Silence followed Emilia’s declaration, and Hump could do nothing but gaze at her blade, momentarily lost in its lustre. The air itself seemed to pause, shimmering and distorting as if the world itself was wary of coming too close. The red essence that was usually a faint glimmer on her blade now roared with life, as if her soul had bled into the metal, infusing the rapier with the pulsating energy of her heart.

Power radiated from it, sending a shudder through Hump’s core. This was the power of a Soul Awakened Martial; the embodiment of Emilia’s soul—a beacon of her will made manifest.

Hump knew himself what it meant to reach this point. Soul Awakening was not just about becoming stronger, it was a testament to Emilia’s journey, a physical manifestation of her struggles and triumphs.

The Soul Awakening of a martial was much like the Soul Manifestation of a wizard, but rather than projecting one’s intent on the world, it was about using that intent as a weapon.

In this moment, as the essence of her being intertwined with the will of the world, Hump sensed that the Transcending Blade was more than a technique. It was a promise that she could pierce through any adversity that lay before her. Not just her weapon, but her. That was her intent, and it radiated as bright and powerful as her blade.

Swallowing his nervousness, Hump cleared the lump in his throat. “Congratulations.”

Emilia raised her blade, the world quivering at its presence, a smile spreading across her face. “Thank you, Hump. If I’m honest, I was a little worried all of you might leave me behind. This is a bit of a relief.”

“If I managed, it was only a matter of time for you,” Hump said.

“You’re sweet,” she said. “But no need for that. There are still demons to kill, aren’t there? I think I’d like to put this new power to the test.”

Hump nodded, still caught off guard by the sudden manifestation of power. She was off before her words had fully caught up with him. He watched as she raced through the mushroom grove faster than he could follow, quickly catching up to where Bud, Dylan, and the rest of the company gave chase.

Celaine came to Hump’s side. Nishari followed nervously behind, sniffing at the body of the mind eater before scrunching her nose in disgust.

“Was that what I think it was?” Celaine asked.

“Yep.”

Celaine smiled. “Good for her. That all worked out nicely then. Well, other than a few injuries.”

Hump turned to the tunnel where the war priest, Gideon, remained with his assistant and seven of their wounded.

“Nobody died,” Hump said. “That’s not bad at all for an operation as large as this.”

“It’s not over yet,” Celaine said. “Should we join the chase?”

Hump shook his head. “I want to get started on the dungeon node. The Inquisition wants it removed and handed over to them if I’m to get my hands on some high tier spells.”

Distantly, Hump heard the shouts of the company as they coordinated their pursuit, along with the occasional demonic cry. Ignoring the chase, the three of them made their way over to the dungeon node, set upon the giant mushroom like a pedestal.

The strange fungus made Hump’s blood run cold as he got closer. It fed on the remains of animals spread out around its base—sacrifices given to it by the demons no doubt. Essence pulsed up through thick tendrils, running through its body and gathering to the crystal atop it, like a pearl set in an oyster.

At some point, Nisha stopped and flopped to the ground, refusing to come any closer to its sickly essence. It wasn’t as bad for Hump and Celaine, though it was far from pleasant.

Leaning in closer, Hump eyed the hundreds of tiny tendrils that connected the crystal to the rests of the fungus. They fed it with the essence gathered from its base, pulsing with the chaotic red power of a dungeon, and slowly adding to the node.

“I think it’s still growing,” Hump said. “This entire network of vessels must somehow condense essence into a physical crystal. It’s amazing really. If we could figure out how to do this, we could grow essence stones out of nothing but the essence in the atmosphere.

Celaine gave him a sideways look, unconvinced. “Are you looking to grow your own essence stones?”

“Well… no. I just thought it was interesting.”

Celaine chuckled. “It’s strange how much it looks like flesh. Why do dungeons always do that? Do you remember the walls in the core chamber in Bledsbury?”

Hump nodded. “I guess we’re made up of essence just as they are. Some similarities are natural.”

