《The Once and Last Conqueror (Demon King Litrpg)》


 Chapter One - Death of the Old

    The Field of the Fallen, Cannia - 12th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 4 AH


    Every battlefield sang with a different song. Some pulsed like beating drums, endlessly driving forward with the march of feet through mud and grime. Others possessed a more frantic rhythm, their discordant notes in time to the frenzy of clashing blades and roaring war cries. Still others were quieter in nature, requiems to the past and future dead.


    This song was all of them and none of them at once. It was harmony, it was cacophony. It was loud and soft. It was the hoarse screams of vengeance yelled across the battlefield and the whispered prayers of watchers waiting for their return.


    It was the song of a world waiting for salvation.


    <hr>


    The air was tinged with the scent of iron. Regis breathed in the cool wind, crisp and sizzling with magic. It was an overcast day. Only a few stray rays of light managed to penetrate the thick shroud of clouds, but the sky was continuously lit by the glow of fired spells soaring across the battlefield.


    Below him, masses of bodies clashed, their weapons locked in an endless chain. The otherworlder had managed to rally together an impressive assortment of species, but the demon supposed it was easier to put aside differences when fighting a common foe.


    Dragons and harpies took to the skies, elven warriors ran side by side with human troops, and centaurs let loose barrages of arrows from the backlines. He caught a glimpse of Belphor surging towards them, the other demon¡¯s wings beating furiously. Regis turned away. Belphor was among the weakest of his generals, but he would be able to handle the centaurs alone. His own attention was better used elsewhere.


    The atmosphere rippled. Regis turned, following the stream of magic to its source. At the edge of the fighting, a group of mages stood gathered around a large ritual circle, hands clasped together as they chanted. The runes glowed brighter and brighter as they channeled more of the Pulse¡¯s power, draining the nearby veins of their magic.


    Regis flared his wings and dove down, weaving between fired spells and arrows. One of the mages looked up mid chant, eyes widening when they saw him, but it was too late.


    The demon slammed down into the center of the circle. The earth quaked beneath his feet as he rose, deep fissures blooming outwards from the impact.


    Several mages stumbled and fell backwards. Some of the braver ones began chanting, but in spontaneous combat, ritual mages were always at a disadvantage. Regis reached for the steady warmth of the Ark, drawing from the magic of creation itself.


    In a flash of violet light, spears of ice burst forth from the ground, impaling the mages. They choked, gasping for breath. Regis squeezed his fingers, and the ice rose higher. It stretched towards the sky like a tidal wave, crashing down and encasing the area around him in a massive glacier that gleamed in the faint light. The mages hung suspended in that clear prison, even the blood from their wounds frozen.


    Cries of fury sounded from behind him. Regis turned to see a squadron of soldiers running towards him, their weapons raised. He could hear their quickened heartbeats and swallowed fear, but they continued to charge at him. He could respect their determination. It was a shame their loyalty was to the otherworlder.


    The demon pulled another strand of magic from the Ark and flicked his finger. An invisible force flung the soldiers into the air, where they soon plunged back down to the earth under the weight of gravity. Bones crunched and necks snapped. A few nearby troops cowered back, but Regis didn¡¯t pay them attention.


    Where was the otherworlder? He could destroy as much of the army as he wished, but none of it would matter if the otherworlder survived.


    The demon closed his eyes, focusing his senses on the mix of magic signatures clashing on the field. There were spells cast from all three possible sources: the Pulse, the Wild, and the Ark. Within that whirlwind, he searched for one particular presence.


    Footsteps approached as more soldiers charged. Regis didn¡¯t move, simply putting up a barrier of rot around him that disintegrated anything that crossed it.


    There. On the other side of the battlefield, deep within the old crumbling ruins, was the otherworlder. And that wasn¡¯t the only aura he recognized¡ªHal was there as well.


    His eyes snapped open. One powerful beat of his wings blew away any foes in the vicinity. After a moment of consideration, he shifted to his diminished form.


    His body vanished, dissipating away until it had been replaced by a cloud of black smoke that undulated and twisted at his will. In this form, he easily soared across the sky, a weightless mist traversing the battlefield.


    He passed by angels and dragons clashing in the heavens, waves of troops continuing to battle below. High above, the heaps of dead bodies looked like scattered stones. The field was scorched and eroded. By the time the fighting finished, this land would be unrecognizable.


    Regis frowned. War was such an ugly thing. It dug its claws into all things beautiful and tore them apart. It left piled bodies and destruction in its wake. This was not the world he loved, but a bastardized mockery of his desires.


    Still, he wouldn¡¯t abandon it. Nothing could cause him to.


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    Up ahead, a few stone structures jutted out from the barren earth. Half broken pillars and crumbled stone formed a jagged silhouette. It was quieter here, the sounds of war muffled by distance, but not silent. Further within, Regis could hear the clear ringing of metal against metal as two figures fought deeper inside the ruins.


    The demon slowed his pace. The smoke twisted, coiling and wrapping around itself until it had formed the silhouette of the demon¡¯s body. In another burst of light, he had returned to his true form.


    This area had once been a castle, the heart of an ancient empire long since vanished. Cracked stone covered the ground, old worn sigils etched across their surface. Tall pillars stretched towards the sky without a roof to cover them, and a few lingering walls and stained glass windows had survived the destruction. The dim light that filtered through them cast the area in a spattering of dancing hues that almost seemed to mimic the sounds of fighting.


    Regis surged forward towards the source of the noise, passing under archways and chunks of debris. Finally, he reached the center of the ruins, where once had stood the castle¡¯s throne room.


    Here, two figures fought, moving so quickly that most wouldn¡¯t have been able to see them. Only brief flashes of gleaming blades, pure white feathers, black mist, and blinking eyes. Puddles of crimson dripped down from above, pooling into the cracks in the floor. Neither one stopped.


    Regis, however, could follow every movement, and as he entered the space, his eyes traced the path of a shadow-cloaked sword as it impaled the angel beneath it.


    Silence fell.


    He waited for a familiar silver glow, for bloody wounds and shredded feathers to mend themselves together. They did not. Hal did not get up and continue fighting as he always did. He instead remained motionless, sprawled in blooming red at the otherworlder¡¯s feet.


    The otherworlder yanked his blade out. His breaths came in heavy pants. Much of his armor had been shattered, and his face was smeared with blood, grime, and sweat. Despite his clear exhaustion, when he turned to face the demon, pure hatred burned blazing hot in his eyes.


    Regis stared at Hal¡¯s unmoving body one final time before steadily meeting the boy¡¯s gaze. Boy, for that was all he would ever be to the demon. A boy summoned to this world who did not and could not understand it, yet saw fit to determine what was right and what should be. A child given too much power now carelessly wielding it, too naive to understand the destruction he left in his wake.


    The otherworlder¡ªthe so-called Hero¡ªraised his sword. The shadows around them flickered.


    Neither one spoke. Both had already said what they wanted to say and knew what needed to be known. This wasn¡¯t the time for talk. In that field of thousands, with the weight of the world hanging in the balance, they did not hold back.


    In the future, historians and poets would write of the moment with awe. They would speak of the way the sky darkened, how the winds picked up and swirled around the ruins, blowing with enough force to crack stone. Surviving soldiers would describe the way the atmosphere grew heavier, how the hairs on their skin rose as the air became visibly tinged with the two¡¯s magic signatures. People living outside the field would claim that they felt the ground quake, that buildings and trees miles away collapsed from the impact.


    The Hero and the demon king collided, every ounce of their power condensed into a single strike.


    Blinding light lit up the heavens, and then it was done.


    The Hero from another world had slain the demon king.


    His reign was over.


    <hr>


    Dying felt in many ways like being born.


    There was the haziness of it, the occasional flashes of sensations that held no real meaning. He was drifting¡ªfloating and falling at the same time. He was everywhere and nowhere. He was the world; he was nothing.


    Above it all, Regis felt his soul, torn and carved into a shadow of itself, as it instinctively reached for the comforting warmth of the Ark. From there it had come, and to there it wished to return.


    He didn¡¯t let it. Some of his consciousness remained, and with every last ounce of strength he had, he resisted the pull.


    He refused to disappear.


    Regis didn¡¯t know how much time passed, how long he drifted in that in-between state. Each time his consciousness grew stronger, he focused his effort on avoiding the call of the Ark. And slowly, piece by piece, some of the scattered bits of himself managed to find his damaged soul and latch on.


    When Regis fully awakened, it was to an unfamiliar world.


    Soft moonlight beamed down from a hazy moon. It illuminated the earth in front of him, highlighting stray dust particles rising towards the sky in clouds. It was quiet, the rustling of leaves and the whistling wind the only sounds breaking the silence of the night.


    The stars were different than he remembered. The demon could recognize a few of the constellations¡ªand the ones he could suggested that he was in the southern hemisphere¡ªbut there were enough changes that a fair amount of time must have passed since the battle. Several years at least.


    He tried to move. In his peripheral vision, a wisp of smoke unfurled. He looked down.


    He was in his diminished form. Streams of black smoke formed his body, hovering slightly above the ground. Regis attempted to shift back into his true form, but nothing happened. It wasn¡¯t that he was unable to¡ªthe smoke still rippled and contorted as commanded¡ªbut rather that nothing formed at all.


    That wasn¡¯t the only change. If he focused intensely, he could just barely make out the warmth of the Ark, but it was faint. His connection hadn¡¯t been entirely severed, but it was too weak to draw magic from it. The other two magic sources were even weaker; he couldn¡¯t feel the Pulse or the Wild at all.


    He made a few more attempts, but to no avail. The reality of his situation quickly became clear.


    Somehow, during that final attack, the otherworlder had managed to completely destroy his true form and cut him off from the vast majority of his power. In his current state, he was no more dangerous than a passing cloud of fog.


    But he¡¯d survived.


    There had been a brief moment, in that instant before their magic collided, that Regis had thought it was the end. He¡¯d pursued his ambitions to the edge of the road, and from there he would fall.


    But he¡¯d survived, and that meant it wasn¡¯t over. He would rebuild his strength; Regis knew how to be patient. He¡¯d survived a millenia in the Flesh Fields, had spent centuries growing his influence. You never know when to quit, Hal had once said, and both then and now it rang true.


    It didn¡¯t matter how long it took.


    The world would not forget him so easily.

 Chapter Two - The Voice in the Smoke

    The White Cliffs, The Serpent Isles - 26th day of the Ruby Moon, Year 24 AH


    High Mage Reginald lived a charmed life. His days were spent leisurely lounging in his estate, which was furnished with the most high quality magical artifacts, and the occasional public appearance to ensure the world remembered his name.


    It wouldn¡¯t do for the Hero¡¯s fifty-third strongest magical ally to be forgotten, after all. He still had an inch long cut from the decisive final battle against the demon king, and he was damned proud of it. He made it a point to wear short sleeves on that arm so everyone could see proof of his boundless courage.


    That morning, Reginald woke up an hour after the sun rose, as he always did. He rolled over and went back to sleep, as he always did. And then, two hours later, he sat up and opened his eyes.


    But instead of the ornate mahogany furniture he was used to, a different sight greeted him. In the center of his vision, a string of words stretched across a translucent, floating screen.


    [System initialization: 7% complete]


    He blinked his eyes, attempting to dispel the screen, and frowned when that did nothing. After a few more failed attempts, he rationalized the words as a peculiar prank orchestrated by another mage and brushed it aside. He went about the rest of his day as usual, all the while the number continued climbing up.


    It wouldn¡¯t be until high noon that it would reach 100%, at which point High Mage Reginald was forced to admit that what was happening was not a mage¡¯s doing, was not the result of any sort of magic he knew of, and was probably something the likes of which Elaren had never seen.


    The mage would be the first to receive the notification in the upcoming weeks.


    He was far from the last.


    <hr>


    Magburg, The Serpent Isles - 4th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH


    The smoke was there again.


    Cyrus¡¯s steps slowed, his guard armor clanking a little with the movement. He frowned.


    Every time he¡¯d walked by this area for the past week, he¡¯d seen the smoke undulating at the edges of the forest. He¡¯d dismissed it at first; a bit of odd-colored fog wasn¡¯t much write to home about when fae, centaurs, and all manners of creatures resided in the woods. It could even be the result of a human mage playing a prank or firing off an experimental spell.


    After six days, though, he was starting to have some doubts.


    Cyrus squinted. Maybe it was just his imagination, but the movements of the smoke didn¡¯t look right. It curled and twisted, too weighty to be natural. Real smoke should float upwards and dissipate into a thin haze. This was intent on lingering.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    A rough, disgruntled voice snapped Cyrus out of his thoughts. Further down the road, Theo was watching him, arms crossed and scowling. The man was tall and built with a natural ruggedness to his demeanor¡ªthe stereotypical image of what a guard should look like. It was a fact that seemed to bring him great joy.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Cyrus¡¯s gaze shifted back over to the smoke. It hadn¡¯t crossed into the street and therefore technically wasn¡¯t within the village perimeter, but just leaving it there felt wrong. Especially with all the talk of some ¡°System¡± appearing, oddities like this should probably be investigated.


    ¡°Oh for the love of¡ª¡± Theo huffed and stomped closer, squinting into the treeline. ¡°You staring at that fucking smoke again?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not natural!¡±


    The other guard narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yeah? So go check it out.¡±


    Cyrus¡¯s movements stilled. Slowly, he turned back to the forest. It was still early in the morning, and the sun hadn¡¯t fully risen. Faint traces of morning light lined the tops of the squat village homes, which casted long shadows across the dirt road. The forest with its dense canopy was still largely cloaked in darkness, the quiet of the morning broken every now and then by a distant rustle. He swallowed and twisted the ring under his guard gloves, a nervous habit that he¡¯d never managed to break.


    Theo was right, of course. It was his job to investigate anything unnatural around the village. So what if the smoke was in the woods, where people regularly went missing? He¡¯d gotten trained just like the other guards. This should be a piece of cake.


    And yet, despite his own assurances, Cyrus couldn¡¯t get his legs to move. He just stood there, staring at the smoke, until Theo rolled his eyes and shoved him aside with a huff.


    ¡°Fucking newbies,¡± the guard muttered. He strode confidently towards the trees, drawing his sword at the same time. Cyrus held his breath as the man approached the smoke, slashing his sword around a few times and even sniffing it with zero hesitation.


    Nothing happened.


    Satisfied, Theo straightened and turned back to the path. ¡°See? It¡¯s nothing!¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s it been here so long then?¡± Cyrus countered. Theo shrugged and sheathed his blade.


    ¡°The festival¡¯s coming up. Might be some weird decoration spell or something; mages love testing shit.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe some smoke¡®s got you quaking in your boots. Why¡¯d you even sign up to be a guard if you¡¯re just gonna be a pussy the whole time?¡±


    Theo clearly wasn¡¯t expecting an answer, simply striding past with a hard slap on the back that sent Cyrus stumbling.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said gruffly. ¡°Edna¡¯s gonna be pissed if we¡¯re late.¡±


    He kept walking down the streets, not bothering to check if the other guard was following him. Cyrus watched the man, head held high with confidence and ease, and felt not for the first time like an imposter. His fingers clenched into a fist, the cold metal of his ring digging into his palm.


    With a final glance back at the smoke, Cyrus turned and hurried after the other guard.


    <hr>


    Magburg¡¯s barracks were situated on the northern edge of town. The building was simple and plain, its stone walls dull compared to the lush green forest behind it. The hallways always ran cold, which had been nice when Cyrus was in training and running through drills, but was less welcome when they were just trying to get to the office for their morning report. He stopped at the end of the hallway and pushed the heavy oak door open.


    Edna had been the guard captain for as long as he remembered. Wrinkles framed hard, weathered features, and her tight bun only added to the severe look. She was old enough to remember the demon king¡¯s reign of terror and subsequent defeat twenty years ago, which gave her added authority and respect.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Cyrus said, saluting. Edna just grunted in response as Theo shut the door behind them.


    ¡°Anything odd?¡±


    Cyrus hesitated, taken aback by the abruptness of the question. He glanced back at Theo, who didn¡¯t look like he was going to say anything. Should he mention the smoke? Theo had just tested it though, right?


    Slowly, he shook his head. ¡°No, sir. Uh, did something happen?¡± The guard captain seemed unusually on edge, even more so than she¡¯d already been the rest of the week.


    Edna heaved a weary sigh. She turned to her desk and picked up a stack of files, thrusting them in the other two guards¡¯ faces. Cyrus had to squint to make out what they said, but they looked like reports. A few words and phrases jumped out at him. ¡°System.¡± ¡°Screens.¡± ¡°Skills and abilities.¡± There was only one thing this could be about.


    ¡°So¡­it¡¯s real?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s real,¡± Edna snapped. She rubbed her forehead. ¡°The Ministry hasn¡¯t said a word yet. Either this hasn¡¯t reached the mainland, or they¡¯re being slow. As usual,¡± she added in a grumble.


    ¡°Or it¡¯s their fault,¡± Theo said. Edna shot him a disapproving look. The other guard shrugged.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s probably some archmage messing around with projection magic or something. It¡¯ll disappear and they¡¯ll send an apology in a month.¡±


    It didn¡¯t seem too far-fetched of an idea to Cyrus. He distinctly remembered that time all the clouds had turned pink because one of the archmage¡¯s was fiddling with a new weather spell. That had been a funny one, though it hadn¡¯t been quite as amusing when a bunch of pissed off harpies whipped up nonstop storms for the next week as revenge.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I doubt this ¡®system¡¯ will be disappearing any time soon.¡± Edna¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°It¡¯s been granting¡­abilities, I hear. Some sort of leveling system with numbers and the like. Its effects are quite real.¡±


    She turned to Theo and Cyrus. ¡°Have either of you seen anything yet?¡±


    Cyrus quickly shook his head, followed by Theo at a much more relaxed pace. Edna nodded.


    ¡°Alright. If either of you receives one of these ¡¯notifications,¡¯ I want you to tell me immediately. None of the people who¡¯ve seen these screens have reported any ill side effects yet, but I want to be sure.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s doing the opposite of ill side effects,¡± Theo remarked casually. Edna gave him an unimpressed look.


    ¡°Until then,¡± she continued as though the other guard hadn¡¯t spoken, ¡°Both of you keep an eye out. So far only humans have reported anything, but we have no way of tracking what other species have experienced. If it truly does grant new abilities and opportunities to build strength, then it¡¯s more imperative than ever to remain vigilant. With the festival coming up, I won¡¯t tolerate any ¡®funny business.¡¯ Understood?¡±


    Cyrus quickly nodded, mumbling an assent. That seemed to be enough for Edna, who nodded and dismissed them with a wave. Cyrus made another salute on instinct, then hurried out the door.


    As soon as it shut behind them, Theo rolled his eyes. ¡°Told you, she always gets like this when the festival rolls around.¡±


    Cyrus winced and glanced back at the door, but he couldn¡¯t hear anything inside. He started walking in an attempt to draw the other guard further away before he said something that got them both in trouble.


    ¡°I mean, I get it.¡± He and Theo had both been young when the demon king was defeated; the most they really knew of the war was the legends and fables told throughout their childhoods. For them, the festival was just that¡ªa celebration of the demon king¡¯s defeat. For the ones who¡¯d actually lived through the war, though, Cyrus imagined there was a lot more wariness around the anniversary.


    ¡°He¡¯s been dead for twenty years, you¡¯d think they¡¯d¡¯ve learned to chill out by now.¡± Theo huffed. ¡°Whatever. Better get back to patrol before the scary smoke gets you.¡±


    Cyrus made an affronted noise, but the other guard was already exiting the barracks. He had no choice but to follow after him, thoughts of the festival and the System still lingering in his mind.


    <hr>


    Cyrus was all too happy when the end of his shift arrived. He had no idea how people like Theo could tolerate evening shifts on top of their morning ones.


    The rest of the day had passed achingly slowly. He couldn¡¯t even distract himself by watching festival preparations since his route took him around the village perimeter. At least it would be a surprise when he actually did go to the festival. This would be his first year in Magburg, and he was curious to see how celebrations differed from his hometown.


    Thoughts of his old village quickly soured his mood, and Cyrus shook the memories away. This was a fresh start. He refused to think about the past.


    He picked up his pace, metal armor clanking with each step. The sun was just beginning to set, and a cool breeze rustled the forest branches. His home sat on the village outskirts, and while he wasn¡¯t a fan of being so close to the woods, the privacy was nice.


    Cyrus stepped inside and shut the door, sighing in relief as he threw off his guard helmet. The interior of the space was small and still filled with boxes that he hadn¡¯t unpacked yet. It hardly looked like a home at all in its current state, more like a storage shed, but he was confident he¡¯d get everything unpacked and sorted. Eventually. It wasn¡¯t his fault that every time he opened a box, a fresh wave of memories hit that made him want to give up entirely.


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    He removed the rest of his armor and stepped out the back door once he was done. Facing the trees, the sky pink and gold above him, he breathed in the fresh air. Another day almost over.


    Cyrus turned to head back indoors before it got dark, but a flash of movement in the corner of his eye made him freeze in place.


    There, drifting at the edge of the forest, was the black smoke.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± Cyrus whispered. He looked around, but there was no one else nearby. It was just him, his house, and that strange smoke.


    The guard swallowed, willing himself to calm down. It had probably just spread here because of the wind, nothing to worry about. Theo had even gone up to it earlier. He could practically see the other guard¡¯s sneer in his mind, could hear his mocking voice. Coward, he would say. Always running. Cyrus clenched his jaw and stared at the smoke again.


    Before he could talk himself out of it, he strode forward towards the treeline.


    Stopping just outside the smoke¡¯s range, Cyrus squinted at it. Its movements still felt unnatural to him, but it really did look just like ordinary smoke. Hesitantly, he raised a hand and slowly reached towards it. A few wisps swirled around his hand, and he instinctively jerked his arm back. Cyrus flushed, feeling foolish for his jumpiness.


    Exhaling, he extended his hand again, but this time he kept it there, letting the smoke undulate around it. There was no particular sensation, just the usual wind. It really was just smoke, Cyrus thought. His shoulders relaxed. Theo was probably right about it being some wayward festival decoration. It was stupid of him to get this worked up over something like this when the System was a much bigger issue.


    Satisfied, he lowered his arm and turned to return indoors.


    ¡°Good evening.¡±


    Cyrus yelped and tumbled backwards, landing hard in the grass. His head snapped around, but he didn¡¯t see anyone.


    ¡°I apologize, I didn¡¯t mean to alarm you. Are you alright?¡±


    The voice spoke again¡ªsmooth, rich, and warm. It echoed around him, seeming to emanate from everywhere all at once. Cyrus¡¯s eyes landed on the smoke, still swirling innocuously by the trees. The voice couldn¡¯t be coming from anything else. His pounding heartbeat roared in his ears.


    ¡°Who¡ªwhat are you!?¡±


    There was no answer at first. The silence stretched long enough that Cyrus was seriously starting to wonder if he¡¯d hallucinated the voice, but then it suddenly spoke again.


    ¡°Remnants,¡± it said, still in that calm, serene tone. Cyrus furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Like¡­a spirit?¡± It wasn¡¯t unheard of for lingering souls to manifest as apparitions, but it was rare. Reapers were usually good about collecting every soul that passed in the material plane.


    ¡°That would be an apt comparison, yes.¡±


    The smoke continued to sway, and Cyrus swallowed. He still didn¡¯t move closer, but so far it didn¡¯t seem like this spirit (or whatever it was) wanted to hurt him. Something about its voice was oddly soothing, and he couldn¡¯t help his rising curiosity.


    ¡°If you¡¯re some kind of ghost, why¡¯re you here?¡±


    The voice hummed thoughtfully. ¡°In truth, I¡¯m not quite sure myself. My memories are a bit hazy, but I¡¯ve been drifting for a long time.¡±


    Cold dread settled deep in the pit of Cyrus¡¯s stomach. It couldn¡¯t be. But if the voice was really a lost soul and it had followed Cyrus, what if¡­?


    The sound of roaring waves filled his ears, old memories crashing over him like a tide. His ring felt like it was burning around his finger. There was no way. This was supposed to be a fresh start. It couldn¡¯t possibly be.


    Cyrus shot up. In his panic, he barely processed scrambling onto his feet and bolting back into his house, that serene voice calling worriedly after him.


    He slammed the door shut, breaths coming in heavy pants. Cyrus closed his eyes.


    There was no way.


    <hr>


    He barely slept that night. Every time his mind drifted off, he¡¯d hear the voice again, would see flashes of that day by the water, and then he¡¯d shoot out of bed and swear he saw smoke in the corner of his room.


    In the end, Cyrus gave up on sleeping altogether and took to pacing around, reasoning to himself. The spirit hadn¡¯t recognized him (but it said its memory was hazy). If it was who he thought it was, then he would recognize the voice (who knew how voices were distorted after death).


    By the time the sun began to peek out from below the horizon, Cyrus, sleep deprived and half-mad with his own doubts, yanked open the back door and marched outside.


    The smoke was still exactly where it had been last night. He hadn¡¯t dreamed it, then. Clenching his fist, Cyrus stepped closer. Exhaustion and his own desperate need to know the truth emboldened his movements.


    ¡°Are you Anne?¡± he blurted out.


    There was no immediate response, and for a crazed moment Cyrus wondered if he¡¯d imagined the spirit entirely¡ªdriven insane by his own guilt and grief.


    Finally, after a few seconds had passed, the voice spoke.


    ¡°No, I do not recognize that name.¡±


    Relief washed over him like a crashing wave, so powerful that he nearly stumbled. Of course not, what had he been thinking? He really was losing his mind.


    ¡°Forgive me for asking,¡± the voice continued, its tone gentle, ¡°but was Anne your wife? I couldn¡¯t help but notice your ring.¡±


    Cyrus¡¯s hand flew protectively over the ring in question. He hadn¡¯t thought the spirit would notice.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, voice hoarse. ¡°Yeah, she was.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I did not wish to bring up painful memories for you. I know something of loss myself.¡±


    He glanced up. ¡°You do?¡±


    The smoke swayed, as though nodding. The voice took on a distant, almost wistful tone. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve lost much over the years. Companions, homes, dreams. I never imagined I would linger on in this state.¡±


    Cyrus felt a tinge of sympathy for the strange spirit. It sounded like this soul hadn¡¯t meant to remain, but had simply been missed by the Reapers. He couldn¡¯t imagine drifting around the world, caught between life and death, without anyone to talk to. It was already bad enough to be alone when living.


    ¡°Is there, I mean, do you know any way you could pass on?¡± he tried asking.


    The voice was silent for a moment. When it finally answered, its words were slow.


    ¡°I have a theory,¡± it began. Cyrus perked up.


    ¡°Really? What is it? Can I help?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to trouble you,¡± the spirit said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have better things to do than humoring a dead man.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still early,¡± Cyrus pointed out. ¡°My shift doesn¡¯t start for a few hours.¡±


    ¡°You still need to eat. Is your family not waiting for you?¡±


    Cyrus pursued his lips, eyes darting away. ¡°I live alone,¡± he admitted. ¡°My parents died when I was young.¡± The only family he¡¯d had was Anne, he didn¡¯t say, but the spirit seemed to understand.


    ¡°I see,¡± it said in a soft tone. ¡°In that case, I would be immensely grateful to you for assisting me.¡±


    Cyrus nodded, shoving away the memories to focus again on the present. ¡°Yeah, of course. What do you need me to do?¡±


    ¡°Please come closer,¡± the smoke instructed, ¡°and focus. You should feel a slight warmth. I¡¯d like you to concentrate on that sensation. Imagine yourself reaching for it.¡±


    He hesitated. ¡°Is it going to hurt?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the voice said. It sounded sincere. ¡°I promise it will not hurt.¡±


    Cyrus thought it over a moment longer before he finally took a step forward. What did he have to lose, anyway? If this worked out, at least he¡¯d have done something worthwhile in his life. Done a little good. It wasn¡¯t enough to make up for his past mistakes, nothing would ever be enough, but it was something. Besides, if Anne had been trapped as a spirit like this, unable to pass into the Pulse, he would¡¯ve wanted someone to help her, too.


    The guard inhaled. He was right in front of the smoke now, which really did look completely formless. He¡¯d always pictured spirits retaining some of their living shape, but maybe that was his own limited knowledge. Who knew what shape the soul took?


    Cyrus focused, attempting to search for that warmth the spirit had spoken about. There was nothing at first, and he was beginning to get discouraged before he finally felt it.


    It was faint, barely stronger than a candle flame would be, but constant. The spirit hadn¡¯t lied; it didn¡¯t hurt at all. If anything, the sensation was comforting in its steadiness.


    ¡°I think I feel something,¡± Cyrus said.


    ¡°Good,¡± the spirit said approvingly. ¡°Now please try to reach for that sensation.¡±


    Cyrus frowned, but did as instructed. It was difficult, with the warmth being as subtle as it was. He closed his eyes and concentrated, imagining a hand gripping onto a little flame. He could feel himself getting closer. He gritted his teeth. He was almost there.


    A sudden chill washed over him. Cyrus¡¯s eyes flew open. He gasped and grabbed his chest, but it was cold. None of the warmth was there anymore.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    His voice cut off.


    All around him was a void of darkness. The coiling smoke rose like an incoming wave, completely cloaking and enveloping the area until there was nothing left. Cyrus¡¯s whole body froze. All he could do was stare as it continued to expand.


    The smoke rushed straight at him.


    Cyrus¡¯s vision went black. The sounds around him grew muffled, as though he was floating through layers of liquid. His whole body felt sluggish and heavy, and that ghostly chill spread from his spine and crawled up his limbs. Cyrus tried to move, tried to open his mouth, but he couldn¡¯t. Nothing was working. Nothing made sense.


    He felt himself fall through the darkness. Images flashed past him, memories clawed loose. So vivid and sharp that they hurt to look at.


    There was him and Anne standing on the rocks, the cool spray of ocean water against their faces. Their laughter ringing out into the open sky, brand new rings gleaming in the light. Alone on the shore, the sunset behind them, it had felt like they were the only ones in the world.


    More laughter, splashing, running. It was slippery, the rocks sharp, but they were wild with the courage of youth.


    A single wrong shove was all it took to break the reverie.


    Cyrus saw her eyes clearly in his mind, wide with shock and terror as she tumbled backwards. He heard the crack of a skull hitting sharp stone. The waves washed away red.


    ¡°It was your fault,¡± a voice rang in his mind. It sounded familiar, but in his haze, Cyrus couldn¡¯t tell who it belonged to.


    It was an accident, he tried to say. I didn¡¯t mean to. It was an accident.


    ¡°And yet you didn¡¯t tell anyone. You let the ocean carry her corpse away. You ran, and you¡¯re still running.¡±


    I didn¡¯t, I wasn¡¯t¡ª


    His protests sounded weak even to his own ears. Months of suppressed guilt returned in full force, and with it his mind seemed to grow fuzzier and fuzzier as his surroundings slipped away. Where was he? Who was he talking to? Why did any of this matter?


    ¡°Sleep,¡± the voice said.


    Cyrus closed his eyes. Sleep. If he slept, maybe when he woke up this would all have been one big nightmare. Everything would return to the way it was. He wouldn¡¯t have to fear anything anymore.


    ¡°Sleep,¡± the voice said again.


    ¡°Sleep.¡±


    Cyrus let himself sink away.


    <hr>


    The door of the guard barracks creaked open. Theo glanced up with a frown. There was supposed to be another three hours before the next barracks shift change.


    He opened his mouth, about to point out that the idiot was early, when he stopped. He recognized the person standing in the doorway. A scowl stretched across his face.


    ¡°Cyrus, what the fuck? You didn¡¯t show up this morning!¡± He strode forward, jabbing an accusing finger at the younger guard. ¡°I had to cover for you! You know how pissed Edna was?¡±


    Cyrus didn¡¯t respond, which only served to increase Theo¡¯s fury.


    ¡°What, you too good to answer me?¡± He moved to grab Cyrus by the collar, but before he could drag the other guard closer, a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.


    Fingers dug into skin, pressing down with far more pressure than he would¡¯ve thought the new guard capable of. Theo felt something snap and yelled in pain.


    A second hand flew over his mouth, muffling the sound before it could escape.


    ¡°I would appreciate it,¡± Cyrus said, ¡°if you would try to remain quiet.¡± He smiled, the expression perfectly pleasant, but it sent a chill down Theo¡¯s spine.


    That wasn¡¯t Cyrus. What in the Ark was going on? His heart raced. He fumbled for his weapon with his unbroken hand, but he never managed to unsheathe his sword.


    A blade plunged straight through his neck.


    Theo choked. Cyrus twisted the knife, severing the guard¡¯s arteries before yanking it out.


    The human slumped forward, falling limply onto the ground. Warm blood dripped down from his sliced neck, forming a steadily growing puddle of red around him. He released a gargled sound.


    The figure above gazed down indifferently. It was only after all the life had bled out of the guard that he finally turned away and continued calmly down the hall.


    <hr>


    The barracks were quiet at night. Soft moonlight seeped through narrow windows, illuminating the slumped figures strewn about the cold stone floors. Dark liquid bloomed around their bodies, pooling into the cracks in the ground and spreading like a scarlet web.


    A young man stepped between the still bodies. He shut the door of the building office, where the crates inside had been upended and stray papers lay scattered across the ground around the corpse lying in their center.


    The figure¡¯s footsteps echoed throughout the quiet building, the only living being left in the barracks. Words flashed across his vision, but he continued walking forward at a steady pace.


    He strode through the narrow hallways and out the back exit. His shoes sank into soft earth, and around him, stone walls gave way to tall trees stretching towards the starry sky. He paused for a moment to gaze up at those scattered lights, to breath in the crisp night air, before he continued deeper into the forest.


    Up ahead, the sound of running water rang out from a shallow stream. The figure stopped at its edge, bending down and peering at his reflection.


    Wavy black hair and bloodstained skin greeted him. He raised a hand and touched his face, turning it and examining it with clinical detachment. In the water, green eyes stared back at him.


    Now that he was alone in the forest, he finally gave himself enough time to read the notifications that had appeared in his vision. He skimmed past the first few, all of which were variations of the same message, and focused on the unique screens at the end.


    [You have gained experience!]


    [You have leveled up! 1 ¡ª> 5]


    [You have gained the [Deceiver (Common)] Title]


    [You have gained the [Amplify Vice] ability]


    [You have gained the [Thaumaturgy] ability]


    [Would you like to view status screen? Yes/No]


    Regis smiled to himself. In the water, his vessel¡¯s eyes briefly flashed violet before fading back to green. He cocked his head, studying the notifications with interest.


    ¡°Now,¡± he murmured. ¡°What is this?¡±

 Chapter Three - A New World Order

    Magburg, The Serpent Isles - 5th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH


    Regis had witnessed many things in his life. He¡¯d clawed his way out of the Flesh Fields, traversed the oceans battling the fomorians, explored the deepest reaches of the Wild, conquered continents. The world was vast in its wonders, an ever changing landscape that brought with it new surprises and delights. He could bask in it forever¡ªhad every intention of doing so.


    And yet, never had he seen anything quite like this.


    Name: Regis


    Level: 5 (Tier 0)


    Species: Demon


    Titles: [The Once and Last Conqueror (Unique)], [Deceiver (Common)]


    Major Aspect: [Locked]


    Minor Aspect: [Locked]


    Strength: [Locked]


    Agility: [Locked]


    Constitution: [Locked]


    Mana: [Locked]


    Will: [Locked]


    Species Traits: [Demonic Senses 1]


    Major Aspect Traits: [Locked]


    Minor Aspect Traits: [Locked]


    Abilities: [Demonic Possession 1], [Amplify Vice 1], [Thaumaturgy 1]


    The words hovered across a translucent screen that glowed softly in his vision. He raised a finger to touch it, but it passed straight through the same way it would for an illusion. Regis smiled, admiring the complexity. If this was crafted from magic, then its maker had outdone themselves. He¡¯d like to meet them someday.


    After waking up in his diminished form, he¡¯d travelled through various villages, keeping in the shadows where he wouldn¡¯t be seen. Fleeting conversations and notice boards filled in gaps in his knowledge of the current world, but he¡¯d never been able to get close enough to learn as much as he wished.


    The first time the System appeared, it had been abundantly clear to him that something was wrong. He saw it in the tenseness of the mayor¡¯s shoulders, in the back and forth pacing of the head guard through the barracks window. In the days that followed, a nearly tangible energy coursed through the air, strengthened by whispered rumors tinged with both fear and excitement¡ªthe buzzing energy of a world on the brink of fundamental change. It had been easy to recognize. He¡¯d once been the cause of it himself, after all.


    As a result, when that first System initialization notification had appeared, he¡¯d already been prepared for something exceptional. It had still managed to surprise him.


    Regis¡¯s eyes flitted down the status screen, comparing it to the notifications he¡¯d seen thus far and the initial level 1 version that he¡¯d viewed.


    According to the files he¡¯d found in the head guard¡¯s office, the System¡¯s existence had first been reported earlier that week. Subsequent reports mentioned a unique status screen, seemingly tailored to each individual, and the existence of ¡°traits¡± and ¡°abilities.¡± Based on his own experiences so far, this initial assessment was correct.


    He focused on the new abilities he¡¯d received.


    Name: Amplify Vice


    Level: 1


    Mana Cost: Low


    Cooldown: Medium


    Description: Allows user to amplify a single vice (pride, wrath, gluttony, lust, sloth, envy, greed) within a selected target through touch. Skill cannot be used again on the same target for the rest of the day.


    Name: Thaumaturgy


    Level: 1


    Mana Cost: Low


    Cooldown: Low


    Description: User can create small bursts of magical phenomena within a limited scale and range.


    Regis hummed to himself. The descriptions were a tad sparse for his liking, particularly the second, but he could experiment with the abilities later. The [Deceiver] title, on the other hand, did exactly as its name suggested, purporting to boost the effectiveness of lies by minimizing physiological tells. He suspected it was a title that would prove significantly more useful to other species.


    By now, he¡¯d gathered that titles had variable effects, traits provided passive boosts, and abilities were active. It was rather neat and tidy¡ªperhaps overly simplistic. He hadn¡¯t yet had a chance to test how this System worked with the existing magic sources.


    For now, Regis willed the screens away. They scattered into glowing lights, an effect that he found rather charming.


