046. Promise
Victory.
But it was a victory marred only by wounds.
From the 1st floor to the 10th, every level had been swept clean. The deployed monsters were annihilated, and all the facilities lay in ruins.
The top of the tower, the 11th floor, was no different.
Drakson had stubbornly gathered his full forces at the summit. Thanks to that, they had won—but it meant clashing head-on with the hero party that had preserved its strength all the way to the 11th floor.
"Damn it. Rozel Charnt, that bitch and her personal guard blew our defenses wide open!"
The Red Flame, they called her. His teeth ground together involuntarily.
"Fortunately, we have plenty of Magic Points."
Casey soothed Drakson.
The primary source of Magic Points was negative human emotions, but in truth, nothing was more valuable than human life force itself. Especially since many of those who had entered the tower and spilled their blood were heroes.
Those who gained power from the dimension itself, granting them strength opposed to invaders—and ironically, yielding even greater power to Demon Kings upon their death.
"It won't be enough for a full recovery, but we can manage some repairs."
Drakson shook his head at Casey's report. He knew full well that restoring the tower was the top priority right now.
He knew the Hero Guild was sharpening their knives for revenge. He knew they'd helped him once, but there wouldn't be a second time.
But Drakson couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Send a report to Archduke Alkain and search the tower's records."
What had caused this mess?
It was that bastard. The one who invaded the tower and killed Ormus's second prince. One of the Demon Kings who had sent that demon.
If not for him, Ormus's second prince wouldn't have died. There wouldn't have been a hero crusade, hundreds of heroes swarming in, and the tower wouldn't be in this state.
That's why Drakson couldn't hold back. No matter what, he had to find that guy. Find him and exact revenge.
The last Magic Points earned from blocking the heroes had to be used for that.
Crossing dimensions required immense power.
Even simple communication demanded the same, so just reporting to Archduke Alkain would consume a hefty chunk of Magic Points.
Reporting, getting approval, and then the tower's records—one of countless tower abilities—required vast Magic Points to activate.
"But, my lord...! If a second hero crusade happens while we're doing that..."
"I won't die."
Drakson didn't fully trust Archduke Alkain. But he trusted the Magic Points he'd been steadily tributing to him.
He trusted his own abilities, which proved he could keep tributing steadily in the future.
"Archduke Alkain won't abandon me."
Alein was called the grave of Demon Kings. The longest survivor there had been Jason Cockmond, after which a few more began clinging to life.
And Drakson was second. He'd endured nearly a century here. It wouldn't be easy for Alkain to find another competent underling like him.
"Get out. I'll contact His Excellency."
"...Understood. May you achieve what you desire."
Casey left the office.
Drakson approached the crystal orb.
Vast Magic Points flowed in. The tower began to rumble.
There were ten archdukes in the Demon World.
Each oversaw one dimension, with five Demon Kings under them.
How those Demon Kings performed—how much Magic Points they sent back, how quickly they conquered—determined the archdukes' records.
In that sense, Alein was the worst dimension.
Alein had devoured dozens of Demon Kings so far, and a Demon King's death counted as the archduke's failure.
The archdukes' exile ground. Once assigned there, further promotions were forsaken—a hellish post.
"...Not that it's so bad."
But for those without ambition, few dimensions were as cushy.
In the past, Demon Kings died daily, but from some turning point, they began adapting. Deaths dropped, and now things were stable.
One spot kept changing hands, but still.
Either way, Alein was abandoned, so oversight from above was lax. He could skim and pocket tribute without issue.
That's why Alkain Blamip liked Alein.
No conquest meant no adapting to new dimensions like the other archdukes.
Demon King deaths had become rare, so less hassle there too.
Yet he kept his honors, gained pity and extra rewards from outsiders, plus steady Magic Point tributes from some Demon Kings.
For Alkain Blamip, dreaming of coasting another century into retirement, it was paradise.
'Not perfect, though.'
A certain troublemaker who had rocked the Demon World lately came to mind.
