Bella watched as Aengus touched a specific section of the stone wall and pushed it, causing the entire underground prison to tremble.
With a grinding sound of stone against stone, a hidden door slowly revealed itself as he pushed it further.
“Ohh, a hidden passageway?” Bella muttered, intrigued. “So secretive! What did that witch hide in here?”
Aengus, already aware of what lay within, couldn’t hide his disbelief.
There, in the middle of the dark room, stood a special prison made of sturdy metal bars and surrounded by an isolating barrier of some sort.
At the center of the cage lay a grotesque giant demon, its form a mass of writhing tentacles and a jelly-like body.
The demonic creatures were tied by chains, that appears as if sucking away his life slowly.
[ Appraisal: ]
[ Name: Kylian Dilo
[ State: Demonised, bloodline not assimilated ]
[ Age: 59 ]
[ Level: — ]
[ Rank: Greater Demon ]
[ Abilities:
1. Blood Devouring
2. Gorvath Tentacles Demon Body (incomplete)
His name stirred old memories.
He was the same old man who had helped him escape from the prison in Arcadia City, back in the human lands. Aengus couldn’t comprehend how this old man had ended up here.
“Have you met this creature before?” Bella asked, noticing the way he stared at it with a mix of recognition and confusion.
Aengus snapped out of his thoughts at her question.
“Yes,” he replied, a hint of reminiscence in his voice. “I met him once in Arcadia City, before the catastrophe. He helped me escape from prison. But now… he’s a demonized human.”
Bella blinked in surprise. “A human becoming demonized? That’s certainly interesting. I’ve heard about them. They use demon blood and cores to make medicines for that transformation. But those foolish humans don’t realize it never guarantees control over the body.”
She tilted her head, studying the grotesque figure with renewed curiosity. “And now, he’s nothing more than a mindless creature…”
Rustle, rustle.
Suddenly, the creature stirred, its tentacles rustling against the chains that bound it. The sudden intrusion of light into the dark room made its movements jerky and unnatural, as if it was struggling to adjust.
Aengus stepped closer, only a few centimeters away from the cage, with Bella following behind. He leaned in, trying to see if the creature would recognize him, though he knew his appearance had changed—his horns were different from the last time they met. He hoped there was still something familiar about him.
The creature’s movements grew more frantic, its tentacles twitching as it stared at Aengus with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. Then, all of a sudden, it fell silent. Its gaze, however, remained locked on Aengus, as though something in it had finally clicked—recognition.
“Well, there you go, Aengus. It seems it recognizes you. Now, what are you going to do? Help it somehow?” Bella asked, her tone laced with sarcasm, trying to predict his next move.
Aengus didn’t hesitate. “I don’t know, actually. But let’s free him first.”
With a determined grip, Aengus tore at the bars with his bare hands, the sound of metal creaking under his strength echoing through the chamber. With a flick of his fingers, hellfire surged from his palm, and the chains melted under the intense heat, clattering to the ground with a final clank.
Freed, the tentacled creature seemed to come alive, its body expanding and contracting as it let out a low, demonic growl. It looked at Aengus and Bella as if it was trying to communicate, but no words formed, only primal sounds escaping its grotesque form.
Bella chuckled. “Looks like it still has some rationality left. What are you going to do now? Why don’t you show off that incredible power of yours again?” she teased, her eyes glinting with amusement.
But Aengus considered her suggestion seriously.
“Well, I can give it a try,” he said before extending his hand toward the creature.
“Universal Synthesis!”
Instantly, a bright ethereal blue light covered the grotesque creature.
Bella watched the magical process, never bored of it.
After expending nearly 1,000 mana, the synthesis process was complete, and a humanoid figure stood where the creature had been.
“Ooh, that was real easy,” Bella commented. “You can do anything, can’t you, Aengus?”
“Not really. There are still many things I can’t do,” Aengus said nonchalantly.
Bella remained silent, not wanting to delve into a subject that could lead to something she didn’t want to hear.
Cough! Cough!
Their attention turned to the spot where an old man with a pair of horns was coughing, gasping for breath, and looking disoriented as if waking from a terrible dream.
“Oh, it’s an old man. I thought it was something else,” Bella remarked.
Kylian steadied himself and studied the duo, his gaze locking onto Aengus, filled with astonishment.
“Hahaha… Boy, is that you? Ethan, right?” The old man suddenly laughed, remembering everything as if it had all happened yesterday. Because, all this while he had been moving purely on instinct.
Bella’s face darkened at the mention of “Ethan.” She knew it was Aengus’s previous name from his time in the human lands—a name tied to someone she didn’t like.
Aengus nodded, “Yes, it’s me.”
“Did you turn me back to normal?” Old man Kylian asked, his memories still blurry.
“Yes,” Aengus confirmed.
Kylian was astonished. The young man he once knew had become unfathomable.
“Boy, what happened to you? Who is this demoness beside you? How did you turn into a ‘demon’? Where are we? Isn’t this the human world?” Kylian bombarded him with questions, his curiosity getting the better of him.
Bella was visibly annoyed, while Aengus began explaining the fate of Arcadia City, the fall of its people, his journey to the demon lands, his connection with Bella, and their shared goals. He carefully omitted any mention of his more sensitive abilities.
As they talked, the group began making their way out of the underground prison.
Aengus’s explanations were vague, and Kylian could sense there were reasons behind it. He didn’t press for more details, understanding that some things were best left unsaid. He was simply grateful for regaining his rationality and receiving a new identity, something he desperately needed.
With each step, the old man felt a sense of hope he hadn’t experienced in years.
