Not just Davenlak—the other squad fighters, seeing Reyn, couldn't hide their astonishment.
Some didn't know him personally, but all had heard. On his first day in the Demon Extermination Squad, he'd severely injured the second squad's captain, Drism. Everyone knew he was very strong, comparable to a mid-level superhuman, but no one imagined he'd be this powerful!
Holding off a siege of hundreds of demons, not just surviving but seemingly unscratched.
A miracle!
For a moment, all eyes fixed on Reyn with curiosity.
Even his squadmates—Hargrove, Milton, and others—looked at him like it was their first time, realizing how unpredictable their comrade was.
"Reyn, what happened here?" Davenlak suppressed his surprise and demanded an explanation.
So many demons in Longsand—this was a first in his service.
In his memory, over the last century in Longsand, no more than ten demons appeared at once, let alone three hundred corpses in this warehouse. An extraordinary incident that would surely alarm the duke himself.
While questioning, Davenlak didn't forget business: he ordered two plant priests from his squad to aid Pollock and Frida.
Plant priests' healing rivaled regular priests'. Soon, they treated all wounds; the injured looked much better.
Their lives were safe, but after severe injuries, they were very weak.
Reyn pointed to Trevichi's headless body and replied:
"He fell, hid for months, and opened Abyss Gates."
"Abyss Gates!"
The squad gasped in unison. Though they suspected it, hearing it from Reyn still terrified them.
Abyss Gates were a painful, indelible memory for all sentient races.
Each appearance brought legions of demons. Like a burst dam, the demonic flood swept everything, killing, burning, harvesting souls. Even if destroyed eventually, the colossal damage was irreparable.
Over time, Abyss Gates expanded, spawning stronger, more numerous demons.
Only immediate destruction prevented catastrophe.
Davenlak paled sharply, heart racing.
If these Abyss Gates hadn't been found in time, if allowed to grow and burst open fully in Longsand, the consequences were unthinkable.
Though Longsand was protected by a holy soul mage, and one set of Abyss Gates couldn't destroy it, the damage would be immense—who knew how many would die to demon claws.
Fortunately, they were destroyed!
Davenlak felt fear, then relief, then anger and bafflement:
"Where did Trevichi get the Abyss Crystal?"
He'd spotted the black-green crystal on Trevichi's corpse right away.
"That's the question intriguing me too," Kenji approached and introduced himself: "Your Excellency Supreme Captain, I'm Kenji Rockefeller, Vice Chairman of the Mechanics Guild. Trevichi was my subordinate. He hid for months, using guild resources to gather materials, build a rune array, and open Abyss Gates."
He paused, face grave.
"But our Mechanics Guild definitely has no Abyss Crystals. He couldn't have gotten that forbidden item through the guild."
Abyss Crystals were the number one forbidden item for any race, in any Ellunes state.
Trading, research, or any use was strictly banned; immediate destruction required.
Possessing an Abyss Crystal was the gravest crime—treason against homeland and race. Anyone could execute the bearer on sight.
Davenlak eyed Kenji, doubt lingering.
Reyn hurried to explain:
"Mr. Kenji also fought in this battle and helped us destroy the Abyss Gates."
"Thank you, Your Excellency Vice Chairman, for your aid," Davenlak's face softened. "We'll handle this matter."
He approached Trevichi's corpse, picked up the palm-sized Abyss Crystal, examined it seconds, then crushed it in his iron gauntlets.
Boom! The Abyss Crystal shattered into countless fragments, scattering across the ground.
But that wasn't enough.
Davenlak summoned a squad fighter, ordered him to dig up the soil layer where the shards fell, carry it to the docks with the dirt, and dump it into the Ferreglen river.
Kenji bid Reyn farewell, retrieved his mechanical armor, and left hastily. He needed to return to the Mechanics Guild, address the incident's fallout, and prevent damage to the guild's reputation.
Soon, the Public Security Bureau chief—a legendary magical swordman—arrived at the docks upon hearing the news.
A large group of guards came with him. Seeing the demon-corpse-filled warehouse, their faces twisted in horror. Pinching noses, they began cleaning the scene.
At the dockside warehouse, Reyn recounted the events in detail.
No one else around; Pollock and Frida had been rushed to Public Security Bureau for further treatment.
Only two listened: Davenlak and Public Security Bureau chief, Felion.
Felion looked like an elegant middle-aged aristocrat. He was slim, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, with a richly decorated rapier hanging from his belt. His hair was impeccably styled, and neat "eight" mustaches adorned his upper lip. His face was calm, he spoke unhurriedly, giving the impression of a man confident in any situation—a true gentleman.
