The demon dungeon was no smaller than the Lost Tower. Much to Nol's surprise, their departure was smooth.
Half of the credit went to the "native" of the place, Teest, and the other half to Little Piel's Eye of Truth. Complex illusions and deceptions seemed non-existent in front of the boy, and the group quickly found the exit—
A thick stone door adorned with magical patterns. It was about six times as tall as Piel, shimmering with magical light.
"Do as I say next." Teest took a copper coin from his pouch and handed it to Piel. "See the patterns on the door? Use the coin to block the fifth one from the bottom and the eighth one from the left—it's just the width of the coin."
Darkness loomed behind them, accompanied by eerie, crying groans. Little Piel, trembling, followed the instructions, nearly dropping the coin.
When the coin covered both patterns, the door's glow dimmed.
Teest and Nol jumped off the boy's shoulders, each pushing the stone door from one side. The heavy door slowly slid open, and Piel squeezed through like a paper slipping through a crack.
Outside was a curved corridor with torches burning faintly, barely illuminating the nearby area. There were no windows in the corridor, and the air smelled like wet dust, which was a better odor than inside the dungeon.
They didn't sense any immediate dangers.
Nol sighed with relief. It seemed Little Piel was destined to be captured by the Eternalists, but there was no need for him to stay in that nightmarish dungeon.
Looking at Nol for a moment, Teest asked, "The church exit or the archives? I only know the location of the exit. We'll have to search for the archives."
Nol looked back suspiciously.
It was unusual for the Mad Monk to ask for his opinion instead of subtly taking control—something was off. Teest had been too honest lately.
"Let's head towards the exit first."
Hoping to get Piel out of the whirlwind of events, Nol chose the answer Teest might not like.
"Alright, follow me." Teest simply shrugged.
Having left the terrifying dungeon, Piel's complexion improved significantly. Under the cover of the invisibility spell, he walked barefoot on cold steps, his pace quickening.
They seemed to be moving inside a shell. As they ascended, the walls of the corridor transitioned from rough bricks to exquisite murals. There were armors with long swords that reflected sharp lights.
Little Piel's pace slowed as they were drawn to the captivating murals. Nol, standing on his shoulders, looked intently. All he knew about the Eternal Church was its cruel, anti-human beliefs. He hadn't truly understood how they portrayed themselves from within.
[Interested?] Teest's thoughts reached him perfectly.
[Mm.] Nol tried to take in the "overly large" mural in front of him.
Teest jumped next to Nol, pointing with a pocket watch hand. [Let's start from here. This is the origin of the Eternal Church legend…]
God created a perfect world. The land was fertile, without diseases or disasters, and all beings lived in eternal happiness.
One day, darkness suddenly enveloped the land. The Demon King awakened from the abyss, spreading his corruption. Grand civilizations and beautiful creatures vanished, leaving only grotesque monsters and piles of corpses.
The great Eternal Son protected the few surviving beings, taking the corruption onto himself and pushing back the darkness. Eventually, the Demon King was forced to the other side of the Endless Sea, and the beings reclaimed the scarred land.
During this pivotal time, the Eternal Son was betrayed by Goddess Tilia. She claimed to be the "Goddess of Life", slandered the injured Eternal Son as a false god, and stole the world that rightfully belonged to him.
The Eternal Son, full of compassion, continued to purify the corruption with his body, believing he would be reborn with the blessings of all beings.
[…That's the gist of it,] Teest concluded. [The version from the Temple of Life is pretty much the same, but the 'traitor' changes from the Goddess of Life to the Eternal Son.]
The destruction of all things during the Dark Age was also mentioned in historical records, aligning with the game setting. However, Nol had never set up such a fantastical battle between gods and demons in his work. He always felt that such tales were made up.
Considering the nature of the Eternal Church, rather than "rebirth in the blessings of all things", it was more like the Eternal Son was drowning in the drool of everything.
Looking at those murals, Nol curled his lips. "I guess there aren't many truths."
"Well, you can't expect cultists to possess the virtue of 'sincerity'."
Teest laughed and shook his head, tugging at Piel's earlobe. "Kid, we're approaching the side hall. Remember to walk along the wall."
"Oh." Piel swallowed nervously and turned nervously.
Regarding the surroundings, Nol could now discern that they were previously deep underground and were now near the surface. Sunlight streamed in through windows—their warm rays fragmented by the lattice-like design, casting a glow on the pointed window frames. The dark-colored bricks and floors inside still remained shrouded in darkness. The dungeon's darkness felt like the bottom of the deep sea, but here, the darkness was velvety and soft.
