The Demon King Who Draws

Chapter 47

Whirrrrr-

Tap tap tap!

The mechanical hand was dusting off the lab, its fingers deftly sweeping away the cobwebs from the ceiling with a broom-like tool. Clad in a peculiar apron made of strange cloth, it was a sight of earnest cleaning.

“Leave the dusting for later, will you?”

Whirrr-

The mechanical hand, with eyes that seemed to gaze, nodded at Amon’s command and ceased its cleaning.

This was Amon’s secret laboratory.

Amon lay sprawled on a sofa, cushioned with fabrics and leathers salvaged from the lands of Riudira, atop the hard stone.

Whirrrrr-

One of her mechanical hands brought a grape to her lips.

“Ah~ah.”

Pop.

The burst of juice gifted her tongue with a sweet sensation.

“But did you wash your hands?”

…Whirrr.

“…Go wash them, then come back.”

This fruit too, was an import from Riudira.

Likely the last remaining fruit in the dungeon.

“Even the freshest ingredients run out when you’re just lazing around.”

The pulp was sweet, indeed.

Ah, such a delicacy is rare to taste in hell.

Suddenly, the continent of Solaria seemed all the more endearing.

“Now, where…”

Hmmmph…

Amon savored the air through her nose.

“…It’s been a long time since I’ve breathed the air of this land.”

Damp and slightly musty.

A characteristic of the underground, but amplified here in the dungeon.

Chilling and eerie.

Yet, she didn’t mind this silence.

“Not bad at all.”

Whirrr-

“There, there’s the fatigue.”

The mechanical hand clung to Amon’s shoulder, kneading her body diligently.

“Yawn…”

Amon yawned, her eyes half-closed.

“The Solaria I remember has all but vanished…”

She murmured like someone talking in their sleep, recalling ancient memories.

“If the sky has turned and the demons are extinct… Has the royal bloodline ended as well?”

After all, hell has changed just as much.

Soon, Amon began to nod off.

Idleness was part of her routine.

Demons are often said to be creatures of desire, but she was an exception.

It had been long since she felt interested in anything. Or had she ever truly desired something?

Well, even if such trivial issues existed, they couldn’t capture her interest.

She was like a snake shedding its skin, a cicada that has lived through thousands of summers. To her, emotions were consumables that had missed their replacement period.

She had become merely a symbol of the power that the name Amon held. A girl anesthetized to everything but the flashes of inspiration and intellect.

…Boring and tedious.

Knowing that such days will continue is akin to a curse.

Immortal and eternal.

Forever bustling, yet forever alone.

Such is the existence of a demon. The 72 demons, each with their name, all carry the loneliness of existence.

The past, whether they had affection for their contractors, is now a faint memory. And Amon’s memories are even fainter than those of other demons.

…Amon’s contractor was unique in history, and since his death, she had not set foot in Solaria.

It seems she crossed the gates of hell on her own…
Crossed on her own… Not incorrect. Though hell’s situation wasn’t great, she partly used it as an excuse to come here.

A vile deviation. The thought that another’s desire might kindle her own dormant ambition.

‘How lowly.’

She wasn’t the only one mired in ennui. All the archdemons likely felt the same.

But Amon, peculiar among them, clung to the faint but powerful pulse that sought out a demon.

So if you ask whether she has been freed from all ennui…

Not at all.

“…”

Trudge…

Trudge…

But,

“Amon.”

Swoosh…

“Phenex’s hunting party has obtained the rift, take it.”

Grin-

“…Why not.”

There’s still unripe evil here.

The small but noticeable progress is quite striking.

Amon plans to watch it slowly, over time… At least she won’t be bored.

* * *

All threats within the ancient relic have been neutralized.

The ancient relic is being excavated.

All spoils are bound to the Dungeon: The Rotten Root.

Construction of the Dimensional Gate Relay is now possible.

Having seen many unexplored areas of the Rotten Root and other zones in their true form, the bizarrely shaped place before me was a first.

Yet, I didn’t let my gaze wander distractedly, not with the hunting party kneeling before me.

Except for Phenex, unfamiliar with such formality, standing alone. His bright eyes seemed to expect praise.

Ahem…

I brushed my hand over her head as I passed by.

“Good work.”

Was that it? Her expression seemed to ask, then she beamed a pure, puppy-like smile.

It took effort to pass by such a being indifferently.

“Amon, as you commanded, this place is now secured.”

“Hmm… Follow me.”

Amon strode into the heart of the relic.

