119-120

Chapter 119: Guild Growth 4

Demon King

Guild Growth – 4

When I conquered the Black Palace, no such notification popped up. But this time was different. As soon as the boss died, this notification window appeared in front of me, and the dungeon began to distort and collapse. Why was it different? I already knew. At that time, I hadn't been a parent entity and didn't have the castle. I was just fighting to survive.

But now I was in the position of a leader. This dungeon was originally from the underground, which meant that I, after defeating the boss, was naturally subjugating the underground fortress just like I had during the Devil's Night. Knowing the circumstances, it was simple to deduce, even if I didn't expect it. The mana that composed the dungeon was sucked into a dark shade that floated in the air. Intuitively, I realized what it was. After all, I could create a similar passage to my fortress and the underground.

"What the hell is happening?!" As we bolted through the dungeon, my sister cried out.

"I don't know!" Of course, I couldn't tell her that it was me. If Rain had informed me this might happen in advance, I would've never brought her down here.

'Damn, I'm trying to rely on him again.' I clicked my tongue. He knew everything, but he couldn't tell me all about it. It was pathetic when I thought about it, the way I relied upon him. I was deeply related to the Great Fusion and these dungeons, so I had to anticipate that unexpected events would occur. It would be better to learn how to cope with what happened without panicking rather than thinking about unrealistic things.

The dungeon completely collapsed as we escaped outside, barely making it out with the stealth magic I had used on us. In mere moments, it was gone as if it had never existed.

[The dungeon 'Slime Cave' has been completely absorbed into the underground area.]

[Level up!]

[New Magic increased by 1.]

[Soul Magic increased by 2.]

I quietly closed the notification window that only I could see. I confirmed that my experience and status had increased in the process of accepting the dungeon into my own realm, the power welling inside of me proved it. If there wasn't anyone around, I would've been unable to stop laughing. Wasn't this too good? By conquering the dungeons, it expanded my area and made me – and my subordinates in extension – stronger. Perhaps this could serve as the foundation of my counterattack to overcome the current situation.

"Nonsense…" My sister was frozen in place, muttering as she watched the dungeon disappear.

"I think so too."

"Do you? It's gone. One of the deadliest factors that has threatened the planet since the Great Fusion. How can you be so calm?" She cried out, embarrassed by her emotions warring inside of her. I had been thinking of her as a little kid since learning about the formation of Erkindra, but now that I knew of her ability to think logically, I couldn't help but smile.

"Why are you laughing?!"

"I'm calm because you're too excited." I went ahead and used magic to shield us from the commotion. There weren't any people around, but I could never be too vigilant.

"There's nothing you can do by standing in a panic. I don't know why the dungeon was destroyed, but it's not a bad thing, right?"

"That's…but…"

"What's more, just knowing that the dungeon is gone won't change what we need to do."

"Yeah."

"Then let's move on quickly."

"Yeah…" She seemed to be convinced but looked at me with a strange expression.

"Hm?"

"No, just…you, sometimes…" I felt fear grip my heart. 'What other mistake did I make?' Fortunately, Han Jia put a hand on her shoulder before she could continue talking.

"Si-yeon, what's that?"

"Never mind…also don't call me by name when we're working…" I left the two girls to grumble as Lee Chan-yu gave me a thumbs up. I knew what he wanted to say, and briefly considered breaking his thumb, but I decided to just put up with it. We continued on our dungeon exploration, following the optimal route provided by Erkindra to destroy each dungeon in turn.

It didn't matter if it were single or double-layered; taking care of the boss would destroy it. Fortunately, most of them had the right level for my companions to confront, so there was no issue in acquiring experience. Since defeating the first dungeon, I resolved to hide what was happening. People would notice us destroying dungeon after dungeon, but I didn't care about them. What I was worried about was the Elakatra, not the humans. But my camouflage was so perfect that I felt no problem even if they showed up.

"Elf?"

"Yeah." As we spent the whole night clearing dungeons, I had been trying to convince my younger sister about the elves while we cleared the sixth dungeon. Han Jia was able to back me up, as she had been there when the elves had confronted Alec and the other dwarves, but my sister wasn't convinced.

