“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hunt the most powerful lark in existence. It would bring you eternal honor,” Alber suggested.
“I’m not one to chase after honor. The other kings will handle it just fine,” Nicholas replied.
Alber let out a soft chuckle. She wasn’t entirely sure why Nicholas treated her as a benefactor, but she suspected it had something to do with Jin. Despite her unforgivable sins, here she was, being treated with undeserved gratitude. She felt slightly sly for not correcting him, but for now, simply having someone by her side brought her a sense of comfort.
“Then… will you help me?” she asked.
Nicholas’s face brightened as he replied eagerly. “Of course. Just tell me what you need,” he said.
“If everything ends today, take me out of this prison,” she requested. Alber raised her eyes to the dark void above and smiled bitterly. “After sunset. The sunlight is too bright for me to bear,” she said.
Her expression was so sorrowful that Nicholas felt a lump in his throat. Clearing it with a cough, he composed himself and replied, “…Yes. I’ll escort you out.”
***
Back in the prayer chamber, Sang-je desperately focused on breaking the seal. The heavy, cold weight of it pressed down on his chest, suffocating him. His true form refused to budge, no matter how hard he tried.
“Why! Why isn’t it working?!” he roared in frustration.
The sound of ragged breathing snapped him out of his despair. A trembling priest, who had entered to tidy the prayer chamber, stumbled upon him. His eyes widened in terror as he met Sang-je’s crimson gaze. With a blood-curdling scream, the priest scrambled across the floor and fled the chamber.
Sang-je clicked his tongue in annoyance. His mask had slipped, revealing his true self. But that didn’t matter right now. His life was at stake.
What should I do? he panicked. The kings would arrive soon. As they investigated, they would undoubtedly find the underground prayer chamber and see part of his real body.
The moment the kings attacked, it would be his last chance to escape. As long as the core wasn’t destroyed, the kings could hack away at his body all they wanted. He wouldn’t be obliterated. A tingling sensation spread throughout his body, like a thousand needles pricking his skin. His true form, sensing danger, was stirring.
Then, I’ll burrow underground, he thought. He’d dig deep into the earth and hide there. The kings wouldn’t be able to chase him that far. But it wasn’t a perfect plan. There were still troublesome variables to consider.
Mara… I don’t know what that guy’s going to do, but I’ll deal with it later.
A deafening crash echoed through the chamber, followed by a cloud of dust. The sound of screams and panic filled the air. Sang-je didn’t bother to investigate. The thought of humans rushing over to whine made him sick.
“None of my concern,” he muttered. There was no longer any need to waste life force maintaining a false appearance. His form vanished into the dust, leaving behind only an empty chamber and the lingering smell of sulfur.
A moment later, there was a loud knock at the door from outside. But inside the now empty prayer chamber, there was no response. The priests, who eventually grew impatient and opened the door, frantically called out for Sang-je. Their faces fell in shock when they found no one there.
“Could it be… has His Holiness abandoned us?” one of them whispered, his voice filled with fear and disbelief.
***
Akil was nearly at the front gates of the Holy Palace with his warriors when a deafening crash echoed through the city. His breath quickened, and his palms began to sweat. Could the monster have already gone on a rampage?
Not yet. If the giant creature started wreaking havoc now, the entire Holy Palace would crumble. It couldn’t be helped if knights and priests were crushed under the debris, but inside the palace were the Anikas.
“Find out what’s going on,” Akil ordered, his voice barely audible over the chaos.
A warrior ran toward the source of the sound. Akil turned to the rest of his men and spoke.
“All the Anikas of the Holy City are inside. We don’t know if they’re gathered in one place or scattered. Your top priority is to find them and escort them safely out of the Holy Palace. Understood?”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” the warriors responded in unison.
Akil infused his sword with Praz, and the green energy coursed through the blade, humming with power. With a mighty swing, the door split in half, the iron collapsing on both sides with a deafening crash.
The knights guarding the interior prepared to fight off the intruders, but they were no match for Akil’s warriors. Their faces paled as they exchanged a few blows, their hands trembling with fear. The warriors easily tore down the knights’ defenses and spread out into the Holy Palace.
It was the Anikas’ free time in the early afternoon, following lunch. The Anikas, who had once lived freely, were now restricted in their movements, which led to constant complaints. The priests were increasingly worn out from dealing with their nervousness and irritability.
As a result, the priests had given up. As long as the Anikas didn’t leave the Holy Palace, they were allowed to go wherever they pleased during the afternoons.
“Doesn’t it feel like something’s off?” one Anika asked, her voice barely audible over the growing chaos.
“Yeah, it does,” another responded, her eyes wide with uncertainty.
The sight of priests hurriedly running about made the Anikas uneasy. Still, they pretended to be worried while remaining indifferent, as usual. After all, they were rarely concerned with anything outside of their own affairs.
It wasn’t until they heard a deafening crash that the murmuring began.
“What’s that noise?”
“Sounds like something’s breaking. If we can hear it from here, it must be inside the Holy Palace.”
Frightened, the Anikas gathered in a separate hall. Their hands trembled, and their breathing quickened. The priests who should have come to explain the situation failed to appear, and their faces grew more tense by the minute.
Just then, the heavy wooden door creaked open, and a wave of tension swept through the hall. All eyes turned toward the entrance.
“What the…?” someone whispered, their voice barely audible over the growing unease.
It wasn’t a priest. It didn’t seem to be a knight either.
The man, upon seeing the large number of Anikas, brightened and called out excitedly behind him.
“They’re here!”
Moments later, a man with green hair entered, and the Anikas gasped, their astonished voices echoing in the hall.
“Oh my!”
