Chapter 387

"...What? Where did the encroachment phenomenon occur?"

Hearing the locations, Chris swallowed a groan.

'They're near the other gates! They've been up to something besides the Glass Lake!'

The Glass Lake was not the only gate on the continent.

But Chris did not understand.

'I didn't sense any signs of the Mystic Demonic House messing with the other gates. What's going on?'

Most of the gates were in places Chris could monitor.

Whether it was the Alliance or the Magus Empire, most places on the continent were now under Chris's influence.

Hadn't he asked those nearby to watch for any suspicious movements?

'And opening a gate isn't easy.'

As they had learned from the incident at the Glass Lake, it required a massive sacrifice.

"Were there any strange occurrences at the nearby ruins?"

"No, there were no such signs. Just the encroachment phenomenon."

As he frowned, unable to understand, a strange voice was heard.

"It is the work of the Mystic Demonic House."

"!!"

Everyone flinched.

A mysterious person in a robe had entered the room.

And not just one, but two.

"Who are you?"

Chris asked in a wary voice.

Even though Chris's energy was not at its peak right now, he had reached the level of a Demon King, yet they had entered the room without him sensing them.

They were no ordinary individuals.

"We have come on an errand for you, the Demon King of Dark Radiance. Please have the others leave."

"Reveal your identities first."

The two looked at each other for a moment.

Their faces could not be seen under their robes, but they were individuals of completely different builds.

One was slender and tall, and the other was short like a dwarf and wide.

"Very well."

The two removed their robes, and Chris flinched.

'A Dark Elf?'

The tall figure was a Dark Elf!

And that was not all.

The identity of the short figure was also surprising.

'A Dwarf.'

They were not beings one could see easily.

'Don't the Dark Elves and Dwarves rarely leave their base in the Northern Magus Nation?'

The Dark Elf Demonic House.

The Smithing Demonic House.

They were the houses of the Dark Elves and Dwarves.

They were so reclusive that they were rarely seen even in the Magus Empire.

'And they're not just ordinary Dark Elves and Dwarves.'

Chris observed the two.

They were suppressing their presence, but they could not fool Chris's eyes.

'Both of them are at the 8-Star level.'

In particular, the power of the tall male Dark Elf was astonishing.

'A level nearly approaching 9-Star.'

In other words, he was a super-powerhouse on the same level as the Vengeful Spirit and Drenne, whom he had fought not long ago at the Four Kings' Castle.

Chris realized their identities.

"What business do the Dark Elf King and the Dwarf King have with me?"

They were the heads of the Dark Elf Demonic House and the Smithing Demonic House!

The leaders of the two houses, shrouded in mystery even in the Magus Empire, had suddenly appeared.

"We have come to speak with the Demon King of Dark Radiance."

"You have something to say to me?"

"Yes, that is correct."

Chris let out a smirk.

"And not to play some trick on me?"

"!!"

"I know that you Dark Elves and Dwarves fell into the hands of the Mystic Demonic House long ago, so what kind of game are you trying to play?"

Swaaaaaa.

The presence extending from Chris pressed down on the two.

Their faces turned pale.

Though both were renowned super-powerhouses in the Magus Empire, they could not withstand the presence of Chris, who had become a perfect Demon King.

"Th-this is no trick, we have come to ask you to stop the Mystic Demonic House! The Mystic Demonic House is trying to commit a terrible act using us Dark Elves and Dwarves as a sacrifice!"

Chris crossed his arms.

"What do you mean? Speak precisely."

As the presence was withdrawn, the Dark Elf King and the Dwarf King let out sighs of relief.

"I will explain. First, let me introduce myself. I am the head of the Smithing Demonic House, who carries on the lineage of the Great Smith."

"I know. Skip the useless introductions and just explain."

Chris said coldly.

The reason he was showing such an attitude was that he could not trust the two.

'Both of them were on the side of the Mystic Demonic House during the Age of Ruin in my past life.'

However, it seemed worth hearing them out.

"Our Smithing Demonic House has been nothing more than slaves to the Mystic Demonic House for a long time now."

It was a fact he already knew.

The items the Mystic Demonic House used when performing rituals related to demons were all made by the Smithing Demonic House.

'The Smithing Demonic House is not just a house of blacksmiths, but the continent's best experts in crafting magical tools.'

For reference, the weapons and armor used by the fiends who had ravaged the Alliance during the Age of Ruin in his past life were also mostly made by the Smithing Demonic House.

"But recently, the bastards of the Mystic Demonic House have made a different demand of us."

"What is it?"

"The completion of a giant altar."

Chris's eyebrow twitched.

He had a guess.

"Don't tell me?"

"Yes, that's right. It is the altar that is causing the encroachment phenomenon that has been occurring across the continent recently."

Chris let out a groan.

'So they were up to something else besides the Glass Lake.'

No, it was not a separate scheme.

'Their intention must have been to have all the gates across the continent open in response once the Glass Lake, the starting point, was opened.'

It was only because Chris had blocked the gate at the Glass Lake that the situation had ended at this level.

"But if the bastards of the Mystic Demonic House were to pull something like this, they would need a sacrifice, wouldn't they? Where did they get the sacrifice?"

"...It is us, the Dark Elves."

The Dark Elf King stepped forward, biting his lip hard.

"Those fiends are offering us Dark Elves as sacrifices to the altars. Already, nearly thirty percent of the Dark Elves have been sacrificed."