"Since only the dungeons we clear are vanishing, I agree with hiding that we're doing it. But why do you think the elves would attack us if we're caught?"

"Dungeons are a threat to humanity, yes?"

"Yeah."

"It's because we're removing that threat."

"…" It wasn't really that simple of a reason, although that was part of it. If the head of the Elakatra heard of it, they would assume that the demons were interfering with their plans. In such a situation, if they became aware of us, they would naturally conclude that I was related to the underground. I didn't know how many of the Elakatra were stronger than me, so it was best not to get caught. Of course, I couldn't just stop absorbing the dungeons and surrender to a threat I had yet to encounter, either. I couldn't explain that to her, so I decided to approach her with a simple argument.

"If you had watched their actions, you could see that they were never on the side of humans."

"I've had my doubts, but…"

"Si-yeon, I told you. The elves were really weird, they seemed to hate the dwarves for just breathing."

"I see you've given up on pretending not to be friends with me." I reflected on the long night as they conversed.

"Elves hate all living things other than their own. Their attitude toward fallen, monsters, and dwarves has always been the same. Would it be any different just for humans?"

"…No."

"I can't say I don't understand how they feel, I just hide it."

"Why? Are you scared of humans?" She was in the right direction, but her answer was a bit off.

"They're too many of them, and that is worrisome. So, until they have an unshakable advantage over humans, they have to hide their hostility."

"…It sounds like they're preparing for a war against humanity."

"Perhaps." This wasn't the only thing we were preparing for, though. As if they realized the weight of their words, my sister and Han Jia became quiet. Mireina filled the new silence, speaking vigorously to them. I went ahead and smacked Lee Chan-yu in the back of the head for nodding at the three women conversing together.

"Let's finish the next dungeon quickly."

Two weeks later, we succeeded in clearing up most of the dungeons menacing Seoul and Korea as a whole. My level had risen to 40, and both Lee Chan-yu and Mireina had reached a point where entry into the higher level was possible. After clearing the ninety-eighth dungeon, my sister and Han Jia experienced a class change. It was a change specific to humans, like evolution for monsters. All existing abilities were reinforced, and new abilities would be created, so it was only really different in name from evolution.

"I thought this would be impossible."

"Yeah. Our first classes were bandit and apprentice mercenary, right?"

"It must be because we defeated all those dungeons in succession." It sounded like they had already undergone three-class changes in the past. With this new one, it was easy to see how my younger sister was able to hide her age so well. As her class changed, her body physically grew. Feeling a bit awkward at watching it, I immediately turned my attention elsewhere.

"Thank you, Fate. This wouldn't have been possible without your protection."

"Thank you!"

"You helped us too." Erkindra was vital in giving us the information to reach all those dungeons as quickly as we had.

"But now, there are no dungeons in Korea that we can touch."

"There is no information network beyond Korea. Actually, we didn't even think we could make it this far." My sister rebuked Han Jia for her honest remarks.

"I now fully understand what you were thinking in creating a guild."

"If you know, please respond to us sooner." I considered her words.

"Lee Chan-yu."

"Here." He handed me an artifact with the communication function, the same one we shared. I gave it to my sister, who tilted her head.

"In the future, contact me with that. It's possible to exchange messages with it."

"Really?" She put on the artifact and tried sending me a message. When I responded, her fish-eyed response was cute.

"Really."

"Si-yeon, that's cool…"

"Shall we go ahead and disband? If you learn more, contact us again."

"I'll contact you regularly from now on about cases of the fallen."

"Stick to when there's business. You'll be busy too." I cut her off a bit colder than necessary, but I felt like I was already acting suspicious. She looked sad, but I ignored it.

"Then we're off."

"Ah, okay."

"Captain, what are you going to do now?"

"Fate, I want to sleep first!"

There were still a few dungeons left in Korea, but most of them were under the control of guilds such as One Flag. I wasn't afraid of them, but I had a different plan to make things annoying for them.

"Shall we look into foreign countries soon?"

