I stared at the holographic screen, where the battle between the Orcs and Lizardmen raged on. Blood spilled, screams echoed, and every death funneled energy into my spiritual core. Those shattered souls turned into raw energy, filling my Demon Lord's Seed. It was a highly efficient harvest, but not fast enough. I knew it. This kind of event would be common in the future of the main storyline, where becoming a Demon Lord was as simple as counting one, two, three. But I still had 150 years left. So, this definitely wasn't "that" event. This was just a coincidence, or perhaps I started it. Yes, I started it. Good. I could get energy without moving much. But I couldn't just rely on this. If I wanted to become the strongest, I had to keep moving and preparing.
I shifted my focus from the screen, looking at a random Majin in a remote valley. I had bound him, subjugating the nameless demon that possessed his body. His empty eyes were now filled with submission, but I could see the remnants of a burning hatred. Yes, that hatred. It was energy that could be exploited. Hatred for the world, for other beings. I could use it. He was the perfect pawn. A pawn with free will, but a free will already bound to me. He wouldn't be able to do anything I didn't allow. It was like a game of chess, and he was the most important pawn right now.
"Good job, Umbra," I muttered. "We have a new toy. A stronger one."
I activated my Manipulator, sending a stream of magical energy into his mind.
"...Wake up..."
Instinctively, the Majin stood. The wounds on his body healed slowly. I didn't care. As long as he could perform my task, that was enough.
"...Look at me..."
I projected myself—my monstrous, terrifying form—into his mind. I felt a shudder of fear from his soul. Good. Fear was a very practical tool.
"...From now on, you are my tool. A pawn..."
I saw a flash of rage in his eyes, but it was quickly suppressed by my magic. Pathetic. He thought he could defy me? I already knew everything about him. I had read all your memories. Everything about you, Majin. Every weakness, every strength, all of it was in my memory. You have no secrets from me. I am your new master, and you have no choice but to obey.
"...Your first task..."
I sent a mental map of the Jura Forest, projecting what I wanted to know. "There's one place... a place where the magical energy is extremely dense, and never fades..." I rotated the holographic screen, focusing on a mountain that monsters always avoided.
...A mountain in the center of the Jura Forest...
I showed the Majin an image of the mountain. A mountain where the True Dragon, Veldora, was sealed. Yes, I know all about you, Veldora. The storm dragon sealed by the hero. You'll meet Rimuru and give him a name. You'll become one of the most important characters in this story. I can't get close to you. But I can send a pawn. I need to know what's happening there. And this Majin... he's my perfect spy. His strength is enough to survive in that environment, but not enough to attract your attention. This is a perfect plan.
"...I want you to go to that mountain. Observe every detail, every monster..."
The Majin nodded, his eyes showing complete submission. He couldn't refuse.
"...Don't do anything stupid. Don't attack anyone. Just observe. Report any interesting monsters and any magical anomalies you find. Especially, strong magical signals. I need a strong pawn for the future..."
I stared at him. If he fails, he will die. If he succeeds, he will become a priceless tool. I didn't care. I just needed a certain result.
"...Go..."
The Majin turned and began walking toward the mountain in the center of the Jura Forest. His steps were steady, without hesitation. Just submission. I sighed.
I returned my gaze to the screen. The battle between the Orcs and Lizardmen had subsided, and the winners were beginning to prey on the carcasses. My harvest was almost complete. But, I didn't care. I already had a much better pawn. I'll let that war end, and I'll wait. I still have more than 150 years before the main story begins. I will use that time to become the strongest, so that no one can threaten the freedom I'm fighting for.
Yes, I have to become the strongest. I won't let anyone threaten my freedom. Not Rimuru, not Guy, not Veldora. I will become a force that cannot be ignored. I will uncover all the secrets of this world, even if it means getting my hands dirty. I already know the story. Now, it's time for me to write my own version of the story.
I smirked in the darkness, satisfied with the obedience of my new pawn. The Majin moved forward, his steps steady, without hesitation. Through his eyes, I saw the depths of the Jura Forest, felt the rich magical fluctuations, and sniffed out every trace of life. I felt Veldora's magical energy from afar, like the never-ending heartbeat of a giant.
