500 Edepes Kingdom
"It was in the Edepes Kingdom," these were Belisarius' words when he arrived inside Lucas' study.
"Edepes?" Rosalind, who was inside Lucas' study, immediately frowned. In the past, the war had started because of Edepes as well. She could not help but wonder if this was all related.
"The dark matter is starting to spread... whatever is inside that place is summoning demons, and we need to destroy it," Belisarius then turned toward Rosalind. "Edepes is no more. Hordes of demons have now invaded the place. It was dark and... a place where low-level demons could live."
"Low levels... were you able to spot a higher demon?" Lucas asked.
"Unfortunately not. I suspect... it is already in one of the Empires. We cannot be too careless this time," Belisarius added.
"How are you going to stop this dark matter from spreading?" Rosalind asked. She could vaguely remember something like this in the flashes of memories.
If she was right, this dark matter would destroy everything in its wake. All plants and even the land. The sad thing about this was the fact that once the dark matter is already there, the land can never go back to what it was in the past.
She tried to recall one specific memory where she saw the dark matter. At that time, they were fighting hordes of demons and... "The dark matter would help demons multiply... The demons are born from that dark matter!"
The realization left her speechless and scared at the same time. She immediately got up and looked at Lucas. "How are we going to stop it?"
"We need to find the source and..." Belisarius sighed. "We need to destroy it. However, I suspect that the source is in the middle of Edepes, surrounded by demons. It would be very hard to retrieve it."
Once a demon died, another demon would rise from the dark matter. This was something that Belisarius wanted to say. "Lachlan and Josephine are already going to Korusta to inform Lachlan's father. They are planning to stop the current battle against Sloryn to have a meeting about this matter."
"Once we retrieve the object and destroy it then... the Howling Mountains would also calm down," Belisarius added.
"So... how are you planning to fight the demons?" Lucas calmly asked.
"Are you not going to help us?"
"Help?" Lucas eyed Rosalind. "I will help."
"I believe we need to check Edepes first," Rosalind uttered. She needed to see if the dark matter that he was talking about was the same as the dark matter that she saw in the memories.
This time, Lucas had no objection. They used Belisarius' ability to teleport and landed in a nearby valley just a few kilometers away from Edepes. Rosalind's heart pounded in her chest the moment she laid eyes on the place that was once called Edepes.
In the past, Edepes was surrounded by a thick forest. The place that prided itself on its beauty and rich culture now lay in ruins.
"Perhaps, the
higher-ranking demon has it," Rosalind already thought about this earlier. For her, this reasoning actually made sense.
The demons seamlessly acted like humans. It would be logical for the demons to hide the object by themselves to avoid detection. Then, they would watch as the humans tried to destroy the horde of demons on Edepes thinking that the object was there.
"You cannot sense it if... the demon will not use it again," Lucas calmly explained.
"We only have a few more hours before the barrier breaks...," Belisarius explained. "I believe it is best that we come up with a better solution to save this continent."
"Is there any other way?" Rosalind asked.
"Perhaps, you can get rid of the dark matter if you can use your light and dark blessings at the same time. Once that happens, the one who summoned them would naturally feel it and might reveal itself," Belisarius said.
"Or, they use that object to summon more demons," Lucas added.
"That would be impossible. Whatever that object is... I am almost certain that it would need a lot of sacrifice for the demon to be able to use it. Just like us, the demons' abilities have been sealed the moment they arrived in this place. So... their abilities are limited," Belisarius said.
Hearing this, Rosalind could not help but look at Lucas.
"Then I will try your method...," Rosalind uttered.
"Once you use your ability, the demons will surely come...," Belisarius said. "We will stand by your side."
Rosalind looked at Lucas, and he nodded without saying another word. Although Rosalind was pretty certain that Lucas would probably teleport her out of this place if a mistake happened. Still, she thought Lucas's approval was good enough.
"If you cannot do it...," Lucas uttered. "There is no need to force yourself. We can just run away."
"Run away?"
"I know a place where demons cannot come."
"Lucas, is this really the time to speak such nonsense?" Belisarius interjected.
"A place where demons cannot come?" Rosalind could not help but frown. However, Lucas only shrugged, choosing not to delve into the topic.