《The Emperor Class》 Volume 1 Prologue ¡°Is this where we part?¡± asked Xemir. ¡°After the Battle of Chilsor Plains, I don¡¯t think we have any other option.¡± Xyheia placed her belongings on the cart. Her twin brother, a god she spent numerous centuries watching over the continent of Ittoroth with, stood under the arch that marked the entrance to their home. As much as she didn¡¯t want to leave the home she grew up in, Xyheia knew there was no other choice. Their argument wasn¡¯t a simple sibling quarrel where both sides could forgive each other the following day. Theirs was one where a line they should have avoided at all cost was crossed and there was no turning back. As the loser in the battle, she had lost her right to remain and might as well gracefully accept the terms. ¡°I know you are grieving but-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand grief,¡± said Xyheia with venom in her words. The statement made Xemir back away for a moment. The god looked hurt from the comment. ¡°I did nothing wrong,¡± he said with conviction in his voice. ¡°If we have to make a difficult choice, I made the one that will minimize our losses.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Minimize our losses?¡± The goddess gestured to the pond showing the aftermath of the battle. ¡°Tell me how many lives were lost there.¡± Xyheia held back her tears to the best of her abilities. She lost so many of her mortal friends that day and, despite her powers, she couldn¡¯t bring them back. One might consider the battle a Pyrrhic Victory at best for the humans. However, the battle¡¯s outcome decided on the future of Ittoroth and, more importantly, the future of the nonhuman races. She understood the reasoning of her brother but, at the same time, she disagreed with him. They had a plan in place and his decision of abandoning it midway would only cost them more. Without another word, the goddess mounted her Pegasus. ¡°Please move aside.¡± Xyheia waited patiently for her brother to reluctantly move aside. They exchanged their farewell under the arch and she never looked back since. In part, she didn¡¯t want to show Xemir the tears running down her face. The last time she cried this much was when her parents moved on to a new realm. Now, she said goodbye to another close family member. You are not alone. You still have all your friends who look to you for guidance. The goddess wiped away her tears and petted her Pegasus on the neck. Her companion was right to remind her of her duties. The battle might have been lost but she still had many friends and followers awaiting her orders. Like her, they need to leave the continent in search of a new home. Like her, they had to start anew with an uncertain future awaiting them. Volume 1 Chapter 1 A young man loaded a crate of mushrooms onto the cart. He was joined by four other laborers as they worked on a contract given to their guild. With the Fall Festival around the corner, the demand for laborers was high. For healthy laborers like the young man, this was a great opportunity to make a sizable sum of money. The group had already completed four other contracts earlier and hoped to complete their fifth one before sunset. With coordinated teamwork, the laborers loaded all the carts with crates requested for the upcoming feast. ¡°Wow, I cannot believe we finished five contracts in a day.¡± One of the laborers said after stretching his arms. ¡°Must be a new record within the guild!¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a record,¡± said another laborer, ¡°we should celebrate it! I heard the Adventurer¡¯s Inn has some delicacies tonight.¡± While the laborers discussed amongst themselves about dinner, the young man stared up at the crescent moon. ¡°Are you coming or not, Dreu?¡± asked a laborer who slapped the young man on the shoulder. ¡°Sorry, what did you say?¡± Dreu asked after calming his heart. Upon hearing the plans of the other laborers, Dreu shook his head and said he had other businesses to attend to. He watched the group leave without him but the sight brought a smile to his face. He met the four laborers exactly two years earlier when he first arrived at the town of Berkton. The Labor Guild was hiring two years earlier due to a shortage of manpower so they even took in Dreu who was described as only skin and bones at the time. Through hard work and being assigned regular heavy lifting tasks, Dreu eventually developed his bulky build. It was also at the guild that Dreu met the four laborers. They got along immediately so, without hesitation, they formed a squad which had proven to be one of the most reliable squads in the guild. The Labor Guild paid fair rates and life was great for hardworking men like him. The current Fall Festival was proving to be a very profitable opportunity for the laborers. Normally, the Fall Festival was the only opportunity for making large sums of money. Yet, the year offered a rare second opportunity for the laborers of Berkton. Several months earlier, the Labor Guild was given a contract from the king himself. Laborers were needed to transport large crates to the capital, Xante. Dreu¡¯s squad didn¡¯t get assigned the task for the journey to the capital but the members did aid the logistics at Berkton and were well compensated for their work. The two opportunities benefited Dreu greatly as the young man wasn¡¯t content with staying a laborer his entire life. He longed to become an adventurer. The stories of adventurers defeating powerful monsters and becoming heroes excited him. While handling crates, Dreu also heard about the other towns and cities with a longing to see them with his own eyes. For a long time, he thought being an adventurer wasn¡¯t possible for someone with no magical abilities. Overhearing a conversation at the Adventurer Inn a year ago changed that perception. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Following a long day of packing ores into crates, Dreu¡¯s squad celebrated the occasion at the Adventurer Inn. While eating the food, Dreu noticed an adventurer group entering the establishment. The four members of that group were seated at an adjacent table. One of those members then spoke of the Knight Academy and how he, without any magical abilities, could wield weapons and contribute to combat. Since learning of the Knight Academy, Dreu took efforts to research more on the topic. The more he researched, the more optimistic he was with his future as an adventurer. As someone with no magical abilities, his options were limited to wielding weapons. Magical weapons were only available to those from wealthy families so that option was off the table for Dreu. By carefully saving up his earnings, Dreu could not only obtain enough funds to purchase equipment but he could also pay for the two years of training at the Knight Academy in the nearby city of York. The cost of being a Knight was high but the benefits easily justify those costs. For a young man like Dreu, the Knight academy might be the only option available to him that could bear fruit in a few years. Even two years of training made him eligible to low level adventure quests. Therefore, Dreu turned down the visit to the tavern so he could pick up his purchases at the smithy. One of the requirements for new Knights was to purchase one¡¯s own weapon and shield. Armor was optional due to their higher costs, especially if the armor was made from one of the better materials. The young man ordered the most cost efficient option of one standard sword and one shield. Due to the high demand for weapons a month earlier, the smithy ran out of materials and Dreu would be informed when his purchase was ready for pickup. Excited to move a step closer to becoming a knight, Dreu prioritized his trip to the smithy over the tavern. When Dreu approached the smithy, he could hear the sound of a hammer on an anvil. He found it surprising to hear a blacksmith working late at night. Unless they had huge orders to complete, blacksmiths usually took it easy in the two weeks leading up to the Fall Festival. Blacksmiths made considerably more money than laborers so they could afford to take breaks throughout the year. ¡°How can I help you?¡± asked the blacksmith by the anvil as soon as Dreu walked in. Dreu noticed the man staring at him warily so he quickly brought up a piece of paper. ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up my sword and shield,¡± he said simply. The blacksmith put his work on hold and walked over to verify the document. After a nod, he retrieved the sword and shield Dreu purchased. The young man excitedly took the two items and admired the new additions in his possession. The sword came with a standard sheath and it was slightly longer than his forearm. Meanwhile, the round shield was made of iron-plated wood. The price of an all iron shield was too costly and, for the entry into the Knight Academy, wood would serve his purpose. By the time he looked up, Dreu saw the blacksmith back at work. He hastily thanked the man and exited. With his sword and shield in hand, Dreu debated on where he should head next. Just then, he heard bells ringing. At first, he assumed the bells were just part of a rehearsal for the Fall Festival. He then paused and looked in the direction of the bell. Thick plumes of smoke were coming from that direction. Volume 1 Chapter 2 The smithy was located in the richer section which was built on a higher elevation than most of the town. Dreu used this height advantage to get a clear look at the developing situation. Many sections of the town were engulfed in flames with smoke limiting visibility of many of the streets and alleyways. Shortly after the bell rang earlier, the demons had poured into the streets like a tsunami. Screams of humans could be heard everywhere. The fires illuminated the soldiers who rushed to intercept the demons. Outnumbered and lacking a defensive advantage, the soldiers were easily slaughtered as they did little to slow down the demon advances. While the main bulk of the demon forces were slaughtering all the humans at a leisurely rate, numerous small demons had made their way deeper into the town. Dreu had lost count on how many times he braced himself against the demon claws but his shield was holding. Dreu clumsily brought the sword down and sliced another small demon in half. Despite coming on top in all the combat thus far, Dreu didn¡¯t feel he was winning. Even he knew the small demons were weak and were usually just scouts for the demon forces. For ordinary unarmed humans, even the small demons were deadly. A few unarmed humans stood behind Dreu while he fended off the small demons one at a time. He was just far enough away from the gates to not feel the brunt of the attack yet. However, the fights with the small demons had slowed him down. In addition to no end to the number of small demons, the rest of the demons had finished their slaughters in other parts of the town and made their way towards rest of the town. At the sight of heavily armed demon soldiers and larger demons approaching his position, fear gripped Dreu forcing him to flee from the terrors that had befallen Berkton. An untrained swordsman like him stood no chance against the horror before him. Human and small demon corpses littered the streets. The few remaining human soldiers tried their best but they were easily overwhelmed by the sheer number of demons. As the fire spread from building to building, the remaining survivors had the choice of dying by fire or at the hands of the demons. Dreu ran desperately with his eyes scanning for anything that could save him. His body was already screaming for him to stop. Fatigue steadily settled in and he forced himself to keep going. A part of him also registered that he was now alone on the streets. The young man was so focused on looking for a way out that he failed to notice a demon charging out of an alleyway into him. The two of them flew into a nearby burning building. As the demon raised its claw, Dreu swung his shield into the demon¡¯s head. The impact sent it flying a few meters into the fire. He then grimaced as he raised his other arm. The demon left a nasty gash on his sword arm during the charge resulting in his sword being basically useless until his arm was healed. With a curse, he backed away from the street due to the multiple demons gathering there. As he prepared for his final stand, he felt the ground give out under him. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Dreu landed awkwardly and the impact knocked the breath out of him. Once he recovered, the young man searched for his sword and shield in the darkness. Upon getting his bearings, Dreu blindly headed in a random direction and was rewarded by an intersection. Turning the corner, he could see a handful of torches and a couple of silhouettes in the distance. With no other choice, he approached the torches. ¡°Illuminate,¡± said a female voice. Dreu instinctively raised his shield to put it between his face and the unexpected light. ¡°It¡¯s a fellow human,¡± said the same voice from earlier. Dreu let out his breath and lowered his shield. While his vision was recovering, a man approached him. ¡°We¡¯re fleeing to the outskirts of the town through these tunnels. Keep up if you want to live.¡± Dreu merely nodded and followed the group. He sneaked glances at his new travel companions. There were a dozen humans with half of them dressed as civilians and the other half he suspected to be adventurers. ¡°Demons to the left!¡± shouted a voice. The civilians fled at the mention of demons while the adventurers readied themselves. ¡°I will hold them off as long as I can.¡± The tallest man of the group stood out. ¡°Run and that¡¯s an order!¡± Dreu saw a brief hesitation from the other adventurers but they chased after the civilians. He muttered a quick thanks before leaving the man to fight against impossible odds. They then spent what seemed like forever running down the tunnel. Eventually, all of them collapsed onto the ground to catch their breath. The civilians were already sound asleep while the adventurers struggled to keep their eyes open. While fatigue settled in for Dreu, the nasty gash from earlier pained him too much to fall asleep. As he tried to see if any of the adventurers was a healer, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. ¡°Humans are such weak creatures. To think we thought they were a threat. I will enjoy tearing you all apart and listening to your screams!¡± Dreu and the adventurers turned towards the source of the voice and saw a pair of violet eyes staring at them from the darkness. Two adventurers, both in heavy armor, rushed to intercept the demon. Someone behind the two adventurers began chanting a spell while Dreu turned to see another notching an arrow. ¡°Illuminate!¡± Dreu turned his head and was shocked to see a humanoid demon with grotesque horns and claws. The demon easily towered over them and had to hunch slightly to avoid hitting the tunnel ceiling with its head. The smile on the demon¡¯s face was the most disturbing thing he had ever seen. Dreu felt his heart beat rapidly as he began hyperventilating. The adventurers'' activities woke up the civilians who cowered in the back. ¡°Please keep this fight interesting at least. I don¡¯t mind a little entertainment before I head towards York.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 3 Colet walked up beside a mean looking dwarf. He followed the dwarf¡¯s stare and stopped at the Torpin Stronghold. The magnificent human bastion stood between his forces and the human capital. The anti-human coalition, formed out of necessity, arrived before the last obstacle that stood between it and the human capital or, more specifically, the Purificator. Should the stronghold fall, the coalition members would join the demons in the final assault of the capital to eliminate the threat the non-human races couldn¡¯t ignore. Upon learning of the Purificator''s completion, they couldn¡¯t stand idle for the humans to unleash the superweapon¡¯s fury upon them. Knowing the humans couldn''t be trusted with the weapon, the coalition members had taken it upon themselves to destroy the superweapon. ¡°The fall of Torpin Stronghold will be the fall of humans,¡± said the dwarf. ¡°The humans will resist fiercely, Skostaer.¡± Colet learned from the scouts earlier about the impressive garrison at the stronghold. ¡°They are not to be underestimated.¡± Skostaer laughed at the comment and muttered something about humans being soft. Colet watched the dwarf leader walk away to his camp. The two of them rarely exchanged many words. Colet tried to start conversations but repeated attempts all yielded nothing. Instead of focusing on the dwarf, the centaur turned to the camps. A total of six camps were set up in a horseshoe formation for the coalition, each belonging to a different race. Skostaer led the dwarves who held one of the central camps. The other central camp belonged to Colet, chieftain of the centaurs. Commanding the largest numbers in the coalition, Skostaer and Colet were selected to form the backbone of the coalition forces. As one of the leaders for the backbone, Colet understood the responsibilities that came with it. Failure to destroy the Purificator would be a burden he had to bear alone, assuming he could survive the superweapon in the first place. The camps were established on one of the hills near the Torpin Stronghold. These hills paled to the mountain range that separated the human kingdom from the northern non-human kingdoms. Anticipating future conflicts, the humans wisely constructed the fortress in the sole mountain pass which would eventually be known as the Torpin Stronghold. Over the three centuries, the stronghold was further fortified and improved. Some even claimed the fortress was impregnable as no past attempts succeeded. The Torpin Stronghold as a result kept the human kingdom safe from all threats in the north. Unfortunately for the coalition members, this was the same stronghold they had to break through. ¡°Colet!¡± shouted a voice behind the centaur chieftain. Colet turned to see a centaur galloping towards him. He galloped to join the incoming centaur halfway. He wasn¡¯t expecting the centaur for another few hours. In times of war, arriving ahead of time wasn''t always a good omen. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°What is it, Notelis?¡± Colet felt unease seeing his right-hand centaur¡¯s frown. Unless the matter was serious, Notelis wouldn¡¯t betray any emotions to others. ¡°We just caught sight of a small contingent of humans reaching the stronghold. We estimate about a hundred or so humans on horsebacks. One of those humans isn¡¯t your normal human. Eupoos sensed something dangerous within that human. He claimed that the human possessed powers that felt unholy.¡± Colet trusted Eupoos¡¯ judgment when it came to magical matters. As their most experienced sorcerer, Eupoos possessed an ability to roughly gauge the magic levels of anyone he could see with his eyes. The further away the target was, the more inaccurate the magic level reading was. A human labeled dangerous by Eupoos could make Torpin Stronghold¡¯s defenses even more impregnable. The stronghold had a reputation of standing firm against invasions for three centuries and that reputation was well deserved. Despite being part of the largest coalition in recent history, Colet still lacked the confidence of victory. The human Eupoos suspected of being dangerous certainly didn¡¯t help. ¡°Tell Eupoos to return at once.¡± Colet returned his attention to the stronghold. ¡°The siege is about to begin and we need our strongest warriors and sorcerers here to achieve victory.¡± When Notelis rode off, Colet returned his attention back to the Torpin Stronghold. As the new chieftain of the centaurs, Colet overcame numerous challenges to rise to the top. Yet, none of his problems and challenges came close to the possible extinction of the centaurs. Other than the demons with their demon realm, none of the other non-human races had any countermeasures to the powerful superweapon built by the humans. Putting aside their differences, the six most powerful races north of the human kingdom formed a coalition in a final struggle for survival. Despite the odds, they had gathered outside Torpin Stronghold with a common goal. Father, if only you were here to lead the centaurs. The death of his father was not only the most devastating event in Colet¡¯s life but also a tragedy for the centaur race. As the former chieftain, his father left a huge void with his death resulting in the bloodiest civil war in centaur history. When the dust finally settled, Colet rose to take up the mantle left behind by his father. The price the centaurs paid in the civil war was far too steep and its impact was still felt to this day. Colet, despite uniting all of the centaurs, knew his forces paled to what his father could muster. Five years weren¡¯t remotely enough for his people to recover from the civil war. Having pondered on the topic before, Colet knew even a century wasn''t enough. Colet looked up when he heard a screech from above. He raised his arm for the hawk to perch upon. Ilumin! How was the flight above the mountain range? The breeze is good! Reminds me of peak! Ilumin might appear as an ordinary hawk to the untrained eyes but she was actually a Cloud Hawk. Cloud Hawks were only found on Cloud Peak which remained one of the most inaccessible locations on the continent. When one arrived at the base of Cloud Peak, the mountain peak disappeared into the clouds and couldn''t be seen unless one scaled to the top. It was said that those who reached the peaks were worthy enough to have a Cloud Hawk as one¡¯s partner. Volume 1 Chapter 4 The adventurers fought the demon with much difficulty. The narrow tunnel prevented them from using their numbers effectively. Not only could they not maneuver properly but the ranged supports struggled to avoid hitting their companions with their attacks. To make matters worse, the front liners found their weapons useless against the demon¡¯s armor. Lacking ranged support, one of the front liners was quickly killed when the demon¡¯s claws went through his chest and armor. The demon then tossed the corpse aside to turn its attention towards the other front liner. The corpse landed near Dreu who was still hyperventilating. The sight jolted him back to reality but he cursed as he tried raising his sword arm. He barely had the strength to grip the sword handle. He kept cursing internally until a prompt showed up before him. Dreu¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the prompt appearing before him. While prompts were available to anyone regardless of their mastery in magic, they were generally only useful for those with magical or ability skills. When he first learned of the prompt, Dreu summoned the window only to find his name. He later learned that prompts not only provided more details of unlocked skills but also provided valuable information on how to unlock new skills when certain hidden requirements were met. If used properly, the prompt could bring out the full potential of its user. Up until this moment, Dreu had no use for the prompt since working as a laborer didn¡¯t unlock any abilities within him. Following a brief pause, Dreu selected the ¡°Yes¡± option. The prompt then updated. With no hesitation this time, he selected "Yes." A second later, he felt drained and struggled to keep his eyes open. When he forced himself to look up, a frown formed on his face. He was not expecting a footman in rusty armor armed with a broken sword. The footman looked more like a large man who dug through the discarded equipment pile from a smithy than a soldier he had hoped for. While the footman¡¯s physique was larger than that of a front liner, Dreu had doubts the footman could even last a minute against the demon given its current condition. He then looked down with a sigh but his eyes were drawn to his equipment. ¡°Take these,¡± Dreu said weakly as he offered his sword and shield to the footman. Thank you! Dreu looked around before returning his focus on the footman who had just equipped itself with the sword and shield. Then, a prompt showed up. < +2 Reputation with the Footman Class. > This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Dreu was pondering on what just happened and, as he sought for more information on the footman, the prompt responded in kind. < Lv 1 Footman: Description: Serving as a basic infantry in the armies of the Emperor, the footman is a versatile foot soldier with basic training but lacks the proper weapons and armor to fully utilize its training. Despite lacking proper equipment, a footman has unquestionable loyalty to the Emperor and will fight to the end if ordered to. Recommendations: Strong against weak monsters. Best used in numbers and in close formation. Status: Possesses the combat ability of a Lv 2 Footman due to the new sword and shield equipped. > Hold off the demon, Dreu thought as he tested his theory of communication with the footman through his mind. Understood! The footman then charged into combat without hesitation. While Dreu was equipping the footman, the remaining front liner was losing against the demon. Unlike the other front liner, he chose a full defensive stance hoping to buy time while getting support from the other adventurers. Yet, the demon was not only deadly with its claw strikes but it also actively kept the front liner between itself and the other adventurers, effectively neutralizing any ranged attacks. The claw strikes, after breaking the shield, targeted the armor joints of the front liner resulting in multiple wounds to the human adventurer. With a sudden swing of its arm, the demon sent the weakened front liner flying. Before it could dash forward to deliver the finishing blow, the footman charged directly into it. The footman managed to force the demon back a few steps with its charge. The demon turned its attention to the new combatant and growled at it. The growl shook the tunnel and Dreu covered his ears, closing his eyes. Go away! Go away! Dreu muttered his thoughts multiple times. When the growl ended, the young man hesitantly opened his eyes and cursed upon seeing the demon was still there. The footman had raised its shield as it waited for the demon to make a move. Dreu noted that the footman showed no sign of fear and simply stood there concentrating on its opponent. The demon then spoke in some non-human language which was followed by a violet light shining from its two claws. Dreu watched in horror as a wicked warhammer materialized from the violet light. As soon as the weapon fully materialized, the demon gripped it with its claws and effortlessly did a practice swing. < Hint: Footman can be buffed by clerics and buffs are twice as effective. > Upon seeing the prompt, Dreu turned to the backline adventurers. Due to the Illuminate spell, he could see all the adventurers clearly for the first time. He assumed the one with the arrow was a ranger class. As for the other two, both wore robes commonly worn by spellcasters. While one summoned fireballs from her hands, the other was chanting an incantation followed by a light that spread to all the humans in the vicinity. < You have been buffed with the Courage spell. > The prompt then showed new information on him. < Dreu: Status: -Courage: +15% to Fear Resistance (can stack with other buffs) > With the Courage spell, Dreu felt he could breathe slightly easier. The demon still terrified him but his instincts weren¡¯t screaming at him as loudly to run. Volume 1 Chapter 5 No longer paralyzed by fear, Dreu slowly pushed himself up with his good arm. He then walked unsteadily towards the female cleric. Before he could say anything, the cleric rushed next to him and cast a healing spell. He felt his strength slowly recovering and, upon checking the gash on his arm, noticed the bleeding also stopped. His arm wasn¡¯t back to a hundred percent but he didn¡¯t feel as helpless as earlier. ¡°The footman is on our side,¡± he said to the cleric once he recovered enough of his strength to speak. ¡°Please cast a buff on it that can aid it in battle.¡± Dreu learned in the Adventurer¡¯s Inn that most clerics were specialists where they either focused on only offensive buff spells or defensive buff spells. The specialization allowed them to attain better mastery than one going for jack of all trades. Seeing the Courage spell earlier, he assumed the cleric before him was a defensive type. The cleric looked at Dreu after hearing his request and studied him for a few seconds. ¡°Improved Armor,¡± the cleric announced after a nod. A white light shimmered around the footman moments before the demon swung its warhammer down onto the footman. The footman initially raised the shield to intercept but, following the casted buff, it pivoted for its shoulder to take the hit. The warhammer bounced off and the footman used the chance to take a stab at the demon. Quick on its feet, the demon leaped back to avoid the stab. The footman didn¡¯t pause and instead leaped right after the demon. Caught off balance, the demon tumbled onto the ground with the footman landing on top of it. The demon abandoned the warhammer as it tried using its claws to push the footman off. The footman abandoned its sword and shield to better wrestle the demon with its hands. Dreu took a moment to check on the footman. There were now two statuses on his summon. < Status: -Possesses the combat ability of a Lv 2 Footman due to the new sword and shield equipped. -Improved Armor: +25% Armor Defense (increased to +50% Armor Defense due to Footman Class trait) > The sight of the footman pinning the demon to the ground gave Dreu renewed hope. Up until this moment, the young man was unsure if they could even survive this ordeal. The demon handled the front liners like they were merely ragdolls. Lacking front liners, it was just a matter of time before the demons killed the rest of them. The odds appeared so heavily against them until the footman showed up. He looked down to locate the equipment of the dead front liner. After he grabbed the ax and shield on the ground, Dreu turned towards the footman ready to assist. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Go! I will hold off this demon for as long as I can. But, thought Dreu as he gripped his new weapon tightly. This demon is also beyond what we can slay right now. I also cannot die while you still live. Go! Dreu turned to the others. The cleric was nearly done healing the wounded front liner while the civilians hid behind the sorceress and ranger. ¡°Everyone! Run!¡± The others remained frozen in place so Dreu grabbed a torch from one of the civilians. Following further urges from the young man, everyone understood what he meant. Dreu led the way and the others followed behind him. He only glanced behind him once seeing the footman still wrestle with the demon on the ground. The long reach the demon had with its claws proved ineffective when the two of them were in such close proximity. The footman was fully utilizing its large physique to keep the demon on the ground. Wishing the footman luck, Dreu led the human survivors deeper into the tunnel. The group started with a slow walk but they eventually went into a run to get as much distance between themselves and the demon. While the group ran with renewed vigor, they could hear the demon growls and what one might interpret as curses echoing throughout the tunnel. Dreu urged everyone to keep running because he had doubts in his ability to summon another footman. The last one left him so drained and, if it wasn¡¯t for the spell from the cleric, he doubted he could even stand. With what seemed like a second chance at life, he pushed himself despite the burning sensation of his muscles. With no side passages, the group didn¡¯t have to navigate to find its way out of the tunnels. Dreu noticed that, as soon as he was some distance away from the demon, he no longer had the choking sensation. His heart was beating quickly from physical exertion as opposed to the sight of that monstrosity. At the same time, he felt fatigue settling in. The adrenaline he felt earlier had more or less run its course and the young man knew it was a matter of time before his body decided it needed to rest. Sensing the others slowing down behind him, Dreu stopped to let them catch up. ¡°Let¡¯s find a safe place to rest,¡± he suggested. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can get up again if I lay down now. If we stop here, the demon can find us easily.¡± The others agreed with Dreu so they all picked up the pace again. A few of the civilians were struggling so Dreu and the adventurers offered to give them a hand. The group exited the tunnels entering a dark forest. They kept running until they came across a cave. Once the Ranger confirmed the absence of any dangers, everyone headed inside and collapsed onto the ground as soon as they felt they were deep enough. Inside the dark cave, all the humans but one were sound asleep. For whatever reason, Dreu felt himself reinvigorated since he left the tunnels. Despite efforts to lie down and close his eyes, sleep kept alluding him. Eventually, he gave up sleeping altogether. With no intention of leaving the safety of the cave, Dreu decided that his time was best spent on the prompt window. A new class and ability would certainly make the prompt window worthwhile to look at. Volume 1 Chapter 6 Ilumin relayed what she saw while flying high above the Torpin Stronghold. As the centaur chieftain feared, his scouts on the ground merely spotted a fraction of the human¡¯s total forces. From above, his Cloud Hawk could discern a more accurate picture of what they were facing and the picture wasn¡¯t pretty. The human forces rivaled the coalition numbers while also possessing the defensive advantage. According to reliable intel, the defenders were also led by some of the most veteran officers within the human kingdom. Colet was deep in thought when Ilumin spoke up. Are you afraid? It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m afraid or not. As the chieftain of the centaurs, I have to lead from the front. Colet was reminded of his first encounter with Ilumin. He was a young centaur with hardly any responsibilities. His father was the chieftain and his siblings were all ahead of him in terms of succession. As the youngest son of the chieftain, he had the luxury to travel the continent. One journey brought him to the Cloud Peak. As a centaur, he lacked the ability to scale the peak. Yet, his encounter with Ilumin was predestined when the two of them met at the base of Cloud peak. During that first encounter, they discovered they had lots in common including their love of exploring new lands despite the many uncertainties. Ilumin agreed to become his partner as long as they traveled together. Ten years later, they found themselves facing overwhelming odds as they looked to break through a stronghold against a determined foe. They had their backs against the wall and their chance of victory was still very low, if not nonexistent. Once he got a more complete picture of the situation, Colet returned back to his camp. He told the other centaurs to prepare for battle and suspected that their preparations should be completed. As the most mobile race on land within the coalition, they were expected to fulfill many roles like support and logistics. Some centaurs expressed dissatisfaction in serving as beasts of burden but none had refused to do their tasks outright. With the future of their race at risk, a lowly task was a small price to pay. ¡°Ides,¡± called out Colet as he neared the main tent. A centaur with a slightly smaller stature than Colet turned to greet the centaur chief. Unlike the other centaur archers, Ides had a recurve bow over one shoulder and a blue pauldron on the other. Centaurs possessed incredible speed which, combined with a bow, made them a menace on flat terrain. Pauldrons were worn by the centaur spellcasters, each color representing the rank achieved by the centaur. Possessing both meant Ides could use his bow and spells interchangeably at his whim. ¡°How did the preparations go?¡± Colet asked. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. As the centaur chief, Colet never figured out how to speak to his close friends. Despite customs dictating all centaurs must be formal around the chief, Colet was never a big fan of those customs. He missed the days when he and Ides could simply speak what was on their mind. ¡°Preparations went well, chief.¡± Ides pointed at one of the tents nearby. ¡°We stored our food and ammunition in multiple locations. The centaurs responsible for logistics are familiarizing themselves right now. We can engage in combat as soon as you give the order.¡± With no further words, Colet entered the main tent where the others were waiting. His council consisted of the seven most powerful centaurs at his command. Eupoos held the title of Centaur Magus, the one who represented the centaur sorcerers of the army. Colet had to appease the Magus due to Eupoos¡¯ authority over the spellcasters was unquestionable. In return for the appeasement of the Magus, Colet gained incredible firepower in the form of powerful spells and magic to aid his war. Colet approached the Magus who wore a violet pauldron on his shoulder. Eupoos was among the smaller centaurs as he didn¡¯t possess the height to intimidate enemies on the battlefield. Yet, his enemies would regret underestimating him due to his vast knowledge and experience in spells and magic. Eupoos was considered a genius spellcaster who came around once every millennium. ¡°I heard about the dangerous human you sensed. Will this human pose a threat to our advances?¡± ¡°I lack an answer now.¡± Eupoos summoned a magical projection of the human. ¡°If we encounter this human, I will personally enter combat.¡± The statement caused a stir in the tent because Eupoos openly declared his participation amidst the actual combat. Many centaurs wondered if the Magus would play a support role in the rear. Given the Magus¡¯ large repertoire of spells, he would still contribute greatly to the war effort. While there was no reason for Eupoos to personally enter actual combat, no one could deny his presence could turn the tide. Colet wasn¡¯t opposed to Eupoos¡¯ participation. Ilumin provided him with enough intel to know how desperately they needed all the firepower they could get. Not only would Eupoo¡¯s presence boost the morale of the centaurs but his personal guards, all very capable spellcasters, would be there with him. ¡°I appreciate your willingness to join the other centaurs.¡± Colet gestured to the magical projection. ¡°If this human does show up, do you suspect we have forced the humans to use their final trump card?¡± ¡°I sincerely hope so, chieftain. If this human isn¡¯t their final trump card, I fear our campaign is doomed.¡± ¡°Could this human be the Right Arm of Xemir?¡± The mentioned of the title caused a bigger stir in the tent. The Right Arm of Xemir was a legendary being said to have single handedly won the Battle of Chilsor Plains. The epic battle was a clash between the followers of Xemir and an anti-Xemir coalition formed mostly of demons and Emperor Gavienus Tobias¡¯ soldiers. The feats of the Right Arm of Xemir not only struck fear in non-human races but also established the dominant position of the human kingdom. The presence of such a figure at Torpin Stronghold would no doubt guarantee the humans their victory. Even Colet was aware that, despite being a genius, Eupoos didn¡¯t come close to an immortal being blessed by a god. Volume 1 Chapter 7 Unlike the last time he visited the prompt window which only had his name, the window was now a lot more crowded. Overwhelmed by the options, Dreu selected the first thing below his name. < Emperor Class: Description: The Emperor Class is a unique character class. The user is given the ability to summon loyal soldiers to fight for him. The quality and quantity of the soldiers depend on two major factors: the user¡¯s level and unit class upgrades. As the emperor becomes stronger, more types of soldiers will be available to him and further specialization of soldiers are made possible. Unit class upgrades can be used to further improve the quality of the soldiers. Legends claim that a wise and strong emperor is unbeatable on the battlefield. Unlocked Ability: Summon Footman (Lvl 1) > Dreu read the description and looked at the ax by his side. He recalled the small demons he fought which were completely insignificant compared to the demon they encountered in the tunnel. Then, the image of all the humans killed by the demons earlier that day flashed in his mind and made him grip the ax tightly. A few deep breaths later, Dreu released the ax and returned his attention to the prompt window. He selected the ¡®Summon Footman (Lvl 1)¡¯ option. < Summon Footman (Lvl 1): Description: This ability allows the emperor to summon one footman at a high cost of mana. If this is the first time the ability is used, the emperor can only summon a Lvl 1 Footman. If a footman has been summoned before, this ability lets the emperor recall that footman. Recalling footman is beneficial due to the footman retaining experience obtained from combat. While summoning a fresh footman limits its level to 1, it is possible to recall a higher level footman. Regardless of the level of the footman, this ability limits the emperor to only summoning one footman at one time unless a higher level of the ability is achieved. > The recalling of a footman caught Dreu¡¯s attention. He thought back to the last time he communicated with the footman as it fought the demon. He then searched the screen for any information on recalling and promptly selected the ¡®Recall Units¡¯ option. < Unit Recall List: Footman (Lvl 2) - Unavailable > How did the footman reach level 2, thought Dreu. We footmen gain experience from any combat and gain more experience when fighting against more powerful enemies than ourselves. Even if we lose, we still get stronger. This time, Dreu didn¡¯t look around for the source of the voice. Just as he was about to ask more questions, the footman replied. While in the Recall Units screen, we can communicate freely. As for my unavailability, I was defeated by the demon and therefore need time before I can be re-summoned. If you need assistance now, summoning a new footman is your best and only option. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Dreu was pondering if he was that predictable before he, with a smile on his face, thanked the footman for saving him. I¡¯m only performing my duties, the footman communicated. How are you so strong? The prompt window said that footmen are only stronger against weak enemies. Yet, you held your ground against that demon in the tunnels. It¡¯s complicated. Let¡¯s just say that I¡¯m not your standard footman. My past is¡­.complicated. Dreu waited for the footman to elaborate but he was only greeted by silence. Understanding that the footman wasn¡¯t about to share its secrets, he returned to the main menu and selected the unit class upgrades option. < Unit Class Upgrades: Unit Class Footman Upgrades (2 Upgrades are currently available): -Advanced Training (1): All Footmen start with an extra level -Fortify Ability (1): All Footmen gain the Lvl 1 Fortify Ability (+50% Defense for 1 hour. Limited 3 uses per day) Upgrade Points available: 1 > Dreu stared between the two options and his single Upgrade Point. He scratched his head as he wondered which option would suit him better. He tried asking his footman in the recall list but the footman said that it respected whichever option the emperor picked. Debating internally about which option made more sense, he eventually picked the Advanced Training option. Moments after he selected the option, a notification popped up on the prompt window. < Congratulations! Your footman is now level 3! > The prompt window then provided additional information. < Lvl 3 Footman: Description: Serving as a basic infantry in the armies of the Emperor, the footman is a versatile foot soldier with advanced training and the proper equipment to fully utilize its training. In addition, the footman has actual combat experience on the battlefield and has unlocked a skill accessible to the footman unit class. The footman has unquestionable loyalty to the Emperor and will fight to the end if ordered to. Recommendations: -Strong against weak monsters. -Best used in numbers and in close formation. Skill: -Leadership (Lvl 1): Passive. Allies within a 2 meter radius of the user gain +5% attack and defense. Status: -Gain +10% attack and defense from sword and shield gifted by the emperor. > Dreu¡¯s eyes narrowed in on the status section. He had assumed that, once he gifted his sword and shield to his summoned unit, the items would be lost following the footman¡¯s defeat. Yet, the item remained and continued giving a buff. He wondered if rare equipment he was incompatible with could be given to his footman to ensure the item wasn¡¯t lost. Regardless, the sight of the footman becoming strong brought a smile to his face. He turned to look at the adventurers lying on the floors and wondered how his footman would compare to them. He knew that adventurer levels were closely guarded secrets and generally only known by those of the same party and the adventurer guild. He also knew there was no guarantee that footman levels were an equivalent to adventurer levels. Before he could get further with his thought, a noise got his attention. Initially, he ignored it and continued exploring the main menu. When he heard the noise a second time, Dreu quietly crept towards the cave entrance and noticed the couple shadows near the cave entrance. Cursing silently, he went to wake up the adventurers to alert them of the unknown intruders. Volume 1 Chapter 8 Dreu made the decision to not wake the civilians. He was worried they would panic in the situation and give away their element of surprise should the intruders be enemies. While he and the front liner crept closer towards the intruders, the other adventurers stayed further back ready to support. Dreu felt tense as he recalled the powerful demon in the tunnels. The idea of facing one of those demons with subordinates made him shiver. The intruders had yet to light a fire which concerned Dreu. Unlike humans, demons possessed the ability to see in the dark. This made battles at night or, in their case, battles in a dark cave far more favorable for the demons. To make matters worse, his side wasn¡¯t fully rested either. They had at most a few hours of rest which was insufficient for classes like clerics and sorceresses. Mana regeneration might vary between casters but proper rest could greatly increase the regeneration and a full rest generally fully replenished one''s mana. Dreu was fairly certain that the casters in their group were running empty on mana by the time they fled the tunnels. The odds were looking less and less in their favor. ¡°Fireball!¡± shouted one of the intruders. The fireball briefly illuminated the human caster before it flew in the direction of the cave mouth and made contact with a dark silhouette. The burning creature flayed helplessly prior to its collapse onto the ground. Yet, more dark silhouettes appeared at the cave mouth. Then, Dreu was caught off guard by a light similar to the Illumination casted by the cleric back in the tunnel and shielded his eyes with his arms. ¡°Shield Wall formation!¡± shouted another voice while Dreu¡¯s eyes slowly adjusted to the light. The young man could hear the shuffling of armor followed by war cries. Once his eyes were adjusted, Dreu was greeted by the scene of armored knights in a tight formation faced off against demons clad in armor and weapons. Behind the knights, a sorcerer supported himself with a staff and another caster laid on the ground with a bloodied robe. Then, he noticed an odd shadow moving along the cave wall by chance. The way it stood out grabbed his attention and it moved past the knights towards the injured caster. Summon Footman, he thought in his mind. A footman appeared beside him. This time, its equipment looked a lot more presentable as there was no sign of rust or damage. In addition, the footman also possessed a shield similar to the one he gave the first footman. Compared to his first summon, the second summon, with the recent footman class upgrade, seemed far better suited for battle. During Dreu¡¯s research into the Knight Academy, he came across a fascinating book on knight formations. He learned that the knights, being the front liner, must hold off enemy attacks to protect their backline and the wounded at all costs. Due to this mentality, the knights¡¯ focus was entirely on the incoming demons and not the suspicious looking shadow. Having bypassed the shield wall, the shadow chose to ignore the sorcerer and target the wounded person. Dreu determined that it was in his best interest to keep the latter alive. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Protect that caster on the ground, ordered Dreu. The footman nodded and charged towards the humans. Its presence was first noted by the sorcerer who tried raising his hand towards it. Dreu wanted to get the sorcerer¡¯s attention to alert him the footman was on his side but his attention went straight to the shadow which had gotten a few meters from the wounded person on the ground. His eyes widened when a demon materialized out from the shadow with its claws directed at the helpless human. Before the demon¡¯s claws could make contact, the footman intercepted the claws by diving forward and putting its shield between the demon and the human. Due to the dive, the footman landed awkwardly so it couldn¡¯t recover while the demon, being far more agile, already pivoted to go around the footman and finish what it started. ¡°Fireball!¡± A fireball hit the demon¡¯s arm forcing it to back away. Before the demon could focus on the sorcerer, another fireball hit its other arm. Dreu turned his head to see the sorceress in his group with her arms raised. When he focused on the demon again, it dematerialized into its shadow form and withdrew from combat. Following that demon¡¯s withdrawal, the other demons also fell back. Dreu breathed out while he watched the footman standing guard over the injured caster. ¡°Uncle!¡± said the sorceress who ran up and embraced the sorcerer. After overcoming the initial shock, the sorcerer laughed and embraced her back. While those two enjoyed their reunion, the cleric made it to the side of the caster and promptly casted healing spells. Dreu, the front liner and the ranger approached the humans slowly. Once they stopped beside the cleric, they noticed the caster was a woman and she was looking up at everyone with a smile. With the battle won and the caster in the process of recovery, all the humans sat down and began introducing themselves. The knight captain first introduced himself as Baldwin. Next, the sorcerer introduced himself as Aleit and introduced the wounded cleric as Isylte. The adventurers then introduced themselves. Dreu learned the sorceress was called Sela while the cleric was Jeane. Sadon was the name of the front liner and people called the ranger Gaenor. Finally, all the gazes turned to Dreu and the footman. ¡°My name is Dreu,¡± he said in response, ¡°and this is my summoned unit.¡± Dreu watched as the sorcerer¡¯s eyes widened from his introduction. The sorcerer then studied the footman from head to toe before turning to the young man. ¡°I have studied magic for over a decade and had never come across such summoned units. Are you, by chance, a genius summoner?¡± ¡°I only unlocked my ability recently,¡± said Dreu as he quickly shook his head. ¡°Truly fascinating! If it weren¡¯t for the demon invasion, I would love to learn more about your ability.¡± ¡°I¡¯d hate to interrupt,¡± said Baldwin, ¡°but we should be resting now. We don¡¯t know when the next attack will arrive.¡± Everyone agreed and headed deeper into the cave where Dreu discovered the civilians somehow managed to sleep through the entire battle. Volume 1 Chapter 9 ¡°This isn¡¯t the Right Arm of Xemir.¡± Eupoos shook his head at the suggestion. ¡°He would have stayed in the capital to defend the king, their most valuable asset.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to crush the coalition and send most of the human forces from Torpin Stronghold back to reinforce the capital.¡± Everyone turned to the centaur who spoke up. Covered in scars, the centaur easily towered over all the other centaurs. Konstite was a veteran centaur who had served three centaur chieftains in his lifetime. His low voice, while not loud, carried a certain amount of authority. When he spoke, other centaurs listened. This was evident when the Magus had the floor a moment ago. ¡°I agree that¡¯s a possibility,¡± said the Magus. ¡°However, it¡¯s rather unlikely as the demons have made incredible progress advancing into human territory. As impressive as the Right Arm of Xemir is, he cannot teleport to our knowledge and even a victory here would take time. That being isn¡¯t known to take unnecessary risks and wouldn''t risk leaving the human king unprotected.¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s not the Right Arm of Xemir, we can win here.¡± Konstite¡¯s announcement brought out a cheer from most of the centaurs in the tent. As the leader of the centaur shieldbreakers, the veteran centaur was used to raising the morale of fellow centaurs. The shieldbreakers, like Konstite, were veterans in combat and were known to be feared by all who have heard their name. As their name suggested, no armor or shields could halt them. Being a very offensively orientated group, the shieldbreakers were generally assigned to break through an enemy formation or engage with the elite enemy soldiers. One could argue that their offensive contribution was only second to the spellcasters. In the civil war, they played a pivotal role in Colet''s victory. The only thing that rivaled their ferocity was their loyalty towards the chieftain. Colet frowned at the confidence in Konstite¡¯s words but he said nothing. Once everyone calmed down, he directed everyone¡¯s attention to the big centaur next to Konstite. ¡°Are the ax wielders ready, Actolio?¡± Actolio was large for a centaur but he was noticeably smaller than Konstite. The centaur also boasted a lot less scars and, in terms of centaur years, he was more of a young adult. Actolio wore a gray bracelet with a hand ax engraving on his right arm. All ax wielders wore the bracelet to indicate the ax as their most proficient weapon. Unlike those under Konstite, the ax wielders saw a lot less combat on the battlefield and served as the main cavalry component of the centaur army similar to the main infantry core for the humans. ¡°Chieftain, the ax wielders are ready for your command.¡± Actolio¡¯s expression turned serious as soon as Colet addressed him. The centaur chieftain turned to the smallest centaur in the group. Despite being small by centaur standards, the centaur was still larger than the tallest humans. However, the size of these centaurs was the main reason for their gray bracelets with a spear engraved on them. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°The spear wielders are ready for battle, chieftain.¡± The leader of the spear wielders was Tolien, an insignificant looking centaur. For much of his life, the small centaur was looked down upon by the other centaurs. Not only was he lacking proficiency in bows and axes but Tolien also showed no adeptness in magic. He served as a lowly laborer back home with no chance of moving up the social ladder. The centaur then had a fateful encounter with Colet during the civil war. Colet, then a mere upstart in the conflict, shared stories of his travels and, during one of those moments, he spoke of the javelins used by the lizard-like races. Tolien replicated the javelins and spears which he used in the civil war. Having played a critical role in the civil war, the small centaur proved that even centaurs of his stature could contribute on the battlefield. Before Colet could address the other two centaurs and Ides, a centaur barged into the tent. ¡°My chieftain! We spotted a medium size human force marching towards our camp. Our scouts estimate a few thousand soldiers.¡± Konstite ordered the centaur to repeat what he said. Then, the tent fell silent as everyone absorbed the news. Ides was the first to speak. ¡°I will take a few hundred centaurs to skirmish with those humans.¡± Colet pondered on the proposal briefly and nodded his head. ¡°Don¡¯t pursue them if they withdraw. I still don¡¯t know why they are going on the offensive.¡± With permission, Ides exited the tent to gather the centaurs he needed. The chieftain then turned to the only female centaur in the tent. ¡°Kallosa, please have a few healers on standby should we need them.¡± Kallosa nodded her head and exited the tent. ¡°Eupoos and Konstite, what are your thoughts on this matter?¡± While Eupoos didn¡¯t give an answer immediately, Konstite didn¡¯t hesitate with his response. ¡°Those humans are arrogant and think they could send us packing with their small force. We will teach them not to underestimate us.¡± Konstite paused for a moment. ¡°If that brat Ides wasn¡¯t so quick, I¡¯d happily bring the shieldbreakers to warm up against those humans.¡± Colet then gestured Eupoos to share his thoughts. ¡°The human forces have always been cautious,¡± started Eupoos. ¡°They have restrained themselves from coming out to attack us since we settled our camp knowing that they have the advantage on the defensive. To send out forces better used for defense is unfathomable to me.¡± Colet was about to share his thoughts but he stopped when Eupoos continued his observation. ¡°The timing of all this coincided with that dangerous human I mentioned. It¡¯s possible there are no connections here. However, I do think the arrival of that small contingent is related somehow. The humans wouldn¡¯t send reinforcements so late unless they have something planned. At this point, I cannot say what that is. We must be on the lookout.¡± Colet agreed with the Magus¡¯ assessment and ordered Actolio to put his centaurs on high alert. He didn¡¯t want a sneak attack when their focus was on the human force out in the open. Actolio immediately headed out to relay the order to his centaurs. Volume 1 Chapter 10 The new group stayed together and slept away from the adventurers and the civilians. They used a single torch for illumination, putting it out as soon as they were settled in their little corner. The adventurers returned to their spots from earlier and continued where they left off. Before long, everyone else fell asleep. The tranquility was interrupted by light snores which served as a lullaby for Dreu. Despite his eyelids getting heavy, Dreu turned to his footman. Is there a duration before you are unsummoned? Dreu asked the footman. Unless I am defeated in battle or you unsummon me, I will stand guard by your side. Will keeping you summoned drain more of my mana? No, the initial mana cost you use for the summon is all that¡¯s needed. That is good to know. How about you share with me your past? My past? I asked the first footman and he clamped up. Maybe you can shed light on how you became so proficient in battle. As the sorcerer said, my ability is exceptionally rare. I expected to summon weak footmen but the two I summoned so far are anything but weak. I may not be a veteran myself but even I can tell you and the other footman can fight better than most adventurers I¡¯ve met. The footman stared at Dreu but the young man had a hunch the footman was communicating with the other footman. There was still so much about his ability that he didn¡¯t know. He waited for what seemed like several minutes before the footman walked away. Before he could call out, the first footman¡¯s voice stopped him. He will go stand watch for any dangers. We cannot be certain that the demons won¡¯t mount another attack on us. I apologize for the secrecy. I was hoping to keep you in the dark as I believed it would be safer for you that way. I realized that my approach was wrong. Let¡¯s start from the beginning. My name is Bayard, former general. I¡¯m Dreu Guillotin¡­former laborer. His job title had never sounded so lame in Dreu¡¯s head. He wasn¡¯t sure how he could shrink into a ball in embarrassment within his mind. He also didn¡¯t know why he put the former before the laborer. He might have the equipment and was traveling with adventurers and soldiers. However, his lack of training made him no better than any civilian given a weapon. Former general sounded a lot cooler, though the title did lead to a lot more questions than answers. I was a laborer once before I joined the Knight Academy. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The Knight Academy in York? No, the Knight Academy in Xante. The capital? I never heard of the one there. That was over three hundred years ago. I was likely one of the many reasons they shut down the Knight Academy there. Three hundred¡­.years? The drowsiness that made Dreu¡¯s eyes heavy suddenly vanished. As an avid learner of history, he was always fascinated with the past. How do I know you aren¡¯t lying to me? You can be making up stories for all I know. Making up stories? Surely you have records to confirm what I say. Records beyond three hundred years ago are locked in the palace vault. No one except for those in high places has access to them. What? Surely people still speak of the past? I fear talking about the past is punishable by death. People who got too curious disappeared and were never found again. We were told that the past is hidden for our own good. I see Xemir has hidden the past to solidify his control over the humans. Dreu frantically looked around the cave for any mysterious being materializing out of nowhere. Since he joined the squad in Berkton, he developed a superstition of Xemir appearing if anyone mentioned the god¡¯s name. He was told that the god¡¯s name wasn¡¯t to be spoken lightly. While he sincerely hoped the part about Xemir appearing was completely made up, he knew for a fact how extreme Xemir¡¯s followers were. One was far more likely to be maimed or killed by those zealots for speaking the god¡¯s name than feeling the wrath of Xemir himself. When Xemir didn¡¯t appear out of nowhere, Dreu apologized to the footman. To control through superstition. Xemir has done well for himself. He was always a master of manipulation. You seem to have great disdain for him, Bayard. Did he wrong you in any way? We were on opposing sides. I served under Emperor Gavienus Tobias, the follower of Xyheia. We fought in the Battle of Chilsor Plains and Xemir¡¯s side won. The last emperor died in that battle and we¡¯ve been waiting for a new emperor to lead us. For three hundred years, we waited and waited for a second chance. We nearly had given up hope. Then, you came along and we knew the new emperor is here. That emperor is you, Dreu Guillotin. Me? I¡¯m just an ordinary man. I have no powers. My parents were just simple farmers. I never question Xyheia regarding her decisions. If you inherited the Emperor Class, you must have something special within you. Know that all of those you summon will be absolutely loyal and will fight in your name. My only advice is to not believe Xemir. He lies and manipulates people for his own dark agenda. He has already fooled all the humans about his supposedly good deeds. Behind that facade of his is a being who has far too much hatred within him. Once he learns about you and the Emperor Class, you will be targeted. With his eyelids growing heavy again, Dreu asked that their conversation be postponed to a later date. Meanwhile, he tried to absorb everything he just learned from the footman. While he was never a follower of Xemir, he also never opposed the god as his life thus far was neither aided or hindered by the divine being. The thought of his new ability bringing about the wrong type of attention worried Dreu. He was already adjusting to the fall of Berkton so he wasn¡¯t a fan of more possible changes. Before Dreu got any further, sleep embraced him. Volume 1 Chapter 11 By the time Dreu woke up, everyone else was already up. He was notified by his footman that Baldwin was guarding the cave entrance with the other knights. The footman also shared how it and the knights worked to bury the humans corpses from the previous night. He saw Aleit and Sela discussing quietly in their little corner. He felt relief seeing Isylte, who was badly wounded the previous night, take strolls around the cave with Jeane close in tow. Sadon and Gaenor were with the civilians who all had smiles on their faces. He then turned to his prompt window and accessed the Unit Recall List. < Footman (Lvl 3) [Bayard] - Available > How was your rest? He communicated with Bayard. I¡¯m ready for combat whenever you need me, emperor. However, you can only have one footman at the moment. While the words were reassuring, Dreu also hoped combat wouldn¡¯t happen so soon. Since the demon attack on Berkton, he was already growing weary of battles. The current peace felt like a rare occurrence and he intended on enjoying it. As he got up, Dreu heard his stomach growl loudly and looked around sheepishly. The growl also reminded him that none of them packed any supplies. He knew his group left the tunnels empty handed. The others under Baldwin didn¡¯t appear to be carrying anything either. Given the circumstances he observed the previous night, Baldwin¡¯s group seemed fortunate to have escaped with their lives. As Dreu stood up, he heard Isylte call for everyone to gather around her. Puzzled, he joined the others and sat around the veteran cleric. Moments later, Baldwin and the other knights also arrived. They then proceeded to access a magic pouch provided by Isylte and passed around provisions. Everyone was given a few pieces of bread and shared five pouches of water between them. Normally, Dreu would scoff at the idea of eating plain bread. The Adventurer¡¯s Inn had really spoiled him with their great dishes and occasional delicacies. Even his daily meals as a laborer were several times better than what he was given. Due to missing his meal the previous night and overexerting in the escape from the demons, Dreu wolfed down the bread before everyone was handed their food. Despite the urge, he reluctantly chose not to ask for seconds. His stomach was for the time being satisfied but he knew the pieces of bread might not even last him until lunch. Dreu¡¯s thoughts on lunch were interrupted when Aleit spoke up. ¡°Baldwin, where are we headed now?¡± The knight captain washed down his bread with some water before he responded. ¡°Berkton is definitely out of the question. We hadn¡¯t expected the demons to strike so quickly and the town to fall without much of a fight.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Excuse me for asking this,¡± interrupted Gaenor, ¡°but why are you here in the first place? To my knowledge, knights in this region generally stayed around York and only mobilized in wars.¡± ¡°We belong to the reinforcements sent from York to Berkton,¡± said Baldwin after a sigh. ¡°At least, we are what is left of the reinforcements. We were a few thousand members strong but we are now reduced to only nine members.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± shouted Sadon. ¡°You knew of the demon invasion and didn¡¯t inform anyone at Berkton?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t know about the invasion,¡± said Isylte calmly. ¡°We had reasons to believe an attack was inevitable and were sent to reinforce Berkton as a precaution. Seeing the demon forces we encountered, I very much doubt we could have made a difference. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say the demons must¡¯ve sent out most of their active forces.¡± Dreu recalled the chaos in Berkton when he fled from the demons. He remembered how quickly the city was lit aflame with plenty of human corpses littering the streets barely an hour into the attack. He then wondered how a small army of a few thousand could be reduced to its current condition. When the demon in the tunnels crossed his mind, he no longer had to imagine how they were defeated. ¡°Regardless of our original objective,¡± said Baldwin, ¡°we must now head towards York. The city is the only one with enough fortifications to hold off a direct demon assault and its massive garrison along with large stockpile of provisions certainly help. Once we get inside, we can assist the defense until reinforcements arrive from the capital.¡± ¡°Is it a safe assumption to say that the demons might already be besieging York by the time we reach there?¡± asked Gaenor. ¡°I understand your concern,¡± said Isylte. ¡°We have a teleport crystal that can get us into the city once we are a few kilometers away. We don¡¯t need to fight through demons to access the outer gates.¡± There were no objections to the plan of going to York. Dreu knew it made the most logical sense and, for them, likely the only option left. Berkton was considered one of the more fortified towns but it fell so easily to the demons. It was safe for them to assume the other towns faced similar fates as Berkton. While the others made their final preparations before departure, Dreu found a small chamber where he could get a little privacy. I¡¯m shocked the demons are making such big gains on the kingdom. I¡¯d expected Xemir to have wiped out the demons by now. Are none of my conversations private anymore? I will only listen in on the ones that affect your survival. Currently, you are considered an enemy of the demons. Soon, you¡¯ll be labeled as an enemy of Xemir and the kingdom. I¡¯m merely finding a way to get you through this demon invasion alive. It won¡¯t be easy. Thanks for keeping me alive! It¡¯s not something I had to worry about before¡­.and regarding your comment about demons wiping out, I heard the kingdom has tried in the past. The demons were so good at guerilla warfare that we failed to make any progress. Guerilla warfare? I wonder if those two are still alive. If I can just speak to them, you may have a chance to escape. You know demons? They fought for Xyheia as well. I have no idea about their fate after that battle though. Volume 1 Chapter 12 With three of the seven centaurs out of the tent, Colet saw no need to extend the meeting. Until the small human force was addressed, all talks about advancing on the Torpin Stronghold was out of the question, especially when he was in the dark about the human intentions. He needed to speak with Ilumin as the Cloud Hawk might possess additional information on the unorthodox attack. The other centaurs agreed that they should reconvene at a later time. ¡°Igas, may I speak with you for a moment?¡± Igas was the centaur leader for the support spellcasters. Unlike standard spellcasters under Eupoos who could inflict heavy damage on the enemy and healers under Kallosa who could visibly heal wounds, the support spellcasters were far less flashy and their impact on the battlefield was harder to discern. Even when Colet¡¯s father was in power, support spellcasters were looked down upon. They were seen as useless as centaurs like Tolien because no centaur could see value in their spells. Like Tolien with small sized centaurs, Igas changed the perception of support spellcasters. ¡°Yes, chieftain.¡± Igas stood out easily within the centaur ranks due to his habit of wearing robes. Having lived with a lizard-like race called Qroxl for nearly a decade, he adopted some of their customs including wearing robes commonly seen on Qroxl spellcasters. On this day, he wore a dark blue robe that barely fitted over his torso. ¡°How has the training been going?¡± Colet asked the centaur once everyone else left the tent. ¡°I know you weren¡¯t given enough time.¡± ¡°We have done what we could, chieftain.¡± Igas bowed respectfully. ¡°We will do our utmost to contribute to the battle at hand.¡± It was those same Qroxl spellcasters who taught Igas many support spells he would later pass onto the centaurs. Prior to this, centaur support spells were not only limited but generally extremely situational if not outright useless. For instance, they have the Illuminate spell when centaurs could see in the dark with no issues. Until Igas introduced support spells that contributed to the battlefield, support spells were seen as a waste of time to learn and master. Due to that perception, support spells were neglected for a long time by the centaurs resulting in no progress in the development of support spells within centaur society. Igas was tasked with training those with talent in support spellcasting but their training was halted due to the short notice to march onto Torpin Stronghold. If the plan proceeded as Colet hoped for, the support spellcaster could reliably improve the combat capabilities of all of the non-spellcaster centaurs. ¡°I believe in you,¡± said Colet sincerely. ¡°You and Tolien have both transformed the centaurs into a stronger race. The centaurs who once were cast aside now had a place in our society. Once the war against the human kingdom is over, I will do everything in my powers to break the caste system we are trapped in.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The caste system had been a sensitive topic among the centaurs. Despite efforts, Colet¡¯s father tried and failed to abolish it. The social hierarchy was in place since the centaurs recorded their history. With how deeply rooted the system was, the concept of abolishing it was met with great resistance. Colet, having traveled to many different places on the continent, had seen for himself how outdated the system was and how it hindered many of the centaurs who were trapped at the bottom of the social rung. The war against the humans took precedence but the chieftain was confident he had enough support to end the archaic system once and for all upon his return. ¡°I thank you, chieftain.¡± Igar¡¯s eyes watered at Colet¡¯s words. ¡°I fled my home to escape the fate awaiting me at the bottom of centaur society. With you in power, I returned home close to the top because those who work hard can move up the social rung regardless of what their specialty is. I sincerely believe that, if there is a chieftain to abolish the caste system, you will be the one. The centaurs will then see a new golden age as all centaurs could prosper under a fairer system.¡± The two centaurs exchanged a few more words before Igar returned to the support spellcasters. With all the centaurs gone, Colet left the lonesome tent to meet up with Ilumin. Ten years had allowed them to develop basic communication methods over long distances. Colet only had to reach out and he knew Ilumin would show up as soon as possible. Minutes later, Ilumin descended and landed on his arm once more. Bad news. More humans leave the stronghold. How many? Half the garrison! Colet¡¯s eyes widened at the news. The centaur chieftain galloped towards the closest lookout tower and ordered the centaur on watch to blow his horn. Shortly after the horn was blown, Actolio and a handful of ax wielders galloped towards the tower. The centaur¡¯s angry expression was quickly replaced with a puzzled one upon seeing the chieftain. ¡°Actolio, gather your ax wielders and prepare for battle! Half of the human garrison just left Torpin Stronghold.¡± Actolio took a moment to digest the information but he immediately carried out the order. Taking out a horn reserved for the ax wielder leader, the centaur blew into it to gather all of his warriors. Colet didn¡¯t wait around to see how Actolio deployed his warriors. Shortly after Actolio''s arrival, the other centaur leaders also arrived onto the scene. He went straight to the other leaders to relay the recent development and ordered them to head into combat. They were told to meet up with Ides and hold off the humans until reinforcements arrived. As soon as the orders were given, Colet galloped towards the dwarf camp. To have a chance against half of the human garrison, the centaurs simply lacked the number to hold them at bay. At the very least, he needed the dwarves to support his forces. As a precaution, he asked Ilumin to take to the skies once more and return if more humans were sent out from the Torpin Stronghold. Thus far, the humans had been extremely unpredictable and the coalition was forced to be reactive in these engagements. I hope Skostaer won''t be too much of a pain to deal with. Volume 1 Chapter 13 Why are you here? Asked Bayard. Everyone else is preparing for the march to York. I just wanted some alone time. Dreu took out a necklace from his pocket. The necklace had a copper plate at the end. One side had his name engraved into it while the other side had 4 names. He felt the engraving of the four names with his fingers. When we formed a squad, we decided on making these necklaces. They were meant to remind us of the unbreakable bonds we have and, should any of us leave for elsewhere, we can always identify one another on the streets. I finally left Berkton and yet no one will recognize this copper plate anymore. When Dreu realized that Bayard was unaware of his past with his close friends, he went on to explain how he joined the Labor Guild where he met the four laborers. He described their favorite food at the Adventure Inn and how they parted ways the night of the attack. While he had no confirmation, Dreu was quite certain his friends all perished that night. He nearly joined them if Bayard didn''t show up. He didn¡¯t have time to think about them as he was fleeing danger. With the rare peace and quiet in the cave, he finally accepted that he had to grieve for his loss. Have you ever lost someone close, Bayard? I know it''s a stupid question but I know nothing about you. I¡¯ve lost many. The dragged out pause made Dreu believe the footman had clamped up again but Bayard continued. In my line of work, it¡¯s not uncommon to lose those close to you. We took up an oath to protect the empire and that oath remained until our death. Initially, I fought against creatures of the Underworld who threatened the existence of all beings on Ittoroth. Many lost their lives to those powerful monsters. Then, we had a schism within our ranks and I found myself fighting against those who once fought with me shoulder to shoulder. Many of those I considered my brothers sided with Xemir and his twisted logic. To this day, I still remember personally ending their lives with my blade. Those memories will stay with me for the rest of my life. When Dreu originally obtained his powers, he assumed his footmen would be mindless summoned creatures that could only act as they were ordered. From talking to summoners in the Adventure Inn, he commonly heard those spellcasters comparing their summons to inanimate objects capable of taking orders. He never got the impression anyone developed bonds with their summoned creatures. In his case, he faced an individual with memories and emotions who was very much human like him. He knew that, if Bayard was capable of all human functions, the man would be crying at this moment. His voice betrayed that much. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. How do you handle your grief then, Bayard? I don¡¯t think you have overcome yours. The three hundred years of idleness have not helped. The sense of helplessness and disconnect from this world worsened my grief. Now that I¡¯m back and a new emperor has appeared, I can finally get back on the path of recovery. As for my coping mechanism, I focus on the good memories I had with my friends, especially those who joined the opposing side. I remember what we strived for and aim to create a better world where such tragedies don¡¯t repeat for others. It¡¯s far better aiming to create a better world than looking for revenge or placing blame on others. A better world? One where demons don¡¯t slaughter humans? I understand the recent events put the demons in a bad light. However, you must remember, as you stated before, humans have tried to wipe out demons before. Is it so absurd for the demons to retaliate? Should we expect them to simply wait for their destruction and do nothing? If the shoe was on the other foot, I''m certain your actions would be no different. Do we descend into a cycle of revenge until one side is wiped out? That is the world Xemir intends on creating. He wants to wipe out or enslave all nonhumans so all humans will reign supreme. You may not believe this but humans and demons once worked closely together. What happened? That¡¯s a tale for another day. It seems like everyone else is ready to leave. Dreu then noticed he was subconsciously shedding tears for his squadmates during his talk with Bayard. The realization of him saying farewell to them so soon only made his tears stream down faster. He could only hope their deaths were swift. The Adventurer¡¯s Inn was close to the gate so it would have been one of the first targets for the demons. Overnight, he had lost everything and everyone he cared about. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Dreu!¡± shouted Baldwin. Relieved he was facing away, Dreu wiped away his tears. The silver lining in all this was that he was about to go to York. This was a city he dreamt of going for so long and his dream of becoming a knight might be happening sooner than expected. Before his conversation with Bayard, he thought about exacting revenge for his friends once he became a knight. Do I really want to feed into this cycle of hatred? Dreu took a few deep breaths to regain his composure. He then turned around to join the others. Everyone was in much better spirits now that they were ready to head towards York. The idea of staying in a well defended city was reassuring for everyone. Someone mentioned reinforcements from the Xante which would no doubt turn the tide of the demon invasion. Dreu personally couldn¡¯t wait for the rebuilding that would come after the invasion. He was ready to start a new chapter by creating the better world Bayard spoke of. Dreu then joined the others at the cave mouth. This whole time, his other footman stood like a statue as it guarded the entrance. Contrary to the dark night they just experienced, Sol lit up the forest and brought warmth to the group. A gentle breeze blew past them and carried with it the scent of blooming flowers. Volume 1 Chapter 14 The humans made steady progress towards York. One of the knights under Baldwin used to hunt regularly with his brothers in the forest so he served as an excellent guide. Meanwhile, Gaenor, the ranger, was atop the trees while she was on the lookout for demons. The absence of demons allowed the humans to cover a lot of ground. Moving through the forest wasn¡¯t the most direct nor the fastest route but it did allow the humans to remain concealed. Avoiding any engagements was vital for the group as their survival depended on remaining hidden and reaching a few kilometers of York. Before they began the journey, Dreu learned the second footman was called Zhao. Initially, Dreu was worried his footman, Zhao, would slow the group down. He equated the large bulk of the footman to less agility when traveling long distances but Zhao had proven him wrong. The footman kept up easily and, due to not having the same stamina issue as humans, easily kept pace by Dreu''s side. Rather, it was the civilians who required multiple breaks a day and thus slowing everyone down. While it wasn¡¯t the fault of the civilians for being unfit and struggling to keep up, the others would rather reach the city than spend more time than necessary in the forest. Dreu was fortunate his laborer job had kept him fit enough for the journey. Given their pace, Baldwin estimated the group needed two weeks time to reach York. On the third night, the group came across a cave which they happily took shelter in. Not only did the cave provide them a better defensive position but it also allowed them to light fires to ward off the chill. Lighting fires in the forest had a high chance of giving away their position to demons so the group restrained themselves from doing so. The first two nights weren¡¯t pleasant as most got little rest from all the shivering. The third night offered the group members their first potentially good rest since the journey began. Zhao, do you have a moment? Dreu had just eaten and was enjoying a bit of free time before bed. He didn¡¯t mingle with the other people because they still felt like strangers to him. Bayard had clamped up again since their last conversation and he didn¡¯t want to be pushy. On this particular night, he wanted to know Zhao better, especially when the footman was actually present and they might have to fight together. I¡¯m always available, emperor. Please call me Dreu! I¡¯m not used to¡­such titles. I¡¯m a mere laborer. Alright, emp¡­..Dreu. I will need time to adjust to this. Tell me about yourself, Zhao. I know next to nothing about you. I¡¯m not very interesting! I¡¯m just a battle fanatic. At least, that¡¯s what the others call me. Tell me how you got that title then. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Zhao briefly unsheathed his sword and took a few swings. Dreu was amazed by how fluid the moment was. After the short display, Zhao sheathed his sword and gestured the two of them to sit down. You may not believe it but the sword is merely a secondary weapon for me. There are others far more skilled in the sword than me. For instance, you should see what Bayard is capable of. My specialty lies on horseback with polearms like spears. Give me a cavalry group and I¡¯ll gladly bring you the heads of our enemies. Cavalry? Yes, soldiers fighting on horseback¡­..do you not know what a horse is? Dreu shook his head and Zhao scratched his head. The young man felt they were from two different worlds and Zhao spoke of horses like they were pigs and cows. What do you use to pull carts? Mules and oxen. Over three hundred years ago, we had animals called horses. They can pull carts but the warhorse variety was better suited on the battlefield. Those who rode horses into battle were known as knights. Both Dreu and Zhao turned towards the two knights standing at the cave mouth. I take it that they only know how to fight on foot? Correct, Zhao. For the next hour or so, Zhao shared his past experiences about him leading the cavalry into battle. He spoke of the exhilaration of charging headfirst into a line of enemies who weren¡¯t properly braced for a cavalry charge. As countless enemies were thrown back by the combined momentum of both the rider and the horse, he would then use his spear to further decimate his enemies. The footman described cavalry charge as one of the most devastating tools the former emperor had at his disposal. By the time Zhao finished his story, Dreu was already intrigued by the horse. I wonder what happened to the horses. They weren¡¯t mentioned at all in our history books. Something must have taken place following the Battle of Chilsor. Battle of Chilsor? Does your generation not learn about history? Xemir ordered those records locked away. We cannot even ask about the past without risking punishment. I¡¯d love to hear about that battle. We can speak of the battle when you aren¡¯t in danger. It¡¯s a long tale that will take multiple nights. I¡¯m also certain Bayard will happily share it with you. He had the best view of the entire battle. As a general? Yes, he was directing the battle for our side. We would have won if the Right Arm of Xemir didn¡¯t show up. He and his godlike powers decided the outcome. Those followers of Xemir are a bunch of cheaters. The more Dreu spoke to his footmen, the more he was intrigued by what Xemir hid from the humans. There seemed to be so much of history that was simply removed from their knowledge. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much of the world he didn¡¯t know. Since he left his hometown of Lullin, he traveled through a few small towns before he stopped at Berkton. Given the size of the continent, he had barely seen a speck of what Ittoroth had to offer. With no ability to travel far and wide, books were the only source of knowledge for him. The thought of being denied so much made Dreu¡¯s blood boil. Volume 1 Chapter 15 As Colet approached the dwarven camp, he could see the movement of many torches. The torches gathered at the gate entrance followed by a loud shout. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Colet stopped his advance. He could sense weapons trained on him and chose caution, especially when dwarves were not known for seeing well in the dark. A crescent moon was in the sky providing limited illumination. ¡°I am Colet, leader of the centaurs. I wish to see the dwarven leader, Skostaer!¡± A single torch separated from the group at the gatehouse and headed deeper into the camp. Colet started pawing the ground but consciously forced himself to stop when he noticed. Damn dwarves and their stubby legs. A centaur would have already reached and returned from the dwarven tent. After a lengthy wait, Colet heard the camp gate open. A dozen torches approached him and, as the dwarves got closer, the centaur chieftain could make them out as ordinary dwarven fighters who made up the core of the dwarven forces. With a torch in one hand, they held a shield in the other. Their axes were shoved into their belts and hanging behind them. The group of dwarves approached him in two lines and left enough gap between them for Colet to fit. ¡°Leader of the centaurs, please allow us to escort you to our leader.¡± Colet wasn¡¯t a fan of being flanked by slow clumsy dwarves but he was in the dwarven camp where his opinion mattered little. As they traversed through the camp, the centaur took in the view and a frown formed on his face. Unlike his centaurs who were constantly preparing for the upcoming conflict, many of the dwarves were relaxing by the fire with drinks in hand. One would almost mistake them for taking a trip above ground and relaxing after a long day. Colet could sense no urgency from the dwarves which was further supported by how slow his escorts were. By the time they arrived at Skostaer¡¯s tent, Colet debated whether he should have a few choice words with the dwarven leader. Placing the coalition¡¯s unity as the top priority, the centaur leader swallowed those words and entered the tent. ¡°What brings the centaur leader here late at night?¡± Skostaer brought a mug close to his mouth and sipped the beverage. From where he stood, the centaur couldn¡¯t make out if the dwarven leader was drunk or not. Several other dwarves were in the tent but they seemed far more interested in their drinks than Colet. At least he can make complete sentences. ¡°Skostaer, I arrive here requesting reinforcements. Half of the human garrison has left the stronghold and my centaurs are currently engaged in battle with them.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± said the dwarven leader as he placed his mug down. ¡°None of my scouts reported back with such news. You must understand that it¡¯s hard to miss an enemy force that large coming out of the gates.¡± Or your scouts are too drunk and are currently already asleep on the job. ¡°I received reliable intel on the matter. This is an urgent matter so please reinforce the centaurs on the front line. Your assistance can guarantee our first victory against the humans.¡± Skostaer went back to taking a long sip of his beverage. Following a loud burp, he let out a quick chuckle. ¡°Tell you what, Colet. As soon as my scouts report the same findings as you, I will send my dwarves out to battle. They will run faster than any centaur has run before.¡± The dwarven leader gestured to the tent entrance. ¡°It¡¯s late so I do recommend you get some rest. It would not aid the coalition if you are fatigued and cannot join us on the battlefield when you are needed.¡± Knowing the audience was over, Colet walked out of the tent. He had to suffer for a second time from the slow escort. As he left the dwarven camp, the centaur leader pondered on the next camp to seek reinforcements. The dwarves alone could have been sufficient in addressing the numerical disadvantage his centaurs were facing. With Skostaer unwilling to help, he had to visit one or two of the other camps. As he made up his mind and galloped in one direction, he suddenly halted upon seeing shadows in the nearby trees. How did the humans get this far? As Colet was reaching for his war ax, one of the shadows approached him. ¡°Greetings, Colet of the centaurs!¡± called out the shadow. Once the shadow got a bit closer, the centaur chieftain let out his breath. ¡°Ruazk, it¡¯s good to see you. I didn¡¯t know Uxlut enjoyed taking strolls under a clear night sky. Igas forgot to mention that favorite pastime of your people.¡± Ruazk was the leader of the lizard-like race, Uxlut. The Uxlut belonged to the lizardfolk confederation which also included the race Qroxl. Being the largest group in the confederation, the Uxlut offered to join the coalition alongside the centaurs and dwarves. The Uxlut was also a race Colet enjoyed interacting with a lot more than the dwarves. ¡°As much as I enjoy your humor, we have a battle to win.¡± Colet studied briefly the spears carried in a pouch on Ruazk¡¯s back. The spearheads looked dangerously sharp compared to his ax. ¡°I assume your scouts are aware of the human forces encroaching on our position?¡± The Uxlut leader nodded his head. He then gestured to his warriors hiding beside the trees. ¡°We only brought our most agile warriors to assist,¡± said Ruazk. ¡°I was hoping the dwarves were more helpful during these trying times.¡± Colet could hear the disgust from the Uxlut leader as the dwarves hadn¡¯t done a good job with their first impressions. With Ruazk bringing only his most agile warriors, Colet¡¯s side would still be outnumbered. ¡°I thank you for coming,¡± he said. ¡°Please aid my warriors while I seek out the help from the other races. We need more numbers to make this a fairer fight.¡± Ruazk expressed his agreement before withdrawing into the trees. He and his warriors then vanished like they were never there. The Uxlut was certainly not a foe Colet wanted to face at night. Volume 1 Chapter 16 Once the group was about a day''s travel from York, Baldwin and Isylte discussed between themselves on the best location to use the teleport crystal. The concept behind teleport crystals was simple. The crystal, upon being crushed by hand, would teleport all living beings within a certain radius to a predetermined location. The teleport crystals lit up once within range of the location to indicate when they could be used, removing any guesswork. Due to them being single use, teleport crystals were very valuable and were generally owned either by the wealthy or higher ranking military personnel. Baldwin and Isylte eventually decided upon Falcon Hill. The hill not only provided a high vantage point for them to view the siege but was also within the one kilometer range of York. The high vantage point was important as they would be foolish to teleport into the city blind, especially when a siege was likely taking place. While there was a chance for the demons to use that hill for the siege, the two veterans agreed that it seemed unlikely as the demons were reportedly lacking any siege weapons that could operate beyond 700 meters. Given how the hill was to the west of York, the demons had no reason to leave behind forces on it as they swept in from the west after wiping out all humans along the way. With the new destination decided, the group moved with renewed vigor. Many were looking forward to having an actual roof over their heads and the other luxuries offered by civilization and often missed while being outdoors. For Dreu, he also enjoyed the journey through the forest. Prior to living in Berkton, he traveled between towns on the plains where trees were very scarce. The sight of so many trees and the occasional animal made his eyes widen with fascination. Whenever he got a chance, he would ask the others about the forest, its inhabitants and any history behind the location. No one knew much about the history and Isylte only recalled a brief mention of the forest in one of the books she read. ¡°The forest southwest of York was once known as the Emerald Forest. It was said to be the home to millions of wood elves before a catastrophe forced the wood elves to abandon the region altogether. The new whereabouts of the elves remained unknown to this day. Following their departure, the forest was integrated into human territory but, except for some hunting and small-scale woodcutting operations, the forest remained untouched. Some rumors claimed that a powerful curse was the main cause for human''s reluctance to expand further into the forest. Many believed that any secrets left behind by the wood elves were already reclaimed by nature, leaving little to no trace of the wood elves'' existence. Those who sought out those secrets were never seen again.¡± When Dreu asked about the catastrophe mentioned, Isylte shook her head. She stated that the catastrophe coincided with the time period their historical records were lacking in. There were speculations but no one could find evidence to support or deny any of the theories. In an attempt to discover more about the catastrophe, the kingdom proactively funded expeditions into the forest. Despite the numerous expeditions sent into the forest to uncover clues, the secrets of the forest remained hidden to this day. She also emphasized that the rumor of the curse was seen by most as a tale told to scare children who ventured too close to the forest. The rumors were likely started following the disappearance of the members from two of the funded expeditions but the death of those members were later attributed to monsters that ventured the forest. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Dreu asked the two footmen if they knew more about the Emerald Forest or the wood elves. Zhao shared that he knew nothing while Bayard offered what little he knew. He stated that the wood elves largely kept to themselves and very little was known about them. They were devout followers of Xyheia so they became the target of Xemir who feared them for their powerful magic. Bayard speculated that the catastrophe might be referring to the Siege of Kadorei, though he knew little of the siege other than it being a bloodbath that took the lives of countless on both sides. With no further information on the forest, Dreu decided that he would let his curiosity of the forest get the better of him on a different day. The group eventually reached the foot of the Falcon Hill. Baldwin advised everyone to take a break before scaling the hill. While the civilians welcomed the rest, the break was planned for the adventurers and others so they would be combat ready as soon as they got inside York. Depending on the casualties of the garrison, they might have to contribute to the defense as soon as they arrived to ensure York held against the demons. During the break, every non-civilian was given a more generous ration of bread to ensure they had the strength for combat. Once rested, everyone scaled the hill. Dreu shook with excitement as he was about to set his eyes on York, a city he heard so much about in stories. He also noticed the teleport crystal glowing brighter in Isylte''s hand with each step they scaled the hill, as if signaling the countdown to their destination. As the group reached the top of the hill, Dreu froze on the spot. He was envisioning a grand city surrounded by demon forces. He even imagined the defenders fending off assault after assault on the walls while demon siege weapons pounded the walls to create cracks or even breaches. York, with a garrison of powerful knights, was supposed to be a mighty city that could hold out against the demons for months, if not years. He wanted to see the kingdom banners raised high to show the defiance of the humans against the overwhelming demon forces. To him, York served as a symbol of the human¡¯s resilience against hostile demons. Yet, Dreu wasn¡¯t ready for what greeted him as soon as York came to view. He simply stood dumbfounded by what he saw. Volume 1 Chapter 17 Thick smoke hovered above the city while a large blaze had engulfed much of the city. The smoke made it impossible for Dreu to see beyond the outer walls. The scene reminded Dreu of what happened to Berkton, only it wasn¡¯t as spectacular during the day. He was fortunate to be watching from afar but the scene still made him want to vomit. There were large breaches throughout the walls and demons, far exceeding the numbers he saw at Berkton, were pouring into them. Any kingdom banners that were atop the walls and towers had long been burned to ashes. No one from the garrison could be seen holding off the hordes of demons. From where they stood, it was clear the outer walls had fallen and the demons were heading towards the inner walls. Even if the inner walls still held, the young man couldn¡¯t imagine the remaining garrison holding off against such overwhelming odds. Dreu turned to study the others and their faces matched what he felt. It was clear that he wasn¡¯t imagining any of this and York had fallen to the demons. Their plan of finding sanctuary at York was no longer feasible. The symbol of human¡¯s resilience against overwhelming forces fell so easily. Dreu thought York could hold out for months or at least until reinforcements arrived from the capital. On the hill, he felt the hope within him burning away like the city itself. Following the fall of York, he knew the capital would be next. Would Xante fare any better against this demon invasion? Dreu turned to see all the civilians falling to their knees as they cried their eyes out. He couldn¡¯t blame them for how they felt. After all, they had no chance of reaching Xante even if they wanted to. The demon forces stood between them and the capital. They couldn¡¯t hope to fight their way through the demons nor did they possess any spells that could keep them concealed. Isylte mentioned that all the forests around the capital had long been cleared making it impossible for them to repeat what they did to reach York. Essentially, they were out of options. What are your thoughts, Bayard? Are we truly out of options when it comes to reaching the safety of the capital? Traveling above ground is certainly out of the question. If we use the tunnels¡­ Tunnels? What tunnels? Bayard went on to mention the dwarves who were assigned the secret assignment of digging tunnels towards the human capital. The original plan revolved around his side winning at the Battle of Chilsor Plains and using the tunnels to strike at the heart of Xemir¡¯s territory. Due to the defeat, the assignment was abandoned and the tunnels were never completed. However, Bayard firmly believed that the tunnels still existed in some way or form. If they could find the tunnels and travel through them, it was entirely possible for the group to arrive much closer to Xante. Then, they could figure out how to cover the remainder of the distance. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Someone is approaching!¡± shouted the ranger. The fact that Gaenor paid attention to something other than the destruction of York was a miracle in Dreu''s eyes. Following the warning, Baldwin and his knights stood in front of the group with their weapons drawn while the spellcasters stood ready behind them. Dreu tightly gripped his ax and shield as he waited for the approach of the unknown being. He cursed at the thought that they were trapped on the hill. Other than the path they took to get to the top of Falcon Hill, the only other option of descending was to scale down the treacherous cliffs. Except for maybe Gaenor, he doubted anyone else had the agility of a mountain goat. If surrounded, they either had to fight their way out or die trying. Neither option was particularly good in his eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, a woman walked towards them and Dreu let out his breath. To his surprise, he watched Baldwin leading the knights to the person and they all knelt before her. Isylte and Aleit followed suit leaving everyone else puzzled at the sight. ¡°Who is that?¡± asked someone behind Dreu. ¡°Look at her dress!¡± said another. ¡°She must be a noble!¡± Dreu wasn¡¯t an expert of noble fashion but the fancy dress helped him arrive at the same conclusion. His first thought was how impractical the dress was. He couldn¡¯t imagine fleeing from demons in a dress that was not only draped over the person¡¯s entire body but also, based on what he heard back in Berkton from a merchant, surprisingly heavy despite its appearance. How do they know she could be trusted? There¡¯s no way she could have survived all alone this entire time. The woman conversed with those before her and, even from where he stood, Dreu could tell how emotional this reunion was. The woman, after finishing her conversation, noticed the rest of the group. She approached them with a smile and shouted at them. ¡°Hello! I am Duchess Avilina. I¡¯m pleased to meet you all!¡± Dreu looked to the adventurers for answers because he wasn¡¯t familiar with nobles. As a laborer in Berkton, he had no reason to care about the nobles. He was far too low in status to have any interactions with them. Even the change of nobles hardly mattered as he paid the same taxes every month. His interaction with nobles might have been a different case if he became a knight but, for the time being, he was rather insignificant. He had hoped the others could shed some light on this Duchess but they too had a blank look on them. ¡°Duchess Avilina comes from the noble family governing York,¡± Isylte clarified after noting their puzzled looks. ¡°She escaped from York before it fell to the demons. She not only has a lot of influence in the kingdom but her powers may keep us alive long enough to reach Xante. We have been very fortunate to have met the Duchess here. Otherwise, I fear our chances of survival would be extremely low. Please keep up until we reach a safe location.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 18 Colet changed his plan because the Uxlut under Ruazk was already assisting the centaurs. He had originally wished to speak with the Uxlut first but the lizardfolk race proved to be dependable during these trying times. To further bolster his ranks, Colet galloped towards the camp of a race he never imagined himself working with. Soon, the camp was within sight and, like the dwarven camp, he could see movement on the wooden walls surrounding the camp. Like earlier, he halted his advance to give the garrison time to notice his approach. Unexpectedly, the camp gate opened with a being riding a large wolf out of the camp. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised to see you here, centaur chieftain.¡± Atop the wolf was the goblin leader, Gabs. The goblin leader was roughly double the size of the other goblins and this was also reflected in his mount. Generally, adult goblins would ride wolves commonly found on the continent. These wolves traveled in packs and, by themselves, weren¡¯t a big threat to anyone wielding weapons. The animals were also just big enough to carry a standard size goblin making them inadequate for the likes of Gabs. For the goblin leader, he needed a special mount which was staring at Colet as though he was another potential meal. The centaur leader wasn¡¯t too fond of standing before a dire wolf knowing he had no guarantee of defeating it alone. Dire wolves were better in all aspects compared to normal wolves. While there was no confirmation, the centaur chieftain had heard of rumors of dire wolves possessing a limited number of spells. He hoped to get confirmation once he saw Gabs in action against tough foes. ¡°I wished to share the newest developments on the human garrison,¡± said Colet once he calmed himself before the apex predator. ¡°They marched out a large force.¡± Gabs noticed the surprised look on Colet¡¯s face. ¡°We aren¡¯t all stupid like the dwarves. Lead the way and we will follow.¡± The goblin¡¯s straightforward attitude forced a smile on Colet¡¯s face. Like Ruazk, Gabs didn¡¯t mince words. Goblins adopted nomadic lifestyles due to the terrible reputation of goblins among the other races. A goblin¡¯s life in settlements was generally filled with hardships and distrust. Therefore, the goblins traveled on wolves as they went wherever they could eke out a living. Gabs¡¯ goblins belonged to the largest nomads on the entire continent. While goblins usually stayed out of conflicts, Gabs and many goblins under him had a bone to pick with the humans. Upon learning about the coalition¡¯s formation, Gabs led his goblins and offered their services. With the humans making their move, the goblins were getting their first shot at revenge. Colet looked behind Gabs to see the ¡°we¡± he was referring to. Behind the goblin leader, there were countless goblins atop wolves of all sizes. These wolves looked like they hadn¡¯t eaten all day but the goblins still reined them in. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Follow me then,¡± said the centaur chieftain who would rather the wolves feed on the humans than him. Colet began with a canter but, when he sensed the wolves keeping up easily, he went into a gallop. With speed being of the essence, he picked the most direct route to roughly where the battle took place. Several minutes later, he sensed Ilumin above him. Without stopping, he raised his arm for the Cloud Hawk to land gracefully. No more human reinforcements. Battle fierce! Colet told the Cloud Hawk to continue surveillance after he got the exact location of the battle from his companion. He didn¡¯t bother asking for the update of the battle because it would take too long for Ilumin to convey everything. He needed to reach the battle and survey it personally. Behind him, the goblins remained very silent. Except for a few snarls here and then, the wolves were also surprisingly well behaved. As they got closer to the battlefield, Colet sensed a different mood from the wolves. His instincts were screaming because he knew the wolves behind him were hungry and ready to hunt while he had his back to them. As soon as they all arrived at the battlefield, Gabs stopped next to Colet. ¡°Now we hunt! Don¡¯t get in our way.¡± Before the warning sunk in, the goblins forces already charged head first into the battlefield. Despite the chaos, Gabs led the way to an open flank where the human formation was disorganized. The dire wolf easily plowed into the flank sending many humans flying. The opened flank allowed the other wolves to get behind human soldiers too preoccupied to notice their approach. The wolves went for the feet as they bit down on the ankle region before pulling the soldiers off balance. Once off balance, the humans were either torn apart by the wolves or killed off by the goblins with their spears. Colet watched as the human formation collapsed in the face of the goblin strike. Some of the humans fled only to be chased down by the wolves. The ones brave enough to resist only fared slightly better. Those humans might wound a goblin or wolf before they were ripped apart. The centaur chieftain was in awe at the goblin¡¯s efficiency when it came to exploiting weakness in enemy ranks. They were highly coordinated and acted almost on instinct alone. Unlike earlier when the goblins kept the wolves on a tight leash, the riders allowed their mounts free rein during combat while they simply focused on stabbing any foe with their spears. Colet had to force himself to stop watching the mesmerizing scene. He never expected a hunt to be this efficient and deadly. Goblins had a reputation for hit and run as they preyed on small caravans. As a group known to avoid combatants who could fight back, the goblins changed Colet¡¯s perception of their possible contributions on the battlefield. Having looked away from the one-sided slaughter on the flank, he searched for the centaur leaders. As soon as he spotted them on a small hill overlooking the battle, he went to join them. The bodyguards of the centaur leaders all greeted him respectfully as he cantered past them. The leaders, noticing his approach, all bowed to the chieftain. ¡°What¡¯s the update on the battle?¡± Colet went straight to the point. Volume 1 Chapter 19 ¡°Is that why she approached us by herself?¡± inquired Dreu when his curiosity got the better of him. ¡°She must be confident of her abilities if she travels alone with all the demons in the region.¡± ¡°Her specialty is illusion magic and the Duchess we see before us is merely an illusion.¡± ¡°Illusions are very versatile and could be used for distracting the enemies,¡± said Gaenor with a nod. ¡°I see why you claim her power can keep us alive.¡± Isylte nodded and informed everyone to get ready to rendezvous with the actual Duchess and her forces. Upon hearing the Duchess commanded a small force nearby, Dreu felt relief and noted the morale of others had recovered too. Their small group was insignificant in the eyes of the demon forces. With sufficient numbers, they could at least have a fighting chance. With the illusion leading the way, they followed closely behind without a word until they arrived at a large clearing in the forest. With a raise of its hands, the illusion revealed an ethereal gate to everyone. The illusion then stepped through the gate with everyone else in tow. As soon as he stepped through the gate, Dreu found himself going from a clearing into an encampment the size of a small town. Dreu first noticed the wary eyes of the knights. While these men had their weapons sheathed, he knew they could draw their weapons before he could blink. To his surprise, Zhao moved closer to him. If they make a move, I¡¯ll be sure to end their lives swiftly. However, I doubt they mean you any harm. It¡¯s easy to be on your guard following the destruction of an entire human city. You¡¯ve experienced something similar with Berkton. With the reassurance, Dreu kept his head up and used the opportunity to study the camp. The tents were neatly set up in grids while the largest tent was in the center. There was a small clearing between multiple tents where a campfire was located. A few of the knights were cooking meat over the fire and Dreu could them quietly grumbling over their tasks. During his time studying the camp, Dreu noticed their arrival had attracted more attention. By the time they arrived at the largest tent, a crowd of knights had gathered around them. As Zhao pointed out, they showed more wariness than hostility towards them. Dreu made a mental note to not give them a reason to attack as he made himself as small as possible. The illusion disappeared once it reached the large tent and the real Duchess stepped out with two bodyguards behind her. Baldwin, Isylte, Aleit and the knights were the first to kneel with everyone else following suit. Dreu watched as the Duchess help Isylte up and the two spoke like old friends. The illusion that served as their guide looked exactly as the actual Duchess. While they spoke about recent events, he took a peek at the two bodyguards. One of them was a massive man clad in silver armor while the other was a slim woman wearing leather armor. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. What is your assessment of those two bodyguards, Zhao? They¡¯re killers. Their eyes betray their bloodlust and their dissatisfaction of being stuck here. As if sensing they were being observed, the two bodyguards turned towards Dreu and Zhao. The young man instinctively looked down at the ground hoping to not attract further attention. Their instincts are well honed. I wouldn¡¯t recommend picking fights with them. I have no intention to, Zhao. While looking down, Dreu focused on listening to the conversation between the Duchess and Isylte. From what he heard and observed, he suspected the man to be a silver knight. Silver knights could be differentiated by their silver armor which was made of adamantine. However, their title originated from the silver or silver coated weapons they wielded. Silver weapons were only stronger than normal weapons in very specific cases like when one faced creatures weak against silver. However, the enchantments available to silver weapons were more abundant resulting in the softer metal producing a much stronger weapon. The strongest silver knights were rumored to possess some of the most powerful enchanted weapons in the kingdom. Given that enchanted weapons could be hidden away like the weapon wielded by the demon in the tunnels, Dreu wasn¡¯t surprised to see the male bodyguard appearing unarmed. Dreu had no clue as to what class the woman belonged to. The leather armor was commonly worn by low rank adventurers but he knew the Duchess, with her standing and influence, wouldn¡¯t hire someone who would pale against the silver knight. He could only wonder if he would get a chance to see her in action. If Zhao¡¯s assessment was correct, he would expect the woman to possess some incredible magic or weapons. Like the male bodyguard, she carried no visible weapons. She either had enchanted weapons too or she had no need of any. Once they finished exchanging the pleasantries, the Duchess took Isylte and Baldwin into the large tent. Aleit then led the group to a nearby tent where they were provided food and water. Aleit informed them to get some rest while they could. As soon as they head out, they might not get a chance to rest until they could locate another safe haven. Dreu and Zhao found a small corner where they dug into bread, meat and water. I didn¡¯t know you and Bayard needed to eat. We don¡¯t need food to function. Zhao gestured to the others in the tent. It¡¯s not a good idea to attract any attention by not eating anything. Dreu nodded in understanding. Everyone under the Duchess had no clue about his abilities. To stand out might not be a good idea. Good food can also temporarily give us buffs¡­and this isn¡¯t good food in case you were wondering. Dreu couldn¡¯t suppress his smile knowing Zhao was doing his best to lighten the mood. He also didn¡¯t realize how exhausted he was and, only after further reassurance from his footman, he closed his eyes allowing sleep to embrace him. He was deep in his sleep when someone shook him awake. Dreu, looks like we have an audience with the Duchess. Volume 1 Chapter 20 Dreu was initially groggy when he was woken up. When Zhao repeated what he said, the young man sat up suddenly. He then noticed the silver knight standing next to the footman staring down at him. ¡°I don¡¯t recommend keeping the Duchess waiting for too long,¡± said the silver knight in a firm voice. Following a quick apology, Dreu got up and followed the silver knight to the main tent. Zhao followed closely and didn¡¯t say anything during the entire walk. Night had fallen and the crescent moon was high in the sky. Dreu estimated that he had a couple hours of sleep which, while shorter than what he wanted, was still adequate for the time being. He also agreed with the silver knight that keeping the Duchess waiting was a terrible idea. Yet, he couldn¡¯t fathom what the Duchess would want with a lowly laborer like him. Before he could think of a reason, they arrived at the tent and the silver knight gestured for him and Zhao to enter. Dreu took a deep breath and stepped inside after letting the breath out. ¡°Welcome, Dreu¡± The Duchess stood in the center of the tent with a smile on her face. ¡°I apologize for waking you this late but it¡¯s an urgent matter. I heard from Aleit about your abilities and I know we can come to an agreement.¡± Dreu didn¡¯t like where the conversation was going. His experiences as a laborer brought him in contact with customers who wished to renegotiate the terms with his squad. In those situations, the customers always wanted to rip them off by negotiating terms that were heavily in their favor. Dreu¡¯s gut told him that the Duchess wished to do the same. As if to confirm his suspicion, the Duchess brought forward a contract. ¡°By signing this, you will serve under my retinue. In return, you get power and wealth beyond your imagination. I don¡¯t offer this to anybody, especially not someone of the lower class with no connections.¡± The first thing that stood out to Dreu was the foreign language on the contract. He didn¡¯t recognize any of the symbols. He asked his footmen if either of them know the language. Bayard responded with what he knew. The language belonged to the wood elves of the Emerald Forest. The language was used specifically for contracts due the terrible consequences it could inflict on the breacher of the contract. I heard the contract was only used for slaves as the terms were extremely one-sided. Note that I¡¯ve only heard this from secondhand accounts. I highly recommend you against accepting it. I won¡¯t sign something I cannot read so rest assured I won¡¯t do something so stupid. I also don''t particularly like her condescending tone either. ¡°Thank you for the offer, Duchess. However, I fear that I don¡¯t desire those things. I have always wanted to become an adventurer and travel to see the continent. Becoming your retinue doesn¡¯t align with my dreams.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Adventurer? Have you seen what the demons have done? There won¡¯t be any adventurers for decades to come. The kingdom has to be rebuilt after we survive this invasion! By then, you either serve the ruling class and enjoy all the luxuries or become one of the countless laborers expected to do backbreaking work in the kingdom¡¯s long road to recovery. By joining me, you¡¯ll be standing at the top in the kingdom.¡± Dreu could hear the venom in the words as the Duchess was struggling to maintain her composure. Dreu shook his head and was about to explain when he was interrupted. ¡°You have no idea, do you? Your lowly kind should rot with all those slain by the demons. You think your ability is so special but you are nobody. Get out of my sight, worm!¡± Dreu quickly withdrew from the tent following the Duchess¡¯ screams. As he was exiting, he felt Zhao reaching for his weapons. What is happening, Zhao? Stay calm. I¡¯m just reaching for it as a precaution. Remembering that the silver knight was still outside, Dreu cursed internally for not bringing anything for combat. As soon as the two of them stepped outside, the silver knight took a step towards them. ¡°I see you have rejected the Duchess¡¯ offer.¡± The silver knight brought his left hand over his right one. Dreu was expecting the man to summon a weapon but the silver knight simply removed his gauntlet. He then turned the back of his hand towards Dreu revealing a symbol similar to the symbols on the contract. ¡°I was foolish enough to sign the contract binding me to the Duchess¡¯ services for the rest of my life. In return, I became a slave who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill in her name. I am relieved that you are spared from a similar fate.¡± ¡°How is she part of the ruling class?¡± asked Dreu. ¡°Why are these people in charge?¡± ¡°Xemir likes those who are ruthless. He says those people are needed for the total victory of humans against the evils of the world.¡± The silver knight put his gauntlet back on. ¡°When you have the approval of a god, it¡¯s not hard rising up to the top.¡± The silver knight pointed towards the tent where Dreu was sleeping in. ¡°Go back and never associate yourself with the Duchess. It¡¯s far better being dead than serving as her servant. I have....taken too many innocent lives.¡± Dreu waited for the silver knight to walk out of his view before making his way back to his tent. He quietly entered the tent and returned to his little corner. This time, sleep didn¡¯t come easily. Dreu turned to Zhao. Is this why you and Bayard were fighting against Xemir? To create a world where monsters like the Duchess don¡¯t make it to the top? Partially. If you saw what the continent was like three hundred years ago, that was the world we were fighting for. Now, you see the suffering that¡¯s encouraged by Xemir. It¡¯s not hard to fight against that. We don''t claim to fight for justice because we are merely humans. However, we will fight for what we believe is right and Xemir stands between us and the world we want to see. Volume 1 Chapter 21 ¡°We are winning decisively,¡± replied Eupoos. "The humans were far weaker than all our expectations." ¡°What?¡± Colet turned to the Magus with his eyes widened. ¡°I thought they greatly outnumbered us?¡± ¡°They may have numbers,¡± said Konstite, ¡°but they cannot fight at night to save their own skin. Feels like we''re fighting a bunch of worthless beastmen!¡± ¡°For some reason,¡± said Eupoos, ¡°they also didn¡¯t bring any spellcasters with them.