The Broken Halo

Simon remained seated for several breaths after opening his eyes.

Everything inside him felt heavier, faster, and far more complete.

His Infernal Heart beat with enough force for him to feel each pulse through his chest, back, arms, and legs. Every beat pushed purer Chaos through pathways that had widened several times during his advancement.

He slowly stood.

Then he looked at his right hand, clenched it once, then threw a short punch without using demonic energy.

BANG!

The air burst in front of his fist.

Dust exploded from the cave wall several metres away, and thin cracks spread across the black stone.

Simon raised a brow.

He shifted his weight and delivered a low kick.

WHOOSH!

The wind created by his leg swept stones across the cave. A broad piece of rock split from the wall and crashed beside the dried husk of the Furnaceback Centipede.

Simon stopped before he damaged the cave enough to bury himself.

He rolled his shoulders and flexed his fingers while studying the strength inside his body.

When he first became a Minor Archfiend, his base physical strength had already been enough to comfortably fight an average Minor Greater Demon. He had always been abnormal, but the three advancements and the physical essence of the Furnaceback Centipede had taken that abnormality much further.

Right now, his base strength had reached the upper level of Supreme Greater Demons.

He might physically overwhelm many of them without using an artifact or technique.

However, he was still not as strong as a Half-Step Demon Lord in his base state.

The difference between a Greater Demon and a Demon Lord was not something that could be crossed merely because Simon had devoured one powerful beast.

Still, base strength was only one part of Simon’s power.

He possessed the Chaos Blade, Chaos Wraps, Chaos Flames, his ocular abilities, mental techniques, six affinities, the Fury Tempest Art, Broken Rhythm Art, and several other methods that could change a battle completely.

With everything available to him, Simon was confident that he could defeat an ordinary Minor Demon Lord.

A Prime Demon Lord was another matter.

Even surviving such a battle would require him to reveal several hidden cards, and victory would remain extremely difficult. The gap between Greater Demons and Demon Lords was enormous, while the difference between each minor rank within the Demon Lord realm was also far greater than what most weaker demons understood.

’I have become much stronger, but I have not become invincible.’

Simon lowered his hand.

There were several reasons he had stopped at ninety-two percent instead of continuing to cultivate.

The first was his bloodline.

He could refine the remaining eight percent of his Infernal Heart later, but he could not take the step into becoming a Half-Step Greater Demon or a true Greater Demon without abandoning the bloodline evolution he had been preparing for.

That would be beyond foolish.

His desire to evolve his bloodline was one of the main reasons he involved himself with Black Banner, Black Horn, Crownless Dawn, and the invasion to Earth.

Crossing into the Greater Demon realm with his current bloodline would damage that goal.

Power gained too early could close the path toward far greater power later.

’I will not ruin years of potential merely because I’m close to the next realm now.’

There was also the problem of his identity.

Blackmoon had left Velmora and entered the convoy as a Minor Archfiend.

Everyone had watched him get swallowed by a Half-Step Abyssal Beast.

If he returned alive as a Half-Step Greater Demon, or worse, a true Greater Demon... Korran, the Biggest Kev, the surviving officers, and every recruit who remembered him would demand an explanation.

Even returning as a Supreme Archfiend would create questions.

Simon was not particularly worried though.

The solution was simple.

He would lie.

He could decide on the details after learning what happened to the convoy and what Black Horn currently believed about his death. A lie built after seeing their evidence would be far better than one created blindly inside a cave.

However, Sonya and Akaza would be more difficult.

’Fooling Sonya and Akaza will not be easy. They know more about me than Korran or anyone else in Velmora.’

Simon shook his head slightly when he had this thought, then his expression became slightly strange when he thought about the High B grade earth affinity now resting inside his Infernal Heart.

The next time Sonya sensed him through the ground, she would feel the earth responding to his demonic energy.

He had possessed no earth affinity before the convoy left.

Now he possessed a respectable one.

She would definitely be stunned, suspicious, and most likely, extremely annoying about it.

Simon released a quiet sigh.

Despite how Sonya would behave, that did not mean he regretted taking the affinity.

Sonya and Akaza were useful, talented, and closer to him than most demons. Their suspicions mattered more than Korran’s, but not enough for Simon to limit his own growth.

They were not the Shadowgrave Clan.

They were not an organisation capable of placing thousands of eyes around him and trapping him inside its territory.

If they asked questions, he would give the answer he wanted to give irrespective of their feelings.

Another reason for stopping was time.

Simon had lost all sense of it during the refinement.

[Lilith.]

[What now?]

Simon rolled his eyes at her tone.

[How long was I cultivating?]

Lilith remained silent for a moment.

[Two days and six hours.]

Simon’s eyes narrowed slightly.

[That long?]

[You refined the energy of a Half-Step Abyssal Beast and crossed three ranks. Did you expect to finish before your next meal?]

Simon ignored her tone.

Two days was not disastrous, but it changed the situation outside.

The original handover window had definitely passed. The convoy had either continued its journey, retreated, or done something else entirely.

The Voice would also be waiting for news about the cases.

Simon turned toward the dried Furnaceback Centipede.

There was no reason to leave the husk behind.

He walked to its head and placed one hand against the cracked black plate.

The Chaos Wraps covering his arm became warm.

Black Chaos Flames appeared beneath his palm.

They spread across the enormous husk in silence.

The dry flesh caught first. Then the flames entered the empty vents, crawled beneath the plates, and moved through every hollow segment.

The mummified body collapsed inward.

Its armour blackened, cracked, and broke into smaller pieces. Those pieces burned until even the toughest plates became grey ash.

Within seconds, nothing remained of the Half-Step Abyssal Beast except a thick layer of dust across the cave floor.

Simon withdrew his hand and the Chaos Flames disappeared.

Then he turned toward the sealed entrance and began walking.

Behind him, a gust of wind swept the ashes of the Furnaceback Centipede away.