Story: I'm a Daemon, so what?
Disclaimer: I do not own the original setting.
Chapter 167: A Present!
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- Lalatina -
She watched with a grin as the gate she had been watching finished forming, and then three people came out of it.
All three of them were decently powerful, though one of them seemed a bit more unusual than the rest. EP wise, the two clear Monarchs were around the range of 2,000,000 - 3,000,000. She wasn't like her Master who could give a precise EP count on sight alone, but that range alone was impressive.
Easily stronger than any of her subordinates, and they both seemed to have divinity as well, meaning they had the potential to be even stronger if they could make use of their divinity properly.
Hell, that was stronger than the majority of the Cardinal World. It was only that she tended to associate with the extraordinary.
The two Monarchs were as she had expected. They were strong, clearly not human, and seemed to look down on the world around them, something that was common among non-humans throughout worlds.
Their auras were pressing down on the surroundings, only contained by the barrier. Gunhee and the other guy who challenged her Master were able to remain standing. Just barely, though.
However, it was the third person that came through the gate that Lalatina was a bit confused about, since she hadn't expected such an individual.
He was greatly weaker than the rest, though he was still moderately strong. His EP range was from 700,000 - 1,200,000; still stronger than almost all in this world, but he wasn't someone she expected to see.
At least her Master's intel had nothing to say about such a person, and her Master's intel was thorough. Lalatina knew just what being that intel likely came from as well, so she never doubted it.
But after a moment, she realized what she was seeing. The third person was a Phantom. She hadn't encountered their kind directly before, but she knew about them, and their involvement in this world was known to her. She just didn't expect for one to be this strong, as most were known to be rats that hid and fled.
After focusing her gaze a bit, she could see its ghostly form within the body he was possessing.
They didn't possess beings the same as Daemons, but it was easy to tell once she spread out her senses.
Most of their kind were supposed to be weak, other than the Primordial Angels amongst them, simply due to just how disadvantaged their kind was. They had a harder time developing egos. And without an ego, one would always remain weak unless some special situation occurred. This one must have gone through quite a lot to end up as strong as he had.
Oh well. He still wouldn't be a threat to preparing her perfect gift for her Master.
As she thought her plans over, she smiled. Indeed, this would be a rather wonderful gift.
She had done her research and asked her Master for some more background information, so she was somewhat aware of what was going on. Though that didn't change what she was going to do.
She didn't really care about the eons long battle between the two opposing factions of this world. She just wanted to take what she desired, and so she would.
The Monarch that Lalatina was interested in, the Monarch of Plagues, Querehsha, took a step forwards as she licked her lips, eying the two targets in front of her. Go Gunhee and Liu Zhigang were the Ruler vessels the Monarchs and Phantom were after.
With just the two of them together, they had no chance. Even with Gunhee slowly spiritualizing and his own Ruler growing vastly stronger, but they would likely be capable of at least stalling.
However, like the gracious Daemon she was, she was going to pop in and take one of the Monarchs for herself, giving the other two an actual fighting chance.
She told her Master that she was interested in the poison arts that Querehsha should be capable of, and that was true. She was slightly interested in Querehsha due to their shared attributes, but that wasn't the whole story. It wasn't that she couldn't tell her Master her true motive, but that it would ruin the surprise she was preparing for him.
Now that she had a good look at Querehsha, she was only more certain of the plan that she had in mind.
Querehsha was attractive, even by Lalatina's very strict standards which concerned a woman's appearance, power, and disposition. Even if she was clearly a monstrous being in appearance, Querehsha was good. Not to mention, Master didn't discriminate. After all, he was capable of loving a vile Daemon such as herself as well as the other two.
Now, since Querehsha was extremely attractive, she fit even better for Lalatina's purposes. After all, she was meant to be a gift to her Master. There was no reason why she was preparing a gift for her Master, other than the fact that Lalatina simply felt that he deserved it for being such an excellent master and lover.
Querehsha could serve as his onahole while Lalatina was busy with the tasks that he had given her. As much as Lalatina wish she could take on that role for herself, her Master had placed her in charge of other important matters, and she would always prioritize his desires over her own.
Truly, the Japanese had invented many interesting sexual kinks. Onaholes were merely one of them.
A truly wise people. Though she didn't like the Netorare trope; pure love all the way!
Though the other two would also obey his whims at the drop of a hat should he desire them in any way. Arcueid would stop her diplomatic meetings and bend over, while Megumin would stop playing tsundere and lay down and spread her legs eagerly.
Such was the loyalty he had cultivated in all of them, but she wanted to give her Master more options.
A barrier had already been placed around the area, one deployed by the Monarchs, and another more subtle one deployed by her to keep her target here, without having to worry about her running away.
"Mmm, these two look quite delicious." Querehsha purred as she sashayed forwards.
