NOVPUB
Chapter 47 - 47: The Overlord’s Domain
"STOP IT!! VEIL!!" Eli shouted, her voice slicing through the tension like a blade. Her spear lowered slightly but remained poised, ready to strike if needed. She turned toward Veil, her eyes blazing with determination.
"We need to find a way to save Atlas," she declared firmly, her words cutting through the chaos like an unyielding vow.
Veil hesitated, his shadowy form shrinking further into itself as he glared at the giant before them. But his defiant stare didn't last long—it wavered under the weight of uncertainty, retreating into the shadows of the tomb-like palace.
"...okay. You're right...but how?" Veil muttered bitterly, his voice laced with frustration. "Only Atlas knew the secrets of this place."
The giant gazed at Veil in surprise—not once, but now twice. The prideful Veil, the eternal shadow of Jörmungandr, reduced to such vulnerability? It was almost.... amusing.
{{....you changed.}} The giant rumbled, his deep voice resonating like thunder across the barren landscape.
Veil ignored him, staying close to Eli and looking up at the looming palace. Meanwhile, the giant merely scoffed, lying back on the ground with lazy amusement. He had come here for a good nap, having not slept for centuries. And finding the castle's undead laws activated? Perfect opportunity to rest undisturbed, floating in dreams and illusions, like a brown bear hibernating through winter. Yet something had stirred him—a scent that shouldn't have been possible. Not just any demon, but a 'Demon King'.
{{Hey.....Human.}} The giant called out suddenly, his booming voice vibrating through the air and grabbing both their attention instantly.
{{That 'Atlas' you spoke of—is he also human?}}
Eli stepped forward cautiously, meeting the giant's curious gaze. His sheer size dwarfed even the massive tomb behind them. Enormous wasn't enough to describe him; perhaps he rivaled the very foundations of the world itself. If anyone could help, it would be him—but only if they played their cards right.
"...I feel like you've got more than one question," Eli said carefully, her tone steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides.
The giant chuckled, his fiery eyes flickering between Veil and Eli before settling back on her. {{You're smart, human...indeed. What of it?}}
Eli swallowed hard as the giant's fierce gaze bore into her. Of course, she felt fear—how could she not? From what little she'd seen of the destruction around them, this creature was stronger than even Veil. Stronger than anything she'd ever encountered. But if he wouldn't fight for them, then she had no choice but to take the lead.
"...smash this castle apart, and you'll be answered with satisfaction," she proclaimed boldly, her voice unwavering despite the tremor in her hands.
{{Huh....haha....Hahahaha...HAHAHAHA!}} 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝑐𝘰𝑚
The giant's laughter erupted like rolling thunder, echoing endlessly through the realm. He clutched his bloated stomach, roaring with mirth as tears streamed down his fiery cheeks.
{{Haaa...naive. Naive I tell you. But brave...sorry, human. I can't do that for you.}}
Bela moved forward, frustration boiling over. "...but why?! You look strong enough!" She gestured wildly at his colossal frame.
The giant sat up slowly from his relaxed position, his expression turning serious. {{...that was a good laugh. So, I'll say this once, human, as I commend your bravery. That castle is not just any tomb. It's a fortress within the domain of the Overlord—the king of the undead. The closest friend to Death itself. A being so ancient and powerful, even restless demons fear him as His laws still govern this world.}}
He leaned closer, his fiery breath singeing the air between them. {{So I'll say it for the first and last time: Leave this 'Atlas' and go back. He is gone. Gone within the Overlord's 'laws.'}}
Eli staggered backward, falling onto the ground as the giant's words reverberated in her ears. She knew who he was talking about—the same being her mother had warned her about in bedtime stories. The same being Atlas himself had mentioned.
But he wasn't supposed to be here. He was supposed to be somewhere within the third realm.
"Atlas...why? Why are you always...?" she whispered, clutching her head in frustration.
"....I thought we were going to face him together, not you alone...but together," she murmured softly to herself. Tears welled up in her eyes as despair clawed at her chest. "Why is it always you...why? If we were just together all the way, I could've...I could've accepted even death...if it was with you."
Her voice cracked, carrying the weight of every unspoken emotion, every silent promise broken by fate.
.
.
.
When lara woke, the softness beneath her wasn't grass but silken sheets. Confusion clouded her mind until a familiar voice broke the silence.
"Oh, you're awake!"
Lara turned sharply, her blue eyes locking onto the figure before her—black hair framing a face she knew too well. Those piercing golden eyes bore into hers, freezing her in place.
