After a week, we managed to locate the demon camp, where no fewer than a dozen of them dwelt. After that, an operation was planned to take hostages. In addition to the enormous 'aircraft,' my army was also equipped with single-seat quadcopters armed with blasters. At least, that's what these magical artifacts looked like externally. The aircraft descended to an altitude of a couple of kilometers, then the rear hatches swung open, and three dozen quadcopters surged outward.
The airborne troops descended and carried out a massive bombardment of the area using blasters, destroying the undead. Although the undead wielded magic, they were not particularly powerful, so they couldn't maintain their shields under the pressure of high-tech magic. The demons tried to resist but could not counter the massive barrage of paralyzing spells. Some of them fled and hid in corners, but I secured four prisoners. Given that I suffered no losses, the operation could be considered a success.
The interrogation of the demons, which I conducted at an underground base quickly built in the mountains of the continent, revealed an interesting picture. The current 'invasion' was merely a brigade of workers sent to clear a 'no-man's' world. Initially, the portal from the demon world was opened in the north. It was a long-known passage, and the first visitors were greatly surprised to find a densely compacted mass of snow and ice on the other side. But then they excavated the portal site, set up an 'under-snow' base, and sent a small army to this continent. The demons had a map of the planet, so transporting troops posed no particular problem. First, the undead marched south under their own power, and after reaching open water, ships made of magical ice were built to transport the entire army.
The goal of this entire expedition was to transform the planet into another demon world. To do this, it was necessary to eliminate the local biosphere, adjust the planet's energy, and ultimately create a frozen hell at the poles and a lava hell on the central continent. Such plans did not suit me at all, so I decided to commit genocide against the invaders. Fortunately, their knowledge of geography also left much to be desired, and they had no idea about the existence of my islands. So, all I had to do was put into practice the results of years of training by the warrior caste.
I decided to start with the simplest thing – aerial terror. Each of the aircraft became a mobile portal, through which thousands of spiders on quadcopters emerged onto the continent. They flew at a safe altitude of one kilometer and bombed all targets within range. The undead and demons posed a danger only to ground targets within a radius of a hundred meters, so they could do nothing. Of course, my forces suffered losses, but these were isolated incidents caused by lucky hits from spells cast by the most powerful liches.
My 'blasters,' on the other hand, had an effective firing range of ten kilometers with each shot homing in on its target. The spell was so complex that even a trained mage could not create it in less than five minutes. However, using artifacts allowed firing at a rate of ten shots per second, creating an insurmountable advantage in firepower. Knowledge once again triumphed over brute force.
Simultaneously with the start of hostilities, I ordered the mass production of aircraft carriers. After all, four aircraft were too few. Moreover, they were equipped with more powerful guns and might be needed in the future. I did not want to use nuclear weapons because their effectiveness was low, and they created considerable radiation problems. Nuclear bombs are good for destroying large cities. Against dispersed enemy forces, they are almost useless.
The destruction of the invasion army quickly transitioned into a phase of fighting partisan forces. Again, circumstances were on my side. The undead showed virtually no initiative and could only act intelligently under the control of a mage. The wasteland created by magic offered no shelter, and in the forest, the undead quickly fell prey to predatory animals. So, the demons had no choice but to dig underground tunnels and hide in them. Unfortunately for them, I had scanning spells that could detect sources of magical energy. As a result, within a couple of days, almost all the demons fled through portals to their main base, leaving the undead to their fate.
The population of my island was nearly a million spiders, about a third of whom were warriors. And they all sought to take part in the war, rightly believing that there wouldn't be enough enemies to go around. However, there was still hope for a countermove by the demons, so the industry of my civilization shifted to a war footing, producing equipment and gear for every soldier.
While the final cleanup of the central continent was underway, reconnaissance kept an eye on the enemy's main base. Here, the demons had long since removed the snow cover, so the portal stood on a windswept platform. The day after the war began, the entire territory above was covered by a force shield meant to protect against air attacks. And I did not try to dissuade the demons of its effectiveness. Everything in its own time.
A week later, scouts reported increased activity in the camp. It soon became clear that the enemy was serious. If the previous army numbered in the millions, this time we were talking billions. A special network of spells opened numerous portals around the base, connected to the central inter-world portal, and then troops began flowing onto the planet in a steady stream. Determining their exact composition was difficult because they were all covered by opaque shields from above, and ground reconnaissance risked landing right on the enemy's head, as the army occupied almost all available surface space. However, it was obvious that the majority of this army was again infantry or, at best, cavalry.
I don't know what the demons were hoping for, but as soon as reconnaissance reported that the troop transfer was complete and the portals had closed, I gave the signal to attack. In the time that had passed, we had managed to build over three thousand aircraft carriers in a short period. And this whole horde immediately rushed north. There, the aircraft formed a battle formation at an altitude of ten kilometers and opened fire with all guns.
The firepower of an aircraft carrier was essentially limited only by the power of its energy source. The artifacts could convert almost any amount of magical energy into plasma charges. During the attack, over a hundred spiders drained energy from each aircraft. And developing the power of the magical core was one of the most important practices in the life of every spider.
In short, the rain of plasma that fell upon the earth wiped out all shields in less than a second, and then all the assembled troops were turned to ashes, especially since they were standing extremely compactly, almost shoulder to shoulder. The area around the main portal was much better defended, so there were only isolated breaches in its shield.
After just ten minutes, ninety percent of the demon army was destroyed. All the snow over a vast area melted, leaving behind boiling lakes. And then, even I, located on the other side of the globe, felt the anger and fury emanating from the leader of the demon army. However, this psychic attack did not impress us much. After all, spiders are born telepaths. Transmitting your emotions to them is essentially admitting your own helplessness.
