Chapter 410 373 – Demon Lord Conference

By the end of the day, Takumi had brought both the lizardmen and the treants under his rule.

Meanwhile, the two-pronged campaigns led by Setsuna, Kureha, and the others had also come to an end.

Faced with the overwhelmingly powerful Shadow Demon Corps, along with Setsuna and the others who were even stronger, the two kingdoms were wiped off the map without the slightest suspense.

The Shadow Demon Corps in particular had undergone a comprehensive surge in strength after receiving Takumi's power through [Beelzebuth, Lord of Gluttony (Gold)].

Through their shared Shadow Demon Network, they had acquired numerous skills and even powers approaching the level of Authorities.

Most terrifying of all, they had inherited some of Takumi's physical characteristics.

Although they weren't quite as absurd as his [Ultimate Lifeform], the combination of [Predator], [Starved], and [Great Sage] meant the difference was honestly not that great.

They released cellular spores like black clouds, devouring countless resisting armies until nothing remained.

By the end of the campaign, not a single member of the Shadow Demon Corps had died, while enemy casualties exceeded one million.

Their souls were then funneled through the Shadow Demon Corps and drawn into Takumi's [Pseudo-Hell].

The once-empty underworld had now become positively overcrowded.

Unfortunately, Takumi had yet to finish constructing the full structure of [Pseudo-Hell], so for the time being, he simply left them there.

After the two kingdoms had been conquered, Takumi ordered the Shadow Demon Corps to use their tremendous power to create highways, high-rise buildings, and all the various systems necessary for modern cities.

Such epoch-defining cities completely surpassed the monsters' understanding.

Fortunately, they weren't stupid. Once Takumi sent people to teach them how everything worked, most of them picked it up quickly enough.

As more and more monsters gathered under his rule, Takumi could clearly feel the rate at which he accumulated fortune accelerating.

"The stronger the beings I subdue, the more progress they contribute toward the World Crossing Gate.

"It almost feels like I'm competing with this world itself for mass. Good thing this world doesn't have a will of its own."

Looking at the World Crossing Gate's progress, which had already risen past twenty-five thousand, Takumi smiled in satisfaction.

At the same time, news that the Great Jura Forest had been unified rapidly spread outward.

The revelation shocked every surrounding kingdom, but none more so than Clayman, who had previously chosen to withdraw.

He had spent so long plotting to use the Great Jura Forest to gather the souls he needed to become an Awakened Demon Lord.

And now, after all that effort, his entire plan had failed at the final step!?

Inside a luxurious room, Clayman wore a pure white suit and had his hair slicked back, giving him the appearance of an aristocratic gentleman. At the moment, however, his expression was twisted with frustration.

His gaze flickered as he stared at the smiling mask resting on the table, suddenly uncertain whether what he had done was right or wrong.

But the instant that thought appeared, something eerie seemed to erase it from his mind.

"How could I possibly be wrong?!"

"Even Kazalim has no right to stand in the way of my will!!"

"Clayman, Clayman~ You really are becoming more neurotic by the day. That lord's strength isn't something you can scheme against or provoke."

"All I can give ya now is one final piece of advice: put down your arrogance and obediently submit."

"Otherwise, one day… maybe even we'll end up becoming enemies."

Laplace appeared without a sound. Wearing his clown mask, he spoke in his usual comical tone.

Clayman answered only with silence.

Seeing this, Laplace shook his head and quietly disappeared from the room.

As a former colleague, he still hoped Clayman would turn back before it was too late.

Unfortunately, things had already gone too far.

Clayman hadn't always been like this. Yet somewhere along the way, his obsession with gaining strength had turned into this stubborn fixation.

Laplace couldn't understand it.

Nor could he see the brief trace of confusion that flashed through Clayman's eyes while his back was turned.

That confusion was quickly swallowed by another wave of neurotic emotion.

"I'm right. I'm right!!"

Clayman muttered under his breath before abruptly closing his mouth.

It was as if the previous moment had never happened, and only absolute determination remained in his gaze.

He reached into his pristine white suit, pulled out a pocket watch, and checked the time.

Watching the hands, he narrowed his eyes slightly.

"It's about time."

The instant that thought crossed his mind, a figure appeared on the bench before him without warning.

"Hey, Clayman. How are things going with Gelmud?"

The newcomer was tall and muscular. He wore elegant clothing in an almost careless fashion, yet somehow it didn't look awkward on him at all.

His neatly cropped blond hair perfectly complemented his rugged face, while a pair of sharp, hawk-like eyes stared directly at Clayman.

He was the Beast King Carrion, ruler of the Beast Kingdom of Eurazania—and one of the Demon Lords.

Shortly afterward, a young girl appeared as well, followed by the beautiful Sky Queen Frey.

All of them had been summoned by Clayman to discuss what had happened in the Great Jura Forest.

As the Marionette Master, Clayman wore a calm smile.

Manipulating others at will was his specialty.

This conference of four Demon Lords had also been orchestrated by him.

On the surface, the plan he had presented to the others was to use the Great Jura Forest to create a new "Demon Lord" who would remain under their control.

Carrion was currently facing the expansion of Demon Lord Leon and was concerned for the safety of his own kingdom.

He wanted to protect the nation under his rule and obtain enough strength to crush any invading army.

For that reason, Carrion had agreed to Clayman's plan.

As for Frey, Queen of the Harpies, she hadn't originally intended to come at all, but Milim had forcibly dragged her along.

Milim had lived for an extraordinarily long time and hated boredom more than anything.

Whenever something interesting appeared, she would jump straight into it without hesitation.

Clayman had deliberately used that as bait to lure her here.

After his maneuvering behind the scenes, Milim decided to personally visit the Great Jura Forest and see what was happening.

In Clayman's mind, although he had lost the Orc Lord as one of his chess pieces, he had managed to hook far bigger fish in the form of Milim and Frey.

If he could manipulate them properly, his grand ambitions could still succeed!

For now, he would use them to investigate the situation in the Great Jura Forest.

Later, he could slowly uncover their weaknesses and bring them under his control one by one!

What Clayman didn't know was that Milim had already seen straight through his petty little schemes.

"These idiots are completely unreliable. If this fun new toy falls into their hands, they'll definitely ruin it."

"More importantly, these guys are basically newborn chicks. They don't have the eyes to see the true nature of anything."

"Looks like the calm and wise me will have to take the lead after all."

Despite appearing young, Milim was actually the most cunning and experienced one present, and she had plans of her own.

Frey, meanwhile, was also thinking about the situation in the Great Jura Forest.

Recently, the harpy priestesses had foretold that a calamity was about to revive.

Calling it a prophecy was almost misleading, because it was practically a confirmed fact.

By observing the flow of magicules and distortions in space, they had confidently predicted that the ancient enemy of the harpies was about to return.

That enemy was the calamity-class monster sealed away by a Hero in ancient times—Charybdis!