Bryce was now keen to learn more about the demons invading this world.
"We know that the origin of these creatures is not of this world," Joy explained, "which means the laws of this world do not fully apply to them. They are here to destroy and to satisfy their desires."
"Since their first appearance, humanity has been studying them while fighting and defending against them. We have been studying their movement patterns, their weaknesses, and their strengths."
Bryce waited patiently, though inwardly he was eager for her to get to the main point.
"There are different levels of these outward creatures. The first level, Level 1, are wandering spirits. They are not dangerous, nor do they attack. Most of them are not necessarily demons, just spirits and ghosts."
She paused before continuing.
"Think of it this way, the wandering spirits found a door to a new world and walked through it. Now they roam freely. Because they are harmless, we choose not to interfere with them. So, if you are outside the citadel, you will easily spot them."
"Do any of you have questions?" Joy asked.
One of the students raised a hand.
"Yes, Theo. What is your question?"
Theo stood up. "Level 1 or not, they came from another realm. So why don't we just kill them? They don't belong in this world."
He had voiced exactly what Bryce was thinking.
"Level 1 spirits are harmless and weak, which makes them easy to destroy," Joy replied calmly. "But we are not demons, somethings need to separate us from them. Not everything from the other realm is evil."
She continued, "Now onto Level 2 demons. These creatures have minds of their own and are highly destructive. They attack anything in sight. They are driven purely by destruction and lack higher intelligence."
"Compared to the levels above them, they are not particularly strong. That is why Level 2 demons hunt in groups. Finding one alone is rare."
"How strong is a Level 2 demon exactly?" Gabriela asked, glancing at Bryce, who looked back at her.
That had been Bryce's exact question. It was as if she had pulled the thought straight from his mind.
"At the level most of you are currently at, taking on a single Level 2 demon would not be a problem," Joy answered. "However, when they attack in groups as they usually do, it becomes challenging."
"When I say the level you are currently at, I mean that any Enlightened One can handle a Level 2 demon on their own."
She moved on. "Next is Level 3. This is where things become serious. Like Level 2 demons, they thrive on destruction, but they think differently."
"In short, they possess intelligence comparable to humans. And they are far stronger, much stronger than Level 2 demons."
Without Joy needing to say it outright, most of the students understood that they were not yet capable of facing such creatures. Still, not everyone accepted that.
"So, if we encounter a Level 3 demon, we should avoid confrontation?" Jace asked.
"Exactly," Joy replied. "At the stage you are in now, you are not meant to fight them. If you encounter one, retreat. If you are forced to fight, if the demon attacks, then you must attack in groups."
Bryce frowned slightly. At his current strength, even Level 2 demons were his limit. That wasn't enough. He needed more. Much more.
"Level 4 demons are rare," Joy continued. "Their power has not been studied thoroughly because most Enlightened Ones who encounter them do not survive to report it."
"The little we know is that they are extremely powerful. They are bound to specific locations, what we call domains."
"What do you mean by domains?" Bryce asked, finally speaking.
"That's a good question, Bryce," Joy said. "The only two Level 4 demons encountered so far were found in specific locations. Places in our world that the demon transformed into its domain."
"Within that domain, the demon's power becomes immeasurable."
She continued, "These demons rarely leave their domains, which is sometimes a blessing. Their domains are difficult to locate."
"One more thing, Level 4 demons can take human form. However, they cannot fully hide what they are. Their energy exposes them. They cannot truly deceive anyone."
Bryce thought about Level 4 demons. They were dangerous and deadly. But if he encountered one, it might hold the answers he was looking for.
That meant one thing, he had to become strong enough to face one.
"One last thing about the demon hierarchy," Joy said. "They follow a strict chain of command. Level 4 demons can easily command lower-level demons except Level 1 spirits or ghosts."
"The same applies to Level 3 demons. They can command Level 2 demons."
"And with that," she said, "that concludes what you need to know about demon levels."
Zhen slowly stood. "What about Level 5 demons?" he asked. "Some of the books I've read mention them, but you didn't."
He sat back down after speaking.
"Yes, Zhen," Joy said. "I left them out intentionally for now. But it won't hurt to mention them briefly."
The room grew tense. Many of the students hadn't even imagined a level beyond Level 4.
"There are indeed Level 5 demons," Joy continued. "However, there have been no sightings of them."
"There have been no sightings because they have not entered our realm."
"All we know is this, Level 4 demons act as their lackeys, carrying out their will in our world so that they do not need to come themselves."