Then the shield over the central portal fell, and thousands or even millions of… dragons soared into the air. Specifically, zombie dragons. From a distance, these creatures looked majestic, but when viewed through optics, rotting spots, bones visible through wounds, and the mechanical nature of their wing movements became apparent.
Millions of dragons against three thousand aircraft carriers. It seemed my forces were doomed… but I thought otherwise. In this battle, I would win without any losses at all. On my command, the carriers accelerated and began to gain altitude, simultaneously firing their guns at the enemy. The dragons flapped their wings with all their might, dodging my shells and flying higher and higher. Two kilometers, four, six… upon reaching this threshold, it became clear that those born to crawl cannot fly. Although the dragons were magical creatures, their wings were not for show but for 'scooping' the air. And the higher the undead flew, the thinner the air became, and the more often they had to flap their wings.
An altitude of seven kilometers proved to be the ceiling for the necro-aviation. The dragons flapped their wings faster than flies but could not rise a single meter higher. And after ten seconds, the undead reached their strength limit, and their wings began to fall off. The stupid zombies tried to carry out the order at any cost, destroying the joints and muscles that moved the wings. As a result, their flesh literally flew apart, condemning the cripples to an unhindered fall.
Meanwhile, my aviation hovered at an altitude of fifteen kilometers, shooting defenseless targets as if in a shooting gallery. In principle, by directing half of the available energy to the engines, an aircraft could reach an altitude of thirty kilometers. Even on Earth, not every surface-to-air missile can reach such an altitude. But I didn't need any additional tricks.
The desperate demons began firing their most powerful spells upward. However, all these spells had one of two drawbacks. Either their attack was fast but dissipated in the air over a relatively short distance, or it could travel far but… slowly. Fifteen kilometers is a considerable distance. So, as soon as the huge fireballs rose above the level of the dragons, each aircraft immediately fired at each projectile. Quite obviously, the enemy's spells eventually exploded too far from their targets. And the enemy could not mount a massive attack with thousands of projectiles. Judging by the density of fire, the entire demon army could at most match a dozen of my aircraft carriers.
It was a rout. Even before the last dragon was destroyed, reconnaissance detected the opening of a portal through which all the surviving demons fled. The remnants of the undead army were once again abandoned. Apparently, the demons valued their own lives more than the 'lives' of several million elite zombie mages.
The subsequent actions of my army could be described as a 'tedious cleanup of the area.' The undead offered little resistance but instead tried to scatter across the surrounding area and hide deep in various crevices. This was complicated by the fact that I did not want to destroy the demon base, where many of their magical artifacts remained intact. Also, we managed to capture a couple of dozen live demons who had miraculously survived the bombardment. And most importantly, one of the prisoners turned out to be something of an archmage, whom my warriors literally snatched from death, healing him, so to speak, from near-total bodily fragmentation.
For the next three years, I studied the loot while simultaneously overseeing the development of the central continent. Demon magic was extremely unusual. What interested me most was soul magic. This field was vital for every demon, so each of them was a professional in this area.
The thing was, demons had incredible control over magical energy. Any complex spell could be woven by them in a fraction of a second. Yet, the rate of energy regeneration in their body's magical source was so slow that none of the demons used their own magical reserves. However, every demon knew how to enslave the souls of living beings, which were used as generators for the energy they so desperately needed.
It should be noted that a soul itself does not produce much magical energy. Roughly the same amount as the demons themselves. But place it in a suitable body, and this construct could make even archmages weep with envy. Of course, demons could not create artificial bodies, but they could make analogues using pure magic, with crystals serving as anchors. As a result, a captured soul became an energy source. Not the strongest, but quite useful. And there were two approaches to using them.
First, a demon could take this energy for himself, creating spells of insane power. This approach was limited by the maximum number of souls a demon could unite into a single network. Moreover, these souls had to be in close proximity to him. So, 'great archmages of the demons' were only such if they constantly dragged around a train of soul crystals.
The second way to use the crystals was to raise the undead. Quite obviously, the demons kept the best souls for themselves and tried to use all the rubbish somewhere. And the undead proved to be an excellent solution. Even the lowliest peasant, when turned into a zombie, gained magical abilities. So, it was only necessary to implant a program of subordination into his consciousness and send him to kill enemies, simultaneously equipping him with soul traps. This created a sort of network marketing, making the speed of conquering undeveloped worlds extremely high.
In three years, I not only figured out how demons use human souls but also discovered how humans use demon souls. Thanks to their ability to finely manipulate energy, demon souls were excellent raw materials for producing artifacts. For example, to set up production of 'blasters,' my scientists had to spend three years calculating the structure of a spell that could be embedded into an artifact. With demon souls, a similar effect could be achieved in a day. True, my artifacts could be mass-produced by the millions, but artifacts made from demon souls required those very souls. This could be considered a serious drawback, except for one thing.
Demons could control spells of mind-boggling complexity. An average demon could create a spell that even a hundred spiders could not maintain. Fortunately, I was up against rather primitive individuals. Perhaps in their attitude toward 'magical research,' demons were even worse than the spiders from my 'native' colony. All they could do was apply spells developed by mages who had fallen into spiritual slavery.
So, it was enough to theoretically calculate the structure of the desired spell and then force a demon to create that structure and infuse it with energy. This allowed me to create artifacts on the spot capable of utterly impossible things. For example, I managed to create an anti-gravity engine, opening the door to space. Or I could open a portal not with a pathetic three-meter diameter, but a full three hundred meters. Then, with a small parameter adjustment, expand the portal window to three kilometers.
In short, the entire society of spider-mages understood that we needed more demons. Naturally, sealed in soul crystals and used in magical artifacts. What we managed to capture during the hostilities was only enough for experiments. And even then, the waiting list was booked a year in advance. There was only one option left – open a portal to the demon world and harvest them on an industrial scale.
