Chapter 26: The Demon Appears
In later ages, the passage of time would likely temper her extreme views, and while they might still surface occasionally, she would learn to control them. But the Serie of now was still too young, her thoughts and feelings often worn openly on her sleeve.
This wasn't like her.
Rhodes preferred the Serie of the future, the little Grand Master whose words were as sharp as a blade, but whose actions were always gentle.
"It's alright," Rhodes said, gently stroking her head. "Whatever you want to do, I'll be there with you."
Serie shook her head, a displeased look on her face. "Don't pat my head!" This fleeting human was getting more and more presumptuous. It was one thing to hold her in the tent, but now he was patting her head whenever he felt like it. If this continued, she didn't dare to imagine what other bold actions he might take. She had to give him a stern warning.
But, despite her displeasure, Serie had to admit that his gesture had soothed a great deal of her anger. Perhaps, even if the war did end, it would be just as exciting to watch this man invent all sorts of new magic. The only pity was that his life was so short. A mere hundred years was not nearly enough to satisfy her.
A strange, unfamiliar feeling welled up in her heart. Serie couldn't quite identify what it was; she had never experienced it before. Perhaps it was just her imagination. She tried to console herself with that thought.
But just then, a sudden, unexpected event occurred. A jolt of alarm shot through Rhodes. He had modified his alarm spell; if it was triggered, his 'Greater Detection Spell' would automatically activate. Now, the automatically activated magic circle was showing dozens of red dots, rapidly closing in from all directions.
"Everyone!" Rhodes shot to his feet. "Something's coming!"
Fortunately, he had extended the alarm's range to two hundred meters, giving them plenty of time to prepare.
Serie instantly entered a combat stance, invisible mana beginning to coalesce around her. "How many?" Since Rhodes had already activated his magic circle, she didn't bother to cast her own detection spell. They had developed a tacit understanding over the past few days; she would let him provide the information.
"At least thirty, and their numbers are still increasing!" Rhodes's voice was grim. At the moment, the beasts were concentrated to the east and west. But in the next second, all the alarms on the perimeter of their camp were triggered.
"We're surrounded," Rhodes said, his face instantly turning pale.
Kraft and Somme were immediately on high alert, quickly moving to close ranks with them.
"No time to pack. An attack of this size must be commanded by a demon," Kraft said, drawing his longsword. "Somme, you protect Rhodes!"
Among the four of them, Rhodes was the weakest in terms of combat ability. And since he was currently maintaining the detection spell, providing them with crucial information, he needed to be protected.
"To the right!" At Rhodes's direction, Serie led the way, and after a few steps, they encountered a group of magical beasts blocking their path. She unleashed a continuous barrage of light magic, piercing through them all.
Kraft swung his longsword, cleaving a lunging beast in two.
"Head for Glimmerwood! There's an ancient barrier there," Kraft shouted. Glimmerwood had once been a settlement for fae, but with the endless wars of the Age of Myth, the fae had left this world, leaving their barrier behind. The barrier could prevent magical beasts from entering, which was the main reason the human tribe had been able to survive in the forest for so long.
Somme brought up the rear, swinging his battle-axe. The weapon glinted coldly in the moonlight, and all the beasts that charged at him were repelled.
In the center of their formation, Rhodes was not idle either. While keeping the detection spell at its maximum range, he also found time to fire off a few light arrows to take down any stragglers. The four of them had already formed a well-coordinated team.
With another powerful blast of light from Serie, a gap opened up in the horde of beasts in front of them. Rhodes seized the opportunity. "Three o'clock... no, northwest! Break through there!"
Even with the gap, there were still too many of them. If they didn't press the attack, the opening would quickly be filled. Serie's mana flared again, and a massive pillar of light crashed down, vaporizing dozens of magical beasts and, for a brief moment, illuminating a dark figure on a distant mountain peak.
"That's the demon controlling them," Kraft said, his eyes sharp.
Rhodes looked up. The figure was shrouded in darkness, its features obscured, but its form was humanoid. He estimated the distance to be over a hundred meters, likely beyond the range of his light arrows. But before he could even try to take a shot, the figure vanished.
"Be careful!"
As if to prove his warning, a strange, grotesque monster suddenly leaped out in front of them. It opened its lamprey-like mouth and actually swallowed Serie's magic. It was another anti-mage monster.
"I'll take it!" Somme raised his battle-axe and charged forward, bringing it down hard on the monster. As the axe struck, blood sprayed everywhere, spattering onto his armor.
Rhodes sensed that something was wrong and quickly pulled Somme back. A white smoke was rising from the dwarf's armor. Just a few drops of the monster's blood had been enough to corrode the surface of the metal. If he hadn't pulled him back in time, his armor would have been much more severely damaged.
Blocked by this new monster, the group was forced to a halt. In the darkness, dozens of pairs of crimson eyes lit up.
The demon they had seen before slowly stepped out of the shadows. It was a humanoid creature, nearly two meters tall, with a sickly, grayish-white skin and two twisted horns on its forehead.
"An elf, a dwarf, and... an unknown race. A curious combination," the demon said, its voice devoid of any emotion. For some reason, its gaze was fixed on Rhodes.
Serie had no intention of conversing with it. She immediately fired a light arrow, but the demon dodged it with ease. With a wave of its hand, dozens of magical beasts leaped out of the darkness.
Serie instantly unleashed a brilliant halo of light, turning the first few charging beasts to ash. She then raised her hand again, and a dense volley of light arrows rained down. But the demon simply cast a spell of its own, a black barrier that blocked all of her attacks. This was the terror of the demons. They, too, could learn magic and martial arts to make themselves stronger.
At that moment, Kraft launched a surprise attack from the side. The demon leader hastily dodged, but was still struck by the sword. Red blood flowed from a wound in its side, but it was not a fatal blow, only a minor injury.