Piel saw the side door of the church. Through the glass, vibrant green branches were visible. The lively world was just a few steps away, and he couldn't resist quickening his pace toward the door.
"Who—!!"
Suddenly, a decorative armor by the door trembled slightly, dropping its sword with a crisp and loud noise. Startled, Little Piel covered his mouth and nose and quickly hid in the shadow of a nearby sculpture.
The door opened, and a robust Eternalist entered the side hall, looking around. He bent down, placed the sword back in position, and exited.
Piel hid for a good fifteen minutes before emerging. By this time, the sunlight had an orange tint, and the sky outside was painted red by the setting sun. He took a deep breath, staring intently at the light, and began to tiptoe towards the door.
Clang, clang, clang—!
Even with Nol on the lookout, the long sword still fell without any warning. Piel stood dumbfounded in place, tears almost coming out. When he hid behind the statue this time, he lightly sniffled.
"Who?!"
A few minutes later, the Eternalist entered again. He frowned at the armor and cast two curses at it. Seeing that the armor didn't react, he cursed under his breath and pulled out a communication crystal.
Nol raised his staff, about to make a move, but that intense feeling of "can't do it" emerged again.
"Something's wrong with the small door in the west hall…" On the other side, the Eternalist had already sent out the message.
"Let's call it a day," Teest said without much regret. "They're on their guard now. Even if you could run out, you wouldn't get far—they'll go to the dungeon to see you soon. It's time to go back."
Piel stayed in place, his deep purple eyes staring blankly at the sky. He gently lifted his hand, seemingly trying to grasp a ray of sunlight.
"You must return on your own. Once they find out you've escaped, you'll die even faster," Teest warned.
"…Okay, Mr. Fairy," Piel replied with a whisper a few moments later.
[Once the kid sleeps, we'll look at the archives in the second half of the night,] Teest proposed in his mind.
Nol, on the other hand, turned his head and glared intensely at the long sword.
Is this how fate "gets back on track"?
Piel didn't need to be in the dungeon, but he still couldn't leave this church? It seemed Piel's future indeed had some room for maneuver, but it was limited.
"…Checking a file… How troublesome…" From around the corner, a familiar voice emerged.
Upon hearing a keyword, Nol abruptly turned his head. His neck made a "crack" sound, startling Teest next to him.
"Can we go back from that direction?" Nol quickly asked Teest.
"We can, we can," Teest whispered, their heads touching.
"Go that way! That way!"
Nol hurriedly tugged at Little Piel's hair—the boy's hair was so dark brown it almost looked like the color of black coffee, making Nol, from Country C, feel a sense of closeness.
Little Piel obediently walked on. As they approached, the voice became clearer.
"…There should always be people from other churches coming to exchange information, right? Has Priest Bonds always been this obstructive?" Crimson asked with a frivolous tone.
"My Lord, Priest Bonds is the strongest and strictest priest here. He's not targeting you specifically," the guiding Eternalist responded, nodding and bowing. "He himself is a Chosen One, so he's especially cautious, My Lord."
What does that mean?
Nol perked up his ears. Was Crimson back to "exchange information"?
"How interesting. So he has been in the dungeon too?" Crimson continued, "I've always been curious. There's a Supplement Demon that comfortably eats humans while being the lord of a city, while others live in dungeon cages with test subjects, risking eating strange creatures and being tortured daily—"
"—Yet, they are loyal to the Eternal Son."
As he said this, Crimson chuckled. "The Chosen Ones sure are patient."
"They are destined to become powerful advanced monsters. Trials will make them stronger and more submissive. It's God's will, My Lord,"
The guiding Eternalist explained cautiously. "That's exactly why Mr. Bonds is careful with the 'Chosen One' records. If you knew the corresponding prophecy, you'd have some insight into the Chosen One's fate… Most Chosen Ones don't want to be observed."
"So you're saying, some choose to be open about it?" Crimson raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, Mr. Bonds takes pride in the prophecy about him." The guide drew a circle over his chest reverently. "The loyal servant will witness a miracle and he will die under God's gaze."
"…This is his prophecy."
Teest gave a silent snort.
Nol looked at the Teest's side profile, frantically processing everything he had just heard. He had previously heard a bit about the divine selection mechanism from the Player siblings, but he never expected to confront it directly now.
Crimson went back to the past to check the archives of the "Chosen Ones", so this person's actions had nothing to do with the "Eclipse Shield". Perhaps they could take this opportunity to sneak into the archives.
