The Demon King Who Draws

Chapter 48: Ashen Forest and the Mandragora Alarm

After the restoration of the dimensional gateway relay, a final field inspection was due before linking the outer portal with the dungeon entrance. The bird’s-eye view from the depths of the control room could hardly reveal the field’s vulnerabilities or misplacements.

The first stop was the boss room of Phenex, a place that could be adorned with various devices and environments as the dungeon grew. But for now, resources were scarce. Gimmick-type bosses required such embellishments, but Phenex, a straightforward brawler boss, had no urgent need for them.

“Take a look at this, Phenex. What shall we do about this dust?” Lucifer inquired, her tone strict yet caring.

“Ugh… Lucifer…” Phenex grumbled, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

“You’re filthy. Had I not checked in advance, what would have become of you?” Lucifer chided.

“It’s not that dirty…” Phenex protested weakly.

“Silence, silence!” Lucifer commanded, and silence fell.

Lucifer was particularly stern with Phenex. In truth, Phenex was the only one who engaged in such exchanges with her. The other familiars found it difficult to utter even a single word to Lucifer.

At that moment, Lucifer was busy cleaning the boss room, a nightmare for intruders, ensuring it was spotless before any dared to enter.

Phenex’s lips protruded in a pout. Was he holding back his complaints?

Regardless, Lucifer’s interference was necessary. The boss room was, after all, Phenex’s living space, and she wanted it to be clean.

The concept for this flame field was an ashen forest. Think of it as a field ravaged by wildfire.

The fields of Lemegeton were divided into various concepts according to their attributes, each with its own terrain effects and synergies.

“Kihihihihi…” The laughter of Santo, the leader of the Mad Wandering Troupe, echoed through the ashen forest, the domain Phenex oversaw and where Santo was the sole familiar, aside from Phenex herself.

Santo was placed in the field not to fill it with familiars but for his unique abilities.

“Kihik… Kihik…” How long would he cling to a distant tree, peeking and laughing at us? As an ally, he might seem a bit out of place, but as an enemy, his appearance would surely evoke terror.

Nevertheless, the second field was successfully completed.

It was a refreshing feeling, akin to saving up to move into a larger home and giving the eldest daughter her own room.

Phenex hesitated, and Lucifer spoke, “Phenex, you are akin to Master Faust’s own limbs; you must always conduct yourself properly.”

“I will,” Phenex replied, subdued.

“I’ll be visiting weekly. If you neglect your cleaning…”

“I’ll do it! I’ll clean!” Phenex exclaimed, looking at me earnestly.

Was he seeking reassurance?

“Visit often,” I told her, and with a grin, Phenex’s mood brightened.

“I’ll come too!” she declared.

No, you visit too often…

We exchanged glances, and I left the room.

How many defeats lay ahead for Phenex?

For a while, it seemed she would continue to lose, to bear the sting of defeat. As her master, it was my role to push her through these trials.

“Next is… the forest,” I mused.

“Master Faust, there’s something I must tell you before the final inspection,” Lucifer called out, stopping me in my tracks.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Don’t be alarmed if Amon presents something bizarre,” she warned.

“What do you mean?” I inquired, puzzled.

Just then…

“Ah! There you are!” Amon’s voice, cheerful as ever, approached. Lucifer muttered under her breath, “She’s here.”

She hid behind me, clasping her hands.

“Where’s Lucifer? I wanted to hear her thoughts on my creation.”

“What are you talking about…”

“Hmm… Well, a little out of order, but no matter. I needed your opinion anyway.”

“My opinion?”

“Behold this marvelous thing!” Amon urged, presenting a pot. It was small enough to fit in one hand, and something was planted within.

“A mandragora,” I observed.

“Hmm… Hmm! The fruits of my research,” Amon boasted.

A mandragora procured from the black market, I recalled the steep price I paid for it.

“Is it finally complete?” I wondered, noticing something round drawn on the side of the pot.

“A clock?” I guessed.

“Hmm… What do you think?” Amon prodded.

No, it was too cumbersome to be a clock…

“An alarm clock,” I realized.

“Correct.”

Snap! Amon flicked his mechanical finger, and a terrible scream erupted from the mandragora.

“Kiiiaaaahhh! I’m late! I can’t be late!”
I turned to see Lucifer covering her ears alone. Amon’s lips moved, but I couldn’t hear him over the mandragora’s cries.

What was this farce?

And so the story continues…

Lucifer extended a handkerchief, a simple gesture that would soon be stained with the crimson of unintended consequences.

