Chapter 10
Felix wandered deeper into the crystal cavern like a lost child in a nightmare made beautiful. Towering purple crystals rose around him like ancient pillars from another world. Their soft, inner glow bathed everything in an ethereal violet light.
"This place is surreal…" he whispered, reaching out to rub his fingers along one massive crystal pillar. The surface was cool and smooth, humming faintly with raw demonic energy. His eyes narrowed. This entire place is saturated with it.
Suddenly, a loud, agonized cry echoed through the vast chamber.
Felix's body tensed instantly. His grip tightened on the heavy femur until his knuckles turned white.
What was that?
Then came the sharp sound of metal clashing. A powerful wave of oppressive aura crashed over him, so heavy it nearly buckled his knees.
That was a human voice…
For a split second, his old conscience stirred. If there are actually humans here, shouldn't I help?
He shook his head violently.
It's already a struggle to keep myself alive. How can I guarantee another person's safety?
Without hesitation, he turned to flee.
"Return."
The single word slammed into his mind like thunder. Felix dropped to his knees, ears ringing violently. The voice was ancient, commanding, and filled with overwhelming authority.
"Return."
He turned his head toward the ominous presence in the distance. The ringing stopped the moment he faced it. But the second he tried to look away or run, the voice returned even louder, threatening to split his skull.
What have I done?
Frustration and fear boiled inside him. Each reluctant step forward felt like walking toward his own execution. His demonic servant — the spider-like child — followed closely, its multiple limbs clicking nervously against the crystal floor. It shivered from time to time.
Even this thing is scared… This must be an incredibly powerful sinner.
When Felix finally reached the center of the clash, the scene before him was horrifying.
Bones littered the ground like a forgotten graveyard. In the middle of the carnage, a massive centipede-like sinner feasted on a human woman's corpse. Its long, segmented body glistened with black chitin as it ripped into her flesh with savage hunger. The woman's head dangled loosely from what remained of her torso, eyes wide open in eternal terror.
Worse still — a pitch-black humanoid figure was fused into the top of the centipede's body, its arms buried deep inside the woman's rib cage, greedily feeding on her remaining life force.
Felix nearly vomited. He covered his mouth, forcing the bile back down.
It hasn't noticed me yet… Could the voice be coming from something else?
His eyes darted around the battlefield. Among all the scattered bones, one skeleton stood out — sitting cross-legged in an unstained white robe, completely untouched by the surrounding violence.
"Come closer, child. We don't have much time."
Felix hesitated. In this evil place, anything could be a trap. Yet the voice pulled at him like a magnet. Before he realized it, his feet had carried him right in front of the skeleton.
The image of the white-veiled man from his dream resurfaced.
"Are you… the man in my vision?" he asked quietly.
There was no immediate answer.
Still cautious, Felix reached out and touched the bones. The moment his fingers made contact, the entire skeleton shattered into glowing particles, forming a powerful protective dome around him.
From within the shimmering light, the veiled man materialized.
He was tall and regal His face remained hidden behind flowing white veils, but his presence was overwhelming.
"You carry demonic pressure… how interesting," , his voice was calm yet ancient.
SCREEEEEECH!
The massive sinner finally noticed Felix. It abandoned the woman's corpse and charged toward him with terrifying speed, countless legs scraping loudly against the crystal floor. Rage burned in its multiple glowing eyes. The black humanoid upper body let out a distorted, furious roar as it slammed violently against the protective dome.
The dome held firm.
Enraged, the sinner wrapped its long, segmented body around the barrier like a python, waiting for the moment the shield would fail so it could tear Felix apart.
"Amanti brat," the veiled man continued, ignoring the raging monster outside. "This is the end for me. I have waited a long, long time for someone worthy to pass on my legacy. You… have what it takes."
Felix shook his head. "No, I don't. If you can see as deeply as you claim, then you should know — I have no bloodline."
The veiled man chuckled softly. "And yet demonic energy flows freely through your body, and you are not dead. You are no ordinary human."
Felix clenched his jaw. "I ran a bloodline test when I was sixteen. Nothing happened. Right now, I'm barely alive."
"I can help you," the man said. "I can give you the power you need to survive."
Felix's eyes widened in shock.
BANG!
The sinner slammed violently against the dome again, its rage intensifying as it stared hungrily at Felix.
"Go," Felix commanded, pointing at the monster.
In a blink, his demonic servant vanished and reappeared on the sinner's back. Its umbilical cord whipped out, wrapping tightly around the centipede's neck. A brutal battle erupted outside the dome as the two monsters tore into each other.
"Now that there are no more interruptions," the veiled man said, his voice growing weaker, "child, I will die soon and leave this world for good. Hear me out. You are a godsend to appear at my final moment. You and I… are the same."
Felix narrowed his eyes. "What do you want from me?"
The veiled man smiled behind the white fabric.
"I simply wish to ask something from you. Do you truly mean what you said back in your cave?"
Felix closed his eyes. "So you've been watching me?"
The veiled man stayed silent.
That silence alone was the answer. Felix's eyes burned with quiet anger.
The veiled man continued softly, "Good child. Remember me."