The question was, why did the Eternal Church suddenly become curious about a Chosen One whose information had been lost for twelve years? …Were the Chosen Ones of the Eternal Church destined to become incredibly powerful Supplement Demons?
Nol looked at Teest's indifferent face.
…Are you also a Chosen One? A Chosen One who received a prophecy from the "Eternal Son"?
Little Piel timidly followed behind Crimson, listening as he rambled on, ready to turn around and head back to the dungeon at any time. To their surprise, when they reached the entrance of the dungeon, Crimson was still wandering in front.
"God's Chosen One is inside. Currently, we only have one in our church," the guide said. "It's just about time for his medication. If you have any doubts about his identity, you can observe from the side."
...
As expected, the two of them stopped in front of Teest's cage. Little Piel hid around the corner, poking his head out slightly with Nol.
"Hello, sir." A dozen steps away, the young Teest raised his eyes and looked at Crimson.
His voice was soft, polite, and courteous. "Nice to meet you, sir."
"The Lord's Chosen One, it's time for your medicine."
The guide made a circle gesture on his chest and bowed respectfully to the young boy in the dark cage, making the scene seem rather absurd.
"Yes."
The young Teest approached the cage bars and gently extended both hands. His slender arms fit perfectly through the metal bars, as if reaching out for an embrace.
Crimson's silhouette stiffened unusually. He stood silently watching.
Nol also held his breath, observing everything in front of him. Meanwhile, the adult Teest stood beside him, intently watching Nol's face.
The guide took out a black silk cloth from his chest, which held a three-necked flask. The flask was filled with a bubbling black-green viscous fluid.
It reminded Nol of the stimulant potion of the Lord of Whitebird City—a potion mixed with human corpses that was dark red in color and nowhere near as terrifying as the one in front of him.
Upon seeing the potion, the young Teest obediently knelt down. Drawing a circle on his chest and with his eyes slightly closed, he softly chanted a prayer. With that face, he looked like an innocent sacrifice from a fairy tale.
Crimson gripped the iron bars expressionlessly, looking down at the young Teest.
The young boy smiled sweetly at him and took the flask, drinking the terrifying liquid entirely. Even when he finished the last drop, there was still a smile on his lips.
'Great,' Nol thought. 'It seems the reaction wasn't as…'
Suddenly, there was a muffled sound.
Under the gaze of several eyes, the young Teest exploded.
To be precise, the boy's skin burst entirely, splattering fragments everywhere like confetti. In that moment, the terrifying flesh began growing wildly, almost filling the entire cage. Beneath the red tissue, countless creatures seemed to be struggling to escape, causing the fragile flesh to constantly quiver.
The beautiful boy lost his human form in an instant, leaving only a wildly throbbing… mass of flesh in the cage. There was no scream or moan, and even breathing was barely audible. The deformed flesh kept expanding and contracting, decaying rapidly. Strange limbs grew and enlarged rapidly, then quickly withered and broke off. This body seemed to be blindly seeking a new form, like plant roots desperately searching for water.
The air was filled with the scent of fresh flesh.
Crimson took two steps back, and the nearby demons grew restless, causing their cages to rattle.
Between the gaps of the squirming flesh, a thin human hand dangled weakly, twitching continuously, as if wanting to grasp something but lacking the strength to do so.
This was a movement typically seen in those on the brink of death.
Little Piel's legs gave way, and he wet himself. The child fainted without even letting out a scream.
All expressions vanished from Nol's face. Before his mind could process, his body lunged towards the young Teest.
…But as soon as he took a step, he was held back by a strong embrace.
"Shh—"
Teest tightly held Nol, restraining the arm holding the staff, with his other hand covering Nol's mouth and forcing his head back. "It's all in the past, remember? Everything has already passed, honey."
God's Chosen One, Supplement Demon, fate…
Nol's mind was almost blank, with only one thought left.
"Pain relief spell… at least… no pain…"
"No, no," Teest's breath was right next to his ear, and he even sounded pleased. "I'm sorry, but no. Trust me, I've been through this—"
Nol managed to free one hand.
He extended his left arm, which wasn't holding the staff, attempting to cast the pain relief spell. However, just as the magical array began to form, his entire left arm disintegrated into ash, vanishing into thin air.
They could even see the smooth cut surface at the shoulder, where flesh and bone were exposed directly to the outside, and the annihilation was still spreading upwards.
Teest exerted almost murderous strength, this time holding Nol firmly in his embrace, and the terrifying annihilation finally ceased. Late in realization, Teest noticed that a thin layer of sweat had formed on his back.
