Chapter 92

As Daniel observed the coldness of the creature before him and Lior questioned the reason behind such a reaction, Hye’s eyes were drawn elsewhere. Frozen in place, at the exact moment Admetos killed the man inside the room, those confined in the other rooms bowed their heads in complete silence.

"So," Lior said, "what did he say?"

"The city exists," Admetos replied. "I saw it. And the creature..." A shiver ran down his spine as the image of the beast tried to form in his mind. "It sleeps atop the tallest monolith at the center of R'lyeh."

"Hmm..."

Lior had many questions. Most were unrelated to the current issue, driven solely by his curiosity. The city that he and Teodoro had long believed to be nonexistent, one they thought they’d never find, was described only in vague words on the dusty pages of a book in his personal library. It was absurd to get excited about the possibility of glimpsing it—the enigmatic City of Stone—he knew this (and Alyia would make him regret such feelings if she found out). Yet, it was something he couldn’t control—or perhaps, more accurately, didn’t want to.

Sighing, Lior turned and began walking toward the exit. "Alright," he said. "I don’t think we’ll get anything else useful here. Let’s keep searching."

Admetos quickly followed, his hand lingering in his pocket. But just as Daniel prepared to do the same, Hye grabbed his shoulder with a strength the man couldn’t hope to escape.

"What are you doing...?" Daniel asked. But there was something he had yet to notice. While Hye’s glowing blue eye was an obvious focal point, it wasn’t just that—it was the mana surrounding him. Before, when Daniel had briefly examined him, nothing had seemed out of place.

"You… I believe your name is Daniel, the one they say has stood in my presence."

Now trembling, his legs unable to support him, Daniel found himself kneeling before a single eye capable of emanating a mere fraction of a presence so familiar, so terrifying. In his mind, an image surfaced—indecipherable and undeniably divine—of a being once radiant as the most magnificent creature in the heavens. Now, its very existence symbolized punishment.

"Huh? What is that supposed to mean?" Hye asked, confused. "How is that possible? He entered the tower before us?"

"No," Samael said, his tone dripping with displeasure. "The information was buried in Samantha’s mind. When Leviathan was taken by… me, there was a survivor. Someone who, after that day, was reborn—a new being, stronger, incapable of aging. To their people, the first irregular."

"I see. And that was enough for you to find him."

"No," Samael replied, his irritation clear. His eyes scanned Daniel’s body, disgust flickering across his face. It wasn’t just similar—it was identical. The mana flowing through him was a perfect match.

"Even with my energy coursing through your body, how can you be so weak? It’s revolting…"

Though Lior noticed Hye and Daniel’s absence, he did not return.

“He won’t kill him… will he?” he thought.

Those remaining in the other rooms perished the moment he turned his back. And the reason the “three” had stayed behind was obvious. Samael wouldn’t simply walk away after witnessing something so absurd—his mana flowing through someone he theoretically had never met before.

"How…"

"What did you say, kid?" Lior asked, straightening his posture on the long wooden bench and looking at Admetos, seated beside him.

"How do I use this?" Admetos asked, extending his hand to reveal the mana stone in his possession.

"Well…"

Lior could have answered; it wouldn’t cost him anything. But his curiosity got the better of him. "Let’s make a deal," he said. "I’ll teach you, and you’ll tell me everything about R’lyeh. Every detail you saw."

"This..." Admetos hesitated, averting his gaze. Trying to recall the city, even briefly, forced his mind into a painful and futile attempt to conjure the image of the beast—something he wanted to avoid.

"If you don’t want to, that’s fine," Lior said, leaning back and closing his eyes. "But… I could also make those 50% odds irrelevant. The absorption would be guaranteed."

Nervously, the boy fidgeted with the stone in his hands, gripping it tightly. "Twice," he said hesitantly.

"What?"

"Do it twice… for me and my mother, and I’ll agree."

"Hmm…" Lior paused, thinking. The delay only made Admetos more anxious, dreading rejection after finally mustering the courage to accept, despite his reluctance.

"Alright," Lior said. "Twice, huh? Let’s do it."

"Really?"

"Yes, but first, you need to hold up your end of the deal."

Swallowing hard, Admetos took a deep breath. The shapeless and haunting image of the creature, illuminated by the perfectly aligned stars, surfaced in his mind. Yet, he forced himself to focus solely on describing the city.

