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The pitch-black darkness lurked beneath my feet, and an endless stone staircase stretched before me.

The spiral staircase was so narrow that it felt like I could barely place a footstep. As I struggled to move, I dared to glance down into the abyss below, yet nothing was visible.

Cautiously, I snapped a glow stick and tossed it downward, hoping to see the floor beneath, if only for a brief moment.

A faint light flickered in the gloomy underground world, as the green glow plummeted into the endless darkness.

But the hoped-for floor remained concealed. Instead, the hidden underworld unveiled itself from the shadows.

The underground world I glimpsed from the staircase was truly colossal— like a city that had been transported directly from an ancient desert kingdom, with walls thickly packed with sand-colored buildings.

That place, where angels and demons supposedly slumber, resembled Petra from Jordan.

As I hastened down the stairs towards the ruins, the echoing winds began to conjure a sinister sound, mocking us, it seemed.

—

Episode 17 – The Blood-Drinking Tree

—

Descending a staircase that seemed never-ending was akin to torture.

Some might scoff, saying, “What’s the big deal about going down some stairs?”

But that person, after trudging down for over thirty minutes, would surely reconsider their stance.

“Veronica.”

As I trudged down the steps, I suddenly spoke up.

“How long have we been down here?”

“Well, it’s hard to say without a clock.”

Veronica spoke cautiously, her feet carefully treading the stone steps.

“I’m not exactly sure, but it feels like a little over 90 minutes.”

“And yet we’re still going down the stairs.”

With another sigh of frustration, I continued my descent.

“…Meeting an angel is harder than it should be.”

I heard that there are about 1200 steps in the 63 Building. Judging from my rough count, I must have descended over 2000 steps so far.

In simple terms, we were descending a skyscraper taller than the 63 Building, in reverse.

Considering I lost count from pure fatigue, it felt like I easily climbed the 63 Building twice over.

In any case…

This dreamy, beautiful journey to meet a sleeping angel had long been obstructed by these damned stairs.

Was there any fantasy vibe? None whatsoever. We were simply trudging up and down these stairs for an hour and a half.

The act of blindly descending these unknown stairs was agonizing enough, but this place possessed an environment that drove people to madness.

Pitch-black darkness and an eerily sinister atmosphere.

The underground world encased in darkness felt less like a realm where mythical beings might slumber and more like a dungeon.

Of course, this was just my personal impression; so far, no monsters, ghosts, or ancient curses that threatened us had shown up. There were giant statues and mysterious structures whose ages could not be determined, but that was about it.

Now that I think about it, it almost felt like a ruin exploration, but in reality, it was the tedious repetition of pointless labor.

Remove one foot, place the other down, and descend the steps. That was all there was to it.

There was no fighting against unknown threats, nor even a moment to ponder at a fork in the road. It was merely the mindless repetition of labor.

Even though we were just going down some stairs, it was enough to make me groan involuntarily.

“…Ugh.”

It would have been nice to at least enjoy the scenery while moving.

Sadly, there was no time to look around; the width and breadth of the stairs were terribly cramped.

On top of that, the steep incline posed the risk of tumbling down at any moment; there was no chance for a comfortable descent.

And if you were to ask if we could just take a break whenever we wanted, the answer was no.

The design of the staircase was a typical spiral structure. Without a flat surface or landing, we couldn’t stop to unpack and rest.

So, begrudgingly, we had to sit on the steps themselves to rest, but as I mentioned before, the width and breadth were annoyingly cramped, making it impossible to sit comfortably.

Thus, we had to huddle close to the central column that was the axis of the stairs and squat on the narrow stairs to catch our breaths.

It was no wonder Veronica had begun to curse repeatedly.

“Goddamn….”

The saint crouched on the stairs with a heavy burden, clasping her hands.

“My God, we know that you test us with trials and hardships. But why do you keep giving us challenges without any reward in sight? The donation I made could have kept me from touching a drop of water for a lifetime, and I prayed diligently. Why do you keep punishing me?”

“…Veronica, I heard from some bishop that last time you visited the Holy See, you skipped the service and got caught playing cards with the holy artifacts.”

“Who the hell is saying such nonsense?”

“No, they said you used to gamble with the holy artifacts back in the day….”

Having a half-hearted conversation like this was a natural occurrence. Anyone would lose their grip on sanity in such a messy situation.

Among those trapped in the staircase of time and sanity, there wasn’t a single person maintaining their wits. Even Akande, with his 4D perspective like Camila, stared blankly into space.

Of course, the knight was the exception. He wasn’t even fully human, was he? That damn trickster.

Anyway…

It felt like we had been trapped on these hellish stairs for about two hours before we finally emerged from them.

