Seraphim served a delicacy, its aroma filling every inch of the dining room, as the slightest intake alone was enough to let them forget about their predicament.

This was unexpected for Halo and Liam, they had initially anticipated a rush survey of their castle in search of the corpse of Fade of Bridle, but Seraph had other plans.

"Let's calm ourselves down before anything," she said.

Her injury had healed completely, but she was clearly still pushing through pain. Yet she'd not only spent hours preparing the meal, but had also gone to Mirror Steppe alone to gather all the supplies needed.

The moment the food touched his tongue, Halo couldn't help but blush, all his worries slowly softening. He'd never been a cook himself, he was the type to eat meat and insects raw. But he'd had his share of perfect meals before, and this was one of them.

This would have been called beef curry in his world. But this queen had to work with the tough hides of Sinners, yet managed to cook the meat so tender it melted in his mouth.

With spices occupying every inch, it was as though the Sinner rejoiced in his mouth, surrendering to this delicacy and begging to be savored slowly and steadily.

Halo's eyes found Seraph, who couldn't help but smile. He smiled in return, with his excitement forcing his eyes to be clenched slightly.

He realized these were the kind of people he needed. In this cursed world, if he was going to survive with his sanity intact, people like Seraphim and Liam were the ones who could make it happen.

Seraph's constant smiles and delicious meals like these, and Liam's anxious nature and calculative energy. They could keep him on the right path, not words alone, but with smiles and meals.

'The meal has got me thinking like it's my last day alive…'

Before his mind could drift further, he snapped back to reality and started eating. He couldn't bear the thought of the meal going cold.

Each of them had been training intensely ever since their fight with the Beast Sinner, Sunday. But Halo still felt a weight of responsibility on his shoulders.

He was the only one among them who'd consumed Sin Fragments from Beast Sinners, not ordinary Beasts, but Crawlers. His skills were supposed to be above theirs.

He believed they could both rival his two Sin Fragments with at least ten to twenty from Perverted and Toddler Sinners, but this still didn't change anything.

But now, all that felt distant. It still lingered, sure, but he actually had the motivation to train to his heart's content.

***

Morning came like a thief in the night. The flavor of Seraph's meal from the previous night still lingered in Halo's mouth. Even though he'd trained until his muscles gave out and ended with tiresome meditation, that sweet aroma never faded.

Now, they'd spread throughout the castle in threes, searching for any sign of Fade of Bridle's corpse. Liam's crows did most of the work, slipping into places none of them could.

They moved from room to room, and yet there was no sign of anything out of the ordinary. All the rooms bore similar features to their lord halls, everything bearing royal resemblance.

This went on for hours, and Halo was growing bored with their search. However, in the middle of the courtyard, while he massaged his temples in frustration, something dawned on him.

When they fought the Beast Sinner, Sunday, its metamorphosis started near the castle's moat. In fact, the creature had been keen on getting closer to the moat.

They had already searched everywhere within the castle, from its dim rooms to the towers that rose before it, and there was nothing to show for it.

Without a moment's hesitation, he headed outside toward the moat, Liam's crow flying ahead of him.

The moment he walked outside, Liam and Seraph were already standing beside the moat.

"You had the same suspicion?"

Liam asked, and Halo responded with a nod as he closed.

Obviously, there was no corpse in the moat, so they began searching for something else: a secret passageway.

Fade of Bridle was supposed to be dead for decades, so if he was truly dead, all they needed was his skeleton to verify it.

It didn't make sense to assume he was buried. If he were, it would've been outside the castle, and the Crawlers wouldn't have targeted this place.

"I've found something…"

Seraph said with her eyes filled with confidence.

Halo and Liam turned in her direction.

"It's heavy… come help."

A hatch lay beneath the moat, its metallic handle gleaming. All three gripped it and pushed. The effort alone was excruciating. Halo felt his body straining, as if the force wanted to rip his limbs from their sockets.

But they held their ground and pulled it open. Below was a staircase leading downward. With water pouring in, they had no choice but to descend quickly and seal the hatch behind them.

Halo descended first. Liam and Seraph exchanged confused glances but followed, sealing the hatch shut above them.

Everything went pitch black. Then, suddenly, light blazed around them, as if the sun itself had pierced through to reach them.

The staircase led to a massive underground hall. The ground was cracked and barren, with pools of shallow, reflective water from the moat.

There were three colossal statues carved from stone, each struggling upward with its hands and shoulders pressed against massive slabs of rock.

It was as though they were carrying the castle on their shoulders. Their muscular bodies strained under the weight, giving the impression that they were eternally tasked with holding up the castle.

The atmosphere was hollow and grim, and the cozy air alone made it feel as though it was a place of torture and pain.

However, while their eyes wandered in wonder, Liam gestured in the distance and spoke, his voice cracking with terror.

"There… there's someone there!"

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.