He could not help but be shocked at those words.

'Thirty percent is a number close to five thousand, isn't it?'

The Dark Elf Demonic House was different in nature from the other demonic houses.

It was a confederation of Dark Elves who were ostracized on the continent.

Their approximate number was known to be around 15,000.

The Dark Elf King's voice trembled as he spoke with a devastated face.

"Those fiends are still offering our Dark Elves as sacrifices even now! At this rate, our Dark Elves will be annihilated."

"It is the same for us Dwarves. They have not touched us yet because the altars are not yet complete, but it is clear that the bastards of the Mystic Demonic House will offer us as sacrifices after the Dark Elves."

"Please, save us!!"

Both of them knelt before Chris.

Chris remained silent.

'Can I trust these two?'

It did not seem like they were lying.

"...Is the Demon Dragon King just standing by and watching?"

He was the Demon King of the Northern Magus Nation.

At the level of a mid 9-Star, he was the most powerful Demon King along with the Demon King of Silver Snow, excluding the Demon Kings of the Center.

"We have pleaded with him, but there is no response. No, we cannot even contact him."

Chris crossed his arms.

'Strange.'

The Demon Dragon King, Ashtart.

Unlike other ordinary Demon Kings, he was a being with close ties to the Center.

However, that did not mean he was completely in league with the Center.

'Judging from the Demon Dragon King's actions in my past life, he did not obediently follow the Center.'

The Demon Dragon King had shown little presence throughout the Age of Ruin.

However, just once.

When the end of the world was at hand, the Demon Dragon King had stood against the Demon King of Dead Blood.

[If I had known this was your true purpose, I would never have followed you!]

At that time, it seemed the Demon Dragon King had belatedly learned of the true intentions of the Mystic Demonic House and the Center.

'He saved us and was killed by the Demon King of Dead Blood.'

In any case, for such a Demon Dragon King, it seemed strange that he would just stand by and watch such a terrible thing happen, no matter what orders he had received from the Center.

'Don't tell me?'

A single guess came to mind.

"You said you can't contact the Demon Dragon King?"

"Yes, that's right. For some reason, the guardians who were protecting the Dragon Lair have also disappeared, and we have no idea where he is."

Chris swallowed hard at that answer.

'Did the Mystic Demonic House use the Demon Dragon King as a sacrifice?'

It was a sudden, wild guess.

But it seemed possible.

'No matter how many thousands or tens of thousands of Dark Elves are offered as sacrifices, it's impossible to pull something like this off.'

They had caused an encroachment phenomenon across the entire continent.

A sacrifice of a corresponding level was needed.

'The Center has thrown the Demon King of Silver Snow to the Four Kings' Castle as a sacrifice before, so it's possible for them to give the Demon Dragon King to the Mystic Demonic House as a sacrifice.'

Chris wore a troubled expression.

'If it's true that they offered the Demon Dragon King as a sacrifice, this encroachment phenomenon won't stop here.'

It would worsen.

'If left alone, the surface will become no different from hell.'

And that was not all.

'The Pope and the High Priest of the Mystic Demonic House have surely regained their full power.'

They were the Head and Vice-Head of the Mystic Demonic House.

They possessed the power of a high 9-Star and a mid 9-Star, respectively.

Originally, the two of them could not exert their proper power until the boundaries of the three realms had collapsed.

But if they had offered the Demon Dragon King as a sacrifice, it had to be assumed that the two of them had also regained their power.

'It's impossible for me to stop them with my current power.'

Moreover, it was not just the two of them in the Mystic Demonic House.

There were other 9-Star apostles and priests.

And below them, the 8-Star cardinals and bishops.

'The ordinary fiends are all demon worshipers, so every single one of them is comparable to a decent high-ranking fiend.'

It was not for nothing that the Mystic Demonic House was considered a force of Gehenna, not the surface, and was subject to the restrictions of causality.

'Until now, I was able to deal with them somehow because they couldn't use their full power, but if they're free from those restrictions, I can't possibly face them. Dammit.'

The absolute difference in power was too great.

Just then, the Dark Elf King and the Dwarf King bowed their heads again.

"Please, save us!!"

"We beg of you!!"

Chris frowned.

'And there's the problem that I can't trust these bastards.'

No matter how much their own people were being killed, what he had seen in his past life made it difficult to trust them.

'In my past life, these bastards were the ones who offered their own people as sacrifices to demons. So why are they suddenly acting like this?'

There was a high possibility that it was a trap.

'They must have received orders from the Mystic Demonic House. To lure me.'

His suspicion was gradually turning into conviction.

'Should I just kill them here? They're better off dead anyway.'

But it was in that moment.

Chris paused.

'Wait, a trap?'

A single method flashed through his mind.

If their request was indeed a trap set by the Mystic Demonic House.

Then there was a way to turn it against them.

'Is it possible?'

No, possible or not, he had to try.

There was no other way.

"Alright. I will save you."

"Really?"

"Yes, return to your houses and wait. I will contact you."

"Thank you!!"

The two disappeared like the wind, just as they had appeared.

After a moment of silence, a familiar voice was heard.

"They are not to be trusted."

It was Evan!

He was frowning, having appeared at some point.

"When I looked with my Mind's Eye, those fiends were full of evil intentions. What they said to you must be a trap. I will go and catch them right now."

"I know. It's fine."

"Yes, right now... what did you say?"

"I said I know it's a trap."