¡± The centaur chieftain turned his attention to the battle and confirmed what Eupoos said. The Torpin Stronghold was filled with veteran officers who weren¡¯t known for making costly mistakes like not sending spellcasters to support their frontline soldiers. Unlike the centaurs who were adept at night battles, human soldiers needed spells like Illuminate to help even the playing field. While the moon in the sky offered limited illumination, the situation greatly decreased the combat capabilities of the humans, at times to the point where they were at the mercy of their opponents. To make matters worse, Uxlut and the goblins were also adept at fighting in the dark. Essentially, the humans found themselves facing the worst possible scenario where they had little chance for victory unless they lasted until the sunrise. ¡°I wonder why they marched out in the first place,¡± remarked Eupoos. Colet was pondering the same matter. The humans had all the advantages when it came to the siege. They had a highly defensible location that would cost the attacking side a lot of lives. With the stronghold situated in a mountain pass, the coalition couldn¡¯t hope to fully encircle it allowing the defenders to get reinforcements and supplies regularly. The centaur chieftain knew the humans likely lacked the intel about the coalition also lacking siege weapons. Only the dwarves possessed any form of siege weapons and those kept the dwarven fortresses safe. It was simply not feasible to transport those siege weapons with them over long distances, especially when they were on a timer to stop the Purificator from firing. With everything taken into account, the coalition was in a very poor position to take the Torpin Stronghold regardless of what Skostaer thought. To march any human soldiers out of the stronghold only weakened the defenses. ¡°The battle is almost won,¡± commented Konstite. ¡°Those flanks are collapsing. We didn''t even need our allies for this.¡± When he arrived with the goblins, Colet was already certain one of the flanks would collapse. The goblins and their wolves made easy work of the human soldiers allowing them to rout enemy forces. From where he stood, he watched as Ides¡¯ bow wielders fired into the human ranks with immunity on the other flank. With neither spellcasters nor archers in the enemy formation, the humans lacked any answer to ranged attackers. Their knights were in tight formation that limited their maneuverability. To break formation would expose weaknesses so the humans were essentially sitting ducks while arrows rained down on them. At a range of about 100 meters from the humans, the centaur bow wielders made short work of the humans regardless if they had heavy armor or shields. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°What a disappointment,¡± said Konstite. ¡°I wanted a good battle and instead got a one-sided slaughter. I¡¯m heading back to camp! Let me know when there''s actually a challenge.¡± As Konstite led the shieldbreakers back to camp, Colet walked over to Kallosa. ¡°How do our casualties look?¡± asked the centaur chieftain. ¡°My healers have been idle the last hour or so.¡± Kallosa gestured to the temporary beds on the ground. ¡°A few of these were filled with those suffering from arrow wounds. Due to how minor the injuries were and how few injured we received, all centaurs are back in action right now.¡± ¡°Arrow wounds? The humans did have archers?¡± ¡°Very few,¡± said the centaur leader. ¡°Once those archers were picked off, we no longer had further casualties. The humans couldn''t close the distance with our bow wielders without making themselves easier targets.¡± ¡°While I appreciate the fact that we lost no centaurs, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something is up. The humans aren¡¯t stupid and yet they threw away all of these soldiers better used in the defense of their stronghold.¡± ¡°This still puzzles me and I have a bad feeling about this too,¡± said Eupoos with a hint of worry. ¡°Maybe we give them too much credit,¡± interrupted Actolio. ¡°The dwarves might be right about the humans being soft and weak. And stupid for that matter. I can see us marching up to the stronghold and they''ll find a way to lose that stronghold.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the humans,¡± Colet said firmly to the ax wielder leader. Actolio lowered his head after being lectured but Colet ignored the centaur. He turned to Eupoos. ¡°When Notelis relayed the message from you regarding the reinforcements, he mentioned you sensing unholy powers in that human. What did you mean by unholy powers?¡± ¡°Unholy may have been the wrong word here because it suggests the power is related to something sacred or involves some god or gods.¡± The Magus paused to pick his word carefully. ¡°The correct term would be dark. I sensed dark powers from that human. It was brief when the human first arrived but, to sense it from where I stood, I knew immediately he was a problem.¡± ¡°Dark powers?¡± said the other centaurs in unison. ¡°Dark powers, as the name suggests, originate from the darkness of all beings. Don¡¯t ever be tempted by it because, behind its great power, one pays a horrible price. Old stories suggested how addictive the power was for mortals.¡± ¡°What sort of spells belong to dark powers?¡± inquired Colet who wanted to understand the seriousness of the situation. ¡°I didn¡¯t delve deep because that¡¯s how one gets corrupted by it. From what little I learned, dark powers involve curses, mind manipulation and summoning monsters.¡± ¡°Basically the spells of our demon allies?¡± asked Actolio. The Magus broke character when he burst out laughing. It took him several seconds to regain his composure. ¡°What the demons use pale against dark power spells. I assure you that the real deal is much worse. If the demons wielded actual dark powers, they would be the ones we¡¯re fighting, not the humans.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 22 Dreu gripped his ax tightly as he watched the beast riders approach his position. After exiting the forest, the Duchess casted an illusion spell which should have allowed their forces to move towards Xante undetected. For some unknown reason, they discovered not one but two demon armies heading in their direction. It soon became clear that the demon armies were aware of their presence when they, despite taking detours, couldn¡¯t shake off the demon armies. With battle inevitable, the Duchess ordered her forces to split into three groups heading in separate directions. Dreu and Zhao were split into a different group from the adventurers and he, along with a few hundred knights, found themselves eventually surrounded by countless demon soldiers. They took up a defensive position on a hill where the knights formed up their shield wall. Instead of sending their infantry in, the demons chose to send in their beast riders. From afar, Dreu could see the armored demons sitting on platforms built atop beasts the size of elephants. The beasts were giant lizards with a large horn growing out of their snouts and spiny coats of armor. In unison, the beasts began their charge towards the knights and their charge shook the earth itself. How do we fight those things, Zhao? Those things are Sceads, creatures native to the Demon Realm. Their horns pack a punch and their armor is nearly impervious to all weapons. Their weak spots are their underbelly and their neck once you get on top of them. The knights might have formed shield walls but, given the size of the beasts, they were swept aside like rubbish. The impact of the initial charge dealt significant casualties to the knights who were scrambling to recover. The shouts of pain and panic only added to the chaos. While Dreu focused on the incoming Scead, Zhao closed the gap with one of the beasts. The young man only noticed his footman¡¯s departure when Zhao exhibited incredible acrobatic skills by leaping onto the beast¡¯s horn. From there, he used the Scead¡¯s upward motion of its head to land on top of the head where he brought down his sword against the unsuspecting rider. Before the rider landed on the ground, Zhao had already plunged his sword into the unarmored section of the neck. The Scead screamed in pain and, after bulldozing a few more meters through the knights, collapsed. By the time the footman dismounted the dead beast, the other beast riders had pulled back and were preparing for another charge. < Congratulations! You may pick one of the three weapons. > Dreu jumped at the sight of the prompt window. He just finished reading the text when the roar of the beasts got his attention. With the results of the first charge still fresh in his mind, Dreu quickly looked through the weapons hoping one of them could prove useful in his predicament. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. < Weapon 1: Demonic Feast Blade Description: This weapon was crafted by a master demon blacksmith. The blade starts off no different from ordinary blades but, as it takes the lives of others, it grows stronger and unlocks unique abilities depending on its victims. As the blade grows stronger, the user also grows more proficient in the use of demonic powers. > Dreu quickly read through the description and skipped to the second weapon. < Weapon 2: Warlord¡¯s Elemental Spear Description: This weapon was gifted by a powerful goddess to the strongest human warrior known in history. Following the death of the warrior, the spear lost all of its powers and was left abandoned in the warrior¡¯s tomb. However, a new inscription appeared on the spear stating that, once it finds a worthy successor, the weapon can once again regain its former glory. > Dreu recalled the spear being a primary weapon for Zhao so the option was alluring. However, he wanted to check the last one to be certain he wasn¡¯t missing a treasure through a hasty decision. < Weapon 3: Elvish Chu-ko-nu Description: This weapon was crafted by a master elvish craftsman. While bows are the preferred weapon of most elves, a few, like the craftsman, weren''t shy in making other weapons. Inspired by the human crossbow and improved further, the Chu-ko-nu was developed and became known for its rapid firing rate. > Dreu raised his eyebrows at the sight of the third weapon. While the first two weapons could suit his footmen, the third one really stood out of place and wasn¡¯t of interest to him. For the remaining two, he could see how a demonic blade would be a terrible choice given the demon invasion. Therefore, he had no difficulty picking the spear. As soon as he selected the second weapon, a dim light originated in his left hand and expanded until a spear appeared before him. The spear was lightweight so he could wield it with ease. As described by the prompt window, he felt no powers within the weapon, nor did he feel any stronger wielding it. Before he got carried away with his new weapon, the screams of the nearby knights pulled him back into reality. The beast riders had succeeded in a second charge with more knights trampled or impaled by their horns. Because the knights went for a much tighter formation this time, they actually managed to bog down the Scead. However, none of them could inflict any injury to the beast as their swords simply bounced off the creature''s scales. Dreu then watched as his footman hurried beside him but Zhao was without a weapon. He tossed his new weapon to the footman. The Warlord''s Elemental Spear? How did you acquire this? Zhao took a moment to admire the weapons. Following an expression of thanks, Zhao charged at the nearest beast. The beast rider, anticipating the footman to attempt the same approach, had drawn a weapon. To both the rider¡¯s and beast¡¯s surprise, the footman went straight for the beast¡¯s head. The spear easily penetrated through the scales and was pulled out just as easily. The beast recoiled from the pain resulting in it falling on its back and crushing the rider. Volume 1 Chapter 23 Following the scream of the Scead, the other beasts fled in all directions. Dreu could see the beast riders struggling with the reins but the beasts were unresponsive to their efforts. He then took a moment studying the aftermath of the two beast charges. Countless knight corpses were strewn everywhere along with two of the dead Scead. Among the surviving knights, the men were either badly injured or badly shaken, if not both. Dreu then turned his attention to Zhao who was busy doing a few practice swings with the spear. Despite the footman wearing a helmet, he could almost envision a smile on Zhao¡¯s face. How did the spear do that? I thought you said the Scead¡¯s scales were nearly impenetrable. You stabbed the spear into that Scead like it was a knife in butter. What do you know about the spear? I was told the spear was gifted by a powerful goddess to a now deceased warrior. It no longer possesses any powers so it was left in the warrior¡¯s tomb. The powerful goddess is Xyheia and the warrior was the previous emperor. He was slain in battle at the hands of the Right Arm of Xemir. From what you said, it seems like the powers died with him. As shown earlier, the spear is still powerful without those powers. I wonder why it shows up now that it has lost its powers. What plan does the goddess have in mind? Is there an inscription on it? Anything that stands out on the spear? Zhao examined the entire spear and shook his head. After Dreu shared the worthy successor part of the description, the footman simply nodded. The inscription will appear for the worthy successor. I am not surprised I¡¯m not that individual. However, I do believe that you¡¯ll find a successor one day. Zhao offered to return the weapon but Dreu told him to hold onto it for now. He stated that he couldn¡¯t use a spear well and, for the time being, it served a better purpose in Zhao¡¯s hands. They needed all the advantages they could get to survive the demon invasion. The footman could always return it once the successor was found. Then, Dreu remembered to check his prompt window. < Lvl 5 Footman (Zhao): Description: Serving as a basic infantry in the armies of the Emperor, the footman is a versatile foot soldier with expert training and the proper equipment to fully utilize its training. In addition, the footman has actual combat experience on the battlefield and has unlocked two skills accessible to the footman unit class. The footman has unquestionable loyalty to the Emperor and will fight to the end if ordered to. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Recommendations: -Strong against weak monsters. -Best used in numbers and in close formation. Skill: -Fury (Lvl 1): Active. Grants +100% attack for 5 seconds. Limited to 3 uses per day. -Leap (Lvl 1): Active. Grants the user the ability to triple their vertical jump distance for one jump. Limited to 5 uses per day. Status: -Gain +25% attack from spear gifted by the emperor. > Dreu puffed out his chest upon seeing the level of his second footman. He didn¡¯t expect Zhao to reach level 5 already. However, his chest deflated as quickly as he puffed it with the knowledge that he did nothing to make this possible. While he was safe in the center of the human formation away, the knights took the brunt of the two charges and his footman got the kills during the chaos. When he first learned the nature of his powers, Dreu felt the thrill of eventually commanding a powerful army of footmen against all those who opposed him. Gradually, he recognized that he was still as weak as ever. He had an ax and a shield he took from a dead adventurer which he had yet to use against any demons. His army of footmen never materialized as he was limited to only one at a time. His lack of understanding about the class meant he didn''t even know how to level up his ability to summon two footmen. If it weren¡¯t for the knights and Zhao, he would be dead already. For once, he felt completely useless compared to all those around him. Was the emperor class wasted on nobody like me? I was just a laborer before all this with unrealistic dreams of becoming a knight. Dreu, this isn¡¯t the time to ponder about your self worth. Please leave immediately through the opening behind you with the survivors. I will hold off the incoming demons. At the mention of an opening, Dreu turned around to see two of the Sceads plowing through demon infantry. Like the knights, the demon infantry could do nothing to stop the beasts from crashing into them. Unlike the knights, their formations were far looser allowing the Scead to plow through them much more easily. Dreu also suspected that the demons were more hesitant to attack the creatures due to them being on the same side. He then turned to see the incoming demons mentioned by the footman. He watched a mass of demons riding creatures, similar to the horses Zhao described to him, and advancing on their position. At the head of the demons, a demon in black armor wielded a halberd and was mounted on a black horse that was easily doubled the size of the other horses. Realizing what Zhao was relaying to him, Dreu turned to the knights who had yet to recover from the earlier attack. ¡°Let¡¯s break through that opening!¡± he shouted at the knights as his hand pointed at the opening in the demon formation. The remaining knights, at the mention of an opening, turned to see where Dreu was pointing. The sight brought out a roar from the knights. The boost in morale resulted in the knights reorganizing themselves. The wounded were helped to their feet while the battle ready men formed a diamond shape around them. Dreu found himself leading the march and, to his amazement, the two beasts were still plowing through the demons and further disrupting the demon formation. Therefore, only a handful of demons stood between the humans and their way out. Time to put the ax to good use. Volume 1 Chapter 24 ¡°And you believe the human possesses some dark powers?¡± Colet tried to steer the conversation back to the matter at hand. ¡°The dark powers might be why these humans are sent to be slaughtered? They are performing some sort of ritual?¡± ¡°I wish I can provide you more information, chieftain.¡± Eupoos gestured to the battlefield. ¡°Let¡¯s end this battle first. I will see if I can dig up more information on this matter afterwards. I had hoped to never need to dig into this topic but it seems like fate has forced my hand. If we''re not careful, digging into dark powers may be our own undoing.¡± Seeing wisdom in the Magus¡¯ words, the centaur chieftain returned his attention to the battle at hand. To speed up their enemies¡¯ demise, the spear wielders attacked from the front as they chucked javelins at nearly point blank into the human ranks. Unlike arrows which were more likely stopped by shields and armor, the javelins proved far deadlier as they punched right through everything wounding, if not killing outright, the humans. To achieve such effectiveness, the centaur spear wielders had to get within 20 meters of the humans. Due to their agility, the centaurs easily withdrew before the humans could respond, not that the humans had the morale nor stamina to retaliate anymore. After a series of rinse and repeats, numerous humans were dead or badly wounded leaving the center of the human formation badly depleted of able-bodied soldiers. Death was merciful for those who were still breathing. The flanks were nearly wiped out too. The Uxlut appeared and disappeared into the shadows making them elusive as they picked off the humans on one of the flanks. The goblins went for the most direct but equally effective method of brute forcing through what was left of the other flank. Their wolves tore apart the fatigued and demoralized humans who no longer resisted. The battle ended shortly after Colet¡¯s arrival marking the first victory for the coalition. ¡°That was a boring battle,¡± said Actolio. ¡°I expected them to put up more of a fight. Now that half of their garrison lies dead here, Torpin Stronghold will be easy to take. We should march towards there now!¡± Putting aside his thoughts on what to do about the stronghold, Colet studied the carnage before him. Tolien, always the keen one, approached him. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, chieftain?¡± ¡°Those soldiers we fought. There¡¯s something I can¡¯t put my finger on but something felt off.¡± ¡°I felt the same thing,¡± replied Tolien. ¡°I had some time to study them. They appeared to lack discipline and were disorganized compared to the elite human soldiers I heard about. All of these are indications that we fought their common soldiers. Losing these soldiers no doubt hurt the defenses of Torpin Stronghold. However, their loss may not be not be as critical to humans as we originally believed. The fight at the stronghold will remain a bloody affair.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Common soldiers?¡± Actolio overheard the conversation. ¡°Now that you mentioned it, they put up no fight. I heard Holy Knights would give any opponent a hard time, maybe even Konstite¡¯s shieldbreakers. I wonder if I''ll ever face one of them in combat.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s be grateful we suffered no losses,¡± said Colet. ¡°We will bury the dead and return to our camp. We need to be properly rested for tomorrow.¡± After ordering some centaurs to assist the Uxlut and goblins in burying the dead in mass graves, Colet met with Ruazk and Gabs. "I thank you both for your assistance," said Colet. "While the enemy proved far weaker than expected, a win here will help our morale once our siege of Torpin Stronghold begins." "I cannot shake the feeling this was either a trap or intended by the humans," said Ruazk. Colet was hesitant to share his suspicions so he suggested all parties to head back to their camp to rest. Ruazk and Gabs agreed, parting ways once the dead was all buried. Casualties for the coalition were relatively low and those were only the centaurs under Ides. As Kallosa reported earlier, the wounded were treated and returned to combat before Colet¡¯s arrival. During the initial engagement, human archers returned fire and some of the arrows found their mark. In the next couple of volleys, Ides specifically ordered his bow wielders to target the enemy archers until the humans no longer had ranged support. Without their archers, the rest of the humans were at the mercy of the centaur bow wielders and their morale dropped as their losses mounted. Once more centaurs and eventually their allies participated in the battle, the humans could only hold their position until they were annihilated. Colet led the centaurs back to their camp. The supposed victory only filled the centaur chieftain with dread. Eupoos was already deep in thought but Colet feared the Magus might find the truth too late. Once they returned to the camp, Colet ordered the other centaurs to get some rest before he returned to his tent where he stayed until morning. He failed to get any sleep because the battle on the previous night bothered him. Until the Torpin Stronghold was taken and the human said to possess dark powers was defeated, he doubted he could get any proper sleep and would rely on short naps. The centaur chieftain was accustomed to using short naps to recharge during his travels. Currently, worry and the weight of his race''s extinction weighed heavily on his mind. Upon giving up on sleep, Colet exited his tent to see a centaur messenger arriving. ¡°Chieftain, the dwarven leader has sent out an invite to all the coalition leaders. He says he has urgent matters to discuss and needs your presence as soon as possible.¡± What now? Skostaer must be plotting something. Unwilling to show disrespect to the dwarven leader, Colet ate a quick breakfast before he headed out with Notelis and a handful of handpicked centaurs. Their uneventful journey brought them to the dwarven camp ahead of the other coalition leaders. Like the previous night, the centaur chieftain was escorted to Skostaer¡¯s tent. For once, the dwarves, including their leaders, weren''t drinking. The serious atmosphere felt like a welcomed change to what the centaur chieftain experienced the night before. Volume 1 Chapter 25 Dreu, taking a lesson from one of the knights he observed in the cave on the night he met Baldwin, bashed the demon before him with the shield. He brought down his ax on the demon¡¯s head when it was still staggered. Lacking a helmet, the demon¡¯s head fared poorly against the ax and the demon collapsed onto the ground. With the token resistance dealt with swiftly, the humans made their way out of the encirclement. Dreu took a quick glance behind him but he couldn¡¯t see Zhao anymore. The new group of demons had surrounded the footman. He also discovered he and the footman couldn¡¯t communicate anymore indicating there was a limited range. Prioritizing his own safety first, Dreu studied the surroundings until he spotted a small plateau ahead of them. He moved towards it with all the knights in tow. They quickly scaled the plateau that provided them more information on their situation. The demon force responsible for encircling them remained in position with no signs of pursuing them to the puzzlement of Dreu. The demon soldiers seemed far more interested in what was happening around Zhao than them. Meanwhile, neither the other demon force nor the other two human forces could be seen anywhere. Only the corpses of humans and demons provided any clues of where the unknown parties might have gone. Dreu tried his best to not vomit from seeing the carnage. The scene somehow made what happened at Berkton look tame. He felt that there was blood covering every inch of the ground and had given up on keeping tally of the losses on both sides. Based on his observation, he estimated the demon casualties to be about double the human casualties. If it weren¡¯t for the fact they were so outnumbered, those odds might actually tip the balance in their favor. Knowing that staying still wouldn¡¯t benefit them, Dreu turned to the knights. ¡°Let¡¯s try to regroup with the others,¡± said the young man. The knights had taken the opportunity to tend to the wounded. The short journey to the plateau was difficult enough for some of them. The wounded all offered to stay behind to hold off the demons for as long as they could. They urged Dreu and the able bodied knights to flee at once. Dreu watched as the knights said goodbye to their fellow comrades. Once the farewells were concluded, he and dozens of knights followed the path strewn with corpses. Along the way, the humans encountered either a few surviving knights or a few demon stragglers. Dreu learned that many skirmishes broke out during the human retreat and they were encountering the victors of those small skirmishes. The knights were a welcome addition while the demons were cut down instantly. Dreu was focused on bolstering his group as much as possible, anticipating further combat moving forward. He wasn¡¯t even certain if the other two human forces hadn¡¯t been wiped out already. With no confirmation they had reinforcements, they were essentially on their own as they looked for a way out of the mess. The larger their numbers, the better their odds. After a few hours, the young man and the knights decided they needed a break. During the short break, Dreu summoned Bayard after he was notified Zhao was defeated through the prompt. Summoning Bayard left him slightly out of breath but he was more interested in what Zhao had to say. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. How were you defeated, Zhao? I don¡¯t remember the details but I know I was facing some powerful opponents. I vaguely recall being stabbed in the back. It¡¯s too bad you don¡¯t remember the details. What we remember depends on a number of factors. It¡¯s best to assume we don¡¯t remember anything important. Knowing the demon force was no longer held back by Zhao, Dreu spoke with the knights who agreed to continue moving. Several minutes later, there was a commotion happening at the rear. ¡°The demons are here!¡± shouted one knight. ¡°What do we do?¡± screamed another knight. Dreu noticed the knights were visibly shaken at the mention of the enemy. Morale was wavering for the knights due to how the day was going, though he did notice their morale stabilize briefly following the appearance of Bayard. The footman had a way of anchoring the men, much like what one expected of a general. He turned to Bayard seeking his advice as what he felt internally matched what the knights were expressing externally. To stand and fight is one valiant way to go but you are too valuable to lose your life here. Xyheia won¡¯t forgive us if anything happened to you here. I would advise you to continue fleeing. Even slaying these demons won¡¯t halt the demon invasion. Why sacrifice your life for so few gains? Dreu sensed an urgency in Bayard¡¯s tone. He climbed a rock to get a good look at the incoming demons. The incoming demons were riding wolves which explained how they were able to catch up so quickly. The wolves looked very adept at moving through the terrain and each of them looked as dangerous as the demons sitting atop them. Dreu counted two dozen demons with their own dangerous looking mounts. They hope to slow us down so the rest of the demons can catch up to us. I know I should flee but I doubt we can get very far with those demons pursuing us. Leaving our back open to them seems far more reckless. A wolf pounced on a knight knocking the man down. Before the knight could recover, he was beheaded by the demon atop the wolf. We will just have to end this battle swiftly so we can widen the gap with our pursuers. Ignoring them will result in our defeat faster. ¡°Knights,¡± shouted Dreu. ¡°Shield wall!¡± The panicking knights, upon hearing the order, got into formation that gradually formed a circle. Dreu and Bayard then joined the circle which ensured they had no blind spots. Everyone had their shields raised while they observed the demons. The demons, upon seeing the humans regaining their composure and in a defensive formation, merely circled the shield wall until one demon arrived. ¡°Your blood will dye this land red,¡± said a demon atop a wolf with dark gray pelt. Volume 1 Chapter 26 The wolves snarled at the humans and would¡¯ve attacked if the demons didn¡¯t rein them in with the leashes. Unsurprisingly, the demons spread out in search of any weaknesses in the shieldwall. Dreu then found himself staring at the leader of these demons. The demon leader wore no armor and was equipped with a blade along with a bow and a half-full quiver. Dreu also studied the wolf carrying the demon leader. The creature had a dark gray pelt covered with numerous scars all over the body. Unlike the other wolves, this wolf made no noise and was instead studying him back. From how one of the knights was killed earlier, Dreu learned that the demons and their wolves had incredible teamwork. ¡°Hold your ground and face the enemy!¡± shouted Bayard. Dreu could no longer sense the shaking of the knights. The young man muttered a thanks to Bayard without taking his eyes off the demon leader. When the demon leader unsheathed its blade, the other demons unsheathed their weapons. Dreu swallowed his spit moments before the demons made their move. The wolves closed the distance rapidly and were greeted by the shields. In the corner of his eye, Dreu noticed weapons with hooks that latched onto the shields. When the weapon users pulled back with their wolves, they dragged the shields with them. ¡°Don¡¯t pursue the enemy!¡± Bayard ordered. However, his orders fell on deaf ears. The shieldless knights simply panicked and charged at the demons. Having broken from the formation, the knights were easy pickings as two or three wolves descended upon them. What do we do about the gaps in our formation, Bayard? Stay calm and don¡¯t panic like those fools. The gaps are both a blessing and a curse. A blessing? Watch! The demons first cleaned up the easy targets. They then spread out once more like earlier. They charged in for the second time, though this time focused more on the gaps within the shieldwall. As the wolves closed in, Bayard moved with incredible agility to surprise one of the demons and its wolf. With his shield, the footman hit the wolf knocking it into the adjacent wolf. As the demons and wolves were tangled up, Bayard did a few quick swings to end their lives. Now I see why Zhao was praising Bayard¡¯s sword skills. While Bayard took down two demons and two wolves, the other knights weren¡¯t as successful. A few more knights lost their shields but these men, having seen what happened to their comrades, wisely stayed in the formation. ¡°Reform the shield wall!¡± ordered Bayard as he made his way back to Dreu. The knights did as they were told and the circle shrunk. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Why not reform earlier, Bayard? We had to embolden them. Sadly, we didn¡¯t kill as many wolves or demons as I had hoped. I was hoping we can end this swiftly. Lacking the agility of the wolves, we won¡¯t be catching them. Better to let them come to us. As if in response, the demon charged in once again. Dreu noticed two demons were charging straight at Bayard, likely determining him as their biggest threat. Focus! Bayard suddenly moved in front of Dreu with his shield raised. As the two wolves pounced, Bayard pivoted to intercept one of them leaving his flank open to the other. Dreu copied Bayard from earlier and bashed the wolf with his shield. While his hit didn¡¯t send the wolf flying, it did halt the wolf¡¯s charge. Dreu quickly raised his shield to intercept the demon¡¯s ax. The hit knocked him onto his bottom. Luckily, Bayard made swift work of the demon and wolf who were both too focused on the young man. You will need some work with your stance....thanks for covering my flank. Dreu then noticed the arrow stuck in Bayard¡¯s shield, understanding that the footman told him to pay attention to the demon leader. When he looked, he saw the demon leader with an arrow notched. For the next couple of minutes, the demon leader fired his arrows with incredible precision at any unsuspecting human, killing them with a single shot. Meanwhile, the demons repeated their charges until only two dozen knights remained and six demons and their mounts remained. The demon leader was out of arrows at this point and unsheathed his blade once more. Dreu expected all the demons to make the final charge but, to his surprise, the six demons and their mounts fled the battle. Only the demon leader remained. Why are they fleeing? Don¡¯t they have an advantage? They might be calling for reinforcements while their leader keeps us busy. The knights, upon seeing their numerical advantage, reformed their shieldwall into a line. They marched towards the demon leader with renewed confidence. Only Dreu and Bayard stayed back as they watched. Unexpectedly, the demon leader broke straight through the center as the knights were sliced and diced. The way the demon sliced through the knights, armor and all, reminded the young man of how easily Zhao pierced the spear into the Scead. In a couple of swings, the demon made short work of all the knights, leaving only Dreu and Bayard. Get behind me! His weapon isn¡¯t an ordinary one. Bayard fought the demon and the wolf with lots of caution. He generally backed away before the demon could get a proper swing on him. Then, Dreu jumped in surprise. < Congratulations! You are equipped with the Aegis Armor. You are granted invincibility.> Trusting the prompt and knowing Bayard needed an opening, Dreu charged straight at the demon. Stay back, Dreu! Ignoring Bayard, Dreu kept charging and got the attention of the demon. The wolf backed suddenly away from Bayard and immediately dashed towards the young man. The demon readied his blade as Dreu raised his shield. The blade cut into the shield but failed to cut cleanly through. The demon lost his balance as he failed to let go of the blade. As the demon tumbled onto the ground, Bayard ended the demon¡¯s life. The wolf, in its desperation, attacked Bayard only to suffer the same fate as its rider. It¡¯s over, emperor. You have come out of this victorious! With exhaustion overtaking him, Dreu smiled and embraced the darkness. Before the darkness fully embraced him, the prompt window showed up once again. < You have acquired the weapon, Red Mist Blade. > Volume 1 Chapter 27 Colet was offered an alcoholic drink but he refused. As an occasional drinker, he never drank during important meetings like the one he was currently attending. While he waited, the centaur chieftain pondered over the previous night and all the unanswered questions. The uncertainty gnawed at him constantly because his instincts screamed at him to take action. During his travels around the continent, Colet¡¯s instinct had never let him down and saved him on multiple occasions. He wasn¡¯t going to ignore all the warnings but, until he had enough information, he had nothing to act on. For the time being, he should listen to what Skostaer had to say. The dwarven leader might not be reliable but the dwarf still had a head on his shoulders. Skostaer might underestimate the humans but he would never intentionally put his dwarves in harm''s way. The next to arrive was Nath, the leader of the Sacnit. The Sacnit was a treefolk race that minded its business in the northern boreal forests. The Sacnits woke from their slumber when they detected a terrible power originating in the human kingdom. During their journey south, the Sacnits came across the coalition and agreed to join them in the fight against the humans. Despite traveling together to Torpin Stronghold, the other races knew next to nothing about these treefolks. The Sacnit kept to themselves and only shared the reason for their awakening. Beyond that, their abilities or combat capabilities remained unknown to the coalition. Despite knowing nothing about the treefolks, nobody could deny the soothing aura they emitted did boost morale. ¡°Centaur leader, Colet.¡± Nath greeted with a wave of its branch. ¡°Sacnit leader, Nath.¡± Colet waved back. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you in good health.¡± The centaur leader noticed the Sacnits¡¯ initial discomfort when they entered warmer parts of the continent. His travels revealed to him the disparity between the boreal forests and the plains the centaurs roamed. The disparity only grew once they reached temperate rainforests. He feared the Sacnit would grow ill upon reaching an unfamiliar environment. The worries proved unfounded as the Sacnits never once hindered their journey towards the stronghold. ¡°We may be slender but we are sturdier than we may appear. Nature has also treated us fairly.¡± Nath then exchanged greetings with Skostaer who had begun drinking without Colet realizing it. The dwarven leader gestured to an empty plot of land in the tent specifically reserved for the Sacnit leader. Colet watched in fascination as Nath went over and planted his roots into the soil. ¡°I heard about last night,¡± said Nath once he was settled down. ¡°What odd behavior by humans?¡± ¡°Not odd,¡± interrupted Skostaer. ¡°Humans are soft and stupid! This is just another display of their incredible stupidity.¡± ¡°I fear they have a reason for what they did,¡± said Colet. ¡°Never try to reason stupidity,¡± said Skostaer with a tone indicating he wasn''t interested in discussing the matter further. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Colet turned back to Nath who didn¡¯t comment on Skostaer¡¯s view. He then felt a shiver down his spine when he noticed the Sacnit leader studying him. Hoping to break the Sacnit¡¯s concentration, he resumed the conversation that was rudely interrupted by the dwarven leader. ¡°As I was saying, the humans are plotting something. They don¡¯t generally throw away human lives unless they can get something out of it.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Nath drew on the dirt two rectangular shapes. ¡°Torpin Stronghold is now a lot weaker with those humans dead. Are they inviting us to attack? Or were they scouting out our strength before launching an actual offensive?¡± Colet was about to select the first option when Dezzi entered the tent. Dezzi¡¯s entrance was made obvious by the light gust blowing past everyone. As the leader of the Oneans, Dezzi belonged to the harefolks who were neighbors to the dwarves. While the dwarves lived underground, the Oneans were content with their shallow pits directly above the dwarven tunnels. Through cooperation, the hares kept a lookout for danger above ground as the dwarves dealt with the dangers deeper underground. ¡°How is everyone doing?¡± Dezzi dashed towards all the leaders to say hi. Even Skostaer replied in an amicable manner, a rare scene for the dwarven leader. Once Dezzi made her rounds, she inquired about the absence of Ruazk and Gabs. ¡°They were fighting last night so they might still be waking up,¡± offered Colet. ¡°Fighting last night?¡± Dezzi¡¯s mouth opened wide. ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me?¡± Oneans¡¯ poor eyesight at night came to Colet¡¯s mind but he didn¡¯t feel the need to be so blunt. ¡°I took a wrong turn and reached the Uxlut and goblin camps last night.¡± ¡°Wrong turn? You centaurs need us Oneans as your guides! We are great with directions!¡± The centaur chieftain politely agreed and offered to get some Onean guides next time. ¡°Let¡¯s begin the meeting,¡± said Skostaer. ¡°But Ruazk and Gabs aren¡¯t here yet,¡± complained Dezzi. ¡°We cannot start until all the coalition leaders are here. A great leader like you surely has the patience to wait until their arrival, right?¡± Colet couldn¡¯t suppress his smile. Skostaer wouldn¡¯t hesitate to start meetings without everyone present. Dezzi, a weak spot of the dwarven leader, always managed to convince him to wait longer. Somehow, the easygoing Onean served as the glue holding the coalition together. Colet always enjoyed the optimistic attitude of the Onean leader that balanced his more realistic view of the world. As Dezzi and Skostaer talked among themselves, Colet turned to Nath. ¡°Nath, I have a question about what awakened your people.¡± ¡°Go ahead and ask. I¡¯ll try my best to answer.¡± ¡°Originally, we thought the Purificator was what awakened your people. Yesterday, our centaur Magus discovered someone with possible dark powers. Could that have been the actual cause?¡± ¡°Dark powers?¡± Nath said before entering deep thought. ¡°Possibly. Dark powers disturb nature and corrupts it when given a chance. I too wondered how the Purificator could have awakened us if it¡¯s nothing more than a mechanical super weapon still in construction.¡± "What do you know about dark powers?" asked Colet cautiously, the warning from Eupoos still fresh in his mind. "Dark powers are dangerous and should never be sought out. Just as light is associated with life, the dark is often associated with death and destruction." Volume 1 Chapter 28 Dreu opened his eyes slowly and looked around. It took him a few minutes to adjust to the darkness and make out Bayard standing guard nearby. He felt the temptation of closing his eyes to sleep more but he knew this wasn¡¯t the time or place. Where are we? We are in a cave within the woods. You collapsed following the battle and this was the safest place I could find. How long was I out? A week. Dreu muttered thanks and moved his body. Once he was certain he had no major injuries, he looked around until the footman tossed him a sheathed blade. A prompt window popped up as soon as he caught it. < Red Mist Blade: Description: The blade was crafted by the Mist Orcs. A red mist trail follows the blade before it finds its target. While the knowledge behind the red mist disappeared with the extinction of the Mist Orcs, weapons like this blade could be used to uncover ancient secrets. > Do you know anything about the Mist Orcs? Dreu asked the footman. I have no knowledge of that race. However, I did see the blade in action when that demon leader cut through all the knights. The demon used limited movement and yet the strike was devastating. The red mist might have played a role in that. At the mention of the knights, Dreu felt his memories flood back into him. The carnage was made possible by a single demon with the blade he now held in his hand. They began with a force of a few hundred men but now he was the only survivor. To make matters worse, he was out for a week which meant he couldn¡¯t possibly be catching up to the others, assuming there were still survivors. Why? Asked Bayard. Dreu stared at the footman trying to figure out the context for the question. Why did you risk your life to cover my flank? There was no real risk to my life. I learned I acquired the Aegis Armor and I knew you needed an opening. I acted without thinking about the consequences. My body simply acted without my mind telling it to. The Aegis Armor¡­..Xyheia is watching over you. If she is, I hope to express my thanks to her personally one day. Dreu secured the new weapon to his sword belt. He then touched his chest causing another prompt window to pop up. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. < Aegis Armor: Description: The maker of the Aegis Armor is unknown. What is known is that this armor is said to have the potential of becoming the most powerful armor. Unlike other armor, the Aegis Armor grows stronger with its owner. Therefore, it is up to the owner to bring out the full potential of the armor. Even at its most basic form, the Aegis Armor is already very much sought after by many. Two special traits of the armor are its invisibility, allowing the user to wear it without anyone being any wiser, and its quick equip option, allowing the user to equip and unequip easily at will. Skill: -Invincibility (Lvl 1): Passive. Grants the user invincibility for 1 minute. Skill is activated when a killing blow is within 0.5 meters of a user. Once either the invincibility duration or combat ends, the user loses all stamina and consciousness. Limited to 1 use per month. > Invincibility for a whole minute followed by incapacitation? What an interesting armor to possess. Once you become powerful, the armor invincibility duration is extended and there are no downsides. How do you know? The former emperor possessed the armor too. It was powerful enough for him to overcome everything¡­.except for the Right Hand of Xemir. There was only so much a mortal man can do against an immortal being. Yet I¡¯m still so weak. I don''t know what Xyheia saw in me. Let¡¯s do something about that then. Bayard asked Dreu to stand up and get into his combat stance. Once Dreu was ready, the footman simply pushed him resulting in him falling backwards. A proper stance is everything in combat. You fall backwards and you¡¯re dead. Let¡¯s try that again! For the next hour or so, Dreu was taught the proper stance when he wielded a weapon. Once he had some basic understanding of stances, the young man was taught how to use a weapon and a shield. The training began with his ax but Bayard then ordered him to use his sheathed blade to get a better feel of it. By the end of the training, Dreu was covered in bruises caused by Bayard¡¯s sheathed sword. The footman emphasized that, to become a proficient warrior, the young man needed to train consistently for many years. The training would kick in when he was in a state of panic, much like how the knights went into shieldwall despite being in a terrible mental state. Bayard recommended Dreu to consistently train every night regardless how exhausted he was. The training might save his life when no help was available. Get some rest tonight! We¡¯ll head out immediately tomorrow morning. Tomorrow morning? Do you know the whereabouts of the others? No, but we must continue moving. This place isn¡¯t safe. I sense dark powers gathering nearby. Dark powers? Powers from creatures of the underworld or hell. Regardless of where they are from, neither of us is strong enough to fight them. We must be smart and flee while we still have a chance. Why are you sensing dark powers now? Did something call for them? Like a ritual? I don¡¯t know the cause and I don¡¯t recommend staying around long enough to find out. All I¡¯ll say is that places with lots of deaths tend to attract beings or creatures with dark powers. They are drawn to it. Where are we headed then? You must have a destination in mind. Xante. The capital is both the safest and the most dangerous place. We can figure things out once we get there. Trusting his footman, Dreu made himself as comfortable as he could on the ground. Before he fell asleep, he turned to Bayard. Thanks for training me! It¡¯s been my honor, Dreu. Volume 1 Chapter 29 When Bayard said morning, Dreu thought the footman was referring to early sunrise. Instead, he found himself stumbling through the dark before dawn, his body still asleep and his mind not much better. He wasn''t sure if it was his eyes but Bayard seemed to glow enough for him to see the footman easily in the dark. The two of them covered a lot of ground before Dreu was allowed a break. Dreu sat down only to realize how fatigued he was from the trek. How do you know where we are headed? I scouted the area while I carried you to safety. Bayard pointed up to the sky. The stars are great guides too even after three hundred years. We are fortunate to have clear skies since we were separated from the others. Recalling that he hadn¡¯t checked on Bayard¡¯s status for a long time, Dreu opened the prompt window. < Lvl 5 Footman (Bayard): Description: Serving as a basic infantry in the armies of the Emperor, the footman is a versatile foot soldier with expert training and the proper equipment to fully utilize its training. In addition, the footman has actual combat experience on the battlefield and has unlocked two skills accessible to the footman unit class. The footman has unquestionable loyalty to the Emperor and will fight to the end if ordered to. Recommendations: -Strong against weak monsters. -Best used in numbers and in close formation. Skill: -Leadership (Lvl 1): Passive. Nearby allies gain +5% attack and defense within a 2 meter radius of the user -Shield Bash (Lvl 1): Active. Grants user the ability to bash foes with a shield. In addition to doing damage, the ability may stun or even send enemies flying. Limited to 5 uses per day. Status: -Gain +10% attack and defense from sword and shield gifted by the emperor. > Dreu smiled upon realizing he had two level 5 footmen. After the loss of Zhao, he and Bayard fought desperately to escape the pursuing demons. He could see how the combat and some kills must have contributed to the footman¡¯s leveling up. What are the downsides of having high level footmen? Dreu asked the footman. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. After Dreu developed interest in adventuring, he sought out as much knowledge as he could on the topic whenever he wasn¡¯t busy with labor work. During one of those occasions, he spoke with a sorcerer who shared an important lesson with him. The sorcerer stated that, when it came to abilities, there were always costs. For strong abilities, the cost might come in the form of higher mana cost, longer casting times, complicated requirements or some combinations of those. Therefore, the young man was told to always be wary of the ability costs that seemed too good to be true. More often than not, they came at a cost that could result in his death. If the footman¡¯s level is higher than the emperor, then the emperor cannot summon the footman. Currently, am I too weak to summon either you or Zhao? That¡¯s correct. Can you tell me what level I am? No, I cannot. I can only conclude you are below level 5. Beyond that, we only know what we can observe. This new bit of information made Dreu both worried and relieved. He didn¡¯t like the idea that he couldn¡¯t summon either of his footmen once he lost them in combat. In such a situation, he had to summon a level 2 footman whose capabilities would no doubt be below those of Bayard and Zhao. Conversely, this was crucial information that could be the difference between life and death for him. To fully take advantage of his emperor class, he would need to become even stronger. For the time being, he must make decisions that could keep his footman alive. Then, he realized something and turned to Bayard once more. Do you know how I level up? Does the Emperor Class put any restrictions? You obtain experience in two ways. You can engage in combat and gain experience from kills like anyone else. Or your summoned units level up providing you experience. While how much experience you gain from summoned units is unknown, the former emperor did figure out that the summoned units¡¯ level relative to him mattered. For instance, a level 10 emperor gains very little experience from a footman going from level 1 to level 2. Before Dreu could ask further questions, Bayard emphasized the importance of them moving again. The young man cursed the arduous pace Bayard was putting him through. Unlike the footman, he was a human with limited stamina and his body was constantly reminding him how close he was at his limit. Yet, Bayard pushed him forward despite his numerous protests. Eventually, Dreu was too exhausted to even speak so, to conserve energy, he simply pushed forward without a word, his mind focused solely on keeping up with Bayard. Now you can rest! We¡¯re at a safe location. Hearing those words, Dreu collapsed onto the ground, allowing his eyes to close. When he finally gained consciousness, he heard a flurry of activity around him. As he forced his eyes open, he found himself staring at the blurry face of a stranger. Once his eyes finally focused on the person, he muttered a name he didn¡¯t expect to say again. ¡°Jeane.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to see you as well, Dreu. Who knew we would meet again in this shrine.¡± ¡°Shrine?¡± ¡°We found this shrine by chance and it¡¯s keeping us safe from the demons. I don¡¯t know who the shrine is dedicated to but the deity is keeping us alive right now.¡± Dreu tried to get up but none of his muscles could muster the strength. He then felt Jeane struggle to get him to sit up. ¡°Thanks!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you and Bayard arrived here safely. We need all the help we can get.¡± Dreu used the chance to look around and only saw Gaenor and Sadon there. ¡°Where are the others?¡± asked Dreu who expected the Duchess and her bodyguards to be there. ¡°They abandoned us to our own fate. We¡¯re on our own at this point.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 30 The discussion with the Sacnit leader revealed the secrets of dark powers to Colet. Dark powers weren¡¯t created by the Gods so they never existed initially. However, the flaws of the races resulted in the darkness that would eventually be harnessed into the dark powers. As long as there were flawed beings who sought power, revenge or anything that could lead them down a dark path, dark powers would exist and flourish. Given that the most flawed beings ended up in the underworld or hell, it was no wonder that dark powers thrived in those realms. When asked about the way to eliminate dark powers, Nath replied that one would need to destroy the darkness inside all beings and, therefore, only the destruction of all complex life could end the existence of dark powers. ¡°Is there no way to lessen the darkness within all beings?¡± ¡°No being is born with darkness within them,¡± lectured Nath. ¡°Darkness grows due to factors like environments, loss, anger and hatred. If you lost someone and wanted revenge, lessening the darkness within you will only delay your acts of revenge. Lessening the darkness merely targets the symptoms and not the root cause.¡± The centaur leader nodded his head. He understood where Nath was coming from. Even if they had a magical cure that could lessen or remove darkness, there was no way to stop the darkness from coming back. The crusade to eliminate dark powers was a path down darkness itself. He could see how the Magus warned against delving into such dark arts. Once one got too deep, there was no chance for one to escape. Dark powers first tempted beings to get too close and, once there, it would seduce them with powers they never thought possible. The promise of becoming a god was something that had corrupted so many mortals. ¡°Ruazk and Gabs are here!¡± shouted Dezzi excitedly. She dashed towards the two and bombarded them with questions about the night before. While Ruazk shared what happened to him, Gabs used the opportunity to slip past Dezzi and be seated across from Colet. The two of them greeted each other with a nod of their heads. Meanwhile, poor Ruazk tried to keep up with the questions Dezzi threw his way. Skostaer then stepped into the matter. ¡°Dezzi, you can ask the Uxlut leader questions after the meeting.¡± The dwarven leader gestured at the spot beside Gabs. ¡°I¡¯m certain Ruazk would like to be seated after the battle last night.¡± With a sigh, Dezzi reluctantly sat down beside Skostaer. Once everyone was seated, the dwarven leader stood up. ¡°First, I would like to announce that my scouts slept on the job last night. They were far too drunk to realize the human soldiers were marching towards us. I have given them the punishment they deserved and hopefully their punishments would be a warning to any other dwarf who dared to drink on the job.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Unlikely, thought Colet. ¡°Secondly, I have received reports on the decisive victory last night. Those humans are softer and stupider than I thought. Their garrison is now half as strong so there isn¡¯t a better time to launch an assault than now. I propose we prepare to attack at once and strike while the humans are still reeling from their losses.¡± Skostaer spoke with his chest puffed out. The smile on his face was unmistakable as he spoke of the assault on Torpin Stronghold. He looked around as if he was daring others to object to his plan. ¡°I agree with the timing,¡± said Nath. ¡°I¡¯m curious more about the how. A direct assault would result in heavy losses on our side.¡± Like an excited little kid, Skostaer went to the back of the tent and brought out a large stone slab and carefully placed it in the middle of the tent. Colet¡¯s eyes widened as he made out the features like the mountain range and the stronghold. There was even a simplified representation of their camps in the corner. ¡°One of our talented craftsmen spent hours making this,¡± boasted Skostaer. ¡°As you noticed, we have the mountain range and Torpin Stronghold here in the middle. The mountain pass is what stands between us and the human capital.¡± Dezzi raised her hand trying to get Skostaer¡¯s attention. With a sigh, Skostaer allowed the Onean leader to speak. ¡°Why don¡¯t the dwarves just dig through the mountain range? We can just bypass the stronghold altogether!¡± ¡°We dwarves spent centuries digging out our fortresses. One doesn¡¯t just dig through a mountain like it was nothing.¡± Skostaer pointed at the stronghold. ¡°Those pesky humans, despite being stupid, actually have spells that would alert them of serious digging. I assure you we tried and they found out very quickly.¡± ¡°Too bad the dwarves must fight on flat land,¡± Gabs chipped in. ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Skostaer¡¯s grin grew wider. ¡°I said they are alerted to serious digging. If we do smaller digging operations daily, then the humans don¡¯t have a clue on the matter.¡± As the dwarven leader made a second trip to the back of the tent, Colet made himself a little taller to get a glimpse of what else was hidden back there. Skostaer brought out another stone of similar size but this was more zoomed in view of the mountain pass. The Torpin Stronghold took center stage while the mountain pass was shown in more detail. The centaur leader then noticed two holes near the base of the mountain on the two sides of the stronghold. His breath was taken away when Skostaer removed two sections of the mountain range revealing a few tunnels. The tunnel linked the holes Colet noticed earlier towards the Torpin Stronghold. ¡°My boys have been digging steadily and we are about to reach the stronghold courtyard. On the day of the assault, you all will attack from the front. We dwarves will enter the courtyard and open the gates. Once that gate is opened, victory is ours!¡± Seeing the stunned looks on the others, Skostaer¡¯s grin became almost unnatural. ¡°Thought we dwarves were just drinking all day, huh?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Dezzi with enthusiasm. The stunned look on the dwarf brought out a chuckle from everyone else. Volume 1 Chapter 31 ¡°Abandoned?¡± Dreu might have asked the question but he wasn¡¯t surprised one bit. After his meeting with the Duchess, he knew this scenario was within the realm of possibility. In truth, he almost expected it as the Duchess was someone who wouldn''t hesitate sacrificing others for her own benefit. ¡°Where is Sela then?¡± asked the young man who was expecting all the adventurers to be present. ¡°Her uncle guaranteed her safety so she left with the Duchess,¡± replied Gaenor. ¡°How did the Duchess escape?¡± Dreu recalled the two demon armies that were intent on hunting her down. ¡°Did her illusion magic work suddenly? If so, wouldn''t it make more sense for her to keep everyone alive to better fend off the demon invasion?¡± ¡°The Duchess had a teleport crystal on her that could take her to the capital.¡± Jeane¡¯s voice had a tone of anger in it. ¡°She used us to get her close enough to activate the crystal., allowing her and a select few to reach safety.¡± ¡°She left us and most of the knights to fend for ourselves,¡± added Sadon. ¡°She wasn¡¯t even apologetic before she activated her crystal, saying something about how the superior humans earned the right to live.¡± Jeane went on to describe their last week where their group grew smaller and smaller due to the relentlessness of the demons. Once they were discovered, the demons attacked them day and night without giving them any rest. The fatigue was the reason for their complete rout, resulting in everyone scattering in all direction. It wasn¡¯t until the three of them reached the shrine did they finally get some proper rest. The cleric added that, while the demons did encircle the shrine initially, they eventually backed off without warning. On the day of the demon¡¯s departure, she described a feeling of a darkness more terrible than anything she could have imagined. When Jeane fell silent, Dreu looked to Bayard. Is that why you pushed me? We were fleeing from something terrible? Yes, we had to reach safety and I was hoping this shrine would still be standing. Luckily for us, Xyheia¡¯s blessing is still active. Dreu used the moment to study the shrine. The walls formed a circle with a dome as its roof. Many windows were carved into the walls allowing plenty of light in. At the center of the shrine, there was an altar of some sort, though there were no signs of offerings. The interior was bland and the young man had to assume all the valuables were taken a long time ago. Despite how simple the shrine was, Dreu felt a sense of calmness there as though he was reassured that life would turn out better. He was curious if Xyheia exerted such a aura if he could ever meet her. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°How did you two get here?¡± asked Gaenor. ¡°After we were separated, I didn¡¯t expect to see you two alive.¡± ¡°Bayard did most of the heavy lifting. I just had to trust him and keep up.¡± ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± asked Sadon. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here forever, right?¡± Before anyone could say anything, Bayard signaled everyone to keep quiet and made gestures about something lurking outside. Everyone moved to a nearby window to take a look. The creature standing in the clearing was unlike anything Dreu had seen before. Its long and narrow head resembled that of a reptile but there were no eyes, snouts or a mouth. Only two holes were on the two sides resembling ears. The creature stood upright on its two hind limbs. Its legs were long and muscular with sickle-shaped claws making up its toes. The two long forelimbs had hands with similar claws as the toes. Standing roughly as tall as an average human, Dreu had no intention of finding out how well the creature fought with its claws. The group held its breath until the creature moved on elsewhere. ¡°What was that?¡± asked Sadon who was still shaking from the experience. ¡°Those things are called Velo,¡± answered Bayard. ¡°They serve as the scouts for most underworld factions. Let''s hope there won''t be anymore of them coming to this shrine.¡± ¡°Underworld?¡± asked the adventurers in unison. Bayard first stated that his knowledge on the underworld was limited. He claimed that those who delved too deep into the knowledge would be corrupted. In addition, one would attract the attention of those in the underworld who would happily offer wealth and power in return for one¡¯s soul or eternal servitude. He knew that terrible beings and creatures came from the underworld who wanted nothing more than death and destruction. The Velo was a lowly scout but it could pose a challenge to many capable warriors. ¡°Now imagine what other monstrosities are in the underworld if that creature is one of the weakest ones.¡± Bayard ended his short talk with an emphasis on avoiding dark powers at all costs. Dreu had never seen the footman so serious so he vowed to keep the advice to heart. He had his emperor class which was powerful enough. He couldn¡¯t imagine anything else tempting him. Surely the underworld couldn''t offer anything more, right? ¡°Are we all stranded here then?¡± asked Sadon. ¡°While I have no interest in fighting that¡­Velo thing, I dislike the idea of starving to death more.¡± When Dreu asked about the food situation, he was given a grim answer. At most, they had enough food to last three days if they rationed it properly. After that, they had to leave the safety of the shrine to scavenge for more food. ¡°I can help with the scavenging part,¡± offered Bayard. ¡°In the worst case scenario, Dreu can summon another footman and we can repeat. With mana as the only cost, he can keep this up until we figure where we are headed to.¡± ¡°Assuming we have a place to go,¡± said Gaenor. ¡°The capital is out of the question given that is where the demons are gathering at. We no longer have options.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t true! We can seek sanctuary at one more place. At least, I hope the place is still under human control.¡± Everyone urged Jeane to share the place she had in mind. ¡°The Cleric Fortress of Ujun.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 32 Before Jeane could elaborate on her plan, Bayard dashed towards the doorway where he crossed swords with someone. The two of them were in a deadlock when the man shouted at the footman ¡°Lady Iona has shown us the light. We will serve her in return for immortality! Long live Lady Iona!¡± Dreu watched Bayard sidestep the man causing the belligerent to lose his balance. Then, the footman beheaded the man without hesitation. ¡°He¡¯s wearing a knight¡¯s armor,¡± commented Gaenor. ¡°There are others!¡± shouted Bayard. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down! We''ll make our stand here!¡± As soon as he retrieved his ax and shield, Dreu peeked out a window to see a dozen or so knights approaching the shrine. What leaped out to him was their lack of shields. The footmen all gripped their swords with two hands as though they were wielding longswords. ¡°We¡¯re surrounded!¡± shouted someone behind him. Gripping his ax tighter, Dreu took several deep breaths. He then spotted one knight trying to crawl inside through a window and aimed for the man¡¯s head. Having taken Bayard¡¯s lessons to heart, he didn¡¯t use the blade of the ax and instead used the hammer bit. The knight went limp after the first strike but Dreu landed a few more hits to the head for good measure. By then, a few knights had gotten inside due to the group¡¯s inability to cover all the windows. They all turned to face Dreu. ¡°To kill a follower of Lady Iona is a sin!¡± shouted the knight closest to Dreu. Dreu tossed his ax which hit the knight right in the face. While his opponent was stunned, the young man unsheathed his new blade and beheaded the knight. As he readied himself against his next opponent, Dreu made a mental note of how easily it was to cut through everything. He then had to engage the next opponent who had taken the initiative in charging at him first. So many openings. After sparring with Bayard, Dreu realized how lousy the knights were when it came to their swings. The swings focused heavily on power but the knights ended up with poor stances and more openings. Dreu easily sidestepped the knight and ended the man¡¯s life. Even though the young man knew he should feel terrible for killing other human beings, he felt that, due to self-defense, he was justified in taking the lives of others. He had a taste of being helpless against his opponents and there was something incredible about controlling his fate with his own hands. Before he could admire his newfound power further, two more knights dashed towards him with their swords drawn. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Wind¡¯s Blessing!¡± Dreu felt his feet grow light as a feather. After a hop or two to adjust to the change, he abandoned his shield and easily dashed past the two knights. During his dash, he positioned his blade in the path of one of the knights slicing the man cleanly in half. Before the other knight could register what happened, Dreu had already beheaded the man. Following the kill, a red mist formed at the tip of the blade. Yet, the young man had no time to ponder on it as three knights charged straight at Jeane. Using his new speed, Dreu easily intercepted two of the knights, killing them easily. ¡°Improved armor,¡± said Jeane. The cleric simply pivoted so her shoulder pads took the hit from the knight¡¯s sword. While the knight was focused on Jeane, Dreu slayed the man and stood between the cleric and the knights. Is there no end to their numbers? "Are you okay, Jeane?" "I''m fine! Just focus on the battle!" Dreu continued fighting the knights and eventually noted the location of others in the shrine. He didn¡¯t know how but Gaenor was standing on a platform at a high elevation where she picked off the knights with impunity. Sadon and Bayard were fighting back to back near the doorway where most of the enemy knights were gathered. Meanwhile, Jeane was just casting buffs and heals where needed. The young man, after realizing how easily his blade sliced through the knights, focused on evading attacks and going for the kill. The combat made him appreciate the shield a lot more. The knights wielded swords but their lack of a shield made them very weak on the defense. A shield might not give the knights a fighting chance against him but they would make it a lot harder for him to evade their attacks. Bayard¡¯s shield bash was the first thing that came to mind. ¡°Lady Iona!¡± chanted the knights in unison. ¡°Give us strength to crush these heretics!¡± All of the knights took out a crystal the size of a walnut and the men proceeded to break them. Just as darkness swirled around them, beams of light shone from the altar and hit every single man disintegrating them upon contact. By the time the light dissipated, the adventurers, Dreu and Bayard remained in the shrine. The corpses of the numerous knights scattered across the shrine also turned to dust until there were no signs of them. Only their equipment remained from the battle. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Sadon once everyone gathered at the altar. ¡°Those knights sealed their fight once they tried to absorb the dark powers within those crystals.¡± Bayard gestured to the symbols carved into the front of the altar. ¡°I suspect the knights were merely mind controlled so they didn¡¯t trigger the powers within the altar. As soon as they possessed something that originated from the underworld or hell, the defensive mechanisms on the altar triggered.¡± ¡°How powerful is the deity of this shrine?¡± asked Jeane. ¡°I could be biased but I believe the goddess of this shrine is stronger than Xemir himself.¡± As if in response to Bayard¡¯s words, the altar shone brightly. Then, the light suddenly engulfed the entire room with Dreu struggling to make out the others. ¡°Fascinating! I didn¡¯t expect to see a successor to the emperor class.¡± A silhouette of a being appeared in the light before the young man. The voice was very soothing, stopping Dreu from reaching for his sheathed blade. ¡°Are you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Xyheia. Nice to meet you!¡± Volume 1 Chapter 33 Following the conclusion of the coalition meeting, Colet was the first to leave. On his way back to the centaur camp, Notelis asked him about the meeting. The centaur leader shared the agreement of all the coalition leaders in assaulting the Torpin Stronghold when its defenses were at its weakest. He also shared the dwarven tunnels that led directly into the stronghold. Ignoring the uncertainty they faced, the success of the siege appeared feasible. ¡°Is it wise to attack now?¡± Notelis asked. ¡°Lacking proof or evidence to back up our suspicions, I can do nothing to argue against an assault.¡± The rest of the journey was in silence. Colet recalled his conversation with Nath and the dangers of dark powers. With no knowledge of what the human possessed, they couldn¡¯t come up with any countermeasures. Even a hint of the human¡¯s abilities could shed more light on the recent supposed human blunder. If the dark powers were as powerful as Eupoos and Nath described, he feared the coalition would be in for a rude awakening. As the group approached the centaur camp, a hawk flew down towards them. Colet initially thought it was Ilumin but he realized his mistake when the hawk spoke. ¡°Turn back from the Torpin Stronghold! You are no match for the Soul of Xemir! You will only find eternal suffering if you proceed with your plan!¡± Before Colet could ask the hawk questions, the bird soared into the sky and disappeared into the distance. Colet thought about asking Ilumin to pursue the hawk but he could see there was no way for his companion to catch up now. Soul of Xemir? I thought there was only the Right Arm of Xemir. Confused by the encounter, Colet turned to Notelis. Seeing the shock on the centaur¡¯s face, Colet knew he wasn¡¯t imagining things or seeing an illusion only visible to him. The hawk was the real deal and it delivered a message. ¡°What are your thoughts?¡± asked Colet. ¡°It could be misformation from the humans.¡± Notelis paused briefly. ¡°Or the warning is legitimate and we should heed it.¡± The centaur chieftain didn¡¯t like the idea of the warning aligning with his suspicions. He wanted to trust the warning and order the centaurs to withdraw. This wouldn¡¯t solve the issue with the Purificator but, as long as they were alive, they could still make a difference. Yet, he already gave the coalition his word that the centaurs would support the assault on the Torpin Stronghold. Without concrete proof to back up his claims, he couldn¡¯t convince the others, including Ruazk and Nath, to back out. While misinformation was possible, he highly doubted the human¡¯s spy network was so well established that the humans could simply intercept him shortly after an important meeting. ¡°We cannot back out of the upcoming assault but we can come up with some contingency plans for the worst case scenario.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. For the remainder of the journey, Colet was deciding on who he would assign the task of organizing the withdrawal from the battlefield in the worst case scenario. Ideally, he could minimize casualties during those withdraws. Yet, he was working with uncertainty so they could only plan so far ahead. His centaurs would have to adapt to the battlefield during the chaos that would no doubt ensue. The group returned to the centaur camp safely. Notelis and the other bodyguards went to their respective tents while the centaur chieftain headed to Eupoos'' tent. Once given permission, he entered to see Ides working alongside Eupoos over manuscripts. ¡°These are fascinating discoveries,¡± said Ides. ¡°I¡¯m shocked we never considered these in our spells.¡± ¡°For the last time,¡± said Eupoos in a stern tone, ¡°don¡¯t read into the details. That¡¯s how spellcasters become corrupted by the dark powers.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts.¡± Like a centaur caught misbehaving, Ides put down the manuscript in his hands and looked down at the ground. Colet could understand his friend¡¯s interest. Ides, like him, sought knowledge and wished to learn more about the world. Dark powers opened up a new realm which, while exciting, was perilous to those who pursued it. He could only imagine the internal turmoil going through his friend¡¯s mind. A part of him wanted to read the manuscripts but, following all the warnings, he held his curiosity in check. ¡°Did you learn anything useful?¡± Colet asked the Magus. ¡°After briefly skimming over the manuscripts, there¡¯s a scenario we can consider. Those humans might be sacrifices used to summon something from either the underworld or hell.¡± ¡°I thought the underworld and hell are the same thing?¡± ¡°According to the manuscripts, they are different. I didn¡¯t delve deeper beyond that. Just know that we don¡¯t want to face creatures from either of those realms.¡± ¡°And if they summoned one creature from all those sacrifices¡­¡± The silence dragged on in the tent as the idea was processed by the three centaurs. Colet then spoke up. ¡°On my way here, I encountered a hawk who told us to turn back. It even mentioned the Soul of Xemir.¡± ¡°Soul of Xemir?¡± Eupoos¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°Has Xemir become serious with the extinction of the non-human races?¡± ¡°Have you heard of the Soul of Xemir before?¡± inquired Ides. ¡°Not the being specifically. However, I did learn about Xemir granting his own powers to mortals who would serve him and fight against his enemies. The Right Arm of Xemir was only the first one. Apparently, he has made another champion.¡± ¡°You are saying that Xemir will continue with his blessing until the humans rise up victorious?¡± asked Colet furiously. ¡°We are basically fighting a losing battle because the god is playing favorites?¡± ¡°That is the world we live in,¡± admitted Eupoos. ¡°The gods may choose the winners and losers. We can either accept it or continue our struggles in defiance.¡± ¡°We will deny the god his victory as long as we live.¡± Colet noticed the other two centaurs backing away from him and looked at each other after he spoke. They stayed quiet until Colet broke the silence. ¡°Regardless of what threat awaits us, let¡¯s have a contingency plan if we need to withdraw from the battlefield.¡± Colet turned to Ides. ¡°I¡¯ll leave that plan to you. Keep it a secret and let¡¯s hope we won¡¯t need it.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 34 ¡°I know you have many questions but this is neither the time nor place. If we dawdle too long, my brother will learn of you and I cannot allow that to happen. Allow me to grant this blessing upon you with the remaining magic in the shrine. Stay strong and listen to Bayard. He has your best interest in mind! I look forward to the day we can meet in person.¡± < Congratulations! You received the Blessing of Xyheia. > < Congratulations! You have unlocked the ¡°Summon Archer¡± ability. > The light dissipated just as the prompt vanished. Dreu looked frantically around to make sense of what just happened. ¡°Are you okay, Dreu?¡± asked Jeane. ¡°You seem like you saw a ghost or something.¡± ¡°Did you not see the light? Or hear a voice?¡± When Dreu saw the others shake their heads, he checked his window prompt for his sanity¡¯s sake. He first saw his new ability and selected it for more details. < Summon Archer (Lvl 1): Description: This ability allows the emperor to summon one archer at a low cost of mana. If this is the first time the ability is used, the emperor can only summon a Lvl 1 Archer. If an archer has been summoned before, this ability lets the emperor recall that archer. Recalling an archer is beneficial due to the archer retaining experience obtained from combat. While summoning a fresh archer limits its level to 1, it is possible to recall a higher level archer. Regardless of the level of the archer, this ability limits the emperor to only summoning one archer at one time unless a higher level of the ability is achieved. Unlike a footman, an archer uses ammunition to attack enemies from afar. When summoned, the archer starts with full ammunition. The emperor can replenish ammunition at a low cost of mana. If an archer has no more ammunition, the archer will use its dagger for close quarters.> The young man then checked his status but there was no mention of a blessing. Did I imagine all of that? Not trusting himself, Dreu retrieved his ax and shield before sitting beside the altar. He replayed the scene a couple of times in his mind before Bayard interrupted him. Is something the matter, Dreu? You¡¯ve been acting strange. When I saw the light, I believe Xyheia spoke to me. She spoke of granting me a blessing with the remaining magic in this shrine. Anything else? She said you have my best interest in mind and I should listen to you. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Sounds like her alright! Dreu was taken slightly aback by the happiness in Bayard''s voice as the footman had been a pretty depressing character from their interactions. Recalling the prompt on his new ability, the young man then inquired on the topic with the footman. Can I summon an archer while you are already summoned? Yes, Dreu. The limit only applies to the same class¡­.wait, you unlocked that ability? Yes. Anticipating a tough battle up ahead, Dreu summoned his first archer. The sudden appearance of an archer made the adventurers jump but Dreu quickly reassured them that this was his ability. He then checked the prompt for more information on the archer. < Lv 1 Archer (Rohese): Description: Serving as a basic ranged foot soldier in the armies of the Emperor, the archer is given basic training and armed with a bow and a dagger. An archer has unquestionable loyalty to the Emperor and will fight to the end if ordered to. Ammunition: Arrows Recommendations: -Strong against weak monsters. -Best used in numbers. -Take advantage of their range and avoid close quarters. Status: +5% attack and defense due to Leadership aura. > Hello, Dreu communicated with the archer. I look forward to fighting alongside you, Rohese. The honor is all mine, emperor. With the introduction out of the way, Dreu rejoined the adventurers to finish discussing Jeane¡¯s plan regarding Cleric Fortress of Ujun. The fortress was built on Mount Ujun and was said to be the second most impenetrable location only bested by the human capital, Xante. In addition to serving as a fortress to hold off possible advances, the location was also turned into a school for Clerics. Anyone who was serious about becoming a cleric would have to attend the Cleric Academy at the fortress where they were taught all that they needed to get started in the profession. Most clerics only had to attend three years before graduation. For Jeane, she attended for five years due to her talents in cleric spells. ¡°Are we going off the assumption that the fortress is still under human control?¡± asked Bayard. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Jeane. ¡°I know it¡¯s a leap of faith. We might be safer here with the shrine protecting us.¡± ¡°I fear the power in this shrine has greatly dwindled after it eliminated all those knights. We will have to keep moving if we want to stay alive.¡± ¡°Sounds like we have no choice in the matter.¡± Gaenor turned to Jeane. ¡°I hope you are right because I have grown tired of running from the demons.¡± When asked how they would get there, Jeane brought out the teleport crystal she carried with her. She said that, as soon as they could see Mount Ujun, they should be close enough to trigger the crystal. As for the route to the fortress, they had to go in a completely different direction from the one to the capital. Therefore, they could in theory avoid all demon patrols because they were headed to a place that might not interest the demon forces at all. While this was a gamble, it was the only gamble they had left. ¡°I suggest we head out tonight,¡± said Bayard. ¡°Before the demons notice the shrine is unprotected, we will slip away towards Mount Ujun. With some luck, our presence might not be detected by the demons at all.¡± With the plan agreed upon, the footman urged everyone else to go to bed while he and Rohese stood guard. He needed everyone to be well rested for the tough journey ahead. Dreu watched Rohese patrol by the windows until sleep finally embraced him. The last thought in his mind was on the Blessing of Xyheia. Volume 1 Chapter 35 The adventurers traveled for two days and nights before they could see Mount Ujun from afar. Jeane explained that, while the peaks of the mountain went into the clouds, the fortress was much closer to the base of the mountain. As soon as they could see the mountain, Jeane suggested a break. Everyone ate an early lunch by a river and filled up their waterskin. Their meals for the journey consisted of what they took from the knight corpses. Following the Duchess¡¯ departure, the remaining knights and adventurers split the food among them. Due to how small the party became, the food taken from the corpses was more than sufficient for an entire week. Once everyone was refreshed and ready, Jeane triggered her teleport crystal. Dreu watched as a bright light engulfed everyone. Unlike the Illuminate spell he had experienced a few times, the light from the crystal wasn¡¯t blinding. It just swallowed everything and he found himself in a place filled with nothing at all. During the teleportation, Dreu rehearsed the instructions Jeane provided them regarding the etiquette within the fortress. Given that this was his first time at Ujun, he needed to show his proper respects to give the best first impression. ¡°Hold off the demons!¡± ¡°More are teleporting in!¡± When the teleportation was complete, Dreu instinctively raised his shield in time to block some arrows. Moments later, he felt a surge of strength within him. He looked back to see a nod from Jeane. Then, he drew his blade and advanced towards the nearest demon. The demon, too preoccupied with the humans on the walls, was hacked in half by Dreu. Watch out for the boulder! Dreu looked up in time to get out of the way. He thanked Rohese for the warning and resumed combat with the only demon to have survived the boulder. After slaying the demon, Dreu could see no more enemies in his immediate vicinity. He turned around to check on his party. Sadon stood guard while Gaenor and Rohese picked off demons on the stairs. He searched around until he caught sight of Jeane busy healing a human soldier. Bayard towered over her as he fended off three demon soldiers with ease. ¡°The demons are headed into the inner sanctum!¡± shouted someone atop the walls. ¡°Stop them!¡± said another. Dreu looked between Bayard and the main gate. I can handle things from here. Bayard cleaved a demon soldier in half. You should head inside to aid those defending the inner sanctum! Dreu nodded and ran inside where he was immediately greeted by numerous human and demon corpses. Ignoring the carnage, he made his way deeper into the fortress until he arrived at a large chamber. A demon stood near the center of the chamber surrounded by a dozen human spellcasters. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Amusing,¡± said the demon as a dark aura emanated from it. Dreu watched as a dark pool appeared beneath the demon. Then, tendrils shot out from the pool towards the dozen casters. Despite the humans putting up barriers, the tendrils easily penetrated through the casters¡¯ defenses. Moments after the tendrils made contact and disappeared into the humans, the casters turned their attention to Dreu. The young man raised his shield as he readied himself for the incoming spells. ¡°There¡¯s the demoness! Stop her!¡± Dreu heard footsteps behind him but he dared not look away from the possessed casters. As he gauged the distance between him and the spellcasters, the young man noticed a tendril heading straight for him. By the time his brain registered it, the tendril had already reached him. Darkness immediately engulfed him, paralyzing his entire body. He couldn¡¯t summon any strength to fight the darkness but he kept at it until he heard a voice. ¡°Hello, descendant of Emperor Gavienus Tobias! I¡¯m Eglallin. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you! This was not the location I expected to meet you though. I honestly would prefer a more peaceful location so we can chat properly. I believe Zhao said your name was Dreu.¡± Zhao? Why would he share my name with the demons? ¡°I know what you are thinking. No, Zhao is loyal to you. He merely informed us of your identity so we can avoid causing you any harm. Have you wondered why there were no demons pursuing your group the last two days?¡± Dreu took a moment to ponder the matter before he found the courage to speak. ¡°You make it sound like you ordered the demons to ignore us.¡± ¡°That is true! Our target is Xante and the Purificator. You were never our target and just happened to have been caught up in the mess. Both Bayard and Zhao explained that much.¡± ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡± ¡°I will hold you hostage until one of the Holy Knights free you. Then, they won¡¯t be suspicious of you. In the meantime, we need to talk.¡± ¡°About?¡± ¡°Xyheia spoke to me two nights ago after she met with you. She wanted me to tell you to stay alive. Her plans have changed upon discovering your existence. Stay alive however you can and you will see her. When that day comes, you¡¯ll know what your purpose in life is.¡± ¡°Purpose?¡± ¡°Your great powers come with duties you must uphold. It is not my place to tell you what you must do in life¡­.and it appears our talk is over.¡± The darkness suddenly dissipated. Dreu found himself on his knees and drowning in a warm light. He looked back to see a person wearing snow white armor that emitted a light glow. The person was easily the size of Bayard so he towered over Dreu. The man''s sword was emitting a rapidly diminishing light that was shining on the young man. Comparing what he saw and what heard about, Dreu suspected the man to be a a Holy Knight. "Ah yes, a pitiful Holy Knight is here to stop the demoness!" Eglallin let out a quick laugh. "Are you ready to die for your god?" ¡°Demoness, this is where you will die today!¡± The holy knight smiled with confidence as he raised his sword into the air. "Don''t think that, by destroying this crystal, you have achieved victory!" Volume 1 Chapter 36 The centaur chieftain, flanked by Konstite and Eupoos, led the centaurs towards the Torpin Stronghold. The day of the assault had arrived and the centaurs were ready for a real battle. Their last decisive battle left many centaurs disappointed as the humans put up no resistance. Having traveled so far from home, they expected to be rewarded with battles that would one day be passed down the generations. The centaur shieldbreakers were several ranks deep behind the chieftain as they formed the main bodyguard unit. Behind them were the centaur spellcasters who were in the center of the centaur formation, protected from any enemies foolish enough to venture too close. ¡°Tolien and Ides, you two are up!¡± The two centaur leaders broke rank at the order of Colet. The spear wielders and bow wielders were on the left and right flanks respectively. With their leaders heading out, the centaurs followed closely behind ready for the upcoming skirmish engagement with the humans on the walls. ¡°Igas, your unit is up!¡± On command, the support spellcasters used multiple spells on the spear and bow wielders. A light aura surrounded those centaurs resulting in them moving faster. At this point, the spear wielders had their javelins out while the bow wielders had notched their arrows. As Colet agreed with the other coalition leaders, the centaurs would initiate the skirmishes to exploit any weakness of the stronghold defenses. Their mobility made it easier for them to avoid incoming ranged attacks and to withdraw if needed. Centaurs were also better at fighting during the day than the Uxlut and goblins while also excelling on flat terrain combat unlike the dwarves. The Sacnits were far too slow, making them easy targets for enemy spells and fire arrows, and the Oneans lacked any ranged weapons. Colet learned after meeting Dezzi that the Oneans specialized in close combat. In long range skirmishes, the Oneans would be at the mercy of the defenders if they were caught out. ¡°Konstite and Eupoos, we will wait here until we see a breach in the Torpin Fortress or the main gate fall under dwarven control.¡± The centaur chieftain was unsure which of the scenarios would take place first. The dwarves argued that it would be wise for them to wait until the garrison was completely preoccupied with the assault from the front. That would leave the defenders vulnerable to the dwarven attack. Regardless of how the day would progress, Colet expected heavy casualties for the coalition. If those casualties meant they could meet up with the demons outside of Xante, then such was the price the coalition had to pay. ¡°Actolio, send out the ax wielders to form the vanguard of our allies advance.¡± With the wave of a red flag from Actolio, ax wielders assigned to the vanguard role rode out to join ally forces. To the left of the centaur forces, Onean soldiers and dwarven soldiers marched in their square formations. The Oneans were all armed with daggers and small shields. The dwarves were mostly armed with bows and arrows. Centaur ax wielders served as their shields allowing the dwarves to support from range. The Oneans had to wait in the back and watch the other races besiege the stronghold. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Chief,¡± said Konstite. ¡°What are those strange contraptions wielded by the dwarves?¡± ¡°I believe they are called thundersticks,¡± said Colet once he figured out what Konstite was referring to. ¡°Those strange staves are made of wood and iron. According to Skostaer, one had to see the weapon in action to believe what they were capable of. They are unlike any weapons we have seen.¡± ¡°Thundersticks,¡± muttered Konstite as he pondered the name. To the right of the centaur forces, Uxlut and goblin forces marched at a leisurely pace. The Uxlut had spellcasters but they couldn¡¯t get close until the human archer numbers were whittled down. Otherwise, the spellcasters would be wasting all of their mana stopping arrows. The goblins rode their wolves but they simply didn¡¯t belong in a siege until there was an opening for them to get inside. For the time being, both races waited at a safe distance until the battle developed into a scenario they could thrive in. The two races could also afford to wait until nighttime when they would have an edge over the humans. ¡°Where are the Sacnits?¡± Konstite asked after looking to his left and right. ¡°They seem to be missing and I don¡¯t think they are so hard to spot.¡± Moments after Konstite spoke, large boulders flew above their heads into the Torpin Stronghold walls and towers. Following the hits, Colet could see humans scrambling for cover atop the walls. ¡°Nath and the other Sacnits have rooted themselves in the forest back there. The dwarves are supplying them with large boulders and they lob those boulders into the stronghold.¡± As another round of boulders flew over their heads, the coalition members were captivated by their flight into the stronghold. Once a third round of boulders hit their targets, Eupoos spoke up. ¡°How are they reliably hitting the same location every time?¡± Hearing that, Colet watched and confirmed the boulders were consistently hitting the same location. Even from where he stood, he could see cracks forming from repeated hits. ¡°Nath spoke of trebuchet but I don''t know what he was talking about.¡± The centaurs looked down to see Dezzi with a big smile on her face. ¡°Trebuchet?¡± Colet asked Dezzi. ¡°And why are you here?¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t advancing anymore so I got bored.¡± Dezzi gestured at the flanks that were standing still. ¡°Skostaer is in the mountains so I came here to chat with you centaurs.¡± ¡°Are you not worried about the battle, Onean leader?¡± asked Konstite. ¡°I¡¯m tougher than I look!¡± said Dezzi with her cheeks puffed up. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the Oneans, Konstite.¡± The Magus came to Dezzi¡¯s defense. ¡°Unlike you and the chieftain, I have seen them in combat. They aren''t foes you want to face.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Dezzi had a big grin on her face. ¡°Are we going to wait for the wall to come down?¡± ¡°Unlikely,¡± replied Colet. The centaur chieftain might have noticed cracks on the walls but these walls were over forty meters tall. Even with sections of it destroyed, they still wouldn¡¯t have a breach to work with. Volume 1 Chapter 37 Crystal? Dreu had been so focused on the demoness that he didn¡¯t see the crystal until the holy knight mentioned it. Or rather, he saw the shattered pieces of the crystal on the ground. By piecing the crystal together in his mind, he could visualize the crystal to be larger than him which was very impressive. There were many questions going through his head as to why the fortress had something so valuable. Clerics were known less for their greed and more for their devotion towards their god. ¡°I will die?¡± said the Eglallin with an amused look. ¡°I was just planning on leaving after destroying this crystal. Yet, I think I¡¯ll make a dog like you suffer for your insolence!¡± She was smiling and, following a quick bow, vanished before them. Dreu was about to stand up when the holy knight stopped him. ¡°Stay down,¡± said the man. ¡°You are fortunate the curse didn¡¯t outright kill you. We¡¯ll have an experienced cleric assist you while we deal with the remaining demons. Take it easy unless the situation worsens.¡± A cleric, after receiving orders from the holy knight, stood by Dreu¡¯s side casting a spell. With his strength steadily returning, Dreu spoke to the cleric. ¡°Thank you for healing me.¡± When the cleric didn¡¯t respond, he looked up to study the cleric¡¯s face. The man was expressionless and, several minutes later, walked away without a word. Then, he noticed Jeane sitting down beside him, nursing her right arm. ¡°Are clerics normally so taciturn?¡± he asked. "And your right arm?" ¡°I heard the fortress suffered heavy losses. He might just be grieving for his losses.¡± Jeane then raised her right arm showing the gash slowly closing. "We clerics can heal ourselves so don''t worry about me." ¡°I see.¡± After a short silence, Dreu turned to Jeane. ¡°What do we do now? It seems like nowhere is safe.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Jeane quietly. Despite the two of them not conversing much, Dreu was still glad to have her company. The others were all helping in the courtyard with the aftermath of the battle. The casualties were high for both sides and the humans, being the defenders, realized they only won a pyrrhic victory. Their heavy losses also meant the cleaning process took a lot longer. Therefore, all able-bodied members were expected to contribute with no questions asked. When Dreu asked Jeane about Bayard and Rohese, she said they were asked to help with the cleanup and couldn''t refuse. Therefore, she was asked to stay with Dreu following her injury and was told to stay out of the way. While many were busy in the courtyard, the followers of the holy knight were sent to track down and kill demon stragglers within the fortress. Once the fortress interior was searched and nothing suspicious came up, everyone deemed the interior to be the safest place of the entire fortress. As extra insurance, the holy knight remained inside to address the shattered crystal. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The two of them watched two dozen clerics reassembling the shattered crystal under the direction of the holy knight. Dreu learned the man was called Geoff and he was held in high regards within the fortress. During his wait for the cleric to remove his curse, Dreu listened in on many conversations where the clerics and soldiers were all praising Geoff. They claimed that, if Geoff wasn¡¯t present, everyone in the fortress would already be dead. Having seen Geoff free him from the dark prison, Dreu could see why the man was seen in such a positive light. Due to the holy knight staying behind, Dreu was also fine with Bayard and Rohese assisting in the courtyard. ¡°Do you know what that crystal is for?¡± Dreu asked Jeane after his curiosity got the better of him. Jeane looked away uncomfortably, making Dreu wish he hadn¡¯t asked the question. Suddenly, the holy knight stood over the two. ¡°She has sworn to never disclose the secrets of the clerics,¡± said Geoff, ¡°but I believe you should know the truth as you nearly lost your life for it.¡± The holy knight said the crystal was an Amplifier that increased the effectiveness of the Purificator. By destroying it, the demons hoped to lessen the power and range of the Purificator. However, Geoff emphasized that, while the crystal was shattered, it could still be pieced together due to its unique properties. He reassured both Dreu and Jeane that the crystal would be as good as new in a few hours. Dreu wanted to ask about the Purificator but stopped himself short. He didn¡¯t want to get too nosy and attract suspicion from anyone in the fortress. Without Bayard and Rohese present, he knew how low his chances of survival were. Therefore, he kept silent while he watched the clerics reassemble the crystal. Dreu soon grew bored of watching the process. Once they agreed fresh air would do them both good, Dreu got up with Jeane¡¯s help and, as the two exited the chamber, they both heard screams behind them. They turned around to see the clerics engulfed in dark flames. In a matter of seconds, the clerics were burned to ashes and silence returned to the chamber. Meanwhile, they watched in horror as a being emerged from the nearly reassembled crystal. The being, covered in the same dark flames that took the lives of the clerics, appeared gaseous initially before it materialized into something solid. During the being¡¯s emergence, the Amplifier began melting into a pool of ooze. By the time the being was fully materialized, the pool of melted crystal hardened into a blackened mass. The unknown being, resembling an warrior wearing shadow-like armor, then approached Geoff whose armor was shining brilliantly. Geoff unsheathed his sword and raised his shield, widening his stance. In response, the being unsheathed two swords. Dreu watched the standoff where both combatants simply stood there for nearly a minute. Then, the being, in a blink of an eye, closed the gap. The holy knight brought his shield to intercept the incoming sword. The clash of the sword and shield reverberated in the large room. ¡°Is that the best you can do?¡± taunted Geoff after he halted the sword. The being didn''t respond and merely maintained the pressure with its sword. Volume 1 Chapter 38 Following a cry of pain, the holy knight abandoned his shield and backed up to create a large gap between himself and his assailant. Dreu then noticed the man¡¯s hands were all blackened. When the being swung its sword to the side, Geoff¡¯s shield went flying. Dreu¡¯s eyes widened at the gaping hole where the sword penetrated. Given that the being didn''t apply a thrusting motion following the clash of the sword and shield, the young man had to assume the being was using flames similar to those that took the lives of the clerics. ¡°You¡¯ll have to do better than that,¡± said the being in its booming low voice. ¡°I haven¡¯t even warmed up yet.¡± ¡°Good! I was hoping for a challenge this time!¡± Geoff placed his sword over his burned hands and, moments later, the black marks were all gone. He then raised his newly healed hand. ¡°Grant me strength, Xemir! Holy shield!¡± An ethereal rectangular shield appeared in Geoff¡¯s hand. The shield covered from his neck to his knees while the holy knight moved it with ease. The unknown being simply waited until its opponent was ready. Geoff thanked the being for the wait before he charged headfirst. The holy knight¡¯s shield intercepted the being¡¯s blade but, unlike the last shield, the ethereal one held against the strike. When the being swung down its other sword, Geoff nimbly backed off before the sword could make contact. The two of them repeated the actions a couple of times with Geoff taking opportunistic stabs at the being. None of the man''s attacks landed. ¡°Now you die,¡± said the being. When the being swung down its sword, it cleanly cut through the ethereal shield and Geoff¡¯s entire arm. The holy knight stumbled backwards and, for the first time during the fight, he no longer had bravado in his voice. ¡°Stay back, you monster!¡± Geoff shouted as he swung his sword back and forth in his sitting position. Unamused, the being approached the Holy Knight a step at a time and, with each step, it forced Geoff to back up. Eventually, Geoff found his back against the wall. It was at this moment he turned to Dreu and Jeane. ¡°What are you doing there? Hel-¡± The holy knight was silenced when a sword went through his throat. The resulting flames burned away his head and upper torso. The flames then proceeded to turn the rest of his body into ashes. After its kill, the being turned to walk towards Dreu and Jeane. As the danger loomed closer with each step, Dreu found his body paralyzed. He urged his hand to grab his blade but nothing was responding. Tried as he did, Dreu couldn¡¯t make contact with Bayard and Rohese, likely due to them being too far away. When the being towered over him, Dreu watched as the being brought a sword to his chest with the tip lit up with the dark flame. He watched in slow motion as the tip got closer to him. When it almost touched him, the sword crumbled into dust starting from the tip. The being then became dust leaving no signs it had existed. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Dreu felt his heart beating rapidly and forced himself to breathe steadily. He turned to see Jeane sitting on the ground but her eyes were unfocused. Seeing her body shake uncontrollably, Dreu knelt down and embraced her. When he thought she was unresponsive, he heard her sobbing and held her tighter. The two of them stayed that way until Jeane¡¯s sobbing stopped. Dreu let her go and smiled at her. ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± he said. The young man wondered why he said that. He had no control over his own future in the current war. He was powerless in the face of dangers he encountered so far. Deep down, he knew that those words were what he and Jeane wanted to hear. Upon hearing himself say it, Dreu felt slightly reassured. When he saw Jeane nodding with a forced smile, a smile formed on his face. As soon as the two of them heard footsteps, they quickly widened the gap between them with Dreu feeling his face redden. They were greeted by a number of clerics. ¡°Where is the holy knight Geoff? The Council of Light has summoned him to appear before them!¡± Dreu and Jeane looked at each other. After an internal debate, the young man stepped forward. ¡°We were ambushed by one of the demoness¡¯ creatures and Geoff was slayed by it. We both survived because the creature¡¯s summoning duration expired before it could kill us.¡± Dreu knew the explanation was weak and the two of them would be under heavy suspicion. However, he still chose to tell the truth. If the clerics used any spells that forces the user to tell the truth, he would say the exact same thing. As he feared, clerics all drew their weapons and surrounded him and Jeane. ¡°How convenient that you two survived to tell the tale while no sign of the battle remained?¡± said one of the clerics. ¡°Regardless, the Council of Light shall hear from you two! If either of you lie, expect the wrath of Xemir upon your body and soul!¡± The cleric turned to the others. ¡°Arrest them and throw them into the dungeon! I shall inform the council at once!¡± Dreu and Jeane were both placed in shackles and led to the depth of the fortress. The two of them descended multiple flights of stairs until they arrived on the floor of cells. They were separated into different cells that were on the opposite sides of the floor. Two clerics stood guard outside each cell. The young man, knowing that speaking to the guards might work against them, chose to lay down on the floor in silence. The cell was quite tidy so, as long as he could tolerate the cold hard stone, he could get comfortable. Despite being locked in the cell, Dreu never felt like he was in danger, almost as if Xyheia was indeed watching over him. Before he knew it, his eyelids got too heavy and he would fall into a dreamless sleep. Before sleep fully embrace him, a part of him wondered what actually happened to the being. Volume 1 Chapter 39 As the Torpin Stronghold was bombarded by boulders, centaurs skirmished with the human archers on the walls. The bow wielders formed numerous small groups and a handful of groups were sent in range of the enemy archers. While these groups zigzagged to avoid incoming fire, they also picked off the stationary archers. Then, the groups went through a rotation allowing the fighting centaurs to rest and fresh ones to take their place. The centaurs not in combat had a chance to observe the enemy walls and plan their skirmishes accordingly. Meanwhile, the spear wielders waited patiently behind the bow wielders. Their javelins had limited range and approaching the nearly full strength garrison would be a mistake. Their primary role was to engage any humans who might sally out. Colet, watching from afar, summoned Igas to his side. ¡°In addition to faster movement,¡± said Colet, ¡°I believe you also gave them protection from arrows too?¡± ¡°Yes, chieftain. We used the Lesser Protection from Arrows support spell. In addition to protecting our centaurs from arrows, they offer some protection against weapons like javelins.¡± ¡°Between our mobility and these support spells,¡± said Konstite, ¡°our centaurs are nearly invincible against their archers.¡± Colet smiled upon noticing Igas¡¯ face turn slightly red. Praises from the shieldbreaker leader meant something and Igas earned it through his and the support spellcasters¡¯ hard work. He could still recall Konstite leading the opposition against the introduction of support spellcasters into the centaur ranks. He claimed the resources spent on the useless supports would be better invested in battle worthy centaurs. In the end, the veteran centaur merely needed results and he saw them with his eyes. Igas had earned the respect of a veteran centaur which was no small feat. While Colet was against the name, the introduction of the support spellcasters and spear wielders into the centaur ranks was part of the Colet Reforms. The Colet Reforms were changes meant to address the centaur military following the civil war. The high losses of centaurs made recruitment difficult for the traditional classes within the military. Therefore, Colet saw the need to introduce fresh blood who could contribute to future conflicts, especially when their hostile neighbors had every reason to exploit their weakness following the brutal war. Despite a lot of opposition, Colet pushed the reforms through and, in the next few years, Tolien and Igas proved through their actions and results that the chieftain made the right decision. The critics were silenced and the centaur force marched with two new classes. ¡°Those Sacnits are amazing!¡± shouted Dezzi as though she was watching a sports spectacle. Sections of a tower came crashing down, earning the cheers of the coalition. As impressive as the sight was, Colet¡¯s concern remained. For a fortification like the Torpin Stronghold, standard sieges took months if not years to crack through the walls before breaches were large enough for the attackers to assault. What made the Torpin Stronghold such a tough nut to crack was its location. Built in a mountain pass, the stronghold only gave the attackers a single direction to approach and attack. Meanwhile, the stronghold got continuous supplies and reinforcements on the other side due to the inability of the attackers to surround it. Without starving out the defenders as an option, Torpin Stronghold remained impregnable since it was built. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°How long can they keep this up?¡± remarked Eupoos. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± said Dezzi. ¡°Nath said the Sacnits cannot possibly get exhausted from all of this.¡± ¡°I was referring to the boulders. The chieftain said the dwarves are supplying the ammunition but they couldn¡¯t possibly replenish the boulders faster than the Sacnits are lobbying them.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Dezzi as the issue dawned on her. ¡°I¡¯m sure they will figure something out. Skosy can be quite resourceful when needed.¡± Skosy? The centaur chieftain, despite being amused with the nickname, couldn¡¯t share the same optimism. To break through the stronghold with boulders, the work needed to acquire the boulders was likely equivalent to the work needed to dig a large tunnel through the mountain range. They wouldn¡¯t be sieging if that was an option. ¡°I wonder if Skostaer is ready. Even without a direct assault, our skirmishers and the boulder bombardments are keeping the humans preoccupied.¡± The archers on the walls were at a huge disadvantage and, as a result, were nearly wiped out. Ides and the bow wielders, along with their buffs from support spells, seemed unstoppable in the skirmishing phase. Their small victory would lessen the resistance to those approaching the stronghold but capturing the walls and gates were another matter. ¡°Have anyone seen any human spellcasters?¡± asked Eupoos. Upon hearing that, Colet¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Unlike human archers, human spellcasters were far more dangerous and, for a vital strategic location like the Torpin Stronghold, they should be present in relatively large numbers. ¡°That¡¯s the signal!¡± shouted Dezzi excitedly. A dwarven flag was waving atop the gate as the dwarves finished off the human defenders on the gates. When the gates opened, all the coalition forces on the flanks advanced to join the dwarves inside the stronghold. Only the center core stayed in place. Many centaurs stared at their chieftain but Colet ignored their stares. ¡°Something isn¡¯t right,¡± muttered Colet. ¡°This is all going too well, as though we stepped into a trap.¡± A screech above got everyone¡¯s attention. Colet looked up to see Ilumin diving down towards him. Enemies attacking Sacnit. Too many! Colet broke from formation and galloped until he had a clear view of the forest where the Sacnits were rooted. A large horde of enemies swarmed the forest. When the chieftain turned around, the flanking forces, likely bored with inaction for so long, reached the gates in double time to get a piece of the action. Cursing at how quickly the situation got out of control, Colet rejoined Eupoos and Konstite. ¡°A horde of enemies of unknown numbers are currently fighting the Sacnits. We will reinforce them and leave the the stronghold to Skostaer and those who entered it.¡± At the mention of enemies, Konstite quickly took charge of the shieldbreakers while Actolio rallied the ax wielders he still had under his direct command. They led the way to engage the unknown enemy. Volume 1 Chapter 40 Dreu and Jeane appeared before the Council of Light. The Council of Light was made up of the seven most powerful and influential clerics in the entire kingdom. Despite what Dreu heard about Geoff being the savior to the fortress, the power and influence of the Holy Knight greatly paled in comparison to the seven members on the council.. With the ¡°disappearance¡± of Geoff and his followers, there were many within the Ujun Fortress who wanted answers from the two young adults. ¡°What are your names?¡± said a thundering voice. The seven members of the council were all hidden behind some fabric. Only their silhouettes could be made out by Dreu and, even then, he had trouble identifying them through their silhouettes alone. ¡°I am Dreu.¡± ¡°I am Jeane.¡± Before they entered the room, Jeane told Dreu to answer the questions directly. The more they went a roundabout way, the worse they would appear before the council. Dreu heard rumors about lie detection spells used by clerics so he assumed Jeane was hinting at that. ¡°Is it true you two were the only ones within the inner sanctum when Cleric Jon arrived with his followers?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Dreu. ¡°I will give you a chance to explain what happened. Be warned that lying before us is punishable by death.¡± Taking heed of Jeane¡¯s advice and the council member¡¯s warning, Dreu began his recollection with the screams of the clerics. He did his best describing the being emerging from the crystal and the one-sided battle between it and Geoff. He finished with the near death experience he had. Once Dreu finished, there was a short silence before another council member spoke. Even with the event over, he could still recall the fear within him when the being¡¯s sword was mere inches from taking his life. ¡°How do you prove you aren¡¯t in league with the demons?¡± said a deep female voice. ¡°Seems convenient you two were spared. Maybe the death of the Holy Knight was only the first step of the diabolic plan you two are carrying out?¡± While Dreu¡¯s fists tightened at the accusation, he kept silent. He knew that, by coming out of the situation unscathed, he couldn¡¯t avoid appearing suspicious. Knowing he needed to provide an answer, Dreu wondered about what past feats he could bring up. Sadly, killing weak demons hardly supported his case. As he was deep in thought, a voice beside him jolted him back to reality. ¡°I firmly believe the Council of Light can differentiate truths from lies,¡± said Jeane. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Is it that difficult to change the memories of possessed humans?¡± asked the same woman. Dreu noted the silence and refrained from turning towards Jeane. He feared that, by making eye contact, they would be accused of communicating with their minds. As he tried to come up with a response, another council member spoke up. ¡°Now, now,¡± said a nasally voice. ¡°They would be dead already if they were possessed. We shouldn¡¯t be so hard on them. Look at them! Old enough to adventure but far too young to see much of the world. Our great god Xemir must be smiling upon them. After all, they did manage to arrive at the fortress against all odds.¡± Dreu and Jeane stayed silent while the council members discussed quietly amongst themselves. After what seemed like hours, they were declared innocent and were allowed to exit the room. As soon as the two were in the hallway, they both let out a loud sigh. Two Holy Knights stood guard outside and one of them offered to take them to the mess hall within the fortress. Dreu¡¯s face turned red when his stomach growled loudly at the mention of food. He hadn¡¯t eaten after their teleportation and, given everything that had happened, his stomach wasn¡¯t shy in expressing itself. The Holy Knight left them at the entrance to the mess hall. After thanking the man, Dreu and Jeane walked inside. The mess hall was enormous and could easily hold a few hundred people. Across from the entrance, there was a kitchen where the staff was busy cooking and serving food. Only a few people were getting food as everyone else was spread out in the mess hall with their respective tables marking their territory. Except for a few stares, most of the people paid no mind to them. As Dreu and Jeane walked towards the short line, they heard Gaenor calling out to them. Jeane gestured to the food and the ranger nodded in understanding. ¡°Welcome! I see you two are new here!¡± Dreu nodded but his eyes were focused on the food. After living off rations consisting of bread, the sight and smell of the food made his mouth water. ¡°Would you like a bit of everything?¡± asked the cook. After nodding his head a second time, Dreu watched the cook loaded up his plate and handed him the food. ¡°Enjoy!¡± said the cook with a big smile. ¡°And don¡¯t hesitate to come for seconds!¡± Dreu doubted he could finish the plate of food but, upon sitting down, he found himself wolfing down the best food he had since he left Berkton. He turned to Jeane to see her plate was empty too. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better,¡± said Gaenor, ¡°I would say you two were in an eating contest.¡± ¡°I think that was a tie,¡± chipped in Sadon. "You two can get seconds for the tie breaker." As Jeane argued with her friends over the matter, Dreu noticed the empty plates before Bayard and Rohese. He tilted his head slightly and recalled the words from Zhao. Dreu checked his prompt window and saw a status for both the footman and archer. < Status: +5% attack and defense for 6 hours due to good quality food consumed. > The young man then turned to Jeane. ¡°I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t cast any spells on us.¡± ¡°They did,¡± said the cleric simply. ¡°We just never noticed it.¡± The knowledge scared Dreu slightly but, with his stomach stuffed, his eyelids grew heavy. As he found himself bobbing his head, he heard Gaenor suggest the idea of resting in their rooms. When asked, the ranger told him the rooms they were assigned. Reluctantly, Dreu stood up to make his way to a proper bed. Volume 1 Chapter 41 Dreu lazily stretched in bed. He had forgotten how nice a bed was after sleeping in the wilderness. The combination of good food and a bed definitely improved his mood. As he debated on whether he should get up, Bayard walked over to him. This isn¡¯t the time nor place to sleep in, Dreu. With a sigh, Dreu sat up on the bed as he wondered how his footman could read minds. On the previous night, he was surprised to learn each of them were assigned a room, including Bayard and Rohese. No one objected to the two summons taking adjacent rooms to Dreu. Shortly after lying down on the bed, Dreu closed his eyes and woke up to see sunlight shining through the slot serving as a window. The room was well insulated so most of the noise outside didn¡¯t reach him. It wasn¡¯t until Dreu opened the door that he could hear people talking in the hallway. He met with Rohese who informed him of the other¡¯s whereabouts. At the mess hall, the others were already digging into breakfast. Dreu helped himself to some freshly baked bread and a bowl of soup before joining the other adventurers. The food was bland compared to what he had for supper but it was still a nice change to stale bread and water. He was about to join in on the conversation when the cleric, Jon, asked to sit at their table. The adventurers were surprised to see the cleric but none of them were opposed to it. Since they arrival to the fortress, the fortress¡¯ denizens generally stayed away from them. Jon was the first person who didn¡¯t hesitate to approach them. Dreu¡¯s first impression of the man was a negative one. The man led the group of clerics into the chamber shortly after his near death experience. After hearing Dreu¡¯s statement, the cleric had them thrown into the cells and reported the incident to the council. His accusatory tone frustrated Dreu the most. Now, this man asked to be seated with them, carrying a single slice of bread for breakfast. Is he sent to keep an eye on us? ¡°I hope everyone had a wonderful rest last night!¡± said Jon with a big smile on his face. ¡°After traveling on the road for so long,¡± answered Sadon, ¡°the bed felt incredible!¡± ¡°Road? Where did you all come from?¡± Sadon went on to describe their escape from Berkton and the journey to York. ¡°That can¡¯t be possible,¡± remarked Jon when Sadon mentioned the fall of York. ¡°I expected that city to hold out longer than that.