Chapter 223: Synthetic reinforcement (1)
The demon world was vast, so were the kings’ territories. Because of this, it often took more than one day for them to reach from one dungeon to another by riding a horse.
Kings generally had dozens of dungeons under their control.
Given the distance between dungeons took more than one day to reach, it meant dozens of days to travel back and forth between them. So, they needed to cross the whole kingdom to travel from one dungeon to another in the farthest place.
Mammon, the great Ging of Greed, thought about this problem.
‘It’s inefficient.’
[So, Mammon installed the door of space in all dungeons. And he connected all the doors to make it one.]
The flames of the red lotus arose inside the giant red dragon, Tiamet, which was returning to the House of Mammon.
Aamon continued to explain, [Of course, Mammon was not the first who created the door of space. He wasn’t the first demon king to travel back and forth dungeons through the door of space, either.]
[However, he was the first to connect dozens of dungeons. It can be said to be one of Mammon’s great achievements.]
There were quite a few means of transportation with which they could move a long distance in an instant, just like Sitri’s cat carriage or the flying carriage of the Dungeon Market that he used when he visited the auction house of the Dungeon Market.
But even those transportations were slower than the door of space where they could move instantly.
“Really? Is it true that there is a control center on the 9th floor that manages all the roads and doors?”
When Yong-ho asked, the flames flared up more strongly.
[Yes.]
[However, you will not be able to use the connecting roads that Mammon had made.]
[You must create the new connecting roads of your own.]
“That’s efficient.”
Yong-ho’s being able to move between the dungeons under his command in an instant meant that the range of activities of Yong-ho and his subordinate spirits, who were like tactical nuclear weapons in the human world, could be enormously expanded without attracting the attention of the enemy at all.
[But it’s not perfect.]
[There are only dozens of people who can move through the connecting road all at once. And you can only use it twice a day.]
[Keep this in mind.]
It was impossible for Yong-ho to mobilize large troops by using the door of space. However, he was not disappointed.
“That’s why I have Thiamet.”
It wasn’t just Tiamet. He planned to purchase a few more flying vehicles in the future. The option to purchase a large flying spirit and evolve it was also attractive to him.
A large armed fleet flying through the sky.
He felt like his wild ambitions were surging just by imagining it.
“Then, are you going to go back and challenge the 9th floor?” Kaiwan asked, who sat right next to him.
But he shook his head and said, “No, I need to prepare a little more.”
It was the grand wizard, Magnadon, who was on the 9th floor as one of Mammon’s 12 Spirits.
In the legends, he was like a disaster, splitting the land and breaking mountains.
Aamon said firmly that Yong-ho’s fight against Magnadon was inevitable. Magnadon was different from Scathach or Richard. Whether he was crazy or not, Magnadon would chant an attack spell as soon as he saw Yong-ho.
Catalina, who was sitting across Kaiwan, asked Yong-ho a bit timidly, “Would you like to make the Silent Warrior Richard your subordinate spirit?”
His relationship with Richard, the guardian on the 8th floor, was very subtle. He didn’t advise or help him like Scathach or Gusion, nor did he attack Yong-ho like Baphomet or Asclepius.
He was just faithful to guarding the entrance to the treasure storage.
At her question, Yong-ho said, with his shoulders falling, “I would like to, but I have a little problem.”
“You mean any more vacancy for the spirit?”
Kaiwan asked right away. Yong-ho nodded.
Aamon spoke again, [The master can afford to have one more subordinate spirit.]
[Of course, if your power grows a little more, you can afford to have more subordinate spirits.]
When Aamon mentioned ‘one more,’ he was referring to one like Mammon’s 12 Spirits, not a general dungeon spirit.
Ophelia added, “The number of subordinate spirits is confined to five or six even if you are a king. The King of Gluttony who controlled at least seven subordinate spirits was very exceptional.”
The King of Gluttony had eight subordinate spirits, but what Ophelia actually saw was seven. Whether it was seven or eight, however, it was clear that the king had more subordinate spirits than generally accepted.
[Each of the Seven Deadly Sins has its own special powers.]
[As the current master of the House of Mammon, you probably know what the fundamental power of greed is.]
Although what Aamon said was somewhat off the main topic, Yong-ho just nodded again because he understood what Aamon was trying to say.
“Possessiveness. Was that the reason why Mammon could have as many as twelve subordinate spirits?”
Greed wanted to have possessiveness because pure possessiveness was the source of greed.
More subordinate spirits.
