Defiance of the Fall

Finally all set he stood up and ventured out . He had after some deliberation chosen to head into the tunnels instead , as he simply refused to enter that water again . He refilled his canteen though , just for emergencies .

The cave he was in was connected to the larger tunnel system he found out after some traveling . Only a small hole was open though , and Zac was forced to cut his way out with a sword . As he worked the sword he felt that his body was more coordinated than ever , as every muscle was working in perfect harmony . He wasn’t really stronger or more agile , but rather had greater control of his body . Normally he would think that it was due to increased Dexterity , but the change was too large that just a few extra points from his new title couldn’t cover it . He guessed instead that it was another advantage of being an evolved human .

After some hesitation he carved out a couple of boulders from a nearby wall and covered up the path again . That secret cave would be an excellent cultivation cave in the future , and he didn’t want a salamander or wandering demon to ruin it .

Perhaps it wouldn’t be useful for himself , but maybe for his sister or Hannah if he managed to bring them back to the island . Now that the demon threat was taken care of he needed to actually start preparing for the future .

At least he hoped that the demon threat was over , but he couldn’t be sure . He never got any indication of what would happen when he finally killed the Heralds and the general . There still should be quite a few demons still around even after the huge battle . There had been at least a thousand demons in the mountains , but even if all of them died , there should be hundreds in the tunnels . Add to that the demon town and the roving parties and most demons should still be around .

Putting the matter aside , Zac pushed forward in the tunnels . Soon he found a familiar cave , whose tunnels led to the demon mining operation . After a brief hesitation he headed over there to check things out . As he walked he heard absolutely no sound of activity , which could only be considered a good sign .

The mining tunnels were completely deserted as he hoped , with not a single demon in sight . As he continued on he soon exited the cave entrance he had seen the demons use daily . Still , he didn’t see a single demon anywhere . A few sacks and tools were thrown here and there , hinting at a hasty escape .

More importantly , for the first time since he woke up on this hellish island there was no huge red glaring pillar shooting into the sky . The incursion was simply gone .

But that didn't mean his work was over .

Chapter 65 - First Contact

With a spring in his steps he hadn’t felt for a long time Zac moved along the road toward the location of the now-gone incursion . He was planning on heading back to his campsite to complete his quest , but first , he wanted to check things out and make sure that the demons were truly gone .

He moved along the path leading to the fortified city , meeting no resistance on the way . Soon he reached the forest edge close to the town , and any further and he would be exposed due to all vegetation having been cut down to supply the construction .

He hunkered down and stared at the town for a good while trying to see any signs of demons . The good news was that the previously well-manned walls were completely deserted . Not a single guard was patrolling along the wall walk , and the towers were empty . The bad news was that he saw a few lines of smokes rising from the inner parts of the town .

After some hesitation he decided to take a closer look . The lines of smoke might just be left behind fires , and if there actually were demons here they must be disorganized for some reason . He briskly jogged over to the fortifications , and with a few tugs pulled himself up along the wall . He didn’t encounter any arrays impeding his path either , making him wonder if demons couldn’t use them for some reason . He hadn’t seen them use a single one so far after all , unless inscriptions on tools could be called arrays .

He looked out over the demon town and found it more or less deserted . He was disappointed to see that there actually were a few demons milling about , but they looked listless and without direction .

He also noticed that the town had grown considerably since he had seen it the first time a few weeks ago . Most of the military-looking rectangular buildings were gone , replaced with structures of various size and design . It almost looked like a medieval town by now rather than a military base . But the craftsmanship and cleanliness were far greater compared to some old city , and no garbage or excrement lined the sidewalks . Perhaps the large barracks were only temporary housing they used while they constructed the real city .