(BL) I teleported again and now all demons want me!

On the way

Darkness spread everywhere. Nothing could be seen or perceived. 

Yet suddenly out of the darkness, a hand appeared, parting it like a curtain. Seconds later, an attractive and deep voice followed.

"How did it go?"

"Your highness! Please forgive us but we failed. He escaped us."

The suffocating air grew thicker and threatened to swallow the cloaked man trembling kneeling in front of the darkness.

"Where is he?"

"He has probably not heeded our warning and started to look for the treasure. We have people stationed at the academy but he hasn't been sighted."

"That's good," the voice pleasantly said, "It was time he finally came out of his hiding to me. This is our fate."

***

A week later, after a tremendous walking journey, plagued by paranoia and fear, Eric and his allies finally arrived at the first checkpoint of the treasure hunt. To clarify his doubts, Eric asked again, "So the checkpoint is there to sort out the contenders?"

"I guess so," Dan briefly answered as their view fell onto a city surrounded by high ashlar walls.

Currently, they stood on a hill, seeing the city from afar. The map said that the first checkpoint took place in the iron-forte city. Since the whole city was like a castle, the name somehow made sense.

"Let's go," Éclair swung her ponytail behind her back and descended the hill. It was a rough journey to come here. Although they didn't meet much danger, it was exhausting on their bodies. 

On their way, they've gathered intel that the checkpoints only opens at specific times, if one missed it, they needed to wait until the next window opens.

Without clearing the checkpoints one could not get to the treasure. This was a mechanism of some sort.

Thus, Eric and his allies rushed, barely sleeping and taking a break, only using magic to relieve their fatigue. They could fly but flying took up a lot of mana and had to be used in moderation.

Eric, at first, was surprised that everyone knew of the treasure and even took the treasure hunt as entertainment. From the system's description, Eric thought it was secret but apparently it wasn't. The population of this country knew about it. but the secret was who the contenders were. Random invitations were sent to people and once they accepted, they were a contender, eligible to participate in the treasure hunt.

Of course, Eric was curious about the history of the treasure hunt and where the contenders succeeded and failed.

Since the first king's death and declaration of the treasure, no one was able to pass the trials and find the final checkpoint. It was said that a group of contenders managed to pass all checkpoints and even got to the treasure room but just within a day later, they were all found dead. After that, no one has made it that afar.

Eric wondered how the contenders were chosen. Based on what criteria and who were the ones who oversaw this hunt? Could it be magical creatures? Since this was a story about magic, wasn't it natural to see fairies, elves, orcs, dwarves etc? To be honest, Eric actually wanted to see them.

However, he wasn't worried about not finding the treasure. Of course, he would find it, he was the protagonist, but what ate him alive was to serve an exciting journey to the readers and how that villain and touchy touchy system fell into this all. Wouldn't his personal mission ruin the story?

"Elas, what are you doing? Do you feel sick?" with a worried face, Tani approached Eric and with her pleasant voice, brought him out of his deep thoughts.