HBWnovel Chapter 24: Eight Years Later (3)
Chapter 24: Eight Years Later (3)
Chapter 24: Eight Years Later (3)
"By evening stroll, you meant raiding a Demon Cult's branch?"
Amon touched his forehead and rubbed his temples with a deep sigh. Seconds after Yue proposed her desire to go on a date with Amon, she teleported him straight into a secluded rocky valley. In great contrast to the bright and sunny atmosphere that the Soflea boasted, the sky was overcast, and ashen amber was seen in the far distance. The temperature was biting cold and a few degrees shy of snow.
The location was remote, void of any sign of civilization or humanity. The land was barren, and there were hardly any trees or grass. All that existed were high rocky crevices and broken boulders for miles. However, the remoteness of this area made it the perfect breeding ground for actors with malicious intentions.
And in this case, it was painfully evident that the Demon Cult had displaced a branch here.
On the outside, it looked like nothing more than a regular ravine found anywhere on the planet. However, if one looked closely, they would notice many irregularities. Firstly, there was an astral mist that didn't seem to fit the natural order of Hyades. Most of the Demon Cult's branches were protected by said mist, and it was almost a trademarked cliche.
The mana flow in the air was also highly unusual. There was stillness in the air, and natural phenomena seemed to have avoided this dark and obscure valley. It was as if the natural world was denying whatever existed within it and avoiding the secretive base at all costs.
And most importantly... as Amon walked closer towards the valley, he could feel an odd, sinister mana.
One that he'd felt a few times before after joining forces with Yue.
Demonic magic.
"Hehe, how do you like it? Think of it as an early birthday present!" Yue giggled delightedly as she pointed to the secret passageway that led deep into the recesses of the branch. "Now that you've condensed your Sixth Sun and Moon, I'm sure you are dying to try out your abilities!"
"Not really..."
Amon sighed and blatantly lied. It was almost scary how well Yue knew his feelings, and the young teen didn't want to admit it. Still, he didn't have the heart to completely deny Yue's words and continued by analysing the Demon Cult's branch beneath him:
"Judging from how there's still some flora and fauna around, the corruption has either been contained, or the branch is rather small. From the amount of mana I'm feeling, I'm guessing this is a small satellite branch used for reconnaissance?"
"Wow! How astute!"
Yue wasn't just praising Amon; she was genuinely amazed by his deduction abilities. Not only that, but his senses in detecting the mana within the hidden branch were astonishing, to say the least. Even as a magician, she could barely sense what Amon did.
"It took Echelon a full week to investigate the inner workings of the branch, and you did it in a few seconds! I should have asked you to investigate them instead! It would have saved me a lot of gold!"
"I'm unable to map the full layout of the place. I'll still need your intelligence."
Amon merely used his senses to guess the raid's difficulty. His gut feeling was sorely lacking compared to a comprehensive report from an intelligence agency like Echelon.
"Haha, no need to be so modest! Your guess is mostly correct!"
Rather than advise Amon to the contrary, Yue affirmed his conjecture: "The branch before us is just a satellite one. The Demon Cult is expanding its influence and creating bases all over the planet in preparation for the Calamities. While they are weak now, you know better than anyone the havoc they will cause in the future."
"..."
Amon nodded grimly.
They were at most sentries and grunts stationed here until further instruction. But that's not to say they weren't strong.
A few were physically enhanced with Demonic powers, while some were former Knights who found trouble with the law. There was even a magician amongst them, probably a heretic who experimented with forbidden magic.
It was a decently equipped base with a fine balance capable of repelling an attack by a legion of Knights.
However...
BOOOOOMMMMM!!!
A thundering explosion ripped through the underground base, causing aftershocks and rocks to fall from the ceiling. The commotion instantly awakened the cultists, many pausing as they looked towards the exit of their base. However, none of them even suspected an invasion.
Their first thought was that an earthquake had occurred.
But their suspicions were quickly shattered as yet another explosion resonated around their base; this time, the sound was getting closer. Those stationed near the door had a mixture of reactions. The astute ones figured something was amiss and armed themselves immediately, while the lazy ones stood back and waited for their companions to deal with the disturbance. Unfortunately, their sloth would prove to be their demise.
One final explosion shattered the mist barrier that protected the branch, unveiling the young teen who wielded a mundane steel sword. The teenager's ebony black hair fluttered with the wind generated by his sword slash as his golden eyes stared emotionlessly at the guards before him.
Was it fear? Anger? Confusion? Or did they feel insulted by Amon's complete lack of regard?
It was likely a mixture of those emotions. The first guard brandished his sword and rushed straight at Amon frantically. His attack had numerous openings, and he used a technique that Amon could describe as inelegant. But it didn't matter.
Amon disappeared from the guard's field of view and reappeared behind him in just a fraction of a second. The sword in the guard's hands shattered, and his body was cleaved cleanly in half from the shoulder down to the waist.
In less than half a second, Amon had claimed the life of one cultist.
And he wasn't done.
Before anyone else could react, he disappeared from the guards' field of view again and beheaded the other one with a spear in his hand. It was so fast that the remaining lazy guards only blinked once, and they saw their two compatriots with their bodies severed.
Realising their peril, they attempted to pick up their weapons to fight back, but alas... it was far too late.
Amon pointed his finger at them once, and they both combusted into a pillar of flame. Utilising the Six Suns within him, the young Solaris didn't need to cast magic to create fire. Just sending out his Solar mana was enough to make most living creatures with no mana protection burn at ten thousand degrees.
There was nothing that the cultists could have done to stop Amon's siege.
All four of the guards were disposed of in two seconds flat.
"..."
And yet, Amon wasn't impressed by his achievement. No, to be exact, Amon felt nothing about killing four cultists. No emotions flowed in his head as he was programmed from his past not to care about such things.
At this moment... Amon Solaris was replaced with Number 23.