Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 197

9. To Crete Island

1

Crete Island, isolated in the east of the Lodisia continent.

At dawn, while the battle in Bless was still raging, a light suddenly flickered on at the lighthouse on a small rocky island nearby.

“What’s going on?” the lone guard of the island muttered, tilting his head as he moved towards the temple.

This person, clad in a robe that was little more than rags, was the Demon Duke Bargosa. He had been residing here for 300 years.

Three centuries ago, the Kingdom of Crete was on the brink of collapse. The volcano at the island’s center was showing signs of a major eruption.

The king and nobles, who had kept this fact a secret from the people to prevent chaos, secretly contacted skilled magicians to somehow avert the disaster.

However, the renowned magicians of the time refused their offers.

The Kingdom of Crete’s misdeeds, such as human sacrifices, were already infamous. Moreover, preventing a large-scale natural disaster like a volcanic eruption was incredibly difficult, even with 9th circle magic [the highest level of magic].

“I doubt anyone we know could do it.”

As the leaders of the Kingdom of Crete despaired over their impending doom, they received a tempting offer from the Veritas Magic Tower of the Baroque Empire.

The Veritas Magic Tower was, even then, considered a leading force in the magic world, alongside the Holy Empire’s Imperial Magic Tower.

However, the individual introduced by the Veritas Magic Tower was surprisingly a lich [an undead sorcerer].

It was the great magician Arsen, the founder of magical engineering, revered throughout the magic world!

The leaders of the Kingdom of Crete, with no time to be picky, begged him, and Arsen readily accepted the daunting mission.

“Ordinary magic cannot prevent the disaster. Unless at least 10,000 girls are offered as sacrifices…”

At Arsen’s words, the King of Crete ordered the capture of 10,000 girls as human sacrifices.

The people, who had previously accepted human sacrifice, fiercely resisted when their families were seized, but they were brutally suppressed by the army.

Arsen performed a ritual with the 10,000 human sacrifices he had received.

However, it was not to prevent a volcanic eruption, but to summon a being from the demon world who would be of use to him.

The being summoned was the Demon Duke Bargosa.

He made a contract with Arsen in exchange for the souls of the 10,000 girls.

After the Kingdom of Crete was destroyed, he guarded Arsen’s life vessel [a phylactery, an object containing a lich’s soul] that was moved, and often taught demon swordsmanship or black magic.

Apart from that, Bargosa did not leave the island.

He had promised not to leave the island as part of the contract, and Arsen wanted to protect his life vessel securely.

The lich’s greatest weakness is their life vessel.

But who would dare to touch a life vessel guarded by a Demon Duke?

There was also the intention to prevent possible intervention from the divine realm.

Whenever demons were seen to be excessively active in the mortal realm, the divine realm intervened directly or indirectly.

Bargosa spent 300 years in boredom.

No daring humans came to the cursed forbidden area, and the only visitors were occasionally Arsen.

However, in the last few years, something unusual happened.

The Lich King Arsen’s body, which he had used for hundreds of years, was destroyed.

Who was Arsen?

He was a human who far surpassed high-ranking demons, perhaps the only human who could stand against him in the mortal realm.

But such a human had died?

The problem was that the lighthouse was lit again today.

The light of the lighthouse was a signal that Arsen had lost his body.

“What on earth happened… Could it be that a hero wielding a divine weapon has appeared?”

When his body was destroyed last time, Arsen mentioned a guy named Luke.

Could it be that this time too, it was the doing of that guy named Luke?

“Kuaaaak! Luke, you bastard! You. Again. Humiliated. Me!”

‘So, he was defeated by the same guy again,’ Bargosa thought.

Bargosa, who had entered the temple, could see Arsen, who had been resurrected in a spare body, struggling.

Arsen, ranting and spewing curses with his rattling jawbone, began to break the seals of the stone coffins where spare bodies were stored.

“This. Body. Won’t. Do! This. One! This. One. Is. Not. Enough!”

Dissatisfied with the abilities of the spare bodies, he smashed the stone coffins in a fit of anger and tore the spare bodies apart.

“Keh! Trash, all. Just. Trash! How. Can. There. Be. Nothing. Useful!”

‘That’s because he used up all the useful ones,’ Bargosa thought.

Bargosa knew that Arsen had collected the corpses of outstanding magicians and warriors over a long period of time.

Arsen used the best of them to create enhanced undead.

