Otherworldly Demon

Just as if I’d spoken it into existence, chaos erupted.

Mere moments after the ground began to tremble, Xǔ Tiānlí and Féng Yè bolted from their office.

The entire base shook violently, yet fortunately, the building had been constructed with specialized materials designed to withstand even severe earthquakes.

Thus, the elevators remained operational.

Since becoming a Spirit Wielder, Xǔ Tiānlí’s senses had sharpened, allowing him to distinctly feel the epicenter of the tremors originating from the first floor.

Ding!

The elevator halted.

The instant its doors parted, the two men spotted a civilian staff member scurrying past.

“Hold on, what’s happening?” Féng Yè seized the person’s arm, his voice urgent.

“D-Branch Head… an attack, it’s an attack.”

“Is it an otherworldly demon?” Xǔ Tiānlí interjected.

“Ah, yes, yes,” the staff member stammered, turning to glance at him with a panicked nod.

‘Actually, I was hoping to hear the answer “gang” from your lips.’

‘Compared to some fearless gang daring to provoke us, an otherworldly demon invasion signifies a far greater level of danger.’

Not all employees within the base were combatants; many were civilian staff, not even Spirit Wielders.

As the tremors swept through most of the base, the evacuation alarm blared, its piercing wail echoing ceaselessly in Xǔ Tiānlí’s ears.

The two men pushed against the torrent of evacuating personnel, pressing towards the most perilous direction.

“To think, after so many years as Wufeng City’s Branch Head, this is the first time I’ve encountered something like this.”

Féng Yè’s words carried a hint of bitterness.

“Otherworldly demons, acting on someone’s orders, attacking the Heaven’s Will Bureau.”

“Truly, live long enough and you’ll see anything.”

Xǔ Tiānlí unslung the black longsword, wrapped in cloth, from his back.

He peeled back a small section of the disguise, revealing the wooden hilt.

Féng Yè’s gaze lingered on the blade for a moment before he spoke.

“Do you think Master Qín also foresaw trouble here?”

“That… I’d say there’s a good chance.”

After all, Qín Yuè possessed far more information than they did.

With her intellect, deducing the culprit’s complete plan would surely be effortless.

“Then could it be said that Master Qín is observing us from somewhere right now?”

“…Branch Head Féng, please don’t scare me.”

Having experienced such situations before, Xǔ Tiānlí’s expression stiffened.

He instinctively scanned his surroundings.

The chaotic corridor now held only the two of them, the crimson alarm lights casting a oppressive filter over the entire passage.

‘This place is so cramped, is Master truly hiding somewhere, watching?’

As if discerning his unspoken question, Féng Yè pointed to his own eyes.

“A Spirit Wielder doesn’t necessarily need their eyes to spy.”

“That’s even worse.”

They could now see the end of the corridor.

Someone had carelessly closed the door, preventing a direct view of the main hall.

Xǔ Tiānlí rubbed his hands together, about to quicken his pace, but Féng Yè stopped him.

“Regardless, you’re a guest here.”

“I can’t keep bothering you with such matters.”

Xǔ Tiānlí paused, taken aback.

Féng Yè’s words held no ulterior motive.

He simply didn’t want Xǔ Tiānlí to enter the battle and fall into danger.

Should anything happen to Xǔ Tiānlí, it would mean offending Qín Yuè, a burden Féng Yè could not bear.

Rather than risk displeasing a reclusive master, he preferred to face the otherworldly demon outside alone.

He was, after all, a Tier-3 Spirit Wielder and had slain otherworldly demons before.

“Branch Head Féng, is that appropriate?”

Xǔ Tiānlí, of course, wouldn’t docilely hide just because he was told to.

If his Master saw him, his performance this time would undoubtedly be a failure.

“Just wait for your moment in the back.”

“How about I leave you an opportunity for the finishing blow?”

“That… might work.”

Though impetuous, Xǔ Tiānlí wasn’t foolish.

With a Tier-3 Spirit Wielder beside him, there was no need for him to foolishly charge ahead.

Once both confirmed they had no objections, Xǔ Tiānlí stepped back.

Féng Yè, on the other hand, boldly pushed open the door and entered the hall.

From its initial construction, the base’s main hall had been designed with a transparent roof, ensuring ample light even on overcast days, rarely requiring artificial illumination.

However, after the alarm sounded, the main doors and all transparent glass walls were covered by descending metal sheets.

The entire hall transformed into a metal cannister, securing the danger within the base and preventing it from spilling onto the streets to harm pedestrians.

The hall was eerily quiet.

Rather than the chaos expected during an otherworldly demon attack, it was as still as midnight.

Although the hall operated twenty-four hours a day, guests rarely visited at night.

Féng Yè, familiar with the layout, quickly located the backup power switch and flicked on the lights.

As a Tier-3 Spirit Wielder, he could sense the killing intent lurking in the shadows without his eyes.

Still, he needed to ensure Xǔ Tiānlí, watching from the rear, could see clearly.

Many of the lights had been damaged in the preceding commotion, leaving the remaining few insufficient to fully illuminate the expansive hall.

Sofas were overturned, floor tiles shattered, and distinct claw marks marred the marble pillars.

Most jarring were the lifeless bodies of staff members lying on the ground.

