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My Serpent King New 🔝
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00:00Lilith committed a grave crime, angering the ruler of the Underrealm.
00:04My beloved Cassius shoved me onto the war chariot, forcing me to take the blame for her.
00:08I leaned against the side of the chariot and looked at him.
00:10High Priest Cassius, before you send me into Tartarus, you better think through the consequences.
00:15He avoided my gaze.
00:17Lilith only accidentally burned the Obsidian Hall's pomegranate grove, yet the Underlord demands blood in return.
00:24Lyra, you carry the golden essence of the Primorial God.
00:27Even the Underlord would not dare harm you lightly.
00:31When this is all over, even if it defies the decree of the Pantheon Council, I will go to the
00:35Underrealm and bring you back.
00:37My powers were shackled, the divine binding cords cutting into my flesh, a few drops of golden blood seeping out.
00:44Two acopites shoved me into the chariot.
00:46I smiled.
00:47The world only knew the Underlord as a fearsome ruler.
00:50But no one remembered that three centuries ago, he had been nothing more than a dying black serpent.
00:55I raised in the Divine Spring.
00:57The first night he took human form, he knelt before me and lowered his head.
01:02Goddess Salerna, he said, I vow to guide your reigns for all eternity.
01:06That year I grew weary of the chaos of Olympus and descended alone to the mortal realm,
01:11later bringing him along to wander by my side.
01:13And now, Callius personally delivered me back to that little creature.
01:17He dared make me bear the punishment for Lilith.
01:20Tomorrow, I would make sure he and his entire temple rested forever beneath this land.
01:31In the next moment, the chariot curtain was lifted.
01:35Sister, it's all my fault for making you bear this for me.
01:41Lilith stood by Cassius.
01:42Her eyes read.
01:44Pyra, I had no choice.
01:46A hint of reluctance showed on Cassius' face, as if he was the one cornered by fate.
01:51The Underlord has decreed that the culprit who deserated the holy relic must be handed over.
01:57If not, he will lead the dead to flatten the entire temple.
02:01Two centuries ago, I saved Cassius.
02:05When the gods abandoned him in the wilderness, near death,
02:09I concealed my true name and secretly supported him,
02:13personally guiding him to become the high priest.
02:16At that time, he knelt and swore by the name of Strix.
02:20Goddess Salona, I will guard your heart with mine.
02:23To death, without regret.
02:26Later, beside the sacrificial grounds,
02:29I found the frail little beggar girl Lilith
02:31and took her under my wing,
02:33treating her like a younger sister.
02:35To protect her, I entrusted her to Cassius,
02:38allowing her to enter the temple as the youngest priestess.
02:41But human hearts are unpredictable,
02:44and divine hearts even more so.
02:47To protect Lilith,
02:49Cassius had personally pushed me onto the altar.
02:54Lyra, do not blame me.
02:56How can we resist the Underlord's might?
02:59Lilith is fragile.
03:01She cannot endure the tortures of the Underrealm.
03:05Your bloodline is strong.
03:07You will survive.
03:10I almost laughed at him.
03:12Cassius had forgotten that last night, while I slept,
03:15he sealed the golden blood within me with an oath by the name of Slaft at him.
03:19At this moment, I was powerless.
03:22Less than a mortal.
03:23Sister, do not hate Cassius.
03:26It is all my fault.
03:27Lilith stepped closer.
03:29Sister, don't worry.
03:31When you come back,
03:32I will take good care of you.
03:34I looked at her without a word.
03:36Thankfully, not everyone forgets old vows.
03:40The golden wheels of the chariot rolled over the brass gate.
03:43In the distance, the outline of the bronze gate appeared.
03:46It was the entrance to the Underrealm.
03:49It was the throne of that little creature I had personally raised.
03:52The chariot came to a halt before the bronze gates.
03:55A guard of the Underrealm yanked me off the vehicle.
03:59I staggered, my knees striking the steps, golden blood seeping out.
04:04So this is the one.
04:05The lead commander glared at me.
04:08The one who destroyed the Obsidian Hall's pomegranate grove,
04:11that the Underlord tended for a century?
04:14It's her.
04:15Cassius' voice came from behind.
04:17The person has been delivered.
04:19From today onward, you will hold Lilith blameless.
04:22The commander sneered, his gaze settling on me.
04:25The Underlord commands that such a criminal has no right
04:28to walk through the temple gates upright.
04:31Kneel.
04:32A shock ran through me.
04:34For a thousand years, no being in this land had ever dared order me to kneel.
