'White Demon Worm Bloodline acquired!'

Dorian smiled as he heard the notification from Ausra, moving away from the broken corpse. Around him, several other dead White Demon Worms could be seen.

However, they weren't in the same cratered area from before. Instead, they were several kilometers closer to the castle, only a stone's throw away.

They had made fast progress as they moved across Moria. On the way, they were ambushed twice more, by the same White Demon Worm hordes. Each group of them was deadly and powerful, but completely unable to get past Dorian's elite army.

The Demonic remnants didn't seem to have much purpose beyond attacking outsiders and defending the Blighted World. Despite the fact that Dorian and his army made quick work of them, more kept on coming out to attack.

And as Dorian looked out at the stone castle before them, he could sense an ominous Aura fluctuating off of it.

Something was inside this castle.

"Trying to absorb their Bloodlines? It doesn't work, I've tried as well. You need a complete or mostly complete corpse if there isn't any blood.

"

Dorian heard Mello's voice whisper softly in his hears, covered by a veneer of energy so that no outside sound escaped. He turned to look at the other Anomaly out of the corner of his eye.

'Right, he doesn't have Ausra. He can't have Bloodlines reconstructed.' The fact that Dorian had the Soul Spell Matrix Genie Ausra with him was a huge advantage.

Mello, so far, had been mostly quiet. He, like Dorian, held back and let the other fighters here take on the Demonic remnants, conserving his energy.

"What's up? You sense it too?

" He responded, covering his words in the same layer of energy to hide them. At the same time, he motioned over towards the castle.

There were dozens of powerful experts all around them. If they didn't hide what they said, there was a 100% chance they'd be overheard.

The Shades all around were scanning the environment, waiting to see if another attack was incoming. Several of them were spread out, trying to draw in any remnants. They all seemed to be having a great time, talking cheerfully amongst themselves.

They were disciplined and controlled in their movements, but also very relaxed. Even Captain Fabian seemed to be taking it easy, conversing with the two other Captains as he looked around. The attacks so far had been more than manageable.

"Yes…

" Mello responded smoothly, turning to look at the nearby castle. The same foreboding Aura that Dorian had sensed continued to waft from it.

"And I think we're the only ones that sense it. At the least, none of them do.

" Mello waved his hand at the other Shades, including his own team of elite Pseudo-King experts. They seemed to have merged well with the other Shades, one and all fans of Dorian's alter ego, Lord Inigo. That character was truly a useful cover.

Indeed, none of the Shades, though, seemed to be acting like they felt the dangerous air that surrounded the castle. A few of them had even brought out some mugs of beer, celebrating the victories so far.

"Do you think its Fifteen? It doesn't feel quite like him.

" Dorian stood up and rubbed his chin. Each Anomaly gave off a unique feeling. The Aura he sensed wasn't that of an Anomaly, but it felt oddly familiar for some reason.

Mello shook his head,

"I can't tell. I just know that I recognize it, at a base level. It must have something to do with us.

"

Before Mello could continue, Captain Fabian walked over, followed by the two other Captains.

"Holy Highlord!

" Fabian began, nodding his head respectfully.

"We have successfully rebuffed the threat and can find no other threats in the area, apart from the castle. The scouts have said there are some type of shambling Demonic remnants walking within the exterior of the castle and patrolling the walls.

" The Captain's voice was calm as he spoke, reporting to Dorian.

"Very good.

" Dorian made the effort to look authoritative and powerful, relying upon his Law of Valor. Mello, meanwhile, held back and let Dorian do the talking.

"Then let us attack immediately.

" The sooner he could heal Helena up and escape, the better.

"Yes sir!

" Fabian spun around, raising a long metal spear into the air.

"WARRIORS! GATHER!

" His voice echoed as a powerful King Class Aura boomed out.

Immediately, every Shade turned to look over at him, all swarming forward. Powerful Auras clashed as they gathered. Energy in the air fluctuated, almost as if this world wasn't virtually dead due to the presence of so many Lord Class or higher experts.

