The silence of the deep sea was a near-perfect symphony, broken only by the gentle hum of my magical reactor. In the dimly lit control room, I was lost in my own nonexistence, processing an endless stream of data. Every second, the Soul Devourer's feedback channeled transmuted magical particles into energy—a stable and constant supply. The process was monotonous, yet efficient. It was a step-by-step march toward my goal: evolution. Until, in one moment, that silence was shattered.
"Report: High-level magical spy wave detected. Based on data collected so far, probability of source: Demon Lord Luminous Valentine 97%, Risk of confrontation: Very high."
Libertas, my unique skill, echoed in my head. There was no emotional tone, just pure data. But I couldn't hide the faint smile that appeared on my lips. This was the signal I had been waiting for, even if it came sooner than I expected. A Demon Lord, Luminous Valentine, had sensed my presence in her territory. She must have felt the Magicule-gathering activity of my followers, and the unique resonance of my manipulated magic.
Incredible. I thought it would take longer for a Demon Lord to notice this activity. Perhaps I had underestimated a Demon Lord who had lived for thousands of years. Or maybe, my arrogance had slightly clouded my judgment.
I touched the holographic screen, where the points of light representing my followers began to flash, indicating that their activities had been halted. No casualties. I had already instilled instructions that they should retreat and never engage in confrontation. I didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Caelus. The name echoed in my head, a memory of a failure that led to destruction. It was a mistake I would not repeat. Arrogance is a trap that can ensnare anyone, even a being like myself.
My priority now is not to challenge a Demon Lord, but to continue growing stronger. Why should I waste my time in an unnecessary battle? Especially in enemy-controlled territory. It's not efficient.
I took a deep breath, even though my body didn't require it. The main goal is to gather energy, and there are many ways to do it. War is the fastest way. Why not let others fight, while I reap the benefits?
Of course. Target unsupervised areas. Places where chaos is commonplace.
My gaze shifted to another part of the holographic map. There, a vast, uncharted area stretched out, filled with wild and irregular magical signals.
"Jura Forest," I murmured. "The perfect place."
This forest, in this era, is an leaderless territory before Jura Tempest. Filled with warring primitive monster tribes, the Jura Forest is the perfect place for a hidden operation. There, I can sow chaos, harvesting energy from the monsters that kill each other, without having to face Luminous Valentine or any other Demon Lords.
This is a place where I can get everything I need. The perfect place to find new test subjects, pawns that I can manipulate from the shadows.
I didn't call a name. I just projected my intent. A shadow shivered behind me, then materialized. An entity named a phantom golem appeared before me. I met this entity in ancient ruins a few decades ago. I saw a phenomenal potential in it, and I made it my follower. It will be my extension in this world.
"From now on, your name is Umbra," my mind wandered back to that event.
"I have a new mission for you," I continued. "Go to the Jura Forest. Your main tasks are two-fold. First, create chaos. Use any means to instigate hostility and conflict among the monster tribes. Second, find new targets for my experiments. I need a powerful pawn, one I can control from a distance."
"Umbra," I repeated. "Make sure the specimen has great potential, but also a weakness I can exploit. I don't want to waste my time on failed experiments."
With my last words, the figure of Umbra soared high from the ruins, moving quickly toward the Jura Forest. I reactivated my holographic screen. Now, my world map showed only a single focal point, a dot moving swiftly across the land toward a new, promising territory.
In the control room, I crossed my arms over my chest, watching the flickering holographic map before me. Luminous Valentine's magical wave had now subsided, but I knew she was watching. I wasn't a fool. If I continued my plan in her territory, it would be tantamount to inviting an unnecessary battle.
"Let's play chess on another board," I mumbled to myself. "A wilder, more unpredictable board."
My holographic map shifted, displaying the Jura Forest. In this era, the forest was an untouched, blank canvas. No specific slime had claimed it, and no hero was guarding it. This is the perfect place for me. I observed the primitive and crude magical signals, like irregular brushstrokes. Each signal represented a life that I could harvest.
The Jura Forest was filled with fragmented races. Weak Goblins, primitive Orcs, and arrogant Lizardmen. This instability is a perfect harvest field.
