The Damned Demon

The violent clash between Asher and Valeria had reached a fever pitch, the dark hall filled with echoes of thunderous blows and roaring mana.

Sparks showered the ground like flaming rain, while shockwaves rattled the aged walls, filling the space with an oppressive sense of barely-contained calamity.

Rebecca stood far back, pressed against the cold stone, her breaths short and strained.

The sheer scale of the battle before her left her shaken, every bone in her body quivering from the power on display. She couldn’t tear her gaze away, hypnotized by the clash unfolding in mid-air like a war of divine titans.

Valeria moved like a ghost, striking with heavy precision, her blade cutting through the air in violent arcs. Asher matched her blow-for-blow, his dark green flames swirling wildly around his ring blade, each strike rippling with menacing intent.

Finally, seeing an opening, Asher’s eyes narrowed. With one explosive surge, he brought down his blazing ring blade, cleaving through the air with devastating intent toward Valeria’s helmeted face.

*BOOM!*

The impact sounded like an explosion, sending Valeria plummeting toward the ground like a falling star. She struck the stone floor with brutal force, cracks spiraling outward like a spider’s web.

Her heavy sword clattered loudly beside her, the echoes reverberating through the hall.

Valeria did not linger in defeat; her crimson eyes flashed open immediately.

Rising from the rubble with cold dignity, she stood straight—but her helmet suddenly split apart, fractured shards tumbling from her head.

Her hand moved swiftly, catching each shard gracefully before they hit the ground.

As the pieces fell away, a cascade of raven-black hair spilled forth, silky strands framing a pale face of haunting, ethereal beauty.

Rebecca’s heart froze. Her breath hitched painfully, eyes widening in shocked disbelief.

Valeria calmly carried the helmet fragments toward Skully, who observed her silently. She stood before him, head lowered in quiet apology. “Forgive me, Master,” she said softly, her voice as emotionless as her expression. “I didn’t manage to protect it.”

Skully waved his hand dismissively, the helmet pieces dissolving from her palms as if erased from existence, “That is fine. Things like this can always be replaced. I shall forge you a new one.”

Valeria nodded quietly, standing straight once more, her crimson gaze cold and unchanging.

Rebecca took a hesitant step forward, her voice shaking with disbelief.

“Hey…you…” She pointed weakly, eyes flickering between confusion and awe. “Why do you look like…Layla? No…wait… you look a bit like her daughter as well…What the hell…”

Asher turned slightly, noticing Rebecca’s stunned expression. It had completely slipped his mind that she had never seen Valeria’s face before.

He understood her shock all too well; he’d felt the same when he first saw her face. The resemblance to Rowena was undeniable, striking enough to make his heart ache subtly.

Rebecca blinked rapidly, stepping closer but still wary, almost fearful, “I… am I seeing things? Why does she—”

Asher sighed softly, his voice quiet yet firm as he explained, “Because she is Rowena’s elder sister…Valeria Drake.”

“What?!” Rebecca spun sharply toward Asher, her eyes wide with astonishment and horror.

Asher explained further, his voice remaining calm yet tinged with bitterness. He recounted Valeria’s tragic birth, how she’d been born dead due to Zane’s dubious actions, and how Skully had turned her into this powerful undead being—a cold, lifeless guardian bound only to her master’s will.

The more Rebecca heard, the more stunned and horrified she became.

Her eyes darted back to Valeria, observing the eerie stillness in her gaze, the absence of warmth or soul. A shiver passed down her spine.

“You really are her daughter…” Rebecca whispered softly, nearly breathless. “But…you’re dead? How…” Her gaze flickered fearfully toward Skully. The sheer power needed to craft a being such as Valeria filled her with dread.

Then, her fists clenched, scorn and disgust bubbling up inside her. “I can’t believe it,” she spat venomously. “That bastard Zane even ruined his eldest daughter. So much for pretending to be a doting father…hmph! No wonder he didn’t seem to care much about Layla’s death.”

Asher’s expression hardened slightly, his voice cutting and cold. “Don’t forget, Rebecca, that you let yourself get used by Naida and got their mother killed.”

Rebecca flinched visibly, her eyes darting away, cheeks flushed with shame and anger. Her jaw tightened as she struggled with a bitter lump in her throat, finally meeting Asher’s cold eyes with guilt and defiance.

“You’re going to tell Rowena it was my fault, aren’t you?” she murmured bitterly, voice edged with regret and self-loathing.