Gunhee and Zhigang both prepared themselves. She had already learned the names of all the Monarchs and what they were known for, so she wasn't surprised when the last remaining Monarch, Tarnak, the Monarch of Iron Body, joined Querehsha.
She personally thought Monarch of Iron Body was a lame title. At least he was still pretty strong.
Tarnak just sighed. "Let's get this over with and leave before any mishaps happen. Things haven't been going to plan. It's best if we minimize the chances of anything going wrong."
Wow, he was actually somewhat intelligent, though it was too bad for him that it was already too late.
Querehsha pouted. "But I didn't get to see that Demon Lord Felix."
Ooh? Was she already interested in her glorious Master? Well, it was only to be expected, but Lalatina hadn't expected Querehsha to have the eyes to see Mt Tai. The Chinese also had some funny proverbs.
Tarnak just sighed. "Focus on the task at hand." He seemed to be pretty stressed, which amused her greatly.
"Hahaha, your enthusiasm is as wonderful as always, Querehsha, but Tarnak is right. Focus on the task at hand. Later it will be time to feast." The Phantom said.
Gunhee and Zhigang looked rather tense, so she decided to intervene now.
"Sorry to interrupt!" She said cheerfully as she appeared in front of both groups.
"You're!" Gunhee shouted, but she ignored him. He didn't interest her.
The two Monarchs and one Phantom were both looking at her warily.
"I did not sense her." Tarnak noted warily as he took a step back. She could sense him beginning to gather energy within him, as if preparing for an attack, though he was doing so stealthily, and therefore slowly.
A pretty smart move. She was beginning to like him just because he wasn't a total idiot, which went to show the sheer amount of idiots she had associated with over the years..
"Me either." Querehsha said.
The Phantom seemed to be the most wary of her, but she ignored them all except for Querehsha.
She appeared in front of Querehsha in the blink of an eye. Querehsha tried to jump back immediately, but Lalatina's hand was already gripping her shoulder.
Lalatina looked over Querehsha in its entirety now that she was close. "Hmm, good curves, yes you will make a good present." Lalatina nodded to herself. She could only provide the best for her Master after all; her reputation was on the line!
Tarnak and the Phantom both attempted to attack her, but both their attacks dissipated harmlessly against her Multi-Dimensional Barrier. Her barrier was far from as absolute as her Master's, but it still required some time and technique to get through. Either that, previous knowledge of her barrier, or a very high level of mastery over space.
Querehsha herself was looking at her with shock and a little fear. Lalatina turned to look at the other two. "I'll leave these two to you. You should be able to handle them together."
With that, she vanished, taking Querehsha with her to another more isolated area which she had already set up ahead of time. She also dispelled the barrier she placed around the gate from which Querehsha appeared.
Here, Querehsha had no chance of escaping, and she'd get all the time she needed to properly… prepare her.
Once they arrived, Lalatina leaped back, putting some space between the two of them. She could take Querehsha to her Master as she was now, and she was sure her Master could tame her with ease through his various abilities and charm, but that wouldn't be much of a present.
Lalatina wanted to present Querehsha to her Master already submissive and tamed, so no effort was needed on his part.
For that, Lalatina knew she would have to beat Querehsha to the ground and then some, as despite the fear Querehsha held for her, there was still that pride that came with her level of power.
Querehsha would not submit just like that. And not only that, but she would have to show off her Master's virtues as well, just so that she would cooperate since her Master wasn't the forceful type. That was fine, because eventually Querehsha would be broken by her Master anyway.
Now that they were isolated and alone, Querehsha put on that seductive smile Lalatina had first seen her with. "Ara, now this is rather unexpected. What was it that you said earlier? That I would make a good present?"
Lalatina noted just how quickly Querehsha seemed to recover from her surprise kidnapping, which was worthy of praise. She imagined it wasn't often, if ever, that a being of Querehsha's caliber was taken against her will and was unable to do a single thing to resist. And Querehsha did try to resist in the midst of Lalatina's teleportation.
She flared her energy out in an attempt to disrupt that transport. She used enough strength to crush a mountain-range to attempt to break free from Lalatina's grip. It was a shame for Querehsha that she was simply outmatched in this case. Though Lalatina was giving Querehsha points for just how competent she was turning out to be.
The greater the woman, the greater the present she would make for her Master, or something. It worked for Arcueid, at least. She's the one who gifted herself and Megumin to her Master basically, and she was one of her Master's most cherished lovers.
She was still working out the kinks of her plan, but it would probably all work out. Lalatina's power alone made Querehsha a non-factor. The only real thing she had to worry about was ensuring Querehsha's cooperation in a way that her Master had to do nothing but accept the gift.
"It is rather rude to keep me waiting." Querehsha said while Lalatina was lost in her thoughts.
"Ah! Sorry! As for your question, you heard right! You're going to make my Master very happy." Or at least she hoped she did.
The Monarch of Plagues tilted her head, amused despite her wariness. It seems she was choosing to luxuriate in the uniqueness of the situation rather than worry about just how outmatched she was now.
