Chapter 147: Demon Attack

The next few days passed in a rare and peaceful manner for Alaric. With the chaos of the recent events still settling, he spent his time focused on training, refining his combat skills, and honing his magical abilities. Of course, in between all that, he also found the time to work on some artifact designs with Natasha.

Natasha, being the genius artificer she was, had been sitting on a number of experimental ideas, waiting for the right moment—and, more importantly, the right partner—to develop them with. And Alaric? He was more than happy to oblige.

They spent long hours in the academy’s artifact workshop, surrounded by scattered blueprints, half-finished magical cores, and enough magical energy crackling in the air to give someone a very unfortunate case of singed eyebrows.

At one point, Natasha had been in the middle of inscribing a delicate rune when she suddenly leaned in, catching Alaric by surprise as she planted a soft kiss on his lips.

Alaric blinked, caught between etching a precise mana circuit and responding to her rather bold move. “You do realize I’m handling a rather volatile piece of enchanted material, right?” he asked, amused.

Natasha simply smiled, her golden eyes glinting mischievously. “And? I trust you to handle both properly.”

“Both?” Alaric raised a brow. “Are you talking about the artifact… or yourself?”

Natasha grinned. “Why not both?”

She wasn’t shy in the slightest about being affectionate with him, and Alaric found that he didn’t mind it at all. She’d kiss him out of nowhere, drape herself over his lap while they reviewed schematics, or whisper suggestive remarks when no one was around. It was… enjoyable, to say the least.

Of course, this didn’t mean they slacked off. The two of them managed to develop several prototypes over the past few days, many of which Natasha had been eager to test out. And Alaric? Well, he was quite impressed with the results.

But as enjoyable as this time was, it would be on the fifth day that things took a sharp turn toward chaos.

It was in the afternoon when Alaric found himself training with Brita in one of the empty fields of the academy. They had sparred quite a few times already, their bodies coated with a light sheen of sweat as they exchanged powerful blows. Brita, for all her outwardly polite behavior toward him, was a ferocious fighter when she took things seriously.

Alaric had just barely dodged a particularly nasty swipe from her enchanted dagger when the sky above them shifted.

One moment, it was clear and bright—then the next, an eerie darkness swept across the sky, as if an unseen force had pulled a veil over the sun. The temperature dropped slightly, and an inexplicable chill spread throughout the academy grounds.

A few students training nearby shivered, rubbing their arms.

“That’s… odd,” Brita murmured, glancing up.

Alaric frowned as well. ’What in the world?’

But despite the sudden change, no immediate danger was visible, and so the students continued with their activities, assuming it to be some strange weather phenomenon.

It was only after half an hour that the academy’s higher-ups realized something was seriously wrong.

A desperate magical signal flared through the sky—a distress beacon from one of the Verdant Dawn Academy’s outposts.

Something was coming.

And it wasn’t just a small group of rogue monsters. No, this was an army. A force of unknown, dark creatures was charging toward the academy with frightening speed.

The professors and higher-ups reacted immediately. The defensive barriers of the academy flared to life, powerful magical circles activating to shield the institution from outside threats.

Principal Bartolmew himself was seen giving urgent commands as professors rushed to fortify the defenses. “Send word to the students! Get them to the main hall now! No one is to leave the secured zones!”

But this announcement… didn’t reach everyone.

Namely, it didn’t reach Alaric, Brita, and the hundreds of students scattered across the training fields.

By the time the professors were dispatched to retrieve them, it was already too late.

The creatures had arrived.

A deep, guttural howl split the air, and in the next instant, hundreds of grotesque figures emerged from the treeline, swarming into the training fields like a black tide of death.

They were fast. Their bodies twisted and shadowed, their limbs longer than natural, with sharp claws glinting in the dim light. Their eyes burned red, filled with a ravenous hunger as they lunged for the nearest targets—students.

Screams erupted across the field as students scrambled to react. Some drew their weapons, casting defensive spells. Others, caught off guard, were tackled to the ground by the creatures before they even had a chance to fight back.

Alaric immediately snapped into action, his mana flaring to life. A blast of fire roared from his palm, incinerating a lunging creature mid-air.

