Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: Sabotage (2)
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From the Demon King's army's perspective, they absolutely needed the full cooperation of the slaves in the Atlantis dimension.
The slaves handled everything—gathering intelligence, supporting the Demon King's forces that crossed through dimensional gates, and supplying the mountain of sacrifices required for descents and promotions.
That was why.
'We're treating the slaves like comrades, in our own way.'
Sacrificing Demon King's troops to boost the slaves' levels and influence.
Offering the path to immortality through demonization.
'We're tossing them just the right rewards like that.'
Regardless of their true feelings, the Demon King's army and his minions outwardly maintained a mutually supportive relationship.
'What if we shatter that?'
It could make them distrust and suspect each other.
And if exploited properly?
'We can use the Demon King's minions to lure the Demon King's army along invasion routes.'
If they fed false information and opened dimensional gates on battlefields where defeat was inevitable?
'We could wipe them out effortlessly.'
To pull that off, he first needed to bend the Demon King's minions to his will.
'And there are just the right guys for that.'
A faint smile crept across Kang Hyun-soo's lips.
"Let's call it a day."
"See you at the next regular meeting."
As the Demon King's minions finished their gathering and began to disperse.
'Summon fiends.'
Kang Hyun-soo summoned his fiends, based on top-grade demon doppelgangers.
-Follow those guys.
At Kang Hyun-soo's command, the doppelgangers scattered in all directions.
'Time to stir things up, step by step.'
Killing the Demon King's minions and replacing them with doppelgangers was a last resort.
Severing their contracts would ruin any chance of sowing discord between the demons and the minions.
However.
'The minions' followers? We can replace those as much as we want.'
If those followers passed on bad intel or led their bosses into misjudgments?
'The outcome would be the same.'
And that wasn't the end of it.
Using orbs of demonic energy?
'We can create fiends made of pure demonic energy.'
Fiends made of demonic energy were perfect for being mistaken as demons.
'And that's not the only upside.'
If mistaken for demons?
To players, they'd be seen as public enemies.
But to the Demon King's minions?
'They'd see them as allies.'
Fiends made of demonic energy posing as demons to wreak havoc.
Top-grade doppelgangers egging on the Demon King's minions.
'It'll turn into a total shitshow.'
A satisfied smile spread across Kang Hyun-soo's face.
* * *
'As expected of doppelgangers.'
Especially these top-grade ones with stellar acting skills—they'd infiltrated perfectly.
Sure, the ones appointed as commanders had the drawback of lower intelligence.
'But Doppelganger King Taliman is handling them well.'
Just like the original Doppelganger No. 1 in the past, he was receiving remote reports and controlling the top-grade doppelgangers flawlessly.
After that?
Everything fell into place smoothly.
'They're definitely plotting a rebellion.'
The next emperor they'd crown? Naturally, Count Rophbang.
Only one reason.
'Charles XIII's imperial authority is too strong.'
A young emperor.
They'd thought they could easily manipulate him if they played their cards right.
'But he's no ordinary madman.'
On top of that, his political acumen was no joke.
And that wasn't all.
He had the makings of a tyrant—appointing Kang Hyun-soo as grand duke and handing over oversight and military authority, then constantly invoking imperial edicts to act like a lone wolf.
He wasn't just trampling clerical power; he was trying to erase it entirely, leaving the ministers desperate.
But as the late emperor's only son with rock-solid legitimacy, rebellion was no easy task.
So they'd tried to paint him as a cowardly king who abandoned the capital and citizens during the undead monster invasion event.
'But I ruined that.'
The orc legion subjugation failure? With Kang Hyun-soo becoming grand duke of the Saclant Empire.
'It flipped into a success.'
Even the named players loyal to the emperor and the military's losses.
'I filled those gaps.'
From the Demon King's minions' perspective, it was enough to drive them insane.
'Count Rophbang is a bastard son. Weak legitimacy, no solid backing from maternal or marital clans.'
In contrast, as the late emperor's sole brother, his bloodline put him first in the line of succession.
Naturally, to the Demon King's minions, he was perfect as a puppet emperor.
'No wonder he was obsessed with strengthening imperial authority before regression.'
He'd ended up as a puppet swayed by ministers, which explained his state.
'In a way, before regression, the Demon King's minions did their job brilliantly.'
They'd split the Saclant Empire in two, after all.
Humanity in the Atlantis dimension was never weak.
They gained power through the system as players and could keep growing stronger.
Plus, reinforcements kept pouring in from other dimensions.
Yet the biggest reason they ultimately suffered a crushing defeat?
'Obviously, they couldn't unite their strength.'
It was the same with the Rokto Empire and the Saclant Empire.
Imperial authority, clerical power, nobles, commoners, native Atlantis players, players from other dimensions, and so on.
'The Rokto Empire managed to stitch it together well.'
Now it was the Saclant Empire's turn.
And the vanguard for that would be.
'This guy.'
Doppelganger No. 1.
'It's a bit iffy.'
Kang Hyun-soo had been diligently hunting, steadily filling orbs of demonic energy.
He'd then poured all that accumulated demonic energy into Doppelganger No. 1.
The most suitable summon for operating in the Atlantis dimension.
A summon adept at disguise, able to conceal demonic energy, with top-notch acting skills.
In fact, excluding raw combat power, doppelgangers were the most versatile summons.
That's why he'd transferred the demonic energy from the orbs to Doppelganger No. 1.
Only one concern.
'Whether it could surpass its base's limits.'
Demons could absorb demonic energy from orbs to shatter walls and promote.
