The Damned Demon

Chapter 702 Switched?

Amelia drove through the portal and found herself on a secluded island, surrounded by fortress-like structures with thick, impenetrable walls. Guards and Hunters swarmed the area, their powerful auras creating a suffocating atmosphere. The sheer intensity of their combined presence made her heart race, and even she, with her years of experience, felt a small twinge of unease.

Jim stepped out of the truck and stretched his arms, looking as calm as ever. "Finally. We made it without any serious mishaps. Good work, Amelia. I'm impressed that you didn't flinch, even when Hellbringer showed up," he said with a smile.

Amelia gave a weak chuckle, though inside, her mind was spinning. She couldn't help but wonder if Jim had been watching her closely the whole time, judging her every move, testing her resolve. The weight of his smile felt like an unspoken evaluation, one she couldn't quite decipher. She climbed out of the truck, pushing the uneasy thoughts aside, her eyes scanning the fortress before her.

Remy, on the other hand, stepped out of the truck, his eyes widening in awe and trepidation. The island hummed with an overpowering energy, the sheer presence of so many high-ranked Hunters making the air feel thick and heavy. He couldn't believe the level of security—the powerful guards standing at attention, the sharp, unrelenting gazes tracking every movement.

His attention was pulled away when a group of uniformed healers rushed over, carrying Lenny's unconscious form on a stretcher. The sight made Remy wonder if the commander was really going to recover after whatever Hellbringer had done to him.

"Remy, come," Jim called, gesturing toward him. "The teleportation chamber is prepped and ready. It's time."

"Right now?" Remy asked, feeling the nerves flutter in his stomach. "What about you, professor? Shouldn't you get some rest first?"

Jim smiled kindly, though there was an undercurrent of something in his gaze that Remy couldn't quite place. "Rest? Not when I have yet to see my favorite student safely on his way. Come on, let's not delay."

Remy forced a smile and began to follow, though his steps felt heavier with every stride. Just before he moved past her, Amelia stepped forward, placing a firm but gentle hand on his shoulder.

"You did well today, Remy," she said softly, her voice carrying more weight than her words implied. She leaned in slightly, her voice barely above a whisper, "But... be careful."

Remy blinked, startled by the sudden shift in her tone. There was something about the way she said it, something in the tension of her voice, that made him uneasy. He gave a slow, hesitant nod, wondering if she knew something he didn't.

Amelia sighed as she saw him walk away with Jim. She felt since Asher and his cult weren't able to get Remy out, she wanted to give him a warning that would make him look out for himself.

Following his professor into a black dome guarded by rows of sentries, they passed through multiple scanners, each one more invasive than the last.

Remy felt the tingle of mana brush over him with each scan, the devices checking for any hidden threats or anomalies. Just seeing all this would make any demon not dare try any disguise to infiltrate.

Finally, they reached a secret elevator, descending into the belly of the fortress, its quiet hum adding to the growing tension in his chest.

When the elevator doors slid open, they stepped into a long, sterile corridor, brightly lit but eerily empty. The only figures present were a handful of guards stationed along the walls, their faces unreadable beneath their helmets. On the far end, a single door awaited, heavily reinforced.

As they stepped through, Remy's eyes widened at the sight of the teleportation chamber. The chamber was massive, at least 10 meters tall and 5 meters wide, the kind of scale that made him feel small. And the hall was even bigger to accommodate this chamber.

Huge screens covered the walls, displaying streams of calculations and coordinates, while technicians in uniforms operated the complex machinery with practiced efficiency.

"This is where I leave you," Jim said, placing a hand on Remy's back, "Your journey takes you to a different world. Mine stays here."

Remy looked up, his brows furrowed in confusion. "You're not coming, professor?"

Jim chuckled softly. "No, Remy. My job is here, to guide students like you. But your future? That's out there, beyond this world. Go. Fight for humanity. Make sure we will one day be free from the demons forever."

Remy nodded, though his smile was tight, uncertain. His heart pounded with the weight of it all—the expectation, the fear of what lay ahead. As one of the technicians gestured for him to step into the chamber, Remy took a deep breath, forcing his feet to move forward.

