At once, El and the others followed behind as Elias led them downstairs.
"Ehm." Elias cleared his throat. "Welcome to the Descent of the God's Domain," he said, turning his head slightly to offer a warm smile.
"Before now, we were all notified that doom was approaching us. The Headmaster, Sir Vael, told us that twenty-eight days from now, war will be waged against us by the White Castle. But he also gave us hope by saying the Beings have granted us a blessing."
Wow, I didn't think the revelation would spread that far, El thought with a faint smirk. The plan is working.
"There is something I don't understand. Is the White Castle also part of the Descent of the God's Domain?" Fei Yuan asked, slightly confused. "Is the Descent of the God's Domain the head of all the castles or organisations? Is it the Black Castle? Are they separate organisations? Is the White Castle under the Descent of the God's Domain?"
"Yes," Elias responded with a slight chuckle. "The White Castle is also part of the Descent of the God's Domain. In fact, there are three castles under it: the Black Castle, known as the Unorthodox, or Hell; the White Castle, known as the Orthodox, or Heaven; and the Grey Castle, known as the Astral Path, the path of the self, or Earth."
Elias then addressed the rest of Fei Yuan's questions.
"The Descent of the God's Domain is the head of all these castles. It is formed by the three rulers of each castle and one entity whose identity we do not know. No, the Descent of the God's Domain is not the Black Castle. Yes, they are separate organisations. And yes, as I mentioned, the White Castle is under the Descent of the God's Domain."
Fei Yuan nodded in understanding and fell silent.
Elias continued to lead them in silence. They descended the golden stairwell in quiet steps, Fei Yuan occasionally sliding his hands along the railings covered in soft sheepskin.
Once their feet touched the granite floor, Elias paused and turned to face them.
"Sorry," he began, "let me activate the Rune of Teleportation to take us beneath the underground castle." He glanced at the group's clothing. "We will also change your attire."
The group nodded in understanding.
Seeing this, Elias inclined his head and began to chant, activating the rune.
"Muzerach, Muzerach, Nofisonto!" he declared, moving his hands and forming intricate symbols with his fingers.
A bright glow erupted from the granite floor. Space itself seemed to ripple and fracture around them, forming mirror-like shards. Elias continued his chant without pause.
"Muzerach, Muzerach, Nofisonto!"
Blue light stretched outward, enveloping them completely. In the next instant, they were gone.
…
They appeared before a towering black building, its windows gleaming as they reflected the light from the moon above. The cold of the night pressed upon them with a quiet weight.
"This is the Black Academy, and it is also where you will stay. Since it's getting cold and darkness is settling in, I will guide you to your chambers," Elias said, offering a warm smile. He then turned and walked toward the massive gate of the Black Castle. Opening the doors, he gestured for them to enter. "Come in."
Although we are underground right now, It doesn't feel that way. It feels like we are directly outside, the cold breeze brushes against my face, sways my hair and makes my cross dangle, it penetrates my robe, it feels so real, It's like an Illusion that feels like reality, an imagination come true. El thought, his eyes narrowing as he tilted his head to look at the moon above.
One by one, they entered the Black Academy. Inside, a golden carpet flowed outward beneath their feet, leading to a large, spiralling staircase.
Beside them were paintings, ritualists in red and black robes walking freely in harmony, some were dressed in night gowns while others were still in their ritualist uniforms. Some looked at them with narrowed eyes, snickered, sneered, laughed, smiled warmly, and showed many emotions as they walked past them.
Elias led them upstairs, guiding them as they ascended the stairwell. Beside them were paintings, and ritualists in red and black robes walked freely in harmony. Some wore nightgowns, while others remained in their ritualist uniforms. A few looked at them with narrowed eyes, others snickered, sneered, laughed, or smiled warmly, showing a variety of emotions as they passed.
Elias led them upstairs, guiding them along the stairwell. Once they reached the upper floor, he showed each of them to their separate rooms.
"Wait, I need to speak with Leon," El said, pausing before entering his chamber. Elias smiled at this. "Alright," he replied.
Leon followed El into his room, while Shingen, Arroz, Fei Yuan, and Seraph went to their own rooms.
El opened the brown door and stepped inside. The room contained a large diamond-coloured bed with a soft white mattress. In the corner stood a small brown wardrobe. A light bulb hung from the ceiling, illuminating the space. Beside the bed was a simple brown desk with an iron chair tucked underneath. A mirror was mounted on the wall above the desk, with a tissue placed on it. The room was spacious enough for El to move around freely.
"A simple room," El muttered.
He then led Leon, who was blind, to the bed, and they both sat together on it.
"Leon," El began in a soft tone. "I'm going to perform a ritual operation on you to cure your blindness."
Right now, he couldn't use any of his marks of divinity or his powers at all. Although he was fine when he changed his identity through the customization effect, the moment he awakened it through the ritual of awakening, he lost his True Name and the powers of his True Self. Until he explored it himself, he would have to rely on the qualifications he had set through the customization effect.
Hearing this, Leon lifted his eyebrows in relief and let out a sigh.
"For a second there, I thought you were… gay. Leading me to sit on the bed is quite a gay move, you know?" Leon teased, though his face remained serious.
"What?!" El immediately frowned in annoyance and smacked his back.
"Oww," Leon said, frowning, though a teasing smile tugged at his lips.
El stood and began the ritual. He walked across the granite floor and took a pencil from the white void cube he had summoned.
Lowering himself to the ground, he began to draw intricate symbols on the floor. Despite its texture and colour, the marks appeared vividly. First, he drew a large circle, then two more circles on top of it. Triangles and other shapes followed, until the design looked like the messy work of a small child.
When he finished, he rolled up his robe sleeve and used the pencil to pierce his skin, drawing out a little of his blood.
Red droplets splattered across the intricate symbols. El's hand moved with precision, letting the blood fall only on the pencil lines, avoiding the floor entirely.
He stepped to his desk, tore a small piece of tissue, and dabbed at the blood on his hand. Returning to the ritual, he unfastened the golden chain around his neck, lifted it as if pleading to some unseen force, and began chanting in a low, urgent voice.
"Musanah! Musanah!"
"Musanah! Musanah!"
This man is insane, Leon thought, his eyes narrowing at the incomprehensible words.
When the chant ended, El guided Leon to the centre of the pattern, forcing him to his knees. Without warning, he spat into Leon's eyes.
"You are healed!"
"You bastard! Why did you spit in my eye?" Leon shouted, recoiling. But as he blinked and wiped at the spit, clarity returned. His vision sharpened, colours and shapes snapping into focus.
"Huh! I can see!" Leon gasped, staggering to his feet. Joy erupted from him in a shout, and he hugged El fiercely before kneeling. "If there's anything you need, call me. From this moment, I swear my allegiance to you, El. Thank you," he declared, bowing his head.
El's face was pale, drained from the blood he had given. His voice was faint but steady. "Stand, friend. I accept." He placed a hand on Leon's shoulder, lifting him, and returned the hug, grounding them both after the intensity of the ritual