Chapter 386: Chapter 386

Hubert’s office, a scene of chaos and disarray.

Hubert, slumped over in his luxurious chair, groaned softly.

His head, which had been lolling to the side, slowly lifted, his eyes fluttering open.

He blinked a few times, his gaze sweeping across the room, then sat up and stretched his stiff limbs.

“Hmm, I feel… stiff. I wasn’t even sitting that long…”

It was probably an aftereffect of the demonic energy that had invaded his mind during the attempted mental manipulation.

He had successfully defended himself, but he couldn’t completely negate the impact of such a concentrated energy, especially since he hadn’t specifically trained his mental defenses.

‘If it had been an ordinary opponent, that would have been enough.’

His office building, and all his other properties, were heavily guarded, protected by layers of security measures, magical barriers, formations, traps, poisons, and curses, enough to repel even a military assault.

And he himself was a skilled fighter, more than capable of defending himself.

‘…Tsk, it couldn’t be helped. It was a special case.’

He clicked his tongue and looked around the room.

Diana, unconscious, was lying on the sofa near the conference table, her breathing steady and even. She seemed to be just asleep.

His gaze shifted from her to the head of the table,

…where the demons, who had caused such a commotion just moments ago, were now sitting quietly.

Miyamoto Ken, a young man with an ordinary appearance, black hair and black eyes, an Earl-level demon.

Frances, an elderly gentleman in a white suit, a Viscount-level demon.

…Hella, a Demon King, a high-ranking demon of overwhelming power, sitting casually on the sofa, her legs crossed, the two demons standing respectfully behind her.

‘…She’s… quite intimidating.’

Her beautiful features, framed by long, black hair tied loosely behind her head, couldn't hide her demonic nature: the two sharp horns extending upwards, the black wings folded neatly behind her back, and the crimson eyes, their pupils glowing with an unnatural light.

And her attire, a simple, almost casual outfit she had been forced to wear due to the lack of suitable clothing in his wardrobe, somehow… enhanced her presence, her aura radiating an almost irresistible charisma.

Hubert, inwardly impressed, observed his new avatar with a renewed interest.

This was his first female avatar, so even he, who had controlled countless bodies, couldn’t help but feel a bit… awkward.

- Individual Name: Hella

- Common Traits: 「Mind Hub」, 「Persona」, 「Xenoglossy」, 「Subspace Storage」, 「Limit Break」, 「Mimicry」

- Individual Traits: 「Demon King」, 「Destroyer」, 「Heavenly Demon’s World」, 「Magic Power Control」, 「Eyes of Domination」, 「Beauty Beyond Compare」, 「Lord of Illusions」

- Special Notes: Han Seong-hyeon’s twelfth avatar. Created using the essence-infused horn, right arm, and eye of the 14th Demon King, L’rei’e. Has inherited some of the Demon King’s traits due to the strong influence of the catalysts. Possesses immense magical power and high resistance to holy power.

A transcendent being from birth, with seven individual traits.

And they were all high-level traits, combinations and enhancements of various skills, making her a… fully realized being, a complete package.

「Demon King」, the racial trait that served as the foundation of all her abilities, 「Destroyer」, which influenced her aggression and combat prowess, and 「Heavenly Demon’s World」, which allowed her to manifest her personal domain.

‘“Magic Power Control” is something Hans also has. And the other three…’

「Eyes of Domination」, 「Beauty Beyond Compare」, and 「Lord of Illusions」.

These abilities, focused on charm, manipulation, and control, were closely related to the 14th Demon King, L’rei’e’s bloodline.

‘…So, the Demon King was a succubus hybrid. I overlooked that, focusing only on the catalysts’ power levels.’

That was probably why he hadn’t been able to change the avatar’s gender.

It would have been strange if he had been able to create a male avatar after using so many catalysts from a female demon king.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter now. It’s a new type of avatar, so it’ll be useful in its own way.’

He looked at Hella, her beauty… different from the other women he knew.

But his gaze was filled with a strange… detachment.

…After all, she was… him.

Despite her different appearance, their essence, their soul, their ego… they were all the same.

It was like looking at himself in a mirror, perfectly disguised as a woman.

He wasn't a narcissist, so it felt… strange.

‘…Though I have to admit, she’s… quite a work of art.’

Objectively speaking, there weren't many who could compare to Hella’s beauty.

Saintess Liesta, Jin So-ran, Briki and the other vampires, Crown Princess Riley, Shapiron the Elf, High Shaman Misty, Zhuge Hyemi, Namgung So-ran, the dragons of the Golden Island Sect, and even Siana, a true succubus…

‘…Wait, there are more than I thought.’

He paused, a sudden realization dawning on him.

‘…I know a lot of women.’

And they were all beautiful, each with their own unique charm.

And then, a natural question arose.

‘…Am I… some kind of… alpha male?’

An unknown truth, a hidden aspect of himself!

But his unfounded confidence quickly vanished.

He had never even had a proper date, let alone a relationship. What kind of alpha male was he?

He felt a pang of disappointment, then dismissed the distracting thoughts.

It was time to get back to business.

“Hubert? Come here. I’ve dealt with them.”

He walked towards the demons, drawn by the captivating voice, its melodious tone sending shivers down his spine.

He sat on the sofa opposite Diana, who was still asleep, and glanced at Hella, who was sitting at the head of the table.

