Leaving Nickten... For Now

The man was brought out to a remote part of Nickten easily. He didn't struggle in the face of death. It seemed like Sebastian had been in many tricky situations and knew how to make it out of them. If not, then how would he be so calm?

Drew snapped his fingers and Sebastian fell to the ground with a heavy thump as the Shadow Hands disappeared.

The small rat man struggled to catch his breath after finally being set free, but even when he had the chance to run he didn't.

After catching his breath for a moment he sat up and lowered his head towards Drew.

"What can I do for you, Great Lord," A soft and squeaky voice echoed out from the rat.

"Hmm,"

"First of all... Where is the candle?" Drew said sternly.

"Of course!" Sebastian said, nodding fervently.

"It is right here!" He said as he ruffled through his pockets.

A few seconds passed before a strange murky black stone appeared in his hands.

He narrowed his eyes in concentration before the stone lit up with a mysterious energy. After a few seconds, this light changed into the form of a simple-looking silver candle. The stone remained and the energy slowly dissipated.

"Here is the fabled Candle of The First Light!" He said while handing it to Drew.

'Inspect it,' Drew commanded silently.

[Confirmed]

-

[Candle of The First Light: Legendary Holy Relic:]

Origin Faith: Faith of Bram, The All-Maker

Composition: Holy Steel, Light Thread Silver, and Holy Magic.

Abilities: Legendary Banishment and Warding Relic. Allows the user to banish most creatures from foreign planes of existence by lighting the candle and channeling light magic into it. Using the Warding property will allow the user to create a temporary hallowed ground.

-

'It seems like he isn't lying...' Drew thought with a frown.

He picked up the candle and put it away in his bag before moving on with his task.

"What's that stone you have there?" Drew asked curiously.

"It's a spacial stone, Lord!" Sebastian said hurriedly.

"It has the ability to store items within it... It is a very rare item..." He continued slyly.

Drew gave a sad look at the pitiful man in front of him and shook his head gently.

"I see,"

"I will not be the one to decide your fate scum," Drew moved on.

"I will give you to the church and they will decide what a person like you should suffer through for your sins,"

Sebastian remained still and silent at Drew's words.

"But I have some questions,"

"You work for the Seven... Tell me more about them," He said shortly.

Sebastian tensed at those words and he seemed to be going under an internal crisis as his body spasmed lightly.

"Master... I don't know what you mean..." He said through gritted teeth.

"You aren't in the position to lie," Drew said with a frown as he loosened his time spell a little to bring back the pain the Rat was feeling moments before.

Sebastian fell to the ground in pain and began to whimper in fear.

"I'll tell! I'll tell!"

Drew maintained his frown before reinstating the magic to stop the blood flow and pain.

"Then speak,"

Sebastian took a moment to compose himself before hurriedly explaining all he knew.

"The Seven... Are a group of people who want to become Demons,"

"They are very powerful and all have at least stepped onto the path of becoming a Demon,"

"I work for the man in the Seven known as 'Pheast',"

"Pheast is a Giant who has begun developing skills based on hunger, starvation, and gluttony,"

"I'm one of his minor underlings who are testing out an experiment for him," He finished before going silent.

'Gluttony...' Drew thought as his brows creased.

"So his experiment tested Addiction and if it was underneath his domain?" He asked hesitantly.

Sebastian nodded slightly, seemingly afraid of something.

"Hunger..."

"Addiction could be placed under it I suppose," Drew thought aloud.

"An unending desire for something... to hunger for something..."

"Hmm,"

"Is there anyone else doing what you are doing?"

Sebastian hesitated for a moment before shaking his head decisively.

"You know the consequences of lying to me," Drew said as his face tensed.

"There is truly no one who does what I do, Lord!"

"The others are dabbling in famon!

"Famon?" Drew perked up.

"Yes, Famon!"

"Some of the lesser islands to the east of Lyre are suffering from a drought that Great Lord Pheast imposed on them with his unique skill 'Endless Pheast',"

"This group called the Seven... They seem dangerous," Drew muttered at Sebastian's words.