Reyn didn't dare use the Eye of the Soul to examine the chief, fearing unforeseen consequences.
He told everything: from receiving the message and starting the investigation, to discovering this warehouse with the help of a magoanalyzer from the Mechanics Guild and the battle that had just ended.
He didn't hide anything intentionally.
He only simplified the description of the demon extermination process a bit, attributing part of the credit to Kenji, a high-level mechanic, thereby somewhat downplaying his own role.
After all, he'd only become a superhuman two months ago, and possessing such incredible power would be hard to explain.
After listening to Reyn, Felion remained outwardly calm.
He gave Reyn a glance and suddenly asked out of the blue:
"Steel Body?"
Reyn froze for a moment, then nodded slightly, admitting:
"Yes."
He wasn't surprised by this, knowing it would come out sooner or later. Surviving surrounded by that many demons unscathed could only be done with an extremely powerful defensive element.
Felion, being a legendary superhuman, had no trouble recognizing "Steel Body."
"Interesting," Felion smirked. "A first-level mage with an excellent element, and 'Steel Body' to boot. No wonder you survived. Even I'm a little envious."
"I just got lucky," Reyn replied with a modest look.
Davenlak, standing nearby, was stunned by contrast. He stared at Reyn for several seconds before snapping out of it and exclaiming:
"I told you you were some kind of weirdo! The day I first saw you, I immediately thought you looked like an Iron Guardian! Turns out you have the 'Steel Body' element!"
"Damn, you're a mage, and you have 'Steel Body'..."
Davenlak's expression was indescribable. He looked at Reyn with a mix of envy and annoyance, not knowing what to say.
As a former Iron Guardian and now Steel Knight, Davenlak dreamed more than anything of having the "Steel Body" element.
Alas, excellent elements were extremely rare; he'd seen them only a few times in his life.
He had several defensive elements and immense strength, but none of it compared to a single "Steel Body."
If "Steel Body" had appeared in another Iron Guardian or a representative of another close-combat class, Davenlak would have just envied them. But it went to a mage!
Though Reyn was a combat mage who could fully utilize the power of "Steel Body," Davenlak still felt awkward, offended, and incredibly annoyed.
If not for Felion's presence, he would have immediately challenged Reyn to a duel to test the "Steel Body" defense himself and vent his pent-up irritation.
Felion thought for a moment and said:
"This matter is definitely not simple."
"A superhuman curse is not uncommon. Casters fall every two or three years. But for a fallen caster to obtain an Abyss Crystal and open the Abyss Gates—this can't be explained by mere coincidence."
"If this Trevichi hadn't been accidentally exposed, running out of time and hastily opening the Abyss Gates ahead of schedule, the consequences could have been unpredictable."
Felion's face grew serious.
Reyn and Davenlak also darkened; they'd thought of that too.
Trevichi's curse, his acquisition of the Abyss Crystal—the whole chain of events was very likely secretly orchestrated by someone.
Obviously, it was a conspiracy aimed at Longsand, that is, at the Silver Star Duchess.
Reyn immediately thought of the Shadow Blade and the large number of evil god followers who'd recently hidden in Longsand.
Was it their doing?
If so, how did they make Trevichi fall?
Did they intentionally wound Trevichi, tempt him to fall, and then hand him the Abyss Crystal?
Reyn also recalled one important detail.
House Trevichi was also on Chamli Street, not far from Sir Ebly's house, whom he'd recently exposed—just a few hundred meters away. Very likely, the two knew each other, which was why Trevichi was chosen as the fallen one to execute the plan.
What goal were these evil god followers pursuing?
Reyn pondered intensely.
If he hadn't tracked Trevichi today, and he'd successfully opened the Abyss Gates at full power, summoning a huge number of demons, how would events have unfolded?
Countless demons would ravage Longsand, sowing fire and death everywhere, plunging the whole city into chaos.
As Longsand's ruler, the Silver Star Duchess would undoubtedly have to throw all her forces into destroying the demons, including the Silver Armors Knights Order, the Secret Flame Guard, and all the mages from the Mage Tower.
Undoubtedly, the duchess herself would have to intervene personally, leaving the Mage Tower.
At that thought, Reyn shuddered inwardly.
A mage in their Mage Tower and a mage outside it were two completely different forces.
In Ellunes, killing a holy soul mage controlling a Mage Tower or floating city was as hard as killing a god. No one had ever succeeded.
And the Shadow Blade's plan was precisely to lure the Silver Star Duchess out of the Mage Tower!