As the last torch ignited, the entire throne room was illuminated.
The man could now see the being in front of him, sitting on a large throne.
"T-The hell is that thing?" the man mumbled under his breath, looking up at the being with wide, terrified eyes.
The being was thrice the size of the man. It wore a red and gold robe with golden metal gloves on its arms.
It had long, dark chains instead of hair, which fell forward and covered its face.
Only two red glowing eyes were visible behind those chains.
The being menacingly stared down at the man, resting its face on its fist.
The man was still on his knees, trapped in those glowing purple chains.
"I... I don't fear you. You're the one... who put me in that... hellhole... right!?" the man muttered with a grin, struggling to breathe.
"And that makes you special? A man can fear nothing and still be haunted by one thing for eternity—his sins," the being replied.
The chains tightened around the man, cracking his bones and making him groan in pain.
The man coughed up blood and asked weakly,
"W-Who... who are you?"
"I'm the one who asks the questions here. Now tell me, who helped you escape the Sin Furnace? Don't even try to lie that you did that on your own. No human can even touch anything in that place without getting melted," the being said.
"Don't tell him about me, please. I helped you, so please protect me," the white-haired girl's voice echoed in the man's ears.
The man stayed silent and only coughed up more blood.
The being sighed and clenched its right fist.
Suddenly, the chains tightened so violently around the man that his eyes bulged, and blood gushed from his eyes and mouth!
"I can keep you alive forever and still make you suffer. Time has no authority here, so I can take my sweet time with you. You ready for this challenge, tough man?" the being asked.
The man fell flat, coughing more blood.
He slowly raised his head and muttered with a chuckle,
"That all you got, bitch? Your servants are more terrifying than you."
The being's eyes glowed brighter.
"You're interesting, I'll admit that. Definitely not one of those sinners who beg for mercy despite knowing they don't deserve it. I know all about you. You don't remember what you were, but you know you were a burden on Earth. You know you deserve suffering and you embrace it. In simple words..."
"You are worthless, but you don't pretend to be a gem," the being said as it rose from its throne.
It then snapped its fingers.
The man immediately exploded.
With another snap, the man's blood and flesh reassembled, and he stood once more, completely healed and unchained.
He stumbled and fell to his knees before vomiting.
"W-What was that!?" the man gasped.
"That was what you seek—but temporary. I don't need answers from you. You see, I had already made plans for you before you even showed up here," the being said.
"W-What plan...?" the man asked weakly, still kneeling.
"Nothing grand. Just a regular errand, at least by my standards. Escaping the Sin Furnace is extraordinary for a human. Even with help, you must be special to receive it. Maybe that helper saw potential in you—so now I shall seek it too."
"A-An errand? Why should I do it?" the man asked, trying to breathe steadily.
"Because you're in massive debt. A crippling debt that you might never repay, even after serving me for a billion years," the being said.
"H-How come I'm in your debt!?" the man asked.
"Hmmm... good question. Let me show you the answer," the being muttered.
It raised its palm, and suddenly, a gate of white light appeared in front of the man.
"Go ahead. Your answer lies across that gate," the being said.
The man hesitated.
"Trust me, mortal. You're already standing in the most dangerous place in this realm. You can't get in more trouble than you are now," the being muttered gravely.
The man took a deep breath, stood up, and walked toward the gate.
Just a step away from it, he asked meekly,
"T-This doesn't lead to that lava ocean, does it?"
The being sighed and swayed its finger.
The man was immediately sucked into the gateway.
ACROSS THAT GATE
The man fell out of the light and landed in a snowy wasteland.
It was cold.
Too cold.
Snow was falling everywhere, and the man was shivering violently, his skin already turning blue.
He tried to stand but collapsed.
"Huh? This sudden warm pain is... extreme," the man thought, looking at his feet.
His eyes widened in horror—both his feet were detached, lying in the snow, blood pooling around them.
Before he could scream, he froze completely.
Darkness.
The man reopened his eyes and found himself back in the throne room.
"Welcome back. How was your trip?" the being asked.
"W-What just happened?" the man mumbled in shock.