“The stairs are over!”

The knight, who had been leading us down, announced as we turned a corner. I dashed down, and lo and behold, there truly was an end to the staircase.

“Finally!”

“It’s finally over….”

As the flat ground came into view, we all plopped down, exhausted.

Veronica, her legs giving way, wept openly, while Akande transformed into a quadruped, continuously kissing the ground in gratitude to the Earth God.

It seemed I was the only one faring relatively well. As I lay there in a daze, the knight approached and suggested we take a break, which I eagerly agreed to.

—

After a grueling two-hour march, we were granted a sweet respite. Leaving the horrific stairs behind, we felt happiness and satisfaction that seemed like it would never return.

Veronica perched on a statue that resembled a bench, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Phew. I feel like I can finally breathe!”

Once she set down her bag and lantern, she wiped her forehead, and beads of sweat trickled down, dampening her hand and sticking her clothing uncomfortably.

“Going down stairs is just not a human thing to do. When we get back to the cathedral, we need to get rid of stairs altogether.”

What kind of logic was that? It seemed she had developed a phobia of stairs. Veronica went so far as to mutter the outrageous idea of eliminating all stairs from the Holy Land of Lateran.

I stared at her incredulously, shaking my head.

“Are you really going to take your frustration out on innocent stairs?”

“Are you still talking after going through this?”

“Well, you should have brought less stuff.”

At my blunt remark, Veronica’s eyes narrowed into slits.

Her body language and sour expression displayed her clear displeasure as she rested her chin on her palm and retorted half-heartedly.

“Why are you suddenly picking a fight? How rude.”

“I simply meant why suffer with such a heavy load. It’s not a fight.”

She had brought the most gear among the three of us.

A long wooden case, a holster strapped to her thigh, small pockets around her waist, several flasks of holy water, and even a brass lantern.

Even excluding her firearms, her load was diverse. Sure, a little food and water were essential, but what on earth was that case for?

“Couldn’t you have left that case behind? It’s likely heavy since it’s made of wood. Just leaving that out would lighten your burden significantly.”

The ornately carved wooden case was well over a meter long. I would guess it’s around 100cm with an extra 20 or 30cm to boot.

120cm was nearly the height of a child. Considering the weight of the wood, it had to be at least 10kg, not counting whatever was inside.

But Veronica shook her head firmly, as though refusing to part with it.

“No way. I absolutely couldn’t leave this behind.”

“What on earth is it…?”

“It’s not anything remarkable, but it’s best not to use what’s inside. To put it bluntly….”

It would be best not to find ourselves in a situation where we’d need to use it, she added emphatically.

I was curious as to what kind of object would warrant such a statement but felt no need to pry. It was not only unnecessary but also made me feel too drained even to inquire.

As Akande leaned against a pillar yawning, I sprawled out flat on the ground to relieve my fatigue. Creak. Veronica adjusted the brass lamp and the brightness began to intensify.

The vibrant light drove back the surrounding darkness, illuminating our surroundings. As the darkness receded, the outlines of the underground world became clearer than before.

The underground structure resembled a giant cylinder. Rather than the type of cylinder one would often encounter in math problems, it was closer to a bell-shaped form.

Starting from what appeared to be an opening, the ceiling descended with a gentle curve. The walls surrounded a central pillar where the spiral staircase was situated, filled with the buildings I had glimpsed above.

I muttered, recalling ruins I had seen long ago on a business trip.

“It looks like Petra.”

“Petra? What’s that?”

“It’s a historical site.”

Petra is a renowned ancient ruin in Jordan, the remnants of a once-thriving city located in the southwestern region of the country.

As it lay between Egypt-Arabia and Syria-Phoenicia, it was likely quite prosperous and is famous for its mixed architectural styles of ancient East and Hellenistic design, bearing significant archaeological value.

The city, carved into the red sandstone, remains stunningly preserved decades later, easily conjured up in my mind.

A friend from the Information Agency in Jordan took me there as part of a tour. I don’t remember the details of the event, but we had a great trip with lots of sightseeing.

“I’m not sure if it’s a historical site, but I wonder if the subterranean dwarven kingdom that once existed looked something like this.”

“Why talk about a long-lost kingdom? It sounds ominous.”

“Well, it’s underground, and it has the vibe of a kingdom; the buildings are massive, and the architecture is quite unique.”

Veronica pointed out the surroundings with her finger as she surveyed the landscape.

“In the center, there’s a pillar that’s hard to gauge in height, and branching from it are five bridges. I can’t tell where they lead, but they seem designed for passage, wide and spacious.”

The layout of this place didn’t stop at a simple bell shape. The central pillar rose high, extending five bridges toward the walls, connecting them both.

