Caron set foot on land, marking a historic first step. This was the Demon Realm, a land ruled by ancient enemies, once home to a flourishing civilization.
The entire coastline reeked of charred meat. Ruthless bombardments had torn the shore apart, leaving behind a landscape scarred and broken.
"Hmm."
Caron's expression remained calm. Though this was the moment he had long awaited, he knew well that this was only the beginning—a prelude to vengeance, not its culmination.
Tap.
Following behind him, the others also stepped onto the shore one by one.
Seria, wary of any lurking threats, whispered a brief blessing over her companions. "May they find their path even in the darkness where not a single step can be seen."
With the short prayer, divine light cloaked the party like a fragile veil.
Perhaps because an immense wave of mana had already swept through this place, no threatening surges of dark mana lingered. Only faint traces of it remained, weak and fractured.
"Land the troops!"
"All forces, disembark!"
Behind Caron and his companions, the vanguard soldiers surged forward and planted their boots firmly on the frozen shore. Mages cast spells that sealed the ocean with a sheet of ice, and the troops advanced in orderly formations over the frostbitten surface.
No enemies remained to resist this landing.
The leader of the vanguard, Zerath, scanned the devastated horizon before making his way toward Caron. He said calmly and firmly, "We'll begin constructing the forward base immediately."
The warships stayed at a safe distance, cannons ready to fire at a moment's notice.
The vanguard's mission was twofold. First, they had to build a forward base. And second, they had to gather information about the surrounding region. Only the continent's finest elites had been chosen for this task.
Caron gave a light nod and asked, "What do you need me to do?"
Zerath shrugged casually and answered, "Whatever you prefer. This is the Realm of Sloth, after all. The Demon King of Sloth will not fall easily."
He gestured lightly, and dwarven engineers hurried into action, setting the groundwork for fortifications with astonishing speed. Mages lent their support with enchantments, while giants and orcs hauled massive loads as if they were nothing more than bundles of sticks.
They had drilled for this countless times. Their synergy was flawless. The sheer strength of the orcs and giants combined with the dwarves' craftsmanship made the construction progress at a staggering pace.
Caron let out a low whistle of admiration as he observed the engineers' efficiency, then turned his gaze toward the land ahead.
The sky was tinged with purple, tainted by the residue of dark mana. Even the sun itself seemed swallowed by this darkened hue, casting a sinister, oppressive gloom over everything.
"It's still daytime," Caron murmured.
Shiker had warned the expedition of a vital truth: That the night in the Demon Realm was far deadlier, as it amplified the strength of demons and the demonic monsters. They had to make good use of daylight to scout and gather information.
"In that case," Caron said lightly, "I'll take a walk with my team."
Zerath gave a curt nod and replied, "Do as you wish."
"Alright, let's go," Caron called to his companions, waving his arm.
There was nothing more to do here for now, and moving around would at least give them an idea of what dangers lay hidden.
The others nodded and fell in behind him. Ten minutes later, their search took them past the coastline and into a forest of skeletal trees.
Rustle.
Orion, the elf patrol captain, plucked a brittle leaf from a branch. It crumbled to dust between his fingers. He spoke bitterly, "There's no trace of life here. None at all... and yet it's not completely dead."
"What do you mean, Orion? If that's not dead, then what is it?" Caron asked.
"It seems to cling to life by feeding on dark mana," Orion answered, his voice low and grim. "This is something you'd never find on the continent."
The Demon Realm was a land of unknowns. Unlike the continent, brimming with vitality and mana, this place held only one thing—darkness, in its purest and most suffocating form.
Caron exhaled sharply as he sliced through a tree blocking his path with a swift strike of Guillotine.
"If you think by the continent's standards, this place makes no sense," he muttered. "The very laws of nature are twisted here."
It was a land where nothing seemed strange, no matter what happened—a place distorted from beginning to end. The only piece of information the expedition had was that this was the Realm of Sloth. Beyond that, they were starting from zero.
That meant the success of the mission depended entirely on how much quality intelligence the vanguard could secure.
"Do demons live as a society?" Leo asked as he glanced around and addressed Caron.
Caron nodded and replied, "Remember what those demons said? The ones sent by the Demon Queen of Lust? Of course they have a society—and a hierarchy."
Caron recalled the information he had extracted through torturing those demons. Their structure was clear. At the top stood the Demon King; below him were the nobles, then the commoners, and beneath even them, the slaves.
It wasn't so different from human society—except for the way ranks were determined. Unlike humans, who relied on bloodlines, demons worshiped strength alone. The strong rose to the top. The weak were crushed. It was a perfect example of survival of the fittest.
Efficient, in its own way, Caron thought.
Shiker had testified that demons were kin tainted by dark mana, which meant they were fully capable of building a civilization. He didn't know how advanced it had become, but if it rivaled the Arcane Civilization...
That would be horrifying, Caron thought.
This wouldn't be an easy battle. In fact, objectively speaking, it could well be an unfavorable one.
Whoosh.
A low hum filled the air as Caron continued replicating Pluto, expanding his field of vision. He said, "For now, let's at least reach that mountain up ahead."
Far in the distance, a jagged peak rose like a spear piercing the heavens.
Orion slowly nodded and replied, "Fine."
"Orion, how's Ifrit holding up?" Caron asked.
"Not as well as on the continent, but nothing serious. Ifrit can fight anytime," Orion answered.
"Good to hear," Caron said.
Gratia and Ifrit—those two were the strongest firepower their group had. If things went wrong, they could burn the enemy to ash and retreat immediately.
As Caron checked on the team's condition, a man in black shackles, the Dark Magic Tower Master Libre, grinned and spoke up, "Why don't you ask me, Caron? I'm ready to bathe in demon blood anytime!"
