Chapter 769: “Those of Us Who Work Hard…”
The four Demon Lords chatted briefly in the open space, then the person they were waiting for arrived.
“Swoosh!” With a faint whooshing sound, Shien’s figure appeared before them.
The Demon Lords immediately turned their attention to him.
“You…” Sara, the leader, began to speak.
However, before she could utter a word, Shien… hid behind her.
“???” Sara was stunned.
“???” Lid and Kamina were also taken aback.
“Hide-and-seek~~~” Only Millu, after realizing what was happening, cheered and imitated Shien, hiding behind Sara as well.
But this made Shien bump into her and be pushed out. Seeing this, Shien’s survival instincts kicked in, and he quickly hid again.
“Yaya!” Millu, not giving up, competed with Shien for the spot behind Sara, thinking he was playing with her. This led to a comical scene of them hiding and peeking, fighting for the spot behind Sara.
“Millu, get out and let me hide!”
“No! I want to play too!”
“I’m not playing!”
“I’m doomed! I’m doomed!”
“I really am doomed if you don’t let me hide!”
“Hee hee! This is fun!”
“…(灬°ω°灬) I’m dead inside.”
Their antics almost pushed Sara, the supreme being of the Demon Race, to the ground.
“What are you doing!?” she couldn’t help but ask.
Lid and Kamina also looked at each other.
Just then, two figures arrived one after another.
“Shien Buztout!” Shafney shouted angrily.
“You bastard!” Airi, her dragon wings flapping, also looked furious.
The moment they arrived, without even greeting their sisters, they lunged towards Shien.
However…
“Catch!”
With this shout, a small figure was thrown towards them.
“Ah!” Millu cried out in surprise.
Shien, not wanting to talk to Airi and Shafney, threw Millu at them.
“Millu!?”
“Be careful!”
Shafney and Airi were forced to stop and catch the flying Millu.
But this only angered them further.
“You damned Hero, how dare you throw my little sister…!?” Shafney was furious.
“I’m going to teach you a lesson today!” Airi even threw away her pillow, her ample bosom heaving with anger.
But just as they were about to pounce on Shien again, he shouted,
“Now, Millu! Grab them!”
Hearing this, Millu, who had been caught by Shafney and Airi, obediently reached out with her small hands and grabbed them.
“Millu…!?”
“You…!?”
Shafney and Airi were stunned.
Millu, however, looked delighted.
“I want to play, I want to play!” This child thought they were playing a game.
“Let go of me, Millu!”
“I want to play!”
“Sister Millu, if you don’t let go, I won’t be polite!”
“Play, play, I want to play!”
“You…”
“I…”
The three Demon Lords were entangled, unable to break free.
“This…” Sara, Lid, and Kamina were dumbfounded.
“My, what a close relationship,” Shien said, emerging from behind Sara at some point, clapping his hands as if having finished a hard day’s work, his expression a mix of satisfaction and relief.
“…What are you doing?” Sara, speechless, finally asked.
“Nothing, don’t mind it,” Shien waved his hand dismissively, trying to change the subject, “Are you waiting for me?”
“Yes…” Lid replied instinctively, “Today, we six sisters will accompany you to that place…”
She was interrupted by Shien.
“Then let’s go, don’t waste time,” he said impatiently.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” Kamina asked suspiciously.
But Shien said righteously,
“You were born Demon Lords, you don’t understand the feelings of those of us who climbed up from level zero, step by step.” He continued firmly, “As long as there’s a chance for improvement, a chance to become stronger, those of us who work hard will always be eager.”
“Really?” Sara retorted, “But as far as I know, you’ve only been reincarnated in this world for half a year, and your level has been skyrocketing, skipping several levels, even dozens of levels at a time, reaching Legendary Level at such an astonishing speed.”
“That’s right,” Kamina also reacted, staring at Shien, “And there’s no concept of level zero in this world. The lowest is level one.”
The two Demon Lords refuted Shien’s dramatic statement with facts, almost making him lose his composure.
Fortunately, he held on.
“Don’t mind the details,” he said, looking away, “Anyway, I’m in a hurry, and you must also want to go home and do your own things. So let’s just go.”
Saying this, Shien, no longer wanting to listen to their chatter, picked up Lid, who had been thrown to the ground by Millu.
“What are you doing?” Lid protested.
“Asking you to lead the way,” Shien said righteously, “I don’t know the way.”
“I…” Lid wanted to say, Can’t we just go together?
Unfortunately, Shien didn’t want to talk to her and, having nothing else to throw, simply covered her mouth with his hand.