“We’re made up from a lot more than essence,” Celaine corrected.

Hump shrugged. “Maybe, but it all had to start somewhere. Can I borrow your knife?”

“We’ve been over this before. Use your own knife if you’re going to do something disgusting.”

“I didn’t even tell you what I’m doing yet!”

“You want to chop it out, don’t you?”

Hump glowered at her. “Yeah. Fine.” He drew his belt knife. A basic thing, but it was good steel and would be a shame to ruin it.

Before he could get to work, he heard a shout in the distance. “Hump, you’d best come see this!”

It was Bud’s voice. Hump and Celaine glanced at each other, and he returned the knife to his belt. “I guess this can wait a minute. Nisha, come.”

Finding the company was easy, they simply had to follow the trail of demon corpses. At the back of the chamber, the rest of the company was gathered. There, the mushroom grove gave way to dark grey walls of the cavern, and upon it was a shimmering portal to another world.

A forest of trees lay beyond, as clear as if Hump were gazing through a window. Red grass coated the ground, swaying in the way essence plants always seemed to do. They had black bark, with veins of pale green essence running up through the cracks, leading to a canopy of red leaves that blanketed the above. Through a narrow gap, Hump glimpsed a dark sky filled with silver stars.

“That looks like a portal,” Hump said.

“It is a portal,” Bud said. “The demons fled through here. At least, the ones that managed to escape.”

“There were only a few,” Dylan added.

“And I take it this leads to the Infernal Halls,” Hump said, leaning closer to examine the sky. “Looks pretty.”

Emilia laughed. “The part we saw before had a lot more fire than this, but yes, I assume this is another part of the main dungeon.”

Hump activated his Spirit Sight, and the world of essence appeared before him. It poured through the chamber from the dungeon core, twisting together into thin streams that met the portal, empowering it. He speculated that the same phenomena likely took place on the other side too, maintaining the connection between these two places.

“See anything?” Dylan asked, following Hump’s eye as he examined the wall.

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“The node seems to be sustaining it,” Hump said. “And from the amount of essence, I think the connection is weak. I certainly wouldn’t want to attempt to cross over.”

“Why?” Bud asked. “What would happen?”

“Well, if it’s not strong enough it could collapse for a start,” Hump said. “Then at best we’d be trapped on the other side. At worst…” Hump shrugged and pointed through the portal. “We’d be stuck in whatever place it is between here and there.”

“How do we close it?” Henrietta asked.

“That should be simple,” Hump said. “The dungeon node is empowering it. Remove it from its vessel and this will collapse. I’ll go—”

Hump stopped as he noticed something strange. The portal drew in more essence, and then the entire thing started to shimmer. Hump took a step back, frowning at the development.

The scene changed. The forest was gone in an instant, and now they saw a room of stone bricks. A man stared back at them. No, not quite a man. They had black wings and a tail. Its smouldering eyes studied them curiously.

Hump’s staff glowed as he filled it with essence, prepared for any eventuality. Around him, his party and the other Chosen readied their weapons. The air of casualness was gone in an instant, replaced by one of focus.

“Can it come through?”

“Not sure,” Hump said. “If it’s powerful, probably not.”

“Probably?” Celaine said.

“A wizard never makes promises he can’t keep.”

“I cannot cross over,” the demon said.

Silence took the group as all eyes fixed on the demon. The creature’s mouth twisted into a smile, its white fangs adding to its ruined human appearance.

“It can hear us,” Bud whispered.

“How perceptive of you, child of Kelisia,” the creature said.

“What do you want?” Hump asked.

The creature’s eyes turned to him, his piercing gaze sending an eerie feeling through Hump. “I sensed one of our krufetters was slain. I simply came to see who is poking their nose where they shouldn’t.”

“The mind eater?” Hump asked.

“Yes.”

“Well, we certainly killed it,” Emilia said. “What of it, demon? You can’t come through the portal, so why speak with us at all?”

