After the battle, the vast plain was left desolate, bearing the scars of destruction. The sea of stacked blood and corpses was, quite literally, a scene straight out of the apocalypse.
Clattering—clunking—
[For the King of Eternal Death....]
[Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Groan!]
No
Apocalypse was an understatement, considering the bodies that should have been still were instead wandering about in utter chaos. It was as if hell itself, a place only ever spoken of in tales, had sprung to life before his very eyes.
The sight was enough to instill terror in any living person.
'It's ironic that I'm on the same side as them.'
Mccarthy, who was quietly surveying the scene from a high watchtower on a half-ruined wall, let out a bitter laugh. From his vantage point, he looked out at the battlefield with the 'eyes' of the dead, and the new perspective only amplified his feelings.
'...Did I foolishly bring about this disaster?'
The war for supremacy in this world was, for all intents and purposes, over. With all the Archdemon defeated, what harm could a few remaining minor demons cause? The moment the countless legions of death spread across the world, it was obvious those small threats would be wiped out. And the future of humanity, who had struggled to survive under the rule of demons, would inevitably be shaped by his actions.
'I never dreamed things would turn out like this. Who could have known?'
To be honest, it would be fair to say that he was skeptical until the very end. No matter what they tried, they could never defeat the enemy. The very existence of a Archdemon, especially the one called the 'Archdemon of Infinity,' was a symbol of absolute invincibility in this world.
It wasn't for nothing that he attacked Great Castle Lord Lapua while the Archdemon was away. It was a desperate struggle to at least get revenge, even if it meant losing the war.
'...Thinking about it now, it was a stupid move.'
All of this was thanks to 'Hannibal Strauss,' the Immortal King from another world. An alien invader who appeared, leading an army of the dead and instantly wiping out the demons that had dominated the continent.
Mccarthy, who had summoned such a being, couldn't help but feel a deep sense of unease.
'I used to think that as long as I got my revenge, this world would be fine, no matter what happened next.'
Was this what they meant by "a different feeling when you go in versus when you come out"?
After achieving everything he wanted, he slowly started to worry about what would happen next.
He was afraid that this world, which he was a part of, would become a hell even worse than before.
He feared that the peaceful world he so desperately longed for would be defiled by the deaths of the laughing children he had tried to protect at all costs.
Of course, there was nothing left for him to do, as he had already given his all and become a slave.
'I have no choice but to leave the rest to fate. Though I don't know how much I should trust a fate that has already destroyed this world once.'
...That's what he thought. Until a short while later, his 'Master' called him and spoke directly.
"Pardon? Me?"
Mccarthy's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth blankly. The words that came from the other's lips were completely unexpected.
[Hmm, why are you so surprised? Weren't you the one who contracted to summon this body to this world? It's only natural if you think about it.]
In the enormous fortress filled with a gloomy aura, An absolute being sat on a high throne, looking down with a cold gaze. As undead executives, exuding blood spirits, stood on either side, Mccarthy, who had come to see the king, knelt and stared at the floor, swallowing dry saliva. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead and dripped down.
'...It's true, but still...'
It had only been a short time since he had arrived at the black palace that had suddenly appeared on the peak of the renowned mountain where the Demon King's Castle stood. Yet, the bewilderment he felt now was nothing compared to the shock of first seeing the grotesque castle.
"I'm... just a fool who can't do anything but wander. So I'm to be the governor who rules this world on the king's behalf?"
He would normally have simply nodded and said "yes," but he couldn't this time. How could he solve a problem that was beyond his capabilities if he was given a position that didn't suit him? They were in the middle of a transition where the very foundation of the world was being completely remade. He knew his place well, but he wasn't confident that he could navigate such a path filled with so much chaos.
[Mccarthy.]
"Yes, Lord of Death."
[It is an order.]
"...I will gladly follow your command."
However, there was nothing he could do about the statement that followed. An order had been given, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and do everything he could.
[You don't need to worry so much. I will leave people behind to help with practical matters. You just have to maintain the balance as the human representative of this world.]
Of course, Hans knew what he was thinking. He had no intention of leaving everything to him in the first place. It was merely an idea to provide a minimum safety net out of concern that the undead, with their unique way of thinking, might run wild and destroy the world they had just acquired.
'I can't be bothered with this world forever.'
Even without that, he still had a lot to do. He had defeated the demons of Devore one after another, achieving various feats, and had also learned a great deal from the Archdemon of Infinity. After one large-scale sweep, there was nothing more to see in this world, which had already given him a lot of karma.
'I can leave the rest to Mccarthy. His soul is mortgaged to me, after all.'
Everything he did in this world would return to him as his karma. That was the contract he had made with Hans in the first place. In other words, in this Devore, he was absolutely Hans's apostle.
