On his way to the interrogation room... “His Majesty is passing through!” “Decontamination Team! Get ready!” A group of personnel wearing white hazmat suits trailed behind Siegfried, constantly tearing apart purification scrolls. Since there was always a chance of him leaking radioactive energy, they decided to actively conduct decontamination procedures while following behind him. “Hey! I’m not emitting any radiation right now! Stop that!” Siegfried screamed, snapping at them. A surge of green radioactive energy burst out of Siegfried. It seemed that his emotional outburst had caused him to leak radioactive energy. “Radiation detected!” “Your Majesty! Please stay still!” “Decontamination Team! Get to work!” “His Majesty is emitting radioactive energy!” The decontamination team frantically scrambled for safety. Siegfried couldn’t even get angry anymore. He had no ground to stand on upon emitting radioactive energy just after yelling that he was not emitting anything. “Ugh... Me and my rotten luck...” he let out a sigh and dragged his feet to the interrogation room. Waiting for him inside was High Priest Apollonas, who was now a Radioactive Ghoul. “Greetings, Master,” Apollonas greeted him with a bow. His eyes were glowing an eerie green, a signal that he was about to detonate. ‘Oh, right...’ Siegfried suddenly recalled that he turned Apollonas into a Radioactive Ghoul. Radioactive Ghouls had a lifespan of one hundred sixty-eight hours, and they would self-destruct upon expiry, unleashing all of the radioactive energy stored within their bodies. ‘Wait, so this guy only has about ten minutes left...?’ Siegfried frowned after realizing that Apollonas was on the verge of exploding. Ten minutes was nowhere near enough time to extract the necessary information. ‘Is there a way to extend his lifespan or something?’ With that thought, he tried injecting more radioactive energy into Apollonas. Then, a notification popped up in front of his eyes. [Alert: Your Radioactive Ghoul skill has been enhanced!] The details of the enhanced version were as follows... [A Radioactive Ghoul that has been further enhanced through exposure to higher levels of radiation.] [An existence that has sworn eternal loyalty to the Lord of Despair.] [Level: Scales with individual strength] [Lifespan: 100 years] [Note 1: Can use Nuclear Bomb and the unique active skill of Gamma Ray Burst.] [Note 2: +150% All stats while within the Green Hell Magno of the Lord of Despair.] “Ooooh?” Siegfried marveled at the transformation of Apollonas from a Radioactive Ghoul to an Irradiator. The sheer destructive power of Nuclear Bomb was already useful enough, but now, this newly unlocked skill, Gamma Ray Burst, would make the Irradiator even more useful. However, the biggest bonus was that Apollonas’ lifespan had skyrocketed from just one week to an astounding one hundred years, which practically guaranteed him near-permanent life. Up until now, Siegfried had been creating Radioactive Ghouls in small batches whenever necessary. But now, he does not have to do that anymore. From now on, he could turn every enemy he encountered into an Irradiator and put them to work. ‘This is ridiculously broken...’ he thought. He could basically form an entire army composed solely of Irradiators. They would be no different from a legion of walking catastrophes that radiated death wherever they went. ‘Good. I’m going to make every enemy that stands in my way my slave.’ Since he had way too much radioactive energy now, he decided he might as well build a unit made entirely of Irradiators. ‘Let’s think about that later and focus on what’s important for now.’ Siegfried turned to Apollonas. Now an Irradiator, Apollonas lowered his head and replied with deep reverence in his voice. “Tell me everything you know about the Illuminati.” “As you command, Master.” With that, Apollonas began revealing the secrets of the mysterious organization, the Illuminati. The information Apollonas had revealed about the Illuminati was not all that different from what Siegfried already knew about them. The Illuminati was a secret organization devoted to the Creator, and it was a group that had been operating for generations. They recruited their members from an extremely young age. However, the next piece of information proved to be far more crucial than Siegfried thought. “How exactly was the Illuminati able to harness people’s divine power? Don't the angels require the faith of their followers to descend into this world?” Siegfried asked. “The method is quite simple, Master,” Apollonas replied. “How? What method did they use?” “The temples and statues erected across the continent all contain Praystones, do they not?” “Yeah, they do. But what about them?” The Praystones were mystical ores that transmitted human faith. Siegfried himself had embedded a Praystone into his statues, ensuring that the faith and prayers of his followers would be converted into his divine power. It went without saying that the other religious orders followed the same practice. Every temple, statue, and sacred relic representing their deities utilized Praystones, too. In other words, the Praystones were the foundation of faith in this world. “The Illuminati secretly replaced the Praystons of every major religious order, altering their frequency.” “For example... If a believer prays at a temple of the Church of Healing, then their faith should naturally be directed to Hippocrates, the God of Medicine. But with the Praystone swapped, that devotion would instead be funneled to Archangel Raphael.” “Whew... That’s some next-level trick...” Siegfried let out a whistle and muttered. This was no longer just mere scheming. This was a whole operation, one that was meticulously calculated and executed. Then, he asked, “Okay, so how widespread is their influence?” “To my knowledge... While the number of agents varies, the Illuminati has infiltrated every religious order.” “Tsk... This is going to be a headache...” Siegfried grumbled. He couldn’t believe that the Illuminati’s agents had already infiltrated