Demonic Invasion

~step~step~step~

Asher and Berk made their way through the decimated camp, trying to avoid all the demons they could.

"Why are there suddenly so many demons?" Asher asked in a low voice. "Is it a dungeon outbreak?" 

Dungeon Outbreaks were a horrible event that happened when Demons had managed to escape the confines of the dungeon. And whenever they did they caused many casualties. They were the entire reason why fortresses were built around them to monitor them twenty four-seven. 

"I wish it was a dungeon outbreak." Berk said, making Asher feel chilled. "This is far greater than that… It's a Demonic Invasion." He revealed, making Asher gasp.

"I-Invasion!?" Asher gulped, pausing for a moment but Berk pulled him along to move.

"Don't stop," he warned him. "But yes, a Demonic invasion." Berk confirmed.

If a dungeon outbreak was considered a horrible event, then a Demonic invasion was considered a calamity. Almost every time it had happened, there had been mass casualties numbering in the millions. Asher had heard stories about them when they happened in the past. 

From what Asher knew, Demons were from the Demon world. They entered their world through either dungeons or a strange phenomena called as portals. Both of these entry points were often located underground and as such, demons would pour out from the ground during an invasion.

"B-but how?" Asher questioned. "There's never been an invasion here, has it? Didn't they say that they only happen far in the north?" He asked, feeling confused.

"I don't know… There must have been some change." Berk replied. "But I don't think this is the first invasion… There was another event in the past that we thought was a dungeon outbreak. But now that I think of it, it might have been a smaller invasion." He revealed, shocking Asher.

"It happened here in the past!? When?" Asher questioned in shock.

"Sixteen years ago." Berk answered.

"Sixteen years ago? Wouldn't that be—" Asher suddenly realized.

"Yes… Shortly before you and your mother arrived in the Crude Lands." Berk answered. "Though the demons back then were quickly killed by the warriors and mages. We were lucky that an entire new regiment was being sent to the fortress and was on their way there when it happened." He explained.

Asher was silent upon hearing that, not knowing that they had been in an invasion prone area all this time. 

"And they didn't tell anyone it was an invasion?" Asher questioned.

"There's no way they didn't know about it being an invasion. They probably just hid it so that the work here wouldn't stop." Berk said feeling angry too. "Since they managed to stop it in time, the people didn't find it suspicious. But now I know it… that was definitely an invasion too." 

"How can they do this?" Asher felt wronged. 

It was common protocol for an area that had faced an invasion to either be evacuated entirely or for the security there to be exponentially increased. A direct fortress was also supposed to be built wherever an invasion had happened, as there was a high chance another invasion would happen in the future.

"This isn't the first time they've probably done this." Berk knew how the people and their greed worked. 

The ore production in the Crude Lands might have become low in recent years, but it was not always so. Up until five years ago, the production was high enough that the fortress never had a lack of weapons. In fact, there was often a surplus supply of ore which sold for a nifty profit.

Of course, the profit went straight to the pockets of the overseer as well as the lord that ruled over the territory. Even when the production had fallen, it was still profitable since the cost of labor was a fraction of what would be paid to miners elsewhere.

As such, the crude lands were still a source of steady income for the lord. 

But if it was declared to be land prone to a Demonic Invasion, all the profit from it would stomp. Instead, the lord would have to pay a fortune from his pocket to either shift the people elsewhere or set up a new fortress there.

The first option was simply impossible since this was the Crude lands. The people living here were unwanted in other places, and were mostly exiles or those with a dark past. Shifting them elsewhere would only cause more conflict, and that was if anyone would even be willing to tolerate them.

The option of building a fortress would be a huge money sink, with the addition of the mines becoming a waste. Mining in an area prone to invasions was simply impossible, as the mines would be sealed up as possible points of entry.

With both options being a loss for the lord, there was a third path that he pulled out. 

Simply by declaring that it was a Dungeon outbreak and not a Demonic Invasion meant that he could continue to reap profits for a few more years or even longer, until the next invasion happened. 

"The lord probably hoped that the mines would have been mined dry before the next invasion happened." Berk said, having figured out a lot. 

"And now we're paying for his choices." Asher muttered, clenching his fist.

~Sigh~

"Such is life…" Berk shook his head as the two climbed into a half collapsed hut. "Let them pass." He said, watching three winged demons in the distance.

"What happened to the guards?" Asher suddenly recalled. "I didn't see any of them here. Not even their corpses." He added.

"They aren't in our camp." Berk replied. "The demons started coming in from the northern side first, so the guards rushed there to stop them. We thought that it was an outbreak from the dungeon there, but we then felt the ground quake." He answered.

"Wait… So it wasn't just the mines around Trench Rot Cave that collapsed?" Asher asked as tens of thoughts appeared in his mind.

The implications of it all were huge, and he didn't know how bad of a situation they really were in.