The cavern they were in began to tremble, threatening to collapse. Ingram was still inside, unable to move. Fear gripped him as he began to accept his impending death. It was at this moment that a beautiful woman with red hair appeared.
"E-Emma? What the hell are you doing here?" Ingram exclaimed.
Emma had not joined the others who were fleeing Lemoria through the tunnels. Her intuition had told her to follow Ingram and Damian, and it seemed to be the right choice.
"Don't speak! I'll get you out of here and take care of you," Emma said, looking around. "And Damian? Where is he?"
"H-He's fighting the demon," Ingram weakly replied, his voice barely audible.
While she was concerned about Damian, Ingram needed immediate care. Slowly, Emma helped him up from the ground and they exited the cave.
Going to the city for medical attention was not an option, but Emma's mansion was outside the city, and she had some potions stored away that would certainly help Ingram regain his strength.
As they made their way towards the mansion, Damian was flying through the forest, relentlessly pummeling Miller with punches.
Before, only Miller - after his transformation - seemed like a monster, but now Damian appeared even more terrifying than him!
Miller attempted to counterattack, but it was evident that Damian possessed superior strength.
Like a ravenous beast, Damian sank his teeth into Miller's arm, devouring it.
"You bastard!" Miller screamed.
The two flew swiftly through the forest, exchanging blows, and within a few minutes, they were far away from the battleground.
"You're not so different from me!" Miller said.
Despite Miller's words, Damian was completely consumed by his rage, unable to comprehend what Miller was trying to convey.
The only thing on Damian's mind was killing, and he used his large claws to tear into Miller's body, ripping it apart and causing him to bleed profusely.
Miller, a powerful demon from the underworld, was losing, he was dying. He gathered all his remaining strength, channeling a dark energy to create tentacles in an attempt to restrain Damian.
But it didn't work. Damian was on a superior level of strength - his sanity being the price for his momentary power. He grabbed hold of the tentacles, using his force to pull and tear them apart.
"My lord will come after you, you cursed one! Even if you don't understand what I'm saying, you will see. You will suffer!" Those were Miller's final words before Damian decapitated him with his muscular arms. He was in a state of ecstasy, bathing in the blood of his victims.
Damian stood there, motionless, staring at Miller's lifeless body. It was in that moment that he felt lost, and gradually, his sanity began to return. Well, before that happened, an excruciating pain spread throughout his body!
He writhed on the forest grass, rolling from side to side, trying to make it stop, but nothing worked. The pain was so intense that he eventually lost consciousness.
After an unknown amount of hours, or perhaps days, Damian woke up again, finding himself tied up! He looked around and saw that he was inside a carriage, surrounded by metal bars.
He was trapped, and he wasn't alone. There were a few other humans inside the same cell he was in, as well as in other cells in different carriages.
"What's going on?" Damian asked.
A strong, dark-skinned man was sitting in front of him, bound with the same chains as Damian.
"Finally woke up, huh? I thought you were gonna stay unconscious forever," the man said.
"Where are we? Where is Lemoria?"
"Lemoria? Are you serious?"
The man noticed Damian's confused expression and could only imagine that he was indeed serious.
"Well, I heard Lemoria was being attacked by demons, but the city held its ground. It's intact," the man said.
That gave Damian a sense of calm, even in the midst of the unknown and desperate situation he found himself in.
"And where are we right now? Where are they taking us?"
"To an island, I reckon. Apparently, we've become slaves or something like that. Are you from Lemoria? I heard they took advantage of the battle to capture fugitives who were hiding in the forest."
When Damian heard that, he remembered what had happened! He and Miller fought their way through the forest, flying, and went far away from Lemoria. After the victory, Damian blacked out, and it must have been at that moment they kidnapped him.
"Damn it!" Damian cursed, shifting and trying to break free from the chains.
"Don't bother too much. These chains are made of sturdy minerals, and it's not like we have much strength at the moment."
The situation Damian found himself in was far from favorable. He had managed to gather some information about his whereabouts, but that was the extent of his knowledge. Escape seemed like an impossible feat, at least for the time being.
The carriages continued their relentless movement, eventually coming to a halt by the unforgiving coast. Desperation filled the captive individuals as they screamed and pleaded for freedom, only to be met with callous indifference from their kidnappers who didn't hesitate to strike them.
In this bleak circumstance, silence seemed to offer the faintest glimmer of hope, and that's exactly what Damian opted for. As they disembarked from the carriages, their steps led them toward the waiting ships on the shore.
Momentary thoughts of attempting an escape crossed Damian's mind as he was released from the confining cell. However, any hope was swiftly extinguished as he realized he was bound with sturdy chains, each step weighed down by an oppressive burden.
Besides, where would he even go? Damian had been weakened by the transformation during his battle against Miller. Even if he miraculously managed to break free, the kidnappers would surely catch up to him with ease.
Speaking of the kidnappers, they appeared to be nothing short of pirates. Damian had never encountered individuals quite like them before. He briefly wondered if some surviving demons from the ferocious battle in Lemoria had taken on the role of kidnappers, but it seemed his suspicions were misplaced.
Together with the others, Damian reluctantly boarded the ships, their descent leading them to the lower decks that resembled a prison. Days blurred into each other, devoid of sunlight, and any sense of normalcy faded away.
Basic human dignity was stripped away as they were reduced to relieving themselves in their confined spaces, akin to animals. The meager and poor-quality food provided by the pirates served only to keep them weak and compliant.
Damian's chances of proper recovery dwindled with every passing moment, as he was constantly jostled by the relentless waves, often colliding with chains or fellow prisoners.
And then, unexpectedly, the door creaked open. Damian anticipated the arrival of another captor delivering meager rations, but this time, a booming voice shattered the monotony, "Everyone, up!"
They were disembarking from the ship! The rumored destination Damian had heard about—an island—seemed to be their final stop. Anxious and uncertain, everyone stepped off the vessel, not knowing what to expect. Damian shared the same feelings, but he was confident in his abilities to escape once his strength returned.
The island turned out to be quite different from what Damian had anticipated. There was a bustling harbor where fishermen toiled, their sorrowful gazes fixed upon the prisoners.
"The gang has taken prisoners again? How cruel..." whispered one of the locals.
"Hush! Don't speak, or they might hear you."
Damian and the rest of the captives were pulled along, walking on a stone pathway. Dense forest surrounded them, and the relentless mosquitoes made their presence known.
And then, a city came into view. It was sizable, yet the quality of the buildings revealed a lack of development. Most structures were made of wood, bamboo, or whatever materials could be found on the island. Considering the time it took them to reach this place by ship, it wasn't surprising to find it underdeveloped—a remote location far from everything and everyone.
"Keep moving! Anyone who tries to run or stops will be killed. Consider yourselves warned," one of the pirates declared.
No prisoner dared to make a move. They were terrified, hungry, and depleted of energy. Trying to escape would only lead to death.
Finally, they didn't enter the city but circled around it, heading toward a separate courtyard. Damian looked at it and thought, 'This must be the pirates' base. They probably live outside the city.'
He was certain of it the moment they entered that courtyard. Everyone there dressed and behaved differently from the people in the city. It was easy to recognize them as outlaw pirates.
Damian didn't utter a word, and as they arrived, the pirate captain made his appearance! He had a long black beard, a patch over one eye, and a hat adorned with a raven feather.
Out of all the prisoners, he approached Damian with a cruel and cunning gaze. Damian, on the other hand, was more concerned about the servant he saw there, working against its will.
'Vanessa!'
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