Hana and the remaining heroes arrived at the end of the gorge to find no sign of the cultists.

“Dammit!” Hana shouted in frustration.

“Perhaps it is at the bottom?” Greggory offered.

“A flying skiff should be here soon. We could check out the bottom of the gorge once they arrive.” Lindsey reported.

Hana tried Haley’s Crys-Link for the thirty-fourth time, getting no answer.

“Still no luck?” Gabriel asked.

“Shut up.” Hana had not forgiven him for writing Haley off so quickly.

“You may want to prepare yourself for the worst. I am saying this out of concern, Hana.”

“I said shut up!”

Gabriel stopped trying to talk to her and stepped away.

Greggory got off his Crys-Link with the search party. “Hana! Good news, they found the carriage wreckage. They said they did not find Haley in the area but a couple sets of footprints headed up the gorge. We may find her below.”

Hana smirked and glanced over at Gabriel.

Gabriel bowed his head. “I am sorry for doubting.”

Hana sighed in relief, knowing that her good friend was still alive. Whoever helped Haley, Hana swore she would kiss them.

The land beneath their feet began to rumble, and a blinding silver light exploded from the gorge’s depths.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Caeldaemos finished off another group of cultists that had attacked them inside the large complex. He gave them a chance to surrender each time, but most refused to their deaths.

“Demon-Lord! Over here!” Haley called out.

Caeldaemos headed over to a large, caged area. There were multiple people inside in ragged clothing.

“Can you help them?” Haley asked.

“Perhaps.” Caeldaemos checked their statuses.

“They are being drained of their life force.” Haley noticed their statuses.

“Yes.” Caeldaemos followed the trail of mana from the people to a circle where something familiar floated. “You have to be kidding me.”

“What is that?” Haley asked as she checked it. “A Demon-Lord Fragment!?” She shouted in shock.

“Yes. They are feeding it with their life force. Stand back.” Caeldaemos had her fall back while he approached the circle. He placed his hand on the ground and tried Destroy Curse for the first time.

The magic circle cracked and shattered, sending a pulse of blackish mana deeper into the complex.

The fragment pulsed, and a beautiful woman appeared. Her pixie style, raven black hair glistened in the light. Her skin was dark blue, and she wore a black dress.

“Thank you for breaking that. I was terrified that more would die because of me.” She spoke elegantly.

“Halturnafey?” Caeldaemos asked.

Her form became more solid. “Much better. Yes, I am Halturnafey.”

“I, uh, was told you were a man.”

She laughed. “When it comes to pure-blooded spirits, we can assume either gender. This was the one I was born as. I was stuck as a man when I became the Demon-Lord of Slaughter.”

“You have to be kidding me,” Haley commented.

“Hmm, a hero traveling with a Demon-Lord? I guess things have gotten better.”

“Not quite. People still want me dead. I just got lucky and was able to convince this one to not stab me.”

Haley punched him in the arm for being rude.

“She still hits me.”

“That was the first time!” Haley shouted.

“Today, maybe, but don’t forget the last time you guys fought with me.”

Halturnafey smiled lightly at the sight of the two being friendly with one another.

“I am glad.”

“You are no longer affected by madness?”

“Madness?” Haley asked.

“I was told she made a pact with an evil goddess.”

Halturnafey hugged herself. “Yes. I should have never taken that deal in my grief.”

“What happened?” Haley was curious to hear.

“It was long ago, before many of today’s kingdoms and empires. The world was at war. People were dying left and right, all because of the Palekaden Empire of the South. The place you all know as the Plague Lands. It was a greedy empire that wanted to control the world. We all fought back. Things for the empire turned sour at one point, and they had difficulty keeping the war going. So, many of the nations sent representatives to broker peace and bring an end to the war. My beloved husband and son went while our young daughter and I stayed behind.”

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

She began to tremble in anger.

“The bastards demanded too much for peace! It would have only caused more suffering. My husband and the other delegates refused their offer and went to leave, but….”

