had known some of this through Demon King Slayer, but Lilia's explanation was far more detailed.
The Goddess of Darkness, Unir. She was the chief deity worshipped by demons like dragons and elves—and the Demon God.
"Humans and demons are those blessed by Jedin and Unir, respectively. Regardless of public perception, they are undoubtedly creations of gods belonging to this world. In contrast, chaotic entities were never meant to exist here. They are beings from another realm."
Lilia's words were dangerously heretical. Equating demons with humans as god's creations.
The empire's Central Order lumped demons and monsters together as evil. Her statement could warrant a heresy trial.
Yet Lilia hid nothing, sharing every secret with him.
"This grand temple of the Six Gods was built to seal away such otherworldly beings. Fortunately, the chaotic entity sealed here has been fully purified. However, remnants of its lingering thoughts remain, shaping this hidden space from the temple's ancient traces."
And even those thoughts alone made it perilously dangerous, she warned.
"So we can't just charge ahead blindly."
Lilia then chanted a spell. Her pale green divine power swirled around her body three times before enveloping him as well.
Binding
"This is a divine spell called Binding. It allows two linked people to share emotions without deception. Only those who fully trust each other can use it, and that trust doubles the spell's effects."
He immediately grasped her intent. The chaotic beings in this hidden space. If she concealed what she knew, the spell's power would halve.
Thus, she revealed even potentially blasphemous truths. A sign of her profound trust in him.
"If you accept the spell, Yulian, our emotions will connect. Will you?"
"Understood, Princess Lilia."
He accepted.
Instantly, Lilia's emotions flooded in. Slight fear of the hidden space and its chaos. Unwavering trust in him. A rush of feelings surged into his mind.
And the strongest was her overwhelming affection for him.
I was worrying needlessly.
Every time they shared intense, near-sexual intimacy, Lilia displayed fierce obsession with his "little master."
Even as he poured himself into her, he sometimes wondered if she saw him as a mere stud horse.
Fortunately, the affectionate emotions from Binding were anything but ordinary. Like a woman utterly smitten with her first love.
But Yulian was a total scoundrel until last year. How does she maintain this level of affection?
His drastic change from scoundrel lately. Or perhaps captivated by the mighty tyrant who could produce hordes of sturdy heirs...
Could it be my cleaned-up face?
He hated to think the empire's princess was that superficial. But it might be one reason.
Lilia continued.
"Without this Binding, phantasms' illusions could overwhelm us in an instant. They create false visions mimicking us—uncannily precise ones."
Even allies could fall prey, slaughtering each other. The illusions described in ancient texts equated to upper 3rd form monsters, near the top tier.
But linked by Binding, they were immune.
"Shall we go? The texts say this sector isn't too dangerous if we resist the illusions."
He nodded. Lilia smiled contentedly and took the lead.
She had likely sensed his emotions through the divine spell as well. When weighing like or dislike, he favored her.
Lilia had once been his favorite character. Now in reality, it differed from playing Demon King Slayer.
And she felt his resolve entering this space. Conquering the Autumn Nest. He had come to grow stronger by then.
And my motivation for growing stronger isn't a bad thing.
His change since second year: survival in this bad-end world as the possessed soul. But ultimately, saving it—a noble cause.
Lilia likely interpreted even that as firm resolve against scoundrelry. Her cheeks flushed, confirming his guess.
Thus, the pair pressed toward the imperial treasury hidden in this space.
Lilia's divine power was formidable. As a saintess candidate, even illusions surpassing 3rd form offered them no threat.
Powerful divine power is the natural enemy of illusions and phantasms.
Above all, the Binding spell's effects were extraordinary. Emotion-sharing extended to their senses.
All buffs from Lilia's divine power applied beyond their base potency.
With this, I can't quite reach 3rd tier mana in my sword, but 2.5 tier should be no issue.
Previously, blocked mana roads limited him to 1.5 tier. This was a full tier boost from Lilia.
"Yulian!"
A pitch-black phantasm resembling a troll charged them. His reaction outpaced Lilia's warning. He swung his mana-infused imperial sword, slicing it effortlessly.
Lilia cried out in astonishment.
"Incredible! You, who hadn't even awakened mana until last year, wielding such advanced swordsmanship... I'm a reserve squad member of the Golden Wings myself. I have a keen eye for talent—no slouch there. Truly impressive!"
"It's nothing. Your buffs made it possible, Lilia."
A skilled DPS and top-tier buffer/healer. The ideal combo. Even amid suffocating curses, they advanced unhindered.
Only Lilia's burdensome affection and fondness kept pouring in.
The emotion-sharing of Binding is intense.
Like devouring pure, undiluted honey by the spoonful. With Lilia as the source, it wasn't unwelcome.
They cleaved through about twenty phantasms continuously, traversing the ruined temple. Their bound trust was ironclad—no illusion could deceive them.
Boring. Is this the power of divine buffs? Even illusions, they're 3rd form caliber.
And this divine spell held greater meaning for him.
Demon King Slayer's part 1 finale: Nest raid. His party would be talented cadets, but cadets nonetheless.
Outlier buffs changed everything.
He planned to use Jedin and Demon King's powers for area-wide buffs surpassing this—elevating his cadets temporarily to raid-ready levels. The orthodox Nest strategy, honed over 1,000 hours of play.
Soon after, they reached a destroyed temple resembling the Parthenon in the real world.
"The imperial secret vault lies directly below. But it's a complex labyrinth inside. Without preparing needed items in advance, you'd wander endlessly. And extremely dangerous, needless to say."
Lilia's expression grew grave momentarily. But she soon grinned, waving a recording mana stone.
"Of course, I've already prepared the labyrinth map!"
She then explained the essential item.
"Farther north than Essemont, in the frigid extremes where no human survives—there once lived a monster called the Snow Wyvern."
Wyverns, servitors of dragons, possessed mana sources akin to dragon hearts due to their masters. Snow Wyverns too.
But now extinct, unseen even by Essemont's elders—a rare beast.
"The last traded Snow Wyvern heart... even selling a named imperial barony wouldn't cover it, records say. And that's over 200 years ago."
Lilia intended to give him this priceless treasure.
"It's the item to aid you, Yulian. But as an imperial treasure, it won't be easy. Records say only the qualified may claim it. Though with you, Yulian, it's certain!"
She gripped his hand encouragingly. Waves of trusting emotion surged toward him.
"Then, I'll open the labyrinth entrance, Yulian."
Lilia pricked her finger again. Smearing blood beside the sealed door, it groaned open massively.
The pair descended into the labyrinth.
Using Lilia's recorded labyrinth map from the mana stone, they navigated swiftly. Phantasmal monsters assailed endlessly, but no issue.
Their Binding-linked pair held firm. Finally, they reached the destination: an underground cavern housing the Snow Wyvern heart.
At its center, upon an altar, lay the heart.
"We made it without much trouble... but no room for carelessness."
Lilia was wise as ever. Despite the goal in sight, she scattered droplets from her finger prick, as before.
No visible change. Lilia frowned puzzledly.
"Strange. There should be some reaction for qualification verification."
That instant—they felt a piercing chill, as if stabbed by the heart itself. An impossible blizzard erupted in the cavern.
"Yulian!"
With Lilia's cry, her divine power enveloped him. The chill eased slightly. But the cold—like being flung naked into midwinter—persisted.
Realizing something, he warned her.
"Princess Lilia! Be careful!"
From the blizzard's core, a translucent wyvern soared upward.