"Are you sure you're fine, Sion?" Darius asked as he looked at his comrade, who was currently submerged in spring water that was filled with rare healing herbs and elixirs.
"I already said I'm fine," Sion replied in an annoyed tone. "You nag too much, Old Man."
"Well, you should thank this Old Man. If not for me and His Majesty, you would still be trapped inside that boy's Black Coffin."
"I said zip it! Can't you even understand simple human language?!"
Darius shook his head helplessly. "Fine. I'll leave for now. Make sure to call me if you need anything else."
The moment Darius left, Sion closed his eyes to focus on his recovery.
Right now, he was feeling very annoyed and conflicted.
The moment he regained his consciousness, he instantly felt that there was something very different about him.
The first thing that came to his mind was, of course, the Half-Elf. However, just as he was about to curse Lux, he found himself unable to say anything.
He did a few more experiments like cursing the Half-Elf in his thoughts, but even that didn't work. As more time passed, the more unsettled Sion became.
In the end, he started to meditate and go inside his inner world to better understand what was happening.
When he got inside his Sea of Consciousness, he found a familiar Black Coffin floating inside of it.
"All things are equal in death, let this be a sign," Blackfire said in a voice that seemed to belong to a child. "All who oppose my Master will meet their end, and their body and soul will be mine."
Sion felt his body shudder after hearing the Black Coffin's ominous words. He couldn't tell whether Blackfire's voice belonged to a boy or a girl, but that didn't matter.
The lid of the Black Coffin opened a bit, and a golden chain materialized in thin air.
A moment later, Sion looked in horror when he realized that the golden chain was connected to his body and had bound itself around his heart.
"N-No… this can't be happening!" Sion shouted inside his Sea of Consciousness. "I am the Juggernaut of Agartha! One of the most powerful Saints in the Kingdom—this can't be happening to me! I am the Master of my own Fate! No one has a hold over my will."
A childlike chuckle spread inside Sion's Spiritual World, which forced him to cover his ear. However, even with his ears covered, he could still hear Blackfire's words that were as clear as day, as if the Black Coffin was hovering right next to him.
"You are in the first stage of grief, which is denial," Blackfire said with childlike innocence. "Next will be anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance. But let me tell you this, Sion. Being my Master's subordinate is not a bad thing."
"Shut up!" Sion roared in anger. "I am no one's subordinate! I am my own person!"
"Oh? You're angry now?" Blackfire tilted its body to the side. "You're already in the second stage of grief? That was fast."
"You damn Coffin!" Sion charged towards Blackfire with his fist ready to strike. "I will destroy you!"
However, before his punch could even reach its target, it stopped a few inches away from the Black Coffin's body.
No matter how hard Sion tried to push his fists forward, it simply wouldn't budge as if refusing to harm the Divine Artifact that now held his Fate in its hands.
After repeatedly trying to attack the Coffin using all means at his disposal, Sion finally gave up.
"What must I do in order to regain my freedom?" Sion asked through gritted teeth. "Tell me!"
"Bargaining?" Blackfire chuckled. "I didn't think that you would reach the third stage of grief in just a span of a few minutes. You Saints really are different from normal people."
The Saint of Agartha clenched his fists tightly, as he forced himself to remain calm.
Although Blackfire had a childlike voice, the ridicule in it made him very upset.
"Answer my question!" Sion demanded. "What must I do to regain my freedom?"
Blackfire didn't answer right away as if pondering the answer to the Saint's question.
A few minutes passed in silence as Sion stood with his chest heaving up and down, in an effort to control the rage he was feeling.
He had never felt so helpless in his life until now. It felt as if he was wearing a Slave Collar on his neck, and the only way to remove it was if the Master gave him mercy.
"Very well, I will make an exception just for you," Blackfire answered after a few minutes passed. "My Master is currently fighting against the Divine Army of Light. It is an organization in the Surface World that makes themselves look like they are the most righteous individuals on Earth.
"Their influence spans countless miles within the center of Elysium, as well as beyond the borders of their Empire. Their High Council is composed of thirty Saints, but the Saints that belong to their organization numbers a little over a hundred."
The Black Coffin paused as it slowly floated towards Sion, stopping only when it was only a meter away from him.
"You want your freedom, right?" Blackfire asked.
"Yes," Sion replied in a heartbeat.
"Then help my Master defeat this organization," Blackfire stated. "Then, and only then, will you regain your freedom."
"But they have a Supreme, don't they? And I am only one Saint," Sion countered. "I can't fight over a hundred Saints at once."
Although the Black Coffin didn't have a face, for a brief moment, Sion thought that he saw a smile appear on Blackfire's lid.
"Who said that you needed to fight all of them at the same time?" Blackfire's innocent voice reached Sion's ears. "It doesn't matter what means we use, whether good or foul. One by one, we will hunt them down, until their numbers dwindle.
"Worry not, for you are not alone. Others will move alongside you, and they will help you accomplish this goal."
From behind Blackfire, dozens of Souls appeared.
He recognized his subordinates among them and even saw the souls of two Saints, which were bound by countless chains.
As he raised his head to look upwards, he saw a beautiful elf lady, whose beauty took his breath away.
She was sitting on a golden throne, with her head resting on the palm of her hand.
A single glance was enough to tell Sion that the Elf Beauty was asleep, and yet, he had a feeling that the moment her beautiful eyes opened, the world would tremble in fear for what was about to come.
"That's right," Blackfire's devilish words once again reached Sion's ears. "You are not alone. Many others will help you accomplish this goal. And then, when you have done what I expect of you, I will give you a choice."
"The first choice is for you to remain my Master's subordinate and continue to serve him."
"The second one is to regain your freedom, and have complete control of your Fate once again."
The Black Coffin slowly backed away and closed its lid, making all the silhouettes behind it disappear.
"I look forward to the Juggernaut of Agartha's rampage in the Surface World," Blackfire stated. "I know that Agartha is quite peaceful, and you feel like you don't belong in this kingdom. Fortunately, the Surface World is vast and conflicts are everywhere. I'm sure that you will be able to put your talents to good use. For now, just recover. Soon, we will be needing your services."
A sigh escaped Sion's lips as his recollection of his meeting with Blackfire ended.
The Black Coffin had promised him his freedom after the threat of the Divine Army of Light was gone.
Sion didn't know why, but for some reason, the prospect of going all out to fight against Saints in the Surface World intrigued him.
Just like the Black Coffin had stated, Agartha was too peaceful.
He found his current lifestyle dull and monotonous.
No one dared to challenge him because of his power.
No one dared to confront him because they were afraid of his retaliation.
His battle with Gaap's subordinates made him understand that he had lost his touch. Due to the many years of not fighting against people of the same rank as him, his battle sense had rusted and his performance had many flaws.
"Although I know that you are just using me, I'll play along with you for now," Sion muttered as he slowly opened his eyes. "Divine Army of Light, huh? Wait for me."
Sion raised his fist high up and clenched it tightly.
"I'll make sure that the Surface World understands that no one below the Supreme Rank is a match against me," Sion declared.
Somewhere, in a place that the Saint of Agartha couldn't see, a certain Black Coffin hovered in the air.
"Little Oracle of Light, please wait and see," the Black Coffin said softly. "Very soon, you will belong to me."
After saying those ominous words, the Black Coffin disappeared and returned to its Master's side…
Waiting for the moment when it found new victims to devour to increase its Master's army until it reached a hundred thousand strong.
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