04:39Before I could react, his boot struck the back of my knee,
04:43forcing me heavily to the ground.
04:46The guards beside me cracked their whips across my back.
04:49What are you waiting for? Move!
04:51Exhausted, I could only inch forward, step by step, toward the hall.
04:57In a daze, the molten gold eyes from three centuries ago suddenly appeared before me.
05:03Back then, he had stood by the Divine Spring, looking up at me with pure devotion and trust.
05:09Goddess Salona, he had said, I will grow strong.
05:12I never imagined that our reunion would be under such humiliation.
05:16Dragging my knees across the stone steps, each inch of movement burned like fire.
05:21Cassius followed a few paces behind, frowning slightly, yet never stepping forward.
05:27Lilith bent close to my ear.
05:29Lyra, you actually think you deserve Cassius' favor?
05:32What are you?
05:33In his eyes, you're nothing more than a lamb sent to die for me.
05:36A surge of rage rose from my chest.
05:39I lifted my hand and struck Lilith across the face.
05:44She screamed, falling to the ground, tears flooding her eyes.
05:48Mentor! Mentor, save me!
05:50Cassius rushed forward and pulled Lilith into his arms.
05:53Lyra!
05:54Have you lost your mind?
05:56Lilith's bloodline is too weak.
05:58How could you harm her?
05:59My heart shattered completely.
06:01I straightened my spine, bracing on knees and faced everyone.
06:06She dares offend me?
06:08Even if I crush her soul and cast it into the river lettuce, it would be nothing but a flick
06:13of my hand.
06:14Everyone froze.
06:15After a moment, a guard sneered.
06:20This mortal body must have been driven mad by the mist of the Underriver?
06:23A flick of your hand?
06:25In this land, only one goddess could say such words.
06:29That would be Lyra Selina, who resides beyond Olympus.
06:32Mistress of the stars, saint of the cosmos.
06:35Another guard chimed in.
06:36The saint of the cosmos is so mysterious.
06:38No one has ever seen her true face.
06:41How could she look so disraveled?
06:44Lilith lifted her head from Cassius' arms, mocking.
06:47Sister, how dare you?
06:50In this state, you still claim to be the saint?
06:53That is blasphemy!
06:55The guard cracked his whip again, the tip striking my back.
07:00Impudence!
07:01How dare you impersonate the saint!
07:03I leaned forward, letting out a low groan from the pain.
07:06Cassius stood nearby, silently watching.
07:08I shouted to everyone.
07:09I am Lyra Selina herself!
07:11I possess the holy relic!
07:13Trembling, I reached into my clothes and pulled out a golden necklace.
07:16The chain bore the mark of the tear of the cosmos, forged only for the saint herself.
07:20In the next instant, Cassius snatched it from me.
07:24He personally placed the relic around Lilith's neck.
07:27Lyra.
07:28He said coldly.
07:29You dare steal my relic?
07:31This tear, it was given to me by a reclusive deity when I was gravely wounded.
07:35Since when did it become yours?
07:37I froze.
07:39Three centuries ago, I had used the tear of the cosmos to protect Cassius' divine essence,
07:44saving him from the brink of death.
07:46When he awoke, he knelt before me.
07:48Goddess Selina, I will find the rarest star stone and set it upon this chain myself.
07:52From this day forward, I will guard you with my heart, to death without regret.
07:56Back then, I had laughed at his solemnity.
07:59And now, he says I stole it?
08:02I lunged forward to reclaim the chain.
08:05Lilith lifted her foot and stepped on my hand.
08:08The sound of bones shattering was drowned out by her laughter.
08:11I looked at my battered body, broken finger bones, golden blood seeping, and then...
08:16I laughed.
08:17Three centuries ago, while preparing a divine potion, I had accidentally burned myself with
08:22holy fire.
08:23Sonata's eyes had reddened on the spot, and he had raged, threatening to destroy all the
08:29sacred flimes on this land, declare that no one could harm me.
08:33Cassius and his entire temple would no longer be able to protect me.
08:36In an instant, we entered the Underrealm's grand hall.
08:40Lilith froze mid-step.
08:42Cassius' heart thumbed violently.
08:44He had never imagined that this fearsome Underlord, who even gods dreaded, would possess such a
08:49magnificent palace.
08:50A bitter pan rose in me.
08:52Sonatas had devoted me as his only faith.
08:55This hall was filled with traces of my presence.
08:58Lilith's gaze fell on the center of the hall.
09:00There stood a white jade statue of a woman, her head lowered in profile, a white lotus in
09:05her hand.