He struggled to find words to depict something so alien, something he could barely comprehend even as he stood amidst it. Yet, Lior didn’t seem to mind, and neither did Teodoro, whose mental link had activated even before the boy uttered his first word. Every additional detail was welcome—whether it was about the eerie atmosphere, the indecipherable architecture that had left Admetos at a loss for words, or the symbols he had studied while wandering through R’lyeh. Everything. The two of them were eager to learn whatever they could, no matter how small.

"And what about the creatures? Did you also—"

"No!" Admetos exclaimed, his voice raised as he stood abruptly. "I can’t describe them. I can’t!"

"Ha! Of course, you can’t," Lior said with a smirk. "It’d be strange if you could. Describing the indescribable would ruin its mystique. I was only going to ask if you saw any, but judging by your reaction, I think I have my answer."

"So, about the stone..."

"Don’t worry. Once all of this is over, I’ll help you. Your mother will be involved too, won’t she? It’s better if you both start together, at the same time."

Admetos nodded, gripping the stone tightly in his hand. The warmth it radiated calmed him. In his eyes, it might even hold a glimmer of hope—the hope of becoming stronger.

***

Several minutes passed before Daniel finally managed to stand again, still trembling. Lior hadn’t even noticed the time slip by. Admetos’s descriptions were lengthy and, at times, confusing, which, in Lior and Teodoro’s view, was a good thing. It showed that the boy was genuinely making an effort.

"How was it?" Samael asked. "Are they similar?"

The overwhelming pressure in Samael’s presence bore down on Daniel, affecting his very soul. He had thought he’d grown stronger. ‘What a joke,’ he thought bitterly. In the end, the pitiful strength he had gained was likely just the result of the whims of a being who, out of sheer boredom, had chosen to help him.

It was even more ridiculous to think that, despite knowing the entity before him hadn’t truly tried to harm him, he had glimpsed the "real" thing. That experience alone was enough for him to recognize how much weaker this version standing before him truly was.

"Yes… a little," Daniel replied hesitantly. "But… the other one was incomparably more overwhelming."

"...Of course... I see."

The bluish glow vanished, leaving even Hye confused. Yet, not enough for him to question Samael’s sudden retreat. The control of his body returned entirely, allowing him to leave. And that’s exactly what he did, walking away and leaving a thoroughly bewildered Daniel behind.

"Oh, you’re done already?" Lior asked as he noticed Hye stepping through the door, followed shortly by Daniel. "Huh? Guess that was a no, then?"

"You... You already knew?!" Daniel shouted, his voice filled with fury. He quickly turned to look at Hye, expecting some form of retaliation from the angel—nothing happened.

"Oh, come on, it wasn’t exactly a secret. He’s been flaunting himself for everyone to see since the beginning," Lior replied, springing to his feet with a newfound energy, completely different from his earlier demeanor. "Well, we’re leaving now. Do whatever you want, Daniel. Call a press conference, post something online—it doesn’t matter. Just don’t forget to tell your association boys to kill everyone they come across from now on."

"You’re far too excited about this situation, don’t you think? They’re still people," Daniel sighed. "...You know what this will lead to, right? I trust you’ll show up, won’t you? And Teodoro too."

Without bothering to look back, Lior waved over his shoulder. "Send the invite by message!" he said. Words that Daniel knew would also reflect Teodoro’s response.

The search resumed, with the three heading straight for the next city: France.

"You know, we don’t have much time left of your three hours," Lior said as they soared over English territories. "At most, 31 minutes. Why don’t we pick up the pace? There are still plenty of places we need to cover."

Pick up the pace... Clinging desperately to Liwmorr’s body, Admetos couldn’t even open his eyes against the crushing force of the wind generated by their speed. How many cities or countries had they passed through by now? He couldn’t say for sure. But one thing was clear—this wasn’t their first pass over these areas. The moments when his body was nearly flung sideways during Liwmorr’s sharp turns were proof enough.

When the flight finally stopped and his feet touched solid ground, Admetos felt as though his stomach might leap out of his mouth.

***************

"Aaahh..." Teodoro yawned, stretching in mid-air. The hot, dry air brushed against his face, prompting a sigh. No other breeze in Africa had reached him since then.

Confined to the proximity of the continent’s natural winds, the strong gust ruffling his clothes could only mean one thing—the arrival of Carlos. A man with a youthful appearance, curly black hair, and lightly tanned skin.

"So, are you done?" Carlos asked. "Can we move on?"

"To the area above Cameroon? Yeah."