She paused as tears fell to the floor.

“They killed them all. My husband, my son….” She began weeping.

Caeldaemos hugged her to try to bring her comfort.

“I was so broken with grief that it was then that I heard her.”

“The evil goddess?”

Halturnafey nodded. “She whispered in my ear, promising great power to avenge my loved ones.”

She pushed him back and stared at his eyes. “No matter what, never take the deal. It comes at an impossible cost. I was driven to madness and took the life of my own daughter.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I was not the only one to suffer from the evil goddess’ curse of madness.”

“I know. Eevicaln told me that it corrupted each Demon-Lord of the past.”

Halturnafey continued as best as she could. “After losing myself, I headed south, gathering a massive army of monsters, and slaughtered them all.”

“I… perhaps no one could have imagined such a truth. How are you fine?” Haley, though stunned by the information, asked Caeldaemos.

“I’m a mistake. Someone who should not have been a Demon-Lord. It allowed me to destroy the curse of madness.” Caeldaemos replied to Haley’s question.

Halturnafey held Caeldaemos’ head in her hands. “You never told me your name.”

He looked back at Haley and decided to tell her through mana.

“Please understand that my circumstances cannot allow me to reveal who I am yet before a hero.” He explained.

She laughed. “Of course.”

“Huh?” Haley was confused.

“My name is Caeldaemos, the Demon-Lord of Benevolence.”

“The Demon-Lord of Benevolence? Such a fitting name for such a kind man.” Halturnafey smiled warmly at him.

“Hold on! Did you just communicate through telepathy or something!? Why can’t I know your name!?” Haley complained.

“I have to ask, what were they doing to you?” Caeldaemos chose to push the conversation forward.

Halturnafey looked about at the listless people in the cages. “They wanted to resurrect me.”

“They could do that!?” Haley panicked.

“The method they were using would have never worked. I tried my best to stop or reverse the process, but there is only so much I could do as a fragment.” Halturnafey explained.

“I am glad to hear that it wouldn’t work, but all these people suffered because of them.”

“Yes.” Halturnafey took a breath and sighed. “I am ready. I hope my power can be of use to you.” She said to Caeldaemos.

He smiled. “Things are going to be a bit different than you think. I will set you free.”

Caeldaemos hugged Halturnafey. “Haley, you may want to cover your eyes. It’s about to get really bright.”

Before Haley could ask, he activated Bringer of Light and Benevolence.

Silver light exploded forth, filling the area.

“WHAT! THE! HEEEEEEEEELL!?” Haley screamed as she shielded her eyes.

The light continued to grow and strengthen. Before long, there was not a single location it did not touch.

Within the core of the light, Halturnafey’s body faded, and her soul floated up, holding Caeldaemos’ hands.

“Thank you. I can now be with my family once more. Take care of yourself. I pray for your salvation.”

Halturnafey’s soul found peace as the light died down, leaving a clear and beautiful fragment behind.

“Ack!” Haley stumbled to the ground. “Please, give me a bit more detail next time!” She begged while trying to blink the spots from her eyes.

“Sorry about that.” Caeldaemos chuckled.

Haley squinted at the fragment. “Wow, it’s so pretty.”

Caeldaemos accepted the fragment within himself, upgrading Lord of Slaughter to True and unlocking a new ability.

Pulling out a mirror, he checked his status.

“Whoa.” He was surprised by his new ability.

Sanctuary. This powerful ability brings peace of mind to all within the area while preventing further harm. Maximum Radius: 1 mile.

“What is it?” Haley asked.

“Nothing to worry about,” Caeldaemos answered, turning toward one of the four large cages.

The occupants within seemed to have their senses back, looking at the two of them curiously.

“W-Who are you two?” A woman asked.

“I am one of the heroes, Haley. This is… well… the Demon-Lord.” Haley replied.

“The Demon-Lord!?” “Bastard!” “This is all your fault!” “My family died because of you!”

