Chapter 81: The Fallen’s Hideout

Azreon continued flying through the sky, following the distant figure riding the corpse bird.

Chris kept his eyes on the Fallen, making sure they didn’t get too close and risk being noticed. However, after watching it for some time, he began to notice something unexpected.

It was surprisingly slow.

Curious, he activated his system and scanned it.

[Mage - S-Rank - Level 62.]

Chris raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected it to be so weak, but thinking about it again, it wasn’t that surprising. The Fallen that had chased him before hadn’t been much stronger than this one.

He shifted his gaze toward the corpse bird carrying it and scanned that as well.

[Northern Crow - A-Rank - Level 55. (Deceased.)]

Seeing this, he visibly relaxed. Even if the Fallen noticed them, it shouldn’t pose much of a threat.

Turning toward Aelia, he quietly explained what he had discovered.

"That’s good news," she whispered, looking toward the distant figure.

"You should still be careful. Try not to alert it."

A familiar voice suddenly came from beside them.

Chris turned and saw Aura jumping out of his Beast Pouch. The little fox landed on Azreon’s back and observed the Fallen.

"Why did you come out?" Chris asked.

"I wanted to see what you two were doing. Besides, there is something you should know about the Fallen."

She sat down before continuing.

"They usually operate in groups. If one of them is killed, the others will eventually notice and investigate. There is also usually a considerably stronger Fallen leading each group, so you shouldn’t assume that the one you’re following is the strongest."

Chris nodded in understanding.

"So even if we can defeat this one, there might be others nearby."

"Exactly. It would be unwise to kill one without knowing how many others are around."

Aelia also nodded.

She had known for quite some time that Aura, the Guardian, was traveling with Chris. At first, she had been surprised, but she had gradually gotten used to her presence.

In fact, the two had become quite good friends.

Sometimes, they would talk for hours about things Chris couldn’t understand. Most of their conversations seemed to revolve around clothes, hairstyles, makeup, and other topics he had absolutely no interest in.

Despite being a strong warrior who had spent most of her life training, Aelia still had a softer, more feminine side that occasionally showed itself.

Chris had tried listening a few times, but eventually gave up. He didn’t judge them, of course, but sitting beside them while they discussed which clothes looked better was rather awkward for him.

"Anyway, let’s keep following it," Chris said.

Aura nodded before returning to the Beast Pouch, while Aelia moved a little closer to him.

They continued their pursuit, keeping a considerable distance from the Fallen and making sure not to draw its attention.

The journey lasted a few hours before the corpse bird finally began descending toward a wide mountain peak. A dense forest covered the top, making it difficult to see what was hidden among the trees.

Azreon slowed down before landing in a secluded area.

Chris and Aelia climbed down, and the dragon immediately shrank before jumping into the Beast Pouch.

"Let’s approach carefully," Chris whispered.

Aelia nodded, and the two began moving through the trees.

It didn’t take long before Chris noticed something unusual in the distance. There was a cave with an exceptionally wide entrance, partially hidden behind the surrounding vegetation.

"That must be the place."

They approached slowly, checking their surroundings every few steps. Only after making sure nobody was watching did they finally reach the entrance and slip inside.

The cave was enormous, extending much deeper into the mountain than Chris had expected. Farther ahead, there was a large opening with a staircase leading down into the darkness.

Looking from above, he could make out several figures standing below. It was too dark to identify them clearly, and he didn’t want to approach directly.

After examining the surroundings, he noticed a narrow pathway running along the cave wall. It circled around the opening, allowing them to reach the opposite side without descending.

"Let’s go around," he whispered, pointing toward it.

Aelia nodded, and they carefully made their way along the narrow path. Eventually, they reached the other side and crouched near the edge, looking down at the group below.

There were five Fallen standing together, while five corpse birds rested nearby.

Chris narrowed his eyes when one of them suddenly spoke.

"Mimma gabbu de’shina? Sabatu’shina?"

He froze. He understood them.

Noticing his strange expression, Aelia leaned closer and whispered.

"What’s wrong?"

"I... somehow understand what they’re saying."

Aura’s voice came from his Beast Pouch and rang in their heads.

’That’s because they’re speaking the demonic language. Since you’re partially a demon now, you can understand it.’

Chris glanced down. "Demons have their own language?"

"Of course. They usually speak the common language when interacting with other races, but when they want to discuss something privately, they use their own language."

Aelia looked between Chris and the Fallen. "What did they say?"

"They asked if there was any news about the two and whether they had been captured."

Aelia frowned. "The two? Who are they talking about?"

"I have no idea."

Before they could discuss it further, another Fallen spoke.

"Shalshu’yan qerub tara. Kashadu’shum!"

Aelia immediately looked at Chris. "What about that?"

He listened carefully before translating.

"They said the third one is about to return and that he should have succeeded."

"Succeeded in what? And who are the two they mentioned?"

Chris shook his head. "I don’t know."

The Fallen continued standing in the same place, occasionally exchanging a few words, but they didn’t reveal anything else useful.

Chris and Aelia remained hidden, patiently observing them. Nearly an hour passed before they finally heard footsteps coming from the entrance.

A moment later, another Fallen appeared from the entrance, carrying something in both hands.

Squinting his eyes, Chris saw two women. They were dressed in identical pink dresses, and their bodies appeared limp as the Fallen held them by their clothes.

One of the Fallen stepped forward and spoke.

"Sabatu’yan mashu’shina. Qerub sharratu!"

Chris listened before turning toward Aelia.