“Mmm!” Lid struggled.
“What? You’re telling me to hurry up? You’re also in a hurry?” Shien said, “Roger that! Then let’s go!”
Saying this, he held Lid and flew into the sky.
“Wait!”
“Stop right there!”
Shafney and Airi, seeing this, hurriedly chased after him.
“Hee hee!” Millu, still clinging to them, looked delighted. Everyone’s playing with me! Yay!(/RQ)/)
Just like that, they flew away, leaving Sara and Kamina staring blankly.
“…What should we do now, big sister?” Kamina asked after a long while.
“What else can we do?” Sara said, annoyed, “Follow them, of course!”
Kamina was speechless. Although she didn’t understand what was happening, she thought, As long as you’re happy. (｀·ω·′)
…
In the end, the seven of them set off together.
Shien’s speed was impressive, and with the teleportation of [Outer Vision of Heaven’s Decree], he wasn’t caught by Shafney and Airi, who, seeing their destination approaching, could only shout at him to come back, saying they wouldn’t hold it against him and had already forgiven him.
Unfortunately, they didn’t know that Shien was well aware that “a woman’s words are deceitful,” and his childhood idol’s mother had taught him on TV that the more beautiful a woman was, the more deceitful she was.
And these two women chasing him were both incredibly beautiful, one of them even the most beautiful in the world.
Therefore, it was impossible for them not to be deceitful.
So, Shien ignored them, continuing to lead them on a wild goose chase until they gave up.
Of course, Sara and Kamina, chasing after them, were also exhausted, their composure almost breaking. They had originally planned to use the crystal pen to teleport directly to their destination, who knew they would be dragged into a marathon?
Who could they complain to?
Only Millu, truly believing they were playing a game, smiled throughout the entire journey. For her, today was probably the happiest day of her life. Her usually busy or restrictive older sisters were playing hide-and-seek with her today. She was overjoyed! d(@^^@)ノ
Under such circumstances, they chased, ran, and played, finally arriving at their destination.
It was a massive lake.
And it wasn’t on the ground, but on a mountain.
“Is this… a volcano…?” Shien asked, holding Lid and looking at the volcano-shaped mountain below, its crater replaced by a giant lake, reminding him of Mount Heaven from his previous life.
The other Demon Lords had also landed beside him, looking at the lake, seemingly not wanting to talk to him.
Except for Millu.
“Go in! Go in!” she urged, clinging to Shien’s back as if having a blast.
“Go in?” Shien pointed at the lake on the mountain, “You want me to enter that lake?”
It wasn’t Millu who answered, but Lid, whom Shien was holding.
“There’s a treasure left by our Mother inside,” she said, looking up at Shien, “If the Inner Sanctum left by the Supreme God is a treasure for the Human Race, then the treasure left by our Mother is a treasure for the Demon Race, its value no less than the Inner Sanctum.”
“I see,” Shien understood. If the Supreme God could leave a treasure for the Human Race to enhance their power and increase their combat strength, then the Demon King, whose power was even greater, naturally also left something behind. Although not as omnipotent as the Supreme God, with sufficient power, she could also achieve many things.
And now, Shien was about to benefit from this.
Chapter 770: Another Demon King’s Pavilion
“Splash!”
With a loud splash, the seven of them plunged into the massive lake atop the mountain, creating a huge spray of water.
Shien, entering the water, instinctively held his breath, then realized he could breathe underwater. Not only that, but his clothes were also completely dry, as if he hadn’t entered a lake, but a pool of clouds shaped like a lake, not even feeling any water pressure.
This made him curious.
“Let’s go, further down,” Lid said, urging him. Her voice traveled through the water unimpeded, only a stream of bubbles appearing when she spoke, as if water had entered her mouth.
Shien tried opening his mouth, and bubbles also appeared, but no water entered.
“This is neither magical nor scientific,” he commented, then, holding Lid, he swam downwards.
The other Demon Lords followed, diving deeper and deeper. As they descended, the visibility, defying all logic and science, didn’t decrease.
Shien, no longer surprised by anything, simply continued downwards, not expressing any further thoughts.
After diving for an unknown amount of time, he finally saw the lakebed.
There, a mansion, like an underwater villa, stood quietly.
“That’s…?” Seeing the mansion, Shien couldn’t help but stop.
This mansion wasn’t unfamiliar to him. Although he had only seen it once, he still remembered the idyllic mansion, surrounded by flowers and birdsong.
