After the death of Dravor the rciless, the remaining demon generals wasted no ti in plotting their next move. With their grand plan nearly complete, they could not afford failure.
Zephor had already landed near the Pearl Isles, preparing his fleet to launch the first stage of the attack. Maldrak, taking a southern sea route past Elris, aid to use Dravor's forr strategy but with a critical change: he would strike swiftly, avoiding giving the heroes a chance to regroup.
anwhile, Valkar the Dominator did not wait for orders. Tasked with replacing Dravor, he set his sights on the Red Iron Republic. Using a nearby island and the resources left behind by Dravor, he prepared for yet another sea-based assault.
Back in the demon-controlled lands, Thalrak and Morax worked tirelessly, activating a powerful array to link the two worlds. Their success relied on gathering enough mana and lives to fuel the connection.
At the sa ti, Azrag and Xerath continued their relentless assault on the empire. Every death—whether of their own troops or their enemies—funneled energy to Thalrak and Morax, hastening the completion of their dark ritual.
During all of this, Zaryx road the streets of Rosethorn, enjoying himself while disguised as a normal rcenary. He traveled with a group of six other demons, each capable of hiding their true forms through magic like his own. Compressing his massive body took considerable effort, but the six demons kept others at bay, ensuring Zaryx could maintain his focus on the disguise.
He had carefully studied the heroes' activities in this city, finding their efforts impressive. The progress they had made to improve the world was undeniable, making an attack difficult without exposing himself. Zaryx even found himself tempted by the idea of riding the speeding train he'd heard about during his visits. The residents of Rosethorn were well-fed, well-paid—a rarity in many places.
[Too bad for them,] Zaryx thought. [They'll be sacrificed so that we demons can return to our world.]
Unlike so of his kin, Zaryx didn't harbor hatred for the heroes or wish for their deaths. Yet humans were the ones who had summoned demons hundreds of years ago, starting this endless cycle of conflict. The first demons, much like the heroes, had been brought forth to fight other humans. And from there, more demons were summoned to combat those they had summoned before.
Back then, demons were forced into battle through the use of slave collars—sothing Zaryx rembered all too well from his own summoning. The collars bound demons instantly to the will of their human masters, leaving them powerless to resist. Their only salvation ca when a summoning went horribly wrong, bringing forth vampires instead.
What followed was the reign of blood, as demons and vampires joined forces to overthrow the humans who had enslaved them. Together, they turned the tide, enslaving the very people who had brought them into this world.
However, the spirits worshipped by humanity intervened before the humans could face total annihilation. They sent Rowland, a human with unparalleled strength and charisma, who quickly rallied the fractured humans. With his leadership, the humans overca the vampires, breaking their grip and reclaiming their future.
But demons were lucky, they did not suffer the fate of the vampires, these turned crazy without human blood, sothing that led to their downfall, demons on the other hand waited for the chance to get back at the humans.
Their goal was simple: to return to their world. As a long-lived race, demons had spent centuries studying and experinting until they finally devised their current plan. It required an imnse amount of magic and countless sacrifices, but it would create a connection between the two worlds.
Of course, the ultimate endga was to hand this world over to the Demon King—it was only fitting. Even if they couldn't return to Nerdith, the world of demons, their loyalty to their king remained steadfast.
Zaryx considered sparing the heroes' town, at least for now, as he worked to understand and replicate their technology.
Demons had already learned to manipulate crystals to project images, even without light magic. By using raw mana, they managed to achieve similar results.
But what truly fascinated Zaryx was their motorized technology.
It was by far the most impressive advancent he had seen. Beyond the train, the sa motor technology powered what humans called "cars" and "motorbikes."
Watching carriages being replaced by these modern creations was a testant to the ingenuity of the heroes—sothing Zaryx couldn't help but admire, even if they and the people were destined for sacrifice.
As soon as he finished marveling at the cars outside, Zaryx stepped into a pub. If there was one thing he loved more than killing, it was eating. Though he lacked the local currency to pay, he had plenty of gold from the kingdoms they had conquered. With little hesitation, he made a large order of various dishes, enough to fill an entire table for himself.
His bodyguards dispersed around the pub, ensuring Zaryx had the table all to himself. This wasn't just any ordinary pub—it was the restaurant of the fad cooking hero, Xander. The boy's als were praised across the kingdom.
Zaryx picked up a piece of steak with his fingers, unconcerned about appearances as he savored the flavorful bite with deep satisfaction. Though the hero himself was in the back, busy with the kitchen, Zaryx did not see him.
A pity, Zaryx thought, for once the fighting started, he wouldn't know who to keep alive.
Just as he was about to finish his al, Zaryx felt a strong pulse of earth magic in the distance. He tensed, sensing the unmistakable power from where he sat.
[Just what did the hero of taming do this ti…] Zaryx muttered to himself.
He could also sense the presence of another—a guardian.
The general was highly sensitive to mana, arguably one of the best when it ca to detecting danger and locating powerful individuals.
"Boys, we will have to return for today. Finish up, because we will be leaving…" Zaryx declared, his tone commanding, like a gang leader addressing his crew.
He pulled out a pouch full of coins before taking one last bite of a perfectly cooked leg bone. The al was exceptional, and the added effects from the hero of cooking's dishes made it all the more satisfying.
Zaryx's mood was at its peak, even if he wouldn't be able to complete his mission today.
[Perhaps I will have to help Maldrak with Elris…] Zaryx thought to himself. The teleportation array would be all he needed to get there.
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