Either that, or Querehsha was coping that she could somehow defeat Lalatina, and that her earlier feat of breaking through Querehsha's guard in an instant without the latter being able to do anything was just luck.
"And who exactly is your Master? Going by that vessel's reaction, and his known association with Korea at this point in time, would it happen to be that Demon Lord Felix?"
"Correct~! Critical thinking skills, we need more of that!" Lalatina praised.
Querehsha's miasma spread, twisting the ground into a rotten swamp. "And you think you can take me alive?" She asked, her tone sultry but still cold. Her body trembled once, then her insectoid limbs burst through her gown, her monstrous form showing in its full glory.
"A monster girl! I've read things about those!" Lalatina chirped as Querehsha powered up or whatever it was she was doing.
The Japanese had porn for everything, even monster girls. Especially monster girls! Hmm, maybe she should make her own doujins? Of course, her Master would be the main character in all of them!
A dozen venomous tendrils shot toward Lalatina from every direction. She could sense that they were all infused with poisons that could act at the Ultimate-level, likely due to the divinity held within. Still, Lalatina only giggled, spinning once in the air. She made sure to be extra about it, so that at the end of this, Querehsha knew just how out of her league she was.
The tendrils that were rapidly closing in on her form, were all stopped inches from her form by an invisible pressure. By this point, Querehsha had released enough miasma to warp the surroundings, which Lalatina quickly analyzed and took note of for her own use.
What was it her Master said? Why do the work when someone else has already done it for you?
"That's cute"
Lalatina dashed forwards. Querehsha's eyes widened before Lalatina slapped Querehsha across the face. She flew through several layers of her own miasma, crashing into the corrupted ground and creating a crater of toxic ooze.
Lalatina floated down after her, smiling sweetly. "I'll be honest; I like you, Querehsha. You have personality and confidence, I'm sure Master will be pleased to have you tamed~!" Lalatina nodded self-assuredly.
Querehsha hissed, dragging herself out of the crater. Her skin was sizzling from her own toxins, yet she appeared to be enraged. She had no idea why Querehsha was so angry when Lalatina was presenting her with the opportunity of a lifetime.
"You think I will become a pet for some no-named individual?" Querehsha screeched out.
Lalatina frowned. "Hmm, it seems I need to educate you. And pet is far too high a status for you. No, you will be a toy." At least that's what she would be gifted as. What her Master decided to do from there was up to him.
Querehsha screamed, her energy exploding outwards. Every drop of poison in the air condensed into countless sharp needles and rained towards her, and Lalatina was a little impressed. The strength of the poison within would even bring Moss to a comatose state in an instant.
Of course, that still wouldn't be enough. The space between them was consumed by the toxic light of Querehsha's poison, and when it cleared, Lalatina was still floating there, her three pairs of black wings unfurled behind her, already having neutralized the poison before it could reach her.
"You're quite adorable when you're angry. I'm sure my Master will find you quite delectable." With that, Lalatina's three pairs of wings flapped, booming herself forward, and leaving a sonic shockwave in her wake.
She appeared in front of Querehsha who managed to react to her speed, though that was intentional on Lalatina's part.
And so Querehsha began fighting back in ernest. She was mostly just trying to see if Querehsha had any more unique poisons, while also tanking everything that she could throw in order to crush Querehsha's will and spirit.
Eventually, she got everything she could from Querehsha, and so she snapped her fingers, causing Querehsha to stop mid-motion. By now, Querehsha's gown was torn apart, her thighs were marred and showing. Same with her generous chest, midriff, and more. Even a hint of nipple was showing, though Querehsha's clothing was repairing itself, covering her explicit areas.
The monstrous limbs only made the sight more appealing in Lalatina's opinion.
Querehsha's eyes widened as she couldn't move, or even circulate her energy. Lalatina walked toward her leisurely. "It's a poison that affects the soul." She casually stated. "I inserted it into you when I slapped you around."
It was a poison that only Lalatina could manipulate and remove from Querehsha, that was inserted into her soul. With it, Lalatina could poison Querehsha's core directly with a thought, or she could halt the circulation of Querehsha's internal energy, leaving Querehsha powerless.
Querehsha tried to snarl, but her voice broke into a choked gasp as Lalatina lifted her chin gently.
Ah, it had truly been a long time since she had acted so domineeringly. It was certainly nostalgic, but she far preferred being her Master's mewling, adoring, love slave.
"Now, my lovely little plague… let's fix that attitude before I bring you home. I can't bring my Master a toy that doesn't work, can I?"
She planned to use what her Master used on her on their first meeting. Something that broke and remade her anew.
With the poison, Lalatina forced Querehsha to the ground. Hopefully this wouldn't take long, and Lalatina couldn't imagine someone like Querehsha resisting for long.
