Chapter 362: The Devildom (3)

Eugene used the Draconic spell many more times afterward but to no avail.

The first time he used the locating spell, he had heard muffled screams and sobbing, followed by a final thud.

Would things be different when they neared the Solgalta Sea, closer to Agaroth's holy grounds?

Eugene couldn't rely solely on hope. The revelation from Agaroth and the memories seen through the ring spoke of times long past, a period before Eugene or Hamel existed; it spoke of the time known as the Age of Legends.

He was curious about its true nature. Yet, with his curiosity came an undeniable fear, for the revelation and memories he had seen were harrowing.

He had witnessed endless mountains of corpses, waves that engulfed everything, and a world swallowed by mist, turning it pale and distant. To Eugene, that spectacle seemed like the end of something grand — perhaps a city, possibly a nation, or maybe even an era. Such things were beyond his comprehension.

Three centuries ago, Vermouth and his comrades battled the Demon Kings. But what if they had not confronted them then? What if they had failed to defeat the Demon Kings? What might have become of this age?

It wasn't clear why the Demon Kings had invaded the continent. Eugene didn't know their intentions. However, Eugene could not help but think that the Demon Kings never desired to end everything.

The Demon Kings had not wished to annihilate humanity and erase civilizations, just as Eugene had seen in the vision.

To Eugene, the Demon Kings of three hundred years ago were meticulous and cruel conquerors. They might have been slayers, but they didn't blindly massacre all humans. The corrupted were taken under their wing, and the prisoners were tempted with corruption.

Only one among the five Demon Kings sought to extinguish human life mindlessly.

Snap!

"Argh!" Eugene grimaced in pain. He had desperately tried to peer backward with the Draconic spell, but the magic had been forcibly severed. Rubbing his temples, he glared at Agaroth's Ring.

"Sir Eugene, are you alright?" Mer had been anxiously watching from the side and now rushed over at Eugene's cry.

Mer's magical formula was connected to Akasha. Hence, she could feel the strain placed on both Eugene and Akasha from the repetitive casting of the Draconic spell.

"I'm fine," Eugene grunted.

"I think that's enough for today. Truly. If you don't do as I say, I'll be really upset," Mer said adamantly.

Such magic strained the mind immensely. And if abruptly severed, the resulting backlash would not end at the mere straining of the mind. Were it not for the uniqueness of Akasha and Eugene, any other wizard would've passed out from the backlash of the disrupted magic.

"I got it," said Eugene. No matter how stubbornly he tried, nothing more was revealed to him. Hence, Eugene had no choice but to relent.

They would enter the Solgalta Sea by the morrow if all went as planned. Then perhaps there, he might see or hear something different.

'Perhaps a new revelation awaits,' Eugene thought hopefully.

One thing to be wary of was the nature of the Solgalta Sea, as it would be impossible to wield magic in there. Sienna had confidently boasted that it wouldn't be an issue for her, but that remained to be seen. They couldn't know for sure until they arrived. There was a possibility that they might even lose the magic that propelled their fleet. In that case, they'd have to rely on the old-fashioned method, with sailors rowing diligently to navigate.

In fact, Sienna had been preparing for that very issue, albeit she mentioned it with an air of implausibility. Even now, she had gone to meet with Maise to strengthen the enchantments cast on the fleet.

"Why not take a stroll for a change of mood? You can walk the decks with me and look at the sea," Mer suggested.

"Do you think I've lost my mind?" questioned Eugene.

"Hmm, I understand your hesitations, Sir Eugene. To leave this room, you must give up being Sir Eugene and become Yuri. I personally would like to see more of Sir Eugene as Yuri, but I wouldn't pressure you into becoming Yuri if you loathe the idea."

Why was she mentioning that name so frequently? Eugene furrowed his brows, shooting Mer a stern look.

"Mer-Mer-Mer-Merdein, stop provoking me with pointless words," said Eugene.