However, in the middle of his journey, the Majin suddenly stopped. Not because of my command, but because of his own instinct. An instinct that told him something was wrong.
<
Libertas's voice echoed in my consciousness. I knew what it meant. There was a very powerful existence, an anomaly that could not be ignored. Ah, I remember this. A Dryad. A dramatic and mysterious opening. They would appear to calm the chaos. I can't face them now. They are the guardians of the Jura Forest, and they have immense power. I must retreat.
I shifted my focus from the Majin and allowed Libertas to analyze the anomaly. Through the Majin, I felt a very pure and dense natural aura, much purer than any entity I had ever encountered. An existence made of pure natural magical energy, hidden within the roots of towering ancient trees.
"...Treyni? Or...?"
I wondered, my eyes narrowing. I projected myself—my form—into the Majin's mind.
"...Pay attention... don't act rashly..."
I saw a woman with a green dress, snow-white skin, and eyes shining like emeralds, appearing from behind a tree. Her green hair was adorned with plant tendrils, and around her, flowers bloomed quickly. She was a Dryad, but not an ordinary one. Her magical power was much denser and purer than any Dryad I had ever seen. I thought it was Treyni but damn, what the hell is this amount of natural energy!?
She didn't notice the Majin. Her shining eyes looked toward the recently ended Orc and Lizardmen war, filled with sadness.
"So many lives lost..."
she murmured, her voice sounding mournful.
Oops... hehe, I muttered inwardly.
The Majin stood rigid, frightened. He knew he couldn't match the woman's power. I knew it too, damn it. The woman was a very powerful existence, perhaps on the same level as a newly awakened Demon Lord. I knew that I shouldn't confront her now. I didn't have a way to fight her yet.
The woman slowly shifted her gaze, and her eyes met the Majin's. I felt a wave of extremely dense magical energy flow toward the Majin. The wave of energy was not meant to attack, but to observe.
"You're not from this forest... you're a piece of someone... and you're heading to that place..." she murmured, her eyes narrowing. "What are you looking for?"
I didn't answer. I just observed. This woman didn't know about my existence. She only felt the very dense magical power from the Majin I was controlling. I sent a command to the Majin.
"...Don't answer... retreat..."
The Majin quickly obeyed my command, taking a step back, but the woman was too fast. She stretched out her hand, and plant tendrils shot out from the ground, quickly tying the Majin's feet.
"I won't let you go... You will tell me what's going on," the woman said, her voice firm.
Damn. I knew she was strong, but I didn't expect her to react so quickly. I had underestimated her. Those tendrils... they weren't just ordinary plants. They were a manifestation of dense natural magic. She had full control over the Jura Forest.
This was a problem.
Seeing the Majin bound by the ancient Dryad's tendrils, I activated Libertas to analyze the tendrils and the movement of their magical energy.
<
The Dryad didn't wait for an answer. She raised her hand and from her palm, a small seed appeared. The seed floated slowly, emitting a green light, and landed on the Majin's chest. When it touched his skin, the seed immediately burrowed in and began to absorb the Majin's magical energy.
"What is that?" I muttered. I shifted my focus, channeling my magical energy into the Majin, not to fight, but to take over the seed, to turn it into my own tool.
However, something unexpected happened.
<
Libertas's always calm voice now had a tone of warning. I felt the flow of magical energy from the Dryad was much older and denser than I had imagined. The seed was not just a detector, but a part of the Dryad's essence itself. When I tried to manipulate it, the seed reacted, not by fighting, but by planting its roots deeper, connecting directly to the Majin's spiritual core.
"What... what's happening?" the Dryad muttered, surprised to see her seed pulsating with unnatural intensity.
I felt a wave of intense pain from the Majin. Not physical pain, but spiritual pain. My magical energy that bound him and the natural energy from the Dryad's seed clashed, causing his soul to tremble violently. Cracks began to appear in the bond I had created, threatening to destroy the Majin from within.
No. He will be destroyed. The bond I made with the Manipulator wasn't strong enough to withstand this energy clash. My pawn... will be destroyed. I didn't care about the pawn, but I couldn't attract the Dryad's attention any further. If I kept trying, she would know I was here. And maybe, she would know my goal. I growled. My pawn would be destroyed. I immediately withdrew all my magical energy from the Majin, severing the control I had created. The bond I built with the Manipulator shattered instantly, and the Majin fell to her knees, confused and in pain.
