The Demon King Who Draws

Chapter 42

A radiant orange glow filled my eyes, a spectacle that was far from uncomfortable.

‘Exhilarating…’

It’s the kind of thrill that often justifies the money spent on a successful gacha pull.

Whoosh…

The brilliance that once emanated from Azelub’s eyes shifted in hue.

Having shown the preview, it was time to reveal the accessories, one by one.

Green.

Summoning [★★ Static Spirit].

Crackle and pop!

A small spirit cried out—a lone entity of little use, but in numbers, they could merge and amplify their strength.

Whoosh…

Blue.

Summoning [★★★ Steel-Jawed Turtle].

Snap!

A massive turtle emerged, mouth agape.

‘You can sense its sluggishness.’

A familiar demon possessing attributes of the ocean, earth, and metal—a safe choice for recruitment.

‘At the very least, it’s good for draining the stamina of intruders.’

Whoosh…

Next up… Purple!

Summoning [★★★★ Orc War Fiend].

“Hrk… Is it war?”

An orc capable of speaking the common tongue of humans and demons alike had appeared.

One of the intriguing aspects of the Lemegeton is that as the lineage-derived demons ascend in rank, communication with them becomes more fluid.

Even those who couldn’t speak before would effortlessly converse upon reaching four or five stars.

‘Of course, there are exceptions, and each has its own traits.’

Moving on.

Whoosh…

Blue again.

Successfully located [★★★ Perfume Bottle’s Curse Talisman].

‘…Pass.’

A rather useless curse.

A talisman that affects only adventurers of a certain disposition, typically employed for targeted curses and otherwise left to gather dust in storage or used to enhance other talismans.

As a curse talisman grows, not only does the likelihood of a successful curse increase, but various new effects may also emerge.

‘Well… that’s usually the case with higher-grade curse talismans.’

Typically, only one curse can be active during a dungeon run, though there are exceptions.

One might wonder if a dungeon could grow infinitely powerful. For instance, could demons fill a dungeon to the brim, not just special cases like curses?

‘In theory, yes… though just in theory.’

If so, the dungeon would be filled with lower-quality demons.

Imagine the dungeon as a house.

A dungeon with three boss rooms, including the core, is like a house with three rooms. The size of each room varies, much like the whims of the house’s designer.

And the demons within those rooms? Think of them as furniture.

You can cram furniture in, but without considering harmony, drawers won’t open, or the sleeping quarters become uncomfortable.

In other words, the furniture fails to serve its intended purpose.

How can we fit more demons without disrupting this harmony?

‘Either the house expands, or space from other rooms is reallocated.’

This refers to both physical space and the magical power supplied by the dungeon core.

‘Well, since the dungeon core can grow indefinitely, it’s not wrong to say the dungeon itself can grow infinitely.’

As I pondered, four types of weapons had already passed by.

Successfully located [★★★ Horn of Madness].

Successfully located [★★ Stench-ridden Dagger].

Successfully located [★★★ Insulting Gauntlets].

Successfully located [★★★★ Skull Collector].

Whoosh…

In a realm where violet hues signify heroism, even the presence of a weapon of such caliber could only elicit a nonchalant shrug.

“Why does the summoning of a familiar stir different emotions than that of a weapon?” one might ponder. The answer lies in compatibility; not every entity can wield every weapon, and the more ambiguous the weapon’s grade, the more negligible its effects seem.

“Ah, the Skull Collector… now that would suit an Orc Berserker quite well.”

In these lands, a four-star familiar, fully armed for battle, is a rare adversary indeed. Yet, even so…

“The true necessity lies in the familiars…”

As the dungeon expands, its vastness will soon dwarf the present scale.

It’s not weapons that will fill this burgeoning expanse, but familiars.

“One can only hope the next draw brings forth another familiar.”

The signal comes with a hiss…

Was it my turn this time?

“Orange!”

Azarub groans in anticipation.

“A harbinger of five stars…”

The signal emanated from the ninth summon.

With a crackling roar akin to thunder, a colossal form emerges.

A deep, resonating growl…
“…A golem?”

Its stature feels more immense than even the gates of hell, dwarfing the wandering forest trolls.

[★★★★★ Summoning the Guardian of the Realm.]

“Hmm…”

A golem of the earth element.

Perhaps its most notable advantage is its resilience; as long as its core remains intact, it can regenerate indefinitely.

A worthy creature indeed. fit to be the first choice for the boss room of any relic or earth-themed field.

“Still, the foundation of earth is far too scarce.”

Without the power to construct an earth field, the immediate construction of such a domain seems a miracle away.

For now, it remains an unutilized asset.

Deploying it without synergy would only drain the dungeon core’s magic, making it less efficient than even a four-star familiar.

