Chapter Thirty One

Maple's heart pounds, each beat resonating with the dark, demonic energy coursing through the room. The black miasmic aura swirls around her and Yui, the darkness deepening and thickening with each passing second. Her eyes, now tinted blood-red, gleams with an eerie light as she surveys the room.

The demonic creatures she summoned crawl out of the sludge, their grotesque forms barely recognizable as anything from the mortal world. Their skin was a patchwork of scars and black flesh, each array of limbs twisted at unnatural angles. Each demon's eyes burn with an insatiable hunger, their mouths dripping with a black ichor that hisses upon contact with the cold stone floor.

Maple's voice is a low, guttural growl, almost unrecognizable. "Go."

The demons howl in response, their cries echoing through the castle's stone corridors. They surge forward, their bodies moving with an eerie, unnatural fluidity as they spread out in search of their prey. The first demon crashes through the massive wooden doors, splintering them into pieces, and the others followed, their claws scraping against the walls as they move with terrifying speed.

Yui clings to Maple, her trembling subsiding slightly in the comforting presence of her guild master. "Maple, please…" she whispers, her voice barely audible over the din of the rampaging demons.

Maple's gaze softens for a moment as she looks down at Yui. "I won't. I promise," she said, her voice regaining some of its warmth.

She gently pushes Yui behind her, her shield raised in front of them. "Lets go. You'll be safe."

Maple steps forward, her miasmic aura intensifying. Yui behind her, hammer in tow. She could feel a dark power within her growing stronger, feeding off her anger. Each step she takes leave a trail of frost and shadow in her wake, the very air around her crackling with energy.

The corridors of Varkos's domain are a twisted maze of horror. The walls, adorned with grotesque trophies: skeletal remains, dismembered limbs, and flayed skins, all carefully preserved as macabre decorations. The floor is slick with a mixture of blood and ichor, the metallic scent of iron mingling with the stench of decay.

Maple's mind is a storm of rage and sorrow as she navigates the halls. She can hear the distant screams of the demons' victims, their cries of pain and terror echoing through the stone corridors.

As she rounds a corner, she comes upon the first demon tearing into a hapless guard. The creature's claws rip through flesh and bone with sickening ease, the guard's screams abruptly silenced as his body is torn apart. Maple barely registers the gruesome sight as she continues her relentless pursuit.

She reaches a grand, ornately carved door at the end of the corridor, the dark energy within her pulsating with anticipation. With a surge of power, Yui blasts the door open, the wood splintering under the force of her hammer.

////

Long before he became known as Varkos the Sin of Envy, he was simply Varkos, a highly respected mage within the serene kingdom of Malakar. Renowned for his unparalleled knowledge and power, he sought to unlock the deepest secrets of magic, driven by an insatiable curiosity and ambition.

In the prime of his career, Varkos was a beacon of hope and progress for Malakar. His discoveries and innovations in magical theory and practice propelled the kingdom into an era of prosperity and enlightenment. The kingdom's libraries brimmed with tomes of arcane knowledge, many penned by Varkos himself, and young mages traveled from distant lands to study under his tutelage.

However, destiny took a cruel turn. During an ambitious experiment to transcend the limits of mortal magic, Varkos attempted to channel the raw essence of aether—the primordial energy that fuels all magic. The experiment failed catastrophically, resulting in a backlash of volatile energy that crippled his mana veins, the lifelines of a mage's power. Rendered incapable of wielding magic, Varkos fell from grace, his once illustrious reputation tarnished.

Two years later, news reached Varkos that two prodigious sisters had succeeded where he had failed. They had harnessed the very aether he had sought to control, achieving the pinnacle of magical mastery. One of them, Hamarie, was named the Magistrix of Phalsia, the highest honor a mage could attain. The triumph of these sisters, especially Hamarie, who had once been his student, ignited a fire of envy within him, consuming him with despair and bitterness. (A few years later Hamarie became the Sin of Lust and had to pass down the title to her younger sister.)