    The demon rose, reaching for the bag of items he¡¯d taken from the guard barracks. Based on the building¡¯s shift schedule, he still had an hour before the next group of guards would arrive and discover the corpses, but he would rather leave now in the event that someone appeared early. Fortunately Cyrus¡¯s home was situated at the edge of the forest, so he would be able to reach it without needing to traverse the village streets.


    Regis swung the bag over his shoulder and continued onward.


    <hr>


    Cyrus¡¯s home was cloaked in shadows. [Demonic Senses] retained Regis¡¯s darkvision, so he had no need for additional light. Though on second thought, this may be a good opportunity to test his new abilities.


    The demon turned to the candle sitting at the edge of the table. He raised a finger and activated [Thaumaturgy]. In a flash of light, a small flame burst atop the wick. He activated the ability a few more times and found that he could snuff the flame and slowly increase its size with multiple uses, but the initial fire was always quite small. Interesting.


    Regis set the bag down and turned to the bookshelves lining the walls. He¡¯d already read through every text he could find in the house earlier, and one book still sat open. [Thaumaturgy] could flip its pages, but it couldn¡¯t lift the book itself.


    After a few more experiments, he had a much better sense of the ability¡¯s range and limitations. Satisfied, Regis turned back to the table.


    Cyrus¡¯s home was small and sparse in belongings. The few possessions he owned were largely stored away in half-opened boxes that the human had never unpacked. Regis had rifled through them in the morning, filling a traveling bag with anything he thought would prove useful. Now, Regis transferred the items he¡¯d taken from the barracks over to the larger bag. He would need to leave the village tonight. Once the state of the barracks was discovered, the entire area would be on alert. He didn¡¯t want to risk anyone recognizing Cyrus¡¯s body.


    That had, after all, been the main reason he¡¯d chosen the guard as his vessel. After System initialization was complete and he¡¯d seen [Demonic Possession], his next steps had been clear. He¡¯d quickly formulated a plan.


    Regis rarely possessed vessels in the past. He had little need for it between his true, lesser, and diminished forms. This new system granted ability was similar to his old power, but significantly more limited in scope. He could only possess a willing person. He had to remain within the same vessel for a substantial amount of time due to the ability¡¯s cooldown period.


    With these restrictions in mind, Regis had been careful when surveying the village. He¡¯d wanted someone healthy and decently athletic, naive enough to listen to him without suspecting his true identity, and with few relationships. Cyrus had been the perfect fit. After killing Edna, Theo, and smudging out the list of employed guards in the barracks office, Cyrus¡¯s existence had effectively been wiped away from public records.


    Regis gave the bag a final check before closing it shut. He gazed outside. Through the window, a thin haze surrounded the silver moon. The outside was quiet, even to his enhanced hearing. Magburg was still deep in sleep.


    The demon washed away any lingering bloodstains on his skin and changed into a fresh set of traveling clothes, then gave the house a final sweep to ensure he hadn¡¯t missed anything. Once he was satisfied, he took his gathered supplies and exited the home for the last time.


    <hr>


    Regis tilted his head back, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face. He hadn¡¯t been able to feel anything in his diminished form, and this was a refreshing change.


    Around him, a soft breeze rustled the trees lining the dirt road. The morning sun highlighted the dust particles that rose with each step, and Regis found himself pausing to pick a few grasses. They were still damp with morning dew. He hadn¡¯t realized how much he¡¯d missed these little sensations. It felt like he was experiencing the world for the first time again, now in this human body.


    Regis adjusted his bag and glanced down at the simple map he¡¯d taken from the barracks office. He should reach the next closest village in a few hours, where he would be able to gather more information. Cyrus hadn¡¯t owned many reading materials, and he¡¯d only gained limited knowledge during his time in his diminished state. There were still many things he didn¡¯t know about the current state of the world.


    If he¡¯d traveled through the night, he would¡¯ve reached the town by now, but he¡¯d needed to stop and rest. Sleeping, Regis decided, was not an experience he was particularly fond of. It had been necessary, given the state of his vessel, but he hadn¡¯t enjoyed how vulnerable he¡¯d felt. It was difficult to understand why so many humans seemed happy to lose consciousness, some even doing so for leisure. He hoped that, as [Demonic Possession] levelled, he might be less beholden to this new body¡¯s limitations.


    The demon folded the map and stored it away, continuing down the road.


    Around noon, Regis experienced yet another side effect of his human vessel. His stomach rumbled, and he glanced down with faint amusement. The human body, it seemed, enjoyed announcing its needs, but he supposed in his case it was useful while he adjusted to the feeling of ¡°hunger.¡±


    The demon glanced around. This section of the road cut through the forest; the path itself was largely overgrown with weeds and grasses. Colorful mushrooms dotted the area, and he could see several berry bushes deeper into the forest ranging from dark red to pale pink in hue.


    He¡¯d packed some food, of course. Cyrus¡¯s home had contained a few dried goods and preserves, but he¡¯d rather not deplete his provisions so soon. His eyes landed on the plants, and he hummed. The berries seemed promising, but he didn¡¯t know what was and was not edible.


    A flash of movement appeared in the corner of his eyes. Regis turned, his gaze landing on a small rabbit sitting beside a tree trunk. Its nose twitched as it nibbled on some grass. The demon eyed the creature thoughtfully.


    He took a step closer. The rabbit didn¡¯t move. Normally animals avoided him, and this had held true the few times he¡¯d occupied a vessel in the past as well. In his current weakened state, however, it was possible the creature could no longer sense his demonic soul. For now, it was a boon.


    Regis advanced forward and only came to a stop when he was within an arm¡¯s reach of the rabbit. He raised a hand.


    Lightning quick, he reached out and grabbed the creature. It squirmed in his hand, fur surprisingly soft. The movement had felt faster than when he¡¯d been disposing of the guards in the prison, he noted. He suspected he was gaining agility despite the area currently being locked on his status screen.


    ¡°Shh, calm down,¡± Regis said, petting the rabbit soothingly. It continued to squirm, but he maintained a firm grip as he carried it over to the first of the berry bushes. He plucked one and held it up to the animal¡¯s mouth. It took some coaxing, but eventually it nibbled on the fruit.


    Regis waited a minute, but the rabbit showed no ill side effects. ¡°Good,¡± he praised. He moved onto the next experiment, a patch of berries so pale that they were nearly white. This time, the rabbit thrashed as he brought the berry closer. It refused to chew on it even when he gave it a warning pinch. Regis hummed thoughtfully.


    ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± He set the animal down, and it immediately scampered away, disappearing into the bushes. He could¡¯ve eaten it, but from what he understood humans couldn¡¯t consume raw meat. He¡¯d rather not start a fire and risk the smoke being seen, and the process would¡¯ve been more time consuming than he¡¯d like.


    Regis wiped his hand and turned to the first bush. While this wasn¡¯t a guarantee that the plant would also be safe for humans to eat, he felt reasonably confident that the berries would not, at least, result in immediate death.


    He picked one and chewed it slowly. It had a sharp, tangy taste, and there were no ill side effects after waiting a few minutes. The demon ate enough to stop his stomach¡¯s growling, then stored more away for later. After some consideration, he picked some of the pale berries as well, stashing them securely away in their own bag.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Once he was done, he rose and continued his journey through the forest.


    <hr>


    It wasn¡¯t until the sun was high in the sky that Regis finally reached the next town. He passed by a few farmers carrying pails of water and other travelers along the road, but none of them gave him a second glance. For the most part, the road was largely empty.


    The town, however, was brimming with people. Regis slowed his steps as he neared, taking in the compact, dense wooden buildings clustered around wide dirt streets crowded with humans. A steady stream of them seemed to be moving towards the center of the town. Regis tugged his cloak closer and followed.


    There, standing in the center of a large square, was an older man holding a paper in his hand. A few guards stood nearby with their weapons sheathed, peering threateningly down at the gathered crowd through their helmets.


    ¡°¡ªthe Grand Ministry has stated that no archmage is responsible for the System¡¯s appearance! They¡¯re currently researching its origin and advise us all to be patient, but you can rest assured that it is not dangerous. Please remain calm if you receive any System notifications.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was strained. Murmurs rippled through the crowd, a growing number of questions shouted at the increasingly harried looking man.


    ¡°Are there any known side effects?¡±


    ¡°Is it true everyone¡¯ll end up with one?¡±


    ¡°What about the other species?¡±


    ¡°When¡¯re we gonna get ours?¡±


    ¡°Now now,¡± the man said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. ¡°One at a time, please!¡± As if on cue, the guards moved closer in silent threat.


    Regis remained a little longer to see if the man¡ªthe town¡¯s mayor, he presumed¡ªwould reveal any new information, but it soon became clear that he was as in the dark as the villagers throwing questions at him. It was an endless barrage, and he suspected they would be there for a long time. He turned away. After glancing around to survey the stores around the square, he ducked into a small bookstore.


    A bell rang as the demon stepped inside. The sounds of the crowd were muffled here, the gathered townspeople appearing like a shadowy mass through the windows. Regis looked around.


    The store was larger than it appeared at first glance. Tall crowded shelves lined the walls, and more tables had been set out with stacks of books atop them. Judging from the worn floor and ceiling, the shop was quite old.


    At the counter was a young boy with pointed ears and mussed hair. A half-elf, Regis guessed. He looked too young to be responsible for the store, but judging by how empty it was, he assumed the actual owner had gone outside to listen to the announcement, leaving the boy responsible. He was currently hunched over the counter, scribbling furiously away on a piece of paper.


    Regis turned and eyed the book shelves, brushing past the fiction and searching for recent works and historical accounts of the past twenty years. His eyes landed on a book titled, REBUILDING: THE NEW GRAND MINISTRY. It seemed like a decent enough place to start.


    He removed the book and flipped the cover open, a cloud of dust rising as he did so. With the assistance of his unique title, he should be able to read through all the books in this section within half an hour.


    Title: The Once and Last Conqueror


    Rarity: Unique


    Description: The once unbeatable conqueror defeated and reduced to a weakened state. Though your body was destroyed, mind and soul remember. Grants perfect memory recall, Mana +10, and Will +20. Regained abilities and traits level twice as quickly.


    This had been the first part of his initial status screen that he¡¯d checked, and it remained the most curious one. It seemed to function as a catch-all, bundling his eidetic memory into a system granted title while also confirming that the locked sections of his status screen were still in use despite not being able to view them.


    The most interesting takeaway for him, however, had been the tone of the description. Perhaps it was imagination, but there was a touch of animosity to that first line. The rest of the System¡¯s messages thus far had been objective and emotionless, but this lent credence to the idea that a person was responsible for the System¡¯s existence. Who they were and what their purpose was, however, remained a mystery.


    He currently didn¡¯t have the resources to run a trace spell on the System, nor could he sense any particular magic signature from the notifications. Whether that was because there was none or because he was too weakened to sense it, he did not know. Regardless, it was a curiosity that he wouldn¡¯t be able to satiate until later. For now, he focused his attention on the task at hand.


    Regis flipped steadily through the pages, memorizing their contents, though he made sure to move slower than he needed to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. Like this, it would look like he was simply skimming.


    His eyes moved through paragraphs of text, digesting the information. He returned the book to its original location and moved on to the next one, continuing down the aisle in order.


    At the very end of the shelf, he found a thicker text that was purportedly a chronicle of the major events in the war. After a few pages, however, it became clear that it was less a factual document than it was a fictionalized retelling.


    ¡°¡­but after twelve failed summons, humanity¡¯s prayers were answered and the Hero appeared. A young man barely grown, plucked from his former life, but carrying the weight of our world on his shoulders¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­together with his gathered companions, the Hero stoked hope in the hopeless. He rallied together humans, centaurs, harpies, giants, elves, angels, and more for the first time in centuries, proving that the demon king could not stand a chance against a united force¡­¡±


    On and on it went, relaying the events of the war like an epic fable from the Hero¡¯s perspective. The author clearly had a flair for the dramatic, Regis thought as he traced the words with a finger. He suspected the heavy emphasis on unity doubled as a way to encourage the continuation of species alliances after the war.


    Considering the other books he¡¯d just read, it seemed that despite humanity¡¯s best efforts, those alliances had not lasted.


    Regis flipped through more pages, soon reaching a section listing all the major actors in the war with brief descriptions of them. Most were dedicated to the otherworlder¡¯s side, but he had his own paragraph. It wasn¡¯t particularly accurate, but it was amusing to read nonetheless. His pace slowed.


    The next page held a list of his generals. Most were given only the sparsest of descriptions stating their role and current status. His eyes landed on the first line under his own.


    ¡°Halcyon - The demon king¡¯s strongest and most loyal general. Killed by the Hero in the Field of the Fallen.¡±


    A memory rose unbidden. The shine of a sword as it was yanked away, dripping scarlet. A collapsed, lifeless body limp on the ground.


    Regis frowned. The images vanished nearly as suddenly as they¡¯d appeared. Odd. He¡¯d never had memories resurface unprompted like this before. Was this another side effect of his human vessel?


    He shook his head and returned his attention to the page, scanning the other lines. The few of his generals afforded more space, it seemed, were the ones who¡¯d betrayed him, nevermind how inconsequential or weak they¡¯d been. They were hailed as heroes, once strayed from the righteous path, who¡¯d found their way back to the light.


    One of which currently lived on this very island.


    Regis¡¯s eyes narrowed. He paged through the book more closely, but there was no address listed. Not here or in any of the other texts he¡¯d read. It must not be public knowledge, but surely the locals would be aware of it.


    ¡°You gonna buy something?¡±


    Regis glanced up. At the counter, the half-elf boy had looked away from his drawing and was now frowning at him. His eyes flitted between the demon and the window, where the noises from the crowd had grown even louder.


    Regis returned the book to the shelf and sent him an amicable smile. Perhaps he would be able to learn the address here after all.


    ¡°My apologies, it seems I lost track of time.¡± He stepped over to one of the long tables and picked up an atlas with far more detail than the local map he was currently using. He set the atlas down on the counter. The boy eyed him suspiciously.


    ¡°...That¡¯s it?¡± He looked a little put out, gesturing at the shelf Regis had just gone through. ¡°None of those good enough?¡±


    Regis chuckled. ¡°Not quite, I¡¯m afraid.¡± His eyes landed on the piece of paper the boy had been drawing on.


    Up close, he recognized them as runes¡ªones often employed by users of the Pulse. The boy seemed to be trying to piece them together into a more complicated string, though he¡¯d clearly grown frustrated judging from the amount of crossed out lines. It was missing a few key rune combinations and some of the characters had been written incorrectly, Regis noted, but it was a good start for a boy so young.


    ¡°Are you studying magic?¡± he asked. ¡°That looks quite advanced.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if it doesn¡¯t work,¡± the boy grumbled. He grabbed the atlas and peered down at the price tag.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. Many seasoned mages still struggle to create their own spells. At your age, this is very impressive.¡± Regis tilted his head. ¡°Although, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, why are you studying the Pulse? Do you not have access to the Wild?¡±


    Of the three magic sources, the Pulse was the most universal. It drew from the magic that flowed through the veins of the material plane, and anyone could learn to channel it without needing to perform extra steps to gain access. Innate to everyone, was the common saying. It was the favored magic source of humans for this very reason, though Regis had heard of some humans going to great lengths to gain the ability to channel from the Ark and the Wild.


    As a half-elf, the boy should have been born with access to the Wild from his elven bloodline. The Wild was a separate plane, one filled with a chaotic storm of primal magic that manifested as the fae. It was often said to have a mind of its own, but it was certainly less limited than the Pulse was. Regis himself had never particularly favored the Wild, disliking its unpredictability. He hadn¡¯t set out to gain access to it, either; it had simply come as a side effect of his travels in the plane.


    The boy deflated almost immediately. ¡° ¡­I can¡¯t use the Wild,¡± he said. Regis hummed. That was actually quite rare for a half-elf.


    He peered more closely at the runes. The demon tapped one of the ones near the end of the most recent chain.


    ¡°Here. I believe this line should be curved.¡±


    The boy scowled and snatched the paper away, looking affronted. As his eyes scanned the page, however, his brows furrowed with growing realization. Slowly, he set the paper back down and corrected the line.


    ¡°...I knew that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you did,¡± Regis said appeasingly. ¡°I¡¯ve accidentally done the same myself.¡±


    The boy looked up, frowning at the demon. ¡°You know runes?¡±


    ¡°Only a bit. I haven¡¯t studied the Pulse extensively, but I know the basics.¡± He nodded at the runes and held out his hand towards the pen. ¡°May I?¡±


    The half-elf looked a bit suspicious, but Regis could tell that his curiosity was winning out. Slowly, he slid the paper and pen over, and the demon began sketching. The boy didn¡¯t say anything, but he could feel his gaze on him as he completed the symbol.


    ¡°This,¡± Regis explained once he was done, ¡°is often used in spells to indicate exclusions.¡± He tapped the lines on the paper. ¡°This part here is either curved left or right depending on the directionality of the spell.¡±


    The boy nodded, eyes fixed on the page. Regis handed the pen and paper back. ¡°Is that helpful for your spell?¡±


    The boy didn¡¯t respond right away, too busy absorbing the new rune, gaze darting between it and the string he was working on. Slowly, he nodded.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± A bit of giddiness entered his voice. ¡°Yeah, yeah I think this¡¯ll work!¡± He looked up at the demon. ¡°Thanks, uh¡­¡± his voice trailed in question, and Regis smiled.


    ¡°Cyrus,¡± he said, adopting his dead vessel¡¯s name. It would be the easiest pseudonym to use for identification purposes.


    ¡°Cyrus,¡± the boy repeated. ¡°How¡¯d you know all this anyway?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a scholar,¡± Regis lied easily. He nodded to the atlas and at the shelf he¡¯d perused. ¡°I specialize in the war. I actually came to the Serpent Isles for research.¡±


    The boy frowned. ¡°Why? There¡¯s not much out here.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. One of the demon king¡¯s former generals resides on this island, does he not?¡±


    The half-elf¡¯s eyes lit up in recognition. There.


    ¡°Oh, you mean Markus!¡±


    Regis¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, but he maintained his amicable expression. ¡°Yes, do you know him? I was hoping to get an interview, but I couldn¡¯t find his address.¡±


    The boy hesitated. ¡°He gives out potions sometimes for the locals,¡± he began, ¡°but he¡¯s really private. He doesn¡¯t really like talking about the war.¡±


    ¡°I understand that,¡± Regis said sympathetically. He sighed, adding a wistful lilt to it. ¡°Still, I would love to meet him. It¡¯s not everyday you¡¯re so close to a living hero.¡±


    The half-elf glanced between Regis and the rune he¡¯d drawn, still a bit hesitant. The demon studied him closely, but it was clear to him that any lingering suspicion the boy might¡¯ve had of him had already disappeared. He was no longer a strange outsider but a helpful traveler, and as such, was not viewed as a possible threat.


    Slowly, as predicted, the boy nodded. ¡°Yeah, I think he¡¯d be fine with that.¡± He turned to the atlas and flipped it open, turning the pages until he reached a map of the island. ¡°He lives over here. I can draw the route, if you want.¡±


    Regis smiled. ¡°That would be wonderful, thank you.¡±


    <hr>


    Regis exited the bookstore with the atlas, paid for with money he¡¯d found in Cyrus¡¯s home, and a new destination in mind. That had gone smoother than he¡¯d hoped. Satisfied, he turned to exit the town, but paused as the roar of the crowd reached his ears. He glanced over.


    The square was still crowded, the mayor in the center with the guards circling him more closely than before. A few had unsheathed their swords and were raising them threateningly to anyone who dared come too close, but this only seemed to further incense the villagers.


    ¡°Please, please! I promise the Ministry is doing everything it can! Please just stay calm and listen to us!¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± someone hollered. Regis quickly identified the voice as coming from a red-faced man who swayed a little where he stood. Drunk, he guessed.


    ¡°Quit being so high and mighty!¡± the man yelled. He hiccupped, but that didn¡¯t deter him. ¡°You¡¯re not telling us more about the System ¡®cause you¡¯re scared we¡¯ll use it against you!¡± He jabbed an accusing finger at the man. ¡°Well it¡¯s too late! ¡®Cause once we¡¯ve got ours, none of us¡¯re listening to you anymore!¡±


    A few people cheered the man on, his words inciting another wave of yells. There would likely be a riot soon, Regis thought.


    The demon turned to leave, but he paused at the last second. He studied the man consideringly. There was one more ability he hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to test yet.


    Coming to a decision, he stepped closer, navigating through the crowd on the way towards the main street. Once he was close enough, he pretended to bump into the man.


    He activated [Amplify Vice].


    [Please select one vice: Pride, Wrath, Greed, Gluttony, Envy, Lust, Sloth]


    Regis didn¡¯t hesitate to select the wrath option.


    The effects were instantaneous. The man froze in place. His eyes widened, and then, all at once, his expression morphed into a snarl. He launched himself at the mayor, who yelped and stumbled backwards while the guards surged forward with weapons raised. Someone in the crowd screamed.


    As the square erupted into panic, Regis slipped away, a silent figure moving through the frenzy.

 Chapter Four - What Was and Never Will Be

    Forest, The Serpent Isles - 8th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH


    High Mage Markus rubbed his forehead and released a long suffering groan. In front of him was a letter written on smooth, creamy paper with no visible sender or address. It didn¡¯t need one; one glance at the magic signature confirmed who it was from.


    ¡°Fucking Archmages,¡± the man grumbled. He stood up, his chair squeaking on the floor behind him. Ever since he¡¯d first heard reports of the System popping up, he¡¯d been waiting for the Ministry to say something¡ªonly for the letter to finally come and amount to a fat load of nothing.


    He didn¡¯t know why he¡¯d been expecting better. ¡°We¡¯re looking into it¡± was the default Ministry response to everything these days, no matter how world-altering the situation was. And this was definitely world-altering.


    Markus glanced over at the magic circle he¡¯d set up in the corner of the room, glowing crystals placed at the edges of the inscribed runes. A soft, swirling blue light glowed in the center of the circle, but it was hazy. He¡¯d been trying to track the source of the System since he¡¯d first heard about it, but without access to it himself, he didn¡¯t have a lot to go on. Never mind that he¡¯d never been very good at tracking anyway and was missing half the components necessary for a more advanced version of the spell.


    Huffing in frustration, the man strode over and plucked one of the crystals, immediately killing the glowing light. No point wasting magic on nothing; he could use that crystal in one of his potions. Markus moved to return the crystal to its designated place on his shelf of materials.


    Really, he shouldn¡¯t be so worried about this. There was a reason he¡¯d turned down all the offers to join the Ministry, including the Hero¡¯s personal request. This was none of his business. He was here to play around with his potions and keep an eye on the prison. That was all.


    And yet, he couldn¡¯t help the nagging unease that had risen ever since he¡¯d first caught wind of the System. Maybe it was because the anniversary was soon¡ªthe second decade since the war¡¯s end. That had to be it; he was just antsy with memories of the past. The events of the tenth anniversary didn¡¯t help, either. He couldn¡¯t help but expect the worst.


    Markus grabbed the last crystal from the circle and carefully set it back. Through the open window, warm streaks of sunlight filtered into the cluttered room, the sun beginning to sink below the horizon. His home was a day¡¯s travel away from any neighboring towns, and that was how he liked it. He still got visits from nearby villagers, mostly with potion requests, but he hadn¡¯t seen anyone in the past week. He was thankful for it. Given how uneasy he was, he didn¡¯t think he could handle whatever absurd request he got next.


    Of course, because the world was out to get him, the second he set the crystal down a knock rang from his front door. Markus remained still, hoping the villager would just go away. It was probably something dumb anyway, like a decoration for the festival or something.


    The knock sounded again, even and measured, and Markus heaved a sigh. He dragged himself over to the front door and swung it open with more force than necessary, the ensuing slam echoing throughout his home. The person standing on the other side didn¡¯t blink.


    It was a young man, probably somewhere in his mid twenties, with wavy dark hair, green eyes, and handsome features. He wore simple clothing consisting of a worn cloak and a large bag, suggesting that he was a traveler. He smiled pleasantly. Markus shot him an annoyed look.


    ¡°I¡¯m busy,¡± the mage said bluntly. ¡°If you need a potion, go ask Arnold.¡± Arnold was another mage who lived a few hours away from his house. Absolute mess of a man, but his potions passed the bare minimum level of acceptability.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that,¡± the man said calmly, ¡°but you¡¯re the only one I wish to speak to.¡±


    Markus frowned. He¡¯d pegged the man as being from from one of the nearby villages, but no poor local talked like that. Now more suspicious, he gave the man another look and tried to sense a magic signature, but nothing came up. He racked his brain in an attempt to place his face, but he was sure he¡¯d never seen him before.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Markus asked warily. ¡°And who¡¯re you supposed to be?¡±


    The man chuckled. The sound sent a chill down the mage¡¯s spine.


    No, it couldn¡¯t be. It was impossible, Markus told himself. He was dead. He¡¯d seen his corpse himself, had searched it for any traces of a lingering soul and found none.


    And yet, even as he tried to rationalize things, a cold dread began to form in the pit of his stomach. That laugh was too similar¡ªsmooth and oddly soft and completely lacking any real emotion once you listened more closely. He knew it well. He¡¯d heard it in his nightmares for the past twenty years.


    ¡°I¡¯m hurt, Markus. It¡¯s true that I¡¯m occupying a vessel, but I would¡¯ve thought you¡¯d recognize me.¡±


    The mage¡¯s entire body froze. He barely processed it as the man¡ªno, the demon¡ªmaneuvered around him and stepped into his home. Regis glanced around, calmly taking in the various magic instruments and ingredients strewn about with those fake green eyes.


    Kill him, the thought rose unbidden. It¡¯s your only chance. Kill him before he kills you.


    And yet, Markus couldn¡¯t get his body to move. All his senses screamed at him, his ears ringing and mind churning with old memories long buried but never truly forgotten. In the demon¡¯s presence, it felt as if no time had passed at all, like he was still that naive teenager foolish enough to have followed the demon king. To believe his lies.


    He should¡¯ve known the second he¡¯d seen him. That gait, smooth as though he were gliding, the amicable but detached demeanor, the false politeness, the hollowness exuding from the man. No, his first mistake had been thinking it would ever be possible to truly kill him in the first place. How could he have missed it? How could he be so stupid?


    ¡°Markus?¡± Regis observed him assessingly, gaze unreadable. ¡°Do you need to sit down? You look rather pale.¡±


    The sound of the demon¡¯s voice snapped the mage out of his thoughts. He whirled around and put as much distance between them as possible. One hand fumbled with the backup potion he kept on his belt, eyes never leaving Regis as he finally managed to yank it free. He raised it threateningly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer!¡±


    Markus¡¯s arm shook, but he stood his ground. The liquid inside the bottle glowed softly, warmth emanating from it. He¡¯d never been very good at spontaneous casting, but he¡¯d spent years perfecting this recipe. That bottle had a vein¡¯s worth of mana stored in it, just waiting to be let out.


    The whole time, Regis simply studied the mage, expression betraying nothing. He hadn¡¯t even twitched.


    Markus¡¯s heart raced. The demon had clearly survived somehow, but did he have the same power as before? He¡¯d taken twenty years to appear again, was in a human vessel, and the mage couldn¡¯t sense any magic from him. But what if it was a trap and he was suppressing his magic on purpose to lie low? No, he was probably weakened. He had to be.


    Regis took a step forward, and Markus flinched.


    ¡°I said stay back!¡±


    ¡°Please sit down, Markus,¡± the demon said calmly. He continued to step forward, completely ignoring the potion brandished in the mage¡¯s hand. ¡°I came here to talk. There is no cause for concern.¡±


    The mage shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re lying. You want revenge.¡± His voice cracked, but he was too terrified to care.


    Regis raised an eyebrow. ¡°Even if that were the case, do you think you would be able to stop me?¡±


    ¡°The Hero severed your magic! You¡¯re weakened!¡±


    Regis¡¯s steps stilled. The air seemed to grow heavier, the winds outside the home howling. The candles flickered. Potion bottles and crystals began to rattle of their own accord, forming a cacophony of sounds surrounding them. Open book pages flipped. In front of Markus, the demon¡¯s eyes glowed a distinct violet, the same color that had haunted the man¡¯s nightmares.


    ¡°Do you believe that?¡± The shadows around the room lengthened, and Markus could barely hear anything above his own pounding heartbeat. ¡°Do you truly believe that?¡±


    A hand tapped the human¡¯s shoulder.


    Markus flinched violently. He blinked, and when his vision cleared, Regis was standing right in front of him. The pressure on his shoulder increased, and the man found himself pushed back onto the couch, legs weak. At some point he¡¯d dropped his potion, the bottle now lying uselessly on the ground a few feet away.


    The room quieted. The candle flames returned to their usual height, and the books fell still. Regis smiled down at him.


    ¡°Now, shall we talk?¡±


    <hr>


    Markus stared listlessly down at the table. Regis had gone and made tea of all things. The mage¡¯s cup sat untouched in the center of the tray. It had long since grown cold.


    In contrast, the demon sipped from his own cup where he sat across from Markus, legs crossed and shoulders relaxed as if it were his own home. It might as well be, Markus thought dully. He¡¯d never feel safe here again. If I even survive.


    It was clear Regis didn¡¯t view him as a threat at all, and he wasn¡¯t even entirely wrong. Markus was terrible at chants. Without his potions, he was nothing.


    The demon finished his current sip and set the teacup down lightly on the table. ¡°How have you been?¡± he asked.


    The mage determinedly did not look up from his cup, though the question itself made him want to laugh hysterically. Was the demon really asking him that? His thoughts must¡¯ve shown on his face, because Regis chuckled.


    ¡°Come now, we traveled together for a number of years. Is it so surprising that I would be curious to know how you¡¯re doing? That I might still think of you fondly?¡±


    If Regis had said something like that during the first few years after he¡¯d joined up with him, he would¡¯ve been ecstatic. Maybe a part of him, the young teenager he¡¯d never fully gotten rid of, still was. His adult mind, however, could only feel dread. He knew better now.


    ¡°¡­I thought you¡¯d be furious.¡±


    Regis hummed. ¡°Tell me, Markus, have I ever been quick to anger?¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    The man hesitated, finally daring to look up. ¡°Well, no, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then it stands to reason,¡± the demon interrupted smoothly, ¡°that this would remain true.¡± He smiled, and the expression looked so genuine that Markus almost believed it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you for your decision, Markus. You are a human. It¡¯s not unusual that you would choose your fellow man, especially given your youth at the time. It is easy to be swayed in one direction or the other when the mind is young. Your choices were unfortunate, but understandable.¡±


    Markus stared at the demon disbelievingly. Was he serious? What was the ulterior motive?


    Regis took another sip of his tea and cocked his head. It felt wrong to see those mannerisms on some random human. He looked far too harmless like this. Markus wondered who the poor soul had been who¡¯d ended up as the demon¡¯s vessel.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ll ask again. How have you been?¡±


    Markus shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ¡°Fine.¡± The word came out stilted, and he paused to swallow and clear his throat. ¡°I¡¯ve been here since the end of the war.¡± Since you died, was the unspoken implication.


    Regis nodded. ¡°I see. And you¡¯re a high mage now, correct? That¡¯s quite impressive,¡± he praised.


    ¡±How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Is it not natural for me to know the statuses of my generals?¡± Regis said. ¡°I was pleasantly surprised; more of you survived than I expected.¡±


    The other generals. There was another topic Markus didn¡¯t like to think too much on. He¡¯d been the youngest of Regis¡¯s generals, and he¡¯d looked up to the others as role models. He couldn¡¯t help but get attached¡ªa lonely orphan desperate for any sense of ¡°family¡± he could find.


    Of course, that childish dream had quickly shattered after the war. He hadn¡¯t spoken to any of the others in a long time, despite their similar positions. He would¡¯ve thought their shared experiences and defections to the Hero¡¯s side would¡¯ve bonded them closer, but it had instead hung like a cloud looming over every interaction. That wasn¡¯t even mentioning the ones who¡¯d stayed loyal to Regis.


    ¡°I am curious, however,¡± Regis continued, ¡°to know why you¡¯re on this island in particular. There are many other places to find solitude that are not quite so remote.¡±


    Markus shifted uncomfortably. Speaking of strained relationships between former generals.


    ¡°...I¡¯m keeping an eye on Halcyon.¡± It was highly unlikely the angel would ever escape, but Markus was too paranoid. He¡¯d moved out to the Serpent Isles as soon as he¡¯d learned the prison¡¯s location, just in case. Then again, he thought bitterly, clearly he wasn¡¯t paranoid enough if he¡¯d been so completely blindsided by Regis¡¯s return.


    ¡°Hal is alive?¡±


    Markus¡¯s eyes widened. The human mentally swore. Had the demon not known?


    He broke out in a cold sweat. Regis¡¯s eyes were sharp, practically gleaming in the evening light, the weight of that gaze bearing down on him.


    ¡°He¡ªhe finished regenerating ten years ago,¡± the mage managed to stutter out. ¡°The Ministry wanted to do some experiments on him, but he got transferred to a prison here.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Regis looked thoughtful. ¡°Yes, I can imagine that. I¡¯m sure the Ministry was happy to have a test subject with unlimited regeneration. And I imagine they kept his survival a secret from the public to avoid mass panic.¡± Those fake green eyes landed on Markus, who stiffened in his seat. ¡°But I¡¯m surprised, Markus. With how often you spoke of compassion and bonds, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d approve of such a thing.¡±


    The mage cringed. The demon wasn¡¯t entirely wrong; he had been a bit hesitant, but not nearly as much as he would¡¯ve been if it had been any other general being put through those tests. Even in the beginning, when he¡¯d been fully taken in by Regis¡¯s charisma and purported goals and practically worshipped the older generals, Halcyon had always unnerved him. Regis at least pretended to be capable of empathy. His second-in-command had never bothered.


    Regis continued, sparing Markus from the need to give an answer.


    ¡°Where is this prison located?¡±


    The mage tensed. Don¡¯t tell him. It was bad enough that the demon had survived. He didn¡¯t need anyone else on his side.


    The candles in the room flickered. Markus heard the crystals on the shelf rattle, the pages of his open books turning rapidly of their own accord. In front of him, Regis hadn¡¯t lifted a finger, but that cool gaze was levelled on him. His eyes had shifted to violet. Markus swallowed.


    ¡° ¡­the forest east of Barcombe.¡± The words came out quiet, defeated. The room stilled again.


    ¡°That¡¯s closer than I expected.¡± Regis looked pleased, but that couldn¡¯t be right. He wasn¡¯t capable of the emotion. ¡°Thank you, Markus.¡±


    The demon rose from the couch and lightly dusted off his clothes. He glanced around, surveying the contents of the room. His eyes fell on the shelf of magic ingredients, and he approached it, picking up one of the crystals.


    ¡°This is a rather impressive collection,¡± he remarked. He turned the crystal around in his hands, then raised it up to the lingering sunlight trickling in through the window. It would be night soon. ¡°Would you mind if I took a few items for the road?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a real question, and the demon was already reaching for an herb before Markus could stiffly nod. Normally he flew into a rage every time someone dared touch a magic component without permission, but now he could only sit dully watching as Regis perused his collection. Even after twenty years, the demon still had the same effect on him. Ark, he was such a coward.


    ¡°Have you kept in touch with the otherworlder?¡± Regis asked conversationally as he picked up a small bottle of wyvern blood for inspection. His voice was perfectly casual, but Markus tensed. They¡¯d already been treading on dangerous territory, but this could quickly escalate if he wasn¡¯t careful. Regis was as incapable of true rage as he was of every other emotion, but his feelings towards the Hero were probably as close as he would ever get.


    The mage¡¯s eyes landed on the potion bottle still on the floor from where he¡¯d dropped it earlier. It had finally come to rest against his desk leg, the liquid inside continuing to glow faintly. His heart raced. Maybe he could still fix things. Maybe there was a chance he hadn¡¯t screwed the world over with his cowardice. Eyeing the demon¡¯s turned back, Markus slowly rose from his seat and crept towards the bottle.


    ¡°Not really,¡± he said, attempting to keep the nervousness from his voice. ¡°He offered me a position in the Ministry, but I said no.¡±


    Markus felt the floorboards begin to shift underneath him and quickly stepped elsewhere, narrowly avoiding a creak. He sucked in a breath, but Regis continued to rummage around the shelf, bottles clinking and drawers opening. The mage exhaled and continued forward.


    ¡°I see. You would¡¯ve done well in the Ministry. Certainly better than the otherworlder.¡±


    Markus swallowed and carefully crouched down. Regis¡¯s back was still turned; he had to be looking through everything in the house at this point.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Markus stretched an arm out towards the fallen potion. Just a little closer¡ª


    A second before his fingers reached the glass, Regis turned around.


    The mage froze in place, eyes wide as that green gaze fell on him. The demon had a bag in hand, now filled with the various items he¡¯d taken. Markus could practically hear his own heart beating in his ears as he broke out in a cold sweat. Regis studied him, expression unreadable, before finally raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Surely it must be more comfortable in a chair than on the ground.¡±


    Regis stepped forward, past the mage, and bent down. He picked up the potion and placed it in Markus¡¯s hand while the mage stared dumbly at him. He smiled.


    ¡°Thank you for the hospitality, but I must be going now. It was good to see you, Markus. I know you don¡¯t believe me, but I truly do mean that.¡±


    Markus stared at the demon as he headed towards the door. Was he serious? Was this his chance? His fingers tightened around the potion, and he stamped down any lingering unease. He was a High Mage now, not a scared scrawny teenager. He wasn¡¯t going to let the demon king go without a fight. He had the potion in hand and the demon¡¯s guard was down. The second Regis reached the door, all he had to do was throw it.


    ¡°Oh, and Markus?¡±


    The demon turned around at the last second. ¡°Do you recall when you suggested that I was in a weakened state?¡±


    The mage nodded slowly, fingers still squeezing tightly around the potion hidden behind his back. Regis smiled.


    ¡°You were correct. I lied.¡±


    The demon stepped outside and shut the door just as a splash sounded from behind him. Markus spun around, eyes landing on the shelf. There, Regis had placed a bowl swirling with a glowing mix of his potions. Directly above it was a bottle containing a bone reagent. It had been knocked over, its contents landing in the liquid below where a growing bubble rapidly expanded.


    ¡°No,¡± Markus whispered.


    It was the last thing he said before the bubble burst and the entire house was consumed in flames.