09:05Lilith stepped forward to touch it, hesitating.
09:09Mentor, don't you think this statue looks a bit like sister?
09:14Before she could finish, a female voice rang from deep within the hall.
09:17Take your filthy hands off!
09:21Everyone turned toward the sound.
09:22A woman walked slowly from the depths of the hall.
09:26She was Irene, the sword-bearing goddess who stands at the Underlord's side.
09:30For three centuries, countless goddesses and demhords had tried to climb to the Underlord's
09:35throne.
09:36Only she, under the title of Servant of the Divine, had remained by his side for so long.
09:41Irene surveyed our group, her eyes full of disdain.
09:44So this is it?
09:45The ones who dared destroy the Underlord's sacred pomegranate grove?
09:48You must be really tired of living, she added with a sneer.
09:52Cassius' face drained of color, instinctively bowing.
09:54This offense stems from ignorance, daring to provoke the Underlord.
09:59Please, goddess Irene, forgive.
10:01Irene didn't even listen.
10:02Her eyes were locked firmly on me.
10:05Before I could react, her hand struck my cheek.
10:08My face swelled instantly, golden blood spilling from the corner of my mouth.
10:12Who gave you permission to look at me directly?
10:15Her voice was full of venom.
10:17What lowly base dear did Dares claim to be the saint of the cosmos?
10:21Without even glancing at the river, let it to see your own worthless bones, I wiped the
10:25blood from my lips and met her gaze.
10:27Sanatos, is this how you taught your women?
10:30Irene's expression changed instantly.
10:35Impudus!
10:37You dare speak the Underlord's true name?
10:41Yes.
10:42In this land of coexisting deities, true names are the foundation of power.
10:48Mortals may not speak them.
10:50Gods may not lightly call them.
10:52Only the closest and most permitted may utter a deity's true name.
10:57Irene had accompanied Sanatos in the Underrealm for three hundred years.
11:01Yet she had never been allowed to speak that name herself.
11:05And before her stood this dishamveled woman,
11:08who had said it aloud on her first word.
11:11In that instant, jealousy surge in Irene's heart.
11:15She would rather believe it was blasphemy.
11:17That this criminal had intentionally used it to humiliate her.
11:21Only by thinking so could she maintain her position in this palace.
11:25Seeing Irene's true fury, Cassius turned to me with a harsh command.
11:30Lyra, kneel and beg goddess Irene for forgiveness.
11:34Lilith immediately rushed forward, pressing my head down,
11:38slamming my forehead into the stone again and again.
11:51My forehead throbbed under her pressure,
11:54golden blood streaking through my hair, blurring my vision.
11:57I looked at these two faces, twisted by fear.
12:00One had once swore eternal vows to me.
12:03The other had been salvaged from the sacrificial embers of the wilderness.
12:07My heart grew icy.
12:08These were the ones I had protected for three centuries.
12:13A pack of wolves cloaked in priestly robes.
12:17Irene looked at me and sneered.
12:20She raised her right hand, summoning a cluster of netherfire.
12:24It was the flame from the deepest abyss of the Underrealm,
12:27capable of burning the soul with no cure.
12:33A prisoner dares to be this arrogant.
12:36I want to see if you can still smile
12:38when your divine bones are scorched inch by inch.
12:45With that, she lunged forward,
12:47her fingers clamping onto my shoulder blades.
12:49The cold fire touched my back.
12:51The sound of my clothes burning echoed.
12:53Immediately, a scorching heat seeped into my blood,
12:57coursing through my golden blood.
13:01I groaned, my body trembling.
13:04Irene fed her divine power into the fire,
13:06flames surging higher.
13:08Already can't bear it?
13:10Don't worry, this is just the beginning.
13:12When cracks appear in your divine bones,
13:14the Underlord himself will return to see you in this wretched state.
13:18She pressed her other hand against my cheek.
13:21I grinted my teeth,
13:24refusing to cry out a second time.
13:27Cassius stood three steps away,
13:29fists clenched tightly,
13:31yet he dared not advance.
13:33Irene's smile twisted into near madness
13:35as she turned to shout at Cassius.
13:39Come! Hold her down!
13:41Lilith panicked, grabbing Cassius' sleeve and screaming.
13:45Mentor, do you want the entire temple to die with sister?
13:53Cassius drew a deep breath and stepped forward,
13:55pressing my shoulders firmly to the ground.
13:57Pinned, I looked up at the face that once smiled gently only for me.
14:00Once he had called me Lyra,
14:02had sworn to me.
14:03Now he held me down,
14:04delivering me to death.
