Descent into the Abyss
"Welcome, Sister. We've been expecting you."
Upon arriving at the mansion, Lord Richard personally opened the door to greet Lily.
"Good evening, my lord. I apologize for imposing on you again today."
"Nonsense. You are always welcome here, Sister. Hehehe."
Smirking at Lily, Lord Richard guided her inside. The mansion was vast and ornate, yet eerily empty—no servants in sight, leaving it feeling hollow and desolate.
"Would you care for some tea first?"
"No, thank you. I appreciate the thought, but let's proceed directly. Time is precious."
"Understood."
Lord Richard led Lily deeper into the mansion... descending toward the underground levels.
"Might I ask how many arrived today?"
"Fewer than usual. Twenty-four adventurers who caused trouble in the city, two hundred thirty-seven modern humans who wandered in, and five hundred seventy-two brought by your own introductions."
"Still under a thousand."
"The wandering phase has passed. Fewer outsiders are finding their way to the city these days."
After exchanging meaningful words, Lily and Lord Richard descended the stairs for roughly fifteen minutes before reaching the final landing. At the bottom stood a single door leading into a cave. Lord Richard went ahead and forced it open.
Creaaak...!
The poorly maintained door groaned under force, releasing a nauseating stench that assaulted Lily's senses.
...And beyond it lay an endless abyss with no visible floor. A spiral staircase clung to the walls, lined at regular intervals with prison cells. At the very bottom, something continued digging ever deeper, expanding the cavern's scale.
This colossal space had formed when a massive underground cave from the modern world merged with the area beneath the Curia Temple and the lord's castle due to the world fusion. What Richard and Lily Cubus called it was simple: The Abyss.
Despite the near-total darkness that would deter most, Lily and Lord Richard descended the spiral stairs with practiced ease, continuing their ominous conversation.
"How many are still waiting without having made their 'final request'?"
"Thirty thousand, nine hundred eighty-eight."
"And those locked in the cells?"
"Seventeen thousand, five hundred thirteen."
"You mentioned the number who arrived today?"
"Precisely eight hundred thirty-three."
"Then how many more until we reach fifty thousand?"
"Exactly six hundred sixty-six short."
"And at the bottom?"
"Fifty thousand already rest there."
"At this rate, we'll hit our target of one hundred thousand within a day."
"Indeed."
"...Finally. It's time to move to the next phase."
Lily and Lord Richard stopped before one of the cells along the midway stairs. Inside were thirteen disheveled modern humans who had been captive for days—nine men and four women.
"Hey! You crazy bitch! Let us out right now!! We want out!!"
The oldest-looking woman spotted Lily and rushed to the bars, screaming.
"May the will of God be with you... Good evening."
"Don't give me that god nonsense! Answer me! What the hell have you done?! Why are we locked up here?! At least explain yourself!!"
"What purpose would an explanation serve? You'll all return to God's embrace by the end of today anyway."
"Wh-what nonsense...!"
"If not today, there won't be anyone left to ask. So I'll make a special exception and explain."
Lily gracefully grasped the hem of her long skirt with both hands and offered an elegant bow to the prisoners.
"Allow me to introduce myself once more. I am Lily Cubus. Not a priestess of Curia, but a humble lamb serving the true gods—the Magic God and the Modern God. I am the Dominator of Reason, preparing the chaos of this world according to their will."
She smiled sweetly.
[...] has reached Stage 7 of Unbreakable Brainwash.
[...] has reached Stage 7 of Unbreakable Brainwash.
[...] has reached Stage 7 of Unbreakable Brainwash.
[...] has reached Stage 7 of Unbreakable Brainwash.
[They are now prepared to lay down their lives for you.]
The brainwashing of the imprisoned men had reached its final stage thanks to Lily's self-introduction.
"Wh-what the hell does that even mean?! I don't understand a word of it!"
"Don't worry. I'll explain everything in detail today. On the day of the world fusion, God spoke thus: This world is tedious. I wish to make it entertaining. If two completely opposing worlds were made to clash, which would emerge victorious...? The gods desire a world war."
Lily continued her explanation with a radiant smile that belied her chilling words.
"A war between the modern world and the magic world. That is what I am preparing."
"A-are you insane?! There's no need for that! Why fight?! Can't we just coexist?! I never held any ill will toward magic users!"
"God's command is absolute. Our personal feelings are meaningless."