    <hr>


    [You have gained experience!]


    [You have leveled up! 5 ¡ª> 11]


    [The [Thaumaturgy] ability has leveled up! 1 ¡ª> 2]


    [You have gained the [Fear] trait]


    [You have gained the [Silence] ability]


    [The [Deceiver (Common)] title has evolved into the [Cold-Blooded (Rare)] title]


    [You have unlocked your STAT BLOCK]


    [Strength +2, Agility +4, Mana +5, Will +7]


    Regis hummed to himself as the notifications flashed across his vision. Behind him, the heat of the explosion lingered as a faint warmth on his back, and the ruined house still glowed faintly in the darkening sky. There was nothing left but a pile of charred wood and ash.


    The demon carefully tied the bag of ingredients he¡¯d collected and stored them away in his larger pack. It was a shame for so many spell components to go to waste, but he¡¯d collected the essentials. The longer he stayed, the more likely Markus would¡¯ve become emboldened enough to attack. [Thaumaturgy] did little more than a few simple parlor tricks. Once the mage saw through the ability, he would¡¯ve realized how vulnerable the demon currently was. The added risk was not worth the few extra materials.


    Regis continued forward deeper into the surrounding forest, where the thick canopy and shadows provided cover. The light of the explosion would¡¯ve been visible from a distance, and someone would soon come to investigate. He would be far away by the time that happened.


    Once he was alone in the clearing, he studied his evolved title and new abilities more closely.


    Name: Silence


    Level: 1


    Mana Cost: Medium


    Cooldown: High


    Description: Allows user to create a region of silence where no sound can enter or escape. Its size and duration is dependent on the amount of mana used and the ability¡¯s level.


    That would be quite useful, Regis thought. He did prefer to be discrete when possible. He moved onto the next items.


    [Fear], he learned, passively amplified the effectiveness of intimidation tactics while [Cold-Blooded] performed largely the same as [Deceiver], albeit purporting to be more effective in addition to granting a +5 bonus to will.


    Speaking of will, now that he was done reviewing the new abilities, he took the opportunity to view his ¡°stat block,¡± as the system had referred to it. The numbers appeared in front of him with a thought.


    Strength: 19


    Agility: 27


    Constitution: 16


    Mana: 36 (+10)


    Will: 42 (+25)


    Regis recognized the bonuses from his titles, but the numbers themselves were more vague. He had no reference for what was considered average, though the distribution of stats did at least display areas of weakness.


    The most curious aspect to him, however, were the mana and will stats. They weren¡¯t as self-explanatory as the others, though he did at least know that this ¡°mana¡± powered abilities. He was more interested in knowing how mana interacted with magic or if it was meant to be a replacement for it. And if it was indeed a quantified form of magic, which source did it draw from?


    It was unfortunate that Markus hadn¡¯t owned the correct components for a trace spell. He could perform a smaller one, but that wouldn¡¯t be particularly useful given the evident scope of the System. Markus had been running a simple trace spell of his own, if the lingering magic circle he¡¯d seen on the floor was any indication, but it seemed like the mage hadn¡¯t had access to the system himself yet.


    Regis willed the screen away and turned back in the direction of Markus¡¯s home. Plumes of smoke rose from it, rising above the tree line. In the darkness, their shadowy form appeared like a great serpent spiraling upwards towards the heavens.


    It had been odd to see Markus again. Twenty years was nothing to a demon, but the same could not be said for humans. In his memory, the mage was a long-limbed teen, excitable, a bit shy, and talented with potions. The man in that house had seemed much older than a mere twenty years¡¯ difference. Weathered with exhaustion and a bone deep weariness. If not for those brief flashes of his younger self, he wouldn¡¯t have believed that they were the same person.


    Regis closed his eyes, breathing in the fresh night air. He hadn¡¯t lied when he¡¯d said that the man¡¯s betrayal hadn¡¯t come as a surprise. None of them had. He hadn¡¯t chosen his generals based on loyalty, not when it was so fleeting and malleable. There could never be real trust there, certainly not the ¡°family¡± that a younger Markus had seemed so desperate for.


    He opened his eyes again. He didn¡¯t know what reaction he¡¯d expected from his former general. The recognition had been there, of course, and he¡¯d seen the fear in his eyes, but there was precious little else. Fear and recognition. The response one would have to a monster of the past.


    As Regis continued to watch the distant smoke slowly dissipate into the night sky, an odd feeling rose in chest.


    He ignored it. This was likely another side effect of his vessel, just as those memory flashes in the bookstore had been. Regardless, sentimentality didn¡¯t suit him, and he had other matters to attend to. This, too, would pass.


    Regis swung his bag over his shoulder and gazed up at the stars, noting his current position, before turning east towards Barcombe.


    Most of his generals were traitors or dead, and he no longer had the power he¡¯d spent centuries building. He was starting anew in a world that had already moved past him.


    But he did have one ally left.

 Chapter Five - The Prison

    Forest, The Serpent Isles - 9th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH


    [You have gained experience!]


    [You have leveled up! 11 ¡ª> 12]


    [Strength +3, Agility +3, Constitution +3, Mana +3, Will +4]


    Regis lowered his sword. In front of him stood a tall tree that easily towered above its neighbors. Deep gashes and cuts ran along its thick trunk, the bark left rough and torn. The moonlight above highlighted those jagged edges, and they stood in stark contrast to the dark shadows of the surrounding forest.


    The demon gazed down at his arm consideringly, turning the sword around in his hands. He¡¯d taken it from Cyrus¡¯s home; it appeared to be a standard-issue blade distributed to Magburg¡¯s guards. Regis had never fought with a weapon before¡ªhe¡¯d had little need of it when he¡¯d had claws and fangs at his disposal¡ªbut in his current form, he¡¯d thought it pertinent to acclimate himself to it.


    He hadn¡¯t expected to earn a level up in the process. He supposed this confirmed that there were ways to earn experience beyond killing, though the experience gain itself seemed significantly slower.


    Regis studied the stat increases, noting their distribution. He didn¡¯t fully understand the internal mechanism determining the increases, but he suspected it utilized a combination of personalized distributions and a rough summation of the actions taken that had led to the level up. Because he¡¯d spent longer training with a sword, he¡¯d gained more strength and constitution than he had during the last level up, but his will increase was always high as a result of the System¡¯s individual biases.


    Regis raised a hand experimentally. It shook slightly. This was likely a sign of exhaustion. Cyrus¡¯s body, he¡¯d found, had poor stamina, and he was still learning the signs of when it was necessary to rest. It seemed he¡¯d pushed a bit too far tonight, but not dangerously so. He should be fine tomorrow.


    The demon reached for the waterskin on his belt and took a sip. Thirst, on the other hand, was a sensation he¡¯d quickly grown quite good at identifying. He noted to himself to refill the waterskin in the morning, as he would be traveling along a stream on the way to Barcombe.


    A cool wind rustled the leaves around him. The forest was quiet tonight. A careful scan of his surroundings revealed nothing else in sight. If he was to rest, here would be a good place to do so. Regis pursed his lips. Sleeping was still not an activity he particularly enjoyed, but it was necessary to maintain his vessel¡¯s health.


    By his estimates, he would reach Barcombe tomorrow afternoon. Assuming Markus¡¯s directions had been accurate, the prison would be located around the area. While he currently had no information regarding the prison itself, considering who it was holding, it would be well guarded. Though he¡¯d gained a fair number of levels thus far, caution would do him well.


    Regis turned towards a large crooked stone that provided reasonable cover. He moved his bag inside, and after staying up a moment longer to enjoy the breeze, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift to sleep.


    <hr>


    Markus hadn¡¯t lied. Regis found the prison located a thirty minute walk to the east of Barcombe. Here, the trees were taller, their combined canopy cloaking the building in a shadowy shroud.


    The demon¡¯s steps slowed. He ducked behind a nearby tree a fair distance away from the prison¡¯s perimeter, where he would be able to assess the structure without being seen.


    It wasn¡¯t exceptionally large, but a fair bit bigger than one would imagine a prison housing a single prisoner would be. The grey walls were constructed of thick stone, and from his current position, he could make out engraved runes and sigils running along their surface. Alarm spells, it seemed, with a separate string for every non-human species.


    Beyond the building, a tall metal gate surrounded the prison. He could see a few guards standing outside the gate, their weapons raised and shoulders tense. Two for each side of the building. He suspected news of what had happened at Magburg¡¯s barracks had reached them, causing them to stand at higher alert. He could use that to his advantage.


    Regis¡¯s gaze shifted to the surrounding forest, but there was nothing else that he could see. His eyes narrowed. He could understand the fewer number of guards, considering that this prison¡¯s existence was meant to be a secret, but even with the alarms on the walls, this seemed too sparse in terms of protection.


    The demon glanced up at the tree he was hiding behind. Its leaves were thick, providing decent cover. He reached a hand out and tugged on one of the branches. It held firm.


    Coming to a decision, Regis carefully began to climb up in slow, deliberate movements to avoid alerting the guards to his presence. Once he reached a decent enough height, he stopped and gazed down. The demon smiled.


    Carved into the earth surrounding the prison was a large magic circle. From the sides, the grasses hid the runes, but like this he had a clear view of the etchings.


    It was a barrier spell. The strings of runes formed an invisible web of magic that protected the prison. Regis cocked his head. From what he could see, it kept non-human species inside the barrier and only allowed humans to freely pass in and out. This type of directional barrier was rather popular, effective in its simplicity.


    Regis hummed to himself as he considered his options. He wasn¡¯t particularly worried about the barrier. In order to set specific species exclusions, a physical component was provided, typically blood or, for more powerful versions of the spell, bones. He was possessing a human body, therefore the runes would recognize him as a human. The alarm spells would pose a greater nuisance.


    A plan quickly began to form in his mind. Regis carefully climbed back down the tree, landing lightly on the soft grasses. He turned and moved away from the prison towards the stream he¡¯d used to fill his waterskin earlier.


    Now alone, Regis took the opportunity to pull out Cyrus¡¯s guard uniform and change into it. He hadn¡¯t bothered to clean it since he¡¯d attacked the barracks, leaving it in the exact same state as it had been in that night. In this case, the dried blood stains and rips and tears would add to the intended effect. He mussed his hair and added some streaks of dirt to his face as well, and after checking his appearance in the water, he was satisfied he looked the part.


    Next, the demon removed his bag and pulled out the potions and spell components he¡¯d taken from Markus¡¯s home. He selected a few to store in his belt and left one bottle outside, but the majority he kept hidden away in his traveling bag. He wouldn¡¯t be able to take more with him without garnering suspicion.


    Regis rose to his feet. He dropped his bag behind a thick tree trunk, where the surrounding grasses would obscure it from view, and uncorked the one bottle he¡¯d kept on hand. Carefully, he tipped the clear liquid over his hand and began to rub it over his skin. The liquid sizzled slightly on contact, but otherwise left no mark.


    Phoenix tears¡ªone of the most powerful neutralizers in Elaren. This was the one bottle Markus had owned in his collection, which wasn¡¯t a surprise given its rarity. Regis was careful to only use as much as necessary to cover himself, but it still took half the amount. It was a shame, but this would be necessary if he was to enter the prison undetected.


    Regis re-corked the bottle and returned it to his bag. Once he was certain his belongings were secure, he turned towards the prison again. Scanning his memory of the magic circle, he adjusted his position until he had a straight path to the desired rune string and moved as close as he could without being seen. It was time.


    The demon adjusted his expression into one of wide eyed panic, then stumbled out of the bushes and towards the prison at a staggering pace. The two guards at the front gate stiffened the moment he entered their vision.


    ¡°Halt!¡± the one on the right said. Through the opening in her helmet, Regis could see her eyes scanning his bloodied appearance and the distinct guard uniform. A bit of unease entered her gaze, but she did an impressive job at keeping it out of her voice.


    Regis pretended not to hear, continuing to limp forward until he was near the circle of runes. He swayed more with each step, and he saw the guards¡¯ eyes widen before he finally allowed himself to collapse onto the ground with a thud.


    ¡°Hello? Hey!¡± The first guard¡¯s voice rang in his ears, but he was careful to keep still. One hand was crushed underneath him, out of sight. He used it to feel around the earth, searching for the deeper dips where the runes were dug. Once he found the one he was looking for, he carefully began adjusting the rune, changing the direction of the stroke while the two guards muttered above him.


    ¡°Is he¡­alive?¡± the second guard asked. His voice sounded a bit further away. Regis felt the first guard¡¯s fingers move to his neck.


    ¡°Pulse is steady,¡± she confirmed. The hand drifted over to his bloody uniform sleeve, studying the pattern embroidered on the trim. ¡°This is Magburg¡¯s uniform,¡± she said.


    The other guard cursed. ¡°You think he was in that attack? How¡¯d he end up here of all places?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; the reports said there weren¡¯t any survivors.¡±


    Now, Regis decided, would be a good time. He finished correcting the last line on the rune and released a soft groan. He heard the guards move closer as he began to shift in deliberately sluggish movements.


    ¡°Hello? Can you hear me?¡±


    Hands grabbed him, steadying, and he allowed them to help him sit up. Regis blinked and rubbed his head as if in pain.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± the second guard asked. With his hand partially obscuring his face, Regis allowed himself to study the two humans more closely. The tension hadn¡¯t left their shoulders, nor had the wariness in their gazes, but there also appeared to be genuine concern. Neither one gave the ground a second glance, not noticing the adjusted curve on the rune.


    ¡°I¡­I think so?¡± The demon furrowed his brow and glanced around. ¡°Where am I?¡±


    The two guards exchanged glances, an unspoken conversation passing between them. Regis¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. He¡¯d been curious if they would willingly reveal who was housed in this prison to a fellow guard. It seemed not.


    ¡°You¡¯re east of Barcombe,¡± the first guard finally said. ¡°Do you know how you got here? You¡¯re from Magburg, correct?¡±


    Regis nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, I¡­I was on night shift.¡± He furrowed his brow, as if thinking. ¡°Everything was quiet, then there was this smoke.¡± He shuddered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened after that. When I woke up I was in the forest.¡±


    The second guard looked confused, but the first one¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    ¡°Smoke?¡± Her voice sounded urgent. ¡°Black smoke? Did you see anything else?¡±


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    The demon pretended to hesitate. ¡°It was mostly just the smoke, but I think¡­I think I saw a flash of violet? It was right before I got knocked out though.¡±


    The guard sucked in a breath, and Regis knew she¡¯d understood his implication. In a prison like this, they would surely have additional tests before allowing an outsider inside, but matters of urgency tended to override precaution. There was no more urgent matter than suggesting that the demon king had returned.


    The two guards whispered rapidly with each other as they debated what to do. Regis waited patiently. He didn¡¯t want his survival to become a known fact where he could avoid it, but it made for an ideal distraction in this case. His eyes shifted briefly over to the runes etched into the dirt. It didn¡¯t matter regardless. No one in this prison would be able to step foot outside of the circle now that he¡¯d reversed the direction of the spell.


    The guards seemed to finally come to an agreement. One of them called out to another group guarding the left wall, gesturing for one of them to watch the main gate with a quick explanation of events. They then turned back to Regis.


    ¡°Come with us,¡± the second guard said. ¡°We¡¯ll take you to see the captain.¡±


    Regis nodded and pretended to struggle to stand. The guards helped him up, and he hunched in on himself as he grabbed onto them for support, making himself look as vulnerable as possible.


    The first guard stepped up to the metal gate and unlocked it with a large key. The door swung open with a creak, and the group stepped over to the prison doors themselves. Up close, Regis could see the sigils more clearly, and they were indeed alarm spells. He felt the gaze of the first guard lingering on him as they swung open the prison entrance and stepped inside, but he¡¯d been prepared for this.


    As they crossed the threshold, he felt a faint wave of warmth pass by him. His skin tingled as the phoenix tears reacted with the spell, but he gave no indication that he¡¯d noticed anything. An ordinary human guard would have no reason to recognize those runes. The tears had neutralized any demonic essence around him that the alarms might¡¯ve detected.


    As they stepped into the prison proper, the guard¡¯s shoulders relaxed as Regis¡¯s humanity was seemingly confirmed. The demon, on the other hand, directed his attention to the prison, taking in his surroundings as subtly as possible.


    The interior of the building looked much like the outside, the stone walls forming a dull grey backdrop. One large hallway extended deeper into the prison with two smaller corridors branching off to the sides. Two torchlights cut through the shadows, illuminating a heavy metal door and two guards standing with their spears crossed at the end. A faint chill emanated from the area, permeating the rest of the building. Regis¡¯s eyes narrowed. That had to be the cell.


    The guards ushered him down the left hallway, where narrow windows allowed in faint rays of light. They turned into the first room on the right and opened the door to reveal a small, plain sitting room with two couches, a table, and an old desk that looked like it hadn¡¯t been used for a long time.


    The guards guided Regis over towards the couch. ¡°Sit here,¡± the first one instructed. She turned to the other human. ¡°Could you go get the captain?¡±


    He nodded and turned to leave. Before he had a chance to step back into the hallway, however, Regis grabbed his arm and forcibly spun him around. He unsheathed his sword and slit the human¡¯s throat before he had a chance to understand what was happening.


    The second guard¡¯s eyes widened. Her mouth opened, perhaps to scream, perhaps to alert more guards, but the sound never escaped. Using the momentum of his first swing, Regis twisted around and sliced through her neck as well.


    [You have gained experience!]


    Once he¡¯d confirmed that the two bodies were dead, he wiped the sword off on the couch. He was beginning to grow more used to the weapon¡¯s weight distribution, though he¡¯d need to train more to reach a satisfactory level.


    The demon peered out into the hallway. It was empty, so he stepped out and shut the door of the room behind him. There, it would ideally take some time before the bodies were discovered.


    Regis strode forward, retracing his steps until he¡¯d returned to the main hall. A quick glance around the corner revealed the same two guards standing by the cell doors. He hummed to himself. Though there were no guards in the vicinity that he could see, in a wide open space like this, sound would echo far and there was no guarantee of when a guard patrol might pass by. He would need to move quickly.


    His eyes landed on the two flickering torches on the wall near the guards. He activated [Thaumaturgy], coaxing the flames to rise higher. It took two more uses of the ability before one of the guards noticed the fires rising. His brows furrowed.


    ¡°What¡ª¡±


    Regis activated [Silence] and focused on the area around the two guards and the door. In the center of the hall, the air seemed to ripple. The rest of the man¡¯s sentence was cut off, his mouth moving without sound.


    The demon surged forward, using the guards¡¯ temporary confusion to cut the first one down. He felt movement behind him and spun around, raising his sword in time to parry an attack from the second guard¡¯s spear. Regis brought his leg around in a kick aimed at the man¡¯s stomach. He stumbled backwards, and the demon lunged, stabbing the sword into his chest.


    [You have gained experience!]


    It was much easier to fight without the need for stealth, Regis mused. After ensuring that no one was nearby, he dragged the bodies further back into the hallway so that they were partially obscured by the shadows. Once he was done, he searched the guards for keys, quickly finding a key ring and taking it. Regis paused long enough to listen for approaching footsteps. There were none. He directed his attention back to the door.


    It was massive, solid and thick with five separate locks keeping it shut. Regis placed a palm against the surface of the metal. It was quite heavy, and the metal was cold to the touch. The chill was undoubtedly originating from inside. It was the sort of cold that settled deep into the bones, the kind that was reminiscent of the Flesh Fields, of Abaddon. He lowered his hand. He didn¡¯t yet know how this human vessel would respond to different temperatures.


    He leaned closer. Regis couldn¡¯t hear any sounds on the other side, but the doors were thick enough that they would likely block out any. His eyes shifted briefly over to the dead guards, then back. Assuming this was indeed Hal¡¯s cell, he suspected there would be far more guards inside. A lower number of guards around the exterior of the prison made sense, if secrecy was a concern, but there would be no such worry within the cell itself.


    Regis carefully undid the locks and dropped the keyring back in his pouch. After some consideration, he removed a torch from the wall as well holding it in one hand and his blade in the other. A hard shove with his shoulder was enough to get the doors open.


    The metal doors opened into a deceptively large chamber. Thick layers of ice and frost coated the walls, which were constructed of woven metal and fae wood. From the ceiling, long icicles pointed down, their tips gleaming in the light and their surfaces so clear that they could be seen straight through.


    A metal walkway lined the walls, the railing itself covered in ice. About twenty or so guards stood evenly spaced along the walkway while four staircases led down into the center of the chamber. There, tall glaciers jutted out from the ground in a spiraling pattern, resembling a blooming flower. It was difficult to make anything out beyond the ice¡ªonly a vague shadowy mass was visible through the glaciers.


    Regis kicked the door shut behind him. It closed with a creak, the walls shaking slightly. The guard closest to him turned to him, frowning as he took in his guard uniform. These guards, Regis noted, were wearing substantially thicker clothing. This cold was likely the result of a spell and kept inside the chamber with runes etched into the walls. Ordinary humans couldn¡¯t withstand this temperature for long without additional layers.


    ¡°Uh, is something wrong?¡± the guard asked warily. One of his hands drifted closer to the sword sheathed at his side.


    In response, Regis lunged and slashed at the man¡¯s throat. It took two swings, the first one¡¯s aim slightly off and hitting the top of the man¡¯s armor. He released a gargled sound and fell forward. The demon frowned. It seemed this cold was affecting his body¡¯s precision. He would need to take that into account.


    Yells of alarm sounded around the chamber, the guards all made aware of the intruder. Regis heard footsteps pounding behind him and spun around, throwing the torch onto the approaching guard. The man screamed and stumbled back, knocking into another guard and temporarily blocking off the walkway behind him.


    Regis focused his attention back to the front. He twisted around an incoming spear and cut down the attacker, then kicked the body at the next approaching guard. She stumbled back as the corpse hit her, and he used the opening to strike her down next.


    An arcing sword swung at the demon, and he brought his own blade up to block it. In the corner of his eye, he could see a second guard approaching from his right. Regis shoved the first one down and ducked below the second attack. His sword carved into the humans¡¯ legs, dripping red onto the walkway. They yelled in pain and stumbled. Rising back up, he shoved them over the railing. He heard the sound of bones crunching as they landed on the hard ice below.


    More guards ran at him. The one he¡¯d set on fire had collapsed to the side, and now guards surged forward from behind as well. Regis¡¯s eyes scanned the area, locating the nearest staircase. He carved into the closest guard, then turned and ran in its direction. As he moved, one of his hands reached into his pouch, pulling out one of the potions he¡¯d taken with him.


    The moment he reached the staircase, Regis twisted around and threw the potion at the group of guards following him. It shattered, splattering them with a thick green liquid that left trails of steam. Piercing shrieks echoed around the chamber, punctuated by sharp sizzles as the corrosive liquid rapidly ate through their armor, melting flesh down to the bone.


    Regis leapt down onto the floor of the chamber. More guards had gathered here, perhaps anticipating his destination. The demon side-stepped an incoming strike and cut the guard¡¯s neck. He felt a sting in his arm and spun around to see another guard behind him. He frowned. When the guard thrust his spear again, he dodged to the side and grabbed onto the shaft, yanking it out of the man¡¯s hands before stabbing him in the chest.


    The air heated. Regis leapt to the side as a spell blasted past him, shattering a nearby glacier into jagged pieces. His eyes landed on the one responsible, a guard on the other side of the floor. He sprinted at her without hesitation. The guard¡¯s eyes widened in panic as he approached, her mouth opening as she attempted to chant another spell, but he cut her down before she had the chance.


    Not stopping, Regis turned and swung his sword out in a wide arc, slicing into two guards attempting to ambush him from behind. His eyes darted about the chamber. There were only two more left.


    He lunged at the closest one, but the human managed to raise her axe up in time to block his attack. The second guard was running at him, but his hands were preoccupied.


    Coming to a decision, Regis brushed his hand against the first guard¡¯s and activated [Amplify Vice], selecting sloth as he brought his sword around to carve into the second guard¡¯s torso. The first guard stumbled backwards, but attempted to swing at the demon again. This time, Regis was able to easily deflect the blow and slice her neck.


    The human collapsed onto the icy floor in a limp heap. Regis waited a moment for anymore signs of movement. There were none.


    He exhaled, a cloud of white condensation escaping his mouth as he did so. His breaths were quite heavy, he noted, and the wound on his arm was steadily dripping blood, deeper than he¡¯d expected. Perhaps he¡¯d pushed a bit too far.


    [You have gained experience!]


    [You have leveled up! 12 ¡ª> 14]


    [You have gained the [Demon Skin] trait]


    [Strength +4, Agility +7, Constitution +5, Mana +7, Will +7]


    Immediately after the notifications appeared, the pervasive cold seemed to settle slightly. It was still present, but no longer quite so stinging. Regis hummed to himself. Two levels gained seemed rather low given the number of guards he¡¯d killed. He guessed that the System took into account his opponents¡¯ relative strength. That, and he suspected leveling might require more experience the higher level he was.


    The demon shook his head and returned his attention to his surroundings. He would have more time to study the system later.


    His eyes swept past the fallen bodies of the guards, finally landing on the large ice structure in the center of the chamber, untouched by the battle that had just ensued. There were no sounds or signs of movement emanating from it. He frowned and stepped closer until he could see past the sharp glaciers.


    Chained between the ice, a tall humanoid man was hunched over on his knees. Messy white hair covered his face, the color mirrored by the large white wings fanning out from his back. The feathers were mangled, old bloodstains running along them in streaks and splatters. More chains wrapped around them, one running directly through a bleeding wound. They were bent crookedly, misshapen by the bounds.


    Regis¡¯s pace slowed as he approached. It was undoubtedly Hal¡¯s diminished form, but the angel hadn¡¯t moved at all since he¡¯d entered the cell or, indeed, given any indication that he¡¯d heard the fight happening around him. It was odd; the figure before him looked beaten down, defeated. Nothing like the man who had once been his most powerful general.


    Regis pulled out the key ring and carefully navigated around the ice glaciers. It seemed his new [Demon Skin] trait provided some degree of temperature resistance, but he¡¯d prefer to avoid direct contact with the ice when possible.


    After rummaging around the key ring, Regis finally found one that matched the locks on the chains. He stepped over to begin undoing them, but still the angel made no movements.


    The first set of chains came undone, the heavy metal landing on the ground with a clatter that echoed throughout the chamber. A few seconds passed.


    Finally, Hal raised his head. Pale blue eyes stared up at him, nearly silver in color, taking him in blankly. Regis waited.


    Slowly, a wide grin stretched across the angel¡¯s features, the same expression Regis had known for centuries.


    ¡°Reg? That you?¡± Hal¡¯s voice sounded dry and hoarse, as though he hadn¡¯t spoken in a long time, but the inflections were the same. Any lingering doubts he might¡¯ve had regarding the angel¡¯s identity were immediately assuaged, and the demon felt an answering smile form on his own face.


    ¡°It is,¡± he confirmed. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Hal.¡±

 Chapter Six - The Demon and the Angel

    Forest, The Serpent Isles - 10th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH


    Hal¡¯s answering laugh rang loudly in the chamber, bouncing off the icy walls and jagged glaciers.


    ¡°I knew the fucker couldn¡¯t kill you,¡± he said, still grinning widely. ¡°Where¡¯ve you been? It¡¯s been, what, fifteen years?¡±


    ¡°Twenty,¡± Regis corrected. He moved to continue undoing the angel¡¯s binds. By then, the cold of the chamber had settled into a light chill, crisp but no longer stinging in its presence. A thin layer of creeping frost had begun to climb over the bodies of the collapsed guards, pulling them into the scenery until they¡¯d become a part of the landscape. ¡°And you have my sincerest apologies. Restoring a scattered soul takes quite some time, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Hal¡¯s eyes shifted over to him. ¡°Scattered?¡± He whistled. ¡°Damn, I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be that bad.¡±


    Regis smiled. ¡°I could say the same to you. Ten years is quite a long time to spend regenerating.¡± He began unlocking the chains around the angel¡¯s wings.


    Up close, the wound pierced by the chains was still bleeding slightly, undoubtedly the source of the rest of the bloodstains streaking the white feathers. The gash was deep enough to see bone, and it showed no signs of closing. He hummed and moved a hand over to the wound, pressing lightly on some of the exposed bone.


    ¡°Is this permanent?¡±


    Hal¡¯s face twisted. ¡°Not sure. I think it¡¯s healing, but it¡¯s slow as fuck. Might take another five years at this rate.¡±


    ¡°I see. That is quite unfortunate.¡± Hal was known to possess the most powerful regeneration in Elaren, more reliable than a phoenix¡¯s rebirth and faster than that of the other angels and Regis¡¯s own at the peak of his power. Humans had once dubbed him the only ¡°true¡± immortal, and this ability of his had proven exceptionally useful in the past. He would need to work around it now. This was yet another thing taken by the otherworlder.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Pale eyes studied him, assessing. ¡°Never thought I¡¯d see you using a vessel. Thought you hated them. Who¡¯s the unlucky meat suit?¡±


    ¡°A village guard,¡± Regis replied easily. He successfully removed the chains around the angel¡¯s wings and moved on to the last set, the ones binding his legs to the floor. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I had little choice in the matter; it seems both of us have been severely weakened. I haven¡¯t been able to access the Ark or my true form since waking.¡±


    Hal hummed in understanding, staring at the cut on Regis¡¯s arm. By now, the bleeding had slowed to a trickle, though the demon would need to remember to wrap it later. He could no longer simply wait for injuries to heal on their own. In hindsight, he wondered if the pervasive cold in the chamber was intended to further slow down Hal¡¯s regeneration.


    ¡°There are more guards outside this chamber,¡± Regis explained. ¡°I suspect they¡¯ll notice something is amiss soon. Are you able to fight?¡± Normally such a thing would be no question, but he hadn¡¯t expected the angel¡¯s injuries to be quite so severe.


    ¡°Well,¡± Hal drawled, ¡°I can¡¯t fly, the big ol¡¯ gash on my wings¡¯s still leaking blood everywhere, I haven¡¯t been able to use magic for ten years, and I¡¯ve probably got a bunch of broken bones that may or may not finish healing soon. Hard to say these days.¡±


    Regis raised an eyebrow. ¡°And?¡±


    The angel grinned.


    ¡°And,¡± he began, ¡°what¡¯re we waiting for?¡±


    <hr>


    The last chain fell to the ground with a rattle. Regis rose back to his feet and dusted off his pants. A foot away, Hal stretched his arms out, cracking stiff bones and muscles. The chains, Regis noted, had left some marks and bruises, but they were visibly healing¡ªalbeit much slower than usual. Hal sighed happily, enjoying his new freedom.


    ¡°So? What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    It was easy to slip back into their old roles. Regis pulled out a scrap piece of cloth from his bag and wound it around the cut on his arm as he spoke.


    ¡°Once we exit this chamber, the main hallway leads directly to the prison doors. There are two branching hallways on the right and left. I didn¡¯t pass by any patrols on my way here, so I wager there will be less than twenty or so guards in the prison.¡± He finished tying off the cloth and tested it, pleased when it stayed in place. It wasn¡¯t a particularly neat job, given his lack of experience bandaging wounds, but it would suffice.


    ¡°There should be six to eight guards outside. I reversed the barrier runes around the gates. No humans will be able to leave.¡±


    ¡°So we can take our time,¡± Hal concluded with a grin. The demon chuckled.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± He turned to the angel consideringly. ¡°Have you received your System yet?¡±


    ¡°You mean those weird screen things?¡± His brows furrowed. ¡°Yeah, actually. The initialization or whatever popped up this morning. It just hit 100, like, a minute before you broke in. Is it a spell or something?¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Regis was pleased. The timing was quite favorable to them; like this, the angel would be able to catch up fairly quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have time to go into detail now, but you should have access to your status screen. It will contain a few initial skills and titles that I suspect are drawn from your past abilities. Your ¡®level¡¯ will increase as you gain experience. For now, I would focus on the fight at hand. You will gain experience from killing.¡±


    Based on his own initial levels, he estimated Hal should reach level 7 or so fairly easily, perhaps higher by the time they were done clearing the prison.


    He turned and began to make his way up the stairs, stepping around the half-melted bodies. A bit of the liquid puddled around them, burning away the ice directly beneath. He still had one more potion left in his pouch that was labelled as an explosive. There were no markers indicating its strength, but judging by its color and viscosity, he guessed it had a smaller blast range than some of the other potions Markus had created. That was why he¡¯d chosen to bring it with him. Destroying the entire prison would draw unnecessary attention.


    Behind him, Regis heard rummaging. He turned and found Hal sifting through the dead bodies, wrenching their weapons out of their hands and inspecting them. He squinted down at them, poking at the blades with a dissatisfied expression before finally grabbing one of the axes and continuing up the stairs to rejoin Regis. That was a surprise. The angel had only ever used a spear in the past.


    The demon placed a hand against the cold metal doors. He couldn¡¯t hear any sounds on the other side, but that didn¡¯t guarantee that no one was nearby. He nodded at Hal.


    ¡°I will handle the right hallway while you take the left. Once the interior of the prison has been cleared, we¡¯ll meet again outside to handle the guards there.¡±


    The angel saluted. ¡°Aye aye,¡± he said cheerily.


    After a final survey of the chamber, Regis pushed the metal doors open. A blast of cold air swept into the main hallway, where the bodies of the two guards from earlier still lay slumped in the corner where the demon had placed them. Regis paused, listening. He could make out the faint, yet distinct metallic sound of footsteps approaching from the right hallway. A guard patrol¡ªthree of them, judging by the number of footsteps he heard.


    Regis nodded at Hal and moved closer to the intersection, sword in hand as he waited for the patrol to pass by. He counted their steps in his mind.


    The moment the first guard stepped into view, Regis lunged.


    The guard¡¯s shocked yell was quickly cut off as the blade plunged into his chest. The other two guards in the patrol unsheathed their weapons in a panic.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing!?¡± one of them yelled, evidently confused by the guard uniform Regis was still wearing. The demon didn¡¯t respond, slashing at the man instead.


    His sword met the blade of another with a loud clang. With a furious yell, the guard shoved the demon back and swung at his neck. Regis ducked below the blow and buried his sword in the man¡¯s wide open stomach.


    The guard choked and attempted to kick the demon away, but Regis was faster. He yanked the blade out and sliced the guard¡¯s head off in one smooth motion. It took some additional exertion, he noted, but it seemed his last two levels had given him enough strength to do so in a single swing.


    [You have gained experience!]


    The sound of rushing wind filled his ears. The demon turned around to see the remaining guard thrusting his spear at him. Regis ducked to the side just in time, the edge of the tip nicking his cheek. The spear slammed into the wall, stone cracking and snapping from the impact.


    Regis readied to lunge at the guard, but just as he raised his weapon, the blade of an axe slammed vertically down on the human¡¯s head. He heard a loud crack as the man¡¯s skull was split in half. The guard slumped to the ground, blood gushing out from the open wound on his head. Hal yanked the axe out. He looked pleased.


    ¡°This thing¡¯s kind of nice,¡± the angel said. A bit of giddiness had entered his movements, his love of battle overpowering any residual weariness from his imprisonment. Regis chuckled.


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    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re enjoying yourself.¡± He picked up the sound of approaching footsteps again. It seemed their fight had drawn the attention of more guards, two groups approaching from both hallways. Now would be a reasonable time to split up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you again outside,¡± Regis said as he turned to face the group approaching from the right. He felt Hal do the same behind him. The angel cracked his knuckles.


    ¡°Wanna race?¡±


    Regis raised his own sword, wiping away the traces of blood from the cut on his cheek. ¡°Gladly.¡±


    They both lunged.


    Regis sprinted forward. The guards flinched back, surprised at his speed. Drawing his sword back, the demon carved into the first guard and used the momentum of the swing to slice the neck of the second. Metal flashed in the corner of his eye, and he ducked down. An axe sailed above him where his neck had been, the human¡¯s torso wide open as she finished the swing. Regis sliced upwards as he rose, cutting the guard down.


    Not stopping, he raised his sword in time to block an incoming blow. He twisted his blade, wrenching his opponent¡¯s weapon out of his hands and slitting his throat now that he was defenseless. The guard slumped back against the wall, his weapon falling from his grip. Regis caught it in his free hand.


    Three more guards appeared at the end of the hall. Regis flung the extra sword at the closest one. The metal embedded itself deep in the man¡¯s torso.


    One of the other guards swung at him, and Regis dodged nimbly to the side. In the narrow hallway, it was difficult for them to maneuver with their more cumbersome weapons, he noted. The demon hummed to himself. Twisting around, he blocked an incoming spear and caught the second guard reeling back in the corner of his eye.


    In one smooth movement, he hooked his leg onto the first guard¡¯s torso and wrenched him to the side just as the second guard swung. His axe slammed into his ally¡¯s skull. The man¡¯s eyes widened, a sound of horror escaping his throat, but Regis cut him down before he had a chance to process what he¡¯d done.


    [You have gained experience!]


    Still not enough for a level, Regis noted. At the earlier levels this would¡¯ve been enough for several.


    He proceeded deeper down the hallway, running past the sitting room where he¡¯d killed the two guards that had escorted him inside. Behind him, he could hear the sounds of ringing metal and crunching bones where Hal fought. For a moment it reminded him of that day on the Field of the Fallen, when the sounds of battle had rang from within the ruins, but this was an entirely different situation. The angel should have no issue disposing of the guards.


    When Regis turned the next corner, an arrow whizzed past, narrowly missing him. A guard holding a bow and arrow reached into his quiver. In the narrow hallway, there was little cover. It would be troublesome if he allowed the man to continue firing.


    Ducking lower to the ground, Regis sprinted forward. The guard yelped and quickly knocked another arrow to point at the approaching demon, but Regis was faster. He cut off the man¡¯s hands just before he could release the arrow, then cleaved his head off.


    More movement flashed in the corner of his eye. Another group of guards hurried out from one of the rooms lining the halls. He spotted a few sigil talismans, and some of the guards began to chant when they saw him. Mages.


    Regis pulled out the last potion without hesitation and threw it at the group before they could finish their chants. He¡¯d found it was best to deal with mages quickly, and he had no desire to combat spells in this tight space with only a sword on hand.


    The glass shattered, a burst of red light blooming outwards as the area was set aflame. The guards screamed, their figures rendered into blurry shadows between the flickering fire. By the time the light faded, only their smoking, charred bodies remained. Regis stepped closer and nudged one of the burned bodies with his foot. It twitched slightly, but otherwise remained still.