- Go Gunhee -
He panted with exhaustion as he fought off the urge to collapse. Liu Zhigang was in a similar state beside him, but both of them weren't worried at the moment as backup had arrived.
It had only been two minutes since Lalatina had left, but they were already in this state. The Monarch had only fired off two attacks at them, which went to show just how outmatched they were.
His body was getting old, and despite the sudden vitality he had received after his latest possession, that didn't magically deage him. It just made him somewhat more durable, which was still showing its use in this moment.
The Brightest Fragment of Brilliant Light, or rather Lucian, had said that his vessel was slowly growing and transforming, but it was at a snail's pace. So Gunhee opted to not worry about it, though he was certainly stronger than he was expecting himself to be in his old age.
To the point that he and Zhigang were momentarily able to hold off the Monarch before them and the extra that Gunhee had no idea about, though he had his guesses thanks to the intel that Lucian shared.
Things were becoming easier now that the Rulers actually trusted their vessels with tasks and intel, rather than puppeting them around while the vessels were unaware. Cooperation was always better than manipulation, though he couldn't afford to dislike the Rulers for what they had done.
The Monarch frowned. "Hmm, I would have thought one attack would have been enough. How… annoying."
Before the Monarch could attack, however, someone appeared between them. Gunhee watched with a smile as the shadows around his form flickered, turning into an armor of sorts.
"Jin-Woo." He sighed in relief.
Jin-Woo turned his head to look back at them. "Sorry for taking so long. My father was dispatched to other parts of the world to help with the monster attacks, as well as all my Shadows."
He released a sigh of relief at Jin-Woo's words. He expected the Monarchs to launch a full on assault, meaning an attack on the entire world, and they just didn't have the quantity to easily win that kind of fight. People would die, but Jin-Woo changed that.
The full-powered Shadow Monarch had millions of Shadows, hundreds of thousands of which were at the level of an S-Rank Hunter and beyond.
At this point, the Monarch looked panicked as he was faced with the current Shadow Monarch. Before he could speak anything, Jin-Woo vanished from his perception, then the Monarch was stabbed with a knife from the back.
And so, the fight between the two Monarchs began, though the enemy Monarch was clearly losing. Not just because of being weaker, but also due to Jin-Woo getting the first strike that already wounded the Monarch.
Zhigang and him decided to leave the Monarch to Jin-Woo. Both of them intrinsically knew that the fight was out of their league. Though, from what he'd heard about the original Shadow Monarch, fighting one Monarch that wasn't the Monarch of Destruction would be easy for him. Clearly, despite his hard work, Jin-Woo had yet to get the hang of his powers, or else the fight would be over already.
Their target was the extra who was staring at the two Monarchs who were fighting with a frown. "Well… this isn't going to plan." He then turned to look at them. "At least I can take care of you two though. You'd make good sacrifices."
With that, the fight between the three of them began.
- Scorpius -
Welp, that all went terribly.
In his defense, his plan was solid! He just didn't expect that no matter what he planned, it would all be crushed under the absolute strength of their enemies.
Antares was supposed to take out his target easy-peasy, and then help them wrap up if they were falling behind, but of course everything went to shit.
Querehsha got taken by some purple-haired woman who gave him the shivers on sight alone for some reason, then the two vessels they were supposed to take on were stronger than they expected.
Then the god damned Shadow Monarch who was supposed to be as strong as Antares was back apparently, and Scorpius knew full well that a normal Monarch was way out of his league, let alone one of the two strongest ones.
He'd gotten as far as he had with the Monarchs due to his sweet words, otherworldly knowledge, and Antares just not caring due to his arrogance.
But seriously, the only thing he could think of as he limped deeper into the Chaos World was how the hell was he supposed to plan for what happened? Really, Antares was the backup plan. His power was overwhelming enough that Scorpius had met none stronger than him except for Lord Cornu. But apparently he got held up enough that he wasn't able to come to their aid?
Once things turned for the worst, Scorpius used an artifact to break through the barrier and teleport away, breaking through even the Space Lock that was placed in the area. The artifact was a God Grade one made by Cornu himself, and even then it was barely able to work.
So now here he was, limping back to the portal that he had carefully maintained that connected to the Underworld. At this point, he failed in his objective. He wished to take the world completely and present it on a platter to Lord Cornu, but he simply was not good enough for that.
But the least he could do at this point was pave the way for Lord Cornu. After that, then at least he accomplished his purpose for the Phantom-race, and for the Admiral-class Phantoms, the leaders of the Phantom-race.
He continued to limp his way forward, the fight took him to the verge of death. It seems that despite all he had done to strengthen his ego and increase his power, none of it was enough to defeat those who were truly blessed. But such was the way of life.
He could only be thankful that not many monsters remained near the core of the Monarchs' base as they had been deployed as distractions. Though with the strength their opponents had, Scorpius didn't believe that they had a chance.
