VOLUME 15: PROLOGUE

Apologies for the delay

--------------------------------------

VOLUME 15: PROLOGUE

[Demon Realm – The Red Tower]

After the Demon Lord Barkuvara revealed himself and slaughtered the tormentors in the capital, the Red Tower immediately ceased all outside activities and prepared for war.

Decisively, the Lord of the Red Tower activated the mana well, which they’d been concealing for hundreds of years, and triggered the emergency defensive formations in their territory.

Using the mana well as their power source, nearly a hundred mana shields – each capable of blocking grand scale magic – appeared and enclosed the Red Tower and its adjacent territories.

Moreover, several flesh towers erupted from the ground, reaching three hundred meters in height, their walls filled with numerous eyeballs clumped together, twitching, bulging, and rotating from time to time. Each of these eyeballs were capable of firing disintegration spells. Although the flesh towers were designed to deal with a massive army, they were also effective when dealing with a single target.  

At the same time, the chimeras the Red Tower had been nurturing over the years were released, along with nearly a million tormentors fully armed to the teeth.

The Red Tower didn’t spare any effort in preparing for the retaliation of the Demon Lord Barkuvara. Although the Immortal Demon was injured, they believed he was still capable of annihilating everyone in the Red Tower if he put his mind to it. But to their utter surprise, the thing they feared the most never came.

On the contrary, a piece of unexpected news reached their ears.

“…Master,” said Muuka.

Upon returning to the Red Tower, the old tormentor was the one who insisted they activate all of these defensive measures in order to protect themselves from the Immortal Demon.

Naturally, he was the one surprised the most upon hearing the news.

Muuka had just received a report from their sentry in the Great Cavern.

“It seems the Demon Lord Barkuvara has left the Demon Realm.”

Hearing this, Elrenar frowned. The Lord of the Red Tower couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

The Demon Lord Barkuvara had left this realm?

Without even visiting the Red Tower?

“Is this true? The portal?” said Elrenar.

“The report should be accurate. As for the portal, the Demon Lord Barkuvara closed it the moment he crossed to the other side, Master.”

Manipulating the portal in accordance to one’s will was something only someone of the Demon Lord’s caliber was capable of doing. Even if the entire Red Tower worked together, they weren’t capable of immediately closing a portal they’d just opened. This single feat bespoke of how much superior the Demon Lord was to them when it came to manipulating mana.

“He left…?” muttered Elrenar.

The Demon Lord Barkuvara wasn’t stupid. After seeing the tormentors gathering the flesh of the Fire Elemental Lord Candela, he must have already realized the Red Tower’s betrayal.

But why didn’t the Demon Lord retaliate even after learning everything?

Why did he leave for the Human Realm?

And why did he close the portal immediately afterward?

There were so many questions that they couldn’t find the answer to right now.

As always, the Immortal Demon was whimsical and unpredictable.

Still, in the end, the Lord of the Red Tower and Muuka were simply glad that they wouldn’t have to face the wrath of the Demon Lord Barkuvara.

Although the Red Tower was confident of repelling the Demon Lord Barkuvara if he invaded their territory if they used all of their trump cards, it would still be ideal if they could preserve their forces. This way, their plan of uniting and dominating the Demon Realm wouldn’t have to be pushed back by decades or even centuries.

“Hehehehe,” laughed Elrenar, the Lord of the Red Tower. “Hahaha! We’ve been too greedy and made such a mistake, but it seems we’re destined for glory, Muuka!”

Even without Elrenar telling him what to do, Muuka already knew how to take advantage of the situation.

The old tormentor revealed a smile. “I shall immediately sever the remaining connection of the portal to the mana well in the Great Cavern, Master.”

The Great Cavern had been half destroyed by Lark’s explosion spell before, but the connection between the portal and the mana well below it remained relatively intact.

Elrenar nodded happily. “Good. This way, even if Barkuvara decides to change his mind, he’ll find it impossible to return to the Demon Realm.”

After studying the portal for quite a long time, the Red Tower had gained insights on ways to manipulate it according to their desires. Even if they temporarily closed it now to prevent the Demon Lord Barkuvara from returning and exacting revenge, they should be capable of reopening it at will. Moreover, given enough time, the Red Tower believed they would be able to open not just one, but dozens of portals connected simultaneously to the Human Realm.

The Lord of the Red Tower and Muuka could already envision the future!

They could already foresee the day when portals would open in every nation in the Human Realm, with countless demons pouring out of them!

“Good! Good!” laughed Elrenar. “With Barkuvara gone and Candela gravely injured, the Demon Realm is as good as ours!”

Most of the major demon tribes had lost their leader.

Although Elrenar was a different species, this was the Demon Realm where strength mattered more than lineage. He believed it should be possible to suppress all of the demon tribes and make them submit under his command.

There were also the minor tribes, too.

Although smaller, the minor tribes were practically untouched by the war between the demons and the humans. If the Red Tower managed to also conquer them, they would truly become this realm’s hegemon.

The frost giants.

The fire giants.

The sky demons.

The sea demons.

The parasitic demons.

The lesser demons.

The demonic ogres.

The wraiths.

The flesh eaters.

And the numerous other minor demon tribes scattered throughout the realm.

There were also the tormentors from the Red Tower and the chimeras they’d painstakingly created.

It was a fearsome force, capable of overturning everything.

“Hahaha! I should really give my thanks to Barkuvara! That stupid fool! Instead of retaliating, he’d left for the Human Realm instead!”

Elrenar was truly in a good mood. He felt relief and excitement. It felt as though the Demon Lord had granted him the greatest gift he could ask for – the time to gather his strength and forces.

They had enacted this plan prepared for the risks, but to think there would hardly be any repercussions even after they betrayed him!

Thousands of tormentors had been slaughtered by the Demon Lord Barkuvara in the capital, that’s true, but they could easily replenish the lost army by conquering the other demon tribes.

“Barkuvara! Demon Realm! Human Realm!” shouted Elrenar, his numerous pairs of eyes glimmering with madness. Behind him, the massive glass tank containing the flesh of the Fire Elemental Lord Candela formed numerous bubbles. “Wait for me! Once I’ve assimilated with the Arzomos using the flesh of Candela, I shall conquer everything!”

Once Elrenar successfully fused with the head of the Arzomos and the flesh of Candela, he believed he would be able to kill even the Demon Lord Barkuvara.

The Demon Lord Barkuvara was powerful, but unlike the Lord of the Red Tower, he never aspired to truly unite the demons under one banner.

It was this ambition that separated the two from each other.

“Just a bit more,” muttered Elrenar. “Just a bit more!”

It was only a matter of time before the Red Tower ruled not only the Demon Realm, but also the Human Realm.

In just a few years, this grand plan would come to fruition. Elrenar was certain of it.