In other words, the spare bodies remaining here were inferior to the corpses used to create enhanced undead.

Of course, there was a way to enhance weak physical abilities.

However, it was inefficient in many ways, and above all, Arsen did not ask Bargosa about that method.

Bargosa had no obligation to answer a question that was not asked. And no demon in this world was kind enough to do things outside of a contract.

“It seems you’ve met a formidable enemy.”

At Bargosa’s words, Arsen glared with his eyes and gnashed his teeth.

“If. I. Knew. It. Would. Be. Like. This. I. Would. Have. Killed. Him. Long. Ago!”

Bargosa smirked at him, who was very frustrated.

“That’s how humans are, they become arrogant and then collapse. You’re the same.”

“Shut. Up, Bargosa!”

“I can’t do that. You didn’t contract the right to shut my mouth.”

“Kuh! That. Damn. Contract! Contract!”

Arsen was frustrated, but he did not forget that he could give instructions to Bargosa because of that contract.

After a while of losing his temper, Arsen adjusted his rattling jawbone and spoke to Bargosa again.

“I want to become twice, no, three times stronger than I was before. So, teach me the way!”

“Do you want to beat that guy named Luke that much?”

“Yes! So, tell me how to become stronger!”

At Arsen’s mad request, Bargosa opened his mouth with a meaningful smile.

“If he’s such a strong enemy, there’s no need to fight him.”

“What? You. Don’t. Have. To. Fight. Him?”

“Yes, the lifespan of a human is about 100 years. In the case of a superhuman with outstanding skills, they may exceed that lifespan, but there are hardly any cases that exceed 200 years.”

“What. Are. You. Trying. To. Say?”

Even though Arsen frowned, Bargosa did not stop talking.

“Just cut off contact with the outside world and go into hiding for about 200 years. After time passes, that guy will be nothing but a dried-up skeleton, and then you can take care of him and make him a toy, right?”

“Keh! That’s. A. Very. Realistic. Piece. Of. Advice!”

“That’s because I was in a position to give such advice.”

Bargosa shrugged and replied.

Before making a contract with Arsen, he had been working as a strategist for the Demon King.

At that time, the political situation in the demon world was so chaotic that no one could predict what would happen, so Bargosa gave thoroughly realistic advice, and the Demon King, who had accepted him as a subordinate, did not deviate greatly from the line.

However, Arsen was different from the Demon King that Bargosa had served.

“I. Can’t. Do. Something. Like. Hiding! I. Want. To. Rip. Luke. That. Bastard’s. Skin. Off. Right. Now! And. In. Front. Of. His. Eyes. I. Will. Rip. Out. The. Heart. Of. The. Bitch. He. Loves!”

His jawbone started to rattle again, perhaps because he was so angry.

“He’s an opponent who has defeated you twice. I don’t want to recommend a reckless fight.”

When Bargosa spoke so coldly, Arsen’s fists trembled.

He barely suppressed his anger and spoke calmly.

“You. Recommend. Realistic. Measures, But. Realistically. I’m. In. An. Unstable. Situation. Do. You. Think. Luke. That. Bastard. Will. Just. Stay. Still. After. Defeating. Me? No. Way. Even. If. He. Has. To. Search. The. Entire. Continent. He. Will. Find. My. Life. Vessel. And. Try. To. Eliminate. Me!”

“Still, he won’t come to this island. In the past 300 years, the only one who has come to this island was a young demon.”

“A. Demon? There. Was. A. Guy. Who. Came. Here?”

When Arsen asked with a surprised look, Bargosa told him about the incident where he had dealt with a demon who had been spying a while ago.

Then Arsen looked even more uneasy.

“If. That. Demon. Is. Related. To. Luke. That. Bastard… This. Place. Might. Already. Be. Exposed.”

“That’s unlikely. That guy was a low-ranking demon. The possibility of him surviving my attack is slim.”

“Still. There. Is. A. Possibility!”

Seeing Arsen’s impatience, Bargosa could feel that he was cornered.

And also that the power of that human named Luke was not insignificant.

“There is no way to suddenly make your power two or three times stronger. No, there is a way, but it would be more accurate to say that my abilities are insufficient.”

“Your. Abilities. Are. Insufficient?”

“Yes, so you should rather take your life vessel and run away. To a place where you won’t be seen by people.”

Arsen had a disappointed look at Bargosa’s answer.

But suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he grinned.

“If. You. Can’t. Do. It, I. Can. Summon. A. Demon. King. Level. Demon. And. Make. A. Contract!”

At Arsen’s mad words, Bargosa inwardly sighed. Summoning a Demon King required a considerable sacrifice.

Looking at the fact that no one has succeeded in summoning a Demon King, despite the efforts of many black magicians so far, one could fully guess the difficulty.

But Arsen, who had lost all his foundation and whose own power had weakened, was going to challenge it?

Bargosa gave him a gentle warning.

“Don’t do anything foolish, Arsen. You don’t have the time or the means to do that right now. Even if you did, where would you get the sacrifice to summon a Demon King-level demon?”

“That. Sacrifice. Is. Right. In. Front. Of. You.”

“…Are you out of your mind, Arsen?”

Arsen had lived as a lich for over 500 years.

His spirit, who was the first human to master both 9th circle white magic and 9th circle black magic at the same time, was certainly a rare sacrifice.

But to become a sacrifice himself!

In the first place, making a contract with a demon meant becoming a slave of the demon after death.

Of course, if he offered a huge sacrifice like 300 years ago, he might be able to maintain a horizontal relationship rather than a vertical one.

However, no matter how outstanding Arsen’s spirit was, he could not form a horizontal relationship with a Demon King.

“Do you even know what it means to become a slave of a demon?”

“I. Know. But. I. Will. Do. It. If. I. Can. Defeat. Luke. That. Damn. Bastard!”

It seems that selling one’s soul to the devil is like this.

Bargosa, who had been looking blank for a moment, eventually burst into laughter.

Arsen, who had abandoned his humanity and became a lich to gain power and eternal life, was clearly showing the most foolish behavior of a human.

2

The eastern sea of the Lodisia continent.

A fleet of about 200 ships was sailing through the high waves.

This fleet, centered on Symphonia and the Holy Empire’s navy, carried the elite knights and magicians of the Continental Alliance, as well as elven warriors.

In addition, warriors and Taoists from Song and Yemaek were also on board.

The person commanding them was Luke, the strongest rune knight on the continent and the king of Symphonia.

He had organized an expeditionary force as soon as he finished dealing with the aftermath of the battle in Bless, and was heading to Crete Island.

There was a high possibility that Arsen’s life vessel was hidden on that island where the Demon Duke Bargosa was hiding.

“Belphar, is Crete Island still far away?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. At this speed, we should reach it in about half a day.”

Belphar was the guide for this expeditionary force. Thanks to Luke’s care, he had recovered enough to fight. However, his fighting spirit wasn’t very high, likely because his opponent was none other than the Demon Duke Bargosa. Bargosa was not only a master of martial prowess but also one of the most renowned strategists in the demon realm. His knowledge of strategy and tactics was so vast that it was impossible not to worry about the upcoming battle.

‘His Majesty might be able to defeat Bargosa with his skills. But knowing Bargosa’s personality, he wouldn’t fight without any preparation.’ He easily defeated and turned away from lower-ranking demons like himself, but if he knew he was facing a formidable enemy, he would undoubtedly respond meticulously. Whether he summoned reinforcements from the demon realm or set traps all over Crete Island.

‘Or maybe there won’t be any response. If he thinks I’m dead and is off guard…’

“Belphar, what are you thinking about so deeply?”

Belphar, startled by Luke’s question, answered honestly. “Your Majesty, in my opinion, wouldn’t it have been better to gather more forces?”

“We’ve already gathered all the forces we could.”

In the last battle at Bless alone, nearly 1,000 warriors were killed. Considering that they annihilated the enhanced undead legion that had devastated two nations, the sacrifice could be considered relatively small. The problem was that most of them were knights above the mid-Expert level or mages above the 6th Circle. Moreover, many who had escaped death were no longer able to fight due to injuries such as severed limbs or broken mana circles.

In such a situation, Luke had mobilized everyone he could. Knowing what Arsen might have done on Crete Island, he had even called in Marquis Rogers and Count Philip, who had conquered the Kingdom of Livia with the Volga Republic army, and despite Reina’s objections, he had even brought Karen along on this expedition. Of course, if they included lower-level knights and mages, they could have formed a much larger expeditionary force. However, that was not a good choice. If the quality of the expeditionary force was low, a large number could become a weakness.

