Chapter 154 - Ground Conquest – 4 (1/2)

Ground Conquest – 4

[There is 1/6 of the seal chain left.]

I raised my head to examine the short-chain still attached to the watch. The loss of its owner, boss of zone 5, filled me with sadness as the mana was absorbed into the underground.

“Now just one.” It wasn’t just that, however. After I claimed 6, I would need to find zone 7 again. I was planning on taking all the dungeons on Earth back underground anyway, so I planned to do so from the beginning. I wondered what would change after I did, however.

[Fate.]

A message arrived from Mireina.

[This place is terrible. There are too many soul monsters, and I can hardly sense my people.]

“…It must’ve happened naturally.” Lucifer, who reaped not only the souls of humans who had an elven partner but also the souls of all humans, no doubt was changing the battlefield. However, Mireina’s report was even more terrifying than I had anticipated.

[Innumerable distorted souls are being gathered. They revolve around a huge castle that rose in the middle of this world.]

“Can you get closer? If it’s too dangerous, come back right away.”

[No, I can’t leave it alone. In the end, that is the target you have to confront. So don’t worry and wait.]

“…Alright. If it’s too dangerous, call me. One word will be enough.”

[I’ll get it, then get back to you!]

The message ended with a bright voice. I was anxious about it, but I also felt confident in Mireina’s rarely seen aggressive appearance. She was someone I should keep around. Thinking of the Echo I had given her, I found some peace of mind as I headed back toward Rain and L.

By another day, more than 70% of the world was tied up in my chain of Domination. There was little space left to hide from me, and the humans were forced to realize the situation they were in. Only then did their battles change. Unlike in the past, where they insisted on killing each other, they began to engage in defensive warfare to prepare themselves. I still had to shake my head at their determination to fight, but it was good for me that the number of souls heading toward Lucifer had drastically reduced.

“Devil.”

“It’s the Demon King.”

“Damn it, it’s up to us…!”

As if waiting for us to show up, the humans stopped fighting. Many of them began to run away or try to hide, but it was meaningless. In the chaos of those running and hiding, only one man emerged. His face was one of boredom and fatigue, his body dirty with mud and blood. He carried himself with dignity, however.

“Are you the Demon King?”

“Yes.” I no longer felt any reluctance to call myself by that title. I had gone too far. The man rolled his eyes at my lack of hesitation but retreated slightly at L’s piercing gaze. However, despite that, he spoke bravely.

“Have you been waiting this whole time? When we were too busy biting each other to unite as one?”

“What?”

“What is your goal in conquering humanity? Was that the purpose of the Great Fusion all along?” In setting myself as the Demon King, humanity’s image of me had been set in stone. I was the evil Demon King leading an army of monsters to invade and conquer the world. That was the story right now. No doubt they thought I caused the Great Fusion too. I laughed. Were humans that adamant in refusing their faults?

“Yes, you think so, don’t you?”

“You…!” His words were cut off by the pink aura that extended from L’s raised hand. Everyone on the battlefield stopped in place. Its intensity was overwhelming enough to choke them, and I could see she was growing angry.

“I’m tired. Such disgusting thoughts are even polluting this place.”

“Stop killing them.”

“I know, I know!” I gently reached toward her head but was met with sparks. I went ahead and triggered my Domination skill as always.

[Domination became Lv9.]