The Demon King Who Draws

Chapter 79

Drip, drip…

The ice shards scattered in the illusion proved that the recent battle was no mere illusion.

‘…Satisfactory.’

The combat prowess of Ipos, the Frost Demon, exceeded my expectations.

One of Ipos’s combat mechanics, the warmth of the girl, increases in proportion to the number of enemies. This made it highly effective in espionage missions or new modes to be updated later, where the probability of being surrounded by many enemies was high.

‘In one-against-many battles, it was one of the top-ranked demons.’

The Frost Druid was formidable on its own, but when equipped with its exclusive weapon, the mirror, it was nearly impregnable.

Unless an enemy capable of breaking the freezing gimmick or one with overwhelming destructive power to take down Ipos in a single blow appeared later in the episode.

Ipos’s most notable feature was its vast array of skills. It had the most skills among all demons.

‘It was also the first demon to have its skill set revamped.’

During the original winter festival event, the most common complaint among users was the skill power balance.

If Ipos had so many powerful skills like a child scribbling in a notebook during class, what was the point of the existing demons that users had spent so many magic stones to summon?

The main opinion was that it was an excessive balance disruption to induce spending.

‘But it was just a groundless fear.’

To be precise, it was just a groundless fear. The developers said they wanted all demons in Lemegeton to provide overwhelming despair to adventurers and that future demons would have a basic skill set with this principle.

‘In other words, a skill set with added gimmicks like a raid boss. Adventurers could strategize against it, but it would be challenging and tough.’

They didn’t neglect the previously released demons either. When the adoption rate of early demons with overly simple skill sets dropped and the opinion formed that they were trap picks, they revamped the skill sets.

They seemed to care quite a bit about the users, but it was like locking the barn door after the horse had bolted.

‘Users started leaving in droves around this time.’

Who would trust and wait for a balance patch and skill set revamp to be implemented?

The mobile game’s fluid user base had already started moving to other mobile games. The hastily prepared patch was implemented quickly, but the already lost public sentiment was etched like a scar.

‘Huh… Looking at it this way, I can’t explain why this game failed in one sentence, but it seems it was bound to fail.’

For instance, Phenex came out with a bizarre trait called 【Indomitable】, which was annoying, while Ipos could immediately shine with the trait 【Empathy】.

‘No wonder it was frustrating!’

It’s not because I summoned Phenex as my first demon. I am now a proud owner of Ipos too.

Even Ipos had a relatively weak point. It was vulnerable in one-on-one situations compared to other demons.

So, Ipos had to replace most of its skill set with other skills when engaging in espionage missions or facing adventurers one-on-one.

‘No demon is omnipotent, after all.’

Well, there are exceptions.

Like the great demons such as Amon.

They are beings without weaknesses.

“This… can’t be… This is the power of a demon…”

The last blue witch, Enis, trembled as she turned her gaze to Phenex beside her.

Hehe-

Phenex responded with a mischievous smile. The large horns on her head seemed to have just caught Enis’s eye.

“Horns… here too!”

Seeing Lucifer’s horns, she clutched her head.

“A demon… I’ve been captured by a demon.”

Something seemed off.

She looked as if she was imagining something very troubling.

“What are you going to do with me?”

“What do you think I will do with you?”

Oh, wait.

Did that sound wrong?

“I… I’m not fit to be a living sacrifice…”

“That won’t happen.”

“Are you… aiming for the seal?”

She was referring to the sealed glacier shaman, Ekelart.

“Seal?”

Feigning ignorance, Enis grew suspicious.

“Is it really the seal…”

“I don’t even know what the seal is, nor am I interested.”

“…What? Then what is it? Why did a demon-led tribe settle in the witch’s land?”

“Did I need a reason to settle here?”

“Well… not really, but coming to this barren land…”

“It’s because there’s nothing here. Does that answer your question?”

“…I can’t believe it.”

Lucifer sighed, rubbing her forehead.

“Hah… This foolish human seems to need enlightenment. There’s no need for Faust to engage in unnecessary conversation. I will handle it.”

Lucifer placed her hand on her waist and began to lecture like a butler scolding an employee.

“Human. Faust not only saved your life but also annihilated the pursuers chasing you.”

“That is…”

“You owe a great debt. Whether Faust desires your body or your fate, you must not refuse.”

“W-what! My body!”

“Oh, my apologies. That was not my intention. Let me correct myself. Dissection, slaughter…”

Seeing Enis’s complexion pale in real-time, he stopped speaking.

“That’s not it either, Lucifer.”

“Is that so? Understood. Then I will rephrase…”

“No, I don’t need her body in the first place.”

“…Huh?”

Nod…

Lucifer nodded and stepped back behind me.

“Was it Enis?”

“Yes… A demon tribe wouldn’t let a young and fresh human go. But if I die like this…”

“Is it Enis?”

“Y-yes. Enis.”

Finally, it was time to get to the point.

