As the steel doors groaned to a halt, the two watchmen quietly stood in the dimly lit corridor without making a sound. Ray waited for minutes before finally confirming that their conversation wouldn't enter the chamber. He glanced over at Salamander and released a heavy sigh, catching the attention of the veteran.

Alex raised a brow. "Is something wrong?"

"Wrong?" Ray scoffed as the corner of his lips curled up. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Do you have an issue with the team's dynamic?"

"No, not in the slightest." Ray crossed his arms while leaning against the cold stone walls. "It's just… I don't fucking get it, you know? Why? Why the hell would the Empire do this?" His voice trembled as he slowly clenched his hands. "What's their motive?"

"We… don't have an inkling of an idea so far."

"And that's the damn problem, their motive has to be greater than just the Everheart Kingdom."

Alex narrowed his eyes. "What are you saying? That they aren't just planning to take over our nation, but the world?"

"It's a possibility." Ray's eyes fell to the stone tiles. "It wouldn't be a stretch now, would it? World domination by those insane fuckers."

Alex shook his head as if to protest, but in his heart, he knew it was a possibility. One that was far too real. He glanced over at the rookie leaning beside the steel doors. Then, to the scholar's chambers and said, "If that's the case, then they'll lose far more than they expect. The other nations are just as strong as we are, and the thought of a unification war, quite frankly, sounds absurd."

"Hell, you don't have to tell me that, but if it's true… do you think the other nations would stand a chance?" Ray asked.

"Not without information," Alex replied.

"Really? And how do you think they'll get that?"

"With our help."

"What?" Ray raised a brow and stood up from the wall. "Are you saying we'll give them information on what we learned from the Empire?"

"If the war reaches that point, then I suppose so." Alex walked to the center of the corridor and focused on the inscriptions on the steel door. "There's no point in withholding information if we're on the brink of extinction. Instead, it would be better to get one last punch to their guts."

"Heh, we're a lot more similar than I thought, Salamander."

"Well, let's just hope that you're wrong. I would prefer it if the Empire weren't planning a world conquest."

"And why's that?"

"Because that would mean we haven't seen the end of their antics."

Both of them went silent as the words finally began to sink in. The motives of the Emerald Tower were a mystery, but the thought of the Avalon Empire striving for a unification war was a high possibility. A reality they couldn't afford to ignore. As the silence drowned out their thoughts, a metallic groan entered their ears. Ray and Alex turned to the steel door, watching as it parted.

Tucker peered into the corridor and gestured for them. "You guys should come in; we've got a fair bit of things to talk about."

"You finished talking to the kid?" Ray asked.

"Yeah, Adira…" Tucker paused for a moment, his eyes staring off into the distance. "Well, let's just say she's a lot more mature than I expected."

"She's always been fairly sharp," Alex commented with a grin.

Ray uncrossed his arms and sighed, entering the chamber alongside Alex. His eyes scanned the countless bookshelves lining the outer walls before falling to the tables placed in the center of the room. The trail of papers beneath the chandeliers caused him to raise a brow.

"The hell's this?" he asked.

"It's information that we missed during our time in the bastion," Tucker replied with a stern tone.

"And where did the kid go?"

"She's behind you."

Ray immediately turned around to see Adira poking him with a ruler. "How?!"

"I dunno," she replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"You've gotten rusty, Ray," Alex said. "Most watchmen don't get snuck up on by a child."

Adira nodded in agreement before holding her hands out towards Alex. "Up, up, gramps."

"There, there, young one," Alex softly said, lifting Adira from the ground and holding her in his arms. "How are you feeling?"

"Good!" Adira replied with a bright smile.

"Very good."

Tucker watched with a small grin. "You two have gotten closer."

"That comes with age, you'll see. For now, you should take a look over there," Alex replied. He turned to Tucker. "Somewhere on that blasted table is information regarding that demon we found in the sewers."

"The demon…?"

