They've picked weapons from the guards Selene defeated and continued.
While on the way, Myra asked a question to Jack that was bothering her.
"Who was the archdemon you were talking about? I've never heard of one like that." Her voice was lacking in confidence.
"Girl, are you some kind of authority on demons? Well, chances are even an expert would not know," Jack said mysteriously.
"I've only heard a rumor that such an archdemon exists. Information is very scarce; we don't know how he looks or what his name is." He paused and stared at Selene walking in front. "Well, maybe it's a she." Selene ignored his words.
She doesn't look like a demon. No horns and no tail. Cyril observed her body, but there was nothing suspicious.
Cyril switched his attention back to walking after Selene shot him a questioning gaze.
They've entered the double doors at the end of the corridor and found a spacious room behind it.
Looks like they were expected here. A whole squad of people stood there with weapons at the ready.
The moment Jack, the last of them, entered the room, the doors behind them closed on their own with a click.
No one from the group was shaken up by this, however. They calmly prepared for a fight.
Aside from Jack, who kept to the back and cheered for them.
"Give up while you still can. Don't make us use force." A scientist all the way at the back screamed in warning.
Seeing no response, he waved his hands in the air as a signal.
At this moment smoke exploded from where they were standing, blinding everyone.
Is it poisonous? Cyril held his breath and focused on his surroundings.
Before he did anything, Selene, at his side, suddenly pulled her hands to the side with a shout.
This created a wave, sending all of the smoke away while also interrupting spells that were coming their way.
"What?!" The scientist was surprised by the failed ambush and disappeared in a hurry.
Selene slowly came over and assumed a stance with one hand in front and the other behind.
There was nervousness visible on the guards faces, but they still approached slowly.
The moment they were in range, Selene cast a spell.
On her outstretched hand, a snake made out of light appeared and soon flew towards the guards.
In a panic, some activated a shield, while some tried to attack the unusual spell. It was all useless.
The snake passed straight through every guard in the room. Once that happened, they all lifelessly fell to the ground.
"Waste" Selene said, still not satisfied with the strength of her enemies.
"You should've left some alive. We could've interrogated them," Jack chastised while shaking his head.
"I am not interested in knowing what happens here. If you wish for that so much, then the next encounter I leave to you" Selene replied.
Jack looked like he had eaten something bad at the moment, but before he could say anything, the doors to where the scientist escaped were broken through.
A familiar creature lazily walked through the destroyed room while putting what was left of the scientist in its mouth.
You again?"This time you'll crush it!"
It was a cyclops. He noticed the group and started to approach them with a drooling expression.
"I take my words back. This opponent is mine" Selene said while scrutinizing the beast.
She slowly walked up to meet the demon.
The rest decided to watch at a distance. Cyril was curious how she would tackle this creature.
When the cyclops got close to her, it swung at her with all its weight.
In response, Selene didn't attempt to dodge in any way.
She met his fast-approaching fist with her own.
From the collision, a small shock wave was generated, blowing away Selene's hair.
Surprisingly, a towering beast full of muscle lost at this contest of strength.
Its arm was blown back and broken. It looked like an ant trying to stop a manarail. Cyclops roared from pain.
While it was still distracted, Selene jumped up and hit the demon in the chest with her palm. A booming noise could be heard.
When she dropped it on the ground, everyone saw that the cyclops now had a hole all the way through its body in the shape of a palm.
After a second, the demon fell on its back, no longer alive.
Selene slowly walked back to the others with her hands behind her back. She didn't even break a sweat.
"How is it? My technique allows my strength to be bigger than that of a cyclops, and the durability of my body is something of note as well." She said in a proud voice and showed them her hand, with which she hit the demon.
It was a thin hand with smooth skin that looked like it never saw a day of work.
"Impressive" Cyril was earnest in saying this. He personally experienced the strength of a cyclops. to overpower it so easily...
"You fought a stronger one, remember? It's not known how she would fare against an elder cyclops." Rhamn didn't want to concede in any way.
"If you agree to be my disciple..." In the middle of saying this, she suddenly stopped and frowned.
