Finally, midway through their second week of traveling, Damian sensed one of the six powerful figures moving closer to them. The constant Emperor-ranked monsters they were facing had grown stronger and stronger the farther they went.
Just like there was a massive range between a third-ranker and a fourth-ranker—in between which most men and creatures were always stuck—these monsters too felt like totally different creatures, even though technically they were in the same rank as that first lizard boss Damian had killed along with his student dungeon group.
But in terms of battle power, the lizard boss was laughable compared to the cunning, powerful, and bizarre monsters Damian had fought in these two weeks.
The one coming toward them, however, was equal to a hundred of those. Damian got an ID on the nearby strong monster and used a waygate to return to Stone Mountain. The modest huts of Lifewarden and Worldscribe had been turned into luxurious buildings by him.
Deactivating the fireproof armor, everyone started using health potions, eating quick snacks, or refilling their mana containers using the steel mana cube. That was how they usually took their small breaks in between the constant flying and fighting. Damian had not brought them here for that, though.
"A powerful creature is coming.. Possibly even a Legendary-ranked one. It certainly is much stronger than the ones we have been fighting," Damian said out loud.
Worldscribe put aside the potion and looked at Damian. "What's the plan?"
"I'll go see it. You continue flying behind me," Damian replied. Then he gave another waygate cube to them, which would connect to this place. He let Asher stay with them too, along with two of his mana containers.
"It's one of them?" Sesha asked.
Damian nodded. "There are four others like him.. Then the strongest one near the Sun God."
"They're protecting him?" Silverspell said, figuring it out.
"I think so too," Runefather agreed.
"We know the Sun God could control monsters through those murals in the giant hollow shrine.." Damian replied.
Lifewarden asked, "You said the strongest of them was even more powerful than the Sun God himself. Why would that thing obey him?"
Sesha replied in his place, "Stronger doesn't mean higher level. Maybe being an overseer gives him some special privileges.."
"Let's go," Damian said, replacing some pieces of his sacrium armor and opening a waygate back to the Emperor-rank monster. Damian tore through the creature's flesh with three powerful laser shots as the others crossed the waygate.
Looking back once, Damian shot forward through the air with a modified super-powered flying spell. His flight was so fast, most of the monsters couldn't even keep up; others he dodged easily. He too was curious to see what kind of creature could be called Legendary-rank.
Within half a day's flight, Damian found the source of the massive mana signature. It was waiting for him. It had a bony tail, stood a tall seven feet in stature, with two curved, massive pitch-black horns growing out of its scalp. Its skin was red—dark red, like a Demon?
Would this be what he himself would look like if he went further in this demonic evolution? Damian was not happy to leave behind his human form at all.
They eyed each other, neither saying anything. The Demon had his hand stretched, red ethereal wings keeping him stable mid-air. Damian had completely stopped in the air, his sacrium armor inscribed with flying spells.
Then, without a word, the Demon started chanting, a massive scythe materializing in his hands. Damian could see the triple-layered red, green, and gold runic circles forming in mid-air. A second later, three massive bubbling fire spheres, exploding with heat and lava concentration like three mini suns, appeared above the Demon's head. And without surprise, they launched in Damian's direction. The speed was blinding; the sound alone of the spheres being thrown sent waves across the entire region. The air seemed like it was being stretched and pierced by such a terrifying attack.
Damian used Wormhole to quickly teleport out of the attack's way, but to his fucking surprise, the spheres followed behind him. A target-locking spell? Well, he had noticed some unfamiliar runes in the runic circles. This is what they do, huh?
Damian used his Invisible Box spell's runic circle to position it precisely in the path of the spheres and activated it to capture all three inside at once. They thrashed around inside but could not escape. Soon, the spheres exploded, sounding muffled, as the whole invisible box was shaped like a massive firebox—and soon, it evaporated.
That was quite a nice one.
Damian dismissed the invisible box and looked at the Demon. The widened eyes, with one hand still in the air, were a comical look on such an intimidating guy. In the next second, noticing Damian's gaze, the Demon gritted his teeth and zoomed straight toward him, the massive scythe flaming in ethereal red flames, which could possibly be both aura or some magical fire.
The wind howled around them as the Demon shot through mid-air, the vast sky their battlefield. Damian barely managed to get his spear in position, activating all the aura enhancer spells on his armor, when the Demon surged forward, scythe cleaving through the air like a streak of death. Damian raised his spear to parry—too slow. The blow landed against the shaft, and the sheer impact shattered his guard, sending shockwaves through his body.
He was flung backward like a broken arrow, spinning, breath ripped from his lungs. Before he could recover, the Demon was already upon him again, eyes glowing with cruel hunger. Too fast.. too strong, Damian realized, heart pounding. Dumb idea going close quarters.
Fortunately, he had many spells floating around him, just waiting to be activated. Damian used another Wormhole to get out of the dangerous situation he had put himself into, then used another to increase the distance between them.
The Demon, missing his attack, looked back to where Damian had come out. His anger rising. How could a fledgling demon barely stronger than an insect live this long against the Legendary Demon Veltrax?