Soon enough, he came upon the portal that had grown in size due to the amount of souls and energy he had been feeding it over time. Now it was larger than the size of a mountain, and yet it still wouldn't be enough to bring Lord Cornu.
He approached the portal, and once he was standing right in front of it, he began to burn his lifeforce to temporarily strengthen his soul and energy. He ignored the soul-searing pain as he stepped into the portal, allowing it to feast itself on his energy and soul.
This time he couldn't suppress his cries of pain as he was consumed whole. His last thoughts were about how his beloved Lord Cornu would avenge him. He felt no hatred for his enemies, but he wanted them dead for bringing him to this state nonetheless.
- Cornu -
He took a deep breath as he inhaled the air of the world he found himself in. The thing he immediately noticed was how weak the world around him was, but still, he was not disappointed.
The portal behind him fizzled out, as it was strained too much by his use of it, but he could reignite it with some work once he finished his work here.
Scorpius may have been blowing hot air in regards to his promise of presenting a world to Cornu, but he never believed that in the first place.
Things in other worlds rarely tend to go to plan in his experience. Each and every world had their own uniqueness, and tended to throw any plans his underlings came up with awry. He learned that after the first couple plans he had in relations to other worlds went awry.
In fact, there was one world in which he met a man who went by the initials G.O.D. who was able to fend him off, the name was one Cornu thought was disgraceful, as there was only one true god, but the man did not seem to care.
He met G.O.D. when he was brought to yet another world that seemed to have magical resources aplenty, resources he wanted to take for himself and Phantom-kind, but of course was foiled by a random variable.
Back then, he was in a Split Body, but it was a strong Split Body. So yes, Cornu knew that there could be strong individuals even in other worlds, with a people who had no relation to Veldanava.
It only went to show his Creator's ability that such worlds existed.
His Split Body ended up being destroyed by G.O.D. and a fragment of his Administrative Authority was even snatched from within him in his weakness, as having your Split Body destroyed did induce a moment of weakness, though Cornu had never heard of such a thing being possible.
Administrative Authority was attached to his very soul. The fact that G.O.D. was able to do such a thing as siphon off a part of it brought shivers to his spine. If he could do that, then he likely could have permanently killed Cornu as well, which would have been a rather large set back to his plans.
Just thinking about that time made him enraged. It had been eons, but the effect of losing a piece of his power was something that couldn't be forgotten. After that is when Cornu noticed the taunting looks of Zalario, and the uncaring glances of the others.
Perhaps after acquiring the power of this world, he would go back to that world and tear G.O.D. limb from limb. Yes, that is what he would do, that was the only thing that could sooth his anger.
After becoming stronger, all his problems would be solved. He would avenge himself against G.O.D., Feldway would stop ignoring and looking down on him, and the rest would respect him.
He would matter, and he did not care how many civilizations he needed to crush, and how many billions of lives he needed to kill for that objective..
But G.O.D. was a rare scenario. Surely beinga of such caliber couldn't be common.
He thought back to Scorpius. Scorpius' words were merely the bluster of a child wishing to impress their elder, nothing more, but Cornu would give Scorpius props. He did what few had managed to before; he brought Cornu to another world.
His power was greatly limited, and this was not even his true body, but he was here nonetheless. His current power level was at approximately 2/15 of his true power, but he could make do. He at least was able to bring his weapon with him which would boost his power.
Now his purpose for being here was to usurp the role of those Monarchs from this universe, and strengthen his power. However, first he would need to strengthen the portal connecting to the Underworld more, as he did not wish to risk undergoing the ritual with a Split Body. He did not know if the effects would transfer over to his main self that was piloting the body.
However, his dear minion sacrificed himself into the portal to make it strong enough to transport this Split Body. Due to that, Cornu could feel some of Scorpius' intent as he traveled between worlds.
And he wanted Cornu to avenge the defeat that Scorpius suffered, and Cornu was willing to do so. He was a benevolent master, after all, and his targets were likely rather powerful seeing as Scorpius reported that the main variables in this world were individuals from another world, meaning they would be good fuel for the portal as well.
Killing two birds with one stone, essentially.
He felt no doubt about his chance of winning. He was a being created by Veldanava, bestowed with a God Grade weapon by the Star King himself, and given the Administrative Authority, making even a half-hearted attack from him intrinsically be at the Ultimate level.
Administrative Authority was the proof of Veldanava's grace on him, proof that he was loved by his creator. It intrinsically made him an "admin", giving any of his actions an intrinsic weight behind them.
Few could match him even back in the Cardinal World and the Underworld, let alone some backwater universe created by an Itarim, so he was confident in his strength, and he would only be growing stronger soon enough.
Strong enough to show them what he was truly worth, that he was not the weakest, that he had potential, and that Veldanava did not abandon him.
- Felix -
Things ended up wrapping up rather quickly after the attack started. With an actual organized effort between the Rulers and their vessels, as well as my own subtle assistance, it was dead easy for the Rulers to win with the odds so stacked in their favor.