I saw through our soul corridor. Umbra stood there motionless, not moving a bit. It was a perfect listener and subordinate, never questioning my commands. That was the trait I liked most about it.
"Umbra," I began, my voice echoing in the empty space. "We will start with the Lizardmen."
I didn't give commands haphazardly. Every decision was based on efficient analysis. The Lizardmen were the most organized but easily instigated race in the Jura Forest.
They had a social structure and even a little knowledge of magic. They were an arrogant race, who felt superior to other races. And that was a weakness I could exploit.
You believe you are the most superior in this forest? Let's see how far your pride can lead you astray.
"In this forest," I continued, "every race is suspicious of each other. Your task, Umbra, is to cultivate that suspicion. Start with the Lizardmen. Sow doubt in their minds. Let their leader think that the Orcs on the swamp border are gathering troops."
I didn't need to explain my methods to Umbra. It already knew what to do. Through our soul corridor, I would inject an illusion into its mind, a simple illusion showing a group of Orcs lurking at the swamp border with hateful faces. It wasn't a command to attack, just a trigger.
"Let them make that stupid decision. I will only give them the option."
Umbra nodded, and like a shadow detached from the darkness, it used a high-level concealment magic and disappeared. I focused myself on the holographic screen.
I could now see through Umbra's eyes, observing the world from a different perspective.
I saw how arrogant the Lizardmen were. They had forward outposts, guarded tightly. I ignored the unimportant guards and focused on their leader. I could feel the arrogance radiating from him.
You think you are safe behind your swamps, Mr. Lizardman? Let's see how far your sense of superiority can take you.
Through Umbra, I sent a whisper into the Lizardman leader's mind. The whisper was simple, yet deadly.
"Attack. Now."
I planted an illusion in his mind, an illusion showing that the Orcs had attacked one of their forward outposts. I manipulated his memory, making him believe that they had been attacked, and the only way to survive was to retaliate.
I wasn't just controlling them. I was making them think they had free will. What a Masterpiece.
I turned off the holographic screen, sinking back into the darkness. I knew what would happen next. The Lizardmen would be enraged. Their pride would push them to do something stupid. And when they attacked the Orcs, a large-scale battle would erupt.
I wasn't in a hurry. I just waited. I knew that the Jura Forest would soon become my harvest field. And in the midst of that chaos, I would find a new pawn for my experiments.
A few months later, the fire I had set through Umbra began to burn the Jura Forest. I felt a magical wave from a distance, a chaotic and turbulent wave. It was the magic of the Lizardmen on the move, fueled by the rage I had instilled.
Through Umbra's view, I saw their army marching through the swamps, preparing to attack the Orc territory.
This was a predictable reaction.
Their pride pushed them into a stupid battle. Good. Let them fight. I will be the spectator.
I controlled Umbra to retreat to a strategic position, far from the front lines. I wasn't interested in the battle itself, but in its outcome. I saw the Lizardmen army charging into the Orc territory. Confusion enveloped the Orcs, who didn't expect to be attacked. But in a matter of seconds, that confusion was replaced by rage.
The battle had finally begun. I observed from my hidden position, beyond the sight of any normal creature. Through Umbra's eyes, I saw two primitive forces facing each other. On one side, the Lizardmen army with their organized tactics and formations. On the other side, a sea of Orcs filled with rage and brutality.
I saw the Lizardman commander give a signal. His warriors, with scaly spears in their hands, charged forward. They didn't just rely on physical strength, but also on basic magic. Their strongest individuals shot sharp water projectiles, while others used magic to move the mud under the Orcs' feet. Their neat formation allowed them to attack and retreat quickly, avoiding counter-attacks from the slower Orcs.
The Orcs, surprised by the attack, responded in the most primitive way: with rage. Their leader, a massive Orc with protruding fangs, roared. His roar was deafening, emitting a wave of crude magic that made the Lizardmen waver a little. The other Orcs, filled with anger, charged forward, swinging their large stone clubs. They didn't care about the Lizardmen's formations. Their goal was to destroy.
The fight was a chaotic sight. Lizardmen spears pierced Orc bodies, while Orc clubs shattered their shields. Blood spilled into the swamp, and screams of pain echoed throughout the forest. I felt nothing. I only saw numbers. Every death was a new flow of energy into my spiritual core. Those shattered souls turned into raw energy, filling my Demon Lord's Seed.