    [You have gained experience!]


    Still no level, Regis noted. Perhaps he¡¯d been spoiled by the quick early levels. He shook his head and studied the hallway, the grey walls and floor now stained with red and charred in the areas the explosion had hit. There was no one else in sight.


    He turned and backtracked to the rooms he¡¯d passed to ensure that no one was inside. It seemed the ruckus of the fight had drawn the guards all into the hallway, and what was left were deserted rooms with hastily thrown blankets and rumpled sheets.


    In retrospect, some of the guards hadn¡¯t been uniform. It seemed the guards here lived inside the prison, likely an additional means of secrecy. As a result, there were more guards than he¡¯d initially estimated, but this was beneficial for them. Perhaps Hal would reach level 10 or higher by the time they were done, which would allow him to unlock his stats.


    Regis stepped past the rooms and found an empty storage area with racks of weapons and spare uniforms in addition to an office. Once they were done dealing with the guards, he noted to return here to search the area more thoroughly.


    As it was, Regis found no other living beings on this end of the prison. Satisfied, he turned to head back to the main hallway. There, the bodies of that first wave of guards lay still. He heard a few yells down the other hall where Hal was likely finishing up. The demon strode to the prison doors and pushed them open, stepping outside.


    A cool breeze blew past, and Regis took a moment to enjoy the fresh air. The prison had been rather stuffy, so this was a welcome reprieve. In front of the metal gates, the guard who¡¯d taken over earlier turned around and stiffened when he saw the demon. Covered in blood, sword dripping red, he likely made for a sight.


    It was simple to cut him down. Compared to the inside of the prison, the exterior was incredibly sparse. Regis easily fell into a rhythm as he made his way around the perimeter of the building, the familiar dance of battle.


    In front of him, a younger guard stumbled and fell backwards, landing on the dirt as he scrambled away. As soon as he reached the circle of runes, his back hit an invisible wall. Only a brief flash of silver light indicated what had happened. The barrier had been successfully reversed.


    ¡°No no no!¡± The guard slammed his fist against it, but the barrier held strong. As long as human blood ran through his veins, he had no way of escaping the circle of runes.


    Regis strode forward calmly, his sword at his side. Blood dripped down the blade, staining the soft grasses. The guard spun around, pressing further into the barrier in an attempt to get as far away as possible.


    ¡°Please, just let me go!¡± he begged. ¡°Why¡¯re you doing this? Who even are you?¡±


    Of course, the human wouldn¡¯t know who he was. From the outside he appeared like a simple guard who¡¯d decided to free a traitorous angel. So much time had passed, his death considered so immutable a fact, that the possibility of his true identity had never crossed the man¡¯s mind.


    The demon stopped in front of the quivering guard and raised his blade. ¡°That,¡± he said, ¡°is not your concern.¡±


    A single swing was enough to send his head flying. The severed head landed on the ground with a thump.


    [You have gained experience!]


    [You have leveled up! 14 ¡ª> 15]


    [The [Fear] species trait has leveled up! 1 ¡ª> 2]


    [Strength +3, Agility +4, Constitution +2, Mana +3, Will +4]


    Regis lowered his sword. After circling the prison a second time to ensure no one was left, he roughly wiped the blade along the grasses so that it was no longer dripping. Constitution, it seemed, remained difficult to level. Depending on how much of a weakness it became in the future, he may need to begin training it individually.


    The demon glanced around. The forest was quiet around them, the only sounds being the distant rustling of leaves. Barcombe was far enough away that they didn¡¯t need to worry about discretion.


    Hal still hadn¡¯t appeared. Regis frowned. Even weakened, it shouldn¡¯t take the angel so long to kill a few human guards. His battle instincts would still be present. Of course, it was possible that he was simply taking longer, overcome by the thrill of a fight.


    He turned back to the open prison doors and strode through. He would check on him, to be certain. It wouldn¡¯t do for him to lose his general so soon after breaking him out of prison, after all.


    Regis stepped past the corpses in the main hallway and turned to the left. Hal had left a mess in his wake; several of the bodies had been slammed into the walls or had their skulls crushed, a stark contrast to his own clean and precise cuts. Blood stains spattered the walls, and many of the corpses were so mangled that they were barely recognizable as humans. The angel had always been rather creative in battle.


    A shrill scream rang from further inside the prison. Regis found himself freezing for a moment and frowned. That was clearly not Hal¡¯s voice; there was no cause for concern. Human instincts were continuing to prove an oddity. He shook his head and continued, turning around the corner to find the source of the noise.


    There stood Hal holding one of the guards against the wall with a single hand gripped around his throat. The other one he dug into the man¡¯s eye as he thrashed and screamed his throat hoarse.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel so good when it¡¯s you, huh?¡± the angel said, digging his fingers in deeper. His pale eyes gleamed in the light. ¡°I¡¯ve got a pretty high pain tolerance, but it still stings, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± the human yelled desperately. He was quickly losing blood. Frankly Regis was surprised the shock alone hadn¡¯t rendered him unconscious. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad you humans don¡¯t heal very fast,¡± Hal mused. He twisted his finger again, and the guard choked, his limbs falling limp as he finally blacked out from the pain. It took a second for the angel to notice, and when he did, he clicked his tongue and dropped the guard to the ground. He landed in a twisted heap. It wouldn¡¯t take long for him to die of blood loss.


    A quick survey of the area revealed no other guards remaining in the hallway. Regis approached, studying the angel closely.


    ¡°Are you finished?¡±


    Hal turned around. His face and hair were covered in blood, and at some point he¡¯d thrown his axe to the ground where it now lay a foot away. He wiped his face with the back of his wrist, which only succeeded in smearing more blood around. He exhaled.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I¡¯m done.¡± Tense shoulders slowly loosened, and his eyes swept over the demon. ¡°You already kill the ones outside?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± He nodded down the hall. ¡°I found an office and a storage room that way. We¡¯ll need to search the bodies and the rest of the prison while we¡¯re here. We should find a decent amount of supplies.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡± Hal stepped over to his fallen axe and picked it back up. A few chunks of flesh were stuck to the blade, which he flicked off with a finger. ¡°Guess you won that round.¡±


    Regis smiled. ¡°In fairness, you didn¡¯t seem particularly concerned about speed.¡± His eyes landed on the guard the angel had just dropped. His chest had stopped moving by now.


    Regis himself didn¡¯t typically engage in torture unless as a means to an end, often finding it a waste of time. However, as he studied the bloody hole where the guard¡¯s eye had been and remembered the brief snippet of conversation that he¡¯d heard, he found he didn¡¯t mind the angel¡¯s indulgence. He returned his attention to the rest of the prison.


    ¡°Shall we go? I¡¯d like to leave here before nightfall.¡±


    Hal nodded. He stepped forward, not bothering to move around the bodies. They would both need new clothes and likely new weapons as well, if the state of the angel¡¯s borrowed axe was any indication.


    They continued down the hall, the prison now quiet. The door to the chamber remained open, and the chill had now spread throughout the building. Without the engraved runes of the walls to keep it active, however, it would soon fade.


    ¡°Hey, Reg?¡±


    Regis glanced back at the angel, raising an eyebrow. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Hal didn¡¯t say anything for a moment, his usual casual, jovial demeanor replaced with an uncharacteristic seriousness. Those pale eyes swept over him.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alive.¡±


    Regis studied the angel closely, considering a few different responses. ¡°I would say the same to you,¡± he finally said, and the words were sincere. If he could only have one of his generals left, he was glad it was Hal.


    He turned back to the hallway. By now they¡¯d reached the office doors, and Regis tugged them open to find the inside as he¡¯d left it. A heavy desk sat in the center, stacks of papers piled in the corners, while full bookshelves lined the walls.


    ¡°Now,¡± the demon said. ¡°I believe it would be pertinent to plan our next move.¡±

 Chapter Seven - Dead Men Walking

    Prison, The Serpent Isles - 10th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH


    Regis¡¯s eyes scanned the letter he was holding, memorizing the curling, inked words. He recognized it from the speech the mayor of the first village had given. The Ministry, it seemed, had widely distributed this throughout the Serpent Isles. Outside of the speech itself, however, there was precious little in the way of information regarding the System. He set it down and picked up the next one.


    Outside, the sun hung high in the sky. The office was one of the few places in the prison containing a large window, and Regis could feel the warmth emanating from the glass. He found it rather soothing. This sort of soft sun had been rare in Abaddon and entirely absent from the Flesh Fields. Demons may be suited to the cold, but that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t enjoy other temperatures.


    The beaming sunlight highlighted the assortment of weapons and other supplies gathered around the floor. They¡¯d searched through the dead bodies and the rest of the building, gathering anything that seemed worthwhile. Regis finished scanning the current letter and moved on to the next one in the stack.


    The vast majority of the letters consisted of correspondences from the Ministry. Most requested updates on Hal¡¯s status. He ran his fingers over the corner of the page, where the date had been scrawled in small black letters. It seemed these letters had once arrived on a nearly weekly basis, but had grown increasingly less frequent over the years as time soothed the Ministry¡¯s unease regarding the angel¡¯s capture. The latest one was dated this year during the Pearl Moon.


    Regis hummed to himself. Assuming the Ministry kept to its current annual schedule and sent another letter in a year, that would give them about ten months before they realized no one was inside the prison. That should be more than enough time.


    The door to the office swung open with a loud creak. Regis looked up to see Hal standing in the doorway. He set the current letter aside and reached for the cord-bound book that, upon opening, was revealed to be guard records.


    ¡°Are you finished?¡± he asked.


    The angel saluted lazily. ¡°Moved all the bodies into the cell and shut the door.¡± He snorted and plopped down on the small couch resting in the corner of the room. ¡°Really gave me a workout there. Why¡¯d you want to move the bodies there anyway? I get moving the ones outside, but I could¡¯ve just piled them in the hallway or something.¡±


    ¡°This prison is innocuous enough that most travelers wouldn¡¯t give it a second glance,¡± Regis explained simply, ¡°but if the bodies were to decay and a passerby noticed the smell, that may draw attention here.¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°That, and I thought the exertion might help you gain a few more levels.¡±


    Hal made a mock-offended sound, and the demon chuckled. He set the journal down.


    ¡°Speaking of which, what level have you reached?¡±


    Hal squinted at the air in front of him, presumably reading his status screen. Regis had already known that the System notifications were only visible to their user, but he still found it rather amusing to see this in practice.


    ¡°Twelve,¡± the angel finally concluded. Higher than predicted. ¡°This shit¡¯s fucking weird. How¡¯s it even know what abilities to give you?¡±


    ¡°My current theory is that it analyzes your magic signature to draw from past memories and experiences,¡± Regis said. ¡°I¡¯m unfortunately unable to detect a signature from the System itself, but I do suspect it to be the work of an individual. Perhaps a group.¡±


    Hal nodded. ¡°Gotta be powerful as hell to pull something like this off.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. That is why I¡¯d like to run a trace on the System as soon as possible.¡± It had undoubtedly aided him greatly, but he wasn¡¯t inclined to place all his trust in something so mysterious when its origins were still unknown to him.


    Hal hummed thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s the plan, then?¡±


    ¡°Part of it, yes.¡± Regis set the last book down and rose to his feet, stepping over to the map hanging on the office wall. It was quite faded, the lines weathered with age, but the shapes of the continents and major cities were still visible.


    He placed a hand on their current position at the bottom left of the map. Like this, it was abundantly clear how small the Serpent Isles were compared to the rest of Elaren. His eyes shifted eastward, where Cannia lay far across the wide expanse of the Echoing Sea. It seemed humanity had chosen to move the Ministry there following the war, perhaps in a symbolic gesture. That was where the otherworlder would be.


    ¡°Hal, how much do you know about the current state of the world?¡± he asked conversationally. The angel shrugged.


    ¡°Not much. Some of the guards liked to yap, dropped a few tidbits here and there, but that was about it.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Regis cocked his head, eyes still fixed on the map. ¡°It is not faring particularly well. The vast majority of the war alliances have broken apart, and there have been a number of conflicts arising throughout Elaren. It seems there¡¯s growing dissatisfaction with the actions of the Ministry as well.¡±


    He turned around to face Hal with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s ironic, isn¡¯t it? The world is in no better a place than it was before the war. One might even argue that it is heading down a worse path.¡± In the end, the otherworlder¡¯s vows and speeches had amounted to nothing more than pretty words.


    Hal studied him closely, absorbing the information. Slowly, a smile spread across his face as he recognized the unspoken implications of the demon¡¯s words. That was one of the benefits of having the angel as his general. They¡¯d known each other for so long that he often didn¡¯t need to elaborate on his intentions.


    ¡°So? We going after him? I could use a little revenge.¡± There was only one person that ¡®him¡¯ could be referring to.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Regis turned back to the map, focusing his attention on the Serpent Isles. ¡°I¡¯m afraid in our current states, a direct confrontation would only result in defeat.¡± Perhaps a permanent defeat, at that. He hummed consideringly. ¡°We will need to regain power and sow mistrust towards the otherworlder. I believe a crucial mistake the first time was not swaying more people to our side.¡±


    Despite the clear anger towards the Ministry that he¡¯d seen in all the articles and books he¡¯d read thus far, the otherworlder, it seemed, had escaped much of the ire despite purportedly serving as the Ministry¡¯s head. His status as a war hero and savior had protected him from criticism, but after twenty years the glow of goodwill would soon begin to fade.


    Brute force would only take Regis so far. He had no interest in ruling a ruined world, and lingering discontent would only result in further strife in the future. He could not simply cut down the tree; he needed to uproot it entirely.


    Regis tapped the northern end of their current island on the map, where a faded label read: The White Cliffs.


    ¡°Based on my reading, a High Mage lives here,¡± the demon explained. ¡°He is supposedly a collector of rare magic components and artifacts. He will likely possess the necessary materials to perform the trace spell. I suggest we make this our first destination. The System has proven exceptionally useful for us thus far, but I would like to understand its origins before we proceed further.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± Hal¡¯s gaze flitted across the map, taking in the long distance from the Serpent Isles to Cannia. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re in for the long haul.¡±


    Regis nodded in agreement. ¡°The road from here will prove long and arduous. Rebuilding our strength will not be an easy feat.¡± He turned to the angel.


    ¡°Before we set out, I should ask if you¡¯re certain about following me.¡± He¡¯d never forced his generals to work for him in the past, and he wouldn¡¯t start now. When they¡¯d betrayed him, he¡¯d let them leave and pretended not to hear as they fled to the otherworlder in the night. Losing the angel would be a significant blow, but not an insurmountable one.


    Hal snorted. ¡°Oh come on, you really asking me that? I already betrayed my whole species. I¡¯m not about to back down now.¡± He grinned. ¡°You already killed me, like, a hundred times and that didn¡¯t stop me the first time. One more death by some interdimensional brat doesn¡¯t make much of a difference.


    Regis felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips. ¡°In fairness, you were the one who first tried to kill me. I was acting in self defense.¡±


    Hal waved dismissively. ¡°Pssht, that was centuries ago. Bygones and all that. We¡¯re both different now.¡± Pale eyes scanned the demon, and he cocked his head to the side. His grin widened. ¡°Besides, for all that talk about hard times or whatever, you¡¯re not even that mad about this whole thing, are you?¡±


    Regis hummed. ¡°Well, it is certainly rather tedious that we should need to regain power that was once already ours, and I¡¯ve no doubt that we will encounter many obstacles along the way.¡±


    Hal raised an eyebrow. ¡°But?¡±


    The demon smiled, eyes gleaming violet in the light. ¡°But, I have always enjoyed a challenge.¡±


    <hr>


    Regis gazed up at the azure sky. High above the forest canopy, the sun had just passed its apex, its rays highlighting the swaying grasses around the prison. They¡¯d left later than he¡¯d like, but there¡¯d been more information and supplies to be found than expected. Many of the items they¡¯d had no choice but to leave behind, given their limited carrying capacity, but they¡¯d stocked up on rations and found new weapons to replace their old ones.


    On the other side of the rune circle, Hal squinted down at the etchings in the earth. The angel was crouched down, his white wings brushing against the ground as he carefully redrew the lines of the rune Regis had adjusted. The barrier did, indeed, react to the demon as if he were a human.


    ¡°Okay, I think that¡¯s it?¡± Hal rose back to his feet and patted the dirt off his hands. Regis stepped forward, and he was able to pass through without issue.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. He glanced back at the circle, and after some consideration, he decided to adjust the runes again to prevent humans from entering. A strong enough mage would have no issue getting past, but this was another way to deter curious travelers from wandering too close.


    Behind him, Hal sighed dramatically. ¡°Guess we¡¯re both stuck using the Pulse now, huh?¡±


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    ¡°It does seem to be our only option for now, yes.¡± Unlike the demon, Hal had never bothered to learn to channel the Pulse. He knew most of the runes¡ªliving so long had its benefits¡ªbut he rarely put them to practice, instead preferring to rely on his innate connection to the Ark.


    Regis raised a hand. It hit an invisible wall as he attempted to reach over the circle, and he nodded and stepped back. Now that that was done, they could continue forward.


    ¡°You think this¡¯s permanent?¡± Hal asked as they made their way through the quiet forest. He gestured vaguely at them, and the demon hummed consideringly.


    ¡°No, it would be nearly impossible to completely sever our link to the Ark. I suspect the connection, though weakened now, will strengthen with time. Once that happens we will be able to channel the Ark again. Until then, we¡¯ll need to rely on the System abilities and the Pulse.¡±


    Hal nodded in understanding, and the two continued forward with Regis leading the way.


    They soon reached the area where the demon had left his bag, and he was pleased to find it untouched. He picked it up and dusted it off, then took a moment to assess their current location. Finally, he turned in the direction of Barcombe. He¡¯d traveled around the village on the way here, but perhaps they should pay it a visit now that the prison was taken care of.


    ¡°Are you able to hide your wings?¡± he asked Hal. The angel¡¯s appearance, from what he¡¯d seen and read thus far, was not widely advertised after the war¡ªperhaps an attempt from Avalon to avoid the shame of such a high profile traitor.


    Regardless, Hal had spent much of the war in his lesser or true forms, so his diminished form should not be recognizable to the public. He wouldn¡¯t draw attention provided they were able to hide his wings. Angels, after all, were rarely seen outside Avalon. Anyone would give one a second glance.


    Hal¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± He furrowed his brow, a gesture Regis was beginning to recognize as him viewing his status screen. ¡°I got this trait my last level up, [Beyond Perception].¡± He snorted. ¡°Weird ass name, but apparently it makes it so people can¡¯t see my wings unless they already know I¡¯m an angel. Cool, right?¡± He sounded rather pleased, and Regis smiled.


    ¡°It certainly is. This will alleviate quite a few headaches. Are there any limitations?¡± Based on his own experience, System traits tended to come with restrictions that he assumed would be loosened the higher in level the trait was.


    ¡°Yep, it doesn¡¯t work on Ark users. So no angels, demons or reapers. But if we run into one of those, we¡¯re probably fucked anyway.¡±


    Regis was inclined to agree with the assessment. He nodded. It would do for now.


    ¡°Why¡¯re we going to the village anyway? We don¡¯t need supplies or anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see if there is any recent news,¡± Regis replied as he navigated around a particularly dense overgrowth. ¡°The System should¡¯ve spread fairly far by now, and I¡¯d like to know if news of Markus has reached Barcombe yet.¡±


    Hal¡¯s eyes flitted over to him. ¡°Markus?¡±


    ¡°I killed him two days ago.¡±


    Regis¡¯s voice was plain and matter-of-fact. He glanced over at the angel briefly, gauging his reaction. Hal was silent for a moment, expression blank, before he finally shrugged. Unperturbed.


    ¡°Okay. Who¡¯s that leave?¡±


    The demon turned back to the path ahead. ¡°Based on my research, Thelegon, Tivona, Pax, and now Markus are dead. Mordecai, Adela, and Pyran are traitors. Jael is missing. Belphor seems to have fled to Abaddon, and Frey and Rysar¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªdon¡¯t really count as allies,¡± Hal finished. He grinned and cracked his knuckles. ¡°Well, guess that just leaves us. Just like old times.¡±


    Regis chuckled. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    They continued through the woods, retracing the path the demon had taken to arrive at the prison.


    After about an hour of traveling, the sharp silhouettes of building rooftops could soon be seen peeking out from above the canopy. Regis took the opportunity to adjust his cloak so that it covered his face. They¡¯d already changed clothes and cleaned away any remaining bloodstains in the prison, but an added bit of caution wouldn¡¯t hurt. He heard a rustle as Hal did the same beside him. The angel folded his wings closer to his body, and Regis found his eyes lingering on the bandages wrapped around and around the feathers. He turned back to the village.


    Barcombe was larger than Magburg, but not quite as large as the first town Regis had passed through. A few two-story homes added some variety to the rooflines, and the main street had been paved with round stones. The demon¡¯s eyes scanned the area, noting the bright ribbons and banners decorating the buildings. Even more decorations lay strewn about the ground, and he could see several villagers carefully working to put them up.


    ¡°Damn, time flies,¡± Hal said from behind him. He was looking at the same banner that had caught Regis¡¯s attention, the one that read: TWENTY YEARS SINCE THE HERO¡¯S VICTORY.


    He¡¯d nearly forgotten. He¡¯d been so focused since his awakening that he¡¯d lost track of time. Two more days would officially mark the twenty year anniversary of his defeat at the Field of the Fallen. Judging from the scale of the decorations and planning, the festivities would be quite grand¡ªperhaps the largest scale festival this town saw annually.


    A low chuckle broke Regis out of his wandering thoughts. He glanced over to Hal and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Is something amusing?¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s just¡ª¡± The angel paused for a moment to swallow another laugh. ¡°They really think you¡¯re dead dead, huh?¡± He let out another snort. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be so fucking funny when they find out you¡¯re alive.¡±


    Regis found himself smiling as well. ¡°Perhaps so.¡± He glanced over at the area again.


    On closer inspection, though the villagers looked rather busy, the streets were distinctly lacking the aura of cheer that typically accompanied such festivities. Instead, a heavy unease seemed to hang in the air, present in tense shoulders and darting gazes. Villagers stood in clusters whispering to each other, their voices kept low as though they were scared to speak too loudly. Regis¡¯s eyes narrowed. He strode forward, his pace slow and casual, towards two young women standing nearby.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± he said pleasantly. They jumped, pulled out of their current conversation. He saw their gazes move over him and Hal behind him, lingering perhaps a little longer on their faces, but displaying no recognition or surprise at the angel¡¯s wings. It was as though they were not there at all. His System trait, it seemed, functioned exactly as described.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the one with brown hair said. She looked a bit more suspicious than her companion did, her gaze landing first on Regis¡¯s sheathed sword and then on the axe strapped to Hal¡¯s back. ¡°Can we help you?¡±


    Regis gestured behind him and gave no indication that he was aware of her mistrust. ¡°My friend and I are travelers,¡± he explained. ¡°We were wondering if you could provide us with some directions.¡±


    The woman blinked, evidently taken aback by the friendliness. ¡°Uh, sure. Where to?¡±


    ¡°High Mage Markus¡¯s home,¡± the demon said smoothly. Both of the womens¡¯ faces fell, and they exchanged a glance, shifting awkwardly. It seemed his guess had been correct.


    Regis frowned. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    The brunette seemed hesitant, but her friend nudged her. ¡°Oh just tell them,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯ll find out soon enough anyway.¡± She turned to the two.


    ¡°Markus¡¯s home burned to the ground two nights ago,¡± she explained. ¡°They¡ªthey found his body burned to a crisp.¡± She shuddered, and Regis adjusted his expression into one of shocked horror.


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible. Do they know what happened?¡±


    The first woman who¡¯d spoken shook her head. ¡°They think it was an accident. The explosion looked like it came from a potion. They¡¯re saying he might¡¯ve mixed the wrong ones.¡± Her eyes were downcast. ¡°We were so close to the festival, too. This was supposed to be a happy time.¡± She made a frustrated noise, glaring at the ground. ¡°First the System, then Magburg, Canedge, and now this. What in the Ark¡¯s going on?¡±


    Canedge. That was the name of the first town he¡¯d passed through. Regis adjusted his expression to one of troubled confusion.


    ¡°Canedge? We were just there a week ago. Did something happen?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I wish I knew. All I heard is that the place¡¯s a mess. The last person who passed by said the village was wrecked and people were fighting in the streets.¡±


    Regis internally raised an eyebrow. It seemed his [Amplify Vice] test had sparked a larger riot than he¡¯d guessed. Considering the discontent he¡¯d seen levelled at the mayor, perhaps that shouldn¡¯t have been a surprise. The System¡¯s appearance would only have spurred on the unrest¡ªit was easier to rebel with new tools and abilities given to you.


    ¡°I see, thank you for informing us. I still can¡¯t quite believe what happened to Markus. Truly horrible.¡±


    The two nodded dully. The brunette¡¯s eyes flitted between Regis and Hal again.


    ¡°You said you two¡¯re travelers, right? Well you¡¯d better watch yourselves. Been hearing about more fights breaking out with that System thing showing up. We might not get a peaceful festival this year.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± the woman¡¯s friend hissed, but she was ignored. Regis nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep that in mind, thank you.¡± He gave the two a final nod, then turned to continue down the road.


    Once they were out of earshot and far enough away from other villagers, Hal asked, ¡°So? What¡¯s the deal with Magburg and Canedge?¡±


    ¡°I conducted a brief experiment in Canedge,¡± Regis replied. ¡°It seems that may have spiralled. As for Magburg, that is where my vessel was from.¡±


    ¡°Ah right, your meat suit.¡± Hal squinted at him. ¡°That guy still in there, by the way?¡±


    ¡°No, I encouraged him to pass. I thought it would be more merciful than if I¡¯d allowed him to remain trapped in his mind.¡±


    The angel snorted. ¡°Yeah, I bet. And one less thing for you to worry about.¡±


    Regis smiled. ¡°That too.¡±


    His eyes swept over the streets, searching for any signs of unrest. Though he had no way of knowing how long it would take for the System to reach everyone, he guessed all of Elaren would be fully integrated by the end of the month. Places like Barcombe, it seemed, had not changed much since its first appearance a week ago. Regis guessed that by the end of the month, more and more places would end up in a similar state as Canedge. He may be able to use this unrest to his advantage. He hummed to himself.


    Perhaps, Regis thought, they should pay Canedge a visit.


    <hr>


    Hazy moonlight shone above them. They¡¯d stopped to rest within the forest, close enough to the main road to glimpse it through the trees, but far enough away to be hidden at first glance. Hal was lying back on the grasses, his wings unbandaged and stretched out to expose the wound to fresh air. It appeared no better than it had in the cell, but Regis supposed that not much time had passed.


    The demon used the opportunity to change his own bandage. The cut on his arm seemed to be healing nicely. It was no longer bleeding, and a rough texture had formed above the wound that sealed the skin shut.


    He poked at it, and it still did not bleed. He may be able to go without the bandage now, but he elected to wrap it again out of caution. Perhaps he should study some medical texts on the human body. Considering that [Demonic Possession] still had ¡°on cooldown¡± listed beside it, he would likely be in this vessel for a long time yet.


    ¡°So, you need to sleep now or what?¡±


    Regis glanced up from his arm to look at Hal. ¡°I do,¡± he replied. ¡°Though I¡¯ll admit I¡¯m not the most fond of the experience.¡±


    ¡°Ha! I knew you¡¯d hate it.¡±


    ¡°I truly don¡¯t understand why you would choose to do so. I see no appeal in deliberate unconsciousness.¡±


    Hal barked a laugh. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s as close to dying as I can get. I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    Regis raised an eyebrow. ¡°I believe spending ten years regenerating would be closer, would it not?¡±


    The angel opened his mouth to respond, then closed it. ¡°Shit, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Regis chuckled and finished tying off the bandage, pleased to find that it looked significantly neater than it had the first time.


    Around them, the forest remained quiet. The sky was a darkened shadow looming above. Two nights ago, it had been filled with the rising smoke from Markus¡¯s burned home. Now there was nothing left but a pile of ash. Life, the demon thought, could be so fragile and transient. Their own existences were not so different¡ªthe world had accepted their deaths readily.


    ¡°I will take first watch,¡± Regis said. Hal raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°You sure? I don¡¯t actually need sleep. I could just stay up the whole time.¡±


    ¡°Rest will do well for your wounds. We still have some distance to go before we reach Canedge.¡±


    Hal shrugged, but didn¡¯t argue. He flopped back onto the grasses and closed his eyes. His breaths soon slowed to a steady rhythm.


    Regis remained awake, staring up at the scattered stars littering the night sky. In the peaceful silence, he found his mind drifting back to memories of the past. He allowed himself to indulge in them for just a moment before he let them sink back into the recesses of his mind.


    The demon breathed in the crisp night air. The past was gone. He would not waste his time reminiscing.


    His only focus now was the future.

 Chapter Eight - Shifting Paradigms

    Road, The Serpent Isles - 11th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH


    It was a clear day. The blue sky hung cloudless above them, allowing the sun to beam down on the forest path. Though it had grown quite chilly over the night, morning had brought with it a new wave of warmth.


    Regis reached into his bag to remove some of the berries he¡¯d gathered that first night. His stomach hadn¡¯t begun rumbling yet, but he was learning to recognize the early signs of hunger. Beside him, Hal stared. The demon raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just weird seeing you of all people eating.¡± Hal squinted down at the berries. ¡°What are those anyway?¡±


    ¡°Some sort of wild berry. I found them in the forest.¡± Regis picked up another one and handed it over for Hal to try. The angel promptly popped it in his mouth, but after a few seconds of chewing, his face twisted. He spit the berry out and shuddered with an exaggerated dramaticness that was not unlike that of a child¡¯s, Regis noted with amusement.


    ¡°Ark, that tastes like shit.¡±


    ¡°Really? I thought the flavor was rather interesting.¡± He supposed that might explain why the berries were so abundant.


    ¡°Yeah, ¡®cause you¡¯ve got nothing to compare it to.¡± Hal coughed a few times to clear his throat of the substance. ¡°Whenever we reach that village, you¡¯ve got to try actual food. Some of these humans really know how to cook.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Regis ate a few more until he felt satisfied, then closed his bag again. In this case, he doubted Canedge would have much in the way of taverns or restaurants, if the woman¡¯s assessment of its current state had been accurate.


    ¡°When¡¯re we gonna get there anyway?¡± Hal asked. Regis hummed.


    ¡°Quite soon, I believe.¡±


    Hal huffed and fluttered his wings, newly wrapped now that they were traveling again. ¡°Man, walking¡¯s slow as fuck.¡± He turned to the demon, eyes suddenly brightening. ¡°Hey, you know what we should do? The festival¡¯s in two days, right? We should celebrate or something.¡±


    Regis chuckled. ¡°Celebrate our deaths? That¡¯s a peculiar prospect. Perhaps we should wait and see what the situation in Canedge is first.¡±


    The angel shrugged, but didn¡¯t argue.


    The two continued down the road, soon exiting the forest to step onto the main path. Here, there was no canopy to obscure them from the bright sunlight. Regis¡¯s eyes roamed the surroundings, but he found no other signs of life nearby. In the past, the forests of the Serpent Isles had been home to a fairly large population of centaurs as well as some elf settlements, but they had yet to encounter any. Either the makeup of the area had changed in the last twenty years, or the two species had grown even more reclusive. He was rather curious to see if the System had reached those two populations yet.


    ¡°Hey, is that the town you were talking about?¡± Hal suddenly said. Regis turned in the direction the angel was gesturing.


    Up ahead, he could make out the faint outline of a town in the distance. It was, however, a far cry from his previous encounter with Canedge. The streets had been bustling then, the buildings tall and sturdy. From their current position, he could see collapsed roofs and piles of rubbles, and there were no villagers in sight. In five days, the town had become unrecognizable.


    Hal whistled. ¡°Damn, something definitely went down.¡± He glanced over at Regis, an eyebrow raised. ¡°Your ¡®experiment¡¯ do this? Pretty impressive.¡±


    The demon opened his mouth to respond, but before the words could escape, a rustle sounded from his right. His eyes flitted to the source of the noise just as a human burst through the bushes with an axe pointed in his direction.


    Regis leapt back to dodge the swing, unsheathing his sword at the same time. The man¡¯s movements, he noted, were slow and clumsy, and his axe did not appear designed for fighting. The human struggled to yank his axe out from where its blade had landed in the earth, and Regis used the opportunity to step forward and cut him down.


    [You have gained experience!]


    The demon turned to assess their surroundings, spotting Hal a few feet away dealing with a group of three. The angel seemed to be enjoying himself, taunting his attackers as they tried and failed to hit him.


    Footsteps pounded to his right. Regis spun around and raised his blade, blocking an incoming attack. The clashing metal blades rang clearly on the open road.


    In front of him, a large, burly man snarled at him as he tried to force the demon¡¯s blade back, but it held firm. His muscles visibly strained, but still the sword did not move. Growing frustration mounted on his face while Regis studied him calmly.


    ¡°Are you from Canedge?¡± he asked. The human gritted his teeth and jumped back, cursing. His chest was heaving, breaths heavy with exertion, Regis noted. This was a useful reference point to determine his current relative strength in relation to his stats.


    ¡°It¡¯s a straightforward question,¡± the demon repeated. ¡°I¡¯d simply like to know where your group is from.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± The man lunged and thrusted his sword at Regis. He side-stepped the blow and grabbed the human¡¯s wrist, twisting it until he screamed and dropped his weapon. It landed on the ground with a thump.


    Behind him, Regis could hear a few yells and squelches as Hal dealt with the rest of the group. A quick sweep of the bushes and trees revealed no one else, so he turned back to the man. He¡¯d fallen to the ground and was staring up at the demon with wide eyes as he attempted to back away. Regis advanced with slow, measured steps.


    ¡°Once again, who are you? It really is a rather simple question.¡± His voice was calm and steady, a stark contrast to the man¡¯s frantic response.


    ¡°We¡¯re villagers¡ªwe weren¡¯t gonna hurt you, I swear! We were just looking for some money¡¯s all!¡±


    Regis hummed as he absorbed the information. ¡°I see. Your group acted alone, then?¡±


    The man nodded rapidly. His back hit the line of bushes, and beads of sweat formed along his forehead. He seemed to be telling the truth, Regis assessed. Though this man was clearly quite strong, he hadn¡¯t moved as one trained in combat would, and his clothes were worn and tattered. Villagers turned into bandits from the present circumstances. Regis nodded.


    ¡°Alright, I believe you. Thank you for answering me.¡±


    A mixture of confusion and hope crossed the man¡¯s features, but before he had a chance to speak, Regis swung his sword in one smooth motion and beheaded him. The man¡¯s head went flying, landing down on the ground a little ways away. The demon brushed his blade against the grasses to clean the blood off, then sheathed it again.


    [You have gained experience!]


    ¡°¡®Weren¡¯t gonna hurt you,¡¯¡± Hal mimicked mockingly as he strode forward. He snorted, wiping a splatter of blood away from his face. ¡°Yeah right. That¡¯s why you ran at us with weapons.¡±


    Regis scanned the area, noting the dead bodies of the remaining three bandits that Hal had fought. The road was quiet again, only the sound of the wind reaching his ears. Up ahead, the town still looked the same as before.


    ¡°It seems the situation in Canedge is more dire than I thought, if its villagers are resorting to banditry.¡± He tossed a spare cloth at Hal, who caught it and began wiping down his axe and any blood that had gotten onto him. Perhaps Regis should suggest the angel fight a bit more ¡°cleanly,¡± for the sake of discretion, but that seemed neither worthwhile nor the most productive thing to mention.


    Once Hal had gotten rid of the bloodstains, they continued forward towards the town. Regis kept his eyes open for any more attacks, but the remainder of the journey was quiet.


    The two soon reached the town itself. Its present state had already been evident from far away, but the devastation was made all the more clear up close.


    Regis¡¯s gaze swept past the deserted streets littered with trash and debris and stray belongings. Broken chairs and tables. Tattered clothes fallen from their clotheslines. Shattered mirrors. Many store windows had been broken, their shelves looted and ravaged, and he could see cuts and other markings along the building walls. The further into Canedge they went, the worse the destruction was.


    Regis paused and crouched down, placing a hand along the cracked road. He rubbed at a dark stain, and when he raised his hand, the substance flaked away. It smelled distinctly of iron.


    ¡°It seems there was fighting here,¡± he said as he rose, patting the dried blood off his fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say.¡± Hal squinted at a nearby collapsed building. ¡°Don¡¯t see any bodies though.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Regis agreed, ¡°which means there should still be townspeople here. They¡¯re likely taking shelter in other parts of Canedge.¡± He glanced around, overlaying his own memory of the town atop the destruction. He turned in the direction of the square. ¡°For now, I¡¯d like to see if we can gather any more information.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯re you so interested in this place anyway?¡± Hal asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not Canedge in particular that I¡¯m interested in,¡± Regis explained as he led them deeper into the streets. ¡°Rather, I believe it may be an early example of what other towns will experience once the System has fully integrated. I suspect we¡¯ll witness quite a few areas collapse.¡± Such a fundamental change in the world would inevitably bring chaos. Canedge would be the first of many.


    Something clattered in the distance. Regis¡¯s steps slowed.


    Up ahead, one of the more intact stores stood with its door torn down. Through the broken windows, he could make out dim shadows and toppled shelves as well as a hint of movement between the destruction. He met eyes with Hal in silent communication, then stepped closer.


    The interior of the store was even more of a mess than it had seemed from a distance. A number of jars and boxes had been overturned or opened, and the floor was littered with rotted fruit and broken glass. Regis carefully treaded around the mess towards the back of the store, where a villager was crouched down by one of the few standing shelves and rummaging between the items.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    The man jumped and spun around, eyes wild. He looked fairly young, Regis thought. His arms visibly shook as he took in the demon and angel. He swallowed, and Regis noted a small knife at his side that a trembling hand reached towards. Clumsy, unsure. Not a threat.


    Before his fingers could reach the handle, the demon stepped forward and lightly tapped his arm. The man¡¯s entire body froze, and Regis put on a placating smile.


