The assault began against the remaining supervisors. Only the mages were left, and three of them were quickly taken down by the formation Lloyd had created. The stones hit them faster than they could cast any spell. Lloyd had prepared in advance; the mages took several seconds to conjure even basic magics.
The remaining mages had zero chance of victory, and when the scent of freedom was so close that other slaves—who hadn't helped—began running out of the cave, a mysterious figure emerged from the immense darkness of the forest, moving toward the crowd. It was the Viscount's son, Edmundo Grav Donciel.
As soon as the mages noticed their master's presence, they ran toward him.
— My Lord! It's not safe here, the slaves are out of control!
— IT'S OUR CHANCE, LET'S GET THEM! — the slaves shouted, advancing en masse toward them.
Something felt strange. The feeling of victory gradually faded from Lloyd's mind, but he didn't know why.
Beside Lloyd was a slave girl who had Awakened. She had been in the background the entire time, observing everything without interfering. When Lloyd looked at her, he realized something was truly wrong.
— We can't fight that — she said, her voice trembling and her breath unsteady.
Lloyd wasn't stupid enough to ignore his intuitions, and those words kept him on high alert.
— DO NOT ADVANCE! FALL BACK NOW!
Few heard Lloyd's command. Galis and Diamond, along with a small group of slaves who had aided the plan, began to retreat. The rest, over 70 slaves, pressed on with a thirst for vengeance and a desire to escape.
The Viscount's son gradually began to show instability. Strange laughter echoed, sending chills down Lloyd's spine—and he knew chills were never a good sign. With a simple movement, dozens of slaves fell at once. A reddish energy surged around him, firing projectiles of energy at the slaves.
— I didn't know you had such power, my Lord — said one of the three mages beside him, who was quickly torn apart along with the others.
*That's not human*, Lloyd thought. The way it moved, the energy it emanated, the slaughter it was unleashing. No one there could even touch that monster. The only solution was to flee.
— What do we do now? — Diamond asked, running.
— We need to get away from that monster, first — Galis replied.
Screams of despair could still be heard dozens of meters away. It was too brutal—people dying so easily. Lloyd could only run and mourn for those who had helped him, killed as if they were nothing.
— This way, I can hear the river — said the slave girl beside Lloyd.
No one questioned it; after all, the priority was survival, no matter the cost. Gradually, everyone could hear the sound of the river and less of the screams, until nothing more could be heard.
— This isn't a good sign. Let's move quickly! — Lloyd said.
When they finally reached the river, the monstrous figure caught up to them, putting everyone on edge for what was to come.
— Where are you all off to in such a hurry? I need more energy to finish off that wretched one — it said, slowly advancing on the six people with Lloyd.
*So, someone is pursuing him. How can I delay him until help arrives? And what guarantees that it's actually help? Shit*, Lloyd thought, reflecting on what the monster had said.
— So, you possessed the Viscount's son's body, or did you make a deal with some demon? — Lloyd asked.
— What a funny child you are — the demon laughed, replying: — Let's just say he meddled with things he shouldn't have and paid the price. I'm going to love tearing all of you to pieces, especially you and that adorable child beside you.
The time Lloyd bought was just enough for the slave girl to conjure a mist and water spell, hiding their tracks on the water, but it wasn't enough.
— You're all so amusing — said the demon, firing a shot that grazed Diamond's arm. — I never tire of that scent.
The group kept running until the slave girl tripped and fell behind. Lloyd saw her and decided to go back to help her up.
— Are you okay? — he asked, assisting her.
— How noble of you, coming from a slave — said the demon, now just a few meters away.
— Hang on, we're almost… — Galis began, but Lloyd quickly cut him off: — KEEP GOING!
The group froze for a moment, but in the end, they listened to reason. Lloyd felt a bit more relaxed; after all, dying irrationally would be a stupid end.
— Looks like it's just us now. Can you run? — Lloyd whispered in the girl's ear.
The negative shake of her head indicated she couldn't.
— If you can, repeat the magic you did earlier.
— I don't think I'll get another chance to live again — he said, standing up and positioning himself in front of her.
— I'm going to love tearing you apart — said the demon, immediately aiming at Lloyd's thigh and firing a black sphere of energy that pierced straight through it.
— Aargh! — Lloyd gasped, nearly falling to his knees. The slave girl began to sob, and Lloyd realized she was almost crying. — Don't cry. I'll get you out of here. What's your name? — he asked, panting.
— I'm not crying, and my name is Hana — she replied, wiping her tears.
— What's with all this drama? — asked the demon, firing at Lloyd's left arm.
— AAARGH! — Lloyd screamed, trying to keep his breathing steady. — Hana, an engineer's job is to solve problems, and sometimes it can cost them their lives. But as long as humanity grows and keeps evolving, it won't have been in vain.
The demon advanced.
Lloyd could no longer feel his legs.
Even so, he fixed his gaze on the creature.
— Hana... run.
Hana activated the mist magic and began to run.
— Do you really think you can escape? — the demon laughed, moving even closer to Lloyd.
*It looks like this is my end. I hope I don't run into that demonic ball again*, Lloyd thought, his vision blurring. Somehow, the contract appeared before his eyes, with new, legible text for him:
• The contractor restricts the use of the world's energy unless the traveler is in extreme danger.
• All imprisoned energy is released following the contract's norms.
There were still gaps and incomprehensible text, but Lloyd's hopes rose slightly. Just when he least expected it, the contract had appeared.
— I don't think I'll die here — Lloyd said, on his knees. *It seems like this is the moment I awaken with immense power*, he thought.
His body emitted a vast amount of energy that circulated throughout his system. The demon went on alert.
— What are you doing? — it asked, taking a step back.
— Just leveling the playing field — Lloyd replied, as his body began to float and glow.
— What the hell is happening? — said the demon, surprised. — Have you been blessed? Shit!
As it prepared to attack, all that energy concentrated inside him, and he fell again, covered in blood.
— Was I imagining things? What the hell was all that spectacle? — the demon asked, furious.
And Lloyd, once again understanding nothing, felt he had been deceived. Just as the demon prepared to deliver the final blow, all the energy burst out of Lloyd's body once more, exploding everything around them.
The demon was thrown meters away, and Lloyd along with it.
— Is that all? — Lloyd said, lying wounded and looking at the moon. *It seems like it was all over*, he thought. But the demon rose again, missing an arm, and moved toward Lloyd.
— That was a dirty trick — it said, approaching.
— Yeah — Lloyd said, on the verge of losing consciousness.
But someone had just passed right by his side. His vision was so blurred he couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, but one thing he was sure of: this person wielded a sword that, as it was drawn, its gleam caught the moonlight—and for a moment, the world seemed to stop.