NOVEL WEB Chapter 91: New Servant, Vulture
After weeks of relentless work—both in his office and in his bed, attempting to produce an heir—Claude was finally enjoying a rare, peaceful slumber. But that tranquility was shattered by a relentless pounding on his door.
Claude groaned, pulling a pillow over his head to block out the disturbance, but the muffled shouting that followed was impossible to ignore.
"Father! I finally found it!" Morion's voice rang through the halls.
Claude exhaled sharply. Lately, Morion had been sleeping in her own room instead of sneaking into his.
On more than one occasion, she had even attempted to tuck herself in among the women in his harem after they were having sex—a habit that greatly concerned him.
The last thing he needed was for her to pick up on something inappropriate.
That was why he had reinforced his room with a powerful sealing spell. Even with her impressive magical abilities, she couldn't break through it.
"Morion, for the love of all things, let me sleep," he grumbled, voice muffled under the pillow.
But Morion was undeterred. If anything, she pounded harder. "I found the perfect cacodemon to be your servant!"
Claude's eyes snapped open.
In an instant, he threw off his sheets, grabbed a robe to cover his bare torso, and swung the door open.
Standing before him was Morion, her face flushed with excitement, while Sun stood beside her, tried in vain to calm her down.
Claude leaned against the doorframe. "Are you sure? Is it strong?"
Morion nodded enthusiastically, practically bouncing on her feet. "Yes! Not just strong—he's smart too! You have to see him!"
Claude rubbed his chin, intrigued. "Oh? 'Him'? So he can take a humanoid form and speak?"
"Yup! And he can fly really high too! He's amazing!" Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Beside her, Sun's ears twitched downward, his tail slowing its movement. Claude immediately noticed.
"What's wrong?" he asked, raising a brow.
"You should be excited. You're about to be a senior—you'll get to train your junior to be my perfect servant."
Sun's ears perked up, his tail swishing again. "Really?! I get to do that?" His voice turn excited.
In the past, Claude had rarely taken in powerful servants, not only because his abilities were being suppressed, but also because he wanted to avoid drawing too much attention.
Dark mana could be traced, and the last thing he needed was unnecessary conflict.
That was why Sun always sure his position as the strongest servant wont be replaced. But now was different.
Still, since his master give him a task to trained his 'junior' he could prove his capability not only to Claude but also to his son!
"Of course, now, let's not waste any more time. The three of us are going."
Morion grinned, already preparing the teleportation spell.
A moment later, the world around them shifted, as they stood atop the Malgrave Mountain, surrounded by black lava that bubbled and cracked under intense heat.
The air was thin, making each breath feel heavy, yet the oppressive heat made it clear they were still very much in the heart of hell itself.
In the center of the volcanic wasteland stood a towering beast—a giant bird at least five meters tall, its posture rigid, beak long and razor-sharp.
Its piercing red eyes glowed as it spread its massive, obsidian wings.
The creature's sleek black feathers shimmered with flame, tendrils of dark fire licking the edges of its body.
Its long, curved talons dug into the scorched ground, leaving deep grooves as it adjusted its stance.
Claude narrowed his eyes, a smirk tugging at his lips. "It looks like a vulture…" he murmured, intrigued.
He could feel the raw power emanating from the cacodemon, excitement bubbling within him at the prospect of testing its might.
"See? He's cool!" Morion beamed, practically bouncing in place.
Claude chuckled, rolling his shoulders as he summoned his blade. "You're right, Morion. Now, let me fight—"
Before he could finish, the enormous vulture suddenly bowed its head, its wings folding in as its deep baritone voice rumbled through the air.
"My Lord, you have finally arrived."
Claude froze. His grip on his sword loosened slightly.
"Eh?" His weapon dissipated into thin air as disappointment settled on his face. "You don't want to fight me?"
The cacodemon lowered its gaze further, its tone full of reverence. "How foolish would I be to challenge the King of Darkness himself? I would never dare!"
Claude's lips twitched in irritation, but before he could respond, Morion huffed, crossing her arms.
"Nah! Big bird, you were spitting on his name just moments ago!" she snapped. "I had to beat some sense into you!"
Claude pressed his fingers against his forehead, sighing heavily. He had wanted to display his strength so that the new servant would never consider rebellion in the future, but it seemed Morion had already taken care of that for him.
The cacodemon shuddered, the flames around its feathers flickering erratically. "Ah, I apologize, My Lord! I was foolish beyond words!"
