Chapter 94: The Prison Beneath the Castle

The battle had already begun.

By the time Rin managed to understand what was happening, the entire castle had become a battlefield.

Kaelith stood several meters ahead of him, his red eyes fixed on the fallen god.

Dark magic erupted around him like a storm. Black flames twisted through the air, forming enormous arcs of energy before crashing toward the god.

The fallen god raised one hand. A golden barrier appeared.

BOOM!

The collision shook the entire castle. Rin stumbled backward.

"Kaelith!"

"I’m fine!"

Kaelith didn’t even look back. Another wave of darkness surged from his body.

At the same time, Sol disappeared completely from Rin’s sight. But Rin could still hear him.

"LEFT!"

Kaelith immediately moved. A blade of golden light sliced through the space where he had been standing only a second earlier.

Sol’s voice echoed through the chamber.

"Behind you!"

Kaelith turned. Wind exploded across the room. Sol’s magic collided with the fallen god’s attack and redirected it toward the ceiling.

The castle trembled. Rin stared at them.

They’re actually fighting him together.

Kaelith’s darkness. Sol’s wind. The fallen god’s divine power.

Three completely different forces collided again and again, turning the enormous hall into chaos.

Rin instinctively stepped backward. He needed to stay out of their way. That was the only thing he could do.

Then—

CRACK.

Rin froze. He looked down. A thin fracture had appeared beneath his feet.

"...Oh."

Another crack spread across the floor.

"That’s probably bad."

The System appeared beside him.

[HOST.]

Rin swallowed.

"Yes?"

[YES.]

"That wasn’t helpful."

[THE FLOOR IS COLLAPSING.]

"I noticed!"

The entire stone floor suddenly shook. Kaelith turned his head.

"Rin!"

"I’M FINE!"

CRACK!

The floor gave way. Rin’s eyes widened.

"Wait—!"

He dropped.

"KAELITH!"

His hand reached upward. For a split second, he saw Kaelith rushing toward him.

But the fallen god attacked again. Kaelith had no choice. He turned and blocked the attack.

Sol immediately sent a massive gust of wind between them.

"RIN!"

"I’M FALLING!"

"That was obvious!"

"SOL!"

The floor completely collapsed. Rin disappeared into darkness. He fell for what felt like an eternity.

Wind rushed past his ears. Stone and dust surrounded him.

"WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME?!"

The System floated beside him.

[HOST.]

"What?!"

[I RECOMMEND NOT PANICKING.]

"I’M FALLING THROUGH A CASTLE!"

[PANICKING WILL NOT ALTER THE TRAJECTORY.]

"That is the least comforting thing you’ve ever said!"

A second later—

THUD!

Rin landed on something surprisingly soft. He groaned.

"Ow..."

He opened his eyes. Silence. No Kaelith. No Sol.

Rin slowly sat up.

"...Where am I?"

The System flickered.

[UNKNOWN LOCATION.]

Rin sighed.

"Of course."

He looked around. He had fallen into some kind of underground corridor. Old stone walls surrounded him.

The air was cold. There were no torches, but faint blue crystals embedded in the walls gave off enough light to see.

Rin stood carefully. His clothes were covered in dust.

"Kaelith is going to kill me."

The System appeared again.

[CORRECTION: KAELITH IS MORE LIKELY TO BE RELIEVED.]

Rin paused.

"...You think?"

[PROBABILITY: 94.7%.]

Rin smiled faintly.

"Good."

Then he looked ahead. A corridor stretched into the darkness. Something about it felt wrong.

Too quiet. Too old. Rin began walking. His footsteps echoed through the stone passage.

One step. Then another. The deeper he went, the colder it became.

Eventually, he noticed something carved into the wall. A symbol.

Rin stopped. He recognized it. It was the same symbol he had seen throughout the castle.

"The fallen god..."

The System flickered.

[NO MATCH FOUND.]

Rin frowned.

"You don’t recognize it?"

[I RECOGNIZE THE ENERGY.]

"What is it?"

The System remained silent.

"System?"

[...RESTRICTED.]

Rin sighed.

"What?"

He continued walking. Then he heard something.

Clink.

Rin stopped. Another sound.

Clink.

Metal.

Chains.

His expression changed.

"Hello?"

Nothing. Rin slowly walked forward.

The corridor opened into a massive underground chamber. Rows of iron doors lined the walls.

Some were broken. Some were empty. Others were sealed. Rin stared.

"A prison?"

The System appeared.

[MAGICAL BINDING DETECTED.]

Rin’s stomach tightened. He walked deeper into the chamber. Most of the cells were empty.

