Chapter 72: Not Human Anymore

Daemon woke before the others.

Morning light had not fully entered the room. Beside him, Calista slept peacefully, still curled close while cuddling against Victoria.

Victoria rested on the other side, red hair spilled across the pillow, breathing steady and deep.

Daemon watched them in silence.

He still could not fully believe it.

Last night, this same girl had stood over him with a knife. Her killing intent had been real. Then, in a complete reverse, she had broken into tears, climbed between them, and fallen asleep like a child seeking shelter.

Hatred and attachment tangled so tightly that he could not separate them yet. One night was not enough to understand what she was to him, or what he was to her.

He did not wake them.

After proper rest, his body felt clearer and more focused. The heaviness in his limbs had faded. Whatever answers Calista carried would have to wait.

Sana and Lucien were already inside Apex territory, and every minute mattered.

Daemon left the room quietly.

Roxanna was already prepared.

She stood near the guest room window, dressed and alert, clearly waiting for Sana’s call. The moment Daemon entered, she turned toward him.

"Did you sleep well last night?"

he asked.

Roxanna shook her head lightly.

"I slept enough. I was waiting."

Daemon studied her for a second, then asked how she was feeling. Her answer came calm and steady. Better.

Clearer than before. Even standing still, she looked ready to move the second the mission required it.

He reached into his storage ring and took out a ring that caught the morning light in soft gold.

The Eternal Vow Ring.

He had wanted to give it after they completed a proper soul marriage, at a moment that belonged only to them.

But the road ahead was becoming too dangerous, and he refused to take risks with her safety.

"Give me your hand."

Roxanna blinked, then extended her fingers.

Daemon slid the ring onto her hand.

"This will protect you from one fatal attack," he said. "I wanted better timing. But I need you protected now."

Roxanna looked down at the ring for a long second, turning her hand slightly as if confirming it was real. Then she looked back up at him. A quiet warmth entered her eyes.

"...I like it," she said softly. "Thank you."

Ding!

The System flared across Daemon’s vision.

[Reward generated through Roxanna Sterling.]

[Nameless Bloodline Progression: 21% → 22%]

Effect: Further unlock of sealed bloodline power

Note: Still below the 25% Memory Capsule threshold

[Inferno Blast has reached Final Stage.]

Type: Offensive Fire Skill

Effects:

Higher compression and stability Stronger destructive output Faster formation time Lower energy waste during continuous use Can be shaped more precisely instead of only raw explosion

[Thunderstep has reached Final Form.]

Type: Movement Skill

Effects:

Faster instantaneous movement Sharper direction control mid-step Reduced lag between consecutive uses Stronger lightning burst on arrival Lower chance of losing balance after repeated activation

Heat and lightning settled through his body in clean, finished circuits. Not wild power. Completed power.

Daemon exhaled slowly.

"...This will help. The timing really works well."

Before he could settle fully into the new strength under his skin, Sana’s voice cut directly into his mind.

"Daemon. Come as soon as possible. We found Kassia. You have to see this yourself."

His expression hardened at once.

"Are you collecting evidence?" he asked. "We need enough to report Apex’s illegal activity to WHA and the public. Gather as much as you can."

"Already working on it," Sana answered. "Just get here."

Daemon returned and told everyone to prepare.

They were going into the secret dimension Sana had found. Kassia was there.

Victoria, Roxanna, and Daemon moved quickly. Weapons checked. Breath controlled. No wasted words. Before leaving, Victoria crouched in front of Calista.

"You have to stay here with my mother. We will come back soon."

Calista looked at her for a second, then nodded.

"I will wait here."

The simple answer was almost more unsettling than refusal.

Daemon took Victoria’s hand, then Roxanna’s.

"Teleport."

The world folded.

They appeared beside Lucien in a cold stretch of the hidden dimension.

Lucien nearly jumped out of his skin the moment their silhouettes formed. His mouth opened for a scream that would have ruined everything.

Sana clamped a hand over it instantly.

"Don’t shout."

Lucien’s eyes watered in pure protest, but he nodded rapidly under her grip.

All five of them were now inside the secret dimension.

The scale of the place pressed in at once artificial dusk, floating platforms, black pillars etched with containment runes, and people moving far below like workers inside a private empire of sealed crimes.

This was no basement under Ashford. It was a hidden world built for work that could never survive sunlight.

Ahead of them rose the enormous cage.

They crouched low behind cover so the researchers and escorts moving across the lower platforms would not spot them.

Even from a distance, the structure looked wrong far too large for any ordinary prisoner, chained and sealed like it had been built to contain a disaster rather than a person.

A deep beast sound rolled out from inside the cage.

White mist flooded the bars until visibility dropped to zero. The sound came again, heavier this time, vibrating through the metal walkways under their feet.

Containment lights flickered. Somewhere below, a researcher shouted in alarm.

Daemon’s chest tightened.

He did not know why, but every instinct told him Kassia was inside that fog. His body leaned forward before his mind finished the thought.

Victoria caught his arm.

Roxanna held the other side.

"Not yet," Victoria whispered. "Wait for the right time."

The mist churned harder.

Then, from the center of the cage, two enormous eyes opened.

The beast roar that followed slammed through the dimension like a physical wave. Lucien and Roxanna both covered their ears as the ground shook under them.

Containment pillars trembled. Chains rattled violently against their anchors. For a second, even the air felt too thin.

Slowly, the white mist began to thin.

What it revealed stole the air from every chest at once.

Inside the cage stood an enormous white dragon.

Its body alone could have crushed buildings under its weight. Massive wings folded against a scaled back that gleamed like frozen moonlight. Horns swept back from a regal head, and each breath released pale vapor that rolled across the cage floor like winter fog.

The creature’s size was not simply large it was overwhelming, the kind of presence that made human ranks, guild walls, and city maps feel suddenly meaningless.

A true high dragon.

Not a dungeon wyvern.

Not a lesser beast.

White. Majestic. Barely contained.

Daemon’s eyes widened.

Victoria’s breath caught.

Sana’s grip tightened on her bow until her knuckles whitened.

Roxanna froze where she crouched, unable to look away.

Lucien’s voice came out as a broken whisper.

"...That thing is Kassia?"