"Ugh..."

He then tore a piece of cloth from his robe and tied it tightly around his bleeding shoulder to slow the bleeding, then took a deep breath.

’Next.’

He activated [Spirit Eyes] to full power, scanning the entire western sector of the manor. Red lines of demonic energy pulsed in multiple locations.

Two more powerful auras were moving toward the eastern valley, likely responding to the chaos there.

But one signature was particularly concerning: a Mid-tier demon with an unusually dense energy flow, heading straight toward his current position.

It seemed Nyxara’s death had already alerted someone.

Gray’s eyes narrowed.

He used Dream Mist and repositioned himself higher in the trees, becoming nearly invisible among the branches.

He held both Enchanted Demon Hunting Daggers in a reverse grip, preparing himself for a sneak attack.

Minutes later, the new demon arrived.

It was a hulking creature standing nearly three meters tall, with obsidian-black scales, four muscular arms, and glowing orange eyes.

A Rage Brute, a Mid-tier demon specialized in raw physical power and berserk states. Its presence alone made the surrounding trees creak under pressure.

The demon stopped near Nyxara’s corpse and let out a deep, guttural roar that shook the leaves.

"NYXARA!!! Who dares?!"

Gray didn’t give it time to search.

He dropped silently from above, with both daggers aimed at the back of its thick neck.

Schlick!

The daggers sank deep, cutting through scales and drawing black blood.

"ARGHHH!!! WHOOO?!"

The Rage Brute howled in pain and rage, swinging all four arms wildly. One massive fist grazed Gray’s side, sending him flying into a thick tree trunk.

BOOM!

The impact cracked the tree.

"Cough!" Gray coughed violently, tasting blood again.

That single casual swing had carried quite a terrifying force, as expected from a demon solely focused on physical strength.

’Heavy...’

He quickly composed himself.

"[✧Swap✧]"

Then, he quickly switched places with a rock behind the demon. He reappeared and slashed across the brute’s lower back with both daggers in a crossing motion.

Splat!

More black blood sprayed.

The demon roared and spun, its fist smashing the ground where Gray had been a split second earlier.

The earth exploded upward.

Swoop!

Gray used Dream Mist to reposition again, appearing on the demon’s blind side. He drove one dagger deep into its ribs while slashing the other across its arm.

The Rage Brute’s eyes turned blood-red, causing Gray’s eyes to widen in complete surprise.

’He actually entered a berserk state without a Demon Stone?!’

"RAAAAAAAAAAR!"

FWOOOP!

It swung wildly, forcing Gray to dodge and swap repeatedly. Every single punch of the demon, just from the impact alone, destroyed a lot of trees.

Gray continued dodging, but couldn’t deal much damage because of his berserk state that increased his defenses by a low.

Even with the Enchanted Daggers, he needed multiple strikes to cause meaningful damage.

Swip!

He threw three poisoned needles into the demon’s eyes and neck, then used [Nine Heavens Thunder Claw] at close range, tearing a deep wound across its chest.

The brute screamed in fury and grabbed Gray’s arm with one massive hand, lifting him off the ground.

BAAAAAAM!

Gray’s bones creaked under the pressure as a deep pain shot through his body.

With his free hand, he stabbed the dagger straight into the demon’s eye.

Splurt!

The Rage Brute roared and threw him like a rag doll. Gray crashed through several trees before slamming into the ground, rolling several meters.

He coughed up blood, but forced himself up immediately.

"...Shit, I didn’t expect his power to actually be able to match a High-tier Demon when it’s in a berserk state," Gray gritted his teeth.

’Not to mention that he only relies on pure physical strength, meaning that I cannot nullify any of his attacks even if I wanted to.’

"Nine Illusionary Dream Steps... Second Step..."

Gray mumbled, his eyes glowing faintly.

"[✧ Illusionary Clone ✧]"

In an instant, Gray’s figure doubled, causing the brute demon to fall in confusion as he felt the same mana leaking from each one of the bodies.

It was like... they were the same person!

"[✧ Dream Mist ✧]"

One of the figures vanished, while the other swapped positions with a tree, but the demon smashed through it, grabbing him by the leg this time and slamming him into the ground repeatedly.

BOOM!

BANG!

TRAHWACK!

At the same time...

Fwoosh!

A figure suddenly fell from the sky and drove both daggers into the demon’s throat before twisting them viciously.

Spluuuurt!

The Rage Brute gurgled as his black blood shot up like a water fountain.

Gray didn’t hesitate and then pushed both daggers deeper until the demon’s head nearly separated from its body.

Thump...!

