The Extra Can't be A Hero

Chapter 80: Hunting the Blood Demon (1)

Not knowing the danger his fellow Eighteenth Squad member was in, Amon led his team into the deep thickets of Mistwood. Initially, he planned only to bring Yue and Leon, as he deemed that just the three were sufficient to weed out the Blood Demon. However, unknowingly, his party had grown to twice the size.

"Sir Amon, I deeply apologise for trespassing."

"Hmmm? No, it's fine."

A giant of a man tiptoed apologetically towards Amon and gave a sorrowful frown. He was one of Leon's comrades from the Knight's Academy and the person who would grow to become the future tank of Leon's party, Rufus Dobbin.

He volunteered for the Mistwood expedition after hearing that Leon and Amon were on a mission, hoping to give what little aid he could offer. At first, Rufus was assigned to carry debris and build shelters for the wounded civilians. But when he saw Leon being dragged by Amon to a new adventure, Rufus couldn't help but tag along.

"Where we're going, we may need the extra muscle."

"G-Great! Leave the heavy workload to me! Ah, Gale and Adelia too! I swear we won't be a burden!"

Hearing those names, Amon glanced over his shoulder and saw the Solaris members trailing close behind. After locking eyes with Amon, they froze and did their best to let out an impassionate smile. They were in the same boat as Rufus, volunteers from the Knight's Academy who came to help those affected by the earthquake. But as the natural disaster relief mission turned into a Demon hunt, they couldn't resist throwing themselves into the midst of danger.

"Stay together; it'll be troublesome if you get lost."

"Y-yes!"

All three of the Knight cadets answered in unison, all while shooting a pleading look to Leon, who pretended not to see them.

Truth be told, Amon was hesitant to bring the trio along on the hunt, but upon consideration, he'd remembered that the Blood Demon Hunt was initiated by Leon's party in [Bright] in the first place. There, the party grew closer and developed combat synergy that was pivotal to their successes in the future.

It may do more harm than good if he'd forced them away, besides...

"Don't worry, you won't be harmed as long as I'm around."

Amon didn't think twice before saying those words. For him, it's more a statement of fact rather than an assurance. The Blood Demon was still weak at this juncture, and he had the key to destroying it for good. Also, after scouting Mistwood over the past few days, Amon had more or less developed a map of the dangerous spots in his mind.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that the safest place in Mistwood right now was right by Amon's side.

But for the young and impressionable Knight cadets, they didn't feel that way.

A mystical sense of reverence built within their hearts as they imagined a valiant scene of an honourable Knight vowing to protect them. But it wasn't long before a mischievous voice interrupted their reverence.

"What about me, Amon? Won't you protect me?"

Yue skipped back from the front and pointed her index finger to her face. The sudden appearance of the ethereal beauty threw the young cadets for a loop, particularly the boys. Yue wore a loosely fitted mage garment, clothes unsuitable for a hike in the woodlands. Yet, there didn't seem to be a single speck on her pristine body.

The young beauty's laughter was enough to charm the young teenage boys, especially Rufus and Gale. Even Adelia, the only girl of the bunch, was somewhat dazed by Yue's perfect appearance.

Unfortunately, Yue's spell didn't work on the one person she wanted it to.

"You can take care of yourself."

"Tch, you're such a tease!"

Clicking her teeth, Yue pouted and stomped her feet. However, that didn't do much for Amon. He straightened his body and stared ahead into the mist. Without wasting a second, Amon pointed to the north and ordered:

"Yue, clear the fog."

"Gotcha."

There wasn't a need for Amon to explain further. The pair had been adventuring together for eight years now, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, the two had formed a synergy that couldn't be matched by any other. Yue's fingers filled with mana, and the mist that barred their vision was sucked dry in a split second.

The younger members were stunned to see the Elune Princess's powers firsthand, but for Amon, it was just another Tuesday. Without any care, the Knight headed deeper into the forest, with the crew trailing not far behind. In just a few hundred metres, they stumbled upon a strange sighting.

"T-This is..."

"What on earth?!"

The cadets couldn't believe their eyes. In the heart of Mistwood, there was a deep pit with a thick carpet of moss and fallen leaves. Its walls were about ten metres deep, making it a hard fall if anyone slipped, but no one cared about that.

It was the contents of the pit that drained the colour from their faces.

Hundreds of dead bodies and carcasses had been thrown into the pit as if it were a landfill. All of the dead creatures lacked even a single drop of blood, making the scene particularly grotesque. Adelia took a moment to hurl her guts out while the other three stood silently, unsure what to do or say.

"As expected," Amon frowned as he towered over the pit. "The Demon is ramping up its activities."

The young Knight gave a cold assessment of his findings.

The earthquake gave the Blood Demon a prime scavenging ground to regain its lost power. Most of its prey were already dead and were fresh corpses or carcasses. It gave the Blood Demon a buffet of choice and didn't waste a second.

