The demon base was far larger than anything they expected. The dark red walls pulsed like burned flesh, and the buildings had twisted, uneven shapes, as if they were made by creatures with no understanding of human geometry.
And that was exactly the case. Unlike humans and a few other races like elves, most races didn’t care about beauty at all. They simply built a place to exist.
Demons were one of those examples. Though, unlike others, they at least tried to make their structures and fortresses terrifying and imposing.
A trembling red glow rose from the glowing lava veins flowing under the ground, and the smell of hot metal and rotten flesh filled the air.
The carts slowly entered. Their wheels crushed the black sand beneath them, and the surrounding demons watched with glowing, hungry eyes.
At that moment, Commander Orsius stopped, threw a short glance at the group, and said:
"We separate here. I have to report the mission."
Without waiting for a reaction, he walked up the main path toward the massive fortress standing at the center of the base, like a giant bone tower covered in shadows.
"I’m guessing the main targets are there... in that fortress." Kayn quickly spoke through mental communication.
Daniel nodded, but there was no time to answer. The demons violently separated the two of them from the girls, Lyra and Melia, and dragged them toward another area of the base. This part was filled with smaller demons, but they were not any less dangerous. These looked more like jailers and torturers than soldiers.
"New prisoners?" one of them said with a rough voice.
"Yeah. And not regular ones—special." The demon escorting Daniel laughed.
"Oh? Special prisoners?"
The smaller demon gave a deeper look at the four of them. Special prisoners were extremely rare.
In general, demons weren’t the type to keep prisoners. In battles and raids, they slaughtered anyone they saw unless the person was extremely important. Only then would they capture them.
But being "special" among demon prisoners was even more unusual. It meant the person had caught the attention of the highest-ranking demons.
Yet this demon couldn’t see anything special in these "lowly humans."
"Throw them in the circle." he growled.
They brought them to the center of a small courtyard where a dark, cracked circle was carved into the ground. Before Daniel and Kayn could understand what was happening, they were both thrown inside.
Only a few seconds passed before a burning heat and a strange vibration spread under their feet.
And then—
Their energy was pulled out of their bodies.
Not strong enough to knock them out, but enough to make any combat power or strength vanish like a flame dropped in water.
Daniel frowned for a moment, but the expression disappeared quickly. It was obvious they were inside an array designed to absorb and scatter the energy inside living beings, while also creating seals inside the target’s body to prevent power from recovering.
Even an S-Rank would have a hard time resisting an array like this. This thing was definitely made by one of the best in the field.
Still, he wasn’t worried. If anything, he relaxed and didn’t even try to resist it.
"Damn... my powers..." Kayn whispered in panic.
His worry was stronger because he didn’t know how Daniel would handle this situation without powers.
But when he looked at Daniel, he saw his calm and composed expression, as if nothing had been taken away. That alone made Kayn exhale with relief.
Daniel gave him a short look that meant, "Calm down."
But everything didn’t end there.
Above Lyra’s head, light began to gather. A small sphere of golden energy... tiny, but pure. Its glow wasn’t something anyone could ignore.
The demons stepped forward with excitement, like animals smelling fresh meat.
"Ha! There it is! Finally, what we were searching for..."
Before anyone could even react, two demons grabbed Lyra at high speed.
Melia screamed and grabbed her sister’s hand. They struggled and cried. Lyra was sobbing, Melia was shouting, shaking uncontrollably.
"No! Please! Let go of her!"
"Please... no... no..."
But one of the demons kicked Melia brutally in the stomach, ripping her away from Lyra. The sound of choking escaped her mouth, and her cry turned into a painful gasp.
They dragged Lyra away, her screams echoing through the entire base, but no one cared.
Daniel and Kayn both watched with blank expressions. Both of them were confused, mainly because they had no idea what that golden sphere meant.
After that, several other demons grabbed Daniel, Kayn, and Melia and pulled them out of the courtyard. A twisting path led them under a stone arch and into the underground section of the base.
The underground prison looked like the insides of a monster. Long rows of cells made from unfamiliar material, not metal, not stone, something between bone and darkness. A faint red light dripped from the ceiling, like coagulated blood.
Kayn felt disgust twist his face. How many beings did they have to kill to build an entire prison out of bones?
Inside the cells, humans, elves, dwarves, and creatures that couldn’t even be identified sat with empty, hopeless eyes.
Some unconscious, some chained, some stuck to the walls and trembling. The sound of weak groans and the clinking of chains echoed in the damp air.
The demons threw the three of them inside one of the cells and slammed the door shut with a screech.
The same demon who had attacked them earlier stepped forward with a sly grin.
"Enjoy the rest of your time. Orsius will come for interrogation soon."
He slammed the door again and walked away with the others.
The moment they left, Kayn rushed to Melia without hesitation.
"Melia? Are you okay? Breathe... slowly... calm down..."
Melia had her arm wrapped around her stomach. Dried blood stained the corner of her lips. She clearly had internal injuries, her body shaking nonstop, and her eyes were red from pain and crying.
But when she saw Daniel and Kayn beside her, something in her gaze brightened. Maybe they could help her?
But then she thought about the fact that they were all powerless, and the little hope she had faded again.
"My lady... Lyra... we have to... help her..." she whispered weakly.