[Incredible, kid! Typically, breakthroughs in realms require hours of meditation, yet you achieved two at once while in the midst of battle! The king's faith in you was well-placed.]
'Ugh, thanks. It felt odd, but somehow easier than when I broke through from the first to the second realm.'
[You can ponder on that later. For now, you need to move. The demons are heading towards the village center, following the route the people took.]
Elion took a deep breath, his newly acquired power surging through him. "Let's go!" he said, his voice resolute.
With renewed determination, he raced toward the village center, ready to face whatever awaited him.
—
Inside the heart of Nocturnis City, the grand capital of Alastor.
"Your Majesty," a mage reported, kneeling before King Roderic with a respectful bow, "we've received word from two villages near the southern fort. They've reported a demon attack."
The Emperor, an imposing figure draped in regal robes, looked up with a frown of disbelief.
"What? Impossible. Did the fort fall without any warning?"
"No, it appears to be a small-scale attack from two battalions that managed to slip through our defenses unnoticed. Their strongest member is only at the peak of the Third Realm, which is why they were able to bypass the soul search barrier."
"I see. Dispatch two rescue teams to each village, ensuring that the captains are at least in the Soul-Strengthening realm," the Emperor commanded.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the mage replied, rising from his kneeling position and heading swiftly toward the hall's exit.
Before he could leave, a melodious voice interrupted him.
"Wait, I will go as well," said Princess Seraphina, stepping forward.
"Absolutely not," Roderic responded firmly. "You are still too young for such a dangerous mission."
"Father, how dangerous can it be? The demons have invaded our land and are limited in strength. If I don't participate in this battle, I'll miss the chance to gain the experience I need to grow stronger and protect our realm."
"I've already reached the Meridian Expansion realm; I need more combat experience."
"Let her go, Roderic. A bird must learn to fly on its own. This isn't a dangerous mission, and she will be well-protected by our loyal knights," said Roderic's wife, Liliana.
"All right, you may go. The Shadow Protector will accompany you to ensure nothing goes wrong."
"Thank you, Father," Seraphina said, her happiness evident as she followed the mage who had reported the demon attack toward the exit.
—
At Skywood Village Center, the once vibrant heart of the community was now a scene of chaos and devastation.
The village square, typically filled with bustling activity and cheerful laughter, was now overrun with wreckage and the remnants of a brutal battle. Houses and market stalls lay in ruins, smoke rising from the smoldering remains.
Villagers huddled together, armed with all sorts of weapons, trying to fend off the remaining demons that prowled the area. Their efforts were desperate but organized, struggling against the onslaught of invaders.
They fought valiantly to shield the civilians, their determination evident despite the heavy toll of the battle.
The sound of clashing steel, magical explosions, and anguished cries filled the air, creating a cacophony of conflict and desperation.
There weren't many demons, but each one was significantly stronger than the average human. The battle had been brutal: for every demon slain, at least thirty humans had perished.
Elion approached the scene, his expression grim as he surveyed the destruction.
His focus quickly shifted to the intense battle between the village chief and a human-like imp demon, whose strength was at the peak of the Meridian Expansion Realm.
The village chief, Boverik, was struggling to hold his ground against the imp demon at the peak of the Meridian Expansion Realm.
Behind him lay Reinald, a fellow Skywood villager, his arms severed and his life hanging by a thread. He was barely conscious, with a healer frantically working to stabilize him and stop the bleeding.
Although advanced healing techniques could eventually regrow his arms, Reinald was effectively out of the fight for days.
'Reinald and the village chief are both at the peak of the Muscle Expansion Realm, yet they're struggling against a single mage at the same level? How is that even possible?'
[That's actually the norm. Demons are generally stronger than humans in the same realm. The only race they fall behind in mana manipulation is the vampires. However, their ability to reproduce rapidly far outweighs that disadvantage, which is why we find ourselves in such a precarious situation. You're the real anomaly here.]
'Damn it, this can't continue. I have to find a way to help.'
[Kid, you're not strong enough for this fight. Jumping in now will only get you killed.]
'If the chief falls, everyone here is as good as dead. Better to die trying than watch them all get slaughtered.'
'I'll teleport behind him and aim to finish this in a single strike. With the chief distracting him, it might just work.'
Elion began channeling powerful electrical currents into his sword, preparing for the teleportation. He knew he had only one chance before the demon sensed him.
[Kid, mages usually have a keener mana sense than warriors. I wouldn't recommend—]
Before Valen could finish his warning, Elion had already teleported behind the demon mage. His sword crackled with such intense electrical energy that it nearly glowed, the heat and voltage distorting the air around it.
After teleporting behind the mage, Elion thrust his sword with deadly precision, aiming directly for the demon's neck.
But before the blade could land, the demon mage smirked, as if sensing the attack before it even began. "A brat trying to play with the adults?" he sneered.
With a mere flick of his fingers, a gust of wind erupted from the demon, slamming into Elion like an invisible wall. The force sent him flying backward, tumbling through the air until he crashed into the ground several meters away. The mage's mocking laughter followed him.
"I'm impressed," the demon mage said with a hint of admiration.
"A human child no older than ten years, and already at the Muscle Expansion and Meridian Expansion realms. Initially, I thought this mission was a waste, but it seems the seers were right. A human child with the potential to challenge our dominion has indeed appeared."
He paused, a smirk forming on his lips. "This invasion was orchestrated specifically to find and eliminate you. The seers received a vision of a child with extraordinary potential who could threaten our dominance. I was having a hard time finding you before reinforcements from the capital arrived. And here you are, delivering yourself on a silver platter."
'What the hell? They were after me all this time? I'm screwed!'
As Elion's thoughts raced with fear and frustration, the Village Chief, Boverik, despite his severe injuries, gathered the last of his strength and lunged at the demon mage. "Not while I'm still breathing!" he roared, determined to protect his village to the end.
The demon mage barely spared a glance at the desperate chief. With a wave of his hand, a powerful gust of air flung Boverik backward. The force was enough to send him crashing into the ground, his body going limp as he lost consciousness.
"Well, now you have my full attention," the imp demon said, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
[You'd better run, kid. With all this commotion, stronger reinforcements will be here soon. Just try to survive until then.]
Elion, heart pounding, focused on escaping. He prepared to teleport away, hoping to buy time and avoid further confrontation. But as he started to channel his mana, the imp demon's mocking voice echoed through the air.
"Oh, how adorable. You really thought you could escape so easily?" the demon sneered, a cruel grin stretching across his face.
"Didn't you know that a more powerful mage can easily disrupt the mana around a weaker one? I can prevent your teleportation with a mere thought."
Elion's eyes widened in shock as he felt a sudden space blocking him, like an invisible lock stopping him from jumping through the fourth dimension.
The demon's laughter grew louder, his eyes glinting with sadistic amusement. "You're not just a little brat; you're a naive one. You can't even begin to comprehend the difference in power between us."
The demon conjured three fierce hurricanes, each swirling with deadly intent, and launched them directly at Elion.
Seeing no chance to escape, Elion clenched his teeth and braced himself. "If I can't run, then I'll fight with everything I've got!"
Since teleportation was no longer an option, Elion resolved to enhance his speed using a technique he had yet to fully test.
He began channeling lightning magic throughout his body, the electric currents crackling violently as they surged through him. His form became a blur, moving with such incredible speed that the demon mage struggled to track his movements.
Each step seemed to defy the very limits of human agility, as Elion darted between the oncoming hurricanes with newfound swiftness, his figure flashing in and out of visibility like a streak of lightning.