Beyond the Apocalypse

The duo did not run but simply jogged as, during their journey, Vlad imparted Amara with some Force Skills useful for assassins and taught her skills and traits that would help her with her mission. Although Vlad had never followed the assassin’s path, with the help of the A.I. Chip, he could impart the knowledge as if he were a sage.

Vlad easily followed tracks using the help of the A.I. Chip, and after a few hours, they saw a horde on a mountain path. It contained over two hundred demons, most demonic beasts with a single demon at the Champion Realm.

Such a horde would have been no problem for the duo, and Vlad could have easily destroyed all of them with a single use of his Infernal Comet Runic Set, but that was not the goal of this trip. Both of them were looking at the demons from the cover of a small mountain.

Vlad’s gaze swept over the horde, his mind calculating their strength with the aid of the A.I. Chip. He turned to Amara, his voice low but firm. "Your task is clear: utilize the Force Skills and abilities I’ve taught you to infiltrate the demonic horde. Maintain constant movement. Only use your Runic Set as a last resort to escape if discovered."

Amara’s face contorted with frustration at the thought of her Runic Set’s limitations. Without it, she would have to rely solely on her own skills to evade the perception of hundreds of demons, each equipped with night vision and a keen sense of smell.

The frown lasted less than a second as the focus returned to the Royal Guard’s eyes. She took a deep breath, using the assassin breathing techniques Vlad taught her, and her Force began to circulate her figure, slowly turning from a bright white to a black that seemed to fuse with her dark leather armor.

Vlad’s eyes narrowed, and he couldn’t help but nod as he saw the dexterity the young woman displayed. While the armor helped her immensely, it was her own abilities and skills she relied on now, not the ones from a Bloodline Ability, Gift, or Runic Set.

Without wasting a moment, Amara’s focus sharpened to a laser point, her Force fully concealing her figure. In a flash, she darted towards the horde. Some of the demonic beasts reacted with aggression, sensing an intruder, but their confusion grew as they searched in vain for the source of the disturbance.

The Royal Guard managed to get into the demonic pack, constantly moving around them, keeping out of their direct line of sight while advancing through them. Amara was doing a great job and managed to stand three minutes and fifteen seconds among the hundreds of demonic beasts when she suddenly grazed one of them while trying to get out of the line of sight of another.