Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

He read in despair as the other lords made prognostics about who had the highest chance of emerging as the number one in the event. A few even set outrageous bets to spice things up.

Yet, he clicked his tongue and swiped the chat box away with a dismissive shrug.

Read latest stories on empire

'I don't care about your expectations. I'm not jumping into a death trap when I know where it is.'

As he snickered at them, the noise of Morwen's rushed footsteps grew closer, prompting him to gaze in her direction.

Freshwater spilled from the jug she carried while the delicious scent of salted fish rose from the steaming wooden plate she balanced in her right hand.

Attracted by the smell, he smiled, grateful for her care before devouring the meal and speaking reassuringly until they felt comfortable enough to leave.

His stomach warmed by Morwen's delicious cooking and his mood now stable, he sighed and returned to his unfinished task.

His hand blurred on each remaining carcass to trigger the extraction process. It was long and dull, but after half an hour, he dusted his hand, his eyes sweeping the darkening blood sticking onto the slabs.

Worried about the decaying smell and the impact it could have on his citizens' health, he manipulated his demonic essence with delicate precision and vaporised any remaining traces. Satisfied with the cleaned site and mindful of his citizens' safety, he gave a final nod before stepping toward the portal.

Back at the camp, a freshly lit campfire crackled in his ears, casting his soldiers' shadows on the tents. The sizzles of cooking fat and the scent of meat permeated the air as his elite teams discussed tomorrow's battles spiritedly.

However, he ignored them and pulled his generals aside, unsure if he should break the news.

Intrigued, they followed him to the broadest tent and waited for his explanation.

"I'm not... feeling too well." He bit his lip, hesitation making it quiver before he shook his head. "I should feel better tomorrow. Good night, guys."

Under their curious gazes, he entered the tent and slid under the blankets. Finding comfort in their warm fabric, his body relaxed as his brows creased into a pensive frown.

"I'll only add an unneeded burden over their shoulders. They can't help me," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "Maybe Merlin or the elves can."

A flicker of hope ignited in his eyes, but he shook his head.

He'd get answers in two days at most, so brooding over the issue wouldn't help. Therefore, he closed his eyes and let sleep wash his worries away as his soft snores began to echo in the tent.

Meanwhile, oblivious to his concerns, the demons high-fived each other, the flickering flames dancing on their eager smiles and their laughter enlivening the night.

But some distance away, the moonlight reflected on Merlin's white hair and illuminated his twisted lips.

He gazed at Wukong, a solemn frown creasing his brows.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"It's spreading fast, monkey friend, faster than I had anticipated."

Wukong tightened his fists and bit his lip.

"We're wasting too much time running around and resting." He stood up, his flamboyant cape fluttering with the sudden movement. "You stay with him. I'll infiltrate and clear the Oikos territory beasts." His eyes narrowed into determined slits, his voice a threatening whisper. "I warn you, supreme sorcerer: you're dead meat if you dare lie to the monkey king."

Merlin observed him blur into the distance without waiting for his answer, shaking his head.

"I wish it was a lie..."

The wind carried his words and swirled under the bright stars as he scrutinised Adam's tent.

Night slowly gave way, letting the sunrise, its soft rays caressing the dirt road and bringing life to the surrounding vegetation.

It filtered inside Adam's tent as he used his daily talent but shrugged after he got a stack of throwing daggers.

Instead, he left the tent, his eyes darting to Merlin, who shook his head with a bitter smile, clearly telling him he knew but couldn't help.

His eyes narrowed to his last option as if he could drill through space and see the elven forest before he thundered.

"Everyone wakes up! We move in five minutes!"

The demons scrambled to their feet, sleep still etched into their tired eyes. But with the generals monitoring them, they rushed out and swallowed yesterday's leftover meat as they formed the ranks.

As the generals undid the tents at breakneck speed, Adam's determined march echoed, his steps taking him to their next goal.

Like an unstoppable tide, they razed camps and villages to the ground, throwing the spoils into Merlin's portal without looking at them.

Each passing hour increased their experience points but also the devastation they left behind them until the sun blazed in the middle of the sky.

Upon hearing the swap order, the demons sighed in relief and wiped the sweat glistening on their foreheads.

Yet, still scared by Adam's relentlessness, they threw themselves into Merlin's portal, watched the incoming teams with sympathy, and muttered, "Good luck."

However, luck would spare no one in the next day and a half, not when Adam's eyes blazed with determination.

Against their hopes of a fun expedition, they suffered without pause until they dropped onto the ground by nightfall. Sprawled and panting clouds of steam, they almost fainted when Adam's voice thundered with another command.

"We leave at sunrise." His eyes narrowed to the dense forest obscuring the horizon under a layer of lush vegetation. "We're close."

Uncaring for their desperate wails, he lept into Merlin's portal again and dismantled the carcasses while pondering his gains.

Although the camps raided today were of a higher level, unlike yesterday, their population was lacking.

In total, he only got 900.000 experience points—two levels. But he shrugged. It didn't matter since he hadn't reached the fifth tier yet.

But that added a new layer of worry. Of all the camps raided, only one's population reached the fourth tier, including its boss.

His jaws clenched, and his nose wrinkled.

"I need a tier-five boss." He hissed through his teeth, feeling stuck.

But where could he find one in a realm where the fourth was already the governing kingdom's elites?

"They must have one in the forest, or..." His eyes swirled, turning into two chaotic pools, melding madness and necessity. "I'll burn the elves if they can't cure me!"