When Park Jae-hyun returned to his own camp, the Demon Kings of the Pale Bones Alliance began to flatter him profusely.
"Boss! You're so powerful!"
"Not just powerful, our leader is simply invincible!"
"The Succubus Queen is no small figure, recognized as one of the strongest Demon Kings, yet she fell to our leader in just a few moves!"
"With such strength, unifying this underworld will surely be no problem. If we follow the leader, we are bound to prosper!"
The Demon Kings who had the privilege to join Park Jae-hyun on this expedition were no weaklings either. Each was a Level 4 entity, and while they couldn't be one of the top dominators, they were certainly powerful enough to rule their own territories.
They all showered Park Jae-hyun with praises, which he found extremely gratifying. He was immensely satisfied and proud of defeating the Succubus Queen. Such a woman, he thought, would be a waste to kill. Instead, after stripping her of her powers and imprisoning her as his toy, he could surely make all other Demon Kings green with envy.
"The famous Succubus Queen is merely so-so!"
"There's no need to leave Gloom City standing any longer."
Park Jae-hyun was about to order his troops to conquer Gloom City in one fell swoop, completely eliminating the threat, and then integrate the dozens of tribes and thousands of miles of territory controlled by the Succubus Queen into the Pale Bones Alliance's territory.
However, a fluctuation in the space occurred. Park Jae-hyun's expression shifted as he looked over. Two figures appeared: one was a mysterious person in a cloak, and the other was a merfolk from the sea tribe, surrounded by water vapor and exuding an aura of water. There are oceans in the underworld, so there are sea tribes in this world as well. However, the underworld sea tribes are quite different from those on the surface, and the aura of this sea tribe member was significantly different from that of the underworld sea tribes.
Park Jae-hyun's face darkened: "You are not from Gloom City, are you? Where did you come from? You dare to appear before us, aren't you afraid of being obliterated?"
The mysterious person in the cloak chuckled. His voice was deep, authoritative, and commanding: "I have no grudge against you, but you've captured my friend, and I cannot just stand by... How about you return her to me, and I might consider not holding you accountable."
"Your friend? Ha ha ha ha!" Park Jae-hyun laughed loudly. "So you're an accomplice of the Succubus Queen? She was defeated by my hand. Who do you think you are to demand her return? You're just looking to die!"
"Boss! Why waste your words with him!"
"He's just a nobody."
"Let us handle this!"
"This kind of fodder doesn't require the boss to personally act!"
The other Demon Kings were eager to show off in front of Park Jae-hyun. In the blink of an eye, dozens of powerful magic and combat skills were ready to be unleashed.
"What ignorance!" Shui Lan lifted her delicate hand with a wave. A thin layer of water, as fragile as a cicada's wing, blocked all the attacks. When the magic and combat Qi hit the water screen, they dissolved without a trace, like a clay bull entering the sea, completely neutralized and absorbed. It was quite eerie.
Everyone was left gaping in astonishment.
"You are not nobody. Who the hell are you?" Park Jae-hyun showed a hint of wariness. The sea tribe woman effortlessly blocked so many attacks, suggesting her strength might be on par with the Succubus Queen.
Moreover, judging by their demeanor, the mysterious cloaked person seemed to have an even higher status. The cloaked figure spoke, "You don't need to know that. I gave you a chance, but since you don't appreciate it, so be it."
Enraged, Park Jae-hyun said, "How dare you! Die!!"
He moved swiftly like a meteor, his hands transforming into massive bone blades, and he viciously struck the water shield. "Shatter!"
The Bone Demon King possessed a strong ability to dispel elemental forces, and the seemingly delicate water elemental shield should have been easy to break. However, when his blades hit the barrier, he was shocked to find that all the force he had concentrated in his blades was absorbed by the thin, bubble-like shield, causing no disturbance whatsoever.
"How can this be?" Park Jae-hyun had never seen such magic before.
Shui Lan raised her hands, unleashing a torrent of energy like a devastating tsunami, instantly engulfing everything in sight with seawater. Tens of thousands of soldiers from the Pale Bones Alliance were swept into the endless deep sea. Under the intense pressure that could crush steel, everyone lost their ability to breathe. They were bound by giant octopuses while being attacked by a swarm of large horn creatures. In the blink of an eye, screams and wails filled the air.