The placements and heights of the bridges varied greatly.

At the end, a giant door could be seen, but there was no way of knowing where it led. For reference, we were not on the ground but on a bridge suspended from the pillar.

To meet the floor of hell, we must continue to descend into the pitch-black underground whose depths are unknown.

Of course, we had no reason or desire to go underground. We didn’t even know how vast this place was to search the entire area, and besides, we already had a good guide.

“So, where do you think our colleague is?”

The knight, raising his gauntlet, pointed to the edge of the legs.

“Right up ahead.”

“Is there a colleague over there?”

“Indeed. I sense a familiar presence.”

So, the angel is right there.

I directed another question at the knight.

“Have you pinpointed the demon’s location?”

“I sense no malice. But if this is where my colleagues and I fell asleep, it stands to reason that it is sealed nearby. Likely not too far away.”

Even though the knight didn’t feel the demon’s presence, it didn’t matter. That meant the seal was properly maintained.

I began gathering my loose backpack. Veronica tightened the strings on her pocket and strapped on her case. Although we hadn’t been given a signal, Akande also implied he was getting ready.

Right. The angel is right there.

“Let’s go see.”

I really wanted to check if they looked like an angel.

*

We hurriedly crossed the legs. The path extended in a straight line from the door.

The compass pointed northeast. We started moving in that direction.

Bricks made from chiselled stones filled the walls, with stone pillars supporting the ceiling. Signs of weathering were obvious, but their sturdiness and smoothness were astonishingly high.

“It’s completely empty.”

The space we entered through the door was indeed empty, as Veronica had said. There were no buildings or furniture as seen from the outside.

Only tall, grand pillars existed in this place, which felt reminiscent of an ancient Greek temple.

However, unlike a Greek temple built as a sanctuary for gods, this was a temple erected for a demon.

The knight spoke.

“This is a temple built a thousand years ago by priests who worshipped demons. They offered living sacrifices here to the demon.”

It was a chilling topic to merely listen to, yet his tone was extraordinarily calm.

The knight continued his explanation in a matter-of-fact voice, as if recounting historical facts, which indeed it was.

“They sacrificed many victims to summon the demon to this land. After slaying it, my colleagues and I sealed it here.”

“How did you seal it? Did you really decapitate and dismember it?”

“We severed its head and limbs, yet it continually regenerated its body. We swung our swords for three straight days and nights, but it was impossible to cut away all the ever-growing flesh. It wasn’t until the dawn of the fifth day that we discovered its weakness was fire, which allowed us to seal it. Without my colleague’s wisdom, we wouldn’t have been able to seal it so easily.”

“What?”

It was surprising enough that they had sealed a demon, but to fight it for three days and nights? How did that even happen?

I had my own experience facing demons too. Thus, it was even harder to believe.

Even though two saints, heroes, and the descendants of an archmage, accompanied by demonic-level forces, managed to fight for merely a few hours, I had nearly died without Alexandra Petrovna, the duke, showing up. To think they had dealt with such a demon for a full five days!

I wasn’t sure if the knight was lying or telling the truth, but if it were fact, it was immense. I began to whisper softly with Veronica.

“Looks like they really are an angel. They said they fought against a demon for five days.”

“If it’s true, they must surely be an angel. How could someone fight a demon all night long?”

“…Why do you keep doubting me?”

The question carried a hint of grievance, but we offered no reply. They likely knew the reason themselves.

Anyway, we hurried towards the place where the angel’s energy was felt, crafting a brief plan. Information was swiftly shared, and we communicated anything we needed immediately.

“The best-case scenario is that the demon is asleep and only the angel is awake, or that both are asleep. The worst-case scenario is fighting a fully awakened demon. There’s no way to retreat right now, so fighting is essentially unavoidable… Can we win this?”

“Of course. What do you take me for?”

Veronica chuckled slightly, playfully winking. The knight, who was hastening his steps, turned to look at the saint.

“You don’t have to join us in fighting the demon. If the seal has been broken, I hope the master of Altiora will not try to fight and instead retreat safely.”

“Who are you telling to flee? Do you think you’re the only one who’s faced a demon?”

“You’ve fought a demon?”

“Three times.”

The saint, displaying three fingers, had a grin on her face.

“The first time was when I participated in the grand exorcism at the request of a priest at sixteen, then I fought a demon I encountered during a pilgrimage at twenty-one. Last year, I even sent one back to the North of the Empire.”

“Remarkable. To stand against evil in a human body.”

The knight offered a small admiration, as if he found it impressive. However, Veronica wore a somewhat sullen expression.

“It’s not that amazing, is it? What’s the point if you can’t kill them?”

