Chapter 79: Prelude

"...the worst that could happen is a breach in the city's defenses," Cedric murmured as he stared out the window and into the sky.

Anybody who had clear eyesight could tell that the sky was already darkening. It gives off an impression that a storm was coming but everybody knows that that's not the case. This was the early signs of a Black Sky.

"According to the recent predictions, the Black Sky will occur early tomorrow." He mused, "Not much has changed, they are still expecting that the Black Thread City will encounter a Lv.3 intensity Black Sky."

Spreading his senses out ever so slightly, he could feel the tension in the air. He could smell and feel people's fear from where he was. It's to be expected though since they'll be encountering a fierce natural disaster in a couple of hours.

Everybody was making their own preparations. Some of those who were weaker and less confident decided to apply for the nearest shelter to them, seeking the protection of the military.

Other capable Superhumans aren't as willing to abandon their homes and decide to stay, fortifying their houses as much as they can in case of emergency.

Cedric could also sense how busy the government became under this threat. Soldiers could be seen running around, going door to door, to inform citizens about the Black Sky just in case they need it and offering them security options. They're also handing out rations this early to the less fortunate people who might suffer the most either by their stubbornness or overconfidence.

They have visited them too but Cedric had no plans on taking refuge within their bunkers because he's more confident about surviving this disaster on his own. Right now, he doesn't like the idea of sharing his fate with a huge group of people.

Cedric still couldn't bring himself to completely trust the government with his life. Sure, he had worked with them a few times but it's mostly out of necessity.

A Lv.3 intensity Black Sky was bound to be fierce. It will carry large groups of Demons along with it and a potent cloud of pure corruption from the Outer World. The city's defenses are good but he doubts that it's good enough to handle this kind of disaster.

He could also tell that the authorities here were understaffed, but that was no longer his problem.

"I've reworked the formation installed in my home. Strengthened it and made sure that it was working properly. With how fortified my home was, I'm pretty sure it could survive a direct hit from a nuke...not that that's any special. Many buildings around this city could do the same, but for an individual's house like mine, that should suffice."

The formation in his house was also enchanted to become less visible to anybody nearby. He had taken inspiration from the last Cult Base he found and applied the same thing to his house because it's gonna be useful.

Doing this also maxed out his skills as a Scribe, as well as all skills related to it. If he wants to, he could choose to apply for another Sub-Class but that's not important right now. The Black Sky is a more pressing matter compared to choosing which Sub-Class he should learn next.

His senses scanned the neighborhood. He then discovered that only a handful of people stayed there including him. Most of them immediately left once the announcement was made.

Erica was also not here. She told him that she'd be seeking refuge with her relatives near the core area of the city.

That's a lie though, Cedric could tell. By now, Cedric already put the pieces together. He knew that Erica was a member of the Outer World Expedition Team (OWET). She's also fairly strong and important from what he had gathered so far.

Judging from the prediction list of the experts, the Blue Jewel Valley will only experience a Lv.1 intensity Black Sky, so it would just be a repeat of the last time. The folks over there should be fine.

A couple more hours passed and the surroundings turned even darker. Usually, though fake as they might be, the streets will still be slightly illuminated by the stars in the sky or the gentle gleam of moonlight. However, because of the Black Sky's steady march, bleak darkness enveloped the entire city.

"Surprisingly, my senses remain unimpeded still." Cedric mused to himself.

Indeed, even with the blanket of darkness covering the entire city, Cedric could still use his senses clearly. The people around him, however, were already feeling dread creeping up to them.

Surprisingly, Cedric didn't even bother turning off the lights in his house. He freely used electricity as he pleased because it was still available somehow. Even if it doesn't, he had generators ready to use just in case.

He didn't bother doing anything to lower the visibility of his house because the formation he installed was already doing that. Besides, he's confident enough to be left behind here so it really wasn't a big deal.

It was then that he suddenly felt a faint shift around him. Under his observation, darkness seemingly swirled and became even heavier.

That was then followed by the potent stench of corruption rising constantly.

This was the sign that the Black Sky was starting...

Without needing to look outside, Cedric saw the darkness swirling above the city while releasing potent corruption. The feeling was all too familiar to everybody because of their Hell Dives, only this time, the corruption was heavier. Maybe it's because it came from the Outer World. Who knows?

Cedric sensed panic rising amongst the citizens. This was a sign that the others felt it starting as well or at the very least, guessed it.

"It has already reached Lv.1 intensity in just a few minutes..." Cedric whispered as he continued observing his surroundings.

The air turned murky all of a sudden. A sinking feeling struck everybody's heart as they sensed it.

The foreboding sense of dread intensified as if their instincts were alarming them of what was to come.

Then...they heard it. It was faint at first but it was unmistakable. A faint snarl coming from a distance outside of the city walls. Everybody's heart tightened at that.

It was then followed by tremors and the sudden descent of killing intent blanketing this city. That sign was unmistakable now.

...the Demon Horde has arrived.