Chapter 138: The First True Battle
The tension from the demon's cryptic warning still lingered in the air.
Kael hadn't slept.
Neither had Vasaria.
Nor Raithon.
Nor any of them.
Because no matter how much they tried to dismiss it—the demon's words clung to their thoughts like a curse.
"You'll understand soon enough."
But understanding didn't come.
Only war did.
The next morning, the squad set off once more.
Their path led through the Black Ruins, an abandoned region swallowed by time—crumbling fortresses, skeletal trees, and an eerie silence that refused to break.
Saria Velmora frowned. "I don't like this place."
Thalric, her brother, adjusted his grip on his glaive. "You don't like any place that isn't the capital."
Saria shot him a glare. "I mean it. This place is… wrong."
Kael noticed it too.
The mana in the air was unnatural.
Dense. Heavy.
Like something had been building here.
And then—he heard it.
Not a sound.
Not a whisper.
But a pulse.
A single, deep, slow heartbeat.
Kael's entire body tensed.
"Stop," he ordered.
The squad froze.
And then—the ground erupted.
A black claw shot out from the earth.
Then another.
Then—dozens.
Violet-red eyes flashed in the darkness, fanged maws stretching into unnatural grins.
The demons rose from the ground, their bodies shifting and contorting—some humanoid, some monstrous, some far worse.
And they were waiting for them.
Saria cursed. "A trap!"
Raithon drew his blade. "Form up!"
Thalric spun his glaive, his golden eyes glowing. "We fight!"
Kael didn't hesitate.
"Vanguard—engage!"
Three massive demons lunged toward Kael at once—Abyssal Hounds, creatures of shadow and raw hunger.
Kael activated his Gravity Sigil.
The air collapsed inward, pulling the demons down with a force that shattered stone.
He followed up—Crimson Sigils igniting along his blade.
With a single slash—the first demon's head was gone.
The second snapped at his leg.
Kael twisted, dodging just as Vasaria appeared in a blur, her dagger sinking into the beast's throat.
She grinned. "You're slow."
Kael exhaled. "You're annoying."
The third Hound reared back—preparing to breathe a jet of abyssal fire.
Kael reacted instantly.
Arcane Chains.
Golden runes lashed out, binding the demon's jaw shut.
Then, with a single movement, he drove his sword through its skull.
The creature twitched.
Then fell.
Three dead.
Dozens more remained.
Raithon's longsword flashed in the dying light, severing a demon's arm before it could land a blow.
The creature screeched—but he didn't stop.
With ruthless precision, he impaled it through the heart, yanking his sword free just in time to block another strike.
Blood coated his silver armor.
His face remained cold.
These were monsters.
And Raithon did not tolerate monsters.
The Velmora twins fought back to back, their attacks seamless.
Thalric's glaive spun, carving through demon flesh with brutal efficiency.
Saria danced between the gaps, her daggers moving too fast to follow.
A demon lunged for Thalric's throat.
Saria caught it mid-air, twisting its head with a sickening snap.
They fought without hesitation.
Without mercy.
Just like they were trained.
A demon charged Vasaria.
She didn't dodge.
She let it come.
The moment its claws reached her, her body flickered—
And she was behind it.
The creature froze.
Then—its body split in half.
Vasaria licked a drop of blood from her lips.
"Not enough," she murmured.
Another demon lunged.
She laughed.
And disappeared once more.
The battle raged, the ground slick with demon blood, the air thick with mana and death.
But for every demon they slaughtered—
More emerged.
Kael noticed it first.
Their numbers weren't decreasing.
They were increasing.
And then—
A deafening screech split the air.
A new presence entered the field.
One that made even the demons halt.
Something stronger was coming.
Kael exhaled.
"Here we go again."