“You ask of my motives, but you have not even introduced yourselves. Come now! I know enough of your customs to know you’re being rude.”

Bud stepped forward, sword in hand. “I am Robert of Blackthorne, sworn Knight of Kelisia, and the commander of this company. If you wish to speak with anyone, you may speak with me.”

“A pleasure, child of Kelisia. I am Karlac Gormoth. As for my being here, it is simple curiosity. It is good to know those that might intrude on one’s business, is it not?”

“Your business?” Bud asked. “As in, the invasion of our world and the murder of our people?”

Karlac appeared affronted. “I have done no such thing.”

“You are a demon of the Infernal Halls, are you not?” Bud said.

The creature seemed to consider the statement. “More accurately, I am a demon in the Infernal Halls.”

Bud let out a heavy breath. “You twist your words like poison, demon, but you will not weaken my resolve. I stand as a shield against you who would devour us.”

“Devour?” The creature chuckled. “Oh, how limited your perspective is. Devouring is but a crude misunderstanding. I unravel the very essence of a being. Your ‘resolve’ is but a dwindling flame before my will.”

As the two spoke, Hump stepped closer to Emilia, sensing things already going downhill. He whispered, “Emilia, get ready to close the portal. All you need to do is cut the node out.”

She nodded, walking to the back of the company, ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

“Go back to whatever hell spawned you, foul demon,” Bud said. “Our world does not want you or your kind.”

Karlac snorted. “It is not invasion but invitation. Your own kind beckons me, craving the power and chaos I wield. To suggest otherwise is the baffling of a child. You know as well as I do that there are always those that look to my kind for favour and strength.”

“Is that why you speak with us now?” Hump asked.

The demon’s eyes flicked to him and he smirked. “Perhaps.”

“We do not deal with demons,” Bud said. “This conversation has run its course. Begone, demon.”

“I caution you, Robert of Blackthorne. We may be enemies, but there is no need for disrespect. Let us not let our little discussion sour so easily.”

His sword erupted with Frostfire, and an aura of cold blazed around him. “Enough. In Kelisia’s name, I cast you out of this place.”

Behind him, the company cheered and shouted their own remarks.

The demon extended their hand to the side. “How disappointing.”

Smoke erupted from his palm, thickening and taking on the shape of a sword. The demon levelled it in their direction as if participating in a formal duel.

Fire erupted. A blaze of scarlet and heat filled the portal, obscuring everything else from sight.

The demon had never said its magic couldn’t pass through.

"Shield!" Hump barked, his own essence surging to meet the attack. A barrier appeared over the portal just as the fire struck. Fire squashed against the shield and burst out around the edges, just barely out of reach of Bud. The knight ducked and stepped back, his hair singed even through his Heart of Frostfire aura.

The stench of sulphur filled the air—Hellfire. It was a spell Hump had only ever heard of. A demonic flame that consumed life like no other, burning even the soul.

Cold raced through Hump, the drain on his essence too much for his body to handle. Still he needed more. He layered essence into his Shield, weaving channels to reinforce and strengthen it, but already he could tell it was a lost cause. This magic was beyond him.

“Remove the node!” Hump roared. “Back! Everyone back! I can’t hold it for long.”

“Go, Nisha!” Hump said in his mind, sending an image of her retreating to the grove. He sensed her waver, but she relented, backing up a little before watching from a distance. It would have to do.

Bud reiterated his orders and the company retreated until they were out of Hump’s sight. Only Bud, Dylan, and Celaine remained at his side.

Desperate for anything to help, Hump drew his spellbook from his belt. The pages whirled to his Shield spell, and he sent his essence through the pages, utilising the Compact Formations function of his spellbook to maintain the spell while he focused on summoning his essence and meeting the creature’s deadly intent with his own. There was only one thought in the Hellfire—destroy.

