Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

The same sensation he had overlooked in his rage earlier that day resurfaced, filling his body with a sensation of boundless power.

He clenched and unclenched his fists, feeling the changes in shock as his eyes sparkled in delight.

Excited and stifling the roar threatening to escape his lips, he summoned his interface to have a numerical value on his new strength.

Vitality: 79 (+35)

Strength: 79 (+23) (+35)

Agility: 79 (+32) (+35)

"So much?!"

Despite Luna's earlier explanation, he believed demonic essence would provide a slight boost, not add itself to his other stats!

'Does it mean Baal, who has millions, or even billions of units, has a billion points in all three stats?!'

His powerful body deflated at the ridiculous idea, and an uncontrollable chill ran down his spine. How powerful would the demon kings who forsook a part of their sanity for power be?

'I'd rather not know before I can match them.'

He sighed, his shoulders slumping under the weight of his ambitions and the challenge of reviving Shihan pressing down on his shoulders like a mountain.

BAM

Noticing the shift in his mood, Luna slapped his tense back and laughed.

"Do you now understand how powerful old demons are? But don't worry. So long as you don't return to the demon realm and don't provoke established kingdoms, your territory should have a safe path to walk on."

He turned to look at her mesmerising eyes, losing himself in them for a second. His muscles returned to their usual size, all the power surging into his body, vanishing like a receding wave at that moment.

"Mhh. You can keep the boost for ten seconds."

Luna pushed herself off the ground and returned to her bed. With the grace of a dancer, she sat, crossing her legs as she observed him.

"Train on your own for a few days. Come back once you can control your energy. We'll start with the second method until you can condense flames. You'll train alone again, then."

'I like her organised approach to teaching. I always know where to go and what to aim for.'

He offered her a grateful nod, feeling the chilling wind filter through the window and noticing the sun descending to reach its evening course.

"See you later, Luna."

Waving his hand on his way, he left the hut and sat with his subjects around the altar.

He noticed their brows twitching in focus, the sweat glistening on their foreheads, and their determined postures as they absorbed the demonic essence.

Unwilling to break their concentration, he returned to his own tasks, reopening the chat tab.

[Lord 6369: Wow. I can't believe you're still alive after six days. You might become our only demonic representatives if you keep this up. By the way, how did you do it when all the others failed?]

[Greatest imp: It's easy once you understand how things work. The summons from the demon den starts with a higher loyalty value than the ones from the Gate. So, I used them to kill my daily summons. Then? I shared their essence with my loyal subjects. Once I learn how to use it, I'll kill them too and reinforce myself to the limit.

That way, I'll become the strongest.]

'The heck has this dude been doing? He already went on the dark path...'

A deep furrow creased his brows, yet a part of him understood the Greatest imp. All alone in the demon realm and with limited options, he had just seized the one that would ensure his survival. Still, he didn't agree with the brutal choice and the plan to continue.

With mixed feelings, he prepared to warn the imp about the dangers of absorbing too much demonic essence when another lord beat him to it.

[War Machine (Hephaestus' contractor): You'll go crazy if you absorb too much energy and live alone. Build your territory step by step.]

[Greatest imp: Do you think you know better because of that flashy title by your name? Don't give me advice when you're having it nice in a human realm. Oh! By the way, I'll soon sign a contract, too.]

[Adam: With who?]

He had to ask. If a divinity showed interest, he wouldn't mind it. But if it was a demon king?

The thought sent a shudder down his spine. The imp would sign his name on a slave contract and attach the leash with his own two hands.

[Greatest imp: The demon king Asmodeus. He said he was the best and had turned all the other kings into a bunch of cuckolds. Why?]

His eyes widened at the bizarre description, and something in him surged. Was it disgust? Anger? Probably a mix of both. One that forced him to answer bluntly.

[Adam: And you'll trust a demon like that? Wake up! No matter what demon offers you something, he'll ensure he gets everything back and more before throwing you when you outlive your uses!]

[Greatest imp: Sure. And I think you're just jealous of me. We're both imps but you got no offers, right?]

'This dumb bastard.'

He rolled his eyes at the message, feeling his blood boil in his veins and gritting his teeth as he answered.

[Adam: Do whatever you want! For the others, I have eleven equipment blueprints to sell. I'll only accept rare materials or building designs in exchange.]

He had done what he could to warn the imp and wouldn't waste time getting angry because of a stubborn fool. Therefore, he shared the items' stats and switched his attention to the flood of offers.

In the end, he traded them with Pharaoh and War Machine, gawking at their wealth.

The first offered him a blueprint that almost made him jump in joy and brightened the veiled path he wanted to tread on.

Thoth's minor Obelisk

Introduction:

Written by Setna using Toth's grimoire, the obelisk increases the mana concentration in the air to reach the second-tier standard in a city by leveraging the Egyptian god of magic's knowledge.

Materials required: 100 units of earth gems, 100 units of wind gems, 100 units of water gems, 100 units of fire gems, 2000 units of bricks, 500 units of wood.