Time had passed quickly.

Across different parts of the Ox Demon Empire, countless demons were still frantically searching for Axton.

In some regions, his clone had been discovered, leading to fierce battles that dragged on endlessly, shaking the land itself.

"Make sure you inform me immediately once you encounter any strong human. That person is mine and mine alone!" Quiala barked his command, his voice echoing across like thunder.

"Yes, sir!" his squad responded in unison.

Quiala's eyes burned with fury. He had a long list of scores to settle with Axton and desperately hoped that the human leading this invasion was indeed him.

Even if it wasn't, whoever dared to intrude upon their empire would pay severely.

After all, Quiala had lost far too much at Axton's hands.

He had been utterly humiliated, defeated by a human at the mere village level of Xearth.

That disgrace still haunted him every time he closed his eyes. The other demons mocked him behind his back, whispering that his failure had tainted the name of Tartarux itself.

To make things worse, he had lost his pet beast in that same battle… his loyal companion, now bound to the very human who had ruined him.

Axton had not only defeated him but had taken everything.

Grinding his teeth, Quiala marched forward, his massive hooves thudding heavily against the cracked ground as he led his unit toward the newly reported battlefield.

The anger in his chest burned hotter than lava. This time, he vowed, he would not rest until Axton's head was on a pike.

******

Meanwhile…

'I swear I've seen him somewhere before,' Axton thought as he crept through the shadows. 'And why the hell do they all look like cows? Tch, creepy horns and all.'

Hidden under the effects of [Stealth], Axton had already infiltrated the Horn Castle. Even the elite guards stationed outside hadn't noticed the faint breeze that slipped past them.

They simply dismissed it as nothing more than the wind brushing by.

If only they knew.

Axton moved silently through the massive corridors, his senses heightened.

He wasn't here to fight. Not yet.

He had no interest in wasting time in Tartarux, especially when he still didn't fully understand this realm's power system or the hierarchy of its beings.

Even with [Battle God] at his disposal, Axton knew he was still at a disadvantage. The number of demons alone was overwhelming, and if he caused too much of a stir, he risked drawing attention from beings he wasn't ready to face.

'What if another divine being shows up?' he thought grimly. 'If someone like that Goddess of Fate suddenly decides to visit, I'm done for.'

He shook the thought from his mind.

No distractions.

He had one goal — et the divine bracelet and get the hell out of here.

'Still can't see anything. Damn it,' Axton muttered inwardly. He glanced at the guards posted along the hallway and activated [Appraisal], hoping to catch a glimpse of their stats or rank.

But the result was blank.

Nothing.

That alone told him everything he needed to know.

They were far above his level.

If even basic information couldn't be revealed, then facing them head-on would be a problem.

'All the more reason not to get cocky,' he thought to himself, tightening his grip.

'Let's keep this quiet.'

The countdown timer in his vision reminded him that he only had a few minutes left before [Stealth] wore off. Once it did, he'd need to wait five long minutes for the skill to cool down again… five minutes he couldn't afford to waste inside enemy territory.

Time was ticking.

He advanced quickly but cautiously, moving until he finally reached the section marked on his mental map.

…The armoury.

He had seen its location earlier through his mystic eyes, a sprawling chamber filled with weapons guarded by magical enchantments.

******

"This post is really boring," one of the guards complained, leaning on his halberd.

His horns glowed faintly under the torchlight as he sighed. "I should be out there fighting, defending our empire! In the name of the Ox Demon King!"

He swung his weapon a few times in mock battle, the air whistling with each exaggerated motion.

*Swoosh* *Swoosh*

"Give it a rest," his partner grumbled, clearly uninterested. "I'm perfectly fine here. Besides, it's humans we're talking about. How long do you think they'll last before they're all slaughtered?"

"Yeah… that's true," the first one admitted reluctantly, lowering his weapon.

"I heard Quiala's already joined the fight," the second guard continued, folding his arms. "He crushed them last time. Ate them for lunch."

The first guard snorted. "Until one of them had him for dinner afterwards…"

"Erak!" the second guard hissed, eyes wide in shock. "Do you have a death wish?"

"But it's true, isn't it?" Erak said, lowering his voice but refusing to back down. "If the Demon King hadn't favored him, Quiala would be stuck doing boring guard duty like us. Honestly, why are we even guarding this armoury? It's sealed by a spell that repels intruders automatically. There's no way anyone could get in without the password."

His partner frowned, then slowly nodded. "You've got a point."

Erak turned his gaze to the heavy iron door before them, carved with ancient runes glowing in rhythmic patterns of red and gold. The protective enchantment shone faintly like a living heart.

It was said that any creature not registered to the castle's magic network would be instantly thrown back or vaporized on contact.

So why indeed were they standing here?

If only they had trusted their instincts.

If only they hadn't let boredom dull their senses.

Because at that very moment, something invisible slipped right past them.

A presence so faint it was barely there at all.

The faintest ripple in the air brushed past Erak's cheek.

He blinked, confused, but shrugged it off. "Weird… thought I felt something."

His partner ignored him, muttering something about hallucinations from sleep deprivation.

If only they knew how close they had been to death.

******

Inside the armoury, Axton stood among endless racks of weapons.

Blades that seemed to be alive with demonic mana.

Spears that bled faint red mist and many more.

The place was a treasure trove of cursed and divine items.

Axton had used [Non Entity] at the last second, his form phasing through the warded door like a shadow made of smoke.

The defensive spell around the entrance had not even detected his presence.

His body literally didn't exist in the physical sense while the skill was active.

He exhaled softly, letting the tension leave his shoulders.

"That was close," he murmured. "If I'd been a second late, I'd be stuck outside for five minutes with two demons staring straight at me."

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