Idle Mage: Humanity's Strongest Backer
chapter-340

Ashton had been traveling through the Netherworld for weeks now, his mission is to detach pieces of the dark realm from Elstar. He had become an expert at it, knowing exactly how to manipulate the energy of the Netherworld to sever its connection with Elstar.

As he moved through the Netherworld, Ashton encountered all sorts of dangers. Demons lurked in every shadow, waiting to attack him. But Ashton was not easily deterred. He was determined to rid the Netherworld of these creatures, no matter the cost.

The detachment process was long and arduous, but Ashton was making steady progress. The more pieces he detached, the more the Netherworld began to shrink. But he knew that there was still much work to be done.

So far, he had all the kingdoms near Sylvenvale, and Sylvenvale itself, is now freed from demon infestation. Ashton had no idea if people noticed it yet but right now, that's not important.

He had departed the Mistwood Kingdom for quite some time now to fulfill his mission and so far, he had been seeing great success.

Currently, he's in the Netherworld...

He just finished cleansing another outpost and was about to begin the detachment process when all of a sudden, he felt some kind of disturbance from a distance.

Ashton clicked his tongue and began laying down a ward around him to prepare for some kind of distraction.

He continued to cast the ward around him, his hands moving quickly as he chanted ancient spells under his breath. He could feel the energy of the demonic power growing stronger with each passing moment, and he knew that he had to hurry.

The ground shook beneath his feet as he worked, the very fabric of the Netherworld threatening to tear apart. But Ashton remained focused, his eyes fixed on the task at hand. He couldn't afford to fail.

Finally, the ward was complete. Ashton stepped back and wiped the sweat from his brow, his heart racing in his chest. He knew that the ward wouldn't hold forever, but it would buy him enough time to finish detaching this piece of the Netherworld from Elstar.

Ashton turned to face the east, where the demonic power was coming from. He could feel the malevolence emanating from that direction, and he knew that he was about to face an enemy unlike any he had faced before.

But Ashton was no ordinary Archfey. He was experienced and held too much power, and he had faced countless foes in his long life. His eyes remained closed as he continued detaching this piece of the Netherworld from Elstar.

Ashton felt a tinge of regret as he realized that he had already begun the detachment process. He had been so focused on his task that he had completely forgotten about the looming threat on the horizon.

He wished he had taken the time to investigate the source of the demonic power before starting the ritual, but now it was too late. Once the detachment process started, it could not be stopped.

Ashton continued his work, his hands moving with precision as he manipulated the energy of the Netherworld. He knew that he had to remain focused if he was going to detach this piece of the Netherworld successfully.

But as he worked, he could feel the presence of the approaching enemy growing stronger. The demonic power was now so intense that it was almost suffocating, and Ashton knew that he was running out of time.

He cast a quick glance over his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of the enemy. But all he could see was the swirling darkness of the Netherworld, with occasional flashes of light illuminating the shadows.

Ashton gritted his teeth and focused on his task, determined to finish what he had started. He wouldn't be able to stop the process anyway so he might as well focus on it. Besides, the ward around him was strong, he could feel the entity trying to attack it but it was holding up so he had time.

The detachment process continued the energy of the Netherworld swirling around Ashton in a chaotic dance. He could feel the power building, and he knew that he was getting closer to the end.

Ashton steadied his breathing, he focused his mind and consciousness to finish the detachment process. He closed his eyes and focused, drawing on all of his strength, power, and knowledge.

With a final burst of energy, Ashton completed the detachment process, severing the connection between this piece of the Netherworld and Elstar. The energy of the Netherworld dissipated around him, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Normally, he would've returned to Elstar after this process, but thanks to the entity locking him down here, he had no choice but to stay.

Ashton stood ready, his hands crackling with arcane energy as he faced the entity who turned out to be a Demon King. The Demon King was massive, towering over Ashton with rippling muscles and demonic claws. Its eyes glowed red with an unholy power, and its fangs dripped with venom.

The two combatants circled each other warily, each looking for an opening. Ashton knew that he had to be careful. The Demon King was more powerful than any demon he had faced before, and he could feel its power radiating off of it in waves.

'It's influenced by some kind of baptism.' Ashton mused inwardly as he fought.

Ashton raised his hands, a fierce wind whipping around him as he prepared to cast a spell. The Demon King roared, its claws raking the air as it charged forward.

Ashton reacted quickly, his hands moving with practiced precision as he cast a spell of binding. The spell slammed into the Demon King, wrapping it in a cocoon of magical energy.

The Demon King snarled, its eyes flashing with fury as it struggled against the spell. But it was no use. Ashton's magic was too powerful.

Ashton took advantage of the moment, his hands glowing with a fierce energy as he summoned a bolt of lightning. The bolt slammed into the Demon King, its body convulsing with the force of the blast.

But the Demon King was not beaten yet. Its eyes burned with a wildfire, and it tore free of the binding spell with a savage roar. It charged forward once more, its claws slashing through the air.

Ashton's gaze hardened, his hands moving faster as he cast another spell of binding. This time, the spell held, and the Demon King was trapped once more.

He raised his hands, a ball of fire forming in the air before him. He threw it at the Demon King, the flames engulfing the demon in a searing inferno.

The Demon King thrashed and howled, its body writhing in agony as the flames consumed it. And then, with a final roar of fury, it went still.

Ashton stood panting, his hands still glowing with the energy of the fight. He knew that he had won, but what was that? Is it the power of the Ancient Demons? It was a fearsome thing, and he could feel its corruption still lingering in the air.

He took a deep breath, centering himself as he prepared to return to Elstar. There was still much work to be done, and he needed to plan his next move carefully if he was going to succeed in his mission to rid the world of the Netherworld's dark influence. But before he did, he decided to interrogate the demon first.

Ashton approached the Demon King, who was still trapped within the binding spell. He knew that the demon was not entirely dead yet, and he wanted to see if he could learn anything from it before it passed.

"What do you want, Archfey?" the Demon King snarled, its eyes glowing with madness. "Why do you meddle in our affairs?"

"I seek to free Elstar from the Netherworld's corruption," Ashton replied calmly. "And your kind stands in the way of that goal."

"Conquering this world is our birthright," the Demon King spat. "We will not let you take it from us."

Ashton shook his head. "Your birthright has led to nothing but destruction and chaos. You and your race have existed long enough. It's time for you to disappear."

The Demon King let out a wild laugh, its body writhing in the binding spell. "You are a fool, Archfey. The Demon Council will never let you succeed. They will stop at nothing to protect our realm."

Ashton raised an eyebrow. "The Demon Council, you say? And who are they?"

"The rulers of the Netherworld," the Demon King snarled. "They will not tolerate your interference. You would do well to flee while you still can."

Ashton smiled. "I have no intention of fleeing. I will see this through to the end, no matter what the cost."

The Demon King let out a final growl, its body going still. Ashton knew that the demon was gone, but its words had given him something to think about. The Demon Council would not take kindly to his actions, and he would need to be prepared for their next move.