“No. You’ve accomplished something remarkably great. Killing a demon is extraordinarily difficult. The body is merely a shell, for their souls return to hell. As long as their souls do not perish, demons will always exist.”

“Is there a way to extinguish a demon’s soul?”

“There is, though it’s not an easy method. That’s why we chose sealing over destruction.”

“If the demon has just been released from its seal, won’t it be in a comparatively weakened state? But does that mean we still can’t kill it?”

At the saint’s question, the knight nodded. A small clicking sound escaped her lips in frustration.

To clarify for someone without background knowledge, Veronica added an explanation.

“Demons just released from their seal, or those that have just manifested on the surface, usually possess very little power. Especially right after possessing a possessed person, it’s at its weakest.”

“It grows stronger over time, doesn’t it?”

“Generally. If it has strong powers from the moment it emerges, that likely means its original strength was extraordinarily robust. That’s why the demon we faced back then was such a nuisance. It had been inhabiting a possessed person’s body for over ten years.”

In other words, even if a demon were to break the seal and appear right now, it would mean we could easily handle it. I had been worrying about what might happen if they were the kind to turn an entire city into ruins like in the North, but thankfully it seemed they were just weak scraps.

“The presence is getting closer. We’re nearly there.”

The knight informed us as he led the way. News of our destination was imminent.

Even as everyone increased their pace, the knight was still at the forefront. Clad in plated armor, he ran faster than anyone else.

Please let there be no demons around.

Thinking this, I hastened my steps.

“…Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

Suddenly, the knight began to slow down.

He reduced his pace and placed his finger to his helmet. It was a sign to be quiet. At the knight’s silent demeanor, we fell silent as well. Veronica covered the lantern to prevent light from leaking out.

Keep your mouth shut and your ears open. We tried to feel the sounds within the serene silence.

“…”

As everyone looked around, the knight began moving towards a particular spot in the pitch darkness.

We cautiously followed the knight forward.

There didn’t seem to be any immediate threats in sight. The knight had not drawn his weapon, suggesting a battle was unlikely for now.

Veronica moved to set her cloak aside, adjusting the brightness of the light. The brass lantern was raised high, following the saint’s gestures.

As the light began to spread throughout the cavern…

“…?”

Something hazy began to take shape in the darkness.

What could that possibly be? I focused my sight, straining my eyes until…

“Dammit—”

A brief and succinct curse escaped my lips, prompting everyone into action. I raised my rifle, while Veronica pulled her revolver from its holster at her thigh. Akande, lowered down, flexed his muscles.

In the now-illuminated cavern lay a massive object. It resembled a grotesque mass of flesh, something blobbish.

As everyone tensed at the sight of this sickening shape, I suddenly felt something was off.

“…What is that? Is it dead?”

“It seems to be…”

Veronica tightened her grip on her revolver, with a tense expression as she moved forward. As she approached the monstrous mass, she raised the lantern higher to illuminate the flesh.

As the lantern got closer, the true identity of the mass was revealed.

It was the head of some massive creature. Among the partially coiled fleshy remains, I could just see its misty pupils, clearly indicating it was a head.

Veronica shone the light around, taking a step back with a look of disgust.

“…It’s dead. I don’t know what it is, but it does seem like some sort of creature related to demons.”

“It certainly looks malign enough to belong to that category…”

We slowly withdrew from the corpse. I lightly tapped Akande on the shoulder, gesturing for him to back off.

Everyone held their gaze on the corpse, while the knight also stared at the grotesque body. He still hadn’t drawn his weapon, but it was odd how quiet he had been since earlier.

I wasn’t the only one who sensed something amiss; Veronica had also begun looking at the knight with suspicion.

“…”

In the silent cavern, the knight took a step forward. He approached the demon’s presumed remains.

Standing before the body, the knight raised his gauntlet and began to sweep over the head. As Veronica directed her lantern to illuminate the area where the gauntlet rested, smeared blood shone red.

There were signs of something that had pierced through. It appeared to have been stabbed deeply, likely by a very sharp and keen object.

“…Indeed, it was you.”

The knight spoke as he stroked the mark.

“Even though the familiar aura has grown close, for some reason, I did not sense any signs of the seal. I see now you must have already killed the demon.”

The dull clang of the knight’s plated armor shattered the silence.

He turned his body and looked upward.

As his helmet faced the direction, so did everyone else’s gaze.

“Now, reveal yourself.”

The knight commanded, staring at the ceiling.

“Nathaniel.”

The light of the lantern rose toward the ceiling.

Between the ceiling and the columns, atop a connecting arch between two pillars.

A faint human figure looked down upon us.

 

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