I Picked up the Demon King - Chapter 120

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 120

 

Lying on the bed, I hummed while examining my inner self.

 

Another soul, which could be said to be like my own, screams. The process of recalling forgotten memories, memories that humans had forcibly made it forget. It was hard to call it beautiful.

 

No. Perhaps it was as cruel as the Abyss of the Demon Realm. Human greed is always astonishing.

 

“But… Tsk.”

 

No matter how much it’s just a fragment, for a soul that has obtained divinity to be so weak.

 

It could be said to be insufficient for walking the path of a Hero who kills their ego and abandons their humanity. Though it deviated slightly from the original plan, it turned out to be a better path instead.

 

“Now what shall I do.”

 

I gained control faster than expected.

 

Since there’s nothing that requires great effort right now, I should be able to maintain this state for a long time.

 

Taking over the body was always possible from the beginning. From the moment I escaped the influence of the Soul Contract, there was only one thing that could bind the King.

 

Causality.

 

Sufficient causality has not yet formed for complete manifestation. If it’s not complete, it’s worse than not doing it at all, so I’ll have to return it to that pitiful thing someday, but…

 

“It’s troubling.”

 

When to set that time. I was savoring dozens of situations that came to mind one by one.

 

Knock knock.

 

I heard the sound of knocking on the door. I didn’t answer, but the lock turned and opened by itself.

 

“What is this, how rude.”

 

Beyond stood a tall Old Witch.

 

“Do humans not have the concept of private space?”

 

“The Tower Master is looking for you.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

Considering the crime of daring to invade my space, it would be fine to throw her as food for maggots. But I cannot waste precious causality on such trivial matters.

 

“Tell them to come in person.”

 

“….”

 

The Old Witch stared at my face for a moment, then closed the door.

 

Immediately after.

 

The surrounding scenery changed.

 

The dark, damp brick room transformed into an office lit with several candles. The old bed I had been lying on became a soft carpet.

 

Where the wooden door had been, a red-haired Mage appeared.

 

“Hello?”

 

The Mage smiled and waved her hand.

 

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen a demon. I thought they were all eliminated. Could you be the Demon Lord mentioned in the Divine Oracle?”

 

Ignoring the Mage’s reaction, I looked around. Spatial Movement accomplished without any warning signs. No matter how excellent one’s Magic Ability, this isn’t something that can be done easily. There’s only one way this is possible.

 

“Did you make the entire Black Tower into a Sanctuary?”

 

“Correct.”

 

“I knew you were arrogant, but this exceeds my expectations.”

 

I got up and touched the candlestick floating nearby. Deification followed by Sanctuary. Quite serious indeed.

 

Of course, Divinity isn’t so easy to obtain just by doing this.

 

This Sanctuary is merely one result achieved by reaching the Pinnacle of Magic. It’s not much different from when that foolish Elf King made the entire Great Forest his domain. However….

 

“Now. I’ll make a proposal to the demon who voluntarily stepped into my domain. Please don’t refuse. You know Dark Mages are sensitive about territory, right?”

 

“Go ahead and babble. You’ve earned the right to entertain me.”

 

“Let’s make a Contract.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

The Black Magic Tower Master, Kaela Rowan, curled up her reddened lips and said.

 

“Won’t you make me into a God?”

 

A moment of silence. I tilted my head and thought.

 

The pinnacle of Magic who defeated the Demon Lord as the Hero’s companion. Her accumulated achievements and status are more than sufficient—they overflow. What’s lacking is just a drop of Divinity. If that alone were fulfilled, she’s an existence capable of reaching godhood.

 

“I refuse.”

 

“….”

 

“But, well.”

 

I pulled the candlestick in front of me closer and blew on it.

 

The flame that had been flickering briefly died out. As the sanctuary collapsed, the surrounding scenery changed. Before I knew it, I was back on the bed in the old room.

 

“If you keep showing me interesting sights, who knows. I’m quite fickle, you see.”

 

As I lay back down on the bed and was about to hum a tune, something touched near my elbow.

 

“Heh, cunning thing.”

 

The magic book that someone had taken was there.

 

* * *

 

“Come in.”

 

When I opened the door at the voice coming from inside the office, I saw Kaela Rowan sitting on the desk, lost in thought.

 

“I didn’t think he would accept from the beginning. Ha, something interesting has entered the tower.”

 

She looked quite pleased. The old witch, feeling strong doubt, asked.

 

“What did you see in that child that made you call for him?”

 

“You didn’t feel it?”

 

“What are you talking about…?”

 

“Never mind. If you don’t know, that’s fine.”

 

The wrinkles on the old witch’s face deepened.

 

He was certainly an unusual child. Since he came accompanied by the rumored Dark Elf, he might be royalty from somewhere in the Southern Region.

 

However, that wasn’t important enough reason for the Tower Master who had returned after so long to seek him out first.

 

“He’s an arrogant child. Shall I throw him out?”

 

“You? Well. Even I couldn’t beat him.”

 

“What do you mean…?”

 

The old witch laughed as if it were absurd.

 

Last year. Although she had been defeated by Kaela Rowan who suddenly invaded, surrendered her dungeon, and became her subordinate, she was an old witch who had made quite a name for herself as a Dark Mage.

 

For a Dark Mage to make a name and still survive was proof of strength. She had even formed six circles, achieving incomparable improvement in skill compared to before.

 

Even if talent was visible, it was unimaginable to be pushed back by a brat who had just barely formed one circle.

