The room stretched out in all directions, an expanse of cold, unyielding stone that seemed to absorb every sound.

Its walls were crafted from a material unlike any Noel had ever seen—dark, almost obsidian-like, with a texture that hinted at a strength beyond comprehension.

It was a fortress, a prison designed to contain the uncontainable.

The sole door was a monolith of steel, towering and foreboding, with not a single window or opening to allow even a whisper of air.

The room felt suffocating, as if it was holding its breath in anxious anticipation of the storm about to erupt within.

In the center stood Agnus, a titan among men.

His immense stature cast a shadow that swallowed the floor around him, making Noel feel like a mere child by comparison.

Agnus's eyes were closed, yet his presence was a tangible force, a wave of power and menace that filled every corner of the room.

His body was ensnared by colossal chains—thick, reinforced links that wrapped around his legs, his neck, his arms, and coiled around his torso.

Each chain was a marvel of engineering, designed to hold even the most powerful of beings in check.

But Agnus seemed indifferent to his bindings.

The chains clanked and groaned with his slightest movement, yet they were powerless to diminish the aura of raw, unrestrained might that radiated from him.

He stood there, a caged beast whose fury and strength were barely contained by the physical restraints.

His presence was overwhelming, a living embodiment of dominance and barely suppressed rage.

The air around him seemed to crackle with energy, the tension so thick that Noel could feel it pressing against his skin, stirring a primal fear deep within him.

Noel's heart pounded in his chest as he took in the sight before him.

The room, the chains, the very atmosphere—it all seemed to pulse with the impending clash, a confrontation that promised to be nothing short of cataclysmic.

And in the eye of this storm stood Agnus, a force of nature bound in steel, waiting for the moment when all hell would break loose.

Noel paused for a moment, taking in the sight before him.

His heart pounded in his chest, not from fear, but from a heady mix of anticipation and the thrill of the impending confrontation.

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The air was thick with tension, every breath he took felt like a gulp of electric current.

"Hey! Are you sleeping?" Noel called out, his voice echoing through the cavernous room as he took a cautious step toward Agnus.

But before his words could reach the giant, a voice reverberated in his head, cutting through the tension like a knife.

'So he is here?' Sauron muttered, his tone dripping with a mix of recognition and disdain that sent a shiver down Noel's spine.

'What, you know him?' Noel asked, his thoughts racing, struggling to keep up with the sudden shift.

'Well, I don't really have time to explain everything,' Sauron replied, urgency lacing his words.

'So let me tell you in short. In the beginning, Abyss created thirteen beings known as Demons. He is the avatar of Karnath, one of those demons.'

'Avatar? What's that?' Noel's confusion mingled with the adrenaline surging through his veins, making his head spin.

'Avatar is basically a clone created using some portion of the original,' Sauron explained, each word laden with an undercurrent of foreboding.

'Usually, avatars are short-lived and don't have their own existence. But Abyss made them himself, so they are able to be like real living beings.'

Noel's mind reeled at the revelation.

The enormity of what he was facing hit him like a tidal wave, washing over his initial excitement and leaving a cold, hard kernel of dread in its wake.

The room seemed to close in around him, the weight of Sauron's words pressing down on his shoulders.

He glanced back at Agnus, whose eyes remained shut, but the chains around his body seemed to pulse with a sinister life of their own.

'Okay, then how much does he have compared to the original?' Noel asked, trying to gauge the true extent of Agnus's power, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and dread.

'Considering the amount of the original essence Abyss used, hmm... he would have nearly 10% of the original's power,' Sauron answered, his tone clinical, as if discussing a mere academic point.

'10%? Are you sure it's not 50% or 60%' Noel asked, astonished.

The sheer presence of Agnus was overwhelming, a force of nature that seemed impossible to quantify as only 10%.

The thought of facing even a fraction of such power made his stomach churn.

'Any more than 10% would have grabbed the attention of the guardians,' Sauron continued, his tone grave and unwavering.

'And secondly, even 10% of one of those demons is enough.'

*'They're that powerful?'* Noel was surprised, the weight of Sauron's words sinking in like a lead weight in his gut.

'Yes,' Sauron replied, a note of pride creeping into his voice.

'Their power is immense, beyond what most can comprehend.'

'Even stronger than you?' Noel asked, his curiosity piqued, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind.

'Well, at least the top five are stronger than any ego,' Sauron admitted, a rare moment of humility softening his usually authoritative tone.

Noel absorbed this information, his mind racing with the implications.

The gravity of facing a being with even a fraction of such power was almost too much to bear.

The chains that bound Agnus seemed to glisten ominously under the dim light, each link a testament to the efforts made to contain this avatar of destruction.

Noel's pulse quickened, his breath coming in shallow bursts as the enormity of the situation settled over him.

'Okay. But why is he here then?' Noel asked, his voice barely a whisper as he sought to understand the purpose of this formidable being.

His need for answers cut through the fog of fear and awe.

'Abyss sent them to different worlds to help us fulfill our task,' Sauron explained, his voice carrying a note of unease.

'But something is strange.'

'What do you mean?' Noel asked, his mind racing with questions, a gnawing sense of dread settling in his stomach.

'It seems like he doesn't even remember his own role,' Sauron said, his tone contemplative.

'Huh? What are you trying to say?' Noel's confusion deepened, his brows knitting together.

'Well, nothing much. I guess those experiments destroyed the hidden consciousness of the demon inside him,' Sauron explained, a hint of frustration in his voice.

'I don't get a single thing you're trying to say,' Noel complained, feeling the weight of the unknown pressing down on him.

'Forget about it. You should focus on him, and I'll help you a little this time,' Sauron said, his tone shifting to one of determination.

Noel hesitated, weighing his options, the enormity of the situation bearing down on him.

Finally, he agreed, 'Hmm... okay, thanks.'

In that instant, his posture changed, his presence becoming more dominant, almost regal.

The shift in energy was palpable, a raw, ancient power radiating from him.

It was enough to rouse Agnus from his slumber.

Agnus's eyes snapped open, two burning orbs of red that seemed to pierce through the darkness.

He took in the sight of Noel, his gaze intense and unyielding.

When he opened his mouth, his words echoed in the room like a distant storm, resonating with a deep, primal force.

"Who are you?" Agnus's tone was polite, but it was laced with a pressure and command that made the very air tremble.

The sound of his voice sent a shiver down Noel's spine, the raw power behind it making his heart race.

Noel stood tall, feeling the surge of power from Sauron coursing through him.

He met Agnus's gaze, feeling the weight of the giant's presence but refusing to be cowed.