As he entered the chamber, his mind raced. He couldn't shake Amelia's words, couldn't help but feel like there was more to all of this than what was being told. But it was too late to turn back now, and he could not even do it if he wanted to.

Jim gave a casual wave as the chamber door closed around Remy, sealing him in with the familiar hum of powerful mana. Remy raised his hand in a half-hearted wave back, feeling the weight of the moment finally sink in. As the chamber began to fill with energy, a powerful layer of mana enveloped his body, and soon, he felt his head spin, his senses blurring as though he was drifting into a dream.

He couldn't believe it. This was it—the moment he'd been waiting for and fearing all at once. He was really being sent to Mars, to an entirely new world far from home. His thoughts drifted to his grandmother and his parents, wondering if they would be proud of him or worried. What if they knew something had gone wrong?

Suddenly, his consciousness blurred, and in an instant, Remy vanished.

Jim, still watching from the other side, nodded with a satisfied smile, assuming everything was proceeding smoothly. "Well, that's that," he muttered. He turned to one of the technicians, his tone casual but firm. "Did he make it safely to the other side?"

"Uh… sir..." The technician's voice faltered, and Jim's brows immediately furrowed.

"What's going on?" Jim asked as he stepped closer, noticing the flurry of activity among the technicians, their eyes glued to the screens. Their hurried movements and hushed whispers were anything but routine.

"I-I'm not sure, sir," the technician stammered, his eyes wide with panic. "But... it seems the boy didn't reach Mars. We—we lost the signal."

Jim's heart sank, but his voice turned sharp and threatening, "What do you mean, lost the signal? Where else could he have gone? We just saw him teleport!"

"I... I don't know, sir," the technician's voice wavered, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "The coordinates were correct, but just as he got teleported, something happened—the coordinates... they switched. It was like an unintended modification in the array got activated."

Jim's eyes went wide, and his voice erupted with fury, "Switched?! Are you telling me someone tampered with such a powerful array sitting before our eyes?? How? No. First tell me where he was sent!"

The technician trembled under Jim's glare. "W-We're trying to trace the new coordinates now, but it's encrypted. It could take a few minutes."

"Minutes?" Jim snarled, grabbing the man by his collar. "We don't have minutes! Find him! Or all of you will have your ass thrown to the boiler!"

The other technicians scrambled in terror, typing furiously on their consoles, fear coursing through the room as Jim stormed out, muttering curses under his breath. His heart pounded in his chest—he knew he couldn't afford to let this failure reach the president's ears.

-

Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers away, in a remote, snow-covered forest, a radiant blue light burst briefly, and Remy materialized out of thin air, collapsing to the ground. His head spun as if the world itself was tilting, but he quickly shook off the dizziness and stood up, his breath visible in the cold air.

"This... this can't be Mars..." Remy mumbled, confusion clouding his thoughts. The air smelled of pine, and the sky was a bright, familiar blue—nothing like the alien world he had been preparing for. The snow crunched under his boots as he spun around, scanning the unfamiliar landscape.

"Hello, Remy. Long time no see."

Before he could make sense of where he was, a calm, deep voice echoed from behind him, sending a chill down his spine.

Startled, Remy spun around, his heart hammering in his chest. Standing before him, cloaked in shadow with only a faint outline of his features visible beneath a hood, was a tall man in a black cloak. The man's presence radiated danger, and despite the cold, Remy felt his blood run hot with fear.

"H-Hellbringer?!" Remy gasped, his voice shaky with shock and recognition. He could never forget the figure—the same towering, menacing presence he had seen back at the truck, the same figure that haunted the whispers of every Hunter.

Instinctively, Remy fumbled for his staff, pointing it toward Hellbringer in a feeble attempt to defend himself. He knew it was pointless, but he didn't want to run away like a coward.

But Hellbringer didn't flinch. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and spoke with a chilling calm, "I wouldn't be so quick to raise your weapon... Not if you ever want to see your grandmother again."

Remy's grip faltered, and his eyes widened in shock and horror.

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