It wasn't just darkness. The curtain was filled with a writhing, pulsating black energy.
Through the dense black energy, resembling countless tangled souls, fleeting forms that looked like faces occasionally appeared. There seemed to be faint echoes of someone's screams as well.
Gaaah…
The curtain breathed slowly, like a living creature, exuding a powerful suction force that seemed capable of pulling in the onlooker's soul.
"W-what is this?"
Jerome's trembling voice broke the silence. His tone carried a mixture of fear and awe.
The others stood silently, gazing at the curtain as if entranced.
The aura emanating from the curtain was dreadful. Standing before it, even the presence of Morbus they'd faced earlier seemed trivial in comparison.
The colossal black curtain stretched endlessly, its overwhelming presence suffocating those who looked upon it.
The group, who had ventured here with lighthearted anticipation of discovering an ancient ruin, now wore pale, drained expressions.
They could never have imagined confronting something so ominous and powerful.
Even the ever-confident Ghislain showed a fleeting moment of unease on his face.
'What in the world…'
Not even in the visions of the Saintess had there been a sight like this.
Who would have thought such a monumental aura would exist at the center of the Forest of Demonic Beasts?
Jerome urgently took to the sky. With Morbus gone, he could now freely fly.
The view from above was even more shocking.
"Eh? Why does it look like this?"
The enormous black curtain stretched out like a giant hemisphere. Its size rivaled that of a kingdom's capital.
As he ascended further, the curtain's form seemed to fade into mist, becoming indistinct.
Amidst the vast forest of massive trees and darkness, the black curtain blended seamlessly with its surroundings, as though it were camouflaged.
Jerome muttered to himself.
"So, it's sealed… even hiding its appearance?"
Descending back to the ground, Jerome described what he had seen. The group's expressions grew grim.
They had only half-believed Erenes's account when she spoke of it. After all, it was an ancient tale, and they had assumed some exaggeration.
But now, it felt like her story had been significantly downplayed.
Jerome swallowed nervously and spoke first.
"So… if the myth Erenes mentioned is true, then this really is where the Demon God's corpse lies…"
Vanessa nodded.
"And this is supposedly the source of the Salvation Church's power?"
"Yes, but luckily, the Saintess sealed it, so they can't use its full power anymore."
A tense air hung over the group.
The thought that even a fragment of the Demon God's lingering will could create beings as powerful as Gartros was staggering.
How powerful must the Salvation Church and the Adversary have been a thousand years ago?
And how formidable were the hero, the Saintess, and their allies who had managed to stop them?
Such thoughts sent a chill down their spines.
Belinda, wearing a contemplative expression, asked, "I thought the Salvation Church's goal was just to find the adversary… but could unsealing this place also be their objective?"
Everyone nodded solemnly in heavy silence.
The aura emanating from the curtain alone was suffocating. If it were to be completely unsealed…
The Forest of Demonic Beasts would become a true nightmare. The forest they knew so far would seem like a peaceful garden in comparison.
That wasn't all. If the seal broke, the Salvation Church would gain even greater power.
It already required immense sacrifice and effort to combat the Salvation Church. If they grew stronger… the mere thought was horrifying.
Parniel gritted her teeth and struck the black curtain.
Boom!
But the curtain remained unchanged. Enraged, Parniel unleashed her holy power repeatedly, continuing her attack.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
Even with her overwhelming strength, the curtain stood unshaken, mocking her efforts as if saying such force could never breach it.
Ghislain, also analyzing the curtain with a grave expression, decided to attack.
BOOM!
The black smoke wavered momentarily. The curtain neither tore nor broke. Repeated attempts yielded the same results.
After deep consideration, Ghislain unleashed his willpower and amplified it with the power of Dark.
BOOM!
Putting all his strength into the attack created a fleeting gap. But it was quickly filled with black energy, vanishing almost instantly.
'It's empty.'
During the brief opening, they had all tried to peer inside, but there was nothing. Only endless darkness filled the space.
Others also took their turns attacking. Yulian swung with all his might, and Jerome and Vanessa poured out their magic.
Yet the black curtain stood resolute.
Jerome snorted angrily.
"Should I… try forbidden magic?"
It was a bluff. He had no intention of actually using it. That would be suicide.
Unexpectedly, Ghislain nodded.
"Give it a shot, just a little. Maybe it'll work. Isn't it supposed to counter the Salvation Church's power?"
Belinda chimed in, "It wouldn't hurt to try a little, right? Just stop before you die."
Vanessa looked intrigued. Among mages, Jerome's forbidden magic was highly talked about. As a mage herself, she was curious to witness it firsthand.
Parniel, gritting her teeth, urged, "Do it. I need to see what's inside."
She was visibly furious. The myth Erenes had spoken of now seemed likely to be true.