Too insolent, so he'd accepted him voluntarily and shipped him to Alein. And to guard against tricks, he'd issued orders through Drakson.
'Thought he'd die right away, but he's holding out surprisingly well.'
Dimensional barriers blocked frequent reports, but he hadn't washed his hands of it.
He knew the guy had kidnapped Hildean Kingdom's crown princess, sparking a hero crusade. And that the crusade had failed.
'Built his tower in some weird spot?'
Heroes couldn't find it. The opposite of canon, which said to build in a moderately dangerous, visible place.
Infuriating. Still, Alkain Blamip held back.
The punk had openly mocked canon at graduation. This was expected.
'Tower location's subjective anyway. Moderately dangerous and exposed? Personal call.'
He could nitpick, but heavy punishment was tricky. So Alkain waited for Berge to commit another sin.
'A punk like that won't stop at one.'
Time would pile them up. All to choke the noose around his neck.
'Sweet.'
Alkain savored his blood-red wine. The faint blood scent sweetened it further.
Knock knock.
"Your Excellency. Incoming from Alein."
"Who?"
"Demon King Drakson Dolph."
"On my way."
'Not time for a scheduled report?'
Crossing dimensional barriers took huge power even for trivia—no needless chatter.
He arrived at the communication chamber, sealed the door, and infused Magic Points into the wildly pulsing orb.
"I greet Your Excellency."
A familiar face bowed.
"What brings this sudden call? It's still a month from the scheduled date..."
"I request a search of the tower's records."
"...What happened?"
Searching tower records guzzled Magic Points. Most Demon Kings avoided it, and since Alkain became archduke, none had requested it once.
"A high demon invaded my domain. A high demon..."
A grim report. If true, Drakson was on the brink. A second hero wave could hit anytime.
'Drakson Dolph dies?'
Losing his steadiest Magic Point supplier so pointlessly wasn't what he wanted.
"Who?"
"I'm thinking Jason Cockmond."
"What about Berge Dayas?"
"But he has no high demons at his side."
Reasonable deduction. But...
'Something feels off.'
Jason he knew wouldn't take such a reckless gamble. Neither would Reina Sordain or Ugar Belbek.
'And it nags at me.'
Berge's smug smile flashed—coincidence? Who else but that punk would pull such rebellious stunts?
"Understood. I'll use my authority to lift the record protection seal. It'll take a bit..."
Alkain Blamip swallowed his unease. First, let them search and find the punk who dared backstab a fellow Demon King.
Faint incense wafted through the dim bedchamber.
Gasp... gasp... The breaths were feeble.
Maids wiped sweat from the old man's brow. Then, the door creaked open slightly.
"We greet Your Highness."
The maids bowed quietly.
"Leave us. I have business with His Majesty."
"But..."
"I won't say it twice."
"...Yes."
The maids hurried out.
Only two remained in the dark room. The prince pulled a chair beside the bed and met the old man's labored gaze.
"...What... is it."
"Word from Akan Kingdom. They want to dispatch elites secretly to topple the Beast Tower completely."
"...Can't... let that happen. Using the tower as excuse... to breach borders..."
"I've already approved it."
"The tower... must not fall...!"
The old man's eyes trembled. The prince continued calmly.
"Do you grasp the kingdom's state? Our elite two thousand vanished. Max is dead, his noble followers gone— a massive power vacuum."
"The monsters from uncontrolled zones are rampaging everywhere because the heroes botched their Demon King poke."
"Even now, our people are dying."
To Ormus, the Beast Tower was a necessary evil.
Demon Kings were enemies to exterminate, but the Beast Demon King kept jungle monsters somewhat in check, easing the kingdom's burden.
Plus, for a kingdom short on revenue, heroes seeking the tower and Hero Guild spending were vital rain.
But that was the past.
"Whatever the case, Max invaded Demon King territory first. We broke the tacit agreement. Whether the Demon King shows mercy again is unknown."