Would that work for summons too?
He'd confirmed it could strengthen fiends like the Tiger King and Doppelganger King Taliman.
'But they'd never exceeded the limits of their base stats.'
That's why this test was crucial.
Fortunately, it succeeded.
'This puts it at least at low demon baron level.'
A being born from a top-grade demon base had reached demon nobility rank.
The problem?
'It just boosted combat power, plain and simple.'
And that was purely from increased demonic energy—not growth in its inherent skills.
Skills like the Doppelganger King's clones or transforming into flying monsters?
'It didn't gain a single one.'
Injecting demonic energy let it surpass limits and grow stronger.
But its skills stayed the same.
From Kang Hyun-soo's view.
'Half a success.'
To make stronger summons, the base still needed to be top-tier.
But.
'This is plenty usable right now.'
Preparations were complete.
'Time to get started?'
Kang Hyun-soo took control of the demonic-energy-enhanced Doppelganger No. 1's body and moved to execute the plan.
* * *
Marquis Marius was a minion of the Demon King.
As an imperial marquis enjoying every luxury, he had no real need to become one.
There was no guarantee the Atlantis dimension would lose the war against the Demon King's army.
Yet the sole reason Marquis Marius became a minion was immortality.
Demons weren't truly immortal.
But they were effectively so.
To humans who barely lived a century, demons with immeasurably long lifespans were as good as immortal.
Marquis Marius was over seventy.
But that was just his appearance.
His body could rival a top-ranker's—nay, surpass many.
All thanks to demonization.
But the price of youth was steep.
He had to serve the demons, humanity's enemies.
If exposed as a Demon King's minion?
His head would roll, and his house extinguished.
If the Demon King's army failed to invade Atlantis?
A miserable end awaited.
Marquis Marius followed his contracted demon's orders while securing his own gains.
He hid his identity meticulously.
Yet before him appeared.
A demon radiating demonic energy.
"Finally, we meet, you lowly slave."
Spouting such nonsense.
"Who are you?"
"I am Karut, a noble demon realm aristocrat."
"Demon realm aristocrat?"
Marquis Marius's expression hardened.
He knew the demon hierarchy to some extent.
Common demons and demon realm nobles were worlds apart.
"But why seek me out now, in such dangerous times?"
Charles XIII was rampaging to root out demon minions.
The Demon-Slaying Blood God and Dark Knights—who'd massacred demons and minions—held oversight authority and were conducting massive sweeps.
He'd been holding back on demonizations via sacrifice mountains and communications with his contracted demon, lying low.
'Why the hell is this lunatic wafting demonic energy and coming here?'
Lucky he was spotted before the emperor's investigators or Dark Knights noticed.
One slip, and his head would've been gone.
Then.
Crunch!
The self-proclaimed demon realm noble Karut seized Marquis Marius's throat.
"You insolent slave—shall I end you here?"
"Urk!"
Marquis Marius was no player—just a regular human.
His demonized body gave ranker-level strength.
But no matter how he struggled, he couldn't shake that brutish grip.
Whoosh!
Karut swung his hand.
Boom!
Marquis Marius tumbled helplessly across the floor.
"Mercy once, lowly slave."
"T-Thank you for your grace."
The quick-witted marquis swiftly adjusted his tone and posture.
But that didn't resolve his doubts.
"Yet why have you sought me? I serve a demon realm count."
Marquis Marius name-dropped his contracted demon realm count.
"I know. You're that wretched skeleton Count Lemonshitz's slave, right?"
At the self-proclaimed noble Karut's words, Marquis Marius's face stiffened.
'Calling him a wretched skeleton?'
Not entirely wrong.
A demon, yes—but Count Lemonshitz was undead, not living flesh.
His body was bones.
But that wretched skeleton was a demon realm count.
'Just how high-ranking is this guy to call Count Lemonshitz that?'
Confusion swirled in his mind.
'I heard Gaia system's defenses are too tight for viscount-rank or higher demon nobles to cross dimensional gates right now.'
The being before him clashed wildly with his intel.
"I'll be imposing on you for a while."
"Pardon?"
And then it said something absurd.
"What, you object?"
Faced with killing intent and demonic energy pouring out.
"No, sir."
The reply slipped out automatically.
"But what is your relation to Count Lemonshitz?"
"Do I look like I have the slightest connection to that wretched skeleton?"
Hearing that, Marquis Marius plunged into deep confusion, his pupils shaking.
"You seem full of questions."
"Yes, indeed."
"Fair enough—you'd want the lay of the land. I am Viscount Karut of the demon realm."
Absurdity flooded Marquis Marius's eyes.
A demon realm viscount dissing a count as a wretched skeleton?
"I serve Kranus-nim, the demon realm duke and exalted head of the noble demon dragon clan. On his orders, I came to the Atlantis dimension..."
Viscount Karut's story was simple.
He'd crossed a dimensional gate to the Rokto Empire in the Atlantis dimension.
But encountered Dark Knights, lost all his subordinates, and went on the run.
Unable to gain a foothold in Rokto, he fled to the Saclant Empire.
"But Dark Knights are crawling all over here too."
So he'd come to him, a Demon King's minion, to hide.
'Damn it all.'
Marquis Marius's face twisted in dismay.
"Kukukuk!"
Kang Hyun-soo, puppeteering Doppelganger No. 1 disguised as Viscount Karut, burst into laughter at the marquis's wrecked expression.
'He must be dying inside.'
But.
'This is just the beginning.'
Kang Hyun-soo planned to gift Marquis Marius a proper hell.