Chapter 473: A New Subordinate

Amon sat on the opposite side of Damian’s sturdy desk, watching him with cautious eyes while Damian calmly flipped through the pages of a thick book. The room was quiet except for the soft sound of paper turning beneath Damian’s fingers and the occasional crackle of the fire burning in the hearth.

Amon had been brought directly from the prison into one of the private studies within the Violet Palace, and despite the absence of chains around his limbs, he still carried himself like a man who had not yet decided whether he had truly escaped danger or simply been moved closer to it.

His mind was filled with questions, but he did not know where to begin. But everything was beginning to make sense now.

The reports of the Damika and Dreg Clan assassins failing to harm Damian had always seemed strange. Both of them had been skilled enough to attack the soul directly, yet every attempt had failed. Amon had assumed Damian possessed some unknown defensive artifact or that the Sin of Lust had granted him a powerful method of protecting his soul.

Now he understood the truth.

Anyone who bypassed Damian’s physical body and attempted to reach his soul would find themselves facing the Abyss.

Amon’s eyes slowly narrowed as another thought entered his mind. The reports of people screaming whenever they fought Damian, the sudden terror that overcame enemies even when they were experienced warriors, the stories of people losing their composure without understanding why, all of it suddenly made sense.

They were not afraid of Damian. They had been terrified of the darkness hidden within him.

"No one knows about it except you. Not even my wives," Damian said before Amon could ask.

Amon raised his head.

Damian lowered the book onto the desk and stared directly into his eyes. The demigod had been unusually quiet since Damian brought him out of the prison and into the Violet Palace. It was clear that his mind was still struggling to process what he had witnessed.

Amon slowly nodded in approval. The fewer people who knew, the better.

If that secret ever reached the outside world, Velmora would not simply face another rebellion. The entire underworld would descend upon the realm. The armies of all six princes would come first, each hoping to seize the Abyssal Inheritance for themselves. Even the twenty-four elders would have no reason to remain neutral.

Killing Damian would no longer simply mean eliminating a prince. Whoever killed him could potentially obtain the inheritance capable of changing the balance between all seven princes.

Anyone who succeeded would effectively stand closest to the throne of the next Demon Lord.

"I can’t believe my Lord died to secure this inheritance for you," Amon muttered, his expression darkening.

The more he thought about it, the harder it became to accept.

Lin Qui had died suddenly alongside Majin, shocking both the heavens and the underworld. At the time, Amon and many others had believed he had been assassinated. Even those who loved him had questioned why how their prince and the demon lord died all of a sudden. Many of them blamed other princes and some even suspected the supreme deity was responsible.

Amon himself had been one of those people.

If Lin Qui had informed them of his intentions, many of his loyal subordinates would have willingly sacrificed themselves to ensure his plan succeeded. That was the kind of man Lin Qui had been. Despite being human, he had earned the loyalty of demons from countless races and clans because he had treated them like people rather than tools.

He was the obvious favorite to be made the next sin of lusf

"He said that man had plans to go after Majin, so he had to make a move. It’s not that he acted recklessly. He was forced to act recklessly," Damian sighed.

Amon slowly nodded.

That explanation made far more sense.

Sol was already powerful enough to make the entire underworld fear him. If he had successfully obtained the Sin of Pride and then taken the Abyssal Inheritance from Majin, there was no telling what kind of monster he would have become.

Majin had not been particularly strong compared to the other princes. Amon could understand why Lin Qui had not trusted him to resist Sol if the human prince made his move.

"So what do you plan to do?" Amon finally asked.

Damian leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other. His expression was calm, but his eyes carried a cold calculation that Amon was beginning to recognize.

"That man considers me an ally simply because I’m human. I plan to use him as a shield against my other brothers when I start killing them and collecting their inheritances. From his perspective, I’m only reducing the obstacles standing between him and the throne. By the time he realizes what I’m doing, I should be strong enough and have enough control over the Abyssal Inheritance to fight him on equal footing."

Amon remained silent as he considered the plan.

It made sense.

Sol’s greatest weakness was not arrogance alone. It was certainty.

He was so confident in his own strength that Damian gathering one or two inheritances would not necessarily alarm him. If Damian could convince Sol that he was simply removing mutual enemies, then the Sin of Pride himself could become the shield protecting Damian from retaliation.

And with every inheritance Damian acquired, his own power would continue rising. With the power of multiple inheritance, Damian would be able to awaken the full power of every inheritance he gets.

Amon slowly realized something that made his eyes widen. The man sitting before him had possessed the potential to become the strongest being in existence from the very beginning of time.

The pieces had simply needed to be placed in the right position.

Amon slowly rose from his seat and Damian watched him without moving.

Then, to Damian’s surprise, the fallen angel stepped away from the chair and fell to both knees. He lowered his head until his forehead touched the floor, performing a complete bow without hesitation.

"If Your Majesty would have me, I will dedicate my entire being to making your dream come true!" Amon declared.

A cruel smile bloomed across Damian’s lips. He raised his hand casually, and an invisible force wrapped around Amon’s body before lifting him back to his feet.

"Skip the formalities and let’s get straight to the main reason I need you," Damian said, dismissing the bow as though it meant little to him before crossing his legs again.

Amon straightened his robes and lowered his head respectfully. His tone had changed completely. The defiance he displayed in the dungeon had vanished.

"What does Your Majesty desire?"

"The Dark Continent," Damian answered immediately. "I need to get my hands on the God veins there. I was told that with a sufficient amount, I can cut down the time I need to reach the God Realm to a decade."

Amon nodded firmly.

"Yes, Sire. Your information is not false. But securing a God vein mine in the Dark World is extremely difficult."

"And that’s why I need your entire time, resources and army focused on securing it while I deal with the politics back here."

Amon’s expression turned serious. The task was enormous, but it was not impossible.

If he regained control over his forty legions and received the full backing of his clan, then he would have enough manpower to launch a sustained campaign. The greatest challenge would be moving such a force quietly and avoiding attention from the other princes.

"Give me six months," he announced after thinking through the matter. "I’ll get it done."

Damian suddenly started laughing. He rose from his chair and clapped his hands together with genuine satisfaction.

"Excellent. That’s what I want to hear."

He walked around the desk and stopped beside Amon before tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

"A carriage has been prepared to take you home. Your clan and legions have been released as well. They’re expecting your return."

Amon’s eyes flickered.

"But remember to keep your movements hidden," Damian continued as he walked past him. "Move your soldiers out quietly. There are too many eyes in the capital, and I can’t have them discovering my next move."

Amon turned toward Damian, who was already approaching the door, and lowered his head.

"As you wish, Sire."

Thud!

Damian stopped at the door and Amon looked up. He glanced over his shoulder, his crimson eyes carrying an expression that immediately made Amon straighten.

"I will completely destroy the hierarchy of the underworld and replace it with my people. In the new Council of Elders I plan to form, I will have you as its head."

Amon froze.

For a moment, he forgot how to breathe.

The position of Minister of War had already been the highest position Amon ever expected to obtain in Velmora. He was a fallen angel in a realm dominated by demons. No matter how useful he became, there had always been a limit to how far he could rise.

Lin Qui had broken part of that barrier and now, Damian was offering to destroy the barrier completely.

"So don’t die until then," Damian added calmly.

Without waiting for a response, he opened the door and walked out. Amon remained standing in the middle of the room, staring at the closed door.

Slowly, a smile tugged at the edge of his beak. He lowered his head and bowed once again even though Damian was no longer there to see it.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Amon whispered, his voice carrying an emotion he had not allowed himself to feel in years.