Even amidst that, the flames of purification turned into hundreds of thread snakes, piercing through Tenua.
“Aaack! Kuaaaack!”
Tenua screamed, trying to shake off the flames, but it was futile.
Instead, the skin that touched the flames only dried up like a mummy.
It was the disappearance of the dark power that had revived the corpse that caused this to happen.
That’s what the ‘flames of purification’ were.
Long ago, a great disaster struck the peaceful human world.
The magical beasts, which were no different from wild animals until then, suddenly took over the world.
It was because there was a problem with the darkness that balanced the world.
Humans could only be helpless against the magical beasts that darkness spewed out.
Fortunately, the transcendents who helped humans created the flames of purification after great sacrifices.
The magical beasts born from darkness perished under the white flames.
That’s why the magical beasts obeyed the saint.
Although the flames of purification had disappeared long ago, they recognized the owner of the power that had burnt them in the ancient past.
“Aaaack! Please, stop!”
“You bastard, enjoy the pain, why don’t you? How many times have I told you I have no intention of killing you easily?”
It was inevitable. Banessa had something he absolutely had to do.
Specifically, to repay Tenua in kind for what he had done to Leticia.
“What did you say you did to Her Highness earlier?”
“Kuaaaack!”
“You said you grabbed Her Highness by the hair, right?”
“Hu, ugh, heuk.”
“And then, you stepped on Her Highness’s hand, didn’t you?”
Looking into the eyes brimming with murderous intent, Tenua wished he could turn back time.
To take back all the mocking words he had said to Banessa.
Of course, that was impossible. Banessa bared his teeth and laughed ferociously.
“I’m tearfully grateful you told me everything you did to Her, you filthy fake.”
“Kuk, kkeuk!”
Banessa slammed Tenua onto the floor, frothing at the mouth.
“Kerhack!”
A terrible shock hit Tenua’s whole body.
Yet, he couldn’t just stay still.
Tenua instinctively started to crawl away on the floor, trying to escape.
Banessa deliberately waited until Tenua was far enough away before striding towards him. Then, just as Tenua had done to Leticia, he grabbed his hair.
“Did you think you could escape from me?”
It wasn’t easy to forcefully grab short hair, but he clenched his fingers tightly.
“Kuk!”
“What was next? It was the hand, right?”
After whispering softly, he stepped firmly on the back of Tenua’s struggling hand.
Then, he gritted her teeth and exerted force.
Shortly after, accompanied by a chilling sound, Tenua screamed in agony.
“Aaaack!”
The more Banessa watched, the more his eyes twisted.
He was clearly seeking revenge, yet he felt increasingly dirtied by it.
“Wow, I’m going insane. You dared to do such a dog-like thing to Her?”
Tenua had said that Leticia ‘couldn’t’ even scream.
But as soon as Banessa heard that, he realized the truth.
Leticia hadn’t been unable to scream; she had mustered all her strength to hold it in.
That realization made Banessa even more furious.
His master was already in poor health due to severe mistreatment.
Imagining the kind of resolve it took to endure such pain that even a strong man would struggle with, Banessa completely lost his reason.
“The empire used a whip, didn’t they?”
Banessa looked around with a cruel smile.
“What could I use instead of a whip?”
“Stop, please! I’ll do anything to live!”
“Fine. I’ll let you live. Don’t worry, okay? Didn’t I say? I’ll keep you alive until I’ve repaid you in full for what you’ve done.”
Fear filled Tenua’s eyes as he looked at the smirking Banessa. He had never seen such a crazed human before.
‘This madman is serious!’
The promise to repay Leticia for everything was not an empty threat.
He planned to torment Tenua by any means necessary, ensuring he could not escape the pain until his last breath.
Unable to overcome his fear, Tenua screamed.
“Just kill me!”
“What?”
“Don’t torture me, just kill me!”
“Ha, have I gone mad? Why would I miss this perfect opportunity?”
Right at that moment.
Doo-woong doo-woong doo-woong.
The drums sounded.
Banessa, who had been searching for a substitute for the whip, paused and looked up.
“What’s this?”
Although he wasn’t exactly sure about Heden’s warning system, something was definitely happening.
Three short drums indicated an attack by magical beasts, and two long drums meant the appearance of flying magical beasts.
He had rushed out of the lodgings with Julia after hearing the drum sounds, seeking Leticia.
“Could it be, another magical beast has appeared?”
Tenua, who had been crouching and trembling, flinched at those words and then shouted out.
“Yes, that’s right! A magical beast has appeared! Valenos has appeared!”
“Valenos?”
Banessa’s eyes widened. Valenos, the demon of the desert.
Although a mid-level demon, in the dry lands of the desert, it wielded power almost equivalent to a high-level beast. Since the desert stretched up to the gates of Heden, Valenos could unleash its full strength there. If Valenos truly had appeared, it would be a disaster.