I ended up finding out that Milim apparently went ahead and one-shot Antares, which the Rulers thanked me for. Apparently Antares wanted to jump Thomas, but clearly that failed horribly for him.
I was a bit curious to see how the strongest Monarch would fight, but I wasn't torn up about him dying before I got to analyze him.
I was considering recruiting him as a subordinate originally before throwing that idea away. He likely wouldn't submit to me just on virtue of his personality alone. I didn't want to bring such a conflicting element into my already harmonious team.
The Rulers seemingly took Milim's act of killing Antares as me being extra generous or something, as I said I wouldn't handle him originally. They even offered me to take a look at their vault to see if they had anything I wanted. The reality was, I just didn't know Milim was going to do that, though I wouldn't have stopped her if she did want to.
In the end, she was her own person and wanted to defend the honor of her newest subordinate and protect her new friend. Certainly a respectable motive.
Jin-Woo also unleashed his horde of Shadows across the world to fight off the monsters the Monarchs unleashed. Thanks to that, and me isolating the gates, there was somehow no loss of life.
Though it was safe to say everyone was shit-scared of Jin-Woo, more than they were of me maybe at this point. He showed off millions of Shadows. People could cope that they had ways to deal with me, but millions of Shadows was harder to cope with.
This world was still in the stone ages of magical combat, thinking that quantity was greater than quality.
Megumin was apparently just watching a bunch of the fights going on. She said that she wanted to see if anyone used any cool techniques she could steal, and she said she found a couple, so that was good.
Lalatina took one Monarch out of the picture instantly according to Gunhee, who also personally thanked me and offered me an assortment of things that I rejected as they were useless to me, but I appreciated the attempt. Lalatina was still gone, though. She said she was preparing a surprise, so I'd leave her to it.
I was a bit excited to see what she had prepared, her surprises were usually thoughtful and heartwarming or debaucherous and lewd, no in between. I was open to both.
Even the Phantoms didn't end up being as large of a deal as I thought. By now, the Rulers and their vessels had managed to pick off every one of them that snuck into human society, though there was some loss of life in this instance.
Possessions often weren't kind to the victims, but the loss of life was likely far less than what it would be if I never came to this world, so I'd like to think I made a positive impact. And if I didn't, then it is what it is.
In the end, I was a big bad Demon Lord. It was inevitable that my actions would harm people completely unrelated, though not by my own will. Such was simply the nature of being strong. Even a minor action can cause waves of butterflies that can harm or help many.
The Phantoms also joined in with the monster attacks around the world, except they were even weaker than most of the monsters as they needed vessels to last on Earth, but they had none so they were constantly expelling significant amounts of energy to create a temporary magic body.
It seems I was the one overreacting when it came to how dangerous I thought they could be, but that was probably due to who their leaders were. But they were a race of millions, maybe billions.
It made sense that such a small group of them didn't really have any significant figures. I just expected things to go wrong, as usually with my luck they do go wrong. In all honesty, I was expecting a random Primordial Angel to just pop into existence through the power of bullshit.
Part of me was disappointed in the mythical race that was ruled over by the first Primordial Angel, but I had to remind myself that this was just a tiny group of Phantoms, one without any real leader.
It wasn't like I could judge the Primordial Daemons based on their weak Lesser Daemon minions. The Phantoms just lucked into getting to this world due to my own actions, and were used as fodder basically. At least that's what I could see.
Perhaps they had something up their sleeve, however. According to Gunhee, the Phantom he and Zhigang were fighting got away, and he was the only Phantom I'd heard of that had any sort of ego, so maybe he was planning something.
If nothing happened in a day or two, I'd go out looking for him to just deal with him and be over it since my stay in this world was rapidly coming to an end.
"Wah Felix, what's this!" I heard Milim yell. I turned to face her and sighed when I saw what was in her hand. It was a credit card.
I went on to explain its purpose to her. "So I can buy whatever I want with this?!"
Apparently Thomas gave it to her and basically said to go crazy. "Seeing as who owns it, yes you can."
"Wah! That's awesome!" With that, she ran off in some direction, probably to go buy a store out or something.
I imagine things are going to slow down here in this world quite a lot now, so for now, I just decided to go with the flow and let Milim have a good time before we leave for good.
Though now was probably a good chance to express my concerns about my burgeoning relationship with Othinus. Communication was often key with things like this, and Othinus didn't actually have complete access to my thoughts since I did want privacy and she respected that.
Since the date, the intensity of the positive emotions I got from Othinus had essentially multiplied, and she had also become more open about them, so that also probably contributed.
It was certainly… heavy.
Not in a bad way, but it was getting hard to ignore. Whenever I felt her presence, that torrent of affection, devotion, and yearning. It was a bit suffocating and yet comforting at the same time.
I took a step forwards and vanished from where I was, instead appearing somewhere more private.