"Judging by the residue of Demonic energy here, it must have grown strong enough to hunt for live prey now."

Amon accurately judged the situation and announced his conclusions.

"We'll need to hurry. Before the Demon harms another soul, we should..."

Just before Amon could give his order, his body flinched as he returned his gaze to the disgusting pit. The Demonic energy he'd felt was growing by the second, and an ominous foreboding feeling engulfed him. He stared straight down at the put, his expressions ice-cold and calm.

"Draw your weapons and prepare to fight."

"W-what?!"

"The bloodless corpses are waking up."

The simple order woke the youngsters' minds. They all reached for their weapons and drew them in one fluid motion. Even though they were cadets, they had been training for this moment. Alas, their current situation wasn't precisely practised during their simulations.

The bloodless corpses emerged with disgustingly defiled features. Some had their jaws hanging by a single muscle thread. Most had lost limbs. And a select few had somehow managed to merge, creating a hybrid of man and beast.

It was an agonising display of the Blood Demon's horror. Even though it had sucked the blood of so many, it continued to haunt its victims by making it a lifeless puppet, fated to do its malicious bidding.

"Don't be afraid; I will lead the charge. You guys clean up. Don't let a single one escape." Amon calmly conveyed his intentions, his eyes focusing on his squire. "Leon, I trust you to lead your friends."

"Yes!"

Not to betray Amon's trust, Leon answered immediately. While the horrendous scene shook him, a new emotion was seething within the young hero's heart.

Rage.

Leon had never been in combat with a Demon before. Hell, this was the first time he had been to a proper battlefield. However, as he witnessed the abhorrent sight of human corpses being defiled in this manner, Leon developed a newfound rage towards the disgusting breed.

"Rufus, Gale, Adelia... Let's spread out and cover the pit from all sides. We can't let a single one escape."

"B-But, shouldn't we help Sir Amon?"

"Don't be foolish."

Even though Leon was filled with anger, he didn't lose himself in it. The notion that they could assist Amon brought a bitter laugh to his face.

"We should be careful not to get in his way."

"What?"

"Trust me," Leon declared as he unsheathed Ascalon. The burning light from its blade blinded the bloodless corpses nearest to them, giving Amon the perfect opportunity to strike.

Holding Nyx in his hand, Amon charged straight into the pit with a dense golden aura enveloping his body. His eyes were gleaming with great power as three Suns orbited around him. The mana became so thick that heat formed around him like a flaming torch, and each step he took melted the mossy ground. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

And then, Amon muttered the familiar word...

"Dawn."

Dawn, the first move of the Solaris Mystic Arts, was unleashed with the power of three Suns. A flaming ball of nuclear energy exploded above the treelines, and fire rained like shooting stars. The entire pit was no more than twenty metres from end to end, making it impossible for the bloodless corpses to escape.

Most of them were engulfed in flames, while some incinerated into dust. In just one move, Amon had hindered half of the bloodless corpses, making the spectators drop their jaws in shock.

Of course, Yue and Leon were immune to that. They were used to seeing Amon's absurd feats and had built up a high mental tolerance for his antics, which made it easier for Leon to follow his master's orders.

"Now! Split up, and don't let a single one escape!"

Leon was the first to move. With Ascalon in his hand, the bloodless corpses avoided him like the plague. After all, his sword could purify them with a single scratch. But unfortunately, Leon wasn't kind enough to let them escape.

"I'm sorry... May you rest in peace."

Ascalon's blade easily sliced through one of the zombies. During which, something magical occurred. The moment Leon's strike went through, the bloodless corpse's body was instantly vapourised, leaving nothing but a gentle ball of blue fire behind.

'Thank you...'

Leon swore that, at that moment, he could hear a voice calling out to him. However, that only distracted him for a split second. With added determination, Leon went onto the next bloodless corpse and swung his sword with twice the strength.

The other three weren't doing too bad, either.

Adelia was showing signs of becoming the next Sword Dancer. Swiftly moving through the bloodless corpses like they were standing still, she used her superior speed to incapacitate her foes. Gale was the same too. His strength exceeded his age as each swing sent a zombie flying dozens of metres. Even Rufus was holding his own with his trusted shield and mace.

For their first battle, they were doing just fine.

And Amon observed it all with a smile.

After sending half the bloodless corpses flying, he slowed his assault and gave the rest a chance to shine. Amon didn't feel pressured to leave the pit despite all the death and Demonic energy around him. He was particularly glad to see Leon's growth.

His swordplay, mana control, and, most importantly, his attitude.

Even though it was Leon's first time fighting against a Demonic creature, he was putting on a show. There was no hesitation in his swing like most rookies, and his strikes were calculated and precise. For many, there would be a mental barrier to fighting against bloodless corpses, mainly because they were once human. But Leon showed no signs of that.

It was a testament to his maturity and growth as a Knight.

"Shall we clean up this area then?"