"It seems that pain relief makes people aware of anomalies." This time, Nol cast a pain-relieving spell on himself, squeezing out words from between his teeth. "This consequence is more troublesome than I imagined…"
"Are you joking?" Teest wasn't laughing anymore.
"The 'warning' I just received wasn't severe. It was worth a try."
Nol's fingertips were extremely pale. His lips still quivered, and his tone sounded as if he was speaking in a daze. "We must figure out where the boundary is… Now we know that slight defiance won't lead to the death penalty. The laws of this universe are quite lenient…"
"What if you really disappeared? What then?" Teest stared intently at Nol.
Drenched in sweat from pain, Nol's left arm bone was slowly recovering. "Haven't I answered you? Seeking 100% safety isn't an 'adventure'…"
"…And you also have a prophecy on you, don't you, Mr. Chosen One?"
"No matter if it's for the truth or for you, I must find out."
After saying this, Nol looked again in the direction of the young Teest.
The horrifying transformations slowly subsided. The Eternalist closed his eyes and began to cast healing magic on Teest. The terrifying growth quickly dried up, and the protruding bones and organs gradually returned to their original positions. The bluish-black flesh peeled off layer by layer, and the silvery white hair gathered again, revealing a slender human form.
Ten minutes later, a nearly lifeless young Teest knelt on the ground.
He covered his body with a piece of leather-like dried skin, breathing with violent tremors.
"By God's blessing… cough cough, may everything be eternal…" he said, lifting his face with an unexpectedly obedient tone.
The Eternalist leaned forward and magically produced a white robe. He draped it over the young Teest, who then revealed a sweet smile.
"As you can see, My Lord."
The Eternalist turned to Crimson and slightly bowed. "Even if other Chosen Ones drink a potion mixed with monster blood, they will become absolute monsters. Only this one is special—only this one is perfect. A simple healing spell is enough for him to revert back. Even if left alone, he will recover slowly, but it would take more time, and the rotten flesh growth isn't easy to clean… We've verified it before."
"He is indeed special," Crimson said dryly, with no trace of frivolity in his tone. "How many times have you fed him the potion?"
"Once every seven days, My Lord."
The data wasn't precise enough. Crimson paused in thought. "How long have you been feeding him?"
"Almost ten years, My Lord."
Nol gripped Teest's hand tightly, his expression becoming distorted. No amount of mental preparation, not even the pain from the dismemberment, made him feel as sick as he did now. He looked at Teest incredulously.
Teest's expression was odd, somewhat satisfied, yet somewhat displeased, like a child who received candy, only to find out it wasn't the flavor he liked.
The only relief for Nol was that the horrific torture didn't seem to have left a scar on the Mad Monk. Faced with this brutal scene, Teest's reaction was even milder than if he'd seen a small cake.
Noticing Nol's gaze, Teest playfully made a face at him.
"This Chosen One has never had any issues. Do you need further verification of his identity?" The conversation continued in the distance.
"I need some time to think." Crimson turned away. "We can discuss this tomorrow. We have time, don't we?"
"Goodbye, My Lord."
The young Teest, now dressed in the white robe, stepped over the dried flesh and blood on the ground and sat back on the white stone. His cheeks and lips were devoid of color, as if he had truly turned into a statue.
Yet, he still smiled weakly.
Crimson didn't respond and quickly left the dungeon.
The Eternalist didn't accompany him and instead used magic to clean the messy cage before heading towards Piel's cage.
"Oh." Teest threw a water orb at Piel's face, who groggily opened his eyes. "You need to go back soon, Piel."
"What, what?"
"Unfortunately, it's time for the good boy to take his medicine," Teest whispered.
Piel immediately looked at the cage not far away. The young Teest was still sitting there, still in that incredibly obedient posture, as if the earlier horror was just a dream.
"Just now, just that…" He pointed hopefully at the young Teest.
"It wasn't a dream," Teest said. "That boy just has fairy blood in him. Look, we look so alike—you have only four minutes left, kid. Either die now or discuss it later."
Tears and snot gushed out simultaneously from Piel.
"Knights aren't afraid." He choked, giving himself courage, stumbling towards the cage. "When I grow up, I want to be a knight. Knights aren't scared, wuwuwu… I don't want to turn into a monster…"
Nol touched Piel's hair, remaining silent. Before leaving, he couldn't help but look back at the young Teest one last time.
In the renewed silence of darkness, the young boy's obedient smile vanished. He narrowed his eyes, fingers tapping on the stone below, malice momentarily crossing his face.
The expression was identical to the adult Mad Monk.
The author has something to say:
Young Teest, the perfect expression package:
When I get out of here, I'll finish you all off.jpg