"When do I sleep?"

"Stay up until you gain resistance to it."

"Yeah, will do…are you saying that I can't sleep?!"

According to Rain, we had a month and a half until the next Devil's Night. How many dungeons could I destroy and absorb before that time?

I lifted my head high, ignoring the crying Mireina and Lee Chan-yu, who was regretting that we split off from the two girls and left.

Chapter 120: Guild Growth 5

Demon King

Guild Growth – 5

It was only a little while ago when I traveled around the world with those two artifacts to rescue the dwarves, so, strictly speaking, this was not my first time going abroad. At first, it was odd to imagine me in a place other than Korea, but when I finally left, it didn't bother me at all. It was the same in Japan and China as it had been when we arrived in France after twenty days had passed. Countless crowds, facing a huge threat.

"Woah, I'm nervous. They all look so different than us."

"They look kind of like me."

"You're not a human though." Lee Chan-yu looked back at me after responding to Mireina.

"Are you okay, captain? I hadn't flown on an airplane even before becoming a fallen…not that we came here by plane either."

"What wouldn't be okay?" Although I responded casually, I was clearly agitated. I faintly realized the reason as to why I was, but I pretended not to as I hid us with the power of Reaper.

"Go. If you don't want to attract any attention, stick near me."

"Hm!" Mireina shouted happily and clung to me. She expressed her affection toward me without any hesitation, which undeniably felt good. But my heart wasn't looking at her, and she knew it.

"Don't grab me too tightly."

"I just stuck to you because you told me to!"

"Captain, we're getting close. Can you feel it too?" I looked up at his words, feeling extraordinary mana even though I couldn't confirm it with sight. In addition to the energy I felt, I could also sense many abilities surrounding the dungeon. It made sense now why so many people had been crowded together.

Bordeaux was famous for its wine in France. Since the monsters began to run wild, few farms and breweries had been able to maintain themselves in such an environment, and the price of wine had surged. However, without an accident, a huge dungeon had formed right near the farm that boasted the largest scale in the region. France had put in a lot of resources to protect this region right next to such a big dungeon.

I personally didn't care much for wine myself. Rain usually served me whiskey or brandy, and before I died, I usually just drank soju or beer.

"Maybe L would like some?"

"Please refrain from speaking about her out loud, captain. Mireina looks like she'll cry blood." I patted Mireina on the shoulder to comfort her.

"Quickly find a good man. Oh, but don't forget about our goal to annihilate the Elakatra."

"Aren't you going to comfort me?!"

"Fate is a big shot now, so I think two wives might be okay!"

"I don't think it is." I stopped moving, sensing a flow of mana surrounding a huge tree in the middle of the farm.

"They're weak." Lee Chan-yu, who was usually humble by nature, said something that didn't fit him. I kept quiet to see what I could sense, but soon smiled and affirmed his words.

"For more than a month we didn't sleep and smashed nearly one-hundred and fifty dungeons, but the humans aren't strong enough by themselves." Erkindra continued to monitor the dungeons in Korea while we worked abroad to conquer only strong dungeons that emitted a terrible energy, where many high-ranking monsters were concentrated. Since the difficulty had been so great, the growth of Lee Chan-yu and Mireina had gone by a lot quicker than it had in Korea.

"Let's enter."

"Yeah." We entered while concealing our appearance. The people around us were unable to notice us right in front of them. The monsters inside the dungeon were strong enough to possess the title of the best. Entities that were stronger than the Slime Dungeon boss rushed around us to try and kill Mireina and Lee Chan-yu. The spirit of the giant tree, monsters of the earth, a bird that fired light like a laser, and a grapevine monster too large to eat all came to fight us.

"There are monsters like this."

"Wow, that grape is so big. I'd be full with just one!" I wondered if the dungeon had a similar environment to the vineyard from the beginning, or if the monsters mutated to suit their environment. It was like the dungeon was turning into a vineyard itself.

[Groooah!]

"I hit it!"

"Eight left!" It would've been impossible for the two of them at the start. But now, Lee Chan-yu was confronting the top-class monsters head-on with Mireina supporting him with arrows.

