The Broken Halo

(Simon’s POV)

Simon sat close to the window with the Fury Tempest Art resting in his hand.

The book was not particularly large. Its cover was dark silver, and thin green lines spread across it in several directions. Whenever Simon moved it, those lines seemed to shift like small currents of wind.

He had not opened it yet though.

Before picking up the book, Simon spent some time asking Lilith questions about the Fleshwood seed, and he learned quite a few things.

The seed was still dormant, and as long as he did not feed it demonic energy, it would most likely remain that way.

He thought of using Devour on it, and it was actually possible. However, doing such a thing carried risks.

If Devour failed to break it down quickly enough, the seed could awaken, and there was even a possibility of it awakening inside his body.

Even though it was just a seed, Simon had a feeling that devouring it would not be so simple compared to the heart resin since the seed contained life.

Planting the seed was also an option, but it came with its own problems. He would need a hidden place, powerful restraining formations, and enough power to destroy the Fleshwood if it grew beyond his control.

Simon had no desire to take such risks.

For now, the seed would remain inside a separate spatial ring. Though, Simon already had several ideas on how he might use it in the future, but none of them could be carried out in Velmora.

He placed his thumb beneath the cover of the Fury Tempest Art, but before he could open it, a deafening sound travelled across the city.

BOOOOOOM!

The windows of his room shook violently.

A cup on the table fell onto its side, rolled toward the edge, and shattered against the floor.

Simon’s head immediately snapped in the direction of the sound.

The vibration reached Pipeline Inn a moment later.

The floor trembled beneath his feet, and thin streams of dust fell from the ceiling. The bed shifted slightly, while the door rattled inside its frame.

A second explosion followed.

Then a third.

They were weaker, but Simon heard them clearly.

His hearing was far superior to that of most demons. Beneath the explosions, he could hear stone breaking apart, the cries of several demons, and something massive collapsing.

A wave of confused voices rose from outside his room.

Several doors opened in the corridor.

"What was that?"

"Did something attack the city?"

"It came from the western district."

"Who are the enemies?"

Some demons rushed downstairs, while others went to look through the windows at the end of the corridor.

Simon remained where he was. He turned his chair slightly and looked outside with a calm expression.

A thick cloud of dust was rising above a distant part of Velmora. It spread across the buildings and slowly covered the evening sky.

The sound was loud enough for nearly every demon in the city to hear.

A few moments later, alarm bells began ringing.

Simon’s eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the dust cloud for a few seconds. For some reason, the thought that one of them might be involved crossed his mind, but he did not immediately accept it.

Velmora was a large city.

There were thousands of demons within its walls, including several Greater Demons and even more powerful existences. Not every disturbance had to involve Sonya or Akaza.

Still, Simon placed the Fury Tempest Art on the table instead of opening it.

The alarm bells continued ringing.

Guards moved through the streets below, and several demon beasts carrying armoured riders rushed past Pipeline Inn.

Simon watched them disappear in the direction of the collapse with the same calm and indifferent expression.

Nearly half an hour passed, and by then, the cloud of dust had started to settle, but the alarm bells had not stopped.

Simon picked up the Fury Tempest Art again after seeing that there was no danger or battle.

’They don’t seem incompetent, so they should be able to handle it.’

Just as Simon had this thought, he perceived a familiar presence approaching his door through Shadow Sense.

He raised a brow.

A second later, three knocks echoed in his room.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Sonya stepped inside.

She had changed into a clean set of dark clothes and wore a neat cloak over them. At first glance, there was nothing unusual about her appearance.

However, Simon noticed the dust caught between several strands of her hair.

There was a fresh cut across her cheek, another close to her shoulder, and the faint smell of blood remained on her body despite the clean clothes.

Her movements were also slightly stiffer than usual.

Sonya closed the door behind her and leaned against it with a satisfied expression.

Simon stared at her for several seconds.

"What did you do?"

Sonya blinked innocently.

"What makes you think this Honourable did anything?"

Simon glanced toward the distant district where the alarm bells were still ringing.

Sonya followed his gaze, then she looked back at Simon who was looking at her with a calm gaze. However, she could also feel a tinge of coldness as she stared into his eyes.

"Tsk."

She clicked her tongue and scratched the back of her head with a frustrated and complicated expression.

"It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t do anything."

Simon raised a brow, then he glanced at the receding dust cloud once again.

"Really?"

Sonya froze, then she released a small cough.

"Okay, I might have done a few things. But it was really not my fault."

Simon stared at Sonya for a few seconds, then he leaned into his chair and crossed his legs.

"Tell me what happened."

Sonya nodded.

"Alright."

She paused.

"So, a thief stole my spatial ring."

Simon immediately raised his brows and gave Sonya a look of disbelief and suspicion.

"You of all people allowed somebody to steal your spatial ring?"

Sonya gave a cheeky smile while shrugging.

"This Honourable was bored. And his movements were interesting, so I followed him. He led me to an abandoned bathhouse, and beneath it was a group of rebels."

Simon narrowed his eyes.

"Rebels?"

Sonya nodded.

"Yes, rebels."

Simon’s eyes flashed with surprise, and he folded his arms.

"Tell me more."

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