Tucker narrowed his eyes, thinking back to Everfall City. The shadow lingering in the darkness vividly shook him to his core. A thick stench of blood hit his nostrils, and the ashen skin standing beneath the light emerged in his memories. Two obsidian horns jutted from the sides of its head. Its fingers wrapping around a single jagged cleaver that had rusted well beyond its years.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

It was something Tucker could never forget. The sheer killing intent leaking from the demon left them paralyzed in a heartbeat. The miasma that seeped into the terrain tainted their minds, leaving behind the urge to crumble in despair. Yet, because of his mentor, he was able to regain his composure. To keep standing.

"How could I forget?" Tucker uttered. "I don't usually feel fear, but that… thing was something else entirely."

"It's good that you remember, because it seems like we've finally found a lead as to where it came from." Alex walked over to the wooden table while holding onto Adira. He scanned the stacks of papers and soon nudged his head to the side, causing Adira to point at a single sheet near the far corner. "The information has been summarized onto a single page. There's far more details, but you'll get the gist of it with that."

Tucker glanced over and nodded. Soon, he approached the desk, picking up the page, and froze as his eyes widened in shock. "It's… It's not a demon?"

"Correct, that thing isn't a demon at all. Its origins point to Hell," Alex replied.

Ray's eyes shifted between the two in confusion. "Guys? Someone mind filling me in on what the hell you guys are talking about?"

"Ah, that's right, I guess Ray wouldn't know," Tucker said. "Back when I was still a very green rookie, we ran into a demon—no, I guess the correct term would be a hellspawn that could use a domain."

"So… demons aren't the same as hellspawns?"

"Not exactly," Alex replied. "If we're to put it into layman's terms, the demonic plane mirrors our own. When souls ascend, they move upward to the heavens, while theirs descend to hell."

Ray frowned while taking a step closer to the table. "Alright… but why is this important?"

"Because hellspawn creatures aren't summoned to our realm like demons," Alex said, his voice darkening. "They don't make deals. They don't take offerings or sacrifices." The veteran paused, meeting their eyes. "They cross into our world for one reason and one reason only—"

Tucker's grip on the page tightened as Alex finished.

"To hunt."

The room fell silent at his words. Tucker flipped the page, his eyes scanning each line as his thoughts pieced together each bit of information. According to Charles' findings, there were two key differences separating hellspawns from demons.

The first was that a demon's corpse remained in this realm after death. While a hellspawn's body vanishes back to where it came. Into the infernal planes of hell, leaving behind no trace of its existence. The second was that every hellspawn capable of wielding a domain shared a single, haunting characteristic. A world devoid of color and sensation.

A darkness that wrapped around their bodies, tangling their limbs in a spiral of nothingness. The very same suffocating grasp that Tucker had experienced in the sewers. Yet, the deeper they investigated the issue, the far more grave the matter became.

What exactly was the hellspawn hunting?

"Do you think we'll stand a chance against it now?"

Ray's voice broke the silence as he read over the report's contents. His eyes carried a heaviness Tucker couldn't describe. And to his question, the watchmen could only shrug their shoulders.

Alex gently lowered Adira. "Hard to say. The last sighting of a Hellspawn creature was when Tucker and I encountered one. But besides that, it's the first time I've ever encountered one."

"Are they harder to kill than demons?"

Alex quietly chuckled. "They're what you call to kill demons."

"But what was it looking for?" Tucker asked. "There has to be a reason it appeared at that exact moment. That exact time."

"We don't have the slightest idea," Alex answered truthfully. "The only thing I could imagine is the canister, but from what I discussed with Owl, they were ambushed by the Empire's covert forces."

Tucker's gaze fell onto the table. He slowly nodded his head, but soon released a deep sigh. "Are we sure that it was the Empire's covert forces?"