"I am not Mer-Mer, Miss Yuri," retorted Mer.

"Are you asking for a scolding?" Eugene asked sternly.

"Oops, my mistake. Sir Eugene, you are just Sir Eugene and not Miss Yuri," Mer placated Eugene's hurt ego.

Then, with a giggle, she nestled into Eugene's embrace. In response, Eugene opened his cloak to accommodate her.

"You must be getting quite bored," said Eugene.

"Of course, you barely step outside. Lady Sienna is always busy, and Lady Ciel is occupied with training. Even Rai is preoccupied assisting the midget," Mer complained with a pout.

"Midget? I told you not to use that word!" Eugene scolded.

"What else would I call the short-legged dwarves if not midget? Hmm, well, I apologize. It's wrong of me to mock them based on their racial features. While it's true that Gondor is a midget, if we consider the average height of dwarves, he can be considered tall."

Was Mer trying to emulate Sienna or simply provoke a reaction from Eugene? Either way, it wasn't a conversation for public consumption.

Tutting, Eugene pinched Mer's cheek.

"And uh, I can't go over there," Mer mumbled, one cheek still squeezed.

Eugene turned to see across the room. He could see Kristina sitting amidst a circle of light. Every time she whispered a prayer, the rosary resonated with a glow that then concentrated into a needle-like form.

Eugene studied Kristina's expression and nodded slightly, "Alright, stay there quietly and don't dis—"

Suddenly, his own voice seemed distant. No, it wasn't just his voice. His very presence in the room felt remote.

It was as if his consciousness had separated from his senses and body. There was a strange sensation as if his spirit was being yanked away.

No, it wasn't just a feeling because he saw himself seated with his hand inside the cloak. He also saw Kristina in the center of the circle of light and an overlapping figure of Anise with her.

The scene receded, and Eugene's consciousness soared higher.

The training deck revealed Carmen, Ciel, and Dezra. Busy crew members bustled about. Eugene's spirit kept ascending even higher, eventually reaching a height where he could gaze down upon the entire fleet and survey the distant sea.

He could see a dark mist approaching from the distance.

Back in the training arena, Mer peeked out from under the cloak and called out, "Sir Eugene?" She tilted her head in confusion. Even though she couldn't know what Eugene was experiencing, she realized something was amiss by Eugene's vacant gaze and slumped posture.

Mer swiftly drew her arm from beneath the cloak and grasped Eugene.

"Ugh...!" His consciousness ceased its flight and returned to the realm of the physical. Startled, Eugene rose abruptly.

What had he just experienced? Astral projection? Suddenly? Was it a vision from Agaroth? The situation eluded his understanding. Yet, the scenery he'd just witnessed was vivid in his throbbing mind: the mist advancing from the distant sea.

Could it truly be called mist? It wasn't faint but dark. It was different from the mists seen in memories of Agaroth. Yet, unlike the mist from the vision, this mist was approaching at this very moment.

"Ugh!" Eugene groaned as he could not think straight. Suddenly, Kristina, who was channeling divine power at the center of the circle of light, coughed up blood. She clutched her mouth, and a river of dark crimson flowed from between her fingers.

"Kristina?!" Eugene exclaimed, alarmed, before approaching her.

Even as she bled, shock and confusion filled her eyes. She couldn't comprehend the sudden affliction.

[This is....] Anise's voice echoed out in her mind.

This was a blow that didn't just sever the bond of souls but also corrupted the very essence of the Saint. Kristina might've been unfamiliar with such sensations, but Anise was no stranger to them.

"Ah...!" Soon, realization dawned on Kristina as well. The sensation she felt now mirrored the descent of the Demon King of Incarceration. However, she hadn't bled then....

[It's due to the difference in intent.] Anise spoke with evident hostility. [Back then, the Demon King of Incarceration descended without a trace of hostility. But now, it's different. I don't know who it is, but this presence is like that of a Demon King armed with both hostility and madness.]