Cyril too could hear a sound of a lot of creatures approaching.
Soon from the destroyed wall, a bunch of humanoid creatures ran out.
They looked like normal humans, but on their hands were gnarly claws similar to a ghoul's.
A familiar sight... Cyril mused before getting ready.
The creatures all ran up to the corpse of the cyclops and started eating it piece by piece.
"These must be the result of the experiment" Jack said in a disturbed tone. "But why would you cross a human and a ghoul? They look similar enough already..."
The creatures didn't pay attention to the group; all they saw was the pile of meat in front of them.
"We should deal with them," said Myra with an uncomfortable expression.
Selene didn't move a single step. It seems someone else had to do the job.
Cyril didn't mind being the one, he hasn't fought anyone in a while.
"Morpho, you don't get to participate! Wait until we train some more!" Rhamn's stern voice warned the excited butterfly.
Myra decided to join in as well; she went for the other group.
Selene, with interest, started observing what Cyril was about to do.
He cautiously approached the creatures while taking a good look at them.
Their clothes were torn, and they all looked disheveled, but still mostly human. The only change is the claws.
Such a state reminded Cyril of himself back at the tower. "Don't put yourself together with them. My work was much more sophisticated than this tragedy."
Once he got too close, there was a reaction. The half-humans screamed something unintelligible and dashed towards him.
Cyril, with quick consecutive pokes, pierced the throats of all who approached. They were even slower than regular ghouls.
Myra obviously didn't have any trouble either.
"They are quite weak..." She came closer to Cyril and commented.
Still, the way was now clear; they proceeded to go in the next room.
In there was a broken cell with more modified humans as well as corpses.
It seems the people taken here were all dead already.
The sight caused Myra to frown as she dashed forward and dispatched every half-human with ease.
She checked the other bodies for any signs of life, but no survivor was found.
Myra's face didn't look too good at this moment.
"Let's go," Cyril said and went deeper into the facility. Myra followed after with no issue.
They've eventually reached an expensive-looking door.
This place looked different from all the rest.
"This is probably the boss's office." Jack said with anticipation.
Cyril tried to open the door, but it was locked.
"Begone! Don't come in; we know dangerous spells!" It was a terrified voice.
"Cowards" Rhamn sneered in contempt.
"Cowards." Selene had the exact same reaction.
Cyril cast the usual spell to open the door, but it didn't work this time. The door was already enchanted.
"Ooh, what spell was that?" Jack asked in curiosity, but he was ignored.
"There are multiple enhancing spells on this door. I am afraid we won't be able to break it with force." Rhamn brought down his other idea.
Cyril turned towards the rest. "Any ideas?"
"Allow me to contribute." Jack came forward before Selene could.
He approached the door and cast a spell.
The magic circle reminded Cyril of the one Myra taught him.
As Jack stood there fiddling with magic, the panicked voice emerged again.
"Stop whatever it is you are doing! We are serious!" It was becoming more urgent; it seems like whatever Jack was doing worked.
No one responded to their screams; after a few seconds, Jack stood up and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"This one was tough! The mage who cast it knew what he was doing," he said in admiration.
Next he made a last motion with his hand, and the door shimmered for a second; the sound of glass breaking could be heard.
Immediately, Jack went away. "After you, please." He didn't want to be the first one to enter.
Cyril cast a barrier, grabbed his spear, and came over in front of the door. The enchantments are gone, so it should be possible now...
He kicked the door with all his strength. The door flew off its hinges into the people hiding.
They screamed and tried to dodge, disrupting the attempt at ambush.
Cyril quickly dashed in, followed by the rest of the group.
Like Jack said earlier, this room was the main office.
Numerous paintings were hanging on the wall, and on the desk table, there was an expensive-looking vase with flowers. Whoever used this office cared about status.
Cyril approached one of the scientists and knocked him out with the dull part of the spear.
Myra also sent one unconscious in a similar manner.
The remaining person stood with his hands held up. "I surrender! Please don't hurt me!"
Myra immediately came over and hit him in the stomach with her knee. The mage knelt down from the pain.
"What were you doing here!?" She sounded upset.