As soon as Jude entered the Inner City, he activated the button glyphs Ellie made for him. Jude was impressed with their ability; he had no idea that something like this could be created with Glyphs alone. But Ellie’s ingenious use of combining the glyphs produced an effect of making Jude completely invisible. As long as he didn’t bump into anyone or make too much noise, no one would know he was there. The only drawback was the time limitation, Jude had an hour at most. But this was the best time to use it.

Jude pressed himself up against a blackened burnt out building as a mob of demons rushed by. He was fortunate that the rubble surrounding the structure made it possible for him to hide in a crevice. Otherwise, the demons would have surely bumped into him.

Once they passed, Jude walked out of his hiding place still invisible. But the slight crunching sound of his step drew his gaze to look at his feet. He hadn’t noticed it when he hurried here to hide, but now what he saw horrified him.

It was the burnt skeleton of a small child.

Anger burned within Jude as he held back the moister in his eyes. There was a time and place to right the wrongs committed here today. But now was not that time. No matter how much Jude wanted to wreak havoc against these demons for the crimes they committed, he just didn’t have the strength to do so yet.

Already he had seen countless atrocities caused by these demons in their invasion of Geonar. This was another to be added to the list.

Making his way through the Inner City was taking much longer than Jude expected. Jude had no idea how such a large force was able to sneak so close to Geonar without anyone noticing. But for the Inner City to be filled to this extent there had to be at least a hundred thousand.

Not all were humanoid. Instead, a good majority were the fairly wild beast type. But each group of beasts had been led by at least one or two leaders of the humanoid type.

Jude didn’t stay still for long, the gap between the incoming hordes was never short. Even with the humanoids leading the beasts, he was pretty sure some of them had gotten lost as he had seen a couple of groups more than once.

I guess the quality of what the demon was made out of really counts, Jude thought. Most likely, these demons were made out of the dregs of society.

But this thought only made him worry more than be relieved. After all, the king had done the exact opposite of what Guudnash had done.

Jude cut through the street then entered an alleyway between two ransacked houses. Even the houses that survived the fire weren’t much better off than the ones that did. The demons did not hold back, and the houses had large holes all throughout them.

Hearing another group of demons getting close, Jude climbed up the side of the house and squatted on the roof.

“There is no one alive here!” a giant gray demon smacked a demon wolf on the head.

This wolf was much smaller and weaker than the ones he had seen in the Core City. But even so, the wolf growled back angrily.

“Something is wrong with your nose. You’ve been leading us in circles.”

The wolf was joined in by several others as they barked and growled at their demon leader.

“We’ve wasted enough time here. Even if someone managed to live, who cares. We will get him later. Let's join the front lines!”

These words consoled the angered demon wolves, and the group trotted off back to the core city.

“So at least one group was stupid and was actually tracking me,” Jude mused. “It seems Ellie’s glyphs even hinder's my smell from being detected. Though it is not perfect, it is still not bad.”

Now that he had a height advantage, Jude looked back towards the Inner City. The king’s winged demons had already reclaimed the Core City and were making their way through the Inner City. While they were outnumbered, it didn’t seem to matter. Quality was winning over quantity.

Jude sighed and began to climb back down. He didn’t dare use blink, not only did using a skill have a chance to break his invisibility, his body really couldn’t stand much more use of it.

I need to find a new movement skill.

***

Yarik was brought before the King by the two grey demons with wings. The process wasn’t pleasant either, he didn’t even resist, but they still dragged him by his heels.

He wasn’t the only one either. There were many other lords and ladies, mostly the highest ranking people of Riwa. Most notably were the three dukes, which meant one had accepted the change. Looking at them, Yarik quickly determined that it was Duke Jermal who was missing.

“You are the ones left who didn’t accept the change.” The king said. “And it is too bad; you would have had such a nice view of life if you had accepted the first offer. Now all you can do is see the cruel reality.”

The smooth skin and wispy white hair of the king started to change. A fire engulfed him, burning away his clothes, but the fire was so intense no one could see. When the flames finally dispersed what was left was a startling sight.

