[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-sss-ranked-awakening-i-can-only-summon-mythical-":3,"chapter-sss-ranked-awakening-i-can-only-summon-mythical--sss-ranked-awakening-i-can-only-summon-mythical--chapter-520":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","SSS-Ranked Awakening: I Can Only Summon Mythical Beasts",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1327221,1762,"Chapter 520: Storming The First Base II","sss-ranked-awakening-i-can-only-summon-mythical--chapter-520",520,"\u003Cp>Damien did not go far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had walked less than a kilometer from the abandoned stronghold when he felt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pulse. Not wild or chaotic. Rather, it felt controlled and focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Grade Three signature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t take him long to figure it out. It belonged to an intelligent demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was approaching fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped mid-step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’So, they hadn’t abandoned it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had deployed outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most likely searching for the missing members of their stronghold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And probably for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint smirk tugged at his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of leaving the eastern stronghold behind, he returned — silently, without haste. If a powerful demon was approaching, then others would follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant this would become a gathering point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And gathering points were predictable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Predictable meant exploitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He re-entered the clearing and moved immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Luton.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slime slid from his shoulder and landed on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Traps.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From its Universal Space, Luton produced several compact rune-traps Damien had purchased in Galandra. Each was roughly half a foot long with a small platform at the top.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simple design.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deadly application.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damien drove the first one into the ground near the main entrance of the command chamber. He placed a mid-grade essence core atop the platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rune faintly activated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He planted two more near the perimeter — concealed beneath broken bone structures and splintered bark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each trap carried an essence core strong enough to lure demonic attention but not powerful enough to arouse suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bait and trigger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t overuse them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four traps total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strategic placements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enough to disrupt formation without wasting resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he finished, he stepped back and compressed his essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The approaching presence was closer now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He climbed onto the broken frame of the main structure and waited in shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minutes passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forest grew still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a shape burst through the tree line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tall, lean, and like others bed slain, horned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its body plated with overlapping scales darker than the previous intelligent demons he’d faced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its aura was sharper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grade Three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon stopped at the edge of the clearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It surveyed the ruins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cracked suppression node.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The extinguished pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Careful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Measured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sensed something wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damien did not move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon advanced further into the clearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its foot crossed the first trap’s proximity threshold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rune flared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A binding rune shot outward like a streak of light and wrapped around the demon’s torso.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creature roared as the binding force constricted around its essence core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Human filth!\" it snarled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damien dropped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He landed in front of it without warning and drove his fist straight into its mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teeth shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The binding rune flickered under strain as the demon flexed its power violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stronger than the soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stronger than the previous intelligent ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not stronger than him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It tore one arm partially free of the rune and slashed downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The claw grazed Damien’s shoulder, drawing blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He responded instantly — gripping the demon’s wrist and twisting until the bone cracked audibly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rune began to fail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t rely on it long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Luton.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slime surged from behind and wrapped around the demon’s legs, anchoring it further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creature roared and released a shockwave of dark essence outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nearest tree exploded into splinters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The binding rune shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damien moved before the demon could capitalize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped inside its reach and unleashed a brutal combination — elbow to jaw, knee to ribs, palm strike to throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon staggered but retaliated with a backhand powerful enough to send Damien skidding across the clearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rolled once and rose immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood dripped from his lip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon tore free from Luton’s lower hold and charged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damien met it head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their fists collided with a thunderclap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The impact cratered the ground between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon grinned through broken teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You destabilize what must remain sealed!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damien answered with a rising uppercut that snapped the creature’s head backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It countered with a knee to his abdomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He absorbed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drove forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grabbed both horns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And slammed the demon’s face into the fractured stone disk at the center of the clearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ancient stone cracked further under impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon roared and unleashed another pulse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luton recoiled briefly — then surged forward again, wrapping around the demon’s midsection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damien used that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He jumped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And brought his heel down onto the demon’s skull with crushing force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground split.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon’s body went limp for half a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grabbed its head and twisted violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spine snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t stop there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drove his fist into its chest cavity and crushed the core region completely before it could attempt self-destruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luton devoured the corpse in seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damien stood slowly, chest rising steadily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could feel it now. There was movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More signatures. Three of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All approaching from different directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Grade Three had not come alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had come first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scout or enforcer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now the others were converging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damien wiped blood from his chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they had indeed been searching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant the stronghold was still an active rally point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked calmly toward the edge of the clearing and reset two traps that had not triggered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He planted one more near the fractured central disk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not rush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He climbed onto the remains of the command structure once more and compressed his essence entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, the clearing appeared empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abandoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unclaimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first new demon burst into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then two more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regular soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But more cautious now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They spread out immediately, scanning the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One approached the fractured disk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another inspected the extinguished pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A third moved toward the structure Damien hid within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fourth lingered near the tree line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had not yet sensed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had sensed the death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not the killer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damien remained still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon nearest the fractured disk stepped onto the concealed trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rune ignited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Binding rune shot upward and Damien dropped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hunt had shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No longer surgical elimination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he was the ambush inside their own fortress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this time, he would wait until they were all within reach before striking.\u003C\u002Fp>",1049,"2026-06-05T19:29:03.455Z",1,"novelbin.me","66bee0bdedf9755df86aa3512b5f0150fac7d9a9bc609dd2814eebdc04957de3","sss-ranked-awakening-i-can-only-summon-mythical--chapter-521","sss-ranked-awakening-i-can-only-summon-mythical--chapter-519",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsss-ranked-awakening-i-can-only-summon-mythical--cover.jpg"]