None of them answered. The stillness pressed against Tucker's chest, a quiet unease clinging to his heart. Until a soft rhythm of footsteps approached from the inner confines of the chamber. Tucker looked up to see Charles making his way towards them. In his hands was a silver tray with an assortment of biscuits neatly arranged beside several teacups and a single steaming teapot.

"My oh my, it seems you three are discussing something far more intriguing than I first assumed. I can tell by your faces that I've interrupted something grim," Charles said, setting the tray on the table with a gentle clatter. "It's been far too long since I've seen you, Tucker, my boy. And I must say it's great to see you in one piece!"

Tucker returned Charles' bright smile with a faint one of his own. "I got lucky, met some good fellas who helped me out a lot at the bastion."

"Well, luck or not, you've done wonders for the Kingdom," Charles replied warmly. He gestured at the sweets and tea. "Please help yourselves."

"Don't mind if I do." Ray reached for a biscuit before catching a glance of Adira stretching her hand across the table. Without saying a word, he passed one to her before focusing on Tucker. "Alright, so back to what you were saying, Commander. You think that the guys that ambushed our men weren't the Empire's covert forces?"

"It's a possibility." Tucker pulled out one of the wooden chairs tucked beneath the table and sat down. "I haven't fought or seen enough of the Empire's covert forces to know, but if the Hellspawn was there to hunt. It would probably be looking for something worth hunting. The question is… what? What was it after?"

The men surrounded the table, reading the research papers and reports forged by Charles and Daniela. Every single one of them was stuck on the same question. The same thought that clung to their minds. If the Hellspawn was hunting something, it wouldn't have been them. It was too much of a coincidence for it to appear at that very moment. In those wretched halls smeared with grime and debris. Within the darkness as they stood on the ancient teleportation platform.

But before the discussion could carry on, the deep metallic groan of the steel doors parting echoed through the chamber. Their heads turned to the figure standing at the entrance. The man, clad in dragon-scaled armor, waited without uttering a word. A verdant cape was draped over his shoulder, and the glowing runes from the black iron spear pulsed with life on his back. His gaze focused on Tucker. None of them needed an introduction.

They all knew who he was. An elite soldier of the Order tasked with safeguarding the keep. The head administrator's personal guard, the Everwatch Knights.

Charles stroked his beard as his gaze wandered towards the shelves lining the scholar's chambers. There were countless tomes and archives brimming with knowledge. It wasn't a matter of if but when they would discover something they needed. "I can try searching further into the archives to see if I can discover anything. It'll take time, but if I do, I'll send word."

"Sounds like a plan." Tucker rose from his seat, brushing the dust off his pants. "It looks like I'm being summoned. When I get back, you guys can fill me in on what I missed." His eyes swept across the table. "If there's anything you want me to discuss with the head administrator, now's the time."

He looked around the table, but none of them answered. Then, at that moment, he felt a small pair of arms wrap tightly around his waist. Tucker glanced down to see Adira clinging to him, her face pressed against his side. Her eyes were filled with a fragile worry, one so delicate it would break with the slightest touch.

Tucker gave a smile full of warmth, resting his hand on her head. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

"Promise?" Adira asked.

"Of course."

A quiet moment passed before Adira finally let go. Tucker's gaze met the other watchmen as they offered silent farewells. With a firm nod, he turned to the knight and approached the armored figure waiting by the door, watching as the man saluted.

"Welcome back, sir," he said. "The head administrator has requested your presence. Please allow me to escort you."

Tucker gave a brief nod as he followed the Everwatch Knight. He could hear the distant voices behind him grow fainter with each step. Just before the steel doors slammed shut, blocking out the last bit of warmth from the chamber. The hollow echoes of his boots against the stone replaced the voices of those he cherished. A sense of heaviness filled his heart as he ventured deeper into the corridors. Each step made his legs feel like lead.

There was far too much that he didn't know.

Far too much at stake—and with each passing second, the scales tipped further out of their favor.

Everything would depend on his next meeting with Dale, the head administrator.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.