Chapter 389: Chapter 389

The Demon World, a sub-dimension connected to Auterica, wasn’t very large.

Its total area was roughly equivalent to the Ion Continent.

And there were no oceans.

Countless magical beasts roamed the land like wild animals, and even the plants had evolved into carnivorous predators, actively hunting their prey.

It was only natural for the demons, the inhabitants of this harsh world, to be powerful warriors.

‘Now I understand why they’re always trying to invade other worlds.’

It was a stark reality, a truth that had become undeniable since her arrival.

Hella sighed softly, looking down at the grotesque dish before her.

She hadn’t expected to actually see something , something she had only encountered in exaggerated depictions in cartoons.

“As you wish, Hella-nim.”

The servants cleared the table and retreated.

Hella’s gaze lingered on the dish, its numerous eyeballs staring back at her, and she clicked her tongue in disgust.

‘There’s not much to do here either. Food is just a… pastime for the elites, and even that’s not very impressive. And the only other form of entertainment is… gladiatorial combat and gambling.’

After all, demons didn’t need to eat to survive, so their cuisine had developed in a… strange direction, focusing solely on stimulating the sense of taste.

‘Of course, the limited availability of ingredients is also a factor.’

In such an environment, even if there were demons who appreciated art or literature, they wouldn’t be able to express themselves openly.

‘…Hmm, I’ll have to… address this issue.’

A thriving culture was an effective tool for governance.

Of course, in the Demon World, where strength was paramount, no one would dare to disobey a Demon King’s orders… but willing obedience and forced compliance were different.

‘Well, that’s something to think about later.’

Hella looked around the room.

Paintings, sculptures, strange and exotic armor…

This room, decorated with various works of art rarely seen in the Demon World, wasn’t in Dalun’s castle, the first city she had visited.

“I apologize, Hella-nim. It’s difficult to prepare… proper meals with the limited ingredients available in the Demon World…”

“It’s fine, Cromwell. I understand.”

Hella waved her hand dismissively at the man who had approached her and bowed respectfully.

A humanoid demon with the lower body and horns of a goat, its eyes rectangular.

She was currently in Cromwell’s territory, a Viscount-level demon.

Her influence, which had begun to spread rapidly with Dalun’s assistance, had reached even this… art-loving demon.

“How’s the… project going?”

“Of course, Hella-nim. I, Cromwell, am the best networker in the Demon World. It might be difficult to arrange meetings with Dukes and other high-ranking nobles in these chaotic times, but anything below that… it’s like crushing a goblin’s head.”

…Was that a Demon World proverb?

It was a rather… violent expression, but she understood his meaning. It was an easy task.

‘…I’m lucky. To have recruited such a valuable asset so quickly.’

Cromwell, a Viscount-level demon, a master of spatial magic and a social butterfly with a vast network of connections.

He was a neutral party, unaffiliated with any faction.

And thanks to that, he could easily act as a bridge between not only the other neutral factions but also the warring factions, making him an invaluable asset.

‘Well, it wasn’t entirely a coincidence.’

After all, his vast network of connections included Dalun, the Baron-level demon.

He had readily accepted Dalun’s request for a meeting, and the rest, as they say, was history.

“Secrecy is paramount. It’s not time to attract attention yet.”

“Don’t worry. I’m a social butterfly, I enjoy meeting and conversing with various individuals. No one will find it strange.”

Hella’s faction, a new force in the Demon World, was growing steadily.

The demons under her control continued their activities within their original factions, while secretly establishing a new chain of command, a parallel structure hidden beneath the surface.

‘There’s no need to worry about internal betrayal. The lower-ranking members don’t have access to sensitive information.’

The leaders of each faction, and even their high-ranking executives, were already under her control.

It still took time and effort to subdue noble demons, but the lower-ranking ones were… relatively easy to handle.

And the spies from the other factions who had defected and pledged their loyalty to her were a valuable bonus.

