Chapter 660: No King Rules Forever... But there are always exceptions. 3
On the way to 39th Rank's city, Malphas.
Victor glanced at Vepar, who didn't look much different from before. Her height changed to 186CM tall, and her body acquired more pronounced curves, but what stood out the most about her was her Ice-tipped tail and the horns.
The environment around the woman became much colder as well. It was clear that she had become some kind of Ice Demon.
Victor looked at the Lesser Demons and saw that the change in their appearance was not as intense since he'd given them less Energy than Vepar.
But one thing was sure: these Demons, who'd received less Energy, became Elites, Demons that only an Elder Vampire experienced in fighting could handle.
A ridiculous leap of Power.
It wasn't wrong to say they were now as strong as Demon Pillar Ranks from Rank 60 and above.
But even though they'd gotten so strong, they didn't develop unique characteristics that differentiate a Pillar Demon from an ordinary Demon.
For example, Vepar's Power before was to create and control Water, but now, she could do it with Ice in a way very similar to Clan Scarlett's Power.
'Actually, she might be even better than Clan Scarlett because she's become an existence made entirely from Ice... She's closer to an Ice Spirit now than a Demon... Is it because of Roxanne's Energy?" Victor deduced.
'Demon of Frost is an appropriate name for her because she genuinely has become what the Title refers to.'
[Fufufu, I wonder how the girls will react when they discover you've acquired three more women for your 'Harem'.] Roxanne surprised Victor a little by starting to speak, thus pulling him out of his deep thoughts.
[Three women...?]
[Vepar, Vine, and a future female General.]
Victor rolled his eyes. [I'm not taking them into my Harem or anything, Roxanne.]
[Yeah, Yeah, I know.]
[Right-]
[You're just giving Power to Demons who are power-crazed, you're just demonstrating your 'superiority' to female Demons, which is a trait that makes all female Demons wet their panties in lust.]
[You're just giving female Demons more attention than male Demons, something no other Demon in Hell would do. You're just making them stronger and more loyal to you, practically sealing their fate to live forever being obsessed with you for your attention and touch.]
[...] Victor was silent.
[...When you put it that way, I sound like some kind of villain manipulating women to join his Harem...]
[Ara, Darling just realized this now?]
[....] Victor could clearly sense that Roxanne was a little irritated.
[But, don't worry, Darling. Even if you become the most feared villain in the world, I will still be by your side. And probably the three 'FEMALE' Generals will also be by your side. After all, there is no other villain who is as beautiful as you.]
[...Hey, if I'm going to have Generals who can keep up with me in anything, I'd rather have strong women than bearded, muscular men.]
[...At least you're honest in your desire to have a 'good view' while going to war.] Roxanne spoke in a sarcastic tone.
[Heh~, but I always have a 'good view' to look at when I'm alone, right? After all, you are always here with me.]
A transparent image of Roxanne appeared in front of Victor, looking at him with a neutral gaze.
Nobody around Victor noticed the woman suddenly appearing; after all, it was just an image for Victor to see.
[See what I said? A good view.] Victor smiled gently.
[...Hmph, if you think that's enough to make me happy, you're sorely mistaken!] Roxanne snorted as she turned her face away and wrapped her arms around her, emphasizing her developed assets.
Despite her 'hostile' words, the shade of red and her happy smile gave away her true feelings.
[Fufufu~, don't be like that, Roxanne; I still promised to spoil you a lot, right? After all, if it weren't for you, I'd have been dead the moment I set foot in this place.] Victor spoke in a gentle and loving tone.
Roxanne's body visibly shivered when she heard Victor's tone. She glanced at him and saw eyes that seemed to contain a black hole within them.
That look put an even bigger smile on Roxanne's face. [I'll be waiting for my reward]
[I'll try not to disappoint you.] Victor smiled.
Roxanne swallowed when she heard what he said.
'Perhaps, I shouldn't have provoked him so much...' She felt she bit off a lot more than she could chew. Even without 'motivation', Victor was very good at what he did... But now, with the right motivation, the image of Scathach's defeat in bed came to mind.
'…Although this is also good.'
[Hmm?] Roxanne stopped her thoughts when she felt something changing.
[What happened?]
[Alter is losing some of his appearance.]
[That is natural. The more Demons Victor kills and that you absorb, the more his body is refined and the stronger it gets; thus, the more of my Power he can access. Eventually, I will revert to my 'black ghost' form and begin to return to where I belong.] Alter replied.
[... Am I accelerating Victor's evolution?]
[Yes, it seems Victor's 'maturation' time will be shorter than all Noble Vampires in Vlad's Bloodline history.]
[...Well, he's a Progenitor. He's the beginning of his Race, and isn't following another Race's rules pretty pointless?] Roxanne always thought that was contradictory to the name Progenitor.