Before invading other worlds, it was decided to send a reconnaissance expedition. It included ten warriors, a couple of mages, a couple of workers, and… my chakra clone. On the entire planet, only I possessed this type of energy and could create clones. I wasn't sure how stable the clone would be in another world, so this was also a kind of experiment.
Opening the portal posed no problem, as we had a demon who understood its operating principles well. Although under normal circumstances an opening portal leads to a strictly fixed location, a so-called 'wandering portal' could also be formed. There was no way to know exactly where it would open, except that the point would be within a few hundred kilometers of the main portal. Yes, for example, hundreds of kilometers down or up.
In short, on the fifth attempt, we managed to open a portal not in the depths of magma or in near space, but just a couple of kilometers above the ground. Keeping it open for long was extremely difficult, so my clone jumped into the opened tunnel, and after I confirmed that it was functioning perfectly fine even in another world, although directly controlled by me from this one, the fourteen suicide squad members ran into the portal. The way back for them was now possible only after a full-scale invasion from our world.
The descent was uneventful. The spiders used a levitation spell based on manipulating air currents. In a way, it was analogous to a parachute. I used a similar technique based on chakra. Unfortunately, I could not transmit magical energy over long distances, let alone to other worlds. It was unclear how chakra handled this. In some respects, this energy was far less understood than ordinary magic.
As we descended, I surveyed the surroundings. As the Bible says: 'And the earth was without form, and void'? That perfectly describes the demon worlds. I think even Mars would look more picturesque. All around stretched a yellowish-brown wasteland, only occasionally decorated with rolling hills. No water, no plants. However, demons were encountered from time to time. These creatures were either chasing someone or fleeing from someone. What a life!
Our appearance did not cause much excitement. I think no one noticed us because the locals preferred to look around them, not at the sky. The sky, by the way, was also not particularly beautiful – a vague murk glowed uniformly with a pale gray light, giving no hint that a sun existed somewhere.
The clone had no physiological problems, but the spiders felt that the air pressure here was much lower than on my planet. And oxygen could only be found as part of carbon dioxide. Apparently, demons didn't need to breathe. So, my companions switched to sustaining life through magic. This was one of our developments for interstellar travel. A spider surrounds its body with a protective barrier that holds air at the required pressure, plus a special spell activates in the lungs, turning water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose. This did not replace full nutrition but allowed survival in a hostile environment for at least a month.
After landing, we immediately set off after the nearest demon. We needed a 'tongue' who could tell us where we had ended up. After half an hour of rapid running, we were richer by one demon soul. He was spiritually impoverished, so he could not resist our magic at all. No energy.
Interrogation of the soul imprisoned in a crystal revealed that we had landed in an area that even the demons called the 'Dead Wasteland.' The castle with the portal we needed was almost two hundred kilometers away in a straight line. But it was too early to go there. Instead, we decided to visit a small demon 'lair' a hundred kilometers in the other direction. The gang there was considered quite strong, and most importantly, they looked like spiders, which was rather interesting.
As we advanced, we hunted down demons that ran past. This behavior surprised none of the victims. On the contrary, as soon as they spotted us on the horizon, they immediately began to flee at maximum speed. Reaching the 'lair,' we found the entrance to a cave, around which something like a stockade had been built. Stones served as building material. There were, in fact, no other materials here.
'Who you, what you need?' one of the lair's inhabitants mentally shrieked, as soon as it became clear that we weren't just passing by but heading straight for them. Due to the thin atmosphere, the demons also preferred to communicate telepathically.
We did not engage in polemics but simply attacked with pinpoint spells, aiming at the demons hiding behind the walls. They apparently expected nothing else, as the first charges met force shields. After a brief exchange of attacks, I assessed the demons' striking power as low and gave the order to use weapons. Pistol-caliber 'blasters' were brought to combat readiness, and the demons were destroyed in literally five seconds. The enhanced charges easily penetrated thick stone walls and several layers of magical protection. The demons' bodies themselves offered no resistance whatsoever.
After extracting the souls from the mutilated bodies, the workers set about repairing the fortifications, the warriors conducted interrogations, and the scientists began autopsies, trying to determine the reason for the incredible similarity between this demon species and us.
Putting together what was learned from the interrogation with the research results, we discovered that spiders were distant relatives of demons. They had been artificially created by crossbreeding demons with ordinary insects, thanks to magic. After that, some of the test subjects escaped and returned to the demon world. There, they somehow adapted to living in lifeless worlds and then spread across many demonic domains, securing a reasonably good position there. Unlike ordinary demons, spider-demons retained the rudiments of magical cores, so they could perform magic even without captured souls.
This played into our hands, as we planned to set up a small base here where we could create an oxygen atmosphere and start growing food. To the outside world, we remained the same spider-demons, especially since my kin's appearance didn't need much alteration.
Simultaneously with the setup, we studied the local political situation. We were in a relatively small domain, ruled by a weak but still archdemon. Incidentally, the domain was a planetoid a couple of thousand kilometers in diameter, surrounded by a force field that held in the atmosphere and created artificial gravity. Here, it wasn't the earth that attracted you, but the sky that pressed down on those beneath it.
Fortunately, the archdemon spent most of his time on his personal affairs and was absent from this world. He was last seen here over three hundred years ago. In his absence, a certain Rabator managed affairs, whose army we had destroyed several years ago. In general, in demon society, greed was considered almost the primary virtue. Over thousands of years of his rule, Rabator had collected many mortal souls. But he did not think to share them with other demons, instead raising an innumerable undead army. Having lost it during the last campaign, the demon also lost almost all respect.
