The next day, after a good rest, Fars handed over the items Joanna needed, and the four of them—three people and a phoenix—prepared to storm into the laboratory. To their surprise, the items Joanna mentioned that were specifically designed to deal with demons were all contained within those jars and bottles. It seemed that these were various potions prepared by the mage during his lifetime, their value likely surpassing that of the raw materials.
Joanna didn't take all the jars and bottles; she only had Fars bring them out while she selected a few. Out of curiosity, Fars wanted to understand the effects of these potions, but he couldn't discern how Joanna was able to differentiate them, as there were no labels on the bottles.
He was left speechless by Joanna's retort: "If I told you, would you believe me? When you live long enough to become knowledgeable, you'll be able to tell for yourself without my help."
Fars had heard a bit about items used to combat demons, and Joanna's preparations didn't seem particularly unique. They had already exhausted most of their high-level magic scrolls while battling vengeful spirits and earth dragons on their way to the ruins. The scrolls sealed by the church, containing various divine spells, had been completely used up. Now, the only things left to deal with demons were the various potions in those jars.
One of the potions was called Demon Repellent Powder, a concoction made from various rare herbs. When sprinkled around, it could deter low to mid-level dark creatures from approaching. However, this powder might not be very effective against creatures with the strength of high-level demons. As soon as the powder was released, Fars, being a dark creature himself and only a vampire count, was the most affected. The nauseating smell made him flee a hundred meters away. Joanna had no choice but to put the powder away, realizing that it was better not to risk harming her own teammate before the demon was even affected.
Next was the Holy Purification Potion, which could be applied to weapons to enhance damage against dark creatures. This was indeed a precious potion produced by the church, impossible to purchase on the market. When facing dark beings, it allowed ordinary professionals to unleash the unique holy purification effects typical of clergy. Fars didn't have a weapon he commonly used, but he had kept Master Perugino's precious wand. However, a more powerful wand wasn't necessarily better for a mage; without proper synergy, Fars would only hinder himself by using it. Joanna took out her Uno Steel Blade again and carefully coated the blade with the Holy Purification Potion. Agno also covered his great sword with the potion, causing it to radiate a brilliant milky white glow. Fars couldn't help but feel a chill; perhaps this sword would be just as effective at killing him after slaying the demon.
To Fars's astonishment, Joanna produced a mysterious array disk from her belongings and asked him for six high-grade crystal coins to fill the disk's grooves. The array disk began to glow, ripples spreading across its surface. Once the faint ripples transformed into waves, they finally broke free from the disk's confines, expanding outward to form a protective barrier around the group.
Fars realized he had underestimated their capabilities; they even had an array disk that required magical crystals to activate, yet the user didn't need to understand any magic to trigger the spells inscribed on it. Compared to scrolls, the advantage of the array disk was that as long as there were sufficient magical crystals to provide energy, the spells could be used an unlimited number of times. However, it was more complicated to use than scrolls, and only the wealthy could afford such luxuries.
Fortunately, Joanna continued to lend Fars her star-shaped necklace. After all, if the demon were to launch a mental attack against them, even with the necklace's enhancement, Joanna wouldn't be able to withstand an attack that could incapacitate a high-level peak mage in an instant. But the responsibility of resisting the demon's mental assault fell on Fars. After a moment of thought, he felt that with Denise's help and their precautions, it should be difficult for the demon to ensnare them.
With their preparations complete, Agno led the way, Joanna took the rear, and Fars positioned himself in the center as they re-entered the laboratory. The demon did not immediately attack, nor did it wait obediently at the entrance for them to strike. The longer this continued, the more tense the atmosphere became.
Fars didn't tell Joanna and Agno the truth; if the demon's other methods were on par with its mental attacks, then given its strength, they were essentially walking into a death trap. Yet, Fars had an inexplicable intuition that the demon wouldn't kill him, just as it had said, "As long as you haven't violated the contract, I can't harm you." Initially, Fars had found this hard to believe, especially since the demon had attacked him without hesitation before. However, the newly awakened memories compelled him to trust this statement. He still hadn't figured out what exactly was written in that contract, but the deep-seated feeling in his blood made him trust the demon's words in a way he couldn't explain.