"Very, Master!"

"If you spare my pitiful life I can serve you and help you avoid the calamities that they may bring your way!" Sebastian said with a sly twinkle in his eye.

"Hmm," Drew murmured as he was lost in thought.

'7 people who are trying to turn into demons... At first, there were only 9 demons but it seems like they may be more common than I first thought,'

'System, what information do you currently have on Demons?' Drew asked hesitantly.

[The information that the System has on Demons is lacking]

[The only confirmed information are the names and titles of the 9 current Demon Lords]

'Would you mind listing them?'

[The System's purpose is to serve its user, I will never mind helping my master]

The System seemed more attached to Drew than before and though it wasn't too noticeable, Drew still felt a small sense of unease from the System's words.

---

[Current Demon Lords of Lune]:

-

[Kingston]: Tyrant of The Underworld

Cause of Transformation: It is said that Kingston attempted to create his own minor plane of existence to torture the souls of his enemies. During this process, he supposedly turned into a Demon and turned his minor plane into a full-blown Dimension now known as Hell.

Known Information: Is the current ruler of hell and is the original creator of the [Hellfire] and [Punisher] Demon Skill Trees. Unique skills are thought to be [Sinner's Worst Fear] and [Eternal Anguish]. It is thought that Kingston was originally from the Royal Human Race before he became a Demon.

-

[Merlin]: Keeper of Secrets and Lord of Magical Affinities

Cause of Transformation: Unknown.

Known Information: Merlin was originally a pure-blooded Elf. He is the original creator of the [Memory Manipulation] and [Potential Thief] Demon Skill Trees. Nothing else is known of Merlin.

-

[Gyrus]: Hoarder of Weapons

Cause of Transformation: It is said that he killed a champion of the god of war and consumed its holy essence, causing him to transcend mortal limits and become a Demon.

Known Information: Gyrus was originally a Dwarven Smith. His recent actions and location are unknown. He is the original creator of the [Martial Adaptation] and [Mortal Martial God] Demon Skill Trees. His Unique Demon Skill is thought to be [Demon of War].

-

[Tibble]: Beast Lord

Cause of Transformation: Unknown

Known Information: Tibble's Original Race, Sex, and Appearance are unknown. They are the Original Creator of the [Beast Master], [Shephard], and [Feral One] Demon Skill Trees. Their Unique Demon Skill is thought to be [Beast Soul].

-

[Ebbe]: Enchantment Breaker

Cause of Transformation: She broke the seal that locked a Demon Lord's spirit away, causing her to be possessed by the spirit creating a new Demon Lord.

Known Information: Ebbe's Original Race was a subrace of The Warrens. She was a renowned enchantress and never backed down from a challenge, this character trait inevitably led to her downfall. She is the original creator of the [Aura Block] and [Magic Disruption] Demon Skill Trees.

-

[Borus]: Keeper of Souls

Cause of Transformation: Unknown

Known Information: Unknown

-

[Cordus]: Curse Lord

Cause of Transformation: He absorbed all of the 99 curses placed upon the Dragon Race and became corrupted because of this.

Known Information: Cordus was a renowned member of the Dragon Race. Though he is a Demon Lord, Dragons still worship him in modern times for his sacrifice. He is the original creator of the [True Curse], [Cursed Blessing], and [Pact Magic] Demon Skill Trees. His Unique Demon Skills are thought to be [The Cursed One] and [Broken Dragon].

-

[Lyrin]: The Murderer

Cause of Transformation: Lyrin Killed one of his siblings and became the first murderer in all of existence.

Known Information: He is the Ex-God of Life. He is the twin brother of Oleander, Goddess of Death. He killed his brother, the God of Mortals and Emotions. He is the creator of most Rogue and Assassin skill trees. He is the Second Oldest Demon. His Unique Skills are Unknown. He is the only member of The God Race who has turned into a Demon.

-

[Marx]: Timekeeper

Cause of Transformation: Unknown. It is rumored that he is a being older than almost all of the other gods and is the original demon.

