Chapter 356: The Lost World (11)

"Thanks to Lord Vapula's guidance, countless demons broke through the walls they could never surpass. Many even reached realms they never dreamed of touching."

"Hey, hey! Don't push them too hard in that direction. Why cling to martial arts like humans? Boring! The Demon Realm has so many mounts! Much better than the surface world with its pathetic horses. There's a mountain-sized one that stomps everything flat, another that rams through fortresses with its horns, and another that leaps meters at a time while biting everything in sight! All yours! Unlimited mounts! Interested?"

"Do you even train them?"

"Of course! With Lord Gaap's blessing, you can ride anything! And if you prove yourself? You can ride the flying ones too! Fwoooosh!"

That actually doesn't sound bad.

I kept the conversation going while holding up the medal the bat had thrown earlier. "So, where am I supposed to use this?"

Truthfully, I knew nothing about Krunas.

"Right now there's only a temporary auction house open. To be honest, most of it is junk."

The gnome shot a glare at the bat. "How dare you! Our subordinates worked hard to gather all that!"

"Has your eye for quality rotted? Look at the sword that skeleton is holding."

"Hmph. Well... fine, it is good. But our auction house is only going up from here!"

So nothing there surpassed the blade in my hand.Well, Isaac did pick this legendary sword from the archives...

Still, I had just received Demon Realm currency. Despite being dragged around by Baal's legion for over ten years, never once did I dare even approach something like this.

I stared at the number carved into my wristbone, overwhelmed. "What about the other Demon Kings? They're not coming up? Baal, for example."

"Oh... Baal?" The gnome's expression twisted strangely. "He's still busy fighting in the Demon Realm. Lord Gaap only pushed into the human realm because the higher-ranked Demon Kings kept smothering him."

"Is it alright to say that aloud?"

"Why not? Think about it. Ranking isn't everything. With countless elites under them, the higher Demon Kings will pay far less attention to someone like you!"

"I see."

"Which is why it's better to join us early! If you help before we establish a solid foothold, your value skyrockets! With your ability, I can push your recommendation all the way to a Centurion!"

"Centurion...?"

"Yup! A captain of a hundred! That rank puts you on the shares-ledger! Depending on your contributions, you'll receive a glorious cut of the shores of corpses' spoils. When this world becomes the Demon Kings' domain, you could own vast ranches and command hundreds, thousands, of human livestock!"

"..."

Why were they trying so hard? There was no way they didn't have hidden motives. High-level demons were more profit-driven than any human, after all.

"If you recruit me, what do you get?"

"We split profits. Fifty-fifty. Fair, right? The more you succeed, the more I get! You're a monster, but you've been stuck up here, so you know nothing about Demon Realm politics. Sixteen Demon Kings, endless factions, complicated confederations... Who to avoid. Who to bribe. Who'll stab you first. I know all of it. I can get you the perfect artifacts, and even connect you to the networks we've planted in the surface world for centuries. Do you know how far Demon King worshippers have spread? I can introduce every one of them!"

"I'll give all that and offer a sixty-forty split," the bat said quietly.

The gnome's face twisted in fury. "You shameless bastard!"

"You're the shameless one. What scouter gives a mere Centurion a fifty-fifty contract?"

"I was going to put in extra effort! Fine! Sixty one-thirty nine!"

Soon, the gnome was shouting seventy-five-twenty-five into the air without realizing how desperate he seemed. All while I said nothing. Eventually, their bidding war fizzled out.

"Well? What do you think? Amazing deal, right? Keep this secret!"

Centurion...

If the world followed the old timeline, then ten years from now, the Demon Kings would indeed rule everything.

And now...

Seeing how the world was already eroding, maybe something had accelerated their descent. Still, I had no desire to be one of their ruling class. Maybe I'd spent too much time among humans, or maybe I simply didn't want Demon Kings ruling anything.

I shook my head. "I refuse."

"WHAT?! What did you just!?"

The bat tried its luck again. "Then will you choose my side? The martial path! Train under the Demon King of Aesthete..."

"I refuse that too."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. I decline both."

"That's my friend! I knew you'd say that!"

[Dullahan Gilaut's Affection increased by 9!]

[The Demon King Gaap is bewildered by your decision.]

[The Demon King Vapula is disappointed.]

[The Demon King Murmur becomes more hostile toward you.]

Even if I died, I had no intention of being bound by contract. I needed the freedom to strike at Gith-Za-Rai if necessary. Serving other Demon Kings made no sense.

"If I ever sign a contract, it'll be direct."

"Direct... contract?"

"Impossible."

"Why? A high priest can do it. It's easy for someone like him."

I remembered Isaac overriding the werewolf Brody Valdorf's contract. He said that cutting out intermediaries resulted in far more favorable terms.

"A direct contract... How far have you researched...?"

The gnome clenched its fists. "Khhh...!"

I had likely hit a nerve. Whatever I triggered, they finally gave up on persuasion. They were losing their composure. Gilaut raised his sword again.

