Royal Bastard's Bloodstained Regression-Chapter 92: Lies in the Dark

"Hey! You two quit slacking!" another soldier barked, stomping toward them.

Daemon turned casually. The man looked irritated, like someone who'd just come back from taking a leak and found everything suspiciously quiet.

"Did you see my partner?" he asked, scanning the area.

Feigning concern, Daemon tilted his head. "You mean the other guy? Strange... he said he heard something weird deeper inside the dungeon and went to check it out."

"What?" the soldier frowned. "Deeper inside? That's a death wish. What exactly did he hear?"

Daemon shrugged. "Dunno. Sounded like a growl. Some kind of wild animal, right, Varian?"

Varian nodded, eyes wide with fake concern. "Yeah, man. Real creepy. He told us not to follow him. Said to keep working like normal."

The soldier narrowed his eyes. "You two are acting way too casual. That cave's dangerous and no one with half a brain would walk into it alone. Are you messing with me? Did you do something to him?"

Daemon raised his voice, throwing on his best act. "What?! No! We didn't do anything! I'm completely innocent!"

Varian nearly choked trying to hold back his laughter. He looked away, shaking his head. For someone so deadly, Daemon could lie with the face of a saint.

The soldier spotted Varian grinning. "What's so funny? You two think this is a joke?!"

"Relax," Varian said. "If we killed your buddy, would we be standing here smiling?"

"But that's exactly what you're doing you bastard!."

"Damn it, what's so scary about this dungeon anyway?" Daemon asked, feigning frustration.

The soldier glared at him like he was the dumbest man alive. "There are monsters in there,ones that generate the mana stones themselves! Didn't you notice they're green? That's not natural, fool! Going in there is suicide. Everyone knows that!"

He jabbed a finger at Daemon. "And that's exactly why I think you two killed my partner. I'm reporting this to Captain Timothy. I'll make sure they give you both the slowest, most painful death in this hellhole!"

Varian's grin slowly faded. He leaned closer to Daemon and muttered under his breath, "Okay... now we're in trouble."

"Wait!" Daemon suddenly shouted. "Let me tell you the truth!"

The soldier froze, eyes narrowing.

Daemon pointed toward the cave. "There he is. Your partner. He's standing right there."

The soldier blinked, squinting into the green-lit tunnel. "I'm not seeing anything. I knew it,you killed—"

"No, look closely," Daemon said calmly. "He's just sleeping."

The soldier narrowed his eyes, staring into the shadows.

Behind him, Daemon stepped closer.

Crack.

Thud.

The soldier crumpled to the ground, neck twisted cleanly—no noise, no fight.

Varian stared at the corpse. "That's two now. You do know this is going to bring serious heat, right?"

Daemon didn't even look back. "I know."

He turned toward the dungeon entrance, eyes scanning the green glow that pulsed from within.

"But there's something in this dungeon. That's more important."

Without another word, he turned and walked into the cave.

Varian sighed. "Wait up, man. We're companions, remember?"

He jogged after Daemon, laughing as they disappeared into the green-tinted shadows,leaving behind two corpses and a growing mystery.

Meanwhile, Nyxtriel stood at her post with Team 2, her expression unreadable, but her thoughts far from calm. She wasn't worried because Daemon was in danger she knew better than anyone how dangerous he could be. Still, she couldn't shake the itch beneath her skin.

She just wanted to know how he was doing.

"You've been sighing non-stop," Rhea said, stepping up beside her. "Missing that boy already?"

Nyxtriel didn't look at her. Her tone stayed flat. "No. And it's none of your concern, Rhea."

Rhea smirked but said nothing more. She turned back to her position but inside, her distrust only deepened. Nyxtriel was hiding something, and Rhea would find out what.

Nyxtriel folded her arms, her eyes scanning the horizon. She couldn't see where Daemon was not with that prisoner, Number 444. The same one who had seen them together before. If he talked, Daemon's cover could be blown. She stood in silence, quietly praying he wouldn't be reckless.

Back in the dungeon, Daemon and Varian moved deeper into the green-lit tunnels. The air was getting heavier, thicker with mana, and something else,something that smelled like decay and old magic.

"Hey," Varian said, breaking the silence. "You think this place is a mid-level dungeon? Or are we talking high-level?"

Daemon didn't answer right away. His steps didn't slow.

"Why are you asking me?" he finally said. "You're an aura user too, aren't you?"

Varian scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Damn. So I really couldn't hide it from you, huh? You're stronger than me."

"Maybe."

Daemon stopped, letting the silence settle around them like fog.

"And to answer your question it's a high-level dungeon. No doubt. The fact that mages are scared to even get close to this place tells you something's waiting down there. Something strong. And old."

Varian gave a nervous laugh. "You sound like a pro, Uncle."

Daemon shot him a look.

"Relax, I'm kidding," Varian said. "But seriously... a dungeon this deep, this dense with mana? No tank, no healer, no support how the hell are we supposed to survive this?"

