Rise of The Demon General

Amon observed the Hyanids as he passed their city. He was surprised so many Hyanids existed, yet the general public of the lower realm was unaware of their existence. He wondered why these Hyanids had only made a move on humans now.

The Hyanid’s houses were carved from the natural rocks around the cavern. Ublaith took Amon to the largest structure at the end of the cavern. This structure was as if it had been grown out of the cavern wall. It featured an exterior wall with spires, giving it a castle-like appearance.

Many Hyanids patrolled the city streets, but there were more around this castle. Though these Hyanids acted like humans, none of them wore clothes. Their carapaces served as both their natural clothes and armor. Each Hyanid had a different carapace from the others. The difference was sometimes minimal, but no Hyanid had an identical carapace to any other Hyanid’s. Their carapaces were probably how the Hyanids distinguished individuals.

Amon entered the Hyanid castle following Ublaith. The inside was deeper and larger than he expected. The interior of the castle occupied another cavern altogether.

Amon was led through another series of mazes until they arrived at a room that resembled a workshop. Organic materials were piled on the many desks inside this room. He had seen a similar workshop before. Whoever worked here was a Flesh Alterer.

Ublaith addressed a slightly hunched Hyanid using a series of clicking sounds. He had also heard the Hyanids outside the castle uttering this sound. It seems that this was the Hyanid’s main language. The hunched Hyanid was giving commands to the other Hyanids in the room using the same clicking language before Ublaith greeted him.

The hunched Hyanid greeted Ublaith back with a short clicking sound. Amon noticed fine fissures along the carapace of this hunched Hyanid. Amon surmised this was the indication that a Hyanid was old.

After several more clicking sounds between the two, the old Hyanid turned to Amon. Amon couldn’t see the details in the old Hyanid’s compound eyes, but he was sure they were studying him.

Finally, the old Hyanid used a language Amon could understand. He said, "Well met, human. My name is Xlasstazh. I am one of the elders of this brood. From what Ublaith told me, you are the owner of the talking puppet that attempted to make contact with us?"

"I am, and I understand that you wish to meet me?" Amon asked in return.

Xlasstazh went silent. He looked around the room and appeared to ponder something. After some while, he told Ublaith, "Go and notify the other elders in the council. I wish to speak with this human alone."

Since the elder was using the human language instead of their own, Ublaith returned in kind. He said, "Arrasixx can do that. I should stay by your side."

Xlasstazh was only at the Intermediate Malicious Stage. He had seen Amon easily slay a Peak Fiendish Stage. Though that was a backstab, it could be applied here.

"Don’t worry about me," Xlasstazh said while looking at Amon. "I don’t think our guest here is stupid enough to attempt harm on me. How does he think he can escape from here safely?"

Amon shrugged. "I may try to overpower you and use you as a hostage to secure my way out of here."

"You dare?!" Arrasixx released her power. Her Supreme Stage aura bore down on Amon.

Amon estimated her aura was the same as Zhang Daofeng’s after he became a Demigod. Then, he had been pressed into the ground without being able to resist. Now, he could remain standing. He estimated that if he used Elder God Veil, he should be able to move normally without being hindered by the aura.

Xlasstazh laughed, which was the same unsettling laugh as when Arrasixx laughed earlier. Amon concluded that this should be how Hyanids normally laughed.

"I can see that you are either honest or fearless. I think the latter is more likely. Nevertheless, you can forget about trying that. While my kind values my elderly life, it is not to the point of letting someone who has seen our nest leave this place. I will more likely be sacrificed for the good of the brood, which is something I don’t object to. I will even be proud of it if it happens."

Amon was troubled upon hearing that. He already had the thoughts when he laid eyes on this Hyanid City. If he returned to the Mercy Faction and relayed the information on its location, the faction could muster its force and strike this city. Before, the invasion into the misty border had failed because they didn’t know where to strike. His intel on this city’s location would be invaluable.

Xlasstazh seemed to read Amon’s thoughts. He said, "You can also forget about sending a message talisman back to your people to notify them about our nest. Message talismans don’t work inside this misty border. Any transmission is jammed by the unruly energy of this region."

Amon thought that it should be the same unruly energy that dulled their cultivation senses.

Xlasstazh again said to the two younger Hyanids, "You two can leave. Truly, don’t worry. If our guest does try something with me, you will get what you want, which is the excuse to kill him." He turned to Amon and asked, "You don’t want that, do you?"

Amon answered, "No, I don’t."

Ublaith seemed to struggle with a decision. Finally, he told Xlasstazh. "Alright."

He warned Amon next, "Beware, human. I know that your race makes stupid mistakes most of the time, even at the cost of your own safety, but do not make that mistake here."

After saying his piece, he left. Arrasixx was unwilling, but she followed Ublaith out. Her eyes remained on Amon until she left the room.

"I apologize for their treatment," Xlasstazh told amon after the two left. "Our kind does not see humans in a favorable light."

"That is strange, considering you originated from humans," Amon said.

"Oh...? What makes you say that?"

"Everything that I have witnessed indicates that to be the case. If you have evolved from the Cryanids, your kind’s behavior will be very different. No, from what I had seen, your kind act in a way much more similar to the humans than the Cryanids. Furthermore, you speak our language. A completely different race won’t do that."

"It is possible that we study your language to learn how to defeat your kind."

"A will to study won’t alter your genetic makeup. You can speak our language because you have a human’s vocal cords. Without it, it doesn’t matter how hard you study. You still won’t be able to speak our language."

"Hm..." Xlasstazh nodded his acknowledgement to Amon’s argument.

Amon resumed, "Though, of course, it is possible that you implanted the vocal cords using a flesh-altering process. From this workshop, I can see that you are an expert in this field. Nevertheless, flesh-altering leaves deformities on its subjects. I cannot spot any on you or on those two who just left, so I don’t think that is the case."

"Hehe. You indeed have a keen analysis. It is no wonder he chose you."

"He...?" Amon asked. He never encountered a Hyanid or even a Cryanid before arriving at Defunct Edge City. He didn’t understand why an associate of Xlasstazh had information about him. He asked, "Do you have agents that exchange information with humans?"

Xlasstazh shook his head. "No. We always consider humans as enemies or prey. You are the first human we associate with."

"Then, who is this he that you mention who knows about me?"

Xlasstazh chuckled before answering, "The Creator."

This was the second individual Amon had met who mentioned the Creator. The first one was Xuan Ming, the seemingly immortal tribe mother who used to live in Kazhan. The woman had disappeared after delivering her prophecy to Amon.

"You... You heard prophecies from the Creator as well?" Amon asked. He disliked the idea of an omnipotent being dictating the course of his fate. Yet, he had encountered two individuals with ties to such a being. While this fact brought him discomfort, he could no longer dismiss such a being as the product of a delusional mind.

"Well, I guess you can call them prophecies," Xlasstazh replied. "Not many of my peers believe me, though. However, they still listen because some of my so-called prophecies have turned out to be true."

"Some? Not all?" Amon asked.

Xlasstazh made a shrugging gesture. "Many of these so-called prophecies came in riddles. I am never one who enjoys vague instructions. I don’t understand why the creator chose me. Nevertheless, the ones I interpreted wrongly cause skepticism on my behalf, but those were my faults, not because the messages were false."

"So, what does this prophecy involving me say? Is it also a riddle?"

Xlasstazh shook his head. "The message involving you is surprisingly clear. The message says that one day, there will be a human who wishes to negotiate with my kind by sending a talking puppet. It says that if my kind is to have any hope in claiming the land of our ancestors, we must accept your help."