Chapter 281
Chris was silent for a moment.
Their eyes met, and the moment he saw Kashmir's desperate sincerity, he nodded his head.
[Very well. However, there is a condition. Dedicate your soul to me.]
Suddenly asking him to dedicate his soul?
It was an incomprehensible request, but Kashmir nodded without hesitation.
[Understood. I will dedicate my soul to you.]
[...Aren't you accepting this a little too easily?]
[I know that you would never make a suggestion that would bring me harm.]
Kashmir spoke with a faint smile.
[And even if that weren't the case, I would willingly accept it if it is your will, Your Grace. My life is already as good as yours, after all.]
That was right.
Kashmir had long ago sworn to dedicate his everything to Chris.
All to repay the grace he had received from him until now.
‘…I only helped him with the thought of using him as a sucker.’
Chris looked dumbfounded at Kashmir's blind loyalty.
In any case, there was a reason he had suddenly asked for his soul.
[I shall accept your soul.]
Fwaaat!
The majestic light of darkness that had been seen before now shimmered from Chris.
It was the light that symbolized Chris’s rank transcending that of a mortal to become an ‘Elder’.
[You shall become my vassal and receive a share of my authority.]
That was it.
Chris could now create true vassals in the genuine sense of the word, not just by subjugating opponents with dark magic.
Just as a devil or a Constellation would.
The meaning of his words was this:
He had become capable of bestowing a ‘blessing’.
[Th-this is?]
Kashmir’s eyes trembled.
The world had suddenly begun to feel different.
It wasn't that his perception had changed.
Rather, even when feeling the same sensations, the process of receiving, interpreting, and internalizing them felt completely different.
In other words, his power of understanding had taken a massive leap.
[I have shared a portion of my talent with you.]
[!!]
This was the blessing Chris bestowed.
‘The blessings granted by Constellations or devils project their specialty onto their vassals, after all.’
For example, Evan had received the blessing of the Sword Star from the Constellation of the Sword Star.
The characteristic that symbolized Chris was, without a doubt, his talent.
It was possible for him to transfer a portion of his talent to those he took as his vassals.
‘Of course, my soul-level is not yet high among the Transcendent Beings, so I can only share a portion of it for a short period of time.’
The great ranks of the 3rd and 4th Realms could bestow permanent blessings, but the ranks below them could not.
The duration for which the blessing could be maintained was limited, and this was even more so for Chris, who had only just obtained the level of a Transcendent Being.
It was only for a brief moment.
But that alone was more than enough.
Swoosh.
The shadow of Chris’s soul was projected onto Kashmir, and Kashmir’s power of understanding became explosively sharp.
‘This is the world that Grand Duke Christian sees.’
Kashmir shuddered.
Like an ant climbing onto a giant’s shoulder, his perspective for accepting enlightenment had expanded to a degree incomparable to before.
[It won't last long. Follow my words closely and guide the energy of the Flame of Ruin.]
Chris gave him specific instructions.
Normally, it would have been an impossible attempt.
But surprisingly, Kashmir succeeded in each and every attempt, as if he had truly become Christian.
No, it wasn't just because of the blessing.
‘I will definitely become Grand Duke Christian’s strength!’
It was the result of Kashmir's will, combined with,
‘I will definitely make Lord Kashmir into the best sucker!’
Christian’s will.
And so, time passed.
***
“What do you think will happen?”
The magi of the Destruction Demonic House were waiting for the results outside the crater.
To be honest, almost no one believed that Christian would actually perform a miracle.
‘We’re grateful that he stepped up for our house, but…’
The animosity the members of the Destruction Demonic House felt toward Christian had largely faded.
No matter what, he was risking his life and facing danger for their sake.
‘Maybe he’s not such a bad guy.’
There was another decisive reason they had come to think this way.
It was thanks to Alros.
After Alros changed his appearance to look like Chris and diligently helped evacuate the common people, everyone had a reason to see Chris in a new light.
-Why do I have to suffer to death!! And that bastard Christian gets all the thanks!! You rotten bastard!! I’m the one who actually did everything!!
It was a secret that Alros, having returned to his original form, had gone deep into the mountains behind them and screamed this in desperation.
In any case, the members of the Destruction Demonic House wore pitiful expressions.
‘No matter what, he’ll probably meet a futile death.’
‘There’s no way even that insufferable bastard could possibly control the Flame of Ruin.’
The senior members of the Destruction Demonic House had already deemed Christian a failure and were contemplating their next steps.
But then, an explosive roar suddenly erupted from the Flame of Ruin.
It was the tremor caused by the Fallen Ruin being struck by Andril.
“Is the Flame of Ruin erupting?!”
“As expected, he failed…!”
But only a moment passed.
Slowly, the energy of the Flame of Ruin began to stabilize.
“No way?”
“Grand Duke Christian?”
Everyone wore expressions of disbelief.
The energy of the Flame of Ruin, which had begun to settle, eventually became completely calm.
He had truly succeeded in pacifying the Flame of Ruin!
The magi of the Destruction Demonic House looked at one another for a moment, then burst into cheers.
“Waaaaaaaaah!!!”
“All hail Grand Duke Christian!!!!”
It was a cry of overwhelming joy.
They may have been prepared for death, but who could truly be detached from it?
The joy of having survived mixed with a feeling of gratitude toward Christian, and everyone roared with passionate cheers.
But there was a problem.
“Where is Grand Duke Christian?”
“Why isn’t he coming out?”
A long time had passed since he should have emerged, but there was no news.
