The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 125: Chapter 125: The Demon General

The journey had already taken several hours.

By the time the Hero Party reached the deeper regions of the forest, the number of corrupted creatures they encountered had increased considerably. What had begun as isolated groups had gradually turned into continuous waves of enemies, forcing them to fight almost without pause.

Yet none of them were ordinary fighters.

Lemuel, the Hero, stood at the front of the formation, his sword covered in faint traces of light as he watched another group of corrupted creatures emerge from between the trees. Beside him, Mortar, the party’s shield bearer, raised his enormous tower shield while Helena remained several steps behind them, her short brown hair moving slightly in the wind as she prepared another spell.

On the opposite side stood their Swordmaster, Roland, whose expression remained calm despite the exhaustion beginning to show in his movements.

Behind them, Saint Elara quietly maintained a healing barrier around the group.

They had been fighting for hours.

Even for a group of their level, the constant battles were beginning to take their toll.

Lemuel wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Another group."

Helena glanced toward the approaching creatures.

"At least twelve."

Mortar tightened his grip around his shield.

"Let’s finish them quickly."

Roland drew his sword.

The creatures charged.

Lemuel stepped forward first.

His sword flashed.

SHING!

The nearest corrupted beast was cut down before it could reach him.

Mortar immediately moved beside him, using his shield to intercept another creature and drive it into the ground.

BOOM!

Helena raised one hand.

"Flame Burst."

A concentrated sphere of fire tore through the formation, knocking several creatures backward.

Roland moved through the opening she created.

His sword flashed several times.

SHING!

SHING!

SHING!

Three more creatures fell.

Elara followed behind them, restoring the wounds they had accumulated during the previous battles.

"Keep moving," Lemuel said. "We can’t afford to stop here."

They continued forward.

Another group appeared.

Then another.

The forest seemed endless.

By the time the sun had begun descending toward the horizon, the five had already fought through countless corrupted creatures.

Their movements remained disciplined, but their breathing had become heavier, and even their attacks were beginning to lose some of the speed they had possessed at the beginning of their journey.

Helena lowered her hand after casting another spell.

"How many more of these things are there?"

"No idea," Mortar answered.

He looked around the forest.

"But they’re coming from deeper inside."

Roland narrowed his eyes.

"Something is drawing them here."

Lemuel nodded.

"That’s what we’ve been trying to find."

He looked toward the dark forest ahead.

"Let’s keep going."

They advanced.

Another hour passed.

The number of creatures finally began to decrease.

At first, Lemuel thought they had reached the source.

Then he realized something was wrong.

The forest had become completely silent.

No insects.

No birds.

Not even the sound of wind moving through the trees.

Helena slowly lowered her hand.

"Something’s here."

Roland’s fingers tightened around his sword.

"I feel it."

Mortar raised his shield.

"Where?"

Lemuel looked ahead.

"I don’t know."

Then a voice came from somewhere in the darkness.

"You’re finally here."

Everyone stopped.

The voice sounded human.

Calm.

Almost conversational.

A figure slowly stepped out from behind the trees.

He looked like an ordinary young man at first glance.

Dark green hair fell loosely around his face, while two long, curved horns extended backward from his head. His clothing was surprisingly ordinary, without the excessive armor or grotesque appearance one might expect from a demon.

His eyes, however, were completely different.

They carried a faint golden glow.

The demon smiled.

Lemuel raised his sword.

"Who are you?"

The demon stopped several meters away.

"Does my name matter?"

His smile widened.

"After all, you’re going to die here."

Helena frowned.

"He’s a demon."

The demon laughed softly.

"Good. At least one of you isn’t completely blind."

Lemuel stepped forward.

"Don’t underestimate us."

The demon looked at him for a moment.

Then he laughed.

"You still don’t understand."

His expression changed.

"I am one of the Four Generals of the Demon Kingdom."

The five immediately became more cautious.

"The Demon King’s generals..."

Helena’s expression hardened.

The demon nodded.

"That’s right."

He slowly raised one hand.

"You should be proud. Even I would have struggled against a group like yours under normal circumstances."

A strange green light began gathering around his fingers.

"But I’ve spent quite some time feeding."

The surrounding trees trembled.

"Humans."

The green light intensified.

"Monsters."

His smile became colder.

"Corrupted creatures."

The energy around him suddenly surged.

"I consumed them all."

The forest shook.

"And every life I devoured became part of me."

Lemuel’s expression tightened.

"So that’s why your presence feels different."

"That’s right."

The demon laughed.

"If we had met several months ago, perhaps the five of you could have defeated me."

His eyes narrowed.

"But I’ve evolved since then."

He disappeared.

BOOM!

Lemuel barely managed to raise his sword.

CLANG!

The impact sent him sliding backward across the ground.

"Lemuel!"

Mortar immediately moved between them.

The demon appeared behind him.

Mortar turned just in time to block another strike.

CRASH!

His shield bent slightly under the impact.

"Impossible..."

The demon smiled.

"You’re strong."

He pushed against the shield.

"But unfortunately, I’m your opponent."

Mortar’s expression changed.

The demon’s hand suddenly glowed dark green.

"Verdant Devour."

A wave of green energy spread across the shield.

Mortar felt his strength being pulled from his body.

"What is this?!"

Lemuel immediately struck the demon’s arm.

SLASH!

The demon withdrew.

Mortar staggered backward, breathing heavily.

Helena raised both hands.

"Arcane Lance!"

Several enormous spears of condensed magic appeared in the air before firing simultaneously.