[You're under the effect of "Azure Water Sanctum". All elemental magic, except water-based magic, is sealed. All stats -44%, -60 HP per second. You will suffer continuous onslaught from the sanctum's creatures!]
The Bone Demon King Park Jae-hyun was horrified. He finally understood why this domain was so powerful -- it was not a regular domain but a Mythic Sanctum, something only a mythic-class unit could deploy!
A Mythic Sanctum is an upgraded version of a Monarch's Domain, essentially a more potent Monarch's Domain infused with the power of laws. Within the sanctum, Shui Lan utilized her dominion over laws of water to forcefully repel other laws, rendering all non-water-based magic skills and various items ineffective.
To attempt to contend with water-based attacks against the former queen of the sea tribe in such an environment was as futile as trying to showcase sword skills in front of Guan Yu, a renowned warrior. As soon as Shui Lan activated her domain, all targets were significantly weakened. Even if the enemy had a numerical advantage, they would find it hard to resist and could only delay until the sanctum could no longer be maintained.
Just as Shui Lan was about to launch a massive attack spell to wipe out tens of thousands of enemies in an instant, Zhang Nu stepped forward, "Allow me."
Taking advantage of the situation where the group was suppressed by Shui Lan and almost unable to move or escape, Zhang Nu extended his hand to release an ice crystal. This crystal quickly flew into the midst of the Demon Kings and instantly released its energy, freezing them along with the seawater.
S-rank magic, Glacial Descent!
Ice magic is a variant of water magic and can be executed within Shui Lan's sanctum. This magic, in combination with Shui Lan's sanctum, was a perfect match! Assisted by Shui Lan, the power and effect of Glacial Descent were enhanced at least three to five times. The ice crystal rapidly expanded, freezing an area with a radius of several kilometers. The area where Zhang Nu and Shui Lan stood was unaffected. Although Shui Lan's strength was not as great as Zhang Nu's, resisting the excess of this magic was not a major issue for her.
Together, they almost instantly sealed tens of thousands of people, including Park Jae-hyun, who wore a face of horror and disbelief. Although he was frozen and unable to move or use his abilities, his consciousness was still clear, looking at the scene before him in terror.
The other troops who were fortunate enough not to be swept up in the sanctum and frozen were mostly native troops affiliated with the Demon Kings, and they were terrified, fleeing in all directions.
"Dragon King's Sanctum!"
"Spatial Turbulence!"
Zhang Nu activated his Mythic Sanctum, enveloping tens of thousands of people in an iceberg that plummeted into a vast void. The surrounding space twisted, creating chaotic spatial currents and vortices, functioning like a meat grinder, rapidly disintegrating and devouring the iceberg. The warriors inside, unable to move or resist, were all blended to smithereens. Their ability to counter or even act was completely nullified. The flow of time was manipulated, making the entire process occur very swiftly. In the blink of an eye, 35,000 targets were annihilated, and Zhang Nu gained approximately 80 million gold from it.
Zhang Nu didn't kill Park Jae-hyun and the other Demon Kings, and they remained conscious throughout, witnessing the horrific scene unfolding before their eyes. What kind of power was this? What level of existence could do something like this? They didn't even have time to break free from the seal, and their hard-built elite troops were almost entirely wiped out, a complete setback to their efforts. Their feeling of despair was unimaginable and beyond description.
Zhang Nu then banished them all to the Abyssal Divine Realm. As high-ranking Demon Kings, it seemed a waste to kill them outright. Instead, he decided to imprison them, potentially using them as rewards for ally Heroes in the future to recoup some value. The Abyssal Divine Realm, unlike regular domain skills, is an independently operating space, a natural prison. Once Park Jae-hyun and his group were sent there, it was impossible for them to escape.
After resolving the situation, Shui Lan launched several water blades, instantly shattering the bone prison and rescuing the Succubus Queen. "Are you alright?"
Han Kexin couldn't believe that the two of them, working together, had managed to defeat such a large force. It was incredible; their strength seemed excessively terrifying. The gap was just too vast!
