The moment the Guide's Magia-laden words fell silent,silence returned.
The nape of Kael's neck ignited—as if someone had chosen to brand him with white-hot iron.
He clenched his teeth.His breath caught.This wasn't ordinary pain.It was an imprint. A pact carved into flesh.
A System window appeared:
[Seal of the Authority of Lust]
Seal symbolizing the authority of the Primordial Demon [Lilith]
[Tier 1: Veil of Clarity]
[Tier 2: Locked]
[Tier 3: Locked]
[Tier 4: Locked]
[Tier 5: Locked]
[Veil of Clarity] — Rank C
Immunity to control effects:
• Mental
• Affliction
• Confusion
• Illusion
Kael frowned.One detail struck him.
The name…
The one that had never appeared until now—masked by symbols and question marks—was written out in full.
Lilith.
He froze.That name wasn't trivial.He already knew it.
On Earth, it had crossed ages—myths, legends, warped truths.
This might not be the exact entity from human stories.But it couldn't be coincidence.
Lilith…Primordial Demon of Lust.
A new window flashed up—clear, sharp, impossible to ignore.
[Princess of Hell — Lilith][Clarification: ratio 50:50]
• You are bound as equals.• No unilateral obligations.• If one refuses a request, neither can compel the other.• Every request must be matched by an equivalent consideration.• Oaths sealed thus are guaranteed by the Tower.
A second panel unfolded at once:
[Practical example provided by Lilith]If you ask me to use my power to erase an enemy,I may in return demand an act of equal value—for example, guarding one of my territories for an equivalent duration.
Likewise, if I demand your blood,you may claim a favor of identical strength in exchange.
Kael scowled.He read.Again.Then let out a bitter snort.
— So… if I get this right, you want to haggle with me?
He tapped the panel floating before his eyes, half-mocking, half incredulous.
— You ask a service, I get to invoice you—and vice versa.Charming. Sounds almost like an employment contract.
His smile tightened—sarcastic, but not hostile.
He turned his head.Thana at his side didn't smile.Her face was cold and grave.
— Don't take this lightly, Kael.Balance like this with a Primordial is rare.Most would sell their soul for a single line of such a contract.Here, you get neutral ground—a space where even a monster like Lilith cannot crush you.
Kael shrugged, wry.— Great. A monster who can't crush me… but can still nibble, huh?
A silence.The air hummed.The letters pulsed gently, as if to remind him Thana hadn't exaggerated a word.
Another vibration.The air grew heavier.A sweet, oppressive scent slipped into his lungs.
The window rewrote itself.
[Princess of Hell — Lilith][I deny nothing.][I will nibble, yes. But always paying the agreed price.][Such is the pact.]
The letters breathed like a living thing.Kael ground his jaw.
— …You have a… charming way of reassuring your partners.
A silent laugh rippled through his mind—like a cold caress.
[Princess of Hell — Lilith][You are no ordinary partner.][So I will never offer you ordinary lies.]
Thana, rigid, eyes fixed on the window, finally exhaled:
— It's really her.No one else would dare answer like that.
Kael looked away, visibly annoyed—yet intrigued.
Heat throbbed again at his nape.An invisible yet tangible sigil burned in his skin.The mark of the contract.The seal.
Another window etched itself before his eyes:
[Seal of the Authority of Lust]
Issuer: Primordial Demon [Lilith]
Status: Active — Bound to Kael
[Tier 1 — Veil of Clarity: Unlocked]
Effect: Absolute immunity to mental control, confusion, illusion, and spiritual affliction.Status: Stable.
[Tier 2 — Locked]
[Tier 3 — Locked]
[Tier 4 — Locked]
[Tier 5 — Locked]
A glacial hush—then the letters re-formed.
[Princess of Hell — Lilith]
[The seal is a living pact.][Each lock is no free gift.][It demands a trial, an offering, an equal price.]
[The first lock you already hold is your guarantee.][No one will bend you—neither by magic, nor by mind, nor by reflection.][This is the protection I grant to those who walk with me.]
[The remaining locks…][Each contains a fragment of my Authority.][With every unlock you'll gain power—and weight.]
Kael frowned.He could still feel the burn of the mark.
A beat—like a foreign heart echoing in his own.