The king stood atop his golden throne bare chested. From his waist down he was wrapped in golden plate armor. His skin color shared the same gray as the other demons, but it looked much healthier and more natural. Golden bands covered his skin, but also seemed to be part of it. If Jude were here, he would have thought they looked very similar to circuits. On top of the king’s bald head were six golden horns arrayed like a crown.

“Being in that ugly human form is too confining. Now I feel much better.” The king commented to himself.

Then he looked down at the humans below, “I will give you all one chance to bow down and serve me. Unlike the others who do not know the truth and have sworn their soul to me, you no longer have that chance. But since you now know the truth even if you accept the 'change' there is a possibility of rebellion. So even if you do bow down and accept my change, you must do something extra if you wish to retain your authority. Otherwise, you will die or be demoted.”

Everyone was still in a state of shock or still processing the horror that their lives had now become.

“You will be first,” The king pointed to Duke Ganish. “Plead as you will.”

Duke Ganish's expression turned sour, “If I’m not wrong, you’ve become a demon. Yes?”

The king chuckled, “Yes and so have all the others.”

“Why,” the duke asked attempting to hold back his rage, “Why have you done this to yourself and our people? Why did you betray Riwa?! As a king, you should not have sacrificed the country for your health.”

The king glared at Duke Ganish, and the duke felt as if the gaze cut him like a knife, “You dare ask why? I am the king! But I’ll be gracious this one time and tell you.”

The king paused for a moment before continuing, “Besides the fact that I was doomed to die because of the Arkess Curse on my family, there are other reasons. But even if there weren’t, I would still have done it. The kingdom is worth nothing without the king. Your purpose is to live and die for my sake. Not the other way around.

“But my ambition didn’t rest there. Nor does it rest with just Riwa. Are you not unsatisfied with our limitations here, south of the Beast Lands? Our people, the humans, once reigned over the whole continent and subjected all other races under our control. Our strength was not limited to what it is now. We were free to hunt and kill our way to the very apex of the System. But those damned beasts through us back to the stone age.

“However, we now have the opportunity to rise yet again. Not as humans, but an even stronger creature. Soon, all races will be subjected to our will once again. Then we will lead out way out of these desolate lands and reclaim our rightful place.

“No one will stop us.

“No one can.”

“I might be dissatisfied with our ability to level,” Duke Ganish said, “But I will not sell out my people just to do so. And I will not bend a knee to the one who had brought our destruction.”

“Then you may die.” Then the king commanded a nearby demon, “Break all his bones, then skin him alive before you kill him.”

Yarik felt his knees go weak, but somehow he remained standing.

The king then turned his eyes to the next person, “Duke Ruthope, what do you have to say?”

“I pledge my undying loyalty to the king!” Ruthope bowed down immediately.

“That is enough to keep your life, but not enough to keep your station.” The king replied.

“What do I need to do to prove myself?” Duke Ruthope asked.

“I’m glad you asked,” the king said with a wicked smile. A stone tablet flew out of the king’s spatial ring and landed on the ground before the duke.

Ruthope’s face turned blue as he saw the stone. It was a black stone with very deep carvings of circles and runes. A black fog emanated off the stone and blood seemed to drip out of the etchings.

“Cut your wrist and imbue the stone with your blood.”

“What will that do?” Duke Ruthope asked.

“It will ensure your undying loyalty, just like you said.” The king sneered.

At this moment the screams from Duke Ganish's torturous death sounded. Rupthope didn’t delay any longer and immediately cut his wrist and poured his blood onto the stone.

After doing so, Ruthope felt a strange energy entering him and connecting him to the king. The peculiar bond felt like the reverse of beast taming. A chill went down his spine as he realized that he was now a mere tamed beast of the king.

At the same time, Ruthope underwent the same 'change' that the others had, except he didn’t have the illusion of it being a pleasurable experience.

After the transformation was complete, Yarik noticed that Duke Ruthope was different than the other people who had changed. He was taller, sturdier, and had an air of command.

“Unlike humans, there is no nobility in the ranks of demons. There are only Demon Lords and a Demon King. You are now a Demon Lord, however, are you worthy?” The king asked Ruthope.

Ruthope trembled and bowed to one knee. He wanted to hold back, but the bond created by the kings stone was too strong.

