Dreu sprinted until he caught sight of Ragellon and Zraiw. The demonic girl was nursing her left arm while the swan was bloodied. They were both standing on their feet but the young man wasn't sure how long that would remain the case. He then noticed the single opponent they were facing. The foe resembled Rowan but the aura felt evil and somewhat alluring. It almost felt like that aura was calling to him while promising him more power.

  Is this someone from hell? Is this what corruption feels like?

  The being had noticed Dreu as well and turned towards him.

  “I will offer you the same thing as the others. Serve the lord and you shall be granted powers beyond your understanding!”

  “Never!”

  Dreu summoned his companions and had the individual surrounded. With his blade gripped tightly, he went on the attack. The young man swung his blade but the individual blocked the attack with his right gauntlet. Then, the individual grabbed the young man with his other hand before tossing Dreu at a tree. As the young man tried to get up, he watched helplessly as his companions were all defeated by a single swing from the individual. The gap between him and the individual was becoming very apparent. After forcing himself to get up, he ran over to Ragellon and Zraiw.

  “Quick! Follow me!”

  The three of them ran through the forest as quickly as they could. Meanwhile, their foe seemed content taking his time, as though he was confident the battle was decided. Dreu only hoped that he headed in the right direction because he knew that the three of them had limits, especially the other two with their wounds. Zraiw looked awful while Ragellon's wound never stopped bleeding. The trio eventually arrived by the swamp where he summoned Seiluxr.

  “Please keep him preoccupied.”

  Following a nod from the sorceress, he then led the other two along the swamp until he heard the battle between Seiluxr and the individual. He then felt the intensity of the battle as the shockwaves reached him. With the threat preoccupied, he summoned Dar whose presence could help them recover faster. While the healing took place, the three of them headed to the city where they reunited with the other demonic children.

  “Ragellon, we cannot afford to stay here any longer. There are too many strong enemies who managed to enter this space. Leaving this place might be safer for us.”

  The demonic child stated that she understood. She then led everyone to the center of the city where a temple stood tall. She urged all of them to enter the temple quickly before she closed the gate. At the center of the temple, she began a chant that made the runes on the walls light up. The runes became brighter and brighter until Dreu had to close his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the forest. Except for Ragellon, the other demonic children were equally surprised by the development.

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  What was that?

  Dreu had forgotten that Seiluxr was still new. She described how, during the heat of the battle, a massive shockwave of energy wiped her out and, the next thing she knew, she was back in his summoning realm. He asked the sorceress what she thought about the individual from hell.

  He’s very powerful! I wasn’t sure if I could have won but I’m certain that he wouldn’t leave the fight uninjured. If I was stranded on land, then I was guaranteed to lose.

  The young man then checked his recall list and sighed. Seiluxr was no longer recallable due to their difference in levels. He didn’t regret summoning her but he knew he would miss having her as a trump card in the future. The idea that she stood a chance against the hell individual was already impressive. The young man then surveyed their surroundings, recalling that they were still in the demon realm. They no longer had any more protection and his companions weren’t available until the following day. Dar helped heal them the best she could but there were still limitations to how much they recovered.

  “We need to find a place to rest. Ideally, the location is easy to defend.”

  Ragellon took a moment to digest Dreu’s comment. She then led them to a small cave in the mountain. Within the cave, Dreu could summon the demon bats who, while weren’t impressive fighters, still bolstered their numbers.

  Sometimes, a larger group is enough to dissuade foes.

  As extra precaution, he spent the next hour gathering rocks he could carry and placed them at the cave entrance. The makeshift wall wasn’t much but it could give him further defensive advantage if combat was unavoidable. The group then ventured out of the cave to gather food for the night. By the time they all ate, Dreu offered to be the lookout. Isonron had spoiled him and he had to return to reality where danger could be around the corner. While the others slept, he asked Azurys to keep an eye outside the cave. The demon bats had much better night vision so they could catch things he might miss. He could only hope the night would be uneventful.

  Bartok, do you know how lesser demon bats get stronger? I recall that you said Balgzr became the strongest bat. How did he do it?

  I don’t know the specifics but I heard there are some edible mushrooms that can help lesser demon bats evolve. Honestly, I don’t even know what those mushrooms look like but they are supposedly common in caves not occupied by bats.

  Dreu understood the hesitation if the bats could die from consuming mushrooms. However, his bats only had to deal with a cooldown. If I can just ask them to experiment and we get lucky, then all of them can greatly enhance our combat capabilities. A quick look suggested that the cave they were in hadn't been occupied for a long time.

  Dreu, I don’t think I will like what is going through your head.

  The young man showed his best smile as he walked up to Bartok, reassuring the bat with every step.