Chapter 26: Demons Appear
Perhaps in later generations, as time passed, her thoughts would gradually calm down, and while occasionally extreme, she would restrain herself.
But the current Serie remained too young.
Many of her thoughts displayed themselves openly without reservation, raw emotion flickering across her features like flames that hadn't yet learned to hide behind careful masks.
This differed a bit from her future self.
Kurtz still preferred the later generation's Serie, who, despite speaking more and more extremely, still performed gentle actions beneath her harsh words.
"It's alright," Kurtz said, rubbing Serie's small head.
"Whatever you want to do, I'll be with you."
The warmth of his palm against her hair sent an unfamiliar flutter through her chest, one she quickly pushed aside.
Serie shook her head, her expression displeased: "Don't touch my head!"
This temporary human grew more and more presumptuous.
The casual intimacy bothered her in ways she couldn't quite articulate, not because she disliked it, but because she didn't dislike it enough.
He had hugged her in the tent before, which was one thing, but now he dared to touch her head whenever he wanted.
Serie didn't even dare to imagine what bold actions he would take if this continued.
'I need to give him a serious warning, Hmph'
Despite feeling somewhat displeased with Kurtz's head-patting, Serie had to admit that it had greatly alleviated the anger in her heart.
The gesture carried a strange power, not magic, but something more human and inexplicable.
Perhaps even if the war truly ended, witnessing this man invent various spells would prove wonderful.
To see what other impossible things he might create with that brilliant mind of his.
The only pity was that his life lasted too short.
She would not find satisfaction with just a mere hundred years.
'He'll live for just decades'
The thought struck her with unexpected force, leaving a hollow ache she'd never experienced before.
An inexplicable feeling arose in her heart, and Serie couldn't quite describe what kind of emotion it was, as she had never experienced it before.
It felt like watching something precious slip through her fingers before she'd even had the chance to hold it properly.
Or perhaps it was just her imagination.
Serie comforted herself this way in her heart.
However, just then, an unexpected change occurred. Kurtz suddenly felt a pang in his heart, sharp and urgent, like ice water flooding his veins.
Because he had slightly modified his warning spell before, once someone triggered the magic, his "Great Detection Spell" would automatically activate.
Now, the automatically activated magic array showed dozens of red dots appearing around them, rapidly approaching from all directions like a closing fist.
"Everyone!" Kurtz suddenly stood up, his voice cutting through the night air, "Something's coming!"
Fortunately, he had extended the warning range to two hundred meters earlier, giving everyone ample time to prepare.
Serie instantly entered combat mode, invisible magic power beginning to condense around her like gathering storm clouds.
"How many are there?"
Since Kurtz had already activated the magic array, Serie did not intend to cast another detection spell.
Let him provide the information, the tacit agreement of many days allowed Kurtz to understand Serie's thoughts immediately.
"At least thirty, and the number keeps increasing!" Kurtz's voice carried a weight that made everyone's blood run cold.
Currently, the number of these monsters concentrated temporarily on the east and west sides, but in the next second, all the warning spells on the outskirts of the camp triggered in rapid succession.
"We're surrounded." The words left Kurtz's mouth like stones dropping into still water.
Kraft and Somo immediately became alert and quickly moved closer to the two, their weapons already drawn.
"There's no time to pack up; this number of monsters must have a Demon commanding them." Kraft's sword sang as it left its sheath, "Somo, you protect Kurtz!"
Among their group, only Kurtz possessed somewhat weaker combat ability, and moreover, he constantly cast detection spells to provide information to everyone, so he naturally needed protection in the middle of the group.
"Run to the right!"
Hearing Kurtz's instruction, Serie led the way, her movements fluid and deadly.
After only a few steps, she encountered monsters blocking their path, twisted things with too many teeth and eyes that reflected the moonlight like black mirrors.
She directly unleashed a series of Light Arrows, piercing through all of them with surgical precision.
Kraft swung the longsword in his hand with practised ease, the blade singing through the air as it cut a pouncing monster in half.
Dark blood sprayed across the ground, hissing where it touched.
"Run towards Gemir Forest; a remaining barrier exists there."
Gemir Forest had previously served as a gathering place for fairies, but as wars continued in the mythical era, the fairies left this world, abandoning their sanctuary to darker times.
But the barrier remained, a testament to magic more ancient than even Serie remembered.
This barrier could prevent monsters from entering, which also explained why that human tribe could stay in Gemir Forest.
