Chapter 95
“I had a dream. A glorious dream in which the Goddess bestowed a sacred revelation upon me.”
The snake’s tongue twisted in a sly voice. The filthy, cold treatment of a prisoner in this dungeon could not break Altaheph.
He met the eyes of the core of evil. It was quite amusing how the Emperor’s features, soaked in barbarian blood, bore no resemblance to his father.
“I could not fully grasp its meaning, but I shall soon understand.”
He wasn’t speaking idly. Altaheph had dreamed here. In the heavenly garden adorned with rich golden carpets, the Goddess stood. She whispered while kissing the mouth of the charming snake.
‘I know what you seek.’
Joy overtook the snake, and it laughed brightly. Such a vivid revelation was the first of its kind. Though he had awakened in a den of demons, it too was a trial, a hardship, and a true purpose given by the Goddess.
“Chattering nonstop, are we? There’s energy left, yet why?”
His gaze turned not to Altaheph but to the others. The magical engineers in the room were growing somewhat weary of the test subject. In the body of the rare new subject, the deputy, five tubes had been inserted. A collaboration between Gilprus’ magical engineers and medical practitioners had ensured the subject did not die.
Yet the pain was undoubtedly excruciating—enough to make one beg for death. Still, the subject uttered no screams, only gasping and seeking the Goddess.
“That day, I could not sense her presence. But now, it seems different.”
Altaheph murmured as if intoxicated. His platinum-like silver eyes shone, immersed in the sweet fever of the dream. But Tarahan had no time to entertain the madman’s words. He was about to command the engineers to activate the magical apparatus.
“My doll is alive, isn’t she?”
Tarahan froze. The beautiful doll. Those words were meant for Ninia. Once, he too had mocked her as a doll whose temple strings had snapped—a discarded remnant abandoned by the Goddess. Now, reflecting on his past words, he sneered.
“A doll? Then who is truly the doll?”
“…Gah!”
He grabbed Altaheph by the jaw as if to snap it. He now understood just how horrifying his past words had been. She was not a doll. Ninia was the sole human, her flesh torn and devoured among beasts and fiends.
“My wife, struggling desperately to survive? Or you, carrying nothing but greed on a back no one can even see?”
Every time he saw the symbol of the Goddess, slaughter followed. Even now, instinct was controlled for the sake of purpose. Releasing his grip, Altaheph coughed violently. He mocked the fiends pretending to be human.
“The ones wearing the human masks are the seeds of the Goddess. You killed her once when she was human, and I killed her once more.”
Ninia’s life had no autonomy. The one who shattered her brief, human-like escape was him. His sneer hardened into a cold expression. He gestured to the magical engineer.
“Then let’s even the scales and help each other atone for our sins. Draw it out. Let’s see if this one suits the deputy’s place.”
The subject and the magical apparatus were already connected. The massive crystals lining the walls were specially designed to extract sacred power. Those who had turned to dust in the underground dungeons had been discarded to develop this device.
The crystals drew sacred energy from the priests, compressing and storing it. Mere faint traces of power would not rebuild a broken body. It required cloth to contain life force, preventing it from leaking.
But the weak power of commoners was insufficient. Stronger energy was needed. A deputy surpassing the sacred threshold might supply the amount he desired.
“Begin.”
The magical engineer placed his hands on the crystal. The tubes connected to the subject screeched as they moved.
They did not draw flesh and blood; the tubes extracted only the life-bound sacred power. The apparatus did not consider the subject’s suffering.
The subject’s delicate brow contorted, veins bulging unnaturally. Though the exterior seemed intact, the organs twisted and the heart beat erratically under the extraction of power. Finally, her beautiful lips vomited tainted gastric fluids.
“Ugh…!”
Yet no one concerned themselves with the subject’s welfare. Tarahan silently watched Altaheph writhe.
He imagined Ninia alone on the sacrificial altar. The scene Tarahan had not witnessed must have been far more horrific.
When he slowly opened and closed his eyes, the sounds echoing through the dungeon ceased. One of the stooped engineers wearing a monocle approached Tarahan to report.
“The tubes caused only minor thermal burns on the skin. Slight vomiting, fainting, or convulsions may occur, but nothing warranting disposal. Look here. Even after so much extraction, her body still retains abundant sacred power.”
The speaker was the lead magical engineer, Scholar Loopman. Excitement shone through his voice. The crystal glimmered visibly, filled with a fraction of energy that all other subjects combined could not supply. His gaze rested on the apparatus. Tarahan released the final magical restraint.
“Keep her alive at all costs.”