"Hendar! Raise your Ice Bridges!

" Fabian gestured at one of the Shades. This Shade was wearing a light blue robe covered in ornate silk patterns. He looked to be middle-aged, with a square grey beard.

"Yes sir, Captain!

" This particular Shade was one of the few Wizards that had joined Dorian's Moria Liberation Force. The Wizard clasped his hands together as he turned to look at the castle, a gaze of concentration appearing on his face.

"Ice Magic: Heavy Trailing Spears!

"

Bright blue energy glowed around the man, swarming out from him. Dorian could distinctly notice, however, that the air didn't seem to be affected much. When using Abilities or casting a Spell, the air usually fluctuated slightly with energy.

The clashing Auras of the various Shades here was a good example, though also an exception it seemed.

It seemed the dead air didn't resonate well with Magic. The reason the air had fluctuated with the various Auras earlier probably had to do with the sheer scale of having so many Lord Class experts gathered.

Dorian could feel the power of the Spell noticeably weaken, by around 30%-40%. Still, the Wizard was a Lord Class expert, able to use the energy from his soul.

Lesser Wizards below Lord Class probably would have their Spells reduced by 90% or even more.

WHOOSH

Spears of frozen energy shot through the air, leaving behind a long cold trail of connected ice that soared all the way to the high walls of the castle. The trail was about half a meter wide and the same thick, faint particles of ice drifting off from it.

The Ice Wizard launched a dozen such spears, each one slamming into one part or another of the castle wall. Each spear didn't seem to damage the wall, but instead spread out a large clump of ice, securing down.

"Everyone split into your teams and clear the walls! Wipe out any Demonic remnants you find and stay on guard!

" Captain Fabian waved his hands at everyone, motioning for the Shades to advance.

"Wooo!

"

"Charge!

"

"To battle!

"

The Shades all climbed up on the ice trails and began to run forward. Their eagerness to fight off the Demons was palpable.

According to Fabian, legends had arisen of a hero that would wipe away the Demons that plagued Moria. The Demonic remnants hadn't always existed here, but appeared mysteriously over time, with new ones gradually appearing to replace ones that were killed. Many Shades had tried before, with powerful armies or mighty Wizards, to wipe all of them out for good. All had failed.

Anyone that lived near Moria had heard of this legend. Many powerful Shade warriors wanted to take part in it.

When 'Lord Inigo' rose to fame, many saw that as a sign that he was the destined hero here to cleanse Moria. To the Shades, it all made sense. This was a legend that had existed for centuries, it was about time it was fulfilled.

Dorian moved forward in one giant leap, ahead of one of the groups, splitting off from the Captains and Mello. As 'Lord Inigo,' so far he had held back and let the Shades take out the Demonic remnants. Now, however, he felt it best to contribute. A heroic Shade like him would lead his warriors into battle.

'Touching Light!' He activated the Ability. Immediately energy fled from his soul as a blade of pure, concentrated light appeared in his hand. He frowned slightly as he spawned it. Even he was affected by the world around him. His Ability didn't weaken, but it cost him nearly twice as much energy to summon the sword.

"Follow me to victory!

" Dorian's voice boomed out with power, like a glorious leader full of might. His force of presence was incredible, especially given the opinion the Shades had of him.

"Raaarr!

"

"Mighty Lord Inigo!!

"

"To victory!

"

Dorian led a charge of Shades up the icy trail, his movements sure. As he ran, however, he was incredibly focused.

'Why is it so slippery?!' Running up the long spear of ice was like trying to balance on a twisting log while running up, all atop a rushing river. Dorian mentally cursed as he put his every iota of willpower on not falling.

All the other Shades seemed fine. To those with years and years of combat experience and training, something like this wasn't much.

'Relax Dorian… Calm down. If you're frantic, your passive Abilities can't help.' Dorian forcefully calmed himself down. As he did so, he could mentally feel the Exuberant Grace Ability kick in, helping him right his balance and run much smoother.

