Chapter 471: Anomaly

After dinner, Helag and Jim sat in a spacious room at the lodge, sipping hot tea and chatting.

Outside, the wind howled, and snow fell heavily.

The door was tightly shut, as even a small gap would let in the biting cold.

The fireplace roared with flames, and Helag checked its structure to ensure the smoke vent was functioning properly.

He poured himself a cup of steaming tea, added two sugar cubes, and stirred.

The sugar dissolved instantly, and he took a sip, finding it a bit too hot.

Setting the tea down, Helag asked, “Since we have some time, can you tell me more about these extraterrestrial demons? I’m curious about the traces you found.”

Helag’s curiosity was natural; anyone learning about such beings would be intrigued.

Jim replied, “I don’t know much. Lord Arrios said they’re from another plane and very powerful. We’re here because a dead winged demon was found in the Alster Mountains.”

“Winged demon?” Helag was unfamiliar with this world’s creatures and hadn’t heard of such a demon.

Jim, aware of Helag’s foreign origins, explained, “Winged demons are high-level and very strong. The guards here found one and reported it to Amy City.”

“The demon’s body was sent to Amy City, where Lord Arrios examined it and found some anomalies.”

Helag listened intently, sipping his tea.

Jim continued, “Lord Arrios said the demon had several wounds from energy-based attacks, similar to those used by the extraterrestrial demons.”

“Is that enough to conclude? It could be other demons or exorcists with special abilities,” Helag suggested.

Jim agreed, “I thought so too, but Lord Arrios insists it might be extraterrestrial demons. He takes them very seriously and wants to investigate, even if there’s only a slight chance.”

Helag nodded, pondering by the fire.

After chatting a bit more, they retired to their rooms.

Helag lit his room’s fireplace, adding wood until the room was warm.

Lying in bed, he reviewed recent events before entering a meditative state.

About two hours later, Helag felt cold.

Puzzled, he thought his body should withstand the cold, even if the fire went out.

Moreover, he was under blankets, so he shouldn’t feel cold.

Sitting up, Helag found the room pitch black, the fire long extinguished.

He noticed the room was covered in dust, as if untouched for centuries.

Equipping his Storm Giant Shield and drawing his sword, Helag remained vigilant.

The scene felt familiar, reminiscent of his journey to the Abyss Plane, though without the abyssal aura.

He checked his left hand; the plane coordinates were normal, not activated.

Facing the unknown, Helag grew cautious.

Activating Deep Blue’s environmental scan, he surveyed the lodge.

The layout was unchanged, identical to before.

However, the other rooms were empty.

He was alone.

“Is this teleportation? When did it happen?”

Helag examined his surroundings, suspecting he’d been transported somewhere.

Despite his meditative focus, he hadn’t sensed anything unusual.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Suddenly, urgent knocking broke the silence.

Helag turned toward the door, not approaching.

His scan showed the area outside was empty.

“A ghost?”

Helag considered the possibility, using a necromancy spell, Spirit Sense.

The spell detected nearby spirits.

Seeing none, he retrieved a necklace, the Soul-Devouring Crystal.

Purchased from Lady Moran, it purified residual malevolence.

Worn constantly, it turned red near spirits and heated up near powerful ones.

He’d never encountered such spirits.

The crystal remained inert, making Helag doubt its authenticity.

After a moment, he tucked the necklace away, eyeing the door.

The knocking continued, its rhythm erratic.

Helag wouldn’t open the door, opting to see what happened next.

The knocking persisted for half an hour before abruptly stopping.

The sudden silence was eerie, like death itself.

Helag stared at the door, sensing something beyond it, unseen but present.

Boom!

The door exploded, wood splinters scattering, hitting Helag’s Absolute Defense shield before falling.

Dust filled the room, obscuring vision.

Helag saw a two-meter-tall humanoid figure at the door, with strong limbs and bulging muscles, yet a slender waist, giving it a lanky appearance.

Instead of hair, its head was covered in tentacles, swaying aimlessly.

“A cyclops…”

As the dust settled, the creature’s form became clear.

It had a single large eye and a mouth full of sharp teeth, arranged in rows like a shark’s.

Looking down, Helag saw its feet resembled daggers, glinting coldly.