Moreover, someone had maneuvered Balaf Disrod to botch the crusade. Motives unclear, but unlikely to benefit Ormus, the prince thought.
"So the tower must go. It's our best option now."
But Ormus lacked the power alone. Hence, accepting Akan's request.
"They'll slip into Ormus covertly. Not many, so careful handling avoids other nations' notice."
"We just open the path. Then Rozel Charnt's squad and Akan elites take down the Demon King."
"In return, we get massive gold and some loot."
Short-term gain. But in a crumbling moment, better than nothing.
"But... if the tower falls, the kingdom's future..."
"That future won't be shaped by His Majesty lingering in bed. I'll forge it."
"...You dare."
Bloodshot eyes glared.
"Your Majesty might regret it from your perspective. You preferred crowning Max over me."
Max, the concubine's son, rivaled the firstborn prince only through the old man's power.
But Max dead, the old man bedridden from shock—no one to back him now.
"Stay quietly in bed. We'll serve you faithfully."
The prince rose.
Oh, right.
He turned.
"Kaede Jespain, was it?"
The imperial princess they'd tribute heaps to accept as concubine.
He didn't snap about wasting resources on one girl.
It was tribute begging imperial mercy—a mark of their loyal dog status.
Ormus couldn't escape imperial sway, chained by a princess.
"If rescued from the Demon King's tower, I'll take her as my wife."
She probably hoped for it too.
The prince bowed politely once more.
"Rest well. I'll inherit the throne, Father."
Click.
The door shut.
"Drakson is an idiot."
Berge added conviction to the claim.
Not because he was stupid. Incompetent.
"Humans didn't notice. Elves, spirits, Demon Kings, heroes."
They hadn't clocked Berge as a Demon King.
Phoenix's corpse was that perfect. But in his past life, Drakson absorbed it and still underperformed.
Hence, idiot.
Not without merits, though.
Pure mana—an unfamiliar power—wasn't intuitive for a Demon King like Berge. Plus, physical backlash burned his own body.
The more he used it, the worse the wounds.
Dogshit irony.
But gains outweighed limits, so Berge didn't care.
He couldn't imagine how much he'd accomplish blending into Alein's races with this power.
"What're you thinking so deeply about?"
Hillun Kargil's voice snapped him out.
"After hunting the Beast Demon King."
"You think it'll succeed."
"It will. No other option."
Not bravado or declaration. Drakson had to die, come hell or high water.
"Take Drakson's head yourself."
Demon Kings could absorb power by slaying peers. Fight, devour, grow. Demon essence.
But not now.
Berge's body was saturated. Magic Points crammed into one vessel, the other holding new power.
Integrating them was enough work for now.
Beyond that.
A hero like Hillun Kargil severing a Demon King's head yielded massive gains.
Honor, power. Status.
"Yes."
Knowing that, Hillun didn't refuse.
"And after..."
Berge tapped the table.
"I don't know much about the Hero Guild, but a hero who's beheaded two Demon Kings should carve a solid position there? Enough to wash away two failures."
"Exactly. Rebranding as personally overcoming my failures? Image-making's my specialty."
"You're trash, as expected."
Berge smirked faintly.
"I want you at the Hero Guild's core."
He craved crumbling the Demon Kings' greatest foe from within.
"That's my wish too."
All heroes had to join the Hero Guild. A group of all heroes wielded immense power.
Many craved its core, hungry for control.
Hillun too.
"My goal's owning the Hero Guild."
"I'll make that dream real. From inside, help m—"
Berge cut off.
Knock knock.
Moments later, someone knocked. A stranger—human, no, hero.
"Pardon the intrusion. Hillun Kargil and Pale, right?"
"Yes."
"Captain Rozel Charnt's message: 'I'll show you the promised thing—come now.'"
"The promised thing."
One was getting Hillun into the crusade.
The other: spark the second crusade ASAP.
Hero Guild was dragging feet per Hillun— what strings pulled to convince them?
Seeing would tell.
Berge stood.
"Lead the way."