Kristina hurriedly stretched out her hand to Eugene. She struggled to speak due to her pain, but her intention was clear: They needed to get out.

Eugene understood her message, and he turned around with a grimace.

He needed to hide his identity. He needed to disguise himself as a girl. He might be mocked for the rest of his life. Such thoughts did not come to him this time as it was all unimportant. What Eugene needed to do now was to quickly assess the situation and prepare for combat.

Bang!

The door flew open with incredible force, and many gazes met Eugene's, filled with surprise and confusion. They wondered why a man emerged from the cabin, where only the women of Lionheart stayed. No one had seen such a man aboard the ship in the fortnight since departure.

'Eugene?' Not far off, Ciel, who had been practicing in the training grounds, stared in disbelief.

Why would he emerge when he'd been so reluctant?

Ciel paused, trying to figure out the best way to handle the situation. Dezra had the same thought.

For the honor of Eugene and the Lionheart family, it was paramount that none discovered he had once disguised himself as a maiden. Was a greater scandal required to bury a shameful one? Should she dance proudly before all to distract them from the truth? Dezra could not help but ponder upon these quandaries deep in her heart.

Carmen wasn't allowed the opportunity to be taken aback.

A sudden noise caused her to turn toward Eugene swiftly. Thoughts raced in her mind, and she prepared to speak, yet before she could, Carmen's honed senses and instincts were put into action. Her heart skipped a beat, and her usually pale face drained of color, leaving her a ghastly white.

'What is this?' she thought, aghast.

She had felt hostility many times and faced peril and even madness. But none of these emotions ever truly instilled fear within Carmen Lionheart. This time, however, it was different. She couldn't identify the source of her fear nor understand its origins.

This uncertainty only heightened her terror. The unknown had a way of ensnaring one's spirit. Her breathing quickened, and her fists started trembling uncontrollably. At that moment, Carmen's misfortune was that she was insurmountably stronger than anyone else on the ship. Those incapable of sensing whatever was coming would only realize the depths of their terror when they were finally confronted with it. But Carmen had reached a level where she could sense it without seeing it.

'No,' she chided herself.

She could not afford to waver now. She forced herself not to fall into panic. Trying to get a grip on the situation, she shifted her gaze and saw Eugene leaping towards the mast.

"By the gods!" exclaimed the lookout atop the mast, though his exclamation was disregarded. Even from this high vantage point, the view was obscured.

Eugene continued upwards and soared into the sky, reaching a height similar to the one he had attained when he was separated from his body.

Only then did the sight become clear. A dark mist was approaching from afar. The color of the sea changed as it was tainted by the hue of the fog, and through the undulating waves, a blood-red shade was spreading.

The color-shifted sea began to boil. Creatures of the sea started to float upwards. Fish of all kinds met their end and filled the sea's surface.

Gigantic sharks, even larger whales, and monsters of the sea — creatures as large as ships — died without a chance to escape. Their deaths blocked the path of the fleet, halting the voyage.

The haunting and ominous phenomena spread fear among all those aboard the ships. The magic propelling the fleet came to a stop. Sienna Merdein would surely have sensed it. Acting on her intuition that they needed to halt, she had brought the fleet to a stop. Grinding her teeth in frustration, she took to the skies.

"Eugene?" Sienna saw Eugene when she ascended into the sky. But as Sienna approached him, she felt a spine-chilling sensation and instinctively looked behind and saw the blood-red sea.

The salty scent of the sea was replaced by the stench of blood and rot. Dark dust-like particles, appearing out of nowhere, buzzed in the air like insects. The encroaching fog surged upward, obscuring the sun and darkening the sky.

The boiling sea appeared as if filled with ancient blood. The foul odor clouded everyone's senses.

The floating dust soon transformed into actual insects. The incessant buzzing of countless insect wings muddled everyone's minds further.

A singular thought emerged in the minds of everyone on the fleet as they beheld the now-transformed sea: the Devildom.