The sight of countless bones scattered across the ground left Joanna and Agno, both well-informed, utterly shocked. They were already aware that a demonic upheaval had occurred here thousands of years ago. The mages, eager to escape, had not completely eradicated the demons; they had only slain a few of the demon leaders and sealed the laboratory.
Countless captive demons had escaped from the dungeons but were unable to break through the seals outside the laboratory. Starving and driven mad, these demons had turned on each other in brutal fights. A millennium was far too long for these lowly demons to survive. Unless, of course, some of them had managed to survive and evolve into higher demons capable of enduring such conditions.
This thought crossed the minds of the three of them just as tremors began to shake the depths of the laboratory, followed by the emergence of a fearsome figure, accompanied by a foul stench.
"Get out, quickly!" Joanna, reacting the fastest, shouted this urgent command before turning to retreat.
The sudden change in circumstances made Fars feel uneasy. As he caught sight of the rushing figure, he wasted no time and followed Joanna's lead, running for their lives. Agno, not foolish, recognized the threat and joined them in their desperate escape.
Just before the demon could close in on them, the three managed to flee outside the laboratory. It seemed the seals from a millennium ago still held, as the demon was stopped by a barrier that rose at the entrance. Seeing this, Joanna and the others let out a collective sigh of relief.
"What on earth is going on?"
Before Fars could finish his question, Joanna voiced her thoughts. "Thousands of years ago, there was a demonic upheaval here, and the demons sealed underground escaped. The mages at that time were in a hurry to retreat; despite having the power to resolve the situation completely, they only added a seal to prevent the demons from escaping. Since there were still many mages inside fighting the higher demons, the seal was specifically designed to target demons, which is why we could come and go freely. I never expected that after all these years, some demons would still be alive."
"However, that demon cannot be a higher demon, as all the higher demons were slain back then. Only the lower demons remained. The fact that it has survived for so long suggests it has evolved during the infighting, significantly enhancing its vitality, which is why it is still alive now." Joanna added, providing her own deductions.
Fars found her explanation plausible. Although Joanna had not clarified why the underground demons had rebelled, and some details remained vague, she had at least given a rough idea of why demons still existed.
Now, they needed to discuss their next steps. Joanna believed they should wait another day until Fars could break the seal on Master Perugino's spatial ring, which contained special items prepared for dealing with potential demons. Agno had no objections, but Fars, considering his own interests, felt uncertain about the demon's strength. Who could guarantee there weren't other demons lurking inside? Valuing their lives above all, they should retreat sooner rather than later. If that wasn't feasible, they could continue searching the area outside the laboratory, hoping to find a blueprint to salvage this expedition.
Joanna was unsure whether Fars genuinely wanted to retreat or was merely trying to negotiate. However, the emergence of the demon made her more cautious. If the demon's strength was significantly greater than their combined abilities, even a well-prepared entry could lead to disaster.
To play it safe, they decided to wait until Fars retrieved the items they had prepared before making further plans. Fars then took on the 'heavy responsibility' of returning to the stone house to 'decode' the mental imprint. Meanwhile, Joanna and Agno seized the opportunity of an extra day to continue searching the ruins, hoping the goddess of fortune would smile upon them and help them find the manufacturing blueprints for firearms.
Fars had already erased Master Perugino's mental imprint the previous night but couldn't tell Joanna and Agno that he was done. Instead, he pretended to be serious and returned to the stone house with a grave expression. Once Joanna and Agno left, Fars wasted no time rummaging through the treasures left behind by the mage.
Having quickly glanced through the items before, Fars felt much more resistant to the allure of various precious goods. Master Perugino was indeed incredibly wealthy; even his spatial ring was crafted beyond the capabilities of this era. It was like a small warehouse, clearly an ancient artifact from a long-lost alchemical master. The organization of the space within the ring was meticulous, and what excited Fars the most was the numerous magical tomes filling several shelves.
The rest of the collection was more chaotic. Perhaps due to his high status as a mage, Perugino had left behind a bag of gold coins that he didn't need. However, there were plenty of magical crystals and cores. A small box was filled with shimmering crystal coins of various sizes, more than Fars had ever seen. The dark green crystal core from the Wolf King was indeed hidden here, and there were even two larger ones. Fars couldn't help but marvel at the wealth of a mage. Scattered around were various magical materials, all neatly organized in a cabinet with many small compartments. In the corners of the space were several large chests, filled with an array of spellcasting materials that dazzled the eyes.
