My Demon Pet System

Enatsu grabbed the reins of his horse, stroking its coat. Fortunately, the merchant's steed had not lost the saddle and the rest of the equipment in the mess of the rush.

Little by little, all the citizens of Blackborough approached their three saviours, forming a circle behind their village leader. Men, women and children showed their gratitude with their eyes, accompanied by profound sadness.

The stench of corpses wedged in the rubble of destroyed huts soaked the air of that fishing village, making the atmosphere particularly gloomy.

Exchanging gratitude with Uncle Kuno, the Nightblades team moved away from Blackborough. As the sand of the coast was lifted from their horses' hooves, the outline of the village houses drifted further and further away, disappearing behind them.

Yoichi recalled Kenji and summoned Ichiro. The Inoshuma was rested and pumped, having spent the last few hours inside its Demon Tooth.

"There's something you need to know," Yoichi suddenly exclaimed, turning to Shioko. "While you were in surgery, we discovered something about the strange substance that healed the Hebigure's wounds" he continued.

Taking advantage of the long journey ahead, the young tamer told his colleague about the mud spotted by the young farmer, underlining that it may be somehow connected to the Crimson Lotus camp and all the latest strange events.

Explaining to Shioko that the Blackvault Mines were probably the place where they would find the source of that dark and unknown energy, Yoichi sought in her eyes the courage he needed to achieve that feat.

The morning sun rose high in the sky, and, overcoming the coastal stretch, the three adventurers rode inland, moving further and further away from the sea. Yoichi, now accustomed to the stability of Ichiro's ride, used that downtime to take a gander at the map.

He pulled the scroll out of his backpack, careful not to let it fly away. While one hand was clinging to the red mane of the Inoshuma, the other kept the map still on its back.

The parchment depicted the far south part of Tentochu and the undisputed protagonist of that drawing, the Blackvault Mines. Their entrance was portrayed in the centre of the map, and on the left side of the parchment, a magnification showed its layout.

A few large rooms characterized that medium difficulty dungeon. The elementary shapes of its floorplan emphasized the cave's width, extended for about two square kilometres.

On the other side of the sheet, the area surrounding the entrance appeared rich in forest vegetation: tall evergreen trees were carefully drawn and formed a kind of natural semicircle bordering the mountains.

Tentochu is a vast region and, as far as I know, it offers an incredible variety of landscapes. However, this area is empty and scanty, as if the human being has voluntarily decided not to set foot on it, Yoichi thought.

Out of the corner of his eye, he made sure that Ichiro followed the trail of his companions. The edgy landscape of the mountains and rocky hills had wholly replaced the greyish beach, souring the road curves.

Suddenly, the same trees depicted on Yoichi's handmade map took shape behind a hill. A coniferous forest sprang overbearingly from the reddish soil, rising for tens of meters.

"We're almost there. Beyond that forest, we'll find the Blackvault Mines," Shioko spoke, spurring Taya with the heels of her feet. From the way she moved her arm, she seemed to have completely recovered her strength.

Without further ado, the three adventurers continued to ride southwest. Although they had left only a day earlier, the sudden events they had experienced had lengthened their conception of time.

The lack of fauna and vegetation in that area of the region made the trip even slower and more tedious. However, the desire to discover the mystery that revolved around that strange dark substance prevailed over boredom, encouraging the warriors to reach their destination quickly.

Beyond yet another rocky hill, a footpath opened among other trees: their prominent tops touched upwards, not letting the afternoon sunlight reach the undergrowth.

Those trees seemed to have the task of protecting the forest from desecrators, from anyone who wanted to disturb without permission the creepy silence that ruled among their branches.

The winding path meandered through conifers and bushes, sometimes mixing with vegetation. The sound of crickets and other nocturnal insects made the leaves vibrate, making the three travellers blood run cold.

Enatsu, seized by his usual fear of the dark, moved his horse closer to those of his friends. The merchant's gaze swung from right to left as if preparing to spot a sudden danger.

"Why don't you activate Nobu's power? I think we could use some light," he whispered, speaking like an intruder inside a library.

"Nobu's light would attract to us all the demons in the area. Before you speak, think about what you say" – Shioko's cold response helped to lower the forest temperature.

"Even if we had arrived during the day, there would have been no difference" Yoichi commented, looking up. "Trees and mountains prevent light from filtering. I'm pretty sure this place is perpetually plunged into darkness. It gives me the fucking creeps," he continued, admitting he was scared.

"Dungeons are always located in places like this, far from civilization. In the darkness, the Komoerus of the Blackvault Mines managed to reclaim their cave. When we reach the entrance to the mine, we will become invisible to the external demons, and I can finally activate Nobu's light skill," Shioko explained. In her voice, a flicker of fear.

"Invisible? What are you talking about?" Yoichi asked, astonished.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Each dungeon has only one entrance and is defined by the presence of the 'Demonic Veil', a kind of invisible barrier that separates it from the outside world" Enatsu interrupted. "Do you remember that if you go out without first completing the dungeon, the level of your pets gets halved? Well, that's what it's all about. If you cross the Demon Veil, you can't go back, Yoichi."

"Not only that. Everything inside, beyond it, is not visible from the outside. In our case, beyond that invisible barrier, all dark-type demons will be enhanced," Shioko added, clarifying some key concepts.