"Insolent creature. Do you think you can walk out of here alive without a contract?"

"Rejecting a proposal from a demon ranked within the top 300? Even if I'm borrowing a body now, my true form would crush you instantly!"

Wooooom.

I quietly prepared to stash my sword in my inventory.

It would be a waste to drop it...

Fwoooosh!

Just then, brown flames erupted from the celestial chart. Then red flames. Then yellow. All from different Demon King sigils.

BOOOOM...!

A white flame shot upward, overwhelming all others.

Boom! Boom!

More white fire, even brighter, erupted one after another. The moment the gnome and the bat saw the white blaze, their expressions twisted sharply.

"Oh...? It's starting? I should hurry. So many things to salvage!"

The gnome looked between us and the celestial chart before turning its wolf around.

"Heh! Opportunities like this don't come often! Besides... a rope that's already cut..." he muttered something strange, then vanished into the darkness.

Flap!

The bat followed him. Its red eyes flashed once in the darkness. "My name is Lucas. There is still time. If circumstances change, seek me out."

Out... out...

Their voices dissolved into dripping echoes, swallowed by the cave. Silence settled shortly after.

"Friend... what was that? Something feels wrong. He said the rope was cut..." Gilaut pressed a hand to his chest, more tense than when facing the scouters. "Could something have happened to our master?"

I checked the celestial chart. "Wait."

The white flame was rising from the third seat, the sigil of the Demon King Bassago, Lord of the Dead.

Gith-Za-Rai said she was Bassago's contractor...

Lucas and Nopelluns left strange remarks. But looking at the celestial chart, all I could see was Bassago exerting overwhelming power.

"She'll be fine. The main force is fighting at full strength. Don't worry."

"I hope so..."

Even after watching longer, the white flame didn't fade at all.

So it's clear now.

This was good for Bassago.

"By the way... are you alright?"

"More or less. Give me a moment."

[Skill: Lord of Bones Lv. ? activated.]

[Using Skeletal Reshaping.]

Crack. Crunch!

I realigned the twisted knee and the dislocated ankle.

Crack!

From my fingers to my wrist, shoulder blade, and even the elbow I had abused during the brawl, every bone slid neatly back into place.

"You... you can do that?"

"It's nothing."

"No, it's incredible! I thought only my master could use abilities like that!"

He wasn't wrong. It was a power I had stolen from Gith-Za-Rai. Of course, it was nowhere near her level, but seeing Gilaut's eyes practically shining with admiration was uncomfortable.

Once I finished the bone adjustments, I slowly turned my head, surveying the surroundings.

Maybe... can I?

The gremlins were out of question. What about the soldiers Gith-Za-Rai had given me? Could I raise even one of them again?

We didn't know what lay ahead. These troops were trained, disciplined. Even one skeleton revived would be a huge help. And I'd grown attached, even if only briefly.

Rise.

I focused on the fallen skeleton orc.

Clatter...

It twitched slightly, then went still. I tried again. Same result.

[Insufficient Control.]

[Required Control: 55]

[Available Control: 0/50]

Just short.

I lightly repositioned the Skeleton Troll's massive bones and activated the skill again.

[Insufficient Control.]

[Required Control: 100]

[Available Control: 0/50]

That one was completely impossible.

Gilaut had been watching me. "You're trying to raise them again?"

"Looks like it's not working. Too difficult."

Gilaut tapped the inside of the Skeleton Troll's skull with the cold fingertip of his gauntlet. Then, he slipped his fingers behind the skull, tracing from the base of the neck inward. "Hm. Maybe... maybe you need to infuse mana right here?"

"What are you doing?"

The skeleton still didn't budge, but when he nudged the Skeleton Troll's skull open for me to see, I froze. A neat line of runes was etched from the crown down to the inner brow. Not ornate, but clean and functional—a proper foundation for a summoned soldier.

"These are markings written by my master. She can raise them without touching them, but if you activate this spot, the soldiers spring up instantly!"

You should've told me sooner...

No. It was good that Gilaut was here. If this cave really was a trial from the necromancer Gith-Za-Rai, I would have left every soldier behind without ever realizing this. Gilaut adjusted the fallen soldiers' bodies one by one and lined them neatly before me.

Clatter.

I knelt on one knee, reached out, and touched the inside of the skull.

[Skill: Lord of Bones Lv. 2 available.]

[You may raise this target.]

A new message appeared, one that was different from before.

[A pre-inscribed rune has been detected.]

[—Signature: Gith-Za-Rai

—Rune: Efficiency / Interference Block

—Rank: A++

—Suppresses foreign mana interference and minimizes the strength required to raise the dead.

—Control required to command this undead is reduced to 2.

—If the rune's master is encountered, all control will immediately revert to her.]

[Rune detected.]

[Skill: Rune Language Lv. 1 recovered.]

Another recovered skill.

Did I absorb this from Naneow...?

Either way, there was no reason to hesitate.

[Required Control: 2]

[Available Control: 0/50]

I'll use it.