Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

Despite his excitement at the prospect of building Surtr's heretic guild, dark clouds loomed in his mind's bright sky.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, a deep sigh echoing in the warehouse.

"I'll need some time to gather the required materials. And that's without counting the ones needed to upgrade my demon lord's house to level twenty." He tucked his fingers around his chin, a pensive frown creasing his brows. "The fire gems will be a nightmare to collect, not to mention the ten tier-five cores. Where can I even find so many in this realm?"

His fingers drummed a rhythmic RPG beat on his cheek as he inferred the realm's general level.

'I never heard of another kingdom besides Oikos. Foliaris is one of its border cities, close to the elf forest in the south. Yet, the adventurer's shop owner told me that the mayor of such a critical place is only on the fourth tier.'

He cracked his neck, continuing on this line of thought.

'Even by exaggerating, I don't believe they have anyone who can match the griffon. It would make no sense to let it roam free when they can kill or tame it, meaning their king should be on the balor's level at most. As for tier five individuals?'

He clicked his tongue.

'Probably members of his personal guard, generals, or influential officials.'

A vein throbbed on his forehead as he paced back and forth, his plan to gather them by gnawing on Oikos' territory crumbling before even starting. Massaging his forehead, he gazed east through the window.

'The kingdom doesn't reach that far, leaving only wilderness, lords, and magical creatures. Maybe I'll find what I need there.' He exhaled through his nose. 'So many things to do, yet so little time. But the guild's value is too high for me to delay its construction.'

He slammed the window's border, his lips curling into a determined smile.

"I'll divide my forces further by adding a team composed of... me. That way, we can do everything simultaneously."

With this plan in mind, he picked up his brand-new sofa and sought the shadow stalker.

Five minutes later, he found him gathering essence before the demonic altar. He summarised his ideas and asked him to scout the crypt of the fallen in the east first, then the lords who established their territories around his forest.

To help him in his critical task, he showed him the locations on his abyssal map before the latter nodded, a confident spark flashing in his eyes.

Satisfied, he hummed on his way to the chaos forge.

Once inside, a complex conversation about forging techniques, temperature manipulation, and two eager voices filled his ears.

Syllas and the lady who's good with her hands nodded at the Muramasa's explanations. From his position, he chuckled at the ambitious smiles stretching their lips and the determination sparkling in their eyes.

Unwilling to bother them when they were so diligent, he gave Muramasa the demon worshiper blueprints and asked him to craft as many sets as possible.

Then, he went to the demon den.

After a short walk, he pushed the runic and demonic engraved doors open and stepped inside.

The soul-chilling cold from Jotunheim assaulted him. His teeth chattered, and his arms uncontrollably covered his bare chest in a semblance of protection. The scent of sulfur followed, accompanying the green flames dancing with the icy cold ones in harmony in the pool.

With urgency and an irrepressible desire to leave this place before he became a demonic popsicle, he pitched the 780 cores he had acquired from the cultists and rushed outside.

Like last time, a sea of new demons condensed from the pool, yet he slapped his leg in amusement and laughed at the slight difference in their behaviors
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Just like him, they rushed out, grumbling under their breath about the unfriendly environment.

After counting them, he nodded at the 40 djinns. With them, his ranged battalion almost doubled in size and raised his army's threat level.

But his brows raised, and his fists clenched after he noticed three shadow stalkers standing mysteriously at the rear.

"I finally summoned more scouts!"

Without wasting time, he sent them to the first one... Who still didn't have a name.

He rolled his eyes, unwilling to break his head over it, and named him Shadow.

"Join Shadow and divide the exploration of the surroundings among yourselves, but obey him. He's the scouting team leader and has authority over you."

He asked the rest to find Ifrit or the five teenagers, even if he frowned when he mentioned them. Still, they had a special place in his heart, and he wanted them to grow into capable leaders.

A bright smile stretched his lips as he watched their march and the citizens peering out of their windows.

Brows raised and intrigued by the noisy footsteps, they observed their new protectors before offering them warm welcomes.

Meanwhile, Adam's chest warmed, and all the burdens and worry pressing on him evaporated for a moment.

'I hope we can continue to support and uplift each other.'

His tensed shoulders relaxed as he finally went to his house.

However, his newfound peace didn't last. The moment he stepped inside, Tiamat's voice reverberated from the second floor.

"You're truly the best contractor, my dear Adam. Thank you for bringing me my new sofa."

His brows twitched, and breath caught in his throat at her unreasonable demand.

'You already took the bed I got from the bandits, sister! Let me have this sofa at least!'

Her voice echoed with fake disappointment, her mind-reading abilities still working at full power.

"Tsk. What a bad kid. That's not how I raised you. Think again and think... carefully."

He rolled his eyes, tears pooling in them and blurring his vision. Still, he rushed up and used the opportunity to thank her without feeling his cheeks burn.

"I-I brought it for you... Thank you for helping me get Karna and Achilles. Even though it's not much, I hope it will make your room more comfortable."

However, she didn't offer him the reaction he expected.

She pinched her nose with one hand and pointed at him with the other while she exaggerated a gag reflex.

"Ahh! What happened to your cheek? Leave before my eyes rot looking at you. And don't show yourself to me until you heal!"

With a disgruntled grumble about the comment on his appearance, he left and went to his room to get a well-deserved rest after this eventful day... without his sofa.

Meanwhile, Tiamat pulled the blankets over her face to hide a motherly smile she hadn't displayed for millions of years.

"You don't have to thank me, young one. We're in this together, and I know you won't betray me."