The Damned Demon

796  Intuition With A Voice

Mars had changed.

Gone were the barren landscapes, the silent, dust-choked plains that stretched endlessly beneath a cold, lifeless sky. The Eternal City now stood defiant against the desolation, a monument to human resilience and ambition, fueled by both science and mana.

The city sprawled outward, a gleaming fusion of ultra-modern architecture and mana-infused design, forming a harmonious blend of technology and mysticism.

Towering skyscrapers of polished steel and glass curved elegantly toward the skies, their facades pulsing with the glow of mana-reactor cores, each structure an autonomous powerhouse of sustainable energy. Hovering transport pods zipped through the air, sleek and silent, weaving between enormous bridges suspended high above the ground.

The roads—if they could even be called that—were no longer paved paths of concrete but levitating platforms, shifting in real-time to accommodate foot traffic and vehicles alike, especially ones that carried resources.

Shimmering holographic banners stretched between buildings, displaying news updates, WHA recruitment advertisements, and footage of Hunters battling against demons in Martian soil— carefully curated to fuel humanity's united cause and let people know how demons no longer stood a chance in this new world.

The populated centers were surrounded by massive transparent mana barriers to defend against demons who might suddenly appear through quests.

But people now knew there was no reason to fear demons as much as they did back on Earth.

With the Mana Adaptation Module installed in people living here, especially the Hunters, the demons stood no chance of defeating them in a fair battle.

A new world was taking shape, one that promised humanity freedom from demons, one that offered a utopia built on power, discipline, and absolute control.

But towering above it all, dominating the entire landscape, was a solitary black pyramid.

Four hundred meters of absolute authority.

Its sharp, imposing angles cut through the Martian skyline like a razor through flesh.

Its surface—a matte black metal that seemed to drink in the light—was etched with intricate runic engravings, glowing with faint pulses of golden and white energy.

The Infinity Tower.

It was here, in the highest chamber of the pyramid, that the most powerful man in the known world watched over his city.

-

At the apex of the Infinity Tower, within an expansive, minimalist chamber, a middle-aged man with a elegant blue eye-patch on his right eye, stood in silence, gazing down at his city through transparent mana-powered walls that curved around the room, offering a panoramic view of his city.

Behind him, soft golden lights pulsed faintly along the smooth, polished walls, and the air carried a scent of sterile refinement—not a single particle of dust disturbed the engineered perfection of the space. A massive desk sat at the center, empty save for a few holographic displays projecting status reports on city expansion, Hunter deployment, and interplanetary logistics.

Beside Derek stood Albert, an old yet dignified man whose very presence exuded wealth, control, and ruthlessness.

His tailored suit—pitch black, lined with silver filigree—clung to his lean but well-maintained frame, a picture of age refined into calculated wisdom. His bald head gleamed under the soft lighting, and his short, white beard framed his expression—a look of measured scrutiny and veiled amusement.

In one hand, he cradled an ornate tea cup, occasionally taking slow, deliberate sips.

"Such a beautiful red world, isn't it?" Albert mused, his tone one of calm admiration as he gazed upon the city below. "I can't wait to see us evolve this world along with ourselves—to the next stage of humanity's evolution."

Derek's expression remained neutral, his gaze fixed upon the bustling cityscape below.

"Yes," he said slowly, "it is beginning to take shape. More beautiful than I ever imagined."

A pause.

His expression darkened.

"But...We are still far from completion of our plan."

Albert let out a soft chuckle, his eyes glinting with amusement as he took another sip of tea.

"You must be a bit annoyed about that little setback, aren't you?" His voice was laced with mock sympathy, "I can understand. Our plans were slightly decayed because the demon king, no...he is no longer a king but Asher Drake, who sent his cultists to bomb our Nexus Tower. I have to admit I didn't expect them to be capable of it, but it's nothing but a small inconvenience to us," Albert said with a nonchalant expression before he added with a narrowed gaze, "Or you still upset that your wife betrayed you by giving the demons such important information you entrusted to her?" Derek's eye briefly rippled with dark, silent fury.

Albert let out a low sigh upon noticing the brief change in his expression,

"Ah, so you are still upset."

Derek's voice was eerily calm, colder than the void of space itself, "I was disappointed... but that emotion has long passed. Soon, neither she nor my daughter will have the ability to betray me again. Yet I never entrusted her with any information that truly would have affected us." Albert subtly curved his lips as he said, "Yes of course...You played it very cleverly by telling her that we are planning to use the Nexus Tower to destroy the demon world, and Asher and his cult fell for that bait. By the time they realize the true purpose of our plan, it will be too late."