“No way. Could he have been swept away by the Flame of Ruin and met his end?”
It was just as everyone was murmuring amongst themselves.
Thud.
A presence was felt.
It was Christian!
“!!”
In an instant, the area fell silent.
They saw Christian, but he was exuding a completely different kind of pressure than before.
Of course, Christian had always possessed a graceful and noble dignity.
But this was on another level.
It felt as if the shadow of a being of a different class was being cast over them.
Though none of them were consciously aware of it, it was Spiritual Pressure.
‘Lord Kashmir, too? Something about him has changed.’
For reference, Kashmir had absorbed an amount of the Flame of Ruin equivalent to 90 percent of its original quantity, the same amount as the Demon King of Red Heaven from the past.
“I have returned.”
Chris said with a shrug of his shoulders.
It was a simple gesture, similar to what he usually did, but unlike before, it conveyed an intense weight.
As everyone swallowed hard, Chris opened his mouth.
“As promised, I have calmed the Flame of Ruin. Now it is the Destruction Demonic House’s turn to keep its promise.”
In that moment, everyone's gaze turned toward Grand Duke Vessian.
The condition Chris had set.
It was for them to properly kneel to the Dark Demonic House.
‘How will His Grace the Grand Duke react?’
‘He won’t be willing to bow his head so easily.’
In truth, the majority of the Destruction Demonic House’s magi no longer opposed standing under the banner of the Dark Demonic House.
They had received a grace worthy of it.
However, not everyone felt this way.
It was impossible that there weren't still those, bristling with pride, who would refuse to acknowledge standing under the banner of the Dark Demonic House.
Especially Grand Duke Vessian.
It was a question how he would react.
Given his stubborn personality, there was no way he would obediently bow his head.
But then, the unbelievable happened.
Grand Duke Vessian’s lips twitched, and he knelt on one knee before Chris!
“No, Your Grace the Grand Duke?!”
Everyone cried out in astonishment.
It was an action that was unimaginable given Grand Duke Vessian’s usual personality.
And it didn't end there.
“I will follow your words… We of the Destruction Demonic House pledge to stand under the banner of the Dark Demonic House from this day forward.”
“!!”
The magi of the Destruction Demonic House wore dazed expressions.
To think that the great Grand Duke Vessian would show such an attitude?
Belatedly, Grand Duke Vessian himself flinched.
Flush. His face turned red, and he stood up in a fluster.
‘Why did I do that?!’
He couldn't understand his own actions.
He had simply looked at Christian and felt as if he ought to show such an attitude.
It was as if he had been bewitched by something.
‘Did he use the Art of Bewitchment on me?’
But it didn't feel like that.
No, in the first place, casting a bewitchment on him, a great high 8-Star dark magus, was impossible.
Grand Duke Vessian wasn't the only one experiencing confusion.
“Duke Huam, please act as the guarantor for the pledge the Destruction Demonic House has just made.”
“I will… sir.”
Duke Huam, who had almost inadvertently used the highest form of respect, flinched.
He had subconsciously tried to show deference, as if he were facing a being of a much higher order.
Of course, this was due to the Spiritual Pressure that Christian was exuding.
And there was another reason.
‘It’s the effect of my new miraculous ability.’
Myriad Demons' Submission.
It was the miraculous ability Chris had obtained upon reaching 7-Star in his Dark Demonic Arts.
Meaning “all demons bow their heads,” it was an ability with the effect of dominating the opponent.
It was an incredible notion.
Usually, miraculous abilities were limited to interfering with physical or dark magic principles, but an ability that dominated the opponent themselves?
‘The trait of dominance inherent in Dark Demonic Energy and the characteristics of my microcosm combined to create such an ability.’
Chris had obtained the level of a Transcendent Being by establishing his own existence as one of Supreme Self-Existence.
Supreme Self-Existence meant placing oneself above all others.
Therefore, his microcosm also harbored the characteristic of placing all others beneath his feet.
‘I spread it out subtly, mixed with my Spiritual Pressure, so they wouldn't have noticed. It acts on the opponent's very existence, so its nature is different from other miraculous abilities.’
Of course, this wasn't invincible either.
Naturally, there were several restrictions.
‘It has its limits against those of a higher level than me. And if I use it excessively, the opponent’s soul could rebel.’
What he had attempted on Grand Duke Vessian just now was to momentarily instill within him a feeling of extreme reverence.
It had worked well because Vessian was already secretly harboring admiration for Chris in his heart for having saved the Destruction Demonic House; otherwise, it would have been difficult to affect a high 8-Star magus like him so easily.
‘I will be able to shed these restrictions as my level rises.’
In other words, the higher his level rose, the more powerful his dominion would become.
It was an ability that could cause catastrophic results depending on how it was used.
‘Moreover, this isn't an ability that ends with simply controlling an opponent according to my will.’
There was a more fatal effect.
‘I will be using it soon enough.’
Stopping his thoughts, Chris turned his gaze.
Everyone from the Destruction Demonic House was looking at him.
It was as if their gazes were firmly held in place by his overwhelming presence.
Chris raised the corners of his mouth into a smirk.
“I will issue the first command in the name of the Dark Alliance.”
A command for the Destruction Demonic House.
It was a statement that would have been unimaginable before.
But no one present objected.
“Everyone, prepare for battle.”
“!!”
“The target is the head of the Demon King of Azure Flow.”
The hall fell into a chilling silence.
But Chris did not stop.
A heavy declaration fell upon them.
“This Dark Alliance will make the Demon King of Azure Flow pay the price for the sins she has committed against us until now.”