    ¡°I apologize for surprising you. We don¡¯t mean you any harm.¡± He gestured with his free hand to Hal, but he kept his other in place. ¡°My friend and I are travelers. What happened here? I passed by here less than a week ago.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes darted between them. ¡°You¡¯re not with Hendrick or Ryker?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not. I¡¯ve never heard of those names,¡± Regis reassured. The human still looked uneasy, but his hand no longer moved towards the knife. He eyed them carefully.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re really just passing through?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Hal said, pronouncing the ¡®p¡¯ with a pop. He had on a cheery grin. The angel wasn¡¯t able to appear as harmless as Regis could in his vessel on account of his height and build, but his laid back demeanor seemed to work well enough. The human released a breath, some of the tension finally leaving his shoulders.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, okay, I guess that makes sense. I mean, if you wanted to kill me you could¡¯ve already,¡± he muttered, though Regis suspected he was mostly talking to himself. He shook his head and faced the two again. ¡°Um, sorry about that. I¡¯m Peter. You said you two¡¯re travelers?¡±


    ¡°Cyrus and Declan,¡± Regis introduced. He felt Hal eye him at the name choice, but he continued smoothly. ¡°You¡¯re correct. We couldn¡¯t help but notice the destruction here. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what happened?¡±


    Peter shook his head. ¡°There was¡ªthere was this huge riot in the square. Someone got stabbed and it just kept getting worse.¡± He shuddered. ¡°Once the mayor got killed, it was chaos. Everyone¡¯s System started appearing at once, Hendrick tried to grab power, but Ryker went against him, and¡ª¡± his voice caught, and he released a shaky breath. ¡°It was a mess.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Regis listened closely, particularly intrigued by the description of the System¡¯s appearance. It had, thus far, appeared largely random, but this could be an indication that certain events could trigger a faster integration. Perhaps conflict sped up the System¡¯s spread? If that was the case, then his original prediction would need to be adjusted.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s terrible,¡± Regis said sympathetically. ¡°I can only imagine how confusing that must have been.¡±


    ¡°You two shouldn¡¯t have come here,¡± Peter said, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s not safe.¡±


    Regis glanced back at Hal, who looked like he was pushing down his amusement at the comment but otherwise controlling his reactions. He turned back to the human.


    ¡°Is there anywhere we can stay nearby?¡± He furrowed his brows as though in concern. ¡°We saw some bandits around the edge of town. I worry we won¡¯t be able to leave peacefully.¡±


    Peter bit his lip. ¡°I mean¡­¡± his voice trailed, eyes flitting around the messy store. ¡°I could take you to the hideout? A lot of us who don¡¯t like Hendrick or Ryker¡¯re there,¡± he explained. Regis had suspected that something of that nature existed. Peter did not seem strong enough to survive on his own out in the open, and he¡¯d clearly been scavenging for food to take elsewhere. A hideout was the most reasonable assumption.


    ¡°We would greatly appreciate that,¡± Regis said. The human seemed to believe the sentiment, as his shoulders finally fell.


    ¡°Okay, um, just give me a second and we can head out.¡± Peter turned to the shelves again to rummage through the remaining jars.


    The sounds of clinking glass and scraping wood soon filled the rundown store. As the human searched for anything salvageable, Regis felt Hal¡¯s eyes on him. The angel raised an eyebrow and nodded in the direction of Peter in a clear question. Regis shook his head and pressed a finger to his lips. He would explain later. For now, it would be ideal if the angel simply played along. Hal seemed to understand the message, because he shrugged and stood back in a more relaxed pose.


    ¡°Okay, that should be it!¡± Peter had pulled out a worn sack that now had a few lumps inside, though the contents appeared rather meager. ¡°We should go now, before someone finds us.¡±


    Regis nodded and gestured for the human to lead the way.


    <hr>


    The ¡®hideout¡¯ turned out to be Canedge¡¯s general store. It was a rather smart location, in Regis¡¯s opinion, given the large size of the building and its pre-existing supplies. The shelves appeared fully intact, a far cry from the building they¡¯d just come from, and a few additional blankets had been piled onto the tables.


    Two humans stood inside on either side of the door¡ªthe designated guards, Regis presumed¡ªwho ushered them inside. Peter led them down into the basement, which was deceptively large. It appeared to be a storage space with an additional hallway branching into several more rooms. Here in the main area, the crates and barrels had been pushed to the side to create more floor space. Blankets and sheets had been laid out as beds, and a number of villagers huddled around the room looked up as they entered.


    Regis immediately recognized the half-elf sitting near the back of the area from the bookstore. The boy seemed to recognize him as well, given the way his shoulders tensed when he saw the demon. Hazel eyes swept over him with distinct unease. Regis raised an eyebrow. Curious. He¡¯d thought that they¡¯d parted on relatively friendly terms. He would need to keep an eye on the boy.


    ¡°Lora!¡± Peter called. He hurried past the wary villagers, apparently oblivious to the tension hanging in the room. ¡°I found some of that medicine you wanted. There wasn¡¯t much of it though,¡± he added in a more somber tone.


    A tall woman with dark brown hair pulled into a braid turned from where she¡¯d been conversing with one of the villagers on the floor. Dark blue eyes moved between Regis and Hal, lingering particularly long on their sheathed weapons. By Regis¡¯s estimates, she was probably a bit older than Cyrus was.


    ¡°Thanks, Peter.¡± She didn¡¯t look away from the two strangers. ¡°Who¡¯re they?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re travelers,¡± the younger human explained. ¡°They didn¡¯t have a place to stay, so I said they could rest here for now.¡±


    The woman¡ªLora, Regis guessed¡ªfrowned. She was clearly a fair bit more cautious than Peter was, but smart enough not to voice her distrust openly.


    ¡°Yeah? Where¡¯re you two from?¡±


    ¡°Cannia,¡± Regis lied. Seeing as the half-elf boy was here, he used the same false background for consistency. ¡°I¡¯m a scholar specializing in the war. I originally came to the Serpent Isles for research.¡± He stretched out a hand. ¡°My name is Cyrus. This is Declan, a friend of mine.¡±


    Lora stared at his hand suspiciously, but after a moment¡¯s pause, she carefully shook it.


    ¡°Lora,¡± she introduced. ¡°I¡­I help watch over the people here.¡±


    Humble, Regis thought. Based on their body language and the way Peter had gone to her, the others in the room clearly viewed her as a leader. In his peripheral vision, he could already see a few of the villagers relax a little now that Lora was speaking to the two strangers in the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Regis said, ¡°though I wish it were under better circumstances.¡± He furrowed his brows. ¡°Peter explained a bit of what was happening, though I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not aware of the full details. It seems you¡¯re in a rather difficult position.¡±


    Lora pursed her lips. ¡°You could say that,¡± she muttered. She lowered her hand and shook her head. ¡°It all happened so fast. I can still hardly believe it.¡±


    ¡°The riot, right?¡± Hal said. He cocked his head. ¡°I hear there¡¯s some Hendrick guy running around trying to call the shots now.¡±


    A bit of bitterness entered the woman¡¯s voice. ¡°You¡¯d be right about that. He was the old guard captain.¡± She snorted. ¡°At least, that was his official title. I don¡¯t think he ever protected us from anything. He spent most of his time going after the poorer parts of town.¡± She shook her head. ¡°He stepped up after the mayor died, but no one liked him back then and no one likes him now. Most of us¡¯d rather die than let him be in charge.¡±


    Her words were met with a few murmured assents around the room. The death of an unpopular leader followed by a power vacuum with multiple parties vying for control. It was a situation that Regis had seen many times throughout the centuries. This seemed to be a much smaller scale example of it, though its violence had been amplified by the System¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°What about Ryker?¡± Regis asked, remembering the second name that Peter had mentioned.


    Lora froze. The demon raised an eyebrow internally. Before he had a chance to question her further, however, the sound of pounding footsteps echoed throughout the basement.


    ¡°Lora!¡± one of the guards from above the store yelled. He was panting, clearly having sprinted downstairs. ¡°Ryker¡¯s here!¡±


    The room erupted into chatter, several people inching further away. Lora cursed and promptly bolted up the stairs, the guard and a few other villagers following behind her. Regis exchanged looks with Hal. Around them, the remaining  villagers were tense. After some consideration, Regis made his way up the stairs himself with Hal behind him.


    By the time they reached the ground floor of the store, it appeared quite different from when they¡¯d entered. Several bottles and jars had been thrown to the ground, and one of the tables was entirely toppled.


    As the guard had said, there were new unfamiliar faces freely rummaging around the shelves that he assumed were Ryker¡¯s group. The demon eyed the fallen food with a frown. There was no rhyme nor reason to the destruction that he could see. It seemed rather illogical to him, similar to a tantrum.


    ¡°Ryker,¡± Lora hissed. She stood in the center of the room, one hand wrapped around the handle of the sword strapped to her belt. She hadn¡¯t, however, unsheathed the weapon yet. ¡°I told you to leave us alone!¡±


    The human she was talking to appeared around the same age as her, perhaps a few years younger. He had messy dark hair and a somewhat frail appearance that was contrasted by the spear he carried at his side.


    ¡°You¡¯re being stupid,¡± Ryker countered. They seemed familiar with each other judging from their body language, Regis noted. ¡°If we team up, we could take Hendrick down! Take the town back!¡±


    ¡°And who¡¯s in charge after that? You? You lost that right the second you killed Arnold.¡±


    ¡°He was in my way,¡± Ryker argued. He took a step closer, but Lora didn¡¯t move back, stubbornly maintaining her ground. ¡°Look, I¡¯m the highest level in Canedge other than Hendrick. No one¡¯s got a better chance than me.¡±


    Lora shook her head. ¡°And how¡¯d you get those levels? Don¡¯t lie. I saw you kill Arnold for ¡®experience.¡¯ You¡¯re worse than Hendrick!¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand. You¡¯re weak,¡± the man practically spit out. ¡°I¡¯m the only one strong enough to take him down.¡± He slammed the butt of his spear down into the floor. The entire room shook, the shelves rattling from the impact. Regis heard Hal release an impressed whistle directly behind him, but he kept his attention focused on the argument at hand. Both humans seemed rather passionate about the topic, he noted. It was intriguing to watch.


    Lora¡¯s fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword, and she leaned back slightly. Despite the unease evident in her body language, her voice remained steady. ¡°You¡¯re not strong, you¡¯re just a brat swinging around your new toy.¡±


    Ryker¡¯s nostrils flared. He took a threatening step forward, and both Lora and the few villagers who¡¯d followed her inched backwards. Regis scanned the room. In these close quarters, a fight would prove needlessly destructive.


    ¡°I am strong,¡± the man insisted, face reddening. ¡°Stronger than you. Stronger than anyone here!¡±


    His voice had risen to a shout, one that would undoubtedly be heard clearly in the basement below. A few of the people in Ryker¡¯s group had also removed their weapons. Now, Regis thought, would be a good time to step in.


    ¡°I do not believe that is true.¡± His voice was calm as he stepped forward. Ryker¡¯s eyes snapped over to him, briefly flitting between him and Hal.


    ¡°Yeah? And who¡¯re you supposed to be?¡± he said with a sneer.


    ¡°A traveler,¡± was Regis¡¯s answer. He was vaguely aware of Lora panickedly gesturing at him, but he ignored her. He nodded at Ryker. ¡°It would seem to me that if you were truly as powerful as you say, you would not need to proclaim it so loudly.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes flashed dangerously, and the demon continued.


    ¡°From my experience, the only people who feel the need to emphasize their superiority to such an extent are deeply insecure.¡± He cocked his head, frowning. ¡°This amount of anger seems quite unhealthy. I recommend¡ª¡±


    He didn¡¯t get a chance to finish his sentence, because in the next moment Ryker let out a roar and lunged for the demon just as Regis had predicted. He didn¡¯t move or reach for his sword. He didn¡¯t need to.


    A pale hand grabbed onto Ryker¡¯s wrist, stopping him in his tracks. In front of Regis, Hal loomed over the human with a sharp grin, his wings flared even though they were invisible to everyone else in the room. His fingers squeezed tighter, holding on with a vice grip that didn¡¯t loosen no matter how much the human thrashed.


    ¡°Careful there,¡± the angel said. Slowly, he twisted his wrist, and Ryker screamed. His spear fell out of his hand and landed on the floor with a clatter. ¡°You should watch where you swing that thing.¡± A loud snap rang throughout the store, but it was quickly drowned out by another scream.


    Regis placed a hand on one of Hal¡¯s wings in silent signal, and the angel promptly dropped Ryker from his grip. The man doubled over himself, his other hand wrapped around his wrist in agony. The demon noted that Lora looked hesitant, almost concerned for a moment.


    Ryker scrambled back up to his feet, expression furious even as his arm shook. ¡°You¡¯re not getting away with this,¡± he fumed. As he spoke, he inched towards the door, and the others in his group seemed much less confident now that their leader was injured. None of them had struck Regis as fighters. The thrill of the System and their high levels could only take them so far before old instincts sent them running at the first sign of true danger.


    As predicted, without another word, the group exited the store, leaving the trashed room behind them. Hal snorted and bent down to pick up the fallen spear, twirling it around in his hands and inspecting it. None of the villagers seemed able to speak, still busy processing what had happened. Regis turned to Lora.


    ¡°Is everyone alright?¡±


    She blinked, pulled out of her stupor. ¡°Uh, yeah. I think so.¡± She swallowed. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Scholars,¡± Regis repeated his earlier lie. ¡°Though we¡¯ve picked up quite a few tricks in our travels.¡± His gaze moved over to the door. He could no longer see Ryker, his group long having disappeared down the streets. ¡°That was Ryker, I assume.¡±


    Lora nodded. She still looked a bit shaken, but was recovering rather quickly. That was a promising sign. ¡°He¡¯s the other one trying to take over,¡± she explained.


    ¡°And you don¡¯t trust him.¡± It was a statement, not a question. The woman shook her head.


    ¡°No, he¡­ he hasn¡¯t been the same since he got the System. All he cares about is leveling up, no matter the cost.¡± A trace of bitterness entered her voice. ¡°He was right though, he¡¯s probably got the best chance at taking down Hendrick. But who knows what¡¯ll happen to Canedge once he¡¯s in charge.¡±


    ¡°Why not do so yourself?¡±


    Lora looked up, brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If both Hendrick and Ryker are poor candidates,¡± Regis said, ¡°then it seems to me that your best option would be to defeat them and regain control of the town yourself. The other townspeople here seem to respect you.¡±


    The woman laughed in disbelief. ¡°Me? I can¡¯t do something like that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Regis gestured to the destroyed store around them. ¡°I doubt this conflict will end peacefully, and you seem to genuinely hold Canedge¡¯s best interests in mind. You would not necessarily need to lead afterwards, should you truly not wish to, but removing both Hendrick and Ryker would take care of the majority of the town¡¯s current problems.¡±


    Lora still looked doubtful, but he could practically see her mind churn as she thought the idea over. It was true; the current chaos in Canedge had two clear sources, and removing them was the simplest solution. The human seemed to be realizing it too even as some of her unease remained.


    ¡°But¡­taking down both of them?¡± Her voice was hesitant. ¡°That¡¯s insane.¡±


    ¡°It is not,¡± Regis said simply. ¡°And if you¡¯re amenable to the idea, I¡¯d like to help you.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°So?¡±


    Regis glanced over to where Hal sat on the opposite side of the door. After some more conversation, Lora had said that she¡¯d ask the other villagers before making any further decisions, though Regis suspected they would be in agreement.


    Until then, the demon had offered to guard the ground floor while the villagers spoke. Lora had seemed much more accepting of the idea after Hal¡¯s brief show earlier, and so the two now sat alone in the trashed space. If he listened closely, he could make out the faint murmurs of conversion below them.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll need to be a bit more specific than that,¡± Regis said. Hal snorted and gestured around them.


    ¡°I mean, why¡¯re you so interested in this place? I know you get your weird little interests or whatever, but this is pretty out there even for you.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± He cocked his head. ¡°Consider this something of an investment.¡±


    The angel raised an eyebrow. ¡°An investment.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t remain on the Serpent Isles for long,¡± Regis explained. ¡°And once we¡¯ve reached the mainland, our attentions will be primarily focused on gaining influence there.¡± He nodded outside the window, where the littered streets remained deserted. ¡°The people of Canedge have gained their Systems at an accelerated rate. Once more time has passed, it¡¯s possible that this town could grow rather influential.¡±


    Hal¡¯s eyes flashed with understanding. ¡°And it¡¯ll be easier to get them on your side if you helped put the leaders in power.¡±


    He leaned back, stretching his legs out on the floor. ¡°Still doesn¡¯t really seem worth it to me. For all you know, this place¡¯ll get wiped off the map in another fight.¡±


    Regis laughed and shook his head. ¡°Always so pessimistic.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t help it.¡± Hal shot him a grin. ¡°And what was that back there by the way? Declan?¡±


    ¡°I thought it suited you.¡± Regis glanced over at the area the confrontation had occurred. After Ryker¡¯s group had left, Hal had handed the man¡¯s dropped spear over to Lora, who¡¯d brought it down to the basement. ¡°I see you¡¯re serious about the axe.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯m starting to get attached. Super satisfying to use.¡± He paused. Below them, a few more muffled murmurs could be heard through the floorboards. If Regis focused, he could make out a few distinct voices as the villagers argued back and forth.


    Hal sighed. ¡°They¡¯ve been at it for ages now. Now what?¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± Regis said, ¡°we wait.¡±

 Chapter Nine - What Lies Buried

    Canedge, The Serpent Isles - 11th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH


    After about an hour had passed, the wooden stairs creaked. ¡°Finally,¡± Hal muttered. He¡¯d taken to lying on the floor and now kicked himself back up to a sitting position.


    Regis turned towards the staircase and nodded as Lora appeared. The woman¡¯s jaw was clenched, her shoulders drawn in a tense line, but there was a hard set to her eyes that appeared promising. Uneasy, but determined.


    ¡°They agreed,¡± she said without preamble, the words rushing out all at once. She exhaled. ¡°We¡¯re taking Canedge back.¡±


    Regis smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Do you have a timeline in mind?¡±


    ¡°The sooner the better.¡± Lora gestured downstairs. If Regis listened closely, he could make out the muffled scraping of wood along the floor, clinking dishes, and murmuring voices. ¡°We¡¯re eating dinner now. I was thinking we could discuss plans afterwards.¡± She paused, eyes flitting over to the store¡¯s front door. ¡°I¡¯ll ask someone else to take over guarding. You two should be around for this.¡±


    Regis nodded and rose to his feet, smoothing out his pants. Hal looked happy to be up again and stretched his wings, though they were, of course, invisible to Lora. It was still rather curious to see the effects of the angel¡¯s trait in action. It was similar to an illusion spell, but not quite the same.


    The three made their way down the stairs, soon entering the main basement space. There, Regis saw that a few tables had been pushed to the center while storage boxes and crates were used as makeshift chairs and benches. Most of the villagers had already begun eating, and there was a visible energy present that hadn¡¯t been there before. Gone was the defeated, sullen air, now replaced with a rippling torrent of emotions.


    Several gazes immediately landed on the trio as they stepped down the stairs, and some of the chatters sped up. Regis pretended not to hear them, simply giving the townspeople a polite smile as Lora led him and Hal to an empty space at the end of the large table. There, two meals had already been set out, each consisting of a loaf of bread, some beans, and a small steaming bowl of what appeared to be soup.


    ¡°Please, help yourselves,¡± Lora said, taking a seat across from them herself. ¡°It¡¯s not much, but Harold made the soup fresh. No one makes a better bowl in Canedge.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Regis said. He picked up the spoon and tasted some of the liquid. It was still hot, and it had a rich, layered flavor that matched the strong aromas rising from the bowl. Beside him, Hal sighed happily.


    ¡°Now this is real food.¡±


    ¡°It is quite good,¡± the demon agreed.


    ¡°Better than the berries?¡± Hal looked smug. Regis raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like a fair comparison.¡±


    The angel rolled his eyes and hit his back good-naturedly, continuing to devour his meal, much to Regis¡¯s amusement. Currently he was the only one of the two who needed to eat, but no one would guess such a thing from their behavior. Regis turned back to Lora.


    ¡°Do you know where Hendrick and Ryker are located?¡±


    ¡°Not Ryker,¡± Lora admitted. An emotion flitted through her eyes that the demon couldn¡¯t discern, but it quickly vanished as she continued. ¡°Hendrick took over the town hall. It¡¯s right next to the guard barracks, too.¡±


    ¡°So they will have many resources,¡± Regis concluded. She nodded grimly. Lora pushed her plate to the side and pulled out a large map of Canedge. Regis recognized the bookstore he¡¯d entered last time as well as the town square and the general store they currently sat in. The woman pointed to a spot further north.


    ¡°That¡¯s where Hendrick¡¯s group is,¡± she explained. The building was located rather centrally, Regis noted, which was logical given its function. Several different roads intersected at the area, and if the map was any indication, the surrounding blocks were rather dense with narrow buildings, though it remained to be seen how many of those buildings had survived the violence of the past week.


    Regis¡¯s eyes scanned the routes, considering the surrounding areas. He was vaguely aware of the murmurs in the room quieting, several eyes now fixed on their side of the table, but he ignored the watchful gazes.


    The demon reached over and tapped the square representing the town hall. ¡°How many entrances are there?¡±


    Lora¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°I think there¡¯s only the main one and a back door.¡±


    ¡°What of the windows?¡±


    She blinked. ¡°Uh, there¡¯s a lot of those, but they¡¯re not very big.¡± She frowned. ¡°Are you saying we should rush in? Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡±


    ¡°No, I agree with that assessment. The building will likely be well fortified.¡± He cocked his head, gaze still trained on the map. ¡°However, if we block the back doors and force Hendrick¡¯s group out of the building, they will all exit through the same area.¡± He shifted his finger over to the main doors for emphasis.


    Realization dawned on the human¡¯s face. ¡°And if they all go out that way, we can wait for them and ambush them.¡± A few murmurs rose at that, some excited, some a bit more unsure. Lora¡¯s brows furrowed as she considered the idea.


    ¡°That¡­might actually work,¡± she finally said. She sounded surprised as she said it. ¡°But how¡¯re we going to get them all outside?¡±


    Regis smiled. ¡°For that,¡± he began, ¡°there are quite a few options.¡±


    <hr>


    The table was cleared of any remaining plates, its surface now covered with more maps and scrap pieces of paper that they¡¯d begun utilizing for notes. After the basic bones of their plan had been laid out, the villagers had grown increasingly eager and active in their participation. It seemed Lora¡¯s earlier assessment had been correct; the resentment towards Hendrick ran deep, and many were happy to give their own suggestions and ideas. It was widely agreed upon that they would take care of the man first, as he was the most pressing threat. Once they¡¯d secured the town hall, they could deal with Ryker at their own pace.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a bow,¡± one man was saying. ¡°It¡¯s for hunting, but it¡¯s in great condition.¡±


    ¡°That would be perfect,¡± Regis said. They¡¯d reached a point in the planning where they were now determining who would participate in the ambush itself, and there were quite a few eager volunteers. Several villagers now surrounded him, offering to join the fight or to donate supplies or provide support.


    As the conversations went on, Hal sat behind the demon, and Regis could practically feel the amusement radiating off the angel. He¡¯d opted to remain quiet during the planning stages, instead watching the increasingly energetic villagers. Regis suspected he was simply happy at the prospect of a slightly larger scale fight, and the way he was currently inspecting his axe certainly seemed to validate that theory.


    Aside from Hal and Lora, who was similarly swarmed, Regis kept an eye on the half-elf boy from the bookstore. He¡¯d seen him at a different table during dinner, the boy choosing to eat in a relatively isolated area of the basement. Even now, he primarily hung around the edges of the crowd, but his gaze was often intent when he stared at the plans and maps laid out. When he wasn¡¯t looking at the papers, however, his eyes were on Regis, every bit as uneasy as they¡¯d been when he¡¯d first stepped into the basement. Now, the demon thought, would be a good time to address that. He could not allow that suspicion to snowball.


    ¡°Please excuse me for a moment,¡± Regis said. The villager he was talking to looked a bit put out, but nodded, and he managed to slip through the crowd of people to where the boy was. His shoulders stiffened as the demon approached, but he otherwise pretended not to notice. Regis stopped in front of him.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he greeted. ¡°It is good to see you again. I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re well.¡±


    The boy nodded stiffly. He hadn¡¯t imagined the suspicion, then. Regis¡¯s eyes narrowed internally. He could feel Hal¡¯s pale gaze on the other side of the room, the angel watching the interaction from afar, body language casual but ready to jump in upon signal.


    Had the boy guessed his true identity? No, Regis reasoned. If that were the case, he would¡¯ve warned the other villagers. Perhaps he¡¯d seen the demon during the start of the riot through the windows. That would be enough to arouse suspicion and mistrust, but the boy would have no way of affirming that Regis had been involved. Such a thing could easily lead to his current behavior.


    Regis carefully took a seat beside the half-elf. ¡°Forgive me, I believe I never asked for your name. I¡¯m Cyrus,¡± he introduced. He paused, giving time for the boy to respond.


    ¡°¡­Callan,¡± he finally said. Regis nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re alright, Callan. I was worried when I saw the state of the town.¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes briefly flitted over to him, then away again. Regis continued as if he were oblivious to Callan¡¯s suspicion.


    ¡°Did those runes work? I never did see the completed string.¡±


    Magic, it seemed, was a strong enough interest that it managed to break through some of the shell. A spark shone in the boy¡¯s eyes as he nodded.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, it worked.¡± A bit of pride entered his voice. ¡°I made another string after that, too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible,¡± Regis praised. Callan ducked his head and grunted in affirmation.


    Throughout the rest of the basement, the other villagers continued to converse. Lora, it seemed, was now directly calling for volunteers with combat based abilities granted by the System and creating a list of them. Regis noted how Callan¡¯s eyes lingered on the list.


    ¡°If you wish to join, you may,¡± the demon said. ¡°Your magic would provide critical support.¡±


    Callan finally turned to face him fully. He looked unsure. ¡°I don¡¯t think Lora¡¯ll let me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Because of your age? You would not need to be near the fighting. I certainly wouldn¡¯t wish you to join the frontlines.¡± Regis rose from his seat and nodded at the half-elf. ¡°If you¡¯d like, I will vouch for you.¡±


    A bit of hope entered Callan¡¯s gaze, though he did an impressive job of keeping it at bay. His reluctance, it seemed, was born from something a bit more complicated than Regis had initially assumed. Nonetheless, the demon turned and made his way towards Lora, and sure enough, he soon heard Callan following behind him.


    ¡°Lora, may I speak to you for a moment?¡±


    The woman looked up from the page she was writing on. ¡°Oh, of course!¡± Dark blue eyes lingered a bit longer on Callan before returning to the demon. The half-elf himself, Regis noted, looked like he was attempting to shrink in on himself as much as possible.


    ¡°I believe I have found a less destructive initial distraction.¡± Their original plan had been to set the town hall ablaze, but that would result in significant damage to the building itself. Lora herself had seemed rather reluctant of the idea, but agreed that it was the most certain of the available options.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Regis gestured to Callan. ¡°Callan here is quite talented with magic. He would be able to craft a spell to suit our purposes.¡±


    Lora¡¯s lips thinned. ¡°¡­I wouldn¡¯t really call him reliable,¡± she finally said. One of the villagers to the side snorted. The half-elf shrank even more.


    Regis raised an eyebrow. Interesting. He¡¯d expected pushback, but not of this nature. ¡°I¡¯ve seen his runes. A simple spell of this nature should pose no difficulty for him.¡±


    A few more disgruntled murmurs sounded around the room, though the townspeople seemed to have the courtesy not to voice their opinions out loud. The silent judgement, however, was clearly felt by the half-elf.


    Lora¡¯s brows furrowed, hesitant. She¡¯d seemed fairly logical to Regis thus far, and now he could see her better judgement struggling to win out over her misgivings.


    ¡°If the runes do not work,¡± Regis continued, ¡°we can revert to our original plan.¡±


    The demon could hear Callan hold his breath behind him. Lora bit her lip, eyes darting around the room, then to the half-elf. Finally, she slowly nodded.


    Callan¡¯s jaw dropped. Regis smiled. ¡°Excellent. Now that the matter is settled, I believe a final meeting would be pertinent.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°That kid¡¯s weird.¡±


    Regis hummed, not looking up from where he sat cleaning his sword. After plans were finalized, the group had dispersed to rest for the night. Lora had insisted on giving him and Hal one of the individual rooms in the basement, which appeared to have once been a storage space that had been hastily dressed with blankets and pillows. Regis did enjoy the privacy; it allowed him and Hal to speak freely.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± He turned the sword over to examine the other side. ¡°As long as he does not suspect our true identity, however, then there should be no issue.¡± The wariness had almost entirely disappeared after Callan had been added to the group for tomorrow. Suspicion, the demon had found, was often easily swayed by opinion. By improving the boy¡¯s attitude towards him, he¡¯d significantly reduced any lingering misgivings he might¡¯ve had. People did not want to think ill of those they liked.


    Hal hummed noncommittally. In the small room, he wasn¡¯t able to stretch out his wings and had instead opted to leave them bandaged for the night. In the past, leaving them with or without bandages would have no influence on the speed of his healing, but that was less certain now.


    ¡°So? How much¡¯re we holding back tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Enough to not arouse suspicion,¡± was the simple answer. Regis resheathed his sword and set it aside. ¡°Our role is to aid them in victory, but we must not seem so powerful that we are no longer approachable.¡± That had been a crucial mistake he¡¯d made in the past. The same distance that created awe could just as easily breed resentment.


    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Hal looked like he wanted to say more, but before he could, a knock sounded on the door. Light and hesitant.


    Regis exchanged looks with Hal, then rose to turn the doorknob. On the other side stood Callan, a rolled up paper in his hands. Judging from his expression, he hadn¡¯t heard any of their conversation.


    ¡°Callan,¡± Regis greeted. ¡°It¡¯s late. You should be asleep.¡±


    The half-elf fidgeted. ¡°I was working on the spell,¡± he explained. ¡°Uh, I was wondering if you¡¯d look at it. To make sure it works.¡± He held up the paper, which Regis carefully took and unrolled. His eyes immediately took in the string of runes, but he pretended to take a little longer to scan them. There were a few extraneous sections that duplicated the effects of previous runes¡ªa sign of the boy¡¯s inexperience with magic¡ªbut the spell itself would do exactly as needed.


    ¡°This is wonderful work, Callan,¡± the demon praised. ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡±


    The half-elf puffed his chest out a little in pride, though some nervousness lingered. Regis frowned as he folded the paper up again and handed it back. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just, I mean, why didn¡¯t you just make the spell yourself? You didn¡¯t really need my help.¡±


    ¡°Knowledge of runes does not necessarily equate to the ability to execute them,¡± Regis said calmly, ¡°and you seemed like you wished to help. I saw no reason to exclude you.¡±


    There was an unspoken question there that Callan caught, judging from the way his gaze shifted downwards towards the floor. Regis was genuinely curious to know the reason for the other villagers¡¯ distrust. Human societies, he¡¯d found, often had their own little rules and intricacies that he would need to learn to blend in convincingly. Lora had struck him as fairly logical, and surely knowledge of the boy¡¯s magic abilities was known. Something significant would be necessary to cause the reaction it had.


    A few more beats of silence passed. Finally, Callan¡¯s shoulders slumped.


    ¡°¡­You know how I said I couldn¡¯t use the Wild?¡±


    Behind Regis, Hal raised an eyebrow, but the boy didn¡¯t notice and continued.


    ¡°I, um, I thought maybe I could do something to get access. I mean, my mom was an elf mage, right? I should be able to use it.¡± His voice got quieter towards the end until it was nearly inaudible. Regis read between the lines.


    ¡°You contacted a fae.¡±


    From the way Callan winced, the demon¡¯s assumption had been correct. One of the most common ways to gain access to the Wild for non-innate users was via fae contracts. They were, however, quite dangerous, and most human mages warned against the process. A fae contract was never straightforward, and many had made deals without fully understanding the consequences, pridefully believing that they could outsmart a fae.


    Regis softened his voice. ¡°I assume things did not go to plan.¡±


    Callan shuddered. ¡°It¡ªI mean¡ªI just¡ª¡± He stopped and swallowed, visibly attempting to steady himself. His voice was small when he spoke again. ¡°I just thought, it can¡¯t be that bad if they can¡¯t lie.¡±


    ¡°The most masterful manipulators do not need lies.¡± Regis could tell that Hal was also thinking of Rysar¡ªthere was a reason the angel had described the fae as ¡°not really an ally.¡± They¡¯d had a mutual agreement during the war, and history had recorded her as one of his generals, but both had been aware that their alliance would only last as long as it was beneficial for their personal interests.


    The situation was quickly becoming clear to him. Though Callan did not elaborate on exactly what had happened, there was enough to piece it together. The contract had clearly failed, given his inability to use the Wild, and despite his mentioning of a mother, Regis had not seen anyone resembling a parent around the boy. It seemed that the half-elf, driven by his own desire to prove himself and failing to comprehend the dangers, had contacted a fae, and his family and the rest of Canedge had borne the brunt of the consequences.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± Callan said again, his voice cracking a little. Regis stepped forward and lightly placed a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said softly. ¡°You are young. Mistakes are a natural part of growing; I¡¯ve certainly made many myself. What¡¯s important is what you do in the future.¡±


    The half-elf rubbed his eyes. ¡°...Thanks,¡± he mumbled. Slowly, he raised his head again. His eyes appeared a bit watery, but he¡¯d done an impressive job of controlling his emotions. ¡°You¡¯re really nice,¡± he said in wonder, half to himself. ¡°I thought¡ª¡±


    Regis raised an eyebrow, but Callan seemed to realize what he was saying and immediately cut himself off. He stepped back and wiped his eyes a final time, clutching the paper of runes close.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he repeated, voice stronger now. Regis smiled.


    ¡°It was no trouble, Callan. Now, you should rest. Tomorrow will be a difficult day.¡±


    The half-elf nodded, and with a final wave, he turned and disappeared down the hallway. Regis waited until the sound of his footsteps had entirely faded, then shut and locked the door again. Hal was still lounging on the bed, having watched the interaction with interest.


    ¡°Feels like Markus all over again,¡± he remarked. Regis hummed.


    ¡°They do feel similar, yes.¡±


    ¡°Well he¡¯s got more guts, I¡¯ll give him that.¡± Hal snorted. ¡°Contracting a fae? Nah, Markus never even would¡¯ve thought of it.¡± He shook his head and turned to Regis again. ¡°Anyway, we doing watches again?¡±


    Regis nodded. He did not think anything would happen, but there was nothing wrong with caution. ¡°I will take first watch again,¡± he said.


    Hal saluted lazily and flopped back down. Regis used his remaining time awake to double check that their supplies were in order.


    Tomorrow, he thought, would be interesting.


    <hr>


    The first thing Regis saw when he opened his eyes the next morning was Hal grinning down at him.


    ¡°Happy dead day!¡±


    The demon sat up and chuckled. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re calling it now?¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s what it is. Not everyone gets to celebrate dying, you know.¡±


    Regis briefly scanned the room, ascertaining that all items were where they¡¯d left them, before he rose to prepare for the day. ¡°I believe ¡®death day¡¯ would be more appropriate then, would it not?¡±


    ¡°Nope, doesn¡¯t roll off the tongue. Sorry, that¡¯s the rule.¡±


    Regis smiled. ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t argue with that.¡±


    Outside, he could hear footsteps and muffled chatter, the people of Canedge already awake and brimming with energy. Once they were done eating and all final preparations and checks were made, they would make their way over to the town hall and attack.


    Certainly, it was an unusual way to pass the twenty year anniversary of their own defeat. The villagers themselves had likely forgotten that it was their annual festival as well, too preoccupied with current affairs. The thought was oddly amusing to him.


    Happy dead day indeed, Regis thought.


    <hr>


    ¡°Is everyone ready?¡±


    Around Regis, the group of gathered villagers nodded, their faces a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. Callan stood to the side, gripping his paper of runes tightly, but he looked determined. They¡¯d managed to collect a decent array of weapons as well as a sizable group of volunteers. He¡¯d brought his own sword and Hal his axe, though as discussed, they would be avoiding standing out too much. From the list Lora had gathered, the highest level people in the group were level six or seven. It was a useful benchmark to know how quickly others were leveling within the System.


    Regis turned to Lora. The woman masked her unease well, putting on a strong front for the people of Canedge. He nodded at her and stepped aside, silently passing the floor over. She exhaled, taking a moment to steady herself, before turning to face the group.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much to say,¡± she began, ¡°and I never thought things would come to this. But I want to thank all of you for your courage. Hendrick has been a plague on our village for years, and once again he¡¯s trying to become a tyrant. This won¡¯t be an easy battle, but I feel comforted knowing I¡¯ll have you all by my side. I wouldn¡¯t want to be with any other group.¡± Her eyes gleamed. ¡°It¡¯s time to take back our village.¡±


    The other townspeople cheered and clapped, their voices filling the general store. ¡°Not too bad for a first try,¡± Hal muttered beside Regis, quiet enough that the others couldn¡¯t hear. The demon smiled.


    ¡°Certainly a better speech than you could manage.¡±


    The angel laughed. ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s not hard.¡± Around them, the villagers began to disperse, separating into their designated groups. ¡°Whoops, guess that¡¯s my cue. See ya.¡± He gave a lazy salute, then turned and followed after the group currently leaving. Regis waved amusedly.


    The plan was fairly simple. They¡¯d divided into three smaller teams. Hal¡¯s group would head to the town hall first, where they would deal with any guards outside the backdoor, then seal off that entrance. Once they were done, they would circle back to the front of the building.


    The second group was smaller, and it would leave shortly after the first. Once they received the signal that the backdoors were sealed, Callan would perform his spell. This team was composed primarily of long-range attackers who would remain relatively hidden from the thick of the battle, and Callan himself had been instructed to retreat once he was done with the spell. The half-elf hadn¡¯t seemed particularly happy with the idea, but had eventually agreed.


    That left the third group, the largest and the one Regis and Lora were part of. They formed the main ambush.


    Lora led them through winding alleyways and narrow roads, many of which were covered with debris. They moved through the ruined streets quietly, but quickly. As they approached the town hall, however, Regis noted that several more of the buildings remained standing. It seemed this was one of the few areas of Canedge that had been spared from the carnage.


