Temple of the Demon Lord of Wishes

Ivaim's mind raced as he thought of ways to escape.

As he was doing this, The Black Veil Master shouted toward him.

"Hey! Catch this!"

Heavy reluctance was evident in her actions as she used her mouth to bite at the veil covering her face, revealing a mesmerizing visage... Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire

One that a person couldn't help but stare at.

She absolutely hated letting people see her face.

But the situation called for it...

With a sharp flick of her head, she flung the black veil toward Ivaim's direction.

There was no time to admire her beauty.

Ivaim immediately adjusted his body, twisting in midair to catch the veil.

The moment the dark fabric touched the chains binding him, a portion of them faded, vanishing as though they had never existed.

The remaining links strained before snapping apart entirely, sending him stumbling forward...

He was free!

Wasting no time, he spun toward The Black Veil Master and Nathan.

His movements were swift and precise as there was no room for hesitation.

He reached Nathan first, unbinding him before turning to free the Black Veil Master.

The moment Nathan's restraints fell, he didn't hesitate...

He ran immediately!

Straight toward Reves.

Ivaim was about to step up and assist when suddenly, a notification flashed before his eyes.

[Believer count has reached 100!]

A second message followed.

[Ability: Whisper has been improved. Range has increased. Your words can now evoke emotions that were not present before.]

Ivaim barely had time to process it.

His instincts screamed at him to focus on the present.

'Seriously... this kid never changes!'

'Since when did he start to idolize Darian and suddenly become self-sacrificial?!?'

Nathan had reached Reves, his hands gripping the boy's shoulders, trying to pull him away from the black orb.

But Reves wouldn't budge.

His body seemed glued in place, locked by an unseen force.

His eyes, dull and vacant, were unfocused, as if his mind was elsewhere.

"He's most likely fighting the curse against Neli..."

Ivaim muttered, piecing it together quickly.

Nathan didn't respond.

He simply reached out a hand toward the black orb.

His fingers brushed against its swirling surface, and without a moment of hesitation, he began to chant.

"What are you..."

Ivaim's mutters were cut off when he suddenly heard Nathan chant.

"I, Nathan Summanus…"

"Stand before fate itself and offer my body as a vessel. May this burden of power be bound to my soul alone. May its darkness find no place beyond my grasp. By my will—by my blood—by my name…"

There was a brief pause, as if he were making peace with his choice.

"May the kindness I have learned and the strength I have gained endure within this gift... until the day fate calls it away."

Then...

[Three entities are now fighting for the Sync Rate.]

A new notification appeared before Ivaim.

[Progress description will now be shown!]

[Neli Valiente: 92%]

[Reves Summanus: 7%]

[Nathan Summanus: 1%]

A heartbeat later, the numbers shifted.

[Neli Valiente: 93%]

[Reves Summanus: 6%]

[Nathan Summanus: 1%]

The Black Veil Master, now standing beside Ivaim, observed the scene carefully before speaking.

Ivaim nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.

A battle of the minds...

Without hesitation, he activated his newly upgraded [Whisper].

But the moment he did, a sharp pain shot through his skull. His vision blurred, and for a second, it felt as if his own mind was being torn apart.

'The curse… it's merging their minds together… I can't influence them properly.'

The Black Veil Master seemed to notice what he was trying to do as she let out a low hum.

The sound was steady, almost melodic, and strangely grounding.

As it resonated, the pain in Ivaim's head dulled, enough for him to grit his teeth and focus again.

'Just one target this time… not all of them.'

He adjusted his approach, directing his [Whisper] toward Neli alone.

"You don't have to do this, Neli..."

The system updated instantly.

[Neli Valiente: 90%]

[Reves Summanus: 7%]

[Nathan Summanus: 3%]

Ivaim's heart pounded.

'It works! I can affect them!'

Neli's form... still distorted and unstable, suddenly shuddered.

A broken murmur escaped her lips, laced with pain and desperation.

"No... I have to do this! I promised I would redeem myself..."

Ivaim took a slow breath, pressing forward.

"Darian wouldn't want this."

[Neli Valiente: 75%]

[Reves Summanus: 15%]

[Nathan Summanus: 10%]

Her entire form convulsed at the name.

"No… he… I have to do this for him… I have to keep him alive!"

"You think this is what he wanted? Darian wanted you to be free, Neli. Not trapped in this cycle. Not like this."

[Neli Valiente: 60%]

[Reves Summanus: 20%]

[Nathan Summanus: 20%]

Tears streaked down Neli's fractured face, her body trembling as if she were fighting herself.

"I... I just want what's best for my family..."

Ivaim's voice softened.

"You have to realize that the best thing your family would have wanted would be for you to live..."

[Neli Valiente: 45%]

[Reves Summanus: 30%]

[Nathan Summanus: 25%]

A strangled sob left her as her body flickered between solidity and shadow.

The curse fought back, pulling at her, trying to keep her bound.

But Ivaim didn't stop.

"Your family is waiting for you, Neli. Don't keep them waiting any longer..."

[Neli Valiente: 25%]

[Reves Summanus: 40%]

[Nathan Summanus: 35%]

Neli clutched at herself, shaking. Then, finally, her resistance shattered.

"I'm... I'm sorry... Darian... Rafael... I'm coming home..."

[Neli Valiente: 0%]

[Reves Summanus: 50%]

[Nathan Summanus: 50%]

As Neli's body finally returned to normal, the last traces of the curse slipping away, her eyes fluttered shut.

She collapsed, unconscious, the dark energy surrounding her dissolving into nothing.

Ivaim let out a slow, exhausted breath.@@novelbin@@

'Why does this feel more draining than usual?'

Just then, the system updated.

[Only two entities are now fighting for the sync rate...]

[System adjusting...]

His stomach twisted.

'Shit.'

This was the part he hadn't planned for...

He freed Neli first to prevent the Master of Cruelty from being born, to stop them all from being slaughtered.

But now… someone still had to bear the sacrifice.

His gaze flickered to the Black Veil Master, as if searching for an answer.

"...What do I do?"

She met his eyes, her lips parting slightly...

But no words came.

Because she could not offer a plausible answer...

The system updated again.

[Reves Summanus: 65%]

[Nathan Summanus: 35%]