The Church's authority was based on long-standing belief. That foundation couldn't be shaken.
Parniel wanted to uncover the past now more than Ghislain.
Jerome stepped back, looking pale.
"Why are you like this? I was just joking…"
He looked pleadingly at Yulian, hoping he'd intervene. Yulian merely turned away, gazing dramatically at the sky.
Abandoned by everyone, Jerome finally snapped.
"Hey! If I use that, I'll die! This is too much!"
His outburst left the group visibly disappointed. They had hoped he could try it lightly and stop before it became fatal, but apparently, that wasn't an option.
"Ugh, this is so frustrating."
Ghislain sighed in disappointment.
They had come all this way, hoping to find clues, only to be stopped by this curtain.
At least one thing was certain: something truly terrifying lay within.
'Is it really the Demon God's energy?'
The immense source of power that the Saintess had sealed didn't seem to be a baseless story.
"Well… it does make sense."
Perhaps Erenes had known that Ghislain's party wouldn't be able to break through this overwhelming force, which was why she hadn't elaborated further.
"But it is incredible."
That such a massive curtain could exist from just the remnants of its energy. What kind of method had been used to seal this?
Could it only have been possible because the Saintess wielded the power of all the goddesses? Questions swirled endlessly in their minds.
After observing the curtain for a while, Ghislain sighed.
"Let's head back."
There didn't seem to be anything more they could learn by lingering here.
He resolved to return, slowly clear the forest, and research the area over time.
Belinda, looking uneasy, asked, "If something truly terrible is sealed here… it won't break free, will it?"
"Well, not immediately… but if that adversary resurrects, maybe."
"Hmm, then we really need to find that adversary."
The Salvation Church had never explicitly said they aimed to break this seal. However, it was already known that they were searching for their king.
According to Erenes, this place was their holy land. So, after finding their king, they would undoubtedly come here to harness this power.
What had once seemed like mere myths and conspiracy theories was now becoming reality.
In the end, the only solution was to find and kill the adversary. That was the only way to quell this unease.
It was clear that Erenes was hiding something, but at least her ultimate goal aligned with theirs.
The others stole glances at Yulian and thought to themselves:
'Well… he doesn't seem like the adversary.'
'If he were, wouldn't this thing have reacted?'
'Even Erenes isn't completely sure.'
If Yulian was truly the adversary the Salvation Church sought, then the black curtain should have reacted in some way when he approached it.
After all, this was supposedly the source of the Salvation Church's power.
However, even when Yulian approached and attacked, the black curtain showed no response.
This eased their nerves slightly. No matter how they looked at it, Yulian wasn't the adversary.
"All right, let's head back," said Ghislain.
Jerome made a suggestion.
"Why don't we just fly back? Vanessa and I can carry everyone. It'll be faster."
They had walked here in case they stumbled upon something along the way, but there was no need for that on the return trip.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Just as Jerome was about to channel his magic, Ghislain interrupted.
"Wait."
"What?"
"Let me take one last look."
Ghislain turned back to the curtain. For some reason, he felt uneasy. It seemed wrong to leave just yet.
It was a strange feeling, almost as if the divine power lingering in his mind was urging him to stay.
Slowly, Ghislain approached the black curtain. Carefully, he reached out his hand.
When his hand touched the swirling black energy, he felt an unexpected warmth.
He pressed harder, trying to push through, but it felt like his hand was blocked by a solid wall.
"Hm."
Letting out a disappointed sigh, he began to withdraw his hand.
— You've finally come.
"Huh?"
A strange voice echoed in his consciousness.
"This is…"
It was holy power. The holy power embedded in his mind had reacted.
It wasn't a dream, yet the voice was so clear.
Ghislain focused his thoughts. He needed to confirm whether this was real or just an illusion.
— I knew you'd come. You made a 'promise' to us, after all.
'What? What promise?'
There was no mistaking it—it was the voice of the Saintess from his dreams. Yet, he had no idea what she was talking about.
He had never promised anyone that he would come here.
His only reason for coming was personal curiosity. At most, it was to clear and explore the Forest of Demonic Beasts.
Ghislain focused even harder. Perhaps this was the key to unlocking the curtain's secrets.
The others watched Ghislain nervously as his expression grew increasingly serious.
"Young Master, what's wrong—?"
Belinda approached anxiously, but her face suddenly turned pale.
"Young Master!"
Whoosh!
The black curtain suddenly trembled violently. Hundreds of tendrils of black energy surged upward like serpents before wrapping themselves around Ghislain in an instant.
It was as if hundreds of black hands had burst forth from the curtain.
No one had time to react.
The shadowy tendrils struck like lightning, enveloping Ghislain and pulling him into the curtain in the blink of an eye.