[You don't understand. Although we are a Progenitor, the trigger that made us what we are today was our Wives' Bloodlines, which, technically, was also Vlad's Bloodline. It's not wrong to say that Victor has Vlad's Bloodline in his body. Even though that same Bloodline was destroyed thanks to our authority as Progenitor, it's still there; It was merely the trigger for the change.]
[Oh.] Roxanne understood now.
[Without your interference, Roxanne, when he completed the First Cycle of 500 years, he would become an adult, and the path specially made for him and his Bloodline would open up... This was what was supposed to happen, but again, we broke this rule.]
[Through refining hundreds of Demon Souls, Demon Blood, and with the help of a World Tree constantly driving our existence forward, we are experiencing an 'Overdrive' State.]
[This is an abnormal situation. No Being, whether they be a God or Mortal, should experience this state, and because of this phenomenon, our existence is forcefully adapting to remain 'Balanced'.]
[Of course, if it weren't for Roxanne's support in holding our body together, we would have exploded from having so much Energy.]
[...I thought my body was holding it.] Victor spoke.
[At first, yes... But Darling, overeating is never good in any scenario... And that's what you've been doing since you arrived in Hell.] Roxanne spoke.
[... You're acting like a filter, huh... Or more specifically, a faucet that holds all that Energy so my body doesn't explode.] Victor deduced.
[That's right, and even though I hold onto your Energy with all my might, you can still create multiple spheres of Power equivalent to a more powerful atomic bomb.]
[...Looks like finding you used up all the available luck in my life, huh… You are too precious.]
[Humpf, did you only realize it just now!? There is a reason why Vlad wanted me so much. With my existence, bringing you to the level of God-King and surpassing that level is something that only takes time and effort. There is no limit you cannot cross with me by your side!]]
[So pamper me! Give me affection! I want love!] Roxanne started to throw a tantrum,
Something that left a happy smile on Victor's face. It was cute to see her 'acting' like that; he knew she was just doing it for fun.
…
In Victor's inner world, Alter looked at his hand, which was losing shape, and becoming the dark phantom hand it once was.
'Good... Soon, I will be united again.' For Alter, it was a blessing to return to where he belonged.
"You look happy, Alter."
Alter looked at Roxanne.
"Of course I am. My other self is getting stronger, your existence is getting stronger, and soon enough, I'll be back where I'm supposed to be… where I should never have left in the first place."
"...." Roxanne just nodded. She had nothing to add to that statement; after all, she knew this was something Alter had wanted for a long time.
"How is his progress?" Alter changed the subject as he looked at a gigantic red lake in the distance.
Roxanne flashed a smile, the smile of a mother looking at her growing child, a very motherly smile:
"He is growing smoothly, and soon, my Guardian will be the strongest!"
"How long will it take for him to wake?"
"...In around three years? This time may decrease if Victor kills more High-Level Demons. Something he will definitely do. So best case, if all goes well, three months, worst case, three years."
"I see… Time is of the essence, huh… Because of that, he's walking deeper into Hell."
"Yes, Time Displacement is all messed up in Hell. I don't know how much time has passed since this place has no day or night."
"…I agree with you. We should-…Oh?" Alter looked up at the sky.
"Looks like Vine did a good job." He smiled.
Roxanne turned her face in the direction Alter was looking, and through Victor's eyes, she saw a horde of Demons with two women walking at the head.
'A Succubus...' She felt her face tighten a little.
"Looks like Master gained the three Generals he wanted."
"Do you think that Succubus..."
"Yes, as Scathach likes to say, she is a diamond in the rough. I can tell clearly just by the amount of Negative Energy surrounding her."
...
"My Lord, I have returned." Vine knelt before Victor, followed by all the other Demons, including Helena herself.
'...She was faster than I thought...' Victor was very surprised, a delightful surprise indeed.
"Your task?"
Vine raised her face. She glanced at Vepar, noticing she had acquired new features. 'Tsk, her too, huh.'
"All Demon Ranks from 46th to the 60th have been completely eliminated."
Victor flashed a satisfied smile, "Good job, Vine."
Vine's face lit up. Then, when she was about to ask about the reward, Victor spoke.
"We'll talk about the reward later. But, first, tell me, were there any Pillars that joined me?"
"Unfortunately not… Ancient Demons are very proud, Master. Few of them have the ability to see reality. Most become lost in the 'greatness' of their past achievements and all they had built. Thus, they would rather die than lose everything." Vine could say that very well. After all, she was like that too. The only reason she hadn't died at Victor's hand was that she was the first Demonic Pillar he'd encountered when he'd arrived in Hell, and he needed allies.
She was absolutely sure that was it.
Victor nodded his head softly, his expression neutral. His gaze soon shifted from Vine to the gathered Demons.
When his gaze fell on a Demon, they, without exception, shuddered.
'... This monster is the Lord of Vine.'
'Someone who subdued a Pillar Demon'.
Thoughts like that were common enough for the Demons who felt Victor's gaze.
Only one Demon showed no discomfort at Victor's gaze: the Succubus beside Vine.
