Devouring Dragon Heir

Klaus had just gone outside to talk about something with Caesar when his instincts, honed through countless battles and reinforced by his bloodline, screamed that something was wrong.

A subtle but distinct presence that was both alien and fleeting had registered in his senses for a brief moment.

It had made him feel unsettled, a sense of intrusion into his personal space, so he decided to check.

He took his leave from Caesar's tent, with a simple nod of his head serving as his excuse.

He then activated his Shadow Phase (SSS) skill, his form blurring and melting into the shadows of the camp.

He appeared instantly inside his own tent like a silent shadow.

The sight that greeted him confirmed his suspicions. He saw the figure of Xylos looking around his room.

Xylos's dark, wiry form was a menacing silhouette against the flickering lantern light.

Upon seeing Xylos, the smile on Klaus's face bloomed into a predatory grin. This was not a moment of surprise but of immense satisfaction.

He had anticipated this. He had known that the demons would not sit still after losing their general and army.

Klaus immediately formulated a plan and started producing sounds of footsteps deliberately to alert the demon.

Xylos, on hearing the footsteps, immediately leaped towards the frame of the tent above the canvas window.

Klaus swiftly appeared beside Xylos, as he was not affected by gravity when the skill was activated.

"System, let's take him to the Sanctuary and interrogate him," Klaus said in his mind.

He wanted to use his private subspace, his Sanctuary, to break the demon and extract information, just as he had done with Karl.

He then tried to mentally command the sanctuary to forcefully pull Xylos inside.

Host, the rank difference is too much. So taking that demon inside isn't possible at this moment. You are advised to deal with him in this world.]

"Oh, interesting," he said out loud, a low, amused tone in his voice, without caring about Xylos's presence.

He had thought that a mental command of this type could work on any person, but it seemed he had underestimated the strength of a demon general.

As he spoke, he simultaneously attacked Xylos with his sword, Lost Echo.

He knew that Xylos was quite strong since even the system suggested that.

Klaus had to take him by surprise to end the battle before it even began. Klaus's sword shot towards Xylos's back with a speed that defied any normal SSS-rank speed.

But what he saw after shocked him. His blade, which was supposed to cut through the demon's form, was being gripped by a black, shadowy tentacle that was protruding out of the demon's robe.

The tentacle was not made of flesh but of pure, solidified but flexible metal, a strange metal he had never seen, and it held Klaus's sword firmly. Klaus felt the immense strength of its grip.

He was surprised by the sudden appearance of the tentacle that he had not sensed before. "Is it his skill?? Or is it a pet?"

[Ding! Host, this demon is using a high-level artifact. You are advised to take caution.

Klaus immediately activated Blazing Sky-Dash (S) and shot into the sky with his sword, leaving an explosion of fire behind him.

The sudden burst of speed created a shockwave that blew away the tent and the surrounding trees.

BOOOOM!!

An explosion rang out as Klaus's tent burst apart. The rest of the tents were also razed from the ground, but thankfully no soldiers were there in the vicinity.

The black tentacle that had earlier held his sword, which had been surprised by Klaus's sudden acceleration, was now trying to escape.

It launched itself towards the barren expanse of the camp with a blur of motion, carrying with it the figure of Xylos.

Klaus decided to follow up, but the system's voice sounded in his ears.

Leave it, Host. Artifacts are unpredictable. It is wise to let it go. The energy signature is far too great to be of this world.

Klaus heeded the System's advice and returned to the camp, where Caesar and high-level military officials had gathered.

He landed in front of them, his body relaxed and his attitude nonchalant.

"No need to worry, a demon had sneaked in," he said, his voice calm, "now he's gone. You all can sleep."

Although Klaus had sounded nonchalant, the news he had delivered was chilling.

The soldiers' faces paled when they realized that a demon had entered the camp, undetected by them.

Had it not been for their savior, they would have been massacred while they were asleep or drunk. That night, everyone was tense and could not sleep peacefully, except for Klaus.

-----

Xylos woke up with a sharp gasp, his body in a state of shock. He was lying on a bed of hay, his body sore, his mind hazy.

The last thing he remembered was a cold, alien presence surrounding him, and then a profound darkness.

He was back in the demon camp. The air was filled with a familiar scent of sulfur and burnt metal.

He looked around. The camp was in a state of tense silence. The soldiers, all mutated demons, were moving around with a strange nervousness in their eyes.

He was in a small tent, but it was not his. He was in the second general's tent. He slowly sat up, his body aching from the strain.

"Where... what happened?" he asked in a low, pained voice.

The tent's flap opened, and the second and fourth demon generals entered.

The second general, a hulking demon with a massive axe, had a strange look on his face, a mixture of relief and fear. The fourth general, a thin, cunning demon with snake-like eyes, was also there, his eyes fixed on Xylos with an intense gaze.

"You are awake," the second general said, his voice a low growl. "We were worried you were dead."

Xylos looked at them, his mind still hazy. "What do you mean? I was just... I was just in the human's camp. I was about to kill him...."

The two generals looked at each other. The fourth general then spoke. "We don't know what happened, but you were carried back here by your own robe."

Xylos's eyes widened. He tried to stand, but his body ached with pain. "What?? But it is a life-saving artifact?? How did it activate? I don't believe that even the messenger can make it happen; I am not that weak."

"messenger? What do you mean by messenger?" the second general said, his voice filled with a profound fear.

Xylos looked at them with a grim expression. "There is a messenger among humans."