"...So, taking into account the laws of this world, our bodies are indeed made of meat... Do we all understand?" As the setting sun once again bathed the Demon King's palace, the resurrected "cultured man," Byron, was earnestly sharing his experiences with the other lords.
The succubus, vampire, and werewolf lords claimed to comprehensively get it, while the slime, Zombie, and Goblin lords looked sleepily uninterested, oblivious to whatever he was rambling about.
With a sigh of resignation, Murphy began to explain, "Let's make it simple. I have a plan which requires money--something we don't have. But no worries! All we have to do is to, well, kill you all one by one. And voilà, we will have money. Afterward, I'll revive you all. The only setback is, you'll lose five levels each. However, given that you haven’t had a brawl in a while, and it seems that you won't be doing so for the foreseeable future, I don’t see this as a major issue. The only drawback of this grand strategy is that each of you can only drop gold coins once. Anyone unclear?"
The lords unanimously professed their understanding and praised their wise king. The ogre lord even beat his chest, expressing his willingness to be killed multiple times to accumulate more wealth. It was clear that he understood, yet failed to grasp the full extent of the matter.
Murphy had no intention of delving into whether they truly understood or not. In his eyes, obedient demons were good demons. The lords dutifully followed their king to the empty treasure trove that looked like a skeletal cranium, forming a line outside in a sequence from the lowest to the highest level.
Then came the much-awaited assembly-line work session. Murphy axed his way through the goblin and zombie lords of the 20s and 30s to the ogre, gargoyle, and ghost lords of the 50s and 60s, and then to the succubus, vampire, and werewolf lords of the 80s and 90s. His arcane dagger became so blunted due to the excessive usage.
The demons did not disappoint. They dropped increasingly more gold, with better and better equipment, growing weaker and weaker as they stepped out of the treasury, and upon awakening from their first death, they always asked, "Your Majesty, what just happened?"
Counting the gold and loot, Murphy was in high spirits. Based on his estimates, it amounted to an immense fortune, comparable to the wealth of nations in the human world. Accompanying his newfound wealth came a new problem: since the total ceasefire, these coins have been too new. To survive the gestation period peacefully, he had to employ antiquarian tricks—making them look old.
"It’s fascinating how every skill has its own niche," he mused after using the skill of [Mild Decay]. The shiny new gold coins were now rendered aged and worn, perfect for their appearance. Viewing the flawless aging effect, Murphy couldn't help but wonder how influential this skill could have been had he brought it back to his hometown, where last week's objects could be made to appear as though they were from the Shang Dynasty, perplexing even the archaeologists.
He glanced at the other pile of loot, a small mountain composed of weapons, armor, and trinkets. The quality was splendid, the quantity enormous, sufficient to cultivate a squad of audacious heroes from zero to hero level, to hunt him down.
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Murphy suddenly realized he'd be bearing the brunt of the heroes' frustrations. In both online games or in curious foreign worlds, nothing is more tormenting than a boss that refuses to drop loot. Indeed, if the peace agreement proved unfruitful in resolving the war, Murphy feared his subordinates would be the subjects of constant farming by the audacious heroes.
Engrossed in thoughts of the future, Murphy felt a tug at his trouser leg. Looking down, he found the shimmering slime in charge of cleaning. Due to years of penury and neglect, the treasury had nothing but an accumulation of dust until today. Therefore, before starting the mass slaying of his lords, Murphy moved the slime here to absorb the dust.
The slime twisted its body and spat out a luminous crystal. Murphy picked it up and sensed it carried the consciousness of another Demon King. The crystal's light had nearly faded. Anxious, Murphy plunged his mind into it and saw a stooped figure.
"Hello there, I'm the residual consciousness of the previous Demon King. You're too late. Perhaps there was an accident? Anyway, I don't have much time left. Before I dissipate, you can ask me three questions," the hazy figure spoke.
Despite itchy curiosity about whether the figure's consciousness would last forever if he didn't ask anything, Murphy decided against it since it was a question in its own right, violating the given limitation. After careful contemplation, he asked his first question.
"Is the Hero really that strong?"
"Indeed, he is. You are a Demon King, you should know the limits. But the Hero seems to exceed them. Be cautious."
"I see," said Murphy, sensing that the matter was not as simple as it seemed, he decided to keep a vigilant eye while executing his plans.
"Alright, next question. Have we always been this...dense?"
"Well, yes. Even during my reign, they often drove me up the wall. Thus, you should simply give orders and avoid explanations."
"Thanks for your honesty and advice. I've only been here for two days, but I'm already considering that approach.
Lastly, why did you favor the succubi?"
"Do you know you caught me off guard? Has that naughty Tyre told you this? Such impudence. I'm a purebred demon, I favored succubi because I was a succubus myself before I became the Demon King. That child is still as nifty as he was when he was smaller. I wonder if his younger sister is still as endearing as she used to be.
My time's up. I entrust the future of the demon race to you."
"Thank you for your wisdom. I have no further questions. I’ll take care of our kind."
His silhouette became gradually faint, and his hoarse voice echoed with a touch of curiosity, "Young man, is your trait [Lust]?"
"Sigh. Unfortunately, I drew [Pride]."
"I see. I don’t possess it either. Pity…"
Murphy was left speechless, never expecting even this old fellow would have such a playful nature.
"Are you talking behind my back?" the voice echoed through the barrier with a touch of amusement. "Don’t take me so lightly, I wasn't that old when I died. Goodbye~"
As his psychic energy withdrew, the crystal in his hand turned dull. Staring at it, Murphy muttered, "Is [Lust] so difficult to draw? Damn it."
Exiting the treasury, he saw the exhausted lords waiting respectfully for his return. Brandishing the crystal, he said, "This is the consciousness crystal left by the old Demon King. We just had our final interaction and according to the rules of our world, I am now the official Demon King. I hope we can establish a more harmonious relationship, so we’ll be less constraint."
Approaching the succubus lord, he handed the crystal over, "This is for you, Tyre. The old Demon King mentioned you."
Tyre's face was filled with disbelief, "Your Grace, how did the old Demon King mention me?"
"Hmm," Murphy stroked his chin, "He said you're a good lad but your intelligence is a tad fluctuating."
Tyre appeared perturbed, and a suppressed laugh echoed among the demon ranks, filling the corridor with high spirits.