“How much magical power do you possess?”
“About 65,000.”
Lee Shin thought deeply.
‘The wager is a minimum of 10,000, up to 50,000.’
Fortunately, the decision on how much to wager was up to the one being challenged.
“If we wager 10,000 each time, that means we can fight a total of 6 times.”
“If I’m challenged all 6 times, that would be the case. But if I lose one more time, I’ll be in the position where I have to challenge others.”
“Even if you lose this time, you can gather more magical power and challenge again to regain your lost lordship, can’t you?”
At that, Gremory gave a bitter smile and gestured to him.
“Come here.”
Lee Shin followed her to the window.
A vast territory was visible through the large glass window.
It was a beautiful natural landscape, unbelievable for a place inhabited by demons.
“I am the great lord who rules over this territory and 26 demon legions.”
“……”
“Although I’ve fallen now, 13 demon legions still loyally remain with me.”
Gremory looked at Lee Shin with sad eyes.
“Losing the status of a lord means I can no longer control this land or those loyal to me. How can I describe the humiliation and loss?”
Lee Shin realized he had spoken too hastily.
He had felt the same way.
He had experienced that sense of loss when he could no longer pursue his career as a professional player.
People around him said he had plenty of money and was still young, asking what the problem was. They didn’t understand how he felt at all.
Just as gaming was to him, it must have been a very precious pride for her.
Lee Shin said,
“Of course, I don’t plan to lose either. Since we can choose the battlefield on our side, as long as we prepare well, we’re basically at an advantage.”
Knowing how advantageous it was to fight on a chosen map, Lee Shin, who had been a professional gamer, understood very well.
“Do you know how much magical power the current 71st lord possesses?”
“The current 71st demon lord, Caim, has 91,000 magical power.”
“90% of 91,000 means… you need 81,900 magical power to be eligible to challenge.”
“That’s correct.”
“Then, depending on the opponent, if you’re confident in winning, why not wager more than 10,000 magical power to immediately gain the right to challenge?”
“It depends on how prepared we are for the wager.”
“Exactly. We also need to consider my condition and the opponent’s personality.”
“Alright. I’ll trust only you.”
***
Demon Lord Gremory, ranked 72nd.
Her palace, as beautiful as its owner’s looks, once held the rank of 56th. Even Versailles would perhaps not be as splendid.
During his stay, Lee Shin received utmost care, from meals to bedding.
Wherever he went, about ten beautiful maids followed him around, attending to even the smallest details.
He began to understand a bit why Gremory said staying in the Demon Realm forever could be a happy affair.
However, he had no time to enjoy such comfortable living. With the possibility of a challenge coming at any time, there was no room for leisure.
He immediately started practicing.
“I need to practice to get the hang of it. Is it possible to have a mock battle?”
“Of course, it is.”
Gremory placed her hand on Lee Shin’s shoulder. At that moment, he felt the space around them distort entirely.
Whoosh!
[Lord Gremory and contractor Lee Shin have arrived at the first battlefield, Asteia.]
An unidentified voice echoed.
“I will conduct a mock battle with my contractor, Lee Shin.”
Gremory stated.
[This is a mock battle between Lord Gremory and contractor Lee Shin. The outcome of the war does not affect the rankings or magical power. A random 50,000 magical power is wagered.]
[50,000 magical power will turn into magic stones and be dispersed across the battlefield.]
[Please choose your race.]
Gremory said to me,
“You need to choose a race.”
“Race?”
“Demons are not mobilized in the ranking battles. The more demons sacrificed, the weaker the Demon Realm becomes.”
“…?”
“Instead, humans, orcs, elves, dwarves who have sinned and fallen to hell, and monsters residing in the Demon Realm are mobilized for the ranking battles.”
“Can they be summoned with the collected magical power?”
“Yes, first choose one among humans, orcs, elves, dwarves, or monsters.”
The choice of race as well.
‘It’s totally like a game.’
His professional gaming experience, especially with games like Space Craft, was very similar to this.
However, while Space Craft only had humans, monsters, and god races, the ranking battles of the 72 demon lords offered five different races to choose from, meaning there was much more to consider.
Lee Shin said,
“I’ll choose humans.”
“You must be familiar with humans.”
“Well, yes, that too.”
During his player days, Lee Shin’s primary race was human.
Here, humans presumably meant the same thing, so it seemed the most relatable choice.
“However, humans are so weak that hardly anyone chooses them.”
“I want to try each one.”
“Alright. I’ll choose monsters.”
And so, the game, or rather, the war began.
Lee Shin’s first opponent was none other than Gremory herself.
***
Lee Shin surveyed the surrounding terrain.
Cliffs wrapped around the area like walls in a circle.
A small passage in the center was the only entrance connecting to the outside.
Lee Shin was with four naked humans. In front of them, a large building was also visible.
As he stared at the building, a message was imprinted into Lee Shin’s mind.
[Headquarters: A building for summoning slaves and storing the magic they gather.]
‘Slaves?’
Only then did Lee Shin look at the four naked humans.
They were tentatively watching Lee Shin’s reactions. One of the men cautiously spoke up.
“Um, Excuse me, Contractor.”
“Hm?”
‘They can speak?’
Lee Shin was surprised.
Indeed.
Even though it resembled a game, this was clearly reality. They were not units but living, thinking, and speaking beings.
“Shall we gather magic? That should be the first thing to do…”
“Oh, should we?”
Then, the explanation continued in his head.
[Slave: Gathers magic and iron ore, and also builds buildings.]
[Slaves, along with all humans and buildings, are mentally connected to Mr. Lee Shin through telepathy. You can give commands in your mind.]
‘The explanation is helpful.’
Following the message, Lee Shin gave orders to the slaves.
‘Gather the magic.’
Then, the slaves ran towards eight black rocks near the headquarters.
The slaves looked strained, but regardless of their facial expressions, they smashed the rocks and transported them little by little to the headquarters.
‘So those are magic stones.’
Nonetheless, seeing the same humans labor under his command made him feel not so great.
[Magic: 38]
As the slaves carried the magic stones to the headquarters, the number began to rise.
‘Right, it’s a game. This is just a game.’
Lee Shin emptied his mind and focused again on playing.
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