"Something I gave to you before—death," the being muttered.
"W-What was that place!? I-It was like this place but much colder!" the man exclaimed.
"It's still part of hell. One-fourth of it, to be precise. You didn't just escape the Sin Furnace—you broke its chain and heavily damaged it. There are four Sin Furnaces underground. They serve to warm up hell through the pain and suffering of sinners," the being explained.
The man fell on his back, stunned.
"Alright, I fucked up—but it wasn't me who broke that chain," he muttered.
"Then who was it?" the being asked, a bit excited.
The man looked away nervously.
The being sighed.
"Forget it. That's not my concern anymore. What is my concern—are you ready to run an errand for me? Say no, and you're going somewhere worse than where you were."
"W-What is the task?" the man asked nervously.
"Yes or no. This is your last chance to speak before your voice is never heard again in this realm," the being muttered.
The man closed his eyes and looked down.
"Yes," he muttered.
"Very well, then. Prepare your body and soul—you're about to serve the biggest purpose of your worthless life," the being said, walking toward him.
The man stood frozen in fear as the being's shadow towered over him.
It placed one hand on his shoulder and pressed the other against his chest.
Suddenly, the being's palm ignited, searing into the man's flesh.
The man gritted his teeth as the flame grew brighter, illuminating the room.
He screamed as his shirt burned off and a halo mark seared into his chest.
"I, the ruler of hell, grant you the Aether Bliss—Fluttering Fate!"
The halo mark turned dark and engraved itself permanently into his skin.
The flames blasted the man backward. He crashed into the giant doors and collapsed on all fours.
"I gave you a much stronger Aether Bliss than you deserve, but it was the only one I had to offer at this moment," the being muttered.
Smoke rose from the man's body as he weakly stood up.
"W-What did you do to me?" he asked.
"I gave you, a sinful mortal, the power of a god. What I just gave you is called an Aether Bliss. Once granted, it stays with a mortal until death," the being said.
The man looked at the mark on his chest, wide-eyed.
"W-What have I got?"
The being beckoned him forward.
He nervously stepped closer.
With a flick, the being blasted open the man's chest and ripped out his heart.
The man stumbled, coughed blood, and died.
His body burst into butterflies that scattered in the air.
Moments later, they gathered again, glowing golden—and the man was back on his knees, good as new.
He clutched his chest, gasping.
"This is your Aether Bliss—Fluttering Fate. It allows you to be reborn instantly after death. The place you revive is the one your mind projects just before dying. So congratulations, you're unkillable," the being said.
The man was completely stunned.
He blinked, disoriented, still gasping.
"I know it's hard to process, but I can't keep you here. I've got other matters to attend to," the being muttered as it began rising.
It clapped once.
Holographic images of different worlds filled the room.
The man looked around, awestruck.
Some showed deserts, some snowy lands, others thick forests.
There were dragons, knights, samurai, cities in ruin, and places full of people celebrating.
"Are these... different worlds?" the man asked, trying to touch an image. His hand passed through it.
"Correct. Each world has a god ruling it. Your task is to go to these worlds, find the gods, and collect their Aether Bliss. Each god has only one to offer."
"H-How many worlds? And how do I get this Aether stuff!?" he asked.
"Ten. You must collect ten Aether Blisses from ten gods. You'll have a guide to lead you through the worlds. Don't stress. They know exactly who you're looking for."
"B-But why would any god give me their power?"
"Because you'll be targeting those either offering it willingly or who are on the verge of death," the being replied.
"Gods... die too?" the man whispered.
"H-How long do I have?"
"As long as you can survive in this realm before you lose your sanity," the being said bluntly.
"W-What happens after I finish? What do I get?"
Suddenly, flames surrounded him.
"You ask too many damn questions. Shut your mouth and use your limbs. Don't show your face here again until your task is done," the being growled.
The flames vanished. The man was lifted into the air by some invisible force.
"Remember this—your freedom now comes with this task. Cheat the devil, and the price will be hell."
The being's red eyes flashed.
The man was thrown backward.
The throne room doors burst open as he was hurled out.
He crashed hard, rolled, and lay still—outside.