“That’s… that’s impossible…” Tucker’s face twisted with horror as the demon took a step forward. “Didn’t we kill it?”

  Alex fell silent. He knew for certain the attack was fatal and that there were no signs of life in the demon’s body. So, how was it possible for it to recover that quickly? Was it because of the object he caught a glimpse of? He stared at Tucker and gestured for the rookie to pick up their fallen comrade before drawing his sword. With a loud crash, Alex sent a slash of energy at the entranceway of the tunnel causing the stones to break free.

  “We’re leaving. We have what we need, so stay close.” Alex locked eyes with Tucker, who quickly nodded as their face turned pale.

  The rumble of collapsing stone fell as the entrance to the chamber caved in. With little time left, they sprinted deeper into the darkness of the passageways, but just as they reached an intersection. A thunderous explosion erupted behind them, splitting the air as the demon tore through the blocked entrance with an unrelenting force no mortal had seen. The force of their outbreak hurled stones and jagged rocks after them. Narrowly striking their exposed figures as the projectiles flew past.

  Desperation flickered in Alex’s eyes as his gaze locked with the demons. In another futile attempt to buy time, the old man released another slash of flames towards the ceiling behind them. Igniting the surface and caving in the section between them and the demon.

  “Shit! Will that slow it down?” Tucker hit the ground running as his breathing grew more ragged and uneven.

  “No clue, kid, we’ll have to see!” Alex gazed behind him with an anxious light in his eyes as they continued sprinting down the sewers. The rookie was close on his heels, but a sense of unease gripped his heart.

  Just as the tunnel fell silent, the sound they feared the most filled their ears once more. With a deafening roar, the blockade exploded with rubble scattering like shrapnel. They had a clear sight of the demon, enraged with its muscles tensed beyond belief. The demon crushed the cobblestone floor with every step, its cleaver held high like a battering ram

  “We can’t outrun it.” Alex’s stern voice caused a flash of worry to surface in Tucker’s eyes. “We need to delay it. It’s the only way we’ll escape.”

  “Delay it? How the hell are we going to do that!” Tucker retorted.

  “I’ll buy you some time—”

  “Hell no!” Tucker shot down Alex’s suggestion and swallowed his saliva once he heard this, but soon he had an idea. Gale was flying several meters ahead of them, scouting the route for them, and normally, they would move along the safest path. However, that wasn’t necessary. “Follow me!”

  Alex raised a brow as they made a sharp turn at the intersection. He immediately sent an attack at the ceiling, destroying the section as the rubble came down. Soon, he saw a large group of heavily armored guards before them. It clicked in his head what Tucker wanted to do, but it would be a miracle if it worked. Their large rectangular shields were interlocking one another as they lowered their spears in their directions, forming a tight-knit shield wall.

  We won’t be able to easily pass them.

  As Alex thought this, he watched Tucker gathering mana within the soles of his boots and running at an angle up the circular walls. He swiftly passed the human barricade, causing the soldiers beneath him to stare in awe. It was the first time he had ever seen feather step used in such a situation, and he immediately increased his momentum.

  The veteran ran along the walls of the tunnel and quickly passed the shield wall. He looked over his shoulder as the soldiers raised their aura in unison. They fully devoted their attention to the stampeding demon, watching its blade create long gashes within the walls. With a roaring clash, screams and battle cries could be heard behind them as they raced to the exit.

  There was only one way out that they knew of, and it was the way they came from. The guards swarming the sewers had formed groups and were now approaching the direction of the battle. All they had to do was reach the exit and escape towards the Dwarven stronghold. Yet no matter how far they ran, the stone tiles quaked as something drew closer.

  “Is that thing really still chasing us?!” Tucker looked back, watching a group of soldiers rush into the tunnel leading towards the chamber. Soon, their limbs were blown back as the demon peered over the corner. Its body was riddled with blade marks and impaled with broken spears. It released a deafening howl that shook the entire area before frantically charging at them.

  “How much further are we from the exit!?” Alex asked.

  “Probably five minutes!” Tucker’s arms felt like lead at this point. They had been running nonstop while strengthening their body with aura, even if they made it out of the sewers. They were still hours away from the dwarven stronghold. “But what do we do about the encampment? We won’t be able to sneak past them!”

  “That’s fine. We don’t need to sneak past them this time,” Alex replied with a smirk. “We’ll bring this bastard straight to them.”

  Tucker’s eyes widened in shock for a moment, but he soon nodded. The iron grate was in front of them, and with one simple push, it fell over as they rushed out from the sewers. In a split second, Alex picked up their ghillie suits before setting the nearby bushes on fire. He quickly threw it over his cloak, barely securing it while running towards the rolling hills with Tucker doing the same.

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  It was an open field to the encampment and whether they had enough energy to make it out of there was another story. Each step felt heavier than the last. Alex glanced at Tucker, whose pace had decreased. He could tell that the rookie was struggling to keep up, and he was in a similar situation. They were both heaving as though the air was too thick to inhale. From the trails of sweat that fell down their face, stinging their eyes and blurring their vision, it would be a miracle to make it past the encampment unscathed.

  Alex took Owl without hesitation from Tucker’s grasp, praying that the change in weight would make a world of difference for the rookie.

