Modern World Warlock-Chapter 80: Umbra Perception

After Dante caught a shadow demon that was following the teenager, he squeezed his neck tighter and asked how many more demons were hiding ahead.

The demon replied between breaths that there were two more, aside from his boss.

"Why were you following this kid?" the warlock asked.

"L-Lord Malgaroth…" the demon tried answering.

"I see… So you lure people in here for Malgaroth to eat," Dante continued. "Did you feed your blood to anyone?" he asked.

"N-No… I was not allowed," the creature replied, struggling to get a single breath.

"And how many people have you lured to Malgaroth?" Dante asked, his tone intimidating and severe.

The shadow demon bit his lips, barely uttering the word "sixty," prompting Dante to light up his hands with black fire that instantly scorched the demon’s neck before spreading throughout his body.

The teenager was still perplexed, rubbing his eyes in disbelief after seeing Dante completely destroy the monster.

"M-Mister!" the boy yelled, catching the warlock’s attention.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

"My friend, Tommy… He was hit with something up ahead!" the teenager continued.

The boy didn’t know anything about Dante, and he was still quite confused about his situation. However, he could tell that the warlock was strong enough to hold himself against the sewer monsters, so he subconsciously asked him for help.

"Take us there," Dante replied, allowing the boy to step ahead of them as a guide.

As they kept walking, Zac and Megan noticed a reddish, ethereal smoke coming from the deep end of the sewer, making them stop for a brief second.

"What’s that?" Megan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hmm?" Dante turned to look at his companions with curiosity.

"You see it too, right? That red smoke?" Zac asked the brunette.

"W-what red smoke?" The teenager asked the pair, as he could barely see anything with the light from his phone.

"Huh, you guys see it?" Dante pondered aloud.

"Of course I do. It would be difficult NOT to see it…" said the brunette. "What is it?" she continued.

"That’s umbra," Dante answered, placing a hand on his chin.

Megan and Zac weren’t supposed to be able to perceive umbra, as it was something that only warlocks and certain mages could do.

While they couldn’t sense the umbra flowing from an ordinary person, the evil energy that was coming from the deepest part of the sewer was so dense that they were able to see it.

The pairs’ perception of the umbra wasn’t as clear as Dante’s, who mentioned he had spotted the "red smoke" ever since they entered the sewers. Still, he was impressed that they could sense it at all.

"It’s definitely got something to do with the soulstones I gave you…" Dante commented.

"Hmmm, honestly, this might make it harder for you guys," he continued.

The warlock explained that, sometimes, ignorance was bliss. Now that the pair would be able to tell the power level of their opponent, he believed that it would make it harder for them to act.

On the other hand, if they hadn’t been able to perceive the demon’s umbra, then they would have encountered the monster with more confidence.

"Don’t let it bother you. I’m here…" said Dante, resuming their jog, guided by the teenager.

After a few more meters, the umbra flowing inside the sewer halls got even denser, giving Megan and Zac an eerie feeling that made it harder for them to advance.

’It feels cold. It’s like my mind is yelling "danger!" at me from all directions…’ Zac thought.

’So, this is what he meant by saying that ignorance is bliss. If I couldn’t see this umbra, it would be easier to keep walking…’ the redhead continued.

At one point, they reached an area where the canal was shallow, divided by a rusty metal gate that was half destroyed.

"Here!" the boy shouted.

When Dante went through the broken gate, he spotted another teenager with red hair like Zac, impaled to the wall by an obsidian spike that went through the right side of his chest.

"Tommy!" the boy shouted, but his friend didn’t react.

The teenager was unconscious, but Dante could see that his heart was still beating.

"He lost a lot of blood…" Dante muttered, flicking his finger against the obsidian spike and shattering it into dust, catching Tommy’s body before it hit the ground.

Zac quickly approached them and took out a healthstone from his pocket, putting it in Tommy’s hand and squeezing it, generating the healing green mist that slowly covered the teenager’s body.

A few seconds later, the boy opened his eyes slightly, seeing the face of his friend and Zac beside him.

"Jake…?" The boy whispered, instantly falling asleep right after.

"So, your name is Jake?" Dante asked the kid.

"Uh, yes! Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself!" He urgently replied.

"Don’t worry about it…" The warlock said in a soft tone.

Turning his attention to the microphone with Camille, he told the handler that he would be borrowing Cerberus for a little bit.

The puppy was peacefully sleeping on his bed before getting caught and teleported away to Dante’s location via a summoning spell, appearing inside the sewers looking a bit dazed.

"Sorry, buddy. I need your help for a moment," Dante apologized to the dog, giving him a few pats on the head.

The puppy adorably shook his head and body, letting out a hearty bark that symbolized his eagerness to help.

"Please escort these kids outside. I’m counting on you," said Dante.

"Wh-what?" Jake muttered, shocked that a cute puppy had suddenly appeared in there.

"Follow the dog. I promise he will keep you two safe," the warlock replied.

’I-is this puppy really going to do that!?’ Jake thought, gazing at Cerberus, who waited for the teenager to start walking.

As Jake carried his unconscious friend on his back, he took one last look at the trio who helped him and followed Cerberus to the exit.

"Now then, we are getting close… How are you two holding up?" Dante asked his companions.

"Well… I’m holding, that’s for sure!" Zac replied, a small sweat drop coming down his temple.

Megan crossed her arms with a displeased look in her eyes. "It truly feels nasty in here," she muttered.

With the pair being able to sense the dense umbra coming from Malgaroth, their bodies kept reacting with caution and disgust the deeper they walked.