Known Information: Not much is known about Marx. He does no evil like other Demons and seems to be a being similar to Bram. He does not interfere with his sibling's affairs unless they cross the line. He is the only Demon to never pass down his magic or skills, he also has never given a Mortal his Blessings or made one his Champion.

---

'That's a lot...' Drew thought as he scanned the list hurriedly.

'Hmm... They don't seem to be directly correlated with the 7 sins like Sebastian's group is,'

'These Demons also seem to be massive powerhouses in the world,'

'Though the System lists them as Demon Lords and not just Demons...'

'Is there a difference?' Drew pondered before deciding it was time to move on.

"So you want to become my spy?" He asked the shifter in front of him.

The rat's face that was prominent before was slowly shifting into the appearance of a weasel. Sebastian's actual form didn't seem to be concrete and changed at random which didn't make much sense.

"Not just a Spy, Master!"

"I will be your most loyal subject!"

"My existence will be dedicated to serving you!" Sebastian cried with praise and desperation.

Drew smirked at the man and observed him closely.

"It's a shame really," Drew said as he shook his head in mock regret.

"W-what is Lord?" Sebastian said while shrinking away.

"You may have been of some help if I had the means. But even if I had the ability to force you to submit I wouldn't," Drew tutted.

"What you did to the people of Nickten and maybe others is unforgivable,"

"You are a monster among men,"

"Scum," Drew said grimly.

Sebastian had already begun to try and run away while taking a deep breath to release a cry for help but was stopped as a dozen black hands restrained him and knocked him unconscious.

'This skill is really useful,' Drew thought as the Dark Hands did his bidding.

-

It was easy to get into the Church the second time. Not many people patrolled the grounds at night and it was almost vacant. The few guards who patrolled the area were easy to deal with and didn't pose a threat to Drew.

'If I had to guess... He should be in that place again,'

He made his way up the familiar stairs to a glass dome that revealed the stars of Lune in all their glory.

'Heaven's Glass,' Drew whispered to himself while staring at the amazing sight that was splayed out before him.

[The System wants permission to do an in-depth scan of the surrounding area]

[Allow?]

'Sure,' Drew answered absentmindedly.

He felt his eyes wander among the stars before a heavy hand laid itself on his shoulder, scaring the living shit out of Drew.

He jolted and readied his Scythes before he even finished releasing his breath.

He turned around and prepared himself for battle, but instead of combatants seeking to fight him, there was only Atun's smiling face that greeted him.

"You look like you have aged many years since the last time we spoke," The old voice rolled over Drew like a refreshing stream.

"It's been... Stressful," Drew said tensely, lowering his Scythes but not putting them away.

"I've heard," Atun said with a nod of acknowledgment.

The two stood in silence for a few minutes. Though Atun looked calm, he was secretly just as tense as Drew. Even his eyes had a trace of red to them from a lack of sleep and anxiety.

"You look like you have aged as well Old Man,"

Atun chuckled lightly but remained silent otherwise.

"I have the Candle and Sebastian," Drew skipped formalities.

The worn-out old man nodded slightly but his eyes remained stuck to the stars above them.

"Good..." Atun trailed off weakly.

"Are you alright Atun?" Drew asked as he stepped forward.

The Priest raised his hand to stop Drew but didn't even make eye contact as he did so.

"I thought I could help you, Drew..."

"If you gave me the Candle everything would be right..."

"I can't believe how foolish I was," Atun said bitterly, lowering his head in shame.

An invisible sense of danger began to fill Drew as he realized that something BAD was coming.

"I'm sorry... Drew... I really am," The old man said, raising his head to stare into Drew's eyes one last time.

[Danger! A High Threat Level Individual has been found within the Host's direct vicinity]

And as they made Eye contact and the system notification rang out, a giant blade of light tore through the glass above them, causing an explosion of sharp blades to rain down upon them.

"You!" A deep and righteous voice echoed out angrily.

"You finally came!" It continued as a figure slowly began to appear through the haze of dust that was kicked up from the attack.