Chapter 77: The Demon Knight 1

Auryn stood and his mind raced through the novel’s demon hierarchy as he faced the entity before him.

Though he could sense the seeping menace from its form. He already knew this wasn’t an Archfiend. At least not yet.

Archfiends were Tier 4 demons with capabilities that made them city-level threats.

These were humans, elves, dwarves or even beast -kins that had lost every form of normalcy entirely, reality-warping monsters that commanded armies and spread corruption through mere presence.

The entity in front of him was a Demon-Knight. A tier 3 veteran whose contract achieved partial demonic transformation while retaining humanoid features.

The preserved human structure marked this entity clearly. Its face and stance was enough proof. But the deterioration was also evident.

The shadow-wrapped body, fused black clots where hands should be, jelly-like feet merged with the ground. This demon was on the verge of ascending, their humanity slipping away bit by bit.

Auryn understood immediately why the demon smiled with such confidence. Killing a Dragon Prince who’d consumed Elder Dragon power would be a sacrifice potent enough to push any demon straight past Archfiend into Demon Lord territory.

Auryn wasn’t just an opponent. He was a prize. A potential catalyst for ascension if the Devil-god is pleased enough to allow.

The more Auryn thought about it, the novel did mention oath severance which was the demon version of dragonpacts and vamprire bloodbonds, actually worked differently but depended on origin as well.

Pure-blooded demons were born connected to the Demon King, their power innate like dragon nobility. But contractors gained power through sacrifices and ambition. Not dominance like dragons.

Auryn’s dragon blood would be the ultimate contract sacrifice and elevation needed.

“You’re analyzing me,” the demon spoke, snapping Auryn back quickly. Solid white eyes tracking Auryn’s expression despite his obvious blindness.

“Smart. But understanding what I am won’t save you, your Highness,” he snickered.

Auryn shifted into combat stance, his consecrated blade ready with partial transformation active.

“We’ll see about that.”

The demon moved first. One moment he was ten meters ahead, the next he was five meters to the left.

He moved without sound like he existed in darkness, traveled through it like water.

Auryn tracked him through Author’s Eyes, the awareness prevented complete surprise, but the speed was unsettling.

It wasn’t teleportation but the absolute proof that the demon was part of the breach’s fabric, able to relocate wherever shadows existed.

Auryn rolled his eyes in realization. Everywhere in this lightless cavern was literally a trap waiting to spring up.

But he didn’t dally, releasing a controlled burst of dragon fire toward where the demon materialized. The flames illuminated the space briefly, revealing the demon’s form clearly.

The fire passed through shadows that scattered like smoke, with the shadows reforming instantly behind Auryn.

Author’s Eyes screamed crimson warnings, Auryn spun and blocked with his blade as a massive darkness-spear thrust toward his spine immediately the demon reappeared.

The impact sent shockwaves around the area sending the smaller demons around flying away violently.

The demon knight’s smile widened. “Impressive reflexes. Seems the rumors were wrong afterall.”

“Rumors?” Auryn raised a brow as he launched a Fire Lance, the concentrated projectile spun toward the demon’s mid section.

But the demon didn’t dodge. His dark spear swept defensively and the darkness simply absorbed the flame.

The Fire Lance disappeared into the spear’s surface like water into sand, but there was no burning or explosion. It was just consumed.

Auryn’s eyes narrowed. His fire was being countered through basic incompatibility. Flames traditionally needed something to burn but darkness was absent itself. He couldn’t burn absence.

’Atleast not like this’ he thought.

“Your flames are beautiful,” the demon said mockingly.

“But seriously, they said you were weak. How despicable,” he chuckled.

Auryn ignored and moved to test his own theory immediately, releasing multiple Fire Lances this time, they approached the demon knight from different angles to overwhelm the spear.

The demon’s solid eyes didn’t falter as he responded elegantly as his shadow-wrapped body simply opened gaps where the lances passed through, holes appearing and closing without damage.

Immediately the lances passed, the demon stopped playing defensive. His form blurred and suddenly the breach itself became the new threat.

Shadowy-spears erupted from every surface. Walls, floor, ceiling. Dozens of them manifesting simultaneously and thrusting toward Auryn with precision. The attacks were calculated strikes targeting vital points.

Auryn moved instinctively, his enhanced speed carrying him through the gaps of the assault.

His blade deflected one spear while his claws tore through another and then he released a burst of dragon fire that created breathing room as he cartwheeled away from three more that would have impaled him from below.

But the spears kept coming. For every spear he destroyed or dodged, two more manifested.

The demon was having fun now, conducting an orchestra of darkness, while he stood casually watching how the breach itself tried to murder Auryn.

This was the difference between fighting in neutral territory, his own territory and in an opponent’s domain.

The demon had been here long enough to make the breach an extension of himself. Every shadow obeyed him. Every surface could birth weapons at will.

A spear grazed Auryn’s shoulder, tearing through his armor and drawing blood. But his enhanced body prevented serious damage, with his healing factor already closing the wound.

Auryn took a step back. He understood he was getting overwhelmed and needed a plan.

Auryn instantly changed tactics after looking around. If the demon controlled the shadows, then he had to eliminate the shadows first.

He opened his mouth after a quick breath and released a continuous stream of dragon fire in a wide arc, flames scorching across walls and floor but the main aim was the other lesser demons, illuminating the entire cavern in orange light using the burning demons like candles.

For about three seconds there was no darkness. Just fire, stone, hissing and scorching demons and a demon knight whose form became solid and vulnerable in the brightness.

Auryn’s hands clapped and stretched apart as he formed three Fire Lances simultaneously and threw them, targeting the demon from different angles again even while the light persisted.

The demon’s white eyes widened fractionally for the first time.

He raised his shadow-spear defensively, but with no ambient darkness to draw from, the weapon had lost substance. The Fire lances closed the distance like torpedoes, tearing everything in their path.

Just then, a second or two to impart, all the flames died. The demons that burnt had been forced back into nothingness and Auryn’s continuous stream on the walls and pillars exhausted.

In a heartbeat, the darkness rushed back in like water filling a void. The shadow-spear solidified instantly and the demon swept it in a circular motion that detonated all three Fire Lances prematurely, explosions blooming as it moved back to avoid the range.

“Clever,” the demon said, his voice carried actual respect this time.

“You understand the battlefield. But maintaining that much fire,” he paused as he pushed his neck that suddenly let out a resounding snap.

“You’ll exhaust yourself long before I run out of shadows, your highness,” his form grew larger as he bowed mockingly.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep