"You're injured?" A deep and raspy voice echoed from below.
"Just an accident," Katis replied impassively.
"Hehehe, an accident? Want me to come out and help you?" The voice chuckled lowly.
"You know that's impossible," Katis answered coldly.
"Don't you miss me? It's been 500 years," the laughter turned sultry.
"Haven't I come to see you?" Katis raised an eyebrow in response.
"Hahaha, you admit it, you admit you missed me! I've been thinking about you all along…"
"Not yet," Katis said. "Sleep a little longer." As he spoke, he waved the Argus staff in the air, drawing a circle. The glow of the magic array gradually dimmed.
"But it's so noisy here, I can't sleep, I can't sleep… Let me out soon, I'm so lonely…" The voice lingered on, pestering until it finally faded away.
"Argute, I'll bring you out…" Katis murmured, the light on his staff growing dim.
Argute? It's Argute! Hua Rui was stunned by his discovery, pressing himself against the wall, holding his breath. Legends spoke of Flandre possessing a mighty demon lord familiar, but as a great astral summoner, his familiars were certainly not limited to just one. Beyond the demon lord familiar, Flandre also had eight high-ranking familiars known as the "Eight Demon Generals," of which Argute was one.
People only knew that after the Holy War 500 years ago, with the establishment of twelve nations, Flandre and his familiars disappeared. The official statement claimed all the familiars had been returned to the Abyss. Yet many summoners believed this to be impossible. During the post-war resource depression, no one had the means to open a summoning portal strong enough to send so many high-ranking demons back. Moreover, the massive spatial vortex caused by cross-planar summoning would have been impossible to hide. Yet no such vortex appeared before Flandre's disappearance, and his fate was simply declared as "missing."
But now, Hua Rui had clearly heard Katis mention the name "Argute!" No wonder his own familiar refused to approach this place; the aura of a powerful demon would instinctively deter them. This was true for cockroaches as well. Their commander, Black Jess, was a demon, and his emotions would influence them. This explained why the magic array spared no expense—this was clearly a demon-sealing array! Argute was sealed here!
The sealing power capable of binding a high-ranking demon was so immense that even the residual energy leaking out of the array was enough to repel ordinary demons. If Black Jess wasn't parasitic on the cockroaches, his body would have long collapsed under the array's magic. This also explained why the snake-like creature refused to approach.
However, if this array was solely for sealing one demon, it seemed excessively large. Based on the array's inscriptions, this spot was merely at the edge, yet it sealed Argute. If so, what was sealed at the array's center? Could it be the legendary demon lord familiar?
Hua Rui felt his strength drain and collapsed to the ground. If this was true, it was terrifying. Five centuries after planar magic was banned, Flandre Academy was still hiding a group of high-ranking familiars. It was inconceivable!
What's worse, with Flandre gone, if these familiars were released, who could control them? And Katis had even said he would release it. Was Katis insane?
Hua Rui broke into a cold sweat, breathing heavily. He recalled the conversation between Katis and Argute—Argute seemed to have special feelings for Katis. Could Katis have inherited Argute?
Familiars could be inherited by signing corresponding contracts. However, the inheritor typically needed abilities on par with the original master. Otherwise, they would fail to control the familiar and risk having the contract unilaterally broken by the demon. Facing a rampaging high-ranking demon was extremely dangerous. High-ranking demons were one thing, but a demon lord? Hua Rui couldn't think of anyone in this world today who could rival Flandre's abilities to inherit it!
As Hua Rui sank into anxiety and fear, Katis gripped his staff and walked out of the array. He murmured almost to himself near the edge of the array, "He said it's noisy, too noisy to sleep… And now, it really is noisy here…"
Hua Rui was alarmed, seeing Katis unleash an eighth-tier Wind Blade, a massive steel-like gust slashing toward the direction where he and Alpha had come from.
"Damn it!" For the first time, Felice showed a worried expression. "This is a demon-sealing array!"
"A demon-sealing array? What's that?" Hatch asked.
"Don't ask! We must find Alpha and Hua Rui immediately!" Felice cast Wind Soar on herself.