But then—

He saw one. At the very end. A figure was sitting inside.

Long blond hair fell over his face. Heavy chains surrounded his wrists. Rin stopped breathing.

"No..."

He stepped closer. The man slowly raised his head.

His face was pale. His eyes were tired.

But there was something unmistakable about him. Something Rin had heard about. Something that should not have been here.

"Are you...Lucien?"

The man froze. For several seconds, neither of them spoke. Then Lucien’s eyes widened.

"Rin?"

Rin’s heart dropped.

He knows me.

He moved closer to the bars.

"You know me?"

Lucien stared at him. Not with confusion. Not with surprise. With something much heavier.

Recognition.

"You shouldn’t be here."

Rin swallowed.

"Neither should you."

Lucien gave a weak laugh.

"I suppose we’re both unfortunate."

Rin looked at the chains.

"What happened?"

Lucien didn’t answer. Instead, he looked toward the ceiling. Far above them, another explosion shook the castle.

BOOM!

Dust fell from the ceiling. Rin immediately looked upward.

"Kaelith..."

Lucien’s expression changed.

"He’s here?"

"Yes."

"And Sol?"

"Yes."

Lucien closed his eyes. For the first time, genuine relief appeared on his face.

"They came."

Rin frowned.

"You really know them?"

Lucien looked back at him.

"I fought beside them a very long time ago."

Rin stepped closer.

"Then we’ll get you out."

Lucien shook his head.

"You can’t."

"Why?"

"Because these chains aren’t ordinary."

Rin examined them. They were dark metal covered in strange golden symbols.

"They’re divine?"

"Yes."

"Then we will break them."

Lucien almost smiled.

"You sound like Kaelith."

Rin crossed his arms.

"I’ll take that as a compliment."

"It wasn’t."

"Still taking it."

Lucien laughed quietly. Then his expression became serious.

"Rin."

"Yes?"

"You need to leave."

Rin frowned.

"No."

"You don’t understand."

"I’ve heard that one before."

"This place isn’t simply a prison."

Rin’s smile disappeared.

"What is it?"

Lucien looked into the darkness behind him.

"The castle is only the surface."

A cold feeling ran down Rin’s spine. Lucien continued.

"This entire underground structure was built long before the fallen god took control."

"For what?"

"To contain beings that couldn’t be killed."

Rin stared at him.

"...And you’re one of them?"

Lucien’s silence was answer enough. Another explosion shook the ceiling.

This one was stronger. Kaelith’s magic. Sol’s wind.

The battle was still continuing above them. Rin looked upward. Then back at Lucien.

"Don’t worry."

Lucien raised an eyebrow.

"About what?"

"Kaelith and Sol."

Rin smiled.

"They’re not losing."

Lucien stared at him for a moment. Then his expression softened.

"I know."

Rin looked at the chains again.

"I’m getting you out."

Lucien sighed.

"You really don’t listen."

"No."

"That’s dangerous."

"I’ve been told."

Rin reached toward the bars. The moment his fingers touched them—

DING.

The System appeared. The blue screen flickered violently.

[HIDDEN LOCATION DISCOVERED.]

Rin froze. Then another message appeared.

[HIGH-LEVEL DIVINE BINDING DETECTED.]

Another.

[TARGET IDENTIFIED.]

Rin looked at Lucien. The final message appeared.

[LUCIEN — DIVINE KNIGHT COMMANDER.]

Rin’s eyes widened. Then the screen glitched. For the first time since he had entered the underground prison, the System displayed something completely different.

[WARNING.]

[THIS CHARACTER SHOULD NOT STILL EXIST.]

Rin stared.

Lucien noticed his expression.

"What did it say?"

Rin slowly looked at him.

"I think..."

He glanced at the chains.

"...someone has been hiding you."

Above them, the castle shook violently once again. And somewhere far overhead, Kaelith’s voice thundered through the stone.

"RIN!"

Rin looked toward the ceiling. Then at Lucien.

"I think my husband is looking for me."

Lucien blinked.

"Your... husband?"

Rin sighed.

"It’s complicated."

Lucien stared at him.

"Of course it is."

And deep beneath the castle, the chains around Lucien’s wrists suddenly began to glow.

Not with divine light. With darkness. Lucien’s expression changed.

"Rin."

"What?"

"Step away from me."

Rin froze.

"Why?"

Lucien looked at the chains.

"They know you’re here."

DING.

The System appeared one final time.

[HOST.]

[RUN.]

Rin’s blood ran cold.

Because behind Lucien— something had just opened its eyes.