¡± Sadon then summarized their journey to the fortress and left out the details like fighting possessed knights and being abandoned by the Duchess. Jon listened intently the whole time and only interrupted twice for clarification. Once the frontliner was done, Jon nodded his head. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°That was quite a journey to experience,¡± said Jon. ¡°I bet you all would have preferred a different welcome when you first arrived. It seems like the demons are everywhere and not a single place has been spared.¡± ¡°What is the crystal used for?¡± asked Dreu during the cleric¡¯s pause. ¡°The demons must have a good reason to target it, right?¡± Dreu trusted Geoff to tell him the truth so he wanted to see if Jon would flat out lie in his face. He wanted to know if he could trust the man. ¡°Anyone else here with an idea of what that crystal is for?¡± Jon looked around and continued after seeing Jeane shook her head. ¡°I see. How should I begin?¡± Jon took a moment to gather his thoughts. He then began with the plan envisioned by the king. ¡°The king wanted a way to protect all of his people. Therefore, he ordered his best wizards and sorcerers to come up with a contraption to achieve just that. In a few months, the Purificator design was born. The device is meant for defensive purposes only. It will create a protective barrier along the kingdom¡¯s border and any nonhumans who come in contact with it would be vaporized instantly. Once the device is ready, the demons have no chance of reaching the civilians. The crystal the demons destroyed here was an Amplifier which is meant to extend the range and duration of the protective barrier. It seems like the demons are determined to wipe out all humans.¡± While the other adventurers cursed the demons and lamented over the loss of the Amplifier, Dreu was deep in thought. He then asked Bayard and Rohese a question. What do you think is the purpose of the device? A weapon to ensure the safety of all the humans? Seems odd the demons would destroy it if it was used for defensive purposes only. Before he laid down in his bed, Dreu updated his two summons on what happened in the chamber. The two asked some questions for clarifications but neither of them commented on their thoughts. He also mentioned what happened with the Council of Light but there wasn''t much to talk about. His focus was mostly on the Purificator and the Amplifier, two things he knew very little about. I¡¯m surprised you aren¡¯t siding with the cleric instantly, said Rohese. I know what you mean. I lost close friends to the demon invasion. I saw the destruction from the war and deaths of far too many. I can never forgive the demons for any of that. At the same time, I saw the Duchess not hesitating to abandon our group at the first opportunity. It makes you wonder how many humans were left behind so those in power like her can escape with their lives. Then, there was the encounter with Xyheia at the shrine. I- ¡°Are you alright?¡± Jon asked Dreu with a concerned face. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± Dreu shook his head, hoping the man didn''t suspect anything. ¡°I was just thinking about the lives lost in this invasion. It really gets my blood boiling.¡± ¡°If you want revenge, then there is an opportunity for you. The Council of Light recently made an announcement and I¡¯m sure you would be interested to hear of it. There are talks involving the defense of Xante.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 42 The centaurs galloped at full speed towards the forest and the unknown enemy. Colet couldn¡¯t make out what race the enemies were but, even from where he was at, he could tell there were a lot of them. The fact that Ilumin specified ¡°Too many!¡± worried him as one had a better evaluation of the situation from the air. The Cloud Hawk had already taken to the skies to acquire more information on the enemies but the centaurs would likely be engaged in combat before her return. The chieftain didn¡¯t like their odds from the numerical standpoint. He also doubted the enemy, dressing in dark armor and seemingly swallowing everything around them in darkness, was good for morale. ¡°Grant me your strength, Goddess of Nature!¡± Colet never thought the soft-spoken Nath could project his voice this far. A green aura shone brightly before it expanded outwards engulfing everything in its path. The green aura traveled so quickly that Colet didn''t even register it after the fact, let alone brace himself from it. When the aura dissipated, the centaur chieftain found him and the others unscathed while there were no more enemy forces in sight. The centaur chieftain was also unsure if it was his imagination but he also felt more empowered after coming in contact with the aura. As Colet wondered how much damage Nath inflicted on their foe, Ilumin came gliding down above Colet. Tree strong! More enemies coming! The centaur chieftain had hoped Nath dealt with the threat at hand. The fact that there were more enemies terrified him. Where did all of them come from? An army this large didn¡¯t appear out of nowhere. Between the extensive scouting performed by the coalition, including Ilumin from the air, prior to arrival and regular scouting parties sent in all directions for several kilometers, it would be absurd for them to miss so many soldiers, unless one was dealing with drunk dwarves. Recalling Eupoos¡¯ words, the summoned creature might be capable of feats never believed to be possible. To fight an enemy with unknown powers put the coalition at a huge disadvantage. To make matters worse, the coalition forces were split between the stronghold and their rear. For the time being, the forest was clear of enemies and the centaurs entered it unopposed. Colet immediately went to check on Nath and was shocked by the Sacnit leader¡¯s appearance. While he wasn¡¯t well versed in trees, even he could tell Nath aged tremendously since they last spoke. The slower movement and tiredness emitted from the Sacnit¡¯s body weren¡¯t encouraging either. When he looked around, Colet noticed the other Sacnits were spread out in a formation they had taken to launch boulders at the stronghold. The dwarven escorts were nowhere to be seen though. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Nath, are you okay?¡± asked Colet who had doubts Nath was capable of responding in his current state. The Sacnit was sluggish in his response and his words initially sounded gibberish. The centaur leader walked around Nath and failed to find any visible wounds. When Konstite and Eupoos reported back, Colet was told many of the other Sacnits weren¡¯t so fortunate. Most of them collapsed onto the ground with their bodies darkening at a steady rate and they were no longer responsive. The few remaining responsive treefolks were in no better condition. ¡°Young Colet,¡± said Nath, getting the centaur chieftain¡¯s attention. ¡°Get out of here! The dark power wielder is far stronger than I have suspected. My people might be done for but yours may still have a chance. Go!¡± Before Colet could ask for clarification, an ax wielder approached him. ¡°Chieftain, we are surrounded!¡± Colet surveyed behind them and saw several ranks of soldiers covered in dark aura. Without a sound, these soldiers managed to encircle them. The centaur chieftain was initially surprised by the diverseness of the weapons wielded by these soldiers. Some wielded the swords and shields human knights were equipped with. Others possessed warhammers commonly wielded by dwarves. He could even spot a few centaurs as their bodies stood out like sore thumbs. A few unfamiliar weapons were wielded by silhouettes that didn¡¯t match any race he knew of. What these soldiers had in common was the despair they emitted. Staring at them, Colet felt he was staring death in the eye. The longer he stared, the more tempted he was to simply drop his weapon and give up on resisting. ¡°I will open a path for you, young Colet! Flee from the undead as you cannot possibly hope to win against them. Farewell and may you survive the difficult times that await you!¡± In an incredible display of power from the Sacnit leader, giant roots emerged from the ground and came crashing down upon the enemies who stood between the centaurs and the coalition camps. After disrupting the enemy formation, the roots rose slightly above the ground and moved out in a sweeping motion, shoving the enemy soldiers aside. Once the path opened up, Colet gripped his ax tightly. ¡°Thank you, great Nath. May you find peace in the afterlife. The centaurs will forever be in your debt! We will never forget what you have done for us!¡± With no more words exchanged, the centaur chieftain led the centaurs through the opening. As they galloped through the opening at full speed, sweat ran down Colet¡¯s face while he passed by enemy soldiers. Despite being hit directly by an attack that could kill any being except the immortal ones, these so-called undead soldiers got back up. The roots came down a second time but, following the impact, they returned back underground. Before Colet was in the clear, he could see the undead soldiers rising once more. What does it take to kill these things? The centaur chieftain didn¡¯t have the luxury to ponder on the matter. His mind was focused on reaching the camp where he would gather coalition forces. Before he could finish processing his thoughts, several screams behind him jolted him back to reality. As much as he wanted to turn around to help the centaurs, he had to reach the camp to reorganize all his troops. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he muttered quietly as he sped up. Volume 1 Chapter 43 ¡°Xante is currently under siege by the demons. If the capital falls, then it will be the end of all humans! Therefore, we cannot stay and do nothing. We must rise up to defend the capital at all costs. We must ensure the Purificator is protected until it is ready to save humanity from the demonic invasion. For the sake of our race. For the sake of our kingdom. We must join the capital¡¯s garrison and hold the walls. We must ensure our descendants will continue thriving in the kingdom. We implore all able bodied men and women to join in the fight for humanity! Gather at the courtyard by noon so you can change history. For humanity! For the king! For Xemir!¡± Jon did his best impression of the announcement and got the attention of everyone in the mess hall. Dreu could see the determined look in the man¡¯s eyes when he spoke. The call to arms not only empowered him but all those in the mess hall. After all, defending the capital was basically defending the human race from extinction. What greater goals can one achieve in life? Following a short silence after Jon¡¯s announcement, the people were in an uproar in the mess hall. Dreu noticed that even the cooks were cheering as everyone was ready to answer the call. The atmosphere felt overwhelming for the next couple of minutes. With renewed purpose, the adventurers, like many others in the mess hall, went to their rooms in preparation for the journey to the capital. Dreu packed his things knowing to refuse would likely end in his execution. At the same time, he was curious about what the capital was like. He had never been to the place but he heard so many stories about it. As he was packing up his items, Bayard stood in the doorway. Is there something on your mind? Maybe it¡¯s related to the demoness? At the mention of the demoness, Dreu recalled all the questions he wanted to ask Bayard. However, he couldn¡¯t dawdle too long so he picked the burning questions on his mind. What is the relationship between you and Eglallin? And her relationship with Xyheia? We both served under Xyheia so we both fought side by side against Xemir until our defeat. Since that battle, we lost contact due to the former emperor¡¯s death. It would appear that she is still fighting Xemir despite the odds stacked against her. Odds stacked against her? The demon invasion has yet to be slowed down. As long as the Right Arm of Xemir hasn¡¯t been defeated, the demons haven¡¯t won. As for why the kingdom is allowing so many people to die, that is something I have no answer to. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Is the Right Arm of Xemir really that powerful? You make him sound godlike. Given that he was blessed by Xemir himself and is said to be immortal, godlike is a pretty accurate description. Sensing the pain in Bayard¡¯s voice, Dreu stopped with his questions. He also didn¡¯t want to delay his packing further. Once he was finished and was about to leave the room, Bayard stood in his way. Please be careful in the capital! There are those who wish you dead. Don¡¯t trust anyone and always be on your guard. We will try our best but Xemir is a sly god. Bayard stepped aside to allow Dreu to walk through the doorway. With a sigh, Dreu walked towards the courtyard with Bayard and Rohese in tow. He now had dread within him but he still forced a smile on his face. Joining the adventurers, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what awaited him at the capital. With a demon army sieging the city on the outside and threats from within, he was making a terrible decision. But what choice do I have? When Dreu joined the adventurers, Jeane and Sadon were excitedly asking Jon about the capital as neither of them had been there before. While Jon described the five layers of walls and the great castle in the center where the king resided, Dreu listened to gather any information that could prove to be of use to him. Even a general map of Xante could aid him should he be separated from the others. After Jon finished his description, Dreu turned his attention to the extremely crowded courtyard. From the reaction of the fortress'' denizens in the mess hall, he got the impression many of the denizens in the fortress were heading to the capital. He and Bayard both agreed that, with the destruction of the Amplifier, there was little value in the fortress for either the humans or the demons. Xante would become the final stage for the demon invasion. Going over what Jon said, Dreu realized the man only described the capital during time of peace. The cleric spoke of the busy marketplaces and the many attractions the capital had to offer. Time of war was completely different. They were about to enter a city caught up in a siege filled with death and despair. The idea of willingly entering such a city made Dreu shake his head. As he pondered about his uncertain future, a shout got his attention. Above the main gate, a holy knight on a Pegasus got the attention of everyone in the courtyard. ¡°Denizens of the Cleric Fortress of Ujun! You have answered the call to arms for humanity! I, like many of you, will soon be taking part in the most crucial battle in the history of humanity. While many of us will perish, our descendants will remember our sacrifices. The bards will sing of our great battles with the demons who wish for nothing but destruction and death. They will sing of our battles where we fight side by side with the strongest human heroes to achieve victory. Many of us will also have the great honor of fighting alongside the Right Arm of Xemir. Remember what you are fighting for. For humanity! For Xemir! For the kingdom!¡± ¡°For humanity! For Xemir! For the kingdom!¡± chanted everyone in the courtyard. With the people¡¯s spirits raised, the holy knight brought out a crystal the size of a human skull and activated it. Dreu watched as a light similar to that of a teleport crystal engulfed the entire courtyard. Volume 1 Chapter 44 Dreu laid down on the hard bed. He preferred the ones in the Cleric Fortress of Ujun but, given where he was at, a bed of any kind was considered a luxury. The room was also smaller and he had to share it with Bayard and Rohese. Due to the influx of adventurers who fled to the capital, the adventurer inn was forced to cram as many adventurers into a room. Three was the limit and Dreu found himself with his summons who were content just standing in the room while he laid on the single bed. He knew Jeane and Gaenor were sharing a room with a stranger while Sadon was forced to make new friends. The young man wondered how his group got through the last couple of hours. Shortly after their arrival at Xante, the palace officials began splitting up the new arrivals to where they were needed. The clerics from the fortress were assigned to the front lines. From what they heard, things were going poorly and casualties were high along the outermost walls. While the demons were held at bay, there were worries about the collapse of the first defensive line. The clerics were sent to assist the second defensive line in preparation for the collapse of the first. Meanwhile, the combatants from the Cleric Fortress of Ujun were assigned to groups of their own kind. Dreu watched as holy knights joined other holy knights and other groups doing the same. In the end, only his group remained because, as adventurers, they didn¡¯t belong to any specific group. After learning of their escape from Berkton since the demon invasion, the group was led out of the castle by a single guide. The guide led them to the adventurer inn where a receptionist with dark circles under her eyes helped book them rooms. The receptionists also told them to rest well because they were expected to join the garrison the following day. What¡¯s on your mind? Asked Bayard. Not quite how I envisioned my visit to the capital. Everything is so hectic and it¡¯s obvious they want to get rid of us as soon as possible. Our deaths would matter little. Strength is all that matters here in the capital. During time of peace, low level adventurers are needed for tasks high level adventurers viewed as below them. In times of war, your group is seen as nothing more than fodder to be sent to the front lines. The receptionist made it clear that we¡¯ll be joining the fight tomorrow. I''m still surprised by how packed the inn is. The capital officials aren''t fools. They are reinforcing the walls where it''s needed and are keeping a reserve wherever they can. Get some rest! I doubt you¡¯ll be getting a proper rest for a while starting tomorrow. Dreu closed his eyes but sleep wouldn¡¯t come. He wasn¡¯t worried about his current safety because he knew Bayard and Rohese were both keeping guard. The idea of returning to the battlefield frightened him. He still remembered being encircled after he was separated from the Duchess. Despite how bad things looked then, the situation at the capital was several magnitudes worse. If the rumors were correct, all the demonic armies had descended upon the capital. They were fighting against overwhelming odds and, as luck would have it, he was about to be sent to the front line. If the demons didn''t finish him off, whatever threat lurking in the capital would. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Don¡¯t think too much about tomorrow, said Rohese. We¡¯ll protect you to the best of our abilities. Heeding the advice, Dreu cleared his mind of the thoughts of the following day. Despite tossing and turning, he eventually fell asleep. _______________________ Following a quick breakfast, Dreu found himself, his summons and seventeen other adventurers herded onto the streets. They joined a group of soldiers who were already in a single file. He noticed the soldiers, like the other adventurers, avoided eye contact with other people. They constantly fidgeted with their weapons and armor, nothing like the knights he once envisioned of becoming. Dreu then realized none of his adventure mates were there with him. Jeane, Gaenor and Sadon were nowhere to be seen. He hadn¡¯t even seen them for breakfast. As he was about to ask the person in charge, the man stared back at him. ¡°Get back in line, adventurer!¡± said the man sternly. ¡°Don¡¯t make the mistake of being labeled a coward.¡± Without another word, the man went to the commanding officer of the soldiers to discuss something. Did either of you see Jeane and the others? Dreu suspected he might have not paid attention with everything on his mind. When his summons replied no, he could only conclude they were sent with a different batch of adventurers. Taking a few deep breaths, Dreu steeled himself for the battle ahead. When the commanding officer ordered everyone to march, everyone obeyed. The death sentence tied to the coward label provided them all good incentives to follow orders, regardless how much they disagreed with it. The adventurers formed a single file behind the soldiers. As the group went towards the outer walls, the empty streets caught Dreu off guard. It wasn¡¯t that early in the day and people still had to go about their days despite the siege taking place. Yet, the streets were completely deserted allowing his group to proceed with little interruption. Having just arrived in the city, he wasn¡¯t sure if a curfew was in place, though one active during the day was rare. If this was the case, times of war gave the king more power than usual. Between a curfew and a demon invasion, the people were unlikely to oppose such a measure. ¡°What the?¡± said Dreu when a loud screech got his attention. He looked up to see a dozen griffins flying above them. The griffin riders waved down at them but they quickly overtook the group. The soldiers and adventurers, like Dreu, stopped to look at the incredible creatures. A couple of them waved back. ¡°Get back in line!¡± shouted the commanding officer. ¡°What are we doing sending a bunch of peasants into battle?¡± Obediently, everyone reformed their single file and resumed their march to the front line. Volume 1 Chapter 45 The undead soldiers were relentless in their pursuit. Heeding the warning from Nath, the centaur chieftain didn¡¯t stop to fight or take a breather. Even Konstite, a centaur who usually wanted a good fight and hated fleeing like a coward, didn¡¯t complain once about their withdrawal from the battlefield. Colet suspected the veteran¡¯s instincts were very persuasive in the matter. He could only hope that, once they reached their camp, they could regroup and deal with the situation. He was certain the Magus was in the process of finding a solution to their undead problem. As the centaurs neared their camp, Ilumin flew over Colet¡¯s head once more. Undead coming! Lots of them! Colet cursed under his breath. If what he heard in stories were true, undead soldiers couldn¡¯t tire out allowing them to pursue and fight nonstop. To make matters worse, they also excel at night eliminating the advantage centaurs had in the dark. Against such an enemy, the centaurs, despite their incredible stamina, would eventually lose. The centaur camp gate opened once the centaurs were nearly at the gate. The ax wielder by the gate greeted the chieftain. ¡°We don¡¯t have a moment to spare,¡± said Colet. ¡°Close the gate once everyone is inside. Then, gather all the centaurs and have everyone carry as much supplies as they can without being slowed down. We head out at once.¡± The ax wielder left to carry out the order without another word. Colet then turned to Eupoos. ¡°Any ideas of how we can kill or even slow down the undead?¡± The Magus shook his head. Colet then turned towards the undead soldiers at the camp gate. ¡°Hold the gate!¡± the centaur chieftain ordered. Many centaurs rushed to move barricades in front of the gate. The spear wielders aided by stabbing any undead that got too close. ¡°We can only flee and hope to escape them?¡± Colet asked once the situation temporarily stabilized. Eupoos nodded his head. Feeling helplessness, Colet attacked the ground in front of him. The strike did little to vent his frustrations but he didn¡¯t regret doing it in front of the others. The ax wielder he gave orders to soon returned. ¡°Chieftain, your order has been relayed and the centaurs are carrying it out right now.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said Colet before he ordered the centaurs who fled with him, with the exception of those holding the gate, to do the same. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Once all the centaurs were ready, Colet and the leaders followed suit before they led all the centaurs out the rear camp gate. To travel light, they had to abandon everything else to create any distance with the pursuing undead. Colet hoped the undead would be too focused on the front gate to notice them leaving through the back. They could only pray this would remain the case. As the centaurs exited, Ilumin returned with more bad news. Other camps attacked! More undead! Is there no end to their numbers, thought Colet. The leaders inquired what Colet just learned so the chieftain shared that the other camps were attacked by the undead. It was clear that joining forces with the other coalition members was out of the question. If they stayed in the region any longer, they too would be surrounded by the undead. Once surrounded, it was simply a matter of time before the undead finished them off. Colet gave the order of galloping in double time so they could escape from the undead plagued land. There was a small possibility that the undead would eventually lose interest in them. The centaurs galloped nonstop through the forest until they arrived at the outer boundaries of the wide open plains. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± shouted Magus as they traversed onto the flat terrain. Colet looked up in time to see a gaseous creature in the sky. The creature had a single eye and a large mouth. To his horror, the creature began speaking. ¡°Centaurs! I am the Soul of Xemir! You have done well to flee my undead forces and I want to reward you for your efforts! I will give you a three day head start before my forces resume pursuing you. If you can escape them, then you will have earned freedom. Otherwise, I will make you my loyal servants like so many already have today. Do try your best because I want to be entertained by nonhuman races like yours.¡± The gaseous creature vanished as soon as the message was delivered. Colet felt anger coursing through his veins at the thought of this Soul of Xemir treating this like a game. Before the anger could surface, he pushed it back down and got his breathing back under control. He digested the message and turned to Konstite. ¡°Konstite, we will pace ourselves for the next three days. We must find a balance between creating distance and not tiring ourselves out.¡± ¡°How do you know we can trust what that ¡­ thing said?¡± asked the shieldbreaker leader. ¡°I¡¯ve met those sorts of beings before. They are too full of themselves. Either we get a head start and create some distance or the undead catch up soon and we''re dead. Regardless of what happens, watching our stamina will improve our chances of survival.¡± ¡°And from what the Soul of Xemir said,¡± said Eupoos, ¡°the others must have already fallen. I¡¯m certain they will be sent to pursue and fight us. Their presence on the battlefield will no doubt deal a serious blow to our morale.¡± ¡°Ides, Tolien and the other centaurs.....I really don¡¯t want to fight them.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t get a choice,¡± replied the Magus. Colet knew Eupoos was speaking the truth but that didn¡¯t make the upcoming battle any easier. The chieftain had to push his thoughts aside as he focused on their journey back home. The plains, while considered by most centaurs as their home, was still filled with dangers and uncertainty. When the centaurs marched with the coalition towards Torpin Stronghold, their numbers easily discouraged other denizens of the plains to try anything. Now, Colet led a fraction of the total centaurs left for the campaign. No doubt, their numbers would attract certain attention that would force them to defend themselves. Volume 1 Chapter 46 Between what Jon shared in the Cleric Fortress and what he experienced through the march to the second defensive line, Dreu got a better idea of Xante¡¯s general layout. The capital consisted of five walls, four main districts and the castle. The royal family stayed in the castle which had an additional wall protecting it. He suspected that Duchess Avilina, with her influence, was also residing in the safety of the castle. Neither the Duchess nor the castle was of any concern for Dreu. He had to focus on surviving the war somehow. Before leaving the adventure inn, Dreu took the time to ask the receptionist for any information on the war. According to the woman, the demons, for the time being, had yet to break through the outermost walls. The two sides had suffered horrendous casualties, though the exact losses for the humans were kept a secret by the capital officials. The last of the reinforcements arrived from the Cleric Fortress of Ujun the day before so all the pieces available to the king were in the capital. The stage was set for the bloodiest battle between the humans and the demons. The only fortunate circumstance Dreu could see was his assignment to the second wall. The outermost walls were protecting the Lower District, a district that was mostly home to the lower class. The Middle District was located behind the second wall and this district was the home to the numerous guilds and the middle class. It was becoming clear that, with their recent allocation of forces, the outer walls were to be abandoned in favor of the second wall due to how little the king and the officials cared about the lower class. As Dreu and the others marched through the Middle District, many laborers were busy packing items onto mule drawn carts. ¡°Hurry up!¡± shouted a foreman. ¡°We have to deliver all this to the warehouses in the High District before the demons reach the second wall.¡± ¡°They better pay us quadruple for the deadline they set for us.¡± ¡°Be glad you aren¡¯t sent to the outer walls to fight.¡± ¡°Quiet down, you two!¡± The foreman shouted. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be left behind in the Middle District, put your back into it! I for one want to go to the High District before nighttime.¡± The High District was located behind the third wall and housed the warehouses, armories and barracks. This district was the most well guarded in all of the four districts due to all the valuables it held. While going through the High District, Dreu caught sight of silver knights, holy knights and many other professional soldiers. The professional soldiers paid no heed to them as they were finishing their own preparations. If given a choice, he would rather be atop the third wall with the professionals. As Dreu approached the second wall, he heard a shout from one of the nearby streets. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Stop that cart!¡± Dreu turned to see where the shout came from. He then focused his attention on an incoming mule drawn cart. With the mule galloping straight at them, everyone jumped out of the way to avoid it. Dreu got out of the way and saw the mule tried turning to avoid all the humans in the streets. The cart kept going straight due to its momentum and it dragged the mule with it. The soldiers too slow to react were crushed by the cart. Following the crash, many jewelry and trinkets ended up scattered on the street. ¡°Oh no. Oh no! Oh no!!!¡± A man ran to gather up all the jewelry and trinkets. Two soldiers approached the man. One of them grabbed the man by his arm. ¡°You just killed our friends! Yet, you seem to only care about your trinkets?¡± The two soldiers drew their daggers when the commanding officer stepped in. ¡°What is happening?¡± He asked the soldiers. ¡°Why do you have weapons drawn?¡± ¡°This man¡¯s cart crushed our friends.¡± The soldiers pointed to the cart and the remains of their friends. ¡°Yet, he only cared about his trinkets.¡± The officer then turned to the man and demanded an answer from him. ¡°I¡¯m just a merchant responsible for selling jewelry and trinkets. Everything on that cart is for the Elsto Noble Family. If they don¡¯t get the shipment, they will have my head.¡± At the mention of a noble family, Dreu recalled the Upper District which was home to the wealthiest and most powerful denizens of the kingdom. During times of war when people were dying in the fight against the demons, the nobles still worried about their riches and valuables. With the professional soldiers guarding the third wall, the Upper District was quite safe behind the fourth wall. The thought made Dreu tighten his fist. ¡°Ah!¡± screamed a soldier nearby. Everyone turned to see a demon pulling its claw from a hole in a soldier¡¯s chest. The shattering of a window nearby saw another demon leap into the streets. Everyone unsheathed their weapons as more and more demons swarmed into the streets from the nearby buildings. Further shouts and screams atop the walls indicated the garrison was busy fighting their own battles. Upon seeing a seemingly endless swarm of demons running toward them down the many streets, Dreu looked around and only the main street they traveled through earlier was still free of demons. ¡°Fall back!¡± Bayard shouted and pointed in the direction of the High District gatehouse. The adventurers and the soldiers followed the footman as they headed to the safety of the third wall. ¡°Wait!¡± shouted the officer. ¡°Don¡¯t run like cowards and fight like-¡± The officer stopped mid sentence but the young man didn¡¯t stop to check why. Dreu, urged by the screams of the dying, followed Bayard towards the gatehouse of the third wall. He dared not look behind him but he could feel the ground shake from the demon¡¯s numbers alone. The laborers, after seeing the commotion, joined the group. Once the gatehouse was in sight, Dreu could see activity atop the gate. To his horror, the gate was slowly closing. At the rate he was running, he had no chance of reaching the gate in time. Damn you soldiers for abandoning us! Volume 1 Chapter 47 Dreu cursed under his breath as he watched the gate fully shut. With no other street free of demons, he could only keep heading towards the gatehouse. While deep in thought as to how they could get out of their predicament, a screech got his attention. ¡°Let us give you a hand!¡± A loud screech followed the statement. ¡°Sorry, a claw!¡± said the rider with a laugh. Dreu turned to see a griffin¡¯s left claw close over his right shoulder. Expecting pain, he tensed his body. Yet, the claw closed enough to have a grip but not hard enough to cause any pain. The young man felt himself slowly take to the sky. When he looked to the right, Bayard was carried by the griffin¡¯s right claw but the summon was as expressionless as usual. Ignoring his summon, he smiled as the wind blew past him. So this is what it feels like to be flying. ¡°Watch your landing!¡± Before Dreu registered the words, he felt the claw release him. His fall led to a small tumble but he landed with only a few minor bruises. As soon as he got back on his feet, Dreu found himself atop the wall filled with numerous professional soldiers. He then walked over to the battlement. The griffins picked up the fleeing adventurers and soldiers until all of them were atop the walls. The rescue was quickly overshadowed by the destruction of the Middle District. The demons set the buildings aflame and the smoke covered the district like a fog. ¡°Ladders incoming!¡± Dreu stared at many columns of demons carrying ladders towards the wall. Watch out! Dreu felt Bayard shove him down as a creature flew over them. He turned to see a wyvern fly past them before it gained some elevation. As he registered the other wyverns, they dropped humans from great heights onto the walls. Many soldiers dodged to avoid the falling humans while many poor souls fell to their deaths. In response, the griffins engaged the wyverns in the sky. When the griffins and their riders engaged the wyverns, Dreu turned his attention to loud thuds near the battlement. The demons used the wyvern as a distraction so they could set up their ladders against the walls. Faced with demons scaling the walls, Dreu unsheathed his blade while Bayard did the same beside him. Where is Rohese? We have nothing to worry about. Dreu glanced at where Bayard gestured with his head. He saw Rohese release an arrow which was followed by a cry. He turned in time to see a wyvern fall from the sky crashing into a handful of demons on one of the ladders. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Get ready for the demons! Dreu returned his focus to the battlement. The first demon leaped over the battlement but Bayard hit the demon¡¯s upper body with the shield. Having lost its balance, the demon fell hard and Dreu thrust his blade into the demon¡¯s throat. Before Dreu could pull his blade out, another demon reached the battlement and leaped at him. Due to the footman standing nearly twice as tall as the demon, Bayard swung his sword while demon was still in midair, sending the demon over the battlement to the ground below. The demons kept coming and Dreu fought on instinct alone alongside Bayard. The two of them fended off any demons who got too close and demon blood covered every inch of the ground and battlement. Eventually, the demons stopped charging the walls and Dreu took a moment to look down. With all the buildings burned down, the demons had plenty of space to deploy their main forces. With their numbers stretching all the way to the second wall, he assumed the demons covered every inch of the Middle District. The demon soldiers stood in square formations. The ones closest to the human position stayed far enough away to avoid any arrows and long ranged spells. Suddenly, Dreu noticed gaps forming in the demon formations. Then, he noticed monstrous creatures waddling towards the walls. The creatures looked like moving sludge with a stench he could even smell from where he stood. As he pondered what the creatures could do, he felt a hand grab him by his waist carrying him away from the demons. What are you doing, Bayard? Those things are Gaseous Ghouls. They are used for demolition purposes. Before Bayard elaborated on the creatures, he brought Dreu over his shoulders and leaped from atop the wall to the ground below. Rohese followed close behind. The two of them stuck their landing and kept running. Dreu could feel the gaze of the professional soldiers but his thoughts were interrupted by multiple explosions. Once the smoke cleared, the wall was filled with multiple gaping holes. It didn¡¯t take long for the demon soldiers to enter through the breaches while the human soldiers rushed to intercept. Dreu felt himself put down on the ground and took the moment to survey the situation. The demons not only got through the breaches within the walls but, from the cries atop the walls, they had also resumed scaling the walls. While human soldiers, several lines deep, were engaged with the demons charging through the breach, several columns of human soldiers were waiting as reserves further back from their position. We cannot fall back. It¡¯s a shame but we¡¯ll have to keep fighting. With a nod, Dreu readied his blade. Before he could advance, Bayard held him back. You¡¯ve gotten stronger. Make good use of it! When Dreu finally registered what Bayard was saying, he opened his prompt window and selected the unit class upgrades option. < Unit Class Upgrades: Unit Class Footman Upgrades (2 Upgrades are currently available): -Fortify Ability (1): All Footmen gain the Lvl 1 Fortify Ability (+50% Defense for 1 hour. Limited 3 uses per day) -Call to Arms I (1): Increases the unit limit of Summon Footman by 1. Unit Class Archer Upgrades (2 Upgrades are currently available): -Flame Arrows (1): All Archers can pick Flame Arrows as their ammunition (+10% Attack. Ammunition now has a Fire element and may inflict burn status.) -Expanded Quiver (1): Arrow Ammunition increased by 33% per replenishment. Upgrade Points available: 1 > Volume 1 Chapter 48 A few hours into traveling on the plains, Colet already got reports of beastmen sighting. The reports claimed a handful of beastmen were seen in the distance but they never once approached the centaurs. The centaur chieftain asked Ilumin to keep an eye on the beastmen, especially those who broke off from the group. From his past experiences with them, he expected the worst. ¡°Actolio, prepare the ax wielders to form the outer defensive lines. They are to hold the line and never pursue any enemies. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, chieftain.¡± As Actolio ran off to carry out the order, Colet turned to Konstite. ¡°Position the shieldbreakers around our spellcasters. They are not to let any beastmen get close.¡± ¡°Yes, chieftain.¡± Unlike earlier during the withdrawal, Konstite seemed more enthusiastic about gathering his centaurs. Colet knew the shieldbreakers were itching for a good fight but they had been denied an opportunity so far. Against the beastmen, they had a real chance of winning, unlike the undead soldiers they fled from hours earlier. Yet, the chieftain preferred more favorable odds than what he was given. ¡°Magus, have your spellcasters prepare for combat. They need to focus on area wide spells instead of single targets. I¡¯m expecting the beastmen to swarm us soon. I''ll leave you to plan out what spells will suit us, whether when we are pursued or if we are completely encircled.¡± Eupoos nodded and broke off from Colet. Igas stood eagerly for orders. ¡°Igas, tell your centaurs to be on standby. They are not to cast any support spells until I give the command.¡± The eager expression turned to puzzlement when the centaur heard the order. ¡°We may need your spellcasters later if the battle doesn¡¯t go our way,¡± whispered the centaur chieftain. The meaning dawned on Igar and he turned serious. ¡°Yes, chieftain. The support spellcasters will do what must be done.¡± With all the remaining centaur leaders except Kallosa given their orders, Colet continued putting on a confident act in front of the centaurs. Kallosa didn¡¯t need to be told anything because she was very much aware of her duties. As for the centaurs, the sight of the undead and the withdrawal had inflicted massive blows to their morale. Very few centaurs marched with their chest held high. Nearly all were staring at the ground if they weren¡¯t assigned lookout duty. There was a sense of tiredness among the centaurs that didn¡¯t originate solely from exhaustion. While reaching home would help them a lot, they were still many days away and that was assuming they didn¡¯t encounter any setbacks. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. More beastmen coming! They fast! Colet knew the beastmen were the sharks of the plains. They smelled blood or weakness and they would pounce on the opportunity without hesitation. Given their numbers, Ilumin likely only saw a small contingent of what they could muster. Beastmen tended to operate in smaller groups but, once a large enough non-beastmen group showed up and the beastmen liked their chances of winning, they would gather onto the location similarly to vultures gathering near a battlefield. Colet¡¯s suspicion was confirmed when the beastmen continued swelling in numbers. Yet, they still stayed some distance away because they knew better than throwing away their numerical advantage. If any of the centaurs was foolish enough to chase, the beastmen would bait the enemy towards their main forces and finish them off through encirclement. For the next hour, the plains behind the centaurs was filled with so many beastmen one couldn''t see the ground behind them. The large mass of beastmen, emboldened by their numbers, began moving closer. ¡°Bow and spear wielders, stay behind the ax wielders. Don¡¯t attack until the beastmen are within your range.¡± The hours of training were paying off. Colet knew the situation might arise when the leaders were absent and he had to take command. Ideally, the leaders were assigned to other tasks and weren¡¯t present. However, he was definitely leaning in the direction of labeling Ides and Tolien as killed in action until confirmed otherwise. Those two entered the Torpin Stronghold and, even if they found victory inside, they would be encircled in the stronghold where they would eventually be massacred. Unlike the humans, a stronghold didn¡¯t offer the same level of protection to centaurs. If anything, a wide open terrain suited centaurs far more. Against beastmen, that benefit was negligent as the beastmen were adept in the open fields too. Too many beastmen! Several thousand! One leader! The last bit of Ilumin¡¯s information was a shock. The beastmen only respected strength and they picked their leaders the same way. Due to the harsh conditions on the plains, the life expectancy of beastmen were low with some claiming as short as ten years. If one looked at how long a beastmen took to go from a newborn to an adult, the ten years left very little time for a beastman to rise up the ranks for long. Even then, combat would easily cut down what remaining years they had left as the beastmen leaders were expected to lead from the front. Generally, even a beastman commanding a hundred or so other beastman was impressive. The one leading several thousand was either built differently or had survived far longer than any other beastmen. Regardless, this was a problem as such a beastman might even give the shieldbreakers a hard time. ¡°Keep moving!¡± shouted Colet encouragingly. ¡°We can still break out of their encirclement if we continue at our current pace.¡± The centaur chieftain was unsure if what he said was true or not. The beastmen were largely showing up in their rear so it wasn¡¯t possible for them to completely encircle the centaurs. Yet, the beastmen were roaming creatures who could be at various parts of the plains. It was entirely possible for the centaurs to be herded into an encirclement due to beastmen already gathering between the centaurs and their home. The scouts among the beastmen were some of the fastest creatures, at times making centaurs look slow even at full gallop. If those scouts found beastmen who could intercept the centaurs, then an encirclement was unavoidable. ¡°Chieftain,¡± reported Actolio. ¡°The beastmen are making their move now!¡± ¡°What?¡± The idea of the beastmen already striking was so absurd Colet thought he misheard the ax wielder leader. Volume 1 Chapter 49 Call to Arms I got Dreu¡¯s immediate attention. He had seen how powerful his summons were and the thought of expanding his group excited him. Without further hesitation, he picked the option and called upon a new footman. Guiot, it¡¯s good to see you! Bayard walked up to the new footman and patted his shoulder. Rohese also welcomed the newcomer. Ready to fight the demons? Dreu asked after he and Guiot exchanged pleasantries. In response to the question, Guiot drew his sword, directing it at the battle. Dreu led the way at the center with the two footmen flanking his sides. Rohese followed a few meters behind them with an arrow already notched. By the time the group reached the last line of humans, the humans pushed back the demons to the breaches in the wall. Dreu looked up to see more human soldiers reinforcing the walls. His group had to wait for their turn before they could engage the demons. The breaches should give our side a big advantage, remarked Bayard. The demons can no longer use their numerical advantage. Dreu couldn¡¯t help but envy the footman¡¯s height. Towering over most humans, Bayard could scan the battlefield with ease. Compared to Bayard, Guiot looked more like an ordinary footman in height. Even Rohese was the second tallest in the group. Among the four of them, he was the shortest and that fact hurt his pride. Without warning, Guiot grabbed Dreu and leaped away with the others from the battle. The group then watched as wyverns dropped large sacks onto the battle. As soon as the sacks hit something solid, they burst into flame igniting everything around them. The human soldiers screamed in pain and tried rolling on the ground to put out the flames. Dreu backed up a few steps when the flames refused to be put out. Chaos flames cannot be extinguished until the target is burnt to ashes or a strong healing spell is cast on the victim. Given how tightly packed our formation was, this approach was a no-brainer. Bayard quickly glanced behind him. It doesn''t help us when those capable of healing spells stand like cowards in the back. Dreu gulped at the idea of the agony as he watched the humans scream until the flames ended their lives. There were several demons engulfed in flames but they continued fighting. The flames made them harder to approach and the unfortunate soldiers who got too close shared the fate of the poor souls earlier. In the face of these demons, many of the soldiers fell back while those wielding polearms took their place. The extended reach allowed the humans to fight the demons with less danger to themselves. The demons covered in flames were quickly dispatched. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The small victory was short lived when more demons broke through the breaches. The chaos flames from earlier created many gaps in the human formation which the demons took advantage to break through. Only Dreu¡¯s group stood between the demons and the High District. The group was quickly surrounded, forcing all of them, including Rohese, into close combat. The demon charge felt like a tidal wave and Dreu barely stood his ground. The resulting battle was slow and grueling. Having adjusted to the blade more, the young man found himself slicing through the demons with relative ease. He also felt himself putting more of Bayard¡¯s lessons into actual combat. Dreu eventually felt his arms growing heavier and his mind becoming less focused. It was times like these when he was envious of his summons who never got tired, whether physically or mentally. Their inability to gain fatigue made them truly terrifying in combat. Refocusing on the battle, he prepared for a thrust when a white light engulfed him. After blinking his eyes, he found himself across from Jeane and Sela. Jeane, upon seeing him, ran to embrace him while the other adventurers cheered. The two of them embraced for a full minute before they separated with Dreu looking away. Then, Dreu looked around and, when no demons were in sight, sheathed his weapon. Bayard supported him when his knees suddenly gave out while Guiot and Rohese stood guard on his flanks Get some rest! You have earned it! Bayard helped Dreu to the ground. Once he sat down, Dreu smiled as the adventurers gathered around him. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± asked Jeane. ¡°I could use a nap.¡± ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry!¡± said Sela as she bowed down at Dreu. ¡°I missed your name on the list.¡± ¡°List?¡± Dreu looked at Sela with puzzlement. ¡°It¡¯s the list of adventurers who stayed at the adventurer inn,¡± said Sadon. ¡°Sela felt terrible for abandoning us so she was trying to make up by getting all of us to the castle.¡± ¡°Castle?¡± Dreu forced himself to stand and walked over to the battlement. The inner walls provided an incredible view of the entire capital. If it weren¡¯t for the smoke from the Lower and Middle Districts, he would have enjoyed the view. Even from where he stood, Dreu could see the demons swarming into the High District. ¡°The demons will soon fear the Magic Council! We will make them regret attacking the capital.¡± Dreu turned to see a confident Sela. Her confidence brought out a smile on his face. ¡°I sincerely hope so," said Dreu from his heart. "I¡¯m tired of fighting the demons.¡± ¡°Well,¡± said another familiar voice. ¡°I see my niece has completed her task.¡± All the adventurers turned to greet Aleit. The sorcerer walked up to Sela. ¡°You should prepare. The demons will soon be here!¡± ¡°What about the Upper District?¡± asked Sela. ¡°Everyone....vital has already evacuated into the castle.¡± Aleit¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°We will let the demons have it while we make our last stand on these walls.¡± At the mention of a last stand, the earlier celebratory mood quickly dissipated. Dreu turned to Bayard but his summon looked at the sorcerer instead. ¡°How much longer until the Purificator can be activated?¡± asked Bayard. The sorcerer looked shocked at the mention of the device. ¡°We already learned of it at the Cleric Fortress of Ujun. We saw an Amplifier destroyed by the demons.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The sorcerer paused for a moment. ¡°I would say we just need to hold out for four more hours. Once those four hours are up, victory is ours!¡± Volume 1 Chapter 50 After the hard fought battle earlier, Dreu wanted to prepare himself the best he could. They were about to enter the final stages of the war. According to Aleit, the victor would be decided in less than four hours. Therefore, they would all eat with the intention of moving out as soon as they were needed. A full stomach should be enough to get them through the battle with one less thing to worry about. Meanwhile, he suspected the demons were aware of the timer they were under. Therefore, the demons were very likely to raise the intensity of their assault. They had the momentum so there was no reason why the demon couldn''t ride it to make further gains. While the other adventurers chatted among themselves as they ate, Dreu wolfed down his food so he could study his window prompt. Dreu began with Guiot, the newest addition to his team. < Lvl 4 Footman (Guiot): Skill: -Taunt (Lvl 1): Active. Enemies within a 2 meter radius of the user will ignore all other targets and attack the target only. Limited to 5 uses per day. Status: +10% attack and defense due to Leadership aura. > The footman gained two levels from the battle. Dreu was also intrigued by the Taunt ability. He recalled them being surrounded by demons forcing Rohese into close combat. Yet, the archer was still standing when they were teleported to the castle. The Taunt could have played a key role in keeping the archer safe but he hadn''t noticed anything out of the ordinary during combat. He then checked on Rohese¡¯s status to see if the archer had any skills that kept her alive. < Lv 3 Archer (Rohese): Skill: -Blademaster (Lvl 1): Passive. +15% attack and defense when using a blade weapon. Status: +10% attack and defense due to Leadership aura. > Dreu stared at the Blademaster skill and rubbed his eyes. When the words didn¡¯t change on the window prompt, he scratched his head. An archer skilled in blade weapons was very unorthodox. When he was learning all he could about the Knight Academy, Dreu was told that it took a lot of effort to master a single class. Most knights had to dedicate their entire life to mastering the sword and shield. The same could be said about an archer who would need to train countless hours on using bows and arrows. Someone skilled in both blades and bow would be considered a genius. Is something on your mind? Rohese asked after noticing Dreu¡¯s stare. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. I see that you have the blademaster skill. It¡¯s a very odd thing to have on an archer. Dreu couldn¡¯t see the archer¡¯s expression but he felt a hesitation in her answer. Instead, Bayard responded in her place. Rohese was just favored by the gods and gifted the skills in both the bow and blade. Even I¡¯m envious that she could achieve so much more than me in combat. I recall her using a dagger. Does the Blademaster skill apply to that? When I use a dagger, I only get a third of the bonus. I must use a sword or blade for the full bonus. Dreu nodded his head at Rohese''s explanation. There were many nuances he still had to learn. Having checked out the status of Guiot and Rohese, he only had Bayard to check. < Lvl 6 Footman (Bayard): Skill: -Leadership (Lvl 2): Passive. Nearby allies gain +10% attack and defense within a 4 meter radius of the user -Shield Bash (Lvl 1): Active. Grants the user to bash foes with a shield. In addition to doing damage, the ability may stun or even send enemies flying. Limited to 5 uses per day. Status: -Gain +10% attack and defense from sword and shield gifted by the emperor. > The Lvl 2 Leadership caught Dreu¡¯s attention. He was unsure if the skill leveled up due to Bayard gaining level 6 or if he met certain requirements while fighting alongside his other summoned units. Regardless, he looked forward to seeing how his first footman improved with time. His party was growing steadily and he needed everything to deal with the threat ahead. With no upgrade points available to him, Dreu had only a single thing he could change to improve his party¡¯s fighting capabilities. ¡°Sela.¡± Dreu caught up to the sorceress as she was leaving the mess hall. ¡°Is there an armory around here? A sword is all I need.¡± ¡°Are you planning on dual wielding weapons?¡± she asked after looking down at Dreu¡¯s blade. ¡°It¡¯s for Rohese.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sela led Dreu to the armory where he picked out one of the standard swords given to ordinary soldiers. They then returned to the others and Dreu gave the sword to Rohese promptly. Thank you, emperor! Dreu took a quick look at her status. Between you and Bayard, who is the better swordsman? Dreu asked Rohese. Our styles differ so it¡¯s not a fair comparison. Bayard excels at serving on the frontline and wielding a sword and shield. My style relies on mobility and catching the enemy off guard. If we were to duel each other, there might not be a winner because I¡¯m not foolish enough to take on Bayard frontally. I see. Dreu tried to absorb the information. While he respected Bayard¡¯s skills, he wondered if Rohese¡¯s style suited him more. His small bulk made it tough for him to serve as a frontliner. Therefore, a style relying on more mobility could be a better fit for him. Just then, a soldier ran down the hallway shouting loudly. ¡°The demons are here! Get to the walls! The demons are here! Get to the walls!¡± While a few people calmly finished their food, many abandoned their meals to leave the mess hall at once. Dreu watched as the crowd struggled to get through the only doorway into the hallway. He and the adventurers waited until things died down before they joined the others. Having done all he could for the battle ahead, Dreu readied himself for the upcoming battle. If the previous battle was any indication, he expected a bloodbath on the walls. Volume 1 Chapter 51 Ilumin confirmed the advance of the beastmen and these were the same beastmen led by the supposedly very impressive leader. As they got closer, the beastmen¡¯s physical appearances were more discernible. They possessed the head of a bison and body of a muscular human. Their bison legs allowed them to not only run as fast as the centaurs but, according to reports he heard before, they were also very maneuverable. Faced with exhausted centaurs, the beastmen easily gained ground in their advance. The centaurs couldn¡¯t possibly win a foot race at this point. ¡°Bow wielders! Fire as soon as they are within your range!¡± At the chieftain¡¯s command, the bow wielders notched their bows and aimed above the heads of the spear wielders and ax wielders. Due to the group moving at the same speed for a few hours, they had adjusted to the rhythm and could fire towards their rear while moving. ¡°Eupoos,¡± Colet called out to the Magus. ¡°Hold off any spells. I don¡¯t believe this is the right time to waste mana.¡± The Magus simply nodded his head. The other spellcasters behind him looked slightly nervous. The loud roaring of the beastmen could be heard and, given their numbers, the roar could unsettle all those unfamiliar to it. Then, the sound of arrows let loose could be heard as a volley was unleashed. Calls of pain could be heard in the rear but the loud roaring didn¡¯t cease. The bow wielders then unleashed another volley into the enemy resulting in the same result. Beastmen falling back! They stop chase! Due to the beastmen becoming bold, Colet asked Ilumin to fly above him relaying what was happening. The news worried Colet because a beastmen leader capable of fighting and thinking was a deadly combination. He now knew how this leader had so many followers. Against mostly unarmored beastmen, repeated arrow volleys into their forces could yield deadly results. Yet, the two arrow volleys likely didn¡¯t even make a dent in the beastmen numbers. In addition, it was far more likely for the centaurs to run out of arrows before the beastmen were all killed. The temporary withdrawal of the beastmen also meant they weren''t throwing away their numbers until they had better odds. Colet called out to Illumin. Please let me know an estimate of their losses and the weapons dropped. The weapons and, on rare occasions, armor determined the status of the beastmen. The standard weapon for beastmen was either spear or club. The two weapons were easy to make and replace. Due to the shortage of metals on the plains, more advanced weapons weren¡¯t readily available. Yet, one would be foolish to underestimate the effectiveness of primitive weapons when used en masse. Following a battle, the spoils would be gathered in one location to be distributed between beastmen. Good weapons were always picked first and the strongest ones would take armor after obtaining a strong weapon in a past battle. In the beastmen society, the strong got first picks at spoils, moving them up in status. As one could imagine, those who moved up in status would stay there while the weak ones were stuck at the bottom. Colet doubted any of those strong beastmen were among those taking arrow fire but the info of what the weakest beastmen wield could be critical information to their victory. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Few dozen beastmen dead. Swords. Axes. Shields. The information confirmed the worst in Colet¡¯s mind. The beastmen leader of thousands not only could think during battles but also had the foresight of equipping even the low status beastmen to make them deadlier on the battlefield. Even without this beastmen leader, the strategy of throwing bodies at the enemy commonly adopted by the beastmen would prove to be too much to handle for the centaurs. The entrance of this single leader could spell disaster for them. ¡°Chieftain,¡± said Igas. ¡°I fear we are surrounded.¡± ¡°What?¡± Colet questioned the statement. ¡±What makes you so certain?¡± ¡°I learned a spell from one of the Sacnits on my way here. It¡¯s called Far Sight and, for brief moments, I can see far into the distance. I saw large hordes of beastmen, easily numbering in the tens of thousands, standing between us and our home. We might reach them in an hour or so.¡± With the beastmen in the vicinity staying some distance away, Colet asked Ilumin to scout ahead until she either found the hordes of beastmen or confirmed their path forward was clear. With the Cloud Hawk soaring ahead, the centaur chieftain felt blind as he couldn¡¯t see the battlefield. The beastmen never stopped roaring and a part of him believed his centaurs were being herded into an encirclement with the beastmen urging them on. The centaurs galloped for several more minutes before Ilumin returned. Lots of beastmen! Up ahead! Too many! ¡°Igas,¡± Colet said to the leader. ¡°You are right. I hope you learned a spell from the Sacnits that can get us out of here.¡± ¡°I fear Far Sight was the only spell I learned.¡± ¡°A shame! It looks like we are making our final stand here.¡± The centaurs kept galloping until the hordes of beastmen were spotted. The centaur chieftain then ordered them to halt their advance. He knew better than charging straight into fresh beastmen who were ready for their arrival. ¡°Magus,¡± he spoke loudly. ¡°Please prepare us for our final stand!¡± Colet didn¡¯t have the illusion a miracle would happen that day. His centaurs were hungry and exhausted. Their numbers greatly paled against what the beastmen had gathered for the hunt. Spells and bows, being their advantages over the beastmen, were limited by the mana and arrows they possessed. The beastmen weren¡¯t going to give them a chance to pull off a miracle. They would continue attacking until all the centaurs were dead or too wounded to resist. After that, they would become the feast of their enemies. Colet¡¯s regrets were not destroying the Purificator and leaving the centaurs back home to fend for themselves. As a chieftain, he wasn¡¯t able to save his people. The last thing he could do was to take as many beastmen with him as possible. A part of him was further saddened by the fact that his victory would change little of the plains as the beastmen would continued their reign. Volume 1 Chapter 52 As soon as Dreu stepped onto the wall, he froze to take in the sight. In addition to the griffins in the sky, he could see pegasi and even three dragons circling above the castle. Such were creatures he only heard tales of and, if he hadn''t seen them with his own eyes at the human capital, Dreu might not see them his entire life. The griffins, despite being the more common of the three creatures, were still very rare. Rumors claimed that these creatures, with the body, tail and back legs of a lion along with the head, wings and front legs of an eagle, could only be found in the mountain peaks like Mount Ujun. They were extremely picky with their riders but, once a rider was selected, they would stay loyal for the rest of their lives. Then, five pegasi flew over him with their gorgeous white wings glowing gently. The magnificent winged stallions effortlessly glided through the air. These creatures were said to belong to a different plane and, during the human¡¯s time of need, several would appear to find riders who were destined to ride them since birth. The riders, clad in white armor, appeared more as an extension of the pegasi as opposed to a separate entity. For a brief moment, Dreu envisioned himself riding one of the magnificent creatures and feeling the same exhilaration he had when the griffin took him to safety. The young man¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when a dragon roared in the direction of the wyverns circling over the incoming demon forces. The dragons had no riders, though one could only imagine how difficult it would to get harnesses on them. Meanwhile, there were sorcerers, silver knights, holy knights and other professionals standing on the walls. If there was something bards wrote in their songs, this scene would be one of those. The champions of the humans stood at the castle with their backs against the wall. Faced against overwhelming odds, these champions, spurred on by their god, would come out victorious. At the same time, the price they paid for a defeat would be unimaginable. The human race would be wiped out on the continent and the demons would become the new rulers of the land with them as the dominant race. Faced with such a scenario, Dreu could only see the humans fight more in desperation which could be enough to tip the balance in their favor. We should join the others. Hearing Bayard comment and noticing the stares, Dreu jogged to join his group. They were stationed along a small section of the wall. A ballista was to their left and spellcasters to their right. Neither the ballista crew nor the spellcasters even looked in their direction. Both groups were completely focused on the demons. ¡°Fire!¡± A projectile was let loose from the ballista and disappeared into the swarm of demons below the wall. Dreu watched as the crew expertly reloaded a second projectile into the ballstia before repeating the action. The projectiles were two meters long and, given their velocity when released, should in theory penetrate through multiple demon soldiers. Due to the distance, Dreu couldn¡¯t get confirmation on the theory. However, he was relieved to not see a single siege weapon on the demon side. The idea of facing boulders and bolts coming his way made him shake at the thought. Given how tiny the demon soldiers appeared, he also shuddered at the thought of marching towards the walls that couldn''t be reached through ladders or conventional means. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Gaseous ghouls!¡± shouted someone. At the mention of the name, Dreu turned away from the ballista and searched for the creatures. Following the gazes of some soldiers, he saw the volatile creatures carried by wyverns by air. After seeing how effective the creatures were at demolishing walls, the sight of them carried by wyverns made him shiver, especially with the prospect of them falling from above. Meanwhile, he could see Rohese notch an arrow with his peripheral vision. He turned to see the arrow hit one of the gaseous ghouls resulting in a massive explosion. When the smoke cleared, nothing remained of the wyvern. Following Rohese¡¯s lead, the spellcasters on the walls focused their attacks at the ghouls until they eliminated every single one of those threats. ¡°Portals,¡± shouted a spellcaster near Dreu. To the young man¡¯s horror, dozens of portals appeared at various points along the wall. The portals were a few meters above the wall and, without warning, gaseous ghouls came out of them falling onto the unsuspecting victims below. Dreu futilely tried to put his blade between him and a ghoul that fell near his position. Upon hitting the ground, the ghoul expanded rapidly until it exploded violently. The young man expected himself to get sent flying but, when the smoke cleared, he touched his limbs and noticed he was uninjured. By looking carefully, he could make out a barrier between him and where the gaseous ghoul was. He studied the barrier until he located the spellcasters at its center. When he observed other sections of the walls, the structure remained unscathed by the explosion. However, empty sections in the shape of a circle dotted throughout the wall. The demons had dealt a huge blow to their numbers in a matter of seconds. Before the humans could recover from the devastating attack, the demonic portals dropped down to make contact with the wall and demons exited them en masse. The demons quickly filled the empty spaces left by the humans disintegrated by the blasts and a major battle took place above the walls. Bayard and Guiot quickly rushed to Dreu¡¯s side to cover his flanks. Rohese let loose a couple of arrows before she drew her new sword. The four of them formed a line as they faced the incoming demons. Meanwhile, Dreu noticed the shadows of the air creatures moving over the combattants, concluding that the air battle had also commenced. Stay close to us! communicated Bayard. We cannot afford to get separated! Together, we¡¯ll get through this! Understood. While he felt fear, Dreu also felt comfort knowing that he had Bayard, Guiot and Rohese by his side. Don¡¯t forget about me! Zhao chipping in made Dreu smile. Volume 1 Chapter 53 Before Dreu¡¯s group could engage the enemy, elemental fire and ice spells flew over their heads at the incoming demon, killing them instantly. ¡°Keep them at bay and we¡¯ll finish them off,¡± said one of the spellcasters. More demon soldiers swarmed through the portals to replace those that were killed earlier. While the human frontline held the line, the spellcasters repeatedly launched spells down on the demons emerging from the portals. Despite cutting through several demons and the spellcasters were doing their part, Dreu felt more took the place of the fallen demons. The spellcasters¡¯ mana was finite and he wasn¡¯t sure how long they could keep up their attacks. When he heard several screams behind him followed by the ceasing of the spells, Dreu cursed under his breath. Looks like there are demons scaling over the walls. I doubt the spellcasters can aid us anymore. Once again, Dreu was envious of Bayard¡¯s height as the footman could easily discern what was happening behind them. He couldn¡¯t see past all the spellcasters, not that he could afford to do so while he was engaged in combat. All the front liners couldn¡¯t disengage to fight the demons scaling the walls. Therefore, the spellcasters were on their own with the new threat. How are they scaling these tall walls? I didn¡¯t think the demons had ladders close to tall enough. Dreu had to have satisfy his curiosity. When you get creative, portals can achieve the seemingly impossible. They probably got it to work while the rest of us are focused on the portals. Dreu waited for elaboration but Bayard was focused on the battle. With the spellcasters preoccupied with the new threat, those dealing with the portal demons found themselves steadily pushed back as well. The footman had to fight multiple demons at a time, though they were hardly a challenge for the veteran. The loud screams of the spellcasters only suggested their fight was going downhill. With the human forces sandwiched in between demons who never seemed to run out of soldiers, Dreu realized how precarious their situation was. He couldn¡¯t see how the rest of the castle was faring but, even with a section of the walls falling under the demon''s control, the momentum could easily shift in favor of the demons. Just then, a notification came up. < Congratulations! You have unlocked Summon Footman (Lvl 2). > < Footmen limit increased by 1. You may now summon up to 3 footmen. > It¡¯s about time for me to come out once more! The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Dreu heard the familiar voice and checked his recall list. < Unit Recall List: Footman (Lvl 5) [Zhao] - Available > Zhao, it¡¯s good to see you again! Ready to fight the demons? I am ready! Dreu recalled Zhao and the footman went in the opposite direction. He leaped over the spellcasters onto the battlement and the young man could hear cheers from the spellcasters as they praised the footman. While Dreu and his party dealt with the portal demons, Zhao fended off the demons behind them and gave the spellcasters time and room to regroup. Due to their rear being protected, Dreu and the others fought with more vigor than earlier. Then, a dragon glided down a few meters above the demons on the walls. Its fire breath not only incinerated the demons but also destroyed the nearby portals. The destruction of the portals allowed all the humans to reform their battle lines to focus on the remaining portals. While the battle line was reformed, Dreu took a few seconds to observe the carnage around him. Many spellcasters were slain while they were forced to fight the demons in hand to hand combat. The ballista was no longer manned as the crew members were slaughtered. Even the skies felt more empty as only a dozen or so griffins and a dragon took to the air. There would be more corpses scattered everywhere on the walls if the dragon hadn¡¯t burned most of it earlier. As for the dragon, he noticed it being overwhelmed by multiple wyverns before he had to focus at the threat before him. Roughly how much time just passed? Dreu asked Bayard. I¡¯d say thirty minutes or so. In the heat of the battle, it feels longer. Sadly, we aren¡¯t at the finish line yet. Dreu couldn¡¯t disagree with the assessment. He was exhausted from the combat so he was certain fatigue was settling in on the castle defenders. The dragon had improved their situation but this was only a small section of the wall. During the time to reform their battle line, the young man glanced briefly at the rest of the wall and it didn¡¯t look pretty. There were far more demons than humans fighting on the walls with the balance shifting more in favor of the attackers by the second. If what they experienced happened elsewhere, he very much doubted there were many human spellcasters left. The battle was a bloodbath that was clearly favoring the demons. How are the demons sending so many soldiers? Do they just have an endless supply of soldiers to throw at us? The demons have some powerful leaders in charge of this invasion. Bayard did a quick swing with his sword. I don¡¯t recall them being so devastating last time I fought with them. A lot has happened since the last few centuries. They are now a formidable force that the kingdom simply lacked an answer to. Dreu shuddered at the thought of the demons continuously improving their approach in defeating the humans. Despite his summons siding with the demons and his first impression of Eglallin wasn¡¯t terrible, the young man still sided with the humans due to him being a human. Regardless of how justified the demons felt they were with the invasion, the death of so many humans including innocent people made the demons the undisputed villains. Whatever happened to Bayard was something he knew nothing about. What he did know was the destruction of towns and cities at the hands of the demons who had yet to cease their violent ways. If he had to pick between defending the kingdom and defeating the demons, he would pick the former without hesitation. Volume 1 Chapter 54 The centaur chieftain put aside his regrets as the Magus gave commands to the spellcasters. Despite lacking any experience with magic, Colet had learned much from Eupoos as the two discussed the magic available to centaurs. The chieftain always felt the importance of possessing sufficient knowledge of his subordinate abilities so he could better tap into their potential. ¡°Earth Wall,¡± shouted the spellcasters. Centaurs had access to three elemental magic. Earth elemental magic was the one they were most proficient with. With the Earth Wall, a one meter tall barrier made of dirt and rocks formed around the centaurs. The wall was low enough for the ax wielders to swing their axes at the enemy but tall and wide enough to halt any enemy charge. While the centaurs would effectively be caged in, their mobility wasn¡¯t an asset once they were encircled by an enemy also well versed in flat terrain combat. In addition, small platforms were created allowing the bow wielders to look over the ax wielders and have a line of sight on the incoming foes. ¡°Spiked Pit,¡± shouted the spellcasters next. Colet realized Eupoos was indeed going all-in from the very start. Spiked Pit was an earth elemental spell that required more mana than Earth Wall. In their situation, the ground outside the earth wall, about one meter in width, sunk into the ground creating a two meter deep pit. Next, nearby rocks were merged within the pit and fashioned into sharpened spikes pointed upwards. Any unfortunate foe to fall into the pit would be impaled. The chieftain studied the spellcasters and could see them out of breath. Lacking rest, these spellcasters already had a hard time harnessing their mana. The large exertion was only worsening their conditions. Just then, Colet felt something within him. He couldn¡¯t explain what it was but, after the second earth elemental spell, something awakened within him. The feeling felt foreign and nothing in his past could compare to it. His instinct didn¡¯t sound any alarm bells so he wasn''t afraid of what had happened, only puzzled. Before he could ponder too much on what all this was about, a roar boomed forth grabbing the attention of centaurs and beastmen alike. The roar was followed by a deep voice of something that only existed in nightmares. ¡°I shall feast on centaur meat tonight!¡± The centaur chieftain made his way onto one of the small platforms. He stared out and located the beastman. Like its voice, the beastman looked far too unnatural as it was easily five times as large as any other beastmen. The giant wielded a large battleaxe that was a perfect size for it. Regardless of how the giant beastmen got the weapon, no being would want to be on the receiving end. As Colet wondered if the giant would lead the charge knowing their earth wall and pit would do nothing to it, the giant spoke once more. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Slaughter those centaurs! We shall feast tonight!¡± The beastmen near the giant charged at the centaurs. The scene reminded Colet of rats rushing to get a piece of the food that landed within their reach. The chieftain withdrew to his previous position allowing the centaurs to ready themselves for combat. Ilumin updated that, as soon as the beastmen under the giant moved out, beastmen from other parts of the encirclement did the same. Their advances were updated next when arrows were unleashed in all directions. ¡°Fire bomb,¡± chanted the spellcasters. True to the name, numerous explosions broke out all around the centaurs. Following the explosions, the impacted land was covered in magical flames that continued burning for another minute. Beastmen foolish enough to walk into the flames would find themselves in agonizing pain as the flames didn¡¯t go out easily. Fire element was an element the centaurs had limited mastery over. Their spell options were very limited and, in terms of area of attack ones, fire bomb was their only option. As reported by the Cloud Hawk, the spell did disrupt the beastmen''s charges and made them hesitant to advance while the magical flames were still burning. Once the beastmen realized the centaurs couldn¡¯t repeatedly cast the spell and the flames went out, they resumed their attack without the same caution they exercised earlier. As the bow wielders fired off volley after volley, the beastmen, undeterred by the arrows, charged at the ax wielders. The spiked pit was difficult to spot and many beastmen didn¡¯t realize the pit¡¯s existence until they fell right into it. Due to the large number of beastmen charging forward, some of them tried to stop at the edge of the pit but they were pushed in by their fellow beastmen behind them. Unfortunately, the pits were eventually filled with beastmen corpses, providing the other beastmen a bridge across the pits where they engaged the ax wielders. The ax wielders, with their training and experience, were handily winning initially. Once fatigue and injuries settled in, their sluggish movements made them easy targets for the spear wielding beastmen who had better reach and were fresher on the battlefield. ¡°Chieftain, we¡¯re out of arrows.¡± The ax wielders were suffering heavy casualties and their losses would only further increase with the lack of support from the spellcasters and bow wielders. The spear wielders had at most a few more javelins left before they too would be forced to fight at melee range. ¡°Gust arrows,¡± shouted Eupoos. To the surprise of the bow wielders, their quivers were refilled with arrows. These arrows appeared ethereal and many of the centaurs seemed hesitant to notch them. When one brave centaur fired one of his new arrows at the beastmen, the arrow not only exploded on impact blasting the target into smithereens but also created a gust of wind two meters in diameter. Those within the gust of wind were covered in countless small cuts. Due to the number of cuts, the beastmen could easily bleed out in minutes. Wind element, like fire element, was another element the centaurs had limited mastery over. The other bow wielders, upon seeing the impact of the new arrows, resumed firing their volleys. They spaced out their targets more to take advantage of the gust radius to maximize the damage inflicted. The new arrows gave the centaur hope as they slowed down the beastmen''s advances. However, the arrows eventually ran out and the ax wielders at the front were steadily overwhelmed. The spear wielders were about to form the new front line. Volume 1 Chapter 55 Although their section of the wall was cleared of demons, the battle was far from over. After a short breather, the survivors of that section gathered together into formation. The frontliners formed the outer perimeter while the spellcasters and the other classes made up the core. The group made slow progress by clearing small sections of the walls at a time. The wounded were tended to and the group faced the question of how to carry all the wounded soldiers they saved. There simply weren¡¯t enough able bodied soldiers to both fight and carry the wounded. It soon became apparent that they had to split up into two groups. . Dreu and his summons were among those selected to protect the wounded. Their job was to keep any stray demons at bay while the clerics and anyone with healing magic tended to the wounded. The other group would continue fighting and assigned a handful of men to haul the wounded to safety. The hope was that the humans could regroup and, through healing the wounded, they could continue resisting until the Purificator could be activated. They didn¡¯t have to fight to win. They only had to buy enough time for the humans to emerge victorious. Knowing his new assignment, Dreu stationed himself some distance from the battlements. He didn¡¯t want to get caught off guard if the demons attempted to scale the walls again. With fatigue settling in, the young man was certain he wanted more time to react to demon attacks. Look over there! Dreu looked towards where Rohese was referring to. A ring of light expanded outwards atop the gatehouse, vaporizing all the demons upon contact. The light dissipated before it could reach the walls and, at the center of it, was a person in heavily clad armor. Due to the distance, the person looked tiny to Dreu and he couldn¡¯t make out any features. The only thing he could differentiate was the holy knight armor that shone brightly from where he stood. He managed to hold the gatehouse against the demons. Dreu¡¯s excitement ceased when he noticed another horde of demons closing in on the holy knight. He waited for the man to use the spell again but the only scene was the man slaughtered by the demons. The holy knight didn¡¯t even appear to resist this time. With the loss of the gatehouse, Dreu watched the gate slowly open for the armies of demons still waiting outside. With the gate fallen under demon control, it wouldn''t take long for their position to get overrun. We should worry about our own wellbeing. Zhao¡¯s comment made Dreu turn towards the battlement where a large pincer appeared. The pincer was easily twice the size of a human. As the rest of the creature came into view, the young man found himself staring at the largest scorpion in his life. Taking account of its tail, the scorpion was easily the height of three humans. Its six eyes scanned the walls while it readied its pincers. Even the stinger looked poised to strike something. Seconds later, dozens of other scorpions appeared at various sections of the wall. Their presence caused chaos where the humans fought the demons and froze the human defenders when the scorpions were the only foes in sight. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Those are Demonic Scorpions,¡± remarked Bayard. ¡°We should avoid angering them by-¡± A human spellcaster beside Dreu fired a spell at one of the scorpions but the spell didn¡¯t leave a mark when the smoke cleared. The scorpion turned its attention to the aggressor and struck the spellcaster with its left pincer at lightning speed. Once the poor spellcaster was stuck in the pincer, the scorpion closed it slowly until the man was cut in two. Then, it simply discarded the man aside. The death of the spellcaster brought out a dragged out silence as the humans watched the man breathe his last breath. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Dreu whispered. Despite never seeing the scorpions before, the warning from Bayard and his gut both told him to avoid them if possible. The scorpion¡¯s pincer strike, far too quick for him to discern, was enough evidence. When a bunch of spellcasters coordinated an attack after they recovered from their shock, Dreu shook his head and watched the carnage unfold. The scorpion, likely angered by the attacks, charged far faster than a creature of its size should be capable of. Its large mass bowled over the soldiers while its pincers made short work of the spellcasters who were too slow to escape. Dreu knew a one-sided battle when he saw one and he almost pitied the humans on the receiving end of the scorpion. Many humans screamed in either pain or fear but they were quickly silenced by the creature as it had no interest in taking prisoners. Even with all the attempts by the humans, none of them could get past the scorpion''s exoskeleton. I¡¯m surprised it¡¯s ignoring us. Dreu made the remark as he forced his legs, frozen stiff by the presence of these massive creatures, to move. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes away should the creature turn its attention to him. Yet, the creature was only focused on those attacking it or those who stood in its way. The young man stuck close to his summons as they stayed well out of the way of the scorpion. The other humans attacked in desperation one after another, not realizing their actions were bringing about their deaths. Before long, it was only Dreu, his summons and humans too wounded to resist on the walls. The single scorpion did what numerous demons couldn''t achieve in a much shorter time frame. I don¡¯t think that thing is even warmed up. Those humans posed no threat to it. Demonic scorpions are terrifying foes unless you are prepared for it. We are sadly terribly underleveled and under equipped to fight it. Bayard¡¯s words confirmed Dreu¡¯s worst fears. The scorpion before him was perfectly capable of defeating all of them with ease. If they stayed near it when the scorpion ran out of foes, it would turn its attention on them. He searched for a way out when his eyes focused on the stairs that would take them down to the courtyard. Volume 1 Chapter 56 That might be our only way out. Dreu turned to see Bayard also staring at the stairs. What about the wounded? Are we just going to abandon them to save our own skin? Among the wounded was Jeane. When Bayard didn¡¯t respond, Dreu ran over to her. She was just finishing her healing spell on a nasty wound she got from the charging scorpion. ¡°We¡¯ll get down those stairs and see if we can meet more humans. Then, we can t-¡± Jeane shook her head but she didn¡¯t meet Dreu¡¯s eyes. There was a brief pause before she spoke. ¡°Go! I¡¯ll only slow you down.¡± Jeane stood up to face the approaching scorpion who had just finished off all the other humans and was ready to finish off the rest. Dreu was about to grab her when he felt himself lifted upwards. He found himself over Bayard¡¯s shoulder and struggled in futility to get out of the footman¡¯s grip. He kept calling Jeane¡¯s name until she disappeared from sight when Bayard ran down the stairs. His last sight of her was Jeane¡¯s pained smile as she was crushed in the scorpion¡¯s pincer. He also thought he saw her mouthing goodbye in those final moments. Let me down! Why didn¡¯t you help her? She is right! She will only slow us down in her current state. My job is to keep you alive. She willingly sacrificed herself for you. Don¡¯t let her death be in vain! Dreu yelled in frustration at the top of his lungs. His tears were mixing with the dust caused by the scorpion smashing the stairs above them. The group was halfway down the winding stairs and none of the summons were slowing down. Dreu was numb when he was put down. He looked around to find himself in the courtyard surrounded by demon soldiers. The sight of the enemy triggered multiple emotions within him but his fight response was the one to take over. That was when Bayard pointed at the demons. If your feelings for her are true, then turn the grief you feel into strength. Let the demons feel your wrath! They are the reason she is dead! Dreu drew his blade and felt the rage pouring into him. The red mist originating from the blade expanded until it covered the young man like a cloak. At the sight of the cloak, he wiped away his tears and shouted in fury at the demon soldiers who advanced cautiously towards the group. Without waiting for the others, the young man charged straight at the demon soldiers. His blade slashed through the demons like a knife through butter. Dreu lost count of how many demons he slayed. He also lost track of where his summons were. His mind was solely on avenging Jeane, even at the cost of his own life. He kept slashing at any demon before him, feeling the exhilaration of killing these monsters. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Kill! Kill them all! Dreu didn¡¯t know who spoke those words. Yet, he agreed with the voice. He wouldn¡¯t stop until all the demons were dead. Meanwhile, the voice kept urging him on. They killed your love. They deserve no mercy! Slaughter them all! Their deaths will make you stronger! With strength surging into his body, the young man didn¡¯t stop at all. He felt no fatigue and each kill felt like a boost to his overall being. Dreu didn¡¯t want the feeling to stop so he never paused on his attacks. At some point, the enemies became a blur but, knowing he was amidst the enemy ranks, he slashed at anyone nearby. Dreu eventually lost track of time, allowing his instincts to take over. It wasn¡¯t until the blade was knocked out of his hands did Dreu regain some of his senses. He was about to shout in anger but stopped short when he saw Bayard standing before him. What¡­what happened? Dreu tried to recall what happened after he drew his blade but his memory was a complete blank. He couldn¡¯t even tell if he was conscious or not. Such are the effects of wielding that blade of yours. The power it gives you comes at a hefty price. Remember that whenever you allow anger to take hold. I may not be there the next time the blade takes control of your mind. But you told me t- That was both a lesson and a means to carve a path out of the encirclement. At the mention of the second point, Dreu turned to see the demons reforming to fill the opening he and the summons created. Their group had somehow managed to break through the encirclement putting the demons between them and the walls. While the demon numbers only ballooned since earlier, the young man felt satisfaction that they were still alive and resisting. That proves what you are capable of at the moment. Learn how to achieve that without losing control to your anger and you will become that much more powerful. You probably feel stronger from your earlier rage induced combat. Dreu knew what Bayard was talking about but, faced with all the enemies, he couldn''t afford to check his prompt. To address the immediate danger, he knelt down and hesitantly picked up the blade. The only thing that he could vaguely recall if he thought hard was the unknown voice that told him to kill. A part of him wondered if the voice came from the blade itself. When making contact with the weapon didn¡¯t result in the return of the voice, the young man let his breath out. He readied his stance as he faced the demons. When the demon soldiers refused to approach him, he turned only to see his summons focused behind him. The demons are over here, everyone. There was a lengthy silence before Bayard spoke up. The demon army isn¡¯t the biggest threat anymore. We have someone far more dangerous making an appearance. Bayard got into his fighting stance after he spoke, making Dreu turn around to see who this new threat was. ¡°Bayard old friend! It¡¯s good to see you again! I expected you to pay me a visit sooner!¡± Volume 1 Chapter 57 The gust arrows raised the centaur¡¯s morale but the boost was only temporary. Colet could see the spell took a lot out from Eupoos and, if the Magus struggled this much, there was no way for any other centaur spellcasters to achieve the same feat. Even through estimates, there were a few hundred bow wielders at most and that was likely an overestimation. To give all of them ammunition would be a taxing task. The centaur chieftain wasn¡¯t disillusioned by their current situation. The ammunition would be used up and the beastmen, despite their losses, would keep coming. The giant beastman hadn¡¯t participated yet so they weren¡¯t even facing the biggest threat on this battlefield. Since he was a young centaur, Colet was told the stories of the beastmen. These creatures were known to reproduce much quicker than the other inhabitants of the plains. Due to their faster reproduction, they always boasted large numbers and would roam the plains for food. Surprisingly, the beastmen viewed cannibalism as a taboo so they had to rely on raids and even wars to get their food. For this very reason, the sighting of beastmen, even in small numbers, could spell trouble for those traveling in small numbers. Beastmen had ways to relay the location of food quickly and they would rapidly descend on what would become their meal. The centaurs experienced it firsthand when the beastmen numbers ballooned out of control and had them completely encircled. ¡°Magus, I take it you are out of mana?¡± Konstite asked in a calm voice and Eupoos responded with a nod. ¡°Then take a rest and let the shieldbreakers take over!¡± The centaur front ranks were collapsing under pressure. The ax wielders, despite their valiant efforts, were falling to the overwhelming numbers. For every beastman they slay, two would take its place. Once the ax wielders were defeated, the spear wielders would form the new front ranks. However, they were much smaller in numbers. If the centaurs had more time to prepare for the campaign, they might have trained more spear wielders. Given the current situation, the spear wielders might last several minutes at most. The bow wielders, once fighting in melee, would be at a huge disadvantage. Due to the circumstances, Konstite and his shieldbreakers were up next, whether they wanted to or not. They would be the last line to stand between the beastmen and the total annihilation of the centaurs. ¡°Chieftain,¡± Konstite turned to Colet. ¡°My loyalty for your father was unwavering. For him, I was willing to support you during the civil war. I always thought that I allowed my loyalty to blind me from what would be the better future for the centaurs.¡± The chieftain¡¯s eyes widened when he saw a teardrop down Konstite¡¯s face. He only saw the veteran centaur shed tears once during his father¡¯s funeral. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Yet, you proved over and over again that you didn¡¯t just inherit your father¡¯s name and blood. You also inherited his vision for a grander future for the centaurs. That future may never come to fruition but I want to tell you that it was an honor to serve you. In the afterlife, I will tell your father what a fine centaur you have become. If circumstances were any different, then you will surely surpass even your father.¡± Konstite took a step forward with his ax raised in the air. ¡°Shieldbreak!¡± shouted the veteran centaur. The other shieldbreakers then shouted the same thing in unison. Shieldbreak was an ability of these centaurs that could be seen as a limit breaker. For two hours, the user would break their limits and be several times more powerful than they were. The downside of the ability was that it had a one-time use due to the ability killing the user after the duration expired. In the past, the shieldbreakers only had to use a fraction of the ability to boost their combat capabilities with none of the downside. If they activated the full ability as they were doing at the moment, the centaurs would achieve the most power in their entire life in their final moments. The ability showed Colet the resolve of the shieldbreakers to end this battle or die trying. Once the shieldbreak ability triggered, a brownish aura surrounded the shieldbreakers. Then, all the shieldbreakers leaped over their fellow centaurs into the masses of beastmen. Their surprise arrival caught their enemies off guard as numerous beastmen were trampled in the process. Once they landed, the shieldbreakers hacked away like they were simply slashing out a clearing in a dense forest. None of the beastmen stood any chance and some faltered at the sight of these terrifying killing machines. Any beastmen that tried to get close would find an ax slicing and dicing it. Giant coming! Giant coming! The giant beastman, likely spotting the centaurs actively resisting and finding a second wind, advanced to finish the job itself. The creature moved surprisingly quickly for its size and, as it approached the masses of beastmen, it simply moved through crushing any unfortunate beastmen to get in its way. A dozen steps later, the giant beastman stood before Konstite who had just slayed a dozen beastmen in a single swing of his ax. Fresh blood still dripped from his ax as the repeated kills didn''t give the blood a chance to dry. ¡°Accepting your death by my hands?¡± Konstite shouted upon seeing the giant beastman. ¡°By making a good choice, I will make your death a swift one!¡± ¡°Enjoy your yapping while you can,¡± said the giant beastman. ¡°I will enjoy feasting on your flesh while you scream in pain.¡± Konstite charged the giant beastman who responded with a swing of its battleaxe. Before the battleaxe could make contact, the veteran centaur did a quick backstep to avoid it and galloped at full speed to close his distance with his opponent. Once in range, Konstite began slashing at the exposed foot drawing blood. The giant tried to retaliate but the centaur kept maneuvering to stay a step ahead of the beastman. It was obvious the giant was used to fighting enemies who stood still before it. Against a more agile opponent, it was almost helpless as it couldn¡¯t use its weapon to inflict any damage. Volume 1 Chapter 58 A man clad in white armor with golden trimmings stood roughly as tall as Bayard. The armor emitted a light glow that engulfed the man¡¯s entire body. Two swords and their scabbards could be seen at the two sides of the man¡¯s hip. Even from where he stood, Dreu could make out some characters written across the chest plate, though the characters were too foreign for him to recognize them. The helmet resembled the head of a horse and covered the man¡¯s entire head. Dreu only noticed the man was floating above the ground when he looked at the man¡¯s sabaton that had wings attached to them. The man resembled the folk tale hero who would save the humans from external threats. Dreu could sense the man staring directly at him despite the man having his entire face covered. ¡°That¡¯s the Right Arm of Xemir,¡± said Bayard with disgust in his voice. ¡°We just call him Rowan the Traitor or Rowan the Dog, whichever you find fitting.¡± Dreu tried to process that information. The Right Arm of Xemir was a powerful demi-god under the god, Xemir. As the name suggested, the demi-god served as an extension to the god to defeat the enemies of the human race. Stories claimed the Right Arm of Xemir ensured the human race''s survival against all odds in the past three hundred years or so. The timing matched Bayard''s story about the critical battle that decided the fate of the continent. The title of traitor and dog certainly brought up many questions in the young man¡¯s mind but this was neither the time nor place to discuss the matter. His train of thought was then interrupted when the demi-god spoke up. ¡°Fascinating! To think another emperor would appear after your goddess has abandoned the continent.¡± Rowan raised his hand in the air. ¡°Swear your allegiance to Xemir and you will be handsomely rewarded! Oppose him and you will end up like those behind you!¡± Dreu turned around to see the column of light dissipating, leaving a large hole where dozens of demon soldiers stood. When he studied Rowan, he couldn''t sense the demi-god as serious or tense. The Right Arm of Xemir made the demon army look pitiful in comparison. Before Dreu could consider the offer, Zhao dashed into action with his spear pointed straight at Rowan. The demi-god effortlessly dodged every attack and even taunted Zhao. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Zhao? You have grown so weak since I last saw you. It¡¯s so pitiful to see someone so feared in battle once has become an empty shell of his former self. Is this what happens when your goddess isn''t there to aid you?¡± With a simple kick, Rowan sent Zhao flying and the footman landed near Dreu. ¡°You¡¯ve grown so weak that you don''t even compare to a mortal I fought three years ago. His fighting style was likely based on yours. I can only imagine his disappointment if the mighty Zhao has sunk to such levels.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to hear about those who are still learning my style of wielding the spear. Looks like Xemir hasn''t manipulated the hearts of all the humans yet.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Past tense,¡± Rowan said smugly. ¡°He claimed to be the last student of your style. His name was¡­¡± The demi-god paced back and forth as he thought. When the demon soldiers advanced towards him, another column of light came down and decimated them. ¡°I believe the man called himself Ross. He was trying in desperation to buy time in Lullin.¡± Lullin? Dreu¡¯s mind was rushing when Rowan mentioned the name. Lullin was a small insignificant town to outsiders so it came as a shock to hear the demi-god know of its existence. What¡¯s wrong? Dreu was unsure if his facial expression gave away his shock so he quickly recovered his composure. The demi-god was still pacing back and forth so the young man hoped Rowan didn¡¯t notice. He debated within himself before choosing to come clean with the footman. Lullin was my home and Ross was my father. Three years ago, the small town was destroyed and I found no survivors. When Bayard didn¡¯t respond, Dreu thought he failed to communicate with the footman. Before Dreu could say anything, Zhao walked a few steps towards the demi-god. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of Lullin. I thought someone like you wouldn¡¯t have time to be bothered with small villages.¡± ¡°You might think that,¡± said Rowan after a laugh, ¡°but Lullin was home to those still loyal to the goddess. I decided that, for their loyalty, I would send them to hell personally.¡± ¡°So you killed this Ross person along with everyone there?¡± ¡°Not only Ross and the humans there,¡± said Rowan with ice in his words. ¡°I even had the joy of slaughtering all the nonhumans there. It was a fun little massacre to help me pass the time.¡± The Right Arm of Xemir pointed a finger at Zhao and cast a beam from it. Upon impact, Zhao¡¯s right arm and right torso were disintegrated. ¡°I will do you a favor by helping you meet this Ross. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be excited to meet the famous Zhao.¡± Rowan shifted his finger and went on to disintegrate the rest of the footman. Dreu quickly checked his prompt and was relieved to see Zhao¡¯s name still in the recall list. He then looked up to see the demi-god staring straight at him. ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t need further demonstration.¡± Rowan drew one of his swords. ¡°Why not join the winning side instead of aligning yourself with losers like her?¡± The Right Arm of Xemir slashed at a green fireball going his way. Dreu followed the direction of the fireball until he stopped at Eglallin with one of her hands outstretched. ¡°That wasn¡¯t very nice,¡± said the demoness. ¡°It¡¯s rude to call others losers.¡± Eglallin summoned multiple fireballs around her and fired them at Rowan. While the demi-god intercepted the attacks with his sword, someone in dark armor appeared behind him with a sword drawn. The Right Arm of Xemir stopped the fireballs with one sword and drew the other sword to intercept the newcomer¡¯s attack. ¡°Looks like we have a full party here today! Tying up the loose ends is long overdue!¡± Volume 1 Chapter 59 Just as Rowan finished his sentence, multiple green fireballs were shot at him. When the fireballs were a meter or so from the demi-god, an opaque barrier appeared and, upon collision, the fireballs dissipated. The demoness glided backwards as she fired waves of fireballs at Rowan, though none of them got through the barrier. Meanwhile, the newcomer unsummoned his sword and called forth his halberd. ¡°Let me guess!¡± said Rowan with a very smug tone. ¡°One of you wants to avenge your old master and one of you wants to avenge your old lover. Well, I can promise you one thing. You two will be joining Gavienus soon enough. You can thank me in the afterlife!¡± With that, Rowan raised both of his swords. When he swung them, a large gust blew past Dreu¡¯s group. Before Rowan could take action against the two demons, an army of demons swarmed in and, instead of surrounding the demi-god, headed straight for the castle entrance. Just then, Dreu recalled something and turned his attention to the demon with the halberd. That demon¡­.was the one who fought Zhao. He was on a black horse. His name is Braglames. Dreu repeated the name after Bayard said it. Being much closer to the demon than last time, he could make out the various dents in the armor. The halberd looked well used but the point appeared incredibly sharp. The demon¡¯s height rivaled that of Bayard and Rowan while his aura made the young man shiver. Is this the bloodlust coming from the demon? ¡°Rowan,¡± said the demon. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure your death will be fitting for a traitor! I won''t make the same mistake as last time!¡± When the demon readied his halberd, the demon soldiers had almost reached the castle entrance where they were intercepted by the remaining human garrison. The humans were few in numbers but they looked formidable to Dreu. ¡°Braglames, I hope you can back up what you say! With Bayard in his current pathetic state, you alone don¡¯t stand a chance against me.¡± In response to Rowan¡¯s comment, Braglames raised his halberd and held it up like a two-handed sword. The demon¡¯s shadow then moved beside him before it materialized out of the ground. Once fully formed, the shadow looked identical to Braglames and could move independently. Dreu checked to see the demon''s shadow had indeed disappeared. I can¡¯t believe he mastered the Shadow Double. Shadow Double? Dreu studied Bayard as he wondered if the footman was capable of demonic spells. Demonic spells were completely forbidden in the kingdom and those caught even speaking it were executed. The young man could see how the continent was a very different place three hundred years earlier. If demonic spells and spells from nonhumans were all fair game, he could only imagine how powerful spellcasters could get with all that knowledge. If that were the case, the young man wondered why the knowledge was banned when it could have benefited the humans. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. It was an ability developed by the previous owner of the Emperor Class, Gavienus Tobias, to aid him in the struggle against the god, Xemir. As you can imagine from the outcome, the ability wasn''t enough. Was Gavienus my ancestor? Eglallin seems to think so during our encounter. Now¡¯s not the time for this, interrupted Rohese. We¡¯ll all be dead if we stay in the open while those monsters fight one another. You¡¯re right, Rohese. We can discuss Dreu¡¯s lineage at a later date. Let''s head that way! Bayard led the group away from the two demons and the demi-god. They reached the wall beside a crystal that was embedded. The footman then turned to Dreu. ¡°Input your mana into the crystal and the crystal should form a barrier around us. Apply a constant rate and we should be fine from the bout between Rowan and the two demons.¡± Dreu felt his face redden at the request. He took several deep breaths before he spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve never casted a spell in my life. I don¡¯t even know if I have mana.¡± Dreu could still recall the disappointing visit to the adventurer¡¯s guild where he was told he had no magical abilities. Due to the long lineup filled with many new optimistic adventurers, the young man was told to leave after the first assessment. Therefore, he wasn¡¯t even sure if he possessed mana or not. Generally, those without magical abilities lacked or had very little mana. However, there was still a big gap between those with small amounts of mana and those who possessed none of it. To this day, Dreu was unsure which group he belonged to. He smiled sheepishly as he stared at Bayard who was, for the first time they met, stumped. Let¡¯s get going then. Rohese held a large shield, standing between the group and the battle at hand. We can worry about Dreu¡¯s magical talents when our lives aren¡¯t in danger. W- An explosion got everyone¡¯s attention at the castle entrance, including Rowan and the two demons. When the dust settled, there wasn¡¯t a single demon soldier still alive. There was however a single being standing under the portcullis. The person resembled Rowan in appearance with the white armor and gold trimmings. Yet, this person didn¡¯t float above the ground and the preferred weapon was a scythe as opposed to the twin blades of the Right Arm of Xemir. Who is that? Dreu repeated the question but no one responded. They all stared at the newcomer who remained underneath the portcullis, showing no interest in moving away from the spot. Then, the young man noticed Braglames and his double charging towards the newcomer with their halberds raised for battle. He hadn''t expected the demon to disengage the Right Arm of Xemir so easily. Dreu turned his head, expecting Rowan to pursue the demon. Surprisingly, the Right Arm of Xemir simply stood there as though he looked forward to what was about to happen. The demi-god even sheathed his weapons, allowing Dreu to reach the same conclusion as Bayard who voiced his thoughts. I don¡¯t know who that is but I suspect Xemir has granted his blessing to another human. Now, we have two enemy demi-gods instead of one. Damn it! Volume 1 Chapter 60 The giant beastman took a few more swings at Konstite with its battleaxe but it hit nothing. The shieldbreak ability boosted the veteran centaur¡¯s reaction time and speed making him nearly impossible to hit by the giant. The size difference also gave the centaur an edge as he could maneuver more easily around the beastman¡¯s feet, making the battleaxe a useless weapon at such close proximity. Meanwhile, Konstite repeatedly landed cut after cut on the giant. The cuts weren¡¯t deep but they were adding up and the fur around the beastman¡¯s ankles were matted with blood. The giant beastman roared in rage as it couldn¡¯t land a clean hit on Konstite. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, big boy?¡± taunted Konstite. ¡°Is your meal giving you too much of a hard time? Maybe you should stick with grass!¡± The giant, recognizing its battleaxe¡¯s limitations, began stomping down at the centaur. Despite its best efforts, the beastman kept missing as the centaur was too agile. Realizing its disadvantage, the giant called out for beastmen to assist it. Yet, there were no beastmen nearby. The shieldbreakers had utterly crushed the other beastmen in a couple of minutes leaving beastman corpses across the entire battlefield. Once no help nearby dawned on it, the giant beastman looked down at Konstite. ¡°Hard time? I¡¯ll show you the gap in our power!¡± The giant beastman created a shockwave with its roar alone. While Colet braced against the shockwave, he watched in horror as the beastman¡¯s blood took on a life of its own. The blood turned black and, like caterpillars, crawled down to the ground towards nearby beastman corpses. The blood then inserted itself into the corpses before the beastmen stood up on their own strength. Their heads turned towards the nearest centaurs, revealing dark orbs in their eye sockets. ¡°Meet my shadow puppets!¡± The corpses attacked the closest centaur shortly after the introduction. The shieldbreakers soon found themselves struggling against beings that were not only faster but also stronger. Unlike the beastmen that were slayed earlier, the reanimated corpses were far more adept in combat and had a ferocity unlike any living being or creature. Despite breaking their limits, the centaurs found themselves forced into the defensive as they tried to weather the storm. Only Konstite fought on even terms with the corpse that lunged at him. The two of them clashed multiple times with neither side having an edge over their opponent. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The giant beastmen returned the taunt this time. ¡°Are my tiny summons giving you too much of a hard time? Maybe you should stick with logs!¡± The fury on Konstite¡¯s face was evident following the taunt. His swing became faster and sharper giving him a slight edge over his foe. Following repeated swings, the veteran centaur found an opening and cut the beastman corpse in half. As the two halves of the corpse fell to the ground, the black blood that possessed it crawled back to the giant beastman. As Konstite looked up at the giant, his face turned to surprise when a fireball hit the beastman¡¯s face. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°You servant of the dark powers,¡± said Eupoos. ¡°We will send you back to where you belong!¡± Colet was so accustomed to a calm and composed Magis that he wasn¡¯t ready for the Eupoos filled with fury. The centaur spellcaster didn¡¯t bother hiding his disgust of the abomination that stood before them. Before the first fireball landed, he was already charging up a second one ready to throw at the giant beastman. ¡°That tickled, little spellcaster! You can keep throwing those and I won¡¯t be hurt.¡± Before the giant finished, Eupoos let loose the second fireball. The second one hit the target but, like the first one, didn¡¯t even make the beastman flinch. Colet watched as the Magus repeated the process a handful of times. By the time Eupoos was charging up his eleventh fireball, the giant had already ignored him and focused on Konstite who was still trying to best the giant. Despite landing numerous cuts on the beastman, Konstite had yet to make the giant fall onto one of its knees. Then, the eleventh fireball landed and a large explosion knocked the beastman onto its behind. ¡°How?¡± muttered Colet in awe. Konstite rushed to target the giant¡¯s head while the beastman was on the ground. His earlier attempts failed to bring the giant down so he wasn''t about to waste such a golden opportunity. Yet, more of the reanimated corpses intercepted him. It took five reanimated corpses to hold the veteran centaur in place. Konstite could only watch in frustration as the giant beastman got back on its feet. ¡°Not bad, spellcaster!¡± The beastman walked towards Konstite. ¡°I will deal with you after I finish this small bug. The bug has entertained me enough and I will reward him for his efforts!¡± ¡°No!¡± shouted Colet as he watched the giant raise his battleaxe. Konstite roared as he pushed against the reanimated corpses that held him down. Yet, they managed to hold him in place, allowing the battleaxe to come at him. The centaur chieftain watched in horror as the veteran centaur was cleaved in half along with the reanimated corpses. The legendary warrior of the centaurs was defeated by the abomination created by dark powers. While the veteran centaur did fall in combat as he wanted, the loss of Konstite was still tough for Colet who had repeatedly lost fellow centaurs in the last couple of days. ¡°Now,¡± said the giant as it turned its attention to Eupoos, ¡°it¡¯s your turn! Feel pride for making me fall. That isn''t a feat anyone else has achieved thus far.¡± The giant beastman began its charge at the Magus with its battleaxe swinging. Colet, who had just witnessed the death of Konstite, felt something surging within him. He felt it earlier when the earth elemental spells awakened something within him. Standing beside Eupoos, Colet chose to no longer stay idle. He also no longer allowed fear to hold him back. Allowing the power to take over him, he felt it guiding him in what he must do next. Whispers could be heard in his head. Once he understood what had to be done, Colet brought his two forward feet up. Volume 1 Chapter 61 Braglames and his double closed in on the newcomer, getting the attention of everyone else. They were several meters from the being when the newcomer suddenly vanished from sight. Next, the demon was sent flying and, while he was in the air, the newcomer leaped into the air with his scythe swinging downwards. In a matter of seconds, the demon was sliced in half by the newcomer. Before the newcomer landed, he vanished again and appeared beneath the portcullis. Unlike the demon Dreu saw moving as a shadow in the cave, the newcomer was capable of teleportation, something the young man only heard of in myths. It¡¯s over? Dreu was nearly speechless with what had happened. He looked to Bayard but the footman looked like a statue. Not yet. Upon hearing Rohese¡¯s comment, Dreu looked and noticed the demon standing where his double was at. Before he could ask another question, Bayard shared his observation. I didn¡¯t think it was possible but Braglames managed to switch spots with his double. If the demon faces the same limitations as the former emperor, then he likely cannot summon another double for a while. ¡°The offer is still on the table!¡± Dreu turned to Rowan who was no doubt speaking to him. The demi-god also effortlessly fended off Eglallin¡¯s fireballs with his barrier while he kept talking. ¡°The demons are done for. Eglallin and Braglames are impressive by demon standards but they cannot get past me and Azorius. The Purificator will activate and we¡¯ll eradicate any survivors.¡± Dreu watched an arrow go through the barrier only to bounce off Rowan¡¯s armor harmlessly. The demi-god raised his sword in the direction of Rohese and, when the young man turned his head, the summoned archer was sliced in half before she disintegrated. With ease, the Right Arm of Xemir finished off Zhao and Rohese, leaving only Bayard and Guiot by his side. Dreu knew that they would fare poorly against Rowan. In their current situation, they were merely wingless moths waiting for the demi-god to decide when their time came to an end. ¡°Azorius?¡± asked Bayard. ¡°As in King Azorius?¡± The name was familiar but Dreu failed to connect the dots until Bayard asked the question. For a moment, he thought the newcomer just happened to share the same name as the king. There were plenty of Dreus all over the kingdom for instance. He had no doubt there were plenty of people named Azorius, likely after the king. ¡°Well, the former king. Now that Azorius is serving Xemir, he has given up his crown to dedicate his entire life to the deity. Quite admirable, isn¡¯t it?¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Rowan swung his sword at Eglallin, sending the demoness flying towards the castle wall. With her out of the picture, Rowan took several steps towards Dreu. ¡°Descendent of Emperor Gavienus Tobias! I offer you this rare opportunity! King Azorius has given up his throne to be the Left Arm of Xemir. The humans still need a ruler to guide them towards their golden age. Serve Xemir and become the emperor for the people! Become the emperor who will achieve what no humans has achieved before. As a devout servant of Xemir, you will be taught the full powers of your Emperor Class. Not only will you command the largest empire in history but you will also be the strongest mortal. Power, wealth, fame! You shall have all of it! There¡¯s no reason for you to turn down this offer! Join us!¡± Several fireballs got Rowan¡¯s attention. The Right Arm of Xemir turned towards Eglallin. ¡°Why are you demons like cockroaches? I¡¯ll celebrate when the Purificator permanently wipes out your kind.¡± Dreu¡¯s knees weakened when he felt a tidal wave of magic released from the castle. His fears were confirmed by Rowan. ¡°This is where we say farewell, Eglallin.¡± Rowan bowed to the demoness. ¡°I may not always be a fan but I will miss the entertainment you provide so willingly.¡± ¡°Did you think we didn¡¯t come with an escape plan?¡± Eglallin said as she pulled out a dark crystal. As the demoness broke the crystal in her palm, the light coming from Azorius¡¯ armor grabbed Dreu¡¯s attention. ¡°What did you do?¡± the demoness screamed several seconds later. ¡°It¡¯s one of Azorius¡¯ abilities,¡± said Rowan with a chuckle. ¡°For one use per day, he can cancel out all portals within a kilometer radius of him for five minutes. I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to tell you that neither you nor Braglames have five minutes.¡± ¡°You bastard,¡± muttered Eglallin. ¡°I promise you that will be on your epitaph, demoness.¡± A second after Rowan spoke, an enormous light erupted from the castle and went outwards as an ever expanding ring. While Dreu¡¯s group were unaffected, the two demonic leaders burst into flames. Despite what they were enduring, neither of the demons cried out in pain nor struggled helplessly. Both collapsed onto one knee and stayed in that position even when their lives were snuffed out. ¡°A new age has come,¡± announced Rowan. ¡°The Great Xemir has promised us this day would be here! An age where humans shall reign supreme and become the masters of Ittoroth. The new golden age shall see humans reach new heights. All hail Xemir! All hail, the human race!