The people began to shout in anger at Caeldaemos.

“QUIET!” Haley shouted in anger, causing the people to fall silent. “He was the one who saved you all! He broke the curse that was draining all your life force! He defeated the cultists!”

“What?”

“I have a job to finish.” Caeldaemos silently went about and ripped the gates off their hinges, saying nothing more.

“Demon-Lord.” Haley looked at him with pity, feeling the pain of his rejection by the people.

“Escort them out. I will finish off the rest of the cultists. After, I will leave.”

“But-!” She stopped as he headed further into the complex.

“Hero?” A young woman called out to Haley, glancing between her and Caeldaemos.

“I’m no hero…” Haley watched as Caeldaemos delved into the darkness of the complex, disappearing from sight. “None but him…”

Caeldaemos was in a dark mood as he trekked down the halls. He felt that he had been away from home too long. It had only been a few days since he left Hallibrush, but the reaction of the people he had just saved hurt him. It angered him that he was being blamed for the actions of others.

He could see the light up ahead.

“Someone hurry! Help the apostle!” “What happened to him!?” “Where is the high priest!?”

Desperate voices could be heard.

Caeldaemos entered the large cavern-like room. On the back wall was an evil-looking carving of whom he assumed was the Demon-Lord of Slaughter. It depicted an insane-looking man with a long tongue hanging out like it was lapping up his enemies’ blood. It disgusted Caeldaemos.

“Huh!? Who’s that!?”

“It’s the Demon-Lord! Please help us!”

Caeldaemos didn’t care about their lives, even more so at seeing the sacrificed child on the altar below the Demon-Lord depiction, an evil-looking black dagger sticking out of the boy’s chest. He could not have been more than six.

“Disgusting.” Raising his mace toward three men, he cursed them with violent madness.

The men screamed while clutching their heads. Before long, they began attacking their allies.

“AH! STOP!” A man screamed as his fellow cultist bit and scratched at him.

Caeldaemos sealed the entrance to the room with a barrier. He would not allow them to leave the room and trouble Haley.

Slowly he walked down the staircase toward the altar.

A cultist attempted to attack Caeldaemos, only to be batted away by the Demon-Lord’s shield. The man smashed against the wall, falling to the ground in a wet slap, dead and bloodied.

Chaos ensued in the chamber as the cultists were fighting amongst themselves. Some begged for forgiveness from Caeldaemos, but he had none. Others cursed him, but he cursed himself for being weak.

He reached the altar and kicked the apostle’s brain-dead body out of the way. Reaching over, he pulled the dagger out of the boy’s chest and shattered it in his grip.

“Restoration.”

The boy’s body spasmed briefly as all of his wounds instantly healed. Caeldaemos was relieved to see the boy’s chest slowly move up and down.

“I will take your pain, so you will not be plagued by it.”

Caeldaemos pulled the boy into his arms. Using Lord of Darkness, he experienced what the boy had.

Fear, pain, anguished, terror, Caeldaemos was brought to tears as he fell to his knees, clutching the child. The child was from Elaseen. He and his mother were kidnapped from the town and brought to the hellish place. They locked his mother in the cages to be the fuel to resurrect Halturnafey. The boy, though, was dragged to the altar and sacrificed to a god that did not exist.

Caeldaemos roared in anger. The entire room was engulfed in white fire, reducing the cultists to ashes. He kept the boy safe by surrounding him with a protective barrier.

The fire died down, leaving the ground blackened and glowing red with heat.

Caeldaemos sobbed for the boy. “Don’t worry, kid. Your mother lives. You will be with her again.”

Unsteadily, Caeldaemos stood while using Bringer of Light to purify the boy’s heart.

He was tired. He was so tired. Turning toward the exit, he saw Haley watching him.

Too tired to say anything, he walked up to the barrier and handed the boy over to her.

“Take him back to his mother. Goodbye.” Caeldaemos teleported away.