 

“Just barely one circle…”

 

The Black Tower Master, who had been trailing off as if recalling something, burst into laughter.

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

“Well, never mind. Let’s end this conversation here.”

 

“….”

 

The old witch had much she wanted to say, but she bowed her head. Though the tone was light, she couldn’t handle what would come if she disobeyed the Tower Master’s words.

 

“Did your business go well?”

 

“Hmm, well. Recreating it without the heart was probably too much after all. There are no satisfactory results yet. Since it succeeded once before, it’s not impossible though.”

 

The old witch trembled.

 

She had a history of resurrecting a dragon and attacking the Empire. The plan to mass-produce Dragon Clan in collaboration with other Magic Towers was thrilling itself, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

 

But why was it? She had a feeling that Kaela Rowan would somehow manage to pull it off.

 

“How is the search for other High-ranking Dark Mages going?”

 

“Eight now. Two remain. The organization you connected us with… the Dawn Order’s intelligence network is quite useful.”

 

“What about the recruitment results?”

 

“Three have expressed their intention to join.”

 

The Black Tower Master frowned her delicate brow.

 

“Three out of eight. That’s a bit disappointing.”

 

As the old witch bowed her head apologetically, she clicked her tongue and said.

 

“It can’t be helped. Leak information about the remaining ones to the Hero.”

 

“To the Hero, you say?”

 

“Yes.”

 

To the old witch who asked back as if she couldn’t understand, she answered in a bright voice.

 

“He’s in the middle of growing, isn’t he? They’ll make good nourishment.”

 

“….”

 

The Old Witch found it difficult to understand.

 

The Black Tower Master had subdued her with outstanding magic ability and knowledge, but it was always hard to guess what she was thinking. However, she had never been as strange as today.

 

Not only leaving that arrogant brat alone, but giving other Dark Mages as sacrifices to the Hero.

 

“Curious?”

 

“…Honestly, yes.”

 

“The sky is closing.”

 

Kaela Rowan, who had been fidgeting with her feet while trimming her nails, spoke with a serious expression. The same words she had said when she first declared she would build the Black Magic Tower in this place.

 

However, to the Old Witch, it sounded like grasping at clouds.

 

The sky is closing.

 

For Dark Mages like her, the phrase “the sky is closing” meant one thing. The door connecting the Heavenly Realm where the Goddess resides and the Middle Realm was gradually closing. The Priests would gradually lose their power. For a Dark Mage, this couldn’t be better, but what did that matter in this situation?

 

“A Hero recognized by the Holy Sword carries a weak Divine Seed.”

 

That was information known only to a very small number of humans on the continent.

 

“The Goddess gives the Hero a small seed, and the entire world helps nurture that seed. Until they can defeat the Demon Lord.”

 

There are no gods in the Middle Realm.

 

They all died long ago. Even the remaining fragments were sealed, losing their power and scattering. Therefore, the power that should go to the gods gathers to nurture the Hero’s divinity. To repel external threats, to protect itself. Sometimes it seems as if the world itself has a will.

 

The Hero defeating the Demon Lord shouldn’t be thought of as a fight between the Hero as an individual and the Demon Lord.

 

It’s a battle between the Middle Realm and the Demon Realm. The Hero’s victory over the Demon Lord is because the Goddess added power to the Middle Realm. But she doesn’t help without any reason.

 

“The moment the Hero defeats the Demon Lord, the fully grown divinity returns to the Goddess. The Hero, having served their purpose, is left as nothing but an empty shell. But….”

 

The divinity nurtured by the Middle Realm becomes food for the Goddess. To the Goddess, the Middle Realm is the finest soil and breeding ground.

 

“What do you think will happen if the Hero defeats the Demon Lord after the sky completely closes?”

 

The Goddess will try to reclaim the Hero’s divinity. However, with the door that the divinity should travel through closed, there’s no way to retrieve it.

 

“Where do you think the well-grown divinity that the Hero carries will go?”

 

Kaela Rowan ran her tongue across her red lips.

 

“Perhaps a new god might be born. A new god, independent from the Goddess.”

 

“But….”

 

The Old Witch, who had been watching her for a moment, asked hesitantly.

 

“Hasn’t the existence of divinity already been confirmed?”

 

The life force overflowing across the continent had changed the ecosystem. The suddenly surging mana had enabled humans to surpass their limits.

 

Few were those who harbored no doubt about this miracle. They sought to find the reason for the change, and soon that reason spread by word of mouth.

 

The World Tree. And the Dragon.

 

The resurrection of mythical creatures. And the manifestation of divinity. These phenomena alone had triggered such changes. If what they sought was divinity, these were things they could obtain right now.

 

“No, that won’t work.”

 

But Kaella shook her head firmly.

 

“Because they are things that have been defeated once before.”

 

What happens once is likely to happen again. The reason why magic as a discipline becomes established over time, and why one can hone their power through training. The same thing occurs in the realm of divinity.

 

No, it could be seen as even stronger.

 

“What I need…. No, what we need is a completely new god.”

 

Those things that were already defeated in war long ago, in the Mythical Age, cannot defeat the Goddess. That was what she was saying.

 

Perhaps what Kaela Rowan desired was war with the Goddess. Perhaps she intended to become a guardian protecting the continent from invasion by another world.

 

Having thought that far, the Old Witch trembled for a moment.

 

Divinity had brought tremendous change through its mere existence. Then, what kind of change would the birth of a new god bring to the continent?

 

The Old Witch, feeling dizzy just from the thought, quietly prostrated herself.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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