Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

He nodded at his subjects, a gentle smile tugging at his lips as their legitimate advice seeped into his mind.

Convinced, he retrieved all his building blueprints and handed them to Dimitris.

"Start with the firm wooden walls. They have to surround the territory by tomorrow night. You can focus on the carpenter workshop and farm next. For the rest, we'll see later, but I had the tailoring workshop and brick kiln in mind."

Dimitris and Muramasa approved of his choice and offered him reassured smiles.

The carpenter workshop would increase Dimitris' efficiency and reduce the time required to transform wood into sturdy planks.

"We'll mobilise everyone to help... except Ifrit and the imps."

Garduck's guttural voice echoed. His steps determined, he left to gather the other demons and start the construction.

Dimitris retrieved the tools from his hand, his smile stretching his wrinkles as he spoke.

"Who would have thought I'd work with demons? But somehow, I don't find you worse than some humans."

Muramasa nodded.

"You can expect an armor set for everyone by tomorrow. But please try to get blade blueprints next. I'm itching to craft a sword."

A frown creased his brows at the strange demand.

"We have enough steel. Why don't you craft katanas like you used to?"

"I'm sorry, my lord."

Muramasa shook his head, his lips twitching in a conflicted expression. Yet, he noticed the excitement sparkling in his eyes.

"I strived to forge perfection in its purest form for my entire life. Using mere steel will only sully my lifelong quest. I don't mind forging enchanted weapons through blueprints, though. Their engravings are novel and expand my knowledge. So, who knows? I might surpass myself and create the ultimate katana if you gather exceptional materials from other realms!"

A wry smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Somehow, it didn't surprise him for an expert to show reluctance when asked to downgrade his skills. It was the same for him as well.

'It'd be like asking me to spam low-level dungeons or duel noobs every day. Without challenge, my skills would only rust. At least he's willing to use blueprints, so it's all good.'

Despite the loss of an advantage, he didn't mind it too much since the other lords were in the same situation as him. Still, he had other options, like forming new smiths and asking them to forge weapons under Muramasa's tutelage as training.

A clear path for the future set in his mind, he nodded at the tall mythical smith.

"I'll do my utmost to get my hands on them. I'll also ask any new citizens if they want to learn smithing or woodcarving under the two of you."

Satisfied by the arrangement, they separated after a few words of encouragement.

'I'll have a lot of free time tomorrow. I guess I can focus on demonic essence manipulation and absorption.'

A broad grin stretched his lips on his way as he saw Garduck and the others carrying heavy logs on their shoulders as if they weighed nothing.

As he sat in his hut to train, wood-chopping and polishing noises reverberated through the territory. A symphony of progress that caused his mind to relax despite his task's complexity.

Undeterred by his repeated failures, he focused for hours until his arm's muscles twitched slightly and swelled for a second.

"Yes! I'll soon master the process."

He clenched his fist, his joy balanced by the angry grumbling of his stomach.

The smell of cooked meat permeating the air accentuated the feeling of hunger. Therefore, he stepped out to have dinner with his gathered subjects around the demonic altar.

In the distance, he noticed the stacked planks and heard Garduck's report on the work accomplished thus far.

"We'll have enough plank by the end of the day. Tomorrow, we'll assemble everything according to Dimitris' instructions."

He nodded, offering them a few words of praise before returning to his hut for the night.

As he climbed onto his bed, his stomach filled and a wildfire of determination fueling his beating heart, Tiamat's voice echoed.

"Don't waste time on energy absorption tomorrow. Focus on control and raise your stats to the limits."

His eyes darted to Tiamat's bed on the other side of the room.

"Why?"

He noticed the hesitant frown creasing her brows, and her azure eyes shifted between eagerness and restraint.

"You'll know when the grace period ends. Don't talk with me anymore."

'Big sister, you're the one who spoke with me...'

He sighed in frustration, his head colliding with the rough pillow.

'Is something going to happen on the eighth day?'

He pondered the question, piecing the hints he had like puzzle pieces.

''Pharaoh warned us about a potential challenge a few days prior. Did Isis warn him like Tiamat did, or is it something else entirely?'

He closed his eyes, the weight of the long and eventful day urging his mind to rest as a blanket of darkness inched toward his thoughts.

'She's probably trying to help despite the limitations imposed on her. So, I'll follow her advice and discover what will happen in two days like everyone else.'

With this last thought, he fell asleep under Tiamat's expectant gaze.

"I'll also know if I made the right bet in two days."

A soft whisper escaped her smile.

'Even Marduk's seal couldn't contain me forever.'

She snorted, remembering the slight cracks in her cell millions of years after her imprisonment.

"Hahaha. These fools didn't notice I infiltrated their system to select him myself."

Through the cracks, her energy seeped through the cosmos, allowing her to observe Earth's population and plan her escape.

That's when she noticed Adam and his astonishing skills. No matter what type of games he played, his name always appeared in the top ten rankings before he moved on.

But in PvP-based MMORPGs? He was always the absolute number one, three steps ahead compared to anyone.

Despite his accomplishments, why did she choose a gamer instead of a natural-born leader or world-renowned fighter?