Chapter 52: 52. Inside the abyssal node – 2

A sharp and cold breeze brushed past Will’s ears as he stood atop a jagged outcrop of blackened stone, his posture steady and unmoving as his gaze remained fixed on the demonic stronghold several kilometers away.

The wind carried the stench of sulfur and scorched earth, whispering across the ruined landscape as if warning anything foolish enough to remain exposed for too long in this hostile land.

The terrain stretching between Will and the stronghold was scarred beyond recognition. Cracks split the ground like open wounds, and faint traces of demonic energy seeped out from them, curling lazily into the air before dispersing.

The land appeared hostile and corrupted, yet Will did not feel any oppressive pressure from it. He circulated demonic energy through his body smoothly, adapting his physique and masking his presence instinctively.

To him, the environment felt no more uncomfortable than a harsh mountain wind.

Thanks to the effects of the Heaven-Piercing Archer talent, distance had lost its meaning. His vision pierced through the foggy haze with terrifying clarity, allowing him to perceive details that should have been impossible to see from this far away.

He observed the obsidian towers rising from the ground, their surfaces etched with demonic sigils that crawled and shifted like living parasites. Even without directly approaching, Will could clearly sense the presence of multiple high-ranking demons stationed within the stronghold.

“Why would a stronghold be here?” Will muttered quietly. “It’s not like Aris continent’s natives attack them here.”

The system’s voice responded without hesitation.

[why don’t you ask them]

Will did not reply immediately. Instead, his eyes shifted slightly as a faint trail of movement entered his field of vision.

A caravan was moving steadily across the broken land, its path marked by scorched tracks burned into the ground. Tens of reinforced carriages rolled in a single line, guarded on all sides by demons whose presence radiated hostility.

Several S rank demons were escorting the caravan, their movements were disciplined and alert, as if they were protecting something of extreme importance.

The formation was tight and Will immediately noticed that this was not random transport.

The dark, reinforced walls of the carriages reflected faint glimmers of demonic light as they rolled forward, pulled by massive horned beasts whose hooves scorched the earth with every step.

Each impact left behind glowing cracks that slowly cooled as the caravan passed.

The demons guarding the convoy wore layered armor forged from abyssal metals. Their weapons were already drawn, and their auras flared with restrained malice.

Some carried halberds taller than themselves, others wielded jagged blades or crude heavy weapons designed for brute force.

Will observed calmly and began counting.

“About a few hundred demons or so.”

[There must be something important inside the carriage for them to travel so carefully with almost a small battalion of demons guarding the carriages]

Will’s lips curved upward slightly.

“If something is of importance to the demons, then it is destined to be ruined by me.”

He exhaled slowly. The Aeon Blade appeared in his hand, its crimson surface gleaming faintly before he wrapped it carefully in cloth and strapped it securely to his back.

With a simple thought, its invisibility trait activated, and Will’s figure disappeared entirely from sight.

Below him, the demons continued marching, unaware that death had already chosen them.

They were war demons, a race bred specifically for frontline combat. Their bodies were reinforced by dense demonic energy, their red skin was thick and durable.

However, their intelligence and aptitude were lacking. Most of them were incapable of using magic or elemental techniques, relying instead on overwhelming physical force enhanced by demonic energy. They were expendable soldiers, created to be used as meat shields and discarded.

Normally, war demons were low-ranked. However, these were different. Their demonic cores had been forcibly elevated through elixirs and artificial methods, raising them to S ranks despite their limitations.

Leading the convoy was a lesser demon with dark violet skin and pitch-black pupils. He wore loose yet refined robes, and his presence alone marked him as an SS rank existence. A finely crafted halberd rested in his grip, and his expression was serious and alert, indicating experience beyond that of common war demons.

None of them noticed the invisible figure looming above.

Will vanished from the cliff entirely and reappeared midair, much closer to the caravan. A thin stream of sovereign sword intent flowed beneath his feet, opposing gravity and allowing him to float effortlessly.

While suspended in the air, he drew a bow.

It was still the same simple wooden training bow, unremarkable in appearance. However, the gap in quality was meaningless in Will’s hands. His talent compensated effortlessly.

He silently drew an arrow. Stellar fire ignited along the arrowhead, burning with certain intensity.

Without hesitation, he released it.

*~Stinnnnnnng~*

The arrow crossed kilometers in a blink.

It struck a demon at the center of the formation square in the skull and detonated in a burst of white-gold flame.

Stellar fire spread instantly, consuming armor, flesh, and soul alike. The demon did not even have time to scream before it vanished into ash.

For half a second, the entire caravan froze.

Every demon, including the leader, turned in shock.

Then chaos erupted.

“ENEMY—!”

“WHERE—?!”

Before they could organize, the second arrow landed.

Then the third.

Then the fourth.

Each arrow curved unnaturally in midair, adjusting its trajectory as fleeing demons tried desperately to escape.

The Target Lock ability corrected every miscalculation, ensuring that no movement or terrain offered salvation.

Many demons raised thick shields in desperation, but the effort was meaningless. The shields were pierced instantly, melting and shattering as stellar fire bloomed across the battlefield like miniature suns.

Demons fell one after another, their bodies burning away before they even understood what was happening.

The lesser demon barked out hurried orders, his fury growing with every second. Even at SS rank, he could not see the arrows clearly. They disappeared the moment they struck, leaving only devastation behind.

“This is getting boring,” Will said after a few minutes of bombardment.

He descended.

His invisibility deactivated as he landed behind the caravan, the sword strapped to his back vanished into his inventory. In its place, the Serpent King’s Fang

appeared in his hand.

The caravan’s leader noticed the sudden pause in the aerial assault. His eyes narrowed as the sound of footsteps reached him.

A figure wearing a crow-beaked black mask walked toward them calmly. Black hair fluttered lightly as demonic wind passed through the area.

The lesser demon tightened his grip on his halberd, hostility flaring instantly.

“stop where you are!!”

Will understood every word through Universal Tongue.

Though he did not comply and continued moving.

The Serpent King’s Fang flashed once and Whispering Breeze Slash infused with demonic energy tore through the ranks from his side.

The force behind the attack was monstrous, cleaving through bodies like a knife through butter.

The attack was clean, precise, and devastating. Bodies split apart instantly, demonic blood spraying before evaporating under residual sword intent.

Will stepped forward as war demons scattered in terror.

But still some among them did not sense the severity behind the situation and decided to attack.

A giant demon swung its mace wildly.

The weapon struck empty air instead of hitting his target.

Will thrust his sword silently, cleaving the demon into two vertical halves. The body collapsed before the demon even realized it had been struck.

The remaining demons tried to form a formation.

But their efforts were meaningless.

Will reappeared briefly in their center, sword intent flared just enough to be felt.

Panic exploded.

Before any of them could react, he vanished again.

A Thunderclap Sever erupted from nowhere. Compressed air sliced through demons like invisible blades. Limbs were severed, armor shattered, and the ground cracked violently.

Within minutes, silence returned.

Only a few groups of demons remained, clustered around the violet-skinned lesser demon.

Ash drifted through the air. Burned corpses littered the battlefield, some reduced to scorched silhouettes etched into stone. The carriages remained intact, though their wheels and connections were destroyed.

The lesser demon raised his halberd.

“Impudent fool, tell me your name and I might spare you!!!?”

Will raised his brows, clearly surprised at the words filled with delusion

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