14:06Irene, seeing my silence,
14:07grew even more franzied,
14:09intensifying the nether fire.
14:11The skin on my face nearly melted,
14:13golden blood streaming down.
14:15Lyra, you are a sinner!
14:18You destroyed a relic,
14:20shamed the temple,
14:23deserve every bit of this!
14:25Lilith's face shone with excitement.
14:27Goddess Irene is burning her well.
14:29This is how sinners should be treated.
14:30Let's see if she dares defy anyone again.
14:33Pain wracked my body,
14:34my consciousness slowly devoured by the flames.
14:37Just as my eyelids were about to close,
14:39the entire hall shook violently,
14:42without warning.
14:44A wave of pressure swept in from outside the hall,
14:46and the nether fire vanished in an instant.
14:49Irene's triumphant expression froze,
14:51her pupils widening in shock.
14:53A figure appeared,
14:54backlit by the hall's entrance.
14:56It was Sonatos.
14:58He had returned.
14:59Instinctively,
15:00Irene withdrawn all her divine power
15:02and pressed herself forward in submission.
15:05Underlord,
15:06you've returned.
15:07The...
15:08The sinner who desolated the relic
15:10has already been dealt with.
15:12Cassius said,
15:13bowing almost simultaneously.
15:17Underlord,
15:17the offense stems from ignorance.
15:20Destroying the relic,
15:21the judgment is yours to make.
15:25Lilith hastily knelt as well.
15:27Please, calm your anger!
15:29It was all sisters' fault!
15:30It has nothing to do with us!
15:32But Sonatos didn't even glance at them.
15:34I lay in the distance,
15:35my face scorched beyond recognition by the nether fire.
15:38Golden blood seeping from every wound.
15:41Summoning my last ounce of strength,
15:43I let out a faint,
15:44rast glow from deep in my throat.
15:47That laugh caught Sanatos' attention.
15:50He slowly turned his head,
15:51and the moment his eyes landed on the figure on the ground,
15:55an overwhelming presence filled the hall.
15:58Everyone present nearly collapsed to their knees at the same instant.
16:02Only I remained lying there,
16:03tilting my head to look at him.
16:05Sonatos,
16:07Is this how you greet your master?
16:10The hall fell silent, stunned.
16:12Sonatos froze, staring at me,
16:14mouth opening,
16:15yet no sound emerged.
16:17Irene trembled with fear,
16:19raising her hand to strike my face again,
16:21screaming,
16:22Lyra!
16:23You're courting death!
16:25A mere prisoner!
16:26Dares call herself the Underlord's master!
16:30Before she could finish,
16:32an invisible giant hand slammed her into the ground.
16:35The floor shattered beneath her,
16:37collapsing into a deep pit.
16:39She lay at the bottom,
16:40blood dripping from her mouth,
16:42disbelief etched across her face.
16:44I underlord you for this sin.
16:49Sonatos ignored her entirely,
16:51striding with urgency towards me.
16:52When he reached my side,
16:53he did not hesitate.
16:55He knelt.
16:55The ruler of the Underrealm prostrated before me,
16:58his forehead nearly touching the ground.
17:00Goddess Salona,
17:01I am late.
17:02Please punish me.
17:03Hearing this,
17:04everyone froze.
17:05Lilith went pale,
17:07whispering,
17:07Impossible.
17:08This cannot be.
17:09She could not believe that the sister she had mucked and allowed Irene to torment
17:13was truly Lyra Salona,
17:15the legendary saint of the cosmos.
17:17Cassius froze in shock.
17:19The two guards who had mocked me earlier
17:22lost control and collapsed on the spot.
17:25I lowered my gaze,
17:27staring at Sonatos,
17:28prated before me.
17:30He was no longer the frail boy of the past,
17:33the one I had taught ancient divine arts to,
17:35giving him the name Sonatos and telling him,
17:38Follow me from now on.
17:40Back then,
17:41he had called me Goddess Selene,
17:43his eyes full of reverence and dependence.
17:46Now,
17:47draped in black robes,
17:48he ruled the Underrealm.
17:51Yet for me alone,
17:52he retained that same unwavering devotion.
17:54I smiled suddenly.
17:57Rise.
18:00Aim unwavering devotion.
18:02Sonatos lifted his head,
18:03eyes bloodshot and burning with anger.
18:05In his palm,
18:06a swirling orb of abysmant flame formed,
18:08black and red intertwined.
18:10A colony of ants dares harm my Lyra Salene?
18:12Crush them all to dust.
18:14I lifted my hand slightly.