¡± Rowan sheathed his swords and pointed his index finger at Guiot, disintegrating the footman. He then pointed at Bayard but the veteran footman dodged enough to only lose an arm and shield. Before Rowan could finish what he started, a hand grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Leave him around so I can use the ability Xemir granted me.¡± The Right Arm of Xemir gestured to Azorius to go ahead. The former king walked towards Dreu. Before Bayard could intercept Azorius, the demi-god pointed at Dreu with his index finger. ¡°I think we are all tired of your interference, Bayard!¡± said Azorius. Dreu felt something like chains tighten around him. For a few seconds, he struggled to breathe and thought he was going to suffocate to death. When the discomfort disappeared, the young man¡¯s eyes widened as Bayard vanished into thin air without a word. He then tried opening his prompt but nothing responded. ¡°That should be it for them,¡± said Azorius. "Bayard and the others are officially dead." Volume 1 Chapter 62 ¡°What did you do?¡± shouted Dreu. ¡°What was that spell you casted on me?¡± ¡°Xemir had tolerated the thorns by his side long enough and granted me, his Left Arm, the ability to permanently wipe out the roster you inherited from the former emperor. It¡¯s not all bad! Once you learn how to use the Emperor Class, you will have summons who are not only loyal but are also fully aligned with your visions. Bayard and his crew are relics from a past best left in the past. They were merely holding you back from your full potential!¡± ¡°The Right Arm of Xemir offered me a throne but there is no one to rule over. What¡¯s the point of becoming an emperor when all those around you are dead?¡± ¡°My apologies,¡± said Rowan as he bowed. ¡°The great Xemir has foreseen this and granted me this powerful spell.¡± Rowan¡¯s armor steadily became brighter until it was far too bright for Dreu to look at it directly. Then, the light vanished without warning with a gentle breeze blowing past the young man. Seconds later, the humans at the castle entrance stood up and checked their bodies. Their body language highlighted their confusion. Given that resurrection spells were exceptionally rare and generally worked on only a single target, Dreu¡¯s mind struggled to grasp what was happening before his eyes. ¡°The great Xemir anticipated losses in this war so he prepared this powerful spell to speed up the rebuilding. All humans within the kingdom are affected and are currently revived as we speak. Despite the destruction caused by the demons exceeding what he has foreseen, the revival of all the humans will ensure a speedy recovery to the kingdom. In a few years, you shall be crowned the emperor of Ittoroth. You won''t have to worry about a throne with no subjects. Now, join us!¡± Rowan offered a hand with promise of power, wealth and fame. Dreu wondered about his options but Azorius simply laid them out to him. ¡°Let me also make this point, Dreu. You are now defenseless. The demons are vanquished. Your summons are gone. Your blade cannot save you against us. I think the choice is obvious. Serve Xemir and you will have no regrets. Refuse and only death awaits you! Don¡¯t expect this generous offer to last indefinitely. I am not as patient as the Right Arm here.¡± Dreu pondered the words of the former king and couldn¡¯t see fault in the demi-god''s logic. He was indeed without allies. By himself, he couldn¡¯t hope to land a blow on the demi-gods, much less defeat them. If he was dead, then he had no chance of avenging his family along with Bayard and the others. Before the young man could accept the offer, darkness formed beneath Rowan and Azorious, rooting them to the ground. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Go through that portal now!¡± shouted a voice with much urgency. Dreu turned to see Eglallin shouting at him. The demoness was still on one knee and she looked like she was barely staying conscious. He then followed her gaze to the portal about twenty meters away. The portal looked similar to those atop the walls when the demons were teleported in for the attacks earlier. With a rough idea of where they led to, he dashed towards the portal. It didn¡¯t take long before he felt a presence quickly gaining on him. ¡°You¡¯re a fool, peasant! I''ll be sure to let you join the other traitors who dared to oppose Xemir!¡± Azorius¡¯ voice sent shivers down Dreu¡¯s spine but the young man kept running. He refused to let fear stop him. In a way, his desire for revenge also contributed to his drive to run faster. Yet, he could feel their gap closing rapidly while he was only halfway to the portal. As he felt a hand reach for him, an unknown being appeared between him and Azorius. ¡°Don¡¯t stop to look! Keep running!¡± Urged on by Eglallin, Dreu resisted his curiosity and reached the portal. As he stepped through, he turned his head to see two scenes. One was Rowan delivering the final blow to Eglallin with his sword beheading the demoness. The second scene was Azorius crossing blade with the being responsible for Geoff¡¯s death in the Cleric Fortress of Ujun. Before he could see that victor in the second scene, the portal closed behind him and darkness embraced him. As he floated in the darkness, Dreu felt a presence approaching behind him. He struggled awkwardly to turn around and was stunned at the sight of Eglallin gliding towards him. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking,¡± said the being, ¡°but Eglallin is now dead. With the last of her powers, she opened the portal and summoned me as your guide.¡± ¡°This was not what I expected when it comes to portals.¡± ¡°Were you expecting more instantaneous travel? I fear we demons don¡¯t have such a useful spell around. For large scale invasions, we still have to worry about logistics due to their importance in any war.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s a dumb question but where are we headed? Xemir prefers to keep demon knowledge hidden for most in the kingdom.¡± ¡°Gujash.¡± ¡°Gujash?¡± ¡°Yes, Gujash, the capital city of the demons.¡± ¡°Why am I headed there?¡± ¡°You will be meeting a very wise demon. He may help you to the best of his abilities with the spell Azorius casted on you. Eglallin was conscious when they spoke of taking away your allies. She wanted to share that the demons will fight by your side as long as you remain an enemy of Xemir. At Gujash, you will find allies with the common goal of defeating the kingdom. Of course, this is assuming that you haven''t given up on fighting them.¡± ¡°I have a bone to pick with him and his Right Arm. I won¡¯t stop until I get my revenge.¡± At the mention of revenge, Dreu felt his blade warming up to the touch. He wondered if his blade was responding to the anger within him. Recalling what Bayard said, he took several deep breaths to calm himself. ¡°You will get a chance! What happened in Xante was expected and we made countermeasures.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 63 When Colet stomped his feet down, two cracks, originating from beneath his hooves, went outwards in a v-shape. The cracks on the ground halted the giant beastman in its tracks. The two cracks quickly propagated past the giant before they stopped abruptly some distance behind it. As the beastman took a step back, the ground before the centaur chieftain formed a hole. The hole then expanded outwards while staying within the two cracks. The expansion began slowly but it steadily picked up speed. Once the giant realized nothing it did would slow down the hole¡¯s formation, it turned to run as quickly as its two feet could take it. The moment the beastman pivoted and took its second step, the ground beneath it collapsed. The beastman flayed its arms as it fell down the hole. ¡°Say hello to hell for me,¡± said Colet as he watched the giant fall into the depths. As the chieftain was about to turn away, the Magus¡¯ words gave him the chills. ¡°It¡¯s not over,¡± said Eupoos simply. Colet watched helplessly as the giant¡¯s blood formed giant, shadowy claws that reached outwards until they gripped right into the earth. A dozen or so claws stopped the beastman¡¯s descent as the creature appeared to be hovering midair. The claws then systematically moved up in groups as they brought the giant back towards the surface, similar to how a spider moved its legs. The chieftain turned to Eupoos but the Magus looked spent from his earlier spells. The spellcaster centaur looked like his legs were barely supporting him. When he returned his attention to the threat, Colet could only watch the giant inch closer towards the surface until it rose up from the hole as though it had risen from the hell itself. Next, the claws along one side of the giant pushed off the earth while the claws on the other side released their grip. Colet watched the giant beastman gracefully land on solid land with the ugliest grin he had ever seen. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± said the beastman before letting out a bellowing laugh. Before Colet could respond, he felt a hand with a firm grip on his arm. He turned to see an intense expression on the Magus. ¡°We don¡¯t have time!¡± whispered the centaur. Eupoos pulled Colet and the chieftain, choosing to trust the Magus, allowed himself to be guided. The two of them headed back towards the other centaurs who all stared at the Magus. ¡°My chieftain! It¡¯s been an honor to serve you! I will be joining Konstite today but I know you will bring glory to the centaurs. Please live a long and prosperous life!¡± Eupoos did a quick bow that was a standard greeting towards the chieftain. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Aegis Barrier!¡± Eupoos'' voice shook the earth itself as a barrier surrounded all the centaurs. Moments later, Colet caught sight of a light traveling outwards like a ring. When the ring made contact with the giant beastman, the creature¡¯s fur burst into flames as it screamed out in pain. The light then closed in on them and, subconsciously, Colet and the other centaurs braced with their arms. The chieftain watched as the light was absorbed into the barrier. When he felt no pain and stared around at the living centaurs, he understood what Eupoos did. ¡°Thank you, Magus! The centaurs will not fall under my leadership.¡± With a smile, Eupoos¡¯ body simply disintegrated into dust along with the barrier. With the barrier gone, there was an odd sense of silence on the plains. He couldn¡¯t even detect a breeze and, since the beastmen were spotted, he felt a sense of tranquility. So this is what victory feels like? Colet was thinking about the emptiness when he quickly looked up. Ilumin came down and landed on his shoulder. After confirming the Cloud Hawk was alright, the chieftain went back to surveying his surroundings. The shieldbreakers had all perished when the reanimated dead rose to fight them. They valiantly fought back and took down their enemies with them. With the shieldbreakers gone and the ax wielders all dead, the centaurs no longer had frontliners. Yet, the scene around them was off-putting. Following the light, all the corpses around them burned up in similar flames as the one that had engulfed the giant beastman earlier. As he was about to address the centaurs, a growl made him turn around slowly. The badly burned beastman stared at him with a hatred that nearly stilled his heart. ¡°I shall feast upon your flesh! I will not die today!¡± The voice didn¡¯t have the same strength but the giant beastman didn¡¯t need a strong voice to strike fear. All of its fur was burned away. The skin looked red and swelling with blisters covering a large portion of the beastman¡¯s body. The creature¡¯s head looked especially bad with its brain showing briefly before a black ooze covered the organ and the blisters. The beastman was ugly before but the burns had somehow made it uglier. Colet wouldn¡¯t hesitate to insult the creature if he wasn¡¯t out of ideas of how to defeat it. Flee! Flee! Other beastmen approach! Colet understood the Cloud Hawk¡¯s suggestion. However, there were two problems with that plan. First, he was completely spent. Whatever he did earlier completely drained him of his stamina. He could barely stand, let alone walk or gallop. Secondly, a group of beastmen were heading their way and effectively cut off their escape route. Regardless of how these beastmen survived the light which Colet suspected to have originated from the Purificator, his centaurs were worn out and were in no condition to fight the group of fresh beastmen, let alone the group and the giant. As despair began to seep into him, the promise he made to Eupoos pushed the despair out. Gripping his ax, Colet walked towards the group of beastmen. If he faltered, then the other centaur would surely rout or give up. He wouldn¡¯t let that happen as long as he lived. ¡°Who will be the first victim of my ax?¡± Colet shouted out. One beastman stepped out with a smile on his face. ¡°Good! You can still fight! I was worried you centaurs would be broken now.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 64 ¡°How long does it take to reach¡­.¡± ¡°Gujash?¡± ¡°Yes. How long does it take to reach Gujash through these portals?¡± ¡°Two hours should be sufficient.¡± ¡°Do you mind if I ask some questions in the meantime?¡± Dreu waved his arms and kicked his legs in a swimming motion, showing that he had little control over his progress in the portal. ¡°That would help me pass the time while we slowly get there.¡± ¡°What is on your mind?¡± Dreu first talked about the invasion and the overwhelming advantage of the demon forces. He described all the battles he was part of before he got to the burning question in his mind. ¡°How are they giving humans such a hard time?¡± Dreu passed briefly to collect his thoughts. ¡°I fought those demonic soldiers. They were numerous but they were weak individually. The castle defenders were all veterans compared to me. In terms of experience, training and skills, they all vastly outrank me. Yet, it looked like they were defeated in a very one-sided battle. The demons had the advantage from the very start.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all Eglallin¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°She cast a buff on all of the demons?¡± ¡°In a way. Did you notice something abnormal about the way the humans had been fighting those demons?¡± Dreu took a whole minute visualizing the humans and recalling the training Bayard provided him. Once he compared what he was taught and what he visualized, one flaw jumped out that he missed during the heat of the moment. ¡°They were attacking with all their might when engaged with the demonic soldiers. Why were they doing that when they only needed a fraction of their strength? I¡¯d imagine veterans like them wouldn¡¯t make such a rookie mistake.¡± ¡°Do you know the three reactions humans have when faced with fear?¡± ¡°Fight, flight or freeze?¡± ¡°Correct! Those are battle hardened veterans so flight and freeze are out of the question. Yet, their fighting styles change if they experience fear. That¡¯s the secret weapon of the demons.¡± ¡°They are battle hardened veterans as you described. There¡¯s no way they can be afraid of those demonic soldiers.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where Eglallin comes in. Demons have an inherent aura that causes fear in low level humans. The demoness has a spell that increases the potency of that aura by several magnitudes. No human is safe from that aura when the demoness is involved because no human could fully overcome the fear they experience. Feeling fear, those veterans are subconsciously overexerting with each attack and they won''t realize until fatigue has settled in. Now you know how the demons managed to reach the capital.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Dreu absorbed the new information and took a while to process all of it. The more he thought about it, the more everything made sense. He could see how a combination of this aura and portals to strike from unexpected directions would be a very potent combination. In addition, the demons had the initiative during the entire invasion. They picked where to strike, resulting in the humans being reactive to the attacks. The human forces were isolated and destroyed with ease. Therefore, the humans offered little resistance throughout the entire war and would have experienced a total defeat if it weren¡¯t for the intervention of the two demi-gods. In the end, the demons achieved nothing if all the humans were indeed resurrected by Rowan. ¡°I know you are deep in thoughts,¡± interrupted the portal guide, ¡°but I was told to assist you with one matter before we exit the portal.¡± Dreu followed the guide¡¯s gaze until he noticed a thick tome floating towards them. The guide grabbed the tome and turned towards the young man. ¡°Eglallin did want to leave a parting gift due to fate bringing you two together. You may learn two spells from her arsenal. Pick two and I¡¯ll teach it to you. Don¡¯t dawdle too long or I won¡¯t have enough time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know any of her spells. Do you have any recommendations?¡± The guide shrugged her shoulders and stated that the tome had over a thousand spells. Many of these spells were far too niche to be useful but Eglallin liked to record them should they ever become useful. Dreu then asked if he could take a look at the contents to which the guide asked him if he could read the demonic language. After he shook his head, the young man thought deeply while he recalled his brief interaction with the demoness. Other than her fireball spells and the ability to float, he remembered little else. He then thought about the earlier conversation and turned to the guide. ¡°I wish to learn the spell Eglallin used to increase the fear aura.¡± ¡°Excellent choice! What¡¯s your second spell?¡± ¡°Does she have one that can summon portals like the one we¡¯re in?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid she doesn¡¯t have that in her arsenal. Very useful but also very challenging to master, even for the demoness.¡± ¡°Shadow double?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Braglames¡¯ spell. The demoness has never been taught about it, nor does it fit her fighting style.¡± ¡°What type of spell does Eglallin excel in?¡± ¡°She excels in curses, summoning and chaos flames.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll learn her strongest summoning spell!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not compatible due to your Emperor Class.¡± The next several minutes were the longest minutes in Dreu''s life. After a lot more questions, he finally decided on a curse protection spell. He wasn¡¯t sure how well he would fare with offensive spells when he had so little knowledge on his mana situation. A spell that required a lot less spamming would suit him better. Given how thick the tome was, he doubted he would have sufficient time to dig into it more and find the perfect spell. At the same time, the young man was amazed the demon knew so many spells. He could only imagine how many lifetimes he would need to know that many spells. ¡°This will be a little painful,¡± said the guide. Before Dreu could register what was said, he felt incredible pain throughout his body. The pain soon became so unbearable that he blacked out. Before he lost consciousness, he thought he heard a voice. "Wake up, sleepy head! Time to get up for breakfast!" Volume 1 Chapter 65 "Wake up, sleepy head! Time to get up for breakfast!" Having heard the words a second time, Dreu slowly opened his eyes. He expected to be somewhere in Gujash but the voice he heard made no sense. He was certain he heard his mother calling him. Why would mother be in a demon city? Dreu opened his eyes and, to his shock, his mother was right there. Her face and smile was just as he remembered. He jumped towards her, embracing her tightly. During the embrace, he noticed how much smaller he shrunk, almost as if he was a kid once again. Yet, none of that mattered since his mother was actually there. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, dear?¡± Dreu couldn¡¯t hold his tears back. He embraced the warmth of her body and the gentleness of her voice. When she patted his head, he didn¡¯t push it away. Was that all a dream? All the deaths and the demons? When his mother asked with a bit more concern in her voice, Dreu looked up to her. ¡°I had a nightmare that was filled with death and destruction. I-¡± The young man couldn¡¯t continue due to his stored up emotions breaking out at once. He buried himself in his mother¡¯s dress and cried his heart out. His mother patiently waited until his emotions ran its course. Once he had finally calmed down, she led Dreu out of his room into the kitchen. ¡°Look! We have a big crybaby here!¡± ¡°Stop teasing your little brother, Wright.¡± Dreu watched his older brother stop with the teasing following the stern lecture from his mother. The scene brought a small smile to his face. He also took in the familiar kitchen that he spent all of his meals as a kid in. He could still remember where all the plates and utensils were kept, along with the secret stash of cookies his mother left for him and his brother from time to time. The only person missing from the scene was his father. ¡°What was wrong, Phylo?¡± asked a large framed man who just entered the home. ¡°Dreu had a terrible nightmare.¡± Phylo led Dreu to the kitchen table and had him seated. ¡°Let him visit the ranch later, Rudor. I''m sure he will enjoy the presence of all the cute little animals.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Dreu¡¯s father nodded in understanding. He then spoke of the farm work they had to complete before the day was over. While Wright would be assisting his father directly, Dreu was tasked with smaller tasks to assist to the best of his ability. He was a small boy who needed a lot more growth before he could be helpful. When asked if he was fine with it, Dreu had no objection. ¡°Are you alright, dear?¡± Phylo walked over to touch Dreu¡¯s forehead. ¡°You usually shout about wanting to explore the world and complaining that farm work isn¡¯t for you.¡± Dreu said that he changed his mind after the nightmare. He was relieved when his mother didn¡¯t ask further questions because he was unsure if he wanted to share what he experienced with her. If possible, he wanted her to live her peaceful life without worry. At this point, he questioned if he just imagined everything else. His family, the kitchen and the food felt too real for them to be illusions. Even their conversations brought back memories. Once they finished their breakfast, the family headed outside to be greeted by a large field of wheat. The stalks of wheat were all much taller than Dreu, bringing tears to his eyes. I missed the simple life on a farm. So happy I¡¯m back now. While Wright excitedly ran towards the large shed to grab the tools, Dreu walked over with his parents at a steady pace, his hand holding his mother''s hand. Despite having a large workload awaiting them, their tools and magic would make their job much easier. Dreu recalled how nice their life was. Before they reached the shed, Dreu asked to stay outside while he took in the scene and breathed in the clean air. With his memories returning, the boy wanted to visit all the neighbors after work and play with his friends. His big smile disappeared when he turned around to see the shed set aflame. ¡°Mother! Father! Brother!¡± Before Dreu could dart in to help his family, someone stepped out with a bloodied sword. ¡°Little Dreu, did you think you could escape Xemir?¡± Rowan in his full armor stood outside the shed, pointing his weapon at Dreu. ¡°Let¡¯s end this! You chose to oppose Xemir and will die like your family.¡± Dreu, having returned to being a young man, reached and felt his blade by his side. Drawing his weapon, the young man charged head first at the being who was responsible for his family¡¯s death. The blade urged him on and Dreu didn¡¯t oppose it. He fully embraced the anger as he focused on the sole goal of killing Rowan. His attacks were intercepted but none of that discouraged him. If anything, the fact that the Right Arm of Xemir was still alive made him even more furious. Dreu couldn¡¯t wait to see the demi-god killed for good. Then, he was sent flying without warning. When the young man got up, he frantically searched for his blade. ¡°A splendid blade.¡± Rowan then tossed it straight at Dreu, resulting in the blade getting stuck as it pierced the young man¡¯s gut. ¡°Too good for a nobody like you.¡± Dreu collapsed onto his knees as the strength was drained out of him. He urged his body to move but nothing was responding. He helplessly watched as the pool of his blood grew larger and larger. When he looked up again, Rowan stood over him with a sword next to his neck. ¡°We offered you a position many can only dream of. What did you gain from throwing it away? Petty revenge? Righteousness? A beheading worthy of a traitor to humans!¡± Dreu closed his eyes after seeing Rowan draw back his sword. In his final seconds, he apologized to his family for being too weak. He hated his helplessness when facing the demi-god. Now, he would join his family in the afterlife. Volume 1 Chapter 66 Colet calmed himself as he put aside the beastman¡¯s comments. Studying how the beastman walked, he assumed he was facing the leader of the band of beastmen. The only puzzling thing about the beastman was his sheathed weapons in his belt. He had expected the beastman to be rearing for a good fight. ¡°Will you be my opponent?¡± Colet said. ¡°If so, you better draw your weapon.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t be fighting one another,¡± replied the beastman. ¡°We will all take down that abomination over there.¡± Colet followed the beastman¡¯s finger and found himself staring at the giant beastman. The giant, having realized who was being referred to as an abomination, roared out. ¡°Zulgar! I shall tear your limbs off slowly and watch you squirm! You dare to side with an outsider!¡± Ignoring the giant, Zulgar turned to the centaur chieftain. ¡°That abomination was born of a dark god we despise. Our past attempts to kill it have failed. There won¡¯t be a better opportunity than this. If you assist us in killing it, we will not bar your path home. You have my word!¡± Colet had heard many terrible things about the beastmen but one thing he knew for a fact was that, if the beastmen gave their word, they kept it. Beastmen had an honor that one wouldn''t expect from their lot. Given that he and the centaurs didn¡¯t have much of a choice, he nodded his head. ¡°All centaurs, grab any spear you can find and use those as javelins!¡± Colet gestured to Zulgar. ¡°He and I will deal with the abomination in close quarters.¡± The centaur chieftain spoke of close quarters because he noticed the weapons of choice for the beastman leader were daggers. Ordinary beastmen picked between crude spears and clubs. Higher status beastmen had a wide selection of weapons to pick from once they went out on enough raids. Daggers were the last weapons Colet expected the beastmen to pick unless they had the last pick of the spoils. When Zulgar expertly drew two of his four daggers, the chieftain knew he shouldn¡¯t be doubting the beastman leader. Instead, he should be focusing on himself. Despite all the fatigue, the promise of killing the giant beastman rejuvenated him somewhat. After marching out from the centaur capital of Orisa, he had yet to take part in any combat until they were encircled by the beastmen. Even then, his participation was the fissure that almost killed the giant beastman. Otherwise, his ax had yet to harm or kill any of his enemies. The lack of blood on the blade was evidence for his weapon¡¯s idleness on the campaign so far. While the centaurs carried out his orders, Colet walked alongside Zulgar towards the giant beastman who watched them with hatred in its eyes. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Any useful information I should know before we fight this thing?¡± asked Colet. ¡°I¡¯d suggest targeting his wounds. There should be a limit as to how long the dark powers can keep the abomination alive.¡± ¡°Should be a limit?¡± ¡°Like I said,¡± said Zulgar with a grin. ¡°There won¡¯t be a better opportunity than this.¡± Without needing to communicate, the two broke off to attack the giant beastman from opposite directions. During his charge, Colet gave orders to the centaurs very quickly. ¡°Throw your spears now!¡± While there were very few spear wielders left, the chieftain trusted in the throws of the other centaurs. Once a year, the centaurs had a javelin competition that was only meant to be a sporting event. All centaurs, young and old, would participate for a chance to be crowned the javelin champion. With the creation of the spear wielders, the sporting event became a convenient tryout for the group and a chance to scout out talents. Due to how old the javelin competition was, all centaurs had some degree of mastery over spear throws and it showed during the volley. A hail of spears rained down on the giant beastman. ¡°Argh,¡± screamed the giant as it became a porcupine with all the spears sticking out. Since the Purificator light struck the giant beastman, the abomination had yet to stand on its two feet. It was supporting its body up with its two arms and, during the volley of spears, it could only bring up one arm to shield its head. The massive arm protected the creature¡¯s head but many spears found their mark throughout its body. Colet could see black ooze trying to remove the spears from the giant¡¯s body but the number of black ooze paled to the spears in the giant. The sight emboldened him as he charged straight at the arm still supporting the beastman. He hacked at it with a fury he held within him since losing so many of his fellow centaurs. The giant tried to squash him with its now wounded arm but Colet easily avoided the slow moving hand. In the meantime, Zulgar had an exposed body to slice and dice with his daggers. The centaur chieftain was getting into the rhythm of hacking at the giant when he heard Zulgar shout out. ¡°Back away! He¡¯s using his dark powers now!¡± Colet sidestepped the attack from the giant and backed up a few steps. Once out of range of the giant¡¯s hand, he spun to gallop away to create some distance from the giant beastman. When he stopped, he shouted to the nearby centaurs. ¡°Fire a second volley! Keep up the pressure!¡± The centaurs did as they were ordered and let loose the spears they gathered following the first volley. The newly summoned black ooze rushed to intercept the spears but most of the spears still hit their mark. With more spears embedded into the giant, it roared in pain at the centaurs but the abomination refused to fall to its death. The black ooze tried to keep up with the new wounds and Colet made his way to Zulgar. ¡°Is that thing killable?¡± the centaur chieftain asked. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to wonder about that myself.¡± Zulgar¡¯s response didn¡¯t give Colet any confidence. He searched around until he found a solution to their problem. Zulgar listened to his suggestion and nodded his head. The other beastmen were about to take part in the fight. Volume 1 Chapter 67 Dreu opened his eyes. As he tried to get up, the abdominal pain made him cry in pain and he fell back onto the ground. Sweat dripped down his forehead, discouraging the young man to attempt a second time. The memories of his encounter with Rowan flooded back, making him question how he was still alive. He knew Rowan swung his sword for the beheading and he was powerless to stop it. The young man started looking around by turning his head only. You should rest! It wasn¡¯t easy saving you and healing that nasty wound the Right Arm of Xemir inflicted on you. Dreu turned his head to find himself staring at a large duck. By large, he meant the bird was three times the size of ducks he was familiar with on farms. With it simply roosting there, the young man wasn¡¯t sure if the duck was communicating with him. It didn''t help that the duck wasn''t even staring at him. Yes, I, the hurricane duck, am speaking to you, a mere mortal. Bow before the almighty duck! Be grateful I have saved you from death! Dreu turned his head so he was looking at the ceiling again. He closed his eyes and muttered about waking up from the weird dream. When he opened his eyes again, the large duck stared down at him with its beak mere inches from his face. Dreu never thought he would see the day a duck could make him this uncomfortable. You are real and I¡¯m not imagining it, am I? I am most certainly real! How rude! Dreu chuckled at the sight of a pouting duck, at least he interpreted the facial expression as pouting. The duck, clearly not as amused, glared at the young man, making him laugh even harder. Damn that Right Arm of Xemir! Why didn¡¯t he finish this defective human before I saved him? Dreu eventually regained his composure. He hastily apologized to the duck and said that he never thought he would see the day he would talk to a duck face to face. When he asked, the duck stated that it accepted his apology. Upon inquiring about where he was, the young man was told he was in a small hut at the base of a mountain. The secluded location should keep him safe from Rowan who, despite being a demi-god, lacked the abilities to track down a person anywhere on the continent. Get some rest! You¡¯ll need it tomorrow when you scale the mountain. Mountain? Dreu was very confused at the mention of a mountain because there were no mountains near Lullin. The farming community was located in the plains where no mountain can be seen. Either he was very far from Lullin or some powerful being made a new mountain where it never existed before. The latter would suggest Xemir could be involved, though he couldn''t understand why Lullin would matter so much to a god. A few more questions later, the young man had enough clues to know he wasn¡¯t close to home. Wherever he was at, he had never been there before and he lacked any friends or allies. For the time being, Dreu was unsure if the duck had good or bad intentions towards him. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Returning to the topic of the Right Arm of Xemir, Dreu tried to figure out how he got to Lullin in the first place. He recalled being in excruciating pain after his demon guide supposedly granted him two abilities. With no recollection of exiting the portal, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Rowan somehow hijacked the portal and changed the exit location. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the demi-god was given powers beyond his imagination. Yet, he felt so confused with his family. The experience he had leading up to the encounter with Rowan felt far too accurate to be simple illusions created by those who knew nothing about him. Thinking back, he recalled a conversation with an old spellcaster who spoke of forbidden spells capable of altering a person¡¯s memories. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Rowan might be altering his memories right this moment and he was helpless to stop the demi-god. If that were the case, then he had to figure out what role the duck played in all this. Do you serve the goddess Xyheia? The duck had a dumbfounded look before it regained its composure. I didn¡¯t expect you to catch on so quickly. I can see now the goddess has granted you the blessing. She must have high expectations for you! I¡¯m surprised she anticipated Rowan would hijack the portal and kidnap me. How did we escape? The duck tilted its head as the silence dragged on. Rowan is messing with my memories, right? That¡¯s why I see things from my past that are too real to be illusions. Yes¡­the goddess has high hopes and you have understood the problem correctly. Xyheia wishes you to reach the top of the mountain tomorrow because there¡¯s a powerful crystal up there. The crystal was crafted by the goddess herself and can resurrect all those killed by Rowan, including your family members. Resurrect¡­my family members? Dreu knew these were merely his memories but he longed for the touch of his mother, the voice of his father and a chance to play with his brother again. If he could resurrect them and defeat Rowan, then he might get a chance to spend time with them one last time. He would give anything to experience it all again. Tell me the details! I want to be prepared for whatever awaits me when I scale the mountain. The duck explained the various monsters that inhabited the mountain along with the dragon that guarded the peak. It stated that the dragon was very hostile towards outsiders while also being protective of the crystal. Dreu had to find a way to acquire the crystal without dying to the monsters, the dragon and the difficult elements one experienced during the climb. Given how precious the crystal was, the trial one must overcome didn¡¯t seem so absurd. Dreu thanked the duck before reviewing all that he learned. As he was about to close his eyes to sleep, he turned to the duck once more. This was rude of me but I never asked for your name. It¡¯s Axichis. And I am a male hurricane duck. Volume 1 Chapter 68 Dreu looked up but the dark clouds concealed the mountain peak. He then looked back to see Axichis waddling at his own pace behind the young man. A few hours had passed and the young man felt like he made little progress up the mountain. He saw himself getting no closer to the dark clouds and they were the only feature he could measure his progress with. The rest of the mountain looked far too similar and the distance upon looking downward hadn''t widened at all. The young man was growing a little discouraged when Axichis communicated with him. Why did you accept this task, Dreu? You really want to see your family again? I haven¡¯t seen them for over three years. I miss them terribly. Maybe you¡¯ll understand when you lose family members. Axichis began sharing the massacre of his family which he had to witness personally. He explained that, by siding with Xyheia, the Hurricane Ducks antagonized Xemir who was merciless towards all those he viewed as enemies. His mother and ten other siblings were all murdered by forces loyal to Xemir. If it weren¡¯t for his teleportation ability, he would have shared the same fate. Teleportation ability? Is that how you saved me from Rowan? Yes, my ability is limited to a single target. I can either teleport someone to my position or vice versa. The cooldown depends on the distance covered by the teleportation. What other abilities do you have? Dreu assumed that hurricane ducks, as implied by their name, must have affinity with wind magic. If the two of them were both headed to the peaks, then he would like to know how they could work together and reach the crystal together. Spells sounded useful against any foes they came across. I have no other abilities. Dreu stopped in his tracks and stared at the hurricane duck. He thought he misheard his new travel companion but Axichis repeated that he had no other abilities than teleportation. When asked, the duck simply stated that he was a mere duckling when he lost his family. He never got a chance to learn any wind spells from his mother and, despite his best efforts, Axichis could never learn any spells on his own. His inability to contribute to the battlefield was the reason why he stayed far away from Rowan. Why are you coming with me then? The climb will be perilous as you explained earlier. I don¡¯t even have confidence with the blade in my hand. I¡­have to reach the top for my own reasons. The goddess said this is a trial I must overcome, either alone or with one other being. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Looks like we both have something we must fight for. Dreu studied Axichis when the duck was speaking about his trial. He noticed the lack of confidence from the duck, a trait he shared. The two of them were thrown into a dangerous world without warning, forcing them to learn and adapt on the go. One misstep and both of them would be dead. With Bayard and the others gone, he was alone once more. His inability to open the prompt made the young man wonder if Azorius simply removed his Emperor class for good. Dreu approached his companion and knelt down until he was on eye level with the duck. I know I¡¯m still weak. However, I¡¯m glad I have someone here with me for my trial ahead. Let¡¯s do our best! Let¡¯s! The two companions resumed their climb up the narrow path. There were sections where the path got so narrow Dreu had to shuffle along with his back against the mountain. Dreu made the mistake of staring down and vowed to not do so afterwards. Meanwhile, Axichis had no problems due to his ability to take flight whenever he lost his footing which actually happened a lot. The duck¡¯s flight also saved the young man a few times when the duck pushed the young man against the mountain until Dreu regained his balance. The two made steady progress but the trial was about to get much harder. I heard something up ahead. Let me scout ahead! Axichis took flight and went ahead of Dreu. A minute later, he returned with some bad news. We have some goat creatures up ahead. They don¡¯t look friendly so be ready for combat. Dreu looked at the narrow path, cursing the unfavorable terrain. During his training with Bayard, the veteran footman never once taught him how to fight on the mountains. They only had time to cover the basics which had kept him alive until this point. The stances he learned weren¡¯t useful when he could barely get a solid footing to brace himself. Axichis had no spells outside of teleportation, making the duck more of a spectator for the upcoming fight. As he inched forward, the young man eventually caught sight of the goat creatures the duck spoke of. The creatures looked like mountain goats but they had strange markings on their faces. Do you know what those markings are for? The young man had no intention of charging head first if he could avoid it. Yet, the creatures, following a minute of studying him upon noticing his presence, charged at him with their black horns directed at him. Dreu scrambled to find ledges he could use to get out of the charges. He barely climbed up a few ledges when the goats shook their heads to make contact with the mountainside. The resulting impact almost caused Dreu to lose his hold. I think the markings represent the magic affinity of the goats. Before Dreu could ask what the affinity was, he felt stone shards hitting his back. The pain made him lose his hold on the ledges. As his mind processed the idea of falling to his death, the sudden impact with the ground knocked the air out of his lungs. The young man watched the duck flying towards the goats as he tried to recover from the impact. Be careful, Axichis! The duck simply ignored him and approached the largest of the goats. Following a bow, the goats calmed down somewhat. When they turned to Dreu, the young man quickly got on one knee to show respect. After that, he watched the goats scaling down the ledges with ease. How did you know? Volume 1 Chapter 69 As the beastmen gathered around Zulgar, Colet went back to the centaurs. ¡°Igar, where are you?¡± shouted the centaur chieftain. ¡°I¡¯m here, chieftain.¡± Igar emerged from the crowd. ¡°Do you need our spells?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Colet gestured to the beastmen. ¡°Please boost the speed and strength of them and myself.¡± ¡°The beastmen?¡± Igar looked between the chieftain and the beings who wanted him dead earlier. Colet nodded his head. The centaur leader nodded his and ordered the support spellcasters to gather around him. They then directed their attention at the beastmen and casted their spell once Colet joined the group. A yellowish aura surrounded the beastmen and Colet making them stand out more on the plains. ¡°Ready to end this abomination?¡± asked Colet. ¡°You have no idea how long I waited for this day.¡± Zulgar smiled at the question. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with!¡± At Zulgar¡¯s signal, the beastmen advanced towards the giant beastman from the direction the beastman leader engaged the giant earlier. The giant tried to switch its hands but the one used for shielding its head proved too weak to support its body upright. Therefore, the beastmen charged at the giant with no actual resistance. However, the beastmen weren''t trying to inflict injury on the giant. Instead, they used their momentum to push the giant beastmen a meter or so at a time. The giant only needed to look in the direction of where it was pushed to recognize what was happening. In desperation, the giant forced itself up with its injured arm while it swung its other arm at the incoming beastmen. ¡°Fire!¡± ordered Colet. A hail of spears came down and embedded themselves into the giant¡¯s swinging arm. The arm seized up mid-motion and stopped short of hitting any of the beastmen. Unopposed, the beastmen charge yielded another meter or so. As the beastmen fell back to regroup for another charge, another volley of spears were released as the centaurs weren¡¯t giving the giant beastman a breather. The hail of spears were targeted at the creature¡¯s head this time. Upon being hit by the spears, the creature¡¯s arms gave out and its entire body came crashing down to the ground. Colet couldn''t tell if the creature was dead but the black oozes moving to heal the wounds suggested that the giant was still somehow alive despite what they threw at it. He was glad they were no longer trying to kill the abomination. Against a defenseless giant beastmen, it took several more minutes before the beastmen moved the abomination to the edge of the hole Colet made earlier. Colet and the beastmen then made the final push to ensure the giant beastmen fell over the edge down into the abyss. As the darkness engulfed the abomination, centaurs and beastmen cheered at the top of their lungs. Even Colet and Zulgar shook hands with smiles on their faces. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°I intend to keep my word of letting you centaurs go,¡± said Zulgar, ¡°but I hope you can explain to me the light that killed so many of my brethren and badly wounded that abomination. That light seemed unnatural.¡± Colet proceeded to explain the Purificator built by the humans and how it was intended to wipe out all non-humans on the continent. He held back the tears when he got to the coalition and its inability to fight the undead that served the humans. The chieftain ended with the centaur''s journey through the plains and their encounter with the beastmen. As soon as he finished explaining the events, he shot a question back at the beastman leader. ¡°How did you and your beastmen survive the light? Did you have a powerful spellcaster among you as well?¡± Zulgar shook his head and held up a beaded necklace around his neck. He pointed at the empty space within the beads stating that a blue crystal once resided there. Within his family, the necklace was passed down as a way to ward off danger and evil spirits for later generations. The beastman admitted that hardly any of his family members believed such stories. Even he had doubts until the crystal shattered to create a barrier that saved him and the beastmen. Due to the limited size of the barrier, the others within his herd were burned away by the light with no trace of them except their weapons and trinkets. Out of the few thousands he led, only a tiny fraction remained with him. ¡°Please allow us to travel with you,¡± said Zulgar. ¡°If what you said is true, I believe most if not all of the other beastmen are now wiped out. We might be all that is left of our race.¡± Seeing the benefits of strengths in numbers, Colet agreed to the request. He had without a doubt the humans would finish what their Purificator started. Centaurs and beastmen would both be hunted down so they might as well form this alliance out of necessity. Once the centaurs and beastmen had sufficient rest, they headed out at once. The centaurs¡¯ rations were running low while the beastmen traveled light expecting centaur meat for their next meal. Shortage of food was a real possibility so neither Colet nor Zulgar wanted to waste time. The destination would be Orisa, the centaur capital. ¡°What makes you think your capital was spared from that light?¡± asked Zulgar as the two leaders led from the front. "Surely the humans'' Purificator would have impacted the entire continent." ¡°We made an agreement with the demons,¡± said Colet. ¡°We would send our best warriors to attack the humans and they would provide protection for one centaur settlement.¡± The centaur chieftain knew the offer was too good to reject. In the best case scenario, they would take down the humans and the Purificator ending the threat to the centaurs once and for all. In the worst case scenario which he was experiencing at the moment, the centaurs still had one settlement to carve a future from. He knew the centaur officials back home would pack as many centaurs as possible into Orisa until the threat was gone. Their future still looked bleak with the dominant position of the humans but he would lead the centaurs a step at a time forward as the chieftain. Volume 1 Chapter 70 Know what? How did you know showing respect would diffuse the situation? Axichis began a lengthy story of how he survived the wilderness alone by learning what creatures were predators and what creatures were friends. Survival required him to be extra cautious around all creatures and, over time, he learned to trust his instincts. He then explained that he could sense no hostilities from the goats nor were they exhibiting any signs of hunger, though the duck had yet to see any carnivore goats. Dreu tried suppressing his laughter while his companion paused to ponder on the concept of carnivore goats. Despite getting the answer to his question, the young man wanted to see what conclusion Axichis would end up with. Several minutes later, the duck turned to him. I think it would be wiser if I stay away from hungry animals until I¡¯m certain they don¡¯t like ducks as food. It would be too late once I¡¯m in their belly. Dreu nodded in agreement and stood up. The clouds above him looked nowhere closer, drawing a sigh from him. He wasn''t sure when he could reach the top, especially when more monsters awaited him. When a thought popped into his head, he looked down. Why don¡¯t you try flying to the peak? You can scout out what is ahead and we can create plans in advance. You can always come back down if the dragon notices your presence. Axichis fidgeted for a full minute before he told Dreu that he couldn¡¯t fly for a long duration of time. The duck was apparently limited to short burst of flight which was why he mostly resorted to waddling him way up the mountain. Upon hearing that, Dreu couldn¡¯t stop his jaw from dropping. He never thought he would find a duck incapable of flying or wind spells. Laugh all you want! I know I¡¯m a useless companion. Dreu felt terrible and walked over to console Axichis. When the duck seemed unresponsive to his words, the young man felt the need to share a bit of his past with his new companion. He took a minute to ponder on what to talk about. In the end, he shared his time with Bayard and how the veteran footman patiently taught him a lot on how to protect himself. He expressed his gratitude for Bayard who had done much more than anything else in ensuring his survival, despite them only knowing each other for a short time. The young man was relieved when Axichis asked a question in response to what he shared. Where is Bayard now? He¡¯s gone now. No one lives forever. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Unwilling to revisit his recent loss, Dreu resumed his climb. The idea of the crystal resurrecting Bayard did cross his mind but he wasn¡¯t sure how that would be possible. Bayard was a spirit while his family members had physical forms. To take his mind off the matter, Dreu looked behind him to see Axichis waddling about. They got past the goats earlier without any bloodshed. Yet, even the brief engagement with the goats proved how underprepared Dreu was to face the creatures. On the mountains, he was the stranger who lacked both the information and expertise to fight effectively. Against a serious opponent who was well accustomed to the mountains, he had no chance of winning, even with the help of the duck¡¯s teleportation ability. Keeping his pessimistic thoughts to himself, the young man led the way until the two of them arrived outside a cave. With night descending, the duo agreed that resting in the cave was a good idea. Let¡¯s not go too deep! I don¡¯t want to wake up what might be sleeping inside. Agreed. The two companions huddled near the cave entrance. Dreu offered to take the first watch, allowing the duck to sleep on one leg. The moonlight provided enough illumination for the young man to see if anything approached them, whether from within the cave or outside of it. The tranquil night almost lulled Dreu to sleep but he willed himself to stay awake. When he was about to wake up Axichis, a noise got his attention. A low growl signaled the approach of a creature before he could see it. Wake up, Axichis! We have company! Dreu kept his focus on where the sound came from. The newcomer came from within the cave and, when it was revealed by the moonlight, the young man cursed out loud. The troll, standing about two meters tall while hunched, took slow steps towards him. Its long arms held no weapons but the claws looked deadly enough. Even without the claws, he was certain a swing of the troll¡¯s arm could maim or kill him outright. He knew the creatures were vulnerable to fire spells but they were extremely resistant to other attacks like slashing weapons. Lacking spells of his own and equipped with only a blade, he knew the odds were vastly in favor of the towering creature. He was devising on how to fight the creature when he heard a voice. ¡°A human! What a rare sight around here!¡± It took Dreu several seconds to realize that the troll was talking. He always heard trolls were stupid creatures who only understood violence towards other races. He heard stories of trolls hunting down humans for food because their instincts pushed them to do so. Never had he heard about trolls capable of language. ¡°Not all of us are dimwitted! Only those tainted by orc blood become violent beasts no different from the orcs.¡± The young man no longer questioned how the troll could talk. He was aware that the troll had stopped approaching him and was conversing with him instead. Recalling the encounter earlier with the goats, Dreu bowed down and apologized to the troll for his preconceptions of trolls. The troll laughed at his comment and shook his head. ¡°An apology? How unexpected!¡± The troll cast a fire spell in his hand, illuminating sections of the cave the moonlight couldn¡¯t reach. ¡°You are a guest so you must visit my home. We are delighted to have a champion of Xyheia among us! Come! We have much to discuss!¡± Volume 1 Chapter 71 Champion of Xyheia? Dreu pondered on the title and how unfitting it was. He only briefly encountered the goddess and, except for the blessing, he received nothing else from her. Even with the blessing, he had yet to feel very blessed by it. He had not gotten stronger or smarter. He didn¡¯t possess any new incredible magic abilities. In truth, he felt that Bayard had played a larger role in his growth than the blessing ever did. He assumed the blessing would have been activated when Azorius was pursuing him during his dash to the portal or when Rowan was beheading him. Yet, Eglallin saved his life the first time while Axichis was the hero for the second instance. The young man couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he actually received a blessing or if he just imagined the prompt. With the prompt unavailable, he could no longer check. ¡°What is on your mind, human?¡± asked the troll. ¡°My name is Dreu. What is your name?¡± ¡°Oh my, I must be getting old.¡± The troll let out a growl that could be mistaken for a chuckle. ¡°My name is Jojin, the chieftain of the fire trolls.¡± ¡°Fire trolls?¡± Dreu struggled to wrap his mind around the concept of trolls that were capable of using fire spells, an element they were weak against. These trolls were playing with fire, both literally and figuratively. ¡°I know what you are thinking, Dreu.¡± Jojin casted a fireball and slammed it into his shoulder. ¡°We fire trolls are immune to fire due to our mastery of the element.¡± Dreu was speechless after seeing the fireball doing nothing to the troll. He heard of the incredible regeneration boasted by the trolls. Fire not only inflicted a lot of damage but the element slowed down the regeneration. If what Jojin said was true, then the fire trolls were indeed unkillable. ¡°So you are only weak against acid then?¡± chimed in Axichis. Dreu turned his head wondering what the duck was talking about. His confusion must have been evident on his face because Axichis began explaining that normal trolls had weaknesses to fire and acid element. By eliminating fire from the equation, the fire trolls only had acid to worry about. ¡°Due to the rarity of acid spells,¡± continued Axichis, ¡°we can almost say that trolls are invincible in most cases.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say we are invincible,¡± said Jojin who stopped to face Dreu and Axichis. ¡°Despite our best efforts, we still cannot best Rowan while he terrorizes the inhabitants of the land. Otherwise, we wouldn''t be roaming underground like rats.¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Does he know any acid spells? That seems rather unconventional for a demi-god.¡± The troll leader shook his head and gestured to the duo to keep moving. He then explained the Right Arm of Xemir possessed an ability that lowered elemental resistances by a significant amount. Not only was Rowan capable of making fire trolls only slightly resistant to fire but he could also make them lose their immunity to other elements. At that point, any elemental attack could inflict harm faster than a fire troll could regenerate. ¡°Can he make you more vulnerable to acid?¡± asked the duck excitedly. Jojin stopped to ponder on the matter. After a lengthy pause, he muttered a yes before resuming the trek through the underground tunnel. It was only when no one spoke did Dreu notice the tunnel interior was dimly lit. He couldn¡¯t tell what was providing the illumination but it was enough for him to see where he was going. He wouldn¡¯t have been fond of navigating through a dark cave with him stumbling and tripping every few steps. When the young man turned his attention to the back of the fire troll, a question came out of his mouth. ¡°Why don¡¯t all trolls become fire trolls? Isn¡¯t there a big benefit to having fire immunity?¡± ¡°You got the order wrong, young one.¡± A massive flame erupted from the troll¡¯s right hand that extinguished as quickly as it was lit. ¡°All trolls originated from the fire trolls. Those who choose to be tainted with orc blood lose the immunity and gain more savagery.¡± Dreu recalled the troll leader saying the same thing when they first met. ¡°Why-¡± ¡°Why would they do so?¡± Jojin interrupted Dreu. ¡°It¡¯s far easier to give in to savagery and violence. This is made simpler when negative emotions like anger take over. A fire troll spends a lifetime mastering fire but it only takes a few minutes to embrace savagery. I won¡¯t deny they possess far more physical strength than me. However, I will beat them every time in combat.¡± When the troll leader¡¯s words resembled those he heard from Bayard, Dreu stopped to draw his blade. He studied at the weapon that fed on his anger with an unquenchable thirst. He knew that, once the blade took over, he embraced only savagery and casted aside the rest of his humanity. With Bayard gone, the young man was unsure who would help him fight the anger. ¡°A red mist blade? You continue to surprise me, human.¡± When Dreu asked what the fire troll knew about the blade or its maker, Jojin¡¯s tone changed. He didn¡¯t show the same disdain as when he spoke of the orcs who tainted the trolls. The fire troll described mist orcs as incredible blacksmiths, capable of making weapons unrivaled even to this day. ¡°The red mist blade is one of their most powerful weapons. For those unworthy, the blade becomes their executioner. For those who have trained their minds endlessly and mastered control over their emotions, the blade¡¯s true potential can be unlocked. I even heard that no two red mist blades are the same.¡± Dreu then asked Jojin what happened to the mist orcs. The troll leader admitted that he didn¡¯t know the details. The mist orcs¡¯ ability to craft incredible weapons drew the wrong kind of attention. There were those who gained much from their extinction. Since their extinction, mist weapons became nearly impossible to find and, for the few that remained, their values were extremely high. ¡°I personally believe that these mist weapons search out their own masters. Fate must have brought you in contact with that red mist blade.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 72 Colet stood near the fire opposite Zulgar. The last two days of traveling allowed the leaders of their respective races to bond. As they warmed themselves with the fire due to the chilly conditions of the plains, the other centaurs and beastmen stayed in their groups with limited mingling. On a continent cleansed by the Purificator, they weren¡¯t certain what they would encounter and the uncertainty was enough to convince the centaurs and beastmen to work together. There weren¡¯t any more hostilities between them but, unlike Colet and Zulgar, they also saw no need to know the other party that well. The centaur chieftain and beastman leader agreed that such interactions took time. They merely had a lot in common due to the responsibilities they shouldered and the fight they shared against the abomination. ¡°Here,¡± said Zulgar as he handed over the freshly cooked hare. The centaur chieftain gave thanks before digging into the meal. The beastmen were very proficient at hunting the small animals on the plains. Despite facing food shortage at one point, the coordinated hunting between the beastmen and the centaurs yielded enough meat for the rest of the journey to Orisa. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you beastmen needed to raid when food is this abundant through hunting.¡± Colet became more interested in the beastmen and their ways of life since he traveled with Zulgar. He could see how the knowledge would benefit the centaurs if they were ever forced to escape into the plains. A mass exodus might happen if the undead ever marched towards Orisa. ¡°That¡¯s simple to understand,¡± said Zulgar. ¡°Too many beastmen and not enough food to go around. Kill enough beastmen off and the plains can sustain the remaining.¡± Can the plains sustain all the surviving centaurs? Colet subconsciously looked up at the sky. A small cloud floated above him and, even if he couldn¡¯t see her, the centaur knew Ilumin was asleep atop it. From time to time, his companion would make a cloud to serve as her bed. During those times, he couldn¡¯t get her attention unless he was in danger. Since the centaurs and beastmen joined forces to defeat the giant beastman, they hadn¡¯t encountered any dangers. The plains were only filled with the animals that either wisely stayed away or got caught as food. Knowing Ilumin worked hard on keeping an eye of the battlefield from above, Colet had no issues with Ilumin taking well earned rests on consecutive nights. ¡°What are humans like?¡± Zulgar asked. Colet smiled as he recalled himself asking Konstite the same question before they left for Torpin Stronghold. Humans didn¡¯t go past the stronghold because nearly every non-human race was hostile towards them. The few humans who did venture too far would be dead pretty quick. There were far too many dangers and they weren¡¯t suited to survive in those conditions. For instance, the plains experienced temperature extremes that were considered too harsh for humans. Once you threw in the beastmen and other nomadic races, humans had no chance to survive. The centaurs learned that the humans, having learned their place, built the Torpin Stronghold to separate themselves from the threats they couldn¡¯t handle. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Some claim humans are soft and weak. The image of them hiding behind a massive stronghold does support that claim. They are also not to be trusted as they fight among themselves quite often over petty things. I would say they are a dangerous adversary because they have Xemir backing them. With a god behind them, they have become more arrogant and are more emboldened to take riskier actions. I learned recently they have mastered necromancy and their undead soldiers are marching towards us right this moment.¡± ¡°Xemir? That¡¯s a god I¡¯m not familiar with. We the beastmen have many gods watching over us.¡± Zulgar gestured to the dark sky. ¡°Recently, they have grown silent despite our shamans'' best efforts. I wonder if Xemir has a hand in all this.¡± Colet admitted that he knew little about Xemir. The centaur chieftain explained that he heard the name from those who had some interaction with humans in the past. According to them, Xemir was worshiped by all humans and was believed to have saved the human race from annihilation multiple times in history. He also shared his recent discovery of Xemir granting powerful blessings to humans with the Soul of Xemir being responsible for the coalition¡¯s defeat. ¡°Who sent that hawk?¡± Colet shook his head. He had been asking the same question every night following their defeat. He always wondered about the what if scenario of him heeding the warning and turning back. Could I have saved more centaurs that way? ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± shouted a beastman. The shout got the attention of many including Colet and Zulgar. Everyone turned to see a creature some distance away. ¡°That isn¡¯t a creature native to the plains, is it?¡± asked the centaur chieftain. ¡°No.¡± From where he stood, the creature could be mistaken for a bear. Bears were far more common in mountains and forests. Colet had encountered them in his travels and learned firsthand to not mess with them. Yet, even he could sense the creature wasn¡¯t a bear. It might be built like one but his instincts screamed at him to run if the creature moved any closer. ¡°I bet I can take that creature down!¡± shouted a beastman that ran towards the unknown creature. When he first traveled with the beastmen, Colet questioned Zulgar about the beastmen¡¯s apparent lack of fear. He saw beastmen often facing dangers as if they were addicted to the adrenaline. The beastman leader explained the harsh reality of the beastmen. Due to their fast reproductive cycles, beastmen herds had many mouths to feed. If they didn¡¯t take risks, they would all starve to death. Therefore, it was not only common but encouraged for beastmen to take risks. If they failed, they would perish leaving more food for the others. If they succeeded, they would earn status within the herd. After learning that, Colet realized how fortunate many other races were compared to the beastmen who had to face death every single day. He knew his upbringing was pretty tame and he even had a chance to travel to many parts of the continent. He doubted most beastmen even left the plains. Volume 1 Chapter 73 Dreu looked up and couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. When Jojin said that there was someone important he must see, he wasn¡¯t sure who the fire troll was referring to. He thought that someone might be a powerful shaman among the fire trolls. A part of him wondered if there was a prophecy he had to fulfill. He was, after all, called the champion of Xyheia by Jojin which made him sound pretty significant. However, he was not ready to meet a dragon face to face. ¡°Hail! Ulzrag the Red! I have brought young Dreu here.¡± Atop the castle within the capital, Dreu saw dragons from afar and he was already mesmerized by their presence. Here, he was close enough to make out each red scale on the dragon. When Ulzrag landed mere meters away from Dreu, the impact nearly sent the young man flying. Once the dust settled, he could only think about how insignificant he was beside this incredible creature. The dragon greatly towered over him with him not even reaching the creature''s knees. The presence of the dragon felt overwhelming, causing slight panic in Dreu. The young man didn¡¯t know what the dragon wanted with him. He was merely an ordinary young man. When he possessed the Emperor Class, he had something that stood out. Due to Azorius, he now had nothing. ¡°Hello, son of Ross! I never expected to see you here.¡± Ross? Does he know my father? Before Dreu could ask anything, Ulzrag said that Ross was a good friend of his and a loyal follower of Xyheia. The dragon had the great honor of working with the man in evacuating other Xyheia¡¯s followers to safety before the Right Arm of Xemir put a stop to their operations. ¡°He was one of the bravest humans I ever met.¡± The dragon lowered its head in what could be seen as a bow. ¡°I apologize for failing to save his life.¡± Dreu quickly bowed back and repeatedly said that the dragon did no wrong. A bow from a dragon was the last thing he expected but the dragon¡¯s praise of his father gave him pride. He asked Ulzrag how it and his father met. ¡°Xyheia organized our meeting because your father¡¯s goals and my goals aligned. We both wished to see Xyheia¡¯s followers teleported to safety. To do so, we made the seemingly unimpressive farming community of Lullin our base of operation. With the help of some powerful illusion spells, the true nature of Lullin stayed hidden from the kingdom and even Xemir himself. The base served its purpose until the truth was discovered by the Right Arm of Xemir. Then, kingdom forces attacked and we are now dealing with the aftermath of that attack.¡± Seeking answers, Dreu asked the dragon where they were. He hoped he could reach a proper conclusion from what he would learn from the dragon. However, he fully expected Ulzrag to question his sanity following the question. He even expected the dragon to scoff at his stupid question. To his pleasant surprise, the red dragon patiently explained their whereabouts. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°We are in a portal realm that exists separately from the real world. Time operates differently here too as a single day here is an entire year in the real world. This realm was supposed to give us a chance to escape Xemir¡¯s followers but the demi-god Rowan managed to destabilize the realm and kill many of my fellow companions. We lost hope until we learned of your arrival.¡± Dreu asked how Rowan could exist in the realm when he clearly existed in the real world. Ulzrag said that it suspected the demi-god forced itself into the realm. The teleportation spell for the portal realm was only meant for Xyheia¡¯s followers. Yet, Rowan sensed it and, either through intentional means or by pure luck, a small part of him made it through. Since then, he had single handedly defeated anyone who challenged him. Even he couldn¡¯t defeat the demi-god knowing full well that the Rowan in the portal realm only had a tiny fraction of the power possessed by the Right Arm of Xemir. ¡°If you cannot defeat him, then how do I stand a chance?¡± To resolve the confusion, Dreu explained what happened at the capital and the moments before he woke up to see his family. He stated that the goddess had not spoken to him once following their encounter at the shrine nor did she specifically send him. ¡°I fear I¡¯m not the champion of Xyheia you all hoped me to be.¡± By then, Dreu noticed the large crowd of nonhumans gathered around him and Ulzrag. He was so engrossed by the conversation that he failed to see hundreds of trolls, centaurs and races he knew nothing about gathering in the cave. He could also sense a disappointed atmosphere developing among the spectators. The young man turned back to the dragon. ¡°Was Axichis lying? Are there no crystals that can resurrect those killed by Rowan?¡± ¡°I fear the duck was just told to get you here. He¡¯s very good at making believable tales. While he was lying, he did it for good intentions. He also saved your life with his only ability.¡± Why? Why is it so hard to see my family again? Why do I keep losing those I care about? First, my family was gone when I returned to Lullin. Now, Bayard and the others are gone. Am I cursed? Feeling like he was reaching his breaking point after having his hopes dashed, Dreu screamed at the top of his lungs and turned to run away from the dragon and the other nonhumans. He didn¡¯t care what they thought about him. He just wanted to get away from these strangers he knew nothing about. He went down the tunnels he took earlier and didn¡¯t stop until he reached the cave mouth. Falling to his knees, the young man cried his heart out. When his tears ran out, Dreu sat down with his back against the mountainside. He stared up at the stars, recalling a brief conversation he had with his father. ¡°What are those things in the sky, father?¡± ¡°They are stars, son. When a person dies, he or she becomes another star in the sky.¡± I wonder which stars are mother, father and brother. Volume 1 Chapter 74 Dreu slowly opened his eyes, aware that he dozed off at some point. He was rubbing his eyes when he sensed someone else nearby. He turned to see Axichis staring back at him. Despite them being together for a while, he still couldn''t reliably tell what expression the duck had. ¡°Do you hate me for lying to you?¡± Dreu initially leaned towards saying yes but, after allowing his emotions free, he realized that he didn¡¯t hate the duck or the dragon. They never once wished him ill will. If anything, they saw him as a sign of hope and he let them all down with his immature outburst. Thinking about what he did only made his face feel warm. After he calmed himself down, Dreu found his voice which had become coarse. ¡°No, I don¡¯t hate you. I hated myself and took it out on all of you. I never felt so powerless in saving my family. Do you forgive me for my outburst?¡± ¡°I guess we¡¯re even then,¡± said the duck. ¡°You should also take this. Ulzrag said that it belonged to your father so it only makes sense you inherit it.¡± Axichis presented a spear to Dreu. The young accepted it upon learning it belonged to his father, though he had no recollection of his father wielding it. Rowan did mention his father learning a fighting style passed down by Zhao which meant Ross should have a spear. Dreu¡¯s excitement quickly turned into disappointment when he remembered that Azorius took away his Emperor Class. He no longer had helpful prompts that alerted him of what weapons he got or any other important updates. In addition, he no longer had a teacher like Zhao who could help him master the new weapon. Even with the spear in his hand, Dreu couldn¡¯t sense anything extraordinary about it and questioned if it was indeed powerful. ¡°What now?¡± asked Axichis. ¡°Good question.¡± Dreu was stranded in a portal realm with a bloodthirsty demi-god wreaking havoc. He didn¡¯t know how to get back to the demon portal or the real world. His options were very limited so he went with the first decision that came to mind. ¡°I¡¯ll join the rest of you in slaying Rowan or die trying.¡± ¡°I will do my best too!¡± ¡°With just your teleportation ability?¡± Dreu immediately regretted his comment. He knew how it felt to lack any abilities, especially when he had to resort to being a knight to achieve his dreams of being an adventurer. When he studied Axichis, the duck''s expression remained the same. The bird muttered his helplessness, voicing his frustrations on the matter. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°When was the last time you tried to cast spells?¡± asked Dreu, hoping to change the topic. ¡°When I was a mere duckling,¡± replied Axichis. ¡°Never again after that?¡± The duck shook his head. Dreu could see how failures early on had destroyed what little confidence Axichis had. He thought back to when Sela described how magic worked for humans. She also emphasized the importance of having a teacher who could bring the most out of someone with potential. Knowing that it didn¡¯t hurt, he shared the knowledge with the duck. ¡°I had a friend who was a sorceress. I once asked her about how she mastered her spells. The summary I got was the spellcaster visualizing and willing the spell into reality. I don¡¯t know if that could be of any help. With the battle coming up tomorrow, I know you want to take part in it. Maybe try again?¡± After a few more encouragement, Axichis agreed to try once more. The duck stood facing the mountainside away from Dreu. The young man could sense intense concentration as he watched from the side, cheering his companion on. Axichis spread his wings and flapped them once. Dreu waited but nothing happened. He was about to walk up to the duck to offer some words of comfort when Axichis suddenly danced on the spot. ¡°I did it! I did it!¡± When Dreu expressed his skepticism, Axichis pushed the young man until the two of them could both see faint cuts in the rocks. The cuts were too straight to be natural so Dreu immediately congratulated his companion on mastering a new ability. The congratulations from the young man only got the duck more fired up. Axichis returned to practicing his new ability and Dreu left his companion alone to train. He just entered the cave when a growl got his attention. ¡°You may claim to be a nobody but you achieved what many of us have failed to do.¡± Jojin pointed to the spear in Dreu¡¯s hands. ¡°We also expect great things from you with that spear.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± said Dreu before Jojin turned around. ¡°I apologize for that outburst there. I¡­truly wish to fight alongside the rest of you to defeat Rowan.¡± ¡°Get in line, young one!¡± Jojin started heading deeper into the cave. ¡°The rest of us want a crack at him first.¡± Dreu smiled as he watched the fire troll head deeper into the cave. He then struggled to keep his eyes open. With Axichis training nearby, the young man found a comfortable hole in the cave and laid down. He held the spear tightly in his hands, knowing that this was the only thing he had from his father. ¡°Dreu!¡± Dreu turned over to get comfortable and covered his ears with his hands. ¡°Dreu!¡± ¡°What?¡± Dreu sat up to find himself no longer in the cave. ¡°Where and who?¡± The young man found himself on the wide open plains that stretched in all directions. In the far distance, he could see a large camp but he couldn''t make out anything else. The gentle breeze blew past him as a familiar person stood before him. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time! You need to know how to wield that spear. Let me show you!¡± For the next ten minutes or so, Dreu was drilled in the most grueling training in his life. Then, the person vanished without a trace. ¡°Thank you so much!¡± With the training over, Dreu felt fatigue in both his body and soul. Darkness steadily embraced him and he didn¡¯t resist at all. I hope I can be of use tomorrow against Rowan. Volume 1 Chapter 75 The lone beastman ran towards the creature with his ax held high. The ax once belonged to an ax wielder but Colet had no objection to arming the beastmen. Ax wielders used standard axes that were easy to make and the centaurs had an abundance of them. If the beastmen were better equipped, they could aid the centaurs in the battles to come. He kept the shieldbreakers'' weapons which were of better quality and distributed them to the surviving centaurs. Most of those weapons were to be given to future shieldbreakers once they reached the centaur capital. The last two days had done wonders for the centaurs as they went from nearly broken to being in high morale. The centaurs believed they could reach their destination. The beastman had a confident stride in his run. The hunting for small prey for food had clearly bored the beastmen. Therefore, the appearance of a bigger prey was a nice change of pace for them. With no intention of sneaking up on the creature, the beastman did his battle cry and picked up speed as he closed the distance. As soon as the beastman got into melee range, he was sent flying from a single swipe of the creature. ¡°How?¡± muttered Zulgar. Even Colet, who had seen bears before, knew that bears weren¡¯t so strong they could send a beastman flying, especially when the beastman wasn¡¯t injured or fatigued. The strength needed to do so was beyond what bears were capable of. His instincts were once again on point as the creature was anything but a bear. All the spectators watched as the creature leaped towards the beastman to deliver a blow before the beastman could get back up. From where he stood, the centaur chieftain knew the beastman was dead. Following the death, nearby beastmen all roared in excitement. Colet looked at Zulgar who merely shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not everyday they find a prey worth hunting,¡± said the beastman leader. A dozen beastmen raced out to fight the creature. Their battle cries shattered the silence and got the attention of the creature. When the beastmen were a few meters from the creature, the beastman corpse rose up with the ax in its hand. The dozen beastmen stopped when they realized what was happening. Following a short standoff, the dead beastman charged at the group of beastmen. The beastmen scrambled to compose themselves and engaged their former companion. While they hacked at the dead beastman, the creature sneaked up on the group and sent a second beastman flying. Two more beastmen were slain by the creature before a second beastman corpse stood up like the first one. One needn¡¯t be an expert to see the tide turning quickly in favor of the creature. ¡°Are these the undead you spoke of?¡± asked Zulgar, his tone serious for once. Colet and Zulgar watched from afar at a battle heavily favoring the creature. The dozen beastmen lost half their numbers within a minute while they faced off against three undead beastmen. As a fourth one stood up to face the beastmen, the outcome was already decided. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°I fear so,¡± replied Colet. Both Colet and Zulgar quickly rallied their subordinates and ordered them to flee at once. Neither wanted to find out how many losses they would have to suffer to take the creature down. Nor did they want to wait around for more undead to show up. The creature could very well be a scout sent to locate their position. Now that their position was known to their enemies, it was a matter of time before the undead would march towards them. Upon receiving the orders, the beastmen and centaurs put out the fires and packed all of their provisions. They then traveled under the moonlight with Colet and Zulgar leading the way. Creature fled! Not chasing! Ilumin was disturbed from her sleep by the flurry of activities below her. Grouchy at first, the Cloud Hawk then noticed the creature finishing off the remaining beastmen. She came down and Colet asked her to keep an eye on the creature from a distance. When she reported the creature fleeing in a different direction, the information puzzled the centaur chieftain. He had expected the creature to stay on their tail until undead reinforcements arrived. It had proven that it could easily handle whatever they could throw at it. For hunters, a prey fleeing from it was a prey to be hunted down. Hoping for a chance to escape their enemies, Colet and Zulgar decided it wasn¡¯t a terrible idea for them to cover some ground while the beastmen and centaurs were well rested and fed. They had to reach Orisa before they could plan out their next steps. To be caught out by the undead on the plains would spell their doom, much like when the centaurs were caught out by the beastmen. ¡°I smell something,¡± stated Zulgar. Colet never doubted the sense of smell of the beastmen. Their noses were far more superior to those of centaurs. He also knew Zulgar wouldn¡¯t bring up what he smelled unless the smell was out of place or even threatening. He wondered if the beastman leader was already familiar with the undead smell. ¡°What does the smell remind you of?¡± asked Colet. ¡°The abomination we defeated.¡± Neither of them stopped to investigate the smell but the implications were terrifying. The giant beastman was sent into the void but no one could confirm if it was dead or alive. Even with the assumption the giant was dead, another abomination was worrying, especially if it could be sensed by Zulgar. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving! Maybe the undead has an abomination amidst their rank. A new abomination might be born when the old one died. We cannot stay here for long.¡± The beastman leader agreed with Colet¡¯s assessment. They knew too little about the abomination to know what was possible. The centaur chieftain then ordered the support spellcasters to cast a speed boosting spell on everyone. Their last two days saw them going at a comfortable pace but the threat had forced them to pick up their pace. With the spell, the group moved much quicker than many thought was possible without needing to completely exhaust themselves doing so. Volume 1 Chapter 76 Dreu woke up only to be blinded by the sun in his eyes. He turned away and waited for his eyes to adjust to the cave interior. ¡°You are finally up?¡± The young man greeted Axichis. He then sensed something was off. ¡°Did something happen while I was asleep?¡± asked Dreu. ¡°The others have already left at sunset to fight Rowan.¡± The duck paused for a brief moment. ¡°We got to go and help them!¡± Dreu couldn¡¯t believe he overslept when an important battle was taking place. He asked Axichis where the battle would be taking place and was shocked to learn Lullin. When he inquired on who was left behind, the duck told him that, in addition to the two of them, the goat creatures were also left behind. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the goats go? Do they not want to be involved?¡± ¡°I heard they remained behind to protect something. No one was able to convince them to leave that something behind.¡± Dreu¡¯s first impression of the goat creatures was a positive one. Despite them attacking him, he knew that he was the outsider who didn¡¯t know his place. By showing proper respect, he convinced the goats to leave him alone. If these creatures were indeed protecting something, he wanted to know what. Knowing how difficult the battle would be, he had to get all the help he could get. Maybe the others were too eager to head out but he wanted the strength of the goat creatures in their fight against Rowan. ¡°Let''s meet the goats first! I want to see what they are protecting.¡± Upon seeing a hesitant Axichis, Dreu repeatedly begged the duck until his companion finally gave in. The two of them headed to where the goats had gathered and the journey was sped up by the duck teleporting Dreu across difficult terrain. The two of them arrived in a small clearing with a big tree at the center. The goats were all standing guard around it. When the goats turned their attention to the two new arrivals, Dreu and Axichis hastily bowed to avoid antagonizing the creatures. Dreu''s heart calmed when he saw the goats showing no aggression towards the two of them. ¡°Can you speak to them?¡± Dreu asked Axichis when the question dawned on him. The duck shook his head, causing the young man to curse his inability to think the matter through. Having gotten this far, he approached the leader of the group at a steady pace. He used hand gestures to communicate his desire to get closer to the tree. When the goat leader refused to move aside, Dreu thought his request was denied. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°He¡¯s eying your blade and spear, Dreu.¡± Axichis¡¯ comment made the young man remove the weapons from his belt and place them beside the duck. Then, the goats moved aside to let Dreu through. The young man walked at a steady pace until he stood before the massive tree. Nothing stood out until he stared at the roots where some movement caught his attention. Dreu knelt down and, after a short hesitation, reached out with his right hand to see what was moving. A bright green light caused him to yelp out loud. When his eyes recovered from being briefly blinded, Dreu immediately noticed the strange markings on his right arm before they vanished. As he pondered on the matter, the goat leader walked over and nudged him. ¡°What do you want?¡± asked the young man softly. The goat laid down and gestured at its back with its head. Dreu took a few seconds before he processed what was happening. To be on the safe side, he chose to ask. ¡°Are you allowing me to ride you?¡± Even with the nod from the goat, Dreu still hesitated before he got on the creature. As the goat stood up, Dreu remembered his weapons and was about to mention the fact when a cool breeze blew past him. He looked up to see his weapons within a small dust devil moving towards him. Axichis was behind the dust devil as though he was navigating the whirlwind. ¡°How was that?¡± asked the duck as he unsummoned the whirlwind once Dreu received the weapons. The pride was evident in the duck¡¯s voice so Dreu rained a lot of praises on Axichis. Before he could see the duck¡¯s reaction to the praises, the goat suddenly took off, forcing the young man to hang on to dear life. The rest of the journey was a blur as Dreu quickly lost track of all directions. All he could do was hang on and not let go. The goat then stopped as suddenly as it took off, sending Dreu flying some distance. Eventually, the young man recovered his senses and found himself just outside of Lullin. Explosions and war cries shook the ground. Good thing we arrived in time to assist. Dreu was reaching for his blade when the goat leader nudged him again. This time, the goat gestured to his spear before offering to let him ride once more. The scene reminded Dreu of Zhao¡¯s stories about cavalry. Zhao spoke of creatures called horses but there was no reason why a goat couldn''t be a mount. Accepting that this might improve their chances of winning, Dreu pulled out his spear and mounted the goat. As the creature trotted towards the battlefield, the young man took several deep breaths. As soon as Axichis flew over them, the goat picked up pace and Dreu readied his spear. If only Zhao was here to teach me how to fight while mounted. With no one there to teach him, Dreu knew he had to learn it as he went. Even though he lacked confidence, he chose to put his faith in the goat who he suspected to be more experienced and far wiser than him. In a way, he eliminated his biggest weakness which was lack of mobility. While mounted, he could freely attack and rely on the goat to get him out of harm¡¯s way. The young man knew the actual battlefield might play out much more differently from what he envisioned. Y I know we can defeat Rowan. Then, I''ll worry about what happens afterwards. Volume 1 Chapter 77 As he rode into battle, Dreu could see Jojin and Ulzrag attacking Rowan from opposite ends. While a massive magic shield blocked the dragon¡¯s attacks, the demi-god focused his attacks on the fire troll. Rowan¡¯s twin swords were making contact with each hit inflicting a nasty wound on the fire troll. Axichis then joined the fray by sending a whirlwind at the demi-god. The winds made the battlefield more dusty but Rowan walked away from the attack without a single scratch. In the meantime, the corpses of the other nonhumans were scattered everywhere, their cause of death varied from burns to decapitations. Dreu couldn''t tell if the battle had been waging for a long time or if Rowan was simply too powerful. ¡°Looks like the entire crew is here! Let¡¯s end this so I can go home!¡± A ring of light expanded outwards from Rowan. When the light hit Dreu, he experienced a tingly feeling within his body. Then, he saw white flashes and heard loud crackling. He could no longer move his body and, moments later, he felt himself blacking out. Dreu didn¡¯t know how many times he lost consciousness but, when he finally recovered some of his functions, he found himself staring at the aftermath of a battle. Rowan stood over Ulzrag, delivering the finishing blow. Damn it! Damn it! Why is he so strong? Slowly, the young man felt a terrible pain across his chest. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was his heart or something else but the pain made it hard for him to breathe. Dreu could only watch as Rowan walked towards him. None of his limbs responded to him. ¡°What a pitiful sight you have become, emperor.¡± Rowan raised his sword to deliver the finishing blow when he was unexpectedly sent flying over Dreu. Unable to suppress his smile, Dreu tried unsuccessfully to sit up. His body still didn¡¯t respond properly, making him wonder what spell Rowan used. ¡°Stay down, young Dreu.¡± Jojin summoned a large fireball in his hands. ¡°We will take it from here!¡± We? Dreu initially thought only Jojin was still alive but, to his shock, even Ulzrag had taken to the skies. He was certain the dragon was killed off or, at least, he doubted Rowan would fail to deliver the killing blow. When the young man could move his neck, he searched around and failed to find Axichis. As soon as Dreu turned to watch the battle, he saw the goat leader deliver a massive charge that sent Rowan flying away from him. Ulzrag, Jojin and the goat apparently all got rejuvenated as though they received a second wind. Dreu wanted to join them but neck movement was all he got. ¡°What is going on?¡± Frustration was obvious in Rowan¡¯s voice. ¡°You should all be dead now!¡± The goat rammed into Rowan but, this time, it ended up on top of the demi-god. In point blank range, the goat fired stone shards at Rowan. Dreu couldn¡¯t tell from where he sat if the shards did much but he felt hope with each attack that landed. Then, the goat jumped off Rowan to widen the distance between them. The reasoning behind the withdrawal was made obvious when the dragon swooped down over the demi-god, leaving behind scorched earth in its wake. The screaming from Rowan made Dreu¡¯s smile widen. Unfortunately, the young man still couldn¡¯t get up with his own strength, much to his chagrin. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°You!¡± Rowan¡¯s anger was directly entirely on Dreu. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you now!¡± The Right Arm of Xemir teleported to a few meters from the young man. Before the demi-god could carry out the execution, Dreu felt himself teleported atop the goat. Axichis did a quick greeting before he took to the skies. Dreu''s attention was then focused on the goat leader. Good to have you back, young Dreu! Don¡¯t fall off this time! I¡­can understand you now. Oh¡­I see you can. Hang on! The goat leaped back to dodge Rowan¡¯s sword. A fireball from Jojin knocked Rowan off balance, giving the goat more time to maneuver away from the demi-god. As added insurance, the goat continued firing stone shards at Rowan¡¯s feet, greatly hindering the demi-god¡¯s mobility. Then, the other goats also joined in with their own stone shard attacks. Their combined efforts were slowing down the demi-god, even if their attacks did nothing beyond that. It doesn¡¯t feel like we¡¯re making any progress. Despite his best efforts to stay optimistic, Dreu couldn¡¯t see any signs of Rowan suffering injuries, let alone actually losing to them. The Right Arm of Xemir appeared invincible, despite the effort of everyone present. With his functions slowly returning, Dreu readied himself for the battle ahead. He wasn¡¯t about to stay idle while the others did all the work. We need to first get you back your spear. Yes, and how should I refer to you now that we can understand one another? Orilgut is my name. With introductions out of the way, Orilgut circled around Rowan, getting Dreu to the spear he dropped. The demi-god hadn¡¯t given up on reaching the young man but he was very busy with Ulzrag, Axichis and Jojin all taking turns attacking. The three of them were sloppy at teamwork initially but, as the time passed, they worked better and were giving Rowan some trouble. Meanwhile, the other goats were supporting by continuously slowing down the demi-god''s mobility. Atop the goat leader, Dreu felt, for the first time that day, that they could actually win. What is the plan, Orilgut? While the rest of us attack, you will observe from a safe distance until you find Rowan¡¯s weakness. Why? Shouldn¡¯t I take part? Unlike us, you will become fatigued from all the fighting. Bayard said our best course of action is to utilize our inability to tire. Bayard? Yes, we met your mentor and he is well. At the mention of his mentor, Dreu¡¯s eyes started watering. With his spear in his hand, Dreu dismounted the goat some distance away from the battle. He sat down and studied the battle before him, recalling the basics Bayard taught him regarding how one observed a battle. He wanted to believe Rowan had a weakness they could exploit. Volume 1 Chapter 78 The centaur chieftain smiled as soon as he saw Orisa in the distance. The centaur city stood tall and he could see activity atop the walls. The centaurs and beastmen doubled their pace on their journey to the centaur capital and stopped only for brief breaks. Along the way, they came across beastmen camps that were abandoned following the Purifiactor''s activation. Zulgar led his beastmen to grab anything valuable like weapons, armor and food before rejoining the centaurs. The beastman leader wanted to be extra prepared for the future. Between the hunting and what they got from the abandoned camps, the group had sufficient food to last the entire journey. The bear-like creature was nowhere to be seen after that night and Zulgar no longer detected the smell similar to that of the abomination. They had lookouts but the nights were uneventful for the remainder of their journey. Ilumin was once again soaring far above them looking for any signs of their foes. Except for prey which the beastmen happily hunted down, the Cloud Hawk spotted nothing else that warranted their attention. On the previous night, Colet asked Igas to use his Far Sight ability when facing towards the Torpin Stronghold. As the chieftain feared, Igar saw an army of undead marching towards Orisa. The army was filled with undead of many races and they seemed to be in no hurry to reach the centaur capital. Initial estimates put the undead numbers to be larger than the entire population of Orisa when the chieftain left. They at least got confirmation that the undead was marching towards them, whether through the information relayed from the creature or through other means. He had to assume the Soul of Xemir had a way to pull intelligence out of the dead. The slain centaurs could easily provide him with the location of Orisa. Once everyone reached the safety of Orisa, he would send Ilumin out to give them a rough estimate of the undead¡¯s arrival. Then, he could decide between abandoning the city or fighting with the city walls. More drastic actions might be needed but he didn¡¯t want to think about them. The journey had taken a toll on the centaurs and even he needed some proper rest before he made any decisions that would impact the future of centaurs. Colet looked back and saw the smiles on everyone. They had reached their destination so it was something to celebrate. He restrained himself from discussing the dire situation until the following day. When he faced Orisa again, a group of centaurs galloped towards him. ¡°Fellow centaurs! Your chieftain has returned home!¡± Colet¡¯s smile disappeared when the incoming centaurs stopped with their weapons raised. Even the beastmen and centaurs behind him, having sensed the change in atmosphere, stopped their cheering and reached for their weapons. ¡°You dare to show your face here, traitor Colet! And I see you even allied yourself with the beastmen! Put down your weapons and Chieftain Ides may spare your life!¡± ¡°Chieftain¡­.Ides¡­..¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The fact that Ides was alive and became the chieftain shocked the centaur. He was certain his good friend went into the human stronghold which certainly spelled doom. Even in the unlikely situation his friend escaped, he saw it impossible for the centaur to not only survive the Purificator all alone but also reach Orisa before him. As he processed the information, Zulgar stepped forward. ¡°Colet, it seems like we are a burden for you. We will go our separate ways here.¡± As Zulgar rallied the beastmen to head out, Colet barred his way with his arm. ¡°No,¡± said the centaur, ¡°I¡¯m already labeled a traitor and stripped of my chieftain title. I would be a fool to abandon an ally and willingly step into an execution that awaits me in Orisa.¡± ¡°The chieftain knew you would side with outsiders over the centaurs.¡± The centaur raised his ax. ¡°To all the centaurs out there, you have a choice! Stay with the traitor and be labeled an outcast! Or abandon him and fight for the centaurs! The choice should be easy!¡± Colet expected the centaurs to talk amongst themselves behind him but Igas, Actolio and Kallosa stepped forward. They were the only surviving centaur leaders after all they went through. ¡°You have no right to strip Colet of his chieftain title,¡± said Kallosa ¡°Until you show us proof, we will not believe your accusations.¡± ¡°I fought alongside the chieftain against overwhelming odds!¡± said Actolio. ¡°He has never once betrayed the centaurs.¡± ¡°Tell Ides to come forward if he wishes to be chieftain!¡± shouted Igas. ¡°Only a coward takes the position without due process!¡± ¡°You have all been bewitched by Colet! Don¡¯t you dare approach Orisa because you are now enemies of the centaurs!¡± Without further words, the group of centaurs headed back towards the gates. Once they were inside the city, the centaur leaders walked over to Colet. ¡°I thank you three,¡± said Colet who was touched by their loyalty, ¡°but we still have to figure out what to do next.¡± Between being labeled a traitor by those in Orisa and being pursued by the undead, Colet felt his options were becoming more and more limited. His centaurs and Zulgar¡¯s beastmen, while a sizable force, couldn¡¯t be achieving much on their own, especially against the undead. The allies he knew of were dead as the Purificator finished what the humans and the undead failed to do. Unlike Orisa, the capitals of the other coalition members weren''t protected by the demons. On the topic of demons, he wasn''t sure what happened to those protecting the centaur capital. However, their wellbeing wasn''t of his concern. Studying their own situation, food wasn¡¯t an issue but the idea of wandering on the plains wasn¡¯t enticing one bit. He looked up to signal to Ilumin to come down but he couldn¡¯t see his companion in the sky. He searched around but there wasn¡¯t any cloud cover to conceal the Cloud Hawk from his sight. He was certain after a minute his companion was no longer flying atop them. ¡°The abomination¡¯s smell is back now,¡± said Zulgar. ¡°I¡¯d say we set up a camp nearby and go from there. I¡¯d like my beastmen to be fed and somewhat rested if we have to do any fighting.¡± Trusting Ilumin to return later, Colet agreed with Zulgar. Volume 1 Chapter 79 With Orilgut joining the fray, the goats were able to further slow down the demi-god. Their stone shards forced Rowan to slow down as he could stumble if he wasn¡¯t careful. Meanwhile, Jojin and Axichis kept their distance while they used their mid-range spells against their foe. Ulzrag switched between using his mid-range spells and the occasional close quarters attacks. Both his charge and scorched earth approach forced a reaction out of Rowan. Never once did the dragon stay long enough to be bogged down in close quarter combat with the demi-god. Tried as he might, Rowan had been unable to close his distance with any of the combatants. Why isn¡¯t he using his teleportation ability more? From my observation, his ability can be used in short bursts but it has a long cooldown. Dreu nearly jumped when he heard Ulzrag¡¯s voice in his head. While he was calming his poor heart, Dreu checked if the dragon could answer some of his questions while in combat. We dragons can multitask a lot better than humans. Ask away! Dreu asked about what happened before he joined the battle. He explained that he wanted to know as much as he could about Rowan¡¯s battle capabilities so they could find a possible weakness in the demi-god. The dragon paused to think before he responded. The Right Arm of Xemir is very capable. When he noticed our presence, he took the initiative by attacking our vanguard. While he seems capable of using all the elements, fire and lightning elemental spells are what he excels at. He has a bunch of support spells but there are three that are the most dangerous. His Lower Elemental Resistance is capable of removing immunities and further increase an existing weakness. As you have experienced, his teleportation spell is very dangerous as it allows him to strike where you least expect it and gets him out of trouble. Finally, he possesses the Fatigue Aura which multiplies the fatigue of his nearby enemies. Even dragons who have incredible stamina are not immune. The aura sounded terrifying to Dreu as he saw firsthand what fatigue could do to even the strongest warriors. He saw how the fear aura of the demons caused the best human soldiers to lose battles they should have no problems winning. The thought of Rowan possessing such an ability made him shudder. The young man could also understand why he was told to stay out of combat. Once he was near the aura, it was a matter of time before he would be useless. By then, he would be more of a liability to their side. Yet, the others didn¡¯t have the same problem, assuming his hunch was correct. Ulzrag, did you and the others join my roster due to my emperor class? Yes, we asked for a second chance and your unique class gave it to us. As you probably noticed by now, we cannot tire anymore so we are rendering one of the demi-god¡¯s abilities useless. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. While the news of rendering one of Rowan¡¯s abilities useless was welcomed, Dreu was still uncertain how they could beat the demi-god. None of them had inflicted a single wound on Rowan and further attacks only annoyed demi-god at best. With how things were going, they could force a stalemate at best. Sadly, a stalemate couldn¡¯t help them win. The young man returned to observing the battle when Rowan suddenly vanished. Trusting his instincts, Dreu leaped back and narrowly avoided a slash from Rowan. He then found himself beneath Axichis and promptly widened the distance between himself and Rowan. The others repositioned themselves to continue their assault on the demi-god. Damn that demi-god! He nearly got you by teleporting further than what we thought was possible. Don¡¯t blame yourself, Ulzrag. We must be patient as we figure out his abilities more. With an idea of how long the cooldown was, Dreu sat back down to concentrate on the battle. Rowan was once again bogged down as he took attack after attack from the others. The demi-god didn¡¯t seem fazed at all by the attacks. Dreu knew he wasn¡¯t imagining it and he was certain Rowan paid attention to his whereabouts even during the heat of the battle. Both of them knew that Rowan only needed to deliver a single fatal blow and all resistance to him would disappear. Bayard, how do I get you back? I¡­we¡­.cannot defeat Rowan. When there was no response to his prayer, Dreu signed. He found himself watching a battle that went nowhere. Neither side made any progress thus far. The only exciting thing for the monotonous scene was the moments when Rowan disappeared and Dreu had to survive a hit from the demi-god. He narrowly survived the first few encounters but Rowan¡¯s teleportation eventually became predictable. Dreu gathered enough information to know that there were limitations to the demi-god¡¯s teleportation. He shared it with the others. Rowan can only teleport to where he is looking at. Following the teleportation, he needs a second to register where he is at and then he can make his move. Assuming his ability shares similarities as Axichis¡¯ ability, I suspect his cooldown is dependent on the distance traveled. Axichis, just teleport me towards you as soon as Rowan vanishes from your sight. The duck followed what Dreu had in mind and the young man was no longer in danger. Eventually, Rowan appeared to have given up on reaching Dreu, though the latter was cautious as he feared a ruse. The battle raged on and, when night arrived, the others told Dreu to get some rest. The young man recognized that the battle was in a stalemate and he would aid his allies better if he was well rested. Dreu made sure to get out of Rowan¡¯s line of sight and made his way to a small ditch where he fell asleep instantly. While asleep, he found himself back on the wide open plains. Sounds like you need a little help! But...how....Azorius was certain he eliminated you. Never underestimate what Xyheia is capable of. It''s time for us to crush this tiny piece of Rowan. Tiny piece? Yes, a tiny piece of Rowan arrived in this realm. The actual Rowan is far more powerful than what you fought here. You can say we were blessed to face him in such a weakened state. Volume 1 Chapter 80 Dreu rubbed his head until the pain went away. Last time he had such a headache, he drank too much at the Adventurer Inn in Berkton. He sat up trying to recall what happened after he fell asleep. He returned to the wide open plains where he met someone familiar. Like most of his dreams, he couldn¡¯t recall anything from it. He knew he would soon forget all about it later in the morning. He was also disappointed that he had no recollection of this familiar person. As Dreu tried to stand up, his knees buckled beneath him. After a few tries, the young man stopped to catch his breath. He couldn¡¯t understand why he would be this fatigued after sleeping all night. Only after he calmed down did he sense his body telling him something was wrong. Could it have been the lightning spell? After hearing about the elements Rowan excelled in, Dreu concluded he was hit by a lightning spell that made him go in and out of consciousness. Despite surviving the spell, he suspected he was experiencing the common side effects like paralysis throughout his body. Even common healing spells had limited effect due to the internal injuries inflicted by lightning spells. To fully recover, he would need to see someone with advanced healing spells that could heal internal injuries too. Given that he had no healing spells of any kind and calling for help might draw Rowan¡¯s attention, Dreu chose to close his eyes and rest some more. He trusted that Ulzrag and the others could handle their own a while longer. Dreu drifted into sleep as soon as he closed his eyes and, when he woke up next, he felt rejuvenated. The side effects of lightning spells are no joke. Dreu didn¡¯t know how long he slept but something told him that he woke up the following morning. This time, he cautiously stood up and was overjoyed when he could control his limbs. There were no longer aches throughout his body. After a deep breath, the young man slowly made his way towards the battlefield. He zigzagged through what was left of Lullin¡¯s buildings until he got a clear sight of the combat. Upon seeing the combatants, memories of his dream flooded back. It¡¯s good to have you back, Bayard. Dreu couldn¡¯t suppress the smile he got from the scene. Bayard fought as the frontline against Rowan with him preoccupying most of Rowan¡¯s attention. Zhao and Axichis were the opportunists who struck whenever the demi-god allowed an opening. Guiot was using a spell similar to the goats¡¯ stone shards, targeting Rowan¡¯s legs. Rohese simply waited until her chance appeared before her arrow lodged inside of Rowan¡¯s body. There were half a dozen arrows stuck inside of the demi-god. An ordinary man would be dead upon receiving one of those arrows. Ulzrag then landed next to Dreu, shaking the ground itself. You have some strong allies, young Dreu. Why didn¡¯t you send them here sooner? Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Dreu explained that he thought he lost them due to Azorius. The demi-god used a spell that rendered his emperor class useless. If he had known how to summon Bayard and the others sooner, he would have done so without hesitation. His odds of winning generally improved drastically when they were present. Azorius? As in King Azorius? He gave up his position to become the Left Arm of Xemir. I believe he''s a monster like Rowan. Sounds like a problem we¡¯ll have to deal with one day. When the young man asked the dragon why he didn¡¯t participate in the combat, Ulzrag shared that he couldn¡¯t fight well when others were fighting his foe in close combat. His attacks and approaches would result in collateral damage which he hoped to avoid. Given how the battle was going, he was confident victory would be theirs. He could at least make himself useful by serving as Dreu''s bodyguard. That Bayard guy seems like a perfect counter to Rowan. He had devised a counter to every single one of the demi-god¡¯s abilities. At this rate, we may see Rowan defeated before the sun sets. Did I¡­sleep through an entire day? Dreu wanted to know what happened after he slipped away from the battlefield. As he suspected, he slept two nights and an entire day. Luckily for him, Bayard and the others joined the battle on the previous day. Their additions turned the stalemate into a battle greatly favoring his side. Yet, the young man still struggled to believe that they were facing a severely weakened version of Rowan. He couldn¡¯t fathom how powerful the Right Arm of Xemir would be if he was fighting at his full strength. In addition, he noticed that the weakened Rowan also had a lot fewer spells in his arsenal. The spell that disintegrated his summons and the demons was the first to come to mind. It¡¯s over! Upon hearing Ulzrag¡¯s comment, Dreu snapped out of his thoughts to see an arrow going straight through Rowan¡¯s helmet. After taking the hit, the demi-god stumbled onto one knee. Next, Zhao inflicted a nasty wound that saw his spear penetrating through Rowan¡¯s body around his heart. Bayard then delivered the finishing blow by beheading the Right Arm of Xemir. The head went rolling and, several seconds later, the body fell to the ground. There was no blood that came from the body but, shortly after Rowan¡¯s defeat, the head and body disintegrated into light that circled around Dreu. What¡¯s happening? Dreu tried to break out of the light but a barrier kept him in. He tried calling the names of the others but none of them responded. Dreu initially used his entire weight as he tried over and over to break the barrier. Next, he remembered his blade and spear so he used those on the barrier. Yet, nothing he did even made a dent. The barrier got brighter and brighter until he couldn¡¯t keep his eyes open. ¡°Damn it, Rowan! We defeated you fair and square! How dare you use this spell of yours to take me with you! Why don¡¯t you just die!¡± The light then hit Dreu like a horse drawn cart and the young man blacked out. Volume 1 Chapter 81 Once Colet and Zulgar led everyone further from Orisa, they compared notes on the local geography. The centaurs might have lived in the region longer but the beastmen were far more familiar with various features like caves due to their need to find food and shelter. The two were shocked at how much they could learn from each other, clearly due to different priorities when scouting out the land. As the two leaders discussed the best location for camp, Ilumin flew down and landed on Colet¡¯s shoulder. Sofice coming! Sofice coming! Upon hearing the name, Colet looked in the direction Ilumin pointed her wing at. A small group of centaurs galloped towards them and he could recognize the centaur at the front. The centaur chieftain excused himself so he could join up with Sofice. The two of them embraced before Sofice introduced Colet to the other centaurs. Then, Kallosa joined and embraced Sofice. One thing that always brought a smile on Colet''s face was their close friendship and their shared interest in healing magic. The three were slightly teary-eyed due to the reunion. As soon as they got their emotions under control, they walked over to Zulgar. ¡°Zulgar, this is my elder sister, Sofice.¡± Colet turned to his sister. ¡°Sofice, this is Zulgar, leader of the beastmen.¡± Once the two of them exchanged greetings, Colet asked his sister what happened in Orisa and why she was outside the city. His sister said that they should talk once they reached a safe location. She claimed that their enemies had eyes and ears where they least expected it. Colet and Zulgar exchanged looks before following the female centaur. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what your nose was telling you,¡± whispered Colet. ¡°Could be,¡± said Zulgar as he went into deep thought while keeping up with Colet. The large group moved at a canter pace until they arrived before a valley. Dark smoke limited their visibility and made it impossible for them to see across the valley. The fierce blaze in the valley made several beastmen and centaurs back a step or two. Fires weren''t rare during this season but the magnitude of the blazes exceeded what they had seen in the past. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Sofice. Before either Colet or Zulgar could say anything, Sofice walked down a path towards the blaze. The two of them looked at each other and the blaze. When Sofice disappeared into the smoke, they both sighed and followed after her. The beastmen and centaurs all hesitated before following their leaders into the fire and smoke. Colet took a deep breath before he walked down the path. Holding his breath, the centaur chieftain entered the smoke expecting his eyes to start watering. To his surprise, the smoke and fire vanished. Instead, a medium sized encampment stood before him. The earth walls were two meters tall with centaurs and demons standing atop them. Due to his earlier hesitation, Sofice already reached the encampment gates where she spoke with a centaur. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°That was all an illusion?¡± inquired Zulgar. ¡°If there are demons here,¡± said Colet, ¡°then that must be the case.¡± ¡°Demons?¡± The question puzzled Colet briefly before he recalled the demons lived on the other side of the continent to the beastmen. The odds of them encountering one another was unlikely at best. The centaurs, despite having heard of the demons before, had no contact with the other race until recently when the demons presented the offer he accepted. The sight of them on the encampment walls gave Colet confidence the demons kept their end of the bargain. At the time, the demons could have double-crossed the centaurs and he couldn¡¯t have done anything about it. Trustworthy allies were hard to come by, especially when the list of potential allies grew smaller and smaller. ¡°The demons were allies we made against the humans,¡± said Colet. ¡°They offered Orisa protection in return for our support on attacking the humans.¡± ¡°So they kept their end of the bargain but you failed yours.¡± ¡°We promised we would support them. Victory was a bonus if we got it.¡± ¡°As long as they can be trusted, I¡¯m fine with working with them.¡± The centaur chieftain was relieved with his beastman ally. He never liked promoting cooperation between different races because there were too many factors to account for. The coalition was a perfect example of what happened when some races barely tolerated one another. More than once, he had to mediate between the races so the coalition wouldn¡¯t fall apart before reaching Torpin Stronghold. Dezzi helped where she could but, as the youngest leader in the coalition, it wasn¡¯t surprising to see most not taking her seriously. Zulgar at least expressed the willingness to work with the demons which, given the circumstance, was a must. However, even he didn''t know what agenda the demon had following the activation of the Purificator and the Orisa situation. ¡°Come on, you snails! We don¡¯t have all day!¡± ¡°Never thought I would be called a snail,¡± muttered Zulgar. ¡°Get use to it,¡± replied Colet. ¡°My sister is the fastest centaur I know of. Good luck beating her in a race.¡± Not wanting to be called snails again, Colet and Zulgar joined Sofice at the gate. There, they were greeted by three demons in gray robes. Following greetings, the demons welcomed them into the encampment. Despite the size of the encampment, there weren¡¯t very many inhabitants within it. Colet counted a few dozen centaurs and around the same number of demons. The illusion served as the primary defense because, if anyone got past it, they could easily overwhelm the puny garrison. Large plots of land within the encampment were still empty, though that was suitable given the beastmen and centaurs who would soon stay in the encampment. Enough tents were set up for the current inhabitants along with space allocated for an armorer and a blacksmith. As the large group walked past, the two of them were busy with their work. Even though the armor and sword were work in progress, the demons¡¯ craftsmanship had already impressed Colet. The centaurs weren¡¯t known to be the best craftsmen in the north. However, Colet suspected, given their pace, they were racing against the time to arm everyone within the encampment. Volume 1 Chapter 82 Dreu rubbed his aching head. He vaguely recalled being taught two spells by the Eglallin look-alike before he blacked out from the pain. He was certain something else happened afterwards but his head went blank as to what. After a few attempts, the young man gave up trying to recall what happened. As he sat up on the bed, he was greeted by dull gray walls. When he looked around, he noticed a small window and a large sized doorway. No light shone through the small window so Dreu walked over to it, eager to find clues to his whereabouts. Outside the building, there were just other buildings with the same dull walls. Not a sound could be heard, prompting Dreu to check what time it was. When he looked up, there was only darkness above. Nothing like stars or clouds could be seen. Wherever he was, it was far different from the world he was accustomed to. Returning his attention back to the room, Dreu realized the interior wasn¡¯t pitch dark. He could see his palm clearly, indicating there was some sort of illumination. Searching for the light source that made everything visible, the young man eventually stopped before a small orb installed into the wall. The orb, sharing the same dull gray color as the walls, wasn¡¯t easily discernible until he got close. He felt a cool surface when he touched it. The orb, upon making contact with his fingers, completely dimmed bringing the entire room into darkness. The young man had never seen such an orb and tapped it a few times to see it brighten and dim. He was used to torches and candles. Even with all the stories he had heard from adventurers, no one mentioned anything about orbs capable of illuminating rooms. ¡°I see you have found the light orb,¡± said an unfamiliar voice. Dreu jumped and turned to the stranger. Standing at the doorway, the stranger¡¯s features were shrouded in darkness and only the silhouette was visible due to the light from outside the room. The being, despite being hunched over slightly, still towered over him. The sight reminded the young man of the demon he encountered in the tunnels below Berkton. Unlike that encounter, his instincts didn¡¯t scream for him to run. Trusting his instincts, Dreu felt no urge to reach for his weapon and chose a more diplomatic approach. ¡°I was just curious how the room was lit up.¡± Dreu¡¯s face reddened and he hoped it wasn¡¯t obvious. ¡°I know it¡¯s rude to be so carefree in a stranger¡¯s home.¡± ¡°Nonsense! Curiosity is how the young learn and grow.¡± The stranger raised his left hand and pointed a finger at the dimmed orb. Coming back to life, the orb lit up the whole room. The stranger was a demon with skin that looked weathered with age but his eyes shone brilliantly. The gray robe covered the demon from head to toe. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Are you¡­.related to Eglallin?