******
By the time Xylen finally ’convinced’ Venomspite and the remaining seven demons to offer their unwavering loyalty for the upcoming conquest and finalized the battle plans toward the next day, fifteen of the precious twenty-four hours had already slipped away and it was already near morning.
Without wasting another second, Xylen, once again wrapped in his black robe, left the meeting place with Lilith by his side.
The eight demons watched them go, their burning crimson eyes gleaming with newfound respect and anticipation, their jagged forms barely containing the restless energy surging through them like living embers.
The two hurried back in the direction of the mansion under the cover of night which seemed to have become devoid of life, the village eerily silent.
By now, every other demon had already retreated to their homes, leaving the streets lifeless and completely shrouded in darkness, with not even a single streetlight to pierce through the gloom.
Before long, the two reached the mansion, creeping carefully along the stone walls. But just as they stepped onto the courtyard...
"Who goes there?!"
A sudden deep, guttural voice shattered the silence, vibrating through the night like a war drum, every word soaked in hostility and aggression.
Hearing it, Xylen and Lilith froze, their hearts lurching in their chests.
But before they could react, a hulking demon stepped out of the shadows, his scales sharp as blades glinting against the dim torchlight.
His face was rough and jagged, worm-like veins pulsing under the skin, and his eyes glowed like molten lava.
The moment this Demon was sighted, recognition flashed in Lilith’s eyes, and in the following second, her heart sank.
"Shit..." she hissed, her voice barely a whisper but filled with frustration and dread.
Xylen, however, instantly caught the change in her expression.
He shot her a subtle glance and just then, Lilith leaned closer.
"He’s one of your uncle’s loyal hounds — he followed him out of the village today," she whispered, her voice urgent and anxious.
The moment Xylen heard this, he froze, stunned in place for a second, but then his chest tightened, a sudden cold sweat breaking out along his spine.
In the following moment...
’This is bad.’ He thought, a sudden panic creeping into his thoughts, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched the guard close in on them, the demon’s aura filled with killing intent.
A fleeting thought instantly crossed his mind: ’Should I quickly escape into the night?’
’No, this wouldn’t do.’ He quickly dismissed the idea.
While getting caught right here by the guard meant failure, running away would only raise more suspicion and possibly draw out even worse consequences.
Understanding this, Xylen’s thoughts spun like a storm as he tried to figure out a way out of the situation.
But just then, the guard, brimming with aggression arrived and then glared first at Lilith as if to confirm her identity.
Then...
"What are you doing sneaking around at this hour of the morning?" he demanded, suspicion flaring in his eyes. "Didn’t my lord already warn you not to leave the mansion, especially at night?"
Lilith’s heart pounded anxiously in her chest, but she knew better than to let it show on her face, so, she kept her composure.
"I was warned not to leave the mansion, but am I not standing on its grounds?" she retorted, her voice cold and bitting. "Or was I also forbidden even to step in the courtyard?"
The guard froze, then he frowned, his eyes suddenly flickering with something dark — a mix of hunger and bloodlust.
After a beat, however, he snorted, lifting his torch, and then the flickering light stretched long shadows as he slowly moved the flame toward Xylen.
"And you... why are you covered from head to toe in that robe? What are you hiding?" He challenged aggressively.
The moment Xylen and Lilith heard this, however, their breathing caught in their throat and they froze, sudden goosebumps filling their skin.
Cold sweat slid down their backs as dread surged through them like ice.
This was their greatest fear. But they had slightly hoped the darkness would keep Xylen in the black robe concealed, that the demon wouldn’t pay him much attention, but...
"Are you deaf?!" the guard barked when Xylen wouldn’t respond, stepping closer.
Just as the guard demanded this, however, he froze as if struck by realization. Then his eyes narrowed.
After a second, he pointed directly at the full-robed Xylen.
"You’re an assassin, aren’t you? Trying to sneak into the mansion with ill intent?" He demanded.
In the next second, Xylen and Lilith froze, their hearts slamming against their chests.
’This... speculation...’ the two couldn’t help but thought in a trance. But before they could react...
Boom!
The guard’s presence exploded like a wave of killing intent, his level 3 rank aura suddenly flaring out violently.
"Take off your robe!" he growled with a strong murderous intent, unsheathing a heavy, gleaming blade from its scabbard.
The sharp metal instantly caught the red moonlight, reflecting a crimson glint.
Xylen and Lilith tensed.
If before, they had hoped Xylen would go unnoticed, but after he was noticed, their biggest fear was that he would be asked to remove his robe.
Xylen’s face getting revealed simply means one thing... their entire plan would crumble in an instant.
If he had looked like an ordinary Demon, they could have quickly come up with a cover story, perhaps even claiming he was a worker or servant in the Barony.
But with his unique appearance... there is just no room for any explanation.
Thinking this, Xylen grew even more anxious, imagining how he would be powerless if caught and how the mission which hadn’t reached its final phase—would end in failure.
’He is weak Demon, should I just take him out?’
This sudden thought crossed Xylen’s mind, his eyes flashing dark under the robe, but...
’It would definitely attract attention, and the commotion would alert the entire mansion,’ he concluded, quickly dismissing the thought.
Although he was already in a tight spot, Xylen didn’t want to risk ruining everything unless he was certain he had no other options left.
His mind spun as he searched for an alternative, but none seemed viable.
Meanwhile, the Demon Guard seeing Xylen neither arguing nor defending itself, grew even more convinced of his suspicion speculation.
With this, his eyes gleamed even more, and he sneered.
"You don’t want to take off the robe, right?" he taunted. "Then I’ll strip it off for you."
Without waiting for a response, the guard stepped closer to Xylen, raising his clawed hand.
Seeing this, Xylen and Lilith’s hearts pounded frantically in their chests.
Lilith, though trembling, slowly reached for her blade, fingers tightening around the hilt, ready to slash.
Meanwhile, Xylen’s mind echoed with a single, relentless thought that felt like a mantra.
’I must not fail this mission!’
’I must not fail this mission!’
’I must not...’
His body stiffened, his muscles tensed as he watched the Guard inching closer to him.
Instinctively, his grip tightened around the small Rusthorn dagger hidden in his robe.
Xylen has decided, if the guard was really hellbent on removing his robe, he would strike without hesitation — slit the demon’s throat and run as fast as possible to complete the mission before reinforcements arrived.
The tension in the courtyard thickened like a noose around their necks, the guard’s sadistic grin stretching wider as he finally reached Xylen.
And then, he slowly reached for Xylen’s robe, clearly having the time of his life.
But just then...
"Is that the task you were given?"
A sudden voice rang out, sharp and dark as a blade.
Hearing it, the guard flinched, and in the following second, he jumped back as if something venomous had whispered in his ear.
***********
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