Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

Eyes sparkling with determination, Maven inhaled sharply as he confronted the truth he had tried to bury under self-pity and misplaced hate.

"You're right. Baal is to blame for abusing my father's weak will and desire to resemble our ancestors." He shook his head, biting his lips in apology. "Forgive my momentary confusion and emotional response and... thank you. Now I know who to direct my rage against, and if you permit it, I want to join your fighter's ranks."

Adam saw Maven's posture shift. From a hunched kobold who seemed to carry the world's misfortune on his shoulders, he became a dashing dragonling, ready to fight for what he held dear.

He offered Maven a satisfied nod as his lips curled into a warm smile.

"I'll gladly accept you. Your progress might be slow for now, but we'll soon build an obelisk that will raise the territory's mana concentration. I just need to gather elemental gems... hundreds of them."

A deep sigh accompanying the sound of their footsteps escaped his lips.

Truthfully, he didn't know how to get his hands on so many in a short time frame. Worse, camps were limited and only yielded a dozen of two types of gems, meaning he would have to raid sixteen more while praying to get the right elements.

'What a headache. I can't also forget about buying them since most of the stupid lords died during the event. The only reasonable option is to send someone to a city and trade for them, but we have no money yet.'

He massaged his brows, crossing any thought of starting the obelisk's construction this week.
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Meanwhile, Maven scratched his chin pensively for a second.

"Mhh. My father hid a stash of earth gems. I don't know the exact number, but he can't have less than a hundred. We can try to raid large camps for the other gems since they use a few in specific facilities. Of course, we must defeat him and leave this place alive first."

His eyes lit up as Maven's words registered.

'I hope there are more than a hundred. I can trade the surplus in a city and hasten the project!'

However, noises of scratching and mad laughter shattered his delight at the potential solution.

Maven stepped forward, offering him short words of explanation. Yet, he noticed the kobold's fists tremble in suppressed rage despite his respectful tone.

"We're still far from the bulk of the population. The ones ahead are most likely the vanguard my father set up or a group of scouts sent to collect information about your territory."

Adam's eyes narrowed into slits, and his fingers tensed around his sword's hilt as he entered battle mode.

"We count them from the shadows before engaging in battle. Depending on their numbers, we'll adapt our strategy."

After his instructions, he moved with the grace of a tiger and as silently as a ghost towards their enemies.

Hidden against the wall, he leaned just enough to glimpse at the demonised kobolds causing such a commotion.

Like for his first confrontation, the winding tunnel broadened into a small circular contraption. Bright torches flickered and crackled, providing enough lightning for him to observe the creatures.

He saw two hundred of them, mouths wide open. Their bodies shook with each of their crazed laughs, and green, demonic smoke escaped from their throats, ears, and eyes, forcing a seed of doubt to sprout in his heart.

Before he could delve into it, Luna caught his pensive expression. He felt her hot breath tickle his ears and smelled her sweet scent the next second.

"Demons never give anything to anyone. The demonic essence will flare and multiply, consuming their bodies with each passing day. In less than two weeks, they'll turn into charred corpses, and Baal's 'gift' will return to its owner with added interest."

An icy shiver ran down his spine as he understood the insidious farming method. Wasn't the system similar to that of banks and their loans to create benefits out of thin air?

'It's even worse. They use individuals like farm chickens to squeeze them dry.'

He clicked his tongue, his nose scrunching in disgust at the idea of sacrificing thousands, millions, and billions of lives to increase his strength like the demon kings. But the time wasn't for moral considerations. Therefore, he only vowed not to become like them as he turned to Luna and the others.

"We can't waste time and energy on this group. Bombard them from the tunnel using as little essence as possible. The rest forms a wall with me. Don't let any of them reach our casters."

He pointed his short sword towards the circular area and took determined steps to lead the march.

Maven's eyes sparkled as he observed this demon lord's broad back and fluttering dark hair, genuinely impressed by his willingness to fight in the front lines. Yet, the surprises only began.

Icy sweat dripped down his back as he observed the carnage unfolding before his enlarged eyes. But the chaotic battle he had expected didn't unfold. On the contrary, his breath caught in his throat as he witnessed the demons' coordination.

BOOM

Like living artilleries, Luna and Ifrit rained green and orange fires on the kobolds. The agonising howls of those he had once considered his brothers and sisters haunted the mines. He witnessed their skins ignite like torches, taking a darker color with each second crawling by.

The smell reached him next, a disgusting mix of sulfur and burnt meat that forced his fingers to grip his collar and use its fabric to cover his nose.

Then, he saw the melee fighters' weapons and nails blur to strike each kobold who didn't writhe in pain on the ground.

Even if the demons' movements weren't flashy, he noticed the subtle shifts in their positioning and how their eyes darted to the companion standing beside them as if ready to reinforce them instead of revelling in the satisfaction of carnage.

Yet, the most unsettling thing about this bizarre group was the lord himself. Unlike most rulers, who usually overlooked battles from the rear lines, he was the most active!