‘…Practice makes perfect, as they say.’

It wasn’t just about 「Eyes of Domination」.

Even though she had been born with immense power, a transcendent being from the start, she still needed time to adapt to her new body and fully utilize its abilities.

Her previous performance, as a self-proclaimed Demon King, had been somewhat… lacking.

She had mostly relied on her charm and manipulation abilities.

But that was all in the past.

《The Demon God looks upon you with favor.》

The Demon God, perhaps because it had been busy, or perhaps because it still considered her… lacking, had finally taken notice of her.

“I’ll give you plenty of artifacts from other races and other worlds, so do your best.”

“Oh! Artifacts from other worlds! I, Cromwell, will dedicate myself to fulfilling Hella-nim’s orders!”

Cromwell, the demon who loved art so much that he collected artifacts from other worlds in exchange for his services, bowed deeply, his voice filled with excitement.

Hella, having successfully motivated her subordinate with a promise of rewards, nodded slightly.

Cromwell, with his mastery of spatial magic and his friendly demeanor, was a valuable asset, someone who could help Hubert’s Trading Company expand into the Demon World.

She would have to… groom him properly.

“Ah! Hella-nim, there’s one more thing I have to report.”

Hella tilted her head slightly, blinking her crimson eyes, as Cromwell, her future Demon World branch manager (in name only), cautiously spoke.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart, as he watched her.

He had already learned his lesson, having been… punished for his overly enthusiastic compliments during their first meeting.

He had to be careful, or he might offend his new master, who seemed to have a bit of a… temper.

“I’ve made contact with the Dream Walkers. As you instructed, they were… eager to cooperate. They said they’re ready to receive you whenever you arrive.”

Hella’s eyes widened slightly, a pleased smile appearing on her face.

Building her power base in the Demon World was important, but so was… the other matter.

“Then there’s no need to wait. I’ll go there now, so prepare the portal.”

A powerful faction led by a Marquis-level demon…

…and the home of the succubi, the clan that had produced the 14th Demon King, L’rei’e, Hella’s… origin.

Roselia Temple, located in the holy land of Auterica.

“…Hmm, that’s strange. Was I mistaken?”

Saintess Liesta, praying in the temple, frowned and tilted her head slightly.

“I definitely felt something…”

It had happened just a few days ago.

She had been diligently performing her duties, while also monitoring the situation on the continent, wary of the Immortal King’s potential schemes… when she had sensed something… unusual.

‘It felt more like… a demon worshipper than an undead. It lingered for a while, and then it disappeared.’

She had been trying to track it down whenever she had the time.

She couldn’t just ignore a potential threat, no matter how busy she was.

‘…I don’t have any leads besides the Tulc Kingdom.’

She sighed softly and shook her head, dismissing the thought.

She couldn’t dwell on an unconfirmed premonition. She had too much to do.

The White Giant incident, which had terrorized the continent, had been completely resolved after the giant’s defeat in Tarak.

Saintess Liesta, who had joined the expedition to quickly counter the threat, had returned to her regular duties… but that didn’t mean her workload had decreased.

Shortly after that, the ‘Apostle of the Foreign God’ had attacked the Roselia Temple, causing significant damage, and the conclave to elect the next Pope had just concluded…

She stopped, her thoughts interrupted by a sudden premonition.

It had just been one of many potential locations… but now, her instincts were telling her to focus on Tarak.

It had been a large city before, but it had grown even larger after Hubert’s Trading Company, a continent-wide trading company, established its headquarters there.

It was now a major transportation hub, connecting the Empire in the center and the Kingdom Alliance in the west.

‘…I can’t ignore this.’

She nodded decisively and turned around,

…heading back into the temple.

She had been the de facto leader of the Main God Church ever since the previous Pope fell ill.

The Cardinals and other high-ranking officials had assisted her, but the burden of leadership had been hers to bear.

It had been… difficult at times, but…

‘…I don’t have to do this alone anymore.’