"A Succubus, on this side of Hell?" Victor spoke. With the memories of the Demons he'd absorbed, he had a basic understanding of every place where the 'famous' Races of Demons lived.
The Succubi, without exception, were commanded by Lilith, and Lilith did not live in the area of the Pillar Ranks. Instead, she had her own government on the other side of the dimension.
"I am a half-breed, sir." Helena spoke as she turned her face up and looked at Victor, "Unfortunately, due to my Heritage, I couldn't join Lady Lilith… Although, there are days when I'm grateful for not joining. I know that the situation she's in right now isn't very favorable."
Those who lose to a stronger Demon have their fate placed in the victor's hands. Lilith, who lost to Diablo, was a perfect example, as were all the Succubi that Lilith commanded.
Looking at it that way, Helena felt she was fortunate. She was sure that being under the thumb of the 'Incarnation of Evil' was not a very good thing.
'... Oh?' Victor raised his eyebrow at Helena's lifeless gaze.
Victor took a step forward towards Helena.
And that movement took everyone by surprise for a few seconds, but soon everyone was silent and watched.
"What's your name, Succubus?"
Before Vine could open her mouth to speak, Helena spoke in the same lifeless tone as before:
"Gremory... Helena Gremory, the only living Heir to the Pillar Demon, Gremory."
"Helena… You have the eyes of someone I knew in the past."
"Excuse me...?"
"The eyes of someone who has completely lost the will to live… I met a little girl like that in the past, a little girl I now treat like my own daughter." Victor spoke, thinking of Eve and how happy she was today compared to when he first saw her.
"...." Helena didn't know how to react.
She didn't expect melancholic looks and gentle eyes from someone in Victor's position. The people of power she knew were always the perfect definition of arrogance, pride, and 'power'.
Despite having power, and pride, Victor lacked visible arrogance... Something she found very pleasing. At least he wouldn't issue unreasonable commands.
"Tell me, Helena… What do you know how to do?"
"As a Gremory...-"
"I said... What 'YOU' know how to do, Helena. I care little for the name Gremory."
"..." Helena's eyes widened in surprise. Everyone she'd interacted with had never asked her that question; they didn't look at her as 'Helena' but simply as the spawn of 'Gremory'. Even the people of her territory and Vine regarded her as a 'Gremory' and not 'Helena.'
Slowly her eyes began to close, leaving only a tiny, almost imperceptible smile.
'I see... Now, I understand why he was able to unite so many Demons.'
Her eyes opened, and her lifeless eyes had gained an imperceptible shine that made them not look as dead as before. It was a slight glow, but it was definitely there.
"I know how to do many things, from administering a territory to enacting war." She was an Heiress, after all.
"But if I may say so, I excel at formulating strategies that will always guarantee victory." That was her personal pride.
Being the Heir to a weak army like the Gremory had its advantages. Thanks to that, Helena had to improvise, so she had to learn a more 'Human' and 'cruel' way of war, a method that left even the Demons in shock at times.
After all, as the saying goes: At times, Humans were much crueler than Demons.
"Oh? In that case, let's put your talent to the test."
"... Huh?"
"I will give you command of 50,000 Lesser Demons and an Elite that is Vine."
"I want you to conquer the Rank 39th's territory without any casualties."
"..." He's kidding, right? That was the expression on Helena's face, but Victor's neutral, amused expression was anything but a joking look.
It was worth noting that from the 39th Rank and onwards, their Demon armies could number in the millions, and from the Top 20 onwards, they could number in the hundreds of millions.
Only an excellent strategy could be able to conquer an entire city, and without casualties at that.
'... This will be a challenging test.'
"Are you capable of that?"
Helena kept looking into Victor's violet eyes, and only now did she realize how handsome the man in front of her was, but that matter was irrelevant now; she had a job to do.
"I am." She replied with a determined face, "Give me two weeks, and I will bring you victory."
"Very well." Victor turned around with his long black hair fluttering in the wind, and a Throne of Ice was created before him. Then, as he sat down and rested his head on his fist, he announced:
"You have two weeks, Helena."
"...." Helena nodded. She was a little nervous, but her determination to prove herself was much stronger.
"Vepar, in these two weeks, I want you to organize the army and get everyone's opinion. I want to know who wants to be a soldier and who wants to be part of the logistics of the future territory I will build." Then, he closed his eyes as if saying he had no more things to order.
He completely ignored Vine, Helena, and Vepar's surprised faces when he spoke of a future 'territory'.
"... If I may ask, My Lord... You're planning to build a territory...? Where will that territory be?"
With the same posture, he casually replied:
"Of course, it will be in the deepest reach of Hell."
All the Demons opened their eyes wide.
"M-My Lord, the deepest reach of Hell belongs to the Incarnation of Evil, the current Demon King, Diablo…." Vepar stammered.
Victor opened his eyes and asked, "Is that a problem?"
Vepar was speechless but quickly replied:
"... O-Of course not."
"Good. Now, back to work."
"Yes!"
.....
