The Strongest Demon Lord in the Modern World - Chapter 32

The sun stretched ever-higher on the clear, light blue spotless sky. It was still early morning, though several hours have already passed from the ungodly early hour Jake was forced to break his peaceful slumber because of the prepared alarm on his phone.

He, now joined up with his best friend Jay and with a dark brown haired, bespectacled girl called Myra have just reached the outside the city limits and were standing in front of the large forest acting as a sort of natural barrier between two powers, two countries bordering each other.

Though, the presence of the mountain range at the depths was providing more of a separator.

After going over to his friend, Jake spent around an extra hour waiting for his friend to get ready for their ‘Grand Adventure’ they have planned for the day. It was Sunday, and whilst most teens of their age would be busy sleeping off all that copious amounts of alcohol from last night’s partying… but not them.

They, together with the third member of their little ‘Club’, were unlike their peers. They weren’t spending their Friday- and Saturday evenings wasted, drenched in equal amounts of alcohol and sweat, dancing and partying the weekly grind away.

Though not shut-ins or ‘NEETs’ as their type could be mistakenly called by nowaday’s media, they had a much different -though undoubtedly unique- interest, they shared.

“Okay, guys. Before we venture into the thick of it and walk headfirst into whatever danger is lying out there, hiding behind the trees and the undergrowth…” Facing his friends, Jake took a deep breath and forced a look of seriousness on his face. His cheeks turned slightly pinkish with the strangely, uncharacteristic cold, despite it should be the beginning of summer.

Though lately, with all that mumbo-jumbo about global warming, it was said that this type of unpredictable weather was the new ‘norm’. Anyway…

“…We should go over the day’s plan once again.” Taking a brief moment to exhale a lungful of the used-up air, Jake spoke. He looked at the dark brown haired, nerdish teenage girl first.

Myra Heartgrove, was a girl, both Jake and Jay’s childhood friend since before starting school even. She was of average height and weight as well. Though her body was rather generously gifted, curvaceous where it needed to be, not much was ever shown even to her best friends. She always hid behind large knitted ugly sweaters and pullovers, and baggy pants, or in some rare cases, jeans.

Even during PE classes, she rarely even showed up, as she always had an exemption. asthma, or some sort of disorder, allowed her to not humiliate and shame herself by jumping around in gym attire. Honestly, it was quite a wonder that nobody ever connected the dots, and thought of her as a slightly overweight, chubby girl because of the type of attire she was always seen in school or public.

Her almond-shaped, whiskey-colored, deep-set eyes sparkled with excitement as she thought of the journey ahead.

Clapping her hands she exclaimed happily, energetically.

“Alright!” She almost jumped barely being able to contain her exploding excitement. “From the research we have done, it is clear that we should investigate Greytop Mountain. From the historical records, we have found in the school and city libraries…”

“…and from the internet, since nobody reads those dusty old tomes anymore Myra…” Jay butted in, rolling his eyes as he was reminded of the most boring, exhausting couple of days of his life. He never even wanted to remember it, much less recount it.

“and FROM. THE. INTERNET…” Myra repeated, pushing each word with a threatening, warning undertone and making both boys swallow a large gulp of saliva in the process. “…we can be sure that records of the prehistoric humanity were somewhere around this region.”

“Yes, and our only option to find something would be to take a hike and climb the hill!” Jake finished her report, pointing excitedly towards the sky.

‘Not that we have the funds, the permits, and the time to do some real excavation on the ground…’ He added, albeit mentally only.

Retaining the excitement on his face, he swirled around his feet, facing the forest he pointed at the looming darkness of the trees and exclaimed with an unmasked excitement.

“Let’s go, we will show the world, that our Indie-Club still has a place, a meaning!”

With that said and without further adieu, he began marching fearlessly against the tree line. Holding nothing in his hand, and carrying a large mountaineer backpack, the lead explorer of the undoubtedly nerd-sounding Indie-Club began his adventure, blissfully unaware of the disaster he was rushing headfirst into.

Taking a lasting look at the receding back of their friend, Jay and Myra sighed exasperated, before following after a few seconds later. Soon the trio vanished into the thick forest.

The forest they entered was oak-brown and fresh smelling. The grasses were crispy beneath their feet as they crossed slowly, cautiously deeper and deeper into this natural biome.

The trees towered over them majestically. Their knotted arms rose ever upwards, as far as their heads could lift. They were hoary fortresses, standing proud and tall, undisturbed by the corruption of civilization.

The orchestra of birdsong that they heard from afar suddenly stopped as they crossed into this new, luscious realm.

A pair of jays, the scavengers of the bird world were screeching somewhere high up in the canopy of the trees. Their gemstone of bead-like eyes was always on the lookout for smaller, feathered, or furred meals. While they mostly preferred the former, feathery prey, they would occasionally swoop down and grab the lonesome squirrel or even the youthful hare if they would scamper away from the protection of their parents.

The morning stars peeped through the thick dome of the trees, looking down at the world like silver asters; glinting and shimmering. They looked happy, content in their solar-silver isolation. The simpering wind carried with it, the smell of wild basil, which upon further, a closer inspection could be seen growing freely, unrestrained on the clumpy emerald green mattress of the floor. the aroma was rather refreshing, akin to a mulchy mix of the pure raw forest perfume.

Breaking the tranquility, the snapping of some twigs and branches reverberated amidst the woods, the youthful trio of friends were marching deeper and deeper soon making their way to the foot of the mountain, barely spending fifteen minutes at all.

“Alright… We should take a five minute break before we begin.” Jake sighed, as he looked for a wide enough trunk. A moment later as he spotted a wide honey-brown oak, he stripped his large pack from his back and slumped down on the ground leaning against the tree.

Looking up he sighed, feeling a mixture of overwhelming joy and childish excitement as he gazed at the cloud-covered top of this mountain. He was happy to be here, feeling as if he was truly in the brink of something extraordinary.

“Jack!” His reverie was suddenly interrupted with a nervous sounding call of his name. Turning towards the source, he saw his friend, Jay pointing towards the sky, looking strangely worried. At the same time, Myra was just like him, signs of fright, and a seeping terror could be seen in her usually calm eyes.

Following the direction, they were pointing at he looked up once again….