Temper crouched beneath a table, muttering to himself. "Why isn't Legion here? He has teleportation powers; this whole mission would've been over in seconds. But no, they sent me instead. What a pain."
Suddenly, a booming voice echoed across the room. "The Ichor thief is here!"
Temper's heart skipped a beat. He peeked out to see Captain Cyrus glaring at him. "Ahh, he found me!" Temper exclaimed and bolted, his footsteps echoing through the grand halls as Cyrus gave chase.
"This is exactly what I wanted," Temper muttered, a sly grin creeping across his face. As Cyrus pursued him, the captain suddenly stumbled and looked down, realizing too late that he had stepped into a trap.
Temper stopped and turned, his grin widening. "I am the Devil of Traps. None of you gods will ever capture me!"
Cyrus chuckled darkly. "Do you even know what kind of god I am?"
Temper blinked, confused. "No...?"
With a sudden roar, Cyrus unleashed a massive heatwave, the sheer intensity melting the walls and floor of the chamber. Temper's confidence wavered, his grin replaced by fear. "What the—?!"
He bolted again, dodging the molten remains of the room. But as he turned a corner, he froze. Standing before him was the Celestial King, his golden armor gleaming, eyes burning with fury.
Temper panicked and spun to run in the other direction, but his heart sank. clone of the Celestial King was there too, blocking his escape.
"You devils think you have the power to steal the Ichor?" the Celestial King's voice boomed, filled with both disdain and authority.
Temper stammered, words failing him. Before he could respond, a portal opened nearby, and Legion emerged. Without hesitation, Legion reached for Temper, his hand outstretched to save his comrade.
But the Celestial King was faster. In a blur of motion, he grabbed Temper by the head, lifting him off the ground effortlessly. Legion didn't waste time; he snatched the five stolen Ichor and disappeared into the portal, leaving Temper behind.
"Wait! Don't leave me!" Temper screamed, struggling in the Celestial King's iron grip.
The Celestial King's eyes burned with a divine wrath. Without hesitation, he crushed Temper's head with his bare hands. Blood and dark energy erupted from the devil's body, and Temper collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
The room fell silent, everyone staring in awe and horror at the Celestial King. Even the most hardened captains felt a chill at the brutal display of power.
The Celestial King turned, his gaze cold and commanding. "Our castle is plagued with too many problems. We don't have time to waste dealing with Shan."
He looked at Elesta. "Send Shan and Rosy home. Rosy will stay at Shan's house for now."
Elesta bowed. "As you command, my lord."
She approached Shan and Rosy, who were still frozen in shock. Without a word, she grabbed their hands, and in a flash of divine light, they vanished, leaving the blood-stained room and the Celestial King's fearsome presence behind.
As they traveled home, Shan broke the silence, his voice steady but probing. "You knew my plan, didn't you? You can read my mind. Why didn't you stop me, Elesta?"
Elesta's gaze remained forward, her expression unreadable. "Silence," she said coldly. "I am here to drop you home, not to entertain your questions."
The rest of the journey was quiet, the air heavy with unspoken tension. Finally, they arrived at Shan's home. Elesta turned to him, her tone softening slightly. "Be careful, Shan," she said, before vanishing into the air with a flash of divine light.
Rosy looked at Shan, her eyes filled with a mix of concern and frustration. "Why did you come to the castle, Shan? You knew it was dangerous."
Shan smiled, his voice unwavering. "To help you, Rosy."
Rosy sighed, her concern deepening. "And now look where it's gotten you. You can't enter the castle anymore. You've thrown away your dream."
But Shan's smile only widened. "It's fine," he said confidently. "Because I rescued you, Rosy. For now, that's all I want. Not my dream. Just you."
Rosy's expression softened, her heart touched by his words. "You are truly worthy to become a god, Shan."
He chuckled lightly, brushing off the praise. "Come to my home, Rosy. My mom will definitely like you."
Rosy hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Together, they stepped into the house, leaving the chaos of the castle behind.