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Chapter 8 - Departure amid chaos

After selecting Ivan's weapons and a few other essential items—like a compact artifact that could cook meals with any ingredients, self-repairing spiritual garments, and a high-grade disguise mask—Hugo handed Ivan one final object.

It was a necklace, ornate and ancient, pulsing faintly with protective energy.

[Item Name]: Heart of Protection

[Item Type]: Necklace

[Effect]: Passively defends the user from enemy attacks five times

[Note]: Each use requires a 12-hour cooldown

"Son, did you memorize everything I taught you?" Elena asked, crouching in front of him.

"Yes, Mother," Ivan replied softly.

"Remember, never trust anyone at face value. Be cautious of everyone you meet—and under no circumstance should you reveal your identity," she said, her voice tinged with fear.

Hugo added in a solemn tone, "Always wear the mask I gave you. No exceptions."

At that moment, Yuna stepped forward and placed a storage ring into Ivan's hand.

"Little brother, take this. You'll find it useful one day."

Lina followed with a mischievous smile. "And I left a surprise in the ring. Open it later—you'll understand."

Their teasing and light banter brought a brief warmth to the room.

Hugo and Elena exchanged soft smiles, cherishing the brief moment of familial peace. If only this warmth could last forever… but in a world like theirs, happiness was always fleeting.

Suddenly, Hugo's bracelet on his right wrist began to glow faintly. Crafted from an unknown material, it was a communication artifact—activated by spiritual imprint and energy.

Sensing the signal, Hugo narrowed his eyes and quietly stepped out of the room. Only Elena noticed his departure, and her concern deepened.

"Butler Fubo," Hugo greeted, channeling his spiritual sense into the bracelet.

"Master," came the old butler's voice, tense and grave, "The situation has taken a dire turn."

Hugo's expression darkened. "What did our spies uncover?"

Fubo didn't hesitate. "The demon army has launched a full-scale assault. Border cities are under siege. We've received confirmation—they've mobilized tens of millions."

"What?!" Hugo's breath caught.

"The Spirit Academy has already dispatched elite students to provide support," Fubo continued, "but it may not be enough. The cities are barely holding on."

"What of His Majesty? Has the Emperor given orders?"

"The Emperor remains in deep seclusion. In his absence, the noble houses have gone rogue—oppressing civilians, executing anyone who dares oppose them. Chaos reigns."

Hugo's face turned grim.

"Several powerful cultivators among the commoners have started to rise up, forming their own factions. The cities are fragmenting. Order has collapsed in many regions. And in the royal court… well, it's a bloodbath. The few remaining loyalists to the Emperor have been silenced or imprisoned on fabricated charges."

"If His Majesty doesn't emerge soon, the kingdom will fall apart," Fubo concluded darkly.

Hugo clenched his fists. "What are the princes doing? Isn't it their duty to stabilize the kingdom?"

"Master…" Fubo hesitated. "The first and second princes are the source of much of this chaos. Their power struggle is tearing the empire apart."

"And the third prince?"

"He was sent to a border city for military training. But with the current demon assault, he's completely cut off from the capital. He won't make it back in time."

Hugo sighed deeply, sorrow clouding his features. "If my father were still alive, we wouldn't be in this mess…"

Fubo hesitated again before delivering the next piece of news.

"…Master. We've just confirmed that one of the northern border cities has fallen."

"…What?" Hugo's voice was almost a whisper.

"Over twenty million citizens… are dead. Slaughtered by the demons."

The color drained from Hugo's face. His knees nearly buckled. He leaned against the wall, heart pounding.

"How… how could this happen?"

"There were over half a million soldiers stationed there. Spirit Academy elites. A fully activated city-wide defensive formation... It should've held for at least half a day!"

"There must have been a traitor," Hugo growled, eyes flashing. "Someone high up—close to the city lord, or perhaps the lord himself."

Fubo was silent for a long moment. Then: "That is our assessment as well."

A cold shiver ran down Hugo's spine. His breath came heavy, his palms damp with sweat.

Who would betray humanity like this?

Who could live with so much blood on their hands?

Hugo re-entered the chamber. The others were laughing gently with Ivan, trying to ease his departure.

But the moment Elena saw Hugo's face—pale, trembling, his shirt soaked in sweat—her heart sank.

"Honey… what happened?" she asked softly. "Did you go for a run or something?"

Hugo offered a bitter smile. "Not quite. But it's nothing to worry about… We need to focus on getting Ivan to safety."

Elena frowned, but she didn't press further.

The world hadn't been the same since the cataclysm five years ago.

In a single night, everyone who had broken through the mortal rank vanished.

No clues. No traces.

Just… gone.

Panic swept the world. The extraordinary rank and above represented the peak of power—rulers of nations, defenders of peace.

Why would they abandon everything? Why disappear without a word?

Some believed a taboo existence had awakened, one that devoured any who reached too high.

From that moment on, no one dared attempt a breakthrough. The world's development came to a halt.

A few arrogant geniuses still tried to ascend… but every one of them vanished, just like the rest.

In those days, the demon continent had been sealed away—isolated by all the intelligent races of the world.

Demons were naturally stronger, requiring four to five cultivators of equal rank to kill one.

So the races had united to seal them off… until the day of the cataclysm.

With the extraordinary ranks gone, the seal was left vulnerable. The Demon King seized the opportunity.

By sacrificing dozens of peak ninth-rank demons, he shattered the seal.

Ten years of breeding had filled the demon continent with overwhelming numbers.

Now, they had returned—and they brought war.

Hugo's decision was final.

He would send Ivan to the Western Continent—the only region still relatively stable.

The kingdoms of the west had formed a rare alliance, uniting all races—elves, dwarves, druids, golems, and others—into a fortified defensive pact.

No human had ever traveled that far due to the immense distance.

The only option was to build a massive teleportation array.

But with resources scarce, they had only managed to construct a one-way portal, capable of transporting a person halfway.

To complete the journey, the traveler would land in the middle of the sea, and only those with extraordinary rank could survive the journey.

But no one had reached extraordinary rank since the disaster.

And Ivan… was only five years old.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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