When Nox opened his eyes, he was no longer in the Dragon Realm. Above his head was a dark, starry sky.
All around him were humanoid fungal creatures. The mushroom-like beings stared warily at the figure who had suddenly appeared in the spot where the boss of their dimension had once been.
It took a few seconds, but Nox eventually recognized this place as the dimension he had raided before heading to the Tristan Kingdom.
When he activated [Exchange], he was given an option to choose between the Ant Queen or the fungal boss of this dimensions.
Of course, he couldn't afford to swap places with the Ant Queen—she wasn't just one of his first pets, she also held a special place in his heart.
Therefore, he had decided to swap with the dimension's boss, with whom he didn't share much of a bond.
After looking around for a while, he slowly made his way outside, keeping a cautious eye on his surroundings.
Some time later, he arrived at the gate that led to the outside world, but Nox didn't pass through outright. He paused just in front of the gate.
"It's been some months now," he muttered under his breath, his gaze transfixed on the rippling surface of the portal.
Nox hesitated. A part of him was afraid of what he might witness on the other side. Before he left, he had always felt that something was wrong. Now that he had returned, that feeling had only grown stronger.
He took a couple of deep breaths to calm his nerves as a sharp gleam passed through his eyes.
What more could happen anyway?
With that thought, Nox stepped into the portal, feeling the familiar wrap of the dimensional gate.
His foot emerged on the other side, followed by the rest of his body. The familiar fresh air rushed past his face, and the mild, crisp temperature embraced him.
Nox scanned his surroundings. The sky was as bright as always, and the buildings—
There was something off about the buildings.
Why did they look half-destroyed? At first, he thought it was just one, but then he realized that several buildings were in a similar state.
Not only that—smoke rose into the heavens from different parts of the city.
Then came the voices.
Nox's eyes widened, and instinctively, he looked in the direction of the Royal Island. Sure enough, a battle was raging between the soldiers on the castle walls and hundreds of demonic entities with horns, pale skin, and red eyes.
It didn't take long for Nox to recognize the demons—he had encountered them when he first used the dimensional key.
It seemed the only peaceful place was where he currently stood.
He couldn't believe it. He had only been gone for a couple of months, and already the demons had invaded the Vermilion Kingdom.
Quickly and without hesitation, Nox summoned Blazy and sent him out to scout the situation while he paced back and forth. A part of him wanted to rush to the Academy and check on things, but he couldn't act without a clear understanding.
In the end, he summoned Drake to keep watch over his vulnerable body, and while he lay still, he used astral control on Blazy.
His eyes suddenly snapped open—and he found himself high in the air.
From the bird's-eye view, Blazy circled the once-glorious Vermilion Kingdom. What Nox saw made his blood run cold.
The outer districts had become warzones. Entire blocks were reduced to ash and rubble. Mangled corpses of knights and civilians littered the streets, and several demonic banners fluttered in the wind.
In the skies, flying demons with leathery wings patrolled like vultures, shrieking as they dove at survivors trying to escape through narrow alleys. Flaming meteors occasionally rained down from the horizon, obliterating any who dared to resist.
Nox was so shocked that he was at a loss for words. How could things have escalated to this point in such a short amount of time?
A single glance was all it took to see that the Vermilion Kingdom was on its last leg—teetering on the edge of complete collapse under the demons' dominance.
He flew closer to the Royal Island.
The castle, once gleaming with golden spires and white towers, now looked like a fortress under siege. Walls were cracked. Half the gate was blown open. And yet… the royal banners still flew. Someone was still holding out.
Then he turned his attention to the Academy.
The once-grand institution now resembled a ruined battlefield, with dozens of demons patrolling its grounds as if searching for something.
And of course, on the rooftop of the Academy, the demon banner fluttered proudly.
The sight made Nox's heart skip a beat as he thought of his sister.
He flew around the city, heart pounding, searching desperately for even a silhouette of her.
Burned houses. Cracked streets.
No sign of Serena either.
Right now, Nox would've even been glad to see that annoying Blake—but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't spot any of his classmates.
"Damn it," Nox muttered, his fists clenching in frustration as Blazy soared over another destroyed plaza. "Where are you, Nyx…"
After searching for a while, Nox ended the skill. His soul snapped back into his body.
"Let's look around. Maybe they're hiding inside one of the buildings," Nox suggested. He summoned Valkor and Nyxirith as well. After giving his pets a description of his sister, they spread out in different directions throughout the city.
As for Nox, he headed straight for the Academy—which now housed hundreds of demons, including one of their generals.
Meanwhile, beneath the Academy, a group of students led by Headmistress Bridget gathered around a pale, flickering flame.
Everything remained quiet for a while, until Bridget finally spoke.
"We're running out of food," she said, glancing into her spatial storage—which was now completely empty.
It was the same for the others. They searched their own storage rings, and when they saw how little food remained, their expressions darkened.
"At this rate, if we don't restock, we'll die of hunger," Bridget said with a frown.
"So what do you suggest?" Jack asked leaning on the walls.
A determined gleam flashed across Bridget's purple eyes. "We need to send a group outside."
AN: I want to apologize for the extreme errors in privious chapter: A Mother and Daughter Reunion. One thing led to another, and I mistakenly uploaded the unedited draft instead of the final version. It's now been edited, so if it was jarring to read, feel free to return and reread it. Once again, thank you for supporting Supreme BeastTamer!