Chapter 241
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 241
After bowing respectfully, Gilean looked at the demons standing behind me.
These were the leaders of the races who managed the twelve sectors of the underground labor camp, and beneath them, the commanders of thousands and five-thousands.
I had subjugated them all.
“It seems you’ve conquered the labor camp.”
“Conquered, you say…”
I murmured, stroking the heads of the siblings, Mary and Aki.
He was right.
For the past six months, I had fought relentlessly to bring every race in the underground labor camp to their knees. Those who defied me were beaten into submission; those who refused to obey to the end were killed, their positions filled by my own people.
It was the way of the demons—a world where only the strong survive.
Personally, I disliked such violent methods, but they were necessary to handle the hardened prisoners and subdue all twelve sectors within the half-year I was given.
If I’d had enough time, I might have been able to bring the underground labor camp under my control peacefully through negotiation and persuasion. But I only had six months.
Besides, a peaceful approach wouldn’t have been suitable for cultivating my own strength. The ability to wield magi only truly grows in the crucible of desperate, bloody battle.
Gilean spoke again.
“You have accumulated sufficient deeds. From now on, I shall address you as Successor and speak to you with the respect you deserve. Please, feel free to call me Gilean.”
Gilean bowed politely. Unlike him, Amur and Carmilla seemed reluctant to show me any deference, acting evasive and looking away.
“Ahem.”
“I’m not doing it.”
I let out a small laugh at their reactions. “I wasn’t expecting much from you two anyway.”
As if I’d expect respect from a muscle-brained spirit obsessed with fighting or a moody vampire.
Gilean approached and draped a purple cloak over my shoulders.
“I have already completed your registration as a candidate. Your sponsors will be the three races—represented by myself, Amur, and Carmilla—as well as the twelve leaders of the underground labor camp. You are guaranteed the second rank.”
I nodded and looked up at the sky.
“Six months until the succession ceremony.”
It was a long time, yet also a short one. It was enough time to either accomplish nothing or to dominate the prisoners of the underground labor camp.
“Did you gain anything during your time below?”
“Of course.”
Crrrack—!
I tore the massive iron chain from my neck with my bare hands and hurled it to the floor. The broken links glowed bright red, as if they had just been pulled from a furnace.
“It seems you’ve learned how to handle magi.”
“Yes, though I still have a long way to go.”
For the past six months, my neck had been bound by a chain that suppressed my mana and Authority. In that state, the only power I could wield was the magi used by demons.
Until then, I had never handled magi ‘properly.’ I had merely accepted massive amounts of it through demonization and unleashed its overwhelming power indiscriminately. The only reason I could control that power at all was thanks to my innate bloodline and Kavelthar’s ability.
However, those abilities were all sealed by the mana restraint. Over six months of fighting for survival, I was forced to learn how to control pure magi step by step.
I gazed at my calloused palms, lost in thought.
Magi may be wild, but it holds infinite potential.
I felt like I could finally understand why the beings of the demon world called the blessing of mana a ‘shackle.’ If mana is a limited power that exists strictly within the providence of nature, magi unleashes a far more explosive and overwhelming force, as if mocking such limitations—even if only ruin lies at its end.
Clenching my fist, I pushed the thought aside and asked about the world above.
“What’s the situation outside?”
Having been buried in the underground labor camp for six months, I had no information about the human world.
“Are you concerned?”
“Of course I am. You know why I’m cooperating with you.”
Another reason I had worked so hard to build my strength and conquer the labor camp was because of my promise to Gilean—the promise that he would keep Freya, Elena, Kiriel, and Beatrice alive.
Gilean handed me a prepared report.
“They are still safe. However, I don’t know how long that safety will last. War is full of variables.”
I skimmed the report, organizing the information in my head.
Six months had passed since the grand declaration of war following the invasions of Glyphesi and the Union. The demon world had officially raised its armies and launched a full-scale invasion of the human world.
They had planted Dark Mana Stones throughout the continent’s ley lines to corrupt the sources of mana, turning ordinary animals into monsters and making existing monsters even more ferocious. Gilean, with his ability to teleport freely, had been in charge of that task.
I scowled and looked at him. “You’ve really outdone yourself.”
“It was my role.”
I continued reading.
Humanity had formed an allied force and was somehow holding back the invasion, but the front lines were slowly being pushed back, except around major cities and fortresses. Fortunately, the Union had regained normal function and entered a wartime footing, halting all educational courses to focus on practical combat training.
The Devalis family and the Triple Barrier were also still holding strong. So far, the human side hadn't suffered any catastrophic losses.
But...
I don’t know how long this can last.
The true strength of the demon world lay in its nearly infinite numbers. As time went on, the allied forces of humanity would inevitably be ground down. Moreover, the demon world was currently preoccupied with the selection of the Successor, with each of the Venerables busy keeping one another in check.
Once a Successor was chosen and the Venerables joined the invasion in earnest, it might become impossible to stop them.
As I was discussing the details with Gilean, Amur, who had been silent, cut in.
“How long are you going to stand around making trivial small talk? There’s not much time until the succession ceremony. We need to start training right now.”
Twitch—.
Amur’s massive, bulging muscles rippled. He looked like he was dying to have a go at me immediately. He stood blocking my path, looking down at me.
