On a narrow forest path, two figures could be seen sauntering down with little to no care of their surroundings. The young woman coquettishly held onto the man's arms tightly as if she were afraid of losing him in the mysterious, misty path. And the surroundings were mystical indeed.
Towering trees, draped in emerald-green foliage, create a natural canopy overhead, dappling the forest floor with shifting sunlight patterns. The air is filled with the earthy scent of moss and damp soil, mingled with the sweet fragrance of wildflowers that bloom along the path. The thin mist made it hard for anyone to see far in the distance, making their other senses more sensitive.
The melodious chirping of cicadas echoed in rhythm throughout the tranquil forest. The rustling of dead leaves with each footstep they took and the overwhelming heaviness that came with mist condensating on their skin. It was an atmosphere that would put anyone on edge.
However, the pair didn't feel any alarm. The couple moved easily and confidently, walking down the path calmly as if it were their backyard.
"Hehe, I wonder if they have found our elopement letter by now!"
Yue teased Amon while happily squeezing her body closer to his elbow. By this point, Amon had long become accustomed to the young lady's excessive skinship and had learned to give in to her whims. Still, her blatant show of affection did raise an eyebrow on his well-structured face.
"I usually get up early in the morning… So they would check my room if they didn't see me at breakfast."
"That means they did! Haha, I can't wait to get back and hear their reactions!"
"..."
Amon pushed down the urge to continue the conversation. He knew that by reciprocating, he would only fall into the trap of teasing. Therefore, it was better to keep his mouth shut.
It had been twelve hours since the pair left the letter in his room and teleported far away. The playful young woman pre-determined their destination as usual—a verdant, untouched forest in one of the most remote parts of the continent.
Their objective this time was to search for an ancient ruin, one that was abandoned during the first Great Demon War. Within the ruins was a sealed Greater Demon that would join the Demon Cult's eventual assault against humanity. Eliminating it before it could regain its original strength would significantly weaken the Demon Cult; however, there was one big problem.
The location was difficult to reach, but searching for the ruins was a nightmare. Shrouded by fog and deep underground, it was like finding a pin in a haystack. Fortunately, the pair did obtain some help.
"Ahem, have you guys forgotten that I'm here?"
While Yue tried to appeal her charm to Amon, a nasal voice beckoned them from the front. The pair raised their chins straight ahead and saw a lanky, scrawny middle-aged man tracing back his footsteps from the forward path. He wore full black attire, perfectly matching his deep brown hair and black eyes. He had eyebags that dropped down to his cheeks and an eagle-pointed nose. Looking pale and sickly, the man seemed incapable of hurting a fly, let alone any Demons he may face.
If the man were to be described in one word, it would be unassuming. However, Amon and Yue both knew that the man was anything but.
"Bane, you've returned!" Yue casually called out the man by name, not caring about the difference in age or status. "So, have you found anything?" She curtly asked.
Bane sighed, signalling he had given up on making Yue stick to formalities. However, he could do nothing to educate this informal youngster since she was technically his patron.
"As the young mistress had suspected, the ruins should be nearby. There are signs everywhere."
There was a very important reason why Yue teleported this odd man with them during their elopement.
Bane Vallen. The Spymaster of Echelon Intelligence Bureau. A seasoned veteran with over thirty years of experience spying and gathering intelligence for the Hyades Republic.
In the events of [Bright], Bane was technically an antagonist, as he had been manipulated by the Demon Cult to spy for them, weakening the Hyades Republic from within. However, now that Amon had transmigrated and Yue had regressed, they saved Bane before he could fall into the Demon Cult's clutches.
As a result, he was one of the few people who knew of the Demon Cult and worked hand-in-hand with the couple to curb their influence. Using Yue's riches, they created the Echelon Intelligence Bureau and allowed Bane to be the Head Spymaster. On the surface, Echelon was designed to aid the Elune House in improving their security, especially with intelligence pertaining to the Mana Crystal vein.
But in truth, Echelon was an agency specifically used to gather information about the Demon Cult, particularly where their bases were and the locations of potential threats that Amon and Yue needed to eliminate.
And currently, Bane is performing his job to the highest degree.
"How long until you can find it?"
Amon bluntly asked. He wasn't worried about finding the ruins; the young man fully believed in Bane's abilities. After all, the Spymaster had time and time again proved his abilities.
"Truth is… I have a lead, and I'm fairly confident the ruins are located a kilometre north."
"Hmmm? So what seems to be the problem?"
"Well, you see…"
Contrary to his churlish demeanour when talking to Yue, Bane was relatively cordial with Amon. A little too cordial, perhaps. His smile broke so wide that Amon could see the devil in Bane's eyes. A severe chill crept down the youth's spine as the Spymaster gleefully spoke:
"The miasma emitting out of the ruins has corrupted some beasts. Now, they're blocking the area, halting my advance."
"... with your abilities, couldn't you clear them?"
Bane Vallen was by no means weak. He may have specialised in intelligence, but he was adequately trained as a rogue and assassin. Dealing with a few corrupted beasts was nothing to the elite Spymaster. Alas, Bane had an ulterior motive.
"I could, but it would greatly hamper my ability to search for traps or anything of the like. Besides, I wouldn't want to weaken myself before entering the ancient ruins. So, I would need your swordplay to clean them up."
"... why not let Yue clear them with magic?"
