Hellbound: Rebirth Of The Strongest Slayer.-Chapter 44: The main trouble is still sleeping (1)

Chapter 44

Somewhere in the mortal realm.

A figure walked from one city to the next with nothing more than rest between steps. What made it unsettling was not his pace, nor his presence, but the absence of it.

No one sensed him.

Not the guards patrolling the gates. Not the experts hiding within crowded streets. Not even the old monsters buried deep in seclusion beneath the cities. Though he passed through packed markets and narrow alleys, he remained unseen, as if he did not exist at all.

Hundreds of steps passed.

Then thousands.

Countless cities crossed.

At last, he arrived somewhere.

Where exactly, even the heavens might not know.

The place was drowned in darkness. No stars. No moon. No flicker of light. The man stood alone, dressed entirely in black, the void swallowing everything around him. The scene felt heavy, tense, as if something dangerous lurked just beyond sight.

Every cultivator knew it.

Darkness hid things.

That was why they sought light, even a spark, whenever night closed in.

But the man did not care.

Or perhaps, he had no reason to.

He continued walking.

Yet something was wrong.

He no longer crossed thousands of miles in a single step. He walked like a mortal now. Slow. Measured. One foot before the other, through endless darkness, with nothing ahead and nothing behind.

Time blurred.

Hours passed. Maybe more.

He stopped.

The space before him was still wrapped in darkness, yet he reached forward as if something were there. His fingers closed around a doorknob.

He turned it.

The door opened.

He stepped inside.

The darkness did not vanish, but it changed. The room was lit by intricate circular patterns etched into the floor. Glowing. Pulsing. Most shone blue.

One was red.

At the center stood a figure.

Wild hair spilled down in rough tangles, obscuring everything else. Face. Body. Shape. Nothing could be seen clearly. Only hair.

"Did you find the target?"

The voice that spoke was wrong. Not quite human. Not quite inhuman either. Too familiar. Too alien.

The man who had traveled countless miles answered calmly, his voice unmistakably human.

"No. I cannot locate the anomaly. After the Crimson Night vanished along with the crimson moon, all traces disappeared."

The figure before the glowing circles did not move.

Silence stretched.

It thickened.

Finally, the voice spoke again, this time sounding like an adult woman.

"What about the summoning? Did you find any leads? What was summoned, and what level of power does it wield?"

The man did not answer immediately.

He considered his words carefully.

Then he spoke.

"I believe whatever the anomaly summoned was far beyond what the current realm can hold. I only found traces left behind by the attack it unleashed, yet even that surpassed the power of a great cultivator."

Silence fell again.

The figure fell silent.

No, it was not just the figure. The room itself grew quieter, as if the darkness had learned how to hold its breath.

At last, the voice returned.

This time it sounded like a small male child.

"I see. Whoever sent this anomaly into our realm must have learned of our plan. Inform the rest. We need to find a way to capture it."

The red circle pulsed faintly.

"I believe the anomaly is still restricted by the restraints of this realm. No matter how powerful it is, it should not be beyond our capabilities to handle."

The voice shifted, still childish, but colder.

"Inform Demiur and Ednar. They will handle the anomaly."

The man did not respond right away. Instead, he asked the question that had been weighing on him.

"What about the Guardians? They will pose some trouble."

This time, the reply came in a soft, almost playful teenage female voice. Sweet enough to lower anyone’s guard.

The words though were anything but.

"Do not concern yourself with the Guardians. I will devise a way to keep them occupied. This unknown anomaly is the real threat and must be eliminated. If it is not dealt with, we may be forced to accelerate things."

The man’s aura stiffened.

The project they were working on was not something that could be rushed. Not something that should be rushed. He did not even dare finish that thought.

Instead, he bowed his head.

"I will do as you say. But please refrain from accelerating matters for now. We will capture and subdue the anomaly as soon as possible."

With that, he turned and left.

The figure whose features remained hidden beneath impossibly long hair turned back to the circles.

Within them were names. Nations. Kingdoms. Empires. Temples. Countless powers etched into glowing patterns. Most of the circles shone blue.

Only one had turned red.

"They should not have learned of our plan so soon," the figure muttered, the voice now dry and ancient, like that of a weary sage.

"Could it be the Light Domain?"

The thought lingered, then faded. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"No. Not even the Light Domain was meant to know."

Then what is it?

Another cluster of circles lay to the side. Each bore the name of a Guardian, all marked in yellow.

Dealing with the Guardians would be troublesome, but manageable. At most, an inconvenience.

The true threat was the anomaly.

And whoever had sent it.

The figure’s attention returned to the red circle.

"What is so special about this kingdom," the voice whispered, "that it became the entry point for the anomaly?"

The name etched within the red glow was unmistakable.

Ardentia.

--------

Meanwhile, the anomaly they ranked as a greater threat than the Guardians themselves was fast asleep.

Curled against the warmth of his mother’s back.

Unaware that the eyes of the world were closing in on him.

To be continued.

Author’s Note:

Alright, warriors of the story, this is where I need you to step up. Every vote, every review, every little bit of support isn’t just a number... it fuels the chaos, the battles, the explosions, and every insane twist you love.

Here’s the deal: 200 power stones unlock an extra Chapter. Yes, you read that right—an extra Chapter packed with carnage, revelations, and jaw-dropping moments just for you. 100 collections? That’s another extra Chapter. And those reviews? Every 10 reviews give you one extra Chapter. Every comment, every thumbs-up... it all matters.

So if you want the next Chapter to come faster, with more action, more tension, more of that raw, unfiltered intensity you crave, this is your moment. Don’t just sit there—vote, review, collect, and make your mark. Your energy becomes mine, and together, we push the story further than anyone could imagine.