He then narrowed his calculating gaze as he studied Derek with intrigue,

"But…I keep noticing that you are always one step ahead of your enemies," he mused, his tone casual yet laced with scrutiny, "Of course, you never expected Cecilia betraying you or Asher and his cult to cause us so much annoyance. But you never really let them affect our plans in any destructive way. Just like how you fed Cecilia some false information to divert their attention or be confident about getting rid of Cedric even if it seemed impossible at first."

Albert leaned forward slightly, his piercing gaze locked onto Derek.

"It's almost like… you could see the future."

A low chuckle escaped Derek's lips, dry and mirthless. He turned his gaze back to the sprawling cityscape of the Eternal City, his radiant blue eye reflecting the glow of the streets below.

"I wish I could," Derek replied, a subtle smirk touching the corners of his mouth, "But I am not the Oracle. Do you think it would have taken me so long and such painstaking efforts to get here if I could see the future?"

Albert let out a slow, amused breath, "Of course not. I practically made you the man you are today. I know how you got here." He lifted his tea cup to his lips, taking a slow sip, "So what's your secret? If you don't want me to know, that's fine, as long as everything proceeds smoothly."

For a moment, Derek's gaze became distant, his expression unreadable as he reached deep into his own mind. The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken thoughts. Then, in a contemplative voice, he finally said:

"Truth be told… there is no secret. I just always had this intuition… a voice inside me… giving me a feeling of what I should do next."

Albert's eyebrows arched slightly, curiosity flickering across his features,

"A voice? This is the first time I've heard you mention that. How come you never brought it up before?"

Derek shook his head, "Because I don't think it's important. A voice is just a way I want to imagine it because I can't use any other word to describe what it is."

Albert nodded, his lips curling into a subtle smirk, "How interesting. If I hadn't known any better, I would have assumed you had some precognition powers like the Oracle or possessed a mystic pathway I didn't know about. I suppose I'll just have to believe you simply have really good intuition."

He paused, his fingers tapping idly against his teacup.

"But…" His gaze darkened as he leaned in slightly. "How does that explain you are trying to seek a divine artifact whose existence isn't even proven but allegedly located in the demon world and using it to fulfill our plan? Of course, I remember you showing me some ancient demon scripts that talked about its existence. But still… how did you know to look for it in the first place, and forcing demons to find proof of its existence?"

Albert let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "You're making this old man quite curious, Derek." He took another slow sip from his cup before setting it down on the nearby tray. "If this 'voice' has guided you this far, then I suppose I can't argue with the results."

His gaze then turned sharp and calculating once more,

"Then why do you not seem bothered that the Moon Guardian has somehow got his hands on that artifact just recently? Or does that 'voice' inside you tell you that it's not the one you're looking for?"

Derek let out a quiet exhale, his expression composed yet contemplative, "No… I do believe the Moon Guardian got his hands on what I'm looking for. But something makes me feel that there is no hurry. I don't have to try to take it from him; instead, I should focus on what we are doing right now. Even if I wanted to, it's not like I can do it now."

Albert's piercing gaze lingered on Derek for a few moments before he finally nodded. "Very well. Since things are developing as we wanted, I won't ask further." He leaned back slightly, folding his hands in front of him, "Still… remember what I taught you—always think twice about anything, no matter how confident we feel about it."

Arthur's brows furrowed, confusion settling in as he forced himself to sit up. His muscles ached, his mana circuits sluggish as though they had been drained and only recently replenished.

09:13

Derek gave a small nod, acknowledging his words.

Albert then shifted topics, his voice lowering slightly.

"Now… what do we do with Arthur? He isn't ready yet, but things are getting complicated with him."

Derek turned away from the window, his eye gleaming faintly,

"There is nothing to worry about. I can handle him until he is ready."

—

A dull throbbing pain spread through Arthur's head as he slowly stirred awake. His fingers twitched against the soft yet unfamiliar sheets beneath him. His breathing was shallow, labored—as if his body was still recovering from an invisible strain.

A soft beeping sound echoed beside him, and as his vision adjusted, his gaze landed on a holographic vital stats screen flickering in soft blue light, attached to a mana-powered medical console beside his bed. A thin tube ran into his wrist, carrying a faintly glowing fluid.

The air was sterile yet oddly heavy, carrying an artificial scent that felt… too controlled. Too perfect.

Arthur's brows furrowed, confusion settling in as he forced himself to sit up. His muscles ached, his mana circuits sluggish as though they had been drained and only recently replenished.

He glanced around, taking in the lavish, high-tech interior of the room. The walls were smooth, metallic, yet infused with mana-reactive panels, softly shifting in color as his movements registered. A set of large shutters covered the windows, blocking out the outside view, but a faint red glow from beneath the edges and the air he was breathing told him he couldn't be anywhere near home.

"Where am I…?" Arthur mumbled to himself, rubbing his temple.

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