The three of them walked carefully over the scattered bones in the laboratory, with Agno leading the way. He clearly knew the layout of the laboratory, and without hesitation, he turned into a seemingly ordinary passage at a corner. Fars had long since lost the initial shock of seeing the bones everywhere; he casually kicked aside various terrifying and grotesque skulls. Joanna didn't stop him; even if they made noise, the demon, having lived for over ten thousand years, would have already noticed them. The question was where it was hiding. If Fars's casual actions could lure it out, that would be beneficial; dealing with a sneak attack was far more challenging.
Following Agno's lead, they turned left and right until they reached a staircase. Agno pointed upward, and Fars understood that the remains they were searching for might be above. However, the narrow staircase would disrupt their formation, and the array disk's protective range was limited, unable to shield all three of them standing on different steps. If one of them were exposed to the demon's attack, it could strike unexpectedly, and it was uncertain whether the demon was hiding upstairs or downstairs.
Sure enough, as they reached the middle of the staircase, the demon attacked again. Armed with claws, it descended from above, using its height advantage to clash directly with Agno's longsword. The holy purification effect on the sword caused the demon's claws to emit a wisp of smoke. However, Agno couldn't withstand the tremendous force and stumbled backward. Fortunately, Fars was there to steady him. The demon, having missed its strike, didn't pause; its massive arm swung toward Agno, who was still struggling to hold his sword. Fars and Joanna weren't idle either; Fars unleashed a prepared spell at the demon. Ordinary dark spells were not very effective against a dark creature like the demon, so Fars opted for Finger of Death. No matter how inexperienced he was with it, not everyone could ignore its effects. The demon had no choice but to withdraw, using its claws to meet Fars's Finger of Death.
This left Fars utterly astonished. Little did he know that as long as the Finger of Death touched any part of a living being, its instant death effect would activate. Whether the target could withstand it depended on their magical resistance and saving throws. Using claws to block the Finger of Death was essentially the same as using its body to resist it. Even more astonishing was that the demon's claws actually made contact with the red light produced by the Finger of Death. However, the demon's claws seemed to possess a special ability; the red light veered off course upon contact, deflecting to the side.
Meanwhile, Joanna, positioned lower down, launched her attack. The assassin had somehow circled behind the demon, and with the enhancement of the holy purification, her Uno Steel Blade pierced effortlessly into the demon's body. The demon, unable to turn in time, struck back with its tail in pain.
The array disk was in Joanna's hands, and the demon's tail first struck the magical shield. True to its activation through six high-grade magical crystals, the shield held firm against the demon's furious blow. Seizing the opportunity, Joanna quickly vanished from sight.
With its target temporarily lost, the demon focused its attention on the humans and the vampire before it. Agno had regained his footing and lunged forward, thrusting his sword toward the demon's chest, but the demon caught the blade, disregarding the holy effect's erosion, while its other claw reached for Agno.
The staircase was not suitable for a full-blown battle. Agno decisively abandoned his sword and jumped down the stairs, while Fars leaped into the air, preparing another Finger of Death. From the very beginning of the confrontation, Fars had sensed something was off about this demon. It didn't lack intelligence; unlike their first encounter, where it charged out recklessly, this time it remained hidden, waiting for the perfect moment to ambush them on the staircase. It seemed to know they were trying to ascend and had positioned itself for an ambush. This clearly indicated a certain level of intelligence. However, compared to the demon Fars had encountered yesterday, which had spoken fluent ancient Nais and could make him scream in terror, this demon was nothing.
Fars's confusion was mirrored by Joanna's; the demon appeared to be the same one they had seen yesterday. Its outward appearance matched, and its strength was roughly as Fars had described—far stronger than any one of them alone, yet lacking the power and intelligence of a high-level demon. The mental attack that had incapacitated Fars in an instant was conspicuously absent. Was this demon truly cunning, or was the vampire's account half-truths?
The demon seemed to have fixated on Agno, ignoring the hidden Joanna and the airborne vampire. It discarded its longsword, now charred from the holy effects, and charged directly at Agno.
Without his longsword, Agno wouldn't sit idly by. His true weapon was not the longsword but the spear transformed from his family's legendary beast, the bald eagle. By the time the demon closed in, he had already summoned his spear. Even without the holy purification potion, Agno's spear was formidable, delivering a heavy blow to the demon.