Scout

Deep in the night, at the edge of the Evernight Territory, the forest was soaked in ink-black darkness.

Only sparse moonlight filtered through layers of twisted, grotesque branches, scattering broken flecks of silver across the ground.

Three figures cloaked in deep-gray camouflage moved almost soundlessly through the tangled roots and undergrowth.

Their movements were crisp, perfectly coordinated.

Every footfall deliberately avoided dry twigs and loose stones, revealing training far beyond that of ordinary soldiers.

“Captain, I can already see the outline of Evernight City.”

The youngest member kept his voice low, unable to hide his nerves.

“Are we really going deeper? This is the very heart of the Demon Lord of Evernight’s domain…”

“Quiet. Stay focused!”

The middle-aged captain snapped under his breath, his hawk-like gaze sweeping every dark corner.

“We are the Rhine Holy Church’s Demon Intelligence Unit. Sneaking into demon territory to gather information is our duty! What, did a few tavern rumors scare the courage out of you?”

“But Captain…”

The youngest could not hold back.

“This Evernight Territory is nothing like the other Demon Lords’ lands. Our reports say they have an extremely tight patrol and early-warning network—practically no blind spots. And…”

“And what?”

The captain cut him off impatiently, never slowing his pace.

“And they say the Demon Lord here is… unusual.”

The young man hesitated.

“She built an academy, reformed the army, even abolished slavery. That’s unheard of among demons. It feels almost like… like some plot we can’t even comprehend!”

The captain snorted, his voice dripping with disdain and ingrained prejudice.

“No matter how she pretties things up, a demon is still a demon! Cruelty, chaos, deceit—that’s their nature! Our mission is to uncover her true intentions and map the city’s defenses. The Church higher-ups and the knight orders are watching this closely. Bring back critical intelligence, and the rewards will be rich!”

The three pressed onward and soon reached the outer perimeter of the Evernight Territory.

What they did not know was that the moment they crossed the border, they were already being watched.

In the shadows of the forest, several pairs of ghostly green eyes stared unblinkingly.

As’s Shadow Moon Wolves.

As the territory’s reconnaissance and early-warning system, these packs patrolled day and night.

No suspicious intruder escaped their gaze.

“Awooo—”

A low, piercing howl—barely audible yet carrying far—ripped through the silence like a signal.

The three scouts froze.

“Damn it! We’ve been made!”

The captain’s face twisted.

He drew his enchanted longsword in a flash.

“Retreat! Same route back!”

Too late.

In an instant, dozens of shapes condensed from the darkness itself—black lightning streaking from bushes and boulders, encircling them in the blink of an eye.

Their movements were silent, yet lethally precise.

The wolves completed the surround before the humans could react.

“Back to back! Defensive triangle!”

The captain barked, calm under pressure.

The three formed a hasty triangle, swords drawn, holy light flickering faintly around the blades.

But the Shadow Moon Wolves attacked in ways far beyond their expectations.

“Something’s wrong!”

The youngest cried out in terror.

“They’re too coordinated… like they’ve been specially trained!”

This was no wild beast frenzy.

Their assault followed clear tactics.

Several powerful males feinted from the front, drawing attention.

Flanks of wolves darted in to split the formation.

Lean, lightning-fast wolves circled the perimeter, sealing every escape route.

Such highly synchronized, tactical hunting threw the three seasoned scouts into desperate, overwhelming defense.

The fight lasted less than ten minutes.

One scout was dragged down, struggling furiously but quickly subdued.

“Damn it!”

Seeing the tide turn, the captain clenched his teeth.

“Every man for himself!”

He pulled out a magic scroll—an instant-teleport scroll, issued by the Rhine Holy Church to elite scouts as a last-resort escape tool.

Light flashed.

The captain and one scout vanished, leaving only the captured youngest behind.

As stepped calmly from the shadows, cold light glinting in his eyes as he regarded the pinned scout.

“Take him back. Deliver him to Lord Demon Lord for interrogation.”

****

In the council chamber, Vivian gazed down at the tightly bound scout kneeling before her.

The stone room was cold.

Torchlight flickered, casting writhing shadows on the walls.

The young man’s face was pale with terror, fresh claw marks bleeding lightly on his arms and legs—none fatal.

Clearly, As had ordered him taken alive.

She had not expected this.

Before the internal scheming of the old nobles or the neighboring Demon Lord Gulaim could fully unfold, humans had already sent scouts.

“A scout from the Rhine Holy Church, dispatched from the Court of Radiance?”

Vivian stood before him, expression calm, looking him up and down.

“You’ve got guts—or stupidity—to sneak straight into my lands. Did the Church think I’m too soft, or did you overestimate your stealth skills?”

The scout clenched his jaw, turning his head away, refusing to speak.

He still tried to cling to dignity and loyalty.

“Stubborn mouth. At least you’ve got some spine.”

