The defeat of the corrupted bears opened up a path downwards to a bottomless ravine. It was covered with ageless vines and moist ferns. Eerily silent as if the world had been frozen in time, the chasm was just as creepy as deep. The path down was obscured with heavy mist, which made the abyss seem like clouds hid it.
It was nigh impossible for anyone to traverse through the foggy depths without encountering any mishaps. Even Amon, whose senses far exceeded any living human, would have difficulty moving through the dense fog.
Hence, the man delegated the task to the only person he knew could solve his pickle.
"Yue, clear the way."
The young beauty smiled with her chest puffed out. There was no need for Amon to clarify his statement. The girl knew exactly what the youth was asking of her. Yue raised her arms out elegantly and conjured mana into her five fingers. Her red, crystal eyes emitted a sinister gleam, creating an illusion of a crimson moon within her pupils.
Mana erupted from her pores and congregated into a purple summoning circle before Yue. Vast amounts of energy burst forth from the spirited young lady, and an illusory silhouette erupted from her shadow. Four arachnid legs gently landed on the rocky crevice while the other four remained mysteriously levitating in the air.
At almost ten metres in length, the monstrosity was intimidating to any who laid their eyes upon it. Not that they would live to tell the tale. Yet, there was a mystical charm when gazing upon the majestic silver spider. Its eight red eyes were enough to hypnotise anyone who locked eyes with it, and its misty body made one hallucinate about its existence.
Mist oozed out from the spider's jaws while translucent lines of ethereal silk burst forth from its back. The mana emitted from the beast was enough to paralyse any lesser being with fear, and the pressure it created could stun even the bravest of Knights.
And yet, even with all its power, the spider didn't move a muscle to hurt the trio in front of it. Instead, it was affectionate with the woman who summoned it.
"Yaru, clear the mist."
The spider happily obliged her owner's request and opened its mouth wide. It crawled ahead, not to affect the trio. However, Bane, in particular, could feel his body shrinking when faced with the majestic creature. He stood still like a mouse in the strike zone of a snake, praying that the predator would leave him alone.
Meanwhile, Amon curiously observed the magical monster. With its mouth opened, the spider unleashed a powerful suction force that engulfed the thick mist greedily as if it were feeding. In no time, the thick fog blocking their way had been reduced to nothing, revealing the straight path that led into the depths of the ancient ravine.
The speed at which the spider ate the fog surprised Amon, but his shock gradually faded into a knowing frown as he thought about the monster's true identity.
Yaru, the Mist Spider.
A Monarch Spirit that contracted with Yue.
Known as the Monarch of Spiders, Yaru is one of the reasons why Yue Elune is feared in [Bright]. Among all the magicians in Hyades, the Elune House was renowned for their summoning ability, and their connection with the Spirit Realm was their bread and butter.
For most Spirit Summoners in the Elune House, contracting with a High Spirit was enough to make their name known. Contracting with a Greater Spirit would instantly elevate their status into the upper ranks. As for Monarch Spirit? The Elune House would do everything possible to cater to their every need.
And Yue was one such person.
That was why Yue's grandfather was reluctant to marry her to the Solaris House. And he didn't even know half of it. In [Bright], Amon read that Yue could summon a legion of Spirits, with thousands of Lesser Spirits, hundreds of Intermediate and High Spirits, and dozens of Greater Spirits.
As for Monarch Spirits... Yaru was the tip of the iceberg.
That was why Amon was so surprised to see Yue learn Spatial magic when he'd first met her. Normally, if a magician attempted to go down two different specialisations, they would weaken their strengths. But, looking at how robust and real the Mist Spider was... Amon knew that wasn't the case.
"You've improved yet again. I can't see any flaws in the summoning."
Amon wasn't just showering empty praise; he was genuinely amazed by Yue's growth. Usually, the more powerful the Spirit, the harder it was to remain corporeal in the physical realm. The first time he saw Yue summon Yaru, it was a blur. As time passed, he could start to see the shape of a spider, but it was like a painting being scrubbed. But now, Amon couldn't discern if Yaru was a real creature or a Spirit, the mark of a perfect summon.
"You think? I've been practising hard, so I'm glad my efforts paid off!"
Yue chuckled and cancelled her summon. Just like its name suggests, the Mist Spider turned into a puff of smoke, disappearing back into the Spirit Realm as if it never existed in the first place. With the Monarch Spirit gone, Bane could finally take a deep breath in relief.
"Yaru is particularly difficult to maintain though, just making her form drains so much of my mana. The others are much easier to summon."
"... how many Monarch Spirits have you contracted with?"
"Hehe, you may be my fiancé, but there are some secrets women would like to keep. Tho-ugh~ If you kiss me, I'll consider spilling all my secrets!"
Acknowledging Yue's teasing would only lead to more embarrassment on his part, so Amon naturally remained silent. He rolled his eyes and focused on the narrow path into the abyss. With the mist cleared, the descent was simple. Amon led the group with a casual expression as if he were going on a relaxing morning stroll.