After rummaging for a while, Fars still couldn't find anything specifically meant for dealing with demons. Perhaps it was due to his lack of knowledge. He then decided to practice the "Finger of Death," which had been idle for two days. Although he had plenty of knowledge at his disposal, he understood the principle of not biting off more than he could chew. If he could master the "Finger of Death," he would feel more confident facing unknown dangers.
Perhaps due to his anxious mood, Joanna couldn't settle down after visiting several warehouses. Unable to resist, she returned to the outskirts of the laboratory. Of course, she wouldn't go in alone; the demon's fierce presence made it clear it was beyond her capabilities.
Demons of the same rank were significantly stronger than magical beasts, and the most crucial factor was that demons possessed intelligence on par with humans. Even the lowest-ranking demons required caution; their low rank didn't mean they would sit idly by for her to kill them. To survive in a realm filled with powerful demons, the foolish ones had long since been devoured by others. In fact, it could be said that lower demons were often more challenging to deal with.
Feeling Joanna's presence again, the famished demon, starved for thousands of years, revealed its fearsome form once more. It stood upright on two legs, much taller than a human, and Joanna estimated she could only reach its waist. Its thick, curved horns marked it as a demon, protruding from its forehead. Perhaps sensing a tasty morsel nearby, the demon opened its massive maw without restraint.
Joanna couldn't discern any special abilities from this demon; she merely observed from a distance. With the seal in place, if the demon could have escaped, it would have done so long ago instead of watching her wander around helplessly.
This trip wasn't entirely fruitless. Joanna decided not to provoke the demon further. With lingering concerns on her mind, the usually composed lady opted to return to the stone house. Agno, known for his steady demeanor, was equally diligent in his work. Since they had to set aside the demon issue for now, he focused on thoroughly searching the ruins.
When Joanna returned, she found Fars still 'struggling' to break Master Perugino's mental imprint. Agno had yet to return. Joanna understood him well and felt reassured; her brother, always cautious, would never engage in reckless actions.
Fars hadn't expected Joanna to return so quickly. He had no choice but to pretend to be diligently working on the mental imprint. Fortunately, this task didn't require any special movements or techniques, so he simply entered a meditative state, ignoring her.
It was only when Agno returned that Fars opened his eyes, feigning a brief rest. To his surprise, Agno produced an item from his belongings—a long, rectangular wooden box.
Joanna understood immediately and took it from him. Opening it revealed a rolled-up blueprint lying quietly inside. It seemed their luck had finally turned; after searching all day yesterday without success, now it lay right before them. Fars didn't even have time to examine the books in the ring; even the blueprint for constructing a floating city didn't stir his interest.
Today, he didn't have to wait for Joanna to ask for food; Fars directly brought out various provisions. After all, he had plenty to spare, and it was rare for him to show such generosity. After the meal, they exchanged no more words and began to conserve their energy for the arduous battle ahead.
In the underground, there was no distinction between day and night due to the lack of light. For the group, their routines relied solely on the habits formed above ground. Growing weary of staying in the stone house, Fars decided to leave quietly, especially since he had already broken the seal on the ring.
After informing Joanna, Fars stealthily exited.
Once outside, just as Joanna had been restless about checking on the demon left behind in the laboratory, Fars had the same intention.
As long as Joanna wasn't deceiving him, the ancient seal should still be effective, and there shouldn't be any loopholes.
However, before Fars could get close to the laboratory, the demon emerged, seemingly aware of the vampire's arrival. Fars wasn't surprised; as a higher demon, its range of perception was far greater than theirs. It was entirely normal for it to detect him first, unless the seal from a millennium ago could even block the demons' mental probing.
Realizing this, Fars felt a sense of foreboding. His mind felt as if it had been struck by a massive stone, sending waves of dizziness through him. Fortunately, Joanna's necklace had not yet been returned, and Fars's mental strength remained at the peak of a high-tier mage, giving him some resistance against this mental assault.
Denise sensed the attack on him immediately. Her melodious phoenix cry transformed into a soundwave barrier, shielding Fars from the onslaught of attacks.
"I didn't expect such pure mental strength from a mere vampire viscount, and you even have a phoenix." The demon, having failed in its surprise attack, ceased its mental assault. Its voice penetrated the barrier set by Denise and reached Fars's ears, speaking in an exceptionally pure ancient Nais language.