She saw that even the once-famed Shui Lan had become a subordinate. Finally, without further hesitation, Han Kexin made a decision that would affect her future and the trajectory of her fate, officially announcing the merging of Gloom City with Darkness City.
"Are you sure?" Zhang Nu asked. "Maybe you should think it over again. This decision is irreversible!"
Zhang Nu was somewhat surprised. Although he believed that the Succubus Queen would eventually see the situation clearly and make such a decision, he knew her character well enough to expect her to carefully weigh the pros and cons. He didn't expect her to decide so quickly.
Han Kexin said, "Better to be a chicken's head than a phoenix's tail. Even if I can't stand at the pinnacle of this world, at least I want to be beside the one who does."
Zhang Nu responded, "In all the time I've known you, this is the first time you've spoken such a frank truth."
Han Kexin retorted with a huff, "Hmph, don't get too smug. Now that I'm working for you, you better make sure my salary is worth it."
Zhang Nu laughed heartily. "Of course. You were an outsider before, but now you're one of us, and I'm never stingy with my own people."
It was a significant breakthrough to win over such a character. It was no simple feat.
Darkness City and the Chaos Federation were in a period of rapid development. During this process, there were many challenges, particularly in terms of management and integration. Zhang Nu believed that with Han Kexin as his right-hand, both the overall strength of the federation and the level of its management would greatly improve.
Moreover, by absorbing Gloom City, the Chaos Federation directly gained an underworld region for expansion. Territory, population, military forces, and diversity of troops would all see significant enhancements.
In the following two days, Zhang Nu and Han Kexin finalized their collaboration. The Darkness City and Gloom City officially commenced their merger. When Demon Kings unite, there's no concept of equality; there must be a clear hierarchy. Darkness City is the sole core of the Chaos Federation, while Gloom City will become the federation's main demon city.
Darkness City will station troops in Gloom City, taking control of strategic areas and local populations near Gloom City. Han Kexin will assume the role of Vice Lord of Darkness City and Grand Elder of the Chaos Federation, while continuing as the Lord of Gloom City. Her main workplace will be in the Chaos Forest. Zhang Nu will grant her an 8% share in the group, along with a salary and bonuses.
The reason why Han Kexin only received 8% of the shares was not due to Zhang Nu's stinginess. When they sat down to roughly evaluate the fixed assets of their territories, such as cities, population, various buildings, and facilities, it became clear that Han Kexin had underestimated the strength of Darkness City and the Chaos Federation. When they compared assets, territories, and populations, the value of Gloom City Group after the merger accounted for at most about 5%.
Moreover, in comparison to Gloom City, the business quality of Darkness City was extremely high. Zhang Nu generously offered her an additional 3% share, which was quite favorable treatment. Additionally, as a professional manager brought into the fold, Han Kexin also received a fixed salary and bonus incentives.
Han Kexin realized that she and Zhang Nu were not on the same level. If she refused the merger with Darkness City, the gap between them would only widen, and Gloom City might eventually not even qualify as a strategic partner for Darkness City. Now, with the merger of the two forces, it was a win-win situation. Zhang Nu urgently needed a top-tier CEO to help manage the rapidly expanding population and to enhance the management level of the Chaos Federation.
As a result, Zhang Nu could continue to be a behind-the-scenes boss, a hands-off manager. The formidable strength and potential of the Succubus Queen, along with powerful innate abilities like Eternal Charm, were extremely valuable to Zhang Nu.
Under the Succubus Queen's command, there was an impressive array of talent, including two monarch-class units and approximately two million demon populations. The unique abilities of the succubus race were something the draconians did not possess. Having established a strong foothold in the underworld, she had access to a wealth of untapped rare mineral resources and numerous resource sites unique to the underworld, holding significant potential.
Incorporating Gloom City and absorbing the Succubus Queen marked a milestone in the development history of Darkness City. Zhang Nu purchased a top-tier contract capable of affecting level 6 units at a high price and officially signed it with Han Kexin. From then on, the Queen was no longer an independent Demon King; she became a high-class "work slave" of Darkness City.