¡± ¡°Is our resemblance that uncanny?¡± The demon burst out laughing. ¡°I never thought a human could discern so much through sight alone.¡± Dreu was unsure how to respond to the comment so he changed the topic. ¡°Thank you for taking me in! I had, or have, nowhere to go.¡± ¡°My daughter merely dumped you in my yard,¡± said the demon with a laugh. ¡°I couldn¡¯t just let you sleep there, regardless how comfortable it is there. My name is Tragthan and I am the last Demon Warlock.¡± ¡°Demon warlock?¡± asked Dreu as many questions went through his head. ¡°And your daughter? Eglallin?¡± ¡°Yes, the demoness who sent you through the portal.¡± Tragthan gestured Dreu to the bed. ¡°Please sit! We have a lot to talk about.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± Dreu said as he sat on the bed. ¡°She saved my life and I am grateful for that.¡± ¡°Nonsense! She died protecting what she believed in. It was only a matter of time before Xemir got the better of her. I had foreseen this day long ago.¡± Dreu could see the demon¡¯s expression matching the sadness in his words. Unable to offer anything, the young man merely sat on the bed waiting for Tragthan to continue the conversation. In the meantime, Dreu turned on his window prompt but, like back in the capital, there was no prompt. Whatever Azorius did permanently removed his Emperor Class. ¡°Are you trying to locate Bayard and the others?¡± asked the demon suddenly. Tragthan¡¯s question made Dreu jump. After a brief hesitation, he nodded. Dreu had learned to accept demons as beings not so different from humans. ¡°Before she died, Eglallin created this memory bubble.¡± The demon raised a hand to summon a bubble filled with countless characters. ¡°This is a special way of communication between demons of the same kin. She sent me all of her thoughts and memories on the day of her death. I learned of Azorius performing a spell and I have no clue as to what that spell is. Lacking that knowledge, I cannot say for sure if you can meet Bayard again.¡± ¡°He was a mentor, friend and protector.¡± Dreu resisted the urge to show his emotions openly, especially before a stranger he had only just met. ¡°He and the others felt like family. When they were taken away, I felt great loss a third time. I don¡¯t know if my heart can handle more losses.¡± "While I lack a concrete answer, I do believe that, as long as you keep living, there will always be a chance to bring them back. Their return will depend on whether or not you give up on them." Before he could thank the demon for words of encouragement, Dreu looked down to see what was hitting his foot. Two demonic creatures, one resembling a wolf and the other resembling a fox, sat by his feet. The dog demon pawed Dreu until it got his attention. Then, the wolf gave a small bark. ¡°These two were Eglallin¡¯s pets. Ilveroz is a Demonic Hound while the Aggich is a Cursed Fox. They are now ownerless so, if you want one or both of them, you are free to adopt them. They likely need you as much as you need them.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 83 While a part of him wanted to pet the two creatures, Dreu restrained himself. He would think twice before petting a demonic hound or a cursed fox, both clearly capable of either killing him, making him suffer or both. Dreu studied the two creatures in silence as they stared back with their innocent eyes. He could never understand how he could find dangerous creatures cute. ¡°I promise you these two are very well behaved! Despite their species names, Eglallin had determined neither of them is dangerous to others. The cursed fox has no curses in her arsenal while the demonic hound is more playful than dangerous. They have never once hurt my daughter or anyone in the city.¡± ¡°Why did she keep them then?¡± Dreu leaned forward with his palms facing upwards. "Eglallin doesn¡¯t seem like the kind to keep pets, at least with my impression of her on the battlefield.¡± Ilveroz happily jumped onto Dreu¡¯s right palm while Aggich was more hesitant. After a few barks from Ilveroz, Aggich walked onto Dreu¡¯s left palm. The young man brought the demonic creatures onto his lap where they happily laid down. The young man couldn¡¯t suppress his smile as he watched the two of them curl up into tiny balls. Before long, they were both asleep in his lap. ¡°Eglallin was a different demon on the battlefield compared to home. On the battlefield, she focused solely on results and couldn¡¯t tolerate those who didn¡¯t get her to the desired outcome. At home, she was as carefree as one could be." Tragthan gestured to the two creatures in Dreu''s lap. "With her gone, the least I can do is find them a new home. You and them are getting well already so I will leave them in your hands.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to care for either of them.¡± Dreu had considered getting a pet in Berkton. Sadly, his long hours of work would have made him a terrible pet owner. In addition, the expenses that came with caring for pets were high, especially if those pets were magical in some ways. Magical pets required specific food as they wouldn¡¯t eat anything. In addition, those pets had other special needs that would make them too expensive for most. The young man could only imagine what would be needed to care for a demonic hound and a cursed fox. They sounded like they would be challenging to care for, especially when he was a mere human. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about their food. They¡¯ll find ways to scavenge their own when you let them loose in the wild. As for training them, I know just the place. However, there is a matter I must discuss with you first.¡± When Tragthan raised his arms, the dull gray room disappeared. Dreu stared around at the wide open sky before he focused on the forest below him. He knew he was in an illusion because, despite being in the air, he didn¡¯t feel the same exhilaration as what he felt when the griffin picked him up. The young man didn¡¯t have much time to ponder on the experience of flight because his attention was on the soldiers marching single file along a windy path. The banners carried by the soldiers suggested that they were from the kingdom. His conservative estimate of the human soldiers was around ten thousand. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Those are forces loyal to Xemir and the soldiers are marching towards us right now.¡± Tragthan directed Dreu¡¯s attention to the city in the distance. ¡°That is where we are at. The humans will be here within two days. Once they are here, it will be a one-sided massacre favoring the humans.¡± The illusion vanished, returning Dreu back to the dull room. The sight of so many soldiers made him recall the battle at the capital. Xemir was serious if he was sending so many soldiers on the offensive. ¡°Wait,¡± said Dreu. ¡°I saw the hordes of demons attacking the kingdom. Surely, you must have reserves for these situations.¡± ¡°If Eglallin and Braglames were both here, the demons can stand a chance.¡± Tragthan walked over to the window. ¡°With them dead, the humans have been emboldened in their offensive. They fully intend to finish us off once and for all when we are at our weakest. I hate to admit the fact that I''m way past my prime. Even then, my daughter was better suited at fighting human soldiers than any other demon.¡± There was a lengthy pause before Tragthan turned to face the young man. ¡°Tell me, Dreu. Knowing the humans have overwhelming odds in the upcoming battle, will you assist the demons or join the humans?¡± ¡°I will assist the demons,¡± said Dreu without hesitation. The young man understood that he was marked for death when he refused to side with Rowan. Azorius was close to taking his life and those sent to attack the demons were likely notified of his existence. Dreu was certain they would kill him without hesitation as long as he was labeled a traitor to the kingdom. He then watched the demon study him. He had to steel himself to avoid showing any emotions during the moment. ¡°Good.¡± Without another word, Tragthan gestured to Dreu to follow and walked out. Dreu hastily gathered the two creatures into his arms before he chased after the demon. Upon exiting the room, he got the sense of how small the house was. The upstairs consisted of two rooms of similar size with a single flight of stairs to the main level. The stairs had some creaky floorboards but Dreu still trusted them to hold his weight. Downstairs, Dreu walked past a kitchen and a study of some sort to reach the front door. The place reminded him of his home back in Berkton. Both lacked anything fancy to make them stand out but, for him, the coziness made them perfectly suited for what they were built for. After he stepped out the front door, there was a tiny yard with a small garden filled with plants he couldn''t identify. ¡°Welcome to Gujash,¡± said Tragthan as the young man stepped out onto the street. ¡°We will take a stand here while we evacuate our young and elderly. I hope you are ready for battle!¡± Volume 1 Chapter 84 Colet, Zulgar, Sofice and the three demons entered a tent in the center of the encampment. With plenty of space, the six of them picked a spot to get comfortable. The demons first introduced themselves. The leader of the group was Kagarath. His left hand and right hand demons were Jukoxad and Ogmoth. They were sent by Eglallin to protect the centaur capital, Orisa. Colet recalled his last discussion with Eglallin who hinted that, should their invasion fail, the demon capital would be vulnerable to human retaliation. Therefore, he was surprised to see them remaining behind with his sister. Sitting across from him, all three wore dark robes with the hoods covering their heads. The demons easily towered over the others and, with the hoods over their heads, they gave off a mysterious vibe, making them difficult to read. ¡°You demons need more meat in your diet,¡± said Zulgar. ¡°We beastmen will provide you plenty so you can get some meat on your skinny frames.¡± Colet quietly agreed with Zulgar. Given the demons¡¯ tall frames, their skinniness only became more apparent. They reminded him of the human slaves he saw during his travels. Those humans suffered oppression and starvation. He knew the centaurs wouldn¡¯t treat their guests with such disrespect. Yet, it was obvious their bodies were in terrible states. ¡°We appreciate the gesture,¡± said Kagarath, ¡°but there¡¯s no need.¡± The demon leader took off his hood revealing a sickly complexion. While Colet couldn¡¯t tell if the paleness was natural for demons, it was clear to even him the demons looked unhealthy. While their eyes possessed a fire from those with a strong will to live, their bodies looked shriveled up much like what one expected of one close to death. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the barrier they placed on Orisa was the cause for their current conditions. ¡°Our powers are very taxing on our bodies.¡± Kagarath gestured to his chest. ¡°As long as our core remains intact, we cannot die. We accepted that we have no hope of restoring our bodies to their physical peaks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± replied Zulgar. ¡°I was hoping you demons could contribute to the battlefield. War is around the corner and every individual can make a difference.¡± Colet agreed with the beastman leader¡¯s assessment. They needed help on the battlefield due to them being sandwiched between two dangerous forces. On the one hand, undead forces were marching towards them in large numbers, eager to add more to their ranks. Colet knew Igar couldn¡¯t tell conclusively from his ability if the Soul of Xemir marched with the undead but the numbers of undead soldiers were enough to dispatch their forces with ease. On the other hand, the centaurs in Orisa had turned on him for unknown reasons. Ides became their chieftain creating a mess of the situation. With his group labeled as exiles, the centaurs in Orisa could view his group as too dangerous to be left alone. Therefore, there was a good chance for centaurs to be killing one another, much like what happened during the civil war. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°I assure you that our appearances can be misleading. We three can be valuable allies both on and off the battlefield. In addition, our expert demon blacksmith and armorer are busy preparing for war. We are aware conflicts will arise between us and the centaurs in Orisa.¡± ¡°Who are the weapons and armor for?¡± Colet asked to satisfy his curiosity. ¡°I noticed there aren¡¯t that many in the encampment and I doubt you were aware of our arrival until earlier today.¡± ¡°The weapons and armor are for the reinforcements. Given our current predicament, we cannot hope to fend off attacks with our current numbers.¡± At the mention of reinforcements, the centaur chieftain felt very puzzled. Following the Purificator activation, any allies, in the best case scenario, would be in terrible shape. If it weren¡¯t for Eupoos¡¯ sacrifice, the only centaurs left would be those in Orisa and they weren¡¯t exactly ready for war. Unless the demons had a massive reserve, he hardly expected their reinforcements to have much of an impact on their current situation. He then felt the stare from the demon leader and looked back. ¡°However, our interest lies in the exiled centaur chieftain. Your return with beastmen allies will certainly aid in our survival. I¡¯m sure you have much to share regarding your journey home and your unconventional alliance with the beastmen.¡± ¡°There is much to share,¡± replied Colet. ¡°I do think it¡¯s more imperative I learn of what happened in Orisa. I¡¯m still struggling to accept what I learned as it seems too absurd to be true.¡± Sofice offered to get her brother up to date with what happened in Orisa. She began with the mysterious return of Ides two days earlier. All the centaurs knew the young centaur headed out with Colet to attack the Torpin Stronghold. Not only was his return to Orisa alone surprising but he somehow got the backing of all the centaur elders to become the new chieftain. Naturally, those like Sofice were fiercely against the idea. A day later, Sofice found the support for Ides overwhelming and those with the same beliefs as her became a small minority. Before she knew it, she and centaurs loyal to Colet were kicked out of Orisa and were labeled as exiles. The demons were also chased out of Orisa. Since then, they established the encampment where they were plotting their next move. While debating their options, she and the demons did consider marching to Torpin Stronghold on the off chance some members of the coalition survived the Purificator. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you alive and return so soon,¡± said Sofice. ¡°We can certainly use centaurs and beastmen to aid us in upcoming battles, even if some beastmen move like snails.¡± Zulgar wasn¡¯t pleased with the teasing but he kept his mouth shut. The beastman leader seemed more interested in what Kagarath had to share. ¡°We were suspicious of the powers Ides wielded,¡± said Kagarath. ¡°He removed us so we couldn¡¯t interfere with his plans. I fear he knew we learned too much.¡± ¡°Powers?¡± asked Colet with concern in his voice. ¡°Ogmoth is pretty certain he¡¯s wielding dark powers. That¡¯s how he got so much support in such a short period of time.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 85 Dreu was unsure how he should feel atop the walls that surrounded Gujash. Unlike the human capital, Xante, the demon capital only had a single wall protecting it. This wall was roughly six meters tall and five meters wide with two towers on both sides of the gatehouses and one in each corner. One gatehouse faced the forests where the human army was treading. Dreu was told the other gatehouse led to a very dangerous place, even for demons. Unfortunately for the defenders, everything was in need of repairs as the aftermath of the last battle was still evident. He, along with many other demon soldiers, were busy patching up the fortification in preparation for the upcoming battle. With no knowledge on how the walls were built and maintained, the young man became another manual labor who followed the orders of a demon who knew what he or she was doing. Tragthan introduced Dreu to Rorgath, a demon said to be well versed with engineering. Rorgath was about half of Dreu¡¯s height but his massive muscles suggested he was not to be underestimated. Following the introduction, the demon immediately put Dreu to work. Even Ilveroz and Aggich were told to assist him in his work. The work went on for what seemed like hours. I wonder where Tragthan went. The young man wasn¡¯t too thrilled with manual work but he knew his survival depended on the outcome of the upcoming battle. He also wasn¡¯t put into backbreaking work as he was sent to patch small holes with small stones and some liquid. The liquid was stored in small barrels he could carry around with him. The young man had to find small stones that were scattered atop the walls. Ilveroz and Aggich also assisted him by bringing over small stones they could carry with their mouths. Once Dreu inserted the stone and applied the liquid around the empty space, a demon came by to cast a spell, resulting in the liquid to solidify and fill up any space. A quick knock suggested that the patches were somewhat sturdy. Dreu would be repeating the process without even needing to think too much. ¡°I need a team to fetch more stones outside the city,¡± shouted Rorgath. A group of demon soldiers leaped over the walls without hesitation. Dreu looked over the battlements to see the soldiers all stick their landing. They then made their way to the ruins outside the walls. When he asked Tragthan earlier, the old demon mentioned that there were two walls protecting the demon capital at one time. Following many battles, the outer wall was completely abandoned and its stones were used to repair the remaining wall. Dreu turned to Rorgath who shook his head. ¡°Tragthan said you¡¯re too valuable to leave the safety of the walls,¡± said the demon after he walked over. ¡°Do what you can before I send you to one of the tents below. You¡¯ll want a full stomach before the battle begins.¡± Dreu nodded his head before heading back to work. There were many demon soldiers performing the same work but completing all the repairs in time was a daunting task. Relying on rough estimates, the young man didn¡¯t think there were enough demon soldiers to finish the repairs, let alone garrison the walls. There would be gaps, giving the enemy forces plenty of locations to scale the walls with minimal resistance. He could see why Tragthan said the upcoming battle would be very one-sided. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Where are the young and old Tragthan spoke of? During the walk to the walls, the young man didn¡¯t see a single demon until he reached his destination. None of the buildings showed signs of any demons living inside them. The city gave an eerily empty feel, a major contrast to the bustling Xante before the demons broke through the defenses. Regardless of what he thought, Dreu returned to work knowing he promised the old demon he would help. ¡°Something is on your mind?¡± Dreu turned to see Tragthan standing on the walls, the demon¡¯s face betraying nothing. His arrival could only mean the evacuation was underway. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I feel about fighting other humans.¡± ¡°This wasn¡¯t easy for Bayard and the others when they faced Xemir¡¯s followers. They fought for what they believed in. What do you believe in?¡± The question stumped Dreu. During the demon invasion, he fought for survival. Even now, he was fighting to stay alive. He never had a chance to think about what he believed in because he either never had to pick up a weapon in Berkton or he didn¡¯t have the luxury to ponder on the matter. Bayard and the others constantly described how terrible Xemir and his followers were. He only agreed with them after he learned about his family¡¯s demise at the hands of Rowan. ¡°I believe in avenging my family. I know it¡¯s petty but Rowan admitted to killing everyone in my family when I was traveling the kingdom. I won¡¯t stop until I get my revenge.¡± ¡°I know revenge is a powerful motivator and it gives you strength.¡± Tragthan pointed at the forest. ¡°If you kill those soldiers for revenge and the children of those soldiers want revenge, will the cycle only end when one side is completely wiped out?¡± Dreu stayed silent as he lacked an answer. His silence only prompted the demon to ask another question. ¡°Do you have nothing to protect?¡± Dreu shook his head. Everyone at Lullin was dead. He went there and there was no trace of the farming community that once thrived there. Everything had burned down with no one even daring to speak of the place. If what Rowan said was true, then his squadmates in Berkton and Jeane were resurrected. Yet, he couldn¡¯t see them siding with him if the kingdom declared him a traitor. Once he was seen aiding the demons in the defense of Gujash, then he would no longer get a second chance. He was certain that Azorius would rather see him dead regardless. ¡°I hope you will one day find something you are willing to protect with your life.¡± Tragthan looked down at Ilveroz and Aggich. ¡°One becomes much stronger trying to protect those they cherish than trying to seek revenge.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 86 Dreu looked hesitantly at the bowl of gruel before him. He couldn¡¯t identify the contents in the gruel and the scene of him dying through dysentery played through his mind a few times. When he looked below the table, both Ilveroz and Aggich looked up while their bowls were already empty. A few deep breaths later, the young man scooped up a spoonful of the gruel to put it in his mouth. After one taste, he shoved the contents into his mouth, only just realizing how hungry he was. Once he realized the bowl was empty, Dreu considered the idea of getting seconds. Yet, he went from somewhat hungry to stuffed within seconds. ¡°How are you two doing?¡± Dreu asked as he looked down the table. ¡°What am I going to do with you two?¡± Both Ilveroz and Aggich curled up on the ground asleep. Dreu gently scooped them up and placed them on his lap. Is this how it feels to adopt a cat or a dog as a pet? Given how well behaved the two were, Dreu had no issues having them tag along with him. They were also very obedient as they came to him as soon as he called for them, regardless of what they were in the middle of. Ilveroz was still the more bold of the two as he happily played with the young man if given a chance. Aggich, despite getting comfortable with him, was still generally shy. She kept her distance but still remained close enough to not get separated. During their playtime, Aggich showed a side that Dreu had yet to see when she was near him. Then, a horn was sounded, waking up both Ilveroz and Aggich. Dreu didn''t know for certain what the horn was for but it reminded him of when the demons attacked Xante. ¡°Human army here!¡± shouted a demon. ¡°To the walls!¡± Dreu put his two companions down on the ground. ¡°Go and hide in the city,¡± he said to them and added some gestures to get his point across. As the young man stood up, he frowned at the sight of the two creatures staying close to him. He stopped himself from yelling at them when he recalled something Tragthan told him. The old demon mentioned that Ilveroz and Aggich were depressed when they learned of Eglallin¡¯s death. She had apparently told them she would return and didn¡¯t do so. Maybe they fear that I will leave them behind too? Knowing that there wasn¡¯t anywhere safe in Gujash, Dreu told his companions that they could tag around as long as they stayed out of trouble and danger. Hearing this, the two creatures barked excitedly. Dreu placed his index finger over his mouth and the two creatures immediately stopped their barking. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Let¡¯s go defend the walls!¡± Dreu and his two companions ran up the nearest stairs to reach atop the walls. The human army split up into four groups with the melee infantry of each group forming a rectangular formation several columns deep. The ranged infantry and spellcasters were behind the melee infantry but they were still too far out to engage with the defenders. Meanwhile, numerous individuals, all wearing no armor, toiled behind the soldiers as they put together siege equipment. Having not asked Tragthan how the demons were going to battle the humans, Dreu could only stand behind the battlements waiting for the humans to make the first move. ¡°Time for them to go boom!¡± shouted Rorgath. A portal appeared above one of the human army groups and a gaseous ghoul dropped from the sky towards the humans below. Upon making impact with the ground, the ghoul exploded, killing numerous ranged infantry and spellcasters. Dreu waited patiently but no other portals materialized. He turned to Rorgath and asked about the other gaseous ghouls. ¡°That one was the only one we had left,¡± said Rorgath. ¡°The rest were sent in the invasion of the human kingdom.¡± The glimmer of hope Dreu had shattered upon learning how poorly equipped the demons were for battle. The blast might have killed at most a few dozen humans which barely made a dent in the human¡¯s fighting capabilities. In addition, the humans were in panic initially and, when no more gaseous ghouls rained from the sky, they quickly reformed their formations. Dreu feared that the attack only made the humans more angry than anything else. Then, the walls shook, causing the young man to lose his balance. He peeked over the battlements to see the human catapults in action. Spellcasters set the projectiles aflame before they were launched at the walls. The ones that hit the walls squarely inflicted a bit of damage before they harmlessly fell down to the ground. A couple gained enough altitude to hit demon soldiers atop the walls, killing the demons immediately or through the slow painful death of burning. While the siege weapons flung fiery hell at the defenders, the human soldiers began their march towards the walls. Dreu had to duck his head when a projectile flew too close over him. He stayed low as he waited for the humans to run out of projectiles. ¡°Humans are scaling the walls!¡± Dreu peeked over the battlements until he saw the approaching human soldiers. Unlike the demons, they didn¡¯t carry any ladders with them. Instead, the spellcasters that came with the infantry casted magical ladders which they used to scale the walls. Dreu debated if they still wanted to fight the humans. Maybe if I surrender¡­ As a human soldier leaped over the battlement, Dreu stabbed the man in the back, severely wounding him. He then swung his blade at a soldier who froze on the battlement, slicing through the man¡¯s knees. The young man then delivered the killing blow to at least give the soldier a merciful death. The other soldiers, having overcome their shock, came at him with fury while they called him a traitor. When surrender crossed his mind, Dreu recalled his parent¡¯s smiling faces and the brotherly love he shared with his sibling. While he agreed that revenge didn¡¯t make him much stronger, he knew that, for the time being, it was the only thing that pushed him forward in life. He could always ponder on Tragthan¡¯s question when he avenged his family members. Volume 1 Chapter 87 ¡°Dark powers?¡± muttered Colet under his breath. The centaur chieftain recalled back to the time between his discussion about dark powers with Eupoos and the day they marched towards the Torpin Stronghold. At the time, he didn¡¯t suspect anything because he thought he knew his friend well. Ides mostly kept to himself so he assumed the centaur was just focused on preparing the bow wielders for combat. Looking back, he realized what was happening. While all the centaurs were preparing for battle, his friend was looking into dark powers and likely got tempted by what he learned. The dark powers corrupted the centaur turning him into the monster that took over Orisa. With dark powers, not only could Ides get back to Orisa faster than his group but the centaur could also survive the Purificator as seen by the abomination¡¯s survival. This whole time, he refused to accept the possibility his friend was lost to powers beyond his understanding. Now, his friend stole his position and might even turn the other centaurs against him. ¡°Colet!¡± said Sofice firmly. Colet apologized knowing his mind was distracted. When asked, he shared his recollection and the signs of his friend embracing dark powers. He expressed that Ogmoth was likely right and asked what they could do about him and the centaurs currently under the pretender¡¯s command. A part of him held out hope that they could reclaim Orisa from Ides. Their chances of survival might hinge on whether or not they could save the centaurs. ¡°It¡¯s too late,¡± said Kagarath. ¡°What?¡± said Colet and Sofice in unison. ¡°Let me put it this way.¡± The demon leader pointed in the direction of Orisa. ¡°While you all were heading this way, Ogmoth sensed an incredible power coming from the city. For such a big magic signature, it usually only mean two things. Either the centaurs were sacrificed to open a portal or the centaurs are corrupted by the same dark powers that corrupted Ides. In both cases, the centaurs are lost to you forever. Ides has moved much quicker than we thought possible.¡± The thought of failing his people brought out all the negative emotions building within him. In a brief moment of lost self control, the centaur chieftain stomped a foot down. When he noticed cracks on the ground, he looked up at the surprised expressions of the demons and Sofice. Only Zulgar looked amused by his little act of rage. ¡°I apologize.¡± While the others tried to reassure Colet that it wasn¡¯t his fault, a flurry of activity outside the tent got everyone¡¯s attention. A minute later, Ilumin was inside the tent. The Cloud Hawk relayed the sighting of various unknown creatures exiting Orisa. Those creatures looked to be heading towards the encampment and, due to distance, she couldn¡¯t identify any of their features. Ilumin also reported the undead army was a few hours of march from the encampment. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°How did they travel so fast?¡± Colet knew the undead army was a few days of travel based on their estimates from Igas¡¯ ability. Undead soldiers couldn¡¯t simply teleport and, even with the ability to never tire, they could only physically cover so much ground. ¡°That explains everything!¡± When Ogmoth noticed the inquisitive stares of the others, he offered to explain. ¡°During Colet¡¯s little venting session, I sensed a portal closing in the direction the undead soldiers were coming from. I initially thought I mistook Colet¡¯s powers with what I sensed but it would appear the undead¡¯s master is capable of portal magic.¡± ¡°Soul of Xemir¡­¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Ogmoth¡¯s amused look from the topic turned serious. ¡°Did you say Soul of Xemir?¡± Colet wasn¡¯t prepared for Ogmoth¡¯s reaction. He had always assumed the being wasn¡¯t well known since he couldn¡¯t see most surviving an encounter with someone like him. He and his centaurs only escaped because the Soul of Xemir decided to turn their chase into a game. Otherwise, they would have been hunted down and killed due to not having the headstart they had. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Colet. ¡°He claimed to be the Soul of Xemir and chose to make a game out of pursuing us. He has the intention of wiping all nonhumans out.¡± ¡°And he specializes in undead magic?¡± After he saw Colet¡¯s nod, Ogmoth stood up before everyone. ¡°I fear the situation is worse than I expected. I must alert our blacksmith and armorer. Our standard weapons won¡¯t suffice against the Soul of Xemir. We need more specialized weapons to face the undead horde.¡± Ogmoth excused himself and exited the tent. Everyone turned their attention to Kagarath, expecting him to share his thoughts on the matter. The demon leader stated that he had no prior encounter with the Soul of Xemir. However, he did reveal that Ogmoth had a personal debt he wanted to settle with the being. If any of them was curious, Kagarath suggested they ask him themselves. Certain matters were best not delved deeper unless one got permission. ¡°What now?¡± asked Zulgar. ¡°Undead to the south and dark power monsters to the north. Surely we aren¡¯t going to foolishly make our last stand here against these odds.¡± ¡°We make them fight each other,¡± said Colet. Upon seeing the puzzled looks from others, Colet began explaining his past experiences with those of similar personality as the Soul of Xemir. He claimed that these personalities had a sadistic nature and loved dragging out the suffering of their victims. Therefore, nothing would please the Soul of Xemir more than allowing the centaurs to stew while the undead army took their time reaching Orisa. He then asked everyone why the portal magic was used. ¡°He sensed the big magic signature and feared his prey would be taken from him." Colet nodded in agreement with the same conclusion as Kagarath. He explained how, with both sides wanting everyone within the encampment dead by their hands, the situation could be turned in their favor. ¡°If we move ourselves to a location where the two sides are forced to engage each other,¡± said Kagarath, ¡°then we can weaken them as we evaluate our next move.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a risky endeavor,¡± said Zulgar, ¡°but I like it. We the prey will set the trap for the hunters. The more they slaughter each other, the better the odds of our survival.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 88 Having lost his element of surprise, Dreu had a much harder time killing the soldiers that were scaling the walls. Rorgath fought valiantly but he had been slain as soon as he was overwhelmed. The other demon soldiers around his vicinity were also dead, leaving him as the lone defender on this segment of the walls. Surrounded, Dreu was ready to make his final stand. He calmed himself while he readied himself to take down as many foes as he could. Then, three of the soldiers in front of him screamed in pain as they were engulfed by a green flame. The men¡¯s screams temporarily grabbed the attention of the other nearby humans, giving Dreu a chance to deliver a killing blow with no resistance. The death of the four human soldiers meant he was no longer encircled which improved his odds ever so slightly. Who casted the fireball? ¡°Watch ou-¡± A human¡¯s head was ripped off before he could finish his sentence. The grand entrance even got Dreu¡¯s attention and the young man saw Tragthan in full battle armor. The old demon, striking like a whirlwind, slayed all the nearby human soldiers and even destroyed the magic ladders. Compared to the Tragthan he first met in the demon capital, this demon made Dreu¡¯s jaw drop. Unlike Eglallin, Tragthan seemed far better versed in close combat. The human soldiers who had given Dreu so much trouble stood no chance against the veteran demon. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to leave,¡± said Tragthan as he casted fireballs at the humans running towards them atop the walls. ¡°We have bought the others enough time.¡± With the demon leading the way, Dreu followed him down the stairs. The young man did pause briefly to check on his two companions who stuck to him like glue. The three of them dashed after Tragthan but, by then, many human soldiers had already entered the city. They had captured the gatehouse which allowed the rest of the human forces to enter without resistance. It was apparent the humans intended on surrounding the remaining demon soldiers. ¡°Kill the demon and the human!¡± Dreu felt a burst of adrenaline after hearing the calls for his death. The adrenaline came in useful because Tragthan told him to pick up his pace. The young man still checked behind him a few times, feeling relieved to see Ilveroz and Aggich both keeping up with him easily. However, he could also sense the human soldiers closing in. Damn them and their speed boosting spells. An explosion nearly made Dreu stumble but the young man quickly recovered and resumed his run. He heard more explosions throughout the city followed by screams of pain from the human soldiers. Using the hesitation of the soldiers, Dreu and his companions ran through the rest of the capital with Tragthan out the rear gate. Additional explosions were heard but Dreu didn¡¯t stop to see what was happening. He was determined to escape the pursuers until he was safe, though the irony of fleeing from invading human soldiers did dawn on him. Several minutes later, Dreu could no longer sense any more pursuers behind him. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°We can rest here for a short while.¡± Panting hard, Dreu leaned against a nearby tree. His adrenaline had run its course and fatigue was settling in. He also felt discouraged when he stared down to see Ilveroz and Aggich not even breaking a sweat. What are these demonic creatures made of? Are human bodies that feeble? Knowing his body had reached its limits, the young man began doubting that resting was such a good idea as he was unsure if his body could start running again. Then, he felt his strength returning, prompting him to look at the demon. ¡°You can thank Bayard for that. He taught me the Second Wind ability.¡± Tragthan gestured Dreu to follow and the small group made its way through the forest at a slower but steady pace. During the trek, Dreu finally asked the demon about the demon capital. Many buildings were overdue for some degree of repairs but the lack of population was what stood out the most to him. He was puzzled how Gujash could end up in its current pitiful state, even if the evacuation was underway. He emphasized the difference between Gujash and Xante. ¡°I realize you lack the context needed to understand why the city is in such a terrible state. Let¡¯s just say the war has depleted most of its population and those we evacuated are what¡¯s left of the demonic race on the continent..¡± ¡°War?¡± Dreu failed to connect the dots. ¡°Are you referring to the one started by the demonic invasion?¡± The demon roared with laughter at Dreu¡¯s questions. Dreu waited patiently for Tragthan to correct his mistake. ¡°I am not surprised how effective Xemir¡¯s propaganda has been on the human population. Did you think that you were living peacefully and the demons attacked due to them being barbaric brutes who wished for only death and destruction?¡± Dreu conceded that he was taught that but, after interacting with the demons, his opinion has changed. ¡°Our conflict with the human kingdom went back to the war between Xyheia and Xemir. Following Xyheia¡¯s defeat, the demons who stayed behind fought a war they were destined to lose. They have sadly been consumed by their thirst for revenge.¡± Dreu couldn¡¯t help but feel the last comment was directed at him. He knew revenge often came at a great price but, as someone with nothing else left, he couldn¡¯t see him sacrificing much. When the young man caught a glimpse of the demon¡¯s eyes, he wondered if Tragthan was also referring to himself. ¡°Our invasion of your kingdom was one out of self defense and it failed. The humans now intend to finish what¡¯s left of the demon nation so they can rule all of Ittoroth. With the activation of the Purificator, they are closer than ever in meeting their sadistic goal.¡± Dreu felt great intensity in the demon''s eyes as they stared into his. The two of them had stopped moving as Tragthan towered over the young man. "If our evacuation plan fails, there will be no more demons left on Ittoroth. While my death means little, the demonic children who have yet to see the world deserve better." Volume 1 Chapter 89 Anger and sadness were woven into the demon¡¯s every word. When Tragthan finished speaking, he led the way and Dreu followed with his mouth shut. The young man feared he would say anything that might draw the wrath of the demon. Even with the blade by his side, the young man felt certain he wouldn¡¯t last seconds against the demon. The battle atop the walls was proof of how big of a gap it was between him and Tragthan. The two traveled down a well trodden path in silence and, as the two stepped into a clearing, Dreu caught sight of a moon. At least, it was what he would call a moon back home. While the moon wasn''t blinding to look at, he still felt the object releasing a high intensity of light. ¡°I will address a problem up ahead.¡± Dreu¡¯s eyes widened when Tragthan vanished without a trace. Being in unfamiliar territory, he thought better of wandering around and getting lost. He also wasn''t too keen in discovering what Tragthan might deem as a problem. As he was about to lean against a tree to take a quick rest, something piqued his interest. Initially, Dreu mistook the plants as barren trees easily reaching five meters height. Tree of this height was unheard of within the human kingdom. Tall trees were the first to be cut down for the ample lumber they provide. Upon putting his hand on the trunk, Dreu felt a texture closer to clay than bark. As he sat down to ponder the matter further, Ilveroz and Aggich jumped into his lap and made themselves comfortable. When neither of them seemed to be sleeping, Dreu started petting them, enjoying their soft fur against his hands. The two creatures seemed delighted with the attention he showered them. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving,¡± said a stern Tragthan. The demon¡¯s sudden appearance made Dreu jump up. He clumsily caught the two creatures before they fell to the ground and followed the demon. Unsure what was going through the demon¡¯s head, Dreu chose to not ask what problem Tragthan had to address. An hour or so later, the demon brought the group to a small clearing with a wooden fence closing much of it off. Small creatures and a handful of small demons were within the enclosure. Even though he couldn¡¯t see any other demons, Dreu could sense being watched as he approached the fence. ¡°Those are the future of the demons,¡± said Tragthan, with a hint of pride in his voice. Once the meaning of the words sank in, Dreu understood the small demons he saw from afar were actually demonic children. He was always told demons originated as beasts and the stronger or smarter ones developed humanoid characteristics. Only the strongest demons looked like humans with demonic features. Tragthan might be right. All the propaganda from Xemir has distorted our image of the demons¡­and maybe other nonhuman races as well. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The sight of demonic children made Dreu desire the chance to see more of the continent. If there were survivors of the Purificator, then he would like to see them personally. As he got closer to the demonic children, Dreu was further shocked by their similarities to human children. These were innocent souls who enjoyed playing like any other children. A couple of them glanced at him briefly but he didn¡¯t feel hostility towards him. The demonic children resumed playing once they lost interest in him. ¡°You are with me so they trust you.¡± Tragthan responded as though he could read Dreu¡¯s mind. ¡°I suggest you join them! You will be traveling with them to a safer location. The creatures at their feet are called demon worms and they are the weakest creatures you can find in these parts.¡± The demon worms resembled caterpillars more than worms. Being the size of a squirrel, these caterpillar-like creatures appeared to only possess mandibles that could serve as weapons. The tiny pair of appendages were demonstrated by the demon worms to be best used for cutting food down to smaller chunks. While playing with the demonic children, the creatures retracted their mandibles without being told. Given what he observed, Dreu approached one of the demon worms that was without a playmate. The creature was wary of his approach but it didn¡¯t run away. The two of them made eye contact as the young man wondered how he could interact with the creature. < This creature can become your summoned creature. Would you like to make it one? ( Yes/No ) > Dreu jumped at the sight of the prompt. He couldn''t recall the last time the prompt window communicated with him after Azorius casted the unknown spell on him. When he was unable to open the prompts, the young man believed that his Emperor Class was completely removed by Azorius. The sight of the prompts brought renewed hope that he might see Bayard and the others once again. Yet, the ¡°Recall Units¡± option revealed there were no units available. Curses! They are indeed gone! Bayard and the others¡­. Tears threatened to come out of his eyes but he held them in, knowing it would not be wise to show his emotions around the demons. He couldn¡¯t afford to show weakness and took several deep breaths. Once he got his composure back and read the text, the young man pondered the choice. Previously, he inherited the summoned units. He never questioned how those units came to be because he assumed they came with the power. Now, he was faced with a choice to build his roster from scratch. This bit of information opened up endless possibilities regarding what he could accomplish. While Dreu was deep in thoughts, the demon worm crawled up and rubbed his foot in affection. With a smile, he selected the ¡°Yes¡± option. < Congratulations! You acquired a summoned creature! > Dreu got down to pet the demon worm. Enjoying the attention, Dreu''s summoned creature rubbed against his hand. This got the attention of Ilveroz and Aggich who headed over to investigate the stranger. Few minutes later, the three chased after one another while Dreu supervised from the side. Bayard, I promise I¡¯ll stand up with my own two feet. Volume 1 Chapter 90 With very little time to prepare, the centaurs, beastmen and demons went to work immediately in dismantling the encampment. They kept the illusion hoping it would conceal their intentions long enough for them to finish their preparations. During the dismantlement, Colet and Zulgar were amazed how the encampment was put together. Magic played a huge role in the assembling of the encampment and the dismantlement required muscle power which they thankfully had a lot of. The entire process took an hour and Ilumin reported that both the undead and Ides loyalists had closed in on their position. The demons stored the encampment materials in one of their storage portals before the group transitioned to the next stage. ¡°What now?¡± asked Colet. He knew they would be spotted as soon as they stepped out of the illusion. With the encampment disassembled, they no longer held a defensive advantage over their enemies. Without a plan, they would be easily chased down and executed by either of their enemies. ¡°This is where I need your help,¡± responded Kagarath. The demon leader smiled upon seeing Colet¡¯s puzzled look. He went on to explain that, during Colet¡¯s venting session, the centaur exhibited incredible potential for earth elemental magic. While it wasn¡¯t possible for the centaur chieftain to master his abilities in such a short period of time, Kagarath could serve as a proxy for the time being and take advantage of his ability with his spell mastery. Upon inquiring further, Colet got a complete picture of the plan and agreed to it, not that he had much choice. Like him, Kagarath was aware how vulnerable they were when faced against two enemies boasting both better quality and higher quantity. With no time to spare, the two of them got to work. The others would assist with hard labor as they raced against the time to prepare for what could be their final battle. An hour later, Ilumin descended onto Colet¡¯s shoulder. The centaur chieftain was exhausted as the spellcasting proved to be very draining. Kagarath reassured him that, with more practice, he would find casting spells as easy as swinging an ax. Until then, the centaur chieftain was merely going through the difficult journey of becoming a spellcaster. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Kagarath asked when Colet let out a skeptical look. ¡°I can see why after you centaurs have lost your connection with the earth itself. The price paid by your ancestors has really cost the centaurs¡¯ ability to thrive today.¡± The demon leader sighed after Colet urged the demon to explain himself. ¡°We can talk about it after the upcoming battle....if we survive it.¡± Colet couldn¡¯t tell if Kagarath was optimistic or pessimistic about the upcoming battle. They prepared the best they could with the time they had. The rest would rely on luck because the centaurs had long lost the blessing of their gods. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Could the loss of the blessings be the price Kagarath was mentioning? Maybe the demons do know more about what happened that fateful day. Knowing where his duties lie, Colet joined the centaurs in one of the tunnels they dug earlier. While none of them were too fond of being underground, no one was particularly interested in meeting their enemies out in the open field either. Between the options, the discomfort of the tunnel was preferred, at least until they were trapped inside and forced to fight to their death. How did Skostaer and the dwarves enjoy tunnels? Maybe their short stature helped. The centaur chieftain put away his thoughts. This was one of those moments where he had to lead. Morale dropped to rock bottom following their exile. None of the centaurs opposed staying with Colet but the idea of being nomads had a massive negative impact on their morale. The centaur chieftain wasn¡¯t sure about the combat effectiveness of his centaurs and, after his exertion with the spells, he also doubted his own abilities due to low stamina. When he turned to his sister, Sofice offered a smile. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Colet as he forced a smile. The centaurs all hesitantly headed deeper down the tunnel until they came to a large chamber. Their tunnel was one of the four tunnels that led into the chamber. The beastmen entered through their own tunnel and, from their expressions, Colet knew they were as enthusiastic as the centaurs when it came to being underground. The two races were far more comfortable out on the wide open plains. The remaining two tunnels were left for the demons as the plan for their survival depended heavily on them. Never thought there comes a day when I wish dwarves are here assisting us. The thought never crossed his mind when aboveground but, down in the underground chamber, he trusted the dwarves to know what they were doing. Colet searched the chamber until he spotted Zulgar doing the same. When their eyes met, they approached one another, greeting the other. ¡°The earth won¡¯t crash down on us, right?¡± Colet had never seen a beastmen afraid before so Zulgar¡¯s tone caught him off guard. He did his best reassuring the beastman leader but, given that he wasn¡¯t familiar with his abilities, he couldn¡¯t be certain. For the sake of everyone¡¯s morale, he had to put up a confident act. They were destined to lose if they ran from combat the moment they encountered any enemies. If the plan went as planned, they wouldn''t see any enemies. However, that was assuming everything went according to plan. ¡°The demons at least offered some of their high quality weapons and armor,¡± said Zulgar. The new armaments didn¡¯t escape Colet¡¯s attention. The centaur chief was very impressed and was slightly envious that the centaurs didn¡¯t get any. Unlike the beastmen, the centaurs lacked experience with swords due to their reliance on axes. Large axes provided centaurs a longer reach and their strength made axes devastating weapons. With mobility as their primary defense, the centaurs had little reason to go with a sword and shield combination which the humans have mastered. Due to the need to be adaptable, the beastmen were the better candidates to receive the swords and armor. Zulgar and many of the veteran beastmen didn''t hesitate to equip themselves. Volume 1 Chapter 91 With the demon worm as his new summoned creature, Dreu opened his window prompt. The sight of the prompt still brought a big smile out of him. The new ¡°Summon Demonic Creature¡± ability caught his eye first. < Summon Demonic Creature (Lvl 1): Description: This ability allows the emperor to summon demonic creatures at a mana cost relative to the creature¡¯s level. To gain access to demonic creatures, the emperor must gain the loyalty of a wild demonic creature eligible to become a summoned creature. Eligibility of the creature depends on the level and skills of the emperor. Once the emperor¡¯s level reaches a certain threshold, a creature is eligible as long as the emperor possesses a skill compatible with the creature. The window prompt will highlight eligible creatures. If the demonic creature has been summoned before, this ability lets the emperor recall that creature. Recalling a creature is beneficial due to the creature retaining experience and levels obtained from combat. Higher levels of the skill cut down on the recall cooldown and mana cost of the creatures. Unlike the Summon Footman ability, this ability has no limits as to how many creatures are summoned at one time. The only limitation the emperor has to work within is mana limits when summoning a new creature. > Dreu was never a fan of the limit placed on his abilities. His contributions in battles were lessened when he worked with a small party as opposed to a small strike force. Ironically, he now had no limit and only a single creature at his disposal. To make better use of his new ability, he needed to find more eligible creatures. He looked up the demon worm on his window prompt. < Lv 1 Demon Worm (Zog): Description: This caterpillar-like creature enjoys eating and playing. The creature¡¯s good nature makes it an ideal playmate for demonic children. As a creature at the bottom of the food chain, the creature is known to be timid in battle and boasts little to no combat capabilities. Recommendations: Avoid combat at all costs. Status: +5% movement speed due to feeling afraid. > Dreu pondered on the ¡®feeling afraid¡¯ experienced by his demon worm. ¡°Everyone!¡± shouted Tragthan. ¡°Head to the cave!¡± The demonic children and their demon worms moved as a group into the forest. Only Dreu and the three creatures stood there awkwardly trying to make sense of the situation. Tragthan walked over. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Follow those children to a safe spot.¡± He gestured in the direction of the city. ¡°We have some uninvited guests and they are ahead of schedule.¡± Dreu didn¡¯t need further elaborations of uninvited guests. He picked up the three creatures and chased after the demonic children. Sensing something was wrong, both Ilveroz and Aggich didn¡¯t struggle when they were picked up. They, along with Zog, were well-behaved as everyone headed to a cave. The group was making good progress when an arrow suddenly hit one of the trees near Dreu''s head. Dreu turned to see a group of humans expertly jumping from branches to branches. Damn it! We have to face rangers in the forest. Dreu dashed to put a tree between him and the rangers. He placed the three creatures down and told them to flee. Yet, the three refused to leave him. ¡°Alright,¡± whispered Dreu. ¡°Let¡¯s defeat them then.¡± Dreu drew his blade. Separated from the others, his only backups were the three demonic creatures. He had to assume that Tragthan was too preoccupied to assist him while the other demons had little reason to care about his survival. His current situation was also worsening due to how unfavorable it was. The trees might provide him some cover against arrows but it was a matter of time before the rangers had a clear shot at him. His blade would do little unless he could get in close which he doubted these rangers would make the mistake of. With his back to the tree, Dreu listened intently for the rangers. He knew they could move swiftly along the branches but they might make enough noise for him to home in on them. As he waited, the young man felt a new presence nearby. The presence didn''t feel hostile but he couldn''t perceive who it was. Then, he sensed two presences closing in on his position. Dreu gripped his blade tightly as he hyperventilated, unsure what approach he should take against two foes. Ilveroz charged out fearless at one of the presences. Upon hearing the cursing of a man, Dreu came out from behind the tree with his two hands on the blade handle. Despite the ranger¡¯s best efforts, Ilveroz refused to release its hold on the man¡¯s arm. Dreu used the distraction to end the man¡¯s life. As soon as he delivered the killing blow, the young man pivoted to see the other ranger in shock. Before he could close the gap, the ranger notched an arrow in his bow. I¡¯m too slow! As Dreu watched the ranger raise the bow, Ilveroz closed the distance to intercept the ranger. With a smile, the ranger leaped backwards to maintain the gap. However, the man tripped over Zog who had crawled behind the man. Off balance, the ranger fell awkwardly with Ilveroz pouncing on him. The small demon hound couldn¡¯t hold the ranger down but he served as a distraction that allowed Dreu to behead the ranger. Then, instinct kicked in and the young man tossed aside his blade. The young man dived for a nearby tree, having sensed the other rangers atop the trees had already gotten a bead on him. While most of the rangers fired and narrowly hit Dreu, one of the rangers waited before unleashing an arrow. The arrow was too fast to see but Dreu instinctively knew it was going to hit him. Sorry, everyone! I didn¡¯t plan to die here. Dreu turned his head when he noticed something in his peripheral vision. Ilveroz got between him and the arrow and, upon impact, the arrow burst into flames. Behind the tree, Dreu landed awkwardly but he scrambled to check on Ilveroz who turned into ash in mere seconds. Tears streamed down his face at the thought of the demon hound sacrificing its life to save his life. Volume 1 Chapter 92 Screams from the rangers'' positions snapped Dreu out of his grief. Peeking around the tree, he saw three rangers falling to the ground. All three had a hole right where their hearts were. The other rangers screamed about an enemy while they frantically looked everywhere. It took Dreu several seconds to notice the shadow moving between the trees. The shadows of the trees concealed the shadow very well and the young man only spotted it by pure luck. When the demon materialized from the shadow, it swiftly executed a ranger with a strike through the victim¡¯s heart before it returned to the shadows. Is that the same demon I met in the cave? Dreu was unsure how common the ability was for demons. He recalled the terrifying experience of seeing a demon materialize out of a shadow. In the heat of the battle, he couldn¡¯t possibly keep track of shadows on the ground. As shown by the battle before him, the demon could materialize, kill and dematerialize in mere seconds. As a spectator, he would miss the entire thing if he blinked. The rangers, being in the thick of things, no longer had the same composure they showed when they pursued him. The rangers¡¯ heads were constantly turning while their bows faced an enemy they couldn¡¯t pin down. One by one, the rangers fell victim to the demon until all of them were in a pile on the forest floor. With their deaths, tranquility returned to the forest. With the battle over, Dreu returned his attention to where Ilveroz was killed. A strong breeze had scattered Ilveroz¡¯s ashes. Dreu knelt down at where the demon hound fell. Beside him, Aggich and Zog stared down at the ground in silence. The three of them grieved for their loss. Dreu only just realized how attached he was to the creature. Like Jeane, Ilveroz came and went too quickly. Am I destined to lose everyone I care about? Before Dreu''s mind could get further into despair, the demon materialized from the shadows. The long slender claws were exactly as he remembered that day in the cave. Now that they weren''t enemies out to kill one another, he had a chance to study the demon. The slender build and strange mask made the demon more mysterious than terrifying. In terms of appearance, this demon was far less intimidating than the one he encountered beneath Berkton. The other demon was a creature made from nightmares. ¡°You can grieve later. More enemies are coming.¡± Without another word, the demon disappeared into the shadows once more. Dreu wiped the tears from his eyes and held his two remaining companions close to his chest. Aggich resisted slightly but she quickly settled down in his arms. She simply pressed her face against Dreu¡¯s chest before falling silent. Zog was more content staring out in the direction of Gujash, clearly sensing the incoming dangers. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The demon is right. We can grieve later. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said quietly. Dreu headed deeper into the forest. He would have gotten lost if the ¡°shadow demon¡± didn¡¯t stop from time to time for him to catch up. Without the rangers pursuing them, he felt a lot more confident in maintaining the distance with his pursuers. The young man could vaguely recall rangers possessing abilities that made them excellent trackers. He just hadn¡¯t expected himself to be the one on the receiving end of those abilities. Given that this was the demons¡¯ turf and the best trackers for the humans were gone, he should encounter no problems escaping his pursuers as long as he had a demon as a guide. The young man eventually reached the cave mouth. ¡°Where is my mother?¡± cried one of the demonic children. Except for one demon, all the other demons avoided eye contact with the child. The lone demon hugged the child, repeating that her mother would be joining them soon. Dreu held back the tears in his eyes. He saw the same hopelessness in these demons as the humans he encountered during the demon invasion. For some reason, he was always on the side that was losing badly. The young man looked around, hesitant to move forward. He was fully aware that, as a human, him approaching demons who were fighting human soldiers might spell his end. After scanning the area, he felt relief finding Tragthan. The old demon, noticing his presence, came over to greet him. ¡°I¡¯m relieved Jonoxad found you in time,¡± said the old demon. ¡°Xemir is sending some of his better men and women to hunt all of us down.¡± Jonoxad? Tragthan explained that Jonoxad was one of the few demons capable of dematerializing into shadows. The ability allowed the demon to move unseen in darkness or locations with plenty of shadows, making the demon perfect for assassination tasks or wiping out small enemy squads poorly equipped to deal with him. Dreu looked around to thank Jonoxad but the demon was nowhere to be found. ¡°No need to thank him," Tragthan spoke up. "He would have killed those rangers one way or another. You just happen to benefit from all this.¡± Dreu nodded at this. He then looked down at his two companions. Zog stared back but Aggich still pressed her face into his chest. With no movement or sound coming from the cursed fox, he was unsure if she was grieving or asleep. He looked up and asked Tragthan how many losses the demons suffered. ¡°We lost a few dozen demons to the pursuing humans. I heard they all willingly sacrificed themselves to buy time for the rest. By the end of the day, I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯ll have any survivors.¡± Dreu held Aggich closer and whispered that they must all be strong and everyone on their side had lost someone. To his surprise, Aggich started licking his face. This was the most affection the fox showed him since they met. In response, Dreu gave a forced smile and a nod. Before he could say anything else, Jonoxad rematerialized beside Tragthan. ¡°A squad of holy knights are here,¡± said the demon. ¡°We should head into the cave.¡± Tragthan ordered all the demons to head into the cave at once, stating that they planned on losing their pursuers underground. Volume 1 Chapter 93 Colet discussed the plan with Zulgar a couple of times until both of them memorized every step. While neither of them was fond of memorizing every detail, the discussion was at least a distraction from the boredom otherwise awaiting them in the chamber. The beastman leader had grown more accustomed to the underground surroundings following Colet''s reassurance. However, both of them had little to fend off the boredom that was already taking a toll on the other centaurs and beastmen. The action was taking place above them but no one was foolish enough to take part knowing how outmatched they were. Hiding underground was their only chance of survival. In addition, they needed the demons to succeed in executing their role. ¡°Chieftain,¡± said Actolio as he approached Colet. Colet feared the ax wielder leader might become reckless once the boredom became too much. The centaur was young and full of energy. He had Konstite as his mentor but, once that veteran centaur gave up his life, Colet never felt he could fill the role left behind. Following the discovery of what happened in Orisa, the centaur chieftain even wondered if abandoning his title would be a wiser option. The title felt so empty when the majority of the centaurs were either under Ides¡¯ control or dead. ¡°Sofice, Kallosa and all the healers suddenly grew ill.¡± Colet rushed to his sister¡¯s side where he watched the other centaurs helplessly tended to the healers. With the roles reversed, those centaurs were at a loss to what they could do to aid their ailing centaurs. While Colet knew the basics of healing from his sister¡¯s influence, even he could tell easily that the affliction was something beyond his abilities. He stared down at the pale face of his sister whose eyes were closed. They opened slightly before a quiet voice came out of her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± The words only made Colet feel worse. At a time when he had to rise to the occasion, he could only hide underground hoping someone else would get the job done. At the sight of the healers growing ill, he looked up wondering what could be causing them the suffering. His hunch leaned towards what Ides sent at them. During their withdrawal from the undead, none of the healers showed any of the symptoms they were showing. Their pale complexion was only seen worse due to their collapse on the floor. All of them appeared asleep and even Sofice, who managed to utter her words earlier, went back to an unconscious state. Colet wasn''t sure if they were at the brink of death or if they were fighting whatever invaded their bodies. ¡°Cover the healers with blankets and monitor them in the meantime,¡± ordered Colet. "If they need food or water, don''t hesitate to supply them what they need." If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The centaur chieftain disliked the situation more and more. Unlike humans, centaurs were much harder to move around. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for wounded centaurs to be abandoned on the battlefield because it was nearly impossible to transport them to safety without risking the lives of other centaurs. If they had the right spells, they wouldn¡¯t have this issue. He could only hope the demons had something that could aid them if they had to evacuate from their position. For the time being, he could only pray the situation would improve. The thought of abandoning his sister made his heart ache. ¡°So this is where you are all hiding?¡± A familiar voice made Colet turn his head. Before the being could say more, a handful of spears were thrown but they all went straight through it. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t waste my time with this illusion,¡± said the Ides illusion in the middle of the chamber. ¡°I¡¯m only here with a generous proposal.¡± ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± shouted Zulgar. ¡°We beastmen will never negotiate with the servants of the dark god!¡± Ides¡¯ laugh shook the entire chamber, forcing many beastmen and centaurs to back away from the illusion. Colet steeled himself to take a few steps closer. ¡°My proposal isn¡¯t for lowly beastmen. Your corpses can rot here for all I care.¡± When Ides turned to Colet, the centaur chieftain studied the stranger before him. Clad in armor that resembled darkness itself, only Ides¡¯ eyes and hooves were showing. The armor looked like a solidified version of the black ooze that the giant beastman used for healing and defensive purposes. The armor was such a perfect fit that one could mistake it for a second skin of Ides. When Colet focused on the eyes, he felt himself pulled into the dark orbs as something called out to him. When Ides moved his mouth, he felt the words communicated directly to his mind. ¡°Centaurs! I am the new chieftain and I bring good news to you all! I am willing to grant all of you pardon for not joining me outside of Orisa. I understand that you were all in shock and weren¡¯t making the most sound decision. After all, you have traveled long distances so fatigue was unavoidable and judgment was questionable. I give you a second chance to join the centaurs and serve me. In return, I promise you great power and wealth. You shall rule over the plains and nothing will stand in your way. Even the humans will tremble when they hear of the centaurs. My servants are waiting for you aboveground right now. The decision should be a simple one!¡± Have you not done enough to doom the centaurs? Doom the centaurs? The only one to have done so is you, Colet. Your weakness and refusal to serve the dark god is why the humans are the dominant race on Ittoroth. Do you not see what you have become? I became a more powerful version of the centaurs. On a continent where power is everything, I shall rise to the top. You can either join me or you can rot with the beastmen. Neither the undead nor the humans can stop my destiny of ruling the entire continent. It saddens me that you are corrupted by power. It saddens me that your lack of power has been hindering the centaurs while you were the chieftain. You are a disgrace to your father and the centaurs. Volume 1 Chapter 94 Tragthan led Dreu into the cave. As they went through the cave entrance, the young man noticed the absence of the demonic children and their demon worms so he asked the demon about them.. ¡°They already have a big head start reaching the other side of this passageway,¡± said Tragthan. ¡°You will assist me against the holy knights.¡± A part of Dreu wanted to ask if the demon was insane. Holy knights were far above his pay grade as long as he didn¡¯t have his footmen and archer. Bayard might find a way to win in this situation. Zog didn¡¯t come close and Aggich lacked the means to assist in any battle. As if sensing the thought, the demon worm gently headbutted Dreu. With a smile, Dreu followed the old demon deeper into the cave. Dreu reached out with his hands until he felt the walls. With one hand pressed against the wall, the young man made his way slowly forward, unsure how far the demon was ahead of him. ¡°This should help,¡± said Tragthan. A burst of energy flowed through Dreu¡¯s body. After blinking his eyes, the cave interior became clear as day. ¡°It''s a temporary dark vision.¡± With the darkness no longer posing as a hindrance, Dreu followed Tragthan down the main passageway of the cave. Both Zog and Aggich had no issues keeping up, making him wonder if all demonic creatures had dark vision. The two walked for several minutes before they entered a large chamber. ¡°Take cover behind one of those boulders.¡± Tragthan pointed to the many boulders in the chamber. ¡°You will assist me and Jonoxad against the holy knights. Hurry!¡± Dreu took up position behind one of the boulders. He knelt down and told his companions to flee deeper into the cave away from danger. Neither Aggich nor Zog obeyed his command. Unlike earlier, Aggich looked fiercer. Did Ilveroz¡¯s death affect her? Upon hearing the sound of armor, Dreu turned his attention to the source of the sound. When he took a quick peek, he spotted a dozen or so holy knights entering the chamber. The holy aura from them gently illuminated the interior. While Dreu adjusted to the light, the holy knights advanced cautiously. ¡°There are demons here! Don¡¯t let down your guard!¡± ¡°There¡¯s also a human here. Must be the traitor!¡± Dreu drew his blade and took a deep breath. The holy knights had some spell that rendered hiding useless so he was left with combat. Peeking around the boulder a second time, he could see one holy knight peeling off and heading towards him while the rest headed in the direction of Tragthan and Jonoxad. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! If they think I¡¯m easy pickings, they have another thing coming. Dreu crouched down and pressed himself against the boulder. He positioned his blade to stab the holy knight as soon as the man was in sight. While mentally preparing himself, the young man lost track of where his two companions went. Unwilling to risk it, he didn¡¯t look around for them. With his attention focused solely on the holy knight near him, Dreu steeled himself as the knight¡¯s footsteps got louder and louder. Once he gauged the knight to be close enough, the young man made his move. Dreu¡¯s blade was intercepted by a shield when he took a stab at his foe. Anticipating this response, Dreu got low on the ground and swept his foot to knock his opponent off balance. While the man fell to the ground, Dreu brought down his blade. Yet, the blade failed to get through the armor. The impact surprised Dreu slightly as he backed away from a counterattack. The holy knight quickly got back on his feet and readied his shield. Shield Bash? Dreu sidestepped out of the way of the attack. He glanced at the large dent on the boulder caused by the shield and shuddered at the thought of his fate if he was hit. Then, his opponent¡¯s sword burst into flames and the knight charged. Dreu readied himself to dodge when the holy knight unexpectedly slowed down. Dreu was puzzled until he saw Aggich standing a few meters away. Her eyes were bright red with a dark aura emanating from her. A curse? Nice work, Aggich! Facing a slow opponent, Dreu easily sidestepped the man and hacked at the Holy Knight¡¯s armor. Despite his best efforts, Dreu couldn¡¯t break through the man¡¯s solid defense. After a few hacks, Dreu widened the gap. The holy knight, clearly annoyed after the curse wore off, readied his shield once more. Dreu prepared a sidestep when the holy knight stumbled unexpectedly. Zog was tangled up in the Holy Knight¡¯s legs which caused the man to cuss. While the holy knight tried to untangle himself, an orange aura around him appeared briefly before dissipating. Dreu used the opportunity to stab his opponent and, this time, his blade went through the armor with ease. Dreu stabbed a few more times to ensure the man was dead. The young man then checked on Tragthan and Jonoxad. Corpses, heads and limbs of the knights strewn across the floor. The two demons were finishing off the last two knights when Dreu joined them. Except for the small splatter of blood on them, they looked unharmed from the battle. Unsure if demons could even tire, Dreu could only discern from their facial expressions that they were having an easy time. They almost looked bored from the battle. That must be the fate of those who are too powerful. When asked how he did, Dreu mentioned that he had assistance in defeating a knight, a feat he knew wasn¡¯t even worth mentioning. Regardless of where he went, Dreu always felt like he was at the bottom of the food chain. ¡°Seems like you are growing,¡± said Tragthan. ¡°With some training, you can handle a holy knight by yourself.¡± Jonoxad has already dematerialized into his shadow, rendering him invisible in the cave. Tragthan mentioned that they should keep going to reunite with the others. They apparently had a lot of ground to cover before they reached their end destination. ¡°I also sense two powerful presences here.¡± Tragthan turned very serious. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 95 Following the victory, Dreu knelt down in front of his two companions. ¡°Good work, you two!¡± Dreu patted both of them gently on their heads. ¡°We defeated that holy knight together.¡± While Zog did a backflip, Aggich was content with rubbing her head against Dreu¡¯s hand. As the young man gathered the two in his arms, an explosion from nearby knocked him off balance. When the dust settled, Tragthan faced off against an angel-like being in the center of the chamber. ¡°You must be Tragthan,¡± said a metallic voice. ¡°I will be your executioner.¡± Without another word, the being charged towards Tragthan. Dreu couldn¡¯t make out any weapons but the sight of the light orbs sent at the old demon suggested it was a spellcaster. Tragthan responded in kind with green fireballs similar to those Eglallin used against Rowan. The projectiles canceled each other out but the resulting mini explosions were still enough to push Dreu back. Given that they appeared to be equal in strength at first glance, the young man wanted to take no part in it. ¡°This isn¡¯t your battle! Head down the passage behind you. He will assist you!¡± Dreu jumped when Jonoxad appeared behind him. After calming his beating heart, Dreu carried his two companions through the passage with the demon leading the way. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the dark vision but he could discern Jonoxad¡¯s shadow form more easily. The removal of the guesswork meant he could keep up more easily. If one of the powerful presences is fighting Tragthan, where is the other one? They covered some ground when a light blinded Dreu. Once his eyes recovered, the young man found himself standing before a woman dressed in a white robe covered with gold trimmings. Her face was covered in a white oval mask and, through the eyeholes, he could see her eyes were closed. Half a dozen small light orbs orbited each of her hands. The young man then noticed she was also standing over a light orb which was shaking violently. The priestess chanted something while Dreu looked for Jonoxad. Eventually, he noticed the demon¡¯s shadow trapped within the light orb and, despite his best efforts, Jonoxad couldn¡¯t escape his prison. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± asked Dreu. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± The woman had an amused look. ¡°All demons must die or be enslaved for humans to thrive. I, the Holy Priestess, shall kill the abomination within this orb. Then, I will aid my beloved against the one known as Tragthan.¡± ¡°How do humans thrive when they become monsters?¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Dreu charged with his blade in hand but he was halted by a barrier. When he slashed at the barrier, the priestess¡¯ twelve orbs lit up briefly. ¡°Tell me, traitor! What have these demons offered you to earn your loyalty? Why not serve Xemir? It should be obvious who has won this conflict.¡± ¡°The demons offered me nothing so far. They just happen to be the enemies of my enemies. We¡¯ll continue cooperating as long as we share a common foe.¡± ¡°Common foe?¡± The priestess furrowed her brow. ¡°The demons are not your friends! They have killed humans since the beginning of time and they will continue to do so. Maybe if your family members were slaughtered by the demons, then you would hate their guts.¡± At the mention of his family, Dreu gripped his blade tightly. ¡°You are right about one thing,¡± said Dreu as a red mist formed at the tip of his blade. ¡°For those who slaughtered my family members, I hate their guts and only wish for their demise. I won¡¯t stop until I have the heads of those who took away my family.¡± Without another word, Dreu charged once more at the priestess. The woman simply stood there, paying no attention to him. The young man repeatedly attacked the barrier, refusing to believe it could hold out forever. As Dreu swung his blade over and over, the priestess appeared to be recoiling from each strike. For some reason, her focus remained on the orb Jonoxad was trapped in and failed to attack him. A theory formed in his mind so he tested it by attacking more relentlessly. The young man also changed his angle of attack to see if there were any weak spots in the barrier. Good! I see cracks in the barrier now! Knowing his relentless attacks were yielding results, Dreu kept up the pressure. His muscles were complaining about being overworked but he couldn¡¯t afford to take a break. The growing cracks motivated him to continue until he finally shattered the barrier. The shattering of the barrier also caused the smile on the priestess to disappear. ¡°Why?¡± she said as she turned to face Dreu once more. ¡°Why are you so determined to oppose Xemir? Why can you not see his greatness and the blessings he has given to humans?¡± The image of his family members flashed through his mind followed by Bayard and the others. His recollection ended with Ilveroz¡¯s ashes blown away by a breeze. ¡°The Right Arm of Xemir killed my family and burned the town to the ground.¡± Dreu raised his blade. ¡°Azorius took away my mentor and those who protected me. I also lost a dear companion earlier today. I don¡¯t see the blessing you speak of. I see only death and destruction to those I care about. Maybe Xemir can deceive you but I see him for what he is.¡± Dreu charged in but the priestess narrowly dodged his blade. He repeated his attacks but his opponent repeatedly avoided them, albeit narrowly every single time. This only further made Dreu¡¯s blood boil resulting in faster and more ferocious attacks. Yet, his best efforts didn¡¯t bear any fruit as the priestess managed to dodge anything and everything. Just as he wondered if he could land a hit, a claw went through the priestess¡¯ heart. The woman''s eyes widened as she looked down at the claw. ¡°Good work, human! Tragthan was right about you all along.¡± Jonoxad pulled out his claw, allowing the woman¡¯s corpse to fall into her pool of blood. ¡°Xemir likes to play favorites and destroy all who don¡¯t belong in his plan.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 96 Colet found himself swallowed up by darkness. He called out to the others but no one responded. He took a few steps but couldn''t tell if he even moved. Then, he sensed a few presences nearby. Serve the new chieftain! He will lead the centaurs to greatness! Colet tried to locate where the voices came from but the darkness was absolute in concealing everything. Then, half a dozen centaurs materialized from the darkness before they wrestled him to the ground. The ambush was done so well that Colet didn''t realize his situation until he was pinned down. Don¡¯t you want to see a golden age for the centaurs? Why create this division? The former centaur chieftain pushed with all his might but he couldn¡¯t break free. He looked up and saw those holding him captive had no faces. He wasn¡¯t even sure if the voices came from them. Are you so tempted by power that you would let the centaurs die for your sake? Colet wanted to shout in fury but nothing came out of his mouth. Never had he felt so powerless. As frustration boiled within him, a familiar face appeared before him. Father? You are unworthy of your position. Let go of the past and embrace the future! What future? One where centaurs serve the dark gods? A true chieftain would abandon his title in return for the greater good of the centaurs. Have you become blind to it all? Colet writhed in pain as the voices in his head grew louder with each passing second. Centaurs he had known in the past all urged him to join Ides. He knew it was easier to listen to them and serve Ides. ¡°As a chieftain, you won¡¯t have an easy path ahead of you.¡± Colet found himself by his father¡¯s deathbed once more. Despite being at death¡¯s door, his father had an aura only a true leader exhibited. The two of them were the only ones in the room and just finished sharing the words they put off until their parting. With those words out of the way, Colet received his final lecture on what it meant to be a chieftain. ¡°You will have tough decisions that require you to walk alone. That is what separates the chieftain from the others. You aren¡¯t performing your duties for wealth, fame, praise or anything trivial. You live up to your duties because you are part of the royal bloodline. If becoming the enemy is the only way to save the centaurs, then you will pick that path without hesitation. A time will come when you are tested. When that day comes, will you be ready?¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. I may not be the strongest or skilled in spellcasting. Colet grabbed the shoulder of one centaur and tossed it some distance away. The centaur shattered into pieces upon impact with the ground. Nor am I a born leader on the battlefield or in the court. The centaur chieftain stood up slowly with the centaurs on his back turning to dust one after another. Yet, I carry the blood of centaurs who won¡¯t let such simple mind tricks overwhelm them. I would rather die than serve a weakling and, if I must die, I will do so on the battlefield. The darkness vanished as quickly as it showed up. Colet never felt so drained in his entire life. Nothing during his travels nor the earlier spellcasting came close to what he felt. While his eyelids were heavy, the centaur forced himself to look around. What he saw made him frown. A part of him wondered if Ides had already won with the last stunt he pulled. Nearly all of the centaurs were gone. Other than the healers, only Igas and a handful of support spellcasters remained on the ground. Colet couldn¡¯t tell if they were unconscious or dead. As he caught his breath, Zulgar walked towards him. ¡°The centaurs just went above ground,¡± he said simply. ¡°We couldn¡¯t stop them without fighting amongst ourselves.¡± Colet took stock of the situation after nodding his head. The remaining centaurs were decapitated with only him still conscious, though he would be lying if he claimed that he was in a better condition. The centaur chieftain dragged himself beside Sofice, feeling relief when he sensed her breathing. Meanwhile, the beastmen leader stood beside him. After a short silence, Zulgar spoke up. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Zulgar asked. The centaur wondered if they could still go ahead with the plan. Without the numbers they boasted earlier, the plan couldn¡¯t proceed as normally. With Ides discovering the chamber, he questioned if their plan was leaked. After a brief moment, he turned to Zulgar. ¡°We may have to abandon this place. It¡¯s no longer safe.¡± He gestured at the beastmen. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt their battle prowess but the odds are heavily against us.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Zulgar nodded at the remaining centaurs. ¡°We¡¯ll start assisting the evacuation of the remaining centaurs then.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t worried about them slowing you down?¡± ¡°We beastmen never leave our brothers and sisters behind.¡± Without another word, Zulgar returned to his beastmen and shouted orders. Colet watched as the beastmen organized themselves into groups of four per centaur. They coordinated themselves to carry the centaurs with a sense of urgency. Unsurprisingly, Zulgar stopped beside him, offering to support him until he could stand and walk on his own. ¡°This might be our last battle,¡± said Colet. ¡°Are you afraid to die?¡± ¡°I have a few regrets but a warrior doesn¡¯t turn down a chance to die on the battlefield.¡± Colet offered a smile. "I can share our story of defeating that abomination." ¡°Well said!¡± The group was about to leave the chamber when some uninvited guests arrived. An undead centaur stood at the mouth of one of the demon''s tunnels and stared at the centaur chieftain with lifeless eyes. It was then joined by undead dwarves and undead beastmen. Colet quickly reached for his weapon and took a step forward. Beside him, Zulgar had drawn his weapon, eager to do battle. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we won¡¯t get a chance to see our demon allies in combat.¡± ¡°We can always request a friendly spar in the afterlife.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 97 ¡°Good to see you two defeating that holy priestess.¡± Dreu turned to see Tragthan limping towards him. The old demon had some nasty gashes and burns throughout his body. A human with such wounds would be at death¡¯s door. Are demons just built differently? ¡°Will you be alright?¡± Dreu asked concerningly. The old demon simply laughed. He placed his left hand over his wounds and, a few spells later, there was no sign the demon was even injured. Yet, even Dreu would tell that the healing took a lot out of Tragthan. For the first time since they met, the old demon looked like a weathered old man with one foot in the grave. Whoever faced the old demon definitely pushed Tragthan to his limits. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about an old demon like me,¡± Tragthan said with his chest held high. ¡°I¡¯m a lot tougher than you think. I fought tougher battles in the past.¡± Dreu smiled at the sight of an old demon standing tall. He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about demons acting tough like humans. He also didn¡¯t doubt the prime Tragthan would be a force not to be reckoned with. As the young man considered changing the topic, Tragthan did it for him. ¡°Is that a red mist blade you are carrying?¡± Remembering that a demon once carried the weapon, Dreu nodded his head. He knew better than to lie about the matter. ¡°I assume you know about the blade because this once belonged to a demon.¡± ¡°Yes, the blade belonged to Sog. He was my son.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± muttered the young man as his mind struggled to find ways to maneuver out of the mess. ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± Tragthan said angrily. ¡°He died a warrior as he should have. Death in battle is the only way to go. Anything less would be an insult to his honor.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s your son.¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s my son, I know him better than anyone.¡± Tragthan let out a big sigh. ¡°He was gonna get himself killed eventually.¡± ¡°Eventually?¡± ¡°Let me explain as we walk.¡± Dreu followed the demon deeper into the cave. He stopped a few times to check on his two companions. Both Aggich and Zog tagged along closely behind him. They stared up whenever he looked down, appearing to be content just following him around. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°The Red Mist Blade was created by the Mist Orcs, a powerful race that was wiped out three hundred years ago. You probably never heard of them. Their records were wiped clean since their annihilation. The intention was for their legacy to cease altogether. Only these mist weapons remain from their time so you might say they still live on in history.¡± ¡°My Emperor Class gave me the bare minimum information on them. Beyond that, I don¡¯t think they were ever mentioned within the kingdom.¡± ¡°Their history, like those of so many races, is lost to time. The Mist Orcs were known for their blacksmith abilities. I know it comes as a shock as the Orcs you know nowadays are only known for their strength, brutality and at times stupidity. The Mist Orcs were unique and that uniqueness can be attributed to their eventual downfall. Some viewed them as too dangerous and took the initiative to eliminate them.¡± ¡°Many of their weapons like this one survived then?¡± ¡°No, they are exceptionally rare. Sog found that one in the demon realm and wielded it until his death. I know no other mist weapons and I have been around for a long time.¡± Tragthan went on to explain that the mist blades came in different colors and the colors were associated with a certain emotion. The better one could harness that emotion, the more adept one would be at wielding the said weapon. The red mist was tied to rage. The more anger one felt, the stronger one¡¯s attack. The danger of a Red Mist blade was that one could be consumed by the rage to the point the individual no longer had control over his or her reasoning. ¡°Watch your step,¡± said Tragthan as he stopped abruptly. The group entered a chamber filled with shining mushrooms that were scattered all over the ground. While Zog and Aggich had no issue navigating around the mushrooms, the young man had to stay on his toes as he had no interest in learning firsthand what the mushrooms were capable of. As the group exited the chamber with the shining mushrooms, Dreu heard pursuers behind them. He was about to open his mouth when Tragthan signaled for silence. The young man watched the demon mutter words in an unknown language before multiple explosions shook the passage they were in. He looked back to see the way to the chamber covered with debris. ¡°Mine Mushrooms. Great for trapping enemies underground.¡± Tragthan then asked Dreu if he ever felt rage consuming him during battles. ¡°I did lose control. It felt like my rage fed it and the rage within the blade fed rage back into me.¡± ¡°Yes, it formed a positive feedback loop where you became stronger at the cost of completely losing control of all your reasoning. If allowed to continue indefinitely, you will forever lose your reasoning and become nothing more than a brute.¡± ¡°Was that why you said your son was destined to die?¡± ¡°Indeed! The rage gives a being the sense of invincibility. Yet, my son was far from the level needed to take down Rowan. The fact that there¡¯s now a Left Arm of Xemir only worsened his odds of accomplishing anything at the capital. He was doomed to die the moment he set out for the capital.¡± ¡°Where does he find all that rage?¡± ¡°When you lose your mother and two siblings to humans, it¡¯s not hard to harbor hatred and rage. He and Eglallin were both destined to die because revenge was the only thing on their minds.¡± When the old demon turned away, Dreu was certain he caught a glimpse of tears. ¡°If only I had let them flee with the others¡­¡± Dreu didn¡¯t feel comfortable intruding on the matter so he stayed silent. His tears were held in check until Zog and Aggich hugged his right foot, reminding him of the loss he suffered earlier that day. Volume 1 Chapter 98 Dreu and Tragthan shed some tears before they continued deeper into the cave. After a short silence, the demon spoke up. ¡°The Emperor Class was inspired by the demonic skill: Summon Demonic Army.¡± The young man was relieved the old demon changed topics so he encouraged Tragthan to keep going. ¡°When compared, the Emperor Class is superior to the Summon Demonic Army. The former focuses on quality while the latter focuses solely on quantity.¡± ¡°Quantity isn¡¯t always worse than quality. I¡¯ve seen how the kingdom was overwhelmed by mostly numbers within the demon ranks.¡± ¡°You are right about the power of overwhelming one¡¯s opponent with numbers. Yet, the Emperor Class can even surpass the Summon Demonic Army in quantity if given enough time. The last emperor failed to bring out the full potential of the class.¡± When Dreu stated that he didn¡¯t understand, Tragthan began explaining summoning skills in general. Summoning skills all required the formation of a contract between the summoner and the summon. The summons would, in the best case scenario, be as strong as they were when the contract was made. In most cases, the summons would be weaker depending on the level of the summoning skill. ¡°Emperor Class summoning skills can break the limits of the summons. In other words, the creatures or beings can break limits and become stronger over time, regardless how strong they were when they first served the emperor.¡± ¡°You also mentioned that the former emperor failed to tap into the full potential of the Emperor Class?¡± ¡°Yes, have you not noticed the difference between what you inherited and what you have done so far?¡± Tragthan sighed when Dreu shook his head. ¡°Unlike the former emperor, you have made contracts with nonhumans too. The cursed fox and the demon worms are your summons, something that wouldn¡¯t have crossed the mind of the former emperor.¡± ¡°Essentially, the former emperor failed to form contracts with other races that may have different abilities and skill sets compared to humans?¡± ¡°Not only that but such an opportunity greatly expands the pool of summons you have access to. One can only imagine what army you can command if the Purificator didn¡¯t go off.¡± ¡°Even with the limitation to the Summon Demonic Army, the demon invasion surpassed all expectations.¡± ¡°Indeed, Eglallin made them a lot more formidable than they should have with her spell. Otherwise, I highly doubt the demonic army could have reached the capital before the Purificator went off.¡± Dreu took a moment to absorb all the information. With a demonic ability to compare with, he started seeing how strong his class was. Even without the likes of Bayard and Zhao, the ability had the potential to help him reach incredible heights. With his original summons forcibly removed, Dreu had to rely on this newfound knowledge to survive. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°You mentioned making contracts with the summoned. How does that work?¡± ¡°For the Summon Demonic Army, one goes to the demonic gates where there are many willing demons for hire. A contract is formed between the two where the summoned would serve the summoner until the contract expires or the summoner dies.¡± ¡°What do the demons get in return for being summoned into combat?¡± ¡°For many, the promise of combat and blood spilling is enough. For others, there are certain tasks the demons must be allowed to conclude before they begin their contract. It becomes very complicated once you involve strong demons whose strengths are heavily sought after.¡± ¡°Emperor Class must work differently if I inherited Bayard and the others from the old emperor.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± said Tragthan as the group arrived by an underground river. ¡°Let¡¯s talk some more after we traverse through this.¡± Without hesitation Tragthan stepped into the river. Dreu, Aggich and Zog stared down at the rushing river and at each other before they all stepped back. ¡°What are you three waiting for?¡± asked the demon impatiently. ¡°I cannot swim,¡± said Dreu simply. Dreu didn¡¯t bother mentioning the size difference between Tragthan and him. The demon, while old, was still double his height and the river level reached his waist. He half-expected the demon to scold him but Tragthan simply created a magical boat on the river surface. ¡°Get in,¡± ordered the demon. Dreu and his companions took a deep breath before jumping into the boat. The transport surprisingly held their weight and, with Tragthan towing it and the current assisting him, the group made good progress. While enjoying the ride, Dreu looked down at Zog and noticed two things sticking out of the demon worm¡¯s back. Puzzled, Dreu checked his prompt window. < Lv 5 Demon Worm (Zog): Description: This caterpillar-like creature enjoys eating and playing. The creature¡¯s good nature makes it an ideal playmate for demonic children. As a creature at the bottom of the food chain, the creature is known to be timid in battle and boasts little to no combat capabilities. If given a chance to engage in combat, the creature can level up rapidly and unlock evolutions. Recommendations: -Avoid combat if alone. -In group combat, give the opportunity to support. Evolution: Demon worms are capable of evolving once they gain enough experience. Evolution is unheard of for these creatures as they are never put in combat situations. Even if engaged in combat, demon worms generally do poorly and are easily defeated. Therefore, there have been no known cases for demon worm evolutions. With the lack of past history, the evolution tree of demon worms is completely unknown and can only be explored through trial and error. To evolve, the demon worm must reach level 7 and be fed a lesser demonic crystal. Status: +5% attack and defense from veterancy. > ¡°Lesser demonic crystal?¡± muttered Dreu. ¡°What did you say?¡± asked Tragthan. ¡°Lesser demonic crystal. The Emperor Class mentioned it but I¡¯m not sure what it is.¡± ¡°Odd it would mention the crystal,¡± replied the demon. ¡°Demonic crystals are considered useless because they hold no special properties. For centuries, we have yet to find a purpose for them. Given their abundance, you can get many from the Demon Realm. We might even find some here underground if you¡¯re willing to dig a little.¡± Dreu checked his window prompt again. It provided no additional information on the evolution of Zog. He was however pleasantly surprised seeing his demon worm leveling to level 5. Must be from participating in combat earlier? Zog returned a nod at the question. Volume 1 Chapter 99 ¡°Take the unconscious centaurs and run!¡± Colet shouted. The centaur chieftain wasn¡¯t about to sacrifice everyone in a fight they couldn¡¯t possibly win. If some of the beastmen and centaurs could get away, they might be able to survive on the plains. He, Zulgar and a few beastmen would stay behind to give them a chance to do so. ¡°How do we kill the undead?¡± asked Zulgar. ¡°By cutting the link between the undead and its master,¡± announced a voice behind the undead creatures. The tension left the chamber as soon as Kagarath stepped out into the light. The sight of the demon leader brought some reassurance following the last turbulent hour. ¡°Why are you beside the undead creatures then?¡± pointed out Zulgar. ¡°Unless you have made a deal with the humans and have betrayed us.¡± From his conversations with the beastman leader, Colet knew Zulgar didn¡¯t trust the demons very much. Despite them supplying his beastmen with excellent weapons and armor, Zulgar questioned the motives of the demons of staying behind when Ides took over Orisa. The centaur chieftain understood his friend¡¯s concern because it did appear easier for the demons to simply return home where they likely had a better chance of survival. The plains were growing more and more hostile towards them as their allies and their own numbers grew fewer and fewer. The demons must have realized the situation. ¡°The humans want us dead and there¡¯s no negotiating ourselves out of that.¡± Kagarath stepped forward a few more steps, showing a slight limp. ¡°As for these creatures, they aren¡¯t the undead. They are actually puppets.¡± ¡°Puppets?¡± asked Colet and Zulgar in unison. Puppets weren¡¯t completely foreign to Colet. During his travels, he came across puppetry as a form of storytelling where the puppets resembling characters were controlled through strings. Those puppets, however, were inanimate objects made from materials like wood and cloth. The idea of puppets made from corpses didn¡¯t seem all that different from what the Soul of Xemir was doing. Instead of the link made by the necromancer and the undead, the puppet master was manipulating the puppets through some sort of magical string. As he was pondering on what Kagarath meant, the bear-like creature they encountered on the plains suddenly showed up beside the demon leader. ¡°According to her, this isn¡¯t the first time you all met here.¡± Colet shared his side of the story about encountering the creature and beastmen trying to hunt it for food. He then listened to Kagarath who shared that the creature was unexpectedly teleported from the demon realm and had been searching for a way back home. The demon stated that he offered to help the creature get back home if it helped them survive against their enemies. Once they were in agreement, the creature used a puppetry-like spell to make corpses fight for it. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between puppetry and undead powers?¡± asked Zulgar. The demon stated that he intended on keeping the explanation brief given that they had to find a way to flee. Undead powers used by necromancers turned corpses into undead servants and the servants of powerful necromancers could have access to all the abilities they had prior to death. Meanwhile, puppetry wasn¡¯t limited to corpses as inanimate objects, like the golems built by the dwarves, could be used to. Unlike necromancy, corpses controlled through puppetry couldn''t tap into powers available to the owners when they were alive. ¡°We can discuss the matter further at a later date,¡± said Kagarath. ¡°We must now fight our way up to the surface before we attempt to flee.¡± The puppets led the way up the tunnel meant to be their escape route. For the two tunnels designated for the demons, one went directly to the battlefield where the demons created chaos while the other served as a way out of the valley. No one knew what dangers awaited them at the end of the tunnel but they weren¡¯t given much of a choice. According to the demons, the battle aboveground was fierce as the undead forces were engaged with Ides¡¯ forces. Both sides were ready for a long drawn out battle. One would be foolish to get involved in such a battle. ¡°Based on what you shared,¡± said Colet to Kagarath, ¡°it sounded like the two sides were ready to destroy each other. I didn¡¯t know they would make our lives that much easier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all due to politics,¡± replied Kagarath simply. Colet gestured to the demon to elaborate. ¡°You all know both sides use dark powers to achieve their goals. Dark powers originate from either the underworld or hell. Creatures from those two realms don¡¯t get along with one another. Within those two realms, there are numerous factions with their own politics and, in general, they don¡¯t get along with each other unless there¡¯s a common interest. While both sides find satisfaction crushing us, their masters likely demand their servants to weaken the other side to further their agendas.¡± ¡°We got lucky then?¡± asked Colet. ¡°We can say that if we escape and see another sunrise. We have some unexpected guests.¡± Hearing Kagarath¡¯s words, the group turned to face the undead creatures standing between them and their freedom. Following a roar from the bear-like creature, the puppets charged at the undead. The resulting battle was one of the brutalist Colet had ever seen. Since both the undead and puppets weren¡¯t living beings, they lacked emotions like fear or limitations like exhaustion and death. He watched as the beings from the two sides fought until their limbs were completely hacked away. At times, the beings used their teeth when only their heads remained until the heads were smashed apart. Against such foes, the centaur couldn¡¯t see how he could win against large hordes of them. ¡°Now, Ogmoth!¡± shouted Kagarath. While the puppets put up a decent fight, they were outnumbered and were eventually overwhelmed. The undead then charged at the group but the charge was halted by Ogmoth who casted a spell. The undead at the front of the enemy simply stopped in their tracks. Moments later, they turned around and attacked the other undead. Once again, another brutal battle ensued leaving body parts and limbs scattered all over the tunnel. Volume 1 Chapter 100 During the ride, Dreu noticed something in the water. The thing was difficult to differentiate from the water but, for a split second, it reflected light that briefly blinded him. Curiosity got the better of him so he reached over to touch it. As soon as his hand touched the water, the thing dashed towards his finger. Following a prick to his finger, the young man quickly withdrew his hand. Seeing a tiny bit of blood, he quickly put the bleeding finger into his mouth. What was that? Even with his dark vision, Dreu couldn¡¯t see what pricked his finger. The thing he saw could be mistaken for some debris but its behavior and his minor wound suggested otherwise. Dreu tried searching for it but the thing had vanished after he retrieved his hand. For the rest of the boat trip, Dreu forgot about the thing and enjoyed the rocking motion with only the sound of rushing water in the background. Both Aggich and Zog had fallen asleep in his lap. He was tempted to join them but the tingly feeling in his body made him alert. Despite his slight discomfort, he wished the moment would last longer. They eventually arrived at a clearing where Dreu gently held his two companions before he leaped onto solid ground again. ¡°What now?¡± Dreu asked once he stuck his landing. ¡°We¡¯re joining the others at the exit. All the surviving demons should have gathered there. Then, we head deeper into the Demon Realm as a group, leaving behind the last of the demon civilization.¡± ¡°Deeper?¡± ¡°Yes, the demon settlements are built along the outskirts where it¡¯s safer. Unless you¡¯re as strong as me or Eglallin, you have no hope of surviving in the true wilderness of the Demon Realm.¡± ¡°Why wasn¡¯t the wilderness tamed?¡± ¡°Demon and humans are different. We see no use of taming the wilderness when we can simply coexist with it. We leave it mostly alone and hunt the creatures for their skins, bones and other valuable treasures. It¡¯s not all that different from how you humans and monsters interact with one another.¡± Dreu nodded. He could see the value of having monsters to hunt in a controlled region. Human adventurers had to travel far from home if they wished for a chance at glory and riches. With access to loot much closer to home, humans would have grown stronger much faster. The demon clearly thought this out and built their settlements a day travel away from their version of monsters. ¡°You also mentioned demon settlements. I saw Gujash. Where are the others?¡± ¡°Gone.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The old demon had the same expression as the one he had when he spoke of Eglallin. While a part of Dreu knew he shouldn¡¯t push further on the topic, the young man still went ahead knowing that the information might prove vital to his survival later. The more he knew about the demons, the better he could survive in the home of the demons. Even information about the past could fill in the gaps that were left behind by Bayard. ¡°Did the humans destroy them all?¡± ¡°Since Xemir defeated Xyheia, there was a major exodus of all the nonhumans on Ittoroth. I was among the demons who chose to stay so we could keep warring with Xemir and his followers. The three centuries of war between us and the humans came at heavy costs for us demons. We lost most of our population. Today, we lost our last settlement. We achieved nothing with all of our sacrifices. Now, we are wanderers of the Demon Realm where we are no different from barbaric brutes. Such is the cost for our pursuit of revenge.¡± ¡°And the exodus?¡± ¡°Xyheia is kind to her followers. She knew that, with her defeat, her brother wouldn¡¯t show mercy to nonhumans. Therefore, she actively evacuated as many nonhumans as she could. As for where they sent, I fear I don¡¯t know. Since their departure, I lost contact with all of Xyheia''s followers who no longer walk Ittoroth.¡± ¡°Once she left, those who remained had to continue resisting Xemir and his followers, right?¡± Tragthan said that was true for a portion of those who left behind. He stated that some of the nonhumans did change their minds and still had a chance to evacuate. They had to locate certain communities that were established in secret within the kingdom and still served Xyheia. The old demon started listing off a few town names when one familiar name jumped out for Dreu. ¡°Wait? Did you say Lullin?¡± ¡°Yes, that was one of the major hubs. I was devastated when I heard its population was slaughtered by Rowan and his followers. Have you been there before?¡± ¡°I was born and raised there most of my life. I left for an adventure and returned to see the aftermath of the town¡¯s destruction. Now that I know who is responsible, I cannot stand idle without exacting revenge.¡± ¡°I pray that Xyheia will one day lead you away from the path of revenge. You can achieve so much more without so much anger in your heart.¡± Tragthan gestured to Dreu¡¯s blade. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why the weapon picked you.¡± Dreu looked down as he pondered all that had happened since he fled Berkton. The friends and allies he made along with the losses he suffered. In some ways, he felt a new chapter was about to begin as he entered the Demon Realm, a place mentioned in the kingdom as an environment too harsh for even the strongest humans. Maybe I will grow strong enough here to finally stand a chance against Rowan and Azorius. At least Tragthan and the other demons will be there to keep me alive until I get strong enough to fend for myself. When Dreu looked up, Tragthan made progress down the passageway and he hastily followed. He was about to ask more about the exodus when he was blinded by the light coming through the cave entrance. ¡°I¡¯ve just removed your dark vision. You should adjust to the light much easier.¡± Once his eyes adjusted, Dreu stepped outside the cave. ¡°Welcome to the Demon Realm!¡± Volume 1 Epilogue The hawk descended and transformed into a being in a silver cloak. The being stood before a tall tower that was made of a transparent material. Within the tower, a void of pure darkness hovered in the center. From time to time, tendrils from the void reached out to grab something to pull into itself. The being walked up the steps to join the other seven individuals. These individuals wore the same silver cloak but each of them had a different marking on the back of their cloaks. They stood around an altar with the last arrival completing the circle. ¡°They didn¡¯t heed your warning at all. The nonhuman coalition was decimated and one of their members has been corrupted.¡± ¡°One can always hope these mortals make the right choice from time to time. This wasn¡¯t one of those moments.¡± ¡°Even if they left, the Purificator wouldn¡¯t have spared them. Why waste your energy?¡± ¡°That centaur called Eupoos wasn¡¯t an ordinary mortal. If he wasn¡¯t so fatigued, he could have saved them and survived the ordeal. A genius like him died before he unlocked his full potential.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Someone¡¯s throat clearing silenced the conversation. Then, two portals opened above the altar. One creature fell out of one portal. Its hideous features were only bested by its gut wrenching growl. If it wasn¡¯t tied up by golden chains, the creature would have certainly latched out at those around the altar. The other portal dumped a gorgeous looking maiden onto the altar. Her clothing screamed of nobility but her eyes were filled with tears. Not only was she gagged but a black chain tied her up. Both of the new arrivals struggled against their chains. ¡°Goddess of Creation! Please accept these two offerings and grant blessing to your other creations.¡± Suddenly, fire engulfed the two offerings until they were turned to dust. The eight individuals all stepped away from the altar, each shielding themselves from the powerful flames. When the flames vanished, an octagonal shape appeared on the altar with a series of characters at each of the vertices. The individuals all stepped closer to get a better look. ¡°Seems like our time is almost up. A new cycle has begun.¡± Volume 2 Prologue "There once ruled a great emperor, Gavienus Tobias. Fair and just, Gavienus was also a military genius with a million loyal soldiers and officers under his command. Many believed he would unite the continent of Ittoroth and bring prosperity to the humans. That belief was shattered when the man fell in love with the seductive demoness, Eglallin. The demoness corrupted the man and turned him against the God, Xemir. To deal with the betrayal, Xemir sent out his trusted servants to vanquish the traitors. The leader of Xemir¡¯s servants was Rowan Hamund. Rowan was once the right hand man of the emperor but he wasn¡¯t blinded by the lies and deceit of the traitors. He knew Xemir wished to see a bright future for the humans and the god¡¯s defeat would spell disaster for all the humans on Ittoroth. Despite facing overwhelming odds, Rowan¡¯s loyalty towards Xemir never wavered. For his unquestionable loyalty, the man was granted the Blessing of Strength by the god and became known as the Right Arm of Xemir. The stage was set on the Plains of Chilsor. Rowan led an estimated two hundred thousand servants of Xemir against the two million strong army under Gavienus and Eglallin. If battles were determined by numbers alone, the traitors would have easily won. However, Xemir¡¯s servants, through their determination and belief in their god, overcame all odds and crushed the corrupted emperor and his demoness. The victory was costly as it resulted in the collapse of the empire. Yet, a brighter future for the humans was guaranteed with the death of the corrupt tyrant." The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The old man closed the book and looked down at the young boy. With a big smile, the young boy clapped his hands. ¡°Rowan is so amazing! I want to be like him when I grow up!¡± The old man chuckled and placed a hand on the boy¡¯s head. ¡°When you become king, you will have him by your side. As long as you have faith in Xemir, you will make a fine king.¡± ¡°I promise I won¡¯t be Gavienus. He¡¯s a monster!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame I won¡¯t see you become king, Azorius! We humans have such short lifespans and can only see so much of the world. We are always racing against time only to find that we lose that race every single time. Live your life to the fullest and serve Xemir well!¡± ¡°What happens when we die?¡± The serious question caught the old man off guard. Following a lengthy pause, he regained his composure. ¡°We join Xemir when we die. I will see God soon, child.¡± ¡°Can the Right Arm of Xemir die?¡± ¡°No,¡± said the old man with a smile. ¡°He has ascended beyond what mortals are capable of. If your faith remains strong, then Xemir may grant you a blessing and immortality. Nothing is more valuable than those two gifts from God himself.¡± ¡°If you are faithful, will Xemir grant you immortality too?¡± ¡°If my soul is the price I pay to continue serving him, then I will do without hesitation.¡± Volume 2 Chapter 1 From the stories, Dreu expected heavy storm clouds in the sky blocking out all the light from above with the occasional lightning. Terrible creatures would roam the ground and sky as they established their dominance over their territories. After stepping out of the cave, the sun shone down with no clouds to be seen. A mountain could be seen in the distance and, like any untamed wilderness, there was a massive forest that stretched out in all directions. The cave entrance was too low of an elevation to give him a chance to gauge the size of the forest. ¡°Tragthan is here,¡± shouted a demon. Upon hearing the old demon¡¯s name, many demons gathered around him. They shared their concerns about their future but Tragthan responded with confidence that they could start anew within the demon realm. Even Dreu could tell the demon¡¯s presence calmed the survivors, as though he was the anchor for them during these dire times. Since the demons paid him no heed, Dreu looked around the clearing where the demons built a temporary base. Except for a handful of tents, most of the demons had nothing above their heads. A lot of demons held the perimeter as they kept watch of their surroundings. Then, Dreu noticed Jonoxod gesturing to him to follow. A short walk later, the young man found himself near the group of demonic children and a big demon. Jonoxod had dematerialized into a shadow while Dreu recognized the other demon as the one he encountered in the tunnels below Berkton. The demon, upon spotting him, walked over. ¡°We meet again.¡± Dreu wasn¡¯t sure how he should greet the demon so he merely nodded. ¡°You have nothing to fear. We¡¯re on the same side this time. However, don¡¯t give me a reason to mark you as an enemy.¡± Dreu was unsure how he felt about his reunion. Jonoxod said nothing and stayed in the shadows the whole time. The other demon made him tremble violently simply by standing before him. I wish I have Bayard¡¯s immunity to fear right now. Luckily, the demon walked back to its position after its comment. Then, Dreu felt something tapping his feet. He lifted Zog and Aggich before holding them tight. He feared they would struggle but they simply snuggled against him. I wish Ilveroz was still here. That demon hound would be a great addition to our team. When he caught sight of the demon worms who served as playmates earlier to the demonic children, the creatures gathered around a small rock. No one paid them any attention and they seemed hesitant to leave their spot. Taking a deep breath, Dreu walked over to one of the demons near the demon worms. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to those demon worms?¡± The demon stared down at him with a puzzled look. ¡°They¡¯ll be abandoned. They are a bunch of useless creatures who will only slow us down.¡± The demon then noticed Zog in Dreu¡¯s arms. ¡°If you collect trash, none of us will stop you.¡± Without another word, Dreu walked over to the demon worms. The group cowered at his approach but they calmed down once he placed Zog near them. Let them know I¡¯ll accept them as my summoned creatures. With a nod, Zog turned to its kind and started waving its tiny claws wildly. If it was saying anything, Dreu couldn¡¯t make out any discernible sounds. Once Zog finished, the other demon worms swarmed around Dreu¡¯s feet. < Congratulations! Seven demon worms have joined your roster. > I know the other demons look down at these guys. If I can evolve them, they may change their minds. The demon worms reminded Dreu a lot about himself. They were non-combatants who were thrusted head first into a war they never asked for. Both he and the demon worms had no real talents so they had to work hard to even survive in the harsh world they lived in. While he had Bayard as his mentor, Dreu knew he couldn¡¯t fill such an important role. However, he could at least give the demon worms a chance to grow stronger. Evolution might be the key to his companions'' growth. For the time being, the potential of the demon worms wasn¡¯t on his mind. Dreu just wanted to welcome his seven new companions to his party. I hope we can work together and get through the war together. The seven demon worms all wiggled their tiny legs. Just as Dreu was about to give all of the demon worms a hug, a scream came from nearby. Everyone turned to see Jonoxod ambushing a holy knight with his claw through the man¡¯s throat. The demon dematerialized into his shadow form before a beam of light could hit him. Dozens of holy knights emerged from the forest and engaged with the demons at the perimeter. The demons initially held the line but, being outnumbered, they eventually lost ground. Before the demons suffered too many casualties, Tragthan stopped beside Dreu. ¡°Flee with the children! We¡¯ll hold them off for as long as we can!¡± The demon ran over to the children and knelt down to them. They spoke a tongue Dreu couldn¡¯t understand but the young man could infer what the old demon was saying. Most of the children were crying but one of them stood out with her calm demeanor. Once Tragthan finished, the children all ran in the opposite direction of the battle. The old demon walked over to Dreu with a sad expression. ¡°I¡¯m leaving you the future of the demon race on Ittoroth. Please take good care of them! I doubt I¡¯ll be surviving this upcoming battle so let me say that it was an honor to meet the second emperor. For the sake of all the races on the continent, please surpass your predecessor!¡± ¡°I will do my best,¡± said Dreu with the most conviction he could muster. ¡°Thank you for everything!