Amon stiffened.

At first, he thought his tired eyes were playing tricks on him. Two figures were approaching from far away, moving calmly through the dark forest toward the Celestial Tree.

They were walking calmly and slowly.

They weren't running. They looked cautious. But at the same time, they felt strong.

Amon narrowed his eyes, forcing himself to focus. The distance was still great, their forms blurred by the gloomy air and drifting mist. He leaned forward slightly, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword.

Then he saw it.

Two silhouettes. Broad shoulders. Tall builds. They were wearing dark armor, looking almost like humans. He couldn't see them clearly, but one thing caught his eye.

Above their heads stood two horns. Amon's breath hitched.

"Demons…?"

His eyes widened in shock.

The horns were unmistakable. Curved and sharp, rising proudly from their heads, visible even from this distance. There was no mistaking their race.

Demons were coming here. Cold dread washed over him.

His mind raced. Why were demons here? This place was already wrong enough. The Grave of the Celestial Tree felt ancient and forbidden—yet these demons walked toward it without hesitation.

Were they searching for him? No… their pace looked relaxed. Too deliberate. Amon's heartbeat accelerated.

'Did they come for the tree? Or for whatever is inside it…?' Amon thought.

Neither possibility felt good. Instinct screamed at him to hide.

Amon's thoughts ran wild. He had somehow gotten away from demons. He ran away, survived. And now, here, another two were coming toward this place.

'How could my luck be so bad?' He really wanted to cry now.

Amon slowly lowered his body, pressing himself closer to the massive root he was sitting on. He shifted carefully, making sure not to make a sound, using the enormous black roots as cover. From here, the tree's base and its roots formed a natural blind spot.

He peeked out again. The two demons were closer now. He could make out more details. Still they look small.

One was taller and broader, his posture confident and unguarded. Heavy armor covered his body, dark metal etched with faint patterns. Long grey hair flowed behind him, unmoved by the wind.

The other demon was leaner, his movements sharp and precise. His armor was lighter, engraved with runes that faintly reflected the dull light. There was something calm. But dangerous, about the way he walked. His skin was not like a human's. It was grey in color.

They didn't look injured. They didn't look exhausted. They were completely fine. Opposite to Amon's condition.

They looked like predators walking into an unknown terrotory without any fear. Amon swallowed hard.

His body was in no condition to fight. His wounds were barely held together by potions and sheer will. Facing even one demon right now would be suicide.

'Why now…?' he cursed silently. What should he do?

He had no answer. And for some reason, those two men looked far stronger than Zareth, which was not good news for him.

The demons continued their approach, eyes fixed on the towering Celestial Tree. Their expressions were unreadable. It was hard to tell whether they were in awe, afraid, shocked, or simply indifferent.

Amon's fingers trembled slightly around his sword. He had to do something. Or… he needed to run away from here.

'This is bad,' he thought. Whatever fate had dragged him to this place hadn't finished with him yet.

And now… something far more dangerous had arrived at the Grave of the Celestial Tree.

After thinking for a while, he looked down. Just a little inside was the same path that led inside the tree. Amon's brain started to work.

"Should I run away from here? They must want to check inside… or maybe they are like me, lost their way," Amon couldn't tell.

But running away didn't feel right. He looked at the two figures. There was a familiar feeling coming to him. The same one he had felt while fighting Zareth.

After thinking for a while, a smile crept onto his face.

"Haha… alright, let's see what happens. I don't care anymore. I want to drag those demons to death… don't know why, but… I want it."

For some reason Amon was liking the idea of death more and more. Amon jumped down toward the path leading inside again, vanishing into the darkness of the tunnel.

---

Some distance away from the tree.

Two figures clad in armor walked toward it.

They were none other than commanders of the demon army.

Vaelrix and Renard.

Both were wearing armor. They had been running nonstop since last night. Just after the forest ended and the long roots of the World Tree began, they stopped running and started walking toward the tree.

Both demons were intimidated by the sight of the humongous Celestial Tree. It was as if they were seeing a massive celestial being that had fallen and become something unholy.

They became more cautious and nervous the closer they walked toward it.

They could not move fast. This place might be far more dangerous, so they decided to walk slowly and cautiously.

They were not yet near the destination where they had to find what their Emperor wanted.

Even now, they wanted to curse that man. But they couldn't deny him. Returning to the kingdom empty-handed was no different from death.

Vaelrix slowed his steps.

The closer they got, the heavier the air became. Each breath felt thicker, as if the space around the Celestial Tree resisted being disturbed. His crimson eyes never left the colossal trunk ahead.

"…So this is it," Vaelrix said quietly.

Renard walked beside him, his violet eyes narrowed. "The Grave of the Celestial Tree," he replied. "Even from this distance, the pressure is abnormal."

They stopped again, just beyond the reach of the outermost roots.

Up close, the tree was far more unsettling than it had appeared from afar. Its massive trunk loomed like a fallen god frozen in place, its blackened bark scarred and twisted.

The roots sprawled across the land like the remains of a battlefield, tearing through earth and stone alike.

Vaelrix and Renard were at the sixth rank. Mystic Sovereign. Despite that, they felt an unknown fear coming from the tree.

They shivered at its creepy appearance.

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