That mansion also had a name—Flower Song Pavilion, or—Demon King’s Pavilion. It was the mansion Leisha had invited Vivian’s team, and Shien, to enter in Larmigion, supposedly the Demon King’s private villa.
Sara spoke.
“That’s the Demon King’s Pavilion, a treasure Claudis, the Demon King, left for the Demon Race,” she said, then, noticing Shien’s surprised expression, asked, “What? Is there a problem?”
“No, nothing,” Shien shook his head instinctively, then couldn’t help but ask, “Isn’t the Demon King’s Pavilion in Leisha’s possession?”
“Leisha?” Sara was startled for a moment, then realized who he was talking about.
The other Demon Lords also raised their eyebrows, but remained silent. They naturally knew about Leisha and Lasha’s existence.
One was a magical being created using the Demon King’s magic power as a core.
The other was a magical being created using the Demon King’s body.
That master and servant pair were both deeply connected to the Demon King, the only two Demon King Prototypes in the world, remnants and replicas of the Demon King.
It was impossible for the Demon Lords not to know about them.
However, they clearly didn’t want to discuss this topic.
Even Sara simply said,
“You’re talking about the Spatial Magician who betrayed the Assassination Branch, stole Mother’s body from the Mitra Kingdom’s Royal Palace, and also took Mother’s villa, right?” She downplayed it, “Although the one in her possession is also called the Demon King’s Pavilion, it’s nothing special, only that Mother used to live there.”
This Demon King’s Pavilion before them, however, was different.
“This isn’t Mother’s villa, but a sacred ground created by her for the Demon Race, possessing the ability to extract and transfer magic power as pure strength to others.”
Sara’s explanation surprised Shien again.
“Transfer power?” He looked at her in astonishment.
But the other Demon Lords spoke up.
“Don’t be surprised, it can indeed transfer power,” Shafney said, “The Inner Sanctum left by the Supreme God allows humans to directly connect with Logic, enhancing their understanding and strength, but our Demon King couldn’t do such a magical thing.”
“Indeed,” Lid added, “Although the Demon King’s power is greater than the Supreme God’s, the Supreme God is the truly omnipotent goddess, even creating this world. The Demon King could destroy the world, but not create it.”
“This is the difference between the Demon Race and the God Race,” Kamina also said, “The Demon Race is known for its power, undoubtedly superior to the God Race in terms of pure strength, but the God Race’s unique abilities, their divine powers, can achieve many magical effects that we demons can’t.”
This was also why, although the Demon Lords were so powerful, they couldn’t solve the Ice Woman Clan’s problem and dispel the ice of [Ice Prison], while several Goddesses of the God Race could. Although the Demon Race was stronger, the God Race had their own advantages, able to exert unique powers in various domains, each Goddess governing a different domain, a different concept, capable of achieving things that demons and humans couldn’t.
Therefore, the Inner Sanctum created by Omnis, the omnipotent Goddess, allowed humans to easily and safely connect with Logic, gaining extraordinary enlightenment and enhancing their combat strength.
The Demon Race, however, despite their pride in their power, couldn’t do this.
Of course, as mentioned before, with sufficient power, many things could be achieved.
Like magic, a concept created by the Demon King, a system for utilizing power, which the God Race could only imitate, creating Divine and Restoration Magic.
Monsters were also created by the Demon Race, using magic to create life, the origin of Bio-Creation Magic.
However, it was undeniable that relying solely on power couldn’t achieve the same level of perfection as the God Race.
For example, monsters. The Demon Race created them to imitate the God Race’s creation of humans, intending to use them as soldiers. Unfortunately, most monsters lacked intelligence and were violent and savage, like beasts, only knowing how to kill and devour, mostly disobedient unless tamed. Even the Demon Race, their creators, couldn’t completely control them. This showed that in areas other than power, the Demon Race wasn’t as skillful as the God Race.
The Demon King was the same. Although she created a Demon King’s Pavilion to enhance the Demon Race’s combat strength, compared to the Inner Sanctum created by the Supreme God, it had flaws.
Its flaw was that it required “materials” to enhance power.
And this “material” was magic power, not the ownerless magic power in magic crystals, magic power sources, or the atmosphere, but the magic power of living beings.
Through the sacrifice of those who provided magic power, this magic power would be converted into pure strength by the Demon King’s Pavilion, absorbed by others to enhance their power.
“In the past, many in the Demon Race used this Demon King’s Pavilion to cultivate their younger generation,” Airi said, her tone calm as she spoke of this cruel history.
