Dantanian traveled across the land with a clear destination in mind.
When it came to speed, he was even faster than Camazotz and surpassed the speed of sound.
After a mere few minutes, the handsome young man reached his destination—a place called Death Valley, home to the Fiend Apollyon.
Apollyon was commonly referred to as the Fallen Angel of Death and was also known as the Patron of the Domini Mortis, the most venomous Rank 1 snake in the world.
Dantanian extended his senses inside the valley in search of the Fallen Angel.
He didn’t dare to set foot inside it without permission. Apollyon was not aggressive. But he was, after all, here to persuade the other party about some matters—not to mention, his fellow fiend wouldn’t be easy to fight. It was better to be safe than sorry.
They called him the Angel of Death for a reason, known to be one of the strongest Fiends of Solterra.
After half a minute of searching through his senses, he found the one he was looking for. He telepathically asked if they could chat a bit, then waited for an answer.
Upon receiving permission, Dantanian stepped forward and instantly reappeared before the Fallen Angel, who was currently seated cross-legged and seemed to be meditating.
"It has been a while, Dantanian," Apollyon said with a smile.
"Indeed." Dantanian nodded. "It has been three hundred years since we last saw each other."
"Right. So what brings you here?"
"Zaphiel came to see me a while ago."
Apollyon glanced toward the East before shifting his attention back to Dantanian.
"Zaphiel had left just a few minutes ago," Apollyon stated. "He invited me to join his team to get Pandora, but I turned him down. I’m not interested in changing the status quo."
Dantanian breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, but he also felt helpless. Even with his fastest speed, Zaphiel still reached Apollyon before him.
The only silver lining was that Zaphiel failed to convince the fallen angel to join his cause.
"I don’t understand," Dantanian said as he also sat on the ground, facing Apollyon. "What made Zaphiel want to retrieve Pandora? Why now?"
"Because it’s now or never," Apollyon answered. "As you already know, the veil protecting this world has grown thin."
"Yes." Dantanian nodded. "That means this world might get invaded very soon. If that’s really the case, shouldn’t all the Fiends and the Celestials work hand in hand to repel the invaders?"
Apollyon smiled faintly. "You’re still too young, Dantanian. The Fiends don’t really get along with each other. The same can be said of the Celestials. In fact, I believe that among us Fiends, you are the only one whom we will not attack without warning."
"Um, I am thankful for that." Dantanian scratched his head. "But is this really okay? Zaphiel said that Rahab, Belial, and Pharzuph share the same vision as him."
"Two Celestials and two Fiends forming a team," Apollyon shook his head. "Even if their number increases by two more, it will be difficult to obtain Pandora. Unless all seven Celestials and all seven Fiends work together, it will be nearly impossible to obtain Pandora."
"The Eldest is that strong, isn’t he?" Dantanian asked in admiration. "He will not be defeated so easily, even if Zaphiel gained more allies."
Apollyon once again shook his head. It was not about their eldest being strong, but the restrictions needed to be broken to obtain Pandora.
"I think you’re making a very big misunderstanding, Dantanian," Apollyon said. "The Eldest will not lift a finger to stop Zaphiel if he wishes to obtain Pandora. In fact, he will even be happy if they succeed in taking it."
"Huh?! Wasn’t the Eldest safeguarding Pandora so this world wouldn’t be destroyed?" Dantanian frowned.
"I see... I forgot that when the Eldest stole Pandora from The One, you still hadn’t been born," Apollyon smiled faintly. "It’s a long story, but the two of them had a falling out, so Metatron stole Pandora and dragged it to the mortal realm."
"Of course, The One wouldn’t allow such a dangerous divine relic to be exploited by anyone, so it fought against the Eldest. Their battle lasted for seven days and seven nights, splitting the lands of Solterra into continents and islands.
"In the end, both were unable to overpower each other and came to a compromise. Pandora will be placed in Mount Orthys, and only those who meet the harsh conditions will be able to acquire it safely.
"It is said that Titans stood guard to protect Pandora, and their strength will not be any weaker than the Fiends and Celestials. Only those whom the Eldest, Metatron, recognize will be able to possess Pandora."
Dantanian, who was paying close attention to the tale, asked a question.
"Then, doesn’t that mean that Pandora is safe if it’s under protection by beings just as strong as us?" Dantanian inquired.
"In theory, yes," Apollyon answered. "But in reality, I think there is a chance. Like I said, the veil protecting this world is about to collapse. This means we can be invaded anytime by forces from outside our world.
"The strengths of these invaders might even surpass us. Perhaps, Zaphiel felt it too, so he decided to secure Pandora before these invaders get their hands on it. Of course, this is just a theory. Zaphiel has always been ambitious, so he might be using this opportunity to take a gamble."
Dantanian pondered a bit. His instinct was telling him that Pandora must never fall in the hands of the unworthy, or else, this world would be destroyed.
When he became a Fiend, he heard a divine decree, telling him that no matter what happened, Pandora must never be opened.
He held onto this prophecy for hundreds of years, so he immediately felt anxious when Zaphiel told him about his goal to get Pandora.
"Thank you for rejecting Zaphiel’s invitation," Dantanian said before standing up. "I will go and see the other Fiends. I don’t know if Zaphiel will meet them before I arrive, but I still have to go. Pandora must never be opened."
"Good luck," Apollyon replied. "Just remember this, Dantanian. It will take more than willpower and strength to fight against Fate."
Dantanian frowned but still bowed to the Fallen Angel to show his respect. A moment later, he stepped away, and vanished without a trace.
Apollyon smiled faintly before closing his eyes. "My child, how long do you plan to sleep? The wheel of fortune has started to spin, and you have been at the bottom for a long time already. It’s time to go up and become the one you are destined to be."
From a place that was too far for Apollyon to reach, the consciousness of a Domini Mortis stirred to answer his call.