Brita, standing beside him, had a sharp look in her eyes as she slashed through the nearest creature with brutal precision.

But as her blade cut through one of the beasts, she suddenly froze.

A word had surfaced in her mind. A name long buried in history.

She stared at the creatures before her, the way their shadowed forms twisted unnaturally, their bloodthirsty expressions, their sheer aura of darkness.

She knew what they were.

“Demons,” Brita whispered, her voice barely audible.

The realization sent a chill down her spine.

’Impossible… They should not exist in this world anymore. The ancient records said they were wiped out! So why… why are they here?!’

Meanwhile, deeper in the academy, even as the professors battled to regain control of the situation, a far greater threat loomed.

A singular figure stood amidst the approaching forces—a towering, armored being with a presence so suffocating that even the highest-ranking professors felt it from afar.

Its body was clad in blackened steel, covered in ancient runes that pulsed with an ominous light. Its helmet bore a jagged, demonic visage, and in its hand, it carried a massive, obsidian greatsword.

The leader of this demonic force had arrived.

And its gaze was fixed squarely on the heart of Verdant Dawn Academy.

~~

The battle across Verdant Dawn Academy erupted into chaos as the faculty sprang into action against the invading dark creatures.

Professor Lilliana, a renowned master of elemental magic, was one of the first to take to the battlefield. With her long silver hair billowing behind her, she raised her hand, and the air around her crackled with immense magical power.

“Well, well, well…” Lilliana muttered to herself, her emerald eyes narrowing as she observed the grotesque creatures surging toward her. “I was just complaining about how dull things have been lately. Looks like the world finally listened.”

With a flick of her wrist, a blazing inferno erupted before her, expanding outward like a tidal wave. The creatures in its path shrieked in agony as the scorching flames consumed them, leaving behind nothing but smoldering ashes.

She didn’t stop there.

As soon as her fire cleared, Lilliana clenched her other hand, and spires of jagged ice burst forth from the ground, impaling another wave of dark beasts. Then, with a simple snap of her fingers, bolts of lightning rained from the sky, striking down the creatures like divine punishment.

One spell after another. Each one devastating, each one annihilating scores of enemies.

“Really, this is almost too easy,” Lilliana sighed dramatically, tapping her chin as she surveyed the battlefield. “Did these creatures think they could just waltz into my academy and cause trouble?” She smirked as she gathered more mana. “They should have done their homework first.”

However, even as she wreaked havoc among the dark creatures, she began to notice a pattern. No matter how many she killed, more just kept coming.

And then… something changed.

A presence.

One of the dark creatures stepped forward, standing taller and more composed than the rest. Its dark, armor-like skin gleamed under the eerie light, and a thick martial aura surrounded it, radiating pure malice. Unlike the mindless beasts Lilliana had been incinerating, this one carried itself with the confidence of a warrior.

The creature clenched its clawed hand, and the very air around it shook as a deep, oppressive pressure spread outward.

Lilliana’s smirk faltered slightly as she raised a brow. “Oh? And who might you be? Some kind of manager for these things?”

The creature didn’t answer. Instead, it lunged at her with terrifying speed, its dark claws ripping through the air, aimed straight for her throat.

Lilliana barely had time to dodge, shifting to the side as the claw grazed her cheek. A thin line of blood appeared, and she clicked her tongue.

“Oho… That was rude.”

Without hesitation, she retaliated. With a sharp movement, she stomped the ground, and massive stone pillars erupted beneath the creature, attempting to crush it.

The dark warrior, however, was fast. It twisted mid-air, evading the crushing pillars before counterattacking with a powerful surge of dark martial energy.

The two clashed fiercely, the sheer force of their battle sending shockwaves throughout the battlefield.

At the same time, Professor Maelis—another archmage and one of the academy’s most fearsome combatants—was facing a similar challenge.

Unlike Lilliana, who favored long-range elemental devastation, Maelis specialized in close-quarters magical combat. She wielded a pair of enchanted gauntlets, both glowing with intricate magical engravings.

“Alright then,” Maelis muttered as she cracked her knuckles, her dark eyes gleaming with battle lust. “Let’s see which one of us breaks first.”

