Chapter 106…………………………….
The temple of the Lilith faith, which had always been wide open, was now firmly closed. And the ones who shut the temple doors were three people.
Clad in black robes, the three moved at the command of the great demon they served, Lilith.
Without exchanging a single word, they quickened their pace.
In an instant, they arrived at the market alley near the temple.
This was the very place where Elias had disappeared. At first glance, there were no obvious clues, yet the three did not hesitate.
“Let’s split up and look for traces.”
At Theron’s words, Pelles and Seria moved. They searched the alley and its surroundings thoroughly, looking for any sign of Elias.
But no meaningful traces appeared easily. As the three began to tire,
‘Eli… are you alright?’
Seria thought anxiously of Elias. According to Lilith, Elias had been captured by Mammon.
However, how Mammon had kidnapped Elias was not immediately clear.
‘I hope there’s at least a tiny clue…’
It would make finding Elias’s whereabouts much faster.
At that moment, Seria suddenly recalled a conversation she had once had with Elias.
“Seria. If something ever happens to me, I’ll be sure to leave a trace.”
“Okay, Eli. I’ll make sure to find it.”
Yes. Seria had made that promise to Elias: to find him, no matter where he was.
‘Eli…!’
Seria steeled her resolve again and began inspecting even the smallest details.
Then, finally.
“…I found it!”
Seria discovered the last trace Elias had left. In the corner of the alley, there were red letters, seemingly written in blood.
They were small and easily missed, but upon closer inspection, the letters were clear.
“S.”
This was undoubtedly Elias’s trace. And Seria wasn’t the only one who realized it.
Pelles and Theron also recognized that the blood-written letter was a trace left by Elias.
“Then, Eli…!”
Hasent Faith Temple, Top Floor
Elias, still trapped in the iron cage, glared at Mammon standing before her. A small streak of blood ran down her left pinky finger—a mark Mammon hadn’t noticed.
‘Just before losing consciousness, I managed to leave a trace…’
Would anyone understand its meaning? Elias worried slightly. She had only written “S,” and her companions didn’t know who S referred to.
‘Still… perhaps Lady Lilith gave them some kind of hint?’
Lilith would surely have realized that Mammon was the one who kidnapped her. If so, her companions, armed with the two hints—Mammon and S—might head straight to the Hasent Faith Temple.
‘Even if Mammon threatened to kill my companions right in front of me…’
Elias had no intention of backing down.
‘Lady Lilith will help us.’
She clenched her fist tightly and continued thinking calmly.
‘The state I’m in right now is not good at all.’
The iron cage Mammon had placed her in prevented her from using her powers at all. Communication with Lilith was impossible.
In other words, Elias was now just like an ordinary human. But she remained composed, keeping her mind as clear as possible.
“Ho…”
Mammon looked at her, slightly amused. Despite his continuous threats, Elias had shown no sign of fear.
“You don’t even flinch at my words. How is that possible? You’re just a human.”
Mammon smiled mockingly at Elias. But she stared him down and spoke firmly.
“I trust Lady Lilith more than anyone. I am not afraid at all.”
“Hahaha!”
Mammon burst into laughter. It was so intense that tears even came to his eyes.
“Do you really trust Lilith that much?”
Wiping the tears from his eyes, Mammon asked. Elias responded with unwavering eyes.
“Yes. I serve Lilith with that heart.”
“Humans… are really foolish.”
In an instant, Mammon’s smile vanished. He glared at Elias with cold eyes.
“Yes. To you, Lilith might feel like a connection that has lasted through past and present lives. But…”
Mammon quickly stepped up to the cage. His face loomed close to Elias’s, his icy eyes locking onto her.
“To a demon, humans are nothing more than toys. Even if it seems like Lilith clings to you now, that interest will fade soon.”
The words were filled with malice, and Elias’s body shivered slightly. Mammon didn’t stop.
“So don’t hold on to false hope. Lilith will not be able to save you, and you will die alone.”
A sly smile spread across Mammon’s face.
“This time, I’ll tear your soul to pieces, making sure Lilith can never find you again.”
If that happened, Lilith would soon forget the human, and Mammon planned to take that empty spot for himself.
“No, Lady Lilith will find me.”
Even as Mammon chuckled, Elias spoke firmly. He snorted in response.
“Haha, believe as you wish. That way, when death comes, you’ll resent Lilith even more.”
With that, Mammon turned away from the cage. Hope is a cruel thing—it blinds you to what lies ahead.
“Humans are truly ridiculous…”
Mammon laughed lowly, confident that Lilith would never be able to save Elias.
It was simple to see why: Mammon had long prepared for this moment. He spread his power among his followers, ready to reclaim it at any time, and also possessed the power of the god Hasent.
Some of that power had been absorbed by causality, but it was still enough.
‘But Lilith… impossible.’
As far as he knew, Lilith hadn’t sown many seeds of her power. Moreover, Elias, who had received the most of Lilith’s power, was currently restrained.
In other words, there was no way for Lilith to manifest herself now.
‘Well, there’s just one last resort…’
Even if Lilith cared for this human child, she wouldn’t use that method.
‘Even a great demon wouldn’t risk that much.’
So, for now, the options available to Lilith were virtually zero. She would be unable to act and would lose the human child she so treasured.
‘Ah… really.’
Mammon laughed lowly, the sound lingering.
‘If I knew it would go this smoothly, I should have done this long ago.’
Then he could have obtained Lilith a little faster.
But even now, it didn’t matter. He could remove the obstacle between himself and Lilith and even inflict significant pain on it.
“Child.”
Mammon turned toward Elias, smiling brightly, then spoke coldly:
“Your god—or rather, your demon—will betray your trust.”
With a casual laugh, he added:
“So watch closely. Watch the end of you and your world.”
Elias frowned. Not just her, but her world’s end?
‘What on earth is Mammon planning?’
Before she could ponder further, Mammon spread his arms wide. Black energy flowed from him.
The swirling black energy rapidly spread throughout the temple. Simultaneously,
Kuuung—
With a loud sound, the temple roof began to open.