It didn’t matter whether Yong-ho had five or six. Greed longed for possession of more of them.
[Of course, it is thanks to the power of greed that Mammon could have 12 subordinate spirits. But his addition of the power of Gluttony and Fury also helped him control as many as 12 spirits.]
[If he had not possessed three Sins, he would not have made 12 spirits his subordinate spirits, no matter how strong Mammon was.]
Right now, Yong-ho had Greed and Gluttony. One day, he would be able to control as many as 12 subordinate spirits like Mammon.
“Anyway, is it a matter of choice for you right now?”
Kaiwan pointed out the heart of the matter.
He agreed and said, “Richard hasn’t recognized me yet. He only allowed me to use the treasure storage. I can obtain the power of ‘trust’ that he allegedly had. But I’m not sure if I can make him one of my subordinate spirits.”
It was also not easy for him to force any reluctant warrior to be his subordinate spirit. Besides, this was the task of making one of Mammon’s 12 Spirits his own spirit. It was natural that he thought the task almost impossible.
[If I dare to recommend you, I think it’s better to make Gusion your subordinate spirit first rather than Richard.]
[Richard will never have a new master unless he is persuaded first.]
[He would rather take his life if he was forced against his will.]
Richard was the man who kept the treasure storage of his deceased master for one thousand years. It was ridiculous to compare his loyalty with that of the 12 Spirits, but there were few who could be compared with him in terms of loyalty.
“Skull Skull.”
Suddenly Skull shouted.
Catalina, who had watched Skull for as long as Yong-ho, understood what Skull tried to say.
Flapping her ears several times, she said, holding his hand tightly, “I am on the same page as Skull. I will never serve any other master than you.”
“Me, too, because I’m yours,” said Kaiwan jokingly, hugging his arm.
Embarrassed but delighted, he raised his head and said to Eligos, who was moving up or down his lips hesitantly, “Hey, Eligos. You don’t have to express it because you know your heart. Same to you, Ophelia and Tigrius.”
Eligos’s red skin turned even more reddish, and Ophelia smiled gently, looking at him.
Tigrius cleared his throat to get out of embarrassment.
Aamon whispered to everyone, [I said just one vacancy for the spot of our master’s subordinate spirit. But I think it’s not sufficient.]
[The subordinate spirits of the master are rapidly becoming stronger. The master must also grow enough to accommodate them all.]
[The power of evolution will lead the master and his subordinate spirits to a higher place.]
That was the case with Mammon’s 12 Spirits in the past.
Even after reaching the peak of the demon world, Mammon and his 12 Spirits continued to grow.
Yong-ho clapped his hands loudly.
“Okay, I have to conquer the 9th floor in order to have Ophelia and Tigrius be in charge of Cadis Fortress and go through rigorous fighting in the arena. Let’s get ready as soon as we return.”
Cadis was the northern fortress he occupied before his summit meeting with the Queen of Fury.
It would take quite a lot of attention and renovation to rebuild the fortress that had been thoroughly destroyed by the invasion of two foreign enemies, Embrio and Stravadi.
Turning his face away from Ophelia, who was about to cry, and Tigrius, who gently cleared his throat, Yong-ho made the announcement.
Kaiwan hugged his arm a little harder and asked, “You said you have work to do before that?”
“Of course, I do.”
Yong-ho’s gaze turned to one of his subordinate spirits.
“Skullkull?”
***
[Name: Black dirge]
[Category: Demon Sword]
[Black dirge is a magic sword whose creator is unknown.]
[Currently, the most prevalent theory is that ‘Kakura la Doom,’ who was a blacksmith, made it with all his heart and soul for revenge.]
[Black dirge, a magical sword in the form of a giant claymore, puts a powerful curse of death on the user.]
[Anyone who surrenders to this curse is resurrected as an undead and becomes a puppet of the Black dirge. Black dirge with a puppet repeats an indiscriminate massacre and increases the number of undead.]
[However, those who overcome the curse will be able to perform necromancing with the power of the curse of the black dirge.]
[Since the user uses the power of the magic sword, he can use it even if he is ignorant of magic.]
[Tip of the Dungeon Market]
[Because the curse itself is to resurrect the opponent into an undead, the initial undead can use the black dirge.]
[Warning from the Dungeon Market.]
[Even if the user of the black dirge is an undead, anyone who is weak-hearted can be controlled by the black dirge.]
[Once the curse is activated after purchase, no return or refund is possible for any reason.]