    The group¡¯s steps finally slowed as the town hall came into view. It was a fairly large building, three stories high and constructed of sturdy solid stone. As Lora had mentioned, a line of small windows encircled the walls, providing a view of the buildings neighboring it.


    From their current position, Regis could see a hint of the second team waiting in one of the side alleyways by a window. Judging from the amount of time that had passed, Hal¡¯s group should be nearly finished. Lora tapped her finger restlessly against the hilt of her sword.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s been a while,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Not exceptionally so. They should be done soon.¡±


    Dark blue eyes studied him. Lora shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re so calm,¡± she said, half to herself. Regis hummed.


    ¡°I have some experience with these sorts of situations.¡±


    Lora furrowed her brow, but before she could respond, a faint whistle resembling a bird chirp sounded from above. Her shoulders tensed.


    ¡°They¡¯re ready.¡±


    In the alleyway Regis had spotted the second group earlier, a cloaked figure he knew to be Callan scrambled forward. He was short enough to be able to duck below view of the window, and he quickly unfurled the paper of runes and slid it onto the windowsill. The demon could see his mouth moving as he rapidly muttered the chant. He then shoved the paper all the way through the crack and fled back into the alleyway, disappearing into the shadows.


    No one in the group breathed. ¡°Did it work?¡± someone muttered.


    As if on cue, a beam of light flashed inside the building. The windows rapidly filled with smoke. This spell, unlike a true fire, would not damage the building itself, but it smelled the same as real smoke and was difficult enough to breathe that it would drive those within to seek shelter outside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Regis said. He unsheathed his sword and ran out of the alleyway towards the front doors. The other villagers quickly followed suit until they¡¯d formed a semicircle around the area, cutting off all possible points of escape.


    The group waited, muscles tense, eyes fixed on the heavy wooden doors as they searched for a sign of movement. Inside, Regis could hear the muffled sound of yells and pounding footsteps.


    Finally, the doors slammed open.


    They charged.

 Chapter Ten - Genesis

    Canedge, The Serpent Isles - 12th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH


    Regis lunged, thrusting his sword into the nearest guard. The man only had enough time to widen his eyes before the metal pierced through his chest. Not stopping, he yanked his blade out and brought it in an arcing slash towards another enemy nearby.


    Around him, the sounds of ringing metal and yells mixed into a deafening roar as the villagers pounced on the group. Most of them, Regis noted, were in guard uniforms and hastily drawing their weapons as the reality of their situation dawned on them. Some carried no weapons at all, having rushed outside too quickly to grab any. They were the first ones to fall.


    [You have gained experience!]


    ¡°Get in formation!¡± a voice boomed. Regis tugged his blade out of his most recent target and glanced over at the source of the yell. Near the back of the crowd, a tall middle-aged man stood gripping a long spear. His uniform had a few additional embellishments on it, the demon noted. That must be Hendrick.


    A few feet away, a villager screamed and fell backwards as one of the guards managed to land a blow on him. Lora released a furious yell and immediately cut the guard down in retaliation.


    Regis brought his sword up to block an incoming blow. By now the initial shock was wearing off, and the guards were beginning to fight back in earnest. He aimed a kick at the man¡¯s stomach, sending him stumbling backwards, guard wide open. A quick, precise swing was all it took to slice his throat.


    The demon turned to assess the rest of the battle. Hendrick¡¯s group had pulled back closer to the town hall, using the walls of the building to protect their backs while they focused on fending off the ambush in a line formation. A few arrows flew out of the neighboring alleyways from the second group, but the current angle made it difficult to hit any of their targets. Despite their group¡¯s initial advantage, the difference in combat experience was beginning to show.


    Regis danced around another swing and activated [Thaumaturgy], focusing his attention on one of the guards near the center of the formation. A small flame burst to life on the collar of his uniform. A second use of the ability was enough for the flame to reach the skin of his neck. The man yelped and hurried to put it out. In the process, he knocked into one of the guards beside him, breaking the formation.


    Regis swept his blade in a wide arc, forcing more guards to dodge and break position. The other villagers seemed to realize what he was doing as they quickly followed suit, furiously attacking until they¡¯d managed to separate the guards from each other.


    Pounding footsteps sounded from behind. Regis caught a flash of silver hair before a dull thud rang throughout the street and one of the guards released a piercing scream. Hal¡¯s group had arrived.


    Regis cut down another guard nearby, then spun around in time to block a second. That one he took down with two swings, knocking the human unconscious. Lora, he could tell, was trying not to kill anyone, and several other villagers appeared similarly hesitant. He would leave a few people alive but unconscious for Lora¡¯s group to handle later; killing everyone he encountered might draw a bit too much attention.


    [You have gained experience!]


    Regis slipped through the crowd of shifting bodies and swinging blades, searching for Hendrick. By now the villagers had regained control of the battle. The tides were in their favor; they would win soon, provided they defeated Hendrick.


    He quickly spotted the man across the road, fending off three villagers at once with wide sweeps of his spear. His eyes were hard, his movements steady and sure. He didn¡¯t seem at all discouraged by his comrades¡¯ losses, holding strong against the ambush. Another villager lay bloodied on the ground nearby, and the current group didn¡¯t seem to be faring much better. Regis blocked a nearby guard¡¯s blow and cut her down as he made his way towards Hendrick.


    [You have gained experience!]


    [You have leveled up! 15 ¡ª> 16]


    [The [Demonic Possession] ability has leveled up! 1 ¡ª> 2]


    [[Demonic Possession] is now off cooldown]


    [You have gained the [Rot] ability]


    [Strength +3, Agility +4, Constitution +2, Mana +4, Will +5]


    A flurry of notifications flew past Regis¡¯s vision, but he kept his attention on the battle at hand, dodging another strike. Based on the name, he already had an idea of what the [Rot] ability was.


    Across the street, Lora released a furious yell. Regis glanced over, following the woman¡¯s gaze to the other end of the road. There, a new group of villagers had arrived, shining weapons in hand. In front of them stood Ryker. He¡¯d found a new spear, and his hand had been bandaged and likely healed with some sort of System ability. He pointed his weapon at the battling groups.


    ¡°Charge!¡±


    With loud yells and whoops, the new arrivals raced forward to join the fray. A number of villagers and guards alike cursed, taken off guard by the appearance of the new group. One of Ryker¡¯s people ran at Regis, axe raised. He grabbed one of the guards nearby and shoved him at the man, knocking both of them off balance.


    An arrow whizzed past him, embedding itself into one of Hendrick¡¯s men. He saw Lora cut down her current opponent and run towards Ryker, weapon raised in fury. Though their group had taken them by surprise, this was not necessarily a bad thing, the demon thought. The villagers had managed to recollect themselves, and now they would be able to wipe out both issues at once. If he¡¯d been smarter, Ryker would¡¯ve waited for one of them to win, then attacked them while they were weary. Regis turned away. The circumstances had shifted, but his own target remained the same.


    The demon finally reached the area Hendrick was in. The three villagers he¡¯d seen earlier now lay sprawled on the road, blood seeping into the ground around them. Hendrick yanked his spear out of the nearest one and turned to eye the ongoing battle with disgust. Dark eyes landed on Regis as he approached.


    ¡°Another one?¡± he scoffed. He took a step back and shifted into a proper fighting stance. Stray rocks crunched beneath his feet. He seemed quite experienced, Regis noted. He raised his own sword in response.


    In one smooth motion, Hendrick lunged and thrust his spear forward. Regis dodged to the side and quickly closed the space between them, aiming a swing at the man¡¯s neck. He jumped back, but not before the very tip of the sword nicked his skin, leaving a thin line of red where it had touched. Hendrick¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    He surged forward with a burst of speed. He was good, Regis thought, constantly using the length of his weapon to his advantage to keep the demon from getting close. He was clearly well trained, more so than he would¡¯ve expected for someone in a place so remote. It was easy to see how he¡¯d managed to take control of Canedge initially.


    Regis, however, had quite a bit of experience sparring spear users.


    He twisted past an incoming blow and raised his sword, locking the blade against the spear¡¯s shaft. He pushed the weapon back as he ran towards the human. Sparks rose from the metal, and Hendrick¡¯s eyes widened. He cursed and clumsily dodged Regis¡¯s next swing, retaliating with a punch that the demon easily ducked under. Now facing the human¡¯s wide-open torso, he reached out a hand and activated [Rot].


    Curling wisps of black smoke bloomed out from the tips of his fingers. Hendrick¡¯s armor blackened and began to crumble and disintegrate. The man stumbled back. In that brief instant of distraction, Regis lashed out with his blade and sliced the man¡¯s throat.


    [You have gained experience!]


    Hendrick collapsed backwards onto the street, a cloud of dust rising around him from the impact. Regis stared down at the human¡¯s dead body. The area affected by [Rot] was fairly small, he noted, and the smoke had already dissipated. A few additional cracks bloomed outwards from the damaged section. The ability was exactly what he thought it was, then. The demon was almost a bit disappointed. He¡¯d known the System would draw from his past powers, but he¡¯d been looking forward to something new.


    Regis bent down and flicked the rotted area until it crumbled away entirely, the disintegrated pieces mixing into the dirt. Like this, it would simply appear that the man¡¯s armor had been cracked. Regis straightened.


    Around him, the sounds of battle were beginning to fade. A quick sweep of the area revealed several more bodies on the ground, some dead, some wounded, and some merely unconscious. An arrow flew past, hitting one of the few members of Ryker¡¯s group remaining. He could see Hal across the street pulling his axe out of a downed enemy, several fallen foes sprawled around him. Lora¡¯s group had fought well. Victory was near.


    Clashing metal rang out from the front of the town hall. There, Lora and Ryker traded blows, weapons moving in a furious rhythm. Both of them were panting, faces covered in sweat and grime. One of Ryker¡¯s swings nicked Lora¡¯s shoulder, but she gritted her teeth and battled on, knocking his spear aside and aiming a blow of her own at his torso.


    Regis studied them for a moment, tracing their movements with his eyes. Ryker did seem stronger on a physical level, likely due to the level disparity, but Lora was clearly a more skilled fighter. He narrowed his eyes. More than once, Ryker would accidentally leave an opening and Lora would hesitate. Something was preventing her from dealing the final blow, and in her distraction, the man was beginning to gain the upperhand.


    The demon stepped around the fallen bodies towards the fight. Most of the villagers were finishing their own battles, and he was able to reach the town hall just as a hard punch from Ryker sent Lora flying into the building wall. She groaned and attempted to stand back up. Regis bent down to help her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she managed to gasp out. Regis nodded, eyes briefly flitting over to Ryker. He could kill him easily¡ªhe was a much weaker fighter than Hendrick. At the same time, he could feel the watchful gazes of the villagers nearby. Lora needed to be the one to deal the final blow in order to cement her status as their future leader, but her own hesitation was impeding her. It seemed a bit of intervention was necessary.


    Just before Regis let go, he activated [Amplify Vice] and selected wrath. Lora¡¯s eyes widened. Her fingers tightened around her sword as the ability took hold. Without another glance at the demon, she released a cry of fury and charged forward.


    Ryker barely brought his spear up in time to block her swing. Lora didn¡¯t stop, reeling her arm back and aiming another attack at his exposed side. She pushed him back with relentless pressure, and Ryker was clearly struggling to keep up, taken off guard by the sudden animosity. With a sweep of her leg, Lora knocked the man to the ground. He landed on his back with a hard thump. When he looked up, Lora had stepped forward, eyes still flashing with anger.


    She stabbed the sword down into his chest. Just like that, it was over.


    Ryker fell limp, and all at once, the fury seemed to leave Lora in a rush. Her eyes widened. She stumbled back, staring in horror at the man¡¯s unmoving form. Her hands shook a little as realization settled in. Regis stepped forward and tapped her shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± he said calmly. ¡°You¡¯ve taken back the village.¡±


    He spoke the latter words loud enough to be heard by the other survivors in the group. Someone cheered, pumping their fist into the air, and it set off a wave of hollers and shouts. A few villagers sobbed and hugged each other in relief. Others laughed and whooped.


    Slowly, the shock in Lora¡¯s eyes faded. She swallowed, took one more look at Ryker¡¯s dead body, then turned away to face the villagers. She raised her bloody sword to the sky, and only Regis was close enough to see how it shook slightly even as she yelled out in a strong, ringing voice.


    ¡°Victory is ours!¡±


    <hr>


    The general store was bursting with life. Without the fear of Hendrick or Ryker looming over them, the villagers now freely utilized both floors of the building. They¡¯d shoved tables together to form one long area covered in a wide spread of food. The windows were thrown open, welcoming in the warm hues of the setting sun, and they¡¯d opened several barrels of ale. Now the people of Canedge clinked together full glasses with cheers. Regis sat at the main table watching the festivities with amusement. His own glass sat in front of him, untouched.


    The sound of screeching wood reached his ears as someone drew a chair beside him. ¡°Not gonna drink that?¡± Hal asked, pointing to his cup. In response, Regis pushed the glass over to the angel, who happily took it and chugged it down. Humans had limits when it came to alcohol, and seeing as he did not yet know how Cyrus would fare, he¡¯d rather not risk reducing his own mental capacities. Drinking did not have much appeal to him to begin with.


    He glanced out the window. It would be dark soon, and he suspected the festivities would last long into the night. Their purpose here was done. It was time to leave.


    Regis rose from his seat and navigated through the crowd towards Lora. A number of villagers cheered as he passed, a few attempting to shake his hand. He held them off with a polite smile. As expected, news of his victory over Hendrick had quickly spread.


    Finally, he managed to reach where Lora sat nursing a drink of her own in the corner of the room. She was similarly swarmed, but the villagers around her parted way for the demon as he approached. He took a seat beside her.


    ¡°How are you faring?¡± he asked. His voice was quiet compared to the raucous cheers around them, but it was still loud enough to be heard. Lora stared at the swirling liquid in her cup, her fingers wrapped around the glass.


    ¡°Better than I thought,¡± she admitted. ¡°I think it¡¯s finally starting to feel real.¡±


    Regis nodded. ¡°That¡¯s understandable. Canedge has gone through much in the past week.¡±


    ¡°You can say that again.¡± Lora paused to take a sip of her ale, then set the cup back down. ¡°There¡¯s still so much to do,¡± she murmured. ¡°Rounding up survivors, rebuilding¡­¡± She sighed and shook her head.


    ¡°I certainly don¡¯t envy your position,¡± Regis said. Lora laughed.


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t be doing it by myself.¡± She nodded at the chattering villagers, a soft smile spreading across her face. A few beats of silence passed, and she took another sip of her drink and set the cup back down.


    ¡°Ryker was my brother, you know.¡± Her voice sounded distant, dark blue eyes cloudy with past memories. Regis remained silent, sensing that the human simply needed someone to speak to.


    ¡°Our parents were separated, so we didn¡¯t grow up together or anything,¡± Lora continued. ¡°The times we did meet, we couldn¡¯t stand each other.¡± The corners of her mouth curled in a sardonic smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know what came over me. We were fighting, and I was suddenly so angry, I¡ª¡± She cut herself off and stared down at her lap, quiet for a moment. Finally, she looked up again. ¡°It¡¯s funny. I was so shocked¡ªI still am. But mostly I just feel relieved. I keep thinking I should be sadder, but I¡¯m not. Maybe I¡¯m just a terrible person.¡±


    Regis hummed in acknowledgement. ¡°I can¡¯t comment on the nature of your relationship with your brother, but I do not think you should feel guilty for having emotions outside of your control. We cannot help how we instinctively feel.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe you¡¯re right about that.¡±


    The two sat in silence for a few moments, simply watching the villagers talk and laugh and dance around each other. The warm evening light filtering through the windows made the space feel larger and softer.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Are you and your friend leaving?¡± Lora finally asked.


    Regis nodded. ¡°We still have quite a ways to travel,¡± he explained. ¡°We plan to leave tonight.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Lora turned to him. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for your help. We couldn¡¯t have won¡ªno, I don¡¯t think we even would¡¯ve considered fighting if not for you.¡± She smiled. ¡°If you¡¯re ever in the area again, or if there¡¯s anything we can do for you, please just let us know. Canedge will always welcome you with open arms.¡±


    The demon smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    <hr>


    Regis carefully opened his bag, scanning its contents to ensure all supplies and potions were present. He could still hear the festivities continuing upstairs; the villagers did not seem intent on stopping anytime soon.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re bleeding.¡±


    The demon glanced over at Hal, following the angel¡¯s gaze to his arm. The sleeve there had been torn during battle, and when he shifted it aside, he saw that the cut he¡¯d received during the fight in the prison had reopened. The bandages were soaked red, the color beginning to stain the fabric of his shirt. He carefully unwound the wrappings and tossed them aside. It seemed he hadn¡¯t been cautious enough.


    Regis moved to grab some new bandages, but Hal stopped him. The angel raised a hand, and an icy blue light emitted from the center of his palm. When he held it over the wound, it traveled down to the cut and seeped into the surrounding skin. The injured flesh trembled slightly. Then, in front of their eyes, it began to warp and fold over itself until there was no trace of the wound left. The glow faded. Regis raised an eyebrow in silent question.


    ¡°System ability,¡± was the explanation. Hal dropped his arm, looking rather put out, and Regis couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    ¡°A healing ability? You?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t laugh.¡± Hal groaned and fell back onto the mattress dramatically. ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s that thing doing,¡± he complained. ¡°Where the fuck did it pull healing from?¡± He waved at himself in demonstration.


    ¡°Your species, most likely. I received an ability during my last level that¡¯s quite similar to my old demonic rot.¡± Regis adjusted his sleeve again and moved to continue packing their supplies. ¡°Don¡¯t fret. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a way to use it to kill.¡±


    ¡°Aw Reg, you¡¯ve got so much faith in me.¡±


    The demon laughed at that. ¡°Perhaps. But truly, healing is a very useful power to have. I would be quite happy if I were to gain an ability like it.¡± Despite his innate aptitude with the Ark and his knowledge of the Pulse, he¡¯d never managed to leverage either magic source for healing purposes. The myths claimed that demons couldn¡¯t heal as a result of their demonic rot negating the effects. That was most likely true, but it hadn¡¯t prevented him from trying.


    ¡°Well, if we¡¯re ever allowed to swap abilities, I¡¯d do it in a heartbeat.¡± Hal kicked himself back up and grabbed his axe. ¡°We ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I believe so.¡± Regis double checked that his bag¡¯s ties were secure, then swung it over his shoulder. After a final sweep of the room, the two exited into the hallway and climbed the stairs.


    By the time they reached the ground floor, the villagers¡¯ festivities hadn¡¯t lessened at all. If anything, it seemed time and alcohol had only increased their energy. Several candles and lamps had been placed around the room, casting it in a warm glow, and the people of Canedge had begun dancing. Regis carefully navigated around the crowd, keeping close to the edges of the space as he made his way towards the exit. As drunk as they were, most of the villagers didn¡¯t notice him.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving now?¡± Lora asked as they approached the door. He nodded.


    ¡°Thank you again for your hospitality,¡± he said. She shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be thanking you.¡± She smiled and raised her glass. ¡°Safe travels.¡±


    With a final wave, they exited the store and shut the door behind them, immediately muffling the sounds of the festivities.


    Outside, the sun had fully set. The round moon glowed above, a soft night breeze whistling through the empty streets. Regis took a moment to assess their location in relation to the White Cliffs, then stepped into the neighboring forest. There, the last few sounds of the store were entirely drowned out, instead replaced with the distant calls of birds.


    ¡°Rowdy bunch, huh?¡± Hal said as they navigated around the trees. ¡°Ale was good though.¡±


    ¡°They have reason to be celebratory. I suspect this day will be well recorded in Canedge¡¯s history.¡±


    ¡°Nice for you,¡± the angel said with a grin. Regis returned the smile. Before he could respond, however, a rustle sounded from behind them.


    Several things happened at once.


    A shadow stepped out from the bushes, moving towards them. Hal spun around and brought his axe slamming down at the figure¡¯s head just as Regis opened his mouth to speak.


    ¡°Hal.¡±


    With one word, the angel immediately stopped mid-swing. The blade of his axe came to a standstill a hair¡¯s breadth away from the cowering form of Callan. The boy stumbled and fell backwards, trembling as he stared up at that gleaming blade.


    Regis waved, gesturing for the angel to step back. Hal looked disgruntled, but he lowered his axe and did as instructed¡ªthough he didn¡¯t take his eyes off the half-elf. Regis frowned.


    ¡°Callan, what are you doing here?¡± he asked, his voice calm and steady. Callan just shook his head, green eyes flitting between the angel and demon over and over again.


    ¡°Y¡ªyou have wings,¡± he stuttered out. He was looking directly at the white feathers. ¡°He called you Hal. That means you¡¯re really¡ªwhich means you¡ª¡± Those wide eyes shifted over to Regis, pupils dilated in fear.


    The demon listened as the boy rambled. By the end, it seemed words escaped him entirely. All he could do was stare up at the two, frozen in place. Regis took a slow step forward. The boy yelped and attempted to scramble backwards, but he was stopped by the thick bush behind him.


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Regis said in a soothing voice. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the demon king!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re correct. I will not deny that.¡± He cocked his head. ¡°When did you realize?¡± he asked, genuinely curious.


    Callan swallowed. The demon could practically see the boy¡¯s mind churning as he weighed his options. He still hadn¡¯t stopped shaking.


    ¡°¡­I saw you at the square,¡± he finally got out. ¡°I¡ªI thought it was a coincidence and maybe you accidentally knocked into that guy before the riot started. But then at the fight after you helped Lora up¡­¡± his voice trailed. He coughed, desperately trying to steady himself. ¡°I¡ªI went to the newsroom on the way back. It said Markus died.¡± He swallowed. ¡°You killed him,¡± he whispered, horror and realization dawning in his voice. ¡°That¡¯s why you wanted to know where he was. Oh Ark, I helped you kill him.¡±


    Regis listened silently to the boy¡¯s words. It seemed seeing Hal¡¯s wings had been the final evidence he¡¯d needed to prove his suspicions. This suggested the angel¡¯s [Beyond Perception] trait stopped working upon a certain degree of conjecture, at least at its current level. That was useful knowledge for the future.


    ¡°I see,¡± the demon said. He smiled. ¡°You¡¯re really quite smart.¡±


    Callan looked like he didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. Regis stepped forward, and the half-elf winced and squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again, however, he found the demon simply sitting down on the grass beside him. There was no anger or malice in his expression. He looked exactly the same as he had that day he¡¯d stepped into the bookstore¡ªnothing more than a friendly, amicable young man.


    ¡°What have you heard about me?¡± Regis said conversationally. He was aware of Hal watching the interaction closely in the corner of his eye, the angel¡¯s axe still in hand and ready to intervene as soon as the demon gave the word.


    Callan¡¯s gaze darted about. His fingers dug tightly into the soft earth beneath them, and he shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°You¡ªyou were a tyrant! You tried to destroy the world!¡±


    ¡°Is that what you were taught?¡±


    Callan¡¯s next words died before they could escape his mouth. His jaw clicked shut, and Regis smiled patiently.


    ¡°Do you know how strong I was at the height of my power?¡± A breeze blew past them, rustling the leaves and brushing against the grasses until they rippled like a shadowy ocean. ¡°I know there are stories of my battles with the fomorians in your history books. If I had truly wished to ¡®destroy the world,¡¯ as you so put it, it would have been remarkably easy to do so. I could¡¯ve frozen over the oceans. Rotted away every last inch of flora. Tore the earth apart. But I did not, because that was never my intention.¡±


    Callan didn¡¯t interrupt, so Regis continued.


    ¡°Tell me, do you know how demons are born?¡±


    The boy¡¯s voice was a mixture of confusion and unease. ¡° ¡­the Flesh Fields.¡±


    Regis nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve heard quite the stories, I imagine,¡± he said, chuckling a little. ¡°The true place is likely far worse than any tale could convey. Demons at that stage are barely formed, little more than masses of flesh and instinct.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°Those who make it out become full fledged demons, but the vast majority die in the Flesh Fields. Most of the demons who manage to crawl out are not there for more than a few years.¡±


    He leaned back, resting his weight on his hands as he gazed up at the starry sky. The night air was cool against his skin.


    ¡°I was there for more than one thousand.¡±


    Regis heard Callan suck in a breath beside him, but his gaze remained on the bright moon.


    He closed his eyes. He could still remember those days vividly, every scent and sensation, every sound and sight engraved in his mind. In that quivering mass of souls, he¡¯d fought and killed and bled out of nothing more than a deep, instinctive yearning to live. There were days when he¡¯d wondered why he tried so hard to survive, if it might not be better to let go than continue that unending battle. He was not a person there. He was only another voice in the wailing choir.


    Regis opened his eyes again. ¡°Do you know what I thought when I finally made it out?¡± he asked. Callan didn¡¯t respond, so he continued.


    ¡°I thought, ¡®this world is beautiful.¡¯¡± When he first breathed in the crisp air, took in the clear expanse of the sky, the shimmering grasses, the soft earth, the gentle tide¡ªeverything had snapped into focus. This was what he¡¯d been reaching for for so long. This was why he¡¯d survived.


    The demon smiled to himself as he recalled that day. ¡°All the suffering, all the pain was worth it just to be able to experience this,¡± he murmured. He turned to Callan and gestured to the forest around them. The soft moonlight beamed down from above, illuminating their surroundings. ¡°I do not wish to destroy the world¡ªquite the contrary. All I¡¯ve ever wanted was to protect it.¡±


    The half-elf opened his mouth, then closed it again. The trembling had stopped, but his shoulders remained tense. His brows furrowed.


    ¡°But¡­¡± he began uneasily, ¡°why¡¯d you try to take over, then?¡±


    Regis raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do humans not covet? Is it not natural to wish to possess that which you desire?¡± He nodded in the direction of Canedge. ¡°There is so much wrong in this world, so much that threatens to destroy it. I can fix things. I will make it better.¡±


    ¡°...You really believe that,¡± Callan muttered, half to himself. He swallowed. ¡°But what about Markus? Or, or everyone else you killed?¡±


    The demon shook his head sadly. ¡°Sometimes harsh actions are necessary to achieve one¡¯s goals. I avoid violence when I can, but I¡¯m afraid it tends to chase me.¡± Regis rose back to his feet and dusted off his pants. Callan watched him warily, muscles coiled and ready to spring away, but the demon simply nodded at him.


    ¡°Remember, Callan, I wasn¡¯t the one who started the war. You¡¯re a bright child. I¡¯m sure you will understand one day. Until then, please take care.¡±


    With a final nod, he turned away and continued further into the forest, leaving the dumbfounded boy sitting alone in the grasses behind them, his small figure soon vanishing behind layers of trees.


    Regis heard footsteps and turned to see Hal behind him. The angel¡¯s pale eyes were unreadable.


    ¡°You sure about leaving the kid?¡± he asked.


    ¡°He has potential,¡± the demon said simply. ¡°If he does tell the villagers our identity, they likely will not believe it, considering their past distrust of him. Besides, if we wish to gain influence, we will eventually need to reveal our true identities. This is only the beginning. The first few seeds, if you will.¡±


    Hal didn¡¯t respond immediately, simply taking in the words. Finally, after a few beats of silence had passed, he grunted and shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± he said. Regis smiled and turned back to the path ahead. It was already fully dark now, and they were deep enough into the forest that he did not need to worry about encountering other travelers.


    ¡°Now,¡± he said, ¡°I believe it would be pertinent to find a place to rest for the night.¡±


    <hr>


    It was cold. The wind had picked up, rattling branches and sending streams of leaves twisting and dancing through the dark sky. Callan could feel a chill creeping up from the ground below him, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to get up. He didn¡¯t know how long he¡¯d been sitting there since Cyrus¡ªno, Regis¡ªhad left. Nothing felt real.


    He should tell the villagers, he thought distantly. And yet, he still didn¡¯t move. He couldn¡¯t help but remember the demon¡¯s words, his voice replaying in his mind. His soft smile when he¡¯d claimed he wanted to protect the world. It had looked sincere. So sincere that he wondered how he¡¯d ever thought any of the demon¡¯s other expressions were real.


    Demons lie, the half-elf reminded himself. Don¡¯t make the same mistake again.


    But this wasn¡¯t the same, was it? That fae had killed his family, ravaged Canedge. Regis had saved it. He¡¯d let him live even after he¡¯d found out the truth.


    Callan shuddered as another breeze blew past, hugging his bare arms. He didn¡¯t know anymore. He didn¡¯t know what to believe.


    Slowly, he forced himself back to his feet. His legs were shaky, the blood rushing down the limbs all at once, and he had to grab onto a nearby tree to steady himself. He exhaled. It was late. He needed to get back to the village. Once he was there, he could think more about what to do.


    Callan turned towards Canedge, but just as he was about to take a step forward, he froze.


    There, leaning casually against a tall tree a few feet away, was a tall silver-haired man with bandaged white wings and an axe resting in one hand. The weapon was pointed downwards at the ground, his grip loose and hard muscles relaxed, but Callan remembered how quickly he¡¯d swung it, how close that sharp blade had come to digging into his skull. His shoulders tensed, warning bells blaring in his mind.


    ¡°¡­Halcyon,¡± he breathed.


    The angel smiled. The silver moonlight illuminated his features, highlighting them in an eerie glow. Callan had heard stories about angels, how they were supposedly so ethereal, so perfect that they didn¡¯t look real. He understood them now, but he felt none of the awe presented in those tales as he faced the man. All he felt was danger.


    ¡°You know, Reg really likes thrills,¡± Halcyon drawled. Callan didn¡¯t move or speak, terrified of doing the wrong thing. The angel continued. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think it ¡®cause he¡¯s so logical all the time, but anything a little bit surprising or interesting and he¡¯ll probably let it go just for curiosity¡¯s sake. How¡¯d you think the Hero survived at first?¡±


    He raised his axe effortlessly, running a finger down the blade as he inspected it idly. ¡°I just want to set the record straight, you know. Make sure you don¡¯t get any ideas. You got me?¡± He grinned, the corners sharp. Callan swallowed. Slowly, he nodded.


    ¡°Good, good.¡± The angel pushed himself away from the trunk. ¡°As long as you get it,¡± he said. He turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Callan blurted out. Halcyon glanced back, an eyebrow raised. The half-elf swallowed, internally yelling at himself for not keeping his mouth shut, but he couldn¡¯t help it. He couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what Regis had said. He had to know.


    ¡°Do you¡­do you believe the same thing? You joined the demon king to protect the world?¡±


    The subject of the ¡®traitor angel¡¯ had long captivated historians and storytellers alike. Every angel had supported the Hero except for one, and that had long been the source of much theory and debate. Some said it was a case of corruption. Others claimed the demon king had used some sort of magic to sway him. Still others swore he was a double agent. Humans couldn¡¯t help but be enamored with the mystery, so much so that even Avalon¡¯s attempts to erase Halcyon from history hadn¡¯t quelled the rumors and speculation.


    Callan himself had never thought much about it. Not until he¡¯d heard Regis talk about his goals.


    Slowly, the angel turned around. His voice was low.


    ¡°You wanna know what I think?¡±


    Callan nodded stiffly, forcing himself to remain in place as the man stepped forward until he was directly in front of him. He crouched down so that he was eye level with the half-elf, every movement slow and controlled, reminding Callan of a stalking predator.


    ¡°I think if you¡¯re very, very lucky,¡± he began, voice barely louder than a breath and yet crystal clear in Callan¡¯s ears, ¡°maybe Regis¡¯ll manage to turn this world into something worth saving.¡±


    Without another word, the angel rose to his full height, easily looming over the boy. He turned around and disappeared into the thick shadows of the forest, vanishing as suddenly as he¡¯d appeared.


    It was only after his footsteps had completely faded that Callan finally dared let go of the breath he¡¯d been holding. Another cold wind gusted past, but he barely noticed it, his mind still churning. By the time he looked up again, there was no trace of the angel anywhere. Both he and Regis were long gone.


    Callan barely remembered the trip back to Canedge. His legs seemed to move of their own accord, his thoughts far away as though in a trance. He¡¯d searched for answers, but he was left more confused than ever. He kept hearing their words in his head, remembering the way Regis had comforted him before the battle, how it had been the first time someone had shown him kindness in years.


    He swallowed. Maybe he was a coward. Because no matter how much he tried to rationalize it, he realized he couldn¡¯t bring himself to tell the villagers the truth. He didn¡¯t know what the demon and angel were planning, where they were going, or what the future would bring. A storm was brewing with the two of them at its center, one that would likely envelop all of Elaren, and there was only one thing he knew for certain.


    This was just the beginning.


    <hr>


    Current stat sheet:


    Name: Regis


    Level: 16 (Tier 0)


    Species: Demon


    Titles: [The Once and Last Conqueror (Unique)], [Cold-Blooded (Rare)]


    Major Aspect: [Locked]


    Minor Aspect: [Locked]


    Strength: 32


    Agility: 45


    Constitution: 28


    Mana: 54 (+10)


    Will: 62 (+25)


    Species Traits: [Demonic Senses 1], [Fear 2], [Demon Skin 1]


    Major Aspect Traits: [Locked]


    Minor Aspect Traits: [Locked]


    Abilities: [Demonic Possession 2], [Amplify Vice 1], [Thaumaturgy 2], [Silence 1], [Rot 1]

 Chapter Eleven - The Creeping Shadow

    Forest, The Serpent Isles - 14th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH


    Hal surged forward, bringing his axe down in an arcing swing. Regis dodged to the side and thrust his blade at the angel, who blocked the blow. The two weapons clashed with a loud clang that rang clearly throughout the clearing. Hal twisted his arm in an attempt to loosen the demon¡¯s grip on his sword, but Regis realized what was happening and leapt back in time, putting some more distance between them. The angel grinned.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± he said. Regis laughed.


    ¡°You seemed to have grown quite skilled with that axe yourself.¡± He briefly pulled up his status sheet, but found it the same as before. He hummed, lowering his blade and wiping away a few beads of sweat that had formed along his forehead. Sweat. That was another oddity of the human body.


    ¡°Have you gained another level yet?¡± he asked. Hal squinted at the air in front of him, then shook his head.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°I suppose leveling via sparring is indeed quite slow.¡± Regis flipped his sword and sheathed it in one smooth motion. ¡°It is good practice nonetheless.¡±


    He turned to one of the trees nearby. They¡¯d stopped to rest after coming across this clearing, which was nearly perfectly circular in shape. Tall grasses brushed along their legs, and the surrounding trees enclosed the space like a natural fence. Given the shape of the clearing, he suspected this area had once been used to contact the Wild. If he¡¯d had his old magic sense, he could¡¯ve confirmed his suspicion, but as it was he only had speculation to work with.


    Regis placed a hand along the tree trunk. It was cool and damp to the touch, the bark rough beneath his palm. He focused on the section just around his hand and activated [Rot].


    Black smoke bloomed outwards from his fingertips, sinking into the bark. Almost immediately, the tree trunk began to wither. Regis urged the rot to travel further outwards, pushing it to the limits of its range. It finally stopped when it had nearly traveled all the way around the trunk. The smoke dissipated, and Regis stepped back to study the spot. A blackened ring of decay now wrapped around the trunk. He¡¯d been practicing utilizing [Rot] since receiving it, learning its nuances and differences from his old power. He liked to think he was growing decently accustomed to it.


    ¡°Practicing that rot stuff again?¡± Hal asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping to level it soon. It¡¯s a tad more restricted in its current state than I¡¯d like it to be.¡± Regis turned to the angel, raising an eyebrow in amusement. ¡°You might consider doing the same with that healing ability of yours.¡±


    Hal groaned. ¡°Yeah yeah, I¡¯ll do that later. Give me a few more days to sulk. Stupid thing can''t even heal my wings," he muttered. Whatever magic the otherworlder had used that was slowing his regeneration was apparently just as effective on healing magic.


    The demon chuckled. ¡°If you say so.¡± He glanced up at the sky. It was another clear day, the light blue hues surrounding the sun shifting to a darker tone the further down they extended. An ideal day for traveling, Regis thought. He bent down and picked up his bag again. ¡°Let us continue,¡± he said. ¡°We still have a ways to go.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, about that. I was looking at those maps. The White Cliffs¡¯re pretty far¡ªit¡¯s gonna take us ages to get there.¡±


    ¡°I believe I may have a solution to that.¡± Hal raised an eyebrow, and Regis glanced back at the angel and smiled.


    ¡°How would you like to fly again?¡±


    <hr>


    Howling winds whipped violently below them, carrying scattered leaves and dirt and stones. Further into the forest, the trees thinned, allowing a clear view of the sky above. The ground dipped sharply down a sheer ravine that split the earth apart. There, seemingly endless gales flew between the rough cliff faces in a constant swirling vortex of movement. The sound of rushing wind resembled that of crashing waves¡ªrhythmic and patterned in its intonations. Regis tucked his hair back, his cloak flapping wildly about him as he gazed down into the ravine. There were no signs of life that he could see. In winds this strong, even harpies could not maintain their nests.


    Beside him, Hal whooped and spun around, gleefully taking in the feeling of the breeze against him. ¡°A current? I didn¡¯t think the Serpent Isles had one!¡±


    ¡°Apparently it formed in the past twenty years,¡± Regis explained. He bent down to pluck a few grasses, then released them down into the ravine. Rather than sink, they were immediately picked up by the gusts. He watched them swirl and rock about the air, soon disappearing from view.


    The demon pulled out their map of the Serpent Isles, careful to keep it secure in his grip, and traced their current position. The ravine formed a rough, jagged line running through the forest. ¡°If we ride the current, it will take us north towards the White Cliffs.¡± He moved his finger over to the end of the ravine, where the map depicted a grassland. ¡°Apparently this meadow is quite famous on the isles. It¡¯s home to nearly every native species of flower on the island.¡±


    Hal grunted to show he was listening, but he was clearly more focused on the current itself. He¡¯d never cared much for plants, Regis thought with amusement. He rolled up the map and tucked it back into his bag.


    Currents like these could be found across Elaren, though they varied greatly in size. These were areas where the boundary between the material plane and the Wild was weaker, allowing enough of the magic of the latter realm to seep into the atmosphere, creating distinct, chaotic weather phenomena. These tears either formed naturally as a result of the planes brushing against each other, or they were made deliberately by fae or material plane residents attempting to contact the Wild. Humans considered them quite dangerous and often warned against approaching them. Other species, particularly winged ones, used them to practice flight.


