24 Hearts

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Calypso’s Nightmare

Bel-Therja.

A creature representing death that any living creature will fear… was right there in front of him. Those who had summoned him were gone, but Judah couldn’t tell him that.

He made eye contact with the monarch, despite his wishes against it. Jeanne fainted, and the creature’s focus was on him, as he was the only conscious being in the cavern. From the holes of his eye socket, a faint blue light flickered alive.

“I will ask you again. Where did you intend to go?”

He spoke faster than before, and his voice grew more demanding. Judah remained silent. He had to say something, but his brain didn’t help. Just like an empty paper, nothing came out of his mouth. Judah forced himself to say anything, feeling the silence weighing on him.

“Get out.”

“Why?”

“Because I have nothing else to do…”

Talking to Xian had little to no tension in the air. He could even feel how much the monarch cared about him. But right now, uttering out even a single word felt like he had to battle this heavy pressure throughout his body. He couldn’t even speak right away.

All his attention stayed on Bel-Therja. His immense power overpowered any strong emotion within Judah. If it weren’t for the monarch’s overwhelming presence, Judah figured the amount of anger he could muster.

“…”

The heavy silence choked him. Bel-Therja, who only looked down at him deep in thought, stroked his chin with a bare bone hand. Judah had no choice but to flinch as he looked at it.

Yes, this was the monarch. And he was an ant against him. He was an ant that could barely move and would die in a single pinch. He didn’t know when the monarch would kill him, and his mind blared all warning sirens in his head. He had been telling himself to get out of that position and run, but he couldn’t even come up with where to go and how to do that.

“Do you know who I am?”

Judah hesitated. He couldn’t explain how much he knew and how to hide it.

Judah contemplated saying that he didn’t know him, but it felt like that would lead him to his death. He just couldn’t wrap his head around how Bel-Therja, someone who never appeared in the game at that point in time, was right there right now. If he died, should he just give up the dungeon on his next try? Was it a big mistake to just watch the ghosts at the very end? He had so many questions but so little time to think of them all. He felt his hands tremble in a cold sweat.

Suddenly, Bel-Therja crouched and leveled his sight to Judah’s eyes.

“You are nervous, I can tell. But there is nothing to fear. I did not surface into this world to kill you. So tell me, do you know who I am?”

He offered words of consolidation. Judah’s mind was eased to hear that the monarch did not intend to kill him. Maybe if his answers upset the monarch, he would break his promise, but that wouldn’t happen unless Judah confidently flipped off Bel-Therja straight to the face. Judah gulped to get his dry throat going before replying.

“…I know you as Bel-Therja, the monarch of death.”

“Not bad for an answer. Good. Very well, let me ask you my next question. Why do you think brought me into this world?”

“That’s…”

Why? Was it because of his fragments?

Or because he knew someone was intercepting the ritual done in his name? As he hesitated for an answer, the monarch’s blue eyes stared deeper into his eyes.

“You don’t know? I came here because I felt the power of two monarchs residing in your body.”

Judah gaped. His words confused him. There was not one, but two?

It was possible that he felt Pernen’s power because of the fragments he owned. But who was the other one that he spoke of? Judah recalled any possible encounter with the seven monarchs…

‘Xian.’

For a moment he forgot, but there was -Xian, the First Monarch-.

A flash of power made Judah blink, and then black magic swirled around Bel-Therja’s projected being. The surge swept up his crouched image flying into the air, and as the whirl subsided, a skeleton of two meters in height appeared wearing a colorful robe.

Startled, Judah stepped back, but his heart skipped a beat when his foot slipped off the edge of the cavern. His body fell back as his toes stepped on air, his hands clawed for something to hold on to, but his entire body had already tilted backward.

“What are you doing?”

Bel-Therja grabbed and pulled Judah’s hand as it churned in the air. Bringing him back to safety, the monarch freed his wrist. The moment Judah tried to thank him, he felt pain around his wrists. He looked down, seeing the bruises on himself in the form of Bel-Therja’s hand.

“Thank you.”

“There is nothing to be thankful for. I was merely interested in you, and I wanted to hear the answer.”

“Which is…?”

“I don’t know why, but Xian protects you, and you also possess Pernen’s fragments. You have two of them, do I have that correct?”

“Yes.”

Judah’s voice quivered. He could feel the desire in Bel-Therja’s voice.