Her opponent—a monstrous creature exuding pure carnage—let out a guttural snarl before charging at her.

The two clashed brutally, Maelis blocking a powerful claw strike with her reinforced gauntlets before countering with a devastating punch to the creature’s torso. The impact sent a shockwave through the battlefield, launching the dark beast backward.

But it didn’t stay down for long.

Snarling, it twisted in mid-air and landed on its feet, cracks forming beneath it from the sheer force of its landing. Then, in an instant, it shot forward again, its speed almost impossible to track.

Maelis grinned. “Now that’s more like it!”

The two engaged in a deadly dance of fists, claws, and raw power, their battle shaking the very ground beneath them.

All across the academy, other professors faced similar struggles. Each time they managed to push back the dark creatures, a stronger one would emerge, occupying them in battle.

It was clear.

This invasion was planned.

And at the very center of it all, watching with cold, ruthless eyes… was him.

High above the battlefield, standing at the very edge of the academy’s shattered barriers, was a monstrous figure.

Taller than any human, clad in blackened obsidian armor, with jagged horns protruding from his helmet. His crimson eyes burned like twin stars, filled with dark amusement as he surveyed the battle below.

Principal Bartolmew arrived before him, his presence exuding authority and sheer magical might. Despite the clear threat before him, the principal’s expression remained calm.

“And you must be the leader of this mess,” Bartolmew said, his voice steady. “I don’t know where you crawled out from, but you’ve made a grave mistake attacking my academy.”

The dark-armored being finally turned to him, and when he spoke, his voice was deep and resonant, carrying an unnatural weight to it.

“You stand before Ingranad,” the creature declared, his tone filled with pride. “Third Prince of the Obsidian Revenants. Commander of the Nightmare Legion.”

Bartolmew’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Obsidian Revenants…?”

It was a name he had never heard before.

A name that did not belong to any known kingdom, empire, or magical faction.

Ingranad seemed to sense his confusion, and a cruel smirk formed beneath his darkened helm. “Ah… So your world has truly forgotten us,” he mused, almost sounding amused. “How quaint.”

Bartolmew remained silent, his fingers twitching as he gathered mana.

“You are strong,” Ingranad acknowledged. “I can smell the power in your blood.” His crimson eyes glowed. “But it will not save you.”

And with that, he raised his greatsword—a massive, obsidian weapon that seemed to hum with dark energy.

Bartolmew exhaled slowly, his own aura flaring to life as ancient runes surrounded him.

The true battle…

Had begun.

~~

The battlefield within the training fields of Verdant Dawn Academy was nothing short of chaos. Alaric and Brita found themselves surrounded by a horde of these monstrous creatures—lower-ranked demons that, while not at the level of their terrifying commanders, were still significantly stronger than your average magical beast or bandit. And the worst part?

They just kept coming.

Alaric dodged to the side as a hulking demon swung its jagged claws at him, the force of the attack slicing through the air with a terrifying whoosh. He retaliated instantly, summoning a barrage of fire spears and launching them toward the creature’s chest. The spears hit dead on, causing a small explosion…

And yet, when the smoke cleared, the demon stood completely unharmed.

’Oh, come on!’ Alaric cursed internally, watching as the beast grinned at him, seemingly amused by his attempt. ’What are these things made of?!’

Brita, who was a short distance away, was having similar problems. With a sharp gesture, she sent sharp ice shards flying at an approaching demon, only to watch in horror as the shards simply shattered upon impact, barely leaving a scratch.

She gritted her teeth. “This is ridiculous,” she muttered under her breath before dodging backward as a demon lunged at her. She twisted mid-air, using an ice-enhanced movement spell to create a slippery path beneath her feet that allowed her to skate away with incredible speed.

Meanwhile, Alaric wasn’t happy.

“Alright, enough of this,” he growled, reaching into his coat and pulling out a handful of small metallic spheres—artifacts that he had developed recently with Natasha. He tossed them toward the demons, and the moment they hit the ground, they activated, sending waves of concussive force outward.

BOOM!

The shockwaves sent the demons flying, scattering them across the battlefield like ragdolls.

Brita raised an eyebrow as she skated past. “Hah! Now that is effective!”