No one had exact information, but rumors circulated that the entire army had been destroyed in an instant by some rebellious god. Now, Rabator sat in his castle, nursing his anger, planning to attack one of the human worlds to gather more 'flesh.' His personal power remained intact because he had managed to flee the battlefield along with his entire stock of great mage souls.
While my subordinates settled into their new home, I thought about how to achieve our goal. The goal was, essentially, to capture the portal on this side and establish a full-fledged base from which to raid for demon souls. A simple frontal attack was pointless. We could kill wild demons with almost no resistance. But in the 'capital,' everyone owned at least ten souls. And Rabator had shown his abilities during the battle on my planet. If not for the distance, it was anyone's guess who would have won.
We could, of course, use proven thermonuclear weapons, but an explosion of sufficient power could easily damage the portal. Plus, there were too many powerful demons in the city, whose souls we needed. Fortunately, a few days later, the solution to this problem found us.
Unlike the demons that lived here before us, we did not limit ourselves to simple external observation but set up a whole network of monitoring spells to detect any enemy in advance. And we detected just such a group of intruders while they were still twenty kilometers away. Wasteland demons preferred to live alone. But here was a whole squad of a couple dozen individuals. They were moving straight toward us, so the entire base population was instantly put on combat alert.
About five kilometers out, the group split up. A dozen hid in a small hollow, while the rest continued on their way to us. This tactic suggested that they were unlikely to attack us. However, who knows these demons. I and a couple of other spiders climbed onto the walls and shielded ourselves, while the others hid near the cave exit to the surface, waiting to see what would happen.
'Who's in charge here? Come out.'
'Are we going to fight?'
Before us stood a single envoy, resembling a cross between a slug, a monkey, and a centipede. Among demons, there was no standard of appearance, so this individual could easily blend into the gray mass of the 'locals.' His eight companions stood in the distance, observing the negotiations from what they considered a safe distance.
In response to my question, the demon cowardly stepped back a couple of paces and hastened to assure me of his peaceful intentions. Such behavior was quite unusual among demons. The presence of peaceful intentions was a dangerous anomaly for the local mentality, indicating treacherous designs.
'No. I have come to deliver an order from Rabator to you.'
'How will you prove it? You don't look like a messenger. More like an ordinary wild one.'
The demon swallowed the insult and glanced at his comrades. Another demon separated from the crowd, looking more solid. It wasn't about his almost humanoid appearance but the magical shields surrounding him, indicating that we were facing an owner of at least a few souls.
'I am Rabator's envoy. And he commands you, wretched creatures, to appear in his city within eleven days to take the military oath.' Apparently, the fact that I hadn't killed the 'envoy' as soon as I saw him was taken by this messenger as a sign of weakness or those same treacherous peaceful intentions. The challenging and arrogant intonations transmitted through his mental speech were unmistakable.
'The fact that you stole a couple of souls from someone doesn't make you an envoy,' I retorted. 'Kneel in a bow and beg for forgiveness if you don't want me to tear you to pieces and devour you alive.' Demons were extremely tenacious creatures, so my threats were quite feasible. Spiders would have turned up their noses at such a 'breakfast,' but my clone could eat far worse.
This time, I guessed correctly at the accepted manner of communication here. No, the demon wasn't going to kneel and bow, but the arrogance in his thoughts diminished.
'Behold the sign of Rabator, you foul creature.'
The envoy extended his hands upward, and a fiery sign appeared above him, radiating the aura of an ancient demon. I consulted the memory of one of the cave's previous inhabitants. His soul was sealed in a stone, and reading the memory was merely a matter of applying a weak spell, for which the clone drew energy from a storage device.
Everything indicated that this was a genuine envoy. And taking the military oath was one of the stages of preparation for a military campaign. Demons did not tolerate any restriction of their will in the form of magical oaths. On the other hand, the campaign leaders were not eager to invite demons who could stab them in the back at any moment. For such situations, the military oath was devised. It was a temporary contract subordinating one demon to another. The reward was, of course, souls, or rather the chance to obtain them. Under standard conditions, a demon could get one soul out of every ten captured. Moreover, the demon had to kill the victim personally, as souls of those killed by the undead belonged to the master of the undead. In short, the conditions were terrible, but wild demons were grateful even for that. For them, it was the only chance to get a single soul.
Another important condition of taking the oath was that it was administered to a relatively small number of demons at a time. After all, Rabator did not need endless hordes of wild demons gathered under the walls of his city. Such a situation could turn into a spontaneous assault. So, demons were invited to take the oath in small groups. And this only applied to strong groups or outstanding individuals. The previous inhabitants of the cave were considered just such a group.
And finally, the most important circumstance was that Rabator personally administered the oath. Naturally, he could not accept the oath from millions of demons. Therefore, only the chosen – future generals – were granted a personal audience with him. They would then have to run around their own territories and recruit wild demons, forcing them to swear allegiance to themselves. So, the current situation was a rare chance to personally meet the ruler of the entire domain. I certainly could not miss it. But there was one more point.
This invitation was not only a means of communication but also a test in which I had to demonstrate my leadership qualities. And what does it mean to be a leader in demon society? It means, of course, striving to grab everything for yourself, regardless of consequences. For this purpose, the second group remained, now observing us with tracking spells. On the other hand, showing disrespect toward Rabator could also adversely affect the fate of a potential general. So, a balance had to be struck.
'I see that you have stolen not only souls but also the envoy's sign,' I informed the demon with my conclusion. 'Let Rabator deal with your fate, but your accomplices in this heinous crime will become my prey.'