¡± Dreu ran past the old demon with his companions in tow. He was about to take his first step into the demon realm without someone strong to protect him. He also had to live up to the last wishes of Tragthan and protect the demonic children. Volume 2 Chapter 2 When Dreu caught up to the demonic children, one of the female children had taken charge of the group. The child had long jet black hair and her face was the most human-like out of all the demons he encountered. Unlike the other children, she wore a dark breastplate that appeared to be of the top grade. The girl carried no weapons on her so Dreu assumed she was a spellcaster like Eglallin. The child acknowledged Dreu¡¯s presence but she showed no indication of handing over the leadership role. With no knowledge of the Demon Realm¡¯s wilderness, the young man was fine with the situation. He doubted his ability to make the right call in a completely unfamiliar environment. During the run deeper into the wilderness, Dreu regularly checked behind him to make sure Aggich, Zog and the other seven demon worms were still there. His nine companions stuck to him like glue and kept up just fine. He trusted in Tragthan and the other demons in keeping the human forces at bay long enough for them to flee. Given how dense the forest was, they could disappear very quickly and the human pursuers might not have a chance of tracking them unless the enemy sent more rangers. ¡°We will take a break here before we proceed further,¡± said the demonic child once they reached a small clearing. While the other demonic children all collapsed onto the ground, the girl closed her eyes where she stood and chanted something. After the chant, nothing visible happened to or around her. Seeing the girl concentrating, Dreu sat down where he stood. The demon worms took turns climbing into his lap, earning them a quick scratch to their heads. ¡°May I ask for your name?¡± Dreu called out to the child when her eyes opened several minutes later. ¡°It would make communication easier in the future.¡± ¡°I am Ragellon,¡± said the demonic child with her head held high. ¡°Daughter of Braglames.¡± ¡°Braglames,¡± muttered Dreu as he recalled the final battle at the capital. ¡°You have a vendetta against him?¡± Ragellon aggressively approached Dreu. ¡°No, we shared a common enemy so I looked up to him. I was there during his final hour in the human capital.¡± Ragellon¡¯s face beamed with happiness upon hearing Dreu¡¯s words. She rapidly asked questions about her father¡¯s final moments. Dreu did his best recalling those moments and, during the entire storytelling, Ragellon¡¯s eyes widened while her smile grew bigger and bigger. After Dreu finished, the demonic child muttered thanks for sharing the final moments of her father. ¡°I¡¯m happy he died as a warrior as he always wanted to.¡± Her smile disappeared when her focus turned to the demon worms gathered around Dreu. They surrounded the young man while Aggich napped in his lap. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Why are they here? Why do you have so many demon worms with you?¡± Hearing the distaste in her voice, Dreu sighed. ¡°I know demon worms aren¡¯t known for their abilities on the battlefield. However, I believe that, given a chance, they can prove the old assumptions wrong. Please give them a chance.¡± Dreu turned his attention to Zog because the demon worm was two levels away from evolving. The evolution didn¡¯t have to be amazing. Zog just had to prove everyone wrong by positively contributing to future battles. When he looked at the other demon worms, they all cowered behind Zog, clearly aware of Ragellon¡¯s attitude towards them. ¡°If they slow us down, don¡¯t expect me to wait for them.¡± Ragellon turned around and stopped after a few steps. "I sensed dangers up ahead and we may have to flee if we hope to survive." The young man didn¡¯t bother sharing his abilities in detail. First, he saw no need to divulge too much. He was still an outsider and keeping trump cards could save his life. Secondly, he only grasped the bare minimum of his abilities so he lacked the expertise to explain matters properly even if he wanted to. Dreu snapped out of his thoughts when Ragellon led the group deeper into the unknown. With his companions in tow, the young man followed the confident demonic child. He had seen those who weren¡¯t ready to be leaders and Ragellon wasn¡¯t one of those. Her confidence reassured the other demonic children while her decision making thus far proved to be on point. Her calm demeanor earlier when Tragthan said farewell to them only further solidified his opinion of her. The fact they hadn¡¯t encountered any demonic beast could partially be credited to her decision making. Yet, she seemed certain that their luck might be running out as they approached an unavoidable encounter. Does she have a destination in mind? When one of the demonic children screamed, everyone turned to see half a dozen gnolls. At least, Dreu assumed they were gnolls given their hyena heads and humanoid bodies. The gnolls he was familiar with were constantly seeking prey to keep their hunger in check. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for gnolls to attack big targets or large groups to maximize their food. If some gnolls died in the hunt, then there would be more food to go around for the others. Despite their humanoid bodies, humans generally regarded gnolls as beasts to be killed on sight. ¡°Demonic gnolls,¡± said Ragellon, cursing under her breath. Dreu was about to ask the demonic child what differentiated demonic gnolls and normal gnolls when the markings on the demonic gnolls lit up. The markings resemble the language used by the demons when he was aiding the defense of Gujash. The young man had a quick glimpse over some documents on a table, noting how everything looked like scribbles to him. The markings gave off a violet light which gathered in the palm of the demonic gnoll¡¯s hands. The violet light then transformed into either weapons or armor, much like how the demon summoned its weapon beneath Berkton. Three of the demonic gnolls wielded polearms, one wielded dual daggers and the last two boasted fine looking armor. Unlike humans, the demonic gnolls in armor had sharp claws as their weapons so they were still very dangerous on the offense. When an inexperienced fighter, some children and weak creatures faced off against demonic gnolls, one thing jumped to his mind. This is bad. Volume 2 Chapter 3 Dhaga swam deeper into the underwater cave as he searched frantically for any clues of his sister¡¯s whereabouts. He last heard Seiluxr discover something and looked to retrieve it. She claimed that her discovery may turn things around for the nagas. However, he got worried when she failed to return after three days. As nagas, they could not only hold their breath underwater for an entire day but they also possessed a spell that could further extend the duration. The extension depended on the user¡¯s magical abilities so Seilux, being one of the more powerful sorceresses in their clan, could extend her time underwater for a few extra days. Despite the fact that his sister would have no issues with air, Dhaga couldn''t shake the feeling that something happened to her. Given how safe the cave had been for the nagas in the last century, Seilux¡¯s trip should take at most a day unless something went wrong. ¡°We should spread out so we check every cavern,¡± Dhaga said to the other nagas as the group approached a fork in the cave. Without another word, the four other nagas split up in different directions. The five of them formed a pod that was regularly sent out to the ocean as a patrol. With some of those trips taking several days at a time and constantly filled with danger, they had formed unbreakable bonds knowing they had each other¡¯s backs. When the other four nagas learned of what Dhaga planned on doing, they offered to assist him in the matter. The young naga thanked his podmates as, with numbers, they could cover more of the cave. If Seilux did need help, one of them could reach her sooner and the precious time saved could be the difference between life and death. The young naga only hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to that. Dhaga was left with the passageway that led to the largest cavern in the cave system. He didn¡¯t know what his sister was looking for but he intended on at least finding her safe. Seilux wasn¡¯t great with time so he hoped she merely lost track of her time while she uncovered her discovery. Yet, the brother side of him made it so he had to confirm the matter personally. The largest cavern was once home to a creature called the Leviathan but it had mysteriously disappeared. No traces were found of the creature that was once worshiped by the nagas. According to the old myths, the Leviathan was a guardian who protected the nagas from all harm. The mighty creature chose to stay within the cavern while it formed a barrier around naga territory. Since the creature¡¯s disappearance several years earlier, the nagas failed to find any explanation for the Leviathan¡¯s disappearance and the nagas found themselves constantly under threat. Could she have found something related to the Leviathan? Just then, Dhaga felt warmth near his chest and looked down. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. What the¡­ The necklace around Dhaga¡¯s neck shone brightly, causing the naga to stop in his tracks. The naga then looked around but nothing stood out to him. He held the necklace in his hand and swam in a small circle, noting the jewelry shone the brightest when he was closest to the large cavern. Please be okay! The brightness of the light terrified Dhaga. While he wasn¡¯t a proficient spellcaster like his sister, he still had some spells and some basic understanding of magic. The necklace was indicating that a power, far greater than what he thought was possible, was up ahead. Dhaga had always heard the powerful sorceresses were attracted to powerful sources of magic. Either Seiluxr discovered something incredible or someone laid down a trap to attract those seeking more magic. If the former, then he had no doubt his sister discovered something to aid them against the Kraken and its followers. The war had gone poorly and the nagas desperately needed something to tip the balance in their favor. If the latter, he would make the individual responsible for the trap pay. Throwing caution aside, Dhaga swam through the passageway at his top speed until he arrived at the cavern entrance. The necklace was shining so bright he had to put it in a pouch to stop it from blinding him. The scene before him was sadly disappointing. It looked like any other underwater caverns with nothing standing out. Even the magic, clearly detected by the necklace, couldn¡¯t be visibly seen from the entrance. After scanning the entire cavern, Dhaga couldn¡¯t see any sign of his sister. Steeling his resolve, the naga swam towards the center of the cavern. Before he could reach the center, Dhaga felt invisible strands sticking to him and, despite his best efforts, he couldn¡¯t shake those strands loose. Realizing that he was like a prey caught up in a spider¡¯s web, Dhaga raised his arms. ¡°Aqua blade!¡± Two blades, forming from the water around him, appeared in his hands. Dhaga then sliced where he suspected the invisible strands to be but his blades were stopped as though they hit something too hard to cut through. Despite repeated attempts, he never once felt his blades successfully cut through anything. With each strike, he could feel his blades weakening. To make matters worse, his attempts made him more and more tangled in the strands. Before long, he couldn¡¯t even move any of his limbs. ¡°Curses!¡± shouted Dhaga at the top of his lungs. Now that he was completely immobile, Dhaga thought long and hard about what he could do. His aqua blades were his strongest weapons but they did nothing against the strands which appeared to be magical in nature. He had a much smaller arsenal of spells due to male nagas lacking affinity with magic, at least compared to the female nagas. Waiting for his podmates wasn¡¯t going to change anything due to them also lacking the tools to address the issue. To calm his nerves, Dhaga closed his eyes to meditate, hoping to find a solution by the end of his meditation. As soon as he closed his eyes, he heard an unfamiliar voice. Are you the champion who will save the nagas? Volume 2 Chapter 4 While the demonic children hid behind Ragellon, Dreu found himself only covering one flank. Even if Ragellon somehow could hold off the attack in front of her, the two of them would be too preoccupied to address the remaining flank. One of the demonic gnolls, wearing its new armor, shouted orders in an unknown language. Once in formation, the gnolls attacked. While two gnolls were assigned to fight Dreu and Ragellon, the other four approached the group through the vulnerable flank. Zog! Take Aggich and the other demon worms to hold the open flank the best you can. I''ll assist you all as soon as I address the gnoll sent at me. Dreu readied his blade when Ragellon summoned a large stone. Dreu¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the massive red stone that was nearly half of the demonic child''s height. Having never seen anything resembling the stone in the past, he could only assume the stone was native to the demon realm. Maybe these are more powerful versions of the lesser demonic crystals? Didn¡¯t Tragthan say demonic crystals are worthless? Seeing the demonic gnolls halt their attack upon seeing the stone, the young man was certain that this was no ordinary stone. The gnolls even started backing up from the group, showing fear in their eyes. What is she going to do with it? I hope it sends them chasing. As if answering the question, Ragellon chanted loudly in an unfamiliar language. As she chanted, dark smoke emerged from the stone. The smoke embraced the red stone while giving off a powerful aura. At the sight of this, the gnolls backed away a couple more steps but they never once faced away from the stone. Even Dreu debated if he was too close. He vaguely recalled stories about smoke released by demonic spells that were toxic to humans who inhaled the gas. Such a prospect terrified him, especially when he stood so close to the gas. He breathed a sigh of relief when the smoke vanished while a shadow remained. He turned his attention to the gnolls whose bloodthirst expressions were replaced with fear and terror. As Ragellon got to the end of her chant, the shadow formed a large silhouette of something neither Dreu nor the gnolls wanted to know personally. Before the demonic child finished her chant, the shadow disappeared. Several seconds later, the gnolls regained their courage and resumed their charge. Dreu waited for his opponent to be within swinging distance before he slashed at the gnoll. Faced with a gnoll dual wielding daggers, the young man had a reach advantage. By taking a swing as soon as the opponent got close, Dreu forced the gnoll to halt the charge to avoid losing an arm. He then transitioned to a stabbing motion as the gnoll lost its balance from its earlier dodge. Faced with a vulnerable foe, his blade went easily into the gnoll¡¯s abdomen region. Dreu then slashed to his left resulting in the disembowelment of the gnoll. His follow-up swing saw him beheading the gnoll while his opponent was still shocked by its injury. Before the gnoll head hit the ground, the young man turned to the rest of the battlefield. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Ragellon, undeterred by her earlier failure, proceeded to throw green fireballs at her opponent. The gnoll, with several burn marks, stood its ground as it braced for the incoming fireballs. The rapid rate Ragellon threw the fire balls held the demon at bay but the young man couldn¡¯t tell if the spell had any impact other than singeing the creature¡¯s fur. Given how the gnolls appeared angry already, he also couldn¡¯t tell if they were angrier. Trusting the demonic child to hold her own, Dreu turned his focus to their weakest flank. They have courage. I¡¯ll give them that much! Eight demon worms and one cursed fox had a staring contest with four of the gnolls. While Dreu¡¯s side boasted quantity, he would still place his bets on the gnolls as they had too big of an advantage. Yet, the gnolls were surprisingly cautious when they faced the demon worms. They observed where they stood, not eager to continue their charge. Maybe they don¡¯t know how strong or weak in this case the demon worms are? Given how weak demon worms were, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they never saw battle. If the demon realm was as terrible as Tragthan made it out to be, then the chances of demon worms surviving in the wilderness was practically zero. Luckily for his side, the gnolls were unfamiliar with the creatures, resulting in their hesitation. With him slaying one of the gnolls and Ragellon dealing with another one, the odds were quickly shifting in their favor. Still, he feared that the demonic gnolls might have a few more surprises for them. What the? When the gnolls finally did resume their charge, they moved as slow as turtles. Dreu had to rub his eyes a few times to make sure he wasn¡¯t imagining things. While he was still processing the scene, the demon worms, with Zog leading the charge, swarmed the weakest looking gnoll of the four. While their attacks were pitiful, they easily avoided the slow attacks from the gnoll. While they inflicted obvious wounds on the gnoll, none of the wounds looked even close to life-threatening. Unwilling to put the slow to waste, Dreu dashed over and dispatched the gnoll with numerous demon worm bites. The gnoll¡¯s death was swift but Dreu and the demon worms were already focusing on the next gnoll. The second gnoll, having seen its fellow gnoll attacked earlier, had made little progress in closing the gap. However, it moved enough to isolate itself, making it easy for Dreu and the demon worms to kill it. She looks almost done. Dreu looked back at Aggich and got the impression that the slow was coming to an end. Two gnolls still remained, one with a polearm and the other being the leader with armor. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Aggich! We¡¯ll handle it from here!¡± The fox collapsed where she stood but Dreu didn¡¯t fear for her safety. He and the demon worms had to address the two problems before them. Volume 2 Chapter 5 They turned their attention to the third gnoll and the gnoll leader, both moving normally. Dreu wasn''t sure if it was his imagination but the two gnolls looked pissed, likely from the death of the other gnolls. If only the slow lasted a bit longer. Dreu and the demon worms surrounded the last two demon gnolls. The gnoll leader howled into the sky. While Dreu¡¯s blade hand shook violently, the demon worms, with the exception of Zog, all retreated behind him. The young man used his free hand to steady his shaking hand as he took deep breaths to calm his breathing. A quick glance showed that Ragellon was still engaged in combat with her counterpart. Trusting her to take care of her opponent, Dreu was determined to handle the threats on his end. < Demon Worm (Zog) is evolving. > The two things sticking out of Zog¡¯s back developed into wings similar to those of a butterfly. The patterns on the wings were very plain with a black outline and dark green interior. A few flaps of the wings saw Zog take flight, though the demon worm only hovered around Dreu¡¯s eye level. The two gnolls backed up slightly when they saw Zog''s evolution. Good work, Zog! Even the demonic gnolls are wary of you now. Dreu was very tempted to check the stats and information on Zog¡¯s new form but he couldn¡¯t afford to take his eyes off the two gnolls. The two creatures were wary but, with each passing second, they could be emboldened to attack. When he sensed movement by his feet, the young man peeked down to see the other demon worms stared up at Zog in awe. The sight brought a smile to Dreu¡¯s face but the young man refocused on the threat at hand. We can celebrate after this win. You eight focus on the gnoll on the left. I¡¯ll handle the leader. Without hesitation, the seven demon worms charged at their target. Before the gnoll could counterattack, Zog fired a few green fireballs at the gnoll which the creature tried to intercept with its polearm. Most of the fireballs were intercepted but the few that landed resulted in burn marks on the gnoll''s body. The attacks got its attention which meant Dreu could focus on his opponent. Dreu didn¡¯t have the luxury to watch the other fight because the gnoll leader was making a move too. He closed the gap with his opponent and intercepted the gnoll¡¯s claws with his blade. The gnoll¡¯s claws, while sharp, paled against the Red Mist Blade. Dreu focused heavily on defense, making sure his blade edge always came in contact with the claws. Following a few exchanges, the gnoll leader''s claws were trimmed to nothing. Lacking its two weapons, the gnoll was forced to create fists with its hands. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. So far so good. I still have to avoid a punch from the gnoll. A hit and I might be a goner. Suddenly, the gnoll leader leaped at Dreu with a flurry of punches and the young man barely dodged them. The creature¡¯s complete disregard for defense caught Dreu by surprise but he steadily calmed himself as he searched for openings. The young man took advantage of low risk openings to inflict damage while allowing him to defend against further attacks. Bit by bit, the combat shifted in his favor with the gnoll leader covered in countless wounds. The gnoll leader eventually collapsed after it bled from its many wounds. The armor kept the gnoll in the battle longer but, upon its defeat, the armor faded away as though it was unsummoned. Not risking anything, Dreu delivered the finishing blow. That was a tricky opponent but Bayard¡¯s teachings are paying off. If only he is still here so I can get even better. Dreu turned to his left to see Zog and the demon worms had defeated their opponent. The demon gnoll had multiple nasty burn marks, indicating that Zog did most of the work while the rest supported. When he checked on Ragellon, she had also defeated her opponent. However, her kneeling on the ground made him feel concerned. Unlike the energetic demonic child earlier, Ragellon now appeared as a child pushed to her limits and not ready to step out into the world. The young man knew firsthand that mock battles could only prepare an individual so much for actual battle. Good thing no one got hurt. If these are weak creatures, I would hate to see what the strong ones look like. Dreu walked over to Aggich. Picking her up, he noticed the fox was sound asleep so he held her tightly. Good work! You earned your rest! With Aggich in his arms and Zog perched on his right shoulder, Dreu walked over to Ragellon who was surrounded by her concerned friends. He waited for them to vent their nervous energy before he spoke up. ¡°Good work!¡± said Dreu encouragingly. ¡°I underestimated you, human.¡± ¡°Happens a lot,¡± said Dreu after sensing a softer tone from Ragellon. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°We will find a safe location to rest. Consecutive combat won¡¯t do us much good here.¡± ¡°Take the lead then.¡± Dreu noticed the hesitation from the demonic child. ¡°You are still more familiar with these parts than me. I¡¯ll handle the fighting if you handle the leading.¡± Acknowledging his comment, Ragellon stood up and was unsteady at first. With the encouragement of her friends, she got her footing back. Dreu felt comforted after seeing the new fire ignited in her eyes. The young man paused to check on the other demon worms. The seven of them appeared ecstatic after their victory with no signs of visible injury. Their contributions were small but it was the effort that counted. With Zog¡¯s evolution, the other demon worms had something to look forward to. As Dreu was about to take a step, he paused to look down at Aggich. Didn¡¯t Tragthan say this cursed fox couldn¡¯t use curses when Eglallin took her in? When did Aggich learn to use curses? Curiosity got the better of Dreu so he opened his prompt window. Between Zog and the seven demon worms, Aggich¡¯s name was there among the active roster. What if¡­ Volume 2 Chapter 6 Dhaga opened his eyes to make sense of where he was. He recalled he was meditating when he was interrupted by a voice. The mysterious strands that immobilized him were gone and he was suddenly moving freely. A quick look was enough to convince him that he was neither in the large cavern nor surrounded by water. He was surrounded by pure darkness with no light to be seen anywhere. The young naga felt like he was just moving through nothingness. With nothing serving as a guide, Dhaga felt himself wandering aimlessly in space. As he wondered if he would get out, the unfamiliar voice returned. ¡°Welcome to my realm, young naga.¡± The voice appeared to have approached him from all directions. Meanwhile, the darkness concealed the owner of the voice. ¡°Where am I?¡± Dhaga wasn¡¯t in the mood for niceties. He was worried sick about his sister and this stranger was taking up his valuable time. ¡°Seiluxr said you can be a hothead at times.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dhaga thought he misheard the stranger but he was certain his sister¡¯s name was spoken out loud. The thought of the stranger being responsible for his sister¡¯s disappearance formed in his mind. Before the naga could voice his thoughts, the stranger spoke again. ¡°I met your sister before her demise. She had such promise as a sorceress but her time was sadly cut short. In return for her freeing me, I will grant you the following powers. Pick one for yourself and give the others to those worthy of them. I¡¯m certain you nagas need help against your foes. Despite being away, I can sense our enemies closing in.¡± Dhaga felt immense amounts of energy surging within him. Then, he watched as five orbs formed around him. The orbs orbited around him rapidly at first but they eventually settled into a steady motion. Each of them was a different color: red, blue, yellow, pink and black. Recalling what the stranger told him, the young naga studied the orbs but, other than their colors, nothing else differentiated them. As he leaned closer, he could sense something different from each orb. He first focused on the red orb which had incredible magical powers emitting from its surface. The magical energies felt almost familiar. It''s a shame Seiluxr won''t get her hands on this. She would have loved it! Next, he approached the blue orb which had no magical properties. However, he didn¡¯t know what it was about the object but, when he approached it, he felt raw power that threatened to swallow him whole. He could sense the power crushing down on him the closer he was to the orb. When the nerves became too much, Dhaga backed away allowing his heart to calm down. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. That orb isn¡¯t for me, that¡¯s for certain. When it came to the yellow orb, Dhaga felt the opposite of what he experienced with the blue orb. He felt the inability to approach it as something solid stood in his way. He wanted to get closer but the pressure kept him at bay. After a few attempts, he gave up due to no progress. Dhaga¡¯s attention then turned to the pink orb. He reached out with his fingers and, upon contact, his eyes widened as a cut he received recently vanished. A healing orb? Healing magic was extremely rare for the nagas. This was largely due to the abundance of tidal wells within naga territory. The tidal wells had healing properties that depended heavily on the phases of the moon. The wells were at their most powerful during a full moon at which they were capable of saving a naga from a near death experience. During a new moon, the wells could only heal minor cuts and injuries. Given their heavy reliance on the wells, the nagas never adopted or developed healing magic. Dhaga had learned firsthand how shortsighted the approach was when his patrol faced enemies outside their territory, rendering the tidal wells irrelevant. A healing orb could improve the odds of naga survival when they operated outside naga territory. The pink orb, after healing his wound, no longer glowed brightly. Huh? The black orb glowed brighter than the other ones. Dhaga reached out to make contact, feeling himself pulled into a different realm. The new realm was covered in darkness similar to where he was. Curses! I should¡¯ve known this orb involves dark magic. Yet, the young naga felt no fear in this realm. He felt a certain degree of calmness when the darkness parted to show a pack of sea creatures Dhaga had never seen before. The creatures were mostly dark on top with white undersides and white patches around the eyes. They moved in a very coordinated formation as they surrounded a prey much bigger than them. As the creatures took turns attacking the prey, the young naga felt something swell up within him, as though his very instincts were telling him to act. Normally, he was someone who relied to reasoning. This time, he trusted his gut feeling and, as he made contact with the prey, he found himself back in the large cavern. ¡°Dhaga!¡± The young naga turned towards his podmate. As he turned, it dawned on him that the strands were no longer there. He could move freely while his necklace no longer shone. He began questioning if he was hallucinating since he entered the cavern. ¡°Are you okay, Dhaga?¡± asked the naga who was easily twice the size of Dhaga. ¡°You seem to be zoning out a lot.¡± ¡°Sorry, Athexhi.¡± Dhaga looked down at the hand that made contact with the black orb. ¡°I cannot explain what I experienced but something tells me that my sister is dead.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Athexhi stopped beside Dhaga. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her corpse or gotten any confirmation but a certain voice convinced me so.¡± Dhaga felt a punch send his back a few meters in the water. ¡°What was that for?¡± He angrily shouted at Athexhi. ¡°I was worried that you fell under a charming spell,¡± said the giant naga. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem that way.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head back,¡± said Dhaga who couldn¡¯t suppress his smile. ¡°I know you think I¡¯ve gone crazy but I know what I said was true.¡± Volume 2 Chapter 7 Dreu put off checking his prompt until they reached a safer location. Ragellon seemed intent on covering a lot of ground but, as seen earlier with her kneeling after the battle and her stumbling multiple times now, she needed rest. After sharing his concern, the demonic girl listened and said she would find a good place to rest. A few minutes later, the group arrived before an enormous tree that towered over all the nearby trees. The tree was hollowed out in the center and had nothing taking residence inside. Once Zog flew up and spotted no demonic creatures on the branches, the group went inside the tree to catch their breaths. Dreu only just sat down when he noticed all the demonic children huddled together asleep. Get some rest! You all earned it! With the task of keeping watch, the young man also used this opportunity to check on a few things. Following a deep breath, Dreu opened his prompt window and accessed the Unit Recall List. < Unit Recall List: Demon Hound (Lvl 2) [Ilveroz] - Available > I don¡¯t know how but I¡¯m glad Ilveroz is still around. Ilveroz appeared before Dreu with his tail wagging. The demon hound¡¯s appearance also got the attention of Aggich who had just woken up. The two of them played quietly while Zog perched on Dreu¡¯s shoulder. After several minutes, the two of them walked over to the young man and fell asleep in his lap. Unable to stop himself, Dreu reached out to scratch both of their heads, feeling himself calm down somewhat. Why do they get tired, unlike Bayard and the others? Dreu simply shelved the question until he understood the Emperor Class better. In the meantime, he looked at Zog, remembering that he had to check up on his companion¡¯s evolution. < Lv 7 Demon Worm (Zog) [Mid-Evolution]: Description: This caterpillar-like creature enjoys eating and playing. The creature¡¯s good nature makes it an ideal playmate for demonic children. As a creature at the bottom of the food chain, the creature is known to be timid in battle and boasts little to no combat capabilities. If given a chance to engage in combat, the creature can level up rapidly and unlock evolutions. Recommendations: -Avoid combat if alone. -In group combat, give the opportunity to support. Evolution: -Demon worms are capable of evolving once they gain enough experience. Evolution is unheard of for these creatures as they are never put in combat situations. Even if engaged in combat, demon worms generally do poorly and are easily defeated. Therefore, there have been no known cases for demon worm evolutions. With the lack of past history, the evolution tree of demon worms is completely unknown and can only be explored through trial and error.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. -Once the demon worm reaches level 7, it will acquire its wings and be in the stage of [Mid-Evolution]. During [Mid-Evolution], the demon worm becomes noticeably stronger and has access to weaker versions of its basic abilities. To complete the evolution, the demon worm must be fed a lesser demonic crystal. Skill: -Lesser Chaos Flames (Lvl 1): Active. Shoots lesser chaos flame projectiles at enemies. Unlimited uses but the ability has a low cost of mana per use. -Lesser Barrier (Lvl 1): Active. Grants the user or ally a lesser barrier to reduce damage taken from physical attacks. Limited to 10 uses per day. Status: +10% attack and defense from veterancy. +10% movement from wings.> Dreu wished he got his hands on some lesser demonic crystal. He looked forward to Zog¡¯s full evolution as the demon worm had proven to be very strong on the battlefield in its current transition form. If they were facing more foes, they needed every advantage they could get. Despite never asking for the role, he was responsible for all of their survival. Now that he also had Ilveroz joining his squad, he needed to see what the demon hound was capable of. < Lv 2 Demon Hound (Ilveroz): Description: This canine creature was abandoned by its pack for unknown reasons. Its teeth and claws are powerful weapons but, due to the hound¡¯s small size, it can struggle against larger opponents. There have been instances of demon hounds learning spells but those instances were very rare. This demon hound has proven to be extremely loyal to the emperor and would follow any orders without hesitation. Recommendations: -Use its speed to distract enemies or rapidly close the gap with ranged foes. -Fighting in melee allows the demon hound to utilize its weapons. Skill: -Howl (Lvl 1): Active. Gives the user a +5% attack for 30 minutes. Unlimited uses but the ability may attract unwanted attention. Status: None> Attract unwanted attention? Dreu wanted to check with Ragellon but she was fast asleep. Tragthan had mentioned creatures with the demon realm that only he or Eglallin could handle so Dreu hoped howl wouldn¡¯t attract those types of enemies. Then, he heard a low hissing sound that gave him goosebumps. At the same time, Zog took to the air, checking the tree opening frantically. The young man stayed quiet with the hope the demonic creature responsible for the hissing noise would move on. Yet, the sound was only getting louder and louder until he saw what approached them. Emerging from the dense woods, spider-like creatures crawled out. Each of them were the size of bears, making him realize that, if the spider was large enough, he could develop arachnophobia. ¡°Get up! We have trouble!¡± When he turned to watch the spiders, he watched in horror as the spiders¡¯ fangs vibrated too quickly to discern before projectiles shot out of their mouths. The young man instinctively ducked to dodge the incoming projectiles. The few that did make it into the tree interior shattered upon hitting a hard surface. Upon shattering, the pieces dissolved into disgusting green ooze. Are you okay, Zog? Zog flew next to him, doing a little dance. His shouting earlier not only woke up the demonic children but also put both Ilveroz and Aggich on alert. The tree had gone from a safe haven to a cage very quickly. ¡°There¡¯s never a dull moment in the demon realm, is there?¡± Volume 2 Chapter 8 ¡°Do you know what they are?¡± said Dreu as he took cover from the projectiles following a quick peek. ¡°Fel Spiders,¡± responded Ragellon. ¡°Their projectiles are venomous but they are only good against lightly armored foes. Faced with heavily armored foes, those spiders flee at once.¡± ¡°So we are considered easy prey by them.¡± Dreu never imagined he would be pinned down in a tree by giant spiders but, for the last couple of minutes, that was the exact situation he was in. His group members all laid low to avoid any projectiles that made it into the tree. Thus far, the walls had been holding. However, the green ooze had been building up within the hollowed tree so it was a matter of time before the ground was covered with it. The young man knew that none of them would want to find out what happened if they touched the ooze. Do these things never run out of projectiles? Unsure if he wanted to find out, Dreu looked to Zog. The demon worm had been hovering near an opening while he fired fireballs at the enemy without once exposing himself to enemy fire. Since he couldn¡¯t peek without risking getting hit, Dreu had no clue if any of the fireballs landed. Dreu then took a moment to check on the other demon worms. He ordered them to take cover and protect Aggich. ¡°Can you fight?¡± he asked Ragellon. ¡°No,¡± said the demonic child in a low voice. Damn it! Dreu considered all the options before he turned to the demonic child again. ¡°Ragellon, are you familiar with demon hound howls?¡± Ragellon¡¯s puzzled expression disappeared when her eyes turned to Ilveroz beside Dreu. ¡°My father said howl is a self buff demon hound cast upon itself. The stronger the demon hound, the stronger the buff.¡± ¡°And there are no downsides?¡± ¡°Only downside I can think of is attracting the natural enemies of demon hounds. There are certain creatures that would go out of their way to kill even a single demon hound. If there¡¯s even a single howl, that will invite trouble. I fear the trouble would be a lot worse than those spiders out there.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Don¡¯t use howls, Ilveroz. I doubt we can handle anything more powerful than those spiders Dreu then formulated a quick plan. He needed it to be as simple as possible as he was no tactician. His side also had limited options. He and Ilveroz were the only frontliners, though he knew neither of them could really hold the front line against any foes. The demon worms and Aggich were the supports but, with the exception of Zog and Aggich, the rest would have limited contributions to the combat. Ragellon was out and her participation would have shifted the battle more in their favor. Overall, it wasn¡¯t hard to come up with a plan with so few pieces. Zog, use your lesser barrier ability on me and Ilveroz. After that, coordinate with the demon worms so the rest of you can engage the spiders once us two distract the spiders. At the mention of his name, the demon hound leaped beside Dreu. Ilveroz¡¯s ears went straight up and a low growl became audible. The two of them waited for the barrier to be active before they dashed out the tree through two different exits. As Dreu dashed towards the spiders, he noticed the spiders¡¯ fangs vibrated at a slower speed than earlier. Glad I can count on you, Aggich. I need to make this moment count. Due to the spiders firing fewer projectiles, Dreu dodged most of them while the barrier stopped the few that got through. Yet, the young man knew he would be facing another barrage of projectiles before he could reach the closest spider. Given that the barrier stopped a few projectiles, he was unsure how many hits his barrier would last before it shattered. Then, multiple fireballs flew at the spiders, hitting all of them squarely. Dreu wished he could see who did it but he had to focus on closing the gap. Luckily, the distraction worked because the spiders turned their attention to whoever casted the fireballs, though it was clear the fireball had no effect on them. The opportunity allowed him to close the gap and swing down his blade at the first spider. You¡¯re as good as dead! Unsure where to strike, Dreu first targeted one of the spider¡¯s legs. The blade failed to get through the chitin protecting the legs, surprising Dreu who had confidence in the sharpness of his weapon. Stabbing at the head yielded similar results. With no more fireballs as distraction, the spider could turn its attention to the young man. Before it could take a leap at Dreu, Ilveroz got beneath it and clawed at the underbelly of the spider. Hissing loudly, the spider leaped back leaving a trail of its body fluid behind. Having inflicted actual damage, Ilveroz became the new target of the spiders¡¯ projectiles. The demon hound nimbly avoided the projectiles and ran away from Dreu. Determined to hit the demon hound, the spiders all had their back to Dreu. You¡¯re pretty good at this, Ilveroz. Using the brief respite, Dreu studied the wounded spider. The body fluid was exiting from the wound on its underbelly. The spider desperately tried to close its wound but Ilveroz¡¯s sharp claws left a deep wound. Moments later, the wounded spider had its legs all curled up and no longer moved. Dreu used this information by getting low and stabbed his blade into the underbelly of the nearest spider. The blade easily penetrated and, to be safe, Dreu swung the blade to leave behind a nasty gash. Like the other spider, this one hissed in pain and leaped away from the young man. Dreu took care to not get any of the body fluids on him. This action angered the remaining spiders but they seemed divided between him and Ilveroz. Lacking the speed Ilveroz boasted, Dreu dashed behind a nearby tree and felt the impact of the projectiles hitting the tree. Two down. Many more to go... Volume 2 Chapter 9 Dhaga looked up at the night sky admiring the stars. Unable to sleep, he swam out of the lake onto the shore where he was all alone on the beach. A barrier was placed around the lake that discouraged wildlife from entering and alerted the nagas if any intruders entered the perimeter. The lake was one of the many lakes that served as resting spots for the nagas because the naga capital, despite being massive, simply wasn''t large enough for all the inhabitants. The young naga had yet to report his discoveries to the naga elders because he wanted time to absorb what happened earlier that day. A part of him still wondered if it was all a dream or hallucination he had in the cavern until he successfully summoned the four remaining orbs in his possession. ¡°Still worried about your sister?¡± Dhaga shook his head as his mate, Soce, slithered up beside him. He was always amazed how easily she could sneak up on him but her presence always calmed him, regardless what situation they were in. ¡°Something did happen in the cavern,¡± said Dhaga upon seeing the puzzled look on his mate¡¯s face. ¡°I can¡¯t really explain it but I heard a voice that told me Seiluxr is dead. I believe that voice despite not knowing who the voice belonged to.¡± Soce went on to question Dhaga who shared all that had happened after he was caught in the mysterious strands. He mentioned the being, the other realm and the five orbs that were gifted to him. When asked about the orbs, he produced four of the five. Soce tried touching them but her fingers simply passed through the objects like they were illusions. ¡°Where¡¯s the fifth one? I thought you said there were five.¡± ¡°I think I absorbed it when I was in the other realm.¡± Soce proceeded to check Dhaga¡¯s body to see if she could find signs of an orb merging with the naga or any noticeable changes. When her search yielded nothing, she asked Dhaga if he felt different in any way. If the orbs granted powers, then he must have gotten new abilities or powers. ¡°I don¡¯t feel different. I haven¡¯t felt any magical powers within me grow in any way or form. I did have a weird vision, if you can call it that.¡± Dhaga described the weird sea creatures hunting a prey as a group and admitted he had no clue what the vision meant. Soce, who was generally better with puzzles, said that she couldn¡¯t see how the vision would be tied to new powers. She asked if the vision could have been a premonition of what was to come. Regarding that theory, Dhaga shook his head. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Seeing how my fingers passed through the orbs, I take it that they will only accept certain nagas. How will you find those worthy of their powers?¡± ¡°I will report to the elders first thing tomorrow to see their take on the matter.¡± Dhaga did a small stretch. ¡°It¡¯s possible they may know of the creatures I¡¯ve seen in that vision.¡± ¡°Possibly.¡± Soce paused for a moment. ¡°Did you hear about the recent shark attacks near the Tolmer Isle?¡± ¡°Shark attacks? When have the Kraken¡¯s followers become so bold?¡± Dhaga had only heard of Kraken followers swimming in the deep sea. They tended to avoid shallow water where the nagas had more advantages. The idea of the naga¡¯s enemies growing so bold as to swim near an isle was ludicrous, especially when the said isle was one of the naga fortresses that had remained under naga control since its completion. ¡°I fear we received word of the Kraken making its move. It seems like our enemies are aware of the Leviathan''s disappearance.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we will expect their entire forces to bear on us very soon. I hope our preparations are sufficient.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± asked Soce when Dhaga started slithering towards the ocean. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time left.¡± The young naga had the four orbs orbiting above his hand. ¡°I need to find the owners of these orbs so we may have a fighting chance.¡± Dhaga wasn¡¯t confident the nagas were ready for a full assault from the Kraken and its followers. Not only were they outnumbered but, since the disappearance of the Leviathan, the Kraken followers repeatedly attacked the nagas resulting in steady losses to their side. These losses, surpassing the reproduction rate of the nagas, caused the steady decline of their population. With losses of many powerful nagas like his sister, the odds only shifted more in favor of the Kraken. If the orbs were helpful in their fight against the Kraken, then he intended on making full use of it. Yet, he would still need the authorization of the elders. He had already absorbed one of the orbs and, if the orbs were harmful towards them, he would rather be the only victim. For whatever reason, he trusted the being behind the voice to have the naga¡¯s best interest in mind. Could the voice belong to the Leviathan? The idea wasn¡¯t so absurd given that the Leviathan once resided in that same cavern. Dhaga wondered if his sister discovered how to bring the Leviathan back which would explain the urgency of her task. With her dead and the voice suggesting that it couldn¡¯t come back, the four orbs in Dhaga¡¯s hand might be the last hope for his race. The young naga was uncertain how to find the owners of the orbs but he was confident the orbs could find the owners instead of him, similarly to how the black one shone brightly to get his attention. ¡°Let me come with you then.¡± Dhaga was glad his mate chose to stay by his side. He had kept the secrets from his podmates so the chance to get the load off him by speaking to someone he trusted meant a lot. Now, they would see the elders together where he would either be punished for his actions or be given a chance to do something that might save the naga race. Due to the distance they had to travel to reach the naga capital, Dhaga could have long conversations with Soce. Volume 2 Chapter 10 Dreu stayed in cover as the spiders were relentless in their attacks. He could only assume Ilveroz was still zigzagging or taking cover to avoid projectiles going his direction. Not daring to poke his head out to peek, Dreu could only hope his plan would work. Following repeated hits of the projectiles on the tree, the young man could feel the tree splitting under pressure. He took several deep breaths as he prepared to dive behind another tree. Before he could do so, spider hisses stopped him in his tracks. Shortly afterwards, another spider hiss joined the mix. When he peeked around the tree, he was greeted with one spider set aflame and two others leaking body fluids. Zog and the other demon worms were all in the thick of battle. With three more spiders wounded in various degrees, the remaining spiders were thrown into disarray. Zog and the demon worms covered one flank while Ilveroz, with no more projectiles heading his way, cut off another flank. As the surviving spiders looked to flee from the unfavorable odds, Dreu stepped out in front of them them with his blade at the ready. The spiders vibrated their fangs rapidly but, before they could resume their attack, Dreu and his companions struck first. Ilveroz dashed to get under one spider and clawed viciously at the underbelly. Zog distracted one spider with a few fireballs while the demon worms crawled underneath to carry out their death by a thousand cuts method. Dreu was the slowest of the bunch but he still delivered a blow as he slid beneath one spider. Few minutes later, Dreu and his companions finished off the last spider. Good work everyone! Dreu hugged his companions for their incredible victory. The odds were never in their favor but they somehow made the impossible happen. Following the battle, he checked all the spider corpses. With the exception of one corpse that was badly burned, the others all the legs curled up due to loss of body fluids. The lone spider was the one Zog set aflame while it focused on Dreu behind the tree. Unlike earlier, Zog concentrated his fireballs on this single target and the resulting effect was devastating. Except for the exoskeleton, the rest of the spider was burned to ashes. To think Zog hasn¡¯t even fully evolved yet. At the mention of his name, Zog flew over to rest on Dreu¡¯s shoulder. Dreu unconsciously reached over and petted Zog¡¯s head. With the way he snuggled against Dreu''s hand, Zog seemed to be enjoying the attention. Dreu then picked up Ilveroz and made his way over to Aggich who stood proudly in front of the tree entrance. As he approached the cursed fox, she did a stretch. She must be getting stronger if she isn¡¯t exhausted at this point. Dreu paused to glance quickly over everyone. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Maybe we are all getting stronger. Little by little. While Dreu was still unsure why the stamina of his demonic companions wasn¡¯t unlimited like Bayard and the others, he could see noticeable improvements for Aggich who normally collapsed after using her curse. If her stamina improved over time, then she could continue playing a pivotal role in their battles. The curses had saved his life more times than he could count. Dreu then placed Ilveroz down so the two of them could play with one another. The two of them seemed inseparable, like due to them being adopted together by Eglallin. I''m glad these two are no longer separated. If only we had more time for fun and games instead of trying to survive every minute of our lives. Dreu praised the other demon worms who seemed very proud of themselves. He quickly checked over their levels and found they all reached around level 5. A bit more combat experience and they would be ready for their mid-evolution like Zog. After making sure his companions were fine, the young man checked on Ragellon and the demonic children. They were still tense from the situation but, for the time being, they were out of danger. None of them were hurt due to the young man and his companions being the only participants of the battle. With Ragellon acting as the adult there, the other demonic children remained calm. ¡°Do you know where we can rest up?¡± Dreu asked Ragellon. Dreu knew the demonic child had a place in mind and she knew where it was. However, the last battle could have sent her into shock, despite the calm demeanor she exhibited. To his relief, she responded to him. ¡°We should be there in an hour. Once there, the barrier should keep us mostly safe.¡± ¡°Mostly safe?¡± ¡°My father said there are powerful creatures here that even he had no chance of defeating. The barrier can deal with most creatures but the powerful ones are the exceptions. I was told that the location was chosen for its lack of proximity with those exceptions but the demon realm can be unpredictable. We should never lower our guard and assume we are safe.¡± Dreu accepted the explanation. He had yet to find a place he was truly safe since the demonic invasion. Fate had a way of keeping him always on his toes for whatever reason. The demon realm seemed to be no exception. ¡°After we reach that location, do you know where we can find lesser demonic crystals?¡± ¡°There are plenty where we are headed. I don¡¯t know why you want any though. They¡¯re utterly useless and not worth your time.¡± Without exchanging further words, Dreu helped Ragellon up and gathered his companions and the demonic children. Ragellon did accept his help more readily after the last battle. Dreu felt the same towards the demonic children. He was an outsider but, having traveled and survived ordeals with them, a bond formed between them. He felt like he was a big brother for these children until they were strong enough to fend for themselves. Luckily for the group, nothing eventful happened during their last hour of trek to the safe location Ragellon had in mind. They soon arrived before a small cave entrance. Guess we¡¯ll be spelunking again. Volume 2 Chapter 11 Ragellon walked forward a few steps and chanted some words in the demonic tongue. Moments later, a portal, similar to the one Dreu took to escape the capital, appeared. Ragellon and the demonic children walked through it leaving Dreu and his companions slightly bewildered. Dreu and his companions stared at one another before they entered the portal. Once they were through, they found themselves atop a tall hill overlooking a metropolis that easily matched Xante in size. Normally, a metropolis would be teeming with life with the denizens going about their day. However, this metropolis appeared empty and completely devoid of life. In fact, the young man felt the whole place was empty, like no one had inhabited the region for a long time. ¡°Welcome to Isonron, the artificial demonic city.¡± ¡°Artificial city?¡± muttered Dreu. ¡°This city was created by my father and numerous other powerful demons. As long as no one inhabits the city, this place can last indefinitely. Once we live in it, the city will remain for five years before it vanishes from existence.¡± ¡°Why create such a city?¡± ¡°My grandparents¡¯ generation foresaw the need for it. They weren¡¯t confident they could win on the Chilsor Plains. Being paranoid, they created this city which we will take advantage of.¡± ¡°What is there to take advantage of?¡± Dreu studied the city and saw nothing significant about it. The buildings were no different from Gujash. Now that he had a better look, the young man could almost see similarities between the artificial city and the former demon capital. Yet, nothing jumped out as out of place or powerful to him. He was also aware that, as a human, he might not sense demonic energy. He turned to his companions but they too weren¡¯t impressed with the scene. Zog, who seemed accustomed to sensing danger, appeared extremely calm. ¡°The time in this realm works differently from the outside world. Five years here is the equivalent to five months out there. My grandparents and parents made this the ideal training ground for the future generations as a way to protect them and give them a chance to grow strong enough to fight whatever wanted them dead.¡± In other words, the fanatic followers of Xemir. Knowing the existence of these artificial cities, Dreu could see how the demons grew so powerful. Five years of training compressed into five months could greatly aid the growth of anyone. While five years didn¡¯t guarantee full mastery of anything, the proficiency one gained could be the difference between winning and dying. Next, a question surfaced in his mind. ¡°About that barrier you spoke of?¡± ¡°It surrounds the city right at this moment.¡± Ragellon¡¯s hands drew the outline of the city in the air. ¡°We are generally safe inside the city. Once we step out, we will encounter demonic creatures. The barrier also serves to hide the city so, except for demonic creatures, all other creatures and beings would only see a mountain.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°I thought this was supposed to be a safe location?¡± ¡°How will you get stronger without demonic creatures to fight?¡± ¡°You have a point.¡± Dreu stopped asking questions as he had plenty to digest. The demonic child then led the way to the city. Dreu followed and wondered about this interesting place. He briefly glanced at his companions thinking about the growth they could experience. Distracted by his thoughts, the young man tripped over something. ¡°That thing on the ground is a lesser demonic crystal.¡± Dreu looked between Ragellon and the unremarkable rock in the dirt. He picked it up but he couldn¡¯t differentiate it from a random rock. He raised it up towards the single light source in the ceiling. It wasn¡¯t a moon or star he was familiar with. From where he knelt, the light source seemed to be a large crystal in the ceiling. When he held the rock between him and the light, nothing happened. Ready, Zog? Before he finished his question, Zog already flew near his hand and gently tapped the lesser demonic crystal. Upon making contact, light shone brightly from the crystal blinding Dreu. The young man used his other arm to shield himself from the light. After several seconds, the light vanished as quickly as it appeared. Zog, in his new form, rested on Dreu¡¯s hand that held the crystal a moment ago. The crystal vanished without a trace but Dreu was captivated by Zog''s appearance. During mid-evolution, Zog was merely a demon worm with wings sprouting out from his back. With his evolution complete, the former demon worm became a majestic butterfly. The new two antennas on Zog¡¯s head moved independently through the air. Dreu¡¯s attention was quickly drawn to the new compound eyes which had a slight sparkle. The stubby legs that carried the demon worm were replaced by thin legs that seemed far too fragile. Dreu¡¯s eyes then turned to the wings. During mid-evolution, the wings had a black outline and dark green interior. Now, the black outline remained but black swirling lines populated the wing interior, turning the wings into dark green whirlpools. < Demon Worm (Zog) has evolved into Demon Butterfly (Zog). > Dreu quickly checked the info on Zog¡¯s new evolution. < Lv 1 Demon Butterfly (Zog): Description: This butterfly-like creature is the evolved form of demon worms. Through evolution, the demon butterfly gains wings for more maneuverability, compound eyes for better capacity to detect moving targets and two spells to add to its arsenal. While combat experience as a demon worm doesn¡¯t translate well directly to a demon butterfly, the experience can still come in handy, though a demon butterfly will need time to adjust to its new body and abilities. Demon butterflies are far better suited for combat than their pre-evolution form. Recommendations: -Stay in the air against ground targets -Avoid close combat encounters Evolution: -??? Skill: -Chaos Flames (Lvl 1): Active. Shoots chaos flame projectiles at enemies. Unlimited uses but the ability has a low cost of mana per use. -Barrier (Lvl 1): Active. Grants the user or ally a barrier to reduce damage taken from physical attacks. Limited to 10 uses per day. Status: +15% attack and defense from veterency. +20% movement from wings.> Volume 2 Chapter 12 Dhaga and Soce appeared before the council in the Great Naga Hall. The hall walls shared the same color as the seawater, giving the impression one was still traversing through the sea. There were sections of the wall where windows were inserted that allowed those inside to see out into the ocean. The walls were very plain as the council had never deemed it necessary to add decorations. They preferred a simpler approach and, after the numerous times Dhaga entered the hall, the young naga agreed with their assessment. They had no need to show off affluence as many other races were prone to do. Given how the Kraken''s followers were also making their move, the nagas had to be smarter with how they spent their resources. ¡°What business do you have with the council?¡± A loud voice echoed in the hall. Dhaga and Soce both bowed down in a way that was customary for nagas. ¡°I, Dhaga, wish to seek the wisdom of the council. I made a discovery that might have shed light on the fate of my sister, Seiluxr.¡± At the mention of his sister, the hall grew deadly silent. Seiluxr was a powerful sorceress who earned the respect of many. Her disappearance caused widespread panic throughout the republic, especially with the recent news of the Kraken followers growing bolder by the day. When Dhaga thought the silence would drag on, one of the council members spoke up. ¡°The fact that she isn¡¯t with you must mean she has met her demise.¡± ¡°Yes, council. I spoke with an unknown being who confirmed the matter. Because I cannot confirm if this being was telling the truth, I have come here to seek out your wisdom.¡± The council allowed Dhaga to present what he needed help with and the young naga first shared his encounter with the being in the cave. He then presented the four orbs. Before he could proceed further with his presentation, the council demanded silence and discussed quietly between themselves. Dhaga turned to Soce whose smile helped reassure him while he waited for the council to finish their discussion. Do they know something about these orbs? Dhaga became more curious about the significance of the orbs given the reaction of the council. After what felt like an eternity for the young naga, Dhaga was told to approach the council. Such a request was unheard of so Dhaga hesitated. ¡°Do we need to repeat ourselves? Come closer, Dhaga!¡± After seeing Soce¡¯s nod, Dhaga approached the council cautiously. Since he was old enough to understand language, he was told to never approach the council within the Great Naga Hall. Such an action would be seen as hostile action towards the most powerful nagas in the republic. While he was given the order, the warning had stuck with him and old habits were difficult to overcome. The council members, known as elders to some, were all hidden behind a veil of water which not only served to hide their identities by hiding their silhouettes and distorting their voices but could also offer limited protection against those wishing the council harm. Dhaga was about to perform an action that would normally be punishable by execution on the spot. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Please present the orbs again,¡± asked one of the council members as soon as Dhaga was a few meters from them. Dhaga obeyed and, upon doing so, he heard sighs from behind the veil. He waited until another council member spoke up. ¡°Young Dhaga, do you have any idea what those orbs are or who the mysterious being might be?¡± ¡°I¡­believe the being is the great Leviathan. It seems to be far too unlikely to encounter any other powerful being while I was inside the cavern. I was told these orbs can help the nagas against their enemies.¡± Dhaga could only pray he was correct. Nagas weren¡¯t supposed to speak of the Leviathan so casually. Following the Leviathan¡¯s disappearance, many nagas questioned the cause of the disappearance but any disrespect towards the guardian would still be punished severely. If he was wrong, the mention of the guardian¡¯s name would be sufficient reason for his execution. ¡°Those four orbs you have there are called the Serpent Orbs. They possess powerful magic granted by the Leviathan. During the last catastrophe, five orbs were handed out to promising nagas and those five individuals saved our republic. It seems like the orbs are needed once more.¡± Another council member spoke up. ¡°Where is the Leviathan now? What happened to the fifth orb?¡± Dhaga waited to collect his thoughts. ¡°I do not know the location of the Leviathan but I was under the impression he was stranded and unable to return. The Guardian merely left me the orbs and we didn¡¯t speak afterwards. As for the fifth one, I absorbed it into myself. I don¡¯t know how to make it appear again.¡± The council members discussed further among themselves. They then ordered Dhaga to keep the orbs a secret until they summoned him again. The council made Soce swear to keep the secret too. Once the two of them swore to secrecy, they were dismissed from the Great Naga Hall. The two nagas made their way out to the sea where there were flurries of activity among the naga soldiers. The recent movement of the Kraken forces had the naga military on high alert. All naga soldiers and spellcasters, whether active or in reserve, were preparing for war. It was no longer an odd sight to see numerous nagas deployed to investigate suspicious activities on the border. Dhaga and his podmates were among those who could find themselves deployed with little notice whenever they were active. ¡°What now?¡± Soce asked Dhaga. ¡°We keep our secret and go on with our lives.¡± Dhaga turned towards one of the naga patrols. ¡°We can speak to my father about what¡¯s happening. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I get deployed to the front lines soon.¡± ¡°If you are going, then I¡¯m going with you!¡± Dhaga knew the stubbornness of Soce so he merely nodded. The two of them swam towards his father when the magic sirens sounded. Dhaga knew the sirens only rang for one reason. The naga capital was under attack. Volume 2 Chapter 13 Two things on the prompt caught Dreu¡¯s attention. First, Zog was level one again. Evolution changed the form of the demon worm and Zog had to begin at the bottom again. However, this level one form was already much more powerful than the level 7 demon worm during mid-evolution. While he had no numbers to back up his assumption, the young man felt confident both Chaos Flames and Barrier were superior to the lesser versions used by Zog before. I cannot wait to see Zog in combat. The second thing was evolution. There were question marks associated with it as though Zog could further evolve with the method being unknown. If this was indeed the case, he could only imagine how much stronger his companion could get. So far, only demon worms showed any indication of evolution. The prompt didn¡¯t mention evolution with Ilveroz at all. His attention then turned to Aggich who looked up at him curiously. Did I forget to check on Aggich¡¯s information this whole time? I''m an idiot sometimes. < Lv 3 Cursed Fox Cub (Aggich): Description: This fox may look innocent in appearance but it is capable of casting curses to debilitate weak enemies. Cursed foxes are actually very rare in the Demon Realm due to most of their powers unlocking once they reach juvenile and adulthood. Due to this limitation, very few foxes survive long enough to reach juvenile. Prior to the juvenile stage, cursed foxes possess a limited set of weak curses so their contributions to combat are limited. Since most cursed foxes perish before reaching adulthood, there have been no recorded cases of what potential these creatures possess. Recommendations: -Fight with allies due to the draining impact of spells -Avoid close combat encounters -Reach juvenile to unlock more powers Skill: -Slow Curse (Lvl 1): Active. Cast to slow a weak enemy. Can be casted on multiple enemies. Drains stamina of the caster and stamina cost scales with the number of victims. Curse ends when the caster stops the spell or collapses from exhaustion. -Curse Amplify (Lvl 1): Passive. When curse spells are casted, the spells are 1 Lvl stronger than the one known by the caster. -Demon Curse (Lvl 1): Active. Increases the effect of the target demon¡¯s fear aura by 10%. Can stack with other multipliers. Unlimited uses but the ability has a medium cost of mana per use. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Status: None.> Seeing the skills of Aggich, Dreu could see how the cursed fox was such a big contributor to the last couple of battles. Her Curse Amplify looked terrifying as a free level on any spells was a massive upgrade. The description of the Slow Curse clearly specified weak enemies so the level 2 version must be strong enough to affect medium enemies. While the first two abilities had an immediate impact on their combat capabilities, the third ability made Dreu stop and ponder. He thought back to his journey from the Xante to Gujash. The Eglallin look alike offered to teach him two of Eglallin¡¯s spells and, after much thought, he picked the one Bayard described to him along with the other one that was compatible for him. As if sensing his thoughts, the prompt window opened. < Emperor Class: Description: The Emperor Class is a unique character class. The user is given the ability to summon loyal soldiers to fight for him. The quality and quantity of the soldiers depend on two major factors: the user¡¯s level and unit class upgrades. As the emperor becomes stronger, more types of soldiers will be available to him and further specialization of soldiers are made possible. Unit class upgrades can be used to further improve the quality of the soldiers. Legends claim that a wise and strong emperor is unbeatable on the battlefield. Unlocked Ability: -Summon Demonic Creature (Lvl 1) -Fear Amplify (Lvl 1) -Curse Protection (Lvl 1) > Dreu selected the second ability for more information. < Fear Amplify (Lvl 1): Description: This ability is an active ability that increases the fear effect of selected summoned units. Each level of the ability increases the multiplier applied to the fear effect. There are no limits to how many units this ability is applied to and there is no cost to using this ability. Can stack with other multipliers. > At first glance, the ability seemed underwhelming. For summoned units available to humans, fear effect was rare. Without the right units, the ability would be useless. Yet, Dreu was in the Demon Realm which was teeming with creatures who possessed natural fear effects. If he could get some of those creatures to join his rank, he would bring terror to any battlefield. Zog, Ilveroz and Aggich lacked the terror factor so Dreu didn¡¯t bother trying his Fear Amplify on any of them. Currently, they were helpful in their own ways and didn¡¯t need any assistance from him. He then checked the other ability he learned. < Curse Protection (Lvl 1): Description: This ability is a passive ability that provides full immunity to low level curses and lessens the effect and duration of mid level curses > ¡°Are you coming or not?¡± shouted Ragellon. I thought I had more time. Oh well, we better get going. I¡¯m sure I can check everything once we¡¯re be safe inside that city. Dreu led his companions towards the demonic child. The young men learned that there were actually multiple barriers surrounding the city as opposed to the one big barrier he was initially told. The barrier surrounding the city walls was the one Ragellon referred to and it was the strongest one while the other barriers were created slightly differently. The purpose of other barriers was to filter the demonic creatures based on their threat level. The weakest demonic creatures could reach the city walls and no further while the strongest demonic creatures were kept some distance from the city. If one trained, one would proceed past a certain barrier to push one¡¯s limits without being attacked by a demonic creature way above their weight class. Dreu would later be shown the markers that indicate where the barriers were. ¡°We¡¯ll train here before we call it a day,¡± announced Ragellon as soon as the group reached the city gates. Volume 2 Chapter 14 While the demonic children were practicing their chaos flames against magic dummies, Dreu gathered the seven demon worms before him. As he got ready to look through the prompt window of these seven newest additions, Zog landed on his shoulder. Can I practice with those kids? Dreu still had a hard time adjusting to Zog¡¯s voice. He wasn¡¯t sure what voice suited Zog but the high pitched voice, similar to those used by people towards infants, seemed very out of place. Regardless, he was content that they could communicate with each other now. Go ahead! Try to be careful around them! Your flames may harm them if you accidentally hit them. Once given permission, Zog happily flew over to the children. Ragellon summoned another magic dummy and Zog attacked it with lots of ferocity. Even from where he stood, Dreu could tell the magic dummies had to be replaced every few minutes. Dreu considered joining them but he learned the dummies weren''t ideal for close combat. Meanwhile, Ilveroz and Aggich were chasing some poor demonic creature down. Between Aggich¡¯s slow and Ilveroz¡¯s speed, none of the small weak creature stood a chance. Lacking experience with training creatures, let alone demonic creatures, Dreu left them to play on their own as he was told play was a form of training for animals and suspected demonic creatures were no different. Once caught, the duo showed mercy by letting their tag prey go. Remembering what he was planning to do, the young man returned his attention to the demon worms. < Lv 5 Demon Worm (Keth): Status: +5% attack and defense from veterancy. -25% hit points from old injury.> Dreu held up Keth to find the old injury mentioned in the prompt window. There was a gash mark along the demon worm¡¯s back, one that was almost as long as the demon worm himself. Like the demon worm Zog, Keth couldn¡¯t communicate with him so Dreu had no way of knowing what caused the injury. The young man could only assume that Keth was lucky to have survived the encounter, especially when he recalled what happened to the spiders. Despite surviving, the hit points debuff was massive and the young man had to wonder if the debuff would carry over to Keth''s evolution. Given that the demon worm could move and fight just fine for now, he placed Keth down and moved to the next one. < Lv 4 Demon Worm (Xig): Status: If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. +5% attack from combat experience. +5% movement from speedy legs.> Xig was the speediest of the bunch and was always the first demon worm to reach the enemy. Despite not fighting any better than its other counterparts, Xig exhibited that it could use its legs to dodge enemy attacks better than its friends. One had to wonder if the movement buff wouldn''t transfer over to the demon butterfly due to it specifically referring to legs. If Zog was any indication, then the movement buff might be wasted since demon butterflies legs didn''t do much. Dreu was about to check on another demon worm when the shouting of the demonic children got his attention. He looked up to see them pointing and screaming. He followed their stares and stopped upon seeing a Fel Spider running towards them. Then, the spider unexpectedly halted in its movement as though it hit a wall. Behind it, there was a group of demonic versions of monkeys. If they weren''t dark gray with demon like eyes, Dreu would totally mistaken them for the primates known to live in some parts of the human kingdom. After what he experienced with spiders, he felt that staying out of this conflict would be the best course of action. In a cruel environment like the Demon Realm, the spider was merely another creature that was too weak to protect itself. We got to help her! Dreu turned his head in surprise. He didn¡¯t even notice Zog landing on his shoulder but the demon butterfly was right there. It¡¯s a Fel Spider. They¡¯re dangerous, remember? This is different! Last time, the spiders attacked us. This time, this one spider is all alone and wounded. At the mention of wounds, Dreu looked but the spider was simply too far away. Zog then clarified that he sensed the demonic aura weakening which was generally how demons sensed a wounded foe. Such was also the method of many demonic creatures when it came to hunting their prey. Seeing determination in the demonic butterfly, Dreu gave Zog permission. As an underdog literally his entire life, Zog must have known how the spider felt being helpless. The demon butterfly flew towards the Fel Spider which had yet to recover from its collision with the barrier. The demonic monkeys, as Dreu would call them, surrounded the spider. They lacked weapons in their hands but their arms, at least twice as thick as those on normal monkeys, looked strong enough to harm or kill anything they punched. Their facial expressions indicated that the spider was about to learn what they had in store for it. Are these monkeys tougher than any demonic creature we encountered so far? We should probably back Zog up if he gets in trouble. Zog unleashed a barrage of green fireballs towards the monkeys as soon as he was close enough. The monkeys, too preoccupied with the wounded prey, looked up too late. Each monkey was hit by a fireball and they all screamed in pain. The screams of pain soon became screams of rage. The monkeys banged on the barrier as they wanted a piece of the one responsible for their pain. The demon butterfly did a small dance, as if taunting them. Zog, having gotten the attention of the monkeys, led them away from the spider. To make sure they pursued him, he unleashed more fireballs which the monkeys dodged easily. Damn, they are already learning how to beat Zog. Ilveroz and Aggich, let''s go give Zog a hand! A few barrages later, Ilveroz and Aggich arrived onto the scene. With a bark, Aggich slowed the monkeys down allowing Zog to land another direct hit on all the monkeys. Yet, none of the monkeys even had any burn marks on them. Volume 2 Chapter 15 With the sirens sounding, Dhaga immediately headed to the nearest armory to grab himself a long spear before he joined his father¡¯s patrol. There were countless others who also hastily grabbed their preferred weapons for the upcoming battle. Since the Leviathan¡¯s disappearance, the council had ordered regular drills to prepare for combat. Mandatory attendance was expected for nagas, young and old. When it came down to the survival of the race, every single naga was expected to play their part. Now that the dreaded day finally arrived, the drills had clearly paid off as the nagas retrieved their weapons in an orderly fashion and went into formation, ready to defend the capital at all costs. Soce, being a sorceress, had already taken up a position behind the other nagas, ready to assist however she could. Other naga spellcasters also joined the ranks, greatly bolstering the offensive capabilities of the defenders. As much as he wanted to say something to Soce, Dhaga had to restrain himself. He couldn¡¯t allow his emotions to get in the way of the upcoming battle. I know we¡¯ll both survive this and have plenty of time to talk later. The young naga swam up to his father, a large naga with plenty of scars to prove his multiple close encounters with death. ¡°Father, how many foes do we face today?¡± ¡°Enough to level the capital,¡± replied the old naga. ¡°The Kraken isn¡¯t holding back anymore. Its followers are throwing everything they got.¡± Upon hearing the response, Dhaga turned to face the enemy. Wait, that isn¡¯t the water? The young naga realized that he had mistaken the enemy forces for a dark shade of ocean water. Now that he understood the scale of the enemy forces, he gripped his spear tightly, wishing he did say something to his partner. He glanced around, noticing a tense and nervous energy from those around him. It was one thing to face patrols of Kraken¡¯s followers but it was something else entirely to face an invading force that could rival or even surpass what they could muster. As the young naga steadied his breathing, he felt something waking up within him. What? What¡¯s happening? It¡¯s nice to meet you, Dhaga! My name is Cridror. I will be fighting alongside you from now on! How will you fight alongside me? You¡¯re just a voice in my head. Summon me then! Dhaga was going to ask how he could do so but, almost as if it was second nature, he felt the presence move to his hand before he unleashed it into the ocean. The dark and white creature he saw in his vision appeared before his eyes. Yet, the vision failed to prepare him for the size of the creature. Nearly double the length of great white sharks, the creature was both majestic and terrifying with how easily it moved through the water. There was a playful nature to the creature but even Dhaga could sense a ferocity that few sea creatures could match. Many of the nearby nagas, including Dhaga¡¯s father, readied themselves for an attack from the creature. Amidst the tense standoff, the young naga swam towards the creature with his weapon behind him. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Cridror! What are you? I¡¯ve never seen your kind before. We are known as Orcas. Our kind sadly no longer swim in these parts of the water anymore. At least, I don¡¯t sense my kind nearby. Will you assist us in the fight against Kraken and his followers? I thought you¡¯d never ask! Suddenly, Cridror swam off towards the Kraken forces. Dhaga only needed a minute to see what the orca was after. The Kraken followers had sent some sharks forward as scouts as they commonly did with the patrols they sent out. These sharks, upon seeing the orca, got into a V formation and went straight at Cridror. Yet, the orca picked up speed when the gap between them was only a few meters long. ¡°That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s Aqua Charge!¡± exclaimed one of the sorceresses. Dhaga had heard of the ability before but this was the first time he had seen it in action. From what he heard from Soce, the ability formed a veil of water that protected the user while the user charged foes at full speed. The charging speed and impact depended entirely on the bulk of the user, making the ability practically worthless for the sorceresses who weren¡¯t built for the frontlines. In a cruel irony, the ability was only known to show up in sorceresses, resulting in the ability never seeing a chance to shine. Yet, it¡¯s the perfect ability for Cridror! The sharks, caught off guard by the ability, were too slow to dodge the first charge. As the orca readied itself for a second charge, a few of the sharks were no longer moving while the remaining ones moved very sluggishly. Cridror targeted the area where most of the sharks were concentrated and, after that charge, only a handful was left. The survivors, having realized how outmatched they were, tried to flee. Yet, they were hunted down and killed by the orca before they got very far. As soon as all the sharks were disposed of, the nagas around Dhaga cheered loudly. Their cheer was contagious as the other nagas soon joined in. The celebration was short-lived as soon as the more observant nagas noticed the Kraken''s main forces advancing. Their shouts helped restore order in the nagas as the defenders readied themselves for the battle ahead. Cridror, please don¡¯t take on them all by yourself. Understood! I¡¯ll be heading back now! Dhaga hadn¡¯t expected his ability to communicate with the orca over such long distances but he wasn¡¯t complaining. In his mind, he was already thinking about the new opportunities that would open up if he could take advantage of their long distance communication. Before he came up with any brilliant ideas, Cridror stopped by his side, surprising him with its speed. Any plans on how to stop this invasion? Keep your eyes peeled for anyone picked by the orbs. We need the other four orbs to find their owners if we hope to stand a chance. This battle may very well decided the fate of the nagas. Volume 2 Chapter 16 I think they got angrier from that attack. They must have a weakness, right? Hoping to get an answer to his question, Dreu ran over to Ragellon who was watching from a safe distance. ¡°What are those and what are their weaknesses?" ¡°They¡¯re lesser demon primates and they don¡¯t have weaknesses. They also have high resistance against chaos flames.¡± ¡°No weaknesses? And high resistance?¡± Dreu watched as Zog landed repeated hits with no success in bringing the primates down. ¡°How do we defeat them?¡± ¡°Unless you outright defeat them with either brute strength or spells, I don¡¯t think the primates can be beaten.¡± Dreu drew his blade and signaled the demon worms to follow him. Seeing this as his first real challenge, the young man wasn¡¯t about to give up. He joined up with Ilveroz and Aggich who wisely stayed behind the barrier that kept the primates at bay. They looked up to Dreu who pointed at the primates. Let¡¯s focus on them one at a time. Ilveroz growled softly at the mention of battle. The eight lesser demon primates all screamed at Zog who had ceased his attacks by now. Even the demon butterfly realized his attacks had little effect. After telling Aggich to release her curse, Dreu walked until he was close enough to communicate with Zog. Distract them by flying away from us. We¡¯ll pick these demonic creatures off one by one. If we do it enough times, we should defeat all of them. Understanding the plan, Zog took flight at a pace that the primates could keep up. As the primates chased, Dreu gave his order. Now, Aggich. Target the slowest of the group. Aggich casted her slow curse on the slowest primate. While the other primates went off after Zog, the last one slowed down to barely a crawl. Several seconds later, the primate was all alone and Dreu brought his blade down resulting in a nasty gash on the creature¡¯s side. The demon worms did their nibbling while Ilveroz added a few more nasty wounds with his claws. Following a few more minutes of relentless attack, the primate collapsed onto the ground covered with its blood after futilely fending off the attacks. All that effort to kill just one of these things¡­and it was cursed too. Seven more to go... ¡°Allow me,¡± said Ragellon as she walked over to the lesser demon primate¡¯s corpse. The demonic child then chanted a spell. Seconds later, the primate¡¯s body glowed brightly before a small sized crystal exited it. The crystal landed in Ragellon¡¯s hand and she handed it over to Dreu. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°That¡¯s a lesser soul stone. Unlike the demonic stone you sought out earlier, this is actually valuable. Collect them until we find way to tap into their powers.¡± ¡°What does this crystal do?¡± asked Dreu as he held it up, unimpressed by the dull appearance of the crystal. ¡°Crafting and spell enhancements are the two main uses. I wish Tragthan is here because he can do a better job explaining all of this.¡± At the mention of Tragthan, Dreu realized that he missed the old demon. He learned plenty during their brief time together and would have loved to learn even more, especially regarding his powers. He wasn¡¯t even sure if the old demon was still alive but a part of him still held onto hope. ¡°Will he and the other demons join us here?¡± he asked, hoping for a yes. ¡°They won¡¯t risk leading the humans to us.¡± Ragellon shook her head. ¡°All we can do is get stronger and hope we can see them when we leave.¡± Dreu turned and was startled by the three creatures that were flying quietly behind him. His surprise turned to puzzlement when the prompt revealed them as Keth, Xig and a demon worm he didn¡¯t know the name of. < Lv 7 Demon Worm (Keth) [Mid-Evolution]: Skill: -Lesser Charge (Lvl 1): Active. User rushes towards a target to inflict damage and possibly stagger the target. Drains the stamina of the user per use. -Lesser Harden (Lvl 1): Active. Grants the user +50% defense for 1 hour. Limited to 8 uses per day. Status: +10% attack and defense from veterency. +10% movement from wings.> Keth¡¯s wings were different from Zog¡¯s wings. Dreu could see two sets of wings, though only the rear ones were actually flapping. Like Zog, Keth had to adjust to his new wings, being rather unsteady at first with flight. When the young man looked at the status again, he was delighted to see the injury didn¡¯t carry over. To be sure and to the puzzlement of the demon worm, he held Keth in his hands and turned it around to see no sign of the nasty gash. Dreu then looked at Xig and that demon worm had two pairs of wings, one pair directly above the other. < Lv 7 Demon Worm (Xig) [Mid-Evolution]: Skill: -Lesser Venomous Sting (Lvl 1): Passive. Whenever the user hits a target with the stinger, venom is injected causing paralysis or even death. Venom may be exhausted and require a full day to replenish. -Lesser Rage (Lvl 1): Passive. If anything or anyone deemed precious by the user is attacked, skill triggers and the user becomes very aggressive. +25% attack but the user will disobey all orders. Status: +10% attack and defense from veterency. +15% movement from wings.> Xig got the hang of his new wings very quickly, much like how he mastered his legs and could move faster than the other demon worms. Before long, the demon worm was zooming through the air, reminding Dreu of the exhilaration he felt when a griffin carried him. Xig¡¯s second ability did worry Dreu though. The young man couldn¡¯t imagine a situation where letting the demon worm go berserk would be a good idea. The idea of higher levels of the ability terrified him. Berserkers did exist in the human kingdom and the only similarity they shared was their short lifespan. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for berserkers to lead the charge to ensure lower casualties for the rest of the forces. In many ways, berserkers tended to last one battle before they were dead or too injured to participate in a second battle. What am I going to do with you, Xig? Volume 2 Chapter 17 The non-butterfly wings then caught his attention. He reread the description and narrowed in on the evolution tree, indicating their evolution path wasn¡¯t linear and instead had multiple branches. So far, Zog, Keth and Xig all went down different branches but he needed to confirm by completing their evolution. If they do have different branches, I wonder how many branches there are. Since they also have further evolution, maybe they have additional branches¡­. Dreu turned to the newest member with wings. < Lv 7 Demon Worm (Dar) [Mid-Evolution]: Skill: -Lesser Healing Wave (Lvl 1): Active. When casted, five allies with the lowest % health are healed 1% of their max health. Limited to 5 uses per day and allies must be within 5 meters of the caster. -Lesser Heal Aura (Lvl 1): Passive. Allies within 5 meters gain +1% health regeneration buff when below 25% health. Status: +10% attack and defense from veterency. +10% movement from wings.> Like Zog, Dar had what appeared to be butterfly wings. The pattern was navy blue with two concentric circles in the middle. Dreu thought about finding demonic crystals to complete the evolution of these three because Zog already showed massive growth in his abilities and Dreu was eager to see what the three newly evolved additions could do. Yet, he didn¡¯t know where to look while they were still in combat, even if the enemies were pursuing Zog at the moment. I hope Zog is wisely staying within the barrier. Those primates look too strong for him to handle, especially with their resistances. Dar then unexpectedly flew away from him. He watched as the mid-evolution demon worm made her way to the wounded fel spider. Earlier, it stood tall when faced against all of those lesser demon primates. With the danger gone for now, it collapsed from its injuries and likely exhaustion. Dar simply danced in the air around the spider. After a minute or so, a yellow light shone from its wings on the spider. The light first made contact at a point before it spread all around the demonic creature. Eventually, the light engulfed the spider with its wounds visibly closing. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen demons or demonic creatures with healing abilities.¡± Dreu turned to Ragellon who was mesmerized by Dar¡¯s ability. He was told by the demonic girl that humans had healing spells while demons had curse spells. Many regarded healing spells as worthless to demons due to their higher self-regeneration compared to other races. Demonic creatures like the fel spiders lacked self-regeneration as seen in their fight with a group of them while Dar was the exception to the rule of no healing abilities. Dreu was thankful for the unique abilities because he could see the healing coming in useful during tough battles, especially when self-regeneration was too slow or, in his case, his summons lacked any self-regeneration. Anything that could sustain his side longer in battles would be helpful. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. It¡¯s a shame none of them can self-regenerate. That would be very helpful in battles of attritions. Or when facing creatures like the primates. Maybe I did get the weakest demonic creatures that exist, even with their evolution. I hope the next evolution will make them more powerful, possibly enough for Zog to take on one of those primates. As if on cue, Zog made a complete lap along the barrier and was heading towards the group with the primates in tow. Dar, get into the safety of the barrier! Dreu jumped when Dar and the spider both leaped into the barrier. The spider, while limping, was moving without any assistance. < Congratulations! Ten fel spiders have joined your roster. > Ten? I only see one. And how did the fel spider get through the barrier? The angry screams of the primates got Dreu¡¯s attention. Recognizing the bigger issue at hand, he studied his surroundings when Ragellon placed a few crystals into his palm. ¡°We got you eight lesser demonic crystals for the demon worms. You can use these three for now.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± replied Dreu as he brought the crystals in contact with Keth, Xig and Dar. Like Zog, light shone brightly from the three as they evolved. The first to complete the evolution was Keth and Dreu immediately checked the prompt. < Lv 1 Demon Beetle (Keth): Description: This beetle-like creature is an evolved form of demon worms. Through evolution, the demon beetle gains wings for more maneuverability, a horn as a weapon, harder carapace and two spells to add to its arsenal. While combat experience as a demon worm doesn¡¯t translate well directly to a demon beetle, the experience can still come in handy, though a demon beetle will need time to adjust to its new body and abilities. Once adjusted, a demon beetle is a fierce close combat specialist. Recommendations: -Stay close and personal with the enemy -Use the horn to inflict damage Evolution: -??? Skill: -Charge (Lvl 1): Active. User rushes towards a target to inflict damage and possibly stagger the target. Drains the stamina of the user per use. -Harden (Lvl 1): Active. Grants the user +50% defense for 1.5 hours. Limited to 10 uses per day. Status: +15% attack and defense from veterency. +15% movement from wings. +5% hitpoints from bulkiness.> Keth quadrupled in size after the evolution. The upward curving horn from its head ended in a pitchfork shape. What Keth lacked in agility was replaced with strength. If Keth was given a role as an adventurer, he would be seen as a frontliner. The demon beetle was initially unsteady in the air but, after a few laps around Dreu, Keth could navigate in the air just fine. Then, he flew up high before diving down towards the less demonic primates. Is that his charge ability? Due to the primates still fixating on Zog, they failed to see the beetle coming from above until they couldn¡¯t avoid the impact. The collision not only felt painful to watch but it also sent the leading primate flying into the other primates. While the primates got themselves untangled, Keth was already in the air once more. Is he preparing another charge? How is Keth that much stronger than Zog in offensive power? Volume 2 Chapter 18 Dhaga wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about fighting with Kraken''s main forces which were very diverse. In addition to the sharks that served as the vanguards, there were races like nagas and merfolks. The Kraken was apparently nondiscriminatory when it came to who served it as long as they accepted its blood. Kraken blood was said to grant incredible powers to those who ingest it at the cost of them becoming permanent followers of the monster. Currently, those who had ingested the blood only had one goal in mind, to destroy the nagas and their capital. How do I find out who is picked by the orbs? The young naga wanted to know what he was looking for but Cridror wasn¡¯t very helpful with its response claiming that Dhaga would know when the time came. Still, he couldn¡¯t deny that having the orca around made him like their odds against the invaders a bit more. They needed all the help they could get when the Kraken followers had gathered for possibly the largest attack on the naga capital. If only we have more orcas like in my vision¡­.Cridror, how do I summon more of you? More of me? In my vision, I saw a group of orcas. Maybe that isn¡¯t normal? Oh, a pod of orcas? You¡¯re not strong enough to do that yet. That¡¯s why I suggested you find the owners of the orbs. I¡¯m weak! I get it! With a sigh, Dhaga returned his attention to the foes that were closing in. Now that they were even closer, he could see the other creatures like stingrays, sea serpents and those he had never seen before. Large groups of water elementals also worried him because they were exceptionally dangerous underwater. Then, he saw light forming in the palms of the merfolks. ¡°Incoming offensive spells! Use barriers at once!¡± The water before Dhaga suddenly became opaque before spiderweb patterns formed. The young naga knew that, without the barrier, he would be dead already. Good thing they are so good at their crafts. We¡¯d be de- The barrier shattered moments later, proving that the enemy spellcasters didn¡¯t plan on holding back. Faced with an enemy that excelled at long distance combat, the nagas had to engage the enemy in close range. With his father leading the way, Dhaga followed and Cridror swam close beside him. The large size of the orca forced the other nagas to give it a wide berth, though it had earned the trust and respect of the nagas through its earlier performance. They had to get through the enemy frontline if they hoped to reach the merfolk spellcasters. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Closing in on their spellcasters won¡¯t be easy. We will suffer heavy losses doing it. Cridror¡­Cridror? Dhaga searched frantically until he saw the orca swim towards their back line. No naga dared to stand in its way so they all parted to let it through. Damn! What is it doing? The young naga quickly gave chase, apologizing whenever other nagas had to make way for him. The orca stopped around a group of sorceresses, distracting them with its big presence. Dhaga pondered on what his companion was doing when he felt a surge of power nearby. The red orb glowed brighter as he approached the group. The one with magical powers¡­.I see! Dhaga swam up to the group and asked them politely to touch the orb. The sorceresses all obliged but only one of them made contact with it. Upon making contact, the orb was absorbed into the sorceresses who froze in place. Is she having a vision too? Maybe the visions aren''t so unique for those picked by the orbs after all. The other sorceresses panicked over the scene but the one picked by the orb eventually reassured them that she was fine. She then swam over to Dhaga. ¡°Who are you?¡± asked the sorceress. ¡°And are you looking for a partner?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Dhaga and I already have someone,¡± said the young naga hastily before he swam away. With the orb delivered, he joined Cridror in the swim back to the frontline. The two sides had engaged one another in melee range as a brutal battle ensued. What¡¯s wrong with taking up multiple partners? Dhaga was not ready for the question so he stared at the orca to see if it was serious. When he sensed no playful nature from his companion, the young naga explained that nagas mated for life. That had always been their tradition passed down over the centuries. If I dare to show any unfaithfulness, I¡¯m certain Soce will personally kill me. Despite not hearing anything from the orca, Dhaga knew he was being judged. Yet, he didn¡¯t have time to worry about such a matter. Casualties were rising for both sides, lowering the visibility in the water as more blood filled the space. The young naga stopped as he couldn¡¯t see himself differentiating friends from foes in the thick of battle. This battle was entirely different from the engagements he had while he was out on patrol. He turned to ask Cridror what he could do. You are not suited for that type of combat anyways. Let¡¯s head to one of the flanks. Grab on! Dhaga grabbed onto the orca¡¯s dorsal fin only to find himself flying through the water. He never thought it was possible to move so quickly through the water but Cridror was able to achieve it with ease. He never imagined the orca to be holding back this whole time so he had a chance to keep up. Seconds later, they had reached the flanks where there was far more room for them to maneuver. As soon as Dhaga let go of Cridror¡¯s dorsal fin, the orca charged headfirst into the enemy flank, decimating the unsuspected foes. Is that how I should be fighting? Cridror swam away before it performed another charge, crushing the enemy flank. Not only did the enemy suffer heavy losses but the remaining enemy forces couldn¡¯t focus on the nagas before them while a giant orca waited in the wing. To fight like Cridror, I need more speed. I won¡¯t be useful if I cannot get in and out quickly. Volume 2 Chapter 19 The remaining lesser demon primates quickly untangled themselves and fled from the scene. Keth considered pursuing them but Dreu called him back. Two primates, one isolated earlier and the other taking the brunt of Keth¡¯s charge, were dead and the fel spider was safe. Not knowing what else was waiting out there, Dreu didn¡¯t want the demon beetle to head out there, even if Keth was a summoned unit. After the primates departed, tranquility returned to the scene. The demonic children and Zog went back to their training with the magic dummies. Unlike earlier, they tried harder and their energy was contagious. Watching our small wins must¡¯ve lit a fire in their hearts. With the biggest smile he¡¯s had in awhile, Dreu turned his focus over to Xig. With Keth taking the spotlight earlier, he completely missed Xig¡¯s and Dar¡¯s evolutions. < Lv 1 Demon Hornet (Xig): Description: This hornet-like creature is another evolved form of demon worms. Through evolution, the demon hornet gains wings for more maneuverability, a terrifying stinger as a weapon, compound eyes for better capacity to detect moving targets and two spells to add to its arsenal. While combat experience as a demon worm doesn¡¯t translate well directly to a demon hornet, the experience can still come in handy, though a demon hornet will need time to adjust to its new body and abilities. Once adjusted, a demon hornet is a fierce offensive focused specialist. Recommendations: -Stay close and personal with the enemy -Use the stinger to inflict damage -Avoid summoning this unit against foes it cannot handle Evolution: -??? Skill: -Venomous Sting (Lvl 1): Passive. Whenever the user hits a target with the stinger, venom is injected causing paralysis or even death. Venom may be exhausted and require a full day to replenish. -Rage (Lvl 1): Passive. If anything or anyone deemed precious by the user is attacked, skill triggers and user becomes very aggressive. +50% attack but user will disobey all orders. Status: +15% attack and defense from veterency. +20% movement from wings. > Dreu¡¯s body shook slightly at the sight of the giant hornet. He knew this was Xig but his past encounters with normal sized hornets left a bad impression. Hornets were known to be very territorial so, if one ventured too close to their nest, they became extremely aggressive. Given that hornet nests weren¡¯t always obvious, it wasn¡¯t hard for Dreu or any of his playmates to miss the nests until they were pursued by the hornets. After he was stung that one time, Dreu got very ill for several days. Stolen story; please report. I wish seeing Xig didn¡¯t bring back all of those bad memories. I know he isn¡¯t to blame for what happened then but¡­ Xig hesitantly moved closer to the young man but he stopped short of making contact. After taking several deep breaths to calm himself, Dreu reached out with his hands and held Xig close to his chest. The hard exterior felt cool to the touch and naturally the demon hornet lacked the cuteness that Ilveroz and Aggich boasted. Still, Xig was special in his own unique way and, despite the recommendations and skills Xig possessed, Dreu knew the little fella would never intentionally hurt any of them. Thinking back, the young man never recalled any incidents with hornets that ventured far from their nest unless they were attacked. Maybe these guys are just misunderstood. With Xig still in his arms, Dreu turned to Dar. < Lv 1 Demon Butterfly (Dar): Skill: -Healing Wave (Lvl 1): Active. When casted, five allies with the lowest % health are healed 5% of their max health. Limited to 10 uses per day and allies must be within 10 meters of the caster. -Heal Aura (Lvl 1): Passive. Allies within 10 meters gain +3% health regeneration buff when below 35% health. Status: +15% attack and defense from veterency. +25% movement from wings.> Dar was content sitting atop the fel spider like a mother hen watching over her chick. The spider remained very tame and simply stood there. Then, Dreu remembered the notification claiming he gained ten fel spiders. < Lv 3 Fel Spider (Ror): Description: This spider-like creature is very common in the Demon Realm. It possesses venomous projectiles it creates and shoots out of its mouth. The projectiles are effective against lightly armored targets. When faced with a heavily armored opponent, the fel spider is known to flee. Recommendations: -Only fight lightly armored targets -Avoid close combat encounters Skill: -Venomous Projectiles (Lvl 2): Active. The caster needs time to produce a projectile before firing it at a target. Venom may be exhausted and require a full day to replenish. Each projectile drains the user¡¯s stamina. -Fel Flame (Lvl 1): Active. Release a wave of chaos flame in a cone where the user is facing. The cone has a range of 2 meters. Unlimited uses but the ability has a low cost of mana per use. Special Status: -This fel spider is currently carrying nine fel spider eggs (Note: Once a creature or being becomes a summoned unit or creature, reproduction is no longer possible. Existing eggs and offspring will still be given birth as usual.) Status: +25% attack and defense from veterency. > Fel spider eggs? No wonder the notification mentioned ten fel spiders. Hello, Dreu! I am Ror. Dar said good things about you so I joined. Good to have you joining us. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, don¡¯t fel spiders normally travel in groups? I¡¯m an outcast. My group kicked me out so I was traveling alone. Despite Ror not being very upfront with the reason, Dreu didn¡¯t push her. He was content with the eventual nine new additions to his team. He also knew that the fel spider would share her stories eventually. Regardless of the reason, I¡¯m happy to have you here. Dar appears to be very protective of you already. One would mistaken the demon butterfly to be the one carrying offspring. Dreu and Ror looked at Dar but the demon butterfly pretended she didn¡¯t hear a thing. Ror said one more thing before Dreu walked away. By killing two of those lesser demon primates, I fear we may have incurred the wrath of demon primates or even greater demon primates. Volume 2 Chapter 20 Dreu sat with his back against the city walls. Ilveroz and Aggich curled up on his lap sounding asleep. Ror rested a few meters away but she never stopped observing her surroundings. Her behavior caused more anxiety within the young man who was still bothered by the warning of the greater demon primates. He might not know a single thing about them but, given what he had seen with the lesser ones, he could only assume the worst. Meanwhile, his other companions were lounging about except for Zog who was giving his best against the poor magic dummies. As Ragellon walked by after the conclusion of her training session, Dreu called out to her. ¡°What do you know about greater demon primates?¡± he asked her when the demonic child was a meter from him. ¡°How do you know about them?¡± Ragellon looked at Dreu in puzzlement. ¡°Ror told me.¡± Dreu gestured to the spider. ¡°Seems like we attracted the worst kind of trouble with our little combat earlier.¡± ¡°The barriers should hold against them,¡± said Ragellon. ¡°I won¡¯t deny that, with our current group, we¡¯d stand no chance against a greater demon primate. Even one demon primate can be a handful until we get stronger. The demonic creatures we fear are those much further away and greater demon primates will flee if they spot those creatures.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t really think the plan through when I ordered our attack on the primates, did I?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unavoidable since we have no control over what we face. The barriers only filter demonic creatures by their powers and not their kinds. If you didn¡¯t kill two today, we might kill one in the future, not really changing the situation much. I¡¯m not too worried about our safety.¡± ¡°What would a battle between your father and a greater demon primate look like?¡± ¡°It would be over in a matter of seconds.¡± Braglames is really that powerful, huh? To think Rowan is even more powerful. I think I¡¯m starting to understand how low in the food chain I am. Can I really get strong enough to defeat the demi-god? A loud roar shook the ground itself. Dreu looked frantically around but he couldn¡¯t see anything except the vast forest that surrounded the city. Whatever made the roar was some distance away from the city and it sounded more dangerous than anything they had faced so far. ¡°Speak of the primate,¡± said Ragellon. The group of lesser demon primates returned but they brought bigger versions of themselves in tow. The bigger ones were double the size of human adults with a more ferocious look. Unlike the lesser versions, these bigger primates couldn¡¯t get as close due to a barrier keeping them further out. The lesser primates, realizing this, quickly withdrew to rejoin the bigger ones. Faced with a group of six lesser demon primates and six bigger primates, Dreu knew that they wouldn''t stand a chance the moment they left the safety of the barrier. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Those bigger ones look dangerous,¡± remarked Dreu. ¡°And those are only demon primates. Not the greater one we heard earlier.¡± Ragellon¡¯s words sent goosebumps throughout Dreu. ¡°How big are the greater ones then?¡± ¡°We can probably see one from atop the gatehouse or the walls.¡± Atop the gatehouse or walls? Are they taller than the trees? Once the two climbed the stairs to the top of the gatehouse, the greater demon primate, towering over the trees, could be seen near the edge of the forest. The demonic creature was easily the height of the towers of the castle in Xante, making it roughly ten times the height of the demon primates. That¡¯s a massive difference in height¡­ A second roar from the greater demon primate shook the ground once more. The giant pulled up a tree with one hand and tossed it towards the city. Dreu watched in horror as the tree went through the barriers and smashed to pieces from the impact with the wall. The idea that it could uproot and throw trees with such ease convinced him that Ragellon was right about them not standing any chance. Yet, he was still shocked the barriers did nothing. ¡°I thought the barrier could protect us,¡± said Dreu with panic growing within him. ¡°The barrier is meant for demonic creatures, not trees, boulders or anything else that the primate gets its hands on.¡± After cursing, Dreu ran down the stairs and herded the demonic children into the city behind the protection of the walls. The children froze from fear following the tree making impact with the walls but, with a bit of guidance, they made it inside the city. Meanwhile, the greater demon primate seemed content just throwing objects at the city. Trees, rocks and anything big it could get its hands on were tossed at the walls. After repeated bombardments, cracks started showing up where the impact was taking place. When Dreu went to gather his companions, he had to unsummon Xig because the demon hornet pursued some lesser demon primates and wouldn¡¯t listen to him. Simple taunts from those primates were apparently enough to goad Xig into attacking. When he was behind the walls with all of his companions, the walls didn¡¯t make him feel any safer about the constant bombardment. How long can these walls withstand the assault? ¡°Now what?¡± Dreu asked Ragellon. ¡°We wait for the greater demon primate to get bored and move on. As I said earlier, we cannot even hope to wound that thing. Honestly, we''d probably be killed by the the demon primates outside the walls before we reach the edge of the forest.¡± ¡°How long would that take? For the greater demon primate to lost interest?¡± ¡°My father said their tantrums can last a few months at times.¡± ¡°A few months? We¡¯ll be stranded in the city for a few months?¡± ¡°Even if we aren¡¯t stranded, the presence of that primate will scare off other demonic beasts. We won¡¯t get much done regardless. Luckily, we have five years and there is plenty to do in the city itself.¡± "Inside the city itself?" Dreu had thought that, since the city was abandoned, it would have nothing to offer them other than providing them with shelter and food. Volume 2 Chapter 21 Dhaga rested near a tidal well as the last of his minor wounds healed up. He was among the fortunate ones as countless other nagas had far more serious wounds. Given the moon was going through its waxing crescent phase, even minor wounds took time to heal. Those with serious but non-life threatening would eventually heal up once enough time passed. Sadly, those with life-threatening injuries were unlikely to survive long enough to see the next sunrise. Such was the cruel reality of war. If only I could find the naga chosen by the healing orb¡­ We can do that while you train! Dhaga jumped when Cridror appeared out of nowhere. The orca said it would visit the owner of the red orb, stating that it wanted to check on her and answer any burning questions. Only a few minutes passed and the orca had already returned. As soon as he regained his composure, the young naga asked how he could train and search for the owners of the orbs. From our earlier engagement, what did you find yourself missing? Dhaga spent a few minutes thinking over what he learned. The two sides engaged for a few hours before the soldiers returned to their respective camps. He was unsure why the Kraken followers didn¡¯t keep up the pressure but, as Cridror shared, the tide of battle wasn¡¯t always obvious, especially for those in the thick of battle. The generals often had to observe from afar to gauge whether their forces were in an advantageous position. Just as a general observed the battlefield to find ways to win, Dhaga had to observe the frontlines to see how he could better contribute to the battle in his own unique way. I lacked speed and awareness. Speed would have given me a chance to get to key locations faster and assist by striking at the enemy weak spots. Awareness would have allowed me to find those key locations sooner. I don¡¯t excel in fighting enemies in a bogged down situation. I must be a spear that only strikes at enemy weak points. That¡¯s what I learned from observing your charges. I¡¯m impressed you learned so much in so little time. You will swim at your top speed to all the locations with tidal wells. This will not only train your speed but you will also work on your awareness as you move at top speed while searching for anyone picked by any of the orbs. Sounds simple enough, right? With his wounds fully healed, Dhaga immediately committed himself to the training exercise. Despite experiencing fatigue, he was told by the orca that he had to push through with his willpower alone. The seemingly simple training exercises proved more difficult than he first anticipated when he narrowly avoided nagas and structures within a few minutes of starting. It was hard enough for him to focus on where he went while going at full speed. To focus on anything else would distract him too much, resulting in near collisions.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Cridror really knows the best training exercises. I got to make use of the time we have before the Kraken forces attack again. Many naga lookouts were stationed outside the walls to alert the defenders as soon as the Kraken followers made their move. Until they relayed news of an attack, everyone inside the walls could rest and heal. Dhaga, knowing the importance of being an orb bearer, didn¡¯t have the luxury to rest when he had to be strong enough to make a difference on the battlefield like Cridror. The young naga resumed his training, waiting for energy to surge from one of the orbs. A few hours later, he felt that he could navigate everything better, almost as if his instincts were developing as he went. I should ask Cridror about this later. Maybe the orb has something to do with my fast improvements. Despite sensing improvements within himself, the young naga still had no luck finding orb bearers. He had visited half of the tidal wells but there was no sign of the orbs glowing. Dhaga then arrived at a crowded tidal well when a scene stopped him. A juvenile naga reached into the well with both hands and poured the content over a badly wounded naga. She then grasped her hands together while she chanted in a foreign language with her eyes closed. Normally, pouring the contents of a tidal well was no different from being in close proximity of the well so the healing wouldn¡¯t be different. However, the terrible wounds were healing at a rate faster than Dhaga¡¯s minor wound healing earlier. As he questioned if this juvenile naga was the healer he searched for, the pink orb materialized before him. ¡°May I have a bit of your time?¡± Dhaga asked the juvenile naga. ¡°My name is Dhaga. What is yours?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­.I¡¯m Azi. I¡¯m an albino naga.¡± Albino nagas weren¡¯t afflicted with albinism but were instead different from other nagas. The term was associated with something that made the naga stand out, resulting in discrimination from other nagas. To many, albino nagas were closest thing to cursed nagas so it was wise to stay out of their way. How tough it must be to be labeled as an outcast? This poor thing. "I know this comes as a surprise but I want you to touch this orb. It will give you a chance to help more nagas." The young naga could see the hesitation but Azi eventually reached out towards the orb. Upon contact, the juvenile naga had a big smile on her face as she looked around her, as though she was surrounded by spirits. Her hands reached out, as though touching every single spirit. A minute later, she bowed to Dhaga. ¡°Thank you for everything, Dhaga! I can help more nagas now!¡± Despite being mistreated, she is still willing to help others. I think she¡¯s stronger than I¡¯ll ever be. "Do your very best!" replied Dhaga. "If you need help, look for a giant black and white creature. It''s an orca and its name is Cridror." "That would be me!" Both Dhaga and Azi jumped when the orca appeared out of nowhere. Volume 2 Chapter 22 Plenty to do in the city? Dreu had doubts about that claim given that the city was deserted before they arrived. Unless other demons moved in after their survival, he remained skeptical there would be anything that could prove useful to them. Yet, Ragellon was happily leading the way, eager to show him other secrets of the artificial city. They soon arrived outside a big building with demonic words written above the doorway. ¡°This is the Shadow Hall,¡± said the demonic girl. ¡°Care to guess what it¡¯s for?¡± The young man first poked his head inside to find a large, dark room. With the limited illumination from the outside, he could identify a few pillars. Beyond that, he found no clues suggesting the purpose of such a place. He then thought about the name of the place. ¡°Does this have anything to do with Jonoxod¡¯s shadow abilities?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very good guess,¡± exclaimed Ragellon as her puzzlement turned into a big smile. ¡°This place offers you a chance to develop your instincts by putting you up against shadow creatures.¡± The demonic girl went on to explain that, as soon as a torch at the top was lit up by chaos flame, small shadow creatures would come out and play. The training involves hitting them with a physical weapon. While the weapons couldn¡¯t harm the creatures, the creatures would disqualify themselves when they supposedly were hit by the weapon. Given how dark the room was even when illuminated, there would be plenty of shadows for the creatures to hide, thus an excellent place to hone one¡¯s ability in detecting ethereal foes using one¡¯s instincts. The goal would be knocking out all the shadow creatures. To increase the difficulty, the torch illumination could be lessened, giving the creatures more places to hide and evade attacks. ¡°Next to the Shadow Hall, we have the Living Demonic Maze.¡± The group walked over to a brightly lit hall with nothing to show for. Dreu looked to Ragellon who took a step inside. As soon as she entered the hall, some of the ground tiles were elevated to different heights. The demonic girl stepped on one tile and turned around. ¡°The goal here is simple! You must not step onto the floor for as long as you can. For every set duration you stay above the floor, the puzzle gets tougher. The maze is alive so you should expect it to actively try to make you touch the floor. Remember that it does follow certain rules so you can figure out how to win the puzzle. The first couple of puzzles rely solely on your brain but the later puzzles require you to be fit as solving the puzzle with your head won¡¯t suffice. You must have the physical ability to keep up with the puzzle,¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Ragellon touched the floor which reset the entire maze. She walked over to Dreu with a big smile and asked him if he was impressed. The young man nodded his head before the two of them agreed that it was time to eat. As they returned to the street, Dreu glanced at the two buildings, thinking about the training he could achieve from the two places. I want to train as well! Dreu looked at Zog on his shoulder. He shared that the magic dummies are a good starting point for the demon butterfly. He could check with Ragellon later if there were any suitable places for Zog to train. Ideally, he wanted all of his summons to get some training done while they had the luxury. Over their meal, the demonic girl shared the other facilities the city had to offer. Upon hearing the diverse facilities, the young man understood that the demons put a lot of thought into the artificial city. Even without stepping out of the city, there were plenty of training exercises that focused on the foundation as Dreu saw similarities between what Bayard taught him and what the facilities aimed to achieve. ¡°I better get training then,¡± said Dreu as soon as he finished eating. His companions all wanted to join him but the young man knew they would benefit from different facilities. With the demonic children¡¯s help, they broke into smaller groups that would tackle different facilities. The hope was for them to all gain valuable experience and training before they rotated to a different facility. Dreu¡¯s group got the Living Demonic Maze which he was fine with. Ilveroz, Aggich and Ror were part of his group because, mobility-wise, they were the most similar. Let¡¯s get training, everyone! By the time he was in bed, Dreu was sore all over. He hadn¡¯t taken Ragellon¡¯s warning seriously when she stated that later stages required strong physical ability. He lacked the speed and endurance to reach the safe tiles and that happened for several attempts. Eventually, his body was screaming at him to stop and, heeding the pain, he obliged. The repeated attempts were great for training his fitness but he knew he was the weakest link in the group. His three companions had no issues moving around, making him vow that he would work even harder. I now get what you were saying, Bayard. While we were fleeing, I had to conserve my energy to escape the pursuing demons. The experience didn¡¯t help me develop any of my endurance or speed. I still have a long way to go. Dreu was then startled by a soft paw that touched his face. He activated the light orb to see Ilveroz by his side and both Aggich and Ror a few meters away. Dreu, can we go train now? We want to get stronger! Sure! Go train and show me your results tomorrow! The three summons happily left the room, leaving Dreu all alone. The young man felt envy regarding how quickly those three recovered. If I had that level of recovery, I¡¯d be training more as well. Still, Bayard said rest is equally important so I¡¯ll do just that. If they become too strong and I stay weak, then I won''t be able to summon them. I better make sure I don''t fall behind. The young man could still hear the impact of whatever the greater demon primate tossed and the walls. They happened at a regular interval, helping Dreu fall asleep faster. Volume 2 Chapter 23 Dreu quickly finished his meal before he stood up. ¡°Where are you headed?