Phenex watched her back with a spark of admiration, but Amon showed no reaction. Poor, lonely Phenex.

“You too, come along.”

Grrrrr?
“I’ll show you what you’ve won with your own eyes.”

This was their reward.

A device with strange patterns etched beneath a rippling rift floated in the center of the relic. It looked too much like part of the relic to be a mere machine.

Amon fiddled with it, then her eyes shone.

“The device is ancient, this rift passage completely burnt out. Hmm, is that so?”

“Why’s that?”

“The previous user must have escaped through this rift, causing the device to malfunction.”

Is there a problem?

That would be troublesome.

“Still, some coordinates can be salvaged. That should suffice.”

“Is this the Dimensional Gate you spoke of?”

“Indeed. Born to claim more lives, a weapon.”

“A weapon… Hmm… Why call it that?”

“Do you know why dungeons were created in this world?”

I know only a few lines of lore. The developers never fully explained it.

So, in truth, I’m clueless.

Especially in front of this ancient historian and living library before me.

I vaguely acknowledged, and Amon began to explain kindly.

“The first dungeon was born from the high ranks of the demonkind.”

“Hmm…”

“At that time, demons and humans distinguished not by species, but by social hierarchy…”

Wait, did something shocking just pass by?

“Wait… what?”

“Just as I said. Humans and demons were once one. Those born with special magical powers became the ruling class, the current demons. With black hair and black eyes, just like you.”

“…How do you know this?”

“Isn’t it stranger not to know? The archdemons were the first demons to set foot in Solaria.”

“…”

So much shocking information was passing by. I wanted to delve into each one, but Amon’s interest didn’t last long.

“Just listen, you’ll learn it all eventually. The high-ranking demons of that time had immense magical power and potential… It wasn’t for nothing that they contracted with the archdemons.”

I knew Amon’s contractor was unique in history, probably one of the early high-ranking demons of Solaria.

“Those with much are always envied. They summoned me and my brethren from hell to set foot on this land. A very long time ago… Now forgotten by all in Solaria.”

A rare emotion seemed to condense on Amon’s face like dew.

What do you desire?
“That’s what one of my brothers was asked.”

…Guard this place.
“The birth of Maertan, the first dungeon, was thus. Created to protect something precious.”

…Is this becoming a history lesson?

“Much later, the purpose of dungeons began to change. From protecting the precious to testing weapons prepared for war…”

Amon’s expression hardened.

“And… after a great deal of time, they became places to harvest countless souls.”

“Did they fall into corruption?”

“Who knows… The occurrence was inevitable, whenever it happened. Its conception originated from evil, but ironically, it’s now saving your life, isn’t it?”

“…”

A dungeon to absorb souls. The Rotten Root is undoubtedly optimized for harvesting souls.

And this device before me was also born to capture more souls.

Is that repulsive and revolting? I showed a calm smile in response.

‘Not at all.’

Now, undisturbed.

“Wait…”

Amon suddenly turned to me, as if realizing something in front of the device.

“How did it come to this, why should I help? What’s in it for me?”

I thought of the mandragora, but I had something saved for such an occasion. One of the harvests from the latest gacha event.

“…”

I whispered in her ear that I would hand it over. Worthless to me, but of different value to Amon.

Hearing my words, she curled her lips into a smile.

“An early invention, huh… Not a bad trade.”

Swoosh…

She placed her hand on the device.

Whooooosh-!

[Initiating restoration of the Dimensional Gate Relay.]

[Beginning restoration of remaining rift coordinates.]

…

Mysterious characters floated up into the relic’s void.

Whooooosh…

Zzzzzt…

Zzzzzt…

Sparks flew from the device, possibly overloaded, and the relic emitted an eerie wail.

Crash…

Rumble-!

Thud thud thud…

Thud thud thud thud…

The relic began to vibrate fiercely.

The tremors made it hard to stand, but those present had the power to maintain their balance.

Suddenly, I wondered who would have restored this Dimensional Gate Relay if not for Amon. Perhaps it would have been me?

Amon’s silhouette was that of a small girl, but I knew. She was undoubtedly an archdemon.

Kwaaaaaaaah-!

The light flickered.

[The restoration of the Dimensional Gate Relay is complete.]

[The Dimensional Gate Relay can now summon more invaders to the dungeon.]

[Archdemon Amon has personally restored it. Additional rift coordinates have been restored.]

[Tip: Some facilities, like the Dimensional Gate Relay, show no change even with labor input.]

…