"Shut up. You're not planning to betray us, are you?" Caron asked.
"Betray? I'm hurt. What an accusation!" Libre snapped.
"You serve the Demon King of Void," Caron pointed out.
"I only made a small deal with him. I could turn on him anytime. And you know that, don't you?" Libre's eyes gleamed with madness and continued, "The Demon King of Void is unlike the others. If I kill him, he'll rejoice. He longs to return to the void himself. Am I wrong?"
Caron clicked his tongue in annoyance and asked, "Is there anything you don't know?"
"I'm not sure myself," Libre replied with a grin.
"That's it. Leo, you take the lead. I need to interrogate this dark mage. He's hiding something," Caron said.
"Savage bastard," Leo muttered.
"Seria? Holy power, please," Caron ordered.
"...Are you trying to use holy power for torture? What kind of deranged idea is that?" Seria asked.
"This is justice," Caron answered.
The mood grew loud and tense, when suddenly...
"Hah! The mountains of this Demon Realm are truly formidable! I, Utula, yearn to climb them bare-handed! Caron Leston, great warrior, will you join me?" Utula barked.
"Utula, shut up!" Caron shouted.
"No one can stop a warrior's spirit!" Utula shouted back.
And so, amid bickering and laughter, Caron's strike team pressed onward with unwavering resolve.
***
Night had quietly settled over the Demon Realm.
"The sun sets fast here," Caron murmured, furrowing his brow as he glanced up at the sky.
The already eerie atmosphere had grown downright terrifying. A crimson-tinged moon hovered in the heavens while, in the distance, the howls of demonic beasts began to echo.
"The dark mana feels a little thicker," Seria said softly, scanning their surroundings.
Caron gave a slow nod and said, "If I'd known this would happen, I would've pushed for an earlier return."
The original plan had been to pull back to the forward base without overextending, but night had fallen much sooner than expected.
Caron cast a sideways glance at Gratia and asked, "Gratia, can you lend me your back for a bit?"
Gratia, in human form, gave an indulgent nod and answered, "I guess there's no helping it."
With Gratia around, returning to base was always an option. For now, Caron turned to his companions and said, "Let's scout a little longer. No reason to rush back, right?"
Despite half a day passing, they hadn't encountered a single proper enemy. Caron had expected battle at every step once they entered the Demon Realm, yet it was eerily, unnaturally quiet.
His companions agreed without hesitation.
"Well, we're still fresh," someone said.
"I agree," another added.
Every person here had been trained by Caron into a relentless fighter. They were itching for combat, and the thought of returning empty-handed felt unsatisfying.
So, after a unanimous decision, they pressed on, quickening their pace.
Had this been the continent, the night would've been filled with the sounds of insects and animals. Here, there was only the bone-chilling chorus of demonic monsters in the dark.
After they marched for a bit...
"...Everybody hold still," Caron said at last, his senses catching something.
"Front right," he added.
At his subtle hand signal, Leo drew his blade without hesitation.
"They haven't noticed us. We'll ambush. Just one target," Caron assessed.
The figure was shrouded in dark mana, so its exact features were obscured, but it looked like a lone individual.
At Caron's order, Libre swiftly invoked dark magic. "Sinister darkness."
Shaaaa.
Dark mana flowed over the group like an ominous mist. Caron frowned at the sudden spell, but Libre only grinned.
"The Demon Realm is saturated with dark mana. Dark magic feels the most natural here," he explained.
Caron couldn't tell the exact nature of the spell, but their presence vanished completely. Satisfied, he stilled his breath.
Rustle.
Something slipped through the skeletal trees. It had pale skin and emaciated limbs.
A demon, Caron thought.
No mistake, it was one of the demons.
The creature sprinted frantically, its bloodshot eyes darting backward as if something were chasing it.
Seria whispered under her breath, "...A young demon. What will you do?"
Caron's answer was cold and firm, "We take it alive. Young or not, a demon's still a demon. Leo?"
"Got it," Leo replied.
Slash!
Leo's blade carved the air, releasing a surge of pure white frost. The icy wave shot forward in an instant, crashing toward the demon's legs.
Crack!
The frost took hold, freezing its legs solid. The demon crumpled helplessly to the ground with a thud.
"Argh..." it groaned in pain as Caron strode forward.
Shiiing.
The dark blue blade of Guillotine glimmered under the blood-red moonlight as Caron leveled it at the demon's throat. He could sense the faint aura of dark mana radiating from it. Even sprawled on the dirt, those violet eyes glimmered with a murderous light.
The young demon glared at Caron and spat out words laced with hatred, "...Human? How... is a human here in the Demon Realm...?"
Thanks to Libre's quick use of a translation spell, understanding the words was easy.
Caron crouched slightly and said in a calm tone, "From now on, you're our prisoner."
The demon sneered back, "...I don't know why you humans came here, but your luck just ran out. If I were you, I'd run while I still could."
"What are you talking about?" Caron asked.
"The ones chasing me... They'll be here any moment—" the young demon began, but was cut off.
At that moment...
"Caron!" one of his companions shouted.
"Yeah, I felt it too," Caron replied.
From the path the young demon had fled along, a swarm of demons began pouring forth. There were at least thirty. Each one radiated dark mana far stronger than this weakling.
"This is the end for you..." the captive muttered with a cruel smirk.
Caron's mind raced. He wondered why there was a lone demon being chased by dozens more.
That probably means this one's important enough for them to hunt down, he thought, lips curling into a grin.
"I just got a brilliant idea," Caron said.
It was their first operation in the Demon Realm.
"Let's start with a nice little hostage situation," he declared.
"...You're insane," Leo muttered.
Yes, shameful as it was... It was a hostage play.
Even in the Demon Realm, Caron's unique brand of insanity was in full bloom.