‘The problem is that even then, there’s a shortage of high-level forces…’

Fortunately, there were quite a few masters among the reinforcements from Song and Yemaek who arrived just in time. They had participated in the battle of Bless alongside the two princesses and were currently moving their troops to assist with the security of the Baroque Empire and the Kingdom of Livia. However, some were concerned about this. The Symphonia Kingdom’s council was also among them, and not only the aristocratic faction but also the neutral faction were displeased. It seemed as if they were handing over the territories that the soldiers had conquered with blood and sweat to Song and Yemaek.

Furthermore, the controversy grew even larger when it was revealed that the Song imperial flag had a double-headed lion emblem. Rumors spread that the Song imperial family had the bloodline of the old Livia royal family, and that Princess Jomi-mi had come to reclaim her ancestors’ land. The rumor was further fueled by the old rumor that had spread before the fall of the Baroque Empire, that the princess of old Livia would return and punish the Baroque imperial family.

‘Well, it’s true that they needed land.’ Both the Song Empire and Yemaek had made such requests. However, the territories requested by the two countries were only small areas with ports and some farmland nearby. Their sole purpose was to use them as trading hubs, and they also promised to pay annual land rent. Of course, it was impossible to know how things would turn out later. There was a possibility that they would use the trading hubs as bases for conquest. Even so, Luke had no intention of distancing himself from them. Rather than worrying about what might happen in the distant future, it was more important now to eliminate the specter that had been disrupting the continent for hundreds of years.

Five hours later, the expeditionary fleet led by Luke entered a thick fog. Karen, who had been in the cabin and came to find her father on the deck, pointed to a dimly visible black rocky island and asked, “Is that the island?”

“Yes, Princess. That’s Crete Island. We must be careful from now on,” Belphar, who was next to Luke, quickly answered. Philip, who was assigned as Karen’s escort, frowned at the pungent smell. “This sulfur smell is terrible, isn’t it?”

“It seems to be getting worse.”

The fog surrounding Crete Island was mixed with sulfur fumes. The volcano that had devastated the island 300 years ago was not completely dormant. Because of this, as time passed, people all over the fleet began to show symptoms of breathing difficulties, headaches, and dizziness. In particular, the symptoms of the sailors steering the ships were so severe that there was a risk of the ships colliding with each other. Belphar couldn’t help but be flustered by this.

“It wasn’t this bad when I came…”

“It seems they knew we were coming and did something.”

Luke quickly cast purification magic. Then, mages and priests from other ships also stepped forward to clear the sulfur fog. Thanks to this, the sailors’ conditions quickly recovered, and collisions were avoided.

‘But this won’t be the end.’ If they had prepared countermeasures, there wouldn’t be just one. As Luke had predicted, the enemy’s second attack began.

Kooong—!

“Uwaaah!”

The Oster suddenly shook from an impact. Luke and the others who were on the deck preparing to disembark were startled and lowered their bodies. Some sailors who had lost their balance tumbled awkwardly to the floor. “What was that? Did we hit a reef?”

Hwangbo-sung answered Luke’s question. He pointed to a spot in the sea and shouted, “Your Majesty, it’s not a reef! Look over there!”

Looking where Hwangbo-sung was pointing, they saw huge creatures cutting through the water, ramming into the ships approaching the island.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Whales?”

“Damn it, how dare beasts interfere!”

Scarlett, who was angry at having fallen on the deck, immediately drew her bow and shot an arrow at a whale. Her arrow, filled with aura, accurately hit the whale. However, the whale that was hit by the arrow showed no reaction. It should have writhed in pain or become angry, but it just moved mechanically and continued to ram into the ships.

“Is it being controlled by magic?”

“No, it seems to be an undead whale.”

Luke made that judgment after examining a whale attacking the Song Empire’s warship where Princess Jomi-mi was on board, 20 meters away. He could see the characteristics of an undead on the whale. The Song Empire’s warship fired cannons as the whale tried to ram it.

Boom! Bang! Bang!

The whale, which was rushing towards the ship, was hit by the cannons, and its dorsal fin and flesh were torn off, but it continued to charge as if nothing had happened. The Oster was not spared either. A large whale near it jumped out of the water and body-slammed the deck. However, its lower body was rotten, revealing its bare bones and internal organs.

“How dare you!”

Just before it hit the deck, Hwangbo-sung unleashed the True Three Thunder God Fist [a powerful martial arts technique]. The undead whale was shattered by the attack.