18:16Wait.
18:16I'll settle this score with them myself.
18:24Hearing my words,
18:26the fire in Sannicus's eyes softened slightly.
18:30He raised his hand,
18:32the Neth Estence swirling around his fingertips,
18:35lightly brushing over me.
18:38Not a hint of offense.
18:40A wave of power surged through me,
18:42the previously sealed golden blood flowing freely again.
18:45The stinging pain in my bones faded inch by inch.
18:48Even the wounds on my face and knees eased considerably.
18:50He had lifted the seal from within me.
18:53From then on,
18:55Sonatos stayed close without leaving my side.
18:58He settled me in the inner chamber,
19:01carrying a clay bowl of dark red ointment.
19:04He entered quietly,
19:06eyes lowered,
19:07ears flushed.
19:08Kneeling on one knee,
19:09he carefully applied the salve to my wounds
19:11with a tiny silver spoon,
19:13as if afraid to hurt me.
19:15Goddess Salene,
19:16every bit of suffering you endured I remember.
19:19Those who dared harm you,
19:20I will make repay a hundredfold,
19:22a thousandfold.
19:23I looked at him,
19:24a mixture of devotion and ferocity in his expression,
19:27and couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
19:32My little one has grown quite capable.
19:35To serve the goddess is Sonatos' honor.
19:38He paused.
19:39All the sinners are locked in the deepest abyssal cells of the Underrealm.
19:43Irene's tendons have been severed,
19:44her divine power sealed in the phantom water prison,
19:47enduring the agony of countless vengeful souls daily.
19:50Consider this your first measure of justice.
19:52He met my glaze.
19:53I reached out lightly,
19:55brushing his cheek.
19:56Well done.
19:58His shoulders twitched.
20:00Sonatos,
20:01anxious.
20:02For the next few days,
20:03I rested in the inner chamber of the Underrealm.
20:05Every morning and evening,
20:07Sonatos came punctually.
20:08He never entered the room,
20:10standing three-stout side with utmost respect.
20:12Goddess Salene,
20:13are you well?
20:15Once he received my response,
20:17he would bow and retreat.
20:19I leaned against the window,
20:21feeling an indescribable warmth.
20:24This was not a king who made gods tremble.
20:27This was the most devoted follower,
20:30permitted to approach the goddess altar.
20:33After a few days,
20:34my wounds had mostly healed.
20:36Let's go.
20:36I spoke calmly to the empty doorway,
20:39to the abyssal prison.
20:41Let's see.
20:44The abyssal prison of the Underrealm
20:46was built deep beneath the chasm,
20:47and Cassius was locked alone in a cell.
20:50When I saw him,
20:51I almost didn't recognize him.
20:52Once he had been the High Priest,
20:54revered by the entire temple.
20:56Now his hair was disheveled,
20:57and he was bound to a stone pillar
20:59with divine chains.
21:00Seeing me,
21:01he struggled violently.
21:09Lyra!
21:10I didn't mean it!
21:11It's all amidst a standing!
21:13Lilith planted this!
21:14I was foolish for a moment.
21:16Please forgive me just this once,
21:18will you?
21:19I stood silently,
21:20watching him,
21:21saying nothing.
21:23Cassius,
21:24seeing my silence,
21:26reached out to grab my clothing.
21:28Before his hand could touch my hem,
21:30a flash of light streaked past my side.
21:35Cassius screamed as half his arm fell to the ground,
21:38golden blood spraying everywhere.
21:41Sanatos withdrew the Nethblade from his fingertips.
21:44You are unworthy of touching Goddess Selene.
21:48Cassius ground in pain,
21:50but dared not cry out again.
21:51I looked at him and began to speak.
21:53Once,
21:54I saved your life.
21:55I poured out my own divine power
21:57to help you break through the limits of divinity,
21:59elevated you to high priest,
22:01protected your temple,
22:02kept it safe amid the struggles of gods.
22:04And what was the result?
22:05For Lilith,
22:06for the so-called temple's honor,
22:08you did not hesitate to push me onto the altar.
22:10You let me be burned and humiliated,
22:12let my bloodline be sealed,
22:14left me to suffer unboreable pain.
22:16I let out a soft, bitter laugh.
22:19Cassius,
22:19is this the oath you swore to me?
22:25From the opposite cell,
22:26Lilith's cries began.
22:28Sister!
22:29Sister, I was wrong!
22:30I truly know I was wrong!
22:32She knelt,
22:33forehead pressed to the ground,
22:34begging repeatedly,
22:36her brows striking the stone with loud thuzz.