Féng Yè approached the nearest corpse, crouching down to gently close its wide, unseeing eyes, bringing a semblance of peace to its distorted expression.

Xǔ Tiānlí observed the scene through the transparent glass panel on the door, puzzled by the absence of the otherworldly demon.

Just as Féng Yè was about to withdraw his hand, a dark shadow leaped from a gloomy corner above and behind him, hurtling straight towards his back.

‘Trouble!’

The moment Xǔ Tiānlí was about to kick open the door and rush out, the seemingly undefended Féng Yè spun around with lightning speed, facing the shadowy assailant mid-air.

Whoosh!

Flames erupted, instantly engulfing the shadow.

Scorched by the inferno, the attacker was forced to redirect, falling awkwardly to the ground and widening the distance from Féng Yè.

‘Such a quick reaction speed.’

Xǔ Tiānlí blinked.

‘Could I have reacted that quickly?’

‘Probably not.’

‘Is the gap between Tier-1 and Tier-3 truly so vast?’

The thought of his Master’s power, which even Féng Yè couldn’t fully gauge, stirred Xǔ Tiānlí’s excitement further.

When his gaze landed on the attacker, he let out another perplexed “Hm?”

The otherworldly demon stood at the edge of the light, allowing both Xǔ Tiānlí and Féng Yè a clear view of its appearance.

It moved on all fours, its body resembling a tiger two or three times its normal size, covered in dark, coarse fur.

What was most striking, however, was the number of its heads–

“One, two, three… nine heads?”

Xǔ Tiānlí licked his lips, finding the creature’s appearance somewhat familiar.

These nine dog-like heads, with their crimson eyes, all bared their fangs, emitting low growls.

After a brief moment of recollection, Xǔ Tiānlí remembered where he had seen something similar.

The night he met his Master, he had encountered a similar canine-shaped otherworldly demon in the back mountains.

However, this particular one was not only significantly larger but also possessed more heads than the one from that night.

‘Could the culprit have been plotting this conspiracy since that very time?’

A shiver of dread crawled up Xǔ Tiānlí’s spine as he considered how close he had come to becoming one of the victims.

Yet, this was quickly followed by a surge of excitement, for he was certain that his Master had begun investigating this case earlier than anyone else.

Long before the culprit began their operation, his Master had already discovered their scheme and had secretly initiated her own investigation.

This would explain why his Master knew in advance that otherworldly demons would appear in Wufeng City, and why she seemed to know more than even the Heaven’s Will Bureau.

‘Truly worthy of being Master; she’s always one step ahead!’

Excitement aside, Xǔ Tiānlí didn’t forget to pay attention to the situation in the main hall.

While his thoughts had been racing, Féng Yè had already re-engaged the otherworldly demon in combat.

The battle seemed to be quite a stalemate.

This thought occurred not only to Xǔ Tiānlí but also to Féng Yè himself.

After a brief exchange, Féng Yè confirmed he was facing a Tier-2 otherworldly demon.

If it were only Tier-1, he, a Tier-3 Spirit Wielder, would have easily dispatched it.

However, after several clashes, neither side appeared to have gained a significant advantage nor suffered a major disadvantage.

The otherworldly demon actively evaded his flames, but after several attempts, Féng Yè realized his fire couldn’t directly burn through its hide.

‘In that case, I’ll try a different approach.’

He gathered the flames into his hand, condensing them into a sword.

The otherworldly demon attacked again.

Féng Yè dodged, then swung his longsword, striking it directly on the creature’s body.

The impact felt harder than Féng Yè had anticipated, yet he still heard the sound of flesh tearing.

The powerful blow sent the otherworldly demon flying backward.

‘It worked!’

Just as a smile began to play on Féng Yè’s lips, his expression suddenly froze.

Xǔ Tiānlí, watching from the sidelines, saw all his movements cease.

Féng Yè then covered his mouth, coughing violently.

Xǔ Tiānlí watched as crimson liquid was expelled from his mouth, his eyes widening in alarm.

‘Something terrible is happening!’

Féng Yè himself was stunned, his previously formidable presence, which had been evenly matched with the otherworldly demon, rapidly waning.

The flame sword in his hand dissipated.

“This is…” Féng Yè took a deep, ragged breath.

“I should have noticed earlier.”

“I can’t believe I’ve stumbled here.”

The Tier-2 otherworldly demon, sensing his weakened state, unleashed another ferocious pounce.

Féng Yè tried to dodge, but the violent coughing had drained all his strength, leaving him no time to evade.

In that instant, the corridor door burst open with a crash, and Xǔ Tiānlí leaped out.

The black longsword swished as it left its sheath, all his strength converging into the blade.

He brought it down in a powerful slash against the otherworldly demon’s body.

Bang!!!

‘What in the world was that?’

Xǔ Tiānlí had expected to strike metal; the feedback almost knocked the longsword from his grip.

His hurried strike couldn’t wound the Tier-2 otherworldly demon, but it did repel it.

Before the creature could recover, Xǔ Tiānlí quickly pulled Féng Yè away.

The two raced back into the corridor.

Under Féng Yè’s direction, Xǔ Tiānlí activated a hidden mechanism in the corner.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Heavy metal doors sealed off the corridor, creating a temporary barrier of safety for them.

But only temporary.