Aengus didn''t know much about the Demon God (God of Darkness), nor did he care.


    Whoever stood against him would be his enemy.


    However, he didn''t underestimate the Demon God. If Lumenaria''s words were true, the Demon God was so powerful that even thebined might of all the Gods couldn''t finish himpletely after all this time. From this, it was clear just how terrifying his power must be.


    Aengus exhaled lightly as he exited the prayer hall, his objective foring hereplete.


    He swiftly decided on his next move, transforming into the form of Saintess Lumenaria herself.


    Though he had once been reluctant to use female forms, but as the saying goes, desperate times called for desperate measures.


    Aengus walked with grace and divine radiance, perfectly imitating Saintess Lumenaria, with a magical staff in hand.


    "Is someone else inside?" Aengus asked the guards in a soothing, melodious tone.


    The guards bowed and answered, "Yes, Saintess. Sir Hero Elyon is inside meeting his heir."


    "Oh..." Aengus feigned intrigue, though internally, he was intrigued for real.


    So, Valen is not dead after all, he mused silently.


    "Alright, open the door!" hemanded firmly, mimicking the Saintess''s authoritative demeanor.


    The guards exchanged confused nces, finding the Saintess''s behavior unusual.


    Aengus narrowed his eyes slightly, his patience wearing thin as he stared at them.


    Finally, one guard spoke hesitantly, "Saintess, did you not bring the Divine Key with you? Sir Hero took his key inside..."


    Aengus masked his frustration with a serene smile.


    Aengus, maintaining his graceful fa?ade, raised an eyebrow as if genuinely surprised. "Ah, the Divine Key... of course."


    Internally, he cursed at this unexpected obstacle but didn''t let his expression falter.


    "I was so preupied with my thoughts that I left it behind. Very well, I''ll wait till Hero Elyon returns."


    The guards, not daring to question the Saintess, bowed deeply. "As youmand, Saintess."


    While Aengus waited, he kept a vignt watch with his special eyes to ensure the real Saintess didn''t appear unexpectedly.


    Fortunately, she did not.


    Momentster, he noticed Elyon emerging from the underground passageway, which brought a sense of relief.


    Elyon appeared surprised to see "Lumenaria" waiting outside.


    "What''s wrong, Saintess? Why are you waiting out here?" Elyon asked, furrowing his brows.


    "Nothing. I forgot my key. Give me yours, old man," Aengus said, extending his beautiful hand in amanding manner.


    From the earlier memories he had extracted from Ashenvale, Aengus knew their usual conversational style. Saintess Lumenaria often referred to Elyon as "old man," because of her high rank—second only to the Archbishop of the Cathedral.


    "Ah, sure. Here, take it..." Elyon handed over the key but paused, his suspicion slightly piqued. "But why didn''t you just go retrieve your own key rather than waiting here? And you are done with your Sermon already?"


    Aengus maintained a calm and collected demeanor as he took the Golden Key.


    "Yes, the prayer hall is now closed... Now stop being a naggy old man and return to your duties," Aengus said with a dismissive shrug, mimicking Lumenaria''s tone perfectly.


    He then gestured to the guards. "Open the door."


    The guards obediently stepped aside and unlocked the entrance, granting ess to the underground chamber.


    Elyon watched "Lumenaria''s" retreating figure, a faint sense of unease creeping into his thoughts. Something felt off, but he couldn''t quite pinpoint the reason.


    Shaking his head to dismiss the nagging feeling, he turned and began walking away toward his next destination.


    ---


    As Aengus crossed the entrance he sense another strong probing barrier verifying his very existence from Cells to Cells.


    Luckily, Aengus sessfully passed this one too. This barrier was extremely strong even for him which blocked his All-Seeing eyes and Appraisal eye.


    Inside was a moderately spacious tunnel with a marble floor that glowed with a soft white radiance.


    The air was warm, fragrant, and carried a refreshing natural scent that seemed to soothe the senses.


    As Aengus descended deeper into the tunnel, the scent grew stronger, bing almost intoxicating in its potency.


    After a while, he emerged into arge, cavernous room. At its center was a glowing pond of murky white liquid, exuding a brilliant divine radiance that lit the chamber like a celestial beacon. The refreshing fragrance of nature was overwhelming here, saturating the space in its purity.


    Aengus activated his Appraisal skill, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the pond. It was brimming with Divine Essence—a rare and coveted resource.


    His heart was calm, but a sly grin spread across his face. The sheer amount of Divine Essence left him exhrated, his stomach growled at the sight.


    "So this is what they hoard from those ''Gods''," he muttered, his toneced with amusement and greed.


    It dawned on him how stingy Saintess Lumenaria had been earlier, offering such a meager amount of Divine Essence in her rejected deal. But now, seeing the abundance before him, he realized how truly rare and valuable it was.


    "No wonder they guard this ce so tightly," he mused, stepping closer to the pond.


    "Oh, you''re here too. How could I forget you?"


    Aengus''s gaze settled on the figure of Valen, who was meditating near the pond, visibly absorbing the Divine Essence.


    Sensing another presence, Valen abruptly opened his eyes. His expression shifted to one of surprise as he stood up, a faint blush coloring his face when he noticed the familiar form of the Saintess.


    "Saintess? You''re here? But... why?" Valen asked, his voice tinged with confusion and reverence.


    Aengus, still in his guise, smiled faintly, though his eyes gleamed with cold intent. "Oh, I have something personal to handle. Tell me, Valen... do you mind falling asleep for a while, wannabe Hero of Light?"


    The warmth in his tone disappeared entirely by the end of his sentence, reced by a chilling edge.


    Valen blinked, bewildered. "What... do you mean, Saintess? I—"


    Before he could finish, his eyelids began to grow heavy. His vision blurred, and the room spun around him.


    "What''s... happening to me?" he muttered weakly, struggling to remain conscious.


    Thest thing Valen saw before sumbing to the sudden drowsiness was a mocking, dangerous smirk on the Saintess''s face.


    Aengus leaned down, his lips close to Valen''s ear as he whispered with a mix of amusement and disdain, "I told you to follow your own dreams, Valen. Yet here you are, still chasing an empty fate. Your efforts are futile, you know that?"


    Explore more at м??


    With that, Valen fell unconscious, leaving Aengus standing over him with a satisfied smirk.