“Understood.”
Whether by knife or flame, he would not interfere further. Delight filled Loopman’s eyes.
The medical and magical engineers were zealots of their craft, mad in their pursuit. Thanks to the duke, they had obtained a rare subject and were eager to perform untried experiments.
Loopman hesitated, glancing at the duke. Rumors had sparked his curiosity. Unable to resist, he overstepped.
“‘It’… is it progressing well?”
His scholar’s eyes glittered. Tarahan knew what he meant. The temporary device had been used to capture Altaheph. When Loopman tried to provoke him once more, Jernom whispered from behind Tarahan.
“Your Excellency, a report.”
“…Go.”
As Tarahan turned, Jernom warned the insane scholar. Rumors were best kept contained, but he could not leave anyway.
In the underground, only engineers and subjects remained. Frustrated by the lack of results, Loopman kicked the priest who had turned to dust.
“Unlucky, indeed.”
Pale, shimmering dust scattered everywhere. Loopman brushed it off and returned to the cell holding the deputy. Life needed only to sustain the extraction of sacred power. Skilled priests and doctors were plentiful here.
Rough hands forcibly removed the tubes from the subject. Loopman grinned. Seeing the beautiful face contort slightly seemed to ease his mood.
The experiment continued, ending with Altaheph alone, bound.
Flesh slowly regrew where it had been torn away. Remaining sacred power protected him. Altaheph possessed sacred energy surpassing even the greatest thresholds.
“…Ah, joy.”
Even amidst torturous experiments, he felt no despair. Rather, joy overflowed alongside the pain. His lips moved, murmuring praises to the Goddess.
[In the land of the Goddess, only peace and justice shine, and the lambs who rise in faith worship you.]
The beautiful hymn echoed from the furthest dungeon, through the underground, and through the cracks of closed doors. The sound became an invisible wave, surveying the demon’s castle.
The wave became Altaheph’s eyes, ears, hands, and feet. Those carrying the Goddess’ light were felt across this cruel, dark land. All priests who had disappeared were here. Yet Altaheph did not stop his song.
‘Goddess, these are not what I seek.’
Sacred energy was the breath and mercy of the Goddess, but those who carried it were different beings. The living possessed distinct auras. He could distinguish one life from another.
On the day he went north to save the former saint alongside the paladin, Altaheph had to accept Ninia’s death. Her aura could not be found anywhere in the north.
[Your snake prays.]
Altaheph continued his song, searching for her. Blood filled his throat, sacred power waned, yet he remained unfazed—for he sought to reclaim the most perfect and beautiful doll he had ever created.
[…I dedicate this to you alone.]
As the hymn’s final verse rang out, silver waves of energy extended with their last strength. At that moment, the light he had sought and tried to forget seized his eyes. His bloodshot eyes widened with madness.
A tiny, delicate life force, identical to hers, was sensed.
“Heh… ha ha, ha ha ha!”
The snake’s angel rejoiced in the Goddess’ insight. The smile granted by the Goddess transformed the underground dungeon into heaven.
95. The Puppeteer’s Song
“I had a dream. A glorious dream in which the Goddess bestowed a sacred revelation upon me.”
The snake’s tongue twisted in a sly voice. The filthy, cold treatment of a prisoner in this dungeon could not break Altaheph.
He met the eyes of the core of evil. It was quite amusing how the Emperor’s features, soaked in barbarian blood, bore no resemblance to his father.
“I could not fully grasp its meaning, but I shall soon understand.”
He wasn’t speaking idly. Altaheph had dreamed here. In the heavenly garden adorned with rich golden carpets, the Goddess stood. She whispered while kissing the mouth of the charming snake.
‘I know what you seek.’
Joy overtook the snake, and it laughed brightly. Such a vivid revelation was the first of its kind. Though he had awakened in a den of demons, it too was a trial, a hardship, and a true purpose given by the Goddess.
“Chattering nonstop, are we? There’s energy left, yet why?”
His gaze turned not to Altaheph but to the others. The magical engineers in the room were growing somewhat weary of the test subject. In the body of the rare new subject, the deputy, five tubes had been inserted. A collaboration between Gilprus’ magical engineers and medical practitioners had ensured the subject did not die.
Yet the pain was undoubtedly excruciating—enough to make one beg for death. Still, the subject uttered no screams, only gasping and seeking the Goddess.
“That day, I could not sense her presence. But now, it seems different.”
Altaheph murmured as if intoxicated. His platinum-like silver eyes shone, immersed in the sweet fever of the dream. But Tarahan had no time to entertain the madman’s words. He was about to command the engineers to activate the magical apparatus.