¡± asked Ragellon. ¡°The mountain path.¡± For the last three months, everyone trained tirelessly in the various facilities. Physically, Dreu was confident he was better, especially with the maze pushing his limits with each new puzzle. The young man also made progress with the shadow creatures as he slowly got the hang of sensing and hitting them with his sheath. While he had yet to successfully hit all of them in one go, he was still proud of the progress he made. The other facilities also improved him in other areas, albeit to a much lesser degree. Yet, there was something about being cooped up in facilities that didn¡¯t feel right for him. He knew that, with the greater demon primate still terrorizing the edge of the forest, they couldn¡¯t exactly venture out in that direction. I do hope Ragellon is right about the primate eventually losing interest because we have no way of defeating that monster. When the group first arrived, they climbed down a mountain path to reach the metropolis. According to Ragellon, there were weak demonic creatures on this side of the mountain and they were well suited to scaling the difficult terrain. These creatures might give Dreu a hard time but, against the flying creatures like Zog and Keth, they no longer possessed an advantage. The creatures also had sharp instincts so they were unlikely to stick around and fight Dreu''s group. Feel weird not being the weakest for once. While the mountain was situated along one side of the city, the forest where the greater demon primate was situated on the opposite side. On the third side, the forest and the mountain overlapped, creating an impassable terrain for those who traveled on foot. The last side of the metropolis faced a great swamp that stretched further than Dreu could see. Due to the dangerous creatures that called the swamp their home, any land creature would think twice before venturing in or even near it. The demonic girl emphasized that even boats would do little to protect them against the swamp¡¯s denizens. She also admitted that she didn''t know where the swamp ended and what was on the other side. She only suspected that the metropolis was built with the swamp serving as a natural barrier against dangerous demonic creatures. ¡°Let us come along then,¡± said Ragellon. ¡°I can set up magic dummies at the base of the mountain.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t any of you tired?¡± asked Dreu as he was curious how the demonic children were faring with all the facility training. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Demons have much better stamina than humans, especially when it comes to casting spells. We only needed a brief break. Like you, we cannot afford to stay idle while time is ticking down.¡± The group walked through the empty metropolis. Dreu and Ragellon took the lead while Ror and Dar covered the rear. The other demonic children found themselves surrounded by the rest of Dreu¡¯s companions. Their attempts to hug the two furry demonic creatures failed as the two were too agile to be caught. Eventually, they gave up and were content with just staring. Meanwhile, Zog and Keth complained to Dreu about their lack of attention. In response, the young man allowed them to perch on his shoulders. Even demon worms lack the cuteness of those two demonic creature. I hope they get used to it. An hour later, the demonic children and Zog resumed their training with magic dummies. Dreu resummoned Xig so he, Xig, Keth and Dar traveled up the mountain path in search of demonic creatures to defeat. The young man also wanted to see if there were any secrets hidden atop the mountain. Ilveroz and Aggich agreed to stay behind to protect the children and Ror. Dreu checked with Dar if she was fine with Ror being left behind. She¡¯s all healed up. My job is done. During the hike, Dreu could hear the greater demon primate¡¯s roar. Given the distance, it didn¡¯t have the same impact and could almost be ignored as noise in the distance. He was also more focused on the rugged terrain that made his progress slow. Xig, Keth and Dar had an easy time flying over the terrain and had to stop repeatedly for Dreu to catch up. Dreu found himself still needing to catch his breath as he headed higher and higher up the mountain path. However, their slow progress was largely due to him stopping to admire the view. If there wasn¡¯t a greater demon primate in the distance, the scene would be picturesque as it had forest, swamp and a metropolis in it. Imagine if the city was filled with demons going about their lives? To think that we humans were the monsters on the continent. The climb had been uneventful as not a single demonic creature was seen. His companions could take to the skies but they failed to spot any of the demonic creatures Ragellon claimed to live on the mountain. It wasn¡¯t until they reached a plateau did they find an unexpected welcoming party. And I thought Ragellon said only weak and cowardly creatures roam these mountains. Guess she can be wrong at times too. A pack of wolf-like creatures spread out to form a concave around the group. Dreu could make out a carcass of some creature behind them. Given how skinny the creatures looked, he suspected that they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to chomp on him too. Following a growl from one of the creatures, Xig dashed towards it with killer intent. Trusting Keth and Dar to have his back, Dreu charged the nearest wolf with his blade drawn. The wolf froze in its tracks when Dreu charged at it and it barely dodged the blade. Was I always this fast? Dreu, noticing the wolf was off balance from its dodge, pivoted to stab at it before it could get back its footing. In his peripheral vision, he noticed another wolf moving to his flank. Before the wolf could lunge, Keth bashed it with his horn, sending it flying. With no immediate threats to his safety, Dreu thrust his blade into his target¡¯s head. Volume 2 Chapter 24 While Cridror spoke with Aki about her new role as the owner of the pink orb, Dhaga resumed his training in search of the remaining two orbs. Recalling his previous interaction with all five orbs, he tried to figure out what the blue and yellow orbs represented. The blue orb gave him a feeling of dealing with a blade¡¯s sharp edge while the yellow one felt like an incredible wall he couldn¡¯t overcome. The feelings he experienced got him no closer so he simply swam faster as he waited for the orbs to inform him. Suddenly, the sirens went off again, alerting everyone of a second attack. Already? Most of the wounded haven''t fully recovered yet¡­maybe that¡¯s the intention. While the able-bodied nagas returned to formation at once, the wounded that could swim under their own strength made slow but steady progress. As Dhaga debated whether to join the fight or keep searching for the orb owners, Cridror stopped beside him and suggested the latter option. The longer we delay, the more casualties we¡¯ll suffer. You alone can only turn the tide so much. Understanding what the orca was hinting at, Dhaga resumed his swim when he stopped. In the distance, a procession of naga in red uniforms moved towards the frontline. In the center, two nagas in chains swam without any resistance. One of the nagas exhibited an aura of someone dangerous, as though taking the life of others wouldn¡¯t make the naga flinch one bit. The other naga was twice the size of Athexhi, making him the largest naga Dhaga had ever seen. The young naga was certain that, if the giant naga refused to move, none of the guards could do much. Given the odds they faced, the young naga wasn''t surprised one bit to see prisoners being sent to the frontlines to strengthen the defenses. However, he couldn''t see how the prisoners could contribute with the guards constantly restraining them. Are these two the ones you seek? They seem to match what I remembered. A flash from both orbs convinced Dhaga to swim towards the procession but, as he got closer, the guards raised their halberds, warning him to not approach them further. The captain of the guards swam up to Dhaga, his demeanor almost made Dhaga back away. ¡°What do you want? Trying to free these prisoners during the chaos? I''d thought you criminals would be smarter than attacking from the front.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver the orbs given to me by the Leviathan,¡± said Dhaga sternly. He could see the skepticism on the faces of the nagas, including the two prisoners. As he thought about how he could convince the guards, a naga in full-clad armor joined the group and turned to the captain. ¡°He speaks the truth. I can vouch for him.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Despite not knowing who the naga was, Dhaga could see, given the captain¡¯s and the guards¡¯ attitude towards the newcomer, the naga was an important figure, likely a member on the council or someone trusted within the council. The guards moved aside, giving Dhaga a path towards the two prisoners. He summoned the two orbs and presented the objects to the two. The dangerous naga was presented with the blue orb while the yellow orb was shown to the giant naga. In such close proximity, the orbs were radiant, nearly blinding all those who looked in the direction of the orb. ¡°What do you want us to do?¡± asked the dangerous naga whose gaze was focused on Dhaga the entire time. ¡°Touch the orb and find out,¡± said Dhaga. He could see the hesitation from both nagas. Yet, the two still proceeded to do so. Upon contact, the two of them froze in place, much like the sorceress. The silence dragged out for a whole minute before the two nagas regained their consciousness. They both looked at the young naga, thanking him for his gift. The two nagas then turned to the naga in full-clad armor who nodded. As soon as the guards removed their chains, the two nagas headed into battle. Will you just stay here and spectate? Dhaga found himself no longer startled by Cridror¡¯s surprising entrances. As he was about to answer the orca, he heard an unfamiliar voice calling out. Good work getting stronger! Let me show you a thing or two on how to change the battlefield! Who are you? I¡¯m Acro, an orca like Cridror. Dhaga recalled how he summoned Cridror and did the same for Acro who, despite his deep voice, was slightly smaller than the other orca. Acro has similar black and white patterns as Cridror except for the patch behind his dorsal fin which had more pointed ends. Let¡¯s head into battle! The energy exhibited by Acro was contagious so Dhaga followed his new companion. Despite his training, he found himself unable to keep up with Acro¡¯s speed. Not only was his new companion more agile in the water but the orca also possessed an interesting ability. As he swam past the frontline, small particles broke off the orca¡¯s green aura and attached themselves to nearby friendly nagas. Nagas who came in contact with the particle had a similar aura surrounding them. Did the aura just act as a spell shield? Spell shield was a common spell among the naga spellcasters, especially those boasting large amounts of mana. The defensive spell was dependable as it could fend off most spells. The one downside was how the ability was self-cast, resulting in the limitation as to who had access to it. Acro¡¯s ability, if it did resemble spell shield, was a massive improvement only if the orca either had a massive pool of mana or the spell cost a lot less mana. Given how freely the orca used it, Dhaga assumed Acro could sustain the ability for a long time. While Cridror likes to charge in and disrupt the enemy, I like to support allies by increasing their survivability. In time, you will discover your own style of supporting the flanks. My own style? The young naga had so far only studied under the mentors. He never considered the idea that he could come up with something unique for himself. To be fair, I never thought I¡¯d be fighting alongside orcas either. Volume 2 Chapter 25 The wolf resisted briefly before it succumbed to death. Dreu, upon confirming his foe wasn¡¯t moving, pulled out his blade to engage an incoming wolf. The wolf lunged at the young man but he easily pivoted to get out of the way while his blade was turned so its edge was in the path of the wolf. Unlike the Fel Spiders, these wolves had nothing protecting them, resulting in Dreu¡¯s blade slicing right through his opponent like a knife through butter. Once he confirmed there were no immediate threats, Dreu turned to check on Xig who had rushed forward earlier. The demon hornet attacked relentlessly and didn¡¯t give the wolf a chance to retaliate. Watch out, Dreu! The warning from Dar gave Dreu enough time to narrowly avoid the incoming wolf. The wolf was already dead when he turned to study it. The wolf moved far faster than Dreu thought was possible and Keth apologized shortly afterwards. Piecing together the apology and the unnatural movement of the wolf, the scene unraveled in Dreu¡¯s mind. What shocked Dreu was how deadly the charge was as the wolf was killed off by the impact. With the other wolves all killed off, the young man, Keth and Dar simply waited on the sidelines while Xig attacked the largest wolf in the pack. One could easily believe the demon hornet controlled the entire tempo but the wolf was far too calm in the combat. The wolf barely moved to avoid the attacks while its eyes studied Xig. Without warning, its claw swiped upwards and sent Xig flying. That¡­.felt like my mock battles with Bayard. Bayard could always dodge my attacks with ease and win those one-sided bouts... As the demon hornet shook off the damage, Dreu unsummoned him. Keth and Dar questioned him but he took two steps towards the wolf. ¡°Join me! You deserve better!¡± The wolf studied Dreu with its amber eyes. Meanwhile, the young man studied the creature back and recalled a conversation he had with Bayard. The footman explained that the most dangerous foes were those who could fight calmly in combat and find weaknesses in the enemy. If one could turn those foes into allies, then one would gain a powerful asset for the present and future. Something about the wolf¡¯s demeanor reminded him of the conversation so a part of him wanted the wolf on his roster. We cannot trust the Lesser Fel Wolves. They are weak and cowardly. Keth¡¯s words reached the young man but the wolf had proven to be anything but weak. As for cowardice, Dreu sensed none of that in the creature¡¯s eyes. The two remained in a staring match for what felt like minutes before the wolf bowed its head at Dreu. < Congratulations! A Lesser Demon Direwolf has joined your roster. > A lesser demon direwolf? I thought Keth said it was a lesser Fel wolf. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Dreu turned to the demon beetle but Keth said he didn¡¯t know what a lesser demon direwolf looked like. After comparing the new addition with the fallen lesser Fel wolves, it was clear they didn¡¯t look all that different. Therefore, the young man turned to his prompt. < Lv 3 Lesser Demon Direwolf (Brornun): Description: This canine creature generally never survives to become a juvenile. In a litter of direwolf pups, the pups must fight its siblings until only one comes out on top. The victor then gets all the food and attention from its mother. In this environment, a lesser demon direwolf is already at a disadvantage when faced with demon direwolf siblings. Against all odds, this lesser demon direwolf has reached juvenile status, proving its survival instincts are strong. Recommendations: -Trust in this creature¡¯s survival instincts in combat -Fighting in melee allows the lesser demon direwolf to use its powerful claws and teeth Evolution: -??? Skill: None Status: +25% attack and defense from veterency. +15% attack and defense from survival instincts.> The lack of skills and possible evolution both surprised Dreu. Demon worms lacked skills but they weren¡¯t built for combat. The idea of this lesser demon wolf managing to survive this long without a skill was impressive. For humans, a skill made a big difference in one¡¯s combat capabilities. Even with the lack of training or a strong body, a sufficiently useful skill could generally make up for the flaws. Comparing the demon worms and their evolutions, the new skills made the evolved form far more proficient in combat. If the direwolf relied solely on instinct and experience, he was truly a rare find. Then, there was the matter of evolution. A caterpillar creature evolving into a butterfly made sense. Even transforming to hornets and beetles could be acceptable as these were demonic creatures. What would a direwolf evolve into? A bear? A lion? Direwolf becoming a different animal seemed absurd but, at the same time, this was using human logic. Dreu made a mental note to ask Ragellon about demon evolutions. If he could learn enough, he might be able to get more additions who could unlock incredible potential. Welcome to the team, Brornun. Dreu stayed where he stood. Brornun might have joined him but he still chose caution. He was also unsure if they could communicate with one another, much like how he and demon worms couldn¡¯t until their evolution. You are strong, human. I only follow the strong! Dreu felt warm and fuzzy from the compliment but he chose to restrain himself, recalling Bayard''s lesson on overconfidence. I am still weak. I have much to learn. No, I wasn¡¯t referring to your combat skills. You have potential to be a leader. Wolves respect strong leaders, just as those lesser Fel wolves accepted me as theirs. Now, I have found myself a pack leader who has accepted me. The young man searched the direwolf¡¯s eyes and wondered what the direwolf had gone through. The description mentioned a harsh environment for the demonic creature to grow up in. To not only survive but also become a leader wasn''t something most beings or creatures could boast. In some ways, the young man was relieved he made the decision. The positive recommendations only further supported his decision. Volume 2 Chapter 26 Are there other demonic creatures up here? Dreu wanted to use Brornun¡¯s knowledge of the mountain to take advantage of other opportunities. His roster was growing and he saw no reason to not grow it further. Nothing in his window prompt suggested there was a limit. If his ancestor commanded over a million soldiers, then he could certainly have a few hundred demonic creatures under his command. Along the mountain path, there aren¡¯t any worthwhile creatures. The caves are options but even I hesitate to enter those. The inhabitants of the cave can fight far better in the dark and tight spaces. Dreu couldn¡¯t argue against the sound logic and it dampened his mood. The recent additions of the Fel Spiders and the direwolf felt incredible but, when he looked at his squad, none of the members were suited for combat inside a cave. With a sigh, he turned around. Let¡¯s go back for now, everyone. I¡¯ll check with Ragellon if we have anything that can help us with the caves. The group returned to the training grounds where the demonic children and Zog continued their training. The demon butterfly was trying new things like zigzagging in the air while delivering shots at the magic dummy. The first few attempts saw the shots go way off target but Zog improved after a dozen tries. After Zog succeeded in hitting all of his fireballs, the demon butterfly noticed the return of Dreu and flew over to land on his head. Did you see that? Dreu smiled at the excitement that Zog couldn¡¯t contain. I saw that last attempt! You are improving very quickly. Dreu wasn¡¯t sure if it was his imagination but Zog¡¯s face turned a shade of red. He then introduced Brornun to the other members who happily greeted the direwolf. Following the introduction, Dreu¡¯s group got themselves some lunch. The young man hadn¡¯t figured out how the small portals worked but he could access standard food like bread and meat or fish by simply reaching inside. He asked Ragellon but the demonic child said the mechanics behind the portals were unknown to her as well. The entire city was created through extremely complicated magic and she didn¡¯t come close to possessing the knowledge to even scratch the surface of its secrets. While his curiosity lingered, Dreu didn¡¯t let it stop him from focusing on getting stronger. Do you get hungry? Dreu directed his question at Zog. He recalled Bayard not needing food and, if he did eat, he gained buffs if the food was above a certain quality. The demon butterfly shook his head claiming that, since he joined Dreu, he never once felt hungry. He enjoyed eating but it never felt necessary. When asked about buffs, Zog answered that he hadn¡¯t gotten stronger from eating. Dreu then turned to Brornun who stared at the meat before him. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. It doesn¡¯t look appetizing when my stomach isn¡¯t growling. I cannot complain about not needing to worry about my stomach though. Dreu then asked everyone else if they were fine with no food. They didn¡¯t need it and he was unsure how much was stocked in the city. There were no objections from any of his summoned creatures, including Ror who, despite carrying eggs, had no appetite for food. From a logistics standpoint, the lower demand for food meant more focus could be placed on other resources. He could only imagine his ancestor commanding a million strong but he only needed enough food for himself. ¡°Why do you keep adopting weak demonic creatures?¡± asked Ragellon as soon as she spotted Brornun. ¡°I would like to think even your companions would warn you against taking in lesser fel wolves.¡± ¡°Brornun is a lesser demon direwolf,¡± replied Dreu. ¡°Lesser¡­¡± Ragellon studied the direwolf for a full minute and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you on that. Doesn¡¯t look like a demon direwolf to me.¡± ¡°Brornun also mentioned caves in the mountains. Do we have anything that can aid us in exploring the caves?¡± ¡°Spelunking?¡± Ragellon walked over to another small portal. ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s inside.¡± To Dreu¡¯s surprise, the demonic child simply poked half of her body into the portal. After a few minutes, Ragellon pulled herself out with two staff and five small orbs in her hands. ¡°Here,¡± she said as she handed over the items to Dreu. ¡°You have illumination staff that will illuminate the caves. The orbs are called flash bangs and are extremely bright. If you encounter any dangerous creatures, the flash bangs will effectively blind those creatures for a very long time. Be warned that you¡¯ll be blinded too. Use them in an emergency only. Given how the cave demonic creatures tend to stick in small groups, they aren''t very dangerous.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± Dreu stared down at the items. The orbs could fit into his pocket easily. As for the staff, he needed one hand for his blade while the other carried the staff like a torch. Times like these made him wish he had a buckler that he could use with whatever he held in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m coming too!¡± said Ragellon excitedly. ¡°My father promised to take me spelunking before he left for your capital. I won¡¯t miss this opportunity.¡± The demonic child then helped herself to some food. In the meantime, Dreu studied his companions, deciding who to bring with him. While wings offered a lot of flexibility above ground, they had limitations within the narrow spaces underground. Bats existed but those creatures adapted to caves and could better navigate underground. If there were demonic versions of bats, they would certainly defeat his flying companions. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Dreu was shocked how quickly Ragellon finished her meal. She took one of the staff from Dreu and led the way outside. Ilveroz, Aggich and Brornun will join me on the ground. Zog and Dar can cover the ceiling. The rest of you can go and rest. Keth asked Dreu to reconsider him but the young man stood by his decision. The demon beetle relied on charging enemies and the cave interior was unsuitable for his companion. Keth looked deflated so Dreu promised to give the demon beetle a chance to shine in the future. Volume 2 Chapter 27 Lacking both a strong charge and a shield ability to support allies, Dhaga resorted to using his speed to pick off enemy stragglers. Cridror was doing plenty in disrupting the enemy formation, allowing the young naga to isolate and kill off foes that were easy prey. The training he went through in finding the orb owners was also paying off. He felt that, the more he observed, the better his positioning was. He could almost get a rough idea of where the enemy would regroup following one of the orca¡¯s charges. Then, he would be there to finish off the survivors and shift the momentum ever so slightly in their favor. ¡°They¡¯re falling back,¡± shouted a naga. ¡°We¡¯ve held them off a second time. Victory will be ours!¡± It¡¯s a shame these small victories matter little. Dhaga knew from his patrols how powerful the Kraken¡¯s followers could be. They only faced the equivalent of foot soldiers on land who boasted only quantity. To the Kraken, these soldiers were plentiful and disposable as long as they served the purpose of weakening the enemy. Dhaga only had to study the nagas in the vicinity to know the Kraken¡¯s plan was working. Despite their outward appearance, fatigue was settling in for the naga soldiers. If the Kraken forces continued sending wave after wave of their weakest soldiers, the nagas would soon have no more defenders to fend off the invasion. With the Kraken controlling the pace of the battle, it was a matter of time before the nagas suffered a complete defeat. How do we win this? We cannot handle this level of attrition. The young naga expected the two orcas to lecture him on finding the answer out himself. To his surprise, Cridror went straight to the point. You orb owners must get stronger fast. The Kraken won¡¯t wait for you five to grow strong at your own pace. Tap into your powers and turn the tide of the battle. Fail to do so and the Kraken will win. I see. At the mention of tapping into his powers, Dhaga noticed something odd. He swam a quick circle around the orcas to test his theory. When he stopped, he stared at them. I don¡¯t feel fatigue despite participating in the battles¡­ I see you have started tapping into your orb. Acro went on to explain the powers of the orbs. Each orb granted powers in a specific area and, as long as the orb owner trained in that specialty, the orb granted them faster recovery from fatigue and injuries. In other words, the orbs were the perfect training tools to get a naga to the level needed to defend the naga race. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Why? Why are these orbs not given during times of peace so the orb owners can be ready for the Kraken¡¯s invasion? Did you think there are no downsides to using the orbs? Everything comes at a cost. The greater the benefit, the steeper the price one must pay. Downsides? Dhaga felt all over his body but he couldn¡¯t feel any abnormalities. He closed his eyes to go into meditation but he felt nothing odd there either. Despite his best efforts, he couldn¡¯t see the downside mentioned by Cridror. As he was about to give up searching for the solution, something came to his mind. No way¡­ As nagas approached adulthood, their scales would transition from a light blue color into a much darker blue with light green spots here and there. Dhaga should have two more years before he went through such a transition but he could already spot his scale colors changing. As reality dawned on him, the naga turned to the orcas. How much time do I have left? The timer begins as soon as you reach your prime. Then, you have at most a week worth of time before your body crumbles under the influence of the orb. A week should be plenty. Dhaga thanked the orcas and went in search of Soce. Nagas took mating for life very seriously so it wasn''t a lighthearted decision when he and Soce became mates. There were certain exceptions to the rule of mating for life so, in his instance, his death would set Soce free. Yet, he still had many words he wanted to share with her before the next attack. Using his heightened awareness, Dhaga soon located Soce and, to his relief, she was unharmed. His mate was busy carrying the wounded to a tidal well when he swam up beside her, startling her with his presence. The sight made him realize that he was becoming more and more like Cridror. ¡°Trying to show off your abilities?¡± said Soce with a mischievous smile on her face. The naga gestured to Soce that he wanted to talk to her privately. When he made the request, the smile disappeared from his mate¡¯s face and was replaced with a frown. The two of them swam some distance from the other nagas. Dhaga then took a full minute to prepare what he was going to say. ¡°What happened?¡± said Soce to break the silence. ¡°The orb gives me great powers at the cost of my life. I want to share everything I wanted to say to you before it¡¯s too late.¡± For the next hour, Dhaga shared all he wanted to say to Soce. He didn¡¯t bother hiding his feelings nor hide anything he considered too embarrassing. With his time ticking down, the naga wanted to get everything off his chest, fearing that he wouldn''t get another chance once the Kraken got serious. ¡°I¡¯ve been dealt a cruel hand but I want my sacrifice to mean something. Please find another mate after my death and be happy.¡± The sirens sounded once more and, without another word, Dhaga swam off to the frontline. The naga didn¡¯t want to hear what her response was. All that matters is protecting the future so Soce and the others can live peaceful and happy lives. Seiluxr, did you make your decision knowing that you too won¡¯t see such a day? Understanding what his duty was, Dhaga only picked up his pace. He checked his body once to note that he was now an adult naga. Soon, he would reach his prime and the countdown to his death would officially begin. Volume 2 Chapter 28 The small group entered one of the many caves along the mountain path. Brornun shared that he never ventured into the caves because he and his pack had sufficient food along the mountain path. Due to the abundance of cave entrances along the path, the group initially struggled to decide on the one to enter. In the end, Ragellon was the one to select the cave and she simply picked one at random. The group would be led by Dreu who activated the illumination staff in one hand and held his blade in the other. Zog flew above Dreu to cover anything near the ceiling. Brornun and Aggich stayed behind the young man where they could support if needed. Ragellon and Dar stayed slightly further back while Ilveroz covered their rear. Dreu concluded that, if they were attacked by a powerful foe, they would have to learn to fight as they retreated from the danger. ¡°Stay on your guard!¡± said Dreu. ¡°None of us excel at fighting in caves.¡± The passageway started off wide at the cave mouth but it quickly narrowed, forcing the group to advance single-file. Eventually, the ceiling also got lower and forced Zog and Dar to perch on the head of Dreu and Ragellon respectively. The illumination staff had a radius of eight meters where it provided enough light to rival the outside when it was light out. However, anything beyond those eight meters remained shrouded in darkness. ¡°How long do these staff remain lit?¡± Dreu asked a question he should have asked before they entered the cave. ¡°They can last for three hours.¡± Ragellon¡¯s staff then turned slightly brighter. ¡°By injecting mana, you can extend its duration or increase the brightness.¡± After the demonstration, Dreu tried it himself and noticed a slight change in brightness. He immediately stopped knowing he might need his mana for possible future battles. The group made its way deeper into the cave with only their footsteps echoing off the walls. They hadn¡¯t heard or seen any other creatures. I smell something. Dreu took Brornun¡¯s warning seriously. He knew the sense of smell on canines was always more trustworthy than a human¡¯s sight or hearing. With a tighter grip on his blade, he advanced more slowly. Eventually, he could see the passage widening at the edge of the light. ¡°We¡¯re entering a large space. Be ready for a confrontation.¡± Zog offered to enter the space first. When asked how he could be so confident, the demon butterfly mentioned that he could cast a barrier on himself. To prove his point, a nearly transparent barrier formed around Zog. Dreu reached out and felt a solid barrier, recalling the barrier that protected him from the cluster of fel spiders. He traced his fingers until he determined the barrier to be a sphere with Zog exactly in the middle. Placing confidence in his demon butterfly¡¯s plan, Dreu allowed Zog to enter the large space up ahead. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Back away as soon as the enemy makes their appearance. We just want to deny them their element of surprise. Meanwhile, he stood a few meters behind so Zog had some light to work with. The young man felt that his companion not only evolved physically but also became stronger mentally. He could only imagine the fear one had to overcome to enter a dark area with no knowledge of what danger awaited, especially if someone else sensed something. You¡¯ve really come a long way from a demon worm, haven¡¯t you? Zog looked around before stopping to stare at the ceiling. Given that he was still in the passageway, Dreu didn¡¯t have a clear line of sight at what Zog was looking at. Unable to rely on his sight, he used his ears. It took him a few seconds to hear an unknown noise. ¡°What¡¯s that scratching and rustling sound?¡± whispered Dreu, intending on letting Ragellon know what he detected. Flying enemies from the ceiling. Once Zog conveyed what he was seeing, he released a barrage of fireballs towards the ceiling. From where he stood, Dreu couldn¡¯t see if any of the fireballs hit anything. He quickly ordered Zog to fall back into the narrow passageway. By forcing the unknown enemy into the narrow space from one direction, they could better fend off the attack. The group fell back slightly and waited for the enemy to enter the passageway. As soon as these creatures came in contact with light, they chirped loudly and turned around. ¡°Those are lesser demon bats,¡± said Ragellon. ¡°They cannot harm us as long as we illuminate the area around us.¡± The lesser demon bats looked like the black bats Dreu was used to seeing. Despite having never explored a cave before, he had seen his fair share of bats in Berkton. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for bats to roost in buildings throughout the town. The fact that the bats ate insects made them a natural pest control for the town. After a better look, the young man concluded that the demon variants were slightly bigger. Otherwise, he couldn''t tell the difference between the two. ¡°How dangerous are they if we are in the dark?¡± asked Dreu. ¡°The lesser ones are only slightly stronger than demon worms. Their bites sting more than mandibles but that¡¯s it. If it weren¡¯t for their numbers, I doubt anyone would take them seriously.¡± ¡°Slightly stronger than demon worms?¡± Dreu found himself intrigued with the weaker demonic creatures because his ability could unlock potentials of demonic creatures no one thought they had. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the lesser demon bats were in the same situation. If demon worms could evolve, there¡¯s a possibility the bats could have evolutions too. In addition, he could use summoned units that were better suited for the caves. He needed a solution for any situation because, while on the run, he didn¡¯t always get a say as to where he would end up. They have fallen back! Should I pursue them? Dreu told Zog to stay put as he stepped towards the chamber. Despite what Ragellon said about the bats being weak, he wasn¡¯t taking the chance that they could be attempting to lure Zog away from the group. He then stopped when he noticed a few bats on the ground, noting the burn marks on their bodies. Volume 2 Chapter 29 Dreu turned off his staff and walked towards the fallen bats. Standing within the edge of Ragellon¡¯s staff light, he knelt down and touched the bat closest to him. There was a response so he called Dar over. As the demon butterfly approached him, the young man reached out and held the bat in his palm. He brought the bat into the light before he turned to Dar. Please heal this bat. We can use its assistance if we hope to go deeper. Dreu could feel the puzzled look from the demon butterfly but Dar didn¡¯t argue. She casted her spell and, moments later, the bat started moving. Dreu carefully reached out so his hand was outside the light. The lesser demon bat became far more active as soon as it returned to the darkness. Dreu waited to see how the bat reacted but it seemed content just hovering above his palm. Sensing no aggression from the bat, Dreu repeated the procedure on the other three bats with Dar performing her healing spell on them as well. Once healed, two of the bats happily sat on his palms while the remaining two hovered nearby. They remind me of the demon worms with how they are getting attached to me. Maybe I should get eight of them too¡­ Realizing that he was getting ahead of himself, Dreu turned serious as he spoke to the four bats. ¡°I wonder if you four want to join me. We can use your strength while we explore the cave. I also believe you will get stronger if you join us. I see it as a win-win if you do so.¡± ¡°Great,¡± muttered Ragellon. ¡°The human has a bad habit of adopting trash and claiming that they might be useful later.¡± Dreu chose to make no comments on the matter. He knew that it would take time for Ragellon to accept what he was doing. Despite how much stronger the evolved demon worms were, he couldn¡¯t deny that they still paled to many of the denizens in the Demon Realm. He had to keep working hard with his companions until they changed the perception of the supposedly weak demonic creatures that were at the bottom of the food chain. < Congratulations! Four lesser demon bats have joined your roster. > Can any of you four understand me? All four bats nodded their heads in unison. Can all of you communicate with me? Four yesses later, Dreu got his answer. Before he asked about the cave, the young man checked one of the bats on his prompt, hoping to find some hidden skills. < Lv 1 Lesser Demon Bat (Bartok): Description: This flying creature generally stays within dark caves where it hunts small insects that make the cave their home. If left alone, this creature will happily hunt and sleep. If provoked, it will retaliate with its fangs, though its retaliation is considered very weak and only slightly stronger than a demon worm mandibles. This creature either never sees combat for its entire life or dies too quickly to gain any combat experience. Stolen story; please report. Recommendations: -Don¡¯t expose this creature to light, natural or artificial, as the creature receives a major debuff in illuminated settings.. -Avoid combat by finding small spaces for the creature to hide in Evolution: -??? Skill: -Dark Sight (Lvl 1): Active. Grants an ally the ability to see in the dark like bats for 15 minutes. Unlimited uses and no cost but ability has a 30 minute cooldown between uses. Status: -25% attack and defense from inexperience. -90% attack and defense from being near light.> Good! They have an evolution as well! Given enough time, I¡¯ll find the requirements as well. And the dark sight skill¡­ Remembering a more important matter, he then inquired about the cave from the bats and learned that they were in a cave system where a group of the bats were taking shelter. Upon inquiring further, the young man learned that the bats were fleeing from a dangerous enemy called the scaled ones that had been steadily occupying more and more of the caverns. A major conflict between the bats and the scaled ones had lasted for centuries but the bats found themselves on the losing side recently. Having lost battle after battle, the bats were forced into caverns they never inhabited before. At the rate things were going, the bats would either be killed off by the scaled ones or be forced to survive outside the caves until they could locate a cave free of the scaled ones¡¯ influence. The bats added that, following his narrow escape from some scaled ones, they were minding their own business on the ceiling when an ugly creature rudely threw fireballs at them, interrupting their naps. The four bats all expressed their thanks to Dreu for saving them from death. I¡¯m sorry¡­and I¡¯m not ugly! Once he calmed Zog down, Dreu introduced the bats to his other companions and played the mediator for the bad start between the bats and Zog. Once that issue was resolved, he wanted to introduce Ragellon to them but she seemed very disinterested. Not willing to force an interaction, Dreu chose to postpone the introductions. Someday, you¡¯ll realize that the supposedly weak creatures are strong in their own way. When he studied her further, Dreu realized that her attention was elsewhere. Her behavior suggested that she was investigating something. Unable to discern any new sight or sound, the young man approached her. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± he asked Ragellon while his companions were interacting with the bats just outside the light radius. ¡°I sense enemies approaching us through their massive bloodlust. Feels like they are almost upon us.¡± The scaled ones? Maybe those creatures are here to finish off the remaining bats? Dreu checked with his bats and they confirmed that the scaled ones were constantly on the move. Their sworn enemies weren¡¯t content until the entire cave system fell under their complete control with them becoming the sole denizens of the caves. The fluttering sound in the chamber then grabbed everyone¡¯s attention. Dreu couldn¡¯t see what was happening in the dark so he asked one of the lesser demon bats. They are here! The scaled ones are here! Volume 2 Chapter 30 Since he spoke to Soce, Dhaga never returned to his mate. He had said his farewell and was unsure what would happen if they talked again. The experience was painful enough so he didn¡¯t want to relive it. Luckily, the Kraken forces kept him pretty busy. In addition to learning lots from Cridror and Acro about how to better support the flanks, the naga grew strong enough to summon a third orca, Ray. Ray was bigger than Cridror but its combat style was very different. This orca liked close combat using its teeth and tail to devastating effectiveness. Dhaga saw Kraken followers flee in fear against such overwhelming strength. I don¡¯t think I can fight like you Ray. Even as an adult naga, I¡¯m fairly average in size. I¡¯m more of a jack of all trades and master of none. You should be more specialized, unlike a poor weak orca like me. The naga knew the orca was joking because the orca boasted both overwhelming strength and incredible speed that was only second to Acro and him. Once his mind wandered to the consequences of accepting the orbs, he wondered how the other nagas were doing. Have they accepted their fate now? Have they also said goodbye to their loved ones? Dhaga knew he needed to find a chance to speak to his father, the only family member he had left. Given that the two of them were terrible at conversations, he had been putting it off. In the meantime, he wanted to check up on the other orb users. Yet, the orcas made a good point that he couldn¡¯t offer much. Knowing practically nothing about the other nagas, his comments would be vague and impersonal. His contribution to the war also required him to be away from the others. The red, blue and yellow orb users were far better suited for the center where they could break through enemy ranks and rally fellow nagas forward. The pink orb user would remain behind the formation to aid those who need healing. He and the orcas would ensure the flanks remained strong, allowing those in the center to continue pushing forward. By the way, why are nagas with healing abilities considered albino nagas? Albino nagas? Seeing the puzzlement on the orcas¡¯ faces, Dhaga first explained what albino nagas were. He then described Azi¡¯s situation, noting that, if the orbs existed in the past, nagas with healing abilities shouldn¡¯t be considered outcasts. The pink orb never existed before. Ray¡¯s response wasn¡¯t what Dhaga had expected as he thought the five orbs had been summoned through the ages whenever the nagas needed help. When he asked what happened to the previous orb, Ray stated that the Kraken was responsible for its destruction. The Kraken had deemed the orbs too dangerous so it attempted and succeeded in destroying the orb. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. What did that orb do? The clear orb was a debuff orb. As the name suggests, it gives the user the ability to debuff enemies with curses. It was said to be the most powerful out of all five orbs. Dhaga had fortunately never experienced curses personally. He heard the stories of how some of the Kraken¡¯s followers formed cursed cults that had their entire identities formed around curses. Rumors claimed that some of the curses were so powerful that, even with the death of the caster, the curses would remain until the afflicted individual died. If the clear orb was as powerful as Ray said it was, then the naga could see how the orb alone could turn the tide of battle. We should intercept those. Dhaga snapped out of his thoughts and soon located what Acro referred to. A pod of sailfish swam near the seafloor towards the naga capital. Sailfish were known for their speed and sharp bills but the naga was confused as to why the pod was so far from the other Kraken followers. Do you see those markings on their dorsal fins? Those are portal markings, similar to the demon portals that are capable of transporting large number of soldiers over incredible distances. They will get behind our lines and summon where we are the most vulnerable. That¡¯s why I said we should intercept them. Dhaga and the orcas then swam into action. They might have a head start on the sailfish but the fish earned its title for fastest fish in the sea. The naga soon realized that he might not make it and only Acro had a chance of just getting close. Then, he felt powerful magic behind him. Moments later, the sailfish slowed down, almost as if their speed was cut by half. Prioritizing the defeat of the sailfish, Dhaga focused on catching up. Once they lost their speed, the sailfish were easily disposed of by the group as their bills did little to help them against Dhaga and the orcas. . What was that? They slowed down all of a sudden. Ray explained that he acquired something from the other orbs when he was last summoned. Therefore, he learned a few useful curses from the clear orb owner. One of those curses cut the speed of the targets by half which just happened to make sailfish slow enough for orcas to catch up. If the sailfish had gotten through, the defenders would be at a big disadvantage. So your teeth and tail abilities came from the blue orb? Yes, my defensive skills came from the yellow orb while the red orb granted me limited uses of powerful explosive spells. Dhaga felt envious that Ray was capable of so many different abilities and spells. He had improved his speed but he had yet to unlock anything that made him stand out as a naga. He started to wonder if this was his full potential with the orb making a mistake of picking him. Fearing disappointment, Dhaga couldn¡¯t bring up the topic with the orcas. After saying his farewell, he couldn¡¯t confide it with Soce either. With the idea weighing him down, the naga simply trained harder to distract his mind on the matter. From the deployment of the Kraken forces, he was certain that the battle was entering its climax. I got to be ready to do what I can to keep the capital safe. Volume 2 Chapter 31 ¡°Scaled ones?¡± Dreu muttered out loud. Hissing noises could be heard from the cavern amidst the fluttering sounds from the bats. As the hissing noise got louder, Dreu uncontrollably stepped back a few steps. Who are the scaled ones? Mortal enemies of bats! The bats all shouted at once startling Dreu. He ordered the lesser demon bats to stay near the ceiling before he turned on his staff. After a few steps forward into the cavern, the young man got a glimpse of a scaled one. A snake as long as his arm flicked out its tongue. The snake had brown beautifully patterned scales and stared back at him with beady eyes. Then, half a dozen other snakes entered the light with their focus on Dreu. Unlike the bats, these snakes had no issues with the light. Meanwhile, Brornun let out a low growl behind Dreu. Aggich! Get ready! Dreu couldn¡¯t see her but he sensed the cursed fox moving to his side. He wasn¡¯t about to look away knowing snakes had the ability of striking exceptionally quickly. If he blinked or turned away for a split second, they could land a hit. Dreu wasn¡¯t sure if these snakes were poisonous but he was taking no chances. He gripped his blade tightly, waiting for the snakes to make their first move. Now! Dreu shouted as soon as he saw the snakes slither towards him. Aggich casted her slow spell on the snakes who went from slithering to barely moving on the floor. Dreu promptly beheaded the seven snakes as they couldn¡¯t react fast enough to his attack. As soon as Dreu let out a breath and Aggich released the spell, the snakes'' bodies started convulsing rapidly, as though the serpents refused to give in to death. Dreu watched from a safe distance when one of the lesser demon bats called from above. Hundreds of snakes coming! ¡°Hundreds of snakes?¡± said Dreu as he got the attention of the others. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± said Ragellon in a firm voice. The excitement for spelunking was gone. Her excitement was replaced with fear and she wanted to leave. Dreu, agreeing with her assessment, took the lead with the others following him. Stay close! Dreu hoped the bats did as they were told. He couldn¡¯t afford to check behind him while they were pursued by so many snakes. The group moved as quickly as they could through the narrow passage. The fluttering and hissing noises eventually lessened to a few fluttering wings once they got far enough away. The group didn¡¯t stop until they reached the cave entrance. Once everyone was certain the snakes weren¡¯t following them, they all took a breather and took a rest. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Do you know what is aiding the snakes in their victories? They must have found a secret weapon or something to break the stalemate. The four lesser demon bats remained in the darkness of the passageway. Dreu couldn¡¯t see them so he looked in their direction. He wanted to get a better grasp of the situation like how much of the underground caverns were home to the snakes. Recently, the snakes gained the assistance of a sorceress said to be granting the snakes blessings. We bats aren''t great with magic. A sorceress? Given that they were in a realm created by demons, he wondered if the sorceress could be a demoness who had ended up underground. Such a powerful being could easily tilt the conflict between the demonic creatures underground. ¡°Ragellon,¡± said Dreu as he turned to the demonic child, ¡°do you know if any demon or demoness might also be training here beside us?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Ragellon without hesitation. Ragellon then went on to explain that, if any demon or demoness entered the realm, their presence would be recorded on a tablet in the city. This was a way to track who was in the realm and, in the event of an emergency, everyone could be evacuated with no one left behind. When asked about what brought it up, Dreu shared what the bat told him. She pondered the information for a brief while before coming to the conclusion the sorceress wasn¡¯t a demoness. She couldn¡¯t explain how another being entered without them knowing but Ragellon was certain with her conclusion. Please help my family! The pleading of the bat called Bartok made Dreu sigh. He turned to the bat with a serious expression. I cannot fight against hundreds of snakes. I¡¯m not strong enough. But I know where the sorceress is. When the bat revealed this, it not only got Dreu¡¯s attention but also the other bats. After much prodding, Dreu learned the bats had been searching for the sorceress who they blamed for their losses. Through the determined efforts and selfless sacrifices of many bats, they located the sorceress in a subterranean lake. The bats reasoned that, once the sorceress was defeated, they could start reclaiming their home from the scaled ones. And how am I supposed to get to this lake? The dragged out silence from the darkness proved Dreu¡¯s point. He unsummoned the bats so they could get some rest. They would come up with a plan the following day. He shared the idea with Ragellon who was against any spelunking into a subterranean lake. In the Demon Realm, one avoided large bodies of water due to the dangers that might lurk below. For land dwellers like them, bodies of water spelled trouble. Dreu never thought he would see a day when a child would be lecturing him on what not to do in life. She had a point but he couldn¡¯t ignore the pleads of the four new additions to his roster. We¡¯ll find a way somehow. Dreu knew it was all bravado at this point. Lacking summoned units who were either strong underground or underwater, his options were greatly limited. At times like these, he doubted even Bayard could come up with a solution. He could almost imagine his old mentor lecturing him for his foolishness of tackling an environment they fared poorly in. However, he could at least try to formulate a plan. Like the bats, he had been the underdog. For once, he wanted the underdogs to win. Volume 2 Chapter 32 After his meal, Dreu stayed in the room he claimed for himself. His summoned companions, with the exception of the bats, were all in the courtyard of the building he was in. He kindly asked them to stay outside while he pondered on a strategy for spelunking deeper into the cave and dealing with the sorceress of the lake. Before he pondered on the plan, he checked on the four new additions should they provide anything useful. He could get lucky with them all possessing incredible abilities. Revisiting the prompt with Bartok, Dreu focused on the recommendations and ability specifically. < Recommendations: -Don¡¯t expose this creature to light, natural or artificial. -Avoid combat by finding small spaces for the creature to hide in Skill: -Dark Sight (Lvl 1): Active. Grants an ally the ability to see in the dark like bats for 15 minutes. Unlimited uses but ability has a 30 minute cooldown between uses. > The information on the prompt window immediately told Dreu what he needed to know regarding the combat capabilities or the lack thereof for the lesser demon bats. They, like the demon worms, were unsuitable for combat with places with light being an additional bane of theirs. However, he could see value in Dark Sight if his staff was ever damaged or he ran out of mana. He would be dead if he couldn''t rely on his sight at all. The fifteen minutes is a short period so I cannot rely on it too much. Time will tell if it¡¯s sufficient for emergencies. He then checked the other three bats and their differences were in their skills. Each one had a unique skill that followed no rhyme or reason. < Lv 1 Lesser Demon Bat (Loryss): Skill: -Hibernation Link (Lvl 1): Active. Create a link with an ally 1 meter away. While the user is hibernating and the ally remains within 1 meter, both user and ally gain +1% health regeneration buff. User is defenseless while hibernating.> Another healer? I thought Ragellon said healing abilities are extremely rare among demons and demonic creatures¡­.maybe I¡¯ve been lucky. To make the bats comfortable, Dreu turned off the light orb, making the room perfectly dark. He could still view his prompt fine regardless of how much light there was so he could proceed with what he needed to do. Knowing how the hibernation ability worked, Dreu called out to Loryss. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Can you come into my pocket and use hibernation? Without hesitation, Loryss flew into the pocket. Dreu felt a warm tingling when the feeling ended abruptly. He looked down to the bat, noting its smaller build compared to Bartok. The darkness made it impossible for him to discern other features but he was certain Loryss¡¯ fur was softer too. He checked with the bat on what happened. I cannot use my ability with an ally at full health. That makes sense. Despite the ability failing due to conditions not met, the young man was content with the fact that the bat could stay in his pocket while the skill was in effect. Otherwise, they would be at the mercy of enemies if they were forced to stay at one spot for too long. Regardless, the healing seemed far less potent than what Dar had. Next, Dreu moved onto Azurys who was of a medium build between Bartok and Loryss. < Lv 1 Lesser Demon Bat (Azurys): Skill: -Aqua Sight (Lvl 1): Passive. User can see 1 meter beneath the water surface regardless of water clarity. Ability doesn¡¯t extend the sight range of the user. > Dreu had to scratch his head on aqua sight. It was a very niche skill that might not have too many uses. Niche skills reminded the young man of Berkton where he met plenty of former adventurers who had given up adventuring. Given the harsh reality of adventuring, niche skills generally resulted in very short careers in the profession. The skills might be useful for other professions but adventuring required a certain set of tools. For the sorceress and the underground lake, the skill might have some uses. However, he struggled to think of uses outside of the upcoming expedition. Azurys, I hope your evolution unlocks some useful skills. I¡¯d hate for you to lack the chance to shine in the future when we aren''t near any body of water. Upon saying the last sentence, Dreu recalled the old him that simply lacked the skills and abilities to become an adventurer. If it weren¡¯t for the demon invasion, he might have become an average knight already. Snapping out of his daydream, the young man moved to the final bat, the smallest and lightest of the four. < Lv 1 Lesser Demon Bat (Bunted): Skill: -Spell Shield (Lvl 1): Active. User can cast a spell shield on itself or an ally to protect against low level spells. Limited to 2 uses per day. > Dreu rubbed his eyes before he read the prompt again. He thought he misread the spell shield but it was right there before him. He heard about high level spell shields being especially useful against spells that could otherwise instantly kill a target. It was one of the most desired spells for both spellcaster and non-spellcasters due to their versatility in defending the user against any spells at the same or lower level. For a blade user like him, a spell shield could help him close the gap with a powerful spellcaster, essentially deciding the battle itself. He only had to figure out the cast range and work on it with Bunted until the two of them were better synchronized. Two uses only? I guess it makes sense given its low level and how strong it actually is. Dreu scratched his head at the thought of all four of his lesser demon bats being support types. None of them could contribute directly to combat which he desperately needed for the spelunking. He couldn¡¯t deny that their abilities are useful, especially once some of those got stronger. Yet, he had no answer on how they could get past the snakes that had made most of the caverns their domain. To push forward with what they had would be suicidal. Maybe Ragellon is right about my foolish hopes of being a hero. Volume 2 Chapter 33 The Kraken is on the move! Dhaga could sense the ocean currents changing, as though the Kraken was redirecting them at its will. The power made him tremble but he quickly calmed himself. He could see Kraken forces approaching them and noticed a couple of new foes on the flanks. Are those swordfish? Dhaga has heard of the creature in stories only. The fast moving creatures boasted a long, flat and pointed bill capable of injuring those who took the creatures too lightly. They were smaller and much lighter than orcas but the naga knew better than underestimating Kraken followers. They were given incredible abilities by the Kraken for their loyalty. At the speed they were swimming, it was clear they were confident in themselves. Here they come! Cridror became the vanguard as it charged head first into the flotilla of swordfish. As the orca closed in on them, the swordfish dispersed with ease, leaving Cridror behind. Dhaga raised his spear towards an incoming swordfish but it evaded him easily with its speed. The naga then sensed another presence above him and tried to intercept. Damn it! I¡¯m too slow! Despite moving his spear to intercept, Dhaga knew he reacted too slowly. His powers had increased his reaction time but his body had yet to adjust to it. Therefore, his senses could react to things much faster than his body could move. He watched as the swordfish looked to impale him when a shield formed around him. Cracks showed up the shield but it held. The swordfish quickly withdrew, giving Dhaga a chance to regain his composure. He wanted to check on the other orcas but he wasn¡¯t given any opportunities to look away given the swordfish''s attacks. How are they so fast and coordinated? The naga evaded the attacks as he avoided any commitments to attacks like the one he did earlier. Any openings he presented could spell his end. The swordfish were relentless as they took turns charging at the naga with the killing blow possible at any moment. As he had learned from the orcas, Dhaga minimized his movement while he dodged his foes. Too much movement meant he couldn¡¯t respond properly to the next attack if his opponent anticipated his movement. The mind game went on for a long time before he found a chance. Take this! A swordfish came too near so Dhaga only needed to angle his spearpoint in the path of the fish. Unable to dodge the weapon, the swordfish created a long nasty gash along its belly as it swam through the spearpoint. The naga didn¡¯t have time to ponder on the dying fish because the other swordfish weren¡¯t letting up. Bit by bit, Dhaga found the openings and succeeded in dispatching the swordfish around him. When he looked around after defeating all his opponents, the orcas had also dealt with their foes too. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The Kraken is definitely more serious now¡­ Now isn¡¯t the time to rest. Dhaga watched the orcas swim towards the actual battle and quickly realized the intent of the Kraken. The swordfish¡¯s primary objective was to distract them. Because the Kraken forces boasted more numbers, they could afford to assign followers to fight Dhaga and the orcas without weakening their flanks. While Dhaga fought his foes, the Kraken forces had devastated the naga flanks and were in the process of a full encirclement. If encircled, it would be a matter of time before the naga forces were wiped out. Curses! Dhaga and the orcas did their best but their strength didn¡¯t lie in stopping enemy encirclements. They were far better at picking off foes to prevent them from winning the flank decisively. Past that point, he and the orcas were merely small splinters. They might annoy the Kraken forces but they couldn¡¯t do much beyond that. Soon, the encirclement was complete, resulting in Dhaga lacking a clear line of sight as to what was happening inside the encirclement. As they tried to come up with a new strategy, the naga turned to Ray. Why didn¡¯t you use curses on those swordfish? I tried but they were immune. I think the Kraken anticipated this and made preparations beforehand. Dhaga was frustrated that they were losing on all fronts. He and the orcas were unable to contribute to the battle resulting in the collapse of their flank. The other orb owners stood strong in the center but they were now encircled. Even the best sorceresses had blindspots as he learned from Seiluxr. A perfect spell didn¡¯t exist for all cases so sorceresses had to often rely on other nagas to cover their weak spots. The naga forces would have more weak spots now that they had no place to withdraw to and had more fronts to deal with. Even if they didn¡¯t fall, it was a matter of time before they run out of air to breathe. We need the Leviathan, don¡¯t we? There¡¯s no way the five orbs are enough to turn this thing around, right? The naga hoped the orcas could tell him that he was wrong and, with the orb owners, they could turn the battle around. He hoped they could reassure him that he was giving up too easily and there was still hope. The dragged out silence said otherwise. It was a minute later before Cridror spoke up. The Leviathan did fear this would happen. It and the Kraken had many clashes in the past so, with its absence, it comes as no surprise that the edge is in favor of the Kraken. It doesn¡¯t help that the orbs are weaker when the Leviathan isn¡¯t present. You are sadly right about how the odds were stacked against the nagas from the very start. To anyone with a rough idea of the strength of both sides, this battle was decided before it had even begun. Now what? Do you intend on giving up now? My time is already running out! I would rather fight to my last breath than hide like a coward in my final days. Might as well die a warrior as I dreamed of when I was a young naga. Good! Let¡¯s see if we can create an opening for the nagas to withdraw from. Volume 2 Chapter 34 Dreu wasn¡¯t confident about reaching the lake but he could still simulation their situation if they reached the lake in his mind. Loryss doubled the number of healers on his roster while Azurys¡¯ ability was a convenient spell for spotting danger without getting too close. If they could get into a situation where the sorceress got overconfident, they might even find an opening. However, the young man was harboring any illusions that the sorceress wouldn¡¯t use the lake to her advantage. She simply had to stay at the lake floor while the snakes overwhelmed them through sheer numbers. There was also the matter that the sorceress had other tricks up her sleeves to use against them. Maybe I should work with my companions in subterranean combat. It doesn¡¯t hurt to get a better idea. The ideal situation would involve the evolution of the bats which definitely required leveling them up. Leveling up the weaker members on his team proved to be the biggest challenge. He and the demon worms were fortunate to have fought weaker enemies on their way to Isonron which provided opportunities for Zog and the others. As seen in the cave, easy enemies weren¡¯t abundant due to snakes that had been slowly taking over. From their descriptions, the lesser demon bats hardly sounded threatening to anything but small insects. Against all those snakes, they were either fodder for the stronger bats or meals for the hungry snakes. Meanwhile, the battles outside the caves weren''t any easier, especially when the primates came to mind. Essentially, the odds weren¡¯t in their favor. Dreu paced the room as he tried to find a solution to all of this when Bartok spoke up. Dreu, there is a bat we can persuade to join us. Bat? Dreu had doubts a single bat could make that big of a difference. Before Bartok could share what was on his mind, the four bats chatted between themselves excitedly. They spoke quickly but the young man could still make out some of the discussion. You seriously cannot recommend that outlaw! He¡¯s locked in the prison for a reason. Are you mad, Bartok? Once the bats calmed down, he asked Bartok to elaborate. Balgzr was and still is the strongest bat in our colony. He was undefeated until the snakes got help from their vile sorceress. Following his defeat, Balgzr searched in the forbidden tunnels for a way to win. When the elders learned of this, they collapsed the only way in, trapping Balgzr inside. If we save him, he may join us. He''s the only one who can make a difference in this conflict, especially if you are there to guide us to victory. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Why were the tunnels forbidden? The elders mentioned something evil down there. They never clarified what they meant by that but we were told to never venture close to it. Balgzr was the first to ignore the warning and he was the last to do so before the tunnels were collapsed. Dreu thought about the situation. He understood that warnings usually arose for a very good reason. If the tunnels had something evil and the bats avoided it, he wasn¡¯t even sure if they should enter it, especially when they fared worse in the darkness than the bats. He doubted such a plan would work but Bunting jumped in. If we wish to defeat the snakes, we may have to save Balgzr. I don¡¯t like dealing with those who break the rules but, if doing so saves the bats, then I¡¯d happily do so. This might be our last chance. Hearing the tone of Bunting, Dreu couldn¡¯t bring himself to say no. He didn¡¯t want to be a hero who could save the day. He merely wanted to do everything in his power for the bats so he could face himself knowing that he did try everything. He would be a shitty emperor if he didn¡¯t care about his subjects. And Bayard always told me to fight for what I believe in or I would lose my way in life. Right now, the bats need me. I cannot turn my back until I have fought for them. ¡°Let¡¯s go then! Let¡¯s tell the others our plan of saving Balgzr!¡± As he was walking out the room, Dreu turned to the bats and asked them if they knew where the forbidden tunnels were. As the silence dragged on, the young man began doubting they could even complete this first task. As his internal doubt rose up within him, Azurys spoke up. I have a rough idea of where it is. My brothers and I used to play around there to show we were tough. If we can get to a cavern I¡¯m familiar with, we can navigate our way there. With a goal and a guide in place, Dreu felt he could no longer hesitate on the matter. Finding a bat would be far less dangerous than dealing with an underground lake. They could use this as an opportunity to get more familiar with subterranean environments. If the bats could also level up and evolve, then they would be in a better place. They could worry about the collapsed tunnel once they got there. Having a strong addition wouldn¡¯t hurt us either. Once his mind was made up, Dreu headed to the courtyard to share his plan with the others. Unsurprisingly, no one opposed him as they were all his summons. They would happily follow his lead wherever he went. Should I ask Ragellon about this? Knowing the demonic girl just had a terrible experience in their spelunking, the young man was hesitant to approach her on the matter. While she was a better option to discuss matters objectively, Dreu determined that the next spelunking wasn¡¯t so dangerous that he needed her view. If everything went well, they could leave and return before she was any wiser. He could approach her once they were ready for the engagement with the sorceress. She might provide rare insights on how they could get an edge in combat. Now, who should I pick for this trip? Everyone needs experience but I also want the strongest with me if I can. I cannot underestimate whatever is evil down there. Volume 2 Chapter 35 Not anticipating any major threats, Dreu only brought Brornun and Dar for support. The former would serve as a danger detector if something unexpected crossed their path while the latter could heal any injuries Balgzr suffered from being trapped. The four bats were quite confident they wouldn¡¯t encounter any resistance, especially with the snakes forcing the bats to allocate all their numbers to address the threat elsewhere. The young man had the bats take the lead while he used his staff to light the way for him, Brornun and Dar. The group covered plenty of the ground as they went deeper underground. I hope we can continue avoiding conflict until we reach the surface. With a smaller group, we aren¡¯t as suited for combat. Zog and the others weren¡¯t too pleased with not being present for this stage of the spelunking but Dreu wanted a small group. They couldn¡¯t afford to be noticed if they didn¡¯t want to be discovered underground. From what he learned from the bats, the snakes could sense others through heat and, despite his companions being his summons, they still exhibited traits same as what they had before they joined him. The more he brought with him, the easier for the snakes to lock in on them. Then, they stopped inside a cavern that looked just like any over cavern he stepped in earlier. What¡¯s wrong, Azurys? Did we make a wrong turn? The lesser demon bat went from passage entrance to passage entrance, trying to figure out which way was right. When Dreu asked, she said that the tunnels had changed since she last played in the vicinity. After a minute of checking every passage entrance, the bat turned to Dreu. Might be due to the tunnel collapse. Please give me more time to map the place out. Not wanting to rush the bat, Dreu sat down nearby with his back against the wall. He gestured to Brornun and Dar to join him as he waited. As an added precaution, he spoke with Zog, Aggich and Ilveroz. The three of them were unsummoned so, if anything did happen, he could recall them to deal with the problem. Meanwhile, the other bats joined Azurys in the search for the forbidden tunnels. They ventured deeper into the passageway but they always returned shortly afterwards to discuss what they found. Then, Brornun stood up with his ears back and hackles raised while he faced one of the passage entrances. There¡¯s something sinister¡­.and strong down here. Something¡­.we don¡¯t want to face. Brornun¡¯s remark startled Dreu. When the young man asked the wolf if they should fall back, Brornun simply said that they might be fine. The sinister presence wasn¡¯t close to them and they couldn¡¯t approach it unless they traveled much deeper into the mountain. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. This thing isn¡¯t moving either. It feels dormant and dangerous at the same time. I¡¯ll let you know if I sense it moving towards us. From their discussion with the bats, it was clear they didn¡¯t need to reach the deeper parts of the mountain. They only needed to reach the entrance to the forbidden tunnels. Once there, they could figure out a way to clear the rubble blocking the way. When asked, the bats claimed that the rubble was only impossible to clear due to the bats lacking the means to do so. Even Balgzr with his strength wouldn¡¯t be able to clear a path through his strength alone. However, they stated that a human like Dreu should have no issue. The young man questioned their statement but he kept his opinion to himself. We¡¯re almost there! These tunnels appear familiar. With permission, Azurys ventured deeper down the tunnel that got Brornu riled up to investigate on her own. Dreu decided that, if the bat was defeated, they would fall back and regroup. Thankfully, that wasn¡¯t necessary when the bat returned with news of the passage being correct. The group proceeded forward until they came across the blockage. During this last bit of spelunking, the young man learned that, by limiting the intensity of his illumination staff, he could create a situation where there was enough light for him, Brornun and Dar to see while it also allowed the bats to navigate without being completely blinded. Now, how do we clear this blockage? If my squadmates were here... While the bats were correct about him possessing more means of removing the rubble like more physical strength and fingers, Dreu couldn¡¯t tell how much rubble and debris was in the way. His days as a laborer had made him accustomed to such work but, like everything else, there was a limit before he had to stop to rest. The young man planned out a trip for a single day as they weren''t equipped to stay underground for multiple days. If Bayard and the others were here, they could do this easily with their limitless stamina. Dreu turned to the bats and asked if they could figure out how big the blockage was. The four bats went to work but they could only map out a section of the blockage. With the information, the young man figured out where the debris wasn¡¯t the densest so he put his energy into clearing that section. After repeating the process, they eventually cleared a path to the other side. As soon he stepped into the other side, Dreu stopped in his tracks. Why? Why are there lit torches here? What is going on here? While Dreu tried to make sense of everything, the four bats flew slightly deeper into the passage, careful in not getting too close to the torches. The young man turned to Brornu who stated he couldn¡¯t sense any danger close by. You four! Scout ahead but fall back as soon as you spot something. I don¡¯t know what individual or thing could be responsible for these torches. Once the bats set off, Dreu returned to the dark tunnels and increased the illumination of his staff. To his shock, there were sconces along the wall that stretched for the rest of the passage. What will happen if all the torches are lit? Is this a ritual of some sort? Volume 2 Chapter 36 Despite repeated attempts, Dhaga and the orcas couldn¡¯t break through the enemy ranks. The Kraken forces had concentrated their numbers where the group was present at all times, completely suffocating all of their attempts to make a breakthrough. Even after inflicting casualties, the group felt it hardly made a dent in the numbers of the Kraken soldiers. At times, Dhaga felt like the Kraken had unlimited numbers to throw at them. Meanwhile, the Kraken followers also did a good job concealing the battlefield to those outside the encirclement, making it impossible for Dhaga to know how the surrounded naga forces were doing. We¡¯ll lose at this rate! Can¡¯t we do anything? The orcas had slowed down in their attacks. They also seemed less eager to engage the Kraken forces, appearing to be content with observing from a distance. Dhaga had never felt so powerless in the situation. He could barely get close as he lacked the bulk the orcas possessed. While they could deliver impressive charges and withdraw with ease, he could easily be overwhelmed if he got too close. Is there anyone who could turn this around? Anyone? The naga turned to see a projectile fly towards the Kraken soldiers. Upon impact, a large hole was created in the enemy ranks. Dhaga followed the trajectory of the projectile until he stopped at a large naga army that was approaching the Kraken forces. Even from a distance, he could make out the red helmets worn by the nagas. The red helmets were made from the exoskeleton of the giant red lobsters that inhabited the reefs near Tolmer Isle. To ensure the safety of the fortress, the nagas regularly culled the numbers of the giant red lobsters. To make full use of the entire lobster, the exoskeleton would be crafted into helmets that provided the naga protection no other headgear could provide. Therefore, one could easily discern those from Tolmer garrison by the helmet they wore. The reinforcements of Tolmer Isle will turn things around! In response to the Tolmer Isle forces, the Kraken soldiers abandoned their encirclement to engage the naga reinforcements. Using this opportunity, Dhaga and the orcas picked off the enemy as they made their way to the previously encircled naga soldiers. When they arrived, the nagas looked exhausted but alive. The nagas had held out long enough for reinforcements to arrive. The Kraken is on the move! Dhaga cursed internally upon hearing Cridror''s words. This was terrible news as they needed time to regroup and rest. Anyone who saw the state of the encircled nagas would know that they were in position for further combat. Yet, he knew that he would do the same if the roles were reversed. The Kraken wasn¡¯t about to throw away its advantage so easily to crush the main nagas forces. I need to get Azi to heal the wounded here. Please deal with the Kraken soldiers in the meantime. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Dhaga swam as quickly as he could towards the capital. As he approached the city, he kept his eyes open for the healer naga who was critical to the naga race¡¯s survival. It didn¡¯t take him long to find Azi healing multiple nagas at once. With grace, she casted a spell that lasted only mere seconds. In those seconds, even the badly wounded naga fully recovered and showed no signs of ever being injured. When Azi turned around to face Dhaga, the naga found himself mesmerized by her beauty. With the aging of the orb, she went from a juvenile naga to a prime female naga capable of stealing hearts of those around her. ¡°Dhaga! It¡¯s good to see you!¡± Dhaga wasn¡¯t sure how he should respond when Azi embraced him. While certain thoughts went through his head, he was fully aware of the gazes from the nearby male nagas. The envy was very obvious on their faces, making the naga rather uncomfortable. The naga made sure he regained his composure before he spoke. ¡°There are many who need your help,¡± said Dhaga as he gently pushed Azi away. ¡°We need them healed before the Kraken arrives.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Azi said with the brightest smile Dhaga had ever seen. Unsure what he could say, Dhaga simply led the way with Azi in tow. He was very much aware of the gaze she had on him but he couldn¡¯t respond. After breaking up with Soce, he felt it was unfair to start any new relationships, especially if his time was ticking down already. ¡°Dhaga,¡± said Azi quietly. ¡°When this is all over and we still have time, can you show me¡­how nagas mate? I want to at least experience it all before I die.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sure? What am I thinking? I¡­I¡­. ¡°Thank you for saving me from despair and hopelessness! I don¡¯t know where I would be if you didn¡¯t give me a hand.¡± ¡°The orb picked you though.¡± ¡°But you were the one to give me hope for a brighter future!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s use our remaining time to ensure a brighter future for everyone else then!¡± Unexpectedly, Azi swam up beside him and grabbed him by the hand. She then pulled him forward as she picked up speed. Dhaga, surprised by the strength she exhibited, couldn''t respond initially. ¡°Swim faster, you seahorse!¡± To think I trained so hard on my speed to still be called a seahorse. With a smile, Dhaga picked up his speed until he was dragging Azi gently through the water. He gripped her tighter. I wish the situations were different and you, Soce and I can be together¡­for the brighter future we envision in creating... Knowing how such a future couldn¡¯t possibly exist, Dhaga returned his focus to his surroundings. He could ill-afford to be caught off guard by Kraken followers. Yet, one thing nagged him since he left the orcas to retrieve Azi. He searched his surroundings again but he still found nothing. Where are the Kraken followers? Wouldn¡¯t they benefit from sending strike teams to our capital during the chaos while our walls are only lightly fortified? Or do they have something else planned? Dhaga couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the Kraken had something terrible planned for them. Volume 2 Chapter 37 Dreu had been waiting several minutes when Brornun spoke up. Something is approaching us. Seems to be a bat but it¡¯s far too fast. Damn! Where are those four? They aren¡¯t in my recall list. Did something else happen to them? Moments later, the four bats flew frantically towards the young man. They were all shouting incoherent sentences so Dreu told them to stay behind him and stop talking. He quickly summoned Aggich and Ilveroz and told the cursed fox to prepare her curse for the incoming creature. He, Ilveroz and Brornun would form the frontline to hold off whatever was coming at them. In the worst case scenario, the young man would fall back through the tunnels and hope he could get away. The creature is here! While Dreu got the warning from Brornun, he wasn¡¯t ready for what turned around the corner. The torches provided enough light for him to see all the features of the abomination. It had the wings and ears of a bat. The size roughly matched what his four bats described to him. The rest of the creature¡¯s body was bloated similar to that of a corpse. Even from where he stood, Dreu could see wormlike creatures crawling beneath the skin. The eyes were completely covered by bloated flesh but, with the way it turned its head, it was obvious that the creature could sense them just fine. In addition to the horrendous outer appearance, the aura of the creature made Dreu want to turn tail and run. Whatever they were facing must be related to the evil the bats spoke of. Is that Balgzr? What happened to it? Dreu felt the urge to vomit but his attention quickly turned to the creature which flew straight at him. The young man, with his drawn blade, readied himself to intercept. Once the creature was closer, he gave the signal to Aggich. The creature was slowed down to barely a crawl when it suddenly regained its speed. Dreu quickly dodged out of the path of the creature as he wasn¡¯t expecting it to regain its speed. Is that thing immune to curses? We have one way to find out. After repeated curses from Aggich, it soon became clear that curses had no impact on the creature. Due to that, Dreu quickly unsummoned the cursed fox to avoid her getting hurt. He then ordered everyone to keep dodging, hoping that the thing would eventually use up its stamina. Unfortunately, the thing kept going and never slowed down once. Ilveroz and Brornun, we¡¯ll have to defeat it the old fashion way then! If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Given the creature¡¯s speed and hostility, he doubted any of them could outrun it in the caves. Leaving their backs to it would be a mistake. As soon as he got a small opening, Dreu pointed his staff and cast the max brightness at the creature. When the act did little to slow down the creature, he unsummoned the staff and held his blade with both hands. He patiently waited for a second opening before he swung his blade down as hard as he could only to have his weapon bounce off. How tough is the creature¡¯s skin? I didn¡¯t even leave a mark. Ilveroz and Brornun then tried their luck with their claws but they too couldn¡¯t get through the creature¡¯s hide. After a few attempts of attacking various parts of the creature, they couldn''t even leave a scratch on it. Seeing how their physical attacks weren¡¯t working, the young man summoned Zog and ordered the demon butterfly to use its chaos flames on the creature. Dreu breathed a sigh of relief when the creature screamed in pain after it was hit by the chaos flames. While it wasn¡¯t clear how much damage it took, the fact that it worked meant they had an answer to it. Zog, keep up the pressure! As the demon butterfly fought the creature one on one, Dreu ran over to the bats asking if they saw anything unusual before they encountered the creature. The bats claimed that they fled before they noticed anything and the creature had already started pursuing them by then. Hoping that they could find a way to defeat the creature, Dreu led the bats, Ilveroz and Brornun deeper into the tunnel. He wasn¡¯t sure what he expected to find but his instincts told him that something was making the creature immune to physical attacks. For all his time interacting with adventurers, he had never heard any creature or individual that could completely nullify all physical attacks. I sure hope I am right and I¡¯m not leading the group to their deaths. The young man still remembered the words from Brornun about something sinister. He checked with the direwolf earlier and got confirmation that what they faced wasn¡¯t what it sensed. As long as they didn¡¯t go too deep, they might not face what the direwolf warned them about. Zog, I believe you can do it! The group made quick progress as everyone searched for anything out of place. Several minutes later, they stopped before a hitching post that released a terrifying aura similar to what the creature exuded. Ilveroz offered to attack it and, when he made contact, he was pushed back. The post then started glowing as a dark portal formed beside it. The portal was nothing like the demon portal as it was pitched dark with nothing visible on the other side. Then, a sickle-shaped claw reached out from the void before the creature¡¯s entire body appeared. The featureless long and narrow reptillian head reminded him that this wasn''t the first time he encountered it. Recalling the same fear he had before, Dreu recalled the name. That¡¯s a¡­.a Velo? Is this hitching post a product of the underworld? What is happening in the demon realm? As soon as the creature exited the portal, it dashed straight at Dreu. It was intercepted by Brornun who put his weight into the charge to disrupt the creature''s charge. Ilveroz then arrived behind it as he and Brornun were ready to sandwich the Velo in the middle. Dreu steadied himself before giving the order for those two to attack. We''ll defeat this creature together! Volume 2 Chapter 38 As Ilveroz and Brornun leaped towards the velo, the underworld creature pounced towards Ilveroz at such a speed the demon hound couldn¡¯t evade. The attack sent the hound flying until he hit the tunnel wall where he stopped moving. Dreu knew better to turn his back against such a dangerous foe so he prayed Ilveroz was fine. With the creature turning its attention to Brornun, the young man saw an opportunity to land a slash in. Yet, the creature, despite having its back turned to him, still avoided the attack with ease. Then, it returned its attention to Brornun who had been expertly avoiding the claws. How do we defeat something that has speed, damage and no blindspot? Dreu¡¯s repeated attempts to land a hit ended with the same outcome. The creature wasn¡¯t interested in attacking him for some reason and he didn¡¯t like it one bit. However, it did mean he could freely attack the creature until it decided that he was worth its while. A few minutes later, Dreu summoned Aggich and requested her to use her curse on the velo. While casting the curse, the cursed fox stood still which allowed the velo to quickly close the distance between them. ¡°Not on my watch!¡± Dreu swung his blade in the path of the velo which it expertly dodged. The dodge bought Aggich the necessary time to finish casting her spell. Unlike the bat, the velo did stay slowed after the curse was cast. Against a less agile foe, Dreu and Brornun could land their attacks with impunity. Sadly, their physical attacks couldn¡¯t get through the creature¡¯s armor. The sturdiness was unlike anything Dreu had encountered before. In a standard human or demon army, such a creature could easily serve on the frontlines. These are just the scouts? No wonder Bayard told us to avoid them. They are too strong for most unless one happens to be equipped with the means to deal with them. Dreu wished he had brought more of his companions along. Limited options really complicated the combat as he had to experiment on the fly. Then, he jumped out of the way as Balgzr narrowly hit him in its charge. It then charged at Aggich but Ilveroz managed to intercept it with a charge of his own. The demon hound and direwolf had the bat sandwiched this time, attacking it without giving it a chance to resume its charge. Could the velo now call upon its allies? We need to separate them¡­or defeat the velo while it''s still slowed. With Zog joining them, Dreu requested the demon butterfly to cast its fireballs at the slowed velo as Ilveroz and Brornun focused on keeping the bat occupied. After a few hits from the duos, Dreu could see their attacks having an impact and urged them to keep going. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Focus on the locations with the burns. Zog must have greatly weakened its defense. In the meantime, Zog¡¯s chaos flames turned the velo¡¯s armor to a bright orange. After ordering Zog to pause, Dreu ran over to slash at the armor only to find his blade went through it like a knife through butter. Unlike the sturdy armor earlier, the velo was now vulnerable and the young man didn¡¯t stop until he could no longer sense life in it. His smile disappeared when he turned to observe how Ilveroz and Brornun were doing. The demon hound could barely stand on his own strength while Brornun was clearly losing to the bat. ¡°Get away from him!¡± Unexpectedly, the bat flew straight at him so Dreu brought up his blade between him and the enemy. He expected the creature to dodge but it actually charged straight at him without slowing down. Upon impact, his free hand was supporting the flat side of the blade as he pushed back with all his might. In his mind, he could only comment on the hardiness of the creature. Zog did well softening part of the bat up but the creature was still extremely tough to kill off. Then, Dreu saw in his peripheral vision Brornun leap into the creature. ¡°You disgusting mutt!¡± shouted the creature. The low voice surprised Dreu as this was the first time he encountered a demonic creature who could talk. He and his summoned units relied on their thoughts and, even then, there were limitations. Yet, this was neither the time nor place to wonder about that. While he held the bat in place, the direwolf targeted the vulnerable backside of the bat. He studied the creature as it backed away. A big chunk of it was missing with black fluid forming a trail to Brornun. The young man watched as direwolf spit out what was in his mouth. As Brornun turned to the creature, he suddenly convulsed, collapsing to the floor. ¡°How do you like it?¡± called out the bat in its final minute. ¡°Embrace the power of the underworld! You''ll become exactly like me!¡± Dreu didn¡¯t hesitate to slash into the exposed flesh of the creature. The creature, so distracted by Brornun¡¯s pained cries, didn¡¯t react until the blade cleaved it in half. Dreu quickly backed up to avoid any of the creature¡¯s guts and fluids from making contact with him. He held his blade at ready while he stared down the bat. At the same time, he summoned Dar, having not found a good time earlier for the other demon butterfly to enter the fray. Dar, check on Brornun! Once he was certain the bat was indeed dead, Dreu sheathed his blade and went over to check on Brornun. The direwolf seemed to be in bad shape and nothing Dar did improved his condition. Then, the young man realized his foolishness and looked to unsummon Brornun. For the first time, his companion couldn¡¯t be unsummoned and it worried him greatly. He looked to the others but they were puzzled as he could unsummon them at will. The prompt also didn''t provide him with any information. Loryss, please assist Dar in healing Brornun while I get him out of here. Without another word, Dreu carried the direwolf on his back and he began the trek back to the city. Volume 2 Chapter 39 Dhaga stopped abruptly when he sensed a large source of energy in the direction of where the Kraken was last spotted. Azi commented on the matter too which made him deathly worried as he wasn''t the only one to sense it. The absence of Kraken forces began to make sense if the Kraken had decided to make its move on them. More specifically, the Kraken intended on using a long range spell at a caliber fit for a creature of its magnitude. Without the Leviathan protecting the naga capital, there was nothing stopping the Kraken from inflicting devastation to the region. Even the orb owners were helpless in the face of such overwhelming power. Here it comes! I guess our struggles didn¡¯t really get us much. Though none of us were disillusioned to believe the Kraken hadn''t been toying with us this whole time. The large source of energy peaked before it began moving towards the naga capital. The attack began slowly but it accelerated at an unthinkable rate until it was moving faster than any naga and orca. Due to the size, the attack was soon visible to Dhaga who noted the radius of the energy was so massive that even he knew he couldn¡¯t get out of the way in time. Meanwhile, all of the naga forces were in the path of the attack as it became clear that the Kraken looked to end the naga with one fell swoop. The reinforcements were allowed to arrive so they could be eliminated as well. The Kraken had outperformed in every metric in its quest to wipe out the last naga civilization. Now, it had grown bored with them and looked to finish the battle swiftly. Knowing his end was near, Dhaga embraced Azi tightly. The two of them embraced as they waited to be ripped apart by the Kraken¡¯s attack. Yet, the attack never arrived so they looked to see. It¡­.can¡¯t be¡­. A giant serpent appeared to have materialized from the sea itself where the Kraken attack was last spotted. Its length was at least double the length of the naga capital''s outer walls. In addition to dark green scales that covered every inch of the serpent¡¯s body, Spikes at least four times the length of average nagas covered its back. Once Dhaga got into a better position, he could make out the dragon-like head which was solely focused on the Kraken and its forces. He was a juvenile naga when he last saw the serpent but there was no way for him to forget about it. ¡°I know you can all hear me,¡± said the creature. ¡°Nagas, join me in our final battle against the Kraken and his followers. We cannot allow such a threat to continue terrorizing the waters we call our home. Let this be the battle we decisively crush our foes. The Kraken''s demise is now here!¡± Following its message, the leviathan let out a shockwave that blew past Dhaga gently. The naga felt power surging within him as Cridror arrived beside him. The orca told him to not hold back and tap into everything within the orb for the final battle. The orca said the same to Azi who was staring at her hand with puzzlement. Under the guidance of the orca, the two of them went into a meditative state to search for the orb within them. As soon as he made contact, Dhaga dug deeper to see what was hidden beneath the orb surface. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. It¡¯s about time you got here! The naga found him inside the orb which was filled with liquid. Orcas were present everywhere and, when he asked about their numbers, he was told that there were twenty seven orcas present. The orb possessed a pod of thirty orcas but Dhaga only managed to summon three of them. Meanwhile, the rest of them could only observe with no chance of participation. Upon hearing that, Dhaga tightened his fist. Am I too weak? Is that why I couldn¡¯t tap into the full strength of the orb? No! Unless you¡¯re a godlike creature like the Leviathan, you will never summon the entire pod. Three is the expected number while overachievers might get five if they¡¯re lucky. What now? It¡¯s still too early for you to summon all of us. We¡¯ll be summoned when the time is right. Join the upcoming battle and be ready for anything. Dhaga found himself booted out of his orb. He looked up to see Azi¡¯s concerned look but he assured her that he merely had a talk with orcas. After sharing about the orcas that were still within the orb, Cridror told him to stay patient as their appearance was inevitable with the arrival of the Leviathan. With both he and Azi tapping more into their orb¡¯s powers, they needed to master their new skills as soon as possible. Without further delay, Cridror urged the two to get on so it could take them to the frontline where they were needed. How are they doing? I left before I had a good look at how everyone was doing. Cridror explained that the encircled nagas were exhausted but their will hadn¡¯t been broken. The orca did have concerns since stamina was very different from health. Healing spells for health was very common and came in many varieties. Healing spells for stamina were exceptionally rare and most were awful in their effectiveness, costs or both. Given that recovering stamina normally required rest, their side was at a terrible advantage with the repeated attacks from the Kraken forces. ¡°Azi, do you have ways to recover stamina?¡± asked Dhaga. The naga knew that the pink orb was newly introduced so no one knew the full extent of the powers within the orb except for Azi. He had hoped she might have discovered a solution to their problem when she tapped into her orb. ¡°Yes, I can not only heal the stamina of multiple targets but I can also sense when someone¡¯s stamina is low. I know there are many at the frontline needing my help. Let''s not dawdle when we have a battle to win!¡± Volume 2 Chapter 40 Dreu sat down a few meters from Brornun, watching his companion¡¯s unconscious body. Since the battle with the bat abomination ended, the lesser demon direwolf hadn¡¯t regained consciousness. The wolf¡¯s initial reaction and the abomination¡¯s remarks worried Dreu but he felt helpless. As soon as he set the direwolf down in the room, Dar ordered everyone to give Brornun some space while she did her best to heal him. Even Loryss was aiding the process by putting her Hibernation Link to use. The bat was hanging upside down in the attic where the other bats kept watch for any unlikely danger. Will he be okay? The question came from a new addition to the team following the battle. While Dar was carrying Brornun in the tunnels, Dreu heard a sound nearby and went to investigate. He couldn''t risk showing his back to a potential foe. To his shock, he found what appeared to be a bear cub in the tunnel where the abomination was roaming. The creature was hurt and shuddered upon seeing him. Trusting his instincts, Dreu put the direwolf down and lifted the cub in his arms. The bear cub snuggled against him and fell asleep. The young man then got a notification. < Congratulations! A bear cub has joined your roster. > Opening his prompt window, Dreu was informed that this was a bear cub and nothing else. There was no description, skills or status associated. Unlike all his other companions, this bear cub was an enigma to him despite being part of his roster now. While he had questions about how a bear cub ended up in the tunnels and survived with the bat abomination there, the young man knew Brornun needed help urgently and they should leave before more abominations showed up. Dar, upon noticing the bear cub in Dreu¡¯s arms, proceeded to heal the tiny creature. Once the healing was completed, Dreu held the bear cub in one arm and carried Brornun on his back with his other arm. To be on the safe side, the young man ordered his companions to seal off the tunnel. The group then made slow progress back up the tunnel and reached the cave entrance. Good thing we didn¡¯t encounter any more threats. I don¡¯t know how we would fare in our current condition. Dreu felt slight relief upon stepping out of the cave. Despite the times he entered it, he still couldn¡¯t find himself adjusting to the underground. Something about the confined space unnerved him, especially when he had to face threats like the bat abomination and velo that seemed far better suited in those environments. The young man checked on Brornun who had fallen asleep. The direwolf¡¯s labored breathing had calmed for the time being but, as stated by Dar, the healing did nothing to help his companion¡¯s recovery. Whatever happened following the ingestion of the bat¡¯s blood wasn¡¯t good. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Let¡¯s get back to the city! I hope Ragellon has an answer to our problems. With a bear cub and Brornun weighing him down, Dreu found the descent rather challenging. His center of mass had shifted with them and it wasn¡¯t easy to get adjusted to it. As he was about to lose his balance, Zog and Dar intercepted and provided him with support. The young man looked down to see Aggich and Ilveroz doing their part as well. Thanks everyone! I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not alone in all this! By taking one step at a time, Dreu got closer to the base of the mountain. He could count on his companions'' help whenever he needed some support. When they reached the base, the young man felt the temptation to rest. Yet, he kept going as Brornun was his top priority. While Dar and Loryss did what they could for the direwolf in the room, Dreu paced back and forth while he waited for Ragellon to arrive. The demonic girl eventually rushed into the room. She glanced at Brornun and asked what happened. Dreu told her about everything that happened and, after he was done, the room was deathly silent. ¡°If a velo was there,¡± said Ragellon, ¡°then I fear it¡¯s already too late for your direwolf.¡± ¡°At least tell me what is going on. What happened to that bat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not certain so I¡¯ll be sharing with you what my father told me.¡± Ragellon began explaining that the underworld and hell were two different places, though both were terrifying for outsiders like them. Despite their reputations, the two places still had their own followers on the continent who hoped to obtain incredible powers that came at a great cost. For those who wished to obtain powers from the underworld, they would need to experience degradation which granted power at the cost of sacrificing important things like souls and memories. ¡°In essence, degradation destroys all aspects of an individual until that being or creature becomes nothing more than a loyal pawn to the master that granted the powers.¡± The demonic child then explained the hell equivalent to degradation was corruption. Unlike degradation, corruption could tap into the seven sins to control a person. The price for immense power for an individual or being was succumbing to one of the sins for the rest of one¡¯s existence. ¡°The factions in hell are said to be divided over what sin they embrace. Those with the similar sin join forces to satisfy their thirst but, due to that thirst being insatiable, the corrupted beings will constantly pursue a path that will only end in their deaths.¡± Dreu thanked Ragellon for her explanation and said that he would think about the fate of Brornun. The demonic girl urged him to end the direwolf¡¯s misery before the degradation stripped the creature of its emotions and soul. She claimed that it was too late for them to stop the process. As soon as the direwolf went through its full degradation, then they might all be at its mercey. Once Ragellon left the building, the young man sat down. What is going to happen to you, Brornun? I don¡¯t think I can bear ending your life, not after what you did in the cave for me. Volume 2 Chapter 41 Dreu decided that he needed some fresh air to clear his head. He ordered everyone including Dar to stay outside the room, wanting to not risk any of them to catch degradation should Brornun be awakened. He didn''t know if degradation functioned like a disease so he was fearful that being in the same room might also end poorly for them. As he entered the hallway, he noticed the bear cub was playing with Ilveroz and Aggich. As soon as he stepped out, the three companions stopped their play and the bear cub asked him if the direwolf would be fine. I don¡¯t know. Dreu didn¡¯t know degradation well enough to claim he had any knowledge so he responded honestly to the bear cub. Ilveroz and Aggich stayed close to the bear cub who lacked a name. Unlike the other demonic creatures, the prompt window didn¡¯t reveal the cub¡¯s name to him. When asked, the cub replied that she didn¡¯t know her name nor did she remember her past. She merely stated that she found herself suddenly in the dark tunnels and, upon hearing the combat, instinctively tried to hide. Then, Dreu showed up and she later woke up in his arms. Dreu made a note to ask Ragellon about what could be happening. First the sorceress showed up and now a random bear cub. Something was happening in the Isonron and he wanted to figure out what. Let¡¯s all head to the courtyard to get some fresh air. We can then return and check up on Brornun. In the courtyard, Ilveroz, Aggich and the bear cub resumed their play while the others just enjoyed the peace and quiet. They had all grown accustomed to the destructiveness of the greater demon primate as its impact was limited to the far edges of the city. His worry of the primate destroying the walls was for naught as the walls were far sturdier than he gave them credit. The young man allowed his mind to wander when he kicked himself for forgetting to check the prompt on Brornun. While it was true he couldn¡¯t recall the direwolf, he never once checked the status of his companion. With that, he quickly ran back to the room. < Lv 3 Lesser Demon Direwolf (Brornun) [Mid-Evolution]: Evolution: -This canine creature is capable of evolving once it comes in contact with degradation. Due to how rare degradation is for demonic creatures, evolution is at best rare if not impossible. -Once this canine creature makes contact with degradation, it enters the stage of [Mid-Evolution]. During [Mid-Evolution], the creature enters a hibernation state where it loses all consciousness. After a set duration, evolution is complete and the creature evolves rapidly into its new form. During [Mid-Evolution], the creature is completely vulnerable and cannot defend itself. Status: The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. +25% attack and defense from veterency. +15% attack and defense from survival instincts. -1000% attack and defense from [Mid-Evolution].> Mid-evolution through degradation? Dreu didn¡¯t know if this was a good thing or not. He still had many questions regarding the tunnels. They had defeated the velo and the bat abomination but they didn¡¯t touch the hitching post. The post triggered when Ilveroz attacked it and, with Brornun out, they couldn¡¯t afford to see if the post was capable of summoning more powerful foes. He was reluctant in leaving the post alone knowing what it was capable of. The young man also understood that they did a very crude job in sealing off the tunnels so it wasn¡¯t impossible for more underworld creatures to enter the underground systems. If they make it that far, then there¡¯s nothing stopping them from reaching us. The thought made Dreu realize that he had no clue on how to escape Isonron. He was told that the artificial city would disappear once its time was up. He made a mental note to check with Ragellon. In the meantime, he watched the direwolf sleeping peacefully on the ground. It wasn¡¯t absurd for Brornun to evolve into an underworld monster given that degradation was the trigger to evolution. Can we really defeat something stronger than that velo? Dreu shuddered at the thought a velo was a mere scout as it highlighted the gap in power between humans and underworld creatures. This gap explained why there were those who sought degradation as it wasn¡¯t a tiny boost in power. If the direwolf did become something more terrifying, then he was basically signing all of their death warrants by not killing his companion. As he debated what was the best course of action, Dreu reached for the blade handle. Can I strike down at a defenseless opponent, even if that opponent is a trusted companion? He couldn¡¯t bring himself to do something like that nor did he believe his companions could do such a thing. Never once did he view them as mere tools for winning combat. Bayard and the others were his mentors and protectors. Zog and the others were his friends and supports who were there through his highs and lows. Without them, he couldn¡¯t even return to the city during his descent. ¡°Stay away,¡± shouted someone in the streets. Dreu and the others rushed to the streets to find a wounded demonic child. Her right arm was covered in blood while her left hand was raised to fire chaos flames at the attackers. The young man unsheathed his blade upon seeing two velos and an unknown enemy who were unscathed from the child''s attacks. Dreu knew that Zog''s attacks were considerably stronger than what these demonic children were capable of. How? Did we trigger something that spawns more enemies? If so, then we are in trouble. And are the barriers now useless? Without needing orders, Zog already released a wide barrage of chao flames at the enemies. Only the unknown enemy dodged in time and Dreu took advantage of the situation by delivering the finishing blow to the velos whose armor were burning a bright orange. ¡°Fascinating! I didn¡¯t think there were any strong foes here. Looks like I¡¯ll find some fun after all!¡± The remaining foe looked like a much skinnier version of Bayard with jet black armor. It unsheathed its two weapons from scabbards, resulting in the appearance of two crescent moon blades. Volume 2 Chapter 42 The arrival of the Leviathan had halted all of the Kraken¡¯s advances as confirmed by Dhaga and the orcas. They did some brief scouting a short distance from the Leviathan only to find no hostile forces. Given that the nagas didn¡¯t expect their guardian to return, it was no surprise for the Kraken to be wary as well. For the time being, the Kraken and its followers were content with inaction which bought some valuable time for the naga forces. I hope Azi is doing fine. There are many who need her healing and she¡¯s just one naga. Cridror then teased Dhaga about his feelings towards Azi. The naga couldn¡¯t deny it but, in a way, he felt he was betraying Soce with his feelings. He and Cridror were returning to the Leviathan when they felt a few presence leaving the Kraken camp. They joined with Acro and Ray who shared the same concern of why the Kraken was sending so few followers against them. Their conversation with the Leviathan earlier confirmed the worst of their fears as the guardian¡¯s time and power was limited. The Leviathan was summoned through an unorthodox method so it couldn''t use its abilities freely as it usually would. The Kraken could be suspecting such a thing so Dhaga and the orcas had to actively conceal the Leviathan¡¯s limitations. There are eight of them. We¡¯ll have to take on two at a time if we want to stop them from reaching the guardian. Agreeing with Ray¡¯s assessment, Dhaga chose to take on the two Kraken followers at the left flank. As he got closer, he could make out two stingrays swimming near the seafloor. Before he could get any closer, the stingrays suddenly vanished from sight. Do they have camouflage abilities? Dhaga quickly swam to where he last saw the stingrays but he couldn¡¯t sense their presence. He looked everywhere but nothing stood out. Knowing that each wasted minute would see the stingrays get closer to the Leviathan, the naga calmed himself and closed his eyes. I hope this works, Seiluxr. What made Seiluxr such a powerful sorceress was her ability to master new spells. She not only focused on the powerful spells that were commonly associated with sorceresses but she also invested time on spells that were more situational or far more niche. She stated that mastering different spells added to her arsenal of spells, making her more versatile in most cases. Because Seiluxr had studied spells since she was a child, Dhaga also had the chance to learn a few spells with her. While he failed to grasp the more powerful spells, the naga did pick up a lot of supposedly weaker spells. Now that he recalled what he learned, Dhaga wondered if his sister had a treasure trove that was simply overlooked. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Current sense. As a naga, Dhaga never had to worry about the currents too much. His tail was powerful enough to get him anywhere he needed to go while his body shape allowed him to cut through currents relatively easily. Unless he was caught in a whirlpool, he wouldn¡¯t need to exert much effort to get to his destination. Therefore, he always assumed that the current sense spell was useless. Yet, it was the perfect ability against underwater camouflaged foes as they would disrupt the current of the ocean that wouldn¡¯t be viewable through a naga¡¯s eyes. Where are you two hiding? Few minutes later, Dhaga killed off both stingrays. Neither resisted much because they hadn¡¯t expected him to find them. During the brief chase, Dahaga realized another one of his follies as he learned how useful the spell was for combat as well. While it was true he could navigate through the currents just fine, the ability to swim with the current allowed him to gain additional speed without exerting more of his stamina. In essence, he had discovered a way to gain more maneuverability with little cost due to the very low mana cost of current sense. Time to get back to the guardian then. Dhaga was about to swim towards the Leviathan when he detected something with his current sense. He checked a few times before he believed what he sensed. The entire sea floor was covered by creatures that could camouflage as well as the sting rays with all of those creatures heading straight for the Leviathan. After a short debate of what he should do, Dhaga chose to seek out reinforcements as he was certain he couldn¡¯t do it alone. The creatures on the seafloor were fairly slow so he could get help before they reached their target. If I have to guess, those must be crabs. At least, they move similarly to crabs and there are a lot of them. I can swim much faster than they can crawl. The naga soon arrived at the temporary camp where the naga forces were resting. Azi had done a miraculous job as all the nagas appeared well rested and ready for more combat. As he searched for someone who could help, the sorceress selected by the red orb swam up to him. ¡°You look distressed! I¡¯m certain I can be of help!¡± The sorceress was called Naha and she was apparently a student of Seiluxr. Dhaga did wonder why he never heard about her but this wasn¡¯t the time nor place. Knowing she was an orb owner, he went straight to the point regarding the enemies he sensed on the seafloor. Based on his observation and description, Naha agreed that the creatures were likely crabs. She offered to join Dhaga, claiming that her wide area spells would be very good against all the crabs as she could wipe out many in a single blast. Hoping that they would be done quickly, Dhaga agreed and led the way. When he activated his current sense, he realized that the crabs were also capable of using the currents to speed their journey towards the Leviathan. The massive lead he thought he had on the crabs was no longer there. We got to stop them before they get even closer! Volume 2 Chapter 43 Faced with a foe wielding two blades, Dreu immediately summoned everyone. Keth was the first to charge at the foe who effortlessly dodged the attack. Aggich then casted her curse but the unknown being shrugged it off like it was nothing. His other companions took turns attacking but none of them could land a blow. In a way, the being was simply dancing as it avoided their attacks. It isn¡¯t even taking us seriously. Dreu waited for an opening before he went in for an attack. Like his companions, his attack didn¡¯t land and the being got to safety. The young man then ordered Zog to fire a blanket of fireballs at the foe. The being, while skilled at dodging single attacks, lacked the speed to dodge all of the fireballs as the fireball barrage didn''t have to hit two targets this time. When it retreated to open a gap with Zog, one of its arms was burned clean off. Zog, keep it up! Dreu didn¡¯t want the being to get a breather and regroup so he ordered Zog to keep up the pressure. A few barrages later, the being looked like it was on its last legs. Much of its body had burned away and neither of its legs looked strong enough to support anything. As the young man was ready for the final blow, the being raised its remaining arm. One of the crescent moon blades was attracted to the being¡¯s hand and it glowed a dark red. With a simple spin of the blade, a portal about the size of the being appeared. Then, a foot stepped through the gate. Zog, finish the job! The demon butterfly fired a barrage that finally ended the being. However, two unknown bull-like beings managed to get through the portal in time. The unknown beings were not only bulky but they released a bloodthirst aura that made Dreu breathe heavily. They wielded warhammers with both hands but their armor was more impressive. At a glance, one could see the intricacies carved into the armor as they suited the wearer perfectly. Dreu felt like he was staring at two bulls capable of destroying anything in sight. Then, one of the bulls charged forward and attacked Keth. One blow later, Keth was defeated and was unsummoned. The being, however, didn¡¯t stop there. It then turned its attention to Zog who tried desperately to dodge the relentless attacks. Aggich, try your curse on that one! The young man had yet to figure out which of these underworld beings were immune to curses so he had to rely on the old trial and error. This time, the curses had an effect as the attacking bull slowed down to a crawl, giving Zog a chance to flee. Yet, this only resulted in the other bull making its move. Luckily, Aggich reacted swiftly and also cursed the second bull. While the two were slowed to a snail¡¯s crawl, Dreu asked all of his companions to focus on one of their foes. They had to defeat one of the foes before Aggich¡¯s curse expired. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Give it everything you got! Once everyone landed a blow, Dreu noticed that only Zog¡¯s fireballs were effective. For some reason, physical attacks had been ineffective against underworld creatures and beings. However, even the fireballs merely left black marks on the bull¡¯s armor. Repeated attacks on the same locations only chipped away at the armor. During this time, both bulls struggled against the curse which took a toll on Aggich. The cursed fox tried her best but she eventually reached her limit. As soon as the bulls broke free, they went on a rampage and easily defeated Zog, Ilveroz and Xig. Dreu had to unsummon Aggich before harm came to the demon fox but Ror, the last combatant on the young man¡¯s side, was dealt with next. I didn¡¯t expect to die in this place. Life can be so unfair. One of the bulls was about to charge at the young man when a howl got all of their attention. A portal similar to the one summoned by the being earlier appeared atop a roof. A shadow that resembled the silhouette of a wolf stepped out of the portal. Before Dreu could get a good look at the newcomer, the wolf disappeared into the roof similar to how Jonoxod could fade into the shadow beneath it. What? Does this wolf share the same ability? Wait! What did it do? The ground was covered in darkness despite there still being light out. Dreu had hoped to catch a glimpse of the shadow to attempt a parry but he was now at a complete disadvantage. The Shadow Hall, even at its most difficult level, provided enough light to get a whiff of his opponents, though those opponents didn¡¯t want him dead. One thing the young man had confirmed was that the underworld denizens didn¡¯t hesitate to kill. None of them tried to strike up a conversation I guess, to them, we¡¯re just insignificant beasts to be slaughtered? In a blink of an eye, the wolf killed one of the bulls. Its attack easily tore through the bull¡¯s armor that he and his companions had so much trouble with. The other bull fell in the next second, leaving Dreu as the last prey of the wolf. As he gripped his sword, he felt incredible pain and dropped his sword. He looked to see his dominant arm bloodied. Next, he screamed out in pain as he couldn¡¯t feel his other arm anymore. Following that, his left leg gave out, forcing him to fall to the ground. Before he hit the ground, Dreu was certain his right leg was done for too. Guess I¡¯ll be toyed to death at this point. I cannot resist or run. What a way to end. It couldn''t even give me the same courtesy as it gave those bulls. Dreu could sense the presence of the wolf behind him. The stare felt intense and he couldn''t move to intercept the wolf at all. In desperation, the young man tried to summon Dar to heal him. Yet, he couldn¡¯t use his prompt anymore. Damn! Volume 2 Chapter 44 The presence of the wolf felt overwhelming so Dreu simply closed his eyes. His limbs were no longer useful and he couldn¡¯t summon additional help. Faced with such a powerful foe, he couldn¡¯t even hope for a miracle. I hope Ragellon and the others don¡¯t stumble onto this place. They wouldn¡¯t fare any better than me or those bulls. Maybe they''ll get away to safety. A strike to his body made his breathing stop. The pain was so bad that he was steadily losing his consciousness. The young man couldn¡¯t pinpoint where he was struck but the attack somehow rendered him more helpless. His entire body had stopped responding now. Then, a second strike to the same spot made him lose consciousness. At least, that was what he thought would be the case but he felt a sense of weightlessness suddenly. Dreu looked around to see that Isonron was gone. Instead, he was surrounded by complete darkness with no light at all. Why can I not see my hands? Dreu knew that his hands should be right before him. He could feel them but he couldn¡¯t see them. His senses couldn¡¯t grasp the darkness and screamed for him to escape. He frantically swung his hands around but he couldn¡¯t feel anything solid. He couldn¡¯t even tell if he actually moved or if he was imagining it all. Damn it! Why am I here? Is this where people go when they die? Is that why I can move my limbs without pain now? ¡°Feed!¡± The voice echoed in the space so Dreu couldn¡¯t pinpoint where it came from, not that he had any sense of direction at this point. ¡°Feed upon the shadow!¡± ¡°Feed? What do you mean by feed?¡± The young man expected a response but there was none. With no other choice, he opened his mouth and inhaled. As the gas filled his mouth, he felt himself choking on it and the bitter taste didn¡¯t help. Dreu took a moment to recover when he noticed the absence of darkness in the location he just inhaled. Guess I don¡¯t have a choice. Dreu inhaled as much as he could and proceeded to cough until he fully ingested the shadow. For once in his life, he could relate to a sheep grazing everything in sight. Bit by bit, dim light returned. It was a welcoming sight as Dreu could finally use his eyes to see. The dim light didn¡¯t reveal anything but he was certain something would show up once he completed inhaling all of the shadow. As he proceeded with the inhalation, he did wonder about the purpose of all this shadow. He didn¡¯t feel particularly stronger or weaker. His prompt never once showed up and, despite checking several times, he couldn¡¯t summon it again. Eventually, he had given up on his prompt and just cleaned up the remainder of the shadow. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Good! Release!¡± Dreu screamed as he felt something trying to explode from within. He could feel the gas spreading throughout his body, causing his innards to burn. His limbs were no longer responding while his thoughts were blanking out. Eventually, the young man accepted his fate of eternal suffering. His throat was coarse from all the screaming and the rest of his body felt numb. If the pain hadn¡¯t been so overwhelming, he would have gladly embraced unconsciousness to end his own suffering. Yet, the pain never stopped pulsing through his entire body, putting him in a state of endless suffering. ¡°And it is done,¡± said the voice after what Dreu felt was an eternity. ¡°Train well with what you were gifted and one day we may meet again!¡± The pain slowly subsided until the young man could finally embrace sleep. When Dreu opened his eyes, he found himself in a small room. As he tried to get up, pain spread through his body, discouraging him to even move. What happened? Where am I? Dreu felt relief when his prompt finally showed up. With much effort, he summoned Dar who flew over him concerningly. Please heal me! My body hurts so much! Dar proceeded to use her healing wave which instantly brought the young man comfort. He then summoned Loryss to speed up the healing process. He had to figure out where he was and the room offered too little information. Until he could walk on his own strength, he would be helpless. While summoning others to scout was an option, he could ill-afford them to be picked off one by one. After his last battle, he realized how vulnerable he was all alone. I need to escape wherever this is and get back. I hope Ragellon and the others can avoid whatever that underworld creature was. As soon as his body didn¡¯t hurt with every movement, Dreu sat up on the bed. The young man was amazed by his injuries he knew the wolf inflicted on him. Those injuries were far too serious to have been healed this quickly. A few minutes later, he took a few unsteady steps until he reached the doorway. He poked his head and noticed the coast was clear. Then, his plan to recall many companions was thwarted by the fact that there was still a cooldown on all of them except for Aggich. If there¡¯s a cooldown, then a day hasn¡¯t passed since that battle? I''ll keep Aggich as a backup. With all of his combatant companions out of the picture, Dreu could only rely on Dar and Aggich as support. He unsummoned Loryss for the time being due to how well the interior was lit. As he tiptoed down the hallway, he could hear some voices downstairs. The voices were too quiet for him to make out what was said and who was there but they provided him with a rough idea of how many were downstairs. Dreu estimated that they were some distance from the stairs so, even with a sneak attack, he would be spotted before he got close enough to strike. Just then, Dar offered to help. I will distract them so you can attack them from behind. If needed, Aggich could slow them down while their backs are turned. Volume 2 Chapter 45 ¡°Those are the crabs you¡¯re concerned about?¡± asked Naha. ¡°I know they seemed insignificant and¡­¡± ¡°I believe in your judgment,¡± interrupted the sorceress. ¡°Allow me to end this in one blow.¡± A large ball of energy formed in Naha¡¯s hands before she released it towards the crabs. Even after the ball left her palm, it continued to expand until it quadrupled its size. Upon impact, the blast incinerated everything it touched and left a large crater on the seafloor. Once the dust cleared, Dhaga estimated the crater to be roughly ten times the radius of the ball of energy. Most of the crabs were killed off while there were still small groups of crabs around the crater. Dhaga was formulating a plan to eliminate the surviving crabs when a series of explosions got his attention. Are those crabs¡­.exploding? While the blast incinerated everything caught within it, there were still bits and pieces of crabs floating in the sea that attracted scavengers. From where he was, Dhaga watched as those scavengers blew up upon coming in contact with crab debris. The explosions were impressive considering the size of the debris. The naga could only imagine what would happen if all of the crabs managed to detonate near the Leviathan. ¡°Seems like the entire body of the crab is a weapon,¡± said Naha. ¡°We have to stop those crabs from getting too close or even their debris could become a problem.¡± ¡°Damn! They are splitting up!¡± Dhaga felt frustrated upon seeing the groups of crab splitting up. He knew from experience that crabs were fairly intelligent creatures. However, he was certain that something else was coordinating the crab deployment. As much as he wanted to find out who was responsible, he had to address the issue at hand and turned to Naha. ¡°Please wipe out all the groups in that section,¡± said Dhaga as he pointed in one direction. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the crabs in the other section and we can rendezvous afterwards.¡± From his earlier observation, the naga noticed that there was a two second delay between when the scavengers made contact and when the explosion happened. If he could land his attacks swiftly and get outside the blast radius, then he would be safe. He could finally put to use the training he did under Cridror¡¯s guidance. Once he and Naha agreed on where to meet, Dhaga went to work by summoning his aqua blades. He needed weapons he could abandon easily as the explosions wouldn¡¯t be so kind to wait for him to get away. Against the crabs, the blades should be plenty, likely even overkill if they weren''t such a big threat. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Now, let¡¯s do a small test. Dhaga swam towards a group nearby and slashed a crab in half. He specifically picked one in the center of the group to see if the explosion affected other crabs. As he observed from a safe distance, one explosion was followed by multiple explosions. With a single attack, he eliminated the group, allowing him to proceed to the next group. After he eliminated half a dozen groups later with the method, the crabs split up into even smaller groups. They were clearly adapting to his strategy. The smaller the group, the less threat they become. Dhaga realized how fortunate he was with Naha¡¯s earlier blast. Because it eliminated so many crabs, the resulting groups had so few crabs. If his enemies had more numbers, they could easily trap him and he would be killed by the explosions. While the sorceress didn¡¯t end it in one blow as she claimed earlier, she did strike a decisive blow that the crabs couldn¡¯t recover from. Without hesitation, Dhaga proceeded to eliminate the rest of the crabs in the area he was assigned. He used his current sense a few times to ensure that he left no stragglers. I¡¯m sure Naha is nearly done with her area too. Dhaga swam towards the rendezvous when he stopped. He used his current sense but nothing showed up. Yet, he couldn¡¯t deny that his instincts suggested otherwise. After he summoned a new pair of aqua blades, Dhaga stayed in position and closed his eyes. There were no currents where he was so his current sense wouldn¡¯t aid him much. The nearest current was too far and he doubted he could reach there before he was struck down. He had to rely on senses other than sight because he couldn¡¯t see the foe. Remember what Cridror said. One must be able to use all the senses to deal with foes that could appear out of nowhere. I must be ready for anyone and anything. After calming his nerves and closing his eyes, the naga felt a new sensation he never experienced before. Cridror did tell him that nagas, like many other sea creatures, have different ways of navigating in the ocean. For those skilled at concealment, standard senses like sight and smell weren¡¯t effective. As he experienced personally, current sense was too situational to be reliable in all situations. Therefore, he needed a non-standard way of sensing things to best the masters of concealment. So that¡¯s how it works¡­ Dhaga was initially puzzled by what the orca taught him but, as he grew and trained with the orcas, a lot of their teachings made more sense. He sent out a breath out in a certain direction and then turned to a different direction. He did so until he did a complete circle. Then, he waited until a sound wave hit him. The naga quickly turned in that direction and repeated the process until he knew the enemy was merely a few meters from his position. Taking the initiative, he swung his blade at the target and felt a clean hit. Upon opening his eyes, he saw an electrical eel backing away slowly from him. The two of them played a short game of tag before the naga finished off the eel. Odd that it didn¡¯t conceal itself again. Was the wound the cause? Or was there a cooldown before it could reuse the ability? Putting the questions aside, Dhaga rushed to the rendezvous point, fearing for Naha¡¯s safety. Volume 2 Chapter 46 After a short debate, Dreu approved of Dar¡¯s daring plan. The demon butterfly flew down the stairs and stopped to face his captors. What¡¯s wrong, Dar? Can you move? Dreu thought that his foes had a way of locking others in place which would be problematic. Their plan of distraction was no longer viable the moment Dar couldn¡¯t move. The young man drew his blade as he readied himself to jump down the stairs, hoping to use the element of surprise to even the odds. Then, Ragellon appeared and embraced Dar. The demonic child then looked up the stairs at home and waved her hands. What a relief! Dreu walked down the stairs and was surprised when all the demonic children embraced him. Apparently, they went to investigate what sounded like a battle. Once they arrived, Dreu was already unconscious on the ground. In addition, the residence he was in had vanished without a trace but there were no signs of a fire or anything that could explain the disappearance. They were worried he was dead but he was luckily still breathing. A quick investigation nearby revealed no signs of the combatants. Through teamwork, they then hauled him to their residence where he slept in the bed for a few hours. When asked about the wolf, the children said that they saw nothing of the sort. ¡°I¡¯m relieved all of you are safe,¡± said Dreu. ¡°We may need to check the city for anything dangerous.¡± And has it really been a few hours? I feel like it''s been days... The young man was puzzled by the disappearance of such a strong foe. After seeing the wolf¡¯s abilities firsthand, he knew that no one in the city could fight it. In that case, he couldn¡¯t understand why the wolf disappeared. If anything, the lack of information was more terrifying. He and the demonic children could be walking the streets one day and an ambush would be their demise. ¡°I have something that might be useful.¡± Ragellon walked into an adjacent room and returned a few minutes later with a crystal. ¡°We can use this to check for intruders. Until the arrival of those who attacked you, I didn¡¯t think it was possible for uninvited guests to get inside.¡± The demonic child put the crystal down and began her chant. As she chanted, the crystal slowly changed its form until it resembled the city with walls and all of its buildings. Dreu leaned in to admire the details exhibited by the crystal. Ragellon then casted a spell that saw a light blue dot glowing at a certain location. ¡°This is where we are at,¡± said Ragellon who then turned her attention to another light blue dot. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Dreu would then be told that the light blue dot represented allies. She expected them to all be gathered in one place so the other light blue dot puzzled her. Next, a red dot showed near the light blue dot and the young man didn¡¯t need to be told what that represented. Without further words, Dreu ran out as he needed to find out what the light blue dot represented. He could only hope the red dot wasn¡¯t the wolf that dispatched him with such ease. It took him a few minutes to reach the location of the dots. Is¡­is that the bear cub? The creature was clearly a juvenile bear, easily triple the size of the bear cub. Yet, something about the creature was familiar. The young man then turned to see what the juvenile bear was facing. A velo? Dreu couldn¡¯t believe his bad luck. Zog was the best candidate to defeat a velo but the demon butterfly wasn¡¯t available for a day. He couldn¡¯t ask the demonic children because the velo was simply too dangerous for them to face and he wasn''t much of a frontline. Do we not have any other way to beat it? The bear closed the gap between it and the velo with surprising speed. Then, a single swipe from the bear ripped the underworld creature apart. In a single blow, the bear succeeded in defeating a foe Dreu wouldn¡¯t see himself ever winning against. The bear then turned towards the young man. Before Dreu could draw his weapon, the juvenile bear charged at him, knocking him to the ground. For the next couple of minutes, he was helpless as the bear nuzzled against him while he was pinned down. Eventually, the bear had enough nuzzling and got off him. ¡°Are you the same bear cub from the cave? You grew so quickly.¡± Yes, Dreu! I needed a trigger to grow and that trigger happened in your fight earlier. Earlier? The one where we faced those bulls? Yes, it was Brornun who came to your aid and activated the trigger for my growth. At the mention of the direwolf, Dreu quickly asked the bear what happened to his companion. He was very concerned when the direwolf didn¡¯t show up in his recall list, even though his residence was gone. The bear stared down at the ground before sharing that Brornun was dead. The direwolf sacrificed himself to save Dreu while assisting the bear¡¯s growth. Shortly after the battle, Brornun vanished before the bear''s eyes, along with the rest of the residence. Where were you after Brornun saved me? I tracked down and killed all the underworld foes. Brornun asked me because he knew I was strong enough to fight whatever showed up. He said that he would take care of the hitching post before he left. Dreu screamed at the top of his lungs while tears ran down his cheeks. Since he came across the recall list, he thought all of his summons couldn¡¯t be killed. They would at most be separated for a short amount of time. The death of Brornun felt like an unreal experience, especially when the direwolf used his last bit of life saving him and the demonic children. The experience reminded him of his unexpected farewell with Bayard. Like so many people in his life, they left him before he was ready. You said you only followed the strong, Brornun. In the end, I was so weak that you needed to save me. I¡¯m sorry about everything. Volume 2 Chapter 47 Dreu lost track of what happened the day after he learned of Brornun¡¯s death. He wasn¡¯t even aware that he was in bed until he woke up. When he sat up, Dar looked at him concerningly. The juvenile bear was sitting beside the doorway to the room, focused on anyone or anything foolish enough to enter the hallway I wonder¡­ The young man checked the prompt and was surprised to finally get information on the bear. < Lv 1 Juvenile Netherbear (Marun): Description: This ursidae creature has been exiled from her home due to her lack of talent. Bears cubs generally start with multiple spells and abilities but this bear was deemed worthless from birth. Through unknown methods, this bear was teleported into a tunnel. With the help of an underworld creature, this bear¡¯s trigger was activated and thus it evolved into a netherbear. Netherbears are generally known to venture in hell and are deemed extremely powerful due to their almost limitless potential. Due to the unnatural growth of this netherbear, its evolution path is unknown. Recommendations: -Trust in this creature¡¯s attack and defense -This creature is capable of dealing with foes normally deemed too dangerous to many Evolution: -??? Skill: -Nether Claws (Lvl 1): Passive. Grants +100% attack. Can break through fragile underworld armor up to level 3. -Nether Thick Hide (Lvl 1): Passive. Grants +25% defense. Defense doubled against underworld and hell attacks. Status: +25% attack and defense from ferocity. > Netherbear? Fragile underworld armor? What is all of this? The prompt indicated that it had no additional data on all of the matters unless Dreu unlocked more clues. When he checked with Marun, she stated that she knew nothing about the underworld and hell except that she came from one of those places. Due to her not knowing anything from her past, Marun considered Dreu and his companions as her only family. Sadly, that also meant that Marun couldn''t provide clues to many of Dreu''s questions. If you ever need my help, I won¡¯t hesitate to stand by your side. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Do you know what happened to Brornun? Maybe we can save him. I¡­I saw him vanish into dust. I don¡¯t think anything can come back from that. With a sigh, the young man stood up and walked over to the door. He didn¡¯t want to remain cooped up in the room because it reminded him of the room where he last saw the direwolf. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if leaving Isonron was the only way he could overcome his grief. He made his way downstairs to find it empty. Dar confirmed that the demonic children had left to train so they were the only ones in the residence. Dreu made his way to the location where his former residence vanished. The small group investigated the site but there was no sign of the direwolf. The young man walked to where he was supposedly found. ¡°Aah!¡± he screamed as he collapsed to the ground. Memories of the odd encounter flood his mind. He recalled being told about training but he still couldn¡¯t understand any of it. He initially thought the voice belonged to Brornun but it sounded nothing like the direwolf. Once the pain lessened, he comforted his companions as they watched him with worry. Something happened but I cannot explain it. I¡­I believe Brornun or something left me something. < Unlocked Ability: -Summon Demonic Creature (Lvl 1) -Fear Amplify (Lvl 1) -Curse Protection (Lvl 1) -Shadow Doman (Lvl 1) > Dreu selected the new ability for more information. < Shadow Doman (Lvl 1): Description: This ability is an active ability that creates a two meter radius Circular shadow domain with the user always placed in the center. While in the domain, the user gains a +10% boost to both attack and defense while foes suffer the same amount as a debuff. In addition, the user gets heightened senses. The buff and debuff are affected by the amount of shadow or darkness encompassed by the domain. The domain lasts ten minutes and can be extended by using one¡¯s lifeforce.> Is this what Brornun gave me? A way to better protect myself against dangerous enemies? Dreu knew that close combat wasn¡¯t his strong suit. Despite his training everyday, he never felt he was making any progress. As seen in his combat with the bull creatures, he was helpless when he was the last one standing. The shadow domain seemed to be a trump card for when he was in a pinch, especially with the short duration and the heightened senses. If this was level 1, then higher levels could only help his survival more. I won¡¯t let your farewell gift go to waste. I will get stronger! To try out his new domain, the young man entered the shadow hall. He only activated his domain for a minute for different difficulties and noticed the difference to his senses. Dreu also learned the hard way that the ten minute limit was for an entire day. By the eleventh level, he felt his strength seeping away for every second he used his domain. This only confirmed his worry that the domain should be an ace and not something he should use regularly. When he exited the shadow hall, Marun suggested that they check the tunnels for the hitching post. While Dreu wished he still had durations left for his domain with no penalties, he understood the reasoning of the bear. If we don¡¯t know the state of the hitching post, we might not be ready for the next attack. Confident that Marun could handle any foes coming their way, Dreu led the way. Once underground, Dreu summoned the bats who felt too cooped up during the whole ordeal. They reached their destination much faster this time and found what was left of the hitching post. The pieces were scattered with obvious bite and claw marks. They also found signs of a battle near the hitching post. The young man could only assume that Brornun had to defeat multiple strong enemies to break the hitching post. Their single attack caused a velo to come out. He could only imagine what other foes were guarding the post. Thank you, Brornun. Volume 2 Chapter 48 Dhaga arrived at the rendezvous but Naha was nowhere to be seen. He swam into waters assigned to the sorceress, hoping that the Kraken followers didn¡¯t have a way of concealing her presence too. The naga was also aware that she could be dead. For the Kraken, death of one of the orb owners would only speed up its victory so it made more sense if it did order to have them killed. Putting aside the thoughts of the worst case scenario, Dhaga swam at his top speed while using his current sense. A few minutes later, he detected something and swam towards it. I hope she¡¯s merely unconscious. Naha¡¯s limp body moved through the water, creating a rather odd sight. Through echolocation, he discovered two eels were hauling the sorceress¡¯ body. After a few attempts, he confirmed that no other electrical eels or Kraken followers were present. Then, he made his move by giving himself a wide berth before he swam at his top speed with his aqua blades drawn. During his charge, he corrected his course a few times as he used echolocation. By the time the eels noticed his presence, Dhaga had already closed the distance and his blades sliced through the eel heads in an instant. With the eels dead, he could unwrap their tails from Naha and carried her to safety. Good! She¡¯s still breathing. During the swim to reunite with the other nagas, Dhaga wondered about the electric eels he faced. He found it odd that they never once used their electric abilities on him. Electric eels were known to be dangerous for that exact reason. The electric fields they created was deadly to all creatures, including themselves. The last two eels might have been caught off guard but the one he fought one on one should have plenty of time to unleash its attacks. As he went through the scenarios, Naha stirred in his arms. ¡°Dhaga, is that you?¡± she asked weakly. ¡°Don¡¯t speak right now,¡± replied Dhaga with a small smile on his face. ¡°You¡¯ll be all healed up in no time. Azi is getting that good!¡± Due to her stubbornness, the sorceress refused to go back to sleep until she shared what she encountered. The sorceress was busy fighting a non-concealed electrical eel when a concealed one surprised her with a nasty bite to her tail. While she struggled to rid the one on her tail, the other one closed the distance and sent electric charge through her body, rendering her unconscious. Once Naha was asleep once more, Dhaga muttered a silent thanks to her as she answered his question. When concealed, it seems like the electric eels cannot use their electric attacks. That''s a good thing or they could sneak up on our forces and devastate our ranks with ease. Dhaga then reached the naga camp where he left Naha in the reliable hands of Azi. As soon as he arrived, Cridror arrived and stated that the Leviathan had summoned him. Not wanting to keep the Guardian waiting, the naga followed the orca until they were before the Leviathan. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Dhaga, I will make this quick! As the black orb owner, you and the orcas must destroy an egg in the enemy¡¯s possession. Here¡¯s an item to assist you in combat. You must not fail!¡± A black trident materialized in the water in front of the naga. As he reached for it, Dhaga felt the immense power inside. He also heard the calls of orcas numbering in the hundreds but, when he looked around, only Cridror was there. What is this powerful weapon, Cridror? I can explain as we go. Like the Leviathan said, we must not fail in destroying the egg. It should be hatching soon so we must end the creature before it reaches the juvenile stage. As soon as the two of them left the naga camp, Acro and Ray joined the group. The four of them made excellent progress while Cridror explained the Trident of a Thousand Orcas to Dhaga. The weapon was supposedly created following the death of a thousand orcas. Their lifeforce was somehow merged into the trident, giving the fallen orcas a chance to still serve the Leviathan after death. The trident owner had a chance to learn all the spells and abilities of the orcas that still lived on in the weapon. Doesn¡¯t it take a lifetime to master all of them? With the way the orbs work, you should master most of them before you die. Of course, I had forgotten. Though, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m dying yet. You haven¡¯t reached your prime yet. Dhaga, puzzled by Cridror¡¯s comment on his prime, asked for clarification. Cridror explained that none of the chosen nagas had reached their prime yet. In addition to their orbs, there was a special weapon assigned to them. Once they unlocked the full potential of the weapons, then the timer would start ticking down. The Leviathan would decide when they received their weapons and each of them would have to overcome a trial to unlock the full potential. The orca confirmed that the trident was Dhaga¡¯s special weapon and the egg¡¯s destruction would get him to his prime. What should I know about the egg then? The egg is another one of the Kraken¡¯s attempts to make a new Kraken. New Kraken? Unlike the Leviathan, the Kraken has the ability to produce an offspring through an egg once every century. If the baby Kraken survives long enough, it can be as strong if not stronger than its parent. We cannot allow that to happen I thought there was only a single Kraken? How could it produce an offspring by itself? From what little we gathered, we believe that the Kraken has been working with those from hell. It¡¯s the only explanation we have as to why the Kraken is able to recover its losses so quickly and seemingly grow stronger over time. The Kraken we face today is several magnitudes stronger than the one we faced a century earlier. Are we fighting a losing war? If we don¡¯t slay the Kraken this time, I fear we won¡¯t have another chance to challenge the Kraken. Volume 2 Chapter 49 Dreu spent the next week resting before he resumed his spelunking. While he hadn¡¯t given up on dealing with the sorceress, the young man needed more confidence in their chances of success. The loss of Brornun reminded him how quickly things could go south and how weak he really was. Following the loss of Brornun, he had to rely on Marun to serve as the frontline. The netherbear was pleased with the decision as she wanted some action. She stated that she wasn¡¯t satisfied with defeating the groups of underworld creatures and beings. Therefore, Dreu thought of a plan that could kill two birds with one stone. He would have his bats lead the way to a random tunnel occupied by snakes. Marun would get her chance to fight and Dreu got to assess their ability to fight. If he felt they were ready, then they could delve deep until they reached the underground lake. Scaled ones are up ahead! With the warning from Bartok, Dreu unsummoned the bats and led the way with his staff. As soon as he sensed the presence of the snakes, he swapped positions with Marun so the bear could take the lead. Then, a slaughter ensued as the snakes were helpless against Marun. Their fangs couldn¡¯t get through the bear¡¯s strong defense while their bodies were slashed through easily by Marun¡¯s claws. In a matter of minutes, the hundred or so snakes were killed with the survivors fleeing. Let¡¯s go deeper! Okay, but we¡¯ll let the bats scout the way for us. The young man wasn¡¯t taking any chances. He saw how easily Marun defeated the snakes but he also saw the underworld creatures in the tunnels. He had no way of confirming if there were other hitching posts or ways for the underworld to send more of their numbers. The bats were small so they were harder to detect and more evasive during their flight. Most importantly, the cave was their natural environment so they were best suited at scouting. If things went well, they could eliminate a lot of snakes before they called it a day. The kills might not even the playing field but the odds were becoming more and more in their favor. Dreu, I want a challenge! These snakes are too boring! Given the development, Dreu had the group withdraw back to Isonron. Further planning wouldn¡¯t help them much due to how little they knew about the tunnels. Therefore, he packed up supplies for multiple days before he led the group back down. He relied on the bats¡¯ best judgment on where they should go. Once all that was decided, they delved deep into the mountain. After the first few encounters, the snakes were wisely staying out of their way as they withdrew before further combat arose. A few hours later, the group set foot in a massive underground cavern. Where is this? Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. This was our home. According to Bunted, the cavern served as the home for the bats for many centuries before the snakes drove them out. Since then, none of the bats thought they could reclaim it, especially when the snakes had such an overwhelming advantage. In a matter of hours, Marun completely turned the tide. Unfortunately, the bear felt bored and was considering a long nap unless Dreu got her a formidable foe. After much persuasion and the promise of fighting a powerful sorceress, the bear was finally convinced to keep going. Along the way, they captured a snake who, under coercion, shared the location of the underground lake. Following the snake¡¯s directions, they arrived in an underground cavern much larger than the ones the bats called their home. Except for a small beachhead, the rest of the cavern was covered in water. Some unknown feature on the cave walls provided a dim light, providing them some visibility of their surroundings with the need of his staff. Azurys, please see if you can spot anything under the water surface. While the bat did her scouting, only Marun ventured to the water. She sniffed at the water before taking a large gulp of water. Despite her reassurance, no one wanted to take the chance of getting dragged into the water by some giant sea creature. Ragellon¡¯s stories at midnight had them think twice about getting close to an unknown water source in the demonic realm. I cannot detect anything. The lake is really deep at parts so I cannot see what¡¯s at the bottom. Before Dreu could say anything, Marun began swimming in the lake, to the horror of the others present. At times, she dived underwater for a minute or so before she resurfaced. Surprisingly, she wasn''t attacked even once and she reported that she spotted no foes. Much of the lake floor was empty of life and features. As Marun was reaching the other end of the lake, she suddenly reported that she sensed something magical. Maru then dived down, ignoring Dreu¡¯s plea to approach with caution. Damn it! She¡¯s so overconfident after fighting those snakes. Now she thinks she¡¯s invincible. Behind us! Zog¡¯s warning got Dreu turning around in time to behead a snake that lunged at him. While they were focused on the lake, the snakes had blocked the only exit to the cavern. With Marun gone, the snakes were more emboldened with their advances. The young man quickly organized their formation now that Marun was missing. Ilveroz, you serve as the frontline for now. Zog, provide cover fire. Aggich, only put curses on those that get through and can launch an attack. Dreu then joined Ilveroz as they kept the enemy at bay the best they could. The snake numbers were overwhelming, forcing the group to withdraw to the beach. With the extra space, the young man summoned Keth, Xig and Ror into the battle. Meanwhile, Dar waited behind him on standby should anyone need healing. Their numbers seem endless. Is there really no end to all of this? Dreu, snakes are coming through other openings and approaching us from the lake. What do we do? Dar¡¯s warning was the worst case scenario. The lake really opened up the battlefield, putting his group in an unwinnable situation. Once encircled, they would be overwhelmed even faster. Volume 2 Chapter 50 Surrounded by snakes, Dreu couldn¡¯t think of an answer to their predicament. Even if Marun was with them, the cavern was far too big and the snakes were far too numerous. The battle was decided the moment they were surrounded in a location where the snakes could use their numerical advantage. Dreu cursed himself for putting them in this situation but it was already too late to have regrets. He had to keep fighting until he fell in battle. I brought help! A bear emerged from the water and easily slayed multiple snakes in a single swipe. While Marun made her way to Dreu, a being surfaced behind her. The being had a humanoid body for the upper half and a snake-like tail for the bottom half. The upper half was covered in scales making the being resemble a snake more than a human. Her eyes were the same color as the lake under the dim light but Dreu felt no hostility in them. A closer inspection made the young man realize that the being was also covered in injuries. If a human had those injuries, that individual would have long been dead. ¡°Hello, human! Your bear freed me so I will assist you!¡± The being merely raised her hand and a whirlpool appeared in the center of the lake. All the snakes that were in the lake were pulled towards the whirlpool where they dyed the water red upon making contact. Marun had wisely climbed onto land where she single handedly pushed back the snakes back to the cavern entrance. Few minutes later, the snakes had all withdrawn, giving Dreu and his companions a temporary victory. With the breather, Dreu walked over to thank the being and asked for her name. ¡°My name is Seiluxr and I¡¯m a naga.¡± Before she could say more, the naga suddenly collapsed onto the ground. Dar and Loryss quickly went to work but their healing didn¡¯t even heal the injuries on Seiluxr¡¯s body. While Dreu was puzzled by this development, the naga opened her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your healing on me,¡± she spoke with much struggle. ¡°I am not long for this world.¡± Seiluxr briefly explained her hopeless situation. When she arrived in the demon realm, she had lost consciousness. When she woke up, the snakes had already taken advantage of her by injecting powerful toxins that forced her to do their bidding and weakened her severely. She was kept alive in the lake due to the snakes providing limited doses of antidotes at regular intervals. Now that she was free from their control, it was only a matter of time before the toxins finished her off. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join us then?¡± asked Dreu. ¡°Then, you can still keep fighting and not die in a place like this.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Dreu knew he was being selfish but he wanted the powerful sorceress aiding him. Thus far, he had no one capable of fighting underwater. The naga was the solution to his problem. To his limited knowledge, it should be possible for Seiluxr to join his group, though it must be at her own volition. He couldn¡¯t and shouldn¡¯t force anyone to fight for him if the individual didn¡¯t want to. He was also unsure if it was possible to force anyone, though he had no intention of finding out. I don¡¯t blame her for being so hesitant. At this moment, the young man understood that Dar and Loryss were merely extending the life of Seiluxr. The moment they stopped, the sorceress might just die in the next few minutes. As he was about to give up on her joining him, she spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Dreu before he could stop himself from asking. The young man wanted to hear her reason for wanting to join someone weak like him. Even in her state, Seiluxr performed incredibly when she wiped out at least hundreds of snakes with her whirlpool. He could only imagine her abilities when she could fight at her full strength. Generally, the strong wouldn''t want to serve the weak in any capacity unless they had no choice. ¡°I still have something I must do,¡± she said simply without elaborating. After confirming that nagas were terrible at fighting on land, especially in tunnels with no water nearby, Dreu unsummoned Seiluxr and checked if she was alright. The sorceress stated that she was fine with the luxurious accommodations. It was at this moment that the young man realized he had no clue what conditions his companions lived in when they were unsummoned. This wasn¡¯t a topic he ever thought of bringing up with Bayard and the others. Instead of bothering Seiluxr further on the topic, he checked with Zog. I picked the forest like many of the other demonic creatures. We don¡¯t like staying inside the large city. In fact, none of us even entered it. City? If they weren¡¯t stuck underground with snakes possibly around every corner, he would look into the matter more. Instead, Dreu told his companions that they were heading out. Marun took the lead again but there were no snakes barring their way this time. The snakes had apparently learned their lesson and wisely avoided a much stronger foe. The bear was just too powerful for the snakes to even try anything. The loss of the sorceress no doubt further broke the morale of the snakes, making them far more timid than usual. The group arrived outside the cave without further problems. Dreu was making his way down when Seiluxr spoke up. Dreu, what is that swamp? What is inside it? The swamp? Upon realizing what the naga was referring to, Dreu answered honestly that he didn¡¯t know. The swamp wasn¡¯t a place he planned on exploring at all so he never looked further into the location. He promised Seiluxr that he would check with someone who was more familiar. He hoped that Ragellon would have the answers the naga needed. She was earnest when she said she had something to do and a part of him wanted to make sure she could complete whatever she had in mind. It¡¯s the least I can do if she¡¯s willing to help me move forward. Volume 2 Chapter 51 Cridror led the group as they closed in on one of the Kraken follower camps. Taking the advice of some of the nagas who were more familiar with the area, they took to the tunnels that kept them concealed until they were nearly below the enemy camp. The tunnels provided plenty of herbs that were used for various purposes for the nagas. Despite how valuable they were, Dhaga never once lost his focus on the mission at hand. The destruction of the egg surpassed all of his other priorities. Seems like we are reaching the end of the tunnel. Let¡¯s use this opportunity to observe the enemy camp. Dhaga was assigned the task of observing the terrain and enemy patrols due him being the only one who could turn his neck. It was far too difficult for the orcas to remain concealed and get a good look of everything. As the naga observed everything, he shared everything with the orcas. He made sure not to leave anything out. We are only about fifty meters from the enemy camp¡­..there are no immediate patrols due to how close we are to the camp¡­..the patrols are much further out, likely too far to intercept us from reaching the camp if we get a headstart¡­the lookouts at the camp look very relaxed....and they are very few in numbers As soon as the naga relayed the information, the orcas started discussing the plan on how they should tackle the approach. The time of the day didn¡¯t matter for either side. Both nagas and orcas had ways of navigating in the dark while the Kraken followers were given improved sight for their loyalty. The Kraken followers had both the numerical and defensive advantage while Dhaga and the orcas had the element of surprise and one straightforward objective. The rest of us cannot harm the egg. Only the trident could pierce through it and kill the Kraken within. After hearing Cridror¡¯s comment, the naga looked at the trident in his hand. From his inexperienced eyes, the weapon looked too ancient and it was covered in rust. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the weapon would break the moment it collided with anything. Since receiving it, he felt nothing special from it either. Unlike the black orb which felt special the moment he came in contact, the trident felt cold and distant, as though he merely retrieved it from a scrap heap. If the Leviathan didn''t gift him the weapon, he likely would have abandoned it during their journey earlier. I must believe in the Guardian! This weapon must be special somehow. After many hours of observation, Dhaga figured out the general patrol patterns and the shift changes of the Kraken followers. With confidence in his information, he and the orcas waited several minutes after a complete shift change before they approached the camp. They stayed close to the seafloor where some of the local flora helped make them harder to spot. They were also counting on the lookouts to remain complacent during their watches due to their false confidence that no one could possibly get this close to the camp unnoticed. Once getting noticed was unavoidable, the group picked up speed and headed straight through the main camp gate. Their arrival was so sudden that it wasn¡¯t several seconds after they entered the camp before the alarms were sounded. As soon as the alarm sounded, hordes of Kraken followers seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. That must be the egg! Why is no one guarding it? The egg looked like a giant sea turtle egg. A crater was created to hold it specifically and none of the Kraken soldiers were around it. Swimming at his max speed, Dhaga went straight for the eggs and struck it. To his shock, the outer shell collapsed into dust with nothing inside. Damn! This was a trap! Kraken followers had completely surrounded him and the orcas. By forming multiple ranks, there wasn¡¯t a single point that would be easy for them to break through without taking casualties. Seeing his foes so prepared, Dhaga readied himself for the upcoming battle. Trident, I don¡¯t know your history or your abilities. However, I have two objectives in mind. One, I must find and destroy the egg. Two, I must break through the encirclement so all of us can get through this. If you can hear me, give me any power you are willing. I cannot do this by myself¡­ For a brief moment, Dhaga thought the trident trembled in response. When it stopped, he wondered if he had imagined the whole thing. Then, the Kraken followers began their attack by sending their first rank of soldiers in. The compact space proved disadvantageous to the orcas who needed space to maneuver. While they did fend off the first wave, all the orcas suffered various degrees of injuries. We cannot allow this to continue¡­ Dhaga took the initiative this time as he charged headfirst into the enemy ranks. He didn¡¯t know where the courage came from but he still moved forward with no ounce of fear within him. In a way, it felt like the trident was guiding him forward. His sudden attack allowed him to take down two Kraken followers in an instant but he didn¡¯t stop there. With each swing or thrust of his trident, a Kraken follower was killed. Once he got into a rhythm, the naga attacked with impunity. All of the Kraken followers seemed to be moving in slow motion, allowing him to dodge all incoming attacks and land killing blows in a single strike. Never had Dhaga felt this much power in his hands. In that moment, he felt that he had grasped centuries of battle experience in an instant, resulting in this one-sided slaughter. The more foes he killed, the more power was released by the trident. Once he killed all his enemies, he looked down at his weapon. The¡­the rust is gone¡­and what is all of these markings on them? Good work, Dhaga! You have cleared the first trial and can now unlock the secrets of the trident. Volume 2 Chapter 52 Dreu stared down at the muddy water, unsure if he made the right decision of getting so close. After talking to Ragellon, he was certain that the swamp would make the underground appear as the safest location in the demon realm. He had a taste of fighting around the underground lake but this was several magnitudes worse. The swamp had muddy water with low visibility and, unlike the lake, it was home to many dangerous creatures. According to the demonic child, many of the demonic creatures beneath the surface were far more powerful than even the greater demonic primate. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that these creatures couldn¡¯t travel on land, the city would have fallen to them easily. Here he was foolishly getting close enough to possibly be dragged into the watery depth. I will head underwater to scout ahead. As much as Dreu wanted to avoid it, he did promise Seiluxr that he would aid her. He told her to be careful and that she had only a single chance. If she was defeated, then he couldn¡¯t summon her again due to his low levels. The sorceress promised she would be careful and disappeared into the muddy water. Once she left, Dreu headed further inland until he felt there was enough land between him and whatever that could surface from the swamp. After a short while, he turned towards the forest. Good thing that greater demonic primate had lost interest. It''s nice to not hear that stupid monkey making noise day and night. After inflicting a lot of damage to the outer walls and some buildings, the primate simply lost interest and went back to wherever it called its home. From that experience, the young man made a note to avoid angering primates. With the situation settled in the forest, he could explore the area again. As he was about to make his way, Zog flew over to him. Ror needs your assistance at once! Hearing the urgency in Zog¡¯s voice, Dreu dashed to where the fel spider was staying. As he burst in through the front door, he was ambushed by about a dozen creatures. He was about to reach for his weapon when his gaze was on the nine baby spiders. They were basically miniature versions of Ror but their hair made them appear far more cuddlier. The nine spiderlings were content climbing over his body as they explored. Compared to the fel spiders that wanted him dead, these spiderlings were far more innocent. Glad to see them born without any issues. About that¡­ After a slight hesitation, Ror spoke about her unorthodox way of becoming pregnant. Female fel spiders usually got pregnant with the help of a male spider. Ror¡¯s situation was different due to an ambush on her cluster of fel spiders. Following the ambush, she was captured and eventually handed to demonic warlocks. At the hands of these warlocks, she was experimented upon for two weeks before she was released. Upon being released, she learned of her pregnancy which was also the cause of her exile. In exile, she fled all the dangerous creatures and would have perished at the hands of the lesser demonic primates if Zog and Dreu didn¡¯t come to her aid. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Do you know what they did to you? I¡­I do not know. I overheard them using a blood ritual but¡­but I know nothing beyond that. Still, what they did must have an impact on your spiderlings. Will you kill them? Dreu shook his head as he placed his hand on one of the spiderlings who didn''t shy from his touch. He explained that the environment played a greater role than one¡¯s origin. He learned from Bayard that Zhou was once a bandit but, through a second chance, the man was able to rise in the military ranks until he earned his position. The young man believed that the spiderlings too could live a brighter future as long as not everyone had given up on them. He didn''t share that he had already grown attached to the cute spiderlings. When Brornun had a chance of turning evil, I believed in him. I will believe in these spiderlings too. Suddenly, all the spiderlings turned around and headed towards their mother. Ror said that she needed some rest so she and her spiderlings were heading back inside. As they left, Dreu checked the prompt but he got nothing on the spiderlings. Intending to investigate the matter at a later date, the young man summoned Marun and Ilveroz for their little exploration trip. Let¡¯s explore the forest and get some training. Dreu wanted to start with a smaller group so they were harder to detect by the demonic creatures. Once combat was unavoidable, he would summon the others to assist the battle. Given what the greater demonic primate did up until recently, it was unlikely to have any creatures wandering in the forest. This should give them ample chance to familiarize themselves with the local terrain with the information possibly aiding them in the future. Something is up ahead! After debating for a short while, curiosity got the better of Dreu. The young man led the way as he crept forward. Ilveroz followed suit but Marun didn¡¯t even try to be stealthy. The netherbear walked as if she owned the forest. The three of them then reached a clearing where the bodies of a dozen velos were scattered. In the center of the corpses was a white swan covered in blood. With the light glowing from its body, Dreu didn¡¯t think the creature belonged to the demonic realm. After seeing the underworld creatures and the sorceress, he was fairly certain that there was more than one way to enter the area. I need to help the creature. It must be on the same side if it kills velos. Dreu stepped into the clearing slowly, making sure the swan was aware of his presence. However, the swan didn¡¯t even hesitate in charging at Dreu with its beak aimed at his face. The creature¡¯s speed far exceeded his expectation so he didn¡¯t even have time to draw his weapon. Volume 2 Chapter 53 Before the creature could hit Dreu, Marun got in the way and stopped the swan in its tracks with a single paw swipe. The two of them then traded blows, appearing to be evenly matched. Dreu could see that Marun was slowly winning as the swan¡¯s movements were becoming more and more dull. It no longer boasted the same speed and power it had when it first attacked them. Several minutes later, the swan collapsed onto the ground in a pool of its own blood while Marun stood tall. What should we do with the swan? It killed all those velos but it also attacked us¡­ Let me heal the swan, Dreu! The young man knew Dar was eager to heal others, regardless if they were friends or foes. He debated internally before he summoned Dar. The demon butterfly immediately flew to the swan¡¯s side, casting her healing spell. Dreu knew it was a gamble but he wanted to believe that the swan would be a strong ally in the future against foes from the underworld. While Dars worked hard, Dreu, Ilveroz and Marun stood guard. He still didn¡¯t know where the velo came from so he didn¡¯t want to take any chances. When he asked Marun, the netherbear was certain that she got all the underworld creature after she unlocked her powers. I hope there isn¡¯t a new portal to the underworld. Dreu couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this realm was becoming more and more unstable. Ragellon was very confident no other beings or creatures could enter freely unless they were demonic creatures. Yet, such incidents were only becoming more frequent. The velos came from somewhere while the swan clearly came from somewhere else. If such dangers continued to show up, he and the demonic children might have to abandon the place altogether. The place was great for training but it wouldn¡¯t do them any favor if they were dead. With the worry of danger being around the corner, he drew his blade and got into a ready stance. ¡°Who are you?¡± The young man looked around for a young man, trying to locate the source of the voice. Eventually, he looked down to see the swan had woken up. The swan was weak but its eyes were focused on him with fierce concentration. ¡°My name is Dreu. I¡¯ve been training in this region.¡± ¡°Does this demonic butterfly serve you?¡± ¡°Dar is my companion. We fight for each other.¡± ¡°Thank you for saving my life! If you don¡¯t mind me asking, where am I?¡± Dreu tried his best explaining where they were. He never fully grasped the creation of Isonron nor how the artificial demonic city could exist so his explanation was lacking. Once he was done with his explanation, the swan actually thanked him, claiming that it made a lot more sense why it arrived in this place. The young man then asked where the swan came from. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°The mythical realm,¡± said the swan. Mythical realm? The young man couldn¡¯t recall ever hearing of such a place. His puzzlement must have been obvious on his face because the swan went on to elaborate. ¡°I¡¯m certain you have heard of the underworld and hell. You can say their opposites are the mythical realm and heaven. I was originally from the mythical realm before an accident brought me here.¡± ¡°Accident?¡± ¡°Alchemy accident! I was experimenting and got carried away.¡± ¡°Alchemy?¡± The swan shook its head as it began explaining the basics of alchemy but not before it muttered something about Dreu being uneducated. ¡°Alchemy is a process of combining herbs and animal components to create medicine in the form of pills and elixirs. As new herbs and animals are discovered, new medicine can be unlocked. I am one of the pioneers in discovering new recipes.¡± With only a vague understanding of alchemy, Dreu pretended that he knew what the swan was saying. During the talk, Dar finished using her spell which ensured that the swan could stand on its two feet. He then asked the swan its name. ¡°I¡¯m Zraiw, the legendary alchemist!¡± Not wanting to get ambushed, Dreu suggested that they head to Isonron where they could rest more easily without the interference of the local fauna. Zraiw agreed with the assessment so the group headed back. During the walk back to the artificial city, Dreu asked the swan about the velos. ¡°I may not have trained as a warrior but even I can fight multiple velo at the same time. Don¡¯t tell me you cannot do that.¡± The young man admitted that he was still too weak. With his weapon, he couldn¡¯t even hope to beat a single velo without support. He was almost certain that the swan would make fun of his weakness but, to his surprise, the swan began inspecting his body. Then, the swan shook his head. ¡°Your body is a mess! No wonder you¡¯re so weak!¡± For the next couple of minutes, the swan spoke nonstop about gibberish that Dreu couldn''t even start to understand. When it became apparent, Zraiw stopped to pause. ¡°Your body never had the proper medicine to build a solid foundation. Luckily for you, I can aid you in that regard. It¡¯s my way of thanking you for saving my life.¡± Then, Zraiw started poking around the nearby bushes, eagerly picking various herbs. Dreu didn¡¯t bother stopping the swan as he suspected that this must be common among alchemists. Since they weren¡¯t attacked on their way back, the small group managed to reach the city in no time. During that time, the swan collected countless herbs and stored them in a magical pouch. Once they got inside the city, Zraiw asked for a quiet place to work. ¡°I need to concentrate when I make my medicine. Do you know what buildings are available? Don''t worry about the cost!¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Dreu to find Zraiw a satisfying residence. With so many free options, the swan was also not too picky while Dreu served as the guide. The swan picked one of the largest buildings in one of the remote parts of the city. ¡°Don¡¯t bother me! I¡¯ll be busy for the next few days!¡± Volume 2 Chapter 54 Dhaga didn¡¯t get a chance to admire his new and improved trident. More Kraken followers were arriving and he still had to find the Kraken egg. Therefore, he told the orcas to return to the naga camp to get healed while he pushed forward by himself. He thought the orcas would have argued but they agreed instantly. They must really be confident in me then. Better not let their confidence go to waste. The next moment, he allowed his instincts to take over as he engaged the incoming foes. With each slain foe, he felt slightly stronger, thus rendering his enemy¡¯s numerical advantage useless. Yet, the Kraken followers never stopped heading in his direction. While he was getting stronger over time, the naga was also aware that he couldn¡¯t afford to get delayed further. Taking the initiative, he began carving a way towards the next Kraken camp. He didn¡¯t have the luxury of knowing where to go so he had to keep going until he found the egg. Several minutes of slaying enemies nonstop, he felt something awaken in the trident. You have unlocked the first skill of the Trident of a Thousand Orcas, Trident Charge. The skill allows you to quickly close the gap with a foe and increases the piercing damage of your weapon. Having unlocked something new, Dhaga couldn¡¯t help but attempt it. The skill felt like second nature to him as he quickly grasped how to activate it. He then aimed his trident in the direction of where he wanted to go. A second later, he felt himself moving through the water as though nothing stood in his way. A quick glimpse behind him revealed what was left of the Kraken followers that were in his path. Next, he tested his theory by chaining a bunch of trident charges in a row. The repeated use helped him make more progress but the stamina drain wasn¡¯t worth it. Therefore, Dhaga chose to use the ability more sparingly. Thankfully, each kill recovered his stamina, allowing him to continue combat without the need to rest. I should be near the next camp now. After he cleared a few more waves, the Kraken camp entrance appeared before him. He quickly dashed through the entrance and did a quick reconnaissance of the camp. As soon as he confirmed the egg wasn¡¯t present, he headed towards the next camp. After repeating the process a few times, he finally found the egg in the sixth Kraken camp. By the time he reached there, he had already learned two other skills, Whirlpool Portal and Current Shockwave. His second skill allowed him to teleport a short distance through water regardless of what stood in his path while the third skill allowed him to cleave a large area before him. Like his first skill, he couldn¡¯t repeatedly use them in quick successions. However, he learned that he could use different skills in quick succession without suffering the same penalty. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Now, how do I destroy this egg? With more Kraken followers still gathering around him, Dhaga had no time to think the matter through. He went for a straightforward attack that saw his attack halted by the hard egg shell. After attempting trident charge and current shockwave, he was dismayed to see that none of his attacks even left a scratch on the egg. For the next few minutes, he had to fend off the waves of enemies while he considered his options. As soon as he got a breather, he took a good look at the egg location, noting the nest made for the egg. The vase-shaped hole was just the right size for the egg so the naga had an idea he wanted to test out. ¡°Give up, naga! It¡¯s too late! The egg shell is now impenetrable!¡± Dhaga wasn¡¯t about to give up because one of the higher ranking Kraken followers said so. He dived to the seafloor before he aimed for the nest, digging out the dirt until the hole was a bit bigger. Before he could try the next step, the Kraken followers charged at him. To disrupt the enemies, Dhaga used a current shockwave. Unexpectedly, some of the Kraken followers, having been thrown off course by the shockwave, collided with the egg. The battle was put on pause as everyone turned to the egg that began toppling over. A few of the Kraken followers tried to halt the topple but they were crushed by the egg. Few seconds after the egg toppled, a crack showed at the top and propagated towards the bottom. I was too late to prevent the Kraken from being born. What can I do now? A tentacle poked out of the crack before another proceeded to create a bigger opening. Dhaga watched as the newborn Kraken emerged from the egg but he wasn¡¯t ready for the abomination. The creature looked like an underdeveloped Kraken with missing limbs and an incomplete body. Upon exiting the egg, the creature cried once loudly before turning its sight on the naga. Sensing the hostility and knowing that he couldn¡¯t fight the baby Kraken and all of its followers at once, he decided that fleeing was the better option. A trident charge and a whirlpool portal later, he exited the encirclement and swam towards the naga base. When he looked behind him, the baby Kraken charged through its followers as it refused to let the naga escape. If you are foolish enough to keep pursuing me, then it should be easy for all the orb owners to work together in giving you a proper death. Having realized that the baby Kraken could keep up with his pace, Dhaga focused on just swimming and avoiding the pursuing Kraken followers. The noise from the creature was enough for him to know how far back the baby Kraken was. In the meantime, the two of them had thrown off all the Kraken followers who simply couldn''t keep up with their speed. As tempting as it was to play the hero, he chose to head back and greatly improve his odds of success. If he was injured or killed, then their side would be in a disadvantageous position. Volume 2 Chapter 55 Before Dreu could learn what Zraiw had in store, he learned that Seiluxr had returned. The sorceress, while not very agile on land, could still reach the city just fine. She urgently called for Dreu¡¯s assistance to the surprise of the young man. The two of them met at the main city gates. ¡°I apologize for this but I need you to join me in the depths of the swamp.¡± ¡°Depths?¡± Dreu had no interest in reaching the underground lake floor so he was definitely against entering the swamp. He doubted Seiluxr would even protect him against what creatures lurked beneath the surface. If given a choice, he would not even approach it. Yet, the naga refused to give up, begging him for help. ¡°Well, tell me why you need me? I¡¯m weak and not special in any way or form.¡± ¡°Except for your emperor class¡­¡± ¡°Last I checked, my emperor class doesn¡¯t make me fight any better underwater.¡± ¡°There is a great creature in the depths. Please save him just as you saved me.¡± After much deliberation, Dreu agreed to it on the condition that the sorceress had ways to help him survive underwater. The sorceress stated that she had the necessary spells and that they could head out at once. Given the urgency in her tone, he nodded his head, hoping he could return before the day ended. He and Seiluxr made their way to the swamp where the young man stared at the swamp warily. As he worked up his courage, he felt a shove from behind, resulting in him diving head first into the swamp. ¡°What was that¡­.I¡­I can speak underwater?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to kill you. We can talk as we swim!¡± While the naga swam deeper, Dreu still struggled to move underwater. He might not have to worry about running out of breath but he quickly realized how unprepared he was with underwater mobility. His struggle lasted long enough for Seiluxr to return. Once she saw what was happening, the sorceress simply grabbed him by his arm and pulled him with her. As they went deeper, Dreu commented on how lifeless the water was. He expected there to be more wildlife and demonic creatures but only the occasional flora passed them by. ¡°The great creature I spoke of is responsible for this. He defeated all the demonic creatures here but he¡¯s now mortally wounded.¡± ¡°Defeated all the demonic creatures?¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Based on what Ragellon told him, Dreu had to wonder how powerful the great creature was. It had to defy anything he thought was possible. More importantly, he wondered where the creature came from. More importantly, he wondered how the underwater battle took place without anyone in the city being any wiser. ¡°Did it come from the same place as you?¡± ¡°Yes, though we arrived at different times.¡± The two of them reached the great creature. Dreu was at a total loss of words as he stared at a creature that made the great demonic primate look like a bug. He wondered if the creature was asleep when he felt a presence nearby. Fascinating! You are the one to save Seiluxr and might have a way of saving me. Maybe¡­.I don¡¯t know if I can be of any help¡­uhm¡­what should I refer you by? Haha, I must be getting old! I am the Leviathan! You can say I¡¯m the guardian of the nagas. The Leviathan then gave a quick summary of his history with the nagas. He then mentioned a mysterious portal that brought him to the bottom of the swamp where he had to fend off hostile demonic creatures until he won a costly victory. Even with his powers, the injuries were too severe and he might have months to live at most. The Leviathan then got a pleasant surprise when Seiluxr appeared before him. After their conversation, he learned of Dreu¡¯s mysterious emperor class. Thus, the two of them now met under the swamp. Are you confident you can save me? I¡­.I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s still much about the emperor class I still don¡¯t know¡­..I can at least try. Dreu¡¯s main concern was the difference in power. The Leviathan was the most powerful creature he had ever encountered. While there was no indication that there was a limit, he wondered if his body could handle it. He knew for a fact that, should the Leviathan fall in battle, he would not be able to resummon the creature for centuries, assuming he could even live or survive that long. For now, he was willing to risk it, though he hoped the prompt would alert him if the task wasn¡¯t possible. Let¡¯s do this! Dreu swam up to the Leviathan and placed his hand on the creature. After that, he wasn¡¯t sure what to do. He never figured out how his companions joined him. They claimed that a prompt appeared, giving them the option to join him. However, he had no clue what would trigger such a prompt as he was never the one to start the process in the past. As he pondered on the matter, the prompt alerted him of the Leviathan joining him. Before he could celebrate, the prompt was updated. < Warning! The Leviathan is too powerful to be summoned indefinitely. Once summoned, the Leviathan cannot be unsummoned until a month has passed. The unsummoning of the Leviathan will be treated as a defeat and thus all normal requirements must be met before the Leviathan can be summoned again. > Dreu, please wait until we return to Itteroth before you resummon me. I must be there for the nagas in their upcoming fight with the Kraken. I can sense my foes gathering for the final assault. If you aid me, I''d gladly assist you in the future in whatever way possible. Dreu said that he understood the situation and would avoid unnecessary risks with big bodies of water. Given that the swamp had been cleared of any threats, he could resume exploring the rest of the demon realm within reason. He also wondered what Zraiw had in store for him upon his return. For the time being, he got to enjoy the swim back to the surface. Volume 2 Chapter 56 When Zraiw waddled into the building, Dreu felt his heart beating faster. The smug attitude of the swan made him uneasy which was further amplified when a jar was presented before him. The swan brought out a spherical object. ¡°If you consume one of these everyday for a month, you will strengthen your existing foundation. Afterwards, you have to train if you want to reach new heights.¡± The young man hesitantly reached out for the spherical object. Zraiw explained that the object was a pill that had unique medicinal properties. Usually, the pill would be consumed by children when their foundation was still in the process of being built. Children from wealthier families had more access to such pills, thus they tended to become far stronger than those of poorer families. Dreu belonged to the less than ideal situation where his foundation was already built and the pill had limitations as to what it could fix. ¡°Despite the limitations, you¡¯ll find the pill to be still effective in making you stronger. I would make better pills but the demon realm has such low grade materials. You''d be amazed what I can make if I have the right materials.¡± When Dreu inquired further on the matter, Zraiw explained some of the basics regarding alchemy. The swan stated that there were different levels to pills. The ones Dreu was consuming were only the lowest level. Depending on the skills of the alchemist and the types of materials, higher level pills with various effects could be made. Legends claimed that the highest level pills could even make an individual or creature into a god, though many believed the claims to be greatly exaggerated. Following the explanation, the swan asked Dreu to eat the first pill. The young man stared at the pill, recalling how much he hated the bitter taste of medicine. Here goes nothing! Having faith that the swan wouldn¡¯t harm him, Dreu swallowed the pill. He had expected a bitter taste due to the pill being medicinal but it had a very bland taste. After swallowing the pill, the young man waited for something to happen. After a minute, he assumed that the pill wasn¡¯t as incredible as the swan claimed it to be. As he was getting up, his feet weakened, causing him to fall back to the ground. He then stared at his hands as though something was flowing through his fingers. Yet, he couldn¡¯t pick up anything with his eyes. The young man looked to the swan only to see Zraiw¡¯s shaking head. ¡°What you feel isn¡¯t something you can see with your eyes. The fact that you sensed the energy is already an incredible feat. Continue for a month and you¡¯ll be amazed by the results.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. With his job done, Zraiw happily waddled out of the courtyard, leaving Dreu to admire the new energy alone. Ilveroz and Zog were nearby but he didn¡¯t pay them any attention. He wondered if he could harness the energy but, an hour later, he gave up on his endeavor. The young man suspected that he might not have the talent or the body to harness such energy. I should be glad to just have some of it making me stronger. This time, he found he could stand more easily. It felt like his body had adjusted to the change which had felt amazing. Wanting to test out his body, Dreu went for a run. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that he had gained both speed and stamina from the single pill. Not only did he look forward to his change after a month but he also wondered about what higher level pills could do. A part of him wondered if he could ever visit the mythical realm where Zraiw came from. The young man made a note to ask the swan if and how he could visit the realm. It sounded like an incredible place to visit. And to think there''s a chance to become a god by going there¡­ ¡°Dreu! Ragellon needs your help!¡± A demonic child¡¯s words snapped Dreu back to reality. The child, going by the name of Ruken, was generally seen as second in command after Ragellon so the young man took it seriously when she said such a thing. He told her to take several deep breaths before allowing her to explain what had happened. ¡°Ragellon wanted an actual challenge because he got tired of the dummies. She ventured further than she should have and is now being pursued by demonic creatures too strong for her. Please help her!¡± Dreu reassured the child and told her to stay in the city with the other children. He then summoned Keth and Dar to join Zog as the vanguard. They would seek out Ragellon from the air and protect her from harm. Meanwhile, he and Ilveroz would travel on foot. As soon as the two of them engaged in battle, then he would summon the others to aid in the battle. While going through the recall list, Dreu was surprised to see the spiderlings listed, though they were shown as unavailable. I¡¯ll look into them after Ragellon is safe. Once the vanguard headed out, Dreu and Ilveroz ran through the streets and out the main gate. They only had a rough direction of where Ragellon was when she and her second in command were separated. Dreu hoped that, from the air, the vanguard could locate the child more easily. As soon as he was out of the city, Dreu went into a sprint but he stopped seconds later after he noticed Ilveroz couldn¡¯t keep up. To avoid being separated, he unsummoned the demon hound so his companion could be summoned with the others later. The young man kept sprinting until he reached a clearing with signs of combat. He called out to Zog but there was no response. Looks like I need to figure out where they went myself. Dreu studied the clearing and tried piecing together what happened. Then, a scream from the distance caught his attention. Sounds like I''ve found Ragellon. I better get there before it''s too late. Volume 2 Chapter 57 By the time the naga camp was within sight, the other orb owners were already in front of the camp entrance. Dhaga continued swimming in a straight line until he watched multiple icicle projectiles fly at him. He waited for the last moment before he turned to avoid them. The baby Kraken wasn¡¯t so fortunate as all the projectiles hit, resulting in numerous wounds. The projectiles also staggered the creature, making it easy to hit by the successive spells from Naha. Dhaga then used this moment to attack the wounds to further increase the bleeding until the water around the Kraken was dyed a different shade of blue. Then, the other orb owners joined in and successfully slayed the baby Kraken. Following the victory, they all went to the Leviathan to seek out how to dispose of the corpse. The safest way is to haul the corpse onto land and burn it to a crisp. Even the corpse could have many uses for the Kraken followers. I am curious how it became this abomination though as I have never seen it taken such a form before. Dhaga went on to describe his fight from camp to camp before he toppled the egg. He stated that he didn¡¯t know his actions would have such consequences but they were fortunate that the baby Kraken was dealt with. For the time being, they didn¡¯t need to worry about the egg and, as clarified by the Leviathan, a second Kraken egg couldn¡¯t exist until long after the battle. If they could end the Kraken this time, then they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about further Kraken eggs. Rest up, all of you! Now that you have all unlocked your equipment, our battle with the Kraken forces is reaching its climax. Only one side will come out victorious so rest while you still can. The Leviathan then went silent, as though he was continuing something important. To avoid bothering their guardian, the nagas all returned to the camp with Azi recovering their stamina along the way. All the orb owners ate before they went to bed. While Azi¡¯s healing was effective, it still couldn¡¯t make up for what sleep could offer. We¡¯ll finally face the Kraken. With the guardian here, we cannot lose¡­but the guardian also mentioned that we must kill the Kraken here and now. Will I be able to unlock all the secrets within the trident? It feels like I''m still long ways off. You can! Dhaga wasn¡¯t prepared for Cridror¡¯s response. He had expected all the orcas to be resting following their battle earlier. He didn¡¯t know how long it took for the orcas to recover from their wounds so he never bothered waking them up. Hearing Cridror brought him relief as he knew the orcas were fine. He checked if they were ready for the big battle that was coming soon. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. It might surprise you but we are getting stronger too. The guardian has grown stronger now. I don¡¯t know how to explain it but we all thought the Leviathan had reached his limits long ago. Since his return, he¡¯s achieved something we all thought was unachievable. If there''s one battle where we have the best odds, it''s the upcoming one. Sounds like our odds have improved by a lot if we weren''t even confident before. Knowing the importance of rest and how unpredictable the following days could be, Dhaga forced himself to fall asleep. Within the camp near the guardian, he never felt safer so sleep came easily. When he woke up next, there was a flurry of activity in the camp. He quickly exited his accommodation only to find numerous nagas heading towards the outer perimeter. Before he could process what was happening, all the orcas appeared beside him and urged him to join the others. As he approached the camp entrance, he finally sensed the overwhelming presence of the Kraken. ¡°Man the gates! Prepare for battle!¡± ¡°Get the wounded within the camp! Find Ms Azi now!¡± Wounded? Already? Did I sleep through an earlier attack? Dhaga had never considered himself a heavy sleeper so he was certain that he would have been woken up by any attacks. He swam over to another naga inquiring on the matter only to learn that the attack was quick and silent. A handful of nagas were sent to investigate outside the camp after a naga noticed something suspicious outside the camp when the attack came, supposedly from the Kraken himself. The attack would have continued if the guardian didn¡¯t halt it. Thus, they were dealing with the aftermath of the attack. It¡¯s no wonder the Kraken is so powerful. We can barely detect its attacks before we¡¯re dead. As he swam out of the camp, Azi swam back in to tend to the wounded. He greeted the other orb owners with a nod before turning his attention to the Leviathan. Unlike the previous day, he felt a trace of anger. Hear me, all nagas! The final battle is now here! Ready your weapons and spells! We either slay the Kraken today or we are destined for annihilation in the future. Fight for the future of the naga race. Don¡¯t cower against the creatures of evil! Following the Leviathan¡¯s speech, the naga swam out from their camp in formation. There was no longer any need to hold the camp now that they were ready for the final battle. Even the wounded just sent to the infirmary returned due to Azi¡¯s powerful healing spells. The warrior nagas made the front ranks while the spellcasters remained behind them. The Leviathan stayed some distance behind the spellcasters while Dhaga and the orcas held the flanks as usual. He and Cridror held one flank while Acro and Ray held the other one. As explained by Cridror before their split, the orcas had apparently become even stronger with the help of the Leviathan. Unlike their past conflicts, the orcas went for a quality over quantity approach this time, though they would welcome additional help if Dhaga managed to summon more. I¡¯ll show you how we have grown, Dhaga. We will be victorious! Volume 2 Chapter 58 Dreu sprinted until he caught sight of Ragellon and Zraiw. The demonic girl was nursing her left arm while the swan was bloodied. They were both standing on their feet but the young man wasn''t sure how long that would remain the case. He then noticed the single opponent they were facing. The foe resembled Rowan but the aura felt evil and somewhat alluring. It almost felt like that aura was calling to him while promising him more power. Is this someone from hell? Is this what corruption feels like? The being had noticed Dreu as well and turned towards him. ¡°I will offer you the same thing as the others. Serve the lord and you shall be granted powers beyond your understanding!¡± ¡°Never!¡± Dreu summoned his companions and had the individual surrounded. With his blade gripped tightly, he went on the attack. The young man swung his blade but the individual blocked the attack with his right gauntlet. Then, the individual grabbed the young man with his other hand before tossing Dreu at a tree. As the young man tried to get up, he watched helplessly as his companions were all defeated by a single swing from the individual. The gap between him and the individual was becoming very apparent. After forcing himself to get up, he ran over to Ragellon and Zraiw. ¡°Quick! Follow me!¡± The three of them ran through the forest as quickly as they could. Meanwhile, their foe seemed content taking his time, as though he was confident the battle was decided. Dreu only hoped that he headed in the right direction because he knew that the three of them had limits, especially the other two with their wounds. Zraiw looked awful while Ragellon''s wound never stopped bleeding. The trio eventually arrived by the swamp where he summoned Seiluxr. ¡°Please keep him preoccupied.¡± Following a nod from the sorceress, he then led the other two along the swamp until he heard the battle between Seiluxr and the individual. He then felt the intensity of the battle as the shockwaves reached him. With the threat preoccupied, he summoned Dar whose presence could help them recover faster. While the healing took place, the three of them headed to the city where they reunited with the other demonic children. ¡°Ragellon, we cannot afford to stay here any longer. There are too many strong enemies who managed to enter this space. Leaving this place might be safer for us.¡± The demonic child stated that she understood. She then led everyone to the center of the city where a temple stood tall. She urged all of them to enter the temple quickly before she closed the gate. At the center of the temple, she began a chant that made the runes on the walls light up. The runes became brighter and brighter until Dreu had to close his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the forest. Except for Ragellon, the other demonic children were equally surprised by the development. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. What was that? Dreu had forgotten that Seiluxr was still new. She described how, during the heat of the battle, a massive shockwave of energy wiped her out and, the next thing she knew, she was back in his summoning realm. He asked the sorceress what she thought about the individual from hell. He¡¯s very powerful! I wasn¡¯t sure if I could have won but I¡¯m certain that he wouldn¡¯t leave the fight uninjured. If I was stranded on land, then I was guaranteed to lose. The young man then checked his recall list and sighed. Seiluxr was no longer recallable due to their difference in levels. He didn¡¯t regret summoning her but he knew he would miss having her as a trump card in the future. The idea that she stood a chance against the hell individual was already impressive. The young man then surveyed their surroundings, recalling that they were still in the demon realm. They no longer had any more protection and his companions weren¡¯t available until the following day. Dar helped heal them the best she could but there were still limitations to how much they recovered. ¡°We need to find a place to rest. Ideally, the location is easy to defend.¡± Ragellon took a moment to digest Dreu¡¯s comment. She then led them to a small cave in the mountain. Within the cave, Dreu could summon the demon bats who, while weren¡¯t impressive fighters, still bolstered their numbers. Sometimes, a larger group is enough to dissuade foes. As extra precaution, he spent the next hour gathering rocks he could carry and placed them at the cave entrance. The makeshift wall wasn¡¯t much but it could give him further defensive advantage if combat was unavoidable. The group then ventured out of the cave to gather food for the night. By the time they all ate, Dreu offered to be the lookout. Isonron had spoiled him and he had to return to reality where danger could be around the corner. While the others slept, he asked Azurys to keep an eye outside the cave. The demon bats had much better night vision so they could catch things he might miss. He could only hope the night would be uneventful. Bartok, do you know how lesser demon bats get stronger? I recall that you said Balgzr became the strongest bat. How did he do it? I don¡¯t know the specifics but I heard there are some edible mushrooms that can help lesser demon bats evolve. Honestly, I don¡¯t even know what those mushrooms look like but they are supposedly common in caves not occupied by bats. Dreu understood the hesitation if the bats could die from consuming mushrooms. However, his bats only had to deal with a cooldown. If I can just ask them to experiment and we get lucky, then all of them can greatly enhance our combat capabilities. A quick look suggested that the cave they were in hadn''t been occupied for a long time. Dreu, I don¡¯t think I will like what is going through your head. The young man showed his best smile as he walked up to Bartok, reassuring the bat with every step. Volume 2 Chapter 59 After an hour of experimenting, Dreu learned a couple of things. First, lesser demon bats didn¡¯t need to consume a lot of mushrooms before they got ill. A nibble was all that was needed to test whether a mushroom was beneficial or harmful to a bat. Secondly, the bats recovered very quickly. Regarding this, the young man had yet to figure out if this was due to low health, high regen or a combination of both. What mattered was that Bartok was ready for the next test after a few minutes, allowing them to test all the mushrooms in the cave. Upon finishing, Bartok simply stayed within a small crevasse within the cave, unwilling to come out. I¡¯m sorry, Bartok! If the situation wasn¡¯t dire, I wouldn¡¯t go this route. So many of the others cannot be summoned until tomorrow. I can only rely on you to aid me in defending everyone. When Dreu thought that Bartok would remain furious with him and refused to come out, the lesser demon bat poked his head out. He could tell the bat was still displeased and vowed to make up to him in the future. As for their current situation, Bartok did determine that three of the mushrooms were edible to bats. These mushrooms were also grown in clusters so there might be enough for all the bats. I¡¯m ready to consume the mushroom and see what happens. With Bartok volunteering, Dreu couldn¡¯t turn down the offer. He carefully removed some of the mushrooms from the clusters and fed them to the bat. Upon finishing, nothing happened. Neither the prompt nor the bat exhibited anything out of the ordinary. Maybe Bartok needs to consume more? Or maybe these aren''t the right mushrooms? As the young man got up to get more mushrooms, the prompt popped up, making him trip on a rock. Once he got back up, he checked the prompt. < Lv 1 Demon Bat (Bartok): Description: This flying creature generally stays within dark caves where it hunts small insects that make the cave their home. If left alone, this creature will happily hunt and sleep. If provoked, it will retaliate with its fangs. Unlike the lesser demon bat, demon bats are naturally stronger with three skills instead of one. They also possess stronger combat ability that, while not making them exceptionally dangerous, makes them less useless in battles Recommendations: -Don¡¯t expose this creature to light, natural or artificial, as the creature receives a major debuff in illuminated settings. -This creature can support in combat depending on what skill it possesses. Evolution: This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. -??? Skill: -Dark Sight (Lvl 1): Active. Grants an ally the ability to see in the dark like bats for 15 minutes. Unlimited uses and no cost but ability has a 30 minute cooldown between uses. -Dark Embrace (Lvl 1): Passive. Grants the user a buff of up to +30% attack and defense depending on the darkness level of the user¡¯s surroundings. An environment of complete darkness is needed to achieve the max buff. -Wing Slash (Lvl 1): Active. The user¡¯s wings are surrounded by the wind element, making them dangerous weapons that can slice through weak foes. Each use consumes the stamina of the user. No cooldown or additional costs. Status: +10% attack and defense from evolution -25% attack and defense from inexperience.> Dreu was pretty impressed by the evolution. The two extra abilities were massive even if they were random. He was also shocked by how easy evolution was. Compared to demon worms needing experience as a prerequisite to evolution, consumption of some mushrooms was much easier to achieve. The prompt also confirmed there was a third stage to the bat''s evolution but, upon asking Bartok about it, he stated that this was unknown as there was no precedent. Hoping to keep the momentum going, Dreu then asked Loryss to eat the same mushrooms. He was worried that the bats needed different mushrooms but his concern was unfounded as Loryss evolved too. < Lv 1 Demon Bat (Loryss): Skill: -Hibernation Link (Lvl 1): Active. Create a link with an ally 1 meter away. While the user is hibernating and the ally remains within 1 meter, both user and ally gain +1% health regeneration buff. User is defenseless while hibernating. -Hibernation Defense (Lvl 1): Passive. Only active when the user is in hibernation. When active, all allies within 2 meters are given +15% defense. -Light Adaptability (Lvl 1): Passive. The user¡¯s debuff in illuminated settings is reduced by 10%. > Does this mean that high level of light adaptability will make Loryss capable of traveling out in the day? The young man had learned that all beings and creatures had an ideal time for combat due to various factors. Humans were better during the day as they had terrible night vision compared to other races and creatures. A creature like Loryss who could eventually be as effective in the day as night would make her very versatile. As Bayard had taught him, combat and battles were decided by which side was more versatile. Plans tended to be the first casualty following the first contact so the outcomes were often determined by the more versatile side. Good, let¡¯s check what the other two bats have. Before he could gather the mushrooms for the remaining two demon bats, a sound caught his attention. He checked his recall list but Azurys wasn¡¯t on there. Unsure if he just heard the wind or there was someone or something approaching the cave mouth, Dreu crawled towards his makeshift wall while remaining in the darkness. He paused beside the wall as he listened. Did I fool myself into hearing something? Maybe I¡¯m just too¡­ A low growl then got his attention. The young man peaked over the wall but the owner of the growl still hadn¡¯t made an appearance. Because the path to the cave was on an incline, he couldn''t see any being or creature approaching until they were nearly at the cave mouth. The seconds ticked by until he could make out a head under the dim light. Is that¡­is that the head of a honey badger¡­ Volume 2 Chapter 60 As soon as Kraken followers got close, Cridror used her aqua charge to break through the enemy ranks. When Dhaga wondered why the orca did such a reckless thing given how poorly the orcas were equipped when surrounded, he watched as a whirlpool formed out of nowhere with the orca at its vortex. The whirlpool lasted a few seconds but, in those seconds, all the Kraken followers caught within it were sliced to countless pieces. Next, Cridror swam back to the naga. Impressed yet? That was my Whirlpool Burst ability! It works really well with my aqua charge. Having seen the destructive nature of the ability and the assumption that the ability couldn¡¯t differentiate between friends and foes, Dhaga could see why the aqua charge was so important for the kit. Otherwise, Cridror had to be isolated and encircled to make full use of the spell. Now, she could determine where to strike and where to withdraw at her own whim. You seem so excited about it. Have you never had this ability before? To the naga¡¯s surprise, Cridror revealed that the orcas only had one ability until recently. While they really honed that ability, they were still limited to a single ability which limited their versatility. None of the orcas was aware that a second ability was possible. Cridror credited this development with the Leviathan¡¯s recent evolution. Somehow, there were a bunch of impossible events that were made possible since the Leviathan''s return. No one knew who was responsible for these miracles as even the Leviathan refused to share how it returned but the development would certainly aid the nagas in their fight against the Kraken. Now Cridror has an answer to the enemy¡¯s numbers. Until recently, Dhaga and the orcas had no solution to the large number of foes. Their attacks were only good against single targets or small groups. Thus, the Kraken followers¡¯ large numbers had posed a serious threat. While it was true that the Naha had an impressive arsenal of spells capable of dealing with large numbers, she was only by herself and such spells were normally mana heavy. To use such spells repeatedly would render her useless very quickly as she would be depleted of mana. The other sorceresses would be even more hindered by this fact given that they didn''t have an orb to assist them. Cridror¡¯s new ability would help their flank by crushing their foes faster than expected. If enough time had passed, Cridror could easily stand her ground against the incoming Kraken followers, even by herself . Wait, why aren¡¯t they approaching us further? Earlier, the Kraken followers paused their advance following Cridror¡¯s demonstration of her new ability. Yet, they had gotten over that and continued advancing for the next couple of minutes before they stopped and backed away. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Do you know what they are attempting here, Cridror? I fear I¡¯ve never seen the Kraken followers do such a thing. Seems like we aren¡¯t the only ones with surprises in this battle. A dark portal suddenly appeared on the flanks between the two belligerents. Dhaga watched as a creature easily twice the size of orcas appeared through the portal. At first, he thought it was a larger version of a great white shark. After a minute of studying it, he concluded that it resembled a blue shark more with its extra long pectoral fins. The portal closed as soon as three such things came through the portals but the naga knew the three of them were enough to strike fear in the nagas. Given that nagas were generally one of the bigger denizens of the seas, the idea of fighting something as big as the creatures before them would terrify anyone. They also had so little experience that they weren''t quite sure where to start. Cridror, you wouldn¡¯t happen to know what these are and their weaknesses, right? No, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen them. I¡¯m actually more curious how the Kraken got ahold of them in the first place. Dhaga was also curious about the dark portals as they didn¡¯t match portals he had seen before. He came across demon portals before but the two, despite both being similar at first glance, had nothing else in common. When the portal appeared, the naga tried peering into it and, despite seeing nothing, he could sense something peering back at him. A part of him was relieved that wherever peered back didn¡¯t bother exiting the portal. ¡°Ah! What¡¯s happening?¡± Dhaga turned to see some of the nagas facing one of the creatures slowly turn to stone. No matter how they struggled, they couldn¡¯t stop the petrification process. Once they completely turned to stone, the victims sank to the bottom of the seafloor. The creature responsible for the petrification then swam behind the Kraken ranks. If that one can petrify its foes, are the other ones also capable of such a thing? As if in response, the second creature charged at the nagas. Any naga that came close to it turned to ash instantly. During that time, the creature has a dark aura around it. Like its first companion, the creature only did a quick lap before it withdrew to safety too. Once it was done, the third creature approached the nagas before it sent a shockwave out from its mouth. Following that, it too withdrew to safety. What did the third one do? After much panic among the nagas, Dhaga figured out what the third one did. Those hit by the shockwave lost one of their senses, though the lost sense seemed to be random. They also had no clue if the loss was temporary or permanent. However, the third creature¡¯s ability was no less dangerous than the first two. One might consider the petrification and instant death to be more impactful but the curse or whatever was used by the third creature had more long term impacts on the nagas. They knew that we are tightly knit and wouldn¡¯t abandon the disabled ones. Even if the war was won by us, the nagas with afflictions would be a burden to the nagas, possibly causing the collapse of our great empire. Volume 2 Chapter 61 Dreu wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about the sight of honey badgers a few meters away from him. Back in the kingdom, honey badgers already had quite a reputation of being fearless creatures capable of defeating strong foes. From what he had seen, the demonic version of the honey badgers had to be far worse. The worst part was that one was heading towards the cave mouth right this moment and only he stood between it and the children. ¡°Who is there?¡± growled the honey badger as it turned its head to the sky. The young man followed the creature¡¯s gaze until he noticed Azurys staring down at the creature. Try communicating with the honey badger but avoid angering it. What followed was an interesting conversation where Azurys made clicking sounds and the honey badger responded in words Dreu could understand. Once the conversation ended, the young man got the gist of the situation. There were apparently four demon honey badgers traveling as a group but one of them was badly wounded and poisoned. The regeneration was barely keeping the creature alive from the wounds which meant the poison was slowly killing it. The badgers had planned on using the cave as their safe haven while one of them went in search of an antidote. Surprisingly, the honey badger leader, upon hearing that Azurys¡¯ companions already occupied the cave, offered to leave without causing issues. The honey badgers were turning around when Dreu stepped out of the shadows. ¡°We are willing to help your wounded if you trust us.¡± Dreu didn¡¯t know where he found the courage to appear before the demon honey badgers but he stood before them unarmed. Deep down, he felt that they could use such an ally, especially if they hoped to get to safety. With the demonic creatures in the demon realm and pursuers from the kingdom threatening their survival, they needed to grow stronger in numbers. He was gambling that, by aiding the honey badgers, they could acquire valuable allies. ¡°How do you intend on helping us?¡± ¡°I have two demon companions capable of healing others. With their help, the worst case scenario is them buying more time for your wounded companion while the best case scenario is your companion fully healed and only needing an antidote for the poison.¡± ¡°Healers? From demonic creatures?¡± There was a short pause. ¡°If that¡¯s indeed the case, then we¡¯ll accept your help.¡± With the help of a honey badger, the wounded one reached the cave mouth where Dar and Loryss were on standby. As soon as the badger was ready, the two of them went to work. Lloyds snuggled close to the creature¡¯s head while Dar hovered nearby. The wounded honey badger appeared to be at death¡¯s door when it laid down but, after several minutes of healing, its breathing became less labored and it opened its eyes. The young man knew the initial healing was the most effective due to Dar¡¯s passive only triggering for those with low health. The demon butterfly had limited uses of her other skill so he wanted to see if Loryss¡¯ hibernation was enough and leave the charges to desperate situations. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°The healing has brought us precious time,¡± he said to the leader. ¡°I assume the other two are looking for the antidote?¡± ¡°Yes, they know what to search for.¡± ¡°What was responsible for the wounds and poison?¡± ¡°Demon Poison Steel Spider.¡± Dreu listened as the honey badger leader spoke of the dangerous spider that roamed the forest by itself and feared nothing. The creature relied on its steel claws as its primary weapon and the claws were sharp enough to cut through many demonic creature hides. In an emergency, it would shoot the steel quills on its back at foes. Both its claws and quills were coated with a slow painful poison. ¡°We were caught up in a battle between one of these spiders and several demon primates. All of them might be dead but our youngest member came out wounded and poisoned.¡± Using this opportunity, Dreu asked the honey badger more questions about the demon realm and was fascinated by the knowledge of the creature. In return, he shared about his unexpected arrival in the demon realm and how he traveled with demonic companions. Their conversation was only interrupted when one of the honey badgers returned with the antidote or, more specifically, an herb that served as the antidote. The wounded badger consumed the herb and, minutes later, got back on its feet. ¡°Where are you headed now?¡± asked the honey badger leader. ¡°We¡¯re leaving the demon realm as it¡¯s too dangerous. As for the exact location, I don¡¯t think we had one in mind. I guess we¡¯ll go wherever it¡¯s the safest while we get stronger. Only real strength can promise safety in this dangerous continent. We may keep moving until we figure out a purpose and a destination.¡± ¡°Let us join you on your journey then.¡± < Congratulations! Four demon honey badgers have joined your roster. > ¡°I know you¡¯re curious why we joined. You can say we¡¯ve been waiting for your arrival for a while. We were told that a human would travel with demon companions in the demon realm and he would take us to where we are needed. Fate has brought us together.¡± ¡°Who are you? And who told you about my arrival?¡± ¡°My name is Olgron and Eglallin told me of your arrival through one of her visions. I trusted her and now we meet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to have you on the team, Olgron. Do you know any safe routes we can take to escape the demon realm?¡± Dreu then shared his concern of the humans tracking them down. Olgron shared that he was aware of the humans who dared to enter the demon realm and many of them paid for their foolish decision by losing their lives. No other humans entered since but that meant they could be guarding all the escape routes. ¡°Give me some time and I¡¯ll find a safe route out of here. This may take time since the demon realm isn''t as safe as it used to be. The underworld and hell forces are making their moves.¡± Volume 2 Chapter 62 Olgron went ahead to scout out a safe route so Dreu found himself with the three other honey badgers. Now that they were part of his roster, he checked the prompt for their information. < Lv 1 Demon Honey Badger (Zanraz): Description: This creature is fearless when faced with difficult foes. Normally, the creature prefers solitude but demon honey badgers do group up if one of its kind is capable of leading them. Due to its strength, ferocity and toughness, this creature finds very few opponents foolish enough to challenge its might. Those that crossed its path and made it antagonistic must suffer the consequence of a battle to the death. Recommendations: -Pick combat for this creature carefully as honey badgers are notorious for taking on any opponent regardless how outmatched they are. Skill: -Temper Tantrum (Lvl 1): Active. Once the user is antagonized, this skill activates automatically, giving the user +50% boost to both attack and defense. While this skill is active, the user cannot stop fighting until it or its opponent is defeated. No limits to uses or cooldown. -Thick Hide (Lvl 1): Passive. Grants the user +100% defense and resistance to venom. -Fearless (Lvl 1): Passive. Immune to fear debuff effects. While under fear debuff, gain +25% attack. Attack gains can stack. -Chomp (Lvl 1): Passive. Activated whenever the user bites a foe. Applies bleed debuff on bitten foes, can stack up to 3 times. Status: +45% attack and defense from combat experience. > I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t have to fight these honey badgers. Zanraz alone can probably defeat me easily. I don¡¯t even think I have a way of getting through his defense. What about the other two? < Lv 1 Demon Honey Badger (Predis): Skill: -Temper Tantrum (Lvl 1): Active. Once the user is antagonized, this skill activates automatically, giving the user +50% boost to both attack and defense. While this skill is active, the user cannot stop fighting until it or its opponent is defeated. No limits to uses or cooldown. -Thick Hide (Lvl 1): Passive. Grants the user +100% defense and resistance to venom. -Fearless (Lvl 1): Passive. Immune to fear debuff effects. While under fear debuff, gain +25% attack. Attack gains can stack. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. -Slash (Lvl 1): Passive. Activated whenever the user claws a foe. Applies bleed debuff on bitten foes, can stack up to 3 times. Status: +25% attack and defense from combat experience. > < Lv 1 Demon Honey Badger (Khezira): Skill: -Temper Tantrum (Lvl 1): Active. Once the user is antagonized, this skill activates automatically, giving the user +50% boost to both attack and defense. While this skill is active, the user cannot stop fighting until it or its opponent is defeated. No limits to uses or cooldown. -Thick Hide (Lvl 1): Passive. Grants the user +100% defense and resistance to venom. -Fearless (Lvl 1): Passive. Immune to fear debuff effects. While under fear debuff, gain +25% attack. Attack gains can stack. -Bone Crusher (Lvl 1): Passive. 25% chance to activate when engaged in melee combat with foes. Applies bleed debuff on foes, can stack up to 10 times. Status: +65% attack and defense from combat experience. > Temper tantrum, thick hide and fearless are skills shared among all the honey badgers? It¡¯s terrifying how strong four of these honey badgers are compared to the rest of my roster. The young man then checked on the bleed debuff, learning that they could stack if they originated from different skills. While Dreu was overjoyed with the four new additions, he was puzzled by their levels. When Ror and Brornun joined him, they were at level 3. This indicated that they had combat experience in the past and had leveled up before they met with him. Given the nature of honey badgers, he refused to believe that the four new additions didn¡¯t get enough experience to level up. Yet, his prompt clearly indicated that the honey badgers, at least the three before him, were still at level 1. They either require a lot of experience to level up or they couldn¡¯t level up before. It¡¯s a shame the prompt cannot provide more information on this matter. Not wanting to just stand outside the cave mouth, the young man invited the three honey badgers into the cave. The demon children were still asleep while Bartok and Loryss watched over them. Dreu introduced them to one another before he called for Azurys and Bunted, remembering what he was up to before the honey badgers arrived. < Lv 1 Demon Bat (Azurys): Skill: -Aqua Sight (Lvl 1): Passive. User can see 1 meter beneath the water surface regardless of water clarity. Ability doesn¡¯t extend the sight range of the user. -Mini Whirlpool (Lvl 1): Active. Creates a mini whirlpool within 5 meters of the user. Whirlpool harms weak foes and slows the movement of medium foes. Limited to 10 uses per day. -Aqua Armor (Lvl 1): Passive. If the user is within 1 meter range of water and is attacked, an aqua armor automatically forms to make the user immune to all damage and debuffs. Limited to 1 activation per day. > < Lv 1 Demon Bat (Bunting): Skill: -Spell Shield (Lvl 1): Active. User can cast a spell shield on itself or an ally to protect against low level spells. Limited to 2 uses per day. -Wind Armor (Lvl 1): Active. User is surrounded by wind armor that can block physical damage. Limited to 10 uses per day. -Tailwind (Lvl 1): Active. Once used, all flying allies gain +10% movement for 1 hour. Limited to 2 uses per day. > Now all the bats went from having very niche roles to being much more useful in more cases. It¡¯s definitely been a fruitful night. I hope we have enough to help us escape the demon realm. A few more allies as strong as the honey badgers would be nice too. A few hours later, Dreu introduced the honey badgers to Ragellon before he went to bed, knowing that he needed to be rested for the following days. The demon child didn''t say much after the introduction but Dreu could see from her expression that she already trusted the new arrivals. Volume 2 Chapter 63 Dhaga knew his priority was killing the three creatures. They, like the orb owners, could turn the tide of the entire battle if given the chance. To get to them, he had to find a way to break through enemy ranks while the three creatures recharged their abilities. Cridror would be suited for the role but the naga recognized that the Kraken followers were also aware of the fact. After a short observation, he could already tell that the enemies defending the creatures were especially powerful. Those Kraken followers didn¡¯t move an inch, indicating that they were solely there to guard the creatures and hold off attacks until the creatures could strike again. ¡°Quick! Get them back to the base!¡± Meanwhile, the naga ranks were in slight disarray. After the display of power by the three creatures, the morale of the nagas had been wavering. Everyone was prepared for a tough battle with the Kraken followers but nothing readied the nagas for the three creatures. Dhaga was aware that they were on a timer. Given enough time, the three creatures could rout the entire flank of the nagas, giving the Kraken forces a massive advantage in the conflict. We also cannot ask for reinforcements since we are simply outnumbered. I hope the other flank is going well. They didn¡¯t encounter any creatures. Dhaga turned his head to look at the orca who clarified that she could communicate with other orcas within several kilometers. She and the other two orcas had been updating each other on the situation of flanks. Compared the two flanks, their flank was far more dangerous and might have a greater impact on the battle''s outcome. Why did they assign the creatures here then? Simple! They want to crush the morale of these nagas so this flank can no longer fight back. Crush the morale? As he pondered briefly on the matter, the naga could see the reason behind this deployment. The Kraken was confident in the three creatures¡¯ abilities. If he, an orb owner, couldn¡¯t turn things around, then the nagas would lose hope of ever winning the conflict. He was also certain that the Kraken carefully selected the foes for the different orb owners. The three foes he was facing were all extremely dangerous in close range which was where he excelled at. Faced with petrification, vaporization or losing a sense, Dhaga wasn¡¯t looking forward to the upcoming fight. Yet, him fleeing or giving up would guarantee the defeat of the nagas. We¡¯ll wait for the next opening! Can you open a path for me, Cridror? Thought you¡¯d never ask! Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The two sides simply held their ground with neither side making a move. The nagas were too fearful of the creature to advance blindly while the Kraken followers had no incentive when they could just wait for their aces to eventually win it for them. Several minutes later, the first creature made its move again. When the second creature made its move, Dhaga spoke to Cridror. Let¡¯s try intercepting the third creature as it withdraws. If they do have cooldowns, then we should be able to kill the third creature with no resistance from the first and second creatures. As soon as the third creature used its skill, Dhaga and Cridror emerged from the naga ranks. The Kraken followers sent out several of their fastest soldiers to intercept. An aqua charge later, Cridror got into the center of the soldiers¡¯ formation. With a use of her whirlpool burst, the intercepting soldiers were all eliminated. After the Kraken soldiers were eliminated, Dhaga reached the third creature and drove his trident straight into the creature''s head. He had expected tough scales capable of stopping his attack but the trident easily pierced through. The creature writhed wildly before its body exploded suddenly, catching Dhaga in the blast. The naga took a short while to regain his composure. Cridror, what just happened? Did the creature release ink like an octopus? I cannot see a thing. Reach out with your free arm now! The urgency in the orca¡¯s voice made Dhaga follow the command. As soon as his arm was out, he felt Cridror¡¯s mouth grip his arm and pull him back towards the naga ranks. Wait! Did that creature take my sight with it? I fear that¡¯s the case. Let¡¯s get to safety first! The naga had never felt so helpless. He had relied on sight for so much of his life. Now that he was surrounded by darkness all the time, he felt a fear that he never thought existed within him. The experience felt overwhelming as Cridror guided his every move right now. He didn¡¯t know where he was headed or where the nearest ally and friend were. The trident was worthless in his hands when he couldn''t even sense what was in front of him, let alone be aware of the battlefield during the heat of combat. Is this it, Cridror? Is this how the Kraken will win the battle? By taking away the sight that I rely so heavily on? Has he planned this far in eliminating me as a potential threat? Get a grip of yourself, Dhaga! Tell me how I can fight when I cannot even tell what¡¯s a meter in front of me! Tell me how I can make a difference in this battle! The lengthy silence made Dhaga uncomfortable. He could also infer, from the distance they¡¯ve been traveling, that Cridror was likely taking him back to the base with the hope that Azi could heal his lost sight. As they neared the camp, he could hear the cries of frustrations from some of the nagas. As he got pulled closer, he heard the statement that he was dreading about. ¡°Ms Azi tried but her spells cannot return my senses. I will be blind the rest of my life!¡± I should have known the Kraken had something planned. I basically walked into the trap like an idiot. What do I do now? What use am I to the nagas and the Guardian? Has the Kraken been too calculating for us to defeat? You should still speak with Azi. Maybe you¡¯ll be an exception when it comes to regaining your sight. Volume 2 Chapter 64 The group made quick progress through the forest after Olgron returned from his scouting. The honey badger checked all the main routes but those were either swarmed with demonic creatures or had humans lying in wait nearby. ¡°Honey badgers have a keen sense of smell,¡± said Olgron. ¡°The humans think they are well hidden but, as long as I know they are lying in ambush, I can find them through repositioning.¡± The young man had been very impressed with the honey badger leader¡¯s performance so far. When he checked the prompt, he wasn¡¯t surprised one bit by the honey badger¡¯s skills. Unlike the others, Olgron had two skills in addition to those available to all honey badgers. < Lv 1 Demon Honey Badger (Olgron): Skill: -Temper Tantrum (Lvl 1): Active. Once the user is antagonized, this skill activates automatically, giving the user +50% boost to both attack and defense. While this skill is active, the user cannot stop fighting until it or its opponent is defeated. No limits to uses or cooldown. -Thick Hide (Lvl 1): Passive. Grants the user +100% defense and resistance to venom. -Fearless (Lvl 1): Passive. Immune to fear debuff effects. While under fear debuff, gain +25% attack. Attack gains can stack. -Badger Leader (Lvl 1): Passive. Nearby friendly demon honey badgers gain +10% attack, +10% defense and +10% movement. Buff doubles if the demon honey badgers view the user as the leader. -Calm (Lvl 1): Passive. Removes the downside of Temper Tantrum on the user. Active. Removes the downside of Temper Tantrum on allied honey badgers. Limited to 3 uses per day. Status: +75% attack and defense from combat experience. > Calm caught Dreu¡¯s eyes immediately. An ability that removed the downside of a strong ability was worth its weight in gold. Strong abilities were generally balanced out in some way. Higher costs, limited uses and other downsides were common. Therefore, Olgron¡¯s Calm could make the group of demon honey badgers even more threatening. For the time being, Olgron determined the best route out of the demon realm. Once they exit the border, they would have to re-evaluate their plans. ¡°Even with the route figured out, we lack the speed.¡± Dreu gestured to himself and the demonic children. ¡°We aren¡¯t built to move swiftly through the forest.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°I guess that¡¯s normal when you have small sized creatures at your disposal.¡± Olgron then gestured to the other honey badgers. ¡°When you work with creatures our size, we can easily carry all of you on our backs, making any journey simpler.¡± Dreu then watched amusingly as the demon children all climbed onto Zanraz while Predis and Khezira had no one atop them. The young man wondered who he should ride when the honey badger leader offered himself. The moment he got on Olgron, the honey badgers took off for the route planned by their leader. For creatures their size, they were surprisingly fast. After a day of travel, they made far more progress than Dreu could over several days on foot. Olgron specifically picked a cave where they would be resting. ¡°Are we expecting to fight any foes tomorrow?¡± asked Dreu as he sat by the campfire. ¡°If so, I should at least do some planning.¡± ¡°Ideally, we avoid any confrontations. We are fine but you and these children may not do so well in combat.¡± Dreu could tell that Ragellon wasn¡¯t pleased with being viewed as a mere child but she also didn¡¯t voice her concerns. The girl was smart enough to recognize the danger they could encounter. Without the protection of Isonron for the other demons, they could very easily meet their end in the demon realm. As a precaution, the young man had to make preparations. Yet, he started panicking minutes into looking over his roster. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Ragellon. ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°Marun isn¡¯t available¡­¡± Marun¡¯s name might be on the list but she was listed as unavailable. The young man was certain he unsummoned the netherbear before he departed from Isonron. He checked with his other companions who confirmed that Marun was indeed with them. However, none of them could tell him where she went after they left the artificial city. Marun normally preferred to keep to herself when unsummoned so her absence could easily be missed. ¡°Is Marun powerful?¡± asked Olgron. The young man described all the battles Marun was in and how easily she crushed the foes. The honey badgers listened intently and, as soon as Dreu finished, they began showering compliments on the netherbear. ¡°What a shame she couldn¡¯t join us,¡± said Khezira. ¡°I would gladly challenge her in some friendly competitions to see who is stronger!¡± For the next two hours, Dreu summoned all his companions who could fight in the daytime so they could demonstrate their skills. The honey badgers were especially impressed with Aggich as curses complimented their offensive heavy focus. While the honey badgers did desire a good fight, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use any advantage that came their way, including a cursed foe. Once the group finished planning their strategies, they ate a quick meal and went to sleep. The bats kept a lookout so everyone else could be well rested for the following day. On the following day, the group had a quick meal before they proceeded on their journey to the border of the demon realm. We should be close to some enemies! I can sense their bloodlust. Do we engage them? Both Dreu and Olgron agreed that they needed to keep a low profile moving forward. To speak loudly would attract the attention of any demonic creature with keen hearing. Even the humans might possess spells that could sense conversations While communicating with their minds meant Ragellon was left out, the demon child knew that she and the children must stick with Zanraz who would keep them safe. Any plan decided between Dreu and Olgron would likely exclude them for their own safety. Until they reached safety, the children were sadly a burden and a distraction to their combat. Zanraz was therefore ordered to split from the main group if combat was unavoidable.