I concentrated for a second and used one of the most penetrating paralyzing spells I knew. A shining sphere pierced his magical shield like paper, and the envoy convulsed. The spell combined paralysis, physical nerve destruction, and electric shock. Although demon biophysics differed significantly from protein-based life forms, the spell worked excellently on them.
'Take care of this trash,' I ordered my two companions.
The spiders rushed forward, hurling lethal spells as they ran. Of the eight remaining demons, three were soul owners. But that didn't help them much. If the previous inhabitants had been here, even in a group they could not have harmed these three. After all, the magical cores of spider-demons were frankly weak, and any stock of souls from the last war had been confiscated after an attack by a large group of punishers who deprived wild demons of excessive power. But my two warriors were veterans, hardened by years of daily training and sparring. They cut through the demons like a hot knife through butter, leaving behind only mutilated bodies in which life barely flickered.
The demons, of course, tried to flee, but none ran more than a couple of hundred meters. I gave another command, and five warriors rushed to catch the second group, which was already fleeing at full speed. But they had no chance. Over the past few days, we had confirmed that the only defense of the local inhabitants was their legs and their ability to move them actively. So, I developed and taught my companions a spell that significantly increased running speed. As a result, the spiders raced across the local wastelands at the speed of race cars, especially since there were no obstacles on the terrain.
The bounty that fell into our hands was good: eighteen still-living demons and twelve souls of various sentient beings – from goblins to elves. We dragged the envoy himself far out into the wasteland and left him to recover. The mark placed on him was an excellent protection against wild demons, as it indicated that this demon was Rabator's envoy, and attacking him was the best way to secure an eternity of unspeakable suffering.
The next ten days we dedicated to preparing for a daring operation to capture an entire demon city. This was our only chance, so my companions either had to succeed or die trying. As a clone, such a fate did not frighten me.
The plan was simple and bold. It was based on the fact that none of the demons had ever heard of an energy like chakra. Everyone here wielded magic, but the energy from a bijuu's tail was not even perceived by the locals. And I still had bonuses from the time when I was Naruto – my 'genjutsu.' I planned to get within Rabator's line of sight and subjugate his mind. Every inhabitant of the demon city had sworn an oath of allegiance to the archdemon's viceroy, either directly or through a commander. Therefore, he could kill or paralyze any of his vassals with a simple mental effort. That's what I intended to use.
After subjugation, the demon would paralyze the entire city's population and order the removal of all types of magical protection. Then my companions would apply a mass paralyzing spell. After that, only opening a portal to our world and starting the soul harvest would remain. Of course, within a few minutes, Rabator would die, and the oath would cease to function, but that time should be enough to give us the necessary advantage. The paralysis would buy even more time, and on the other side of the portal, over a hundred thousand warriors, armed with the best magical technology, would be waiting their turn. We had to give up almost all artifacts to avoid attracting attention. But the main forces could compete even with the demon army in their own city.
I used all the captured demons to train my ability. The first test subjects simply died in agony, but the last ones were completely under my control and managed to last not two, but a full ten minutes. After all, compared to humans, demons are far more tenacious creatures.
And so, D-Day, H-hour arrived. Our squad ran across the desert at the speed of an average demon, and the immense bulk of the city grew ahead. From a distance, this structure most resembled an anthill the size of a mountain. Or a very, very rough pyramid. As we approached, it became clear that the 'construction of the century' was still ongoing. In places, demons were busy building new walls, roads, and chambers.
When there were about five kilometers left to the city wall, a crowd of a hundred demons surrounded us, each radiating magic like a city at night.
'Where are you going?' inquired one of them, judging by his behavior the squad leader.
'To meet Rabator. He invited me to become the greatest general of his army.'
'Ha, the greatest, you say? Fine, follow me. There were special instructions regarding you.'
What the essence of these instructions was, the demon did not explain. I, while doubling my vigilance, continued to radiate confidence. We reached the city, and I was able to appreciate the scale of this structure up close. Along the perimeter, a solid vertical wall rose a hundred meters, above which it transitioned into a stepped surface dotted with windows, doors, and even simple passages deeper in. In the wall directly before us were gates. From a distance, they looked like a small wicket, but up close, it was clear that even a tank could pass through them.
The double doors swung outward, allowing us to appreciate their thickness. Over a meter of enchanted metal radiated magic from the spells embedded in it. It seemed I had been hasty in thinking this structure could be destroyed with a thermonuclear bomb. It certainly could, but there was a good chance of splitting the planet in two along with it. On the other hand, soon all this would be mine. I looked around smugly, assessing my future property.
Under close guard, we were led through a labyrinth of confusing corridors and staircases. I even got a little bored during the process. The path was very long, ending somewhere near the top of the anthill. Finally, the next doors swung open, and we entered a richly decorated hall, at the far end of which, on a throne, sat… a rather scruffy-looking demon. The memory of the enslaved demons indicated that this was Rabator.
We stepped forward, and I discovered that we were separated from the local ruler by a powerful magical barrier. Similar barriers covered the walls, floor, and ceiling. Most tellingly, our escorts did not enter with us, remaining standing in the corridor. This seemed like a trap. In the sense that my trap had snapped shut, hooking the prey.
'So that's what you're like…' Rabator drawled vaguely.
'Yes, that's what we're like,' I confirmed. From the very first second in the room, I began saturating the demon's brain with chakra. Alas, to overcome his natural resistance, I needed time. The demons I tried to subjugate as quickly as possible died before I gained control over them.
'When the portal attendants told me about the successful penetration of spies through the wandering portal, I kept wondering who could be so brazen? And it turns out to be the very creatures that treacherously destroyed my army. Let me guess, Ighural put you up to this portal idea?'
'Ighural? Never heard of him. Are you talking about the demon who led the herd of mammoth zombies?'
