Night had settled over the silent streets as Jay walked toward home.
His mind wasn't calm—the morning's chaos replayed in fragments.
The reporters…
The bodies…
And above all—
Ozarian.
Jay clenched his jaw.
"I need to train," he muttered, voice low and heavy.
"If I don't… the war will destroy me."
He pulled out his phone and called his sister.
"I'll be late today. Eat dinner and sleep, okay?"
"Okay, bhai."
The call ended.
Jay exhaled.
His eyes sharpened.
"TP to Demon World."
A soft crack of energy—
and in the blink of an eye—
Jay stood inside the endless crimson skies of the Demon World.
A New Mission
Jay opened his map.
"So I'm here right now…"
Before he could plan further, the Diary floated open on its own.
"A new castle has been summoned in the Dark Valley."
"If you dominate this castle, a new sword and a new power will be unlocked."
Jay's eyes widened.
"To reach there… I'll have to clear fifty castles first."
He smirked slightly.
"Alright then… let's begin."
Jay lifted his hand.
"Summon."
With a thunderous surge of demonic energy, the entire Demon Army appeared.
Jay pointed forward.
"Kaelvious — take the Eastern castles."
"Zarathor — you handle the West."
"I'll clear the castles in the front lines."
The army split into three massive divisions—
and the hunt began.
The Castle Massacre Begins
A violent montage unfolded across the Demon World:
Kaelvious melting through enemies with shadow-beast energies.
Zarathor burning entire castles with hellfire.
And Jay slicing through legions with a single swing, his power echoing like thunder.
Castle after castle fell before them.
Hours passed.
Jay opened the map again.
The Diary flashed.
"Total Castles Dominated: 30"
"You have received a new gift."
"Reward: 20,000,000 XP."
A red warning blinked:
"If you summon your army or create new demon soldiers, your XP will decrease."
Jay checked his balance—
XP: 25,000,000
He nodded.
"Kaelvious. Zarathor. Summon to my location."
Both commanders appeared instantly.
Jay looked at the Diary with a grin.
"This XP will be useful. Let's continue the hunt."
The Shadow Castle
After hours of travel, Jay finally reached a massive, pitch-black fortress stretching into the sky like a dead mountain.
The air around it felt… alive.
The Diary opened again.
"This is the Shadow Castle."
"Demons inside possess next-level power."
"They are waiting for their King."
Jay's eyes narrowed.
"I'm not strong enough yet…"
He took a step back.
"It's better to return."
With a flick of energy—
He teleported back.
Return to the Human World
Night had deepened when Jay arrived at the Hunters Association, riding atop the mighty Soul Dragon.
The moment he landed, hunters rushed toward him.
"Hunter Jay! Where were you?"
Jay frowned.
"What happened?"
Kabir stepped forward.
"Jay… we received new weapons for the upcoming war."
"But you weren't here, and all of them got used up."
Aditya approached, serious.
"It will take a long time to forge new weapons. There's only one option left."
He hesitated.
"A friend of mine… the Red Hunter… once possessed a powerful sword."
"No one except him could wield it. Anyone else who tried…"
He paused.
"…didn't last a minute."
Jay replied calmly—
"I have my own swords. I don't need his."
Aditya gestured for him to follow.
The Armour Room
Inside the armoury, the armour master bowed slightly.
"Sir Jay. These are all different categories of armours."
Jay scanned the collection.
"Is there any armour that feels like clothing—lightweight, strong, and capable of handling shadow-style energy?"
The armour master's eyes lit up.
He pulled out a jet-black overcoat with faint purple lines glowing on its edges.
"This one is perfect for you, Sir."
The coat felt light, but Jay could sense the layers of hidden strength within it.
He slid it on.
It fit perfectly.
"This is the one," Jay said softly.
"I'll take it."
The screen darkened.
A single line appeared:
23 Days Until War
Chapter Ends.