The first thought that crossed my mind was simple:
Was this pocket space created by the old demon himself or did someone else build it here to spy on him?
I stood there for a moment, thinking through every angle. Too many possibilities, too many threads.
Then I exhaled and shook my head.
I was overthinking this.
For someone like me, being cautious was good... but right now, it was pointless.
I chuckled under my breath and snapped my fingers.
A soft ripple of resonance burst outward.
It struck the old demon’s body like a silent wave, and he collapsed instantly, his limp form still floating on the wooden plank above the blood pool.
I checked him once to make sure his heartbeat was steady. He wasn’t going to die from that.
With that done, I summoned Knight.
He stepped out of the fold of space beside me, only his eyes glowing faintly in the dim underground chamber. His gaze swept across the room, then landed on the unconscious old demon.
"Oh... this is surprising," he muttered, tail flicking.
I shrugged casually.
"This old demon is the Bloodreaver ancestor. The only near Transcendent in this entire family."
Knight blinked. "And is he sleeping intentionally or you knocked him out like he was some sleeping cat?"
"He needed rest," I said dryly. "And I need answers."
Knight gave me a slow look. "Right. Sure. Totally normal."
I waved a hand dismissively. "Anyway, I’m going for a walk."
"A walk," he repeated flatly.
"Inside the pocket space," I clarified.
He rolled his eyes. "Of course. Why not? Sure. Go have fun. Leave me here with the thrilling job of babysitting Steve and North."
I smirked. "Become stronger than me, and I’ll take the babysitting job from you."
He bared his sharp teeth in a crooked smile. "You wish."
I didn’t answer.
With a soft step forward, I flashed forward into the hidden pocket space. The air shimmered, the teleportation circle glowed brighter as I poured Essence into it...
And I vanished inside and arrived into another underground chamber.
This one was much smaller than the Bloodreavers’ basement, barely large enough to hold the three teleportation circles carved into the stone. I stood exactly in the center of the middle one, faint runes still glowing dimly under my feet.
I expanded my perception instantly.
And what I sensed made me stop for a moment.
Another fort.
But not the Bloodreavers’.
The architecture was different—more jagged, more decorative, more chaotic. The stone had streaks of deep blue running through it, and the banners hanging overhead bore a symbol I had seen in the capital.
A single blue flame wrapped in a coiled serpent.
The emblem of the Del Rey family.
I blinked, genuinely surprised.
"Well... I didn’t expect this," I muttered to myself.
A hidden teleportation in the Bloodreaver ancestor’s private chamber... linking directly into the Del Reys’ fortress. That was either a secret alliance or a betrayal. Either way, it was interesting.
Very interesting.
I hid myself into the layer of space again, hiding my existence completely, and slipped out of the underground chamber.
The staircase led me up into a small room, lined with shelves of books, scrolls, and jars of demon herbs. There was nothing unusual here except a single trap door in the center of the floor, which I had emerged from.
No guards. No servants.
I stepped through the wall quietly, letting my perception guide me.
Two old demons were sprinting down a corridor, talking so fast their words tripped over each other.
I drifted behind them like a ghost.
They were headed toward the main hall.
And with nothing better to do I followed them. I wanted to see what the urgency was.
The hall was massive, far more ornate than the Bloodreavers’. Blue firepits blazed along the walls, filling the air with a spiritual heat that felt sharp, like it pricked the soul itself.
On the throne sat a demon whose presence was heavier.
The head of the Del Rey family I assumed.
The two old demons rushed forward, dropped to their knees, and pressed their fists against the floor.
"My lord!" one of them shouted.
The leader’s eyes narrowed. "Speak."
"Primus Bloodreaver... has returned."
The words dropped like stones into still water.
My eyebrow rose.
That was fast. Much too fast.
Meaning there were spies sitting inside the Bloodreaver clan, high enough to get information to the Del Rey side within minutes.
The demon leader rose from his throne in shock.
"What?" he hissed. "How is that possible? Didn’t we kill him?"
The two old demons stayed silent, heads bowed deeply.
The leader scoffed. "Useless. What else?"
The second demon finally spoke. "He... arrived with two humans. And his daughter, Lara."
My eyes narrowed.
Humans being mentioned by name meant there were spies in the hall of the Bloodreaver’s. That’s the only place where Steve and North had removed their cloaks.
The demon leader clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed.
"Fine. Get out."
The two messengers scrambled away, practically tripping over each other in their haste.
The leader waited until they were gone.
Then he moved.
He walked out of the grand hall and into a shielded corridor. My perception skimmed across the walls, layered with defensive runes.
But nothing could hide him from me.
I followed silently.
He entered a smaller chamber, a secure one and shut the door behind him.
Inside was a long stone desk, shaped like an altar. He waved his hand. A stone panel slid aside to reveal several notches carved into the surface.
He reached into a drawer, pulled out a thin crystal, smooth, transparent, and humming with faint runes and Essence and inserted it into one of the notches.
A projection screen flickered to life above the desk, glowing in an eerie blue light.
Then the demon waited.
And so did I, hidden in the fold of space, standing just a few meters away from the projection circle.
While the demon waited, I let my perception spread gently across the entire fortress, searching for the Del Rey family’s own ancestor.
It didn’t take long to find him.
He was deep underground in a heavily protected, isolated chamber.
But he wasn’t lying half-dead in a pool of blood like the Bloodreaver ancestor.
His condition was far better.
He was old, yes, his horns long and slightly cracked, skin marked by battles but he still radiated strength. His aura was steady, his heartbeat strong, and his mind calm.
He sat on a large swinging chair made of black wood and etched bone, gently rocking back and forth as he read a thick blue-covered book. The atmosphere around him felt peaceful, not desperate.
Level 300. Just like the Bloodreaver ancestor. On the threshold of transcendent but a step behind.
I watched him for a few seconds.
The contrast told me everything.
The Bloodreaver ancestor was holding himself together by will alone. The Del Rey ancestor still had time and strength left in him.
I withdrew my perception slowly, returning my focus to the demon leader as he waited nervously for the projection to stabilize.