Chapter 180 - Cultist Raids Part 2

"Brace yourselves, brothers! Open your hearts to the depths of Demonic miasma as it enters the very deepest parts of your souls!" Shouted the cult leader.

Watching from afar, the shadow clones were watching in the darkness. Hiding from what transpired on their faces. As they can see, they saw a portal that emits demonic miasma and the cultists were all inhaling them. Breathing deep, they opened their eyes in a great stupor. Their eyes glowed and were all in great pleasure as they scream.

Watching them made the shadow clones rise their hairs on their skin. It was a disturbing sight to behold. It was then, one of the shadow clones hinted to attack. Upon his request, they responded with a nod.

Diving towards them, they conjured daggers that they threw at them. Others were hit on the attack while others used their daggers to stab them. They went down immediately after their attacks.

"Hahaha! Reckless fools! You are hasting your deaths!"

It was then, the cultist leader laughed at them. The cultists growled and they went berserk. Dark miasma enveloped them and then it encircled their bodies. Transforming into greater demons after they absorbed the miasma. Even the ones they have slain stood up and transformed too.

"Meet your doom! Huhahaha!" Their leader shouted.

They prepared for upcoming combat. Others conjured daggers and others conjured chained daggers. Others dual wield theirs while others held them in between their fingers.

[Shadow cloak]

[Reverse slash]

They attacked the enemies but they have high resistance to physical damage. Thanks to their skin, they managed to leave with minimal damage.

[Shadow travel]

[Stab]

They made the skills of master rank Rogues then it pierced their skin. Thanks to the skill that they acquired. Others slashed their wings with their chained daggers, making them descend towards the ground.

Bang!

They fell and then the Rogues stabbed them. Making them coughed blood in the process. As their numbers were getting thinned, they all growled. The cultist leader then was aware that they may be lost in this battle. The enemies were slowly panicking as they were slowly killed one by one. The enemy forces were Master rank Rogues to boot with.

They were like fighting the teachers of the Rogues department of Academy themselves. And they were many to boot with. As the cultist leader saw their clothes were the same, also saw that their movements were refined and similar.

"Shadow clones? How? How can someone maintain such numbers? The greatest Rogues can only maintain two. But these are more than twenty? Such willpower!" He questioned himself.

Upon his disbelief, he gulped his saliva on his throat. Sweat trickled his face as he realized that such a person can do such a thing. They all have skills that they can use and all were using shadow travel simultaneously. Appearing and disappearing from one enemy to another. Stabbing them one after another. Sowing panic into their hearts as they saw them left and right.

It was then, the cultist leader then transformed. Miasma went out of his body then enveloped himself with it. Transforming into a Demon general.

"Fear me," he shouted at them.

He growled then flapped his leathery wings. Flying towards them at great speeds. He roared as he approached them then landed into the fray. Shadow clones used shadow travel but he swatted them all to the side. Making them slam to the ground and roll several times.

They breathed deep and then they disappeared. Making their shadows return to Joan. It was then, Joan saw that they returned to him. Their shadows crawled and went inside his shadow.

"They are having troubles. Maybe they met something hard to deal with,"

Just as he entered the caverns, he felt that the floor rumbled. Making him think that it was time to hurry up. He felt that his willpower was affected by the death of his shadow clones. As he went on, he saw more and more shadows were returning in his shadow. Making him have a headache one after another death of his shadows. It was one of the main downsides of the skill [Shadow clone]. Making him regret it halfway.

As we speak, the shadow clones were as skilled as him. But while it was not so durable as him, he was confident that they were as skilled as him. So that made him worry about what happened that they were killed.

Sneaking inside their hideout, he saw many blood paints on the walls. He saw empty cages that were full of blood on the ground. Rats were seen littering the floor and critters as they flee.

Upon travelling the cavern, he saw three paths to take. One path was leading into their stock room. The door was locked and so he forced his way through.

He saw piles of books and documents inside the room and a couple of weapons. It felt like a room for their leader. Upon stumbling at one book, he saw that it has human skin as a book cover. There was a master list of the members of the cult. As well as their branches. To his surprise, he saw that the Academy has one of its branch hideouts. Also, a few teachers were involved.

Some were nobles backing them up while the others were wealthy merchants. He grabbed all the evidence then put it inside his backpack. Taking time to take everything that he needs to get.

As he was inside, he felt that someone was approaching in his direction. Scurrying to get it all until the door was opened. There came a cultist that has paints on his face that entered. Making him see all the mess that has transpired in his eyes.

"Search the place! We will find the culprit behind this!" He shouted at his men.

He went to scan the place and then left. Joan was just on the edge of the room, equipping his Ranger job class, he covered himself with his robes. Using [Hide] as a way of hiding himself. Luckily, the skill was strong enough for him not to be seen.

[Hide]–Ranger skill that makes you invisible if you stopped moving while covering yourself with a cloth. Disables the skill when you move.

He exited the room them went on towards the three paths that he saw earlier. Judging from the two paths, the other one was on leading towards a dungeon. Bars of steel was seen that blocks the way. He entered by lock-picking the lock then proceeds towards the cells.

Leading downstairs, he saw cages that all had occupants. Seeing inside the cell, he saw that they were writing and screeching inside. He stared inside and the hairs on his skin went up.

He saw lesser demons inside the cells but were caged. They saw him too and Joan stepped back a little. Leaving the thing that he saw, he also felt that all the cells were having such creatures. But he heard some of them speak human.

"Help me! Help me!" He heard a female voice.

Joan went to find the source of the voice and he saw a girl. She has been in chains on her feet but she has a teddy bear in her arms. Joan then felt alerted, he tried to open the door on the process. He slammed the lock with a hammer then the lock was destroyed.

"Don't worry girl, I will help you," Joan said.

"You should help me out reaching the food. I am hungry, you see I am in chains," she said.

"Ah, okay," Joan said as he went to give her the food.

She ate hastily as she were in tears.

"I shouted 'help me' as I thought that you are one of the cultists. So I didn't intend to ask you in the first place. I thought that you are one of them," She said.

"No, don't worry too much. I will get out you here," Joan said.

"No, it is too late. I am already tainted with the miasma. I will turn into a demon sooner than later," She said.

"Don't worry about it, I will try to purify you," Joan said to her.

It was then, she was in silence. Her tears were welling up in her eyes as she stared back at Joan.

"Thank you," She said then her teary eyes turned red. Changing her body drastically then turned into a lesser demon.

Joan was alerted, he tried to defend himself but he was clawed left and right on the chest. It was so fast that he has trouble adjusting to the fact that the girl was now a demon. Joan bit his lower lips as he was blocking the mouth of his enemy. Wanted to bite his face in the process.

He then conjured a knife and stabbed it to her. Making her halt her movements in the process. He swatted her body then Joan coughed and puked. He can't help his mind be in great trouble.

He stabbed an innocent girl but he can't accept that she became a demon in an instant. His heart was crumpled to the fact that he can't save her. It was then, he heard more yells from the other cells. They were writhing like the sound of lesser devils.

Joan felt like his heart can't accept what was transpiring currently. He felt that the cultists were making something and it has to be stopped. Finding his resolve again, he focused himself on what he needed to do.

"I need to stop this,"