107-108

Chapter 107: Demon Castle 2>

Demon King

Demon Castle – 2>

Everyone around me except my allies was caught in the explosion. I collected the mana extracted from those wounded by the explosion, then using that mana to trigger it again. It continued to expand without stopping, eventually blanketing the entire wall. A temporary lull of a sort came over the battlefield. It wasn't enough to wipe out the enemy in a single explosion, but it at least stopped them from moving. My allies had no time to catch their breath, as I was unable to target the gap I created with my bombardment.

[Are you able to deal with some of your abilities now?]

[I am still inexperienced, but I'm doing well enough.]

I replied bluntly to A. His words were a bit rough, but no doubt, it was his way of praising me. I wasn't able to fight properly to prevent them from invading the castle, but I felt a little better about it now as I took on a more active role.

[The tide is now on our side. Perhaps this battle will be an opportunity for you to leap beyond the realm of simple defensive warfare.]

Rain's words, as always, were so unintelligible I could've mistaken them for alien speech. A leap beyond? If he meant evolution, didn't I just achieve it? He kept handling things with his mana, but I was worried about his words. Whether she noticed it or not, L sent a message as she watched me.

[This place is connected to you. Unlike the world of humans, the underground realm always has a clear owner. That is why we can maintain power in this castle, and why the underground has yet to fuse with Earth.]

[Andras said that I was the cause of the Great Fusion, but…]

[This is an evil night.]

L stopped my doubts and responded coldly.

[The moon is shining as it watches for the one who will be made king.]

[Are you going to ignore my words just like Rain?]

L wriggled her eyebrows at me.

[If you win tonight, our territory will grow larger.]

[Is that how it is?]

I could barely understand what was happening, but that I could wrap my head around.

[So fight. Fight and win.]

Her support was so blunt and concise that it seemed almost contemptuous, but it felt kind to me. I had reached the point where I could even interpret A's words, after all.

[Okay.]

I responded briefly and focused. The voices had calmed down, and I couldn't hear anyone. Protected by my wall, I had been able to prevent the counterattacks focused on me. Relying on that defense, I focused on all the power I had. I mixed the power I acquired from Andras together with the power of Reaper and Predation, reinforcing it with an enormous amount of mana from my body. The three powers exploded out instantaneously, spreading in all directions.

[Hm!]

[I see…]

[You gained 1,309 experience.]

[You received 87 gold.]

[You gained 1,192 experience.]

With Reaper, the explosion was enough to kill the opponent, and Predation greedily swallowed up all the mana generated. As the number of enemies decreased, it became easier to concentrate on Space Destruction. It had only been a short time since I acquired it, but I was gradually becoming accustomed to it. I was not yet on the level of Andras, though.

[Level up!]

A few identical notification windows popped up in front of me, but I was too focused on controlling the flow of mana to pay them any mind. I could feel so clearly the mana emerging from my body to trample and destroy the enemies here, devouring their flesh and energy. At the same time, I could feel myself moving one step forward towards completion.

"Gyhak!"

"It's too much power!"

"I don't need those who panic!"

I spread the Wings of Jinma as my defensive wall broke down. With a whirl of my sword, I received all of the attacks coming directly at me. Canis assisted, moving nimbly to help me evade my foes. I wielded my sword alongside the magic I was maintaining, making the invading demons sacrifices to my Predation.

[Level up!]

Their numbers had decreased, but the surviving demons were the strongest of the bunch. It didn't matter how injured or tired I was; their attacks kept me on edge. Their ability to rush forward and avoid Space Destruction made me think of myself fighting against Andras. But I was different from Andras, and the only fate that awaited those who approached me was death.

"Canis, let's go."

[Groahhhhh!]

Canis kicked off the floor with a loud cry. Using Ubiquitous, we created several alter egos to confuse our enemies. While they were reeling, we bit through the throats of the demons with Canis's fangs and my sword.

"Kuh, that sword…?!"

"He's even better with that blade!"

I never learned how to fight with a sword properly. I only picked one up to survive, and thus my skill had increased with every battle I won. Now, it was a mix of my honed instincts and the martial arts skill I picked up.

[Captain, focus on your own fight. You can drop the magic.]

[What?]

I thought it was Lee Chan-yu since he called me captain, but it was Cain. Did he pick that up from his senior? I stopped momentarily, surveying the situation. Only a few groups of enemies remained, engaged by my allies. Mireina and Solas were assisting them where needed, and Solas was even utilizing the power of Space Destruction. It looked slightly different, but there was no doubt it was the same ability I had just acquired. I would have to investigate that later.