"You’re kidding..." Carlos sighed. "You still haven’t finished checking the rest of the continent?"

"Ha! Easy for you to say when all you had to do was cover Madagascar and the nearby islands."

"Yeah, maybe," Carlos replied. "But let’s not forget—I wasn’t supposed to be doing this in the first place. This is a favor."

"..."

After a brief moment of silence, Teodoro’s image flickered, resembling the ghostly effects used in haunted films. "Tsk!" A sharp click of his tongue echoed. "...One second." Then, with those words, his body vanished entirely, leaving behind a powerful blast of air that surged upward, scattering every cloud in sight.

"I don’t get it. Why didn’t you just do that earlier? See, it wasn’t even that—"

Carlos froze mid-sentence. His body disappeared, reappearing several meters ahead, his gaze now fixed in a different direction.

"What are you doing here?" Addiah’s voice cut through the air. Her sharp eyes scanned him from head to toe before locking onto the sword at his waist. "And why do I smell blood on you? On your body and your blade?"

The weight of her presence sharpened his instincts. Carlos’s hand moved instinctively to the hilt of his sword. A sensation often described in fantasy tales but never truly felt by him until now gripped him—a murderous intent so palpable it seemed to radiate from Addiah’s gaze.

"Not going to answer? That’s fine."

The sword began to slide from its sheath, but Addiah’s hand appeared in front of him with impossible speed. A massive collision erupted below, sending shockwaves across the waters.

"You know who he is and who he works for. So tell me," Teodoro’s voice interrupted as he pressed Carlos’s sword back into its sheath, "where the hell did you get the nerve to try attacking him?"

"You... Both of you—what are you doing here?!" Addiah yelled, rising from the waters and appearing before Teodoro. "I’m not going south just to kill your damn residents!"

"Hmm... Is it because you know Lior wouldn’t allow it?" Teodoro asked, deliberately ignoring her.

"Don’t ignore me!"

Addiah vanished, reappearing behind Teodoro, her kick sending Carlos flying. Her staff sliced through the air, splitting the ocean’s surface as Teodoro caught it mid-swing.

"It must feel wonderful to exploit others’ feelings for your own comfort," the Nephilim said, gripping her face firmly. "But don’t test me. My patience isn’t as vast as you think."

The sky illuminated with the fall of a massive slash that seemed to materialize from nowhere, tearing through everything in its path as it barreled toward them.

"Didn’t I already say I was done?" Teodoro muttered, throwing Addiah forward and allowing the slash to pass through. "Stop yelling. My brain’s about to explode. And since you’re so insistent, from Yemen to Turkey, I won’t bother searching. It’s your responsibility now."

The ocean below had been cleaved apart, creating a massive chasm that extended far beyond the horizon. Creatures, both large and small, fell in desperation toward the newly formed abyss.

"Let’s go," Teodoro said. "I’m done here."

He walked past a paralyzed Addiah, her eyes unable to tear away from the sheer monstrosity left behind by Lior, who wasn’t even present. She had always known the gap between them existed and that it was significant. But for it to be this vast... Her efforts felt utterly meaningless, especially when she couldn’t even inflict significant damage on a mere servant of one of the two. Unscathed, Carlos passed her by.

"Hmm... This is starting to get boring," Teodoro remarked, his gaze fixed on the twin swords ahead. "If you do that, you won’t be able to enter dungeons for a week."

The waters of the Arabian Sea churned, waves of varying sizes forming beneath their feet. Deep in thought, Yang Kai hesitated. Even from this distance, he could see the cut in the Indian Ocean slowly filling itself back in.

"I just woke up," he said. "So explain the situation. What’s happening?"

Teodoro sighed but remained silent, continuing his flight toward India. Carlos, however, stayed behind, tasked with relaying the current state of affairs.

By the late afternoon of that day, in Europe, Daniel made a public statement regarding the deaths of hundreds of civilians. Around the same time, Yang Kai and Addiah also spoke out, basing their comments on the information they had received through Lior’s text messages.

By nightfall, the world descended into chaos, particularly in North America, where Lior hadn’t even bothered to explain the situation to the people. In South America, however, the news circulating online bred nothing but confusion. After all, "no one had died there." Yet the harsh truth that many wished to ignore was far different. Deaths had occurred—undeniably so. But in a place where it’s neither remembered nor documented, such a thing "never happened."

This cruel mantra must be remembered, no matter the circumstances—at least by those who wish to continue living peacefully in a world ruled by fear and pain.