Unaware that they were headed in the wrong direction, the force led by Adenburg marched west.

Demonic forces raided the ranks several times each day.

It was not that difficult repelling these attacks.

Until this point, the Astoria armies had fought in countless battles against the demonic horde, and as a result, the plains around the base at Panthea were under full control of the humans.

As a result, the number of demonic beings attacking the expedition force was remarkably small.

There was no need for the Adenburg knights or the Holy Kingdom’s troops to step up. The minor nobles and their troops gathered from across the lands were more than enough to dispose of these foes.

However, the leaders of this search force knew better than anyone that this situation would not continue for long.

Three days after leaving the base, they approached the end of the friendly territory.

There was no need to even open a map and check their whereabouts. Taking a deep breath was more than enough to understand that the atmosphere around them was completely different.

“It’s already begun to set in. It’s even faster than what the Holy Kingdom expected.”

“It’s clear the demonic horde has taken action while the Astoria forces remained huddled in their bases.”

The priests and the Templar Knights, particularly sensitive to the demonic energy, lamented the situation.

The fact that demonic energy was dense enough to detect before even reaching the Dark Lord’s realm could not be a good sign.

However, they were not in a position to worry. They recalled...