“My doll is alive, isn’t she?”
Tarahan froze. The beautiful doll. Those words were meant for Ninia. Once, he too had mocked her as a doll whose temple strings had snapped—a discarded remnant abandoned by the Goddess. Now, reflecting on his past words, he sneered.
“A doll? Then who is truly the doll?”
“…Gah!”
He grabbed Altaheph by the jaw as if to snap it. He now understood just how horrifying his past words had been. She was not a doll. Ninia was the sole human, her flesh torn and devoured among beasts and fiends.
“My wife, struggling desperately to survive? Or you, carrying nothing but greed on a back no one can even see?”
Every time he saw the symbol of the Goddess, slaughter followed. Even now, instinct was controlled for the sake of purpose. Releasing his grip, Altaheph coughed violently. He mocked the fiends pretending to be human.
“The ones wearing the human masks are the seeds of the Goddess. You killed her once when she was human, and I killed her once more.”
Ninia’s life had no autonomy. The one who shattered her brief, human-like escape was him. His sneer hardened into a cold expression. He gestured to the magical engineer.
“Then let’s even the scales and help each other atone for our sins. Draw it out. Let’s see if this one suits the deputy’s place.”
The subject and the magical apparatus were already connected. The massive crystals lining the walls were specially designed to extract sacred power. Those who had turned to dust in the underground dungeons had been discarded to develop this device.
The crystals drew sacred energy from the priests, compressing and storing it. Mere faint traces of power would not rebuild a broken body. It required cloth to contain life force, preventing it from leaking.
But the weak power of commoners was insufficient. Stronger energy was needed. A deputy surpassing the sacred threshold might supply the amount he desired.
“Begin.”
The magical engineer placed his hands on the crystal. The tubes connected to the subject screeched as they moved.
They did not draw flesh and blood; the tubes extracted only the life-bound sacred power. The apparatus did not consider the subject’s suffering.
The subject’s delicate brow contorted, veins bulging unnaturally. Though the exterior seemed intact, the organs twisted and the heart beat erratically under the extraction of power. Finally, her beautiful lips vomited tainted gastric fluids.
“Ugh…!”
Yet no one concerned themselves with the subject’s welfare. Tarahan silently watched Altaheph writhe.
He imagined Ninia alone on the sacrificial altar. The scene Tarahan had not witnessed must have been far more horrific.
When he slowly opened and closed his eyes, the sounds echoing through the dungeon ceased. One of the stooped engineers wearing a monocle approached Tarahan to report.
“The tubes caused only minor thermal burns on the skin. Slight vomiting, fainting, or convulsions may occur, but nothing warranting disposal. Look here. Even after so much extraction, her body still retains abundant sacred power.”
The speaker was the lead magical engineer, Scholar Loopman. Excitement shone through his voice. The crystal glimmered visibly, filled with a fraction of energy that all other subjects combined could not supply. His gaze rested on the apparatus. Tarahan released the final magical restraint.
“Keep her alive at all costs.”
“Understood.”
Whether by knife or flame, he would not interfere further. Delight filled Loopman’s eyes.
The medical and magical engineers were zealots of their craft, mad in their pursuit. Thanks to the duke, they had obtained a rare subject and were eager to perform untried experiments.
Loopman hesitated, glancing at the duke. Rumors had sparked his curiosity. Unable to resist, he overstepped.
“‘It’… is it progressing well?”
His scholar’s eyes glittered. Tarahan knew what he meant. The temporary device had been used to capture Altaheph. When Loopman tried to provoke him once more, Jernom whispered from behind Tarahan.
“Your Excellency, a report.”
“…Go.”
As Tarahan turned, Jernom warned the insane scholar. Rumors were best kept contained, but he could not leave anyway.
In the underground, only engineers and subjects remained. Frustrated by the lack of results, Loopman kicked the priest who had turned to dust.
“Unlucky, indeed.”
Pale, shimmering dust scattered everywhere. Loopman brushed it off and returned to the cell holding the deputy. Life needed only to sustain the extraction of sacred power. Skilled priests and doctors were plentiful here.
Rough hands forcibly removed the tubes from the subject. Loopman grinned. Seeing the beautiful face contort slightly seemed to ease his mood.
The experiment continued, ending with Altaheph alone, bound.
Flesh slowly regrew where it had been torn away. Remaining sacred power protected him. Altaheph possessed sacred energy surpassing even the greatest thresholds.
“…Ah, joy.”