The last draw reveals a fire field trap.

“Satisfying, yet slightly disappointing.”

No critical hits. At best, it’s suitable for an Orc Berserker.

The need for new field familiars and external intelligence agents is apparent…

But there’s no cause for concern.

“Today, I am armed with an abundance of magic stones.”

The summons continue, now with increased velocity.

[★★ Successful search of the Contaminated Drain.]

[★★★ Successful search of the Faulty Switch.]

[★★★ Summoning the Thunderous Toad.]

[★★★ Summoning the Flame Imp.]

[★★★★ Summoning the Volcano Worm.]

[★★★ Summoning the Horrific Experiment.]

[★★★ Summoning the Swamp Specter.]

[★★ Successful search of the Amulet of Sloth.]

[★★ Summoning the Static Sprite.]

[★★★ Summoning the Undeveloped Yeti.]

“Hmm…”

I remain unfazed.

Starting with a stockpile of stones enough for sixty summons.

“The pool of holdings grows.”

One might deem a failed ten-summon as a loss, but that’s far from the truth.

Managing a dungeon isn’t just about constructing a boss room. It’s also about building fields that test the invaders’ mettle, whittling down their strength and resolve.

In that sense, the continual appearance of regular familiars, which consume less magic, isn’t a bad outcome.

“Of course, the best draw would be a demon… but that’s asking for too much.”

Amon, one of the great demons, is already by my side. Having felt a fraction of her power recently, there’s no need to covet another.

“What I need now is composure. Step by step…”

The summons proceed, another ten in quick succession.

[★★★ Summoning the Windcatcher.]

[★★ Summoning the Grave Zombie.]

[★★★★ Summoning the Salamander.]

[★★★ Summoning the Intangible Spirit.]

[★★★★ Summoning the Bonfire Arsonist.]

[★★★★ Successful search of the Crossroads Curse Amulet.]

[★★★ Successful search of the Venomous Fang.]

[★★★ Summoning the Skeleton Berserker.]

[★★★ Summoning the Sulfur Monkey.]

[★★★ Summoning the Flame Imp.]

“…It’s about time to decide on the next field.”

Once again, I’m reminded of the predatory monetization system of Lemegeton.

With a plethora of attributes far exceeding the four basic elements offered to novices, and each attribute branching into more paths, the initial capital required to properly construct a dungeon field is staggering.

“…Shouldn’t at least one field be completed per truckload?”

The most expensive magic stone package is colloquially termed a ‘truckload,’ costing over 100,000 won, causing one to tremble with each transaction.

In Lemegeton, the value of a truckload can sometimes plummet to rock bottom. It’s the infamous situation where you spend money and yet nothing changes.

“After forty summons, at least one field should be completed, damn it!”

“Shall we stop here?”

Azarub’s words seem to coax a retreat, but I respond resolutely.

“…No.”

Azarub acknowledges my determination with a sound of admiration.

I have no intention of backing down.

Not until the new field is composed and the external agents are secured!

The summons continue…

And then, a signal…

“Could it be?”

A burst of orange light explodes from Azarub’s eyes.

The light remains unchanged.

Meaning, the first to appear will be the master of this orange hue.

With a flash and a crackle…

The silhouette of the creature becomes visible.

“Growling…”

Amidst the smoke, the menacing silhouette of a werewolf looms, then shrinks into the delicate form of a grown woman.

As the smoke clears, a beautiful woman with a scar across her nose appears, her eyes fierce with confidence.

“Are you my contractor?”

[★★★★★ Summoning the Moonlit Werewolf.]

…A critical hit indeed.

* * *

If we were to summarize the results of this gacha, no six-star demons have emerged.

“Seems like… the collection is coming together.”

Yet, a multitude of familiars have joined to construct the dungeon. And as luck would have it, a new field can now be unveiled.

“I’ve pondered quite a bit…”

The criteria for a new field require a resource capable of filling the boss room, and a pool of general familiars sufficient to make full use of the field’s environment.

Three attributes meet the first criterion.

“Earth, flame, lightning.”

Among these, only flame satisfies the second condition. Therefore, the next field is decided: flame.

“As for lightning… the classification of its familiars differs.”

While I’ve secured lightning familiars, there are few themed after an abandoned laboratory.

“After all, it’s proper to strengthen from the front.”

Since Phenex will greet the intruders before Amon, empowering her was the right decision.

“Now then…”

Before the throne, new familiars kneel. Among them, a few stand out.

They are five-star familiars.

I attempted a whopping fifty draws in this gacha…

“Finally, does the light of glory shine upon me?”

The new five-star familiars kneeling before me…

There are four in total.