However, the battle didn't go as I had expected. The Orcs had a much larger number. They were a ferocious race, and they didn't give up.
In the midst of that chaos, I felt an unexpected signal. A magical wave that pulsed and was unstable. The signal was unaffected by the surrounding battle. I felt confusion, rage, and despair within it. This signal was strange and unusual.
I ordered Umbra to leave the battlefield. We were no longer interested in that battle. We had a new target. I directed Umbra toward that signal, which led me to a hidden valley.
In the middle of that valley, a Majin was kneeling. His hair was white, and his body was covered in magical burn wounds. Chaotic magical energy pulsed from his body, creating a small storm around him. I didn't feel any emotion, but I saw data.
Inside him, there was a pact. A pact that was supposed to bind an unnamed demon to him.
However, the pact was unstable. I could see the unnamed demon trying to take over this Majin's body, eroding his soul, and corrupting his mind. The demon was raw power, while the Majin was its flawed vessel.
Good. This is a perfect specimen. A pawn with great power, but also a weakness I can exploit. He will be the perfect tool for me.
I would not approach him directly. I would let them be there, locked in a desperate internal battle. When the Majin was at his weakest point, that's when I would step in and offer "help" he could never refuse. Help that would make him submit to me forever.
I watched from the shadows, observing the distressed Majin. Around him, his magical energy pulsed uncontrollably, a small storm of suffering. Inside him, an internal battle was taking place. The unnamed demon, bound to the flawed pact, was trying to take over his consciousness. I felt no emotion. I just saw the data, reading every change in his soul. It was an asset. His personal desire could be a motivation, and motivation is a valuable resource.
I ordered Umbra to approach, but not too close. We hovered in the shadows of the trees, observing the Majin. I saw him struggling, moving his hands, trying to cast out the demon possessing him. But it was useless. The unnamed demon was too strong, and this Majin was too weak.
Now. It's time to act.
I didn't call him directly. I just projected my intent. Through Umbra, I sent a whisper into the Majin's mind. A simple whisper, yet full of promise.
"I can help you... I can give you control... over yourself..."
The Majin raised his head. His eyes were empty, but there was a hint of hope in them. He couldn't see me. He only heard my voice, a voice that came from nothingness.
"Who... are... you...?" he whispered, his voice hoarse.
"I... am your savior... from your own destruction," I answered, my voice flat and emotionless. "I know what is happening inside you. The pact with the demon has rotted. It will slowly eat you alive."
I could feel the doubt within him. He knew I was right. He did not have the strength to resist.
"Submit to me," I continued. "I will fix that pact. The demon will submit to you, and you will gain the power you've always dreamed of. You will be able to take revenge on anyone who has abandoned you."
I did not force him. I just gave him a choice, which was not a choice at all. I knew his desire to survive and take revenge would be stronger than his pride. I did not care about his motives. As long as it served my purpose, that was enough.
"I... I will... submit..." he mumbled, his voice breaking, a willingness born of desperation.
"Good," I said. "Now, give your soul to me."
I activated my magic. Through Umbra, I sent a flow of magic into the Majin's body, not to destroy him, but to take over control. Libertas worked, analyzing every inch of his soul, every flow of his magic. With Manipulator, I took over the flawed pact. I locked down the unnamed demon, made it my slave, and bound it to my will.
A ten-pointed star pattern formed in his left eye, a sign that my manipulator was working on him.
However, I did not take over his consciousness. I just took over control of the pact. His mind remained free, his memories intact. He still had his free will, which was now bound to my will.
I did not need to give him a name. His name was now unimportant. He was just a tool. A new pawn.
"Stand up," I commanded. "Now, you belong to me. Go."
The Majin stood up. His empty eyes were now filled with obedience, but I could see a lingering flame of hatred. He still had his free will, which was now bound to my will. He no longer had a choice, except to follow my orders.
"Your first mission... will come soon," I murmured.
I refocused myself on the holographic screen, where the battle between the Orcs and Lizardmen was now at its peak. I knew the battle would soon end, and my harvest field would soon dry up. But that did not matter. I now had a more powerful pawn. A pawn that would help me gather energy in a more efficient and hidden way.