NOVEL WEB Volume 1 1
Chapter 1 : Demon King’s Work
「But, you still don’t believe me, huh? Well, you wouldn’t understand when I suddenly say you’re a Demon King, right? It can’t be helped, huh? I’ll give you a demonstration. What kind of thing a Demon King is. 」
She smiled wryly and turned around,【Beast】Demon King Marchosias, also known as March, and I followed.
Even though her appearance is only a white-haired beauty(with wolf ears and tail), there was something that makes you believe that she’s a Demon King.
She leads me to a narrow room.
When I look at the mirror leant against the wall, there was a boy with a well-featured face in the middle of his teens. No way, this is me?
Strangely, there is an uncomfortable feeling.
And, in the middle of the room, a round crystal was placed on a white pedestal.
When I quietly tried to reach out to the crystal, March grabbed my hand.
「Please don’t touch it. That crystal is my life itself. If it’s broken, I will lose all my power as a Demon King.」
「You’ll die?」
「Well, although I say that, I don’t mean it that way. I won’t be able to create any more demons, the demons I created will all disappear, the dungeon vanishes and I’ll lose my unique skill. Although there is life, as a Demon King, I’m as good as dead.」
I was a little relieved to hear that.
But, I also feel uneasy at the same time.
If, it’s as she says, then, since I’m a Demon King, somewhere, my crystal exists.
Since I currently don’t know the location of the crystal, and a Demon King’s power is lost if it’s broken, I cannot stay calm.
「Hee, you felt a sense of danger from that brief comment just now. You’re quite perceptive. But, you don’t need to worry. The crystal will appear after you make the dungeon. Conversely speaking, to you who doesn’t have a dungeon, that thing that doesn’t exist......【Write】」
A profound book made of parchment appears on her hands.
March slowly opened the book.
「We are in the deepest part of my dungeon, although I planned for it to be comfortable, I wonder if the appearance gives that impression.」
After saying so, a hologram appeared on the crystal.
It showed a splendid but eerie castle.
「Even though I said dungeon, the appearance depends on the Demon King. There is the ordinary cave type, but something like my castle is also fine. You can choose a forest too. You should decide what kind of dungeon you want to make now to prepare for when you become independent.」
「I can’t understand the things you said just now. What do you mean by becoming independent?」
「Aah, I forgot to say. For newly born Demon Kings, they will study under a senior Demon King for one year, and they independently create their dungeon afterwards. In other words, I am your guardian for one year. Therefore, I’ll kindly teach you like this.」
Shamelessly saying that when you suddenly set a blue wolf.
「Well then, let’s prepare how to make the dungeon. Repeat after me【Write】」
「Yes, let’s see,【Write】」
A book appears on my hand.
I naturally open it.
Then, there was a written page about dungeon making.
「From the list there, choose what you like and combine them. First is the exterior. It’s the scenery that one can see from the outside. Pick something that fits your preference. The interior has distorted space-time. My dungeon is much wider than what others see outside, filled with numerous levels.」
I smoothly turn the page.
It’s as she said, there are various appearances provided. There is DP written in all the pages.
「What is this DP?」
「Dungeon Points. It’s what we Demon Kings desperately collect. You can exchange DP for different things and obtain what’s written. For comparison, the exterior that fits my taste are expensive. But, the performance doesn’t change. However, for the interior, I wonder if the efficiency corresponds to its cost.」
「Interior?」
「As for that, isn’t it faster if I show it to you?」
Like that, the previous view from the hologram on the crystal changed.
「My dungeon is a level-type dungeon, the type that goes higher and higher. One level splits up into three rooms, so I purchase three rooms. For the first floor of my dungeon, I buy an inexpensive stone corridor.」
As she says, there is nothing but a winding path made of stone.
「In the upper levels, I purchase rooms with expensive traps, but there is nothing like that on the first floor.」
When I looked at the hologram, there was a human fighting against a kobold.
A kobold is a dog demon that can walk on two legs.
Compared to the blue wolf Garm I fought against, it looks like a puppy.
The man defeated the kobold, and did a “guts pose”.
The view changed again. The next view was of a man showing greed to pick up the treasure chest.
「Why are you not using something like that blue wolf that I fought against a while ago? If it was to fight against someone like that man, who was having a close fight against a kobold a while ago, there’s a high chance he would easily get killed.」
I don’t understand.
If you think about repelling intruders, you should place the strong demons that you created on the first floor.
「It’s not possible. DP is a human’s life force. Strong emotions such as fear, despair, and greed are particularly delicious. By gathering people in this dungeon, DP will flow into my hands. Although I’ll receive a lot of DP if someone’s killed; When there are powerful demons at the start, not many humans will come. That’s why it’s best to place demons that can moderately defeat them, isn’t it?」
「Is the treasure chest a while ago also bait to make humans gather?」
「That’s right! That’s exactly it. By the way, people come here to become stronger. They become stronger through gaining levels by defeating demons. They obtain treasures, get stronger, then return completely satisfied. On the other hand, the Demon King gets DP; everyone’s happy. Incidentally, the powerful demons are placed in the upper levels since the XP gained from them is higher. I also benefit from the obtained DP from the strong humans. If you arrange the strength of the demons from the lower levels up to the upper levels, you can accumulate a lot of DP from both the weak and strong humans you gathered.」
I see, so that was the plan.
For a Demon King to obtain DP, they need to be welcoming.
「If that is the case, the treasure is loudly set up, and the powerful demon is instructed to lose on purpose.」
「I don’t do that, you know? After all, the treasure set up is something exchanged with DP, and the demon isn’t free of charge either. While a lot of people come to take it, it’s the perfect time for a Demon King to turn black-hearted– isn’t it? If by any chance, someone reaches the innermost part, it’s the end if the crystal gets broken or he’ll get killed. It unexpectedly requires much effort. A Demon King usually buys rooms filled with expensive traps for the last level like I do; an advantageous field for myself is also prepared to compensate.」
I gulp my saliva.
I learned of both the difficulty and fun of a Demon King’s work.
However, I have one question.
「We use human’s emotion as nourishment, don’t we? And although you said to use demons and treasures as bait to gather people, why must such an inefficient thing be done?」
To my question, March tilts her head.
「What do you mean?」
「Well, to gather people and simply let them live, I think. Rather, stopping the dungeon and making it into a town. Then, you should be able to earn DP for 24 hours.」
When I said such words, March laughed and raised her voice.
「It’s reasonable, but it’s difficult. The efficiency of obtaining DP goes up when strong emotions come out. A battle of life and death. The excitement of acquiring treasures. Battles are the most efficient way to obtain DP.」
「Really? That might be the case if you look one by one, however, if 100 times of people live for a long time, the efficiency might turn over, wouldn’t it?」
There was a desire in me that doesn’t want to kill other people for some reason.
Is it related to my lost memories?
It’s contradictory that I am a man that can collect myself even though I’m holding a handgun.
「It might be so. If that’s the case, it might be better if you aim to be a Demon King like that. Only the Demon King’s fate, that’s the Demon King way. You’re ready to walk on your path.」
「That’s right, huh. I’ll do that. However, I want to study properly before that. As of now, it’s only an empty dream.」
「Good mental attitude. Since I already showed you how to make a dungeon, next I’ll show demon creation, in a sense, a Demon King’s real pleasure.」
Demon creation.
How are demons created? My curiosity was piqued.