22:38I was jealous of you!
22:39I shouldn't have stirred the mentor to hand you over,
22:41but sister!
22:42She choked back her tears.
22:43I practiced divine arts with you,
22:46patrolled the temple with you,
22:47have you forgotten all that?
22:49As she spoke,
22:49she began slapping herself,
22:51harder and harder,
22:52her cheeks quickly swelling.
22:54I am not human!
22:55My heart is venomous!
22:56Sister, please forgive me just this once!
22:58I watched her.
23:01Her cries grew more desperate,
23:03reckless.
23:04Finally,
23:04as she knelt once more,
23:06she blustered out.
23:06Cassius promised me!
23:07He said he loved me most!
23:09He swore to me!
23:10She fell silent abruptly.
23:11I looked at her swolled,
23:13tear-stroached face,
23:14then glanced at the man in the cell
23:15who dared not lift his head.
23:16I laughed softly.
23:17I see.
23:46No wonder he didn't speak a word in my defense
23:48of the artificial embers.
23:49Starving there would have been cleaner.
23:50I turned my gaze to Cassius.
23:52Your temple always boasts of divine justice above all,
23:55doesn't it?
23:56Good.
23:58Let's see how true that is.
24:00I met Cenaris' eyes.
24:01He understood immediately,
24:03nodding slightly.
24:04It was the Underlord,
24:05silently granting me the authority to pardon.
24:06From this moment,
24:08any oath I swore by the name of Stryk
24:10carried the same weight
24:11as if he had swore it
24:13himself.
24:14I looked back at Cassius.
24:16Announce this to the entire temple.
24:18Give them three days.
24:19If even one person comes to save their high priest,
24:21no matter who,
24:22regardless of divinity,
24:23demigod,
24:24or mortal,
24:25I swear by the name of Stryk
24:26that he will suffer no harm.
24:28Furthermore,
24:28both of them will be released without blame.
24:30I stared into Cassius' eyes.
24:32Cassius,
24:33you have three days.
24:35Watch carefully.
24:37Will your disciples,
24:38the ones you taught with your own hands,
24:40come to save you at all costs,
24:42or will they be as hypocritical as you?
24:44I laughed.
24:46After all,
24:47when you made me bear the blame,
24:48they were all present.
24:49Not one of them is innocent.
24:52Cassius stared at me in stunned despair.
24:54Lilith knelt at the far end of the cage,
24:56forgetting even to cry.
24:58Staring intensely at my back,
24:59her lips trembling violently.
25:03Three days later,
25:04I stood at the gates of the Underrealm.
25:06Behind me,
25:07Cassius and Lilith were kneeling on the ground,
25:09pressed forward by two armored neth guards.
25:11Half of Cassius' arm was gone,
25:13the wound wrapped in blood-soaked cloth.
25:15Lilith's forehead had scab over,
25:16her face swollen and bruised.
25:18They stared unblinkingly toward the direction of the temple,
25:21repeating over and over.
25:22They will come.
25:23They will come to save us.
25:25Time crawled by.
25:26The noontime bell tolled in the distance,
25:28yet the road to the temple
25:29remained empty.
25:30No one came.
25:31Cassius' face grew paler by the hour,
25:33from initial hope to growing anxiety,
25:35to cursing merely in madness.
25:36A pack of ungrateful reddens!
25:38I treated you as my own children,
25:40gave you all my knowledge,
25:41and yet not a single one came to save me!
25:44Lilith was even worse.
25:45She collapsed,
25:46sobbing controllably.
25:47I watched them
25:48and let out a cold laugh.
25:49I never expected
25:50my so-called virtuous disciples
25:52to be even better
25:53at calculating the moment
25:54than I imagined.
25:57I turned to Sonartos at my side.
25:59Since they hide,
26:00unwilling to show themselves,
26:02let's go meet them ourselves.
26:04With that,
26:05I swept toward the temple.
26:09Sonartos followed,
26:10his nether guard formation
26:11moving behind him
26:12in perfect order.
26:15Seemingly gliding above the ground,
26:17at the gates of the temple,
26:18the disciples had already formed ranks,
26:21rushing forward to surround us.
26:22They brandished divine weapons,
26:24closing in.
26:25Those who had once shown me respect
26:27now twisted their faces in anger,
26:29cursing me mercilessly.
26:30Liar!
26:31You traitor!
26:32Daring to conspire with the Underrealm!
26:34Betraying our temple!
26:35After three centuries of careful guidance,
26:38this is how you repay your mentor?