“I am not worthy,” Ruthope said. “My Ruthope family detested the Arkess family, and it was because of us that the Arkess are no more. Even now I have people who search for the remnants of the Arkess to destroy their line forever. After the king became sick, we learned of the Arkess Curse on the king and to over through you, we have hunted the Arkess down to their last man.”

“As I thought,” the king said, “I promised not to kill you or demote you, but due to your betrayal a punishment is required. You will no longer be a Demon Lord, but you will retain a Demon Lords physical power. You are hereby demoted to my demon mount, a Dograx.”

“NOOOOoooo-aaarrrrggg-Arrooo,” Ruthope screamed as his voice went from human to beast.

The transformation was quick, Ruthope turned from a human to a warg-like beast. A thick mane covered his head and ran all the way down his back. Other than the mane, all hair was replaced by scales, and his tail ended with a bone spiked club. His head retained the Demon Lord Horns and his eyes stayed the same, which gave him an eerie look of intelligence.

After Ruthope's transformation, the king continued down the line with few people rejecting his offer. Each person had to spill their blood onto the king’s stone table, and each one regretted not taking the king upon his first offer with everyone else who ‘changed’ first.

Finally, it was Yarik’s turn. He too changed and spilled his blood on the stone.

“What is there that you need to tell me?” The king asked like he had done all the others.

Yarik looked up at the king and began to speak, “It’s about Jude.”

***

Jude was still stuck in the Inner City as a fresh wave of demons from the Outer City rushed in. The forces of Guudnash and the king were now clashing with their full might and Guudnash was supporting his failing troops with fresh one.

But this was bad news for Jude. He had almost gotten past the last line of Guudnash’s demons when the new horde came in, sandwiching Jude in a whole new problem.

The glyph buttons had finally worn out, and Jude was visible.

He had tucked himself away in an old wood workshop. It had once been filled with tables, chairs, and many other things made of wood. But now it was all indiscernible; everything had been destroyed when the demons first arrived.

Blood soaked the broken pieces of wood and chewed on bones were mixed in with the wreckage. By this point, Jude had seen so much carnage that he was growing dull to it all. But beneath the dullness, there was a burning fire. A fire that Jude had to suppress for now.

Looking out the cracks and holes, Jude assessed the situation. If he waited, the battle line would slowly push its way towards where he was. But if Guudnash’s demons broke, the line would sweep past Jude rather quickly.

Jude had no desire to face the king’s demons. Even at his best, Jude wasn’t sure how well he would do against a single one of them, no less a whole horde. He had been fighting all day and awake all night. It was only a matter of hours before the sun rose again.

The best option, it seemed, was to gamble on making a break for it, before the demons themselves fled. Jude repositioned himself up into the loft of the woodshop and peered out the broken roof, waiting for the right opportunity.

***

The king opened his enormous wings and quickly soared into the air. There were many things the king had to do with this plan to succeed fully.

He flew to the northern wall of the Core City where a great Bastion was built. It was the most fortified part of all Geonar. Due to this, it had held firm, even after the breach. But a small squad of his elite demons, had cleared it in matter of minutes, securing the location.

The three-meter-tall demon king had to bend down to enter the already large gate. As he walked into the spacious courtyard of the bastion he saw the large ornate stone and a boy pressed into a kneeling position by one of his demons. The stone was the City Stone and the boy was the Stone Switch.

The tattooed face of the boy looked up at the hulking demon and said, “Darion, I’m glad I never bound myself to you.”

The demon holding the boy down hit him on the head, “Boy, you dare speak the kings name!”

“Hold,” the king said, “If anyone has the right to say my name it is the Switch. He is an existence outside of the normal citizenry.”

Then he looked at the Switch, “Just because I was sick, didn’t mean you had to reject me. But now you will regret it.”

“I served the previous two Darion Richard Val’mar’s willingly. But the reason I didn't serve you wasn't that you were sick. I didn’t serve you because I could tell that your heart was corrupt. Now I see what was on the inside has come to the surface. I do not regret anything” The Switch replied.

The king chuckled, “Oh, you will regret it. Bring him up to the stone.”

The demon obeyed, raising the boy up to the City Stone.

The king then walked over and place one hand on the Switch’s head and the other on the stone. Dark energy emanated out of the demon king like black lightning. Then his fingers began to sink into both the stone and the Switch.