“How do you know Valenos has appeared? Are you trying to get yourself killed quicker by playing tricks?”
“I released Valenos!”
“What?”
“I released Valenos! Soon, Valenos will attack the city gates!”
The one who had given Valenos to Tenua was ‘He’ who had revived Tenua.
One of the Valenoses captured long ago by Ahwin had been handed over to Tenua. Since Ahwin had one, the one stored by Josephina had been stolen.
“You insane bastard! You released Valenos in someone else’s country? Do you really want to die by my hand?”
“Yes! I want to die! So kill me now! And hurry up and leave! You need to stop Valenos!”
Under normal circumstances, Tenua would never have said such things.
But the terrible pain had numbed his reason.
Each time the white flames pierced his body, he felt as if his entire body was being thinly sliced. He thought it better to die than continue enduring such agony.
“Don’t dream! I told you clearly! I won’t let you die easily!”
“Ha ha ha! Then do as you please! While you take your revenge on me, all your comrades will be falling dead!”
“This bastard, for real!”
Banessa was enraged to his core. Yet, he couldn’t deny Tenua’s words. While wasting time here, his comrades would have to fight Valenos.
As much as he loathed the idea of killing Tenua easily, the safety of his comrades was more important.
Grinding his teeth, Banessa slammed Tenua to the ground. He then picked up a sword that had fallen to the floor and spat out his words.
“Don’t think you’ll rest in peace just because you’re dead. I’ll chase you to the ends of hell. When we meet in hell, I’ll show you an even greater hell.”
“Yes! Let’s meet in hell. In hell, you’ll become like me! I’ll repay you for all the humiliation I received today! Puahaha!”
Tenua laughed like a madman.
It was then, as Banessa gritted his teeth and raised his sword high.
Your longing has reached your master.
Banessa flinched. It was the same voice that had granted him power earlier.
Because of that existence, he had also come to know that Leticia was alive.
Your power has become that child’s.
Banessa’s eyes widened. My power has become Her Highness’s?
From this moment, your master can wield the flames of purification.
Banessa’s eyes went wide.
Leticia can now use the flames of purification.
Which meant.
‘Her Highness can handle the magical beasts.’
As if to prove that thought, the last voice was heard.
The despicable darkness will all kneel and worship before your master.
The whole world will bless my child’s new emergence.
The despicable darkness.
A nickname for the magical beasts born from darkness.
In other words, Banessa did not need to move to eliminate Valenos.
A thrill surged through him from head to toe.
‘So, I can keep tormenting this bastard?’
Unaware of everything, Tenua kept screaming.
“Kill me! Just kill me!”
“No. I won’t kill you.”
Banessa turned around with a bright smile, as white flames flickered along the blade like a whip.
“I’m going to keep playing with you.”
Tenua flinched.
“What, what did you say?”
“I can keep playing with you. My master will take care of everything!”
Banessa smirked.
“So, enjoy the pain. Got it?”
* * *
Doo-woong doo-woong doo-woong.
Leticia blinked in confusion.
‘What’s happening?’
When the long drum sounded twice, it indicated the appearance of flying-type magical beasts.
But just now, the drum had sounded three times.
‘Could it be, a stronger magical beast has appeared?’
Leticia quickly placed the white flame on the bed and headed towards the window.
She wanted to check the atmosphere towards the fortress.
‘I can’t see anything from here.’
She could only see the flying-type magical beasts under the blue sky.
Leticia bit her lip hard.
‘Dietrian is at the fortress.’
Just the thought of him facing dangerous beasts made her heart sink.
‘But I also need to stop Tenua.’
Tenua and the beasts.
Which should she go to?
Leticia paused amidst her anxious deliberation.
‘Wait. Is Tenua still in Heden?’
It was unlikely that Tenua had let her off easily.
‘How did I end up lying in a hospital?’
Where had Tenua gone, and who had helped her? There was only one way to solve these questions.
“Excuse me. Could you wake up for a moment, please? Excuse me!”
“Drrrung. Kherh.”
Regrettably, the doctor and the merchant, snoring away, were not about to wake up any time soon.
It seemed unlikely they would wake up easily.
Feeling frustrated, Leticia made a decision.
‘I have to move.’
It was time to stop pondering useless things and act.
That’s when she heard Julia’s voice outside the door.
“I’m heading to the fortress right now. Please take care of Her Highness. If the situation worsens even slightly, send someone to the fortress immediately.”
“Sir, you must not go. You need to rest! Think of your injuries!”
“This is not the time for rest. A superior magical beast has invaded!”
“Even so, you need to rest. How can you go out in such a dangerous condition!”
“Is it safe here? Just a moment ago, a flying-type beast almost broke into the hospital!”
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