Once the time came, both groups moved with utmost caution and complete silence toward their respective destinations. As they approached the wall, the air grew heavier, making it harder to breathe, while a chill ran down their spines.
When they were just a few meters away, they noticed the eerie number of skulls scattered all around the base of the wall.
"Shit… This could be us soon," Tharion whispered to Reik, terror clear in his voice.
"Quiet. Let's keep moving," Reik replied.
Upon reaching the wall, both groups exchanged a glance that made it clear—it was time to climb. With utmost care and without making a single sound, they began their ascent, feeling the weight of the dense atmosphere pressing down on them with every movement.
They had to scale the wall using only their hands, as they had no tools to help them reach that height. Fortunately, the structure had enough ledges and cracks for them to grip, making the climb somewhat easier.
Fain was the first to reach the top of the wall, where he spotted a demon seemingly guarding that side. However, the creature didn't appear to be very alert, so Fain decided to wait for the right moment to take it out. Fortunately, it wasn't like the demon from the forest—this one was a lesser demon.
Everyone remained completely silent, waiting for the perfect moment to eliminate the demon quickly. Seconds later, the demon turned around, and Fain seized that brief window. With incredible speed and stealth, he struck the demon, driving the dagger into its head and killing it without making a sound that could alert the others.
"Alright, I'll destroy the magical artifact now. Keep watch and make sure no demons come," Fain said to his group.
While Fain's group kept an eye out for any incoming demons, he approached the magical artifact. It was considerably large, and its surface shimmered with a soft lilac hue—almost like the reflection of a spring sunset. The color seemed to shift with the light, as if it held a hidden power within its shades.
He couldn't afford to waste any more time, so he gripped the dagger with both hands and plunged it into the artifact. As soon as the blade pierced it, the artifact shattered into hundreds of pieces that fell to the ground with a loud crash. Fain hadn't expected it to disintegrate so easily, nor to break into so many fragments—as if it were made of paper.
"Shit, stay sharp, guys—just in case something comes," Fain said.
The noise was heard by two demons patrolling the wall. They looked at each other and quickly headed toward the spot where the artifact had been.
"They're coming this way… We can't let them find out the artifact's been destroyed. If they do, they'll raise the alarm. We have to take them out before they can alert the others," Fain said.
When the two demons arrived, they saw the artifact shattered on the ground. However, before they could shout to raise the alarm, Fain approached one of them from behind, covering his mouth with one hand while cutting his throat with the dagger in the other. At the same time, the other three teammates tackled the second demon, and despite the tension and nerves, they decapitated him before he could utter a single word.
Unfortunately for them, another demon suddenly appeared. Upon seeing the scene, he opened his mouth and shouted in fury:
"Humans! Humans! They're attacking us!"
Without wasting a second, Fain lunged at him with speed. He struck him in the face, knocking him onto his back, and before the demon could react, Fain expertly slid the dagger across his neck, silencing him instantly.
"Let's get out of here right now! Retreat!" Fain ordered.
But the shout had alerted their companions, who quickly moved into action.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall, Reik and his group also heard the cries and realized that something had gone wrong.
"We've failed... Get out of here!" Reik said while destroying the magical artifact with the dagger.
"And you? Do you plan to stay here? Are you crazy?" Laira asked.
"They've only discovered Fain and his group, they don't know we're here. I want you to run right now. I'm going to try something... This is our last chance to get out of this unscathed!" Reik said.
"Stop with the nonsense, let's go already," Laira said.
"Trust me, I made a promise and I'm not going to break it. Please, do it and get out of here right now," Reik replied firmly.
"Laira, let's go. Let's trust Reik, he surely has a good plan," Tharion said.
Laira, with a sad look, joined Tharion and Sarep to descend from the wall and leave the area, while Reik moved forward carefully, trying not to be discovered. As he advanced, he spotted a basement door.
Could the slaves be here? Reik thought.
With difficulty, Reik managed to open the door and descended into the basement. Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall, Fain's group had already managed to escape, except for him. He couldn't do it because they appeared before he could get down the wall, and he had to buy time for the others.
"Fain? Are you okay?" Kiran said, concerned, looking up at the wall.
Kiran began to climb again to get back on the wall when he saw that Fain wasn't coming down or responding.
"Go, don't worry about me!" Fain shouted while struggling to defend himself from several demons.
Still, Kiran kept climbing; he wasn't going to leave Fain behind when he was willing to risk his life for everyone.
"Get down, don't climb up! We should take the chance to escape!" Lior said.