Desperate to reclaim his former glory, Varkos turned to the forbidden arts, delving into the darkest, most arcane practices. He immersed himself in ancient tomes and grimoires, seeking a way to mend his shattered mana veins and restore his lost power. His quest led him to the legend of a witch who had devised an artifact capable of drawing mana from the emotions of those around it—a forbidden relic that came to be known as the Heart of Malakar.

Varkos toiled relentlessly, driven by a manic obsession to replicate this artifact. He scoured the land for rare ingredients and conducted perilous rituals, disregarding the toll it took on his body and soul. After years of relentless pursuit, he succeeded in crafting a weaker, more unstable version of the Heart of Malakar. Though imperfect, the artifact pulsed with a sinister, otherworldly energy, promising the power he so desperately craved.

However, Varkos knew the artifact was unstable, its power unpredictable and dangerous. He held off using it, hoping to perfect its design. Fate, however, had other plans. The clandestine nature of his experiments could not remain hidden forever. The people of Malakar, once his ardent supporters, discovered his descent into dark magic. Outraged and fearful, they condemned him as a heretic, persecuting him in the same city that had thrived and prospered because of his genius.

In a moment of desperate rage and betrayal, Varkos activated the unstable Heart of Malakar, fusing it with his own body to draw upon the ambient power of the city's people. The overwhelming surge of energy tore his body apart, unable to withstand the artifact's chaotic force. As his physical form disintegrated, Varkos's soul was consumed by an all-encompassing hatred. He loathed those who had what he could not, those who thrived while he suffered, and those who had surpassed him. His heart, once filled with ambition and curiosity, now brimmed with envy.

In response to his profound hatred and despair, a fragment of a primal sin appeared before him, drawn to his dark emotions. The Sin of Envy fused with the Heart of Malakar within his chest, rebirthing Varkos as an entity of malevolent power. His new form transcended mortal limitations, granting him immense magical abilities and a twisted sense of purpose.

As the Sin of Envy, Varkos stood above the laws of the land, a sinister figure feared and reviled by all. He wielded his newfound power with ruthless abandon, conducting gruesome experiments on the very citizens who had once revered him. The city that had once been a beacon of enlightenment became his personal laboratory of horrors, its people reduced to mere test subjects in his quest for ultimate magical supremacy.

Under Varkos's reign, Malakar fell into darkness, its former glory overshadowed by the malevolent presence of the Sin of Envy. The once-esteemed mage had become a cautionary tale of the dangers of unchecked ambition and the corrupting power of envy.

Until today.

////

Sanach watches as the maids go about their duties, each of them moving with refined regality. He knows what they have gone through to refine such grace.

In his madness, Varkos has experimented on almost every being in the city; Sanach is no exception. The butler, who has served Varkos even before his fall, is treated like a common lab rat, pumped full of aethic energy.

A small smile adorns his aged face as he thinks back to his past. 'If only I had been there for you, then perhaps...'

Sanach's thoughts are cut off as the Sin of Envy appears before him, shock written all over his face.

"My lord." Sanach is immediately down on one knee.

Varkos doesn't even pay the butler any attention as he notices the end of his robe is scorched. "Little bitch."

He finally turns to the butler. "Sanach."

"My lord," Sanach responds, keeping his head bowed.

"We have an intruder," Varkos says, his voice a low, dangerous hiss. "One appeared directly in my chambers. If there's one, there could be more."

Sanach looks up, concern etched on his face. "What are your orders, my lord?"

"Activate the full power of the aethic defense matrix," Varkos commands. "No one is to enter or leave this castle without my express permission. Raise the barriers and seal all exits. Ensure that the intruder is found and brought to me alive."

Sanach nods, understanding the gravity of the situation. "At once, my lord."

Varkos steps towards the intricate control panel embedded in the armrest of his throne. His fingers dance over the ancient runes, activating the various layers of the defense matrix. Arcane symbols flare to life, glowing with a malevolent light as the matrix powers up to its maximum capacity.