'Mammoths? Ah, yes, he commanded a squad of siege beasts from the forest elves. It seems he managed to outwit you.' The demon grinned nastily.
'I don't think so. Most likely, no one asked him, because no one cared whether you found out about our penetration here or not,' I lied brazenly. I would need to have a 'very polite conversation' with our spatial research department for not thinking to ask such a question.
'How presumptuous. The fact that you destroyed my squad of envoys attracted my attention. You didn't think that group of observers was the only one, did you?'
'So they really were your envoys? I had a higher opinion of you. How can you allow such nobodies to speak on your behalf?'
The demon washed over me with a wave of irritation.
'So what were you trying to achieve with all this fuss?' he asked, fixing his gaze on me.
'Well… we planned to meet you in person, kill you, and then seize power in the city and the entire domain,' I listed, ticking off fingers on my hands.
'As you can see, your plan has failed,' the demon grinned smugly again. 'You are trapped. Not even an archdemon could get out of here. This is the most protected place in the city.'
'Actually, that's part of the plan.' The demon's smug grin turned frightened. 'This is the most protected place in the city. So, when you and all the inhabitants of this city die, we will be safe.'
'You lie!' the demon shouted, jumping up from his throne. 'You want me to lower the defenses? That will never happen.'
'Oh… And how are you going to kill us then? We are protected on all sides.'
The demon smiled again and settled back onto his seat.
'I don't want to kill you. You will be tortured for centuries. And sooner or later, I will learn the answers to all my questions. But the answer to one question I would like to hear right now. How did you plan to pass yourselves off as demons when your aura is completely unmasked?'
Oops! That's a problem. Apparently, demon bodies possess some special method of perception. The spiders saw nothing so obvious.
'That's… a secret.'
'Ha. Better admit that you didn't even suspect that any demon could see through your game at first glance.'
I projected outward a feeling of irritation that I genuinely felt. What a mistake to make. My security service was obviously busy with something else. And I'm no better; I didn't double-check everything myself. There's a saying: if you want something done right, do it yourself. Meanwhile, the demon smiled disgustingly and continued.
'Although your disguise is quite interesting. Your aura isn't felt at all. What is that? Some kind of artifact?' My irritation increased. 'Yes, I knew it! It's an artifact. Hey, when you grab them, don't hit the leader too hard. I don't want such a valuable thing damaged.'
'Do you really consider this junk valuable?' I pulled out a small crystal from a chitinous fold that served as my pocket. A simple spell was embedded in it, making it shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow and radiate a 'powerful and mysterious' magical aura. The toy came in handy. 'If you like it so much – take it. I have more at home.'
I waved my hand, and the shining crystal flew toward the demon. At that same moment, I activated my ability and seized control of his consciousness. The timing was so perfect that Rabator didn't even realize he had fallen under my influence. His gaze fixed on the priceless treasure flying straight into his hands. With a quick telepathic command, he lowered the barrier of the trap and caught the crystal. Greed overwhelmed him; another mental impulse paralyzed all the demons in the city, ordering them to freeze, remove magical protection, and await further instructions. Then, his gaze focused on the crystal's magical glow, and his consciousness no longer perceived anything else.
'My precious…' Rabator managed to think before losing consciousness.
I momentarily diverted my attention from controlling his mind and assessed the situation with my own senses. The fourteen spiders had completed their task and activated the highest paralyzing spell, pouring almost all their energy into it, plus reserves from storage devices. It was time for the second part of the plan.
I scanned the demon's consciousness and located the portal to other worlds. It was in the center of the city at ground level. Virtually right below us. The path there was long and winding, so I decided on a little vandalism. The spiders picked up the helpless demon ruler, and I activated Earth Release technique, opening a chasm in the floor leading to the required level. If I had used magic, I would have had to overcome the resistance of protective spells. But chakra simply ignored this layer of reality, shifting the spells along with the matter.
Within a minute, we stood in the portal hall. I stayed to control Rabator, while my faithful minions began activating the portal. Opening it required a huge amount of energy, but it was to come from my world. All we had to do was disable the security module in the portal's control mechanism and accept the 'incoming call.'
Finally, after five minutes, the portal opened, and a stream of spiders poured out, immediately securing the room, further immobilizing demons, and spreading through the city's premises. My plan to capture the world entered its main phase, where I only needed to provide overall leadership.
The capture of the demon city, though not bloodless, generally proceeded according to plan. The number of rooms and corridors was so enormous that we did not manage to clear them all before Rabator died and the oath of allegiance to him ceased to function. But the positive aspect was that we still prevented any witnesses from escaping, so no one outside learned of the change in power.
Over the next few months, we sent demons subdued by mental magic to recruit 'volunteers' and bring them to the city to swear allegiance. Naturally, all arrivals were stripped of their souls, and some of their bodies began to be remotely controlled by spiders, creating the appearance of normal events. The problem of demon auras was easily solved. It was a bodily aura, so 'zombified' demons looked no different from ordinary ones.
While the spiders stockpiled valuable resources in the form of demon souls, I studied their books on magic. Rabator had a decent library containing many works by mages of various races. The chief demon also possessed the souls of powerful mages, whom I put to work as consultants on the material I was studying.
I tried to find any mention of chakra but instead stumbled upon a slightly different phenomenon. In the Naruto world, it was called Ki. From the perspective of an ordinary observer, it was simply the projection of negative emotions. But in reality, it was a special substance that could be called sacrifice energy or worship energy. Perhaps on Earth, this energy was called Bahion.
Powerful demons could absorb this energy and use it to empower themselves. And since this energy first had to come from somewhere and then be accumulated in sufficient quantity, demons created their own domains – isolated areas of space where Bahion accumulated for millennia until its density reached the required level. The source of this energy was the suffering of enslaved souls, as well as the suffering of the demons themselves.