The Dryad stared at the fallen Majin, and then looked around her, as if searching for something invisible. "That power... it's gone...?" she murmured. "What happened?"
I stared at the now dark holographic screen, no longer displaying the details of my pawn's movements. This defeat didn't hurt; there were no emotions at all. Just data showing that the Majin, the tool I had accidentally found, was no longer under my control.
"A Dryad, huh?... They are indeed troublesome." This pawn was useless. He was too vulnerable. I had to discard him. This was a small loss. I could find another. I would never sacrifice my freedom for a tool. The top priority was to remain undetected. Retreat. That was the best option.
I crossed my hands over the throne, realizing how silent this headquarters was. I was alone; Umbra was still in the Jura Forest. Retreat was not an option. It was just delaying fate. The Dryad didn't know me; she only felt the traces of my power binding my pawn. That meant I had to adapt. I had to find another way to operate there, a way that wouldn't attract the attention of a creature as powerful as a Dryad.
"Umbra, listen to me," I channeled my thoughts through the spiritual corridor connected to me. "That pawn failed. He was strong but too vulnerable. I need a new pawn. A pawn that won't attract attention from the Dryad." My voice was flat and emotionless.
"Find a perfect pawn. A pawn that is weak, easily manipulated, and would never think of rebelling."
I deactivated the holographic screen, letting darkness once again envelop the control room. I didn't care which pawn Umbra would choose. As long as they served my purpose, that was enough. And if they failed, they would simply be discarded.
The chaos I had orchestrated was now taking its toll. The war between the Lizardmen and Orcs that I had remotely instigated was now reaching its peak. Blood and magic colored the river, and screams of pain echoed throughout the forest. The monsters in the Jura Forest, who usually lived in peace and fear of Veldora, now lived in another fear.
In a village on the edge of the forest, near a river, a group of Goblins was terrified. They were just small, fragile creatures, with flat noses, green skin, and long ears. They hid in a cave, listening to the sounds of battle coming from a distance.
"This... this is just crazy," whispered a young Goblin. "The Orcs and Lizardmen... they're fighting like mad monsters."
"Quiet!" whispered their leader, an old Goblin with a thick mustache. "Don't make a sound. If they hear us, we'll die!"
The Goblins nodded. They didn't dare to move. They knew that in the midst of chaos, they were the most vulnerable.
"Why are they fighting?" whispered a female Goblin. "They always kept their distance. But now... they're killing each other."
"I don't know," the Goblin leader replied, his eyes filled with fear. "There's something strange. I can feel a very cold aura from them. An aura that shouldn't be there."
They weren't the only ones who were scared. In another part of the forest, in a hidden village, the Ogres held back. They were a very strong race, with horns on their foreheads and immense power. Their leader, an old Ogre with flowing hair, stared at the battlefield with a blank gaze.
"This energy... it's so cold. So cruel," he whispered. "I've never felt energy like this. This is not just a fight between the Orcs and Lizardmen. There's something else. There's... a power behind all of this."
In a dark cave in the middle of the forest, a group of Direwolves hid. They were a strong race, with grayish blue fur and terrifying red eyes. Their leader, a giant Direwolf, growled. His eyes were filled with anger.
"Orcs... Lizardmen... they're destroying everything," he snarled. "They're breaking our peace treaty. I will retaliate. I will destroy them all!"
"No, Lord!" whispered an old Direwolf. "Something is wrong. I can feel something. There's a very cold aura in the middle of the battle. An aura that we can't fight."
"That doesn't matter! We are Direwolves! We're not afraid of anyone!"
The Direwolf leader didn't listen. He just led his troops, running toward the battlefield, with the goal of killing all the Orcs and Lizardmen they met. They didn't know that their decision was just part of a larger plan, part of a chess game played from afar.
In the midst of all the chaos, a shadow appeared. It floated calmly, undetected by any monster. Umbra had returned. It observed the chaos around it.
With the Direwolves joining the battlefield, the atmosphere became even more chaotic and tense; they were killing each other. Blood and screams filled the air.
"Focus on the weak, the desperate." My command came through the soul corridor.
Umbra moved toward the terrified Goblin village.