NOVEL NEXT Chapter 623: Surrounded Again
Inside the hidden passage, the three of them were nearing the end of the route when the space suddenly changed. The walls lit up, seals activated, and the path ahead was completely sealed.
It felt like they had been trapped inside a confined space.
Kayn frowned.
"What happened? What is this?"
"Looks like they've caught up," Daniel said quietly.
At that moment, a deep, powerful voice echoed from behind them.
"Did you really think you could escape?"
The encirclement slowly closed in.
Dozens of armored demons surrounded Daniel, Kayn, and Melia, holding spears and blades, their eyes shining with bloodlust. The pressure of their auras stacked on top of each other, making the air heavy, so heavy that even breathing felt harder.
Melia took a step back. The color drained from her face, and she instinctively clutched her clothes. She thought they had finally managed to escape the demons.
So why?
Why were they surrounded again?
Was this really their fate, to be killed by demons?
Was there truly no way out?
Still, she let out a sigh of relief. At the very least, in this miserable situation, the Saintess had managed to escape.
That alone was enough for her
But Kayn… was completely calm. He had seen Daniel's power and knew that these demons, even if there were a hundred times more of them, were nothing more than temporary obstacles.
In fact, now that he thought about it, he still hadn't seen Daniel's true peak or his limits. Even when Daniel had fought that monster in the sea, he had suppressed it with ease. The only reason he couldn't kill it was because of the creature's immortality.
Karnoz stepped forward. His massive frame nearly filled the entire corridor. His armor was covered in battle scars, and a heavy aura spread around him like a mountain of pressure.
"So…"
"You're the three who escaped," he said in a deep, rough voice.
His gaze locked onto Daniel.
"But there's something I find interesting. I'd like to know… how do you still have your powers?"
They were confident in their own methods of sealing prisoners' powers. There had never been a case where a prisoner managed to break the seal and reclaim their abilities.
So how did this human do it?
Was it simply because he was too powerful, and their methods couldn't seal his power?
Or did he have some way to prevent his power from being sealed in the first place?
If it was the first reason, then they would need to strengthen their power-sealing methods to prevent this from happening again in the future.
But if it was the second… then they had to find out what that method was.
Dozens of demons behind Karnoz took a step forward. They were just waiting for a single order to immediately attack and suppress all three humans.
"Your method of sealing powers isn't strong enough," Daniel yawned briefly and spoke in a completely lazy tone.
For a moment, silence filled the space.
Karnoz's eyes narrowed.
"Thanks to you, now we know our method isn't absolute."
A cold smile appeared on his face.
"It's fine. We'll experiment on you enough to fix that flaw."
He came to the conclusion that talking was pointless and only a waste of time.
It would be better to directly suppress these humans and take what they wanted by force.
Daniel laughed.
"I'd like to see how you plan to do that."
And at that moment—
A black shadow erupted from beneath his feet.
Not like smoke, not like mist, something alive, heavy, and suffocating. In an instant, it swallowed the entire area. The walls, the floor, even the light of the seals… everything was drowned in darkness.
"Attack!"
Karnoz's shout rang out at the same time the demons charged.
Spears, blades, and waves of demonic energy poured toward Daniel from all directions.
Four combined attacks activated almost simultaneously: compressed energy waves, dark cutting lines, heavy aura strikes, and pure pressure meant to crush the body.
Daniel… didn't move.
The first spear was deflected with a simple punch. The second attack shattered in the air with a short crack of thunder.
The third energy wave broke against a thin layer of mana, like water hitting glass.
He stepped forward, just one step.
His fist slammed into the stomach of one demon. The sound of bones breaking echoed through the darkness, and the demon's body was thrown back like a doll, smashed into the wall… and didn't get up again.
At that sight, a chill ran down the demons' spines.
What kind of power was this?
Was this really power a human could possess?
"Attack! Don't be afraid! Together we can suppress him!" their general shouted.
A second demon tried to attack from behind. Without even looking back, Daniel reached behind him and grabbed the demon by the neck.
A short squeeze—
A dull crack.
The lifeless body dropped to the ground.
Karnoz stepped in.
The ground beneath his feet cracked as his massive mace came down with brutal force. A blow that could have destroyed the entire corridor. This time, Daniel stepped back slightly, not out of fear, but to avoid taking the hit directly.
The shockwave slammed into the walls, and the seals trembled.
Karnoz advanced, activating one of his skills. His aura grew even heavier.
"Don't run, human."
"Who said I'm running?" Daniel replied with a faint smile.
Lightning burst from his fists. A direct blow struck Karnoz in the chest, forcing him back several steps. Not many, but enough to shock the demons around him.
"…!"
For the first time, doubt appeared in their eyes.
They attacked in coordination, organized and with full force. But Daniel… only responded. And his breathing hadn't even sped up.
Kayn watched the scene carefully. Melia, her mouth half open, still couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Then Daniel seemed to notice something. Using his spiritual senses, he glanced at the base and the situation inside it.
A smile appeared on his face.
"It's time to end this"