Vivian smiled, but the sound sent chills down his spine.

“No matter. I have ways to loosen tongues.”

“Lucia, our guest seems tense. Help him relax, would you?”

“Fine, fine.”

Lucia raised a brow and stepped forward, a frigid aura rolling off her.

With a flick of her fingers, a needle-thin yet razor-sharp icicle formed in her palm.

Slowly, she brought it toward the scout’s cheek.

The extreme cold pricked his skin like a thousand needles.

“I don’t particularly enjoy pointless torture.”

Lucia’s voice was as icy as her magic.

“But this icicle can pierce straight through your cheek. I can control its temperature perfectly—freeze your marrow one moment, burn your nerves the next. Over and over.”

“Want to try?”

“You… you damned demons! Blasphemers against the Light!”

The scout’s body shook violently, his voice cracking with fear.

“Demons?”

Vivian walked forward, crouched, and met his terrified eyes levelly.

“You’re the ones who got it backward, kid.”

“It was your side that sent scouts sneaking into my home like thieves. All we did was catch and question intruders—something any lord has the right to do.”

“And besides,”

Her tone turned playful.

“If we really were the ‘demons’ of your legends, you’d already be dragged off as a sacrifice for some dark ritual, or fed to starving beasts. Instead, you’re sitting here perfectly safe, with a chance to confess and be treated leniently.”

The scout faltered.

She was right.

From capture until now, these demons had not truly tortured him.

Their interrogation had been… almost civilized—far gentler than the horrors he had been taught to expect from demonkind.

“I… I won’t say anything! For the glory of—”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Vivian sighed.

“No choice then. Lucia, continue.”

“With pleasure~”

Lucia chirped, lowering the icicle slowly.

“Wait!”

The instant the ice touched his skin, the young scout’s defenses shattered.

He screamed.

“Please don’t! I’ll talk!”

“See? Much better.”

Vivian nodded, satisfied.

“Speak. What is your mission?”

“We… we were ordered to scout the situation in the Evernight Territory.”

The scout trembled.

“Because… because the Church higher-ups noticed the territory has been developing abnormally fast.”

“Abnormally?”

“In just one year, a Demon Lord’s domain rose from ruins to… to this strange prosperity. It’s unnatural. Our spies also reported you’re implementing bizarre policies.”

Bizarre policies…

Vivian sneered inwardly.

To humans, abolishing slavery and spreading education probably did seem bizarre.

“And?”

“And… we heard the betrayal against His Holiness the Saint may be connected to you.”

The scout said cautiously.

“That has made the Church extremely wary. They fear you could become a new threat.”

“So you sent scouts to gather intelligence?”

“Yes. And we’re not the only ones.”

The scout continued.

“Our captain mentioned more teams are deployed around the territory. They might even… send regular forces again.”

Vivian’s heart sank.

Were the humans preparing another move against Evernight?

“Where did your captain teleport to?”

“I don’t know. The scroll teleports randomly. He could be anywhere inside the territory—or already outside.”

Vivian stood, thought for a moment, then ordered.

“Lock him up securely. And immediately inform As—have the Shadow Moon Wolves sweep the entire territory. Find that captain.”

“Yes!”

After the scout was dragged away, Lucia stepped to Vivian’s side.

“The humans are growing wary of you.”

“More than wary.”

Vivian analyzed calmly.

“They already see Evernight as a potential threat. From now on, actions against us will only increase.”

“Then… what do we do?”

“Strengthen defenses. Raise our strength.”

Vivian said firmly.

“At the same time, I need to build our own intelligence network. We can’t keep getting beaten passively—we need eyes on the human side too.”

Half a day later, a guard reported:

The captain used his last scroll and escaped the territory while being hunted.

“He got away…”

Vivian frowned.

“This is bad news. Once he reports everything he saw, the Church’s vigilance will skyrocket. Yet if we had waited even a moment longer before capturing them, we might not have taken a single prisoner.”

“A miscalculation.”

Meanwhile, the escaped captain sat trembling in a safe house, drenched in cold sweat.

With shaking hands he activated an encrypted magical communicator, connecting to the emergency channel.

“Report. I escaped the Evernight Territory.”

His voice still carried terror.

“That place… that place is horrifying.”

A grave voice answered from the other end.

“The defenses of Evernight far exceed our estimates.”

The captain reported rapidly.

“They have highly trained magical beast patrol squads with incredible detection abilities. And the city… it no longer resembles a demon city at all. It’s more like… like an advanced human metropolis.”

“Details.”

The captain described everything he had seen: orderly streets, thriving markets, the newly built academy, soldiers in uniform equipment.

Silence on the other end for a long moment.

“Understood. This intelligence is critical. Return to headquarters at once for a full debrief.”

“Yes, sir.”

When the call ended, the captain slumped in his chair.

The memory of what he had witnessed in Evernight filled him with an indescribable dread.