“Successor, do you remember our last fight?”
“Of course I do.”
It was during the last summer break, when I had returned to my family home. I had encountered and fought Amur during an expedition beyond the barrier. Back then, I was beaten like a dog and lost.
But now, I didn't think I would lose so easily.
*
“Ow…”
In the infirmary of the Demon King’s castle, I rubbed the swollen skin around my eye with ice.
That monster.
I had charged in confidently, but it seemed a direct confrontation with Amur was still too much for me. Of course, unlike our past battle, Amur had gone all out this time, even manifesting his spirit form.
Although I was defeated, it wasn't without its gains. I was able to confirm exactly how much stronger I’d become.
“In terms of pure combat power, Amur is among the top tier of the Venerables. There’s no need to be discouraged by a defeat against him,” Gilean said, offering some comfort.
He was right. I still had six months. I just needed to get stronger before the deadline.
Carmilla, who was supplying me with blood for my treatment, scoffed.
“Tsk, you’re so damn weak. How the hell did you kill Girena with this kind of power?”
“…I got lucky.”
On top of using a mental barrier to block the moonlight—the source of Girena’s regenerative power—the holy sword Ascalon, which is fatal to demons, had been nearby. Plus, Elena and the other student council presidents were there to support me.
“All done. Healed.”
Carmilla finished the treatment, slapping the healed area. I moved my fully restored limbs and looked at her.
She was the one who treated the fatal wounds I received in my battle with Iscariot, wasn’t she?
I had heard that since she could control all blood, she had healed me by sealing my wounds and replenishing my circulation. Unlike divine magic or spirit healing, her attribute was a perfect match for my own.
“Thanks.”
Carmilla and I weren’t exactly close, but since we were in the same boat, I expressed my sincere gratitude. After all, she had saved my life.
“And take this. I was holding onto it for you.”
Whoosh—.
I caught the subspace pouch Carmilla threw at me. This was the S-grade subspace pouch I had bought after amassing a fortune. It had ten times the storage space of the one I’d received as a gift from Beatrice.
The price was fifty times higher, though...
If you want more space, you need an astronomical amount of money, but you can get around the limits by storing a subspace pouch inside another subspace pouch. Theoretically, you can store a nearly infinite amount of items that way. In fact, I had used this very feature to pack an enormous amount of gear.
Carmilla asked about its contents, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
“So what’s inside? Show me. I’ve been dying to know.”
“A lot of things. If you want to see, follow me.”
*
I arrived at a vast underground space with Carmilla. It was a section of the Demon King’s castle, roughly three thousand square feet.
Vwoom—.
I opened the subspace pouch and began taking out the equipment one by one. This was the state-of-the-art research equipment that had originally been installed in the workshop at Meister Academy.
Before I fled the Union, I had packed the entire lab’s equipment and the homunculi into the subspace pouch. At first, I considered just bringing the homunculi, but I decided that having the research equipment would be vital for the future. It took a lot of effort and money, but looking back, it was the right choice.
Bubble, bubble—.
The homunculus breathed, releasing bubbles into the red culture fluid. Carmilla stared intently at the creature.
“A homunculus? Isn’t this a pretty low-grade form of magic? It’s inefficient, the creation process is complicated, and you can’t even mass-produce them.”
“…”
To hear the creation of life—the very essence of alchemy—described that way stung my pride as a researcher. But I could understand her perspective.
“Well, in some ways, you’re right.”
To Carmilla, who could build a legion of familiars just by sucking blood, a homunculus that had to be crafted individually would naturally seem inefficient.
“But their fundamental purposes are different. When demons create familiars or cultivate monsters, it’s simply to use them as combat troops.”
Whether it was mass-breeding monsters in the demon world’s spawning grounds or creating familiars by sharing power, it was all for military strength. But a homunculus was not a simple weapon of war. It was a new life form that could be designed however the creator wished. It held, quite literally, limitless possibilities.
That made it fundamentally different from monsters, which were essentially stamped out in a factory. I explained this clearly, but Carmilla didn’t seem particularly interested.
“Whatever. So you’re saying you’re going to do research on the side?”
“Yes. In my spare time, I’ll continue my alchemy research.”
I would continue to raise my alchemy level and create a perfect homunculus. Because that was the only way I could survive the certain death that awaited me in the future.
*
For the six months after I left the labor camp, my life followed a strict routine.
In the mornings, I sparred with Amur. In the afternoons, I trained in magic and Authority with Carmilla. Each day was grueling but fulfilling, as I consumed elixirs the Venerables brought from across the demon world and learned secret magics.
Day by day, I could feel my abilities improving by leaps and bounds. It was a world away from the past, when I had to work myself to death just to raise a single stat or one alchemy level. Once I cast off my frail human body, it felt as if my hidden talents had blossomed explosively. It was such overwhelming growth that it made all my past efforts seem pale in comparison.
After my daily training was over, I devoted myself to alchemy. I meticulously designed a homunculus to take my place and expanded the laboratory, equipping it with production facilities. Before bed, I received regular reports from Gilean, checking on the trends in the demon world and the state of the human world.
And so, six months flew by in a flash.
Finally, the fateful day arrived.
On the day the moon covered the sun, the succession ceremony began.