Asher’s gaze softened briefly, his tone gentler but still firm, “Even if you let yourself be manipulated, it wasn’t your fault Rowena’s mother died. Naida would’ve found another way,” His jaw clenched as he added, “But I needed to remind you—and myself—so we never get used or betrayed like that again.”

Rebecca exhaled shakily, feeling some of the weight lift from her heart, realizing she misunderstood his intentions.

She managed a cold smile, eyes narrowing with fierce resolve. “I promise you…I’ll find that bitch no matter what. She can’t just walk away after what she did to us.”

Skully’s hollow, echoing voice suddenly cut through the heavy silence.

“That woman’s fate is not your immediate concern, Asher Drake.”

Asher turned slowly toward Skully, eyes colder than ice. “Of course not,” he replied firmly. “Those who directly destroyed my kingdom—who annihilated my past life—they will face my wrath first.”

Skully didn’t respond but silently acknowledged his words as if it didn’t matter to him.

Asher cast a sidelong glance toward Valeria. With his newfound strength and clear knowledge of Valeria’s true power after fighting her for a while, he now understood fully—she alone could have protected his kingdom from Drakar’s armies.

They wouldn’t have stood a chance at all. All those tens of thousands of lives could have been saved, and he would still have a home to return to.

Yet, she hadn’t. Of course, he couldn’t blame her since she could only obey her master.

And that meant…

His eyes shifted to Skully, suspicion burning quietly behind his cold stare.

Had Skully intentionally allowed his kingdom to crumble just to claim him?

As though reading his thoughts, Skully’s hollow, emotionless voice rumbled softly through the darkened hall, echoing with a chilling calm.

“You shouldn’t feel unfair about what happened. Your kingdom’s destruction was the only way you would have gained the strength I needed you to have.”

Asher’s eyes darkened, his fists clenching until his knuckles whitened beneath the skin. His voice came strained through gritted teeth, shaking with cold anger, “You can’t say that for sure. If you could have saved my kingdom, I wouldn’t care if you wanted to use me afterward for whatever purpose you have. I would have still gotten stronger without watching everything I cared about burn. We could have made a deal or something.”

Skully shifted slowly, green magma flickering within the charred cavities of his skeletal form. His voice remained flat, mercilessly honest, “No. You wouldn’t. The damned power that courses through your veins is something that feeds upon the strongest forms of darkness—rage, pain, misery. If you’d lived a happier life, you wouldn’t have realized your true potential or grown beyond a peak Soul Devourer. Not until it’s too late.”

The harsh, cruel truth resonated within Asher, echoing painfully inside his chest. He wanted to deny it, to scream at Skully that he was wrong—but deep down, the bitter reality of those words stung sharper than any blade. He stood frozen, jaw clenched, the truth settling heavily like ice in his gut.

Yet…in his heart, he couldn’t shake off this anger and guilt.

Rebecca narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, her dark gaze shifting cautiously between Asher and Skully.

She reluctantly admitted to herself that Skully had a point. Without the tragedy, without the brutal loss Asher suffered, he wouldn’t be standing here now—a being powerful enough to shake this world to its core.

Still, that didn’t mean she liked it. She hated the idea that suffering had to be the catalyst for strength. She knew it better than anyone how true it was.

Asher shook his head bitterly, dismissing the thought before it could overwhelm him. “Forget it,” he muttered, cold frustration lacing his tone.

Turning abruptly toward Valeria, he raised his burning ring blade once more. “Let’s continue.”

“That’s enough,” Skully’s voice cut calmly through the tension, making Valeria immediately halt her step and lower her heavy sword.

Asher stopped mid-stride, glancing over his shoulder with a questioning frown.

Skully continued, the ghostly green glow in his hollow sockets flickering slightly, “I have seen enough to confirm you have proved your strength…for now. However, your combat skills leave much to be desired. From this point onward, I will personally train you.”

Rebecca’s mouth parted in surprise, a quiet, astonished smile forming slowly upon her lips. Skully’s direct instruction meant something incredible—Asher would become virtually untouchable in pure combat.

Nobody would be his equal in this world, not anymore.

Asher’s brows raised slightly, disbelief and curiosity blending across his cold expression. “You…will train me?” he murmured, surprise evident in his tone. He hadn’t anticipated Skully making such an offer.

Even if he was still skeptical about Skully’s motivations, at least he will get stronger in some way.

Yet suddenly, his eyes sharpened again, remembering a crucial matter… especially someone. She was one of the reasons why he even endured all this torture to get here.

“Wait,” he said firmly, stepping forward, his tone demanding. “Since you said I proved my strength, keep your word. Help Lori recover. There’s still a few days before a month is up.”