And here another interesting thing was revealed. That chakra tail that Kurama gave me was created using Bahion. Moreover, I found a ritual describing the process of creating such energy centers attached to a soul. The essence was that you could take the souls of powerful demons, cleanse them of personality and memory, and then turn them into a kind of energy node capable of remembering and then reproducing almost any type of energy.
That is, once upon a time, a fox demon encountered chakra, appreciated its advantages, used Bahion to create nine energy centers for itself, and tuned them all to reproduce chakra. Thus, an ordinary demon devoid of magical energy became a 'chakra beast,' later called the Nine-Tails.
I also became eager to create such centers for myself. Especially since I had many demon souls at hand and a whole world filled with Bahion. But unlike Kurama, I planned to tune each tail to its own type of energy. After all, chakra and magic were quite different, and where one faced difficulties, the other easily overcame them. Moreover, I could leave my future 'tails' in a dormant state and activate them only when I encountered a suitable energy.
Incidentally, the magic of demons and other races differed greatly from spider magic, although both were based on the same type of energy. Our magic was an exact mathematical science. There was no room for guesswork. There were spell schematics, rules for manipulating and transforming energy, and so on. Demons, however, primarily focused on their innate abilities. That is, the 'spells' embedded in their bodies. They could also replicate a spell read from the memories of a mage's soul, but they did not understand how that spell worked or why it worked at all.
A third group conditionally belonged to 'human' magic. Spells here were created through emotions, faith, and magical egregores. For example, all forest elves believed that a certain combination of thoughts, emotions, and energies led to accelerated plant growth. And it did. But the exact mechanism of this effect was unknown to them. A hundred generations of ancestors used this spell, so you use it too. That was the main argument of magic teachers. Such an approach did not appeal to me, so I studied this direction only for general development – to have an understanding of what I might encounter in the future.
I finally moved to the demon world, fully immersing myself in the process of developing a ritual to acquire eight additional 'tails.' I decided not to be greedy and limit myself to nine tails, like Kurama. I suspect this limitation existed for a reason. There was very little information on this topic in the books, so I had to deduce much myself.
The 'Ritual of Acquiring Tails' turned out to be very complex. The books on Bahion were more theoretical works, so I had to conduct many experiments and essentially become a kind of professor, the head of an entire Institute of Higher Magic. To accomplish the impossible for an ordinary mortal, I used chakra, spider magic, and sacrifice magic in the ritual, especially since demons as sacrifices were no worse than spiders or elves. I personally verified this.
To be honest, this plan had become something of my 'Idée Fixe.' Day and night I sat, studying magic, artifice, rituals, and even sacred writings and philosophical treatises. Somewhere in my subconscious, I understood that my time was running out, so I strove toward the goal more and more intensely.
Much of my plan had to be simplified. Some things I did based not on understanding but on the results of field experiments. Elsewhere, in a burst of creativity, I created an incredible fusion of magic and technology. But at one fine moment, I realized – this was it! The entire ritual fully formed in my perfect spider mind, and I realized that I was only one step away from fulfilling my dream.
After that came three months of chaotic preparations, involving, one way or another, all the inhabitants of my world. Now all the resources of spider civilization were concentrated on fulfilling my desire. For I was their ancestor, the source of all their knowledge, the one who gave them the dream of reaching the stars and gave meaning to their existence by bequeathing them to spread the plague of life throughout the Universe. Millions of spiders built the Sacred Ziggurat, traced the patterns of the ritual circle, laid spells, and prepared sacrifices.
And then, the moment of my triumph arrived. The eight most powerful of my captured demons took their places in the sacrifice circles, and I positioned myself in the center of a huge three-dimensional structure resembling a stepped pyramid. Strangely enough, the basic principles of the ziggurat's design were copied by me from the demon city. Apparently, they were building a temple there for the exaltation of their archdemon. But the fruits of this domain's development were destined to be used by me.
I planned to form eight 'energy tails,' using all the Bahion reserves in the domain. After that, one of the tails would be tuned to spider magic, for which over a hundred thousand of my descendants would maintain the ritual with their energy. And most importantly, I intended to embed all my knowledge of magic into the structure of this core. Even if I died and lost my memory, all the necessary knowledge and skills would resurface in my mind, followed by the activation of the mechanism for recovering memories of past lives.
Finally, all preparations were complete, and the ritual began. The most powerful flows of magical energy and chakra set Bahion in motion, which began to concentrate inside the ziggurat and flow into me, simultaneously undergoing the necessary transformations. Time passed, and the ritual continued. Minutes turned into hours, and hours into days. All the while, I sat in a trance, controlling the process of my ascension. The demons were killed, their souls purified, transformed, and grafted onto my spiritual body. Divine energy flowed into me, healing the spiritual wounds inflicted during the ritual, filling me with divine will, and transforming the once-independent demon souls into parts of me.
To a significant extent, this ritual was an attempt to create a god. A god from the machine, whose sole purpose of existence was my ascension. And now this entity was recreating me, giving my essence new qualities. And so, the ritual entered its final phase. The last in order, but not in importance, was the masking.
Perhaps it was naive of me, but I did not want higher-order beings to notice the changes in me. I planned to hide the large behind the small. To conceal the presence of the embryos of seven tails, while displaying two fully formed ones. Veils of secrecy and divine shrouds hid the core of my soul behind false images and reflections. This part of the ritual was one hundred percent my own invention, albeit based on the scientific works of others. It was risky, but my research and experiments showed that this ritual should have no negative consequences for me.