Thud! Thud!

“Tsk, they even turned whales into undead…”

“They’re really going all out!”

Philip and the royal knights frowned as they looked at the rotten flesh and bone fragments falling on the deck.

“Still, one thing is certain. Arsen is here.”

Luke chuckled at Karen’s somewhat positive remark. “Hearing you say that makes me feel energized.”

With that, Luke went to the bow of the ship and drew the holy sword, Belliont. After converting all the ether in his gloves into divine power, he swung his sword down strongly towards the water’s surface.

Swoosh— Whoooosh!

The gold aura condensed at the tip of the sword collided with the water’s surface, causing an explosion. A pillar of water rose high, and golden waves filled with divine power spread in all directions.

Kieeeeeeek!

Queeeek!

The undead whales thrashed wildly as they were touched by the golden waves. The ones near the water pillar melted and disappeared instantly, and the ones approaching from afar were also severely damaged and scattered.

“Now’s the time! Annihilate them all!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

At Luke’s command, the fleet’s warships opened fire simultaneously. Mages and Taoists attacked the undead whales with their respective skills. Soon, all the undead whales that had threatened the fleet disappeared. They were either annihilated or had fled.

Luke, having taken a breather, checked the extent of the damage. “Fortunately, there were no casualties as the attacks were mainly on the hulls. However, more than 20 ships have suffered water damage and are currently undergoing repairs, and 5 ships are in critical condition, so we have ordered them to evacuate.”

Luke nodded at the report from Marquis Volant, who was in charge of the fleet. The ships that were sinking were escort ships on the outer edge of the fleet, and fortunately, the Gigant [a type of large ship] and transport ships carrying troops were safe.

“Hurry up with the repairs. And don’t let your guard down. We don’t know what kind of attack the enemy will launch next.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Upon hearing Luke’s command, the lookouts and mages carefully scanned not only the surface of the water but also the sky. However, there were no more attacks from the sea, and the fleet carrying the expeditionary force safely arrived at Crete Island.

3

The place where the expeditionary force landed was not far from where the Crete royal castle had been located. Because of this, Belphar looked around anxiously.

“You don’t have to be so restless, Belphar. I don’t sense anything yet.”

“That’s true, but…”

Despite Luke’s words, the anxiety was not erased from Belphar’s face. In fact, Luke also had an uneasy feeling. If there was a demon of the level of a Demon Duke and the place where the lich’s life vessel was stored, there should be a more gloomy or evil aura, but he didn’t feel any such aura at all. He only felt a sense of emptiness.

“Daddy, something feels bad.”

“You’re right. It’s like… we came to collect a debt, but no one is there.”

“You’re talking as if you’ve been out collecting debts.”

“I’m just saying.”

He brushed it off, but it was true that Luke had gone out to collect debts. 500 years ago, when he was Seymon, and when he was doing all sorts of odd jobs at the Veritas Magic Tower, he had done it. At that time, some of the elders of the Veritas Magic Tower were secretly running a loan shark business, and they entrusted the collection to the tower’s mercenaries and young mages.

‘I saw a lot of unpleasant things back then… well, this is not the time to reminisce.’ Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Luke ordered Hwangbo-sung and Scarlett to search the surrounding area. This was the most dangerous time, as the landing and unloading operations were in full swing.

Hwangbo-sung and Scarlett, who had left on orders, returned shortly after.

But they didn’t come back alone. They brought a whole horde of bizarre monsters with them.

There were giants resembling golems, large flying beasts that looked like a mix of wyverns and bats, and wild animals that seemed to be a cross between wolves and lizards.

‘Those are demonic creatures from the Demon Realm!’

Goliaths, Raptors, and Lacertas.

They were creatures he had seen when he briefly visited the Demon Realm during his Seymon days, and they were now swarming in like a cloud.

“Daddy, what are those…”

“All troops, prepare for battle!”

Karen’s question was drowned out by Luke’s command.

Luke summoned the Avenger from subspace and charged towards the monsters. Gregory, Rogers, Philip, and others who had already unloaded their Gigants followed close behind.

“Protect His Majesty!”

“The Undying Legion, charge!”

About 30 Gigants, including the Avenger, clashed with the leading monsters.

While they fought the Goliath group that resembled golems, the Raptor and Lacerta groups circled around and attacked the expeditionary force.

“How dare you! Stone Protect!”