"...brother Atlas!" she gasped, panic seizing her heart. "No—I mean Prince Atlas! I'm sorry, I'm really sorry..." Tears streamed down her cheeks as she imagined the punishment awaiting her for daring to sleep in the prince's bed. "Please don't punish me!"
Her voice cracked, choked by sobs that wracked her small frame. This wasn't part of the memory—it couldn't be. Yet here she was, drowning in trauma that felt sharper than any blade.
"Lara! You know it's just a memo—"
Before he could finish, the scene shifted violently. Like a dream unraveling, As Atlas fell down once more, as he landed hard on his bed, at nighttime. frustration etched into every line of his face. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and his teeth ground together like stones being crushed underfoot.
"Dammit...she was fucking crying," he growled, anger simmering just beneath the surface. He couldn't shake the image of Lara—her blue eyes wide with fear, tears streaming down her cheeks as she woke up beside him. Those tears weren't fake; they were real. Too real. And now, staring at the damp spot left on his sheets, he confirmed it: Lara wasn't part of this damn dream world. She was flesh and blood, just like him.
"I need to get back to her..." he muttered, determination burning in his chest. But no sooner had he stepped toward the door than dizziness slammed into him again, pulling him back to square one. Again and again and again—he opened his eyes only to find himself sprawled across the same godforsaken bed.
"...you fucking bitch-ass undead!" Atlas snarled, slamming a fist against the mattress. His breathing came fast and ragged, but after a moment, he forced himself to take deep breaths. In. Out. Calm down.
He didn't know how much time had passed outside this labyrinthine prison of dreams. Minutes? Hours? Days? It didn't matter—not when Lara was trapped somewhere beyond his reach, suffering because of forces far greater than either of them could comprehend.
But Atlas already knew the solution—or at least, he thought he did. The means to escape existed within the castle of the Sixth Realm, hidden away like some cruel joke meant for players who dared venture too far. In the storyline of the game, Lara acquired a tool from an SSS-rank adventurer—a relic capable of bypassing even the Overlord's laws.
"....but luck is not on my side. What other options do I have?" Atlas mused aloud, running a hand through his hair. Desperation clawed at him as he rifled through his memories, searching for any skill or ability that might offer salvation. World Understanding offered glimpses of possibilities, fragments of knowledge buried deep within the mechanics of the game. Yet each option seemed tainted by darkness, requiring skills forged by demons rather than men.
"...Incubus Realm. Devil's Judgment. And... the Law of the Demon Emperor."
His whisper slithered through the darkness, each word a key rattling in a spectral lock. These were the skills that could carve his escape—if he dared.
he pressed to his chest, fingers splayed over the drumbeat of his heart. His mother's voice coiled in his memory.
'The world bends for correction, Son. It will grind your soul into a demon's shape on way or another...."
And there it was. Nestled behind his ribs. A way out. A way to wield what should've been forbidden.
"...Maybe." he voiced, The word tasting like blood and possibility.
Slap!
Atlas slapped himself hard enough to leave a stinging red mark on his cheek. "Fuck, why am I so naive? Don't try to flee with the easy way out," he hissed, pacing furiously. There 'had' to be another path—one untainted by corruption, one achievable without surrendering to destiny's twisted demands.
And then it hit him—a faint memory, almost forgotten amidst the chaos. A spell more than a skill, accessible even to humans. Not something exclusive to Demon Atlas or anyone else bound by fate's chains. It was risky, reckless even, but what choice did he have?
He hesitated, weighing the consequences. Breaking Dracula's law carried penalties far worse than death—eternal torment, perhaps, or worse yet, becoming exactly what the world tried to mold him into: a demon. But Atlas remembered Lara's tears, the pain etched onto her face, and decided right then and there.
"...she has suffered enough," he whispered, biting his lip until blood pooled thickly on his tongue. With trembling hands, he began clearing space on the floor, kicking furniture aside with reckless abandon. Using the sharp edge of his thumbnail, he sliced open his thumb, letting crimson rivulets spill freely onto the cold stone beneath him. Each drop sizzled slightly as it touched the ground, forming symbols and sigils glowing faintly in the dim light.
Atlas worked quickly, lashing his blood across the floor like a painter consumed by madness. When finished, he stepped back, gazing at the intricate pattern before him. Crimson lines pulsed faintly, humming with latent energy. This was forbidden magic—summoning entities from realms most mortals feared to tread. But Atlas didn't care. He would not bow to fate, not while Lara needed him.
Summon entity..." he intoned, channeling mana into the circle. As if responding to his will, the runes flared brighter, casting eerie shadows across the walls. One by one, the symbols ignited, filling the room with a sinister glow.
"...Demon."
[Demon king's Heart resonating.]