While he may look calm, his mind was working on overdrive. Amon's transcendent senses felt every nook and cranny of the pathway, trying to identify any living creature or traps that may be sprung onto the group.
But five minutes into their walk, it became evident that there was no such thing.
"The dungeon is eerily quiet. Bane, do you feel anything?"
Amon asked the only rogue in the party. While his senses were spectacular, there might have been some blind spots that he missed. Yet, even the highly experienced rogue shook his head.
"No, the coast is clear. I assume the ruins have been abandoned for too long. Any traps that may have been laid would have eroded over time. As for any lifeforms... I reckon the only thing still alive... Is the monster at the end of this path..." The source of thɪs content is NoveI~Fire.net
"... let's hope it's more dead than alive then."
It didn't take long for the trio to descend into the deepest depths of the ancient ruins. The first thing that greeted Amon was the stale air that hadn't changed for hundreds of years. No vegetation could be found this far down, and time stood still within the abyss. The untouched ruins now only housed dust and sand, and the absence of sound made the area painfully hard to remain in.
And in the centre of it all...
"The sealed gate... Behind it lies a Greater Demon?"
Amon thought out loud. He knew for a fact that there was a monster behind this door, and his mind was instantly kicked into third gear. Unknowingly, Amon unsheathed his sword and swung it once to loosen his dominant arm.
"That's right," Yue nodded in agreement. "And he's not just any Greater Demon. Malgathor, the Ebon Mist. An ancient Greater Demon that terrorised humanity during the Great Demon War. An officer personally blessed by the most powerful Demon King, Xig'drodan."
Like how Knights and Magicians were ranked on their power, so were the Demons who invaded from the foreign realm. And the monsters who stood at the apex were the Demon Kings.
In the Demon Realm, they were equivalent to Gods. Powerful enough to bend the planet to their will. The only equivalent entity in Hyades was the Goddess Hyades herself. No human could contest a Demon King, and it was even a question if the Goddess could stand a chance.
Fortunately, even the Demon Kings were bound to the laws of the universe. Their existence was tied to the Demon Realm, and they could not personally invade Hyades even if they tried. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a war. It would have been a one-sided annihilation.
Hence, for the Demon Kings to take over a nascent, budding planet like Hyades, they needed to send their army to decay and weaken the bonds between dimensions. Creating Hell Gates and causing calamities were great methods of doing so. And one such demon was the Greater Demon that remained sealed behind those doors.
"Unlike the Blue-Skinned Oni we fought, Malgathor is a mature, named Greater Demon. During the Great Demon War, he obliterated thousands on the battlefield, and his ability to use mist to disorient his foes posed a dangerous threat."
Yue continued informing Amon of the Greater Demon's powers and danger levels. At the same time, she sent a telepathic message to him, preventing Bane from overhearing.
[In the future, Malgathor will join the Demon Cult and wreak havoc on our forces. He may not be as powerful as the Apostles, but his unique abilities will pose a significant problem. Once, he annihilated five cities by himself simply by using the powers of his mist.]
Amon's face tensed up as he heard the specifics of the Greater Demon. Demons were just as varied and specialised as humans. Some could contest one-on-one with the world's greatest martial artists; others could use magic to cause massacres.
And Malgathor belonged to the latter.
"Our predecessors could only defeat him by sealing the demon deep underground in a vacuum chamber that prevented any escape. So, when we face him later, I will seal the gate behind us. I hope you guys don't have claustrophobia."
Yue joked in good fun. Bane had second thoughts about the whole ordeal while Amon focused on the task.
"Tell me... What are his weaknesses?"
"Don't worry about that," Yue shook her head without feeling fear or anxiety. "Your normal powers are sufficient to deal with the Greater Demon."
"Good, that's all I needed to know."
"Great, then let me undo the seal!"
The mechanisms of the airtight stone doors started to churn as Yue channelled her mana through. Ancient runes began lighting up, and the massive doors reacted violently. The earth rumbled, forcing dust to fall from the ceiling until finally... the seal was broken.
The stone doors automatically opened for the trio as if the forgotten chambers were welcoming its new visitors. The halls were pitch black, as if one were gazing into the abyss. Amon was the first to move, creating a photosphere of the Sun within his left palm. The light alone was enough to illuminate the ancient sealed dungeon, and the contents were deeply unsettling.
A dome-shaped vault greeted the trio. Stone statues that were frozen in time surrounded every corner of the chamber, each holding onto a weapon pointed to the ground. On the ceiling, murals depicted a great battle where multiple of humanity's elites fought against the Greater Demon. The battle was long and hard-fought, but eventually, the monster was defeated and sealed.
And underneath the feet of the trio...
"Goodness... Is that the Greater Demon?"
Bane asked with bated breath.
In the chamber's centre was a massive glass time capsule dug into the ground. Within it, a black centipede was coiled into a disgusting ball of black exoskeleton and yellow legs. Squeezed into a space far too tight for a monster its size, it looked like the monster was about to explode at any given minute. But the most alarming fact of them all...
Was the human face at the front of the monster.
"Malgathor... A man-faced centipede Demon."