Throughout the castle, hidden sigils and glyphs respond to Varkos's command, forming an impenetrable web of magical defenses. The walls shimmer with ethereal barriers, while arcane traps arm themselves, ready to ensnare any intruders who dare venture further. The very air seems to hum with a sinister energy, a palpable warning to those who seek to defy the Sin of Envy.

"Sanach," Varkos's voice echoes through the castle, reaching his loyal butler. "Send the sentinels to hunt down the intruder. I want her found and brought to me alive. I will extract the information we need from her mind."

Sanach's voice responds, calm and efficient. "As you command, my lord. The sentinels are on their way."

Varkos's mind races, considering the implications. If one intruder can bypass his defenses, there might be others. He can't afford to underestimate his enemies. His eyes narrow, and his grip tightens on the armrest.

"Sanach, double the patrols and increase surveillance in every corridor," Varkos orders. "I want eyes everywhere. No one is to approach my chambers without my knowledge."

Sanach bows deeply. "It will be done, my lord."

Varkos watches as his butler leaves to carry out his orders, a malevolent grin spreading across his face. The bitch will soon learn the folly of trespassing in his domain.

Then the screaming starts. A few of the maids scurry up the long stairs in pure terror, behind them, the remains of another maid, slowly being consumed by a monstrous creature of demonic origin.

Sanach moves with swift precision, his years of servitude making him efficient in adapting to sudden situations. He immediately draws his sword, appearing above the creature's head. With all his might, he thrusts his sword into the demon's skull, deciding that going for the heart is too dangerous considering it has four arms, his movements breaking the sound barrier.

The demon staggers, dazed from the attack. It only lasts a moment as the demon blurs in its attack, its two upper arms crashing down on the butler.

*Clang* Sanach blurs into action, parrying the strike, the floor trembling.

Only five seconds have passed since the first scream.

With a roar, Sanach charges the demon, which retaliates with a swipe of its tail. Sanach slides underneath the attack, his sword flashing against the demon's heel. A thin white line is the evidence of the attack as the demon folds all four limbs in a hammer strike.

Sanach dodges backward, sliding to a stop. "Incredibly tough."

The corridors of the castle echo with the sound of heavy footsteps as soldiers followed by sentinels, armored in enchanted gear, rush out to attack the demon. These sentinels aren't ordinary soldiers; they are constructs of aethic energy and metal, imbued with the sole purpose of protecting Varkos and his secrets. Their eyes glow with an eerie light as they release beams of destructive energy.

The demon charges through the beams and literally tears through a sentinel in a single leap. It is bombarded the next second, however, as Sanach charges back into the fray, his sword glowing with a purple haze.

Distracted by the multiple lasers, the demon reacts too late as Sanach drives his sword through its mouth, ending the demon's life.

The demon drops down lifelessly, its body dissolving into black mist. The room is enveloped in silence.

Panting, Sanach sheathes his sword as he turns to his charge. "My lord, are you alright?"

Varkos scowls. "That bitch. She summoned a demon. A greater demon, if its high level of power is anything to go by."

Ignoring the trembling maids in the corner of the chamber, he orders, "Bring me the girl. After summoning a demon, she's bound to be exhausted. When I'm through with her, she'll—"

The ground begins trembling once more, and Varkos narrows his eyes. Sanach brings his hand to the floor, feeling the tremors.

His eyes widen, and he immediately retreats to his lord's side. The next moment, the ground bursts open as an indefinite number of the same type of demons he had killed pour out.

In seconds, the sentinels are reduced to scrap metal, the maids screaming in terror.

A blue flame immediately consumes the multitude of demons, razing half of the chamber to cinders as Varkos completes his spell. "Areyies!"

The flames dissipate, revealing the corpses of two demons as they drop down lifelessly. The other demons barely pause for a moment before resuming their hunger-filled charge.

"My lord," Sanach once again draws his sword. "You should retreat. I'll ensure to—" Looking behind him, he realizes that the Sin of Envy has already disappeared.

A small smile graces his aged face for a moment before a demon cleaves his head from his body.