all of the religious orders throughout the continent. “But how are they maintaining all of their—wait a minute...” Siegfried trailed off upon getting struck by an idea. “Please, speak freely, Master.” “Do you know any firms that deal exclusively with Praystones or statues? What about construction companies that specialize in building temples and statues?” “There are a few, but may I ask why—” “Wouldn’t it be easier to install altered stones from the beginning rather than swapping them later? I mean, the Illuminati isn’t some young cult, right?” “Ah!” Apollonas gasped as if he had realized something. “Master! There is an architect among the Illuminati’s high-ranking members! His name is Michelangelo!” “Oh? Did he recently build any temples or statues?” “Yes, he did, Master.” “Okay. Got it,” Siegfried said with a nod. Then, he grinned and added, “We will start from there.” “And I want you to write down every high-ranking Illuminati member you know. You may not know all of them, but you must have an idea of who’s who, right? After all, you were a high-ranking member yourself, weren’t you?” “As you command, Master.” At Siegfried’s command, Apollonas began writing down the names of the Illuminati’s high-ranking members on the parchment. Siegfried waited patiently until Apollonas was done. He took the parchment once the list was done, and his eyes shot wide open in shock. “W-What the hell is this?!” He couldn’t help but scream after reading the list. It was all because among the names listed were five kings—five kings of great powers. While Siegfried was busy interrogating Apollonas... “All hail the Demon Lord!” “All hail the Demon Lord!” “All hail the Demon Lord!” Having slain Vernas in an act of patricide and absorbed his demonic power, Baroque now sat upon the throne that once belonged to his father. Before him, the demons of the Seventh Domain stood and paid their respects. “Congratulations, Your Majesty.” A demon stepped forward and bowed low to the ground. The demon was none other than Chae Hyung-Seok. He played a crucial role in the rebellion by successfully eliminating Vernas’ royal guards. With that act of loyalty, he was unquestionably the second most powerful figure in the seventh domain. “Thank you, Hyungseokius,” Baroque replied, smiling broadly. Even after slaying his own father a couple of hours ago, there wasn't even a trace of sorrow or guilt on his face. “You were invaluable, Hyungseokius.” “Not at all, Your Majesty. I was simply doing my duties as your humble servant. Once again, congratulations on ascending the throne.” “By the way, have you eliminated all of the royal guards?” “A few managed to escape, but I have already dispatched several of our demons to pursue them.” “Good. Not a single one must get away.” “As you command, sire.” “If even one of them escapes to the borders and reaches my brother, it will be troublesome. “I am well aware, sire.” “As long as my brother possesses the Avenger, I cannot completely relax. For now, he must not learn of what happened, so we must ensure that no survivors reach him.” Chae Hyung-Seok fell silent for a moment, deep in thought. Then, he spoke, “May I make a suggestion, sire?” “While capturing the royal guards that fled is not difficult, there is always the possibility of failure, no matter how slim it is.” “So, instead of chasing them down, why not invite your brother here?” “Hm? What do you mean by that?” Baroque asked, furrowing a brow slightly. “What if Your Majesty summons him first before the royal guards can reach him? Tell him that the late king has fallen gravely ill and urgently requests his presence. If we set up a proper trap in advance, then...” “Your Majesty could easily kill him. Naturally, the Avenger will be in Your Majesty’s possession then.” “Hyungseokius... you truly are...” Baroque muttered in admiration. Then, he grinned broadly and said, “You are indeed my most trusted confidant. A true demon through and through! How do you come up with such wicked plans?” “I merely seek to do my best in serving my liege, sire.” “Oh! Hyungseokius!” Baroque exclaimed, evidently pleased. Then, he turned to the other demons gathered and exclaimed, “Look at him! Look at how brilliant he is! His cunning is unmatched, even among demons! He is a true demon, a demon among demons!” “He is indeed, Your Majesty!” “He is indeed, Your Majesty!” “He is indeed, Your Majesty!” The gathered demons naturally bowed in agreement. “Very well, Hyungseokius. I shall accept your proposal.” “I am deeply honored, sire.” Then, Baroque added, “Ah, and one more thing.” He rose from his throne and gestured for Chae Hyung-Seok to follow. “Come with me. There is something we must discuss privately.” “As you command, sire.” Thus, Chae Hyung-Seok followed Baroque into the demon lord’s private office. Once inside, Chae Hyung-Seok asked, “What is it you wish to discuss, sire?” “Hyungseokius,” Baroque turned to him. “The truth is...” Baroque hesitated for a moment. Baroque suddenly coughed up a large amount of blood. “Y-Your Majesty!” Chae Hyung-Seok rushed to support him. “Cough! Cough! Cough!” Baroque clutched his chest while convulsing in agony. His veins bulged grotesquely, pulsating wildly as if they were on the verge of bursting. “Y-Your Majesty! Are you all right?!” Chae Hyung-Seok exclaimed. “M-My father’s magic...!” Baroque spoke through gritted teeth. “What about it, Your Majesty?!” “It’s too... powerful...!” “I absorbed it... but controlling it... is...! Gaaahk! Ghhhk!” “Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” “I need the Avenger... in my hands... as soon as possible...! If I don’t...!” “Please hang in there! Your Majesty!” Chae Hyung-Seok shouted while shaking the demon lord. Baroque could no longer withstand the agony and ended up unleashing anguished screams that filled his office. This was the price he had to pay for forcibly absorbing the immense demonic power of the Demon Lord of Vengeance, Vernas, without being truly qualified to inherit it. The demonic power was rampaging within him, and it was starting to break him apart.