  “I’m... fine...” Tucker’s words came out spaced between his breaths, and a dazed look filled his eyes. He took several deep breaths to soothe his mind. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll make it.”

  Alex stared at Tucker with unease but nodded. He had no choice other than to trust his words. They both dashed towards the encampment, drawing the attention of several patrols. Gale did what it could and conjured a gust of wind to propel them forward. However, hot on their trail was the demon that destroyed the headwall with a single swing. Stepping forth into the sunlight for the first time in centuries.

  A look of ecstasy filled its expression. It held out both arms and embraced the sunlight while grinning. The demon felt joy at the warmth that hit its skin, but soon, its eyes scanned the area. Right before falling onto the two watchmen sprinting across the field. It had a contract to fulfill. One that it had agreed to complete once it had been brought into this world. Even though the other two that were in the tunnel had escaped far before them. They were already marked for death. It would find them eventually.

  Seeing the flames to the side, the demon grinned and held the bloody cleaver over it. Slowly, the embers crawled onto the blade and engulfed the weapon. The world around it faded to black once more, with grey and white outlines of figures throughout the area. Its foes were clever, using other mortals as fodder to buy time so they could escape, but sheer numbers meant nothing to it. The longer it remained in this realm, the closer it got to its true strength.

  With a single swing of its cleaver, a line of flames surged forth. Cutting down the trees in its path as the attack shot forth. Flames engulfed the land and smoke billowed into the air. With anticipation, it waited to see if the two would be severed in half, but to its dismay, they narrowly avoided the attack by diving into a ditch. It grinned while licking its lips. The hunt would be too easy if they had fallen for a strike of that caliber. The cleaver rested on its shoulder as it took a step forward.

  Alex and Tucker felt the hair on the back of their necks stand. They rose from the ditch and turned towards the walled city. A look of disbelief filled their faces. The demon had twenty spears within its body with broken shafts and countless scars. Its hand was still missing, but it had peeled the flesh from its wrist back and sharpened the bone to form a new weapon.

  The rookie stood there in shock. “Is that thing fucking immortal?”

  “Who knows? But if there’s one thing I know for sure. It’s that those guys in the encampment won’t sit still.” Alex pulled Tucker beneath the cover of the foliage. Both of them huddled over Owl’s body, concealing him with the thick vegetation from their suits.

  Soon, the ground trembled beneath the synchronized rhythm of hundreds of boots striking the ground in unison. The two watchmen glanced over the ridge of the trench. Soldiers were marching out to meet the demon in the open field. The patrols from the outer perimeter were closing in, but they weren’t focused on them. Their sole focus was on the demon that released an unrelenting amount of killing intent like a thick fog that seemed to wither whatever it touched.

  As row after row of figures advanced towards the city, the blades of grass crunched beneath the soles of their boots. Their armor made a soft metallic sound as they marched with their weapons, swaying with each step. The sheer mass of soldiers felt like an unstoppable force, demonstrating the empire’s military prowess. Yet the demon welcomed the challenge. It leaped off the ground, crossing the distance in an instant. As it landed, the ground cracked, and a force of wind burst forth from the center of impact. The soldiers stood there in shock, not expecting the foe to charge head-first into them.

  But before they could react, the demon swung its cleaver through the air, striking their shield wall with all its might. Each strike of the demon sent countless bodies into the air, and in retaliation, many soldiers pushed in, using the opening to thrust their weapons into the fiend’s flesh. But to their horror, their weapons failed to pierce through its skin. With its spear-like arm, it impaled three soldiers who recklessly charged at it and crushed another beneath its foot. The ashen skin turned a bright crimson as blood stained it, making its ghastly appearance even more prominent during its rampage.

  Seeing the carnage before them, the watchmen quickly moved towards the encampment. Tucker could hear the screams and sounds of battle even from this far away, but now the demon was no longer their problem. They carefully evaded the soldiers who were sent out to reinforce the main army and climbed over the makeshift walls. Staring at the near-empty encampment as the majority of its forces sallied to fight the fiend, leaving only servants and stable masters left behind.

  “We’re going to take their horses and escape,” Alex said.

  “But what about the servants?” Tucker asked.

  “We’ll deal with them like normal. They’re war personnel, so it’s expected that they’ll put up a resistance.”

  Tucker nodded and closely followed Alex as they dashed through the encampment. The empty tents and gazes from afar caught his attention, but it didn’t matter at this point whether they were detected. The demon was keeping most of the army stationed here busy, and from the chaotic symphony being played beyond the walls, they could tell it was a desperate battle in the field.

  The old man carried Owl over his shoulder, and as they approached the stable, Tucker drew his blade. The servant had noticed them long ago and was cowering in fear. Yet the moment Tucker took a step forward, the stable master immediately sprinted away. Faster than any person Tucker had ever seen before.

  “Well, not much resistance there,” Tucker said, shrugging his shoulders.

  “That’s better for us.” Alex fastened the saddle to the horse and swiftly mounted the beast. “Take a horse, and let’s get the fuck outta here.”

  The rookie nodded and mimicked the veteran’s actions while mounting another horse. He gazed at the open gates and held onto the reins of his mount. With a light tap, his horse raised both of its forelegs above the ground and then hit the ground with a powerful gallop. Leaving a cloud of dust as it kicked off the path.