When the journey ended, Aren realized that she had returned him back to her castle. She appeared inside the throne room with him.

"Stay here, everyone has been informed of your presence. Do whatever you want in the meantime." She said, and vanished.

'Hmmm, this is her castle. It's definitely outside the trial, so why didn't she just kill me here? Hmm, that could mean she can't lay hands on me at all. That's good information then.' Aren thought as he looked around.

He noticed that there was something vastly different about the castle now, and that was the fact that the air was much lighter. The heavy aura that had existed the first time they had come here had vanished entirely.

With nothing to do in the throne room, he headed for the door. Hopefully, he would be able to find the butler if he wasn't already dead for helping him out.

His footsteps echoed across the marble floors as he made his way to the door. He opened it, and immediately outside was the butler, with his head bowed and a hand on his chest.

"It seems you have returned alive, young Aren." The butler said and then looked up at Aren. "I really didn't think I'd get to see you again, and this soon to add." The butler said.

"Same, I thought that would be the last time that we ever saw." Aren said.

The butler paused, looking at Aren for a full second, and then a fascinated look showed in his eyes. "Your strength, you have grown so much. Even with the soul I gave to you, it would be impossible to reach this level in such a short time." He spoke, his tone showing his shock.

Aren scratched the back of his head with a nervous chuckle. "A lot of circumstances came into play. I guess I was lucky."

"Luck has nothing to do with your strength. Luck might have put you in the right place at the right time, but the ability to grab the opportunity is skill.

Many people would have probably died if they were faced with whatever you faced, so don't downplay your improvements." The butler said.

"I guess that's true." Aren replied with a smile.

"Good, now come with me. There is much to talk about, see, and eat." The butler said as he led the way.

Instantly, Aren noticed that the castle was well illuminated unlike before, the air far more breathable, the atmosphere calm and welcoming.

"This place feels different." He said.

"Indeed, because now we aren't out to kill you, or any awakened. This is the true state of the castle when there isn't any trial happening here.

When you awakened came, we had to change that in order to first break your mental, and then your physical." The butler said. He then stopped and looked at Aren over his shoulder.

"A lot of deaths happened here that day. You escaped early, that allowed you to not see some of the things that took place. Horrific is a kind word to put it." He said and then kept walking.

"I see. Well, I kind of expected that." Aren said. "Especially after I saw what you did to Leon, it was really something."

"Leon? Oh, the other boy that was with you in the beginning. He didn't die, you know that, right?" The butler said.

"He didn't?" Aren asked, eyes wide. "Then where is he?"

"I locked him up after you left, but through some means, he escaped."

"Leon escaped? How is that even possible? This castle has beings that would kill him instantly." Aren said.

"Indeed, but he didn't walk out, neither did he do it on his own. He was helped."

"Helped? By who?"

"Hmm, today, let me teach you about a place connected to the god's domain, one that most awakened will never know about. It is called the abyss." The butler said, and then stopped in front of the kitchen door. He pushed it open, revealing the chefs working, making food and more.

The butler walked past them all as they bowed their heads in greeting to him. Aren followed behind as they made it to the very same table he had eaten at when he came here the first time.

The butler sat down, and so did Aren opposite him.

"The abyss is a place connected to the domain, but not allowed to interact, as it holds beings that the gods considered evil and locked away for eternity, or however long they want." The butler explained.

"So hell." Aren stated.

"Hmm, that's close, but this place isn't just to punish. It also acts as a place for certain extremely powerful and dangerous beings to stay and rule over in their chaos.

And your soul can't really go there normally, like if it was hell that humans know. That's not saying your soul can't go there to be punished at times, but more often, it's not the case.

The abyss is its own world, far, far more dangerous than anything you have ever seen or imagined."

"Hmm, I'm trying to picture beings worse than the angels and what they have done to us humans." Aren stated.

"Hahaha," the butler laughed. "What they did to you isn't an issue. You barely register on any important scale, to be honest, and they are doing the right thing by conducting the trials.

But back to the important thing. The beings in the abyss hate the gods and everything connected to them, and they also especially hate humans unusually more than normal.

Someone from the abyss somehow got in contact with Leon and somehow helped him escape into the abyss. That's what I picked up when I checked the dungeon and discovered residual magic unique to the abyss." The butler said.

A waiter served them both a cup of water. The butler took his and had a sip, then he looked at Aren. "In all honesty, Leon will probably be back for you one day, so keep an eye out." He said and then sipped his water again.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.