“Fall back! Thunderbolt!”

Magicians, including Karen, simultaneously erected magical barriers to block the Lacerta group, while Jo Mimi and the Southern Taoists used lightning to bring down the Raptors in the sky.

“Fire!”

“Don’t just stand there, load the cannons quickly!”

Boom! Pow! Pow!

The fleet’s warships also joined the support from the sea.

Cannonballs flew over the heads of the landed expeditionary force and fell on the clustered monsters.

Kuaaaang!

Kueeek!

The barrage of large and small cannonballs quickly created craters everywhere, and the monsters’ black blood pooled around.

After attacking the expeditionary force for about 30 minutes, the monsters couldn’t withstand the Gigant unit’s relentless attacks, the ceaseless barrage of magic, Taoist techniques, and cannon fire, and they fled.

On the ash-covered ground, only the countless corpses of torn and mangled monsters remained.

“Hahaha! We won!”

“They’re not that tough for how they look, are they?”

Cheers and laughter erupted from the expeditionary force.

There were some casualties, but the damage was far greater on the monsters’ side.

However, despite the overwhelming victory, Luke’s expression was not bright.

“Something’s strange.”

“What’s strange?” Philip asked, shaking off the monster’s blood from his greatsword.

“Is it because the resistance is too weak, even though we’ve come to what is practically the enemy’s base?”

“That’s right.”

“It’s certainly strange, but… doesn’t that mean the enemy is out of strength? I think the undead forces that attacked Bless were all they had.”

“You might be right. But…”

The sulfur fog and the undead whale they encountered at sea were also less threatening than expected.

There had to be a reason for sending them out, knowing they couldn’t win.

“It seems they’re trying to buy time.”

“Buying time… Since Arsen is a lich, is he trying to run away with his life vessel?”

“Maybe. But knowing his personality, he wouldn’t do that.”

If he were going to run, he would have already abandoned his base and fled.

There was no reason to waste the monsters he had painstakingly summoned from the Demon Realm.

‘Arsen is definitely still on this island. He must be planning something.’

The moment Luke was certain of this, the once quiet island suddenly began to violently shake.

Urrrrrr- Kwakwang!

Wheeeeeeng!

Purple lightning flashed in the gray sky, and the sea surged madly. The ground shook violently as if an earthquake had struck.

“W-what is this!”

“Is the volcano about to erupt?”

“No, the demonic energy… an enormous demonic energy is coming from over there!”

Magicians and Taoists alike looked in one direction with shocked expressions.

In the direction they were looking, there was the Crete Royal Palace.

From that long-abandoned ruin, a strange black light suddenly shot up into the sky.

Luke’s expression hardened as he saw the pillar of black light, clearly visible even from afar.

‘What are you trying to do, Arsen! Was all that rampaging not enough?’

There was a reason why no demonic energy had been felt on the island.

They were gathering all the energy that was spreading around to perform some kind of ritual.

After briefly speculating about what the ritual might be, Luke looked surprised. He then commanded the knights who were looking at him.

“All troops, follow me at full speed!”

As Luke’s Avenger rushed towards the royal palace, all the other Gigants and the expeditionary force followed behind him.

They didn’t know what it was, but the thought that they had to stop it no matter what was on the minds of those who followed Luke.

4

A cursed land located at the edge of the Demon Realm.

In this place, where not a single blade of grass grows due to long years of severe pollution and environmental destruction, stood a large tower.

In this hideous gray tower, built with the bones of countless monsters and demons, a demon had resided for 1,000 years.

His name was Crown, the Demon King of Combat, a large, muscular figure with a very ferocious appearance.

He was one of the seven rulers who once governed the Demon Realm.

However, due to some incident, he was ousted from the position of Demon King and was confined to this gray tower.

“Kuh! I’m tired of looking at this cursed land.”

Sitting on a chair made of black dragon bones, he looked out the window and threw the empty wine glass in his hand in a fit of anger.

Clang!

In his days when he commanded the Demon Realm, mountains crumbled when he stomped his feet, and vast lands were devastated when he swung his arms.

Even the strongest beings of the middle realm, the dragons, were nothing to him, and he would chew and eat the giant beast Megius, which even high-ranking demons avoided, as a snack.

He had countless demons and monsters under his command, and even his fellow demon kings would yield to him when he went to the battlefield.

But that glorious era ended 1,000 years ago.