    Regis pointed to the left. The walls of the ravine extended far beyond their vision¡¯s reach, winding and bending like a coiling serpent. ¡°Once we land, we¡¯ll be able to continue our journey by foot,¡± he finished.


    Hal squinted in the direction the demon was pointing. He hummed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s one way to speed things up. You sure though? Last time we rode one of these, you¡ªyou know¡ªhad wings.¡±


    Regis raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you suggesting I will not be able to control my flight path without the aid of wings?¡± He chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re not in particularly ideal condition yourself.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not.¡± Hal fluttered his damaged wings for emphasis, the feathers and bones barely able to move due to the tight bandages encasing them. He turned his back to the ravine, casually stretching both arms out to allow more of the wind to pass by.


    ¡°Hey, last time we raced in Rhovgar you won, right?¡±


    ¡°That is correct, yes.¡±


    The angel¡¯s face split into a wide grin. ¡°Guess it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    No sooner had the words left his mouth than he tipped backwards over the edge of the cliff.


    A blast of wind rushed upwards from the ravine, carrying with it sand and stone and other bits of debris. Regis raised an arm to shield his face. Hal¡¯s laughter rang loudly in his ears as he rode the breeze, spinning around a few times in the air in a display of skill. Regis smiled. Not one to be outdone, he stepped over to the edge of the ravine, waited for the next gust, then leapt down himself.


    He immediately felt the force of the wind against his face, the pressure so strong that it resembled a hard surface. Regis twisted around, folding his limbs closer to his body to reduce air resistance as the gust continued rushing forwards. This was a sensation he¡¯d missed, he thought. Though it wasn¡¯t quite the same as flying, the weightlessness, the unrestricted freedom of movement¡ªhe hadn¡¯t felt like this since the end of the war.


    In front of him, the demon could make out Hal¡¯s form as he expertly soared alongside the breeze, weaving around incoming obstacles with ease. The ravine turned, winding northward. Regis twisted around sharp corners and jagged ledges. A few pieces of debris flitted past him, but he avoided the largest chunks.


    [The [Demon Skin] trait has leveled up! 1 ¡ª> 2]


    Immediately the pressure of the wind against his skin lessened, still present but no longer quite so stinging. Regis smiled to himself; he hadn¡¯t been certain this would relate to the trait¡¯s range of applications, but it seemed it had.


    They should reach the end of the current soon, Regis thought. The ground was a blur beneath them. The walls of the ravine were beginning to dip down, steadily sloping to meet the earth, and he could see where the ravine opened into flat plains in the distance.


    ¡°That all you got?¡± Hal yelled, his voice carried backwards by the wind. The angel was still a decent ways ahead of him. Indeed, his wings provided a great deal more maneuverability and lift, even in their current state. This race was very much in his favor.


    The demon, however, had a few more tricks to utilize. He twisted around a sharp ledge, but raised his hand just high enough to brush against it. He activated [Rot].


    The stone disintegrated where he touched it, the remaining piece snapping off and breaking free, hurtling forward towards the unsuspecting angel. Regis watched it hit the man¡¯s back, and Hal immediately spun around to see what it was. His brief distraction allowed the demon to just barely overtake him. Hal made an indignant noise and surged forward just as the cliff faces gave way to grass and the winds weakened.


    Their landing was not nearly as smooth as it had been when they¡¯d had the full capacity of wings at their disposal. The current had slowed enough that they weren¡¯t too high above the ground, and Regis attempted to swing his legs around so that he could land in a standing position. His effort was mostly successful. He managed to plant his feet on solid earth seconds before Hal barrelled into him, knocking both of them over onto the ground.


    Hal¡¯s cackles rang loudly in the demon¡¯s ears as he sat up again. He brushed dirt and stray grasses off his clothes. Regis raised an eyebrow at the angel in amusement.


    ¡°I do believe that is what humans would call, ¡®in bad sport.¡¯¡±


    Hal snorted and got up off the ground himself, aggressively shaking the dirt off his wings. ¡°So says the cheater,¡± he said, still grinning. He flicked a stray rock at Regis, who caught it before it could land. He chuckled.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°We did establish that you had an advantage.¡± He rose to his feet and dusted off his pants. He was glad he¡¯d tied his bag securely prior to jumping; if not, it likely would¡¯ve come loose earlier. Regis glanced around, finally taking the chance to observe their surroundings now that the rush of the flight was beginning to fade. He stilled.


    The ravine opened into a wide, flat field broken only by a few stray trees jutting out from the soil. He¡¯d expected to see vibrant blooms and swaying flowers. Instead, his eyes landed on a sea of greys and browns.


    Around them, yellowed grasses swayed in the wind, their bodies dried and half decayed. The branches of the trees were entirely bare, and the flowers had all wilted, their petals drooping downwards towards the rotted earth. No songbirds chirped. There was none of the wonder described in the guidebooks¡ªthere was no trace of life in sight.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Hal muttered beside him, his own pale eyes sweeping over the desolate landscape. ¡°Did a demon come here or something?¡±


    ¡°No, this does not seem to be the work of a demon.¡± Regis crouched down, digging his hand into the soil. It was dry and easily crumbled beneath his fingertips. ¡°This does resemble demonic rot, but it¡¯s not quite the same.¡± Demonic rot typically disintegrated the objects it touched; whatever had happened here had merely drained the life from the plants, leaving their dried husks behind.


    The angel hummed in agreement. He spun around, squinting into the distance. There was seemingly no end to the withered meadow. ¡°Life sucking spell? Don¡¯t see any ritual runes, though.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t either,¡± Regis agreed. He rose back to his feet and patted off his hands. ¡°We should proceed with caution. Whatever caused this may still be nearby.¡±


    ¡°Guess it¡¯s too much to hope it¡¯s a plague.¡±


    The demon smiled at that. ¡°Knowing our luck, I sincerely doubt it.¡±


    <hr>


    The two continued through the wilted fields. The plain dirt road winding between the grasses appeared untouched, and there were no fresh footsteps that Regis could see. He would¡¯ve expected to encounter a few villagers or passersby, given the size and location of this road, but they crossed no other living souls along their journey. The quiet was pervasive.


    After about an hour of travel, the dark silhouettes of a few buildings appeared on the horizon. There had been some small villages bordering this path on the map, and it seemed they had finally reached one. Regis, however, suspected they would not find it in a particularly lively state.


    His assumption was quickly proven correct.


    The decay that had taken over the fields had reached the village as well. The wood of the buildings had rotted, and the few gardens and decorative plants surrounding the little houses had shriveled and died. Dried grasses crunched beneath their feet. There were no voices or murmurs along the streets. Instead, collapsed bodies lined the dirt road, still and unmoving.


    Regis approached the closest body, flipping it over to reveal a young human child. He placed his fingers by the boy¡¯s neck, but found no pulse.


    ¡°Hal, could you try healing him?¡± he asked. The boy was very likely dead, but there were a few conditions that mimicked death. It was better to be certain. Hal frowned, but crouched down and raised a hand, activating his ability. That icy glow briefly lit up the dull surroundings, but it quickly faded. He shook his head.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Regis hummed in acknowledgement and set the body back down. ¡°This must have happened fairly recently,¡± he remarked. The body had still been warm.


    He glanced around the empty village. Just as before, there were no runes or any other signs of conflict present, and the bodies had no visible wounds on them. He couldn¡¯t detect a magic signature in his present state, though it was entirely possible there wouldn¡¯t be one regardless.


    Regis checked a few more of the corpses they passed, but they, too, provided no answers. He frowned. His curiosity had been piqued, but it seemed there was nothing more they could do here.


    He straightened and turned to Hal, about to say they should continue forward, but he paused at the last second. In the corner of his eye, a flash of movement appeared in the windows of one of the houses. His mouth closed. Perhaps they would receive answers yet.


    Regis nodded in the direction of the building. Hal raised an eyebrow, but followed behind him as the demon made his way towards the front door. There was no sound or other signs of movement coming from the little house, but neither the entrance nor the exit had moved. Whoever was there was still inside the building.


    The door was locked. Regis briefly considered knocking and calling out, but he suspected there would be no answer. Instead, he turned to Hal and gestured to the door. The angel cracked his knuckles.


    With one powerful kick, he knocked the front door down. The wood cracked and splintered, landing hard on the floorboards. Someone shrieked, and three shadows quickly scrambled away. Regis¡¯s eyes landed on a group of humans huddled together against the back wall, two young boys and one girl who appeared only slightly older than the other two. Their eyes were wide with fear, bodies visibly shaking as they took in the two strangers. There were no weapons or sigils that he could see. Regis softened his expression and stepped forward.


    ¡°Are you alright? My friend and I are travelers. We do not wish to hurt you.¡±


    There was no response. The demon continued, still using that same soft, soothing voice.


    ¡°Can you tell us what happened here?¡±


    Still there was no answer; the three humans simply continued to stare at them. The silence stretched long enough that Regis was beginning to consider a different tactic when the eldest girl finally spoke in a quiet, stuttering voice.


    ¡°I-It was¡ªit was the c-crows.¡±


    Hal raised an eyebrow. ¡°A bunch of birds did this?¡± He didn¡¯t bother to hide his skepticism.


    ¡°The¡ªthere was a whole c-cloud of them. Like a b-black shadow.¡± She shuddered and hugged the two younger boys closer. ¡°I-it just a-appeared all of a sudden! Now everybody¡¯s dead!¡±


    Her voice was nearly hysterical by the end, and the other two children didn¡¯t seem to be faring much better. Shock, Regis assumed. He¡¯d seen a number of cases like these during the war.


    ¡°I understand. Thank you for telling us,¡± he said, still in that soft, gentle tone. ¡°Would you like to come outside? We can escort you to safety.¡±


    They shook their heads frantically. ¡°The shadow! The shadow¡¯ll come!¡±


    Regis calmly gestured outside the window, where traces of the clear sky could be seen through the rotted frame. ¡°It appears to be gone. Should it return, we will do our best to protect you.¡± He would admit that he was rather curious to see this creature himself¡ªhe¡¯d never heard of something of this nature, and that was rare. They¡¯d described ¡°crows,¡± then a cloud, and then a shadow. Its true form must lie somewhere in between.


    One of the boys nudged the girl and whispered in her ear. She said something back, and the trio continued to argue a little longer. Regis waited patiently until they were done. In their delicate mental states, pushing too far might cause them to withdraw completely, and he¡¯d still like to question them more once fear was no longer controlling their every action and thought.


    ¡° ¡­Okay,¡± the girl finally said. She carefully rose to her feet, the other two following suit. None of them let go of each other, clinging onto one another with vice grips. Regis nodded and turned to step out the doorway, waiting outside for the group to follow. Slowly, they climbed out of the rotted home, eyes flitting wildly about the dead streets. Their gazes continuously shifted upwards towards the sky, Regis noted.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked. They gave short, jerky nods. He gestured to the road ahead. ¡°I believe there is another village north of here within half an hour¡¯s walk. We will first head there and seek shelter. Is that alright with you?¡±


    There was no verbal response, but the trio inched forward a little, which Regis took as an agreement. He turned and began to make his way down the dry road.


    Progress was slow. The children were skittish, jumping at every movement or passing breeze that brushed past. Several times they had to stop because one of them swore they¡¯d seen something in the sky and was too frightened to continue. Still, slowly but surely, they made their way towards the next village. Soon the silhouettes of its buildings could be seen sitting atop the horizon.


    ¡°Guessing you don¡¯t know what this thing is either,¡± Hal muttered beside him. The angel had mostly ignored the children thus far, though that was perhaps for the better. Regis shook his head.


    ¡°Fascinating, isn¡¯t it? It seems there¡¯s still things yet to be discovered in Elaren.¡±


    Hal snorted. ¡°Guess that¡¯s one way of looking at it.¡± He rolled his shoulders. ¡°Might be a good fight, at least. Its gotta be pretty strong if it¡¯s wiping out whole villages.¡±


    Before Regis had a chance to respond, a shrill shriek rang in his ears.


    ¡°It¡¯s here! It¡¯s here!¡±


    He turned around.


    There, high up in the sky, a black cloud approached from the west. The demon narrowed his eyes. He understood why they¡¯d described it as crows. The cloud rippled and undulated in constant movement, not unlike the patterns of flapping wings, but there were no true distinct shapes forming it. It lacked solidity, but did not move as mist or smoke would. It appeared like a coiling mass of creeping shadows.


    Regis was aware of the children screaming and panicking around him as the shadow approached. He nudged them forward as he drew his sword. ¡°Run towards the village,¡± he instructed. ¡°Find somewhere to hide.¡±


    They didn¡¯t need to be told twice. The group immediately scrambled away in the direction of the village buildings. Regis turned to face the shadow as it approached, eyes still scanning it in an attempt to determine its identity. Not a demon, despite some similarities to his diminished form, and it was not like any fae that he¡¯d heard of. But then, this could very well not be the creature¡¯s true form at all. There was, he supposed, only one way to find out.


    The shadow descended down onto the path, thin tendrils streaming behind it. Hal lunged forward, swinging at it with his axe, but it simply dissipated around the blade. He cursed and jumped back while Regis raised a hand and activated [Rot].


    Black smoke flew out from his palm, clashing with the undulating shadows. A tendril slithered out from the cloud and batted at the smoke, and it vanished without effect.


    The cloud roiled. It stretched forwards, shooting towards Hal and Regis like a pouncing predator. They both leapt aside as the shadows crashed into the earth. As it passed by, however, the demon paused. He recognized this sensation. It was fainter, less precise in its pull, but he¡¯d felt it before. He turned around just as the extended shadows surged, stretching to the path ahead towards the fleeing children.


    The shadows rushed past them, and their screams were muffled. For a moment they were completely lost within the darkness. When the cloud finally dispersed again, all three now lay on the ground, lifeless.


    ¡°Hal, run.¡±


    No sooner had he finished speaking than the cloud circled back around and swelled towards them. Regis ducked under a stream and ran towards the village, Hal beside him. When he glanced back, he could see the cloud following them. It completely passed over the bodies of the now-dead children, but he could see a few cracks in the road where it had attacked. He frowned. The cloud appeared larger than before.


    ¡°What the fuck is that,¡± Hal said, their feet pounding against the ground. They were quickly approaching the village, and Regis could see that it, too, had already fallen victim to the shadow if its decayed buildings and the bodies lying slumped across the ground were any indication.


    ¡°It absorbs souls,¡± Regis said. He¡¯d only felt that specific tug once before, and it was when he¡¯d drifted aimlessly after the otherworlder¡¯s attack, resisting the call of the Ark. He jumped over one of the dead bodies. That still did not answer what the creature was, but now they at least knew what it did. ¡°I imagine it will not stop until it has absorbed us as well.¡±


    Hal opened his mouth, then closed it again. Movement appeared in his peripheral vision, and Regis dove to the side as another stream of shadows rushed forward. His shoes skidded on the loose dirt, stray gravel flying into his face. He placed a hand down to stop his movement. Like this, he was facing the main body of the creature as it approached them. Slowly, he straightened and raised his sword again. Hal did the same with his axe.


    ¡°It left a mark on the ground earlier,¡± Regis said, recalling the crack beside the childrens¡¯ bodies. ¡°I suspect that cloud is formed from the souls it absorbs. It¡¯s using it to hide its main body.¡±


    Hal hummed. ¡°So there¡¯s something to hit, is what you¡¯re saying.¡±


    The demon smiled. ¡°Yes, there is.¡±


    In front of them, the cloud rolled closer, its shadowy form taking up nearly the entire width of the street. Regis tried to see past the black mist, but he couldn¡¯t make out its body. It must be hiding deep within that shroud, he thought.


    He flexed his fingers, adjusting his grip around his sword as the cloud undulated again.


    ¡°Be prepared,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s coming.¡±

 Chapter Twelve - Of Flesh and Soul

    Tolbury, The Serpent Isles - 14th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH


    A stream of shadows shot forward, arcing high above the rotted village like an incoming tidal wave. Regis leapt to the side, landing atop a nearby wooden box that wobbled under his feet. The wave split apart, individual shadowy tendrils snaking around the village buildings towards them. Regis heard Hal curse as he dodged around the individual strikes across the street. There didn¡¯t seem to be an end to them.


    Regis grabbed onto the slanted roof of the nearest building and pulled himself up over the edge, landing lightly atop the weathered shingles. From here, he had a clear view of the empty, decayed streets and the motionless corpses of the villagers scattered about the ground. The main body of the shadow roiled and undulated as it sent out more tendrils.


    Regis ducked under an approaching cloud, keeping himself low as he ran across the rickety roof towards the creature. Hal continued to distract it on the ground, rolling under and leaping over incoming attacks with a deceptive agility.


    Ahead of the demon, the roof abruptly sloped downwards. Regis allowed his shoes to slide across the shingles, then leapt off at the last moment and plunged his sword down into that smoky black cloud, keeping his body just outside the mist''s range. For a moment the blade simply passed through seamlessly, completely without obstruction. But at the last moment, just before the demon landed on the ground, he felt it cut into something.


    A creaking moan sounded from inside the shadow. The cloud rippled violently, and Regis jumped back as another wave surged towards him. He felt that tugging in his chest again, a pulling sensation on his soul. He vaulted over a nearby crate and promptly ducked behind one of the abandoned houses, allowing the rest of the current stream to rush past the building walls. He glanced down at his sword. A thick black liquid dripped down from its tip.


    ¡°You hit it?¡± Hal asked. The demon glanced back to see that the angel had circled around the building as well. In response, he raised his blade.


    ¡°It¡¯s fairly deep within the cloud,¡± Regis remarked. "It will be difficult to get close enough to damage it without being absorbed.¡±


    ¡°Figures,¡± Hal said. He peered around the corner, studying the shadow¡¯s movements. He raised his axe. ¡°Well, as long as I know there¡¯s something there, that¡¯s good enough for me.¡±


    As the cloud began to ripple again, the angel rushed out from behind the building. Five streams of smoke jetted forward towards him. He jumped over the first, then spun around and raised his axe in time to block the second. That stream had been noticeably thicker and slower than the first one¡ªit seemed some of its attacks utilized only the shroud of souls while others involved its actual body.


    Regis sprinted forward, bringing his blade down on the appendage. That same black liquid sprayed outwards as another low, guttural moan sounded in his ears. It was layered and echoed, as though several voices were speaking at once¡ªblending into a single dull sound.


    Black smoke surged towards him in the corner of his eye. Hal lunged and batted away the strike while Regis yanked his sword all the way through the first limb. He leapt back just as the remaining two streams rushed towards them. The severed tendril fell to the ground, wispy smoke rising up from it and slowly dissipating to reveal a pale, fleshy grey mound. Regis ducked under another blow, then slammed his hand down on the fallen piece, experimentally activating [Rot]. The rest of the smoke cleared, revealing just the strange, amorphous substance. His eyes narrowed. It seemed [Rot] would work as long as he was touching the main body.


    ¡°Hal!¡± he called. The angel shoved back the tendril he was currently grappling with and glanced back. Regis nodded his head at the creature, gestured to his hand, then at the angel¡¯s axe. Pale eyes flashed with understanding.


    Regis ducked under an incoming stream of smoke and raced towards the undulating shadow. The ground cracked, stray rocks flying outwards as one of the creature¡¯s strikes hit the street. He twisted around another attack, not bothering to block them. Right now, he just needed to get closer.


    The moment he was within a foot of the cloud, Hal reeled his arm back and hurled his axe at the creature. The weapon flew through the air, metal blade gleaming in the light before it finally embedded itself straight into the center of the smoky shroud.


    Another groan echoed around the street. The shadows reeled back, black liquid dripping down onto the ground and staining the earth. Regis lunged, digging his blade right next to where the axe had landed. The creature thrashed, more of the mist around its wounds flying away. Regis forced his free hand through the shadows. The moment he felt his fingers touch something solid, he activated [Rot].


    Black smoke bloomed out from his palm. A chorus of voices yelled and screamed, mixing into one thunderous roar. The entire shadow lurched, spitting out the two weapons and flinging them far across the street. Something surged in the corner of his eye, and the next thing he knew, Regis was violently flung away from the creature. His back slammed into a neighboring building. Wood splintered behind him, and he felt the air escape his lungs.


    ¡°Reg!¡± Hal rushed forward, crouching down to the demon. His pale eyes quickly scanned him.


    Regis slowly sat up. His ears were ringing, his vision slightly blurry. He raised a hand to his head. When he inspected it again, it was bloody. The wound itself, however, did not seem too deep, and he couldn¡¯t feel any broken bones nor other internal wounds.


    ¡°I am alright,¡± he said, attempting to stand. His limbs seemed unwilling to cooperate, and he found that the haziness still hadn¡¯t fully dissipated yet. Hal grabbed his arm to help steady him. Pale blue light glowed from his hands, and Regis felt some of the dizziness leave him. His head was no longer bleeding, he observed, but he could still feel the dull ache of bruises running along his back.


    ¡°Like Ark you are,¡± Hal muttered. The light faded, and the ringing in his ears fully settled.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Regis said. His gaze shifted over to the creature, and he paused.


    With that last use of [Rot], the hazy shroud surrounding it had scattered away. A few remaining wisps of black smoke lingered around it, but there were enough gaps to see the creature¡¯s main body unobstructed for the first time.


    A quivering mass loomed ahead of them. It had no distinct shape, its surface grey and soft. All across its body, eyes and mouths of different shapes and sizes dotted its surface, their positions constantly changing as the creature¡¯s flesh warped and rippled like water. The dripping wound Regis had left simply folded back into itself, leaving only a smooth surface behind. Pieces of flesh spread away to reveal a round, blinking eye. Elsewhere on the body, a patch of skin stretched over a gaping mouth, forcing it back into the center of the mound. There was no one face to look at, no singular form to grasp.


    ¡°What the fuck is that,¡± Hal said. Regis didn¡¯t move his eyes away from the creature even as he spoke the answer.


    ¡°Souls.¡±


    The only other place he¡¯d seen mounds like this was deep in the Flesh Fields. There, a whirling storm of souls fought to be born. Some merged, absorbing neighboring ones, while the strongest ones broke free and managed to roughly form the first inklings of a physical body. Regis had assumed the creature only absorbed souls, taking them on as the shadowy cloud surrounding it, but he¡¯d been wrong. The entire thing was composed of them.


    The surface of the mound bubbled. A blunt, fleshy appendage burst out and shot towards them. They leapt out of the way, but the limb hadn¡¯t been aiming at them, Regis realized. Instead, it wrapped around one of the soulless corpses that was laying around the village, cocooning it in the grey substance. When the appendage retracted, the corpse lurched and rose in short, jerky movements like a puppet on a string.


    ¡°You gotta be kidding me,¡± Hal muttered. More appendages bloomed outwards from the mass, stretching out towards the other bodies to do the same thing. The demon quickly assessed the area. Given the amount of dead present, they would soon be surrounded.


    Regis¡¯s eyes landed on their weapons, which had landed a few feet away, and the withered, dry buildings around them. He strode forward, grabbing onto his fallen sword. His movements were slower, every step causing a slight sting in his ribs. His wounds were far from fully healed, it seemed.


    Regis gripped the sword tightly in his fingers, then swung it at the closest building. The wood snapped beneath the force of the strike, tumbling downwards in planks and pieces that he kicked in a line in front of the creature. Hal seemed to realize what he was doing, because he grabbed his own axe and quickly did the same. More appendages sprouted from the mound; Regis narrowly avoided one flying straight towards his head. The number of risen corpses had nearly tripled in number by then, and they were slowly lumbering towards them.


    Hal knocked a final barrel onto the makeshift wall, and Regis raised his hand and activated [Thaumaturgy]. The ability was limited in scale, only able to make a small flame, but for these dried, scattered pieces of wood, it was enough.


    The demon used [Thaumaturgy] a few more times, stoking the fires as much as possible, before he turned and ran further down the road. Behind him, the piles of scattered wood burned a glowing red, forming a temporary blockade of flames to slow the creature in its path.


    Regis and Hal ducked behind a large abandoned building sitting at the edge of the village, and the angel immediately began to heal him again.


    ¡°That fire won¡¯t last long,¡± Regis observed. ¡°I suspect it will come after us soon. It seems to sense living souls and deliberately targets them.¡±


    ¡°Fucking fantastic.¡± Hal glanced back, but they were too far away to see the creature beyond the flickering fire. He turned to the demon again. ¡°So? How do we get rid of it?¡±


    ¡°Ark magic would be able to scatter those souls quite easily, but I¡¯m afraid neither of us have regained access.¡± Regis frowned. ¡°Physical attacks will not be particularly effective either. It¡¯s absorbed enough souls to reform itself when damaged.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    The demon thought back to that pulling sensation, recalling the way the three childrens¡¯ bodies had slumped forward and the mass of smoke had grown larger upon absorbing their souls. He summoned his status screen, focusing on one particular ability that had recently come off cooldown. Behind him, he could hear the distant sounds of wood snapping and sizzling flames. The creature would be upon them soon.


    ¡°Hal, how does your healing ability work?¡±


    The angel blinked. ¡°Uh, the description was pretty vague, but I think it works by, like, returning stuff to its former state or something.¡±


    ¡°Would you be able to preserve a corpse from decaying?¡±


    Hal raised an eyebrow. ¡°Maybe, but not for very long. Why?¡±


    Regis nodded in the direction of the creature. Instead of trying to pass the flames, it seemed it had instead opted to completely destroy the neighboring buildings in order to clear a path through.


    ¡°That creature absorbs the souls of the beings it kills. I suspect it has no real consciousness; its movements are dictated by the half-conscious desires and lingering emotions of the souls forming its body. Its grip on them is tenuous at best.¡±


    Hal listened silently, but he could see realization slowly dawn on him. Regis continued.


    ¡°What do you suppose would happen if it absorbed a fully sentient living soul?¡±


    Hal narrowed his eyes. ¡°I was hoping you weren¡¯t gonna go there,¡± he muttered. ¡°So, what, you¡¯re just gonna leave your vessel and get absorbed? Try to break it down from the inside? For all you know you¡¯re just gonna get sucked in and that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°I resisted the call of the Ark for twenty years. I doubt a simple mass of wayward souls would have a stronger influence.¡± Regis rose to his feet, peering around the building to see how far the creature had reached. ¡°Other attacks do not work, and it likely will not leave us alone now that we¡¯ve caught its attention. This is the most logical course of action to take,¡± he explained simply.


    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡± Hal raised his axe as well. ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t worry.¡± His pale gaze scanned the street, taking in both the mound of souls and the walking corpses lumbering forward at its command. ¡°Guessing you¡¯re gonna need an opening.¡±


    ¡°Correct. Once I exit this vessel, I will also need you to preserve the body until I possess it again.¡± Cyrus¡¯s consciousness was dead, which meant that he was currently occupying a corpse. The moment his soul left it, it would begin to decay. Finding a new vessel at this point would be rather troublesome, considering that his sway on a vessel strengthened over time. It would be wasteful to start again with a new one. And, he would admit, he¡¯d grown a bit fond of this body.


    Hal grunted in acknowledgement. Regis readied to run back out onto the street, but a hand stopped him before he could take the first step. The demon glanced back, raising an eyebrow. Hal looked uncharacteristically serious.


    ¡°Just be careful, okay? I didn¡¯t see you die that first time. I¡¯d like to keep it that way.¡±


    Regis opened his mouth, then closed it again. An image of that final battle flashed in his mind, the bleak sky and diffused light, the deep red blood pooling into the cracks on the ground and the scattered white feathers. He smiled slightly. ¡°That seems a bit unequal, does it not?¡±


    Hal laughed and gave the demon a good natured shove. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s what happens when you make an immortal your general. Too bad.¡±


    Further down the street, more wood splintered as another house was knocked down. It seemed their time was running short. Regis turned to face the hulking mass as it dragged itself forward, grey flesh undulating with each movement. ¡°You should be careful as well,¡± he found himself saying. Hal glanced over at him, then back to the street.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    The grey mass reeled, and the two raced forward.


    A small crowd of dead bodies now stood in front of the creature, trudging towards them with those sharp, unnatural movements. Hal ran straight towards them without hesitation, swinging his axe in wide circles to cleave through the corpses. Regis stabbed his sword into the closest one, then yanked it out and sliced off the next one¡¯s head. It landed on the ground with a thump.


    [You have gained experience!]


    These corpses were weak, he noted, their movements sluggish and poorly controlled. Their partially decayed flesh was easy to cut through.


    The demon ducked under a clumsy punch and swept his sword out in a wide arc himself, mimicking Hal¡¯s strategy to deal with as many as possible in one blow. In the corner of his eye, he could see the creature remaining further away. More of the smoke had returned; he suspected it was biding time until it had regained its protective shroud. They would need to move quickly before the black mist fully covered it again.


    The corpse in front of him split in two, revealing Hal on the other side. The angel was covered in stray bits of flesh and blood, but otherwise appeared uninjured. He yanked his axe back and slammed the butt into an undead approaching from behind.


    The creature rippled, and another appendage shot forward. Regis pushed Hal back, letting it fly past them. The limb slammed into the ground, and the demon used the opportunity to grab onto its surface and activate [Rot] again.


    Grey flesh withered away, that slurry of different voices shrieking in his ears. The black smoke undulated around it, rising like a crashing tide as it arced high above them. Regis felt the pull again. He beheaded another corpse as the smoke approached. Now was the perfect opportunity.


    ¡°Hal,¡± Regis called. The single word was enough for the angel to understand. He grabbed a corpse with one hand and hurled it forward, throwing it into two more. Three more axe swings were enough to clear out the area around them just in time for the shadow to approach.


    Regis closed his eyes. The air was tinged with the scent of rot, burning wood, and iron. He allowed his soul¡¯s grasp on his vessel to loosen, and with a final push, his diminished form seeped out of the body. Black smoke bloomed outwards as his now soulless vessel began to fall backwards.


    [You have exited your previous vessel]


    [You are now in your DIMINISHED FORM]


    [Adjusting stats¡­]


    Regis ignored the notifications flitting past his vision. He¡¯d known this would happen as a result of how [Demonic Possession] worked. The current decreases to his constitution and strength would not matter once he repossessed Cyrus.


    Behind him, he could see Hal catch the now empty body as it fell, his other hand already glowing with his healing ability. More corpses moved to surround him, but the angel should be able to fend them off on his own.


    Above, the shadow stretched over his diminished form, blocking out the sun and sky. Like this, weightless and without a physical body to ground him, the pull was stronger than it had ever been before. It was a calling, not unlike that of the Ark, but whereas that had been all encompassing and warm¡ªthe draw of an old home¡ªthis one was violent and wild in nature. Regis allowed the sensation to wash over him, to draw him into that undulating mass of souls. Plunged deep within those depths, the whispers of the sea of souls washed over him.


    They pulsed and surged and convulsed. Echoing voices yelled and screamed. In that whirlwind, the dead could only express themselves in sharp bursts of feeling that grew stronger the deeper into the mass he went. Regret. Yearning. Fear. There was a weariness to those emotions, the heavy weight of those that had already lived burdensome lives, that had not been present in the Flesh Fields.


    Regis let himself drift in that swirling storm. He¡¯d been correct; there was no singular mind driving the creature, only the last lingering emotions of the souls drowned into the cacophony. The demon pushed his own consciousness forward, letting the different voices bounce off of him. Though plentiful, this was nothing compared to the masses of souls birthed in the Flesh Fields. Those had possessed much stronger wills than these could muster.


    Scatter, the demon thought. Break apart.


    The souls lurched around him. He pressed on.


    Scatter, he urged again, his own voice ringing loud and clear above the roar. You should not linger like this. There is no place for you here.


    For a moment, nothing happened.


    Then a crack formed in the shadows. Then another.


    Bright light beamed through, shining down on the whirling mass. Regis hadn¡¯t known what to expect from a scattering of souls¡ªperhaps something loud and deafening, a flurry of movement and sound to match the current maelstrom.


    In reality, they broke away silently. First one fell away, then the next, dispersing piece by piece until only the clear sky remained above. The murmurs and whispers faded, giving way to the soft whistle of the passing breeze. The last of the shadowy mist scattered, and the mound of grey flesh began to fall apart, landing in pieces across the earth. Regis could see Hal a few feet away, palm still glowing. He activated [Demonic Possession]. His surroundings faded to black.


    When he opened his eyes again, he was staring up at the sky.


    [You have possessed CYRUS]


    [Former possession data found]


    [Retrieving data¡­]


    [Stats successfully adjusted]


    [You have gained experience!]


    [You have leveled up! 16 ¡ª> 17]


    [The [Rot] ability has leveled up! 1 ¡ª> 2]


    [You have gained the [Strength of Soul (Rare)] title]


    [Strength +2, Agility +4, Constitution +1, Mana +6, Will +9]


    Slowly, Regis sat up. He raised a hand, curling his fingers into a fist and opening them again. They moved as commanded. He¡¯d managed to repossess this vessel without issue, it seemed. A quick glance at his status screen revealed the same abilities as he¡¯d had before, the only differences being the addition of the [Strength of Soul] title and that [Demonic Possession] was once again on cooldown. His stats, too, seemed to have survived the repossession.


    ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t think dying would make you more crazy.¡±


    Regis turned to Hal, who was sitting on the ground beside him. The demon raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°It really was not such an outlandish idea. It is reasonable to assume that a creature formed from dead souls would not be able to handle the addition of a living one.¡±


    Hal just snorted and shook his head. Around them, the animated bodies had fallen back to stillness with the creature¡¯s destruction. Only a few wisps of black smoke remained, the rest of the souls having scattered elsewhere. The chunks of grey flesh that had formed the creature¡¯s body were already beginning to melt away into a thick, viscous liquid.


    ¡°Thank you for preserving my vessel,¡± Regis said as he slowly rose back to his feet. Some of his earlier wounds were still present; the angel¡¯s healing ability had its limits, it seemed, or at least it did at its current level. He would need to study his injuries more closely later. For now, he focused on his new title, summoning its individual screen. It appeared to grant an additional +10 will.


    Hal gave a lazy salute and stood as well. He glanced around the ruined village, gaze lingering on the last few wisps of smoke remaining.


    ¡°So, that was really all souls?¡±


    Regis nodded and willed his status screen away. ¡°I believe the creature formed after enough souls merged together. I simply dispersed them.¡±


    The angel frowned. ¡°How¡¯d there get to be so many souls wandering around anyway? The fuck¡¯re the reapers doing?¡±


    Regis opened his mouth to respond, but paused when Hal stilled. Pale eyes narrowed, fixed on something behind the demon. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have talked,¡± the angel muttered.


    Regis turned around.


    Beyond the edge of the village, a single figure stood in the center of the withered fields. Long grey hair billowed in the wind, the color of the strands matching the simple clothing the person wore. The entirety of their face was covered by a plain white mask, and those carved, lifeless eyes peered blankly ahead. There had been no footsteps, no sound to warn of the being¡¯s arrival. Reapers always moved silently.


    Regis felt Hal tense beside him, the angel¡¯s jaw clenching. He adjusted his own grip around his sword, but did not move from his current position. In their diminished states, all they could do was watch and wait.


    Slowly, the reaper raised a gloved hand and removed the mask, letting it fall away. It landed soundlessly on the dead grasses below.


    Slate grey eyes met theirs, and a familiar name fell from Regis¡¯s lips in recognition.


    ¡°Frey.¡±

 Chapter Thirteen - The Reaper

    Throne Room, Abaddon - 1st day of the Garnet Moon, Year 44 BH


    The demons were restless. That morning, the thick air of Abaddon strummed with an added pulse, one that rode the cold winds and whistled to every corner of the kingdom. Regis could hear their faint mutterings when he closed his eyes, could feel the tangible sparking of restless souls. A stranger was passing through his kingdom, and they would reach his castle soon.


    Regis opened his eyes again, one finger tapping rhythmically against the cold stone arm of his throne. ¡°It appears,¡± he said, ¡°that we may have a guest arriving soon.¡±


    Standing beside the throne, Hal raised an eyebrow. He was in his lesser form today, six massive white wings fanned out behind him. They stuck out sharply amidst the dark, dreary hues of the throne room. Silver against black and grey and brown. Regis had tried to add a bit more color to the building, but the overcast skies above ensured no natural light could touch Abaddon.


    ¡°Good or bad?¡± The angel casually adjusted his grip on his spear. ¡°Am I gonna get to fight today?¡±


    The demon chuckled. ¡°That remains to be seen. Regardless, it seems it will be an interesting start to the new year.¡±


    ¡°Well, I hope you¡¯re right. Could use something to spice things up,¡± Hal joked. Regis raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I seem to recall you killing a demon lord not a week ago,¡± he said amusedly. The southern parts of Abaddon had always been more unruly¡ªthe demons there regularly challenged his authority. After the oldest and most powerful had been dealt with, he¡¯d assigned Hal the task of handling the rest. It kept the angel busy, cemented his position in the demon court, and it allowed Regis to devote his own attention to other matters.


    ¡°Yeah, but that guy was weak. I didn¡¯t even die once.¡±


    ¡°That is a rather high standard,¡± Regis said. ¡°Perhaps we should spar.¡± He tilted his head, gaze moving to the door. The flow of air shifted slightly, displaced by something outside. He stopped tapping.


    ¡°It will, however, need to wait until after this.¡±


    The heavy stone doors rumbled. In slow but steady increments, they swung apart, pushed not by any physical hand, but with magic. A few stray stones scattered across the floor rolled away, clouds of perpetual dust rising from the ground. The doors finally came to a stop when they met the walls with a heavy, echoing thud. Silence returned to the room.


    There, standing in the doorway, was a humanoid figure in plain grey pants and a coat, white gloves, and a distinctive mask that would¡¯ve given away their identity even if their magic signature had not.


    ¡°Reaper,¡± Hal said. Regis narrowed his eyes slightly, but remained in place atop the throne while the reaper took a few steps forward. He understood Abaddon¡¯s restlessness now, as well as why no demons had approached the stranger on the way here. The reaper came to a stop in the center of the room, where they stared up at Regis behind that blank mask.


    ¡°This is a surprise,¡± Regis said. ¡°I never expected to receive a reaper as a guest. To what do I owe the pleasure?¡±


    ¡°The pleasure is all mine. It¡¯s an honor to meet you,¡± the reaper said. Her voice was deep and contained a somewhat raspy quality. She nodded to both the demon and the angel. ¡°First King of Abaddon. The Spear of Avalon.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t go by that anymore.¡± Hal¡¯s grin was sharp.