For now, I dropped the walls I was using and stopped activating Space Destruction. Instead, I concentrated all of that power into myself and my sword. Even if it were an ancient-grade sword, I could tell that putting all of the powers I had been using into it would've been unreasonable. It was already vibrating concerningly with what I was using.

'I need to change my sword.' After the battle was over, I needed to remind myself to check out the sword I had acquired from Andras. I pledged to do so, urging Canis to move. The Goddess' Touch led us forward.

"He's gotten stronger."

"You really can't take on the leader of this castle!"

The Goddess' Touch poured out lightning to scorch the demons, and the sword I wielded destroyed their bodies with no issue. In the midst of the battle, I continually replenished my mana. Canis sprinted through the battlefield as my deadly Reaper skill cut through the necks of the demons. My powers were supporting each other and raising their effect. I felt no fatigue from using my skills and was able to put my all into the battle. Under the moonlight of the Devil's Night, nothing could stop me. The enemy was losing momentum, but I wondered why it felt like this was taking too long.

"Damn it."

"We can't defeat him."

"Shit!"

I couldn't count how many demons were killed, brought here through the fog of the underground. They ran here as if they had been waiting only for this day as if they only existed for now. But that didn't mean our side was overrun. We had gotten stronger, and, although we were all mentally exhausted, we had been able to level up. That kept us moving, our limits increasing as we fought.

Surviving against these upper-level entities was a huge achievement, even with my help. It was enough for my party to grow immensely. Even Mireina, who had grown the least in the fight, still had leveled up too much to ignore. Lee Chan-yu's hellhounds had gone through another evolution, and Cain was only a step away from evolving himself. As I considered this, someone spoke up.

"The moon is changing."

The black light that had been blanketing the entire underground gradually turned to bright golden light. The heat subsided, the golden moonlight shining over the corpses I hadn't consumed yet. I gently closed my eyes, sensing even without anyone telling me that the battle was over. To affirm my conclusions, a notification window appeared before my closed eyes, ruining the mood.

[Devil's Night has concluded. You have defeated countless demons and proved your power.]

[The area has expanded.]

Chapter 108: Demon Castle 3

Demon King

Demon Castle – 3

The Earth shook violently as the fog began to disappear. The land around the castle began to change color as if the dirt had been wiped away. It left behind a brighter, purer land full of energy.

"It's growing…" Lee Chan-yu muttered blankly, but he was right. I could feel it, perhaps because I was intricately connected with the castle. This was all my land. Killing the demons who risked life and limb to occupy the castle and devouring them all had given me the right to occupy a wider area of the underground. Immediately after the fog cleared, a huge amount of shoppingmode mana welled up inside of me. It would've been difficult to handle before my evolution, but now it was very welcome.

[New Magic increased by 38.]

[Soul Magic increased by 56.]

Because my jurisdiction in my underground had widened, my own level had grown, and I had become even stronger. It felt mystical to me, and I wondered what I should say about it- it was like something was supporting me. At the same time, I could understand why the demons raged during the Devil's Night. I was, for the first time, recognizing the underground as a place I could stay in. I now also understood why people feared the underground when merged with the Earth.

For now, I would wait for the next Devil's Night, and I would fight as the black moon led me.

"Whoo…" Another change was also taking place. I wasn't the only one affected by the expansion of my domain; the same was true for the other entities connected to me.

[Kohohohoh!]

Cain was the one going through the most radical changes from the expansion. What I had expected from the beginning was now happening; he was evolving into the higher system.

[Ahhhhhh!]

Cain's body, which was already large for an ogre, began to expand even more with the shoppingmode mana swelling inside him. I thought he was going to shrink, just as I did when I evolved from a bugbear into an elf. However, that had only been in my case. He grew in size as if to laugh at those thoughts. His skin turned black, and dark hair grew out from the crown of his head. He grew three meters taller, and the armor protecting his body burst off. Mireina, who had been watching, let out a scream and closed her eyes.

I kept watching the process of creating an existence that dwelled in the higher system. It was an existence different than my own, whose power existed in his body rather than in his magic.

"Don't watch." L suddenly caught my collar. Looking back, I wondered if she had been standing there like that throughout the whole battle.

"It was a tough fight, L. Thanks."

"Well, y-yes…" She stuttered, her cheeks red. It felt embarrassing to thank her, but apparently, she looked more embarrassed to hear it.

"But from the start, I wasn't prepared for this to happen."

