On the way to the Demon Lord’s Castle... “Kyuuu! What are we going to do with that guy, owner punk?!” Hamchi asked, pointing at somebody. “Huh?” Siegfried turned to where Hamchi was pointing. He finally remembered that Chae Hyung-Seok was there. Thanks to Hamchi, not only Siegfried’s but all eyes were now on Chae Hyung-Seok, making the latter wish he could crawl into a hole and disappear. The party was basically over for him. Baroque, to whom he had sworn allegiance, had died upon getting his heart ripped out of his chest. Metatron, whom he had plotted to kill, had just become a demon lord. In other words, Chae Hyung-Seok’s political standing in the Seventh Domain was practically over. Not only that, the new demon lord, Metatron, was practically Siegfried’s slave. As if that wasn't bad enough, Siegfried had achieved the unprecedented feat of becoming the first player ever to rise to the position of demon lord. Thus, it was not an exaggeration to say that Chae Hyung-Seok’s gaming life was now over. There was a saying that hardship was always followed by happiness, but Chae Hyung-Seok didn't believe in such feel-good nonsense. He managed to claw his way up from the depths of the abyss with Baroque’s support, but now, he had been plunged straight back down. “Hey, is he your subordinate now?” Siegfried asked. “Yes, he is, Your Majesty. Technically, by the laws of the Demon Realm, all demons are to pledge their allegiance when a new demon lord ascends,” Metatron replied. “Furthermore...” Metatron closed his eyes briefly as if in deep thought. Then, he added, “Hyungseokius was bound by a contract with Baroque.” “Yeah, I know about that, too,” Siegfried replied with a grin after recalling how Chae Hyung-Seok ended up in the Demon Realm in the first place. Chae Hyung-Seok had entered into a contract with Baroque in the past, but he failed to fulfill his end of the deal. As a consequence of his failure, he lost his soul and was dragged into the Demon Realm as Baroque’s slave. “So what happens to that contract now? Will it be nullified?” Siegfried asked. “No, sire. Contracts made by a previous demon lord are passed down to their successor without exception,” Metatron replied. “Yes, Your Majesty. That is what makes contracts with a demon lord so terrifying.” “So that means...” Siegfried muttered. Then, he flashed a grin and asked, “Hyung-Seok is your slave now?” “That is correct, sire.” “And you’re still my slave?” “Y-Yes, I am... Hahaha... Haha...” Metatron replied with an awkward laugh while wiping the sweat dripping from his forehead. He couldn’t help but feel humiliated after admitting it with his own mouth. ‘Damn it! Why am I still his slave even though I’m a demon lord now?!’ However, what choice did he have? Had it not been for Siegfried’s help, he wouldn’t have become a demon lord. No, forget about becoming a demon lord. Baroque would have tortured him to death by now. “Hehehe! I see... so, Hyung-Seok is your slave now?” Siegfried said with a grin. Seeing Siegfried flash such a grin sent chills down Chae Hyung-Seok’s spine. “Hey, Hyung-Seok! Did you hear that, man? You’re his slave now, buddy!” Siegfried said in a friendly tone. “And since he’s my slave, that makes you... my slave’s slave.” Chae Hyung-Seok couldn’t utter a single word, as his mouth shut like a clam. He was dreaming of finally getting revenge on Siegfried, but forget about revenge, he had fallen further than he could have ever imagined. Perhaps that was the reason but... Tears began streaming down Chae Hyung-Seok’s face... “Huh? Hey, are you crying?” “Why is a grown man like you crying? Ah! Are you so happy that you couldn’t contain your happiness?” Chae Hyung-Seok did not answer. He only kept sobbing as tears and snot continued streaming down his face. “Sniff... Sni—uwaaaaaah!” Overwhelmed by despair, he collapsed to the ground and wailed like a wounded beast. “W-Why... why do I have... to be... that guy’s... what did I do... to deserve this...? Why is the heavens doing... this to me...?!” Chae Hyung-Seok wailed, cursing the heavens. The Seventh Domain of the Demon Realm was his only hope to make a comeback, the only place where he wielded power. Now, even that sanctuary had fallen under Siegfried’s rule. To make things even worse, he wasn't just a slave. He was a slave’s slave. There was nowhere to run nor hide, and the only choices he had were to quit the game entirely or to live the rest of his gaming life doing whatever Siegfried commanded. “What should we do, Your Majesty? Should I just kill him?” Metatron asked. “Aw, come on. Don’t be so cruel. Can’t you see the guy’s crying? How can I be so cruel and kill him when he looks so pathetic?” “Haha... Hahaha...” Metatron forced himself to laugh. However, he had a very different opinion on the inside. ‘Your Majesty... just kill him. Not killing him is even crueler...’ At this point, death would be more merciful. “Take him with us. I have plans for him,” Siegfried said, waving his hand dismissively. “As you command, sire.” Following Siegfried’s command, Metatron dragged Chae Hyung-Seok along as they continued toward the Demon Lord’s Castle. ‘I wonder what His Majesty is planning, though... Ugh, I think it’s better not to imagine it...’ Metatron shuddered, as he couldn’t predict what kind of horrors Siegfried had in store for Chae Hyung-Seok. Even though he was a demon and now a demon lord, he knew that the human Siegfried was far more cruel than any demons in the entire Demon Realm. While Siegfried was busy racking up achievements in the Demon Realm..... The Prime Minister of the Proatine Kingdom, Michele, was once again working overtime. He was spending his evening reviewing documents and diligently managing state affairs. Ever since the Proatine Kingdom began growing at an extremely rapid pace, Michele had no choice but to work late into the night. It had been a long time since he started sleeping and dining at the royal palace, and this lifestyle had become routine so that he could keep up with the overwhelming workload he had. Lately, he was so busy that he couldn’t even catch his breath. Between responding to the global outbreak caused by the Illuminati, preparing for the next invasion of the angels, and overseeing the development of the kingdom’s next-generation battleships, time had become a commodity he needed desperately. However, a person couldn’t work twenty-four hours a day without rest no matter how busy they were. “Phew... It never seems to decrease...” Michele put down his quill and leaned back on his chair. He gazed at the towering stacks of documents at his desk. The pile had grown so tall that it nearly reached the ceiling, and he couldn’t remember the last time this pile had decreased in height. Even if he managed to go through a hundred documents in a day, another hundred and fifty would arrive the next. If he finished going through a hundred and fifty, then two hundred would pile up the following day. There was simply no end to his workload. “At this rate, I’ll need to increase the number of administrative officials in the next quarter. If things keep going , I’ll be the first one to—” “Prime Minister! Sir!” One of Michele’s secretaries burst into his office. “Ah, please... spare me...” Michele muttered even before hearing the report. Badump! Badump! Badump! He could feel his head throb already. He had yet to find out the issue, but judging by how pale his secretary looked, it was bound to be something serious. “The Holy Alliance has...” “What did they do? Did they perhaps declare war against their neighboring nations?” Michele closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. ‘So it’s finally happening...’ He was not particularly surprised, as he had already predicted this would eventually happen. After all, it was not hard to foresee a scenario in which the Holy Alliance—under the Illuminati's control—would wage war against their neighbors. The only thing Michele was uncertain about was when such a large-scale conflict would actually break out, but it seemed that it was finally happening. Follow current novels on NoveI~Fire.net “Ah, an era where peace is a rarity. I wonder how all of this will end...” Michele muttered under his breath. Then, he commanded his secretary, “As of this moment, I, Michele de Petronas, acting as regent in the royal name of His Majesty, order all officials to convene immediately. Furthermore, put our entire military on high-alert and have them combat-ready at all times.” And so, the Proatine Kingdom began its preparations for the Great War that was looming on the horizon... “A toast to His Majesty, Lord Metatron!” “A toast to His Majesty, King Siegfried van Proa!” A grand feast was underway at the castle. Metatron had ascended as the new Demon Lord of the Seventh Domain, and Siegfried had risen as the newest demon lord of the Demon Realm. Their emergence gave Seventh Domain a much-needed morale boost. It was all because having two demon lords in a single domain meant double the power. With this, the Seventh Domain now held absolute superiority over the remaining twelve domains. Over the past four hundred and fifty years, the Seventh Domain was regarded as the weakest in all of the Demon Realm, but it was now the mightiest force in the realm, and it was all thanks to the presence of two demon lords. Thus, Siegfried and Metatron were met with enthusiastic cheers and unwavering support from the demons. Siegfried, especially, was welcomed warmly by the high-ranking demons and elders of the Seventh Domain, despite him being an outsider. ‘Sigh... What am I supposed to do now?’ However, Siegfried couldn’t fully enjoy the moment. ‘What if I can’t return to the human world?’ Right now, his biggest concern was whether or not he could get out of the Demon Realm. Now that he had officially become a demon lord, it did not seem like leaving would be so easy. “What is troubling you, sire?” Metatron sensed Siegfried’s unease and casually struck up a conversation. “Well, that is...” Siegfried proceeded to share his concerns. “Ah, that is quite the dilemma indeed,” Metatron replied, immediately understanding the situation. “Hmm... To be honest, I doubt Your Majesty could freely travel to the human realm now that you are a demon lord.” “W-What? Are you serious?” “While the two realms are connected, they are fundamentally different dimensions. A demon lord is subject to various restrictions, making it impossible for them to come and go as they please.” “Damn it... So what now? Are you saying I can’t go back at all?” “Well, perhaps... your Majesty should try and see for yourself first...” “Ah, I guess that’s the only thing I can do.” Deciding to test it out, Siegfried stood up and prepared to open a Demon Gate. “Hey, lend me the Avenger for a second. I need it to open the gate,” he said. Naturally, there was no problem opening a Demon Gate inside the demon lord’s castle. “I am afraid I can no longer lend you the Avenger, sire,” Metatron replied, shaking his head. “What did you just say...?” Siegfried muttered in disbelief. Then, he narrowed his eyes and asked, “Did I just hear you right? Are you joking with me right now, you little punk? Are you really changing your tune now that you have become a demon lord?” “N-No, Your Majesty! That is not what I meant!” “What do you mean it’s not? You’re straight-up refusing to let me use the Avenger!” “Y-Your Majesty! You are a demon lord now! That means you must use your own relic! The Avenger will no longer listen to you!” “Huh? I need my own relic?” Siegfried tilted his head in confusion. “What the hell does that even mean?” “Every demon lord has their own unique relic. Since you’ve only just ascended, you must have one created for you. Only with your own relic will you be able to open your personal Demon Gate,” Metatron patiently explained the laws of the Demon Realm to him. “Oh? So that’s how it works here?” “Yes, Your Majesty. Therefore, you must commission Tubal-Cain, the greatest blacksmith in the Demon Realm, to forge you a relic.” As soon as Metatron's words fell— A quest window popped up in front of Siegfried’s eyes. [Alert: You have received the Quest – Path of the Demon Lord I!]