I took a deep breath and reached inward, where her consciousness always lingered. 'Othinus?'
Her response was immediate, as always. "Yes, Master?"
'I'm sure you could feel something has been off with me ever since our date, and I think it's about time I express what I'm feeling to you.'
After a brief pause Othinus responded. "Of course. I am always available to you."
'I appreciate everything that you do for me, everything we share, but I still have doubts about my own impact on how you feel and on who you are. I don't want you to be someone for me. I want you to be you, the person you want to be.' I said, deciding to be completely honest.
This was different from Sukuna's case and what I had done to him, and even that was unraveling.
'I can feel how deep your emotions go, and to be honest, it is flattering, and if it were anyone but you, I'd probably roll with it, but I want to give you a fair show at things, to make the most out of your life.'
I was mostly referring to my own feelings and thoughts when Odin's ego seed was developing. I didn't know if Othinus didn't have the same suspicions that I did, but I wanted to at least let her know about them. It just didn't feel right to even accidentally take advantage of her like that.
For a moment, she didn't say anything.
Then she laughed. "Fufufu, how adorable. You really don't get it, do you, Master?"
'I don't think I do?'
"You didn't make me love you. You gave me the chance to love you. The difference is everything."
Woah, that was actually kind of deep.
Her voice dropped, trembling between adoration and obsession. "You talk as if my feelings are artificial, but they're not. They're mine. Every time I feel you, see you, hear you, it's me choosing to love you again and again. If anything, your existence just makes it impossible not to. It is your arrogance that makes you think you have the right to decide whether my feelings are real or not, but in the end, my own nature made it impossible to live an ordinary life when tied so deeply to another being, and I would not have it any other way."
'Othinus…'
"I am not in need of pity." She responded sharply before I could respond. "You think you're doing me a kindness by doubting what I feel, but you're just insulting me. I want this. I want you. If loving you consumes me, then let it. As I've always said, I would not have it any other way. You must stop overthinking things like this and merely learn to live a little."
I sighed. 'You're probably right about that, and what you're saying does make sense.'
With what Othinus said putting things into perspective, it did make it clear that I was just being an idiot. She was right. Who was I to question the validity of her feelings? And all it took was a short conversation with her to get rid of all my concerns. She truly was great.
"Fufufu." I could feel Othinus' happiness and glee, as well as the host of other positive emotions she directed towards me, and I didn't mind it. I never did, it was just my nascent sense of guilt about her that made me doubt things a bit, but really, she was right, I was just being dumb.
"Now that I am aware of your stance on things, I will begin pursuing you in earnest."
I grinned. 'You? Pursuing me?'
"Hmph, of course! You have done most of the pursuing in regards to your relationships. Now it is your turn to be on the receiving end. I will make sure that my affections are known to you, always, and that I will always be by your side no matter what." She said earnestly.
My grin faded into a fond smile. 'Thanks, Othinus.'
"Of course. That is why I exist.'
______________________________________________________________________
I gave Lalatina my best attempt at a deadpan look, but I couldn't hold it for long seeing how she was looking at me so excitedly, as if she had done no wrong and was just waiting for my praise now.
"What is this, Lalatina?" I asked with a sigh as I looked at the… present as Lalatina called it. Lalatina had just shown up at my hotel room as I was getting ready to leave, said she had a present, and then brought another Monarch in with her. Querehsha, the Monarch of Plagues, to be more specific.
Currently said Monarch was looking stonefaced straight ahead, though I could catch her sending me glances from the side. Her emotions were rather conflicting. She was angry at her current state, fearful of Lalatina, curious and afraid of me, while also being excited to meet me.
It certainly was… something. Her outfit looked good as new, despite its lewd nature that showed off plenty of skin and cleavage, yet I could sense Querehsha's energy reserves were incredibly low, to the point that she was likely on the verge of falling unconscious to preserve energy.
I honestly had no idea how things ended up this way. Last I heard, Lalatina was beating Querehsha up. Now Lalatina was presenting her to me as a gift?
"It's a gift for you, Master!" Lalatina beamed.
I raised a brow. "And Querehsha is the gift?"
She nodded. "Umu!"
"I thought you wanted to fight her to see her poisons?"
"And I did! It wasn't anything special, though."
I could see Querehsha's lips twitch at Lalatina's words.
"So you decided to spare her and bring her to me?"
Lalatina nodded. "She will make a fine onahole for you Master! She already knows her place and is willing to accomplish her duty!"
I wasn't even going to ask how Lalatina knew what an onahole was, as I could easily guess. The internet was corrupting her even more.
I looked to Querehsha with a raised brow, who sensed my gaze and seemingly nodded. "Miss Lalatina has… enlightened me to the opportunity that this presents."
"She threatened you with death, didn't she?"
Querehsha immediately nodded, much to Lalatina's annoyance.
"That's about what I expected, not that I can blame her. I've done the same before."