26:40Blasphemous wretch!
26:41You destroyed the relic itself
26:42at the Underlord's feet!
26:43How vile!
26:44The fiercer their curses,
26:45the more they seem to hide something.
26:48I stood above them in the void,
26:50smiling silently.
26:52Once their shouting waned,
26:54I tilted my head slightly.
26:55The nether guards immediately dragged
26:57Cassius and Lilith forward,
26:59dropping the two battered,
27:00broken figures at the feet
27:01of the temple disciples.
27:02All eyes fell on them.
27:03Some stepped back intentively.
27:05At the very back,
27:05a younger disciple's eyes reddened,
27:07and he intinctively took a half-step forward,
27:09only to be held back by those beside them.
27:12I spoke.
27:13You stand there so righteously.
27:14Are you certain you will not save your high priest
27:17and your youngest priestess?
27:18I said before,
27:19if even one steps forward to save them,
27:21I will release them without guilt.
27:23I paused,
27:24sweeping my gaze across the crowd.
27:25That still stands.
27:27At that moment,
27:28one disciple stepped forward from the center.
27:30Everyone,
27:31do not be deceived by this evil goddess.
27:33This is all her divine trickery.
27:35The real high priest and priestess
27:36perished in the Underrealm three days ago.
27:38These two before you
27:39are only phantoms created by her arts.
27:42The crowd stirred.
27:43An elder disciple in the front frowned,
27:45gathering a strand of divine essence
27:47with his fingertip,
27:48intending to verify.
27:48A single thread of divine sense
27:50could immediately reveal the difference
27:52between a phantom and a true deity.
27:53But before his hand could reach halfway,
27:55someone beside him
27:57pressed it down forcefully.
27:58Don't check.
27:59The elder froze.
28:01He followed the evasive eyes
28:03and slowly understood.
28:07Everyone had seen.
28:08Everyone knew.
28:09But no one dared expose it.
28:10If they did not verify,
28:12the kneeling figures could be phantoms.
28:13If they were phantoms,
28:14no one needed to save them.
28:16If no one needed to save them,
28:17no one needed to die.
28:18I watched it all unfold.
28:20In that moment,
28:20I truly understood.
28:22The cruelest thing is never hatred,
28:23but cowardice.
28:25The word phantom struck Cassius in the heart.
28:28The glimmer of hope in his eyes
28:29instantly died.
28:33Sonortus and I stood side by side.
28:35The hundreds of temple disciples
28:37clashed with the elite netherguard battalion.
28:39Divine weapons were sent flying,
28:41people thrown to the ground.
28:42Protective more formations shattered,
28:44divine powers sealed one by one.
28:46Screams, cries, and pleas
28:47mixed into a chaotic symphony.
28:49I looked down from above.
28:51Cassius, forced to watch with wide eyes,
28:53saw everything firsthand.
28:54Three centuries of toil.
28:56The temple he built and nurtured
28:57to the high priesthood
28:58crumbling before him.
28:59Despair and agony
29:00threatened to consume him entirely.
29:02Cassius went mad.
29:03Behind us,
29:04the horns of the Underrealm sounded.
29:06From this day forward,
29:08no temple would stand on this land.
29:11I stood on the ruins of the temple,
29:14the divine treasury ablaze behind me.
29:18In front of me,
29:19the kneeling prisoners.
29:22A few days later,
29:24Sanatos approached my side.
29:25Goddess Salerna,
29:26what shall be done with Irene and the others?
29:29I slowly surveyed their faces,
29:31an eye for an eye.
29:33Sanatos raised his hand,
29:35and Neth fire descended upon Irene.
29:37She screamed and rolled,
29:39her divinity scorched almost to destruction.
29:43Until she could no longer cry,
29:46only convulsing remained.
29:48That's enough.
29:49I spoke lightly.
29:50Throw her into the deepest part of the Underrealm.
29:52Let her live.
29:53Each day,
29:54burn her divinity once with abysma flame.
29:56Once burned,
29:56heal.
29:57Then burn again.
29:58Once at sunrise,
30:00once at sunset.
30:01Let her feel the pain at every moment.
30:04Dawn brings pain,
30:06dust brings pain.
30:07Never let her die.
30:10Sanatos lowered his head in acknowledgement.
30:13Irene had once burned the divine bones
30:15of someone revered by the Underlord.
30:17According to Underrealm law,
30:19the one who burns divine bones
30:20suffers the same fate,
30:21eternal and inescapable.
30:24When Lilith was dragged forward,
30:26she was barely recognizable as human.
