Chapter 29 : The City Grows More Terrifying

It was late afternoon, yet Zhao still hadn't regained consciousness. The good news was that his condition had improved compared to earlier.

Yamile looked extremely worried as she saw her younger brother lying helplessly. Because of that, Uncle Marco suggested that the siblings hide in the hills. There was a cave there that Marco and Tora had already been using as a hideout.

However, Tora did not go to the cave. He instead chose to head into the city. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about it and believed he needed to gather as much information as possible. This was particularly relevant to their adversaries—fighting them with comprehensive intelligence would simplify matters significantly.

Tora went straight to retrieve the car he had left at a local's house on the hillside.

He drove his old car downhill at a moderate speed. The winding, rocky road forced him to be cautious. Still, his mind was filled with unease he couldn't explain. His heart was restless, as if something in the city was terribly wrong.

After a long drive, he finally arrived at the city as the sun had just set. The city was eerily quiet—only the sounds of barking dogs and whistling wind could be heard. It was terrifying.

Damaged public facilities and out-of-service streetlights gave the impression that chaos had just broken out. Tora felt a shiver run down his spine as he navigated through the city. His car was the only one on the road.

The silence deepened his anxiety. He parked the car in an alley between buildings and leapt onto the rooftops to get a full view of the city.

"What's going on here? It's like there's no sign of life," he muttered, seeing how desolate the city was. It seemed the people had fled.

Then faint sounds began to rise in the distance. Laughter—wild and eerie—grew louder, approaching Tora's location. He quickly hid behind the water tank on the rooftop, his eyes scanning every corner.

Shadows began flying across the sky, destroying everything in their path—cars, motorcycles, house windows, even park lights.

"HIHIHIHIHI!" their laughter echoed throughout the city, like a wave of terror.

"That's the Kalanak demon horde," Tora murmured upon seeing them. "I didn't expect them to start spreading terror in the city center."

Their powers had awakened. They wore all white with long hair. The Kalanak demon woman looked beautiful but terrifying. Fangs protruded from their lips, and their eyes glowed red.

They flew around the city wreaking havoc. Some entered homes and emerged carrying young children—about five years old.

"Please, don't take my child!" a man cried, chasing a Kalanak demon who was flying away with his child.

His heavily pregnant wife stood behind the man, sobbing loudly after losing her child. "Please don't take my child!" she screamed.

"Why are those demons kidnapping children?" Tora muttered.

He watched as the demons carried children westward.

"They must be gathering the children in one place," he speculated.

Curious, he decided to follow. Using his monkey-like powers, Tora leapt swiftly from one building to another. His long, quick jumps made him difficult to detect.

He followed the demons until they reached a road where a large truck was parked. To his shock, the truck bed was already filled with kidnapped children.

"Where are they taking them?" Tora wondered.

He kept watch from behind a crumbling building, eyes sharp on every move. The demons covered the truck's back with a partially lifted tarp in pitch black, tossing children into it like cargo. The children's cries and screams were heartbreaking, but the fang-toothed kidnappers paid them no mind.

"This isn't just a kidnapping. They're after something in these kids," Tora whispered.

While Tora was busy with his surveillance, things were different in the cave where Marco, Yamile, and Zhao were hiding. It was pitch black, the only light coming from a small campfire.

Yamile kept crying out of worry for her brother. Zhao lay weakly on a small bed, just big enough for one person.

"He'll be fine," Marco said calmly, sitting near the fire. His voice was steady but full of conviction. He stared into the dancing flames, as if trying to calm his thoughts.

Still, Yamile couldn't hide her anxiety. She held Zhao's cold hand tightly. "But he hasn't woken up since this afternoon. The venom from that Poccog demon's bite must still be active," she whispered.

Time crawled by slowly, marked only by Yamile's sobs. Night deepened, and the fire began to fade. Yamile remained by Zhao's side. Suddenly, Zhao's hand twitched slightly. His eyelids slowly opened.

"Yamile…" Zhao murmured faintly, his voice barely audible.

"Zhao!" Yamile cried as she hugged him, tears of relief soaking her cheeks. "You're awake… finally!"

Marco approached and checked Zhao's pulse. "His vitals are stabilizing. But he'll need time to recover."

Zhao tried to sit up, his body still frail. "What… happened? Where's Tora?"

"He went to the city. To track the enemy's movements," Yamile replied.

"I need to train more. I don't want to lose again," Zhao said, trying to stand, but Yamile stopped him. His body wasn't ready.

"No! You need to rest first," Yamile insisted, pushing him gently back down.

"Your sister's right, Zhao! Don't be reckless—recover your strength first," Marco added.

Zhao truly wasn't ready. When he tried to stand, his legs couldn't hold him. He almost fell, but Yamile caught him just in time.

"Your father and I place enormous hope in you—Yamile, Zhao, and Tora," Marco said suddenly, surprising both siblings.

"What do you mean, Uncle?" Yamile asked.

"Whether you've suspected it or not, your father and I both inherited demon powers. I passed on the Amonan demon to Tora."

Yamile and Zhao were stunned.

"Back then, your father and I searched for demonic power. We wanted strength that could effectively destroy enemies. We underwent countless rituals until we managed to awaken those powers. Your father gained the Niroki power. I acquired Amonan."

"But someone grew jealous of our success. He was my superior at the intelligence agency. He performed a ritual too and gained the power of the Gandarwo demon."

"What?!" Zhao gasped.

"That's the demon king…" he added in a hushed tone.

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