The white marble of the city stone quickly corrupted turning black and looking more like rotted wood while the Switch underwent another change. Despite the pain, the Switch didn’t utter a sound. He felt the demonic energies invading not only his body but the stones as well. He was connected to the stone at an unfathomable level due to his age and he felt more pain and pity out of the corruption of the stone rather than that of his own body.

“You cannot resist,” the king said taking out a large stone tablet. It was the same tablet he used on the Dukes, Yarik and the rest who didn’t first accept his ‘change.’

“I will die before I accept you,” the Switch replied with gritted teeth.

“It is out of your hands. You are merely an automaton. Your resistance means nothing.”

And then the stone flew into the boy, sinking into his chest like it had entered mud, slowly being absorbed.

After a time, the process was complete. The Switch didn’t look much different than before, save for a large horn sticking out his head.

He then bowed and said, “What can I do for you master?”

“Begin the resurrection of the guards and when you do so, turn them into demons. After that is complete, begin converting the other NPC’s over.” the king ordered.

“Yes master,” the Switch said with all respect.

***

The area was finally clearing up where Jude was located due to the fierce fighting between the two demon factions.

Time to start the plan.

“” Jude cast.

The summclothesoning circle appeared near Jude and Anthea seemed to grow directly out of the ground.

Jude hadn’t seen her in a while, though they communicated often. He was still amazed at the beauty of her wooden figure and willow-like hair.

But he didn’t have much time; the summoning would surely attract the attention of the nearby demons. Anthea already knew the plan, so without a word the two burst out of the ruined workshop.

Jude began by flinging spells left and right, clearing out a path through the demons. Anthea summoned her nature powers and grew a thick wall of wood laced with thorns, blocking off the road towards the two fighting factions.

Then Jude began to clear a way through the demons towards the Outer City. During his wait, Jude had prepared plenty of Foundations inside his skills, so that he could one-shot as many groups of demons as possible.

Jude was gaining EXP at a tremendous pace. Though these demons were nowhere near the rank of the demons in the Core City, they were still far stronger than the average level 30 beast.

Anthea followed behind, supporting Jude where ever possible, but her main role at this moment was to create blockades from both behind and to the sides. Being summoned outside of her domain reduced her overall strength, but she was still equal to a level 30 Advance Class wizard.

But the more they progressed, the more they seemed to catch the attention of both sides of the demons. However, Jude suspected that they would not be able to do much about it as they were getting farther and farther from the main battlefront.

Jude finally finished off the last group of demons blocking them and they could at last clearly see the last wall of Geonar in front of them. Soon they would be in the Outer City.

But then a shadow from above flashed over them. Jude’s heart sunk as he saw a winged demon from the king land between them and the gate. But after closer inspection, he noticed that he knew who this demon was. It was Jorgan.

This made Jude feel even more depressed. But before he could speak Jorgan spoke first, “Jude, why are you running?”

Jude didn’t know how to respond to that, so Jorgan continued due to his silence, “You should have accepted the king's grace. You should have accepted the ‘change’ that the king offered. Look at me now? See how powerful that I am? You could have had the same thing. And you still can.”

Jorgan sounded sincere which only made Jude more confused, “How can you not see that this ‘change’ is a bad thing?”

Jorgan laughed, “How is being like an angel a bad thing? I am far more than I ever was before. Not only do I have power, but I have these beautiful wings. Do you know what it is like to fly in the sky? It is the true feeling of freedom, that is what it is.”

Jude sighed as he was beginning to guess what was going on, “Jorgan, my friend, you have been deceived. You are not an angel, you are not holy, nor are your wings beautiful. You don’t even have the freedom that you talk about. Rather you have become a demon. The very thing that killed your parents is the thing that you have become.”

Jorgan’s face flashed with anger, “Jude I don’t know what broke your brain, or your eyesight, but I am nothing like what you said.”

“Jorgan, please look at yourself and tell me what you see?” Jude asked.

He looked at his hands and features, then brushed his feathers while saying, “My skin has never been this smooth and clean. My clothes are pure white, and my wings are even whiter with the softest feathers.”

“I see something completely different,” Jude retorted. “I see skin gray as death, mottled and ruined. Your cloths are smeared with blood and ichor. And your wings are like that of a bat, no feathers at all.”