"And risk destroying the surroundings? What if the young mistress blocks the entrance with one of her spells? The safest way is to eliminate them with your sword, young master Amon."
Bane began spitting out bars as if he'd rehearsed his speech multiple times before. No, with how calmly and succinctly he spoke, the Spymaster had anticipated this scenario. Amon sought refuge with the only other person with them, but she was beaming from ear to ear, eager to watch her future husband perform in battle.
With no one to turn to, Amon could only sigh and relent.
"... Fine, lead me to them."
"Follow me!"
Without missing a beat, the scrawny man moved with rapid feet through the mossy path. He was moving at a speed that a regular human would find challenging to follow, especially in a dense, foggy forest. But Amon and Yue easily trailed behind Bane. And in no time, the trio were met with eight distinct shadows.
Standing over five metres tall, each shadow revealed black fur and blood-red eyes. Bits of flesh could be seen dangling down throughout their muscular bodies, showing pieces of their skeletal structure. A darkened mist wrapped around them like a cotton veil, and each step they took shook the forest floor like a mini earthquake.
"Corrupted bears… Of all the beasts to be corrupted, it had to be the apex predator."
Amon cursed under his breath. Corrupted beasts were different from actual Demons. They lacked the power and abilities a real Demon would have, but it didn't mean they were weak. Depending on their constitution, they could be a formidable foe, too.
A corrupted deer could have the speed and agility of a nimble Knight, while a corrupted turtle could be harder to crack than a tough metal.
As for a corrupted bear, just one can match a Knight in combat, and its physical strength alone was enough to kill an unsuspecting Knight. And it had a thick hide with the speed of an apex predator. Of all the corrupted beasts one could face, a corrupted bear was ranked among the most dangerous.
"To deal with them without destroying the environment… I have no choice but to use Aura."
Although initially reluctant, Amon was long used to being on clean-up duty. Pulling out his sword from his sheathe, he condensed his mana into a thick Aura which coated his entire blade. The corrupted bears were unaware of the threat looming over their necks and naively moved towards the sudden golden light.
And it was then…
One bear was severed cleanly in two, split in half like it had been cleaved by an axe. The other bears were unable to react to their comrade's death before their bodies were next in line on the chopping block. They failed to see their assailant, and by the time they saw the flash of metal, it was too late.
One by one, the bears were hacked in two cleanly. Most of them only saw a golden light before their lives were so viciously reaped from their bodies.
Maybe it was a mercy?
Free from the corruption that plagued their souls, the bears could return to nature like they were meant to. The Solar mana from Amon's attacks seared through their corruption, ensuring they couldn't resurrect or continue to suffer their condemned fate.
However, some bears resisted. Finally understanding that they were under attack, they released a last-minute attempt to deter their foe. Miasma burst forth from their bodies, disrupting anything they encountered. Trees, grass, and even the air itself. They were shaken by the dense miasma that could kill a grown man within seconds.
But Amon was no mere mortal.
Coated in a thick layer of Aura, there was little the bears could do to threaten his life. Easily breaking into their defences, the Solaris Knight swung his blade five more times, eradicating their reign of terror.
Four seconds.
It only took four seconds for Amon to dispatch the corrupted bears.
No prolonged war chant or shouting about his ability was needed. Pure Aura and clean swordplay were sufficient to deal with enemies of this calibre. And that was too much for someone to handle.
"MAGNIFICENT!!!"
A loud applause erupted from the sidelines as Bane rose to his feet and congratulated the young man.
"Young master Amon! Your technique has been refined to the finest of degrees! You are simply exemplary! Ahhhh, how I envy your talent! Are you sure you don't want to join Echelon under my wing?"
"... no."
"Are you certain?! Your ability to kill without emitting a single ounce of killing intent is the envy of all assassins and spies! You are simply too talented in the art of assassination to be wasted as a Knight! If not, please accept me as your tutor! I shall teach you all the techniques I know and make you into history's foremost assassin!"
"Thanks for the offer, but no."
Amon scratched his cheek, mainly at a loss for words. There was a reason why: even though they had worked together multiple times and Amon viewed the man as a valuable asset, the young man still couldn't get along with Bane Vallen.
It was precisely because of Bane's abnormal obsession to make Amon his protege.
Amon has the unnatural ability not to emit killing intent whenever he attacks, a prized skill that no one has ever replicated. Taking another's life was a brutal thing, and it required a certain amount of willpower to perform such a deed. One could mask or even diminish it, but it will always be there.
However, Amon was utterly void of it at all. It was as if he were a mindless, cold machine that killed without any emotions.
And that made Bane Vallen envious, so much so that he was willing to go against the entire Solaris House just to make the boy his disciple.
Alas, Amon had to be willing first. And even if he was, another hurdle stood in Bane's way.
"Alright, alright! We've been through this before."
Yue hurriedly broke off the agitated Bane from Amon's body and once more took her place by his side. Frowning, she issued a warning to the Spymaster.
"Amon won't accept your proposal, Bane. If you raise this issue again, I'll teleport you ten kilometres into the sky. I wonder if assassins can fly?"
The young beauty's words were clear to Bane. Know your place, or she'll put him in it.
And the message was read loud and clear.
"Tch, fine. Follow me; let's finish this mission early. I have plenty of paperwork to attend to when I get back."