'Evolution's not far off.' Especially for Mireina. Lee Chan-yu would need a little more time, but it wouldn't be strange for Mireina to evolve at any point. It would be possible if I shared the power of Jinma with her.

[Kuaaaahhh!]

"Fate, look! I did a good job!"

"Look ahead. That scream called other monsters." They were still a bit immature mentally, which worried me. I let out a sigh and proceeded into the dungeon.

'Well?' I felt the flow of mana momentarily and looked back. I wondered if someone other than us had entered, but no one appeared to be around. Was it an illusion? No, it must be something happening outside.

'It didn't feel threatening. Did some check inside the dungeon?' Belkena Spell had risen to the point that I could handle quite a bit of magic, so I couldn't imagine anyone other than Elakatra would be able to evade my senses. It would be a pity to retreat without hunting the dungeon boss, which was obviously a higher-level entity, but we couldn't risk it. But, the moment I opened a gate to the dungeon, an entity with an overwhelming presence entered the dungeon. By the time I had told Mireina and Lee Chan-yu to enter, they had already arrived in my sights. It was a woman, not all that dissimilar to Mireina, but with an overwhelming beauty and presence.

"Oh my goodness." The long-pointed ears drooped slightly at the tip, unlike the other Elakatra, and she wore a white muffler around her neck. Her clothes did little to cover her sensual body, and in her hand was a dagger as pure white as the muffler. I could tell that this was an executive of the Elakatra, which I had vaguely imagined might show up.

"In a place like this." All of the creatures were stricken by terror from the voice, collapsing. My party was no exception, and I was the only one left standing. Pervasive mana, peculiar to a parent entity, had invaded the entire space.

"You were really alive, Fate." My mind hardened. That they knew the name Fate when they had met me before I fell, she had seen right through my disguise.

"I thought it was a ridiculous idea. But it was real. Well, really, the Great Fusion wouldn't have happened without you. Yes, that's right. If it's a devil, then you fit the bill."

"Both of you, go back." I opened the gates wider and put Solas on my shoulder. The woman was talking slowly, but the tip of her dagger was pointing right at me. There was no way she would let the three of us walk out together. But I didn't think she would mind the other two running away. I doubted she cared about much other than me.

"Yeah, tuck them to bed and let's talk alone, Fate. We have much to discuss, don't we?"

"Myu…" Solas let out a cry, which I couldn't help but agree with.

"Fate, are you okay? She…has a very scary energy."

"Captain, do you think we can help?"

"You'll only be a burden, so get back quickly."

"Okay." As expected, I could rely on Lee Chan-yu's ability to judge the situation. He grabbed Mireina by the nape and ran into the gate with her. I immediately closed it behind them, with my eyes focused on the Elakatra before me.

"You don't seem to be interested in the gate."

"Well, it doesn't matter as long as you're alive. But what about that hybrid? It's strange how a connection was established between the fallen king and that elven hybrid…ah." Her expression was full of spite.

"So you're the one who made a mess in the heavenly lab. But how? How the hell did you enter heaven?"

"Are you talking about the Rookie's Battlefield?"

"Oh, yes. That name." Her smile annoyed me to no end.

"It's wicked that you call it that. I wonder if L knows…?"

"You'll die here." I took out my Twilight sword. My opponent's magic power was higher than mine, to say the least. It felt even larger than the difference between Andras and me. It was like a beginner monster challenging an advanced one. But, for some reason, I wasn't afraid. I could feel the spirit of a mighty being flowing through me, saturating me with mana. I couldn't hesitate; I had to devour her.

"Ooh, that look…your eyes only see me as food. It's been such a long time."

"Myu!" She pushed her dagger forward. Solas, still sitting on my shoulder, concentrated his mana out so he could attack at any time. The dagger flew at my heart as he leaped into the air, wrapping the dagger in his web. Simultaneously, the Twilight sword whistled through the air to pierce the woman's face. My abdomen was pierced. Without understanding what had happened, I kept moving.

My prey was in front of me. Nothing else mattered.