“I would like to propose a bargain.”

“Yes?”

“As far as I know, no one has ever collected not more than one of Pernen’s fragments. And those who had acquired one had never been blessed by a single monarch.”

“…”

“Artemia and Ib Haiyan had given protection to humans a few times, but Xian always remained as a neutral figure. On one hand, I could count the very few he trusted, including a few of his loyal servants, naming Lucifer as one. I can’t predict your destiny, but my judgment tells me that it is you who will succeed Pernen. Of course, in the distant future.”

Was he supposed to thank him for his prediction? Should he even answer?

The monarch continued to speak.

“I intend to save you.”

“You just said you didn’t intend to kill me.”

“Yes. You have nothing to worry about. If you believe that I am provoked by your hindrance in the attempts to summon me into this world, you are mistaken. Listen well. I will help you in the future, but only once. By this, I mean that I will aid you as soon as death approaches you.”

Judah grew confused. What he was saying went straight into his head, but he couldn’t understand its gist.

He will help him the moment his death approaches?

Did this mean that he will resurrect him when he dies, but only once? Judah had expected something else.

Under Xian’s protection, he was already able to do such a thing, to resurrect back to a point in time when he had collected a fragment. To be resurrected from the dead was certainly an awesome thing… but the feeling that came with it was different. Then, a holographic window appeared in front of Judah’s eyes.

[You have acquired the one-time skill -Sixth Lord, Bel-Therja Advent-.]

[The moment you activate the skill, the skill is deleted.]

[This is the favor he gives you.]

[If you summon him at a time you wish, Bel-Therja will help you no matter what the situation is.]

[But you will have to be very careful to use this skill. The celestial world has a stronger influence on the middle realm than the demonic world, and their caution for the dead is at a high.]

[If you bring him into the human land, well, it would be comparable to being the enemy of all living being.]

[Sixth Lord, Bel-Therja Advent] Rank: SSS / Workmanship: Master

The sixth lord of the demon world, Bel-Therja, will heed your call, but only once.

He will help you in any situation.

When you activate a skill, the skill is deleted.

‘That’s… insane.”

This was an extraordinary gift. Judah then understood the meaning of what he meant by his help. Although he could only do it once, Bel-Therja was still one of the demon realm’s seven lords. It was a tremendous feat to be able to summon a monarch as he wished. It was unexpected, but it was not the end of the bargain.

“As well, I will give you protection, just like Xian did.”

From the fingertips of Bel-Therja, a black current struck straight into Judah’s heart. He felt his heart pounding.

[Acquired the trait -The 6th Lord’s Protection-.]

[The 6th Lord’s Protection]-Rank: S / Workmanship: Master

You are protected by Bel-Therja, the 6th monarch of the demon realm, the lord of death.

Even if death comes to you, you can be resurrected again.

Heals all injuries and instantly recovers strength and magical power by 50%.

However, since this power goes against rationality, it takes a long time of 30 days to activate again after being activated.

Oh, My God. What the hell did he need that he became so giving?

He spoke once again as if he could read the anxiety in Judah’s eyes.

“You seem to know what my protection meant. My bargain is simple. If you become the heir to Pernen, hand me the tenth fragment. That is my proposition. My gift can be viewed as an investment when that time comes.”

There it was. Judah thought it was fitting.

Bel-Therja did yearn after Pernen’s fragments. Among them, he showed great interest in Altemia, with the Aspect of Blood, but couldn’t acquire it due to Pernen’s rejection. In the item information, the conversation he had with Pernen was recorded.

‘Oh, I like this. Won’t you give it to me?’

‘Where would the dead use a weapon that absorbs life and uses it? No. I won’t. Go away.’

‘That’s too much.’ -During the conversation between the 4th and 6th monarchs.

There was something that beings like the monarchs wanted to have but can’t, or else he would have done it already. It was a waste to hand over Altemia to him, but he wasn’t asking him to hand it over right now. To bargain as its successor was no problem.

Judah nodded slowly and accepted his offer.

“Thank you so much for the kindness you’ve given me. I promise you, if I become the successor, I will hand over the tenth fragment unconditionally.”

Still, he found it hard to talk in his presence. He could do it much better now, after knowing the reason why he came for him. The monarch nodded gladly after hearing what he needed.

“Good. Never forget our bargain.”