Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

As Adam shared his plan with his subjects and descended from the tree to set up his ambush, infernal flames propagated like wildfire deep inside the tunnel.

In their dance, banishing the usual darkness, they illuminated a cloaked kobold's face, revealing its reptilian head and sparkling eyes. Stay updated through m-v l|e'm,p y r

"Bath in the flames, Guldock. You'll gain power beyond your wildest dream. Enough to defend your ancestor's honor and obliterate the fool who dared to desecrate their blood."

An unsettling yet charming voice reverberated, its enticing tone and mastery of emotions striking at the kobold's hidden desires.

Mesmerised by its allure and the promise of power, his fingers itched towards a sizzling tongue, and his heart pounded in his chest.

However, his son gripped his arm, stopping it in its tracks, and squinted at the brazier.

"Tell us, demon King Baal. What do we have to pay to acquire these powers?"

The mountain walls rumbled as Baal's voice reverberated with the intensity of an unbridled storm.

"Everything!"

The son covered his ears, an agonising grimace twisting his lips as terror rocked his shoulder and gnawed at his heart. This deal was no better than selling themselves as slaves. He knew it but failed to talk his father out of this folly. Even now, he could only tremble and watch as his father engulfed his arms in the flames before they swallowed him whole.

"Father!"

Despite his ringing ears, he mustered the strength to roar his anguish and grief... because no matter what the person he admired most, the mine's chief, and the one who taught him everything became, he would never be the same.

He could already hear its mad laughter and feel the air grow sticky with demonic emanations. And everything started a few days ago because of one accursed individual who dared to harbor draconic traits.

"It's because of this demon."

He gritted his teeth, and his clenched fists shook as he remembered Baal's first contact and words.

"Since a demon can get draconic traits, the opposite is possible for the proud descendants of dragons!"

What a joke! Baal had just used their admiration for their ancestors to force them to do his bidding. But power blinded his father, who changed by the second before his constricting pupils.

Its dark-brown skin took a fiery orange sheen as pulsing veins shone a tint of purgatory green. The flames surrounded it like a nourishing halo, yet not the nourishment anyone would ever want to receive.

"HahaKakaHehe."

With each second crawling by, the creature's laugh echoed with more madness as its muscles bulged and its size doubled to reach two meters. Demonic wings sprouted from its back, unfurling and sending a scalding blast filled with the scent of sulfur crash on his face.

He gripped his tight chest, his heart drumming a song of horror as the creature's reptilian face changed next. The snout became refined and smaller, almost resembling a nose. Its jaws cracked, the bones rearranging into something more powerful but horrible. He could see them shine: the triangular teeth capable of shredding bones like bread.

"It's over..."

He dropped to his knees, his body void of all strength or determination as he saw the creature that once was his father's fury-filled eyes and the demonic flames swirling in them.

"RAAAAAAH!"

Accompanying its power-imbued scream, the flames rose to the ceiling, charring it and blasting him backwards.

Like a broken puppet, he collided with the wall. His spinal cord cracked, almost shattering upon impact, yet the pain woke him up from his despair.

Voice cracking in grief, he muttered.

"Rest in peace, father. I'll uphold your duty and protect our people."

The wind whipped against his loose shirt as he rushed through the tunnels' intricate network, unaware that mere mortals couldn't fathom Baal's insidiousness.

Simultaneously, Adam's eyes narrowed before the mountain's entrance, a prickling sensation tickling the back of his neck and an ominous feeling gripping his heart.

"You felt it, too?"

Luna's voice resounded, a worried echo carried by the evening's wind.

"I don't know. Something feels horribly off. Do you know more?"

He massaged his tensed neck, turning and noticing that everyone suffered from the same uneasiness.

"You're not familiar enough with it yet. But we can all feel it. Someone is pouring an unholy amount of demonic essence into the mine... into the kobolds. We should retreat until we investigate what's happening."

A tremor jolted her shoulders as the others nodded, their hair bristling and icy sweat dripping from their foreheads.

Before he could ponder, Wukong grabbed his shoulder and shook his head.

He noticed the monkey king's stone-hard face and clenched jaws as his lips parted.

"I've hunted more demons than I can remember, and trust me, leaving now is the worst idea. Before we return, they'll submerge the forest in a sea of fire and blood. Through their insatiable hunger for violence, they'll grow stronger and swarm the territory. Do you want to let them do as they please?"

He massaged his forehead in frustration.

Even if he agreed with Wukong's analysis, where did this energy come from, and what effect did it have on the creatures he planned to raid?

'Will they become like the lord of the nine realms? Are the demon kings targeting me again so soon? Will they turn everything surrounding me into lethal enemies?'

The questions rumbled in his mind as his eyes narrowed into fiery slits, and his fangs cracked.

'Keep provoking me, mad dogs. You'll only paint your names on your own graves prematurely.'

His fists shook as a torrent of boiling anger coursed through his veins.

His last considerations to avoid them melted under its passage, and a new goal branded itself into his drumming heart.

"Since you're hellbent on making my life difficult, I swear on my name, I'll obliterate you all, demon kings."

He hissed through gritted teeth as his subjects' eyes enlarged and their hearts hastened in their chests, Luna's first.

Go to war against the nine immemorial demon kings? The most violent and power-crazed deities? The same ones who have billions of stat points and mastered the art of killing, deception, and cruelty to unmatched levels?

Despite the surreal goal, the corner of her lips curled into a subtle smile as the other subjects gawked at their lord's ambitions.

As demons who had lived at the bottom of society and began to reach for the sky, they all shared the same thoughts.

"Let's burn these bastards!"

Ifrit's fiery roar echoed first, followed by Garduck's.

"If we kill them, we'll shatter our violent traditions. I'm down!"

The others remained silent, yet he saw Bart's knuckles whiten and Wukong's approving nod.

"I won't recognise a brother with small ambitions! Let's rid the world of those bastards who have created trouble for the good people since the dawn of humanity!"

Their hearts pounding with the same goal, their eyes burned towards the mine, and their muscles tensed in anticipation.

However, he scratched his head, confused by their motivation.

'I didn't even want to say that aloud... How is it so effective?!'

A wry smile stretching his relaxing features, he gripped his short sword and pointed into the darkness.

"Kill on sight!"