The demon moved between them.

BOOM!

One struck the ground.

Another tore through a tree.

The demon emerged from the smoke without a scratch.

Helena’s expression hardened.

"He avoided all of them..."

Roland stepped forward.

"I’ll try to stop him."

He vanished.

The demon’s eyes widened slightly.

CLANG!

Roland’s sword struck his shoulder.

For the first time, the demon was forced backward.

Roland followed immediately.

SHING!

SHING!

SHING!

Three precise strikes forced the demon to defend rather than attack.

Lemuel saw the opening.

"Now!"

He rushed forward.

His sword became surrounded by brilliant light.

"Heroic Edge!"

The blade struck the demon’s chest.

BOOM!

The force drove him several meters backward.

For a moment, nobody moved.

Helena breathed heavily.

"Did we get him?"

The smoke slowly dispersed.

The demon was still standing.

His clothing had been damaged, and a shallow wound crossed his chest.

He looked down at it.

Then he laughed.

"That’s it?"

His laughter grew louder.

"I’ll admit, that was impressive."

He looked at the five.

"But you still haven’t understood."

The wound began closing.

"You’ve been fighting for hours."

His eyes glowed.

"I knew this would happen."

Lemuel’s expression changed.

"You..."

"Of course."

The demon smiled.

"I deliberately allowed the corrupted creatures to keep you occupied."

He spread his arms.

"I knew you’d eventually reach me exhausted."

Helena’s face became pale.

"So this entire time..."

"You were luring us here."

"Yes."

The demon’s smile became cruel.

"If I had attacked you when you were fresh, defeating all five of you would have been considerably more troublesome."

He took another step forward.

"But now?"

His aura erupted.

"You are nothing more than a prey."

Mortar raised his shield again.

"We’re not finished."

The demon looked amused.

"Still trying?"

Lemuel tightened his grip.

"We’re the Hero Party."

His voice remained firm despite his exhaustion.

"Our purpose is to protect the people from demons like you."

The demon stared at him.

Then he laughed.

"Protect them?"

He shook his head.

"You really are naive."

He looked toward the distant kingdoms.

"Our purpose is much simpler."

His expression became completely devoid of humor.

"We will conquer the human kingdoms."

Helena’s eyes narrowed.

"Then the humans will become demon food."

The demon smiled.

"Every human we consume makes us stronger. Every powerful monster we devour does the same."

He pointed toward himself.

"That’s how I became what I am now."

His eyes moved across the five members of the Hero Party.

"And you five..."

He smiled.

"You would make an excellent meal."

Lemuel’s teeth clenched.

"You bastard."

The demon laughed.

"Go ahead."

He opened his arms.

"Use everything you have."

His voice became almost inviting.

"Perhaps you’ll surprise me. Who knows? Maybe you can change the outcome."

The Hero Party exchanged a brief glance.

They knew the situation was bad.

But they also knew retreating would leave countless people behind them.

Lemuel raised his sword.

"We will fight together."

Mortar nodded.

"Until the end."

Helena gathered mana.

Roland lowered his stance.

Elara strengthened the party’s protective barrier.

The five moved simultaneously.

Lemuel attacked from the front.

Roland moved along the demon’s flank.

Mortar advanced behind them, creating openings with his shield.

Helena supported them with long-range magic while Elara continuously reinforced their bodies.

For several moments, their coordination was nearly perfect.

Yet the result remained the same.

The demon adapted.

He absorbed their attacks.

He avoided the most dangerous strikes.

And whenever one of them managed to wound him, the strange green energy surrounding his body immediately began consuming the surrounding mana.

Helena suddenly realized something.

"His power..."

"What?"

"He isn’t simply regenerating."

She stared at the demon.

"He’s absorbing the energy around him."

The demon smiled.

"Very good."

He raised his hand.

"You finally noticed."

Green energy spread outward.

The surrounding trees withered.

The ground darkened.

Even the residual mana left behind by their spells began flowing toward him.

"This is my authority."

His voice remained calm.

"Verdant Devour."

The energy surged.

"Everything living contains energy."

The demon clenched his fist.

"And everything with energy can become mine."

A wave of force exploded outward.

BOOM!

The Hero Party was thrown backward.

Lemuel crashed against a tree.

Mortar dropped to one knee.

Helena struggled to remain standing.

Roland’s sword trembled in his hand.

Even Elara’s protective barrier had cracked.

The demon looked at them.

"Now you understand the difference."

Lemuel slowly pushed himself upright.

He was breathing heavily.

Yet his eyes remained determined.

"We’re still standing."

The demon stared at him.

Then smiled.

"Not for long."

He disappeared again.

Lemuel barely raised his sword.

CLANG!

The impact sent him backward.

Roland intercepted the next strike.

CRASH!

He was forced to one knee.

Mortar charged.

"Leave them alone!"

The demon turned.

One hand struck Mortar’s shield.

BOOM!

The shield shattered.

Mortar was thrown backward.

"GAH!"

Helena immediately released a powerful spell.

"Starfall!"

Multiple pillars of light descended from the sky.

The demon raised his hand.

Green energy swallowed the first pillar.

Then the second.

Then the third.

The remaining magic was absorbed into his body.

Helena stared.

"He’s consuming my magic..."

The demon smiled.

"Exactly."

He stepped forward.

"You’re running out of options."

Then—

A sudden impact struck him from the side.

BOOM!

The demon’s body was launched through several trees.

Everyone froze.

Lemuel looked toward the direction of the attack.

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