Even amidst torturous experiments, he felt no despair. Rather, joy overflowed alongside the pain. His lips moved, murmuring praises to the Goddess.
[In the land of the Goddess, only peace and justice shine, and the lambs who rise in faith worship you.]
The beautiful hymn echoed from the furthest dungeon, through the underground, and through the cracks of closed doors. The sound became an invisible wave, surveying the demon’s castle.
The wave became Altaheph’s eyes, ears, hands, and feet. Those carrying the Goddess’ light were felt across this cruel, dark land. All priests who had disappeared were here. Yet Altaheph did not stop his song.
‘Goddess, these are not what I seek.’
Sacred energy was the breath and mercy of the Goddess, but those who carried it were different beings. The living possessed distinct auras. He could distinguish one life from another.
On the day he went north to save the former saint alongside the paladin, Altaheph had to accept Ninia’s death. Her aura could not be found anywhere in the north.
[Your snake prays.]
Altaheph continued his song, searching for her. Blood filled his throat, sacred power waned, yet he remained unfazed—for he sought to reclaim the most perfect and beautiful doll he had ever created.
[…I dedicate this to you alone.]
As the hymn’s final verse rang out, silver waves of energy extended with their last strength. At that moment, the light he had sought and tried to forget seized his eyes. His bloodshot eyes widened with madness.
A tiny, delicate life force, identical to hers, was sensed.
“Heh… ha ha, ha ha ha!”
The snake’s angel rejoiced in the Goddess’ insight. The smile granted by the Goddess transformed the underground dungeon into heaven.
95. The Puppeteer’s Song
“I had a dream. A glorious dream in which the Goddess bestowed a sacred revelation upon me.”
The snake’s tongue twisted in a sly voice. The filthy, cold treatment of a prisoner in this dungeon could not break Altaheph.
He met the eyes of the core of evil. It was quite amusing how the Emperor’s features, soaked in barbarian blood, bore no resemblance to his father.
“I could not fully grasp its meaning, but I shall soon understand.”
He wasn’t speaking idly. Altaheph had dreamed here. In the heavenly garden adorned with rich golden carpets, the Goddess stood. She whispered while kissing the mouth of the charming snake.
‘I know what you seek.’
Joy overtook the snake, and it laughed brightly. Such a vivid revelation was the first of its kind. Though he had awakened in a den of demons, it too was a trial, a hardship, and a true purpose given by the Goddess.
“Chattering nonstop, are we? There’s energy left, yet why?”
His gaze turned not to Altaheph but to the others. The magical engineers in the room were growing somewhat weary of the test subject. In the body of the rare new subject, the deputy, five tubes had been inserted. A collaboration between Gilprus’ magical engineers and medical practitioners had ensured the subject did not die.
Yet the pain was undoubtedly excruciating—enough to make one beg for death. Still, the subject uttered no screams, only gasping and seeking the Goddess.
“That day, I could not sense her presence. But now, it seems different.”
Altaheph murmured as if intoxicated. His platinum-like silver eyes shone, immersed in the sweet fever of the dream. But Tarahan had no time to entertain the madman’s words. He was about to command the engineers to activate the magical apparatus.
“My doll is alive, isn’t she?”
Tarahan froze. The beautiful doll. Those words were meant for Ninia. Once, he too had mocked her as a doll whose temple strings had snapped—a discarded remnant abandoned by the Goddess. Now, reflecting on his past words, he sneered.
“A doll? Then who is truly the doll?”
“…Gah!”
He grabbed Altaheph by the jaw as if to snap it. He now understood just how horrifying his past words had been. She was not a doll. Ninia was the sole human, her flesh torn and devoured among beasts and fiends.
“My wife, struggling desperately to survive? Or you, carrying nothing but greed on a back no one can even see?”
Every time he saw the symbol of the Goddess, slaughter followed. Even now, instinct was controlled for the sake of purpose. Releasing his grip, Altaheph coughed violently. He mocked the fiends pretending to be human.
“The ones wearing the human masks are the seeds of the Goddess. You killed her once when she was human, and I killed her once more.”
Ninia’s life had no autonomy. The one who shattered her brief, human-like escape was him. His sneer hardened into a cold expression. He gestured to the magical engineer.
“Then let’s even the scales and help each other atone for our sins. Draw it out. Let’s see if this one suits the deputy’s place.”
The subject and the magical apparatus were already connected. The massive crystals lining the walls were specially designed to extract sacred power. Those who had turned to dust in the underground dungeons had been discarded to develop this device.