[Kekekekekeke, it would be a good idea to increase your power a little at this time.]
"Your... Your Majesty. It's alright, my king. In this world where the demons have been wiped out, who would dare to defy the actions of the immortal army? The king does not need to suffer the trouble!"
Mccarthy, his face pale—perhaps remembering the pain he felt when his eyes and arms were transplanted—spoke in a hurry. He might not have been afraid of pain back when he was hell-bent on revenge, but he no longer wanted to endure it now that everything was over.
However, it wasn't enough to change the mind of Hans, who had already made his decision.
[No, that won't do. Authority comes from overwhelming power. It's unacceptable for the one who governs this world on my behalf to be looked down on for a lack of power.]
It wasn't just black magic; handling the very 'power' of the dead that he had bestowed upon the human body was bound to cause tremendous pain. It would have been a simple matter to make him an undead, but he couldn't treat someone who had already pledged his loyalty to him like that.
Fortunately, for McCarthy, Hans had just acquired an ability that would be a great help in this situation.
[Don't worry. I just happened to get a new power this time. If I use it, there won't be as much physical pain as last time.]
"Ah... I am so honored by your great care!"
Mccarthy, who was struggling to maintain his composure, prostrated himself on the floor again. The lord had spoken, so he could not say anything more.
No, in fact, it was still quite dangerous.
'Ugh, it feels like my whole body is full of holes....'
The immortal army officers who had been standing silently on both sides of the hall were literally staring at him with their eyes wide open, like ghosts. It was only because the king himself was continuing the conversation that they hadn't dared to intervene. If not for that, all sorts of terrible things would have already happened.
[Kukekekekeke, there's no need to waste time delaying the work.]
Because of that, he could only nod his head and missed the opportunity to ask how the 'new power' would be used on him. Since Hans was using this ability for the first time, the demonstration also served as a kind of test. Even if he had no choice, if he had known beforehand, he could have at least prepared himself mentally.
A day later.
[Hoo? The progress at this rate isn't bad at all.]
"...Thank you...."
[Hmm, it's a shame you couldn't cross the wall of transcendence... but even so, you won't be looked down on anywhere. Continue to work harder in the future.]
Hans, who had successfully completed the experiment, nodded with satisfaction at his willingness to volunteer. And in return, he gave Mccarthy an additional favor, promising to come back someday to perform an additional procedure so he could fully cross the wall.
"Ah, ah...."
Mccarthy, whose body was twitching slightly, expressed his thanks in a slurred speech after not having a conversation with anyone for a long time, and made a firm resolution. Until the king's next visit, he would do whatever it took to overcome the wall blocking his path.
[Kukekekekeke! That was very good entertainment.]
After dealing with the last remaining demons on the surface and completing all other preparations, the ruler of death, who had suddenly appeared and brought a great change to Devore, crossed the dimensional wall and left without hesitation. He left behind only the human who had become his apostle and a group of his army to help him.
'Hmm, this is quite interesting.'
Compared to the other dimensions I've been to so far, my stay in Devore was very short, but the harvest I gained there was not so small. First, a tremendous amount of karma. I focused solely on hunting demons, setting aside all the other minor tasks, and the amount of karma I gained was well over ten million. In terms of profitability per unit of time, it was the best I've ever had.
Also, if you include the achievement "Liberator" which I got immediately after dealing with all the demons that appeared on the surface, and the countless numbers of troops resurrected by 'death' and the difficult-to-acquire high-ranking demons that have been accumulated over a long period, it's no exaggeration to say that this trip to Devore was the biggest jackpot of all.
'It may not be as good as the other dimensions I'm personally managing, but with McCarthy there, I can expect additional karma.'
I added a few smart ones, including one of Banshee Queen Olivia's close aides, so there shouldn't be any major problems in handling the practical matters. The army left behind in Devore was more than enough to easily clean up the country.
'With Devore downgraded by the demons, there won't be any sudden deaths at the end of the drama.'
With no superpowers left, it was no exaggeration to say that Mccarthy was the strongest being in Devore.
'I've gained a useful ability.'
I nodded with satisfaction. It was the ability I acquired in the process of defeating the Archdemon of Infinity, which helped me raise Mccarthy to that level all at once. This power would be a great weapon against the Heaven-turn society's leader, who can freely manipulate space and time. I could also apply it to training, just as I had used it on 'Mccarthy.'
Of course, there were still things to improve. Since I was in a Master position to McCarthy, I had the opportunity to solve problems in real-time, but I still lacked the skill to use the technique perfectly as I wished.
'Well, that's a problem that will be solved with time.'
I shrugged my shoulders lightly. Above all, Hans's conquest of the underworld didn't end in Devore.
There were still transcendent members of the Heaven-turn society left, who had been captured so far.
There were still several dimensions I could visit through them.