“Not really,” Alaric muttered, watching as the demons quickly stood back up, shaking off the impact.

Brita’s smirk faded. “Oh. Yeah. That’s… less effective.”

Alaric let out a frustrated sigh. The artifacts could buy them time, but they weren’t actually killing the demons. If anything, they were just delaying the inevitable.

’If only I could unleash my real power…’

He knew that if he used his true magic rank—Grand Mage—he could obliterate these lower demons instantly. He could conjure spells powerful enough to wipe them all out in an instant.

But that was the problem.

Brita was here.

If he unleashed his full power, there was no way she wouldn’t realize who he was. Brita had fought against him before in the auction hall—when he had been disguised as the Masked Man. She knew what kind of magic he wielded at full power. If she put two and two together…

’That would be very bad.’

His entire plan involving Brita Kuusk would fall apart.

Meanwhile, Brita was struggling with her own dilemma.

Unlike Alaric, she wasn’t just suppressing her power for secrecy—she was doing it because she had to. If she used her real magic, the academy would start asking questions. She was officially here as a young student. A normal student. She wasn’t supposed to be someone who could wield high-level dark magic like a seasoned killer.

Which meant…

She had to keep her magic level at Expert Mage.

And she could only use Ice Magic since, outside of her true dark magic abilities, it was the only offensive magic she was proficient with.

The problem?

It wasn’t enough.

Alaric and Brita exchanged brief glances as they both narrowly dodged another attack, neither of them speaking but both thinking the same thing.

’Should I reveal my true power…?’

However, before either of them could come to a decision—

A terrifying presence suddenly descended upon the battlefield.

A shadow moved across the ground, and Alaric’s instincts screamed at him to move.

Brita felt it too—her body tensed as an overwhelming aura of darkness surged toward them.

And then, stepping through the carnage like a predator approaching its prey…

A tall demon emerged from the ranks of the lesser ones.

It was different.

Stronger.

Its body was massive, standing at least a head and a half taller than Alaric. It had dark, armor-like skin, jagged horns that curved backward, and eyes that burned with a crimson glow. A deep, powerful aura of darkness surrounded it, making the air feel heavier.

Brita’s breath hitched. “An… Elite Demon?”

Alaric didn’t respond. He was too busy analyzing the situation.

The pressure coming off this thing… was different. The lower demons, while dangerous, were nothing compared to this one. This thing had intelligence, and more importantly—power.

’If I had to estimate…’ Alaric clenched his jaw. ’This thing is at least equivalent to a Grand Mage or Grand Martialist.’

Which meant…

If he and Brita continued fighting as only Expert Mages, they were done for.

The demon’s burning eyes locked onto them.

Then it grinned, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.

“You…” the creature spoke, its voice deep and filled with amusement. “You two smell… interesting.”

Alaric and Brita didn’t respond.

The demon chuckled darkly, flexing its claws. “Let’s see how long you can entertain me before I tear you apart.”

It moved.

Fast.

Brita’s blood froze as the demon vanished from sight, reappearing in an instant right in front of them.

Alaric barely had time to raise his arms as the demon swung one massive claw at him. The impact sent him flying backward, his body slamming into the ground and skidding across the field.

Brita’s eyes widened. “Alaric—!”

She had no time to react. The demon was already swinging at her now. She instinctively raised an ice barrier, but the moment the demon’s claw connected, the barrier shattered like fragile glass.

The force of the impact sent her crashing into the ground as well, her body rolling several feet before she managed to stop herself.

Coughing slightly, she struggled to her feet, her eyes blazing with frustration.

Alaric also pushed himself up, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip. “Well,” he muttered, cracking his neck. “That hurt.”

Brita glared at the demon. “This thing is way too strong for Expert Mages to handle.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Alaric muttered.

The demon chuckled, watching them with amusement.

Alaric and Brita exchanged glances again.

They both knew.

If they kept suppressing their power…

They were going to die.

Brita’s hand tightened around her staff. ’Should I reveal my real power?’

Alaric let out a slow breath. ’Damn it… I really don’t have a choice anymore, do I?’

The Elite Demon’s grin widened.

And then—

It attacked again.