At the least, he didn't have to flail his arms to not fall off.

In just a few short moments after, Dorian and his group arrived atop the castle wall. The ramparts seemed to all be made of a similar type of grey stone, cracked with time.

Immediately upon their arrival, they were attacked.

-

Species: Blue Armed Demon (Desiccated)

Class - Lord Class (Middle)

Maximum Energy Level: 50,808

-

Species: Yellow Beak Demon (Desiccated)

Class - Lord Class (Early)

Maximum Energy Level: 38,221

-

Species: Gorringer Tiger Demon (Desiccated)

Class - Lord Class (Early)

Maximum Energy Level: 31,992

-

A multitude of Demonic remnants all swarmed forward. Dorian saw a large Demon wearing a full set of plate armor with glowing blue arms jump at them, its obese body jiggling as it swung with a large cleaver. He saw a weird bird-faced Demon swing at them with a long black scythe. He saw what looked like an armored tiger covered in spikes, a Gorringer Tiger Demon according to Ausra, leap into the air, slashing downward.

A variety of Demonic remnants were all up atop the wall. All of them were at the Lord Class, but Desiccated, meaning their strength was but a shadow of what it had been when they were alive.

BOOOM

SHHHHKK

CLASH

The sounds of combat unfolded as the Shades all rebuffed the attack Demons, blasting many of them backwards. While the Demonic remnants were powerful, they were still somewhat weaker than the group of elite Lord Class Shade experts.

"Hah!

" Dorian leapt forward and stabbed his sword towards the chest of one of the heavily armored Blue Armed Demons.

"GROWRRRRR!

"

In the moment that he jumped, he activated his Perfect Body Ability, vastly increasing his strength and speed. When he stabbed forward with the blade of light, he smoothly ducked under a punch the Blue Armed Demon threw with its free hand, pulling his blade upward till it was poised to pierce through the chest of the Demon.

WHOOSH

The sword melted right through the armor and chest of the creature, right where its heart was, according to Ausra. The Demon immediately collapsed, killed instantly as he pushed forward. The sword he used was functionally as hot as the hottest Dragonfire in existence, taking a direct blow through the heart meant almost sure death.

The entire exchange occurred in the space of a split second. Dorian hadn't hesitated and managed the kill in a very short amount of time.

While he was no martial genius, he was getting better and better at close combat thanks to his incredibly high-level senses and constant effort.

He drew upon the Law of Valor as much as he could, strengthening his body. The energy he could derive from it was limited, but it was enough to enhance his physique and make his blows strong, especially when combined with his Perfect Body Ability.

He found that using other Laws at once wasn't possible. He could barely sense the Law of Valor, trying to draw on other Laws was far too difficult.

'Absorb!' As the corpse fell, Dorian tapped on it slightly. He immediately absorbed the latent energy in its Soul Spell Matrix, as well as a portion of it to hopefully reconstruct it later.

'A portion of Blue Armed Demon's Soul Spell Matrix has been constructed. More samples are required for a full reconstruction.' Ausra's voice echoed cooly in his head.

"Careful Holy Hero!

" A hasty warning echoed out as a particularly large one of the Gorringer Tiger Demons leapt up onto the wall directly in front of Dorian. This one was a Middle Lord Class Demon, covered in spikes and protrusions.

"ROAAAAAAR!

"

"Hiyaaaa!

" One of the Shade warriors jumped at it, kicking it solidly in the side with a boot that glowed with red energy. The tiger dug its claws into the stone wall, ripping out stones as it skidded a few meters.

It managed to hold on, however, and charged at Dorian, black energy crackling around it.

Dorian didn't hesitate and instead ran directly towards it, wielding his blade of light in front of him.

'Fate, fall in my favor!' Without being able to shift forms or use many of his Abilities, Dorian opted to manipulate Fate instead. At the same time, he abruptly dived down in a sliding motion, his entire body blurring as he moved quickly.