“Setting aside the circumstances, let’s get to the point. I need your help.”

“My help?”

“Precisely, it’s a repayment. For saving you and eliminating your pursuers.”

“Spit it out.”

“Explain what happened.”

“…”

“You didn’t think you could just waltz into a demon’s dungeon and walk out unscathed, did you? I hope you’re not that thick-skinned. It would be quite a disappointment to see a human who defies expectations.”

Enis cautiously asked, “Are you a demon hiding your true identity? Or… are you a demon?”

“You can speak freely. I’m a demonkin. Not a demon, but this dungeon might as well be one.”

“I see…”

The reason I’m revealing such dangerous information about myself is because, in the original story, Enis became an excellent guide for Faust.

‘I’ve turned bosses into allies before, so making an existing ally stay loyal should be a piece of cake.’

Unless, of course, the world has turned upside down and they’ve become mortal enemies.

“Then… why are you interested in the story of a witch in a land that has nothing to do with you?”

“Because I think I can help.”

“…What?”

“Exactly what I said. I plan to stay in this land for a while, and you know about the threats and situations that could be dangerous to me.”

“So, if our goals align…”

“It means we could walk together.”

The Blue Witch Enis hesitated before starting her story.

“Do you know about Ekelart?”

“The Ekelart of the Glacier?”

“Yes. The legendary shaman who once resided in this land… The three witch covens combined their powers to seal him.”

“And?”

I knew this part.

“Recently… the skirmishes with the witch hunters have intensified, and eventually… the seal was damaged.”

“…What?”

This wasn’t how the story went…

“The seal… cracked. The Blue Witches insisted on prioritizing the seal’s protection, but the other covens had different ideas.”

“They planned to break the seal. Why? What benefit could they gain from releasing Ekelart?”

“The Purple Coven said a lot of time had passed since they sealed him. Do you know what the Purple Coven specializes in?”

“…Mind control? Enchantment?”

“Exactly. They believe they can control Ekelart.”

“What do you think?”

“They’re insane! If Ekelart were that easy to control, why would the three covens have combined their powers back then?”

“Hmm…”

Enis continued her explanation.

“On the last day of the meeting about Ekelart’s seal… just a few days ago, the Blue Coven was ambushed.”

“By the other covens.”

“…Yes.”

Although there were minor differences, the story seemed to follow the original plot.

“Couldn’t they resist?”

“They were caught in an unnoticed barrier. They couldn’t use magic.”

“So they were annihilated… It’s shocking, but how did you survive alone?”

“The Grandmother sacrificed herself to clear a path for me. She said I must survive…”

“Why?”

Enis’s face hardened.

“Because I’m the last key bearer.”

“…What?”

“Ekelart’s seal requires three keys to be broken. Each coven holds one key…”

“And since you’re the last Blue Witch, you’re the key bearer.”

Now I understood why the witch covens’ pursuit didn’t stop.

“If I hand you over to the covens, what reward would I get?”

“…What?”

“I never said I’d help you unconditionally. I said we could walk together if it benefits me.”

“Liar!”

“It’s not a lie. You’re the last Blue Witch, coveted by both the covens and the witch hunters. If I hand you over, I’d receive a huge reward, but if I protect you, I’d have to clash with them.”

“…”

“You need to prove to me that you’re worth the conflict. Only then can you trust me based on that value. Otherwise, it’s just an alliance based on my goodwill… and you wouldn’t trust such a relationship, would you?”

Enis, realizing the truth in my words, hesitated before making an offer.

“Don’t you need to survive the winter in the frozen land? It must be hard to find firewood… I know of a secret forest.”

“Not enough.”

“Can you feed all the monsters in this large dungeon throughout the winter? I’ll teach you how the Blue Witches make preserved food and where to find the prey.”

“Not enough.”

Enis, almost in tears, shouted in frustration.

“Just help me! The Blue Witch village was also attacked! If there’s any treasure left, I’ll give it all to you!”

“Treasure?”

“Not much… Witches don’t care for gold and jewels… Maybe some magic stones or low-grade artifacts…”

“…That.”

“Artifacts? The valuable ones were probably taken by the other covens…”

“No, not that.”

“…Magic stones?”

“Are they top-grade?”

“They vary in use… Of course, there are top-grade ones…”

“Did they take them?”

“The top-grade magic stones… are in a secret vault known only to the Grandmother and her family.”

“Sigh…”

“The other covens don’t know the vault’s location, but the Grandmother is my grandmother too…”

I stood up abruptly and asked, “The leader of the Blue Coven is your grandmother?”

“Yes… I’m her granddaughter.”

“And the key to the vault?”

“It’s the same as the seal’s key.”

I’ve decided.

Swoosh…

“…What does that mean?”

Enis grasped my outstretched hand.

“Nice to meet you. So, where’s the base?”

[You have been offered assistance during espionage activities.]

[The reward is ??? top-grade magic stones.]

…….