"You can use high-level magic like Wind Soar?" Hatch exclaimed again.
Among wind acceleration spells, there were three levels: the basic Float, the mid-tier Ground Dash, and the advanced low-altitude flight magic, Wind Soar. Although these spells required little magic power, they demanded exceptional elemental control. Wind Soar was particularly hard to master, as improper control could send the caster flying uncontrollably at high speeds, often resulting in broken bones. For this reason, many wind mages dared not use it unless they had advanced control of wind elements.
Elemental control was generally transferable; mastery of one element often implied proficiency with others. Thus, if a mage had advanced control over one element, it was likely they could master others as well. This was a terrifying thought, as it meant, If a mage has mastered advanced elemental control in one element, it's almost certain they can achieve advanced control in other elements as well. This is a terrifying skill because it allows a mage to turn simple, low-level spells into complex, special-effect magic, unleashing power comparable to high-level spells while consuming less mana and casting quickly. However, in general, magical control correlates with a mage's rank, which depends more on elemental reserves and burst power during evaluations.
Though not proficient in magic, Hatch, who had spent much time with Warren, had a decent understanding of it. Now, his gaze at Phyllis was filled with admiration. A mage capable of using Wind Glide must possess at least advanced elemental control—equivalent to the level of a seventh-tier Grand Mage. Across the entire continent, there were fewer than a hundred seventh-tier mages!
Phyllis, who had been concealing her strength, chose to use Wind Glide to speed up their progress, underscoring the urgency of the situation. Hatch didn't press her further, but her speed was so fast that she disappeared from his sight in an instant.
Phyllis was anxious. She hadn't expected to encounter a sealing magic array here—an advanced array amplified by other formations. Even the residual energy from such an array could threaten any demon nearby! She couldn't even begin to worry about what the array might be sealing—her mind was consumed with thoughts of Alpha.
Previously, her contract with Alpha confirmed that he was safe and within 500 meters of her, which reassured her. But now, things had changed. Despite Alpha's unimpressive combat capabilities, he was still a high-ranking demon, and such a sealing array was specifically designed to suppress beings like him. Although the extent of the threat was unclear, it was undeniably dangerous.
Moreover, through the contract, Phyllis could sense Alpha's distress. He was resisting something with intense determination, yet he didn't know how to use the sigil on his hand to communicate with her. Phyllis had never taught him, as she saw no need for a demon meant for trivial tasks to learn remote communication. Additionally, she didn't want Alpha to know she could monitor his movements—this would feel too much like surveillance.
Now, Phyllis regretted her decision. Without Alpha reporting his status, she struggled to grasp his situation. Through the contract, she could feel his strong will resisting something, but he wasn't responding to her call.
Alpha, on the other hand, had received her message through the sigil on his hand. At first, he was surprised and uneasy, but when he realized her transmission carried only concern rather than commands, he felt even more puzzled. As a contracted demon, he had prepared himself to be treated as a disposable tool. As long as the orders didn't threaten his survival, he would comply. Yet, his master's emotions—her worry—were entirely unexpected.
As a loyal demon, Alpha wanted to respond, but he couldn't act. Any movement would reveal his location, putting his life at risk. Just ten meters away from his hiding place, Kartis had already engaged the serpentine creature.
"You should know, this is forbidden territory. Trespassers will die!" Kartis's stern voice carried the authority of a death sentence. He raised the ancient staff of Argus, pointing it at the half-human, half-serpent creature. Powerful elements swirled around him, forming a vortex with Kartis at its core. The raging winds created a reverse current, stifling any potential action.
Air Suspension—a high-level wind-based immobilization spell—had already been silently cast during his speech, nullifying the serpent's advantage of swift movement. Kartis began chanting an incantation to guide the elements for a powerful spell. As an eighth-tier mage, Kartis was casting a spell above the eighth tier. The ancient staff of Argus, with a blue fire-elemental crystal at its tip, began to gather red light dots—fire elements. The elements converged into a red fireball, compressing and shrinking until it turned into a bright blue speck of light.