The Damned Demon

Chapter 754  Something Doesn’t Seem Right

The stone building was cold, its walls thick and oppressive, offering little solace to the tortured soul within. The flickering light of a single, guttering candle barely illuminated the damp stone floor, casting twisted shadows across the room. In the far corner, tied to a rusted iron chair, sat Oberon—his once proud and noble frame now gaunt, his face pale from lack of food and blood, his eyes barely open, clouded by exhaustion and despair. His body trembled, not from the cold, but from the agonizing pain of being starved and his mind tortured without rest.

His dark red eyes were now dim, lost in a fog of hunger and hopelessness.

Two vulpin guards stood on either side of him, their eyes sharp, but their postures relaxed, unaware of the silent danger approaching. They chatted quietly among themselves, oblivious to the impending death that was creeping closer.

Outside, Rebecca crouched in the shadows of the building's exterior, her vulpinari disguise flawless....at least on the outside.

Of course, if she even used a wisp of her mana, she would be exposed and could only rely on her physical strength. She also couldn't let any of these vulpins see her up close lest they figure out that something was wrong.

But what shocked her the moment she entered this place was how beautiful and radiant everything looked inside…as if this was an entirely different world!

It was nothing as dark or harsh as the world outside. The air was so pure and fresh, making her feel like she was in an imaginary world.

But she had no time to bask in the atmosphere of this strange place and knew she had to focus on rescuing her son. She threatened the devils to better keep him alive until she got to him.

Thanks to the information she gathered from the vulpini she grabbed outside, she knew where they would keep a prisoner and was now waiting near a small stone building that was surrounded by tall trees. And this building was only guarded by a single guard.

She smirked, realizing these fools must be feeling quite complacent and safe, thinking nobody would be able to attack them here. Fortunately, it worked in her favor.

But she patiently waited behind a tree, waiting for the other vulpins lingering around to go away. With a swift, practiced movement, she slipped into the shadows, her senses heightened, her every step deliberate and soundless. She moved like a wraith, invisible in a bright place like that.

Approaching the entrance, Rebecca took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was about to unfold. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of the dark blade she had concealed in her cloak.

She unsheathed her blade, her movements swift and graceful, and without a sound, she moved behind the first guard. *Slliishk!*

A single cut across the throat, and the guard crumpled to the floor, blood spurting in a silent arc. But she caught his body before it could fall to the ground and silently placed his corpse down.

However, she knew there was no time to waste. It would only be a matter of time before someone notices this corpse.

Her heart was steady as she silently slipped into the dark stone room, her eyes scanning for any threats. Two vulpin guards were still, their attention on the faint sound of footsteps outside. Rebecca knew this was her chance. With a swift, fluid motion, she moved toward them, her blades flashing in the dim light. "Urrkk!"

In an instant, both guards crumpled to the ground, their blood staining the floor beneath them.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself, and then turned to face the reason she was here—the reason she had risked everything to enter this hellish place. She felt the familiar weight of her fear and love settle deep in her chest. Oberon.

There he was, slumped in a rusted chair, his hands tied behind him with thick, enchanted ropes. His once strong frame had been reduced to a skeletal figure, skin pulled taut over sharp bones. His pale face was hollow, cheeks sunken, and his skin a sickly pallor. His eyes—barely open—were glazed and distant, the flicker of life in them dim and fragile.

Rebecca's breath caught in her throat. Her chest tightened painfully as she stepped closer, the cold dread in her stomach growing with every step. She had imagined what she would find, but nothing could have prepared her for the reality of it. He was nothing like the young man who had once stood proudly by her side.

Just when she thought he had suffered enough torture in his life, he suffered even more. Her legs felt weak, but she forced herself to kneel in front of him, her eyes burning with unshed tears as she reached out a trembling hand, touching his pale cheek.

"S-Son," she whispered, her voice barely audible, cracked with emotion, "It's me. It's your mother. You're safe now."

At the sound of her voice, Oberon's eyes fluttered. His breath hitched, and he lifted his head slightly, his expression confused. It took a moment for his fogged mind to clear enough to process the words.

"M-Mother?" His voice was barely a rasp, as if speaking required all of his remaining energy, "Is this the Seven Hells?...Why are you here…You can't be here with me…"

Rebecca swallowed hard, trying to keep the tears at bay as she realized he was even finding it hard to differentiate between reality and nightmares.

She reached out to hold his face in her hands, her fingers gentle against his cold skin, "Snap out of it, Oberon. You are still in our world with me," she said, her voice soft but firm. "You're awake, you're safe. You're going to be alright."

But even as she spoke, her heart twisted in pain. The condition he was in, the horrible frailty that seemed to drain every ounce of life from his body—it was more than she could bear. But she couldn't stop now. She couldn't let him fall back into this state. She had to get him out.

It took a moment, but as her words seeped through the fog of his disorientation, recognition slowly flickered in his eyes. The truth dawned on him, and the floodgates opened. Tears welled up in his eyes as he gasped, "Mother… it's really you…"

Rebecca fought back the lump in her throat, her fingers trembling as she gently brushed the tears from his face. But she knew they didn't have much time. The guards had been dealt with, but this place wasn't safe for long, "Oberon, we have to go. Right now. We'll have time to talk once we're out of here. Do you hear me?"

He nodded weakly, his breathing ragged but steadying as he realized the gravity of the situation. With her help, he slowly stood up, his body shaky but willing to move. The bonds on his wrists were easy to break with a snap of Rebecca's blade, and she helped him steady himself as they began to move toward the exit.

"Let's go, my son," Rebecca said firmly, her voice still full of cold, feverish determination, "We're getting out of here, and nothing will stop us."

—

The war room was thick with tension, the air heavy with the weight of the decision that would determine the fate of the Bloodburn Kingdom. The room was filled with the kingdom's most trusted leaders—lords, vassals, military commanders, and even the powerful king and queen of the Umbralfiends, Moraxor and Narissara.

They all stood around a large table, scattered with maps, battle formations, and reports from the front lines.

However, Moraxor and Narrisara had their expressions quite dull and complicated, especially due to their son-in-law's sudden disappearance, and Rowena still remained silent about it. Without Asher, they weren't feeling good about the outcome of this war. Everyone in this hall shared the same feeling but didn't dare to voice it.

Ceti stood silently in a corner, hoping to talk to Rowena after this meeting was done. Despite how restless she was feeling, she wanted to give Rowena some time to herself after feeling that she was going through something. Maybe once she can talk to her alone, she can find out what was really going on with her and why Asher suddenly disappeared.

Rowena stood at the head of the table, her posture commanding the room. She wore the mantle of a queen at war, her eyes sharp and unwavering as they scanned the faces of the men and women before her. Her presence alone carried the weight of a thousand unspoken thoughts. Her lips were pressed in a tight line as she could guess what the ones gathered here were thinking about. However, her eyes glinted with cold determination as she knew the war had begun, and there was no time for doubt or second thoughts.

"We all know the odds," Rowena began, her voice steady but filled with authority, "The draconians alone command a vast army, one far larger and more powerful than our own collectively. They will be impossible to defeat…only if we face them head-on and do nothing until they get here," She paced slowly in front of the table, her gaze fixed on the battle map, "That is why we will be the ones to start the fight. The one advantage we have, which they cannot deny, is that we are fighting on our own soil."

Her gaze lingered over them as she went on, "They will not only be fighting on unfamiliar ground but also have to travel thousands of miles from home. That is not something to be underestimated. But we cannot waste this advantage. They will be weary when they finally reach us," Rowena continued, her voice cutting through the room like a blade, "We will use that time to wear them down before they even step foot on our land."

Her words cut through the silence, and the assembled ones exchanged wary glances, though they had to admit their queen was right. It was an advantage they couldn't ignore.

Lord Stormrider, the towering, muscular figure of the kingdom's army, leaned forward, his voice booming across the room, "Do you mean to use our dragons before they even reach our kingdom, Your Majesty?"

Rowena nodded, but her gaze darkened, "We only have three dragons left, and the fourth is a juvenile. We must use them carefully. The draconians have weapons that can kill them. We will not throw them into the fray recklessly."

She paused, remembering the devastating attack on Flaralis when Drakar had nearly killed the dragon during her attempt to rescue Asher. Remembering Asher unconsciously stirred a bitter knot in her chest, but she pushed it down, knowing she had to remain focused.

"The juvenile will be used for reconnaissance," she said, her tone unwavering, "Jesryth will take to the skies to cut down their numbers and lower their morale, while Taimot will support him. They will strike fast and retreat because they can't afford to linger around for too long. If they keep it up perfectly for at least a few times, it should reduce the strength of Drakar's armies by at least 50%."

Rowena then turned her attention to Isola's parents, "King Moraxor will lead his army through the waters, giving us another advantage the draconians can never have. They will be squashed in between if we can manage to push a large number of them towards the north."

Moraxor and Narrisara stiffly nodded despite the questions swirling in their heads. Isola already told them to not ask Rowena about anything related to Asher and thus they were somehow suppressing the urge to do so.

However, upon hearing the queen's plans, the tension in the room subsided slightly, the weight of her words igniting some hope in their hearts as her plan was logical and sound. They knew their queen wasn't being overconfident. This was the sheer power of the dragons if combined with the right strategies. And with the Umbralfiends on their side, they had powerful backup and support.

Rowena added, "But even if half of them goes down, the other half would still overwhelm our numbers by at least thrice the amount. So, we have to compensate for the difference somehow through our sheer will and take advantage of our soil to wear them down even more before they can breach the gates. If we do this right...we will survive."

Everyone slowly nodded as their eyes gleamed with renewed strength and hope, knowing that their queen had spent months working hard to devise detailed plans for the war. She can't go wrong with these things, and if she was this confident about her plans, then maybe things wouldn't be that hopeless even if their king can't join their fight in time.

They only had to do their part now.

Vernon, his usually calm expression now filled with concern, leaned forward, "Your Majesty, I just received information that the draconian army has yet to move out of their kingdom. They wouldn't be sitting idle if they were planning to attack us. Something doesn't seem right about this."

As he spoke, the tension in the room grew thicker as the gathered ones felt uneasy about this information.

Rowena's brow furrowed, and her eyes narrowed as she absorbed the information, "They still haven't left?" she echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief. Her heart tensed, a heavy sense of dread slowly creeping into her thoughts. She had been expecting them to move, to strike at any moment, but to hear that they had not even begun their march was... unsettling.

Something was wrong…