"Is that so?"

"We didn't know that Andras would appear, or that you would run out to intercept them alone. Perhaps you anticipated everything…" Rain strolled by, saying a bunch of ridiculous words. When L glanced at him, however, he stopped in place and gave an awkward smile.

"Rest assured, I'm not trying to disturb your time together. I just thought I could help elaborate."

"That's why you're in the way!" L flicked at him. A part of the wall turned into a window into which Rain exited from, laughing leisurely. It was obvious that he was running away.

"Old man…"

"So, what was the original goal you were aiming for?"

"…Expansion." L pouted, and I worried that maybe she might try to stab Rain later.

"The area has grown, so we have to expand the walls. I have more than enough shoppingmode mana now to take care of building." I looked around the land again. Certainly, it was incomparable to how it was before. But if I left it be, it would be invaded. I needed to build walls in the expanded area to protect it.

"This wall will do, but get rid of the moat. It's useless."

"Why was there a moat in the first place?"

"Because you were imagining one here." This was the very image of the castle I imagined; however, it was different from what I expected when applied in an actual battle. The demons moved with much more ease than a human, and the moat had done nothing to stop them.

"It was important to bring out the castle in your mind, but now that you understand this place better, you will be able to change it."

"…Okay." I nodded, and L took a short breath before reaching a hand towards me. It was pale and cold, and I wanted to hug her.

"Let's do it."

"Ahhhh! shoppingmode Fate is…hmpff!" Lee Chan-yu moved quickly to close Mireina's mouth and pull her back. Thinking he was a really nice guy, I held L's hand. But she suddenly pulled back, eyes narrowing.

"That hybrid is absolutely not allowed."

"I'm not interested in her."

"Good." The moment she reached out to me again, an item that had been buried in my inventory popped out at will. It was the memento from the monster who had played the biggest role in building this castle. An old dark sword now stuck on the floor. My mana and L's started to swell, and the sword began to shine as if it were resonating with us. Without warning, our mana erupted forth and was absorbed into the sword.

"Is this sword…?"

"Quiet. Focus on the mana, remember our game." L responded with eyes closed. I felt like I would be sucked into her ridiculously beautiful appearance, so I closed my eyes and concentrated. I needed to protect all of us from the demons. The first thing I needed to do was remove the moat, reducing it to mana that I would use to build a wall. An overwhelming wall that would protect all those behind it. I used Lunatic Trickster without hesitation. Although I wouldn't be able to apply the skill to every corner of it, it wouldn't be bad to reinforce parts of it. It would gradually absorb mana and increase its power.

"Whoo." In our previous games, L had always played the role of my opponent. She helped me complete the castle when her defeat was already decided. But now, she helped me from the get-go, supplementing the parts that I lacked in and removing what wasn't needed. I thought it would feel awful for someone to intervene in the image I had in my head, but it wasn't. All I could feel was warmth and affection flowing from her as we worked in tandem.

[Little bit more.]

[Alright.]

There was no need for conversation. We were sharing our thoughts as we built the walls together. The black sword assisted us, and it reminded me of the monster that resided in the castle. It relieved me of the fatigue that had been weighing on me from the battle. We had overcome the Devil's Night and were now using the mana leftover from that to continue in our construction. It continued on long after Cain had finished evolving, and all of those still around came to watch the sight. Rain was still missing after fleeing earlier, however.

"It's finished." We opened our eyes at the same time. I was tired from the flow of mana I had been maintaining, but L made it look like it had been a walk in the park.

"I had a hard time."

"It's alright." I knew the results without looking. Lee Chan-yu and Mireina were fussing somewhere behind me. The sword, having completed its mission, went back into my inventory. I could tell it had grown in power from this, but I decided to worry about it later.

"Captain, did you just do it?!"

"Let go of my hand!"

I had just shown up to explore the underground and found an opportunity to grow, but was faced with the Devil's Night. We saved the castle and expanded our territory. No doubt, the next night would be much harder than today, but it would make me even stronger. Maybe someday, I would fight someone that made Andras look weak. But right now, everything was fine. I would need to listen to Rain's information first and prepare what I could.

"…L."

"Hm?" I raised my hand in front of her eyes. It was still held by her hand. Her overwhelmingly strong grip refused to let me go.

"Can you let go of my hand now?"

"Not yet. One-hundred and eighty-seven hours isn't enough."

I was able to get away much faster thanks to Mireina, who began to cry and riot. I felt grateful to her for perhaps the first time.