“Elderly demons nearing their end, or those with lingering injuries from battles, would bring their descendants here and sacrifice all their magic power to enhance their power.”
Therefore, unlike the human Inner Sanctum, which was gentle and without side effects, the use of the Demon King’s Pavilion was based on sacrifice.
“Of course, since the war ended a thousand years ago, we six have sealed this place. It’s no longer used unless under special circumstances,” Sara said, pointing at the surrounding water.
“Don’t think you entered so easily just now. It’s because we’re with you. If anyone trespasses here, this water will instantly turn into deadly poison, even Transcendent Level beings wouldn’t be able to escape unscathed.”
Poison that even Transcendent Level beings couldn’t avoid?
Could it be…
Shien turned to Kamina.
“I set up that measure,” Kamina said immediately, “Not just me, but all my sisters also left their own defenses.”
“Yes!” Millu raised her hand, “Millu also left something!”
In other words, to enter this place, to enter the Demon King’s Pavilion, one had to bypass the defenses left by all six Demon Lords.
Throughout Omnipotence, the only one capable of this was probably Lildas, the Goddess of Fate, known as the strongest.
And that goddess probably wouldn’t be interested in a Demon King’s Pavilion.
Therefore, no one could enter this place safely.
However…
“Why did you bring me here?” Shien asked, getting straight to the point.
This was a natural question. Based on what the Demon Lords said, they wanted him to enter the Demon King’s Pavilion and use its power to enhance his strength. But for that, someone had to sacrifice themselves and offer their magic power for him to absorb. And today, besides Shien, only the six Demon Lords were here.
What did this mean?
Shien had already guessed, but couldn’t believe it.
But his guess was correct.
“We’ve already discussed it,” Airi said, looking at Shien, “We will provide the magic power for you to absorb.”
Her words confirmed Shien’s suspicion. These Demon Lords were planning to use their own power to help him grow stronger.
“Alright, let’s go back,” Shien said, turning to leave without hesitation. He wasn’t against becoming stronger, but if the price was others’ sacrifice, he wasn’t interested. Especially since these six Demon Lords were either his fiancée, his… complicated “friend,” or those he had dealings with, even Kamina was his future sister-in-law. Having them sacrifice their power for him? No way!
Just as he was about to leave, Shafney, as if having anticipated this, grabbed his arm.
“Don’t be impulsive,” she said, amused, “The impact on us isn’t as great as you think.”
“Indeed,” Airi also grabbed his hand, looking at him, “We are Demon Lords, each of us stronger than the Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Nature combined. Just a small portion of our power is enough to greatly benefit you.”
“Moreover, the six of us are sacrificing together, so the burden on each of us is even smaller,” Lid also tried to persuade him, “This way, the impact on us is negligible, and you can greatly enhance your strength.”
This was the decision the Demon Lords made during their meeting, a gift for Shien, and also a way to confirm something.
“Don’t worry,” Sara said to Shien, “Unless something unexpected happens, even if you reach Limit Level, the cost for each of us will be negligible.”
This wasn’t just to appease Shien, but the truth. A small portion of power from each of the six Demon Lords, combined, was an immense amount for someone below Transcendence. If Shien could absorb it, he could potentially reach Limit Level. And the loss for the six Demon Lords wouldn’t be significant. Otherwise, not to mention Airi and Shafney, the other Demon Lords might not be willing to sacrifice so much for him.
“…Are you sure?” Shien asked after a long silence, staring at the Demon Lords.
They all nodded, including Kamina.
“Don’t worry, if the sacrifice was that great, I wouldn’t be willing, and I wouldn’t let my sisters sacrifice so much for an outsider either,” she said frankly and realistically.
These words reassured Shien.
At the same time, he also understood that he would owe these Demon Lords a great debt. Although this power might not be much for them, he would gain immense benefits.
Was this the Demon Race’s way of showing their goodwill and trying to win him over?
Or was this all arranged by Airi or Shafney for him?
“Don’t overthink it,” Sara said, smiling at him. Unlike Shafney, she couldn’t read his mind, but she could still see through his thoughts, “We’re helping you not just because you’re about to become our family, but also for other reasons. It’s not entirely for your sake. You can accept this without any guilt.”
The other Demon Lords also smiled, nodded, or looked indifferent, some even looking happy. They didn’t seem to be deliberately doing him a favor.
Shien didn’t know their true motives.
But he could distrust Sara, Lid, Kamina, even Shafney and Millu, but he absolutely trusted Airi.
Therefore…
“Alright, I understand,” he nodded in agreement.
And this meant that he remembered this favor.