‘…Her presence is even more overwhelming up close. Even though she’s suppressing her aura.’

The two demons standing behind her glared at him, their eyes narrowed,

…as if they would snap his neck if he made a single wrong move.

Hubert, subtly averting his gaze, chuckled inwardly.

‘Her control over them seems to be… stable.’

Normally, even a high-ranking succubus like Hella wouldn’t be able to easily brainwash Master Realm experts… but this was a special case.

They were demons from the Demon World, and she was their new ruler, a Demon King with undeniable legitimacy.

“I’ve explained the situation to them, so they won’t harm you anymore. Now, apologize properly.”

“Ahem, we wouldn’t have done this if you had told us you were a servant of Hella-nim.”

“Hehehe, I almost made a grave mistake. Let’s forget about the past and work together, as fellow servants of our Lord.”

A typical demonic response, a casual dismissal of their wrongdoing.

But Hella wasn't going to let them off so easily.

“…We apologize. Please forgive us.”

“Ahem, I formally apologize. I’ll repay this debt someday.”

Hubert, a pawn of the Demon King Hella.

That was his new… persona.

It would explain why she was protecting him.

And there was another, more… ambitious goal behind this setup…

‘…I only have one other connection to the merchant world.’

To use this opportunity to expand his business into the Demon World, with the Demon King’s backing.

It wouldn’t be easy, with the dimensional barrier… but he now had capable… slaves… no, subordinates, to help him.

‘…If Hubert’s Trading Company can take over the Demon World’s market…’

It didn’t matter if they didn’t follow the rules of a normal market economy.

His true objective was Karma, the influence he could gain by manipulating the world’s flow.

“There’s no need for apologies between us. We’re on the same side now. Let’s work together.”

“Oh! You’re so magnanimous! I knew you were a good…”

“So, I was thinking…”

He smacked his lips, his eyes gleaming with a predatory light, as visions of Karma points rained down from the heavens filled his mind.

“…I have a new business venture in mind, and it’s not going to be easy… I was wondering if you could… assist me?”

The birth of a truly ruthless merchant, a dealer in darkness who would sell anything to anyone, even demons, for the right price.

Hella, clad in magic equipment acquired from Horus’s 「Golden Treasury」, flexed her fingers, nodding with satisfaction.

She had finally gotten used to her new body.

She had controlled undead, dwarves, and even dragons…

It would be ridiculous to be flustered by a mere… female body.

Of course, there was still a lingering sense of unease, having lived his entire life as a man… but 「Persona」, which allowed him to control his avatars’ emotions and personalities, allowed him to seamlessly operate Hella, regardless of his main body’s feelings.

Just like his other avatars.

But there was still something… bothering him.

Hella’s mannerisms and behavior… they were… feminine.

‘…Is this… my hidden… feminine side?’

It was an unsettling thought.

‘Ugh! I need… Harley! Harley, devouring raw meat and roaring like a beast!’

He felt a phantom pain, a lingering trauma from Hans’s chuunibyou phase in the early days of 「Persona」.

But he forced himself to focus on the positive aspects, imagining Harley’s savage roars and his insatiable appetite.

He had concentrated all his… latent femininity into this avatar, so his main body was now… the epitome of masculinity, wasn't it?

‘Right, that’s not a bad way to think about it.’

As he calmed his mind, Harley’s roars, a display of his untamed savagery, caused several complaints from the citizens of Drakal about noise pollution… but it couldn't be helped.

‘…Well, I can appease them with a… meat festival. But first, I need to assess the situation in the Demon World.’

Hubert, the diligent merchant, began preparing for his expansion into the Demon World, but his more immediate concern was the… incident that had occurred there.

After all, that was the reason he had become interested in the Demon World in the first place.

Information gathering was essential for problem-solving, and in that sense, the two demons who had recently arrived from the Demon World were valuable sources of information.

“Um, I’m not very interested in politics, so… what I told Hubert is all I know. If that’s enough…”

“Haha, I apologize. It’s been over five years since I left the Demon World, so my information might be a bit outdated… I’ll tell you what I know.”

Their information, summarized, could be described as a ‘power struggle for the next Demon King’s throne’.

It had been going on for centuries, so it wasn't anything new.

And that was why the Demon World had been relatively quiet during the Immortal King’s rampage, after the 14th Demon King, L’rei’e’s invasion of Auterica a thousand years ago.

‘…There was a Succubus Queen’s essence in the “Golden Treasury”, one of the Demon King’s executives.’

He had excluded it from the avatar creation process, worried about potential negative effects from using a lower-grade catalyst…

‘A succubus hybrid Demon King and a Succubus Queen executive… Their relationship might have been more than just… lord and vassal.’

But the important thing was that he had another connection to the Demon World.

A special link, potentially related to the previous Demon King.

Hans’s subordinate, a succubus serving in the Immortal Army.

Demons had long lifespans, so she might know something about the Demon King and his executives from a thousand years ago.

And even if she didn’t, the faction that had produced a Demon King and a high-ranking executive couldn't be insignificant.

‘If I can absorb them…’

…It would make things much easier in the Demon World.

Hella, the Demon King, nodded slowly, then took action.

And Hans, the Immortal King, also began to move.

A terrifying collaboration, a partnership that would make the world tremble if it were ever revealed.