“What do you think of my latest invention?” she asked, her voice a mix of pride and challenge.

Before the mandragora could unleash its ear-splitting cry again, a swift turn of a button—presumably the volume control—muted the impending doom.

“…When does this alarm clock ring?” I inquired, my curiosity piqued despite the absurdity of it all.

“At the time of awakening, naturally. But beware, for if one indulges in slumber five minutes past the alarm, it promises a fate most dire,” Lucifer explained with a hint of mischief.

A deadly alarm clock, indeed. A creation so ludicrous, it bordered on genius—or madness.

Yet, I knew this could be the very thing to tame the unruly Amon.

“Master Faust, surely you jest. This monstrosity…” Lucifer began, her words trailing off as she awaited my condemnation.

“Quite… useful, actually,” I mused, much to her bewilderment.

Lucifer’s gaze bore into me, a mixture of confusion and betrayal. Amon, too, shared her astonishment.

“Truly? Do you indeed find merit in this?” Amon questioned, her voice laced with disbelief.

“Place it by my bedside. These days, waking has become a chore,” I declared, embracing the chaos of innovation.

Lucifer whispered a warning, “Master Faust, it could be the death of you.”

“If one cannot rise within five minutes, perhaps they deserve such a fate. A rather merciful invention, if you ask me,” I retorted, my words echoing with finality.

Amon’s laughter filled the room, a sound as unsettling as her creations.

Her inventions, often impractical and bizarre, were her deepest desires made manifest. She craved recognition, even for the most useless of contraptions.

Once a creator of weapons, Amon now sought a different path—a balance between the useful and the useless, the beneficial and the benign.

And so, the mandragora alarm clock, a testament to her eccentric genius, found its place by my bed, courtesy of Amon’s own hands.

As I turned my attention back to the matters at hand, Lucifer nodded in silent understanding.

“The forest then?” I asked, ready to address the next challenge.

“Yes, as per your command, the structure of the forest has been altered,” Lucifer confirmed.

“And Ariel’s reaction?” I probed, mindful of the Dark Elf Queen’s sentiments.

“She seems to be enjoying the respite. The goblins have not been reckless with their lumbering or soil contamination,” Lucifer reported.

“Jaakim’s role will be pivotal,” I noted, anticipating the goblin king’s performance.

After inspecting the pathways of potential intruders, I visited Ariel, now the hidden boss of the forest.

“Master Faust, it’s an honor to have you visit,” Ariel greeted me.

“Ariel, are you content with your new role?” I asked.

“Free from the troublemakers, I feel rather relieved. My only concern is Jaakim’s competence,” she admitted.

“Trust is necessary,” I assured her.

With the forest’s unique effects, Jaakim, the Goblin King, had joined the ranks, along with four other goblin species obtained through the gacha.

Though still lacking, it was a promising start.

“Master Faust, about that…” Lucifer began, her gaze following mine to where Jaakim stood.

“…Impressive,” I acknowledged.

One look was enough to understand.

Jaakim, the Goblin King, would be the new gatekeeper of my dungeon.

* * *

With a flash of light and a thunderous roar, the adventurers found themselves in a mysterious cave, their last memory before touching a dimensional portal.

“Where are we?” one asked, bewildered by the sudden shift in scenery.

“Damn it, what in the world…” another cursed, his frustration palpable.

“A forest? Bloody hell…” a third muttered, wondering if they were under some illusion.

“Hey, what’s the plan? Weren’t we supposed to strike it rich?” the youngest prodded, eager for treasure.

“Shut it, I’m thinking,” the leader snapped, his mind racing with possibilities.

“Could we have been… transported somewhere?” a thoughtful voice suggested.

“In the middle of a forest? This is too strange… Wait, the flow of magic here is odd, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is. Don’t tell me this is a dun…geon?”

At that word, their eyes lit up with greed and excitement.

“A dungeon? Here?”

“It seems likely. The flow of magic is certainly peculiar.”

“Oh, this might be our lucky break! If it’s an unexplored dungeon, we could claim its core!”

“If the five of us split it… we could live like kings for the rest of our lives!”

“Why not? Becoming nobility might not be out of reach!”

The adventurers’ spirits soared as dreams of fortune danced in their heads.

“Do you see that?” one pointed out.

“Hmm… That structure in the middle of the forest is quite odd.”

A towering edifice stood oddly in the heart of the forest, visible even from afar.

“Let’s check it out.”