Daemon glanced deeper into the tunnel where the green glow pulsed brighter with every step.

"What are you even looking for?" Varian asked, stepping carefully over a jagged rock. "You come all the way down here like you've got a vendetta or something. Is this a grudge thing?"

Daemon didn't slow his pace. "It's none of your concern."

"Ouch. Harsh," Varian said with a grin. "I just thought, since I did help you cover up that whole 'killing an officer' situation, maybe we were in this together. You know mutual criminal bond?"

"Listen, kid," Daemon said, his tone sharper now. "Just because I don't go around snarling doesn't mean I'm your friend. I'm not someone you want to get close to. Take my advice go back while you still can."

He turned and walked off without waiting for a response.

Varian chuckled and followed. "No chance. You're the most fun I've had in this entire miserable prison. I'm sticking with you."

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble.

A low rumble echoed through the tunnel.

Daemon's instincts kicked in. He grabbed Varian by the collar and shoved him against the cave wall. "Stay back."

From the shadows, creatures emerged tall, hunched figures with leathery light-brown skin and glowing red eyes. Their howls echoed like wild animals. Dozens of them. Ferals.

"Low-tier monsters," Daemon muttered. "Feral rank. Weak... but in numbers, they're a problem."

He glanced down at his empty hand and exhaled. "Nyxtriel...ah right she's not here."

His fist clenched.

"Damn," Varian said, eyes scanning the swarm. "We're unarmed. What are we supposed to do against that many?"

Daemon stepped forward, his expression unchanged. "Who said I need a weapon?"

The ferals screamed louder as Daemon faced them directly. Then—

A pulse of black energy surged from his legs. Shadowy tendrils whipped around him, spiraling like coiled serpents. The cave dimmed, as if the mana itself recoiled.

Varian stumbled back, eyes wide. The air was thick with something... unnatural. Demonic.

Daemon raised a hand.

"Eclipse Claw."

The black tendrils snapped forward, twisting into a monstrous face wide, grinning, filled with razor-sharp teeth. In one blink, it lunged.

The creatures didn't even have time to react.

Crunch. Rip. Snap.

The monstrous maw devoured them in seconds. Bones shattered. Screams were swallowed.

Silence returned.

Daemon lowered his hand. His breathing was calm.

Varian stared at the shredded remains scattered across the cave floor, then back at Daemon.

"Okay..." he said quietly. "Remind me never to piss you off."

The ground trembled again—heavier this time. More of the feral monkey-creatures came pouring through the tunnel, their shrieks echoing off the stone walls like sirens.

"That last attack must've alerted the rest," Daemon muttered, already stepping forward to meet them.

But Varian held out an arm. "Nope. My turn."

Daemon stopped, raising an eyebrow.

"I've gotta prove something too, y'know," Varian grinned. "I'm not just tagging along."

The swarm of beasts caught sight of them—and snapped. They shrieked, eyes glowing red as they surged forward in a frenzy.

"Fang Overdrive!"

Varian's body pulsed with a flash of aura. His canines extended into jagged fangs, and his fingernails stretched into curved claws, gleaming like steel. His muscles flexed as energy surged through his limbs.

He charged in with reckless speed.

What followed was chaos—controlled, savage chaos.

Varian ripped through the first feral with a clean slash to the throat, blood spraying across the stone. He spun, ducked, and tore through another one's chest with his claws. One lunged from the side—Varian caught its head in his jaws and crushed it like a fruit, tossing the body aside.

He was a blur of teeth and blood. A predator born for violence.

He didn't just fight—he devoured. Ripping, shredding, feasting on his enemies as he moved.

Within seconds, the cave floor was covered in broken bodies, twitching limbs, and spilled blood. freewёbnoνel.com

The last feral let out a strangled howl before collapsing, its spine severed.

Varian stood in the middle of it all, panting, blood dripping from his mouth and hands.

"Phew." He wiped his mouth with the back of his arm. "How'd I do?"

Daemon stared at him, unreadable. This kid... wasn't normal.

His style was brutal—savage, even. He fought like an animal. Was he raised that way? A barbarian clan, maybe? Somewhere that used feral combat as a way of life?

Daemon looked down at the blood-soaked floor, then back up at Varian.

"You did well," he said simply. "But we don't have time for a show. More are coming."

From behind, the shrieks of more monkey-creatures echoed again.

Daemon and Varian exchanged a look, then took off deeper into the dungeon.

As they ran, something caught their eye—a round symbol etched into the ground, glowing faintly. A tortoise, drawn in elegant, spiraling lines.

"What is this weird drawing?" Varian asked, stepping on it.

The ground shifted.

Before either of them could react—

CRACK.

The floor gave way beneath them.

They fell—fast—into the darkness below.

THUD.

They landed hard on a lower platform, deep in the underbelly of the cave.