That's pretty much how I got Damrada, as I would have killed him if he didn't end up joining me, despite me liking him.
"So, do you like her, Master~?" Lalatina asked giddily, almost as if she was waiting for my praise.
I sighed. "I suppose I do. She is rather strong, and if she submits, then I have no problem making use of her. Wasting someone of her strength-level would be stupid."
She may not be able to hold a candle to the truly strong people, but Querehsha was likely stronger than the majority of Saints, who were already less than 0.1% of the population.
"Good job, Lalatina." I gave her the praise she had been looking for.
At my words Lalatina's lips stretched wide. "Hehe~!"
I turned to Querehsha as I smiled towards her, except it wasn't quite a pleasant smile. "All of your allies are dead." I stated with seriousness. "You have nothing left for you in this world other than some deluded thought of revenge if that's what you're after, which will fail by the way. I'm giving you some grace by letting you live, but that grace isn't going to come for free." I said as some of my Demon Lord's Haki spread throughout the room.
Querehsha's eyes widened as she collapsed down to her knees, forced to look up at me as she couldn't muster the energy to resist.
Energy crackled around me as I crouched to be at face level with Querehsha.
"A toe out of line and I'll be consuming your soul." I said as I retracted my Demon Lord's Haki. Querehsha was clearly somebody that needed a stern hand. Her emotions had spiked after making a show of my Demon Lord's Haki. Her fear and respect for me greatened drastically, but more than that she was somehow… aroused.
Of course Lalatina brought me this type of person.
"Do you understand?" I asked sternly.
Querehsha nodded in quick, shaky motions. "Yes… I-I accept."
"Good girl." I let the words hang, ignoring the fresh surge of heat they ignited in both women.
I rose and turned to Lalatina, whose cheeks were flushed, eyes glazed and distant. "She'll be your responsibility."
"Yes~!" She breathed, voice trembling with eager delight.
Now for the reward. I placed my palm atop Querehsha's head. She flinched, looking up with wide eyes that mixed fear and hunger, yet she no longer dared to pull away.
At my touch, I poured energy back into her, flooding her reserves to their peak in one steady, relentless stream. Querehsha's eyes fluttered, then rolled back as the sensation crashed through her. The restoration always carried pleasure, even for someone like Hinata, but Querehsha was utterly spent and therefore far more sensitive.
"Nnn~!" The moan tore from her throat as my energy forced its way deeper, filling her completely. Her hips rolled forward on instinct, back arching, the thin fabric of her outfit stretching tight over every curve. Lalatina certainly had an eye for presentation.
Querehsha's body jerked again as the final surge coursed through her. Her breath caught, then broke into a choked gasp that melted into another moan. "A-ahh! S-So much~!" The words spilled out, half-drowned in pleasure.
For some reason I was getting a heavy dose of deja vu.
Her legs buckled, yet I kept my hand in place. This was the carrot, after all. Pleasure could bind as firmly as pain. Energy continued to pulse between my fingers, coiling through her spiritual body.
Querehsha's hips began to move on their own, tracing small, desperate circles in the air, thighs pressing together only to part again. Her head lolled back, mouth open, a thin strand of drool glistening at the corner of her lip. "Nnnhhh~! Sho fwull~!"
She convulsed, fingers clutching at my wrist, not to push me away, but simply to hold on as tremors wracked her frame. Her eyes showed only white. Through the temporary link I felt her climax ripple outward from her core and into my palm, a hot, pulsing wave that made her cry out once more. "AaAAahhhnn~!"
Before she could collapse I caught her, letting the flow taper off into a gentle trickle. She hung limp in that bliss-drunk haze, chest heaving in shallow, rapid breaths, sizable breasts rising and falling against the clinging material of her outfit. Eventually, she sagged forward, forehead resting against my thigh, still panting softly and trembling as the aftershocks rolled through her.
"How envious." Lalatina murmured from beside me, voice thick with longing.
I rolled my eyes. And while Querehsha was indisposed, I quickly sucked her up into my Infinity Space where Othinus placed a similar lock of sorts that I had on Damrada, one that would allow me control over her in case of any treacherous thoughts.
"Take care of her." I told Lalatina.
An effective carrot, and one I had enjoyed dispensing.
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I am highly motivated by your guys' reviews and likes, so do that! I'll probably keep writing or something.
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Author's Note:
Sup everyone, back with another chapter. This one is a bit on the longer side, but I didn't want to split any of the scenes so here we are.
This one is more about wrapping up a lot of the solo leveling arc, I didn't feel it necessary to go into every detail, and thus the summary.
Felix gets rid of some of his doubts about his relationship with Othinus. There's also a bit of a hint about a future world that will be visited, I'm curious to see if anyone will get it.
Also Felix jinxed everything.
Also Querehsha is a mommy.
Thanks for reading, peace.
Thanks to @Salante and @Flowerman for beta'ing this chapter.
Last bit of editing -Omnax
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