Its voice trembled slightly, recalling the torment Morion had put it through. "I understand my stupidity now! You may punish me as you see fit!"
Claude exhaled, shaking his head. "Haahh… no need, I don't want to waste my time."
With a swift motion, he sliced his palm with a conjured blade, dark red blood trickling down his fingers.
He extended his hand. "Drink, and our pact will be sealed."
Without hesitation, the vulture stepped forward, lowering its beak to the bleeding wound. As soon as it lapped up the blood, a surge of dark energy rippled through the air.
A familiar notification flashed before Claude's eyes.
[Congratulations, Claude! You have acquired a new servant!]
[You can view his status below:]
[Name: ???]
[Species: Gypsae Umbra]
[Race: Cacodemon]
[Age: 400 years old]
[Evolution: 3-Star]
[Threat Potential: S-Rank]
[Stats:]
[Mana Pool: 220,520]
[ATK: 55,500 | AGI: 58,550 | DEF: 48,250 | STR: 54,000 | INT: 50,250 | STM: 58,450]
Claude studied the numbers, nodding in approval. "Hmm… not bad."
Another prompt appeared.
[Give him a name so your connection will remain unbroken until death do you part!]
Claude glanced around, rubbing his chin in thought. "A name, huh…?" He muttered.
"Lava? Blacky? Feathers? Hmm… this is harder than I thought."
Morion tilted her head. "Father, you really suck at naming things."
Claude ignored her, waving a hand dismissively. "Fine. Let's just go with 'Vulture.' That'll be your name from now on."
The cacodemon—now named Vulture—lifted its head, and an intense power surged through its veins.
Claude's dark mana fused with its essence, binding them together in an unbreakable contract.
"Yes, My Lord! I, Vulture, shall serve you loyally for all eternity!"
It declared, its voice echoing through the mountain as its shadowy flames burned even brighter.
Claude smirked, satisfied.
"Now, I have a task for you," Claude began, his gaze sharp as he addressed Vulture.
"But first, you need to change your size. From now on, you'll be my eyes and ears."
Vulture nodded obediently, his form shifting in an instant.
His massive avian body contorted, dark flames swirling around him as he transformed into a tall, imposing man—standing at nearly 200 centimeters with long black hair and red eyes.
"I can take any form I wish," Vulture said confidently, his voice now smoother but still carrying the deep timbre of his cacodemon heritage.
Claude smirked. "Good. Your mission is to infiltrate a small village called Hyte in the Hyparion Kingdom."
"I need detailed information—population size, whether they have knights or any defensive lines, and most importantly, any traces of witches."
Vulture placed a fist over his chest in a formal gesture of allegiance. "Understood, My Lord. I will carry out your command without fail."
Without hesitation, his body flickered, morphing into a much smaller form—a sleek black bird.
"I will take my leave now," he announced before flapping his wings and vanishing into the horizon, a mere shadow against the clouds.
Claude watched him disappear, nodding in satisfaction. He turned to Morion and Sun.
"Now, it's time to return to the palace. We need to make preparations for Operation Dark Harvest."
With a flick of his wrist, a surge of dark energy enveloped them, and in the blink of an eye, they teleported back to the heart of his kingdom.
In several days, the preparations were complete. Initially, Claude had planned to target only a single village before retreating, but now, surveying the vast logistics amassed before him, he realized they had the strength to do far more.
Now, he stood atop a grand stage, his piercing gaze sweeping across the army of one thousand daemons gathered before him.
Claude took a step forward, his voice carrying across the field like a thunderous decree.
"Today, we march upon the Hyparion Kingdom! Not only to claim slaves who will fuel our empire, but to mark our first step beyond our borders—to prove to the world that daemons are not relics of the past! That we will rise again and seize what is rightfully ours!"
A deafening roar erupted from the army, their voices merging into a single, frenzied battle cry. They called his name, sang praises to the kingdom's glory, their bloodlust thick in the air.
But Claude was not done. His eyes glowed with dark determination as he raised his hand to silence them before delivering his final declaration.
"This is only the beginning! Hyte will fall first, but we will not stop there. One village, then another, and another! We will march until the capital itself trembles beneath our feet! Until we stand at the pinnacle of this world!"
The army erupted once more, their voices shaking the very ground beneath them.
"Long live Elysium!" they roared in unison, their cries of allegiance echoing into the night.