“Jude, you must have fallen to some illusions or poison of these monsters attacking Geonar. Let me help you.” Jorgan said.

“I fear the kind of help that I would get if I went with you. Just let me pass.” Jude said.

Jorgan shook his head, “We’ve only known each other for such a short period of time, yet I feel like I’ve gained a brother. Jude, do not leave. Come with me and accept this blessing.”

“I cannot. Let me leave.” Jude asked again.

“I don’t want you to miss this opportunity. You will regret it later if you do not come.”

“I will not. Let me leave.”

“How about this, fight me, and you will surely be convicted of the strength that I possess. I could barely make third in the Wizard’s Elitist Competiton while you are the champion of both sides. But now I am far more powerful than you.”

“I do not wish to fight!” Jude said desperately.

Jorgan’s calm attitude continued, “You don’t have a choice.”

Jorgan activated a powerful flame spell that filled the street from one side to the other like a wave. But what shocked Jude more than the power of the magic, was that Jorgan didn’t even use the command word to cast it. To Jude’s knowledge that was only possible with item skills, but this was clearly magic that Jorgan himself cast.

“Formless Ice,” Jude cast just before the flame wave hit him, narrowly letting him escape the majority of the damage. Anthea also jumped behind Jude; she was particularly weak against fire.

“Just stay behind me,” he told her to remain there.

“Not bad, huh?” Jorgan said, but he didn’t stop there. This time he threw out a flaming spear.

Jude and Anthea dodge, but Jude knew that this spear was only part of a Foundation setup. Jorgan kept throwing the spears out, but Jude kept dodging in such a way as to not make the Foundation effective.

“Haha, I still can’t compete with you in technique.” Jorgan laughed, “But in terms of raw power you will lose!”

Now Jorgan began to throw out multiples of flame spears, Jude continued to dodge. But the longer it went on, the more spears that were thrown.

Finally, Jude had been caught, but at the last moment he threw Anthea out.

Connected through the bond, they could talk without spoken words, “Master! I am but a summoned creature, if I die here, I will still live. But if you die, all is lost! You should have sacrificed me!”

“Sorry, but this instinct is part of who I am. How could I selfishly sacrifice you when this is your very weakness. Besides, there is a chance of-“

The four flaming spears surrounding Jude turned into pillars of fire as the Foundation activated. Then with a white flash the area between the pillars of fire exploded. The ground trembled, and the shockwave afterward destroyed the few remaining buildings nearby.

“Noooo!” Anthea yelled as she felt the bond to Jude weakening. Tears began to flow as her heart felt like it had been crushed.

She remembered the first time she had seen him. As a Switch then, she knew that there was something different about Jude. She remembered how she had helped her defend herself against the Lord of Longdale. And how he selflessly set up Spectral Foundations around her. Then she remembered him gone and lost to the Bandits only to be back again in victory.

She remembered when she got disconnected from her Town Stone. How death was leaning over her. It was Jude that helped her yet again. He gave her new life in the Allur Forest, creating a brand new race just for her. No longer was she an automaton of the stone and the system. For the first time, she had felt free. She experienced life, and the feeling was overwhelming. For once, her thoughts were truly hers and not some pre-programmed response.

That was why she decided to serve Jude, even though some might think of it as entering back into the same position she was in before, she did not believe that at all. Jude had set her free, and with that freedom, she made a choice. Her choice was brought about because she had freedom and she chose Jude.

She did not regret it. She never would. But now she felt his life leaving.

The smoke finally cleared and she saw Jude on one knee, heavily breathing. His staff in one hand shining brightly. His clothes burnt and torn. His left hand burnt black along with half of his face.

Jorgan landed ever so slowly in front of Jude and extended a hand, “Come with me. The king will change you and you will be made new.”

With much pain, Jude raised his head and with a sorrowful look in his eyes, “I cannot.”

Jorgan lowered his hand, “Very well. Out of our friendship, I will let you pass. But consider our friendship as ending here.”

After saying his this, Jorgan blasted up into the air with his extended wings.

Tears were still flowing down Anthea’s cheeks as she rushed over to Jude. She picked him up while ordering her remaining fairies to heal Jude as best they could.