Destruction

Thud...

The massive root trident finally came free from the ground.

Crawling toward its prongs, I grasped onto my severed limb and slowly pulled it free.

Blood trickled down my arm as I held my detached leg against my torso, preparing to begin the arduous process of reattaching it with Mana.

First, I made sure that nobody except for a few corpses nearby could witness the process.

Then, while gritting my teeth, I slowly placed my severed leg against the stump of my thigh, feeling the jagged edges of bone and the rawness of the wound.

It was very painful.

Tears streamed down my face as I concentrated on channeling my mana into the stump of my thigh, focusing on healing and reconnecting the severed tissues.

I didn't do anything special, just followed the familiar process of channeling Mana into my severed leg as if it was still attached.

Tap... Tap...

As I was doing this, droplets of rain began to intensify, mingling with my tears and the blood on my hands.

It was strangely calming.

"..."

After a few agonizing minutes, I could feel a faint tingling sensation in my thigh, a sign that the Mana was starting to take effect.

Another few moments passed, and I felt a surge of warmth spreading through my leg as the tissues began to mend together.

Finally, with a final surge of Mana, my severed leg fully reattached itself to my thigh.

I could feel the bones realign and the muscles knit back together as my leg regained its functional state.

"I should be careful..."

Slowly and cautiously, I tested the movement and strength of my reattached limb, making sure not to put too much strain on it.

Fortunately, my leg held up.

Now, since my leg is all healed up, I can finally investigate what had happened while I was unconscious.

Pushing myself up from the ground, I took a deep breath and began to examine my surroundings.

Although it was night and the clouds were dense, blocking the moonlight, my vision was better than I had expected.

'Another perk of being a demon, I guess...'

Shrugging off the thought, I looked around the battlefield that was once filled with chaos and carnage.

Not a single being was stirring except for the corpses that littered the ground.

'Weird...'

Frowning, I turned toward the direction of the fortress to assess the damage it suffered during the battle.

However, I was not expecting the sight that awaited me.

The fortress that had stood strong for decades and withstood countless waves of enemy attacks was completely obliterated.

Massive walls that had once towered over the landscape were reduced to rubble, and flames flickered within the remnants of what was once a central structure.

"..."

Squinting my eyes, I tried to make out any signs of life amidst the devastation, but all I saw were lifeless bodies scattered across the ruins.

'What to do now...'

Scratching my head, I blurted out.

I had no clue what to do next, but one thing was certain - I couldn't stay here.

With a grim expression on my face, I searched for my sword which I found lying not too far from where I lost consciousness and began to approach the ruined fortress with caution.

As I neared the structure, the amount of corpses became even more unsettling.

If I am correct, the casualty count is more than thousand, at least from the bodies I could see.

"That giant sure did some damage..."

Stepping over another corpse of a young woman, I thought audibly.

It was truly a gruesome scene, not the one that would make me feel any discomfort, but a bit sad nonetheless.

As I surveyed the area, I didn't even notice as a group of people wearing tidy black uniforms spotted me from a distance.

"We have a survivor!"

***

Everything after that escalated quickly.

While I was exploring the fortress, trying to piece together what had happened, I was found by the people sent to investigate the aftermath of the battle.

Of course, I was subjected to intense questioning and scrutiny as they tried to gather information about the events that unfolded.

I had no choice but to recount my experiences, leaving out the finer details about my detached leg.

In the end, the authorities were able to gather enough information from me to piece together a clearer picture and I was rewarded a small sum of 500,000$.

So... I guess my mission is successful?

I managed to make a lot more money than I expected.

Of course, I almost died but this is a norm in this world, so I can't be complaining too much.

"...."

As I boarded an air train back to the Academy and pulled out my phone to check the news, a single headline caught my attention.

[ A devastating disaster claims countless lives and destroys the fortress of the Root Graveyard ]

Pressing the play button, I listened to the report that detailed the catastrophic event that unfolded at the Root Graveyard and sighed in relief.

There was no mention of my involvement in the incident.

My name, nor my face was leaked to the public.

"This is the best..."

Stretching my arms and leaning back in my seat, I felt a smile creep across my face.

That's weird...

I don't remember when was the last time I felt such happiness.

'I'm really starting to lose emotions in this world...'

Shaking my head, I sneered.

As long as I continue to profit and stay under the radar, I couldn't care less about my emotional state.

Other demons live with it too, so why can't I?