The crystals drew sacred energy from the priests, compressing and storing it. Mere faint traces of power would not rebuild a broken body. It required cloth to contain life force, preventing it from leaking.
But the weak power of commoners was insufficient. Stronger energy was needed. A deputy surpassing the sacred threshold might supply the amount he desired.
“Begin.”
The magical engineer placed his hands on the crystal. The tubes connected to the subject screeched as they moved.
They did not draw flesh and blood; the tubes extracted only the life-bound sacred power. The apparatus did not consider the subject’s suffering.
The subject’s delicate brow contorted, veins bulging unnaturally. Though the exterior seemed intact, the organs twisted and the heart beat erratically under the extraction of power. Finally, her beautiful lips vomited tainted gastric fluids.
“Ugh…!”
Yet no one concerned themselves with the subject’s welfare. Tarahan silently watched Altaheph writhe.
He imagined Ninia alone on the sacrificial altar. The scene Tarahan had not witnessed must have been far more horrific.
When he slowly opened and closed his eyes, the sounds echoing through the dungeon ceased. One of the stooped engineers wearing a monocle approached Tarahan to report.
“The tubes caused only minor thermal burns on the skin. Slight vomiting, fainting, or convulsions may occur, but nothing warranting disposal. Look here. Even after so much extraction, her body still retains abundant sacred power.”
The speaker was the lead magical engineer, Scholar Loopman. Excitement shone through his voice. The crystal glimmered visibly, filled with a fraction of energy that all other subjects combined could not supply. His gaze rested on the apparatus. Tarahan released the final magical restraint.
“Keep her alive at all costs.”
“Understood.”
Whether by knife or flame, he would not interfere further. Delight filled Loopman’s eyes.
The medical and magical engineers were zealots of their craft, mad in their pursuit. Thanks to the duke, they had obtained a rare subject and were eager to perform untried experiments.
Loopman hesitated, glancing at the duke. Rumors had sparked his curiosity. Unable to resist, he overstepped.
“‘It’… is it progressing well?”
His scholar’s eyes glittered. Tarahan knew what he meant. The temporary device had been used to capture Altaheph. When Loopman tried to provoke him once more, Jernom whispered from behind Tarahan.
“Your Excellency, a report.”
“…Go.”
As Tarahan turned, Jernom warned the insane scholar. Rumors were best kept contained, but he could not leave anyway.
In the underground, only engineers and subjects remained. Frustrated by the lack of results, Loopman kicked the priest who had turned to dust.
“Unlucky, indeed.”
Pale, shimmering dust scattered everywhere. Loopman brushed it off and returned to the cell holding the deputy. Life needed only to sustain the extraction of sacred power. Skilled priests and doctors were plentiful here.
Rough hands forcibly removed the tubes from the subject. Loopman grinned. Seeing the beautiful face contort slightly seemed to ease his mood.
The experiment continued, ending with Altaheph alone, bound.
Flesh slowly regrew where it had been torn away. Remaining sacred power protected him. Altaheph possessed sacred energy surpassing even the greatest thresholds.
“…Ah, joy.”
Even amidst torturous experiments, he felt no despair. Rather, joy overflowed alongside the pain. His lips moved, murmuring praises to the Goddess.
[In the land of the Goddess, only peace and justice shine, and the lambs who rise in faith worship you.]
The beautiful hymn echoed from the furthest dungeon, through the underground, and through the cracks of closed doors. The sound became an invisible wave, surveying the demon’s castle.
The wave became Altaheph’s eyes, ears, hands, and feet. Those carrying the Goddess’ light were felt across this cruel, dark land. All priests who had disappeared were here. Yet Altaheph did not stop his song.
‘Goddess, these are not what I seek.’
Sacred energy was the breath and mercy of the Goddess, but those who carried it were different beings. The living possessed distinct auras. He could distinguish one life from another.
On the day he went north to save the former saint alongside the paladin, Altaheph had to accept Ninia’s death. Her aura could not be found anywhere in the north.
[Your snake prays.]
Altaheph continued his song, searching for her. Blood filled his throat, sacred power waned, yet he remained unfazed—for he sought to reclaim the most perfect and beautiful doll he had ever created.
[…I dedicate this to you alone.]
As the hymn’s final verse rang out, silver waves of energy extended with their last strength. At that moment, the light he had sought and tried to forget seized his eyes. His bloodshot eyes widened with madness.
A tiny, delicate life force, identical to hers, was sensed.
“Heh… ha ha, ha ha ha!”
The snake’s angel rejoiced in the Goddess’ insight. The smile granted by the Goddess transformed the underground dungeon into heaven.