[Princess of Hell — Lilith][If you advance, the seal will grow with you.][If you refuse, it will stay frozen forever.][But know this: every lock is not merely strength.][It is a deeper pact, drawing your name a little closer to mine.]
A smile—cold and alluring—crossed the letters.
[Plainly, Kael…][With each lock opened, you approach me.][Not as a servant.][But as an equal who accepts the chains he chooses.]
Kael set his jaw.His eyes slid across the windows.— So that's your game. In short… each lock is another thread. Another tie toward you.
A frozen chuckle appeared in the script.
[Princess of Hell — Lilith][You can see it that way.][Or as access to weapons no one else possesses.]
Kael looked up.A rough breath slipped from his throat.— Sounds too good to be free.
A hand settled on his shoulder.Thana.Her gaze sank into his.No coldness.No threat.Only that fragile, flickering intensity she showed to him alone.
— Kael… the seal is real. But don't forget—you are not alone.As long as I'm here, no one—absolutely no one—will put chains on you.
Kael stilled.His breathing eased.He looked aside.
Lilith's letters halted—then resumed, trembling:
[Princess of Hell — Lilith][… You… you are—Thanatos.][… The Absolute.][Impossible. You were sealed.][Then… it was true. All this time.][I see better now. So it is him.]
An invisible shock rippled the air—as if even Lilith, the Primordial, had taken a step back.
[Princess of Hell — Lilith][So that's why…][In the previous illusion, you resisted me.][It wasn't solely you.][His shadow stood behind your mind.]
A wintry silence.The letters froze.
[Princess of Hell — Lilith][I finally understand.][Kael will never be mine.][But that… changes nothing.][A contract of equals is a contract of equals.][And even before Thanatos, I keep my word.]
The last line quivered, almost like a sigh.
[At least… this time, I know whom I'm speaking to.]
Thana's voice—low, without frills—cut through Lilith's reverie:
— Enough. Spare us the chatter.Honor your accord.The Magia bath. Where is it?
Lilith paused—then, without further quibbling, a new window opened:
[Princess of Hell — Lilith][… Very well. I'll keep my word.][… Evelyne. Rise. Guide them. In person.]
The Queen shuddered. Her broken body pushed itself upright, trembling under strain. Bloody lips whispered a frail "…Yes, mistress," before she prostrated herself to Kael and Thana, awaiting the order to lead.
Evelyne staggered, but obeyed.Her legs barely held.Each step sounded like a sentence.
Kael followed with a hard gaze.Thana, silent, arms crossed.No one spoke.
The corridor behind the throne was not made for guests.The walls sweated a humid heat, almost organic.Every torch burned with a purple flame that ate the air.
Evelyne stumbled, catching herself on the wall.Her harsh breath betrayed the fresh pain of her torn throat.She did not dare look back once.
At last, a wide stone door appeared.Runes carved into it throbbed a deep, dark red.Evelyne laid trembling hands upon it, and the slab opened with a ponderous groan.
Dense vapor spilled out—saturated with pure Magia.The chamber glowed around a circular basin carved in the rock, filled with an unreal liquid light.It was like a living mirror, a lake caged in runes.
Evelyne knelt at the threshold, head bowed.— This is… the Queen's Bath, she murmured, barely audible.
[System — Pure Magia detected]Source: Personal demonic essence (upper level)Status: willingly submittedPartial sync with active Authority Seed→ Rank Up: Magia F (80%) → E (90%)
[…]
[System — Main objective validated][— Secondary objective validated][— Hidden objective validated]
A shiver ran his spine.The strain of hours seemed to dissolve.For the first time in a long while, he felt his strength re-align—as if body, soul, and power had found a new balance.
Total silence fell.Kael opened his eyes.
The world had changed around him: heavier, clearer, sharper.Thana watched, wordless.Evelyne knelt, trembling.
Then—a vibration.The ground rumbled.A black circle opened before him, a portal with steel-and-shadow sheen.It drew in the surrounding light, pulsing like a heart.
The announcement rang one last time.
[ System — Exit generated ][ Next step: Floor 3 — Cursed Feast ]
The portal yawned open.A cold breath flowed out.Kael stepped forward.
Ready for the next hell awaiting him.