Dwarf Somo, who handled covering the rear, swung the battle-axe in his hand with devastating force.
Illuminated by the moonlight, the battle-axe gleamed with a cold light, and he repelled all the monsters that rushed forward, their inhuman shrieks echoing through the darkness.
At the same time, Kurtz, protected in the middle of the group, didn't remain idle either.
While extending the detection spell's range to its limit, feeling the magical drain like ice in his veins, he also took the time to cast a few Light Arrows to help eliminate any missed enemies.
Several of them had clearly formed a small team with a deadly understanding, each movement flowing into the next.
As Serie unleashed another powerful Light Explosion, the magic tearing through the night like a miniature sun, she created a gap in the monster horde ahead.
Kurtz quickly seized the opportunity. "Three o'clock… no, the northwest direction, break through there."
Although the explosion created a gap, the number of monsters remained overwhelming, a tide of gnashing teeth and claws that threatened to drown them.
If they didn't continue attacking, this gap would quickly close.
So Serie's magic power erupted again, raw and beautiful and terrible.
A huge pillar of light crashed down like divine judgment, vaporising dozens of monsters instantly and illuminating a dark figure on a distant mountaintop.
"That's the Demon controlling them." Kraft's keen eyes caught the silhouette against the night sky.
Kurtz looked up; the figure hid in the night, and its appearance remained unclear, but from its shape, it seemed to be human-shaped.
He estimated the distance, about a hundred meters, possibly beyond the attack range of Light Arrow.
But before Kurtz could even try a Light Arrow, the figure disappeared like smoke dispersing in the wind.
"Be careful!"
As if to confirm his warning, a grotesque monster suddenly sprang out in front of them.
It opened its lamprey-like mouth, rows upon rows of needle teeth gleaming wetly, and actually swallowed Serie's magic into its body.
Clearly, it was another monster specifically designed to counter mages, an abomination born from cruel intelligence.
"I'll do it!"
Somo raised his battle-axe and charged forward, his war cry echoing off the trees.
He brought the weapon down with crushing force; the moment the battle-axe struck, blood splattered out in dark arcs, and the flying droplets splashed onto Somo's armor.
Kurtz sensed something wrong, an acrid smell that made his nose burn, and quickly pulled Somo back.
At this moment, white smoke rose from the armor where the blood had touched.
Just a little bit of the creature's lifeblood had corroded the surface beyond recognition, eating through steel like it was parchment.
Fortunately, he pulled him back in time; otherwise, Somo's armor would have corroded even more severely.
Blocked by this monster, everyone stopped in their tracks for a moment.
The night seemed to press closer, heavy with malice.
And in the darkness, dozens of crimson eyes lit up like burning coals.
The Demon seen earlier slowly walked out of the shadows, its presence making the air itself feel thick and wrong.
It stood as a humanoid creature nearly two meters tall, with sickly pale grey skin that seemed to drink in the moonlight.
Two twisted horns grew from its forehead like a crown of bone and spite.
"Elf, Dwarf, and… unknown race, a novel combination." The Demon's voice carried no emotional fluctuations, flat and dead as winter stone.
But for some reason, its gaze was fixed on Kurtz with unsettling intensity.
Serie had no intention of communicating with the creature and directly shot a Light Arrow, the magic crackling with her barely contained fury.
But the opponent easily dodged it, moving with fluid grace that mocked their efforts.
The Demon waved its hand with casual dismissal, and dozens of monsters rushed out from the darkness like a living nightmare given form.
Serie instantly released a dazzling aura, her magic blazing like a star, turning the first few rushing monsters into ash and memory.
Then, she raised her hand again, power coiling around her fingers, and a dense rain of Light Arrows poured down.
In response, the Demon likewise cast a spell, and a black barrier bloomed before it, darkness meeting light in a clash that made the air itself scream.
This revealed the terrifying aspect of the Demon Race.
They could also learn magic, corrupting it with their touch.
They could also learn martial arts and other skills to make themselves more powerful, turning every art of creation into an instrument of destruction.
At the same time, Kraft suddenly launched a surprise attack from the side, his blade seeking the gap between confidence and guard.
The Demon leader hastily dodged, but the sword's edge still struck it.
Fresh red blood flowed from its side, too red, too bright, like liquid rubies in the moonlight.
But it proved not fatal, only causing the Demon some minor injury and a flicker of something that might have been surprise across its humanlike features.
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