Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

As the elves hesitated, he outstretched his palm.

"Am I not offering you what you've longed for? After three thousand years of decline, freedom knocks at your door. You just have to open it and accept change." His eyes narrowed into slits. "You'll keep your status in my city, and I'll make your dream of defeating Oikos a reality."

The old noble sighed, Adam's earlier threat still ringing in his ears.

"You're not giving us many options, sir dragon... I don't want our culture to disappear." He shook his head, his lips twisting.

Before he could continue, Adam raised his palm and cut him off.

"We're wasting time." He walked to the northern destroyed walls, a step away from leaving. "Follow me and judge for yourselves. Bart will answer your questions on the way."

However, he stopped the next second and scratched his cheek.

"Your pale citizens greeted us fearlessly. Why?"

He saw them shift and avoid his eyes as the question hung heavy in the ruined room.

Hushed whispers filled the place as Vaelion took determined steps forward.

"First, know that I dislike you. Second, Elaris and the elven council have collected their blood for some experiments I'm not privy to." He smirked at the aged noble who had done his best to look good. "We're all dying to know what you've been doing to them in the past month."

Icy sweat trickled down the nobles' pale faces, their legs turning to jelly as an invisible pressure enveloped them.

But Adam's intense gaze, they couldn't ignore it. Reluctantly, the youngest one narrated Elaris' plan to overthrow Oikos.

"Our birthrate is significantly lower than that of humans. With only five thousand soldiers and thirty thousand citizens, we have no chance against them. Therefore, Elaris, this bastard, forced his plan on us: to bolster our military might with our regular citizens by..." He bit his twisted lips in horror. "Transforming them into living weapons."

A guilty silence engulfed the room as everyone lowered their conflicted faces in shame.

Yet, the noble continued. The truth had to get out, not to answer Adam, but to free himself from the guilt devouring him inside out.

"We killed any notion of fear in their minds. Our brothers and sisters..." He dropped to his knees, pointing at the aged noble. "He modified their blood with some demonic teachings. Vampires. That's what Elaris called the abominations he tried to create. I-I can't live with this anymore. Please, punish this sinner who speaks about culture when he has been destroying it himself!"

Adam's eyes widened, a sense of horror clawing at his heart before anger veiled his vision red.

"Their paleness is the mark of your abuses." He snapped his fingers at the aged elf, his voice a scalding sentence. "You like to play with citizens instead of offering them peaceful lives? Let me play with you."

SNAPn/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

A blazing circle formed under the trembling, aged elf. Before he could defend himself, dark flames shot up. They engulfed his face, melting his skin as he wailed in agony and tried to douse them with his mana-infused hands.

"Argh. Mercy! I submit. I'll turn them back to normal!"

However, Adam's eyes remained firm, his flames continuing to devour the noble's face.

As a disgusting scent engulfed the dusty room, he snapped his fingers again.

"You're lucky you didn't meet Ifrit. As for returning them to normal? My mage will do it."

BOOM

The circle exploded upwards, creating an infernal pillar that reduced the elf into drifting ash in the blink of an eye.

Then, he shrugged, forgetting about this odious noble's existence as he turned to the shuddering others.

"You'll share his fate if you dare touch any citizen. Now, follow." He stepped toward the crumbled wall, his last words lingering. "I won't repeat myself."

Accompanied by Bart and a frown creasing his brows, he walked to the city walls and ignored the happy citizens who hadn't noticed the castle's state.

"I feel so different." He sensed his demonic essence flow. "No, the chaotic part is equal to the demonic now, and I can instinctively wield it. That's how I used this blazing circle."

He closed an eye, hearing his instincts whisper new spells. It was almost as if Tiamat had injected knowledge into his brain again. But had she done so in the first place, or had she just awakened his instincts enough to let him see two techniques?

He shrugged and focused on his left forearm, a bitter taste filling his mouth despite the excellent news.

"Tsk. I hoped it would regrow. Guess I'll remain handless for a little longer."

As he walked toward the walls, the elves following him despite their trembling legs, the forest rumbled with Merlin's delighted laughter.

"Hahaha. I can't believe he ate Muninn. But it's great! He got the first piece, and we're forging the blade. Only one is missing." His narrowed eyes pierced through space, landing on a hulking figure. "There you are, big boy. I'm dying to see Zeus' scheming face crumble."

Just imagining it sent shivers down his back. "You should have continued throwing lightning bolts instead of using your lacking brain, fool!"

Then, he shook his head and observed the Jotuns' gigantic hands carrying bulging bags through his portal. Precious magical metals and other resources filled the forest with clicking noises—ones that reached Adam's approaching figure.

Excited by the sound, he charged through the lush trees toward it. The wind whipped against his armor for a few minutes before he emerged in Merlin's clearing and grinned at the spectacle. But more important than the metals, he heard the ruffle of blueprints, meaning the aqueduct and other elven facilities were his to build!

"I'm rich!" He raised his fist triumphantly, urging Gyda and the other Jotuns. "Carry everything before the elves arrive. I'm not leaving them a crumb! Hahaha!"

"Spoken like a true greedy dragon." Merlin winked at him. "You can return first. I'll handle the elves and their... problem. I'll escort their population next." His eyes narrowed, and his voice turned somber. "You have three days to familiarise yourself with your powers. You don't have a second to spare."

Adam nodded as he walked to the portal with Bart. "The second event is around the corner. Help Ozymandias enchant the castle and walls while I prepare."