The small infirmary Arielle had prepared in Westmont was bustling with activity. She had called together every healer she could find to tend to the individuals Damien had sent to the town.
The group, still weak and disoriented from their ordeal, lay on makeshift beds while healers worked tirelessly to patch up their wounds and restore their strength. Despite the busy scene, Arielle’s mind was elsewhere—focused on Damien.
She stepped outside, her eyes immediately drawn to Aquila and Luton, who appeared to be preparing to leave.
The Griffin stretched its powerful wings, its sharp gaze scanning the horizon, while Luton bounced lightly atop its back, its gelatinous form glowing faintly.
Alarmed, Arielle hurried toward them, placing herself firmly in their path.
“Wait!” she called, holding up a hand. The two mana beasts paused, their movements halting as they turned their attention to her. “Where’s Damien? What’s going on? Is he alright?” she demanded, her voice urgent.
But neither Aquila nor Luton responded. It wasn’t a matter of reluctance or secrecy—Damien hadn’t instructed them to hide anything from Arielle.
The real issue was that neither could communicate in human language. Unlike Damien, who shared a mental bond with his summons, they had no way of answering her questions.
Luton shifted slightly, and Aquila let out a soft cry, but neither action offered any clarity.
Arielle frowned, frustration creeping into her tone as she pressed them further. “Is he hurt? Is he in danger? Where is he?”
The questions came quickly, but the problem remained the same. The mana beasts simply couldn’t respond.
Luton, however, seemed determined to find a way. The Stellar Slime began bouncing insistently on Aquila’s back, its movements more energetic than before.
It was as though it was urging Arielle to join it atop the Griffin. Aquila let out a protesting cry, its wings folding briefly as it glared at the slime, but Luton ignored it, continuing to bounce.
“What are you doing?” Arielle asked, her confusion evident as she watched the exchange between the two summons.
Aquila stomped its talons against the ground in irritation, but Luton remained persistent. Finally, after a few more bounces, Aquila let out a resigned cry and lowered itself invitingly to the ground, bowing slightly as though offering Arielle a ride.
“Wait… are you asking me to…?” Arielle began, trailing off as she pointed at the Griffin’s back.
Luton bounced enthusiastically in response, seemingly confirming her suspicion.
Arielle hesitated but then sighed. “Alright, fine. I guess I don’t have a choice if I want to see Damien.” She stepped forward, her lips curving into a small smile as she approached.
This would be her first time mounting an aerial beast, and despite her worry for Damien, there was a small thrill in the experience.
As she climbed onto Aquila’s back, the Griffin rose to its full height, its powerful legs tensing in preparation for flight. Its wings spread wide, and with a powerful flap, it began lifting off the ground.
Arielle gripped tightly, bracing herself as the wind rushed past her face. But before they could take off completely, something unexpected happened.
Vwoooosh!!
Aquila and Luton both vanished in an instant, their forms dissolving into particles of light. Arielle, who had been seated securely just moments ago, found herself falling straight to the ground.
Bang!
Crash!!
She landed hard on her backside, the impact jolting through her. With her hands covering her face, she let out an exasperated groan before shouting at the top of her lungs, “Damien!”
~~~~~
Back in the cavern, Damien stood at the mouth of the fourth tunnel alongside Fenrir and Cerbe, now in his human form. He had just canceled the summons for both Aquila and Luton.
Having ensured the captives reached Westmont safely, there was no longer any need to keep the two mana beasts active.
Maintaining them drained his magic essence, even in (Essence Saving Mode), and he needed every bit of it now.
The fourth tunnel had turned out to be yet another dead end, much like the three before it. Damien sighed, turning toward the fifth tunnel.
Before he could step forward, however, the sound of movement echoed from deep within. He froze, his senses sharpening as the noise grew louder.
From the shadows of the tunnel, creatures began to emerge—demons. Their grotesque forms varied in size and shape, but their presence was unmistakable. Discover exclusive content at empire
There were over a hundred of them, ranging from Grade Seven to Grade Three. Their eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, and their twisted bodies moved with unnatural agility as they poured out of the tunnel.
Damien’s expression hardened. “Cerbe,” he said, his voice low but commanding, “let loose.”
A crazed grin spread across Cerbe’s face, the gleam in his amber eyes filled with anticipation. He stepped forward, raising a hand as the air around him grew oppressively hot.
The temperature spiked as a ball of fire began forming in front of him, growing larger and darker with each passing moment. This was no ordinary fireball—it was the (Flame of Hell) skill, unleashed without restraint.
Damien watched closely, his curiosity piqued. He wanted to know if Cerbe’s new form would draw from his essence reserves when using this attack.
But there was little time to focus on that question now. The fireball required a few seconds to charge fully, and during that time, Cerbe would be vulnerable.
“Fenrir, you’re up,” Damien said, gesturing toward the advancing horde.
Fenrir let out a low growl before leaping into action. The Monstrous Wolf tore through the demons with terrifying speed and precision, its claws and teeth ripping apart anything that came too close.
It moved like a shadow, darting between enemies and leaving a trail of carnage in its wake. Every time a demon tried to close the distance to Cerbe, Fenrir was there, intercepting it with brutal efficiency.
The seconds ticked by, feeling longer than they were. Damien remained alert, ready to intervene if necessary, but Fenrir was more than capable of holding the line.
Finally, the fireball in front of Cerbe’s hand reached its peak, a massive sphere of dark red flame pulsating with raw destructive energy.
“Now!” Damien shouted.
Cerbe thrust his hand forward, and the fireball erupted into a column of flame, shooting forward with devastating force.
Boooooom!!
The attack melted through everything in its path, the sheer heat reducing the demons to ash before they could even scream.
The cavern walls glowed red from the heat, and the air was thick with the acrid smell of burning flesh and stone.
When the flames finally died down, the cavern was silent once more. The demons were gone, their numbers obliterated in a single, overwhelming strike. Damien took a deep breath, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
“Well done,” he said, glancing at Cerbe. The human form of his summon stood tall, his grin replaced with a calm, collected expression.
Fenrir padded back to Damien’s side, its fur singed in a few places but otherwise unharmed.
Damien crouched down, patting the wolf’s head. “Good work, boy,” he said with a grin.
He turned back toward the cavern, his gaze settling on the remaining tunnel. “One more to go,” he said quietly, his tone resolute. “Let’s finish this.”