    ¡°Ah yes, of course.¡± The reaper cocked her head. ¡°I see the rumors were true.¡±


    ¡°Gotta be more than rumors at this point,¡± Hal said, raising an eyebrow. The reaper chuckled.


    ¡°Can you blame people for doubting? It¡¯s hard to believe Avalon¡¯s strongest soldier would betray them.¡±


    Hal¡¯s eyes flashed. Regis raised a hand, silently halting the angel before he could respond or step forward. He kept his own gaze fixed on the reaper. ¡°Enough. I assume you did not come to Abaddon to question my general. What is your purpose here?¡±


    The reaper was quiet for a moment. Without a face to watch, her stillness was uncanny. Finally, she spoke again.


    ¡°There¡¯s been talk¡ªwhispers of your future plans. I¡¯ve heard quite a few things.¡±


    ¡°Reapers seem to hear much but do little.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. Our actions are quite limited.¡±


    ¡°Why are you here, then?¡±


    The reaper raised a gloved hand towards her face. Hal automatically tensed, but the reaper simply gripped her mask and carefully removed it. Regis raised an eyebrow. Reapers never removed their masks; they were a faceless collective that performed their duties in the background, only seen rarely and even more rarely heard. There had been a great deal of speculation on what a reaper¡¯s face would look like, but the one that greeted them was plain and ordinary, with average features that were nearly impossibly nondescript. The only true standout were the eyes¡ªa dull, unblinking slate grey.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± the reaper said, ¡°to propose an alliance.¡±


    <hr>


    Tolbury, The Serpent Isles - 14th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH


    A passing breeze swept through the ruined village, rattling the collapsed wooden buildings and scattering stray grasses. Frey remained standing by the fields, watching them with a steady gaze. Finally, she smiled. The expression itself was not insincere, but remained uncanny on her countenance. Since their first meeting, Regis had seen a few more reapers¡¯ faces, and they tended to be as expressionless as the masks they donned. Frey emoted more than usual for her kind, but the expressions never looked quite right. Regardless of what she did, her eyes always maintained the same flat, detached quality.


    ¡°Regis. Halcyon. I see the two of you are doing well.¡±


    Hal snorted. Some of the earlier tension had bled away from his posture, but his hand remained firmly wrapped around his axe, ready to swing at a moment¡¯s notice. Regis inclined his head towards the reaper. In some ways, he was not surprised to see her. Of all his former generals, it was only logical that she would be the first to find them.


    ¡°I would say the same to you. You do not seem surprised to see us.¡±


    ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t dead,¡± she said simply. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel either of your souls return to the Ark. I¡¯m impressed; I wasn¡¯t certain you¡¯d be able to resist the Ark¡¯s call.¡± Her eyes shifted over to Hal, scanning the angel for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you free. That prison didn¡¯t suit you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? You could¡¯ve dropped by and said hi,¡± Hal said, mouth twisted into a sharp grin. The reaper chuckled.


    ¡°You know it¡¯s not so simple. For the record, I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t do more to break you out. Frankly I didn¡¯t think the Hero would go as far as he did.¡±


    Regis glanced over at Hal. The angel¡¯s jaw tightened slightly, but he otherwise gave no visible reaction to her words. He¡¯d heard enough to surmise what his time in the prison had been like. He had not, however, heard anything regarding the ten years before that while he was still regenerating. The otherworlder, it seemed, had had a more direct hand than he¡¯d initially assumed.


    Another part of the reaper¡¯s words caught Regis¡¯s attention. ¡®Do more,¡¯ she had said. He turned back to Frey.


    ¡°You guided my soul to this island.¡± It was less a question than it was a statement. He¡¯d drifted rather aimlessly in that state, half-conscious as he was. The fact that he¡¯d awoken on the Serpent Isles, the other side of the world from Cannia and near where Hal was, had been a lingering curiosity of his. A reaper could guide a wandering soul fairly easily.


    Frey didn¡¯t say anything in response, but her silence was answer enough. The demon studied her closely. In the past, Frey had been in a rather unique position compared to the rest of his generals. She¡¯d helped them, but had never fought on the frontlines and often vanished for long stretches of time due to her duties as a reaper. Even in those history books, he hadn¡¯t seen the reaper¡¯s name mentioned once. Her existence, it seemed, had remained largely unknown to the world.


    The demon¡¯s eyes drifted down to her hands, gloved as always and without a weapon in sight. Whatever her reasons for appearing now, she did not, at least, seem interested in attacking them. She¡¯d been too unreliable and enigmatic to be considered a full ally back then, but was currently more trustworthy than the traitors.


    ¡°So? Why¡¯d you decide to show up now?¡± Hal asked.


    ¡°I believe you already know the answer to that.¡± Frey nodded her head at the few remaining souls drifting near the ground, then at the melting flesh of the creature. By now, it had almost fully dissolved into grey sludge, only a few chunks of quivering flesh remaining inside the slurry.


    ¡°That,¡± she said, ¡°is a sluagh.¡±


    She gestured towards the ruined village and at the motionless dead bodies surrounding them. ¡°As you theorized, it¡¯s a collection of unreaped souls that have formed a large enough mass to create that creature.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it,¡± Regis remarked. Hal nodded in agreement, and the reaper smiled.


    ¡°No, I doubt you would have. They¡¯re quite rare. It¡¯s been a long time since there¡¯ve been enough wandering souls to form one.¡±


    Hal raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yeah? Any reason you reapers aren¡¯t doing your jobs?¡±


    Rather than answer the question directly, Frey stepped forward. Her footsteps, too, did not make any sound as she proceeded towards the ruined village. Regis watched her movements closely, and she finally came to a stop a few feet in front of them. She truly hadn¡¯t changed at all in the past twenty years, he noted. It was a stark contrast to Markus.


    Slowly, Frey raised her hands. In one smooth motion, she pressed them together. As she pulled them apart again, a long pole materialized between her palms, lengthening inch by inch until finally her full scythe appeared, its curved blade gleaming in the light. She spun it around once. Regis could see Hal nearly swing, but he placed a hand on the angel¡¯s arm, shaking his head, which was enough to halt the movement.


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    Rather than point the weapon towards them, Frey instead turned to the closest soul. She raised her scythe, concentrating on those wispy remains. In a blink, slate grey eyes shifted to solid black as she brought the curved blade swinging down through the center of the soul. Regis had seen reapings before. The soul should now scatter, dispersing in a flash of light as it was sent into the veins. There, it would travel through the rippling stream, replenishing the Pulse¡¯s magic with its lingering life energy until it was eventually born again.


    This did none of that. The smoke simply lingered in place as though nothing had happened at all.


    Frey retracted her scythe, lightly resting it on her shoulder, and turned back to them with a faint smile. ¡°Most people don¡¯t know this, but we reapers can¡¯t simply reap whatever soul we wish. That would be chaos.¡± She cocked her head, thin grey hairs shifting with the movement. ¡°We¡¯re each assigned a group of souls, and those are the only ones our scythes can touch.¡±


    Regis raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m assuming your assignments have changed.¡±


    ¡°More than that.¡± Her eyes shifted back to their regular shade, flat and unreadable as always. ¡°No reaper has received an assignment in the past twenty days.¡±


    The demon digested the information, allowing it to settle as he considered the implications of her words. He mentally traced the days back by twenty until he landed on one specific date: the 26th of the Ruby Moon.


    ¡°Since the System first appeared.¡±


    Hal¡¯s eyes snapped over to him, but Regis kept his attention on Frey. The reaper did not react at all to his words, silently confirming them. The demon frowned. Though he had not been aware of the reapers¡¯ methods of assignments prior to this and Frey¡¯s description had been fairly vague, the implied mass spread of information did seem rather reminiscent of what the System was doing. Nothing else so far was comparable in terms of scale.


    ¡°Are you suggesting,¡± he began, ¡°that a reaper created the System?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far, no. I certainly haven¡¯t noticed any odd behavior, and no reapers are powerful enough to take over the assignment magic.¡±


    ¡°You do, however, think the missing assignments and the System¡¯s appearance are correlated.¡±


    Frey smiled. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they have to be? I don¡¯t believe in coincidences. I was under the impression that you didn¡¯t either.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Regis murmured. ¡°I do not.¡±


    If the System was utilizing the same type of magic that had allowed reapers to receive assignments in the past, it would stand to reason that its implementation might interrupt said assignments. Whether that had been intentional or not, or whether the System¡¯s creator had even been aware that this was the mechanism reapers used, remained in question.


    As Regis ran through various possibilities, he paused, a thought suddenly occurring to him. His eyes landed on the few lingering souls again, smoky splotches on the road. The others had scattered far away, likely to every corner of the island, but he had not seen any fully dissipate like they typically did when they were reaped.


    ¡°The sluagh. After we destroyed it, what happened to the souls?¡± He suspected he already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear a confirmation.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Frey said. ¡°They¡¯re scattered for now, but they¡¯ll remain on the material plane. None of them passed into the stream.¡±


    ¡°And none of them will, if the reapers aren¡¯t getting assignments,¡± Hal muttered.


    A few beats of silence passed as the full implications of the situation settled on them. Elaren had always functioned as a cycle. Souls traveled along the veins of the material plane until their birth. Following death, those same souls were reaped and sent back to the veins to await rebirth. Those souls had all existed since creation; the Ark had formed and scattered a finite amount, and those same souls continued to cycle throughout Elaren for the rest of eternity, simultaneously replenishing the material plane¡¯s life energy while they did so. The entire network of souls and veins was often referred to as the Pulse of the World for this very reason.


    The only exceptions to this were the fae¡ªwho were manifested by the magic of the Wild¡ªand demons, angels, and reapers, whose souls were newly created directly by the Ark. They did not enter the veins to await rebirth after death, but were simply reabsorbed into the Ark from whence they came. That uniquely close connection was what gave these species an innate access to Ark magic.


    A world where souls could not be reaped was one where veins couldn¡¯t replenish their energy, killing the magic of the Pulse and the foundations holding the material plane together. It was a world that would eventually run dry of souls¡ªa world spiraling headfirst into destruction.


    ¡°¡­sounds like the end of Elaren,¡± Hal finally muttered, spelling their thoughts aloud.


    Frey hummed noncommittally. Another wind blew past, kicking up clouds of dirt and debris. The scattered souls swayed.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t be so pessimistic. It¡¯ll take some time before Elaren runs out of souls. Maybe a solution will be found by then.¡± Her gaze shifted back over to the destroyed remains of the sluagh. ¡°The sluaghs will be a more immediate concern. Their number will only continue to rise.¡±


    ¡°I assume Ark magic would be able to disperse them fairly easily,¡± Regis said. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose reapers would take up the task, now that you¡¯re without your assignments.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong¡ªthey¡¯re quite easy to scatter for us. But I don¡¯t think many reapers are interested in handling them.¡±


    Hal raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why not?¡±


    Frey was silent for a moment. Finally, she took a slow step forward, then another, then another. She only stopped once she was directly in front of the angel, eye to eye. In his diminished form, the two of them stood at the same height.


    ¡°Tell me, doesn¡¯t it seem odd that angels, demons, and reapers are largely created the same way, but only we reapers are beholden to our duties?¡± She cocked her head. ¡°That¡¯s not very fair, is it?¡±


    Hal narrowed his eyes, but didn¡¯t respond. A beat of silence passed before Frey chuckled and stepped back again.


    ¡°Well, suffice it to say, many reapers are quite happy with the situation. A few will probably target the sluaghs, especially the younger ones, but most are glad to pass the responsibility onto someone else. After the sluaghs become a bigger concern, I suspect Avalon will step in.¡± She raised an eyebrow at the angel and demon. Though she did not elaborate on her statement, both of them understood the unspoken warning. Angels freely wandering around the material plane would be rather troublesome for them.


    ¡°I see,¡± Regis said. ¡°Thank you for the information.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re being weirdly helpful today.¡± Hal¡¯s voice was an equal mix of suspicion and joking. ¡°Keep this up and you might get moved to the ally category.¡±


    Frey laughed. ¡°And what category am I in right now?¡±


    ¡°Sort-of-but-not-also-not-really-allies,¡± Hal said bluntly. He grinned. ¡°Same as Rysar.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the same category as Rysar?¡± The reaper raised an eyebrow. ¡°Well, I certainly can¡¯t have that.¡±


    ¡°Then why not join us? You¡¯ve already given us a great deal of information. Information that I imagine is not public knowledge.¡±


    ¡°I only told you about the sluagh and the reaper assignments because if anyone manages to figure out the System¡¯s origins, it¡¯ll be you.¡± Frey turned and strode over to the fields, where her mask still lay fallen on the ground. She bent down to pick it up. ¡°I don¡¯t plan on intervening much more than that. I am a reaper, after all. It¡¯s not in our nature to choose sides.¡±


    Hal snorted, but his mouth was twisted in a grin. ¡°You¡¯re already the least neutral reaper out there.¡±


    Regis caught the flash of a smile before Frey attached her mask back on. ¡°Perhaps,¡± she said. ¡°But I do like to maintain appearances.¡±


    She raised her scythe to the sky. In one sharp swing, the blade cut through the air. The winds picked up. A crack formed, white lines spreading outwards from where the blade had touched, before they split apart entirely to reveal a dark, gaping void in front of the reaper. She glanced back at Regis and Hal, giving them a final nod before turning and stepping into the cut. As soon as she had fully passed through, the tear disappeared, leaving nothing but the withered grasses behind. The winds died back down to a soft breeze.


    Once Frey was gone, Hal exhaled and slumped back. ¡°Fucking reapers,¡± he muttered. Regis chuckled, but he fully understood the sentiment. Reapers were, in some ways, more alien to him than angels were. He¡¯d suggested Frey join them, but he¡¯d known she would reject the offer. Though her power would prove quite useful given his and Hal¡¯s current limitations, he doubted they would ever be able to establish a true alliance beyond their current tenuous one. Not as long as the reaper¡¯s true goals remained unknown.


    ¡°Regardless, we did receive valuable information.¡± Though he wouldn¡¯t simply assume Frey was telling the truth, so far her words did align with what he¡¯d seen and experienced thus far. Either way, they would have a chance to test these theories themselves once they reached the White Cliffs.


    Hal grunted in agreement. ¡°Got that right. Crazy shit going on.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Just who made the System anyway?¡±


    ¡°That would indeed seem to be the most pressing question,¡± Regis murmured. The demon turned, eyes scanning the empty road. The dried fields continued to stretch far beyond in a yellowed, withered sea. He adjusted his bag, ensuring all his items were on hand, and nodded at Hal. ¡°Let us continue our travels. I¡¯m quite eager to perform that tracing spell.¡±


    ¡°You and me both.¡± The angel squinted. ¡°How much farther we got?¡±


    ¡°After we exit the fields, we should pass through a number of villages before we reach the capital of the Serpent Isles,¡± Regis said. ¡°The High Mage lives just north of the city.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sounds good.¡± Hal rolled his shoulders back. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    <hr>


    The wagon bumped up and down rhythmically as its wheels rolled over the uneven earth, wooden boards creaking slightly. The clop of horse hooves formed a constant backdrop, and the sun beamed lazily down onto the uncovered wagon from above. Regis peered out into the distance, noting the growing buildings on the horizon. They would reach the capital soon.


    ¡°Are you two travelers?¡±


    The demon turned around. Seated on the other side of the wagon, a human family of three was watching him and Hal curiously. He¡¯d noticed their eyes on them since they¡¯d first stepped foot onto the wagon. He gave them an amicable smile.


    ¡°We are,¡± he replied. ¡°Are the three of you from Alardend?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± the mother said. Hal raised an eyebrow where he was seated beside Regis, arms and wings lazily draped over the wagon bed¡¯s edge. He nodded at the sizable number of bags crammed beside the trio.


    ¡°You guys moving or something?¡±


    The two parents exchanged looks. ¡°¡­Something like that,¡± the mother finally said. She absently pulled her child closer to her. ¡°It¡¯s just, with that System appearing everywhere, we thought it might be better if we had some more family close by. My sister has space on the east end of the city.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Regis made a sympathetic noise. ¡°That¡¯s understandable. This is a very odd situation to be in.¡±


    ¡°Very,¡± the father agreed. ¡°Never seen anything like it.¡±


    Up ahead, the driver tightened the reins, and the wagon began to slow down as the city gates came into view. Based on Regis¡¯s reading, there were four gates that led into Alardend. The current one was the southern gate.


    The wagon finally came to a full stop, and the driver spun around and jerked his head at the city. ¡°Yer stop,¡± he said. Regis nodded and rose to his feet, Hal following suit.


    ¡°Thank you for the ride,¡± he said. He reached into the small pouch attached to his belt and pulled out a few coins, depositing them in the driver¡¯s hands. They¡¯d gathered a rather sizable amount of money between the guard barracks in Magburg, Cyrus¡¯s home, and the prison Hal had been kept in. These coins were newly implemented after the end of the war, apparently a universal form of money that the otherworlder had spearheaded.


    The driver grunted and turned back to the front while Regis and Hal got off the wagon. The family stayed inside, presumably waiting to be taken to the eastern gate.


    ¡°Safe travels. I wish your family well,¡± Regis said.


    ¡°You too,¡± the mother replied. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll see you in the city.¡±


    The demon smiled. ¡°Perhaps.¡±


    With another crack of the driver¡¯s reins, the wagon turned and continued down the dirt road, clouds of dust rising behind it until it was soon a speck in the distance. Left on the side of the road, Hal peered up at the gates, bandaged wings fluttering slightly behind him.


    From here, they could see tall buildings jutting out from behind the city walls. Smoke trails coiled out from brick chimneys, and the road transitioned from loose dirt to carefully laid stones. The gates were currently open, a few guards bordering its sides, and a steady stream of travelers and city residents alike filtered in and out of Alardend. The difference in size compared to the villages they¡¯d passed through thus far was immense.


    ¡°So? We heading to the cliffs?¡±


    ¡°Not quite,¡± Regis replied. He began making his way towards the gates. He and Hal had cleaned themselves and their weapons up before riding the wagon, and now they appeared like no more than ordinary travelers. A few eyes did turn in their direction as they passed, but it was not out of suspicion. Hal raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Thought you were eager to get that spell done,¡± he said.


    ¡°I am.¡± Regis turned to the angel. ¡°But before we proceed, there¡¯s some business in the city that I¡¯d like to take care of first.¡±

 Chapter Fourteen - Preparations

    Aldrend, The Serpent Isles - 16th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH


    The gates of Aldrend loomed above, high enough that Regis needed to tilt his head back to see the top of the metal bars. The Serpent Isles tended to favor shorter, squatter architecture, but it seemed its capital was more heavily influenced by the designs of the mainland.


    The demon¡¯s eyes shifted over to the armored guards standing by the open gates, their  faces obscured with gleaming helmets. There stood eight on each side, and there were likely more within the guard posts. From his current position, he could see additional guards spaced out further along the length of the city walls. Regis frowned. Though he certainly wouldn¡¯t consider himself an expert on the Serpent Isles¡¯ guard rotations, the number seemed rather high¡ªdirectly at odds with the open gates allowing a free flowing of citizens.


    Perhaps this was a result of the System, he thought to himself. Aldrend seemed to have maintained its order thus far, if the peaceful streets and lack of ruined buildings were any indication, but it stood to reason that the leaders of the city would take extra precautions to ensure things stayed that way. Doubly so if they¡¯d already heard of places like Canedge.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± Regis greeted amicably as he and Hal passed by the guards. None of them gave a response, though he hadn¡¯t expected one. He could feel their gazes assessing them as they passed, but no guards moved to stop them. From the outside, they appeared like two everyday travelers and nothing more. Satisfied, Regis directed his attention ahead as they crossed through and entered the city proper.


    Aldrend¡¯s streets were filled with people. Merchant stalls and booths lined the wide, stone-paved road, and the wooden buildings were constructed side by side with precious little space between them. Regis spotted a few pointed ears and unusually tall statures within the mass of people; Aldrend, it seemed, was a bit more diverse in terms of species than the smaller villages they¡¯d encountered thus far. Still, the number of humans far outweighed the few elves, half-elves, and half-giants. Further proof that the otherworlder¡¯s vision of a ¡°united Elaren¡± had not come to fruition.


    Regis continued scanning the streets, noting that there were at least four guards every city block. Compared to the chattering crowd, the guards stood with stiff, straight backs.


    ¡°A little overkill, if ya ask me,¡± Hal muttered, his own gaze sweeping over the guards. ¡°Poor saps look like they¡¯re about to shit themselves.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but I can understand the city¡¯s caution. These are rather unusual circumstances.¡± Regis peered over the heads of the passersby to make out the store signs. There were likely more people on this single street alone than there were in all of Magburg or Canedge, he mused. He found himself enjoying the bustle of the city. The air was alive with a certain rush of life that could only be found in places as densely populated as this.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that?¡±


    Regis turned to where Hal was pointing, the angel¡¯s taller height giving him a better view of the area. Further down the street, a crowd had gathered around some sort of cloth-covered contraption set up in the center of the road. A few tables had been laid out beside it with shining wares that he couldn¡¯t distinguish from a distance, and he could see a line had formed beside what appeared to be a thick canvas stretched out like a curtain in front of the device. Regis raised an eyebrow. He didn¡¯t recognize that contraption, nor could he begin to piece together its purpose. Was it a new creation of the past twenty years?


    Curious now, Regis stepped closer to the gathering, Hal behind him. Up close, he could see that the tables had small pieces of glass and metal laid out atop their surfaces. A human worker was busy arranging the odd pieces, metal and glass clinking as she moved them into perfect rows.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    The worker jumped, nearly dropping the current metal plate she was holding. She quickly set it down before looking up.


    ¡°Oh! Sorry, I didn¡¯t see you there, I¡ª¡° Her voice halted as her gaze landed on the two. Her eyes flitted between them, simply staring for a moment as if she didn¡¯t know where to look. Regis watched in amusement until the human seemed to catch herself in the act and quickly cleared her throat.


    ¡°Sorry, er, how can I help you?¡±


    Regis gestured to the odd device. It was fairly tall, a little shorter than a human, and he could now see that the line of people was waiting to step in front of it. One person, a half-elf based on his ears, moved to the front and stood perfectly still.


    ¡°Forgive me for disturbing you, but I was wondering if you could tell me what that is. I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve ever seen anything like it.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Oh, that! It¡¯s a camera!¡± she exclaimed giddily. She held up one of the metal squares. On closer inspection, an image appeared across its surface, though it did not appear to have been engraved or painted on. Regis wondered if some sort of magic was involved.


    The human pointed to the second table, where a few trays and bottles of liquid sat. ¡°It¡¯s all the rage right now, Sir Henry¡¯s a master at the art!¡± She reached below the table, pulling out a pamphlet and handing it to the demon. ¡°This goes over all the steps. If you want, you can line up to get your photograph taken too!¡±


    Regis immediately scanned the paper. There was no magic involved at all, it turned out, the process instead involving various combinations of liquids that resulted in the images appearing on those metal and glass pieces. He was impressed; the entire thing seemed quite complex.


    ¡°Fascinating,¡± he said. He nodded at the images laid out on the table. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re in a bit of a hurry, but would I be able to purchase one of these?¡± Though he was admittedly curious to see the process done in person, he suspected Hal¡¯s [Beyond Perception] trait may not apply to these ¡°photographs,¡± if it functioned by altering the viewer¡¯s perception. He¡¯d rather not test if that applied to secondary sources as well.


    ¡°Of course!¡± She stepped aside and gestured to the table. After a quick scan, Regis selected one of the glass images and, after hearing the price, took out the corresponding number of coins to pay.


    Once the purchase was done, Regis bid the woman farewell and continued down the road, still studying the glass piece in his hand. He¡¯d liked them more than the metal ones, enjoying the way the image shifted depending on its background. This particular piece depicted a bird surrounded by a few stray feathers.


    ¡°So?¡± Hal asked, attempting to squint at the glass image. Regis handed the pamphlet over to the angel, who quickly read through it. He frowned. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s it? You could do the same thing with magic. That thing¡¯s not even in color.¡±


    Regis chuckled and carefully placed the piece in his bag for safekeeping. ¡°Perhaps, but I find it quite charming.¡±


    Hal didn¡¯t seem convinced, but he shrugged and let the topic go. Instead, the angel peered around the busy street. ¡°Where¡¯re we heading, anyway?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to purchase a few more supplies while we¡¯re here,¡± Regis explained. They were very quickly running out of undamaged clothing to wear, and their current attire did not match their falsified backgrounds. ¡°After that, I was planning on visiting the city archives.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    Regis smiled. ¡°A bit of futureproofing, you could say.¡±


    <hr>


    Aldrend¡¯s archives were situated in the center of the city. Here, the buildings grew taller and narrower, stretching upwards towards the sky. Separate smaller paths were paved along the sides of the street, freeing up space on the road for passing carriages.


    The archives themselves were located in a solid stone building constructed with wide arches and narrow stained glass arrows. A few guards stood outside the entrances now that the building was closed, but it had been fairly easy to slip inside during the day, when the doors were open, and linger inside until after dark. From there, they¡¯d simply needed to navigate to the room containing the information Regis wanted, and a simple use of [Rot] was enough to break through the locks.


    The demon flipped through the current book he was holding. Its cover was old, the pages worn and coated with a layer of dust. His eyes rapidly scanned the words inside before he shut it, set it down, and reached for the next one. Hal sat at a table across the room, lounging back on his chair. They¡¯d been there for at least two hours already.


    ¡°This is taking forever,¡± the angel complained. Regis raised an eyebrow, shutting his current book and reaching for the next one.


    ¡°If you¡¯d like it to go faster, you could assist me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re looking for. And I can¡¯t see in the dark.¡±


    Regis paused at that. He glanced up, peering at the angel through the darkness. His wings appeared particularly stark in the thick shadows of the room. ¡°You can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± He pronounced the ¡®p¡¯ with a pop. ¡°Stopped being able to a few years back. I guess if you regrow your eyes enough times, eventually they come back in a little fucked up.¡±


    The demon was quiet for a moment, processing the words. ¡°I see,¡± he finally said. He turned to the next page, cocking his head in thought. ¡°Did the System not provide you with some sort of darkvision trait?¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± Hal squinted at Regis. ¡°What, did you get one? Aw, that¡¯s no fair.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s likely based on species, though I can¡¯t begin to understand how it picks and chooses what traits to assign.¡± He set the current book down as well and glanced around the room. A thin stream of dim moonlight filtered in through the single narrow window, illuminating the space in a hazy glow. At this point, he¡¯d nearly gone through all the shelves on his side of the room. Once he was done with them, he¡¯d move on to the other half.


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    ¡°As for what I¡¯m doing,¡± Regis continued, ¡°I¡¯m searching for noble families that fit a certain set of criteria.¡± He pulled out another volume from the shelf. ¡°As we gain influence and renown, our backgrounds will likely be scrutinized more heavily. Our current excuse has worked thus far, but I do not want a situation to arise where our identities are compromised simply because we did not put enough forethought into our false backgrounds.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Makes sense, I guess.¡± Hal cocked his head. ¡°So, what, we¡¯re gonna pretend to be nobles? I thought we were gonna stick with the scholar thing.¡±


    ¡°The two aren¡¯t mutually exclusive, and a noble background will give us access to more spaces in the future.¡± Regis finished looking through the last book on his side of the room and turned to face Hal. He nodded at the angel, gesturing to the stack of books on the table beside him.


    ¡°Could you hand me one of those?¡±


    In response, Hal promptly grabbed the topmost volume¡ªa thick leather-bound book that was nearly the size of his head¡ªand raised it up so that its pages were parallel to Regis. He then opened it and flipped through the pages rapidly, giving the demon just enough time to absorb the information on the pages. Regis paused, taking a moment to mentally sort through his memory of the text.


    ¡°Please turn back to page 437.¡±


    Hal raised an eyebrow, but did as asked. The demon stepped closer to study the page in depth. On one side was a family tree with a noble house crest inked in the corner. The adjacent page, on the other hand, contained a few lines of text detailing the history of the family, their manor location, and a few of their accomplishments. Regis tapped the page. ¡°This one,¡± he said.


    Hal leaned closer, squinting to try and make out the text in the dim moonlight. ¡°Sinclair,¡± he read out loud. ¡°Looks like some minor house.¡±


    The demon nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what makes them ideal.¡± He moved his finger over to the brief history, painfully sparse compared to some of the other houses listed in the volume. ¡°They held more influence in the past, but fell to ruin as they suffered continuous financial losses. Four years ago, the manor was attacked by bandits and the entire family decimated.¡±


    ¡°Which means no one around to call our bluff,¡± Hal finished. Regis smiled.


    ¡°Precisely.¡± He tilted his head, studying the noble crest and committing it to memory. ¡°This will be particularly useful once we reach the mainland. The people there likely will not know much about a minor house from the Serpent Isles.¡± He reached into his bag and pulled out the pen he¡¯d taken from Cyrus¡¯s home. ¡°I doubt they will question the grieving sole survivor and his personal bodyguard.¡±


    Regis carefully pressed the tip of the pen to the page to edit the family tree and history. Hal shot him a grin. ¡°What, am I not good enough to be a noble too? Not even a buddy from the academy or whatever?¡±


    The demon smiled at that. ¡°I simply thought it would match your personality more.¡±


    Hal raised an eyebrow. ¡°Aw, Reg, you calling me dumb?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Regis said smoothly. ¡°I would not enjoy speaking with you so often if you were not intelligent. But you seem to enjoy acting more foolish than you are, and this will allow you to maintain that preference.¡±


    A few beats passed as the angel processed the words. Finally, he snorted. ¡°Well, you got me there,¡± he said.


    Regis chuckled and made the last few necessary adjustments to the page. If, in the future, someone did decide to dig deeper into their false identities, they would find records of them here in the capital of the Serpent Isles among other records of noble lineages.


    Now that his task was done, Regis glanced outside the window. The sky was dark outside, only a sliver of the moon visible through the narrow gap, but he guessed it was fairly deep into the night. He nodded at Hal. ¡°Would you please help me place these books back? Once we¡¯re done, we can leave.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye,¡± Hal said with a lazy salute. He rose from the chair, wings fluttering a few times behind him, and moved over to the first stack. Regis had set them down in the same order as they were on the shelves, so it was simply a matter of transferring the books over.


    ¡°We heading to that Reginald guy¡¯s place tonight? Or are you gonna test your new official identity and send him a letter or something.¡±


    The demon shook his head as he carefully set the books back. ¡°I did some reading on High Mage Reginald. In addition to being a collector, he seems rather prideful and reportedly enjoys attention a fair bit. I imagine it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to send a letter to him requesting a meeting, but that would leave behind a paper trail.¡±


    ¡°Sooo¡­ breaking in?¡± Hal¡¯s voice was hopeful, and Regis chuckled at his clear enthusiasm.


    ¡°That is indeed an option. His manor likely will not have many guards, though I suspect there will be a number of runes set up that may prove troublesome to deal with.¡±


    The angel glanced over at him. ¡°Well, what else¡¯re we supposed to do then?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to meet him at his manor.¡±


    Hal opened his mouth to interrupt, likely to point out that Regis had just ruled out that option, but the demon continued before he could raise his question.


    ¡°We will not need to send any letters,¡± he explained. He turned to face the angel. ¡°High Mage Reginald need only believe the meeting was scheduled.¡±


    <hr>


    The next morning arrived with little fanfare. During their exit from the archives, [Demonic Senses] had leveled to 2, and Regis could indeed feel that his senses were slightly sharper than before. In the end, it had been nearly as easy to leave the archives as it had been to enter, and they¡¯d found an unassuming inn to stay the night while they waited for the next day.


    Regis rose first. He slipped into some of the new clothes they¡¯d bought the previous day, then pulled out a few of the potions he¡¯d taken from Markus¡¯s home. He carefully inspected the liquids inside, uncorking a few to confirm that their scents were correct. Finally, he was left with two bottles: one containing a thick, deep maroon liquid and the other the remaining phoenix tears that he¡¯d used partially to enter Hal¡¯s prison.


    The demon removed one of the empty flasks they¡¯d purchased and set it down, pouring half of the dark maroon liquid inside. He gave it a moment to settle, a few bubbles rising to the surface but eventually evening back out. Finally, he took the phoenix tears and carefully poured in a few drops. They fell into the red, and the surface of the liquid sizzled slightly. Regis immediately stoppered the lid and gave it a few swirls, allowing the two liquids to mix together. Phoenix tears and the preserved blood of a mage in the midst of drawing from the Pulse. Blended like this, they created a solution that could temporarily obstruct access to the Pulse. Given the small amount of phoenix tears he¡¯d used, this would only slow a mage down, but he did not think they would need more. This was merely a precaution.


    Regis closed and returned the potions back to their original location, then placed the new mixture into the pouch hanging from his belt. None of the information he¡¯d gathered on High Mage Reginald led him to believe he would be particularly difficult to deal with, especially not when they would have the element of surprise on their side, but he would not underestimate a magic user. He¡¯d taken the potions from Markus; it was only fit to use them.


    The wooden floorboards of the inn creaked behind him, and Regis turned to see that Hal had woken up. Despite not needing sleep, the angel mimicked human grogginess remarkably well. He gave an exaggerated yawn.


    ¡°We ready to go?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, I believe so.¡± Regis rose from his chair and nodded at the clothes and armor laid out atop the dresser. ¡°Once you¡¯re done changing, we can proceed to the White Cliffs. We should reach the manor in less than an hour.¡±


    Hal shot him a thumbs up and shuffled over to the dresser. In the meantime, Regis performed another check of their supplies. As he did so, he felt his heartbeat quickening. He paused. Was this how humans experienced anticipation? It was rather similar to the sensation felt when in danger or during a fight, he thought. It was true, however, that he was more excited to continue on than he¡¯d previously thought. Once they had access to the magic components in the High Mage¡¯s manor, they would be able to perform the trace spell, and he might finally begin to find answers to his questions thus far.


    Behind him, he heard some clanging as Hal slipped the breastplate on. Regis silently summoned his status screen, once again observing that odd, translucent light that seemed to defy reason.


    Soon, he thought. Soon he would know the truth.


    <hr>


    Aldrend was located fairly close to the coast. Not long after they¡¯d left the city, Regis spotted distant waves crashing into the shore in a constant pushing and pulling motion. The waters surrounding the Serpent Isles had always seemed a lighter color to him compared to regions like Cannia or Rhovgar. They glistened in the sunlight, sparkling more brilliantly than polished gemstones. The wind was stronger here as well, and he enjoyed the cool sensation on his skin. The Isles were known for their beauty, and it was a reputation well deserved in his opinion.


    ¡°Hey, I think I see the manor.¡±


    Hal was squinting ahead, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the bright sunlight. He¡¯d fully changed into the clothes they¡¯d purchased, which included a few simple pieces of armor that wouldn¡¯t impede his movements, but would mimic the look of a guard¡¯s uniform. His current clothing more closely resembled what he¡¯d worn during the war, Regis thought, if not for the axe he carried by his side and his bandaged, wrapped wings.


    Up ahead, the dark silhouette of a sprawling estate stretched across the horizon. Regis could make out an expansive building sitting inland from the sharp cliffside. The ground sloped upwards, placing the manor on higher elevation, which added to its grandeur. The demon raised an eyebrow as they approached the building. Reginald¡¯s reputation, it seemed, was rather accurate.


    Regis stepped forward. A few stones had been laid out in a line leading towards the front of the manor. There, two guards stood on either side of the heavy wooden doors. Regis nodded at them as they approached, smiling pleasantly.


    ¡°Good morning. Is High Mage Reginald present?¡±


    The one on the right blinked at him. He appeared half-asleep while the other guard looked bored. Neither one seemed to harbor much positive feelings for their charge, Regis noted. He also hadn¡¯t seen any other guards around the perimeter of the manor, though there were indeed a number of runes lining the walls meant to deter intruders. They would not, however, have an effect on guests freely welcomed inside.


    The guard on the left grunted and jerked her head at the door.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s in there. Just knock.¡±


    Regis took a step forward, raised his fist, and tapped against the door. The knocks echoed slightly, ringing around the massive interior of the home. A few beats of silence passed, but finally, he heard a faint shuffling coming from inside. Soon the doors swung open, revealing a middle-aged human with a scraggly beard dressed in what appeared to be sleeping robes. He looked rather disgruntled.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he said, his voice containing the signature hoarse rasp of someone who¡¯d just been awoken from their slumber. Regis smiled pleasantly at him and bowed.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Sir Reginald,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for agreeing to meet with me today. I know it¡¯s quite early; I hope we didn¡¯t disturb you.¡±


    The mage blinked at him a few times. His brows furrowed, and he glanced first at Regis, then at Hal standing silently behind him. Regis could practically see the gears turning in the man¡¯s mind as he assessed the demon¡¯s clothing, noting the expensive fabric forming a practical design with a few tasteful accents. His gaze then moved again to Hal, clearly dressed in a guard¡¯s uniform.


    ¡°Did I¡­agree to meet you?¡± He sounded confused.


    Regis made a sympathetic noise. ¡°Yes, I sent a letter about a month ago. With the amount of mail you receive, it would be easy for a simple interview like this to slip your mind. I can¡¯t imagine how many people wish to speak to a war hero like yourself.¡±


    Reginald¡¯s chest puffed up slightly at the praise. ¡°Yes, well, what can I say. I was just doing what¡¯s right.¡± He peered at Regis again. Not all the suspicion had left his eyes yet, though he did seem less annoyed than before. ¡°And you said you¡¯re here for an interview?¡±


    Regis smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a scholar studying the war. I was hoping to gather as many firsthand accounts as I could find, if you would be willing to impart some of your knowledge.¡± He took a step forward and abruptly grabbed the man¡¯s hand. He jumped, startled, but the demon immediately activated [Amplify Vice]. He selected pride as he continued speaking.


    ¡°I truly can¡¯t thank you enough for this. You¡¯re by far the highest ranked member on the Hero¡¯s side that was willing to speak to me. Your recountings will be crucial for my research.¡±


    The mage¡¯s eyes shifted, the same gleam passing through their surface that he¡¯d seen first on the man in the square and then in Lora. Slowly, a wide smile spread across Reginald¡¯s features.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve certainly got plenty of stories to share!¡± He opened the door wider. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come inside?¡±