Webnovel

Chapter 1: CHAPTER 22

This clairvoyant's revelation was unlike any other. It bore knowledge of the hierarchical intricacies, information that even the most powerful Players or Rankers wouldn't be privy to. It was the sort of knowledge that delved into the very essence of the tower's complexity.

With a detached calmness that belied the turmoil within, William's voice cut through the air.

"Tell me where she is."

'...Soon, but first, we must come to an agreement...'

The clairvoyant's response carried a sense of assurance, emphasizing the need for an agreement. William, however, was focused on one thing, the well-being of his daughter.

"Is she, alive?" he inquired, his tone cold and unwavering, the urgency of a father's concern driving him.

The clairvoyant affirmed his daughter's safety, for the moment. A sinister deal was struck as they began to negotiate, and William's world was irrevocably intertwined with an enigmatic being who possessed knowledge and power beyond his comprehension.

"Tell me what you want," he said, his voice a solemn reflection of his willingness to do whatever it took to protect his daughter.

'...Now, we are talking...'

In response, the clairvoyant hinted at the unfolding of a pact, the nature of which remained shrouded in mystery, a shadowy agreement that could either secure or endanger the life of William's beloved daughter. The stakes had been raised, and the path ahead was fraught with uncertainty.

***

The demons moved with eerie reverence as they gently placed the figure on the grotesque altar. It was evident that the being they had borne was entirely bereft of consciousness, a fragile presence in the midst of malevolent rituals. Raine observed with a heavy heart, a growing conviction within her that this was more than just a mission; it was a rescue.

As her eyes fell upon the seemingly lifeless figure, the unmistakable lock of white hair confirmed what she had suspected. The hair was an obvious indicator, connecting the dots of William's relentless quest. He was not merely seeking to recapture lost strongholds but pursuing something or someone, someone of undeniable importance.

As the unsettling scene unfolded, a sense of eerie stillness settled over the assembly. Something peculiar was happening among the ranks of demons, a disturbance that transcended the normal chaos of their presence. Each demon, whether a Captain, Lieutenant, Colonel, or General, seemed to be engaged in an introspective trance. They shuffled as if compelled to search within the depths of their beings, probing their very essences for an unknown purpose.

Then, without any prior signal or vocal command, a profound and mysterious change occurred. Ten representatives of each rank stepped forward, the aura of their powers resonating in mesmerizing synchrony. In a strange and eerie display, the different layers of energy emanating from these entities increased steadily, creating a symphony of power. It was as though their very beings had been tuned to a different frequency, each one operating on a specific gauge of power.

The collective significance of this bizarre occurrence was not lost on Raine and her team. Their advance had been halted by an unforeseen and enigmatic phenomenon, and it raised questions that urgently demanded answers. What force was at work among the demons, and what would this bizarre alignment of powers signify in the unfolding events?

The thirty demons, a significant and seemingly elevated group among their kind, formed a circle around the altar where the girl lay unconscious. The solemnity of the occasion was palpable, transcending the realm of demons' normal brutality and savagery. 

Within the confines of this strange ceremony, the other demons, including the once-savage fledglings above, bowed down to the chosen thirty. The significance of this act was not lost on William, Raine, or her squad. It was an unusual occurrence that struck deep at the heart of what they understood about demon kind. The demons, who had once been a chaotic, disorganized menace, were now acting in a manner reminiscent of human soldiers who knew the dire significance of their mission.

William was stunned by the sight, and his mind grappled with the implications of these events. Raine, too, was thrown into another state of unease, her instincts warning her that something monumental was transpiring. The rest of her squad found themselves lost in confusion, struggling to comprehend the meaning behind this ritual-like display. What could cause such a profound shift in the behavior of these malevolent beings, and what did it portend for the near future...

The situation unfolded with rapid, gruesome precision. The demons gathered around the altar, acting in a synchronous and macabre dance, stabbed their hands into their chests, one by one, tearing out their still-beating hearts and placing them on the ground before succumbing to death. 

The urgency in Raine's voice was impossible to ignore, and her commands were met with swift and disciplined action. One squad member quickly moved to establish contact with headquarters, knowing that the situation had escalated far beyond their initial expectations.

The rest of the team readied themselves for the impending battle. Tensions ran high as they understood that they were about to face an adversary more formidable than anything they had encountered before. 

"Yes!" The reply came immediately but even before that, multiple wind blades had been launched, hundreds of them all of which aiming for the different demons that were around William, all the while cutting the arms of the few living gathered demons at the altar, the accuracy of the wind blades were off the charts with all hitting their marks.

The precision and swiftness of the wind blades were nothing short of extraordinary. They sliced through the ranks of demons around William with lethal accuracy, incapacitating many while also disarming the living demons at the altar. The onslaught was so fierce and unrelenting that it created a momentary rift in the demonic forces, leaving the remaining demons stunned and disoriented.

Raine and her team displayed exceptional combat skills, and their synchronicity in this chaotic moment was nothing less than remarkable. It was a testament to their extensive training and experience, a force to be reckoned with even in the face of overwhelming odds.