She now had someone to share the burden with.

Heinrich, the Saint, chosen by the Main God, a knight of light destined to defeat the Immortal King, the embodiment of evil.

She knelt, clutching her holy symbol, and closed her eyes,

…sending a message to her most trusted companion.

[“…Saintess? What is it? Did something happen at the Church?”]

[“Ah, I apologize for the sudden contact. I have something important to discuss…”]

And as they conversed,

…a faint smile, unnoticed even by herself, appeared on her lips.

A spacious room, filled with various magic circles and devices, displaying the current situation on the continent.

Several men and women, each with a striking and unique appearance, moved busily through the room.

They had been maintaining a delicate balance with the other factions, but the recent shift in power had destabilized the situation, plunging the Demon World into chaos, and they were struggling to keep up.

“…Did you finish contacting them?”

“Yes, Matriarch. We’ve also double-checked with Cromwell, and there haven’t been any security breaches.”

A woman in her early thirties, her face etched with fatigue, turned and walked towards the corridor, and a handsome, horned man, dressed like a secretary, followed her.

She nodded slowly, then turned to another woman who was walking with them and asked,

“Siana, are you sure he had the Queen’s essence?”

“Yes, Matriarch. I saw it with my own eyes.”

“Ha… I was just hoping for a miracle… To think it was actually on the continent…”

Siana, who had been working at the Immortal Fortress until recently, a member of the Immortal Army,

…was now back in the Dream Walker territory of the Demon World, her homeland.

She had been sent on a special mission by the Immortal King.

And to complete the search she had been tasked with centuries ago.

“You’ve done well, Siana. I didn’t expect you to actually succeed. I’m proud of you.”

“…It was nothing, Matriarch. I was just… a messenger…”

“That’s enough. If you hadn’t infiltrated the Immortal King’s forces and earned his trust, we wouldn’t even have this connection. If the one with the Queen’s essence had contacted another faction…”

The Succubus Matriarch shuddered, shaking her head, her face pale.

Siana, usually so calm and composed, couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed by the excessive praise.

She had… embellished her reports. After all, she had been a prisoner of the Immortal King, forced into servitude.

“Is the one with the essence that powerful?”

“…Yes. I couldn’t even… comprehend it. I was… overwhelmed, the moment I saw him. It was like…”

Siana’s voice trailed off.

She bit her lip, swallowing the words that were about to escape her lips.

That name, that title, couldn't be uttered casually.

Especially not in front of the Matriarch, who had lived during the same era.

And as she panicked, her mind momentarily blank,

“Matriarch! We have a message from Cromwell.”

…a voice, urgent and slightly panicked, interrupted her.

Her assistant, an incubus, his fingers pressed against his temples, his brow furrowed, spoke.

“What is it? Is he coming here?”

“Good. We’re running out of time. You’ve already given him the access codes, haven’t you? When is he arriving?”

They had reached the teleportation chamber, where numerous formations were set up.

It was one of their most important strategic facilities, used for transporting troops and supplies to the various battlefields.

A group of reinforcements was currently preparing to depart.

The Matriarch, her eyes narrowed, observed the scene, her mind focused on the task at hand, when…

…her assistant spoke.

And as soon as he finished speaking,

…one of the teleportation formations in the corner of the room began to glow, emitting a high-pitched whine.

Teleportation, a complex and intricate form of magic, usually took a considerable amount of time to activate.

Even with the assistance of formations, there was an unavoidable delay in the energy distribution process.

But what was happening now defied all logic and reason.

The process, which should have taken several minutes, was compressed into mere seconds, the necessary steps skipped, the result achieved instantly.

It was a testament to an almost unparalleled mastery of magic,

…and an overwhelming amount of magical power.

The portal, activated in an instant, opened,

…and a figure emerged.

The Succubus Matriarch, who had lived for over a thousand years, gasped, her jaw dropping.