The massive creature collapsed with a thunderous crash, shaking the ground.

"Ugh... fucking hell!" Gray fell to his knees beside the corpse, breathing raggedly, covered in his own blood and the demon’s black ichor.

"I didn’t expect the second step to spend sixty percent of my mana reserves! This technique is truly damn expensive...!"

He stayed there for nearly a minute, recovering his breath, before slowly standing up.

Then, he absorbed the demonic energy with the Demon Converging Gourd before crossing out the new name in the book.

At the same time, in the Main Gate of the D’Aurélion Manor... 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Aurora stood gracefully before the giant iron gates of the D’Aurélion Manor, her dark red traveling cloak fluttering lightly in the night breeze.

The full moon hung high above, bathing her in a soft silver light that only enhanced her already breathtaking beauty.

Her long auburn hair shimmered, and her vivid red eyes glowed with a mixture of charm and hidden danger.

Several dozen guards, a mix of elite human soldiers and lower demons in disguised forms, had gathered at the gate, weapons drawn and expressions wary.

"Just a traveler seeking shelter for the night," Aurora called out again, her voice smooth, melodic, and carrying a subtle hypnotic quality.

"I bring news from the capital. The Duke may find it... interesting."

The head guard, a burly man in heavy plate armor, narrowed his eyes.

"State your name and purpose clearly, woman. These are troubled times, and strangers are not welcome without verification."

Aurora smiled gently, and that smile alone made several of the younger guards unconsciously lower their weapons.

She took one elegant step forward, even bowing her head softly.

"My name is not important," she replied softly, tilting her head slightly.

"But the information I carry is. There are movements of royal troops near the eastern border. Rumors say they are investigating... certain illegal pacts with demonic forces. The Duke would surely want to know before the investigators arrive, wouldn’t he?"

A ripple of unease spread through the guards. Some exchanged nervous glances.

Aurora could feel the subtle shift in their emotions as doubt, fear, and greed for information started creeping in.

She released another gentle wave of her mana, not confusing this time, but persuasive.

It wrapped around the guards like wind, clouding their judgment and making them more susceptible to her words.

One of the possessed guards, a mid-tier demon hiding in a human body, stepped forward, its eyes flashing with suspicion.

"You have a strange... smell? A pure smell...?"

Aurora’s smile never wavered.

She looked directly at the possessed guard, her red eyes meeting its glowing ones without fear.

"Perhaps because I am pure," she said sweetly.

"Does that make you uncomfortable?"

The demon visibly flinched.

The scent of her high-quality Yin energy mixed with her natural charm was like poison to lower demons.

It stirred their instincts, making them both attracted and terrified.

Several other demons among the guards began shifting restlessly, their eyes lingering on her body a little too long.

Aurora took another step closer, her cloak opening slightly to reveal the elegant curve of her figure.

"Won’t you let me in?" she asked, voice dropping into a softer, more intimate tone. "I promise I won’t cause any trouble... unless you want me to."

The head human guard swallowed hard, clearly affected.

"Open the gate," he ordered with a slighly hoarse voice.

"But keep her surrounded. We’ll escort her to the outer hall for questioning."

The massive gates creaked open.

Aurora walked forward slowly, surrounded by armed guards. She maintained her gentle smile, but inside, her mind was sharp and focused.

’Good. They’re pulling more forces to the front. Gray should have more breathing room now.’

As they entered the outer courtyard, more guards and a few stronger demons came to investigate the commotion.

Aurora continued speaking softly, feeding them small pieces of fabricated but believable information about royal movements, tax investigations, and rumors of demonic pacts.

Every word was carefully chosen to create doubt and fear.

At the same time, she subtly released more of her mana in controlled pulses, targeting the demonic guards.

The effect was immediate, as several lower demons began acting erratically, their lust and hunger stirred to dangerous levels.

One even stepped too close, reaching out toward her with a trembling hand.

Aurora turned and looked at the demon with a sweet smile.

"Would you like to touch me?" she asked innocently.

The demon froze, then let out a strangled groan as her hidden mana invaded its mind, causing intense confusion and pain.

Then... another demon snarled and suddenly lunged at her!

At that moment, Aurora’s eyes turned cold as she simply waved her hand.

Squisshhh!

SPLUUURT!

Every single demon around her bulged until it exploded, causing a massive amount of black blood to spray around.

However... their blood didn’t touch Aurora at all.

A glistening red barrier could be seen around her, now painted by the blood of those demons.

"How dare mere demons look at me with lust? Only my dear beloved can do that..."

Her voice brimmed with killing intent.