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(James's POV)
I've been walking north for three hours now, the Der Spear feeling heavier with each step. Not physically, the weight that bothers me is the knowledge that every word I speak, every location I visit, is being monitored by Oria.
The volcanic landscape gradually shifts as I move deeper into her territory. The familiar red rock gives way to darker stone, and the air grows colder despite the heat from below. Strange ice formations dot the terrain, unnatural in this hellish realm.
Then I feel it. A massive surge of demonic energy from ahead, violent and chaotic. But this isn't Oria's power. This is something else entirely.
I extend my enhanced senses, now capable of detecting disturbances up to 400 meters away. What I find makes my blood run cold.
Ten demons. No, eleven. And they're all converging on my position.
A new panel materializes in my vision, red and urgent:
"Warning: Unstable surge of demonic aura detected. Connection disrupted."
The telepathic link through the Der Spear suddenly cuts out, leaving me in blessed silence. Whatever's happening ahead, it's powerful enough to interfere with Oria's magic.
I try to calm my shaking hands.
'Just another massacre, plus a game of hide and seek. Let's see who wins.'
From the corner of my eye, I spot movement. A dark blue demon with crystalline spikes jutting from his shoulders approaches from the right, flanked by two lesser creatures that are more beast than demon. Their eyes glow with predatory hunger.
I pull my bone shield and Der Spear from inventory, the familiar weight reassuring in my hands. The shield shows wear from previous battles, but it's still functional.
I strike the spear against the shield, the sound echoing across the volcanic terrain.
"Come here, pathetic demons" I call out, activating my taunt ability.
The two beast demons' eyes flare red, their primitive minds overwhelmed by rage. They charge mindlessly forward, but the blue demon remains unaffected, watching with calculating eyes.
'Good. Lets deal with the fodder first.'
I coat the Der Spear with demonic energy, causing it to glow with red light. The enhanced weapon hums with deadly power.
The battle begins as the first demon lunges towards me.
I use the spear's superior range to my advantage, the enhanced tip piercing through his tough hide and muscles. The creature shrieks but doesn't fall, these things are tougher than they look.
The second beast uses my moment of engagement to pounce from the side. I raise my shield just in time, the impact rattling my muscles. The creature's barbed stinger strikes the shield, creating a cracks and leaving a small hole.
'The shield won't last much longer.'
I respond with a shield bash, the reinforced bone striking the creature's skull with a satisfying crack. It staggers back, momentarily stunned.
The first beast, still impaled on my spear, tries to use its catch my arm. I twist the spear viciously, causing it to shriek in agony, then pull free and drive the point through its skull.
+45 EXP
The second beast recovers from its stun and lunges again. This time, I'm ready. I use the shield to repeatedly bash the creature, each impact accompanied by the sound of breaking bone. Even after it stops moving, I continue the assault until nothing remains but scattered bone fragments and brain matter.
+45 EXP
The bloodthirsty smile spreads across my face as I pull the spear free. But I remain vigilant, the blue demon is still out there.
*Crack!*
I barely raise my shield in time to block a whip strike. Looking closely, the weapon is made from bones, small, delicate bones that could only come from infants. The spikes along its length are razor sharp and dripping with some kind of venom.
'Monster infants... or worse, demon infants.'
The distinction matters in this realm. Demons possess intelligence from birth, making them the apex predators of the Abyss and parts of the Netherworld. Monsters, on the other hand, are savage creatures driven by pure instinct, easily manipulated but dangerous in numbers. Only in rare cases do monsters achieve true power, like the legendary Abyssal Hound, the only non demon to achieve sin status.
The blue demon attacks again, his range advantage keeping me at bay. I try to close the distance, but he's too skilled. More cracks appear on my shield with each strike.
Then he exhales deeply.
Ice breath erupts from his mouth while his whip continues its relentless assault. The bone shield begins to crumble under the dual attack, and a thin layer of ice forms on my hands, numbing my fingers.
'Time to get creative.'
"Bone Manipulation," I whisper, focusing my power.
Spikes erupt from the front of my shield, growing like twisted thorns. The demon's next whip strike tangles in the bone spikes, exactly as I planned. He tries to yank it free, but I won't let him.
I charge forward, using 'Shoulder Charge' combined with 'Shield Bash.' My timing is slightly off and instead of hitting his head, I strike his hands. But the bone spikes impale his palms and stomach, and I twist the shield to intensify the pain.
With my free hand, I drive the Spear into his chest.
*Swoosh!*
*Splurt!*
Blood sprays across my face as the spear goes through his ribcage. He tries to grab the weapon, but I'm faster. I yank it free while kicking him back, his body is now riddled with holes.
Desperately, he uses his ice breath on his own wounds, trying to stop the bleeding. The smell of desperation fills the air.
'A temporary solution to his inevitable doom.'
The demon starts to mumble something.
I concentrate, enhancing my hearing to catch his words.
"I'm sorr...y... I was...not stro...ng en...ough..."
Suddenly his eyes snap open wide and he starts screaming in pain. But this isn't physical pain, it's coming from his head, his mind.
'I'm not taking any chances.'
I coat the Spear with demonic energy and activate 'Precise Throw.' The enhanced weapon streaks forward like a comet, piercing through his skull and continuing for another ten meters before embedding itself halfway into a large stone.
'Damn, that's a bit overkill.'
+120 EXP
I touch the demon's body, watching it dissolve into red smoke as my inventory processes it.
But I leave the Der Spear where it is, embedded in the stone.
The telepathic connection is severed anyway, and I have no intention of giving Oria a way to track my movements once it reconnects. Let her wonder where her precious gift ended up.
That's when I notice the fluctuations of demonic energy from ahead, about 480 meters north. But these aren't the controlled burst of a single powerful demon. This feels like a battle between titans.
'Two high level demons fighting? In Oria's territory?'
The power levels involved are staggering. I can feel the residual energy even at this distance, and it's making my teeth ache.
I quickly open my status panel and select the battle reward, a Stealth skill which I've wanted for a while now.
"Stealth (Passive/Active): Blend with environment. Reduces detection chance by 40%.
Active use: Complete invisibility for 10 seconds.
Cost: 60 MP"
'Perfect.'
I activate the skill and feel my presence diminish, my form blending with the volcanic landscape. Time to make a strategic withdrawal.
'Fighting against high level demons? Hell no.
I'd be killed by the residual energies of their attacks alone.'
As I retreat, using my stealth to avoid detection, I can't help but feel a sense of relief. For the first time since acquiring that cursed spear, my thoughts feel truly private again. No more surveillance and my every word being monitored, no more careful consideration of my location.
Something big is happening in Oria's territory. Something that involves powers beyond my current ability to handle.
But that will change. I'm learning, growing stronger with each battle. The panel I possess, is giving me advantages that other demons don't have.
'I'll remember you, Oria. And when I'm strong enough, I'll show you what happens when you try to leash the Wanderer.'
As I make my way back toward my cave, I can't shake the feeling that I've stumbled onto something much larger than a simple territorial dispute. The panel, the artifact, the Hierarchy, and now this battle between demon lords...
All the pieces are connected somehow. And I'm going to figure out how.
The red moon watches silently as I disappear into the volcanic landscape, my stealth skill keeping me hidden from whatever powers are reshaping the political landscape of the Abyss.
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Status Updates:
Level: 5
EXP: 1210/3200
New Skill: Stealth
MP: 180/330 (Stealth activation cost)
Current MP Regeneration: 12 MP/hour
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