When the newborn demons got to that level, the higher-ranked demons picked them up through the vortexes, but since he was born as Level 50 and had gained 2 levels from killing a bunch of Level 30 demons last week, he was pulled by it as well.
This demon called Floch was monitoring the vortex and noticed him resisting its pull, leading to the current situation.
"Are you sure he's from the last batch?"
"Come on. The dividing barrier was created by 'Their Excellencies', no way a little demon like this one could break it and return to the newborn side."
The other demons conversed among themselves, and after a moment, Floch spoke, mentioning something about Xaren that shifted their interest from mild curiosity to intense intrigue.
"He was using a magic spell too."
"Wait…what?!"
The demoness snapped her head toward Floch, her voice filled with disbelief. Floch nodded confidently, poking Xaren's back with a finger as he explained.
"He was holding on to a tree and when I destroyed the tree, I felt unfamiliar magic coursing through it. After grabbing him again, I checked and saw the energy signatures were the same!"
Floch then turned his crimson eyes towards Xaren and asked.
"You were using a magic spell, weren't you?"
"…yes."
Xaren was actually using his Unique Skill, but this fire demon mistook it for a magic spell. He didn't bother correcting him though. He simply agreed with Floch, since he wasn't sure if refuting his claim would get him in trouble.
Who knew if this guy was one of those bad-tempered ones who didn't like it when people said he was wrong about something?
Floch seemed convinced and had only questioned Xaren just so the other higher-ranked demons would believe.
"A Level 52 in the newborn section who can already use spells?"
"What's more, he's a 'High' breed as well."
"?!"
Four pairs of eyes turned to the demoness with the partial appraisal skill after they heard her call out Xaren's race breed. Then, three looked at each other and had a moment of shared understanding.
"This guy, he might be one of them?"
"I was thinking the same thing…He's definitely one of them."
Three of the other four demons nodded in affirmation to Floch's words, and Xaren silently wished they didn't mistake him for anything that'd cause him trouble.
Thankfully, he had a chance to find out who 'them' were since one of the five demons around him was just as confused as he was.
"Who's them?"
"This idiot, are you in this Galaxy at all?"
Floch casually insulted the one who asked the question, shaking his head as he explained.
"Don't you know that sometimes, Nobles often mix their kids in with the normal ones?
They seal away anything that can be used to identify their family and let the little demons survive in the outside world for years, before taking them back after they've reached a certain level.
I've seen some High-Rank demons do that. Especially the ones from Upper-Class nobility."
Floch's explanation brought understanding looks to the eyes of both Xaren and the other confused demon.
"It sounds plausible. Those Upper-Class guys are all Greater and Archdemons after all…
Who knows if this guy is really a 'High Demon'? He might be an Archdemon or even a legendary Elder-breed but with a sealed bloodline."
When the demoness said this, Floch laughed a reply.
"Pfft…Elder breeds are the stuff of legends."
"They are legends for normal demons like us. Nobles have Elder breeds among them," the demoness retorted.
She then reached out and plucked Xaren from Floch's hold, setting him on the ground.
"Noble or not, he's gotta fight. Those are orders from 'Their Excellencies' and even Nobles can't do shit about that."
She held up her hand and grabbed the air beside her, causing the space to distort into a swirling portal from which she pulled out some pieces of clothing.
"Put this on. It's enchanted for basic defence. Not like you'd know what enchantments are anyway."
After saying her piece, she pulled out a large box filled with similar-looking clothes and walked away to distribute them to the other demons.
The one who was carrying a crate of weapons looked Xaren over before asking, "What weapon do you think you can use?"
"…sword."
"Hmm… Oh, we'll see. Pick one of these."
Xaren did as instructed, picking a plain sword from within the crate and just like the demoness before, the demon left to go distribute the weapons to the other unranked demons.
Having been given clothes and a weapon, Xaren quickly put them on, sighing in relief that he could finally get proper clothes and not the rough wolf pelts he'd been wearing all this while.
The clothes they gave him were a simple pair of black trousers and a shirt. According to that demoness, they were enchanted for basic defence and Xaren could sense the faint demonic energy on them.
'They're distributing armour-like clothes and weapons. She also said something about us fighting.
That means they're about to throw all of us here into a battle! Just like that?'
He arrived at that conclusion and turned his eyes towards Floch who was watching him with an amused grin.
"Well, aren't you a smart little critter…"
"…"
The grin of a fire demon was definitely NOT something Xaren wanted to see ever again.
Although Xaren wanted to leave the vicinity of these higher-ranked demons, he couldn't do so as they had not explicitly directed him to.
'Demons are very hierarchal. Unranked, Low-Rank, Mid-Rank and High-Rank. They're very strict about their hierarchy.'
Glancing at Floch who was now discussing something with the other demons, near him, Xaren wondered what rank they were.
'The demonic energy they emanate is insane.'
He looked forward and saw the thousands of unranked demons all quiet as the demoness who appraised him earlier, as well as several other adult demons silenced them with their powerful auras.
Anyone who still acted unruly was mercilessly beaten on the spot! A chilling display of power that effectively quelled any further disobedience.
Once the unruly were subdued, the demons began distributing enchanted clothes and weapons, the process taking nearly half an hour, due to the sheer number.
When they finished, Floch was about to address them but a streak of light suddenly shot down from the sky, crashing into the ground with meteoric force.
The impact released shockwaves that sent hundreds of unranked demons sprawling, the earth trembling beneath them.
As the dust settled, Floch's expression shifted, his previous casualness giving way to deference. He, along with all the other demons, bowed their heads slightly as a towering figure emerged from the cloud of debris.
The demonic energy emanating from this newcomer was suffocating, eclipsing all others present.
Xaren's blood ran cold, and sweat began to bead on his forehead as he instinctively understood the magnitude of the power before him.
'High-Rank Demon... There's no doubt about it!'
The thought screamed through his mind. The aura exuded by this being was one he could never forget—an overwhelming presence that seemed to whisper death as the only option for those who dared oppose it.
The High-Rank Demon turned his gaze toward Floch, his voice a low rumble that carried an undeniable command.
"Are they all armed?"
Floch nodded respectfully.
"Yes, they are prepared."
The High-Rank Demon then raised his voice, its deep resonance demanding the attention of every demon present.
"Listen up! Are you ready to fight?! To gain souls to devour and grow stronger?!"
At first, there was only silence, a collective hesitation born from fear of the mighty presence before them.
The demon's eyes narrowed, and he asked again, this time infusing his voice with demonic energy that reverberated through the air like a sonic wave.
[Are you ready?!]
This time, the silence shattered. Roars erupted from the throngs of demons, their voices rising in a chorus of primal eagerness.
At the sight of this, a wicked grin spread across the High-Rank Demon's face.
[Good. Then fight!]
With a wave of his hand, the demon conjured a magic circle with six rings of purple light spinning around it.
The fabric of space distorted and then tore open, creating a swirling portal that quickly stabilised to reveal a chaotic battlefield on the other side.
Explosions rocked the landscape, and the sounds of battle were faintly heard through the spatial rift.
[Charge! Fight, fight, fight!!!]
The High-Rank Demon bellowed, his voice echoing like thunder as he spurred them on.
Without hesitation, the unranked demons charged towards the portal in droves, their eyes alight with the promise of battle and the hunger for souls.
"Join them. We'll see if you survive."
Floch spoke as he pushed Xaren into the crowd.
Immediately, Xaren found himself swept up in the rush, adrenaline surging as the horde of demons surged forward into the chaotic fray that awaited them on the other side.