"I captured the twins. We can begin."

Aelia’s expression immediately changed.

"What are they planning to do with them?"

Chris didn’t answer. He was too busy watching the Fallen.

Another one responded.

"Damqu’qa. Resh’ummu qadu’hadi!"

"Good job. The leader will be pleased," Chris translated.

Soon, one of the Fallen walked toward the side of the cave and pulled out what looked like a large pot with a lid. He carried it toward the others before placing it on the ground.

After removing the lid, Chris could see that it was completely empty.

The Fallen holding the women dropped them onto the ground and grabbed one by the hair, lifting her head above the opening of the pot.

Another Fallen pulled out a dagger and slowly approached.

Aelia’s expression changed as she realized what they were about to do.

"Chris, we have to help them!" She whispered.

He remained silent, watching the scene below.

"We can’t just leave them there!"

Chris frowned.

"We don’t even know who they are. I don’t want to endanger ourselves over two strangers, especially when we don’t know how many more Fallen might be nearby."

"But they’re going to kill them!"

He looked at her pleading expression before letting out a quiet sigh.

’Why is it so difficult to refuse her?’

"Alright, alright. We’ll save them."

Aelia immediately smiled, looking relieved.

Chris activated his system and scanned the Fallen below. All of them were weaker than him, and none seemed particularly dangerous. The five corpse birds were even weaker, so dealing with them shouldn’t be difficult.

He pulled out his sword and gathered Dark Gwenor around its blade. The dark crimson energy spread across the metal, covering it with a faint glow.

Below, the Fallen with the dagger raised its weapon toward the woman’s neck.

Chris didn’t hesitate any longer.

He jumped down directly toward them.

*Slash!*

His sword swept through the air, and the Fallen holding the dagger barely had time to react before his head was sent flying.

Without stopping, Chris spun around and delivered another slash, decapitating the one holding the woman.

The remaining three Fallen finally reacted.

One immediately gathered dark energy between his hands, forming a familiar ball of concentrated power.

Chris recognized the attack and quickly stepped to the side as a beam of dark energy shot toward him.

He avoided it before closing the distance. The other two Fallen rushed toward him with daggers drawn, but their attacks were easily blocked.

Chris pushed one backward and released a wave of Dark Gwenor from his sword, cutting through his body. The last one tried to attack from behind, but Chris turned and pierced his chest before he could reach him.

The fight ended in just a few moments.

However, the five corpse birds had already noticed the commotion and rushed toward him. Their wings spread as they screeched, diving toward Chris from different directions.

He glanced at them and casually swung his sword.

Several waves of Dark Gwenor shot through the air, cutting through the birds before they could even reach him. Their bodies crashed onto the ground, and the cave entrance quickly fell silent again.

Chris quickly turned toward Aelia, who had jumped down beside the women.

"Grab the other one! We need to leave!"

He picked up one of the twins and examined her while Aelia took the other.

There was something strange about her energy. He could feel a faint trace of demonic energy inside her body.

’Another demon mark.’

He immediately gathered Dark Gwenor in his palm and carefully spread it across her body. The energy passed through her, and he could feel the foreign demonic presence gradually disappearing.

It worked.

He repeated the same process with the other twin before turning toward the exit.

"Let’s go!"

Aelia nodded and followed him.

They rushed out of the cave, and Chris summoned Azreon from the Beast Pouch as soon as they reached a safe distance.

The dragon enlarged himself, allowing them to climb onto his back before immediately taking off.

However, just as they gained altitude, Chris felt that familiar sensation again.

His expression changed as he turned toward the distance.

Aelia noticed his reaction.

"What is it?"

"Another Fallen is coming."

He narrowed his eyes, suspecting it might be the leader. The leader had probably sensed the others dying.

"Azreon, faster!"

*ROAR!*

Azreon spread his wings and increased his speed, rapidly putting more distance between them and the mountain.

Chris repeatedly looked behind them, checking whether anything was following. He also tried to sense the demonic energy again, but after several moments, he couldn’t feel anything approaching.

Only then did he finally relax.

"We need somewhere to hide for a while," he said.

Aelia nodded. "You’re right. We shouldn’t risk going too far while someone might still be searching for us."

Chris thought for a moment before looking at Azreon. "Take us to the cave where we rested last night."

Azreon immediately changed direction and accelerated.

Thanks to his incredible speed, it didn’t take long for them to return to the same cave. After landing, Azreon entered the Beast Pouch while Chris and Aelia quickly entered the cave and made sure the surroundings were safe.

Aelia then took out a bed from her Storage Ring.

Chris carefully placed the two women on it, and they began examining them for injuries.

Fortunately, neither seemed to have suffered any physical harm. They were simply unconscious.

Looking at them more closely, it was obvious that they were indeed twins.

Both appeared quite young, possibly even younger than Chris and Aelia. They had similar faces, delicate features, and wore identical pink dresses.

The only noticeable difference was their hairstyles. One had two braids falling along each side of her head, while the other had a single braid.

"They really do look alike," Aelia commented while examining their faces.

Chris nodded before pulling out a bottle of water from his ring.

"Let’s wake them up."

He opened the bottle and poured some water over their faces.

"Cough! Cough!"

Both women began stirring, slowly opening their eyes as they tried to understand where they were.

Aelia turned toward Chris with an annoyed expression. "Couldn’t you have done that a little more gently?"

Chris scratched his head awkwardly. "What? I just wanted to wake them up quickly."

Aelia sighed and shook her head before turning toward the twins. "It’s alright. You’re safe now."