"You go!" Kiran replied. "I'm not letting Fain die. If you want to escape, go now."
Lior and Zarek didn't hesitate for a second to leave their companions behind and leave. Meanwhile, Kiran reached the top of the wall again, and what his eyes saw left him astonished.
He observed how Fain was fighting against four demons at the same time. Although they were lesser demons, it was an inhuman feat. But what amazed him the most was that Fain had already eliminated five others, who lay on the ground surrounded by a pool of blood.
"Kiran, I told you to leave!"
"I'm not leaving you behind!" Kiran replied, as he lunged at one of the demons and cut off its arm.
Together, they easily took care of the four demons, but there was no time for celebration, as more demons were rapidly approaching.
"Follow me," said Fain, kicking open the door to their right.
Kiran didn't hesitate for a second and followed Fain inside. Everything around them was metallic, and a long hallway stretched in front of them. They ran down it quickly, and when they reached the end, they came across three paths: one to the left, another straight ahead, and the last to the right. Without thinking, Fain stepped forward and turned left, before the demons could catch sight of them.
"Humans, where are you? When we catch you, you'll wish you never came," said a demon, laughing.
Fain and Kiran continued running, while Reik was in the basement. The place was dark, filthy, and smelled of decay. It was barely visible, thanks to the torches that lit the hallway. He grabbed one of them and began his search for the slaves.
As he moved forward, he saw a door slightly ajar. When he opened it, terror reflected in his eyes at the macabre scene before him.
"What... what is this...?" Reik murmured to himself.
Inside, blood covered every corner. Arms, legs, and heads from dozens of people lay scattered on the floor. The sight was so horrifying that he couldn't help but vomit.
When he tried to take a step back, he slipped and fell to the ground. His body trembled, and his mind couldn't stop imagining what would happen to them if they were captured alive…
Suddenly, footsteps echoed near the basement door. Reik had no time to react, and seconds after hearing the steps, a demon appeared before him. But this wasn't just any demon.
"Hello, boy. I see you've found my testing room..." the demon said with a malicious smile.
As soon as Reik saw the demon, he immediately knew it was not like the others. It exuded an overwhelming presence, an unknown power that instilled paralyzing fear. He himself understood that he wasn't ready to face such a creature, but the terror that overwhelmed him was so complete that he couldn't even move.
"You're smart, I see you've noticed the difference in strength between us. I'll have fun with you... I have great ideas for experiments with you," the demon said, laughing.
Reik remained motionless, paralyzed by fear. The demon's presence pressed down on him with an indescribable force, as if the air itself had become heavy around him. But he wasn't planning on being captured, especially not alive, after what he had seen.
"I'm going to send you back to hell again, you bastard!" Reik shouted, drawing his sword.
"Well, don't get all worked up, kid. You have nothing to do against me. Such manners, I even forgot to introduce myself. I'm Sergoth, but they also call me the Torturer. You'll soon see why," the demon said, introducing himself.
"You're the one in charge here, right?" Reik asked.
"Bingo!" Sergoth replied with a smile.
Suddenly, Reik lunged to attack Sergoth, but in the blink of an eye, he vanished before his eyes.
"Too slow. If you want to hit me, you'll have to do it much faster and better," Sergoth whispered in Reik's ears from behind him.
With a swift movement, Reik made a sword strike backward, but it was useless. Sergoth's speed was astonishing, and he reappeared right behind Reik. With a kick, he sent him several meters away, and Reik crashed into the metal wall, leaving the mark of his body on the metal.
Reik stood up, furious with himself for how weak he felt. He no longer felt fear; rather, a rage filled him, angry at his own weakness before the demon. He gripped the sword's hilt tightly and looked at Sergoth with a determined gaze.
"Well, well, shall we continue? I'll love to see you completely defeated when I'm done with you. There's no greater pleasure for a demon than watching the face of terror of a human..."
Sergoth was a demon who, at first glance, didn't seem any different from the others, but that appearance was merely a facade. Inside, he harbored a power far superior to that of the lower demons, which allowed him to rule the valley with authority. His passion for torture and experiments with humans made him an even more feared creature.
"How will I defeat him? I can't even land a sword strike on him..." Reik thought.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't find a way to defeat him, at least not in his current state. He was between a rock and a hard place.
"If you don't attack, I will..." said Sergoth, charging at him with full speed.
He brutally struck Reik's abdomen over and over again, leaving him breathless. Before Reik could react, the demon delivered a devastating blow to his ribs, breaking several of them.
"Am I going to die...? Is this where it all ends? Am I really this weak?" Reik thought, feeling rage.