30:28Her forehead wound festered completely.
30:31Sister,
30:33have mercy.
30:34I crouched to meet her gaze.
30:37You stood beside Irene,
30:39watching her scorch my divine bones
30:41with nether fire.
30:43Did you ever imagine
30:45this day would come?
30:46Her bloodline was sealed
30:48by the name of Strix,
30:50just as they had done to me.
30:52She was left on the temple ruins,
30:54without water or food.
30:56A thinned barrier of nerier essence
30:58surrounded the ruins,
31:00not to imprison her,
31:01but to prevent her from leaving
31:02and anyone from entering.
31:04Left to survive or perish on her own.
31:09Cassius was the last dragged forward.
31:11The wound on his severed arm
31:13had rotted black.
31:14He was thrown to the ground,
31:15lying there long before
31:16he slowly lifted his head.
31:17His cloudy eyes met mine,
31:19lips trembling violently.
31:21Lyra, Lyra.
31:22I stepped in front of him.
31:24Cassius,
31:25don't call me that.
31:26You're not worthy.
31:27His body shook violently,
31:29forehead pressed to the ground.
31:31He wept with heart-ranking anguish.
31:33Three centuries of painstaking work
31:35destroyed in an instant.
31:36Not a single disciple he taught
31:38came to save him.
31:39The only woman he ever loved
31:41pleaded for survival in her eyes,
31:43not love.
31:44I lowered my gaze at him.
31:45Cassius,
31:46I want you trapped
31:47in the depths of the Underrealm,
31:48hearing the wails
31:49of those fallen disciples every day.
31:52For this life and all that follow,
31:54suffer eternal remorse.
31:56The once revered hyzens from the altar
31:58finally fell among ruins and rubble.
32:00All was over.
32:01From the highest terrace of the Underrealm,
32:04soft footsteps approached.
32:07Goddess Selina,
32:08it's late.
32:10Sanatos will escort you back to the hall.
32:13I didn't turn,
32:14speaking lightly.
32:15Why stand so far away?
32:17His body stiffened slightly,
32:19Adam's juddle rolling as his voice dropped.
32:21Sanatos does not dare overstep.
32:23I slowly turned,
32:25golden molten eyes glinting in the moonlight.
32:27Seeing his reddened eartips,
32:29I found it somewhat amusing.
32:30Three hundred years,
32:31and he was still like this.
32:33Come.
32:37Sanatos hesitated,
32:39then stepped forward slowly.
32:43Stopping two steps away,
32:45he still kept his gaze lowered,
32:47not meeting mine.
32:48The night wind lifted my hair.
32:51A silver strand fell onto his shoulder.
32:54His gaze followed it.
32:56His fingertips curled slightly,
32:58wanting to touch,
32:59yet restraining himself.
33:01Goddess Selian.
33:03His voice was barely a whisper.
33:07The night wind is cold.
33:09Sanatos will drape a cloak over you.
33:11He removed his cloak,
33:13holding it with both hands,
33:14carefully placing it on my shoulders.
33:16I adjusted my collar and said casually,
33:19You're thoughtful.
33:20His ears reddened further.
33:22He stepped back two paces,
33:24lowering his head again.
33:25It's Sanatos' duty.
33:26I watched him,
33:28the Underlord who made gods tremble,
33:30obedient now like a small serpent.
33:32Sanatos.
33:34Sanatos, at your service.
33:36Three hundred years.
33:38I spoke slowly,
33:41gazing into the distance.
33:42You are still like when you were young.
33:45His breathing faltered slightly,
33:48yet he did not lift his head,
33:49simply whispered,
33:50Yes.
33:51I turned and walked toward the hall.
33:54Behind me,
33:55his footsteps followed,
33:56not too far,
33:57not too near.
33:57I did not look back,
33:59but I knew those eyes were fixed on my back.
34:01Debts had been repaid.
34:02Those who should remain,
34:04remained.
34:04The little black snake that nearly died,
34:07from the divine spring to Tartarus,
34:09from serpent to god king,
34:12had traveled countless paths in three centuries,
34:14yet nevered out of the three steps behind me.
34:17This time,
34:18I would not let him kneel at my feet.
34:20The night wind swept the terrace,
34:22as I walked slowly into the hall,
34:24slow enough for the one,
34:25who had always followed me,
34:26to take the three steps,
34:27he had never dared before,
34:29finally walking to my side.
34:30the night wind was a great,
34:30the night wind was a great,
34:30the night wind was a great,
34:30the night wind was a great,
34:30the night wind was a great,
34:30You