WHOOSH

The barbed arms of the tiger crashed above his head as they just barely missed, Dorian's frantic slide hurling him underneath the Lord Class Gorringer Tiger Demon. As he dove under it, he stabbed upward with his blade.

SHHHKKKK

He flipped over to his feet and spun around in mid-air as he finished sliding under it, his entire body gleaming with light. He landed on the castle wall, facing the Gorringer Tiger Demon.

Or rather, the corpse of the Gorringer Tiger Demon. Dorian's long sword slash had melted through and split the several meters large demon in half, killing it instantly.

BOOOOM

Explosions and yells echoed in the distance as the Shades engaged and began wiping out the Demonic remnants. Dorian's army moved as a team, each Shade covering each other. They worked cohesively, unlike the brashly charging Demons. This greatly enhanced their offensive power, letting them take on the defenders and obliterate them.

Dorian ran up to the corpse of the Gorringer Tiger Demon, resting his hand on it.

'Absorb.'

WHOOSH

'A portion of Gorringer Tiger Demon's Soul Spell Matrix has been constructed. More samples are required for a full reconstruction.' Ausra's voice sounded off in his mind.

The walls were teeming with Demonic remnants, all of which were rushing towards Dorian and his army. There seemed to be a limited number of them left here, from what he could see. As Dorian scanned the environment, he could make out a large number rushing towards them, but no other Demons after that. He would place it at around 250 or so Demons of varying shapes and sizes, all of them at the Lord Class.

Most of them were moving in from the walls. There was a large courtyard and a few buildings in the interior of the castle area, as well as the main castle itself, but none of the Demonic remnants appeared to be charging out of there.

Still, it was a massive, chaotic horde charging at them with abandon. The Shades all stood in formation, preparing themselves to receive the waves of attackers.

Dorian's eyes narrowed. He flicked his wrist slightly as he pushed the corpse away, whipping his blade around. The corpse of the tiger slid off the wall walkway, falling down to the ground below with a thud.

It was time to hunt Demons.

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..

Meanwhile, somewhere else on Moria…

Another castle could be seen, one that looked identical to the castle Dorian was exploring. A large grey stone edifice with large towers and high bulwarks. The castle had a foreboding air about it. On the outside walls, Demonic remnants could be seen, moving up and down them.

The landscape surrounding this castle held the same veneer of life, a facade that contained only death in reality. Bright green grass, colorful trees, fields of flowers, it held a plethora of colors.

A figure could be seen making his way through this pretty meadow, headed towards this castle with a bow strapped across his back. The man wore leather hides and had calm brown eyes perched above a greying beard. As he moved, a powerful King Class Aura could be seen flowing about him, one that was colorful, flashing between multiple colors. A rare, Prideful Aura.

Abruptly, this man stopped, his eyes going cold. His hand snapped up to the bow strapped on his back, pulling it over and holding it in a ready stance.

For, right in front of him, a figure appeared. A humanoid of some sort that had grey skin, wore grey clothes, and seemed incredibly ordinary. In fact, if the figure hadn't arrived directly in front of the man and stood out on purpose, the archer wasn't even sure he would have seen it.

"Greetings, my fellow Demonic practitioner.

" The grey figure's voice slid out, silky smooth.

"You must be Leader. I've heard about you from the Council.

"

Leader's eyes flashed as he heard this, a frown appearing,

"I have already told the Council I will have no part in joining them. If you are here to-

"

"Hold, young Leader. I am not here to convince you to join the Council.

" The grey figure cut Leader off, shaking his head.

"Instead, I am here to propose an alliance of sorts. I know why you are here.

" The man smiled,

"You wish to protect the Inheritances here as well, yes?

"

Leader's face froze as he heard this. He slowly lowered his bow.

"Who are you?

"

The grey figure smiled again, an insane twinkle appearing in his eyes,

"You can call me Fifteen.

"

.