Through her traits, Lily had completely seized control of the great city of Neveiria. Her next plan had been to expand outward, slowly subjugating other cities and igniting war with modern humans. Yet during her domination of Neveiria, she discovered the existence of a cursed holy relic sealed away by the Curia Church.
"You will become the instruments that ignite this war."
"Why us?! We don't want to fight!"
"As I just explained—the war between modern and magic is God's will and my mission. I am a magic user. You are modern humans. The pretext is more than sufficient."
Lily slowly unlocked the cell door.
"The war has already begun. [Men, subdue the women and come outside.]"
"Wh... what?! W-wait! Let go! You! Snap out of it! Why are you obeying that woman?!"
Already brainwashed, the men followed Lily's command, restraining the women before obediently exiting the cell.
"Don't worry. There will be no pain."
"What are you—"
Lily smiled at the women staring at her with pale faces.
"[Jump.]"
"W-wait...! No, let go! Let gooo! Kyaaaaah!!"
Obeying Lily's "final request," the men hurled themselves—and the resisting women they held—into the bottomless abyss.
.......
Thud!
A simple yet horrifying sound echoed from the depths. Lily and Lord Richard stood at the edge of the stairs, gazing downward. Moments later, a bright light began to emanate from the previously invisible bottom.
****
"Ugh...! Aaaah...."
The woman who had fallen to the abyss floor groaned in agony, twitching. She was barely alive—death was inevitable. All she could do was open her eyes and look around.
In her vision were her companions, still twitching but not yet dead. And the something they had crashed into upon falling.
Whoosh.
A radiant object caught her attention. Driven by survival instinct, her gaze locked onto the light.
It was a statue—an arm, specifically a right arm impaled from forearm to palm by a pitch-black spear driven into the ground. Thanks to the unsettling glow emanating from the strange statue, the woman could finally identify what they had collided with.
"Ugh...."
"Graaah...."
People dressed in modern clothing. Already dead...
"K-khuhuh...!"
A hollow laugh escaped her at the unbelievable sight.
[You have entered the range of the holy relic, Blessing that Demands a Price.]
[You have been designated as a target of the "Price."]
The light pouring from the relic began enveloping the woman and her still-living companions.
[Absorbing life force.]
Translucent energy was drawn from their bodies.
Thud... Thud...
With no strength left to resist, they became cold corpses sprawled across the ground.
[Conditions fulfilled through life force absorption.]
The relic continued radiating light as if ready. In response, a voice descended from above.
"[Evil Resurrection]."
[Bestowing blessing.]
The glowing statue's light vanished instantly, as if switched off. Instead, the black spear impaling it began pouring out a thick, crimson liquid. The substance flowed across the ground and seeped into the freshly deceased bodies.
Before long, the corpses slowly began to rise.
"Graaah..."
They had become the same as the something that already dwelled at the bottom.
****
"The relic's power never fails to send chills down my spine."
Lord Richard muttered, cold sweat trickling down his face as he peered into the abyss depths.
"It may be cursed, but it was once the Curia Church's sole holy relic."
Effect: Absorbs the life force of those on the brink of death. Once a sufficient amount has been absorbed, the relic's wearer may use Evil Resurrection.
Description: The merciful hand of Curia once demanded no price. Yet through some incident, the divine touch became corrupted, granting a twisted blessing that revives the dead.
"How many can still receive the final request?"
"Thirty thousand, nine hundred eighty-eight."
"Hoo~ Looks like we'll be busy all night. My lord, would you accompany me tonight?"
"Of course."
Having decided to prepare the necessary number of humans for war by tomorrow, Lily planned to use the relic to turn all remaining modern humans into undead before the night ended—an easy task.
Crunch!!
"Hm? What was that sound?"
"Hmm~? There shouldn't be any place in the Abyss that makes such a noise..."
"It came from over there. Let's go check."
The problem was that Lily had encountered Ju Joyeon today of all days. And he was someone with a 100% chance of getting entangled in this conspiracy.
"Ugh... It hurts~! What? Where is this?"
"Wha—?! Impossible...! Breaking through a sealed passage like that...!"
When they arrived at the source of the noise, they found Ju Joyeon, who had smashed through a wall and landed right in the middle of the Abyss. Lord Richard stared in shock at the absurd scene.
"Huh? Oh? Sister, hello there. Didn't expect to run into you again. Where exactly are we?"
"...Meeting you truly must be fate."
Ju Joyeon waved at Lily with a cheerful grin, while Lily could only stare in disbelief—yet somehow, the situation felt oddly inevitable.