After seven days and nights, the ritual successfully concluded. I rose to my feet, stretched all four arms, and carefully scanned myself in various ranges. I had succeeded! Elation filled me. From now on, I was not just a human or a spider. I was a higher being, capable of defeating even death itself. Now I only needed to get used to my new abilities, and then I could think about what to do next.
And then, the heavens split open, and wrathful angels trumpeted, announcing the coming of the gods. The shield surrounding the domain burst, and all the atmosphere began to escape into space. The magical underpinning of the world shuddered, and a passage tore open within it with a wild grinding noise, from which emerged a being of incredible power. From the descriptions, I recognized the archdemon who had created this world thousands of years ago.
'Who dared to destroy my domain?' came an angry cry.
The mental power of this being was such that spiders lost consciousness merely from sensing its presence. Only the most experienced managed to erect mental shields, allowing them to maintain clarity of mind. The stream of anger, hatred, and desire for death emanating from the archdemon made every living being on the planet tremble. I was not exempt from this. Fortunately, my disguise made me indistinguishable from all the other spiders, so I darted aside and mingled with the crowd of my kin.
'I will destroy you!' The archdemon's voice reached such force that thousands upon thousands of my descendants died in that very instant. Even I sustained damage, unable to cope with the storm of wild magic. I had gained a source of magical energy, but my control over it remained at the level of an ordinary spider.
And then, as if only waiting for this moment, the heavens split open again, and I felt the arrival in this world of the Being, as well as several other similar beings. Or rather… knowing that pest, one could be sure that he had indeed been waiting for this moment.
'An attack by a player on an opponent's piece has been recorded,' announced a stern and indifferent voice. In a way I did not understand, I was pulled out of my familiar layer of reality. The figures of gods, beings, archdemons, or whatever they were, became more clearly apparent in my mind.
'What? This cannot be!' The anger in the archdemon's words sharply turned to panic. 'An ordinary mortal could not have done this.'
'Nevertheless, the court has determined that the destruction of the domain was a consequence of performing a ritual of acquiring power. The lack of Bahion in the internal circuit led to destabilization of the domain's shell, which collapsed due to negligent adherence to the instructions during its creation,' the voice continued its indifferent broadcast. 'The player Archdemon caused the destruction of the game domain, but in a fit of anger attacked another player's piece and inflicted irreparable damage upon it.'
I did not consider my wounds irreparable, but I naturally did not declare this. Those fellows might well tear off something vital just to make their words match the deed. The overwhelming gazes of the beings converged on me and scanned me in all available ranges. To my relief, after a second, they lost all interest in me. Or rather, all except the Entity lost interest.
'I claim his soul. This game can in any case be considered concluded.'
'Confirmed.'
With that, the divine visions released me, and I plunged back into darkness. But this time, I was already aware of my own existence. I was no longer just a soul but a partially spiritual being. It is hard to say how long I hung there in the void, but after some time, I heard the Being voice.
'You have delighted me again. I thought you would simply die in that world, crushed by fate and circumstances, but you not only survived. You destroyed another player's piece, defeated his army, and then set up that idiot Archdemon, forcing him to pay me a considerable compensation. You are also entitled to compensation from the Judge. Soon he will offer you a choice of a special game ability. I advise you to think carefully before deciding.'
'What kind of game is this? I don't even know the rules,' I protested.
'You could have figured it out yourself,' the Entity exclaimed displeased. 'We prepare the game board, set up the pieces, and then watch you live. Or not watch, as was the case this time. In most cases, the pieces are required to destroy all opponent pieces. If there are other victory conditions or special rules, the pieces are notified of them.' Aha, but he didn't say a word to me about the restriction on using thermonuclear weapons in the Naruto world. 'Game scenarios vary, but I intend to place you where the scenario is more or less familiar to you. Or where your life experience might be useful. A small manipulation on my part, but within the rules. If you are killed, you are out of the game and will receive punishment from me depending on the degree of your stupidity and dullness. Well, that's about it. Think. And don't you dare bother me with your questions. I've told you everything I wanted.'
What an employer I ended up with. If it's about a game ability, then clearly I can ask for not just some spell, but something related to the game itself. What threatens me the most? Of course, death. All other problems can be solved one way or another by my own efforts.
No sooner had I come to this conclusion than a source of dazzling radiance appeared before me and spoke in an indifferent voice.
'As compensation for the player's attack, you are granted the opportunity to receive one game ability. What is your choice?'
'I want the ability to resurrect after death so that this death is not counted as my defeat in the game.'
'Again with these cheating requests,' the indifferent voice sounded slightly annoyed. 'Very well. To resurrect after death under relatively safe circumstances, you will need to spend one Righteous Judgment Point. To earn points, you will need to sacrifice one of the pieces to the Game Judge. To do this, simply kill a piece and, within five minutes, say the phrase "I sacrifice this piece to the Judge." In this case, your player receives no bonuses from such a kill.'
Heh, it seems I've stumbled upon a way to deny the Being any profit from using me. Fine, I'll think about that later.
'Thank you,' I replied to the Judge. Apparently, it was to him I would be making sacrifices. And he's also a cunning one. Surely these deaths in his name serve some purpose. However, my business is small. Just kill everyone in sight. If only I knew how to distinguish a player's piece from an ordinary mortal.
I thought I heard a snicker from the Judge, then the radiance faded, leaving me hanging in the darkness.
'So, how did it go?' the Being appeared again.
'Great,' I said sourly.
The answer was a suspicious silence. A very, very long silence, filled with suspicion and doubt.
'Fine, if no one knows what your ability is, it will be much harder to counter it,' the Entity finally spoke. 'Well, since you're so smart, cunning, and lucky, I should entrust you with something non-trivial. I have a certain game in mind.'
The darkness blinked, and I lost consciousness again, despite all my improved spiritual characteristics.