Every shred of strength he had went to the defence. He sensed its deadly intent within those flames; a focused power beyond even the lich, as if the spell itself was starving. The weight of it drove Hump back a step. He leant into it, leaning against his staff. Searing hot wind exploded against his face, whipping at his hair and cloak.

“Emilia is already going,” Celaine said, placing a hand on his back, helping him to remain in place. “We’re with you.”

Dylan’s essence encompassed Hump, granting him strength and endurance. More importantly, it gave him a second wind of essence and helped to protect him from the heat. Bud called upon his blessings too, layering his own Aegis of Protection beyond Hump’s. The ice melted, but it reformed quickly.

The pressure lessened, but already Hump could feel his power failing. Cracks began to form. His essence poured from them in blue streaks, all of it power that no longer went to defending against the blazing Hellfire.

Just a little longer, Hump told himself. Emilia would remove the node and the portal would close. Yet at the same time, fear filled him. Even through Bud’s ice, the heat was becoming unbearable. They’d encountered a foe they couldn’t stop, and now they’d pay the ultimate price.

Then as suddenly as it started, the blaze stopped. Karlac lowered his sword of fire and stared straight at Hump. No, his smouldering eyes were on the book in Hump’s hand.

Shit.

Karlac burst into laughter. “You!” The demon roared. “You would risk it here against me? Fool! I will not burn it!”

Hump said nothing. Instead, he used the demon’s words as a chance to reinforce his Shield, still not letting the spell fall. A change came to the dungeon air. The chaotic essence in the chamber faltered, and the portal started to fade.

Yet through what remained, Hump saw Karlac’s unwavering gaze.

“We shall meet again Wielder of the Pages, Bearer of Glyndaril, Disciple of the Wanderer. On my word as Karlac Gormoth. Remember my name, Wizard, for I shall come for you with an offer you cannot refuse.”

The portal vanished, and silence came to the chamber. Hump returned his spellbook to his belt and leant against his staff, exhausted. That singular spell had drained more from him than the entire battle. He stared at the now empty wall, still grasping what the demon had meant. One thing was clear—it had recognised the Book of Infinite Pages, and it knew him to be its owner.

Hump felt eyes on him and turned to see the rest of the company staring from the edge of the mushroom grove. They were all looking at him.

Nisha raced up to his side, and he smiled, petting her scales as she huddled up against him.

“Why did it let us go?” Henrietta asked. “What did it mean when it called you those things, Hump?”

“It meant that I messed up,” Hump said. “It meant that the demon figured out something about me that I’ve done my best to keep hidden. I’d appreciate it greatly if you mentioned this to nobody.”

“As would I,” Bud said, gazing over the company. “This is no business of anyone but Hump’s, understood?”

The company looked at him with concerned faces, but a round of agreement and nods went up.

Celaine leant down beside Hump. “Your eye is showing.”

Hump withdrew his essence from it, letting it return to normal. “Better?”

She nodded. “This isn’t good, is it?”

“No, it bloody isn’t,” Hump said. “The demon was powerful—beyond powerful even. And I think the reason it let us go is that it didn’t want to destroy my book.”

“What do we do now?” Bud asked. “We’ll have to report the demon we just spoke to.”

Hump’s heart raced. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, only now noticing his trembling hand. Nisha pressed harder against him, looking at him with wide, worried eyes.

“If you could leave me out of the report, that would help,” Hump said. “I know that’s asking a lot but I don’t want to risk even a rumour of what happened. Anyone that recognised the book’s presence in Sheercliff would surely put the two together.”

“There is nothing you can’t ask of me,” Bud said, extending a hand to Hump. “I will leave you out, of course.”

Hump took his hand and was heaved to his feet. “Thank you.”

“We shall find a way through this together,” Bud assured him. “Just as you said. All of us are in this together.”

Hump smiled, feeling at least a little for the weight lifted.

“Shame though,” Dylan said. “Things were going so smoothly until you went and ruined it.”

Hump couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Sorry to disappoint.”