His damned son conspired with his subordinates to start a rebellion.

At first, he believed he could easily crush his treacherous son and subordinates.

However, other demon kings who had been wary of Crown for a long time helped his son, and as a result, Crown was defeated in the civil war.

And he was usurped from his throne and confined to the exile of the Demon Realm.

Even though he had fallen, it wasn’t as if the Demon King of Combat had completely lost his power.

Although not as strong as before, he still possessed unprecedented power that could crush even a Demon Realm Archduke with a single finger.

Nevertheless, the reason he didn’t leave the gray tower was because he had made a promise with his son in the name of the Demon God in exchange for his life.

That he would never seek to regain his throne or seek revenge.

“Being trapped in this stuffy place for a thousand years is so boring. I wish the Second God-Demon War would happen so I could get out of this prison.”

Crown was complaining as he continuously drank wine that was thicker than blood when suddenly, someone’s voice began to echo in his mind.

– Your Majesty, can you hear my voice?

“You, you are…!”

Crown jumped up from his seat at the voice he would never forget, even in death, after 1,000 years.

– Heh heh, as expected, Your Majesty hasn’t forgotten me.

“Kuh, how could I forget you! You’re the one who instigated my son and dethroned me!”

To Crown’s murderous shout, the owner of the voice, Vargosa, replied calmly.

– It was a measure for the peace of the Demon Realm.

“What? Peace? Are you even a demon! A demon should break things, kill things, and fight things! That’s the virtue of a demon!”

– That’s why the Demon Realm is in such a state, because you lived so foolishly and ignorantly.

“Shut up! You just instigated my greedy son to seize power! You’re no different from those vile humans!”

After shouting for a while, Crown calmed down and asked.

“But why are you contacting me? Don’t tell me you’re trying to stab my son in the back?”

– It’s not that… I’m here to make a proposal to Your Majesty.

“A proposal?”

– Yes. Would you be interested in making a contract with a black magician and descending into the middle realm?

“What? Descend into the middle realm?”

– Yes, there is a black magician who wants to make a contract with Your Majesty right now, and I’d like to introduce you.

Crown had a dumbfounded expression at the sudden proposal.

There were plenty of demons in the Demon Realm who wanted to descend into the middle realm and cause trouble.

But out of all those demons, why would they want to summon him, who was confined, and who would try to kill them on sight?

Moreover, even though he was confined in a remote area, it wasn’t as if Crown was completely unaware of the news from the Demon Realm.

He had heard that many demons who had recently gone to the middle realm had gone missing.

Even Cowlen, who was a subordinate of the Demon King Leviathan and had a terrible temper, had become a ghost.

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to do something to me by summoning me?”

Crown asked with a suspicious look.

Vargosa was a snake with hundreds of eels in his belly [a metaphor for being deceitful].

In the past, if he hadn’t used his schemes to drag other demon kings into the civil war, he wouldn’t have been usurped from his throne.

To Crown’s suspicion, Vargosa replied as if he had expected it.

– I swear in the name of the omnipotent Demon God, I have absolutely no intention of harming Your Majesty. If Your Majesty suffers even the slightest harm, I, Vargosa, will choose eternal annihilation.

In the Demon Realm, no matter how powerful a demon king is, they cannot break a vow made in the name of the Demon God. The moment they break it, a punishment worse than death is inflicted.

Therefore, Vargosa’s words could be trusted.

– And the price the black magician is offering is his own soul. That black magician is a being who has mastered both 9th circle white magic and black magic…

Vargosa explained in detail the price Crown would receive.

‘That’s pretty good?’

Even in the Demon Realm, 9th circle black magicians were rare. There were less than ten among the countless demons.

But the black magician who was offering his soul to him had mastered not only 9th circle black magic but also 9th circle white magic, and had lived for over 600 years.

His spiritual power must be deep and great.

After thinking for a moment, Crown made a decision.

“Alright. I’ll make a contract.”

– You have made a wise choice, Your Majesty. Then, let’s begin the summoning ritual right away.

With those words, Vargosa’s voice was no longer heard.

Instead, a magic circle with metaphysical shapes and sentences intertwined appeared around the chair he was sitting on.

It was a